Free Republic

The Federal Reserve acknowledged Wednesday that the economy is growing more slowly than it expected. But it said it will complete its $600 billion Treasury bond buying program by June 30 as planned and announced no further efforts to boost the economy. Ending a two-day meeting, the Fed repeated a pledge to keep interest rates at record lows near zero for "an extended period," a promise it's made for more than two years. Fed officials said in a statement that they think the main causes of the economy's slowdown, such as high gas prices and supply disruptions from Japan's disasters,...

ARLINGTON, Va. - Arlington police say a brawl broke out during the DMV music awards ceremony, sending one person to a local hospital. VIDEO#1 COURTESY: DMVLIFE.com Police say five people were treated Saturday night at the scene of the awards ceremony, which honors local rap, hip-hop and R&B performers. About 1,500 people attended the ceremony at the Crystal City Hyatt, and witnesses said more than 20 police vehicles responded to deal with a half dozen fights that broke out.

Marshalling his entire array of intellectual resources, Michael Moore has finally found an answer as to why so many Americans exercise their constitutional right to own firearms to protect themselves, their homes, and their families. Coincidentally it's the same explanation used for everything else moonbats don't like about normal Americans — it's because we're racists. Only those with strong stomachs and too much time on their hands are advised to watch the whole thing, but if you skip to 12:54 in this appalling video, you'll hear Moore actually castigate gun-owners for objecting to the idea of non-Caucasians breaking into their...

I would also remind any Conservative that America is in the hole it is today because we have forgotten so much of our history. We are right to demand that our representatives remember the founding documents, we are right to demand these documents be taught in school. Again, how is studying the Confederacy any less important? Is not the essential question right now, on so many issues, NOT States rights? And what was the fight from 1861-65 over again? Yes, States rights.

.....Sadly, Freddy wasn’t built for suburban life. He snarled traffic with his insouciant strolls and attacked motorcycles with unexplained ferocity. An increasing menace to motorists, the beloved bird was shot by police last week, his life tragically cut short by his full-throttle lifestyle and a raft of complaints - including one from a motorcyclist who was forced into oncoming traffic after a head-on attack.

Some desperate men with a dream to serve hot wings and wear short-shorts are suing the people behind Hooters -- because the man-haven wouldn't hire the dudes as waitresses!

Earlier this week, the DUmmies were left with EGG on their collective faces when it turned out that their hero, Jessie MacBeth, who confessed to committing war crimes in Iraq was a Fake Army Ranger. After having to gorge on crow, the DUmmies are now back and essentially saying that the fact he was fake doesn't matter because our troops are committing war crimes despite the LACK of evidence to back up this assertion as you can see in the THREAD titled, "Does anyone doubt that certain G.I.'s are committing war crimes?" Yes, "Fake but Accurate" seems to be...

Armed robbers who held up a money courier made off with his first aid kit instead of the suitcase full of cash.The two bandits pursued the courier at high speed before shooting at his vehicle and forcing him to stop on a road in Gronau, Germany.Forcing the boot open, one of the crooks snatched a case before fleeing again. But instead of taking the money, he made off with a first aid kit.Police spokesman Johann Steinlitz said: "If there was an award for the dumbest crooks they would certainly be in the running."But even though they did not get what...

Michele Naar-Obed knows she will not stop the war in Iraq by walking the streets of Baghdad, unarmed and unguarded, calling for an end to the violence, but she considers it her duty to try. She is 49 years old, a mother, a wife, a pacifist who can't stand to be passive. Soldiers put their lives on the line for their country; she will risk hers too, in pursuit of peace. Four of her colleagues in the pacifist movement were kidnapped in Baghdad late last month. The men — fellow members of Christian Peacemaker Teams — have been threatened with...

Pretty much sums up the entire mindset of the Democratic Party in 4 frames

AN INCREASING number of middle-aged women are suffering from potentially life-threatening eating disorders as they strive to emulate the characters of Desperate Housewives, the cult American television series, according to a leading eating-disorder specialist. Since the show, starring petite Teri Hatcher and her equally slim co-stars, became a hit, eating disorder clinics across the UK have seen an increase in older women suffering from anorexia and bulimia. Clinics in Scotland report a fourfold increase in the number of women aged between 30 and 50 seeking treatment for anorexia. Experts have said a "Desperate Housewives syndrome" has caused a significant rise...

An attempt by two men from northern Minnesota to cross the Arctic Ocean to call attention to global warming ended this morning because of poor weather conditions. Lonnie Dupre, 43, and Eric Larsen, 33, were forced to abandon their planned 100-day, 1,200-mile trek after encountering unexpectedly heavy snow storms, strong winds and unusual ice conditions, according to Jane Kochersperger, a media officer with the environmental group Greenpeace, which co-sponsored the trip

KALAMA, Wash. -- A javelin impaled a 12th-grader during track practice at a South Sound school on Monday, one of two incidents that left students hurt, KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reported.One of Dodson's friends snapped a photo of the javelin impaling him, but Dodson says that he was in shock and he did not feel any pain. "[It]felt weird and exciting at the same time," said Dodson.His friends were shocked and worried."It's not fun to see one of your friends on the ground with a javelin through his chest," said Brent Hopkins, student.Minutes later, a seventh-grader was hit in the...

