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The wife of the new head of Britain's spy agency has posted pictures of her husband, family and friends on internet networking site Facebook, details which could compromise security, a newspaper said on Sunday. In what the Mail on Sunday called an "extraordinary lapse," the new spy chief's wife, Lady Shelley Sawers, posted family pictures and exposed details of where the couple live and take their holidays and who their friends and relatives are. Publishing the story on its front page and the pictures on a double-page spread, the Mail on Sunday said the information "could potentially be useful to...

About 800 pages of the earliest surviving Christian Bible have been recovered and put on the internet. Visitors to the website www.codexsinaiticus.org can now see images of more than half of the 1,600-year-old Codex Sinaiticus manuscript. Fragments of the 4th Century document - written in Greek on parchment leaves - have been worked on by institutions in the UK, Germany, Egypt and Russia. Experts say it is "a window into the development of early Christianity".

I pretty well nailed Governor Palin’s strategy when she announced. Today there is little doubt to what she intends to do: “I am now looking ahead and how we can advance this country together with our values of less government intervention, greater energy independence, stronger national security, and much-needed fiscal restraint,” the former Republican vice presidential candidate wrote in a posting on her Facebook page. Palin’s spokeswoman, Meghan Stapleton, confirmed Palin wrote the entry. One thing I did forget to mention in the previous post which is clear today - Palin is going to shove as much crow down as...

KISS man calls for abuse accusers By Nick Patch, THE CANADIAN PRESS TORONTO - Gene Simmons says he's heard enough celebrity tributes to Michael Jackson, and wants to hear from the kids who accused the late pop singer of molestation. Simmons, the bassist/vocalist for classic rock stalwarts Kiss, says he's less interested in Jackson's talent than he is in accusations that the singer molested young boys. "I want the kids who've accused him, to be blunt, of molestation, to have their say," Simmons told The Canadian Press in a telephone interview from Los Angeles on Thursday. "I want to hear...

Mac clone maker begs out of Chapter 11 after payment plan with its legal team falls throughPsystar, the Mac clone maker embroiled in a legal dispute with Apple, asked a federal judge last week to dismiss its bankruptcy case, saying that it had been unable to reach a payment agreement with its law firm. At the same time, Psystar said in a letter to customers that it is "again ready to battle Goliath," a reference to Apple, as it announced a new clone powered by Intel's Xeon quad-core "Nehalem" processor. In the motion submitted last Thursday, Psystar asked a Miami...

Consider first an op-ed article in Sunday’s Los Angeles Times by Martha Nussbaum, a well-known professor of law and ethics at the University of Chicago. The article was headlined “Terrorism in India has many faces.” But one face that Nussbaum fails to mention specifically is that of Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Islamic terror group originating in Pakistan that seems to have been centrally involved in the attack on Mumbai.

The American Queen and Empress of the North have been put up for sale by the U.S. Maritime Administration, or Marad, bringing all the old questions to bear about the future and viability of U.S. river cruising and more specifically of the two ships in question. Marad hired investment banking firm AMA Capital Partners to assist with the sale of the former Majestic America Line ships. When the American Queen and the Empress were turned over to Marad last year (in August and November, respectively), they carried approximately $28.3 million and $37.3 million in debt, respectively, according to Majestic's parent,...

The annual World Wife Carrying Championship, in its 14th year, has taken place in Sonkajarvi, eastern Finland. A total of 36 competitors from 13 different nations took part in the championship. Some participants came from as far away as Australia, Japan and the United States. This year the title was won by a Finnish couple.

[Pics in URL] British artist Alice Newstead, a former employee of Lush cosmetics, hangs by shark hooks in a Lush store in Paris, to protest against "shark slaughter"

Drinking five cups of coffee a day could reverse memory problems seen in Alzheimer's disease, US scientists say. The Florida research, carried out on mice, also suggested caffeine hampered the production of the protein plaques which are the hallmark of the disease. Previous research has also suggested a protective effect from caffeine.

Nouriel Roubini | Jul 2, 2009 The June employment report suggests that the alleged ‘green shoots’ are mostly yellow weeds that may eventually turn into brown manure. The employment report shows that conditions in the labor market continue to be extremely weak, with job losses in June of over 460,000. With the current rate of job losses, it is very clear that the unemployment rate could reach 10 percent by later this summer, around August or September, and will be closer to 10.5 percent if not 11 percent by year-end. I expect the unemployment rate is going to peak at...

If you haven't read Matt Taibbi's recent Rolling Stone piece on Goldman Sachs, make sure to get your hands on it ASAP. It's a must read on how Goldman Sachs and the U.S. government work hand in glove to produce giant investment bubbles... bubbles that allow Goldman to work over investors for hundreds of billions of dollars. We don't think you can lay all the blame for the housing bubble and the tech bubble at Goldman's feet... but we do find it suspicious that a ton of high level government posts are staffed by Goldman employees. It's close to a...

