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Record-breaking James Bond film Skyfall opens today in China, but according to reports, some of its scenes have been censored and altered to make it acceptable to the Chinese authorities. One scene that has been been completely culled takes place in Shanghai, when a French hitman (played by Ola Rapace) is shown shooting a Chinese security guard in the elevator lobby of a skyscraper before preparing for an assassination. … It is not uncommon for imported films to open in China with potentially politically or culturally controversial scenes edited out. Men in Black 3, Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s...

Catholic Prayer: Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity "Restoration of unity among Christians is one of the main concerns of the Church... and this task is for all of us. No one can claim exemption from this responsibility. Indeed, everybody can make some contribution, however small it may seem, and all are called to that interior conversion which is the essential condition for ecumenism." His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, 30 May 1982 This Octave was first conceived by Father Paul of Graymoor on November 30, 1907, before his entrance into the Catholic Church. The initial success in 1908 was...

Wixom, MI --(Ammoland.com)- Trijicon, Inc., global provider of high quality, innovative aiming solutions to military, law enforcement and individual customers, has decided to withdraw its participation and support of the 2013 Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. “We, at Trijicon, are very disappointed in the decision of Reed Exhibitions to ban the display of Modern Sporting Rifles from the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show.”, said Tom Munson, V.P. of Sales & Marketing for Trijicon. “Many of Trijicon’s loyal customers are responsible and law-abiding owners of these types of legal firearms and we will not support any organization that...

Prince Harry on his controversial Las Vegas trip There is only one rule as far as the soldier prince is concerned: Work hard, play hard. In one of the most candid admissions of his interview, Harry remarks that concerned Prince Charles frequently attempts to remind him of what is required of the third in line to the throne. Harry confesses he ‘let himself and his family down’ after being photographed cavorting naked in Las Vegas last year, but, unsurprisingly given his comments, is largely unrepentant. The 28-year-old royal concedes he should have acted in a more ‘princely’ manner but says...

MURRIETA [California] (CBSLA.com) — Police are warning residents Monday suspects are using a new technique to determine whether Murrieta homes are occupied before ransacking the properties. KNX 1070′s Tom Reopelle reports police are warning residents to stay alert and keep valuables secured. The burglars are believed to be targeting homes, tripping circuit breakers and then breaking in to steal jewelry and unsecured firearms, Murrieta Police Sgt. Don Weller said. “The bad guys will go out and turn the power off to the residence, and they’ll stand outside waiting to see if there’s any response from inside, and if there isn’t...

Japan Threatens To Fire On Chinese Fighters — China Says 'There Will Be No Second Shot' Robert JohnsonJanuary 21, 2013, 2:35 PMWhen Chinese and Japanese fighters met for the first time over disputed islands in the East China Sea earlier this month, Japan promptly declared its right to fire tracers at China's jets. Though met with outrage by China at the time, Japan continues promoting the live firing which Chinese military academics are calling the "first shot." “Every country has procedures for how to deal with a violation of its territory that continues after multiple cautionary measures,” Japanese Defense Minister...

In my column this week, I asked why police officers should be allowed to have so-called high-capacity magazines if they have no defensive value. Since "no one needs" to fire more than X number of rounds before reloading (and assuming that "need" should define what people are allowed to possess), why not apply the same limit to everyone? It looks like the New York legislature, which this week reduced the state's magazine limit from 10 rounds to seven, did take an evenhanded approach—but only by accident. According to DNAinfo.com and WABC, the ABC station in New York, legislators were in...

Last month, the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals declared Illinois’s ban on carrying a weapon in public unconstitutional, leaving the District of Columbia as the only place in the country that does not allow the concealed carry of firearms by civilians (and D.C. is being sued to allow this). The morally purblind pro-gun lobbyists have been so successful in saturating our society with firearms—from national parks to Amtrak trains—that public libraries across the country are also finding themselves having to grapple with Second Amendment radicals. For example, the Boulder Public Library, until November, had a policy that read: “No...

