Free Republic

The D.C. Chapter of Free Republic invites all FReepers and lurkers in good standing to join us in our nation’s capital for the Tenth Annual Freep of the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) Dinner next Saturday. When: Saturday, April 26, 4 p.m. to 8: 30 p.m. What: The D.C. Chapter’s Tenth Annual Freep of the White House Correspondents Association Dinner. Location: Outside the Washington Hilton, Connecticut Avenue and T Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. Our most fun protest every year. This is your chance to tell the mainstream media to their faces what you think about their biased reporting. You’ll also...

Denver, CO (LifeNews.com) -- During the Democratic convention in Denver where pro-abortion presidential candidate Barack Obama will be coronated as the party's nominee, a leading pro-abortion group will put on a big shindig. Emily's List will unite failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Obama's wife Michelle. That Barack Obama's wife would attend a gala for a pro-abortion group that supports partial-birth abortions and taxpayer-funded abortions is no surprise. Michelle Obama came under fire in May for a letter she wrote defending partial-birth abortions. The 2004 letter, written to help Obama in his campaign for his U.S. Senate seat, opposes the...

Terrified workers at a mining compound in one of Russia's most isolated regions are refusing to go to work after a pack of giant bears attacked and ate two of their colleagues. At least 30 of the hungry animals have been seen prowling close to the mines in northern Kamchatka in search of food, where the mangled remains of the two workers, both guards, were found last week. The co-workers at the compound in the Olyotorsky district are trapped and frightened: the gruesome discovery has left them too scared to venture out. A team of snipers, with orders to shoot...

Bears Trap Geologists In Russia By Sky News SkyNews - Tuesday, July 22 03:07 pm At least 30 hungry bears have trapped a group of geologists at their remote survey site in Russia's far east after killing two of their co-workers last week. (Advertisement) The team of geologists on Russia's seismically active Kamchatka peninsula refused to leave their camp after the bears showed up, a spokesman for the region's emergency services ministry said. He said: "In the interests of safety they didn't come out to work - the people are scared by the invasion of bears." A bear killed two...

Is it normal to name lottery winners before the entry deadline? We previously reported (http://husaria.wordpress.com/2008/07/19/did-the-obama-campaign-violate-lottery-laws/) that the Obama campaign has, on at least three occasions, conducted what are allegedly illegal lotteries. The E-mail and online solicitations included: 1. Payment of consideration, in the form of a donation of at least some money. 2. An element of chance 3. A prize (expenses-paid trip to have dinner with Obama or meet Obama at the Democratic National Convention Only after Minnesota’s Department of Public Safety (law enforcement) complained to the Obama campaign that it was running a potentially illegal lottery (http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=69150) did the...

Were the winners really picked at random? One winner was announced before the entry deadline! WorldNetDaily reported recently that the Obama campaign was contacted by Minnesota's Department of Public Safety with regard to a fundraising solicitation that could be construed as an illegal lottery. The E-mail, which we also received, seems to contain the three elements that constitute a lottery: 1. Payment of consideration (a monetary donation) 2. An element of chance 3. A prize (all-expenses paid trip to the Democratic National Convention and a personal meeting with Barack Obama While we are not attorneys and cannot give legal advice,...

A group of divers found on an island after being missing for two days off the coast of Indonesia fought off Komodo dragons and survived on mussels, according to one of the rescued.

SKOWHEGAN, Maine - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has sent a proposal to the Somerset County commissioners to lease their jail for the world’s first Lobster Empathy Center. The central Maine county is constructing a new jail and has put the century-old jail in downtown Skowhegan up for sale. The Realtor handling the sale called the offer "likely a publicity stunt." "A prison is the perfect setting to demonstrate how lobsters suffer when they are caught in traps or confined to cramped, filthy supermarket tanks," PETA wrote in a June 2 letter to the commissioners. "The center will...