Well, I'm sorry to say that no good opportunity to speak materialized. I sent a copy of A Fourth of July Tea Party Speech to the Sandpoint group, but got a 'no thanks' response. The Sandpoint group had a venue and speakers. Nothing was scheduled for the Spokane area. Finally, I figured that I'd just show up at the Coeur d'Alene event - but all that turned out to be was a parade and a picnic. Don't get me wrong it was nice day - a little hot for these parts - but a nice day anyway. The parade had...

Good evening.President O has flown to Moscow, and I'm telling you, Watch out! 2 very untrustworthy leaders meeting = TROUBLE!In other news, Congress may return from July 4 recess to once again torment us...And across the nation, patriots met at modern-day Tea Parties this weekend.Hope it was a good one for you...I'm still aware of a sense of sadness to be honoring a holiday & its principles I believe too many in DC no longer hold dear themselves.

ORLANDO -- The Celtics [team stats] have reached agreement with free agent forward/center Rasheed Wallace tonight on a contract that starts at the midlevel exemption of $5.8 million.

Sinister forces are at work to destroy America. The totalitarian legislation passed in only 100 days is merely the tip of the iceberg of what is to come. This pro-Arabic, pro-globalist administration is preparing to swap U.S. sovereignty for a higher level presence within the United Nations, a plan that includes reducing your individual rights and those of your children. The “perfect storm” is coming together. We begin our troubles on the nation’s college campuses; those bastions of taxpayer funded brick and mortar which house a cadre of communist professors who preach and teach Marxist ideals instead of America‘s founding...

Rihanna just can't catch a break now can she? According to sources, Rihanna may be arrested for tattooing civilians. Anyone who is anyone knows that Rihanna has a slight obsession with body art, so much so that she has decided to become a student to the pen, the tattooing pen that is.

Envy is a terrible liberal curse and is the driving force behind socialism; failure, ignorance and the equal sharing of misery. Liberals view happy, successful people as the mirror of their own inadequacy; a lack of appreciation of their own self-worth. Envy of someone’s accomplishments builds bitterness and hatred in the mind of an underachiever - a resentfulness about the world, more specifically their culture, just not being “fair.” Success, and acceptance among the “happy conservatives,” represents something liberals will never attain. A good example of this is Western liberals teaming-up with Muslims to destroy their own civilization; one which...

With Lance back in the Tour, I watched this video today of his 2001 climb of Alpe d'Huez.Thought you Tour, biking, and climbing fans might enjoy it! It's one of my favorites!Video Link

Woman calls emergency services to report missing hamster 12:15 PM, July 5, 2009 Hamster What's not to love about a hamster? They're pocket-sized, fuzzy and make great substitute racehorses. But one Yorkshire, England, woman took her love of the small rodents a step too far by calling 999 (the British equivalent of 911) when her beloved pet escaped. "It's my hamster. It's got out of its cage. It's gone into the bathroom and it's gone down into the floorboards," the woman can be heard telling an emergency-line operator in the recently released recording of her frantic 999 call. A short...

Want to make a lasting impression at the next Junior Republican Convention? Just tell everyone you have the President in your pocket,...

We had a nice turnout, I don't have a count yet, but it has to be over 1000, if most signed in. I left at about 4 PM, too hot for an old man, LOL. I got to meet a couple of other Freepers, there may have been more of us there. Maybe we need some Freeper hats or Tee shirts! Click on the SWAMPSNIPERPRESS link for pics!

A couple of days ago I discovered that when I clicked on MY PROFILE , somebody else's profile which hasn't been accessed in 4 year appears . There is no problem with my HOME page , and all my info / pic links / etc are still in EDIT PROFILE . I contacted MYSPACE but have not heard back from them as yet . Anybody got an idea as to what happened or what I can do about it ?

HELSINKI (AFP) — Finland put an end to Estonia's 11-year reign and took gold and bronze on Saturday at the annual Wife-Carrying World Championships held in Sonkajaervi, central Finland, organisers said. Taisto Miettinen raced through a 250-metre (273-yard) course with two hurdles and a pool in 62 seconds, carrying Kristiina Haapanen on his back. The winners beat Estonia's Alar Voogla and Kristi Viltrop by 0.1 seconds. Miettinen has been attending the competition for a decade now and said he was pleased to finally win. "A couple of times I have lost by 0.1 seconds and I have stumbled. Our win...

