Free Republic

Assorted TV commentators keep opining that the Olympics are all about the brotherhood of man, rather than national ambition or patriotism. But don't tell that to the fanatically nationalist Chinese -- or to Kobe Bryant, the NBA star who is playing with Team USA in Beijing. In an interview Friday on NBC, the world's most famous basketball player told Chris Collinsworth how he got "goosebumps" when he received his Olympics uniform. "I actually just looked at it for a while. I just held it there and I laid it across my bed and I just stared at it for a...

Great jobs, schools, housing—these 10 small cities have all that and more Chances are, you love the corner of the nation your family calls home. And that’s exactly as it should be. But let’s face it: Certain towns have more of the things that make a place great for raising a family and building a rich life—like plentiful jobs, excellent schools, scenic beauty and houses that won’t suck away your last dime. As we do every year, we set out to identify those communities that just seem to have it all. We analyzed the nation’s small cities, those with populations...

WHAT DID JESUS BRING OUT IN PEOPLE? This has been an interesting topic for me much of my life. I've pondered it long and hard. But what are your opinions, perspectives, convictions, observations? Some might think that on the face of it, it would be an easy question to answer. Jesus--perfect Love, Wisdom, Gentleness, Kindness . . . must have always brought out the Best in people--in all He met. Sounds lauditory. Sounds kosher. But what does the historical record indicate? Was it the same for all people? All types of people? All personalities? People of all value orientations? Were...

Dow Jones Indexes, a leading global index provider, today announced it was named the "Best Islamic Index Provider" by Islamic Finance News. The selection was made by a record 1,502 Islamic finance professionals worldwide. "This award acknowledges our achievements in and dedication to providing the most comprehensive, reliable and established family of Islamic indexes. The Dow Jones Islamic Market Indexes were the first to measure the performance of stocks and bonds that comply with Islamic investment principles, and we remain committed to further developments in this area," said Michael A. Petronella, president of Dow Jones Indexes. "The award also recognizes...

Udi, a United States military working dog stationed at Forward Operating Base Kalsu, poses for the camera after he completes his daily training, Dec. 25. Photo by Pfc. Amanda McBride. FOB KALSU — With their strong sense of smell and their immeasurable loyalty, the highly trained military working dogs (MWD) in the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, are proving to be essential in the fight against terrorism. Military working dogs first entered the United States armed services in March 1942. Today, the dogs are still providing support to the troops on the battlefield.A single dog can search more...

The oldest trick in journalism is padding late December issues with plenty of "Best of the Year" lists. But which of these lists were the best this year? We present... THE BEST 'BEST OF 2007' LISTS OF 2007 LIST! 10. Yale Book of Quotations' Most Memorable Quotes of 2007. In first place is the crowd-disbursing, "Don't tase me, bro!" 9. Spike TV's Top 10 Best Trailers of 2007. Of course, 300 was included. 8. Wired magazine's Top 10 Startups Worth Watching in 2008. However, they seem to have left one out. 7. Metacritic's Most Critically-Acclaimed Albums of 2007. I only...

This had to be the best Christmas present ever. This just might jerk a tear out of your eye: http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2007/12/14/vo.ky.daddy.in.box.wbko

WASHINGTON, Nov. 26, 2007 – The best way to confront Iran’s nuclear weapons program is through international diplomatic pressure, and military force should remain a last resort, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today at Kansas State University. Gates told participants in the Landon Lecture series in Manhattan, Kan., he supports diplomatic pressure to get Iran to abandon its nuclear efforts. “We are engaged in diplomacy with Iran,” he said. “More importantly, we are engaged in diplomacy with a number of countries around the world and trying to secure their support for economic sanctions to bring pressure on the...

Seven days left. If you want to do something worthwhile vote for Valour-IT blog as "Best English Weblog." Valour-IT has a very worthy project: "Project Valour-IT, in memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss, helps provide voice-controlled and adaptive laptop computers to wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand wounds and other severe injuries at major military medical centers. Operating laptops by speaking into a microphone or using other adaptive technologies, our wounded heroes are able to send and receive messages from friends and loved ones, surf the 'Net, and communicate with buddies still in the field. The experience...

