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Explanation: What if you saw your shadow on Mars and it wasn't human? Then you might be the robotic Curiosity rover currently exploring Mars. Curiosity landed in Gale Crater last August and has been busy looking for signs of ancient running water and clues that Mars could once have harbored life. Pictured above, Curiosity has taken a wide panorama that includes its own shadow in the direction opposite the Sun. The image was taken in November from a location dubbed Point Lake, although no water presently exists there. Curiosity has already discovered several indications of dried streambeds on Mars, and...

It's not something they intend to use immediately, but the Cumberland Valley School Board Monday night approved a policy revision that will allow random searches of student vehicles by local law enforcement officials using certified drug dogs. Development of the policy has been in the works for about a year. Board members said they wanted to put it in place now so that parents and students will know it can be used and to include it in a new student handbook soon to be prepared. District officials said any vehicle searches would be coordinated with the Cumberland County Drug Task...

On Saturday, the Obama administration’s efforts to maintain the fantasy that diplomatic efforts will get Iran to abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons was again on display for all the world to see, courtesy of Vice President Joe Biden. During a speech at the Munich Security Conference, Biden contended that the United States “would be prepared to meet bilaterally with the Iranian leadership.” ”There has to be an agenda that they are prepared to speak to,” Biden added. “We are not just prepared to do it for the exercise.” The Iranians, meanwhile, are hailing the new approach the Obama administration...

In 1998, Chuck Hagel attempted to block the appointment of James Hormel as ambassador to Luxemburg on the grounds that Hormel was “openly and aggressively gay.” Fourteen years later, on the heels of his own political appointment as Department of Defense (DOD) chief, Hagel issued an apology to Hormel calling his remarks “insensitive” and not reflective of his current views on LGBT issues. Of course the timing of Hagel’s “apology” was impeccable. One could even say expedient and likely done not on his own initiative but at the behest of the White House. But Hagel’s sudden reversal on gay issues...

Heritage Foundation: A book event- While the Left likes to pretend that they oppose bullying with all their heart and soul, Ben Shapiro, editor-at-large of Breitbart.com, argues that in reality the Left is the greatest purveyor of bullying in modern American history. Bullying has morphed into the go-to tactic used to quash opponents through fear, threat of force, violence, and rhetorical intimidation on every major issue facing our nation. Whether playing the race card, the class card, or the sexism card, any and every means is invoked to demonize the opposition. By creating a climate of fear, ordinary Americans are...

WORLD MURDER STATISTICS "After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn't do it." William S. Burroughs. From the World Health Organization: The latest Murder Statistics for the world: Murders per 100,000 citizens Honduras 91.6 El Salvador 69.2 Cote d'lvoire 56.9 Jamaica 52.2 Venezuela 45.1 Belize 41.4 US Virgin Islands 39.2 Guatemala 38.5 Saint Kits and Nevis 38.2 Zambia 38.0 Uganda 36.3 Malawi 36.0 Lesotho 35.2 Trinidad and Tobago 35.2 Colombia 33.4 South Africa 31.8 Congo 30.8 Central African Republic 29.3 Bahamas 27.4 Puerto Rico 26.2 Saint Lucia 25.2 Dominican Republic 25.0...

'And this is the writing that was written, Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. This is the interpretation of the thing: Mene; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. Tekel; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. Peres; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.' (Daniel 5:25-28) By the time our Founding Fathers got around to establishing us as a nation, American’s had already been roughing it in the wilderness colonies for almost 200 years. The first colonies began in the late 1500’s with settlements in places like Roanoke and Jamestown. As the colonies...

Long time contributor Dick Morris will no longer be a talking head on Fox New Channel. “His contract is up and we will not be renewing it, ” a spokesperson for the news network confirmed today. A perpetual presence during last year’s Presidential election, Morris has not been seen on FNC since November 12. Earlier today, he did announce via Twitter that he would be making an appearance on CNN’s Piers Morgan Tonight on Wednesday. That will be the first time the conservative former Clinton advisor has appeared on CNN since 2002. Morris isn’t the only big name contributor departure...

John B. Gordon believed in the South's Constitutional right to secession, but after the war, he worked to unite the nation and helped white and black Southerners the war made poor.