Federer Stands Alone By Liz Clarke Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, July 5, 2009; 5:08 PM WIMBLEDON, England, July 5 -- It was a day for making history. Roger Federer, who was reduced to tears after losing last year's Wimbledon final, exulted on the same patch of Centre Court Sunday after winning his 15th Grand Slam title -- one that breaks his tie with Pete Sampras for the most career majors. Federer prevailed in the longest Grand Slam final in men's history, turning back a determined challenge by American Andy Roddick, 5-7, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 16-14. With the...

New York, NY (CNS) - The People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) recently announced that they are seeking the rights to Michael Jackson's 1972 hit song "Ben" about a boy and his pet rat. They would like to use the song to raise attention on the plight of rats used in laboratory experiments. Tracy Reiman, executive vice president of PETA, said in a statement released on Tuesday, "Michael Jackson's hit has always been a moving testament to the power of empathy for animals." She added, "If more people could be inspired by his song to stop supporting the cruel...

Denver, CO (AHN) - A Colorado company is selling caskets made from banana sheaves, bamboo or pandanus that decomposes together with the body as a way of promoting ecologically-friendly burials. The so-called Ecoffin, short for eco-friendly coffins, of Ecoffins USA takes six months to two years to biodegrade. The company's marketing director, Joanna Passarelli, said the Ecoffins is better for the environment than cremating bodies, according to Foxnews.com. Ecoffins USA sold $40,000 worth of such caskets last year. The lowest price for an Ecoffin is $800. In an interview with Denverpost.com last year, Passarelli said Ecoffins got more response from...

Click link for video and details. Wreck occurs at 1:10 mark.

Link

And so the Michael Jackson post-mortem circus rumbles on: footage of him rehearsing for his live shows with all the enthusiasm of a puppet trying to dance while its strings are being cut one by one; the news that Diana Ross is planning a Candle in the Wind moment at his funeral, singing You Are Not Alone in memory of a man who kind of was, and preferred it that way; even the news that Bubbles the chimp, Jackson's onetime bezzie mate, will not be allowed to attend the funeral as he is "too violent", and instead will spend the...

The summer is a great time to load up the family and head to the water. Children love to catch fish and that is one of the keys to creating the next generation of outdoor aficionados. In order to hook them for life a father or mother's job is to make sure they catch fish and lots of them. The best way to do that is to go light. Using light tackle turns the common bluegill into a formidable adversary, science project, and all around mystery for a child. As a parent you get to be the one who introduces...

An umpire has died after being struck on the head by a ball in a freak accident during a local cricket match. Alcwyn Jenkins was officiating a game at the St Helen’s ground in Swansea yesterday afternoon when he collapsed after the blow. The 72-year-old from the Sketty area of the city was airlifted to hospital but died shortly afterwards. The game between Swansea and Llangennech in Division One of the Antur Insurance South Wales Association was later abandoned. Witnesses said a batsmen hit the ball to a boundary where a fielder threw it back to the wicket. But Mr...

The sun has decided to join in the July 4 U.S. Independence Day celebrations with its own display of spectacular fireworks. A Sunspot Alert has just been issued which supports a crop circle prediction that Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) will hit the Earth on July 7, 2009.

I would welcome fellow Freeper input on an exchange I had with the police last night. First a little background. I've got 20 years in the military, started out my life giving police officers a great deal of respect and knee jerking to their defense. Over the course of years, however, I've lost a lot of respect for the police via watching continual police traffic violations, watching unprofessional behavior and seeing shows of petty tyranny over their fellow citizens. Although I'd still like to be wholeheartedly pro-law and think the way to get respectable enforcement officers is to demand professionalism,...

After losing tens of thousands of jobs since 2007 in construction, manufacturing, retail and other industries, with more losses expected, Los Angeles County could be years from recovering, economists say. Other California communities will recover faster from the deep national recession, but Los Angeles County won't be back at its 2007 employment level until after 2014, according to Massachusetts-based economic forecasting firm IHS Global Insight's "Recession Rebound" report. ... Nationally, IHS Global Insight says most states are not expected to recover their pre-recession employment levels until 2011-12, with California expected to regain its lost jobs by 2013. Bakersfield will be...

A private investigator has released to WND an affidavit that casts doubt on whether Barack Obama's family lived at the address listed in the published notice of his birth in 1961.

If you've seen The Proposal, then you already know there's a nude scene between its two stars, Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock. If you haven't seen it yet, Sandra Bullock thinks you're going to love it. She says she wasn't nervous about being nude on camera because she believes all eyes will be on Reynolds. He bulked up for his role as Deadpool in the Wolverine origin film, and it's been a not-so-well-kept secret since his EW cover shoot photos came out, that he has a pretty bangin' body. The Proposal may be a comedy, but it's clear that Bullock...