NEW YORK, Nov. 8, 2007 – Laughter and song can be indispensible weapons for wounded servicemembers undergoing painful convalescence, as hope and anguish battle for primacy. Last night, A-listers such as comedians Conan O’Brien and Robin Williams and musician Bruce Springsteen helped some move closer to recovery. Marine Sgt. James Bane, Marine Lance Cpl. Daniel Hurst, comedian Robin Williams and Marine Lance Cpl. James Scott MacKenzie pose for photos Nov. 7, 2007, before "Stand Up for Heroes," a comedy and music event in New York City arranged by the Bob Woodruff Family Fund to raise money for servicemembers injured...

National housing prices continued to slide last quarter, dropping an average of 1.5% over the year before, according to the latest report by the National Association of Realtors. But things are looking up for two-thirds of the country's big cities where median home sale prices rose. Leading the charge was Seattle, where prices increased 8.9%; in San Jose, Calif., they rose 8.8%; and in Raleigh and Charlotte, N.C., prices jumped 8.3% and 8.4% respectively. Compare that to Detroit and Cleveland. In these metros, prices fell 7.1%. Skies aren't much sunnier in the West. Median home sale numbers in Sacramento, Calif.,...

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, July 12, 2007 – Senior Airman Jennifer Cianfrocca may get the most mail at Camp Cunningham’s post office here, but her care packages are not just for her alone -- they are also for everyone with whom she works. Cianfrocca’s mother, Mary Pierce, from Las Cruces, N.M., has made it her mission to care for her daughter’s entire unit, the 354th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron. She sends up to four boxes a week to ensure that the A-10 pilots and their team have enough Cajun Trail Mix to hold them over until the next shipment. “They know my...

Looking for recommendations of movies to send to son in Iraq. He has requested war movies.

All good things come to end for them to give a fresh new start all over again. The first ever World's Best Presentation Contest is ending soon. The contest is still wide open and one can witness the best presentations from all over the world. The best Creative minds are competing against each other for this prestigious award. The judges will announce there results later, please have a look at my personal top 5 presentations. I am sure the winner is one of them. Shift Happens – Jbrenman http://www.slideshare.net/jbrenman/shift-happens-33834/ Originally designed by Karl Fisch, the same presentation was reworked by...

WASHINGTON, April 11, 2007 – “Walter Reed is one of the pivotal academic medical centers and casualty receiving hospitals for the joint medical force,” Army Maj. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker told members of the Defense Health Board assembled at the medical center here for a meeting today. Schoomaker recently became Walter Reed’s chief and commander of North Atlantic Regional Medical Command as part of reorganizations that followed publicized accounts of problems within the facility’s outpatient system. He is the brother of former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker. The Defense Health Board was established Oct. 1, 2006. It...

No schedules. No mandatory meetings. Inside Best Buy's radical reshaping of the workplace --- At most companies, going AWOL during daylight hours would be grounds for a pink slip. Not at Best Buy. The nation's leading electronics retailer has embarked on a radical--if risky--experiment to transform a culture once known for killer hours and herd-riding bosses. The endeavor, called ROWE, for "results-only work environment," seeks to demolish decades-old business dogma that equates physical presence with productivity. The goal at Best Buy is to judge performance on output instead of hours. Hence workers pulling into the company's amenity-packed headquarters at 2...

Socialism is best because under socialism. No one has to worry about being poor or starving to death. No one is poor, unemployed, discriminated, everyone is equal reguardless or race or creed. Today such ideas are condemned as evil. Any attempt to protest against slavery and genocide and human rights violations are met with the cries of COMMUNISM! By the religious right and then they conjure up stories about Stalin, Gulags, tortue, police state etc. So therefore we must stick with the current system of sweat shop slavery, poverty and racism while rich people who already have all they will...

U.S. Army Spc. Lindaann Galeai, who mans the computer help desk for Task Force 3, practices grenade throwing in mobilization training at Fort McCoy, Wis. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Sam McClarty Task Force 3 Trains to Deploy Medical personnel undergo training to prepare them for combat duty in Iraq. By U.S. Army Maj. Bob Hart 3rd MEDCOM Public Affairs Officer FORT MCCOY, Wis., July 19, 2006 -- Medical care in Operation Iraqi Freedom has progressed to the point that soldiers who are injured there are now surviving at the highest rate in U.S. military history. One of...

