Free Republic

I'm considering getting a virtual private server for some minor stuff I want to do. More messing around than anything substantial. I want to have a Windows server, rather than Linux, at least for now. I'm NOT particularly concerned with super fast performance, huge storage space, or unlimited bandwidth. I AM interested in availability. That is to say, I rely pretty heavily on my iPad with 3G and I want to be able to get to the virtual server from wherever I can get onto the Internet. For example, I am the advancement chair for our Boy Scout troop and...

When I said 'change we can believe in' I didn't say 'change we can believe in tomorrow.' Not change we can believe in next week. We knew this was going to take time because we've got this big, messy, tough democracy," President Obama said at a campaign fundraiser in Chicago on Wednesday night.

I've just been informed that my second Toro gas powered push lawn mower isn't worth fixing. I know very little about engines and such, so I'm taking the mechanic's word for it. The engine has thrown a rod (I can hear it) and the transmission's shot (that's why I took it to be repaired). Now I have to plead a little a lot guilty. I did not take proper care of the thing. I should have changed the oil, etc., etc. However, before I invest in another lawn mower (which I PROMISE I will take good care of) I thought...

Furthermore, the council reports that, as of two quarters ago, the “stimulus” had added or saved just under 2.7 million jobs — or 288,000 more than it has now. In other words, over the past six months, the economy would have added or saved more jobs without the “stimulus” than it has with it. In comparison to how things would otherwise have been, the “stimulus” has been working in reverse over the past six months, causing the economy to shed jobs.

Allen West spoke at a Center for Security Policy event in New York City on the national security threats America faces, specifically in the Middle East. Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1K0PlmTiYo&feature=player_embedded

I have a question. I would like to get a system to convert old VHS video tapes to DVDs. Simplicity is key. Ideally, I would like to be able to simply put a tape into the machine, along with a blank DVD, push a button, and walk away. Money is not the key issue here, but I do want good quality results. I would be willing to go up to about $400 without blinking an eye, for the right system. If such a push-button system is not available, I could do a Windows 7 thing, but I'd prefer not to....

Meat grown artificially in labs will be a greener alternative for consumers who can't bear to go vegetarian but want to cut the environmental impact of their food, according to new research. The study found that growing meat in the lab rather than slaughtering animals will generate only a tiny fraction of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with conventional livestock production.

... Police spent hours trying to control a mob of teenagers at the Inner Harbor....

To a large extent, critics of the new Constitution argue that the document stems from Christian ideals and thought, as its Preamble refers to Christianity. It is also criticized for its choice to protect the right to life and human dignity from the moment of conception, as well as the marriage and family, and prohibits practices aimed at eugenics. Additionally, the opposition objects to the Parliament’s rapid adoption of the text, accusing the government of having been marginalized during the whole reform process. Opponents are also criticizing the new balance of powers favouring the Parliament to the detriment of the...

The federal government, and Congress in particular, has too much control over the states. They can pass laws that have a profound effect on the ability of states to manage their own resources, to keep a balanced budget, and basically to run things the way they see fit. States should be relatively independent in the way they run their affairs, with minimal interference by the Congress and the federal government. The states need a way to keep the feds in check. I am proposing an amendment that I believe would restore the proper relationship between the states and the federal...

Special Ops Teams I think two of the most inspiring people I have seen in the last year are James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles, who made ACORN videos, and what I'm suggesting in this post is inspired by them. If there's anything the passage of the Health Care Bill has done to me, it is to convince me that it is time to take action against those who would deprive us of our liberty. It is time to take the gloves off and to fight with bare fists. I am NOT saying it is time to take up arms against...

President Obama on Saturday said he will send to Congress next week a blueprint for overhauling the nation's education program and the No Child Left Behind project to improve schools, support teachers and set standards that will give high school graduates "the best chance to succeed in a changing world."

The Declaration of Independence, Updated After almost 11 years as a member of Free Republic, I have finally given in to the temptation to post my first Vanity. Inspired by the "Tea Party" movement that arose last week, I decided to "update" the Declaration of Independence as I think Thomas Jefferson might write it if he were alive today. In June of 1776, Thomas Jefferson wrote, and the Continental Congress passed, the American Declaration of Independence. The principles and ideas he put on paper have served to inspire people around the world to fight for freedom, to resist the tyranny...

The 72-hour Kit: Gotta Rosary for the run? By Ben Fisher - Jesus Be With Us Published February 13th, 2009 In the event of an emergency, do you have a 72-hour or Bug-out Kit? Gotta Rosary for the run? A 72-hour kit is a bag, bucket, or box of everything you will need (food, water, medicine, …) to survive 72-hours as you flee a natural disaster, terrorist event, or civil unrest. The idea is that you should be able to get where you’re evacuating to within three-days, or that civil authorities (police, national guard, etc.) will have brought the unrest...

Here's a link to the Declaration of Independence. Regretfully, it's been a long time since I read it. I encourage you to read the whole thing. It shouldn't take more than 10 minutes. Read it carefully and thoughtfully. How many words would you change? http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/freedom/doi/text.html

I don't know about the rest of you, but this really tickled my funny bone.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKi9tOBaNPA

"Given the gravity of this situation, and based on conversations I have had with both Secretary Paulson and Chairman Bernanke, I have asked my economic team to refrain from presenting a more detailed blue-print of how an immediate plan might be structured until the Treasury and the Federal Reserve have had an opportunity to present their proposal."

I get choked up every time I see this... Our friends "across the pond" expressing their solidarity with us in the aftermath of 911. Changing of the Guard

A retired FBI agent who was in charge of Chinese counter-intelligence in California is under arrest, sources told ABCNEWS. The former agent was identified as James Smith. He was being held in connection with his former job, sources said, but the charges were not immediately available. Sources said Congress was being briefed on the arrest before it is announced to the public, which was expected to happen later today. Department of Justice officials declined to comment on the case. Smith retired in from his job in the bureau's Los Angeles office in 2000.

JHU SAIS to Host Conference on Bioterrorism and Infectious Diseases Live Webcast To Be Available The Johns Hopkins Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in association with the Novartis Corp. will hold a daylong conference, "Globalization and Infectious Diseases: Institutions, Policies, and the Threat of Bioterrorism," on Tuesday, Nov. 6, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. D.A. Henderson, director of the Johns Hopkins University Center for Civilian Biodefense Studies, and Laurie Garrett, Pulitizer-prize winning author of "The Coming Plague" and "Betrayal of Trust," will be the keynote speakers. Expert panelists from academia, research organizations and government will ...