DOWNEY -- Three men, one wearing a black, hooded cloak. A black kitten in a bag with its legs tied together and a puncture wound in its hip. A knife, candles, a wax skull, daggers, four roosters in boxes...

HELENA, Mont. -- The federal government did not violate the rights of a Rainbow Family member when it singled him and two others out for participating in an annual, illegal gathering on U.S. Forest Service land in 2000, a federal appeals court ruled Monday. The three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Barry Adams' argument that he was selectively prosecuted and his contention that the regulations prohibiting such a gathering are unconstitutional. Adams and two other Rainbow Family members were cited by the Forest Service for failing to obtain a permit for a gathering that brought...

Right before the election the notorious rapper Eminem (who has rapped about killing his mother, by the way) released his new anti-Bush rap MOSH and the DU crowd went NUTS over it. The video for the song features hordes of young, alienated youths marching in lock-step with a recently returned US marine from Irag who found out as he came home that he was being ordered back onto the front lines and decides to rebel, or something. Anyway, he and his followers all wear these black 'hoodies' which they menacingly ppull tight over their glowering eyes... The DU crowd started...

Some of us -- hopefully most of us -- are trying to understand and appreciate the effect our recent election will have on you, the citizens of the rest of the world. As our so-called leaders redouble their efforts to screw you over, please remember that some of us -- hopefully most of us -- are truly, truly sorry. And we'll say we're sorry, even on the behalf of the ones who aren't.

  Students Won't Leave Until GOP Answers Friday, November 05, 2004BOULDER, Colo. — About 85 students remained holed up inside the library at Boulder High School (search) early Friday, saying they're concerned about the direction the country is headed and refusing to leave until they've met with leaders from the Republican Party.Some of the students involved in the protest, organized after President Bush (search) won re-election to a second term on Tuesday, placed calls to Republican politicians and left messages."We want them to reassure us that our fears are misguided and that the government is doing everything in its power to prevent...

Foreign do-gooders have no right to meddle in the US presidential election, writes Miranda Devine. Next Tuesday, on the same day as the Melbourne Cup, is the American presidential election, the winner of which, if you heed opinion polls and pundits, is just as hard to pick. But the bookies never seem to have a problem identifying a favourite. Last year's Melbourne Cup winner, Makybe Diva, is favourite, at $4, to win again on Tuesday. Centrebet yesterday had United States President George Bush favourite to again win the White House at $1.55 to John Kerry's $2.30. After our election,...

An article on Newsmax says that privately, Democrat insiders are very pleased with how the early voting is going in key swing states. This disturbs me. I think the GOP GOTV effort is ten times superior to what they have...isn't it? I am very confident we win on Tuesday, but I get bouts of anxiousness due to fraud and cheating. A friend and I talked about how easily Democrats could bribe 5000 crackheads into voting two or three times a day during early voting (15000 votes!) and again on Tuesday in many states - just by having them cast provisional...

LONDON -- Spiders are more scary than terrorists -- at least according to a survey of a thousand Britons released Monday. Household creepy crawlies frighten Britons more than terrorist attacks, or even death, the survey found.

Fed up with what they say is the Bush administration's failure to address a growing illegal immigration problem, a small group of conservatives has launched a series of radio ads seeking to convince voters to oust President Bush from office. Last week, a group called Friends of the Border Patrol began a series of ads on KABC-AM in Los Angeles blasting Bush for "playing politics with national security." The group plans on running the same ads in Arizona starting this week, before the Oct. 13 presidential debate in Phoenix, and in the following weeks in Nevada and New Mexico, a...

Ryan Sager of the NY Post editorial board is posting quite a few interesting pictures of protests in NYC that you might otherwise not see in the MSM... an example: Take a look at his very entertaining blog at: http://www.rhsager.com/

Virgin Mary Image In Hospital Window Attracts Catholics Worshipers Have Left $12,000 In Offerings POSTED: 11:39 am EDT June 21, 2004 UPDATED: 11:45 am EDT June 21, 2004 MILTON, Mass. -- A blotchy hospital window in Milton, Mass., remains an object of reverence for Catholics who believe it's an image of the Virgin Mary. In the year since the window at Milton Hospital attracted attention, worshipers have stopped by daily and left offerings that have grown to about $12,000. The money has been put in a hospital account until the board of trustees decides how to use it. The window's...

Sun Mar 2, 3:44 PM ET Members of the Lesbian and Gay Big Apple Corps march in the a St. Patrick's Day Parade in the Queens borough of New York Sunday, March. 2, 2003. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Two Columbia University undergraduate students were arrested Monday for allegedly using high-tech transmitters and walkie-talkies to cheat on the Graduate Record Examination. Bryan Laulicht and Sasha Bakhru, both seniors, were arrested after an administrator at a Sylvan Learning Center in Garden City, N.Y., found one of the students acting suspiciously in a room where the test was offered. That Sylvan administrator then called the police. According to police officials in Nassau County, N.Y., one student was taking the test and used a device to transmit questions to the other student. That student was looking up answers while sitting in a...