Basically, no "best of" or "compilations" albums. These are the best albums that you could listen without skipping a track. I broke it down by decade. The 1960's: Beatles - Revolver Beach Boys - Pet Sounds Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced? Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde Frank Zappa - We're Only In It For The Money The Stooges - The Stooges Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I Zombies - Odessey and Oracle Cream - Disraeli Gears The 1970's: Big Star - #1 Record Neil Young - After the Gold Rush Modern Lovers...

WASHINGTON, June 14, 2006 – Detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, are dangerous men, and the best place to deal with them is in military courts, President Bush said here today. Bush addressed the subject in a lengthy news conference in the White House Rose Garden today. He said he'd like to see Guantanamo closed but is awaiting a Supreme Court decision on how to proceed with war crimes trials. "I'd like to close Guantanamo," he said. "But I also recognize that ... we're holding some people that are darn dangerous and that we better have a plan to...

Police Transition Team Trainer Sgt. Andre Johnson of the 978th Military Police Company, Fort Bliss,Texas leaves the Talix Saiba Police Station after conducting an assessment of the station. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Russell Lee Klika Iraqi Police Station is One of the Best Inside the Talix Saiba Iraqi Police Station are some of Iraq’s most dedicated police officers. By U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Russell Lee Klika133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment AD DAWR, Iraq, June 13, 2006 — The Talix Saiba Iraqi Police Station is a large two-story powder-blue building that is riddled with bullet holes, but inside...

Americans believe George W. Bush is the worst president since 1945, while Ronald Reagan was the best and Bill Clinton made both lists in a national Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday. Thirty-four percent of those surveyed ranked Bush at the bottom, 17 percent said Richard Nixon was the worst and 16 percent picked Bill Clinton. The poll found 56 percent of Democrats, 35 percent of independent voters and 7 percent of Republicans thought Bush was the worst. "Democrats just plain don't like President Bush," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "His father, the 41st president, was...

The White Sox-Cubs brawl that we enjoyed recently was certainly an interesting one. Two heated intra-city rivals coming to blows on the diamond, punches thrown, punches landed, fan bases invigorated, ejections and controversy — all the stuff of a great baseball scuffle. However, as engaging as it was it's not even close to being among the greatest of "basebrawls." So in honor of the recent North Side-South Side bloodlust, let's take a look at greatest baseball fights in history.

It's the beginning of the Memorial Day weekend. We've had our silliness thread to start things off now, how about this:Who do you think had the best cameo performance in any movie or TV show? You know, someone who had a bit part but stole the show for you.

U.S. to allow tax break on retirement accountsBy David Cay Johnston The New York Times MONDAY, MAY 15, 2006 President George W. Bush is scheduled this week to sign into law an extraordinary deal for people with retirement savings accounts. By paying $1 in income taxes before they come due, these investors can ultimately avoid taxes today that are conservatively worth $3.50. Those who cannot afford to take advantage of this deal may think about it differently, however, since the $2.50 of net tax savings is, like all of the Bush tax cuts, being financed with more government debt, which...

WASHINGTON, May 9, 2006 – Diplomacy is the best way to confront Iran's nuclear program, but President Bush said today in Sun City Center, Fla., he won't rule out other options if that falls through. "We will continue to work through diplomatic channels to make it clear that we mean what we say," Bush said in response to a question posed during his visit to the sprawling retirement community to discuss the Medicare prescription drug benefit. "And obviously, part of making the diplomacy work is what will be the consequences if the Iranians decide not to listen to the rational...

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- A former college teammate of Pat Tillman is following his footstep by leaving professional football to join the military. Pfc. Jeremy Staat, a former NFL defensive lineman who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the St. Louis Rams, graduated from the San Diego Marine Corps Recruit Depot on Friday. Enlisting "is probably one of the best decisions I've made in my life," Staat, 29, told The Associated Press after his graduation ceremony.

Improvised explosive devices, automatic weapons, police scanners, narcotics and cash have been recovered in recent raids in this border city as a result of international cooperation on border security, federal authorities announced Friday in San Antonio. "We are working day and night to dismantle these criminal organizations working at the border," said Julie Myers, assistant secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "The key to this task force is the free-flowing sharing of information with Mexican authorities." Laredo Police Chief Agustin Dovalina and John Montoya, chief of the Border Patrol Laredo Sector, were among the officials at Myers side during...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 2006 – The Army and Marine Corps are pulling out all the stops to ensure deployed troops have the best body armor possible, including ceramic side plates to protect their torsos, leaders from both services told members of the House Armed Services Committee yesterday. The leaders gave solid endorsement to the protective vests already worn by all deployed forces, but said they continue to seek out improvements that provide even more protection without adding weight and bulkiness. "Force protection is the Army's No. 1 priority," Maj. Gen. Stephen Speakes, the Army's force development director, told the Tactical...

