Free Republic

<p>The winter light is kind to the stones. Its mild greyness reveals the beauty of the blue lichen that has grown for thousands of years over their surfaces and even, from the right point on the path, lets you see the sinister shape of a bronze-age dagger carved into bleak rock. I'd love to be able to say it's an encounter that leads me far from the modern world into eerie reveries - but that would be a lie.</p>

The 2007 FreeRepublic LexiconAKA "The Freepism, Freepology, Lingo, Dictionary, Terminology, Lore Handbook" A revised and condensed version of The Lexicon of FreeRepublic, culled from Lexicon of FreeRepublic - 4th Edition and Freeper Lingo Thread (the history and meening of 'Freepisms' including pictures). Thanks to the many Freepers who contributed! (see also The 2006 FreeRepublic LexiconI have attempted to include all definitions and histories provided to me and give credit to those who provided me the information. I apologize, in advance to those I failed to credit, but please understand that it was very difficult to keep up with all the...

WASHINGTON, May 30, 2007 – The fifth and final brigade of the troop surge has arrived in Baghdad and should be fully operational by mid-July, the deputy director for operations on the Joint Staff said here today. “We are starting to see a shift in momentum that comes with having additional forces on the ground,” Army Brig. Gen. Perry Wiggins told Pentagon reporters in a news conference. Troops will clamp down on Baghdad’s northern and southern belts -- areas where insurgents “have had the opportunity to sit back and plan some of these attacks,” Wiggins said. “What we’re trying...

Washington - The Dark Ages is not just a period in human history on Earth. For astronomers it represents the far-flung corners of the universe about which precious little is known, and which could yet hold the key to how planets were first formed. ... Added to that, the new telescope would be able to search further afield for planets that might have the right conditions to sustain life. Mountain gave the example of a seemingly habitable planet, about 1.5 times the Earth's size and orbiting a star about 20 light years away, that was discovered last month by a...

I am wondering, when do we conservatives finally declare war on the mamby-pamby liberals who use our party as a platform against the Democrats, with no real difference in philosophy but rather a means for running a two card monty against us? When do we notify the Republican party that if they elect Rudy, McCain, or any other RINO, we will sit out the election and not vote? I think we should threaten to do this, and if our hand is called, lay it on the table. I am so sick of this. We have GW Bush, a "compassionate conservative"...

TOMBSTONE — There were a few tears, but there also were many memories. Memories of a man who was known for his ability to make others laugh, but who was always apparently amazed by the effect his alter ego had on the people he met. Emmett Kelly Jr., otherwise known as Weary Willie, the world’s most famous circus clown, was laid to rest on Tuesday, following his death at the age of 82 last Wednesday. A resident of Tombstone, friends and family gathered to remember and say farewell to the seasoned entertainer at the town’s First Baptist Church. The group...

FORT HUACHUCA — He was loved. He was mourned. He was buried. So it was Wednesday for Army Cpl. Casey Lee Mellen, who was killed in action in Iraq on Sept. 25. It was the last day of public remembrances for the 21-year-old Case, as his family called him. Their private grief will continue, but Wednesday his wife, father, mother, sister and nephew were surrounded by many people in a comforting embrace at the Main Post Chapel and later at the committal area of the Southern Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery. Led by Pastor Tommy Simpson, who read passages from the...

FORT HUACHUCA — The final journey of Cpl. Casey Lee Mellen begins today with a noon funeral service at the Main Post Chapel on Fort Huachuca, followed by his burial at the Southern Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery at 2 p.m. Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano has ordered all flags in the state to be lowered to half staff today to honor Mellen. On Tuesday, the flags were ordered to half staff by the governor to honor Army Lt. Col. Douglas Mann, of Sierra Vista, who was killed in an accident in San Antonio, Texas, as he was preparing for deployment to...

AFTER the destruction of America’s Columbia space shuttle three years ago, the final frontier was in danger of becoming a frontier too far. The shuttle programme began to be wound down, aspirations for the International Space Station were scaled back and scientific projects such as the Hubble telescope were decommissioned. However, beyond the shuttle, space is a booming market and, for the first time, much of the drive is coming from the private sector. The multibillion-dollar satellite business continues to be very important to companies including Boeing, Lockheed Martin and EADS, which builds the Ariane rocket. Russia, China and Japan...

JOHN BATCHELOR LIVE AT 10 PM (until 1 AM) Global & Domestic Click to Read Today AgendaWABC RADIOWMAL RADIO A bigger list of streaming for John Batchelor

Camp Pendleton Marines Make Final Preparations for DeploymentBy Donna MilesAmerican Forces Press Service CAMP PENDLETON, Calif., Aug. 25, 2006 -- Just three weeks before they deploy for six months as U.S. Central Command’s theater reserve force, Marines from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit here say they’re ready to get on with the mission despite pulls at their heartstrings over leaving home. Marine Corps Sgt. Bobby Savicke, motor transportation mechanic, retrieves his tool cart from a storage unit to inspect vehicles in preparation for an upcoming deployment at Camp Pendleton, Calif., Aug. 23. This will be Savicke’s second “float” with...

The World Cup Final will be held Sunday in Berlin at 2 p.m. ET (ABC). Germany will face Portugal to play for third place on Saturday in Stuttgart at 3 p.m. ET (ESPN).

CAMP AL QA’IM, Iraq (April 22, 2006) -- The Marines and sailors boarded the train and were ready for its final departure at 2100 hours (9 p.m.). This train; however, was going nowhere. The Camp Al Qa’im Chapel, or “Soul Train” – a name adopted by the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment – is an Iraqi passenger boxcar converted into a chapel and was decommissioned as the camp chapel on April 10. A newly constructed chapel for the battalion marked the end of the Soul Train’s nearly three-year stretch as a house of prayer. The boxcar served as a chapel...