The D.C. Chapter's Tenth Annual FReep of the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) Dinner took place on Saturday afternoon and evening on April 26, 2008. In attendance were Kristinn, Staytrue, gunsareok, Doctor Raoul, Jimmy Valentine’s Brother, Angelwood, Mrs. Trooprally, BufordP, bmwcycle, Rongkirby, Discodave, Dinosour. Our theme was "An Inconvenient Truth" where we pointed out many truths the media may find inconvenient. I think pictures and videos do a better job of reporting than a narrative so here they are. (all photos are courtesy of Mrs. Trooprally). First up is Doctor Raoul and JVB manning their customary position on the Northeast...

Clinton, Obama Spar Over Issues At Dinner PartyFebruary 17, 2008 As both Democratic candidates look ahead to Tuesday's contests, they sparred over the issues at a party dinner Saturday night. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama gave back-to-back speeches at the Founder's Day Dinner in Milwaukee. Speaking first, Clinton accused Obama of copying some of her economic plans. And she said Obama has no plan for universal health care. She also renewed her call for Obama to meet her in a debate before Tuesday's primary in the state. Obama told the crowd any uninsured American who wanted health care would have...

Reindeer: It's What Was For Dinner Jennifer Viegas, Discovery NewsOnce a Staple Dec. 20, 2007 -- Reindeer meat went from being an occasional treat to everyday fare among prehistoric cavemen who lived in Southwest France and what is now the Czech Republic, two new studies suggest. In fact, so many nibbled-on reindeer bones were present in their caves that possible calendars circa 26,000 years ago might have been carved on the leftover bones. They may have also been used as counting devices or for ornamentation. The first study, authored by J. Tyler Faith, analyzed bones found in limestone cave and...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16, 2007 – Six U.S. military members recognized by a local patriotic organization for their overseas service in the war on terror also received Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates’ personal thanks here yesterday evening. “You are the best, and we all owe you. And, in all sincerity, we’re all humbled by you,” Gates told the Grateful Nation Award recipients at the start of his remarks at the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs’ annual award dinner. “It’s surreal,” Grateful Nation Award honoree Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Jason T. Fetty said of his meeting with Gates. He said the...

LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have developed a non-stick chewing gum that can be easily removed from pavements, shoes and clothes. The new gum, the result of polymer research at the University of Bristol, could be launched commercially in 2008, its backers said on Friday. "The advantage of our Clean Gum is that it has a great taste, it is easy to remove and has the potential to be environmentally degradable," said Terence Cosgrove, a professor of chemistry who helped found a company called Revolymer to commercialise the technology. Today's chewing gums are made from synthetic latex, which is resistant to...

Dean Barnett commented at Townhall.com regarding this YouTube video posted by the campaign: "The 11th Commandment lives."Click here for video.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Democratic presidential hopefuls warmed up for Sunday's big debate by trying to impress about 1,000 activists at the Iowa Democratic Party's Hall of Fame dinner on Saturday. The lineup included New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Connecticut Sen. Christopher Dodd (news, bio, voting record) and Delaware Sen. Joe Biden. The evening's speeches touched mainly on the war in Iraq, health care and renewable energy, with plenty of barbs aimed at the Bush administration. "It is time for the president of the United States to ask...

Jockey Calvin Borel’s victory aboard James Tafel’s Street Sense in the 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) was his first in the Run for the Roses, and now that special moment at Churchill Downs will take the Louisiana native to a White House state dinner in honor of Queen Elizabeth II of England. Borel’s agent, Jerry Hissam, said May 6 that White House social secretary Amy Zantzinger had invited Borel and his fiancé Lisa Funk to travel to Washington, D.C. May 7 for the dinner hosted by President George W. Bush and First Lady...

Bush's Speech at White House Correspondence Dinner.

BANGKOK, Thailand -- High-rolling food lovers from around the world are raving about their truly unique dining experience Saturday evening at a rooftop restaurant on the 65th floor of a luxury hotel in Bangkok, Thailand. Grandly titled "Epicurean Masters of the World," the 40-seat dinner was prepared by six three-star Michelin chefs, four from France and one each from Italy and Germany. Many diners had trouble finishing the 10-course gourmet dinner, even at $25,000 a head. But, as one Shanghai-based businessman put it, "The whole thing is an experience. It's priceless." The menu featured such delicacies as Perigord truffles --...