TOKYO - Gohan and Aochan make strange bedfellows: one's a 3.5-inch dwarf hamster; the other is a 120 yard-long rat snake. Zookeepers at Tokyo's Mutsugoro Okoku zoo presented the hamster _ whose name means "meal" in Japanese _ to Aochan as a tasty morsel in October, after the snake refused to eat frozen mice. But instead of indulging, Aochan decided to make friends with the furry rodent, according to keeper Kazuya Yamamoto. The pair have shared a cage since. "I've never seen anything like it. Gohan sometimes even climbs onto Aochan to take a nap on his back," Yamamoto said....

Given to environmentalist lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose fight for "green" energy apparently stops as soon as the results might spoil his view. Kennedy penned an irate New York Times op-ed in December, condemning the proposed building of wind turbines around the Nantucket Sound. While Kennedy criss-crosses the country in his jet-fuel-burning private plane stumping for alternative energy sources, he wants an exception for his own backyard. Greenpeace spokesman Chris Miller was not pleased, saying: "It's about a vision for healthy oceans, not the view from the Kennedy compound."

SACRAMENTO – Democratic legislative leaders praised Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget yesterday as the best he's proposed since coming to office in late 2003. Yet they issued harsh criticism in the few areas in which they disagree with the governor. Legislative Democrats say they will fight Schwarzenegger's proposal to freeze cost-of-living increases for the poor and disabled, resist his proposal to cut child care funds for welfare recipients and block his request to give the governor new powers to make midyear budget cuts. They even suggested they might seek voter approval to delay the implementation of Schwarzenegger's pet project: a ballot...

Where you live can have a big impact on how much you pay in taxes each year. The spread, according to numbers crunched by the nonprofit Tax Foundation, might not be enough to make you pull up stakes and move to a new state, but it can give you a case of tax envy. The state and local burden ranges from 6.4% (Alaska) to 13% (Maine).

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (Jan. 4, 2006) -- Just like the training they receive, Marines are equipped with the gear they need to accomplish their missions. In addition to the standard issue, however, many Marines seek out and purchase their own gear as a way to make their job easier and gain the edge. With constant rotations to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of the Global War on Terrorism, many Marines have come to learn what gear works best, both issued and paid for out of pocket. Marines throughout the Corps recently commented on the gear they rely...

Please freep this vote NOW - today is the last day - go vote for Pamela's Atlas Shrugs blog - best new blog - we need to help her beat out the moonbat who has pulled ahead! Here is her blog ---> http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/

The death of a dissolute soccer star sends England into a frenzy of ersatz grief. The death from alcoholism at 59 of a famous soccer player has proved that the mass hysteria that followed Princess Diana’s demise was by no means an aberration in British life but rather a permanent feature of it. Born into a working-class Northern Irish Protestant family, George Best was possibly one of the most talented soccer players ever. Slight in build, he was extremely handsome and once had considerable charm. He played for Manchester United and sometimes was called the fifth Beatle. Unfortunately, his abilities...

Rice: Israeli settlements contravene U.S. policy By Shmuel Rosner and Arnon Regular, Haaretz Correspondents, and the Associated Press Several hours ahead of her meeting with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the United States delivered harsh messages to Israel over construction between Eastern Jerusalem and the West Bank town of Ma'aleh Adumim, which contravenes the Bush Administration policy in the Middle East. Speaking at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Rice said that the U.S. is concerned about Israeli construction in the West Bank, and cuts back on economic aid to Israel due...

HADITHA DAM, Iraq (Oct. 18, 2005) -- The use of dogs as guardians of military camps to protect against surprise attacks dates back to ancient Egypt. Today, dogs are not only guarding bases but also patrolling with Marines of 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment in Iraq. Sergeant James J. Wasmer, a Chatham, Mass., native, and his search dog, Euro, are one K-9 team busy doing weapons caches sweeps and entry control point searches to keep citizens of Iraq and Marines safe. Recently the team conducted a sweep with the battalion’s Company L to look for weapons caches and other explosives...

