Free Republic

Obama Reelection Campaign Trying To Make Him “Cool” Again… Barack Obama had all the 2008 cool. Now he’s trying to get at least some of it back. A video of Hollywood A-listers singing a Will.i.am song about him, a Shepard Fairey painting with “HOPE” beaming in bold letters beneath his face, constant buzz on social media — the Obama cultural phenomenon four years ago lit up the youth vote like no campaign before. So as the president gears up for a reelection run that’s going to struggle with independents and moderates, his team is looking to revive the cool appeal...

Hobbies...yeah,it's been around a while. I don't understand Polish, but the woman's statement and encouragement included the word "quick"....mmmm, not so good....

Reports of illnesses in dogs given chicken jerky treats have spiked dramatically following a new government warning about pet snacThe federal Food and Drug Administration has logged at least 353 reports this year of illnesses tied to imported chicken jerky products, also sold as chicken tenders, chicken strips or chicken treats, a spokeswoman said. That’s up from 70 reports of illnesses -- and some deaths -- received in 2011 before the Center for Veterinary Medicine issued an updated warning on Nov. 18. Dog owners and veterinarians are reporting that animals have been stricken with a range of symptoms within hours...

It was the first time the competition was conducted in San Francisco and there was bone-chilling water temperatures along with the usual Bay area wind. But just as surfer Dusty Payne of Hawaii braved the cold to ride a wave, a SHARK (flash scary shark with loud music or sound effect) appeared in the water and SCARED THE DAYLIGHTS out of Dusy who described the sight as quote, "the biggest fin I've ever seen in my life coming at me. I've seen dolphins and it wasn't a dolphin." unquote. So, not only did Dusty lose it, but he also lost...

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams thinks “atheism is cool” and that’s made it difficult for his church to convey its message. Well, he’s right that there’s been a recent surge in the popularity of atheism, but that’s not the reason the church isn’t growing. Think back to the “cool” people you know in high school. They were the ones willing to say what no one else was saying, the people who always maintained a certain level of confidence, the people who didn’t care what you thought because it just didn’t matter. That’s the position a lot of young atheists are...

September 1, 2011 Billings, Mont. – During his presentation on the status of the nation’s new country-of-origin labeling (COOL) law, and on behalf of the R-CALF USA COOL Committee, R-CALF USA member and Kansas cattle feeder Mike Callicrate was asked a non-COOL question that set convention goers on their heels during the 12th Annual R-CALF USA Convention held August 26-27 in Rapid City, S.D. “Has the Environmental Protection Agency declared hay a pollutant?” an audience member asked. Callicrate responded affirmatively and explained that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently initiated a formal enforcement action against his Kansas feedlot for, among...

ROUGEMONT, N.C. -- I have to admit -- I am a space nerd. I've watched "Apollo 13" about 60 times, and "From the Earth to the Moon" about six times. When I worked the AM shift at NBC-17 and I needed a book to put me to sleep at 7 p.m., I found an old textbook at a used bookstore near N.C. State called "The Science of Spaceflight." Boring as heck, but now I know what a Hohmann transfer is, and I can tell you how they mix propulsion elements to send rockets a million miles. Like everyone else, it...

"I find it as cool to be an Obama supporter. Having sat with him for two years is the White House and watched him -- watching him work through some very difficult things with a lot of intelligence and grace, equilibrium. I, I have great admiration for him," Obama's chief campaign strategist told CNN. "The people who were participating in the campaign in 2008 weren't involved n some sort of cult of personality. It wasn't just about Barack Obama, it was the country and they cared deeply about this country," Axelrod said in his answer a question about how to...

"I find it as cool to be an Obama supporter. Having sat with him for two years is the White House and watched him -- watching him work through some very difficult things with a lot of intelligence and grace, equilibrium. I, I have great admiration for him," Obama's chief campaign strategist told CNN. "The people who were participating in the campaign in 2008 weren't involved n some sort of cult of personality. It wasn't just about Barack Obama, it was the country and they cared deeply about this country," Axelrod said in his answer a question about how to...