SAO PAULO, Brazil — A 66-year-old man saved his grandson from the grip of a 16-foot-long anaconda by beating the snake with rocks and a knife for half an hour, authorities said Thursday. "When I saw the snake wrapped around my grandson's neck I thought it was going to kill him," Joaquim Pereira told Brazil's Agencia Estado news service. "It was agonizing, I pulled it from one side, but it would come back on the other." Pereira's 8-year-old grandson, Mateus, was attacked by the anaconda while wandering near a creek on his grandfather's ranch in the city of Cosmorama, about...

Congo Rebels Said to Kill, Eat Gorillas Jan 17 3:31 PM US/Eastern By TODD PITMAN Associated Press Writer DAKAR, Senegal (AP) -- Rebels in eastern Congo have killed and eaten two silverback mountain gorillas, conservationists said Wednesday, warning they fear more of the endangered animals may have been slaughtered in the lawless region. Only about 700 mountain gorillas remain in the world, 380 of them spread across a range of volcanic mountains straddling the borders of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda in Central Africa. One dismembered gorilla corpse was found Tuesday in a pit latrine in Congo's Virunga National Park, a...

The rising cost of missing your dinner By Amy Iggulden Last Updated: 1:47am GMT 10/01/2007 Some of Britain's restaurants are now so expensive that they charge up to £150 per person in cancellation fees. The rise of the celebrity chef restaurant means people are being asked to pay even if they miss their dinner. Gordon Ramsay charges £150 per person if parties of five cancel on the day of their reservation at one of his restaurants. Heston Blumenthal, chef and proprietor at The Fat Duck, in Bray, Berkshire, expects groups of five or six to pay £100 each if they...

WEIRD BUT TRUE By BRIAN HAMACHER, Post Wires December 24, 2006 Dogs, bats and rats will grace dinner tables across Asia this Christmas, where the holiday is feted with lots of cheer and very little turkey. Christmas Day is seen as a foreign festival in many countries in Asia, but that doesn't stop millions of people from cooking up banquets of local food unheard of in the West, including delicacies such as pork soaked in blood, garden rats cooked with chilies and garlic, and bats cooked in coconut milk.

I'd like to hear about the different Christmas Day and Eve traditions of freepers. We always vow not to repeat Thanksgiving Day, but usually end up with the whole roasted turkey and trimmings event -- plus some fresh Florida seafood, more desserts than usual, etc.

There were more than a few cries of amazement Tuesday evening as the servers and chef at Sullivan’s Steakhouse wheeled a 22-pound lobster — a soon-to-be $500 entrée — to the table in the center of the room. Chelsea, as the estimated 110-year-old lobster had lovingly become known in its last few hours of life, got a star’s treatment at the restaurant, complete with an entry behind servers waving flashing sparklers while it sat atop a rolling cart decorated with a black tablecloth, cilantro, lemons and peppers. “It’s the biggest I’ve ever seen,” Bill Harter, a Maryland native who is...

Bush hosts dinner to end bitter feud between key allies in war on terror By Francis Harris in Washington and Harry Mount in New York (Filed: 27/09/2006) President George W Bush was struggling last night to calm fierce and increasingly personal exchanges between the leaders of Pakistan and Afghanistan, key allies in America's war on terror. With tensions rising between President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan and President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, Mr Bush asked both to dinner at the White House this evening in an attempt to help defuse a damaging row. Afghanistan President Karzai with US President Bush "You...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22, 2006 -- NASCAR drivers and top brass came out in full force at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here last night to show their support for America’s wounded troops. U.S. Army Cpl Christopher Strickland (right) poses for a photo with NASCAR driver Carl Edwards during the NASCAR visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, Sept. 21. Strickland was injured in Iraq in July, 2006. Dept of Defense photo by William D. Moss  '(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “It’s important to support our troops because they’re defending our freedoms,” Greg Biffle, driver of the...