The May 2000 Class Action Reporter described a $ 22 million paid by Texas law firm Locke Liddell & Sapp to settle a suit alleging it aided a client in defrauding investors. At the time, SCOTUS nominee Harriet Miers was the law firm's president, although there is no allegation she took part in the fraud. The story: $ 22 Mil Settlement Serves as Warning to Other Law Firms ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Locke Liddell & Sapp's agreement to pay $ 22 million to settle a suit alleging it aided a client in defrauding investors is expected to serve as a warning to other...

The Open Liberal Mind... Justice, Hillary-style!

Despite the Hillary-induced news blackout, Klein's book will debut at No. 2!   j (click here to see it reeeeeeeally large)

CHICAGO (AP) -- The Chicago White Sox are the best team in the majors, with no idea what second place is like this year. They're a likable, entertaining bunch, and their manager is one of the most colorful in the game. Anywhere else, they'd be the toast of the town, adored by casual fans and diehards alike. But the White Sox are the second team in the Second City, consistently underappreciated while their neighbors on the North Side are showered with love no matter how dismal their record. ``It's always been that way,'' said Bill Hyde, 68, a lifelong White...

I live in Fairfax California. I have been for most of my life. I am fed up with the economy, the blackouts the crime and all the liberals. I am thinking of moving and I was wondering if any of you know a good place for an average joe like myself to live in. In a couple weeks I'll have enough money and I can take the greyhound out of here and move out of this dump. Im looking for a place where I can get jobs, not have nasty taxes, some good public transportation in a city and to...

had thought we might be done with Howie, for awhile. Alas. No such luck…unfortunately. Unless someone can discover some new and unique way to stop him from talking, we are all doomed to his incessant rantings and ravings. But, Howie loves to hear himself speak. This is evident each time he opens his mouth and his words vomit forth. As do his MoveOn.org audiences, Dean laughs after he spits out each and every new invective against those who refuse to follow his proscriptive progressive pronouncements. Each time this man speaks his speech becomes more sinister. Thursday, as he spoke to...

EN ROUTE TO IRAQ -- My bosses at FOX News have sent me on assignment to the "sandbox," as our troops have taken to calling Iraq. There, I will spend time with some of the most impressive young men and women this country has ever produced. These soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Guardsmen never cease to amaze me. Their dedication, enthusiasm and resilience, even in the unforgiving heat and atmosphere of an Iraqi summer, are second to none. On the day before my departure, The Washington Times carried a front-page photo of an unidentified American soldier cradling a young Iraqi...

Our Best and Bravest A young Marine officer talks about Fallujah By John Hillen February 28, 2005, 8:47 a.m. I went to a presentation by a young Marine infantry lieutenant last week about the platoon he led in the assault on the insurgents in Fallujah a few months ago. It was fascinating stuff for us military types — acronyms were being slung with abandon. Some points were particularly worth noting and sharing: * The intensity of combat in Fallujah: Of the 46 Marines in this lieutenant's platoon, 20 were evacuated for wounds during the three days of fighting and only...

Oscars Best Original Song ''Al Otro Lado del Rio'' from The Motorcycle Diaries plagiarism?? it's not that original after all.

George Washington was born 273 years ago today in the British colony of Virginia. At his death in 1799, after an active life as soldier, surveyor, planter, politician, revolutionary, and first Chief Executive of the greatest republic since Rome, he was widely regarded as the greatest man of his time. And although he was once routinely voted the “best” president by Presidential scholars, recent surveys of the public unaccoutably have demoted him. Very few average Americans, one would venture to guess, would be able to give a cogent reason why. Perhaps this is simply a further example of our dismal...

I'm not a fan of "new" country. When it comes to country music, I mostly like Hank, Patsy, and Ernie.....

With 2005 just around the corner, it is almost time once again for GameSpot's ninth annual Best and Worst of the Year Awards. The Awards begin this Friday night, with our Year in Review news roundup, and coverage of the finalists in the Dubious Honors, Genre Awards, Platform Awards, and Special Achievement Awards categories. Then, starting this weekend, GameSpot will start handing out medals to the winners of the Special Achievement Awards (Saturday, December 18) and Dubious Honors (Sunday, December 19). Next week will see the winners in the Genre Awards (Monday, December 20) and the Platform Awards (Tuesday, December...