GENEVA - The World Trade Organization has ruled against some U.S. labeling regulations for meat sold in supermarkets, saying they discriminate against foreign suppliers, people close to the case said on Thursday. The confidential interim ruling, if approved later this year, would deal a partial victory to Mexican and Canadian breeders frustrated in their attempts to export to the United States, and opens the way to scores of similar legal challenges, the sources said. A WTO spokesman said the interim report -- expected to be largely unchanged in its final version later this year -- was circulated to the United...

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has this last week opened what it calls "the vault", a collection of thousands of documents and memos that have been unclassified. One of those memos confirms the crash at Roswell. It is a PDF file, and the FBI server is running slow, so I will transpose part of it here: ------------------------------------------------------------- The following information was furnished to SA An investigator for the Air Force stated that three so-called flying saucers hed been recovered in New Mexico. They were described as being circular in shape with raised centers, approximately 50 feet in diameter. Each one...

Sex toys take center stage at Northwestern University after a couple demonstrated how an altered electric saw can be used for pleasure. Video at link.

Ugh. Hong Kong's English daily South China Morning Post has a distinctly unsavory dispatch from the Chinese media this morning: Government scientists have released research that millions of acres of Chinese agricultural land and over 12 million tons of Chinese grain are contaminated by toxic metal pollution, according to this week's edition of the China Economic Weekly, a state-run magazine. Last week, a separate article reported that 10% of Chinese rice contained excess cadmium, a heavy metal known to cause cancer.

Animal Planet Must Love Cats: Klepto Kitty Dusty

Sons of Guns showcases one of America's most skilled and creative gun works, Red Jacket Firearms, and its founder, Will Hayden. While pursuing its bread-and-butter work with customizing and improving AK-47's, the Baton Rouge, Louisiana team delves into the world of historic and classic weapons. See how this amazing group of eclectic gunsmiths build one-of-a-kind custom firearms and other weapons every Wednesday at 9 p.m. E/P starting January 26.

I just heard on WLS radio in Chicago that the Illinois Court of Appeals (the second-highest court in the state) overturned the recommendation of the electoral panel and ruled that Rahm Emanuel may NOT be on the ballot for Mayor. They ruled that he did not meet the statutory residence requirement nor did he meet any of the statutory exceptions. Wow.

Tom Perriello is a first term Democrat representing the 5th district of Virginia, in the central to central-western portion of Virginia. He is an Obama supporting liberal Democrat..... The YouTube footage shows Americans For Prosperity backers trying to hand out "Socialism Isn't Cool" bumper stickers to Perriello supporters waiting in line at a Perriello rally in downtown Charlottesville, Virginia..... Of note here in the YouTube video are the remarks made by the middle class, educated, politically astute and fashionably left wing rally-goers in central Virginia. (The University of Virginia is located in Charlottesville. The outdoor downtown mall area where this...

The Rev. Terry Jones caved. We did not. Here's what happens when one pound of Tannerite meets the Quran. One shot from an AR15 sends this hate manual straight to Allah. After the smoke cleared, we celebrated by eating a delicious pulled pork BBQ sandwich. MMMMM PORK. This is how we do it in the hills of North Georgia, USA. Florida, not so much.

The unusually cool summer continued in Southern California, where several new record-low temperatures were recorded on Wednesday. The 68-degree low at Los Angeles International Airport broke the old record low for the day, which was 70 degrees in 1991. Santa Barbara (68) and San Luis Obispo (69) broke records as well. The temperature at USC, 75, tied the record low set in 1999. UCLA also set a record, 56 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. While the region saw a heat wave a few weeks ago, temperatures have been gradually going down again as July comes to an end....

Star Wars fans rejoice: someone has finally succeeded in creating a working lightsaber. And it can be yours for only US$197.97. Hong Kong company Wicked Lasers has manufactured “the most dangerous laser ever created,” a lightsaber with a blue beam that can burn retinas and set skin on fire. The Spyder III Pro Arctic features a 1 watt laser the company warns is the most powerful portable laser available. The beam is a thousand times more powerful than sunlight on skin and the manufacturer warns it could cause cancer. It’s definitely not something you want to give to your seven-year-old...

