Free Republic

CNBC's Rick Santelli explaining what the tea party movement can do for the nation.

The dictionary defines a troubadour as ”one who composes or sings verses or ballads.” History has been littered with them. Some better than others. But to dismiss James Taylor or Carole King as merely troubadours would be like saying a Ferrari is merely a car… a Lear Jet is merely an airplane. Few recording artists have sold more records. Even fewer songwriters have had a greater impact on the lives of the boomer generation. (Click to see details about the amazing reunion concert and how it turned into the hottest tour of the year).

It is pretty easy nowadays to write a review of a Pixar movie. Simply write, 'Great!', and end it there...and you would pretty much hit the nail on the head. The original Toy Story movies were the coming out party for Pixar 15 years ago. They introduced America to a new kind of animation...one that once again drew adults and children. And this movie, as much as any, taps into that.

Topless dancers charged with exposing selves 6 arrested, 10 sought for removing bottoms in investigation of Charlotte strip clubs. By Cleve R. Wootson Jr. and Steve Lyttle slyttle@charlotteobserver.com Posted: Friday, Jun. 18, 2010 Women charged and sought ABC agents say they have arrested and charged these women with indecent exposure: Amanda Ammons (Crazy Horse) Robin Brown (Baby Dolls) Brittney Delcont (Paper Doll) Rebecca Kirkpatrick (Crazy Horse) Christina Pierce (Gentlemen's Club) Jessica Smith (Paper Doll) Arrest warrants for indecent exposure have been filed for these women, who have not been located: Falon Cooksey (Gold Club) Tina Debe (Crazy Horse) Tisha Grimes...

And, so it begins. You voted and so did we, and at the end of a month-long process, we’re ready to start revealing Gibson.com’s Top 50 Guitarists of All Time.

What does Tea Party rabble-rouser Sarah Palin have in common with actor Neil Patrick Harris and "CSI" creator Jerry Bruckheimer? The three are key figures on TV Guide Magazine's first-ever "Power List." A diverse rundown of TV icons who prompted the biggest water cooler convos, heartiest laughs or just out-and-out tugged at the fabric of American culture in 2010. Palin got a nod through making major noise on TV with her turn as a Fox News Channel contributor and star of TLC's upcoming series "Sarah Palin's Alaska." When asked if she will commit to a full-time TV role if she...

While scholars worry that BO admitting he'd like to kick some a** might make him look the stereotypical “angry black” man (seriously, dood, the MSM went there), the venerable filthy rich mouthpieces of libtardom, the entertainment industry, curiously have little to say about me. Surely by now I thought we'd have an I Pledge video circulating the innerwebz, with millions watching the glitterati stumble over their lines and flash computer-enhanced naked skin and jab used heroin needles into their arms and empty upturned bottles of Grey Goose over their heads in support of my man-caused disaster.

Joe Lehman, president of the Mackinac Center, reached into his file cabinet and pulled out a piece of scribbled-on yellow legal pad paper that was the basis of Fox commentator Glenn Beck's soon-to-be-released novel. Nearly a decade ago, then-Mackinac Center Vice President Joe Overton had an idea of creating a brochure to market what is now known as "The Overton Window" — the name of Beck's book. Overton died in 2003 before he had the chance to fully market his idea... Click the link to learn more about this unique idea.

It's the week-end... and frankly, I need an escape from all the bad news about Oil Spills, a rude, impudent former Beatle (time to call it quits, sir Paul), a President who's legacy will be measured in how much damage he caused, bad umpiring, a middle east in... well, you get the idea. So there I was trolling on youtube when I came upon some old friends of mine. And I thought to myself, "Here... HERE'S one thing that's still right in America: Real Music. I'm talking songs with lyrics and melodies that will still be around in 50 years...

What is it with these left-wing entertainers that have to insult people while they accept their dubious awards? Why can't these lefties just graciously accept an award and go about their business without going out of their way to let the world know about their politics? But once again, this time with Paul McCartney, we have an entertainer forcing his politics on the world in an inappropriate manner. While accepting the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, McCartney decided that the celebratory air of the event was a good time make to fun of George W. Bush and...