If you did not already know that the President has no grasp of history, no knowledge of what he is saying, this should help confirm it. According to the transcript released by the White House, President Obama channeled Neville Chamberlain, using the phrase "peace in our time" to tout his reelection. The President explained (emphasis mine): We will support democracy from Asia to Africa, from the Americas to the Middle East, because our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for freedom. And we must be a source of hope to the poor,...

The Legacy Lives On! Mark’s Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation “Conservatism is the antidote to tyranny precisely because its principles are the founding principles.” --Mark Levin in Liberty and TyrannyWelcome to “The Levin Lounge”… Step in and have a virtual FRink.Taking the country by storm, one radio station at a time – and kicking the BUTTS of the competition! Welcome all, to the most FUN LIVE THREAD on FreeRepublic.com! You can call Mark’s show: 1-877-381-3811

As Barack Obama Begins His Second Term, What Best Describes Your Emotions? 1. Joyous Anticipation 2. Dread 3. Indifference

Eagles defensive end Trent Cole, a major hunting enthusiast, is snubbing a Pennsylvania sports expo because it has banned sales of certain rifles variously described as "modern sporting rifles," "tactical rifles" or "assault weapons." Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show, scheduled for Feb. 2 to 10 in Harrisburg, bills itself as "THE Sportsman Show," and was expected to draw about 200,000 visitors and feature 1,200 exhibitors. Many sportsmen, however, seem to be upset that the show's organizers have failed to fully support the constitutional right to bear arms. "Hordes of hunting industry manufacturers and TV personalities are thumbing their noses at...

In comments made Friday, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said the National Rifle Association (NRA) is a "fringe group" that is "very extreme." Moreover, according to Schumer, the NRA doesn't "represent average gun [owners]." Schumer says that during the 1990s the NRA used their lobbying power to fill background checks with loopholes, thus leading to a situation where "40 percent of all guns sold in American have no [background] check." You'll recall that Obama also used this "40 percent" claim when pushing for more gun control earlier in the week. This claim goes back to a 2011 study by Mayor Michael...

These days, it is easy to go about our business of survival and preparedness without stopping to think about the rules of engagement. For most of us, these rules are not written and are not spoken, but are just something that has evolved over a period of time. As I have expressed many times in the past, the burden of knowledge – or perhaps I should say the burden of truth – can be a huge weight to bear. That, coupled with the crazy busy task of life during these hard times, can be overwhelming. Getting up each day, going...

Lemurs captured in South Florida NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla. - Two lemurs were captured early Monday morning after they escaped from their cages and one scratched a 2-year-old girl. About 2 a.m., North Miami Beach Police received the call about the lemurs which were loose near 2049 NE 173rd Street. "This is the first time I've been dispatched to a call like this," said North Miami Beach Police Sgt. Richard Rand.

Colorado Springs, January 21 (World Watch Monitor) — Iran on Monday accused an Idaho man of trying to entice young people to Christianity and away from the country’s official religion, Islam, the man’s American-based legal team says. The trial of Saeed Abedini, 32, of Boise, began Monday in the Tehran courtoom of Abbas Pir-Abbassi, a Revolutionary Court judge notorious for harsh sentences.

The United States has dispatched about 100 military trainers to six nations that will contribute troops to a pan-African force being prepared for deployment to Mali, the State Department said Friday. The initial U.S. trainers will “discuss training and equipping and deployment needs of those countries in the interest of getting them ready to go into Mali,” spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. The training mission in Niger, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Togo and Ghana is the largest U.S. involvement to date in preparations for the African force, which is being assembled by the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States, or...

The first couple walked past the FBI building, before stepping back into the limousine before reaching Freedom Plaza. Freedom Plaza is the site of one of the only authorized demonstration zones, where a strip of the plaza is designated a free speech zone.

Squabbling in Washington over the debt ceiling is again raising the specter that the United States may be forced to delay payments on its debt. While the stigma of a default would be damaging enough to investor sentiment, the chaos from a breakdown in financial markets' systems that might result would be even scarier. A failure to make payments on U.S. Treasurys, however brief, would create widespread damage in short-term funding markets, which are crucial to daily operations of financial institutions, investment firms and many corporations, said analysts and investors. Editor's Note: How You Lost $85,000 During the Last Decade....