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. - A bear with better taste than his, or her cousins, dined last week on salmon, tri-tip and cherry ice cream - all in the deserted food court at the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival at Sand Harbor. The choices of surf and turf - and the bard - were more discriminating than the bear that settled last month for cold pizza and an even colder beer it found in a convertible near the south shore casino area. The foray also was more successful than the bear that wandered into a delivery area last week at MontBleu Casino...

(KUTV) SALT LAKE CITY Its' something just about every woman carries with them. While we may know what's inside our purses, do you have any idea what's on the outside? Shauna Lake put purses to the test – for bacteria – with surprising results. You may think twice about where you put your purse. Women carry purses everywhere from the office to public restrooms to the floor of the car. Most women won't be caught without their purses, but did you ever stop to think about where your purse goes during the day? “I drive a school bus, so my...

Last time on the Freeper Kitchen, I said we would discuss brown bag lunches. I changed my mind. Recently freeper Miztiki, posted about running out of dinner ideas. So, I am now asking everyone, what's for dinner?

Something horrifying is happening in the waters off Brazil. Sharks are attacking surfers near the city of Recife at an unprecedented rate, scaring the locals and forcing the government to ban the sport at one of it’s most popular beaches. Over the past decade, 45 people have been attacked by bull sharks in the region, 16 were deadly. And while these attacks are not unheard of, the fact the port city had recorded only one in the 75 years prior, is perplexing. Are the sharks rebelling? Have they had enough of people overcrowding their home? Or is there something less...

<p>Well, yesterday was just fantastic and I hope I can do the evening justice with my limited writing ability(I was a Math major!).</p> <p>First, I must truly thank the MANY of you who responded to my post announcing my excitment about dining and viewing movie United 93 with POTUS and FL Laura Bush. Your many kinds words were very moving and I appreciate each and every one of your prayers, well wishes and thanks/praise for my father and the 39 others who stood up in the first minutes of the war on terror. I will try to respond to each of you but I the list is long and I my time is limited...family, job, yadda, yadda, yadda. But please do not think for one moment your time and consideration is not appreciated.</p>

PRESIDENTIAL NEWS OF THE DAY: President and Mrs. Bush attended St. John's Church this morning, as is their custom when spending the weekend at the White House. Last night they attended the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner, where the President and his "alter ego," comedian Steve Bridges, stole the show. The best review I found is on USA Today's website. Since I'm not sure how much of their material we can excerpt, I'll just provide a link. The article includes a nearly complete transcript of the President's and Mrs. Bridges routine. LINK TO USA TODAY CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER REVIEW

NEW YORK Saturday night’s much-awaited White House Correspondents Dinner, featuring appearances by President Bush, George Clooney and Valerie Plame, among others, kicked off with a round of cocktail parties scattered over two floors at the Washington Hilton. At the Reuters’ party you could get a drink called The Cheney Shot—made with Wild Turkey. Over 2700 attendees were expected. Jeff "Skunk" Baxter of the Doobie Brothers, a guest of The Washington Times, was dressed in a kilt. About 15 protestors from the conservative Web site Free Republic raised a fuss outside on a sunny evening, passing out baby pacifiers with “CNN”...

PRESIDENTIAL NEWS OF THE DAY: The President and First Lady have spent a quiet day in the White House today prior to attending the annual correspondents dinner this evening. President Bush joins the reporters who cover him tonight at their annual Washington banquet, the White House Correspondents' Association dinner. Bush has attended every correspondents' dinner since he took office, and he says he's looking forward to this one. The White House isn't saying what the Bushes are planning for this year in the way of Washington humor. Last year, the first lady interrupted the president's after-dinner speech with one of...