I found a little white moth in my front yard, and he seemed to like my finger - I took this photo

When it comes to computer technology, thin is always in. It’s indisputable that the thinner, lighter, clearer, the better when dealing with the latest computer gadget. This keyboard is the epitome of the high standards expected of the technological version of the fashion industry. It’s based on image as well, that is, image recognition technology.

Nicolas Sarkozy, the most pro-American president of France for half a century, has gone cold on Barack Obama, the most popular American leader in France in generations. A year ago Mr Sarkozy was engaged in a tussle among European leaders anxious to be the first to secure a meeting with the freshly elected Mr Obama. Mr Sarkozy described Mr Obama as “my friend” after meeting him just once as a senator.

Finally some Europeans are angry with Obama—the very ones who are awarding him his Nobel. Katarina Andersson on the president's decision to decline lunch with King Harald and skip his own Nobel exhibit. A day before President Obama receives his Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, the president’s treatment of his Norwegian hosts has become hot news across Scandinavia. News outlets across the region are calling Obama arrogant for slashing some of the prize winners’ traditional duties from his schedule. “Everybody wants to visit the Peace Center except Obama,” sniped the Norwegian daily Aftenposten, amid reports the president would snub his...

Many of you from coast-to-coast experienced a wet and cool October and now the official numbers are in. Since 1895, October 2009 was the 3rd coolest October, nationally.

Video shows a cool dance routine with some amazing skills. kinda long but worth it. click for enjoyment.

Link only here.

1st Successful Amateur Hi-Def Video from The Edge of Space.Tomoya came to Canada from Japan to have us send his HD camera to the edge of spaceand has another video on his web page. The BEAR 3 & 4 balloon flights were featured on the Discovery Channel, Daily Planet TV show on Sept 18/09which can be viewed online at the Discovery Channel Web SiteHelp support future flights by making a Donation and receive a DVD in appreciation with 2-1/2 hrs. of the best of the 4 hr. 22 min. HD Video. The balloon and camera were launched at 7:44 AM, the...

Last weekend a nice cool shot sank southward out of Canada and encompassed much of the eastern half of the nation. Looks like another and likely stronger surge of early autumn air will sink through the Eastern U.S. through much of the next 7-days.

One of the favorite places for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and wife Ginni to grab some sleep is in a Wal-Mart parking lot, Mrs. Thomas told National Public Radio on Wednesday. In fact, the Washington power couple spends each summer touring the United States in a mobile home, she said. The justice and his wife have cruised through 27 states since buying their used recreation vehicle in 1999.

So just how rare is this cool weather during this time of July in the South? Find out here

A chilly airmass for the month of July is sinking south out of Canada and it will encompass much of the nation along and east of the Mississippi River from the Canadian border to the Deep South through this weekend.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Adoring fans have flocked to see him on visits around the world, but Barack Obama should expect a far cooler reception in Russia next week.

Caffeine addicts face higher prices for their daily fix as the wholesale cost of both coffee and sugar rise sharply because of poor crops and robust demand.

Video. Words are useless. "Oklahoma Full Auto Shoot and Trade Show" pert much says it all. God Bless America. Eat your heart out France. http://g4tv.com/attackoftheshow/exclusives/64615/OFASTS-Gun-Apocalypse.html

Ever wonder what happens to airplanes after they are retired? The scrapyard is the most common place. If it is in good working order, perhaps sold over seas or to a private buyer. But a select few get transformed into personal residences, hotels, hostels, and cafes. For instance the boat-plane to the left. For some other interesting examples of transformed airplanes, click here. Links and photos on site http://nowthatsnifty.blogspot.com/2009/04/recycled-airplanes.html

The vehicles are made by UNICAT, a company based in Europe that now also has an American branch. The particular model shown in the photographs is designated as the "EX63-HDM / MAN TGA 6x6". The series of photographs included in the email can be viewed on the UNICAT website, along with many other photographs. This model has a roof that lowers snugly over the windows when travelling thus explaining the apparent mystery of the disappearing windows. Photos on site

PORTLAND, Ore. — Kroger supermarkets is recalling 10-ounce packages of pistachios sold in Texas and 30 other states over fears of possible salmonella contamination.