He's the country's top-rated talk radio host, beacon of conservatives, a lightning rod for controversy. Is Rush Limbaugh movie material? Writer/producer James Sclafani thinks so, and has written a feature film about Limbaugh's life that is in the process of being packaged and shopped for financing. Sclafani, who recently sold his script Counter Kid to Bill Murray's Devoted Pictures, optioned The Rush Limbaugh Story: Talent on Loan from God, an unauthorized biography by longtime Gotham-based journalist Paul Colford, who currently heads media relations for the AP. The book served as the basis for the script. Sclafani said the script he's...

Rarely has a movie inspired a debate as caustic — or as sexually divisive — as Sex and the City 2, a comedy of fashion and privilege that’s being dismissed by critics as shallow and ridiculous, and embraced by fans as a female fantasy that men cannot understand. Male and female audiences are often separated by subject matter, but Sex and the City 2 is doing more than that: When I saw it on a recent weeknight, I was one of two men in the audience of some 100 women. Warner Bros.’ exit polls show 90 per cent of the...

This is my first post, so please excuse if it is amateurish, but I wanted to know if anyone else saw the film Prince of Persia and got the anti-tax message. In the film, one of the characters, Sheik Amar (played by Alfred Molina) is the leader of a den of thieves and slavers that has a notorious reputation. He tells the hero Dastan,(played by Jake Gyllenhaal) that the stories are untrue and that he, Amar, made them up himself to protect his business from, and I will para-phrase, "The greatest evil these lands have seen, Taxes!" This character actual...

The Facebook postings sometime show up just minutes apart. But it's not from a heart-broken teen posting about a fractured relationship. State Rep. Justin Amash is using social networking to lift the cover on the inside maneuverings of the bill-making business at the state Capitol. Amash, a Republican from Kentwood, is giving his 5,000-plus Facebook fans the type of insight you'd expect from a political newsletter. He can make as many as 20 to 30 posts a day during a legislative session as he explains each bill he is voting on, how he is voting and why. This is just...

Tom Murro and John Klekamp of News 12 covering the President Obama encounter and a Rolex Offer from Daniel Craig.

For those of you who enjoy them. Interesting articles, history, details of fairs & festivals, etc...

In one of the many new age music albums, there is a song called "Fly Away" and the constant refrain is "Fly Away, Fly Away, Fly Away," and the refrain really describes what you can do with this new invention. The catch is of course with this, you can only fly away in your imagination. TFT INSTRUMENTS Company has designed a new flight simulator that can be used for entertainment (with both movie studio sets/movie productions), airports, and shopping centers.

Jon Stewart, the host of Comedy Central's Daily Show, has been not-so-quietly waging war with Fox News for years -- and recently he's been turning up the heat. His most recent battle with the News Corp. (NWS)-owned network hinged on an airing of Fox & Friends, which two weeks ago asked (more than once) whether the crescent-moon shaped logo that the White House used during a nuclear security summit was some sort of Islamic image. As the New York Times recently reported, Stewart had his staff call the White House to ask just that, and lo and behold, discovered that...

Gee whiz, Archie! Riverdale High School, the stomping grounds of comic books' favorite teen and his friends, is opening its doors to an openly gay student - a first in the 69-year history of the character. "We're trying to reflect society and we're just trying to show Riverdale is a diverse place," says Dan Parent, the artist-writer behind the series. Kevin Keller makes his debut in September in "Veronica" No. 202, on sale in September, as a hunky new kid who catches the raven-haired vixen's eye. Though Veronica is used to getting her way, she's finally run up against a...

Bret Michaels was rushed to the hospital late Thursday night after suffering a massive hemorrhage near his brain stem, this according to People.com. Michaels is reportedly in critical condition at an undisclosed hospital. According to the report, Michaels was suffering from excruciating headaches earlier in the day. According to the report, Michaels underwent several tests -- including CAT Scans and MRIs. The report claims it was determined Michaels suffered from a "subarachnoid hemorrhage" -- bleeding at the base of his brain stem.