For Cathy and Bill Powell, finding a time when all three of their children are home for dinner can be like working a Rubik's Cube. A recent Monday was typical: Valerie, 9, got home from dance class at 6:35. Brian, 10, had to leave for Boy Scouts at 6:50. That left 15 minutes to sit down for tacos. "I actually have to take all their schedules and make calendars and put things in different colors," said Mrs. Powell, of Wantagh, N.Y. Still, she said, the effort is worth it. "It's crazy, but having dinner together reinforces the family unit," she...

WASHINGTON, March 23, 2006 – The United Service Organizations of Metropolitan Washington honored several individuals and the Miss America Organization here last night during its 23rd annual awards dinner. Navy Adm. Edmund Giambastiani, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (left), Marine Corps Sgt. Michael Donnelly (center), and Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Justin Ledsome talk at the USO of Metropolitan Washington Annual Awards Dinner, March 22. Giambastiani presented Donnelly with the Bronze Star Medal and Ledsome with a USO award. Photo by Tech. Sgt. Sean P. Houlihan, USAF  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The Miss America...

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the state GOP collected an estimated $2.5 million Monday at a fundraiser headlined by Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), as scores of union members protested outside the event calling for the governor's ouster in November. For Schwarzenegger, the closed-door dinner begins to replenish a political fund drained last year by his costly and losing campaign to enact ballot proposals to slow state spending and curb public union power in Sacramento. Top donors kicked in as much as $100,000 to attend the dinner and reception. But the event was reminiscent of...

That classic of American family rituals -- the evening dinner -- is rapidly dwindling. Vaguely remembered are those punctilious post-World War II days of Ozzie and Harriet when the wife prepared meals from scratch to serve to a husband and children gathered around the dining room table at 6 o'clock sharp. Today, surveys of American eating habits look more like the lives of suburbanite Lynette in "Desperate Housewives," who feeds her family dinners bought at fast-food take-outs. In its annual survey of American eating trends, the Institute of Food Technologists says fewer than a third of American households are making...

MOSUL, Iraq - In a festively bedecked dining hall, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld served Christmas Eve dinner to dozens of U.S. soldiers, then fed them his view — with a mix of optimism, caution and emotion — of why the war that has cost more than 2,150 U.S. lives must be won. "We will win this war. It's a test of wills, and let there be no doubt that is what it is," he said. Rumsfeld told the troops that "generations before you have persevered and prevailed, and they too were engaged in a test of wills." "In this...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2005 – Six servicemembers were lauded for their distinguished military service at a Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs dinner here Dec. 12. The servicemembers received the Grateful Nation Award, which JINSA established three years ago to express appreciation for the men and women of the armed forces. Each military branch and U.S. Special Operations Command chose one person to be honored. All the award recipients distinguished themselves by exceptional service and an outstanding demonstration of the values of their service branches, Norman Hascoe, the organization's president, said. David Steinmann, chairman of the JINSA board of...

AL ASAD, Iraq (Dec. 1, 2005) -- For the majority of U.S. service members in Iraq, Thanksgiving was another day, business as usual. For Sgt. 1st Class Eldon Casner, and his son, Army Pfc. Michael Casner, Thanksgiving was the first time they saw each other in six months, and they celebrated with a special dinner in a security guard tent at Al Asad, Iraq. What was important to them was not the surroundings, but each other. If not for the Thanksgiving dinner, the Lewistown, Penn., natives would not have seen each other for another six months. Eldon has been deployed...

        ~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~Modern Times: The four people I'd love to have dinner with are...     Welcome to the FReeper Canteen! It's great to have you with all of us!! We're going to start a new feature on Tuesdays. We're not sure if we'll run this every Tuesday or every other Tuesday. However, we'd like to open the floor to hot topics of the day. None of which are political. Unless something is absolutely appalling or in need of your reaction!!           Your Opinions Please     Main...