• 26-year-old African American admitted to Atlanta lodge • Issue headed for Masonic trial and state courts There is much about Freemasonry that remains shrouded in mystery to the outside world. But a group of members in the US state of Georgia appear to have clarified one thing - the supreme being in which all Masons are required to believe is not likely to be black. Freemasonry lodges in Georgia are at loggerheads over the admission of a "non-white" member to an organisation that was founded on the principles of the Enlightenment but which is apparently still struggling to catch...

A senior Church of England bishop has angered gay-rights campaigners by saying homosexuals should repent. Archbishop of Rochester Michael Nazir-Ali told the Sunday Telegraph newspaper that the Bible defined marriage as the union of a man and a woman. He said the church welcomed gay people, "but we want them to repent and be changed." Nazir-Ali is a leading member of the conservative wing of the global Anglican Communion, which is riven by divisions over homosexuality and the ordination of women. Gay groups condemned the bishop's remarks. Campaigner Peter Tatchell said Nazir-Ali's view "goes against Christ's gospel of love and...

One rather expected consequence of the passing of the 'King of Pop', Michael Jackson is a rash of alleged sightings of Jackson's ghost. From the Philippines to Mexico, From Japan to the United States fans have been claiming to have been visited by Michael's spirit. One such story coming from Manila in the Philippines has captured the imagination of local radio audiences. Angelina Ramos, aged 38, a beautician and Manila native has been a serious Jackson fan 'all her life'. Last year never-married Angelina contracted a rare blood disease. Doctors gave her a ninety percent chance of not surviving for...

At first Stewart Loew was excited by the sight: a mountain lion on the family's farm near Amado. In 40 years on the Agua Linda Farm, Loew said this was first large cat he had seen when it appeared in the donkey pen about a month ago. But soon, his animals started to turn up mauled or dead. First there were four sheep. Then, on June 15, an awful sight: 16 pygmy and nubian goats — all the mammals in the farm's petting zoo — were killed. Only the geese were spared. Loew and his wife, Laurel, who run the...

Cofitachequi: We can’t pronounce it, we don’t know exactly where it is, but the importance of this Native American mound city is clear. North Carolina has the Lost Colony, a 16th-century legend that draws the curious to the longest running outdoor theater production in North America. The desert Southwest has the Anasazi, the native culture that vanished in the 14th century and is celebrated at a dozen National Park Service sites. South Carolina has a combination of the two — Cofitachequi. Ever heard of it? Cofitachequi is mentioned in third-grade S.C. history books, and there’s a diorama about it at...

The current population of Tuscany is not descended from the Etruscans, the people that lived in the region during the Bronze Age, a new Italian study has shown. Researchers at the universities of Florence, Ferrara, Pisa, Venice and Parma discovered the genealogical discontinuity by testing samples of mitochondrial DNA from remains of Etruscans and people who lived in the Middle Ages (between the 10th and 15th centuries) as well as from people living in the region today. While there was a clear genetic link between Medieval Tuscans and the current population, the relationship between modern Tuscans and their Bronze Age...

PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: Sheriff's raid on Neverland Ranch By CAROLINE GRAHAM and DANIEL BOFFEY 05th July 2009 It was what Michael Jackson described as his ‘darkest day’ at Neverland Ranch. These startling never-before-seen images show the moment armed police swooped on the sprawling mansion in search of evidence in their child-abuse investigation. [All Pics in URL] Seventy deputies from Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department raided the estate in November 2003 after Gavin Arvizo, 13, claimed Jackson had sexually molested him.

At the Angels - Orioles game last night, I caught this C17 Globemaster III flyover. Sorry about the wobbly camera as my kids were pulling on my shirt as they were looking at the plane.

THE WIDER VIEW: Taking shape, the new bridge at the Hoover Dam 04th July 2009 Creeping closer inch by inch – 900ft above the mighty Colorado River – the two sides of a £160million bridge at the Hoover Dam in America slowly take shape. The bridge will carry a new section of US Route 93 past the bottleneck of the old road which can be seen twisting and winding around and across the dam itself. When complete, it will provide a new link between the states of Nevada and Arizona. In an incredible feat of engineering, the road will be...

Here’s something truly incredible and timeless! (If it doesn’t appear immediately…hit reload a few times. This is the full 16 minute file). Video Link

5th Set win for Federer in Wimbledon over Roddick

Sarah is now unelectable on a national stage. The “quitter” specter will hang around her neck like “swimmer” does to Ted Kennedy. You’ll be able to spot the realistic, clear thinking conservatives because they see and admit this early so we can put it behind us get on with identifying the candidates who can win in ‘12. BTW - This doesn’t rule out a tangential private career ala Newt or a run for a House or Senate seat (although I don’t know where at this point) but as a national candidate she is toast. That so many conservatives can’t see...

Constanly Updated US National Debt Clock