On a lighter note Eagles nesting on Camera

A homeless man found dead in the cold earlier this week in Michigan had been denied a place to stay in local homeless shelters because he was a sex offender, social workers said. The body of Thomas Pauli, 52, was found in the snow in an auto body salvage shop in Grand Rapids Monday. The results of an autopsy were not yet available. Homeless service staffers who have worked with Pauli said he has been denied a spot at local shelters because of a state law that bars sex offenders from staying within 1,000 feet of a school. It was...

(video) Can you imagine how much more fun camping would be with a flashlight like this?

How dazzling is President Obama? So dazzling that he didn’t merely give a dazzling inaugural speech. Any old timeserving hack could do that. Instead, he had the sheer genius to give a flat dull speech full of the usual shopworn boilerplate. Brilliant! At a stroke, he not only gently lowered the expectations of those millions of Americans and billions around the world for whom his triumphant ascendancy is the only thing that gives their drab little lives any meaning, but also emphasized continuity by placing his unprecedented incandescent megastar cool squarely within the tradition of squaresville yawneroo white middle-aged plonking...

Industry experts and businesspeople in China say that the industrial chemical has been routinely added to fish and animal feed to artificially boost protein readings. Reporting from Los Angeles and Shanghai--Melamine in Chinese-produced milk powder has sickened hundreds of thousands of children and added to a growing list of made-in-China foods banned across the globe.Now, some scientists and consumer advocates are raising concerns that fish from China may also be contaminated with the industrial chemical. China is the world's largest producer of farm-raised seafood, exporting billions of dollars worth of shrimp, catfish, tilapia, salmon and other fish.The U.S. imported about...

Mexico suspends meat imports from plants in 14 states, apparently in response to labeling law Mexico suspended meat imports from 30 processing plants in 14 states, including some of the nation's largest, on Wednesday and Friday, according to a list posted on the U.S. Department of Agriculture Web site The action pushed down beef and pork futures in trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Friday. Among the plants listed on the site are the Smithfield Packing Inc. plant in Tarheel, N.C., the world's largest pork slaughterhouse. Another Smithfield plant in Plant City, Fla., that processes pork, beef and poultry is...

COOL:

Global Air Traffic Simulation A simulation created by a Swiss School of Engineering shows global air traffic over a 24 hour period. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XBwjQsOEeg

BANGKOK (Reuters) – A maverick Thai general who has threatened to bomb anti-government protesters and drop snakes on them from helicopters has been reassigned as an aerobics teacher, the Bangkok Post said on Friday. Major-general Khattiya Sawasdipol, a Rambo-esque anti-communist fighter more commonly known as Seh Daeng, reacted with disappointment to his new role as a military instructor promoting public fitness at marketplaces. "It is ridiculous to send me, a warrior, to dance at markets," he said, before launching an attack on his boss, army chief Anupong Paochinda. "The army chief wants me to be a presenter leading aerobics dancers....

Connecticut officials say cookies made in China that were contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine were found at a West Hartford food shop, and they're warning people not to eat them. The Department of Consumer Protection says its investigators found Koala's March creme-filled cookies at A Dong market on Friday, and testing showed melamine amounts above limits set by the federal government. SNIP Michigan-based Lotte USA Inc. is recalling the cookies from U.S. shelves and says it's not aware of any illnesses associated with the products. Connecticut officials say they suspect other stores in the state may have been selling...

(WATCH THIS FULL-SCREEN). This video is crazy to watch. I posted this to u.f.o. chat for a reason. While it is not news, this video does reflect upon us as Americans, and our psyche. I've never heard of this event/place (I live in Cincinnati), but I guarantee you that I will make some new FRiends at the next gathering! Enjoy! "Knob Creek Gun Range (also referred to as Knob Creek Range or simply Knob Creek) is an outdoor shooting range located in West Point, Kentucky. The range is a former military-munitions test range. As well as being open all year...