For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary October 25, 2005 REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE DINNER Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium Washington, D.C. 6:55 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Thanks for coming. Please be seated. Thanks for the warm welcome. Mehlman didn't get the dress code. (Laughter.) And neither did I. (Laughter.) Thanks for having me. I'm proud to be here on the 30th birthday of the Eagles. For three decades, Eagles have given great parties, but more importantly, they've supported our party. And I'm grateful. I want to thank you for all your help...

PARIS (AP) - A stoic atmosphere prevailed Friday at outgoing German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's farewell dinner with French President Jacques Chirac, one of his closest allies on issues ranging from Europe's future to the Iraq war. "Let's not be too sentimental or else we'll have to get out our handkerchiefs," Schroeder said before dinner at the Elysee Palace. Schroeder is to step down after Chancellor-designate Angela Merkel formally takes office. Every six weeks, Chirac and Schroeder have got together for informal dinners, harmonizing their policies. They hugged warmly as Schroeder got out of the car Friday. Through Chirac, "I have...

Diners have sweet surprise for soldier, girlfriend By Susan Gilmore Seattle Times staff reporter When Chris Yanez wanted to take his girlfriend out for a special dinner to celebrate their one-year anniversary, he chose the venerable restaurant Canlis, perched high above Lake Union. ... Before going to dinner Wednesday night, Yanez, a reservist who spent a year in Iraq as a machine-gunner, put on his green dress Army uniform, the one he was proud to wear. With his girlfriend, Liz Coleman, on his arm, he walked into Canlis, where owner Mark Canlis found the couple a special table with a...

Every hour, at various times during the hour, today, Friday, August 5, newstalk AM580 WDBO is running a contest for WDBO Insiders for a free dinner at DelFrisco's. This thread is to post the name each hour as you hear it called ... just in case any WDBO-listening FReeper misses their name ... post any and all names you hear ... multiple postings are fine ... cheers!

Gov. Rejects Request To Make Walleye Off-Limits (WCCO) Gov. Tim Pawlenty sank an animal rights group's request Tuesday. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals asked Pawlenty to declare walleye off-limits for fishing. PETA said a recent study showed fish are smart and feel pain. In a written statement, Pawlenty said, "The PETA 'Fish Empathy Project' is nutty and misses the mark." Pawlenty said PETA displayed "goofy judgment" and that fishing was not, as PETA claimed, the same as hooking a dog or cat through the mouth with a large hook and dragging it behind your car. "Minnesota cares for...

Site of Western Extension to Stratigraphical Museum at Knossos In a LM IB context in excavations just to one side of the Royal Road some distance northwest of the Little Palace at Knossos, 327 children's bones were found in a burnt deposit in the basement of a building christened the North House. Originally attributed to between eight and eleven children provisionally aged between ten and fifteen years old, between 21% and 35% of these bones, which included skull fragments as well as other bones, all found in an unarticulated heap, exhibited "fine knife marks, exactly comparable to butchery marks on...

**Press Release** The Radical Islamist Threat to World Peace and National Security A Dinner Symposium 6:00 PM Wednesday, September 21, 2005 Aquaturf Club, Mulberry Street Plantsville, Connecticut The People's Truth Forum (PTF) is hosting this educational symposium is to heighten public awareness with respect to national security. Warmly invited are those who share PTF's concerns for the future of our nation -- especially those interested in learning more about Islamic terrorism and the threat it poses to future generations. Speakers Harvey Kushner, PhD. An internationally recognized authority on terrorism and related security matters, Kushner has advised and trained numerous governmental...

If there were an Emmy category for stand-up comedy on C-SPAN, she would be this year's odds-on favorite. Cedric the Entertainer, who had expected to follow the prez for the evening's laughs, knew he was in trouble long before Laura sat down. Her sallies were stingers, with references to her husband as "Mr. Excitement," in bed by 9 o'clock, and to herself and Lynn Cheney and Karen Hughes as "desperate housewives" who sneak out to watch the Chippendales (male strippers) for post-9 o'clock thrills. "I wouldn't even mention it," she said, "except that Ruth Ginsburg and Sandra Day O'Connor saw...