Energy: The former Golden State is floating in debt, even as it sits on two-thirds of America's shale oil reserves locked in a formation four times the size of the one that sparked North Dakota's economic boom. North Dakota is now the largest oil producer in the country after Texas with a monthly oil output of about 20 million barrels. North Dakota's oil boom accounts for 11% of U.S. oil production, and it is the impetus behind the state's $3.8 billion surplus and an unemployment rate of just 3.2%, the lowest in the nation. California is not running a surplus,...

A cranky Florida teenager, upset over getting arrested for drug possession, lashed out at a Miami judge during her bond hearing Monday, flipping him the bird and earning a 30-day sentence for contempt in the process. Penelope Soto, who had been arrested for having Xanax and was charged with possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, was brought before Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Jorge Rodriguez-Chomat on Monday. The stern jurist asked the 18-year-old Soto, who was wearing an orange jail jumpsuit, about her assets, probing into how much her jewelry was worth, according to NBCMiami.com. Soto, who had been...

Opening the first immigration hearing of the new Congress, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee warned his colleagues not to use the term "illegal immigrant" as the debate goes on. "I hope no one uses the term illegal immigrants here today. Our citizens are not — the people in this country are not illegal. They are are out of status. They are new Americans that are immigrants," said Rep. John Conyers Jr., Michigan Democrat. As Congress begins the immigration debate, both sides are preparing for an emotionally charged fight, and language will be one of the battlegrounds. Many immigrant-rights...

Dear FReepers, We need your help to get this FReepathon moving again. Now into the second month of the fundraiser and we're catching up, but still lagging about 10% behind the pace. We actually have more donations than we had at this point last quarter, but we're average about four dollars less per donation. This is a direct result of the harm Obama's Marxist policies are inflicting on the economy. Hopefully it'll get going strong again so we can complete our fundraiser in the next few weeks. Free Republic stands for God and Country!! We defend Life, Family, Constitution, Liberty!!...

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Stewie the Cat, the longest domestic cat in the world at more than 4 feet long from nose to tail, has died. Stewie was surrounded by family when he succumbed to a yearlong battle with cancer Monday evening at his Reno home, owner Robin Hendrickson said Tuesday. He was 8. Guinness World Records declared Stewie the record-holder in August 2010, measuring 48.5 inches from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail.

Egyptian security forces arrested a man, apparently a Syrian, who allegedly tried to attack Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during a visit to a mosque in Cairo. The attack was allegedly spurred by the man's opposition to Iran's support of the Syrian...

Boy, it’s great to be liberal in Minnesota. While the usual suspects remain ever vigilant for any hint of political malfeasance involving Rep. Michele Bachmann, Sens. Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar get off scot-free for voting in favor of Obamacare’s medical devices tax before they were against it.

President Barack Obama will go to Israel in the spring, the White House said Tuesday, marking his first visit to the staunch U.S. ally since becoming president. While in the region, Obama will make stops in the West Bank and Jordan. Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the visit to Israel in late January, when Obama congratulated Netanyahu on his success in Israel's recent election. The White House has not released the date of Obama's trip or details about Obama's itinerary, but Israel's Channel 10 reported that the trip had been scheduled for March 20. "The start of...

In wake of the release of a report comparing Palestinian Authority textbooks to Israeli textbooks in terms of incitement, Israel’s Strategic Affairs Ministry has released a simple PowerPoint presentation outlining PA incitement and giving examples. Among the more disturbing instances of incitement are incident in which teachers used their blogs or Facebook pages to spread hate. One PA school’s Facebook page includes an image of an Arab child being strangled by a snake marked with a Star of David. Another school’s Facebook page has an image of Adolf Hitler, complete with a quote stating that Hitler left some Jews alive...

This announcement is being placed in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) paragraph 5.207.  It is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items.  5.56x45mm NATO, select-fire firearm suitable for personal defense.  This announcement constitutes the only solicitation and proposals are being requested.  See attachments for complete details.

Dear Dave,I’m looking at buying term life insurance. Currently, I’m in medical school doing my last year of residency and making $35,000 a year. Should I base the amount of insurance coverage on what I’m making now or what I’ll make when I’ve finished medical school? AmandaDear Amanda,In most cases, I advise basing the amount of life insurance coverage on the income you’re earning at the moment. After all, that’s the amount your family is used to living on, right? However, if you’re finishing up your medical degree this year, it’s a virtual certainty you’ll earn lots more in 2014....