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Embattled Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari cleared the way Thursday for Shiite leaders to withdraw his nomination for a second term, a step that could break a months-long standoff that is blocking the formation of a new government

NEW YORK - In the eyes of her stepfather, 7-year-old Nixzmary Brown was an out-of-control troublemaker. She stole money from her parents and broke her siblings' toys, she stole milk from a younger sibling and broke their computer printer, he said. And when he found that she had gone into the refrigerator and taken a cup of yogurt she wasn't supposed to have, he flew into a rage. Police say Cesar Rodriguez beat the little girl to death, then tossed her on the floor of what was known in the family's apartment as the "dirty room," a rodent-infested room where...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3, 2005 – Operation Shank wrapped up today, officials in Iraq announced. The operation, conducted in central and southern Ramadi, was the fifth in a series by the Iraqi army and coalition forces engaged in combined clearing operations to disrupt terrorism and set conditions for a successful Dec. 15 election in the provincial capital of Anbar. Shank primarily involved targeted raids conducted by Iraqi soldiers and U.S. forces against terrorist safe houses in the area. The raids resulted in the detention of four suspected members of al Qaeda in Iraq, who were held for questioning. About 200 Iraqi...

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Final results from Iraq's landmark referendum on a new constitution will likely not be announced until Friday at the earliest because of delays getting counts to the capital and a wide-ranging audit of an unexpectedly high number of "yes" votes, election officials said. The returns have raised questions over the possibility of irregularities in the balloting. With the delays, the outcome of the crucial referendum will remain up in the air possibly into next week, at a time when the government had hoped to move public attention to a new milestone: the start of the trial of...

Fired New Orleans city workers get final paychecks 20 minutes ago Final paychecks were issued to thousands of New Orleans city workers laid off in the wake of ruinous hurricanes, according to city officials. A message posted on the city website provided further details of the layoffs from Mayor Ray Nagin, seen here 6 October(AFP/Getty Images/File) NEW ORLEANS, United States (AFP) - Final paychecks were issued to thousands of New Orleans city workers laid off in the wake of ruinous hurricanes, according to city officials. "In addition, all employees who are part of the layoff are asked to turn in...

Highlights of final N.C. House budget 8/10/2005 8:43 AM By: Associated Press & News 14 Carolina Web Staff The figures reflect reductions or increases to base budget expenses, some of them based on projected rises in recurring spending. Salaries and benefits: • Salary increase of two percent or $850, whichever is greater, and one week extra vacation for most state workers; average 2.24 percent raise for public school teachers. Community college faculty and professional staff also would receive an additional 2 percent raise: $237.3 million. • Ensure all employees under State Personnel Act receive a minimum salary of $20,112: $750,000....

ISFAHAN, Iran - Iran removed the final seals from equipment at a uranium conversion plant as U.N. inspectors watched Wednesday, paving the way for Tehran to fully open the facility despite European and U.S. calls for it to maintain the suspension of its nuclear program. The move came as Europe and the United States were struggling to find leverage to stop Iran from forging ahead with its nuclear program, which Washington says secretly aims to develop nuclear weapons. Iran says its program is peaceful, intended only to produce electricity. Board members of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy...

We can all rest easy. Clearly the judges have everything under control, including who is worthy of a right to life finally. Now that they have successfully protected and preserved our right to die, we can rest assured that they will tend to all our other rights with equal vigor… It was close there for a while, some judges taking almost 24 hours to decide to defend our right to be starved and dehydrated to death once we have lost our usefulness to society. But in the end, they all stood tall, even in the face of enormous pressure from...

"What's coming will be more devastating to the U.S. economy than any nuclear strike..." - The Asia Times I. Unrestricted War Unrestricted War: China’s Master Plan to Destroy America is a treatise for world domination written in 1999 by People’s Liberation Army Colonels Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangsui. In order for China to become a dominant global power over the United States, the PLA emphasizes “The Final War over Resources”, must be won.

GLEESON EXCLUSIVE -- Must credit Gleeson The long-awaited "FINAL REPORT" on the forged Rathergate memos by the unflappable David E. Hailey of Utah State University is finally out. (Or is it? It says final report, but it also says "completed 3 December 2005," which is almost a year from now.) The report, titled "Toward Identifying the Font Families in the Bush Memos," is a 29-page exploration of the inner mental processes of a disturbed and frustrated fellow, trying any way he can to persuade whoever will listen that the fake memoranda were produced on a typewriter. (Any way except actually...

The purpose of FreeRepublic.com's multiple message boards is to limit the topics for each board to particular topics. Posting the same message on all the boards defeats the purpose of multiple-boards for special topics. It is very annoying to see the same message on every bulletin board. PLEASE! DO THE READERS A FAVOR. STOP CROSS-POSTING YOUR MESSAGES!

I just finished talking with Ken Blackwell’s office, the Ohio Secretary of State. Here are some official answers to some of the issues of the 2004 Presidential vote count: 1. There are and estimated 155,000 provisional ballots that have been counted. These are still at the 88 county Election Boards and are not official counted by the state until the Election Boards submit them to the SoS. The Election Boards in each County have equal representation from both parties. Provisional ballots must be submitted to the State by 11 days after the election, which would be tomorrow, they will be...

COLUMBUS, OHIO – As President Bush and Sen. John Kerry hurtle into the final two days of the presidential race, the campaign has in some ways already moved out of their hands - and into the hands of people like Regina Weinhardt. Ms. Weinhardt, a stay-at-home mother of three in Thornbury Township, Pa., spent much of the weekend at the Hilltop Pub, a temporary headquarters for the Republican Party's get-out-the-vote drive in Delaware County, dialing up likely Bush voters and reading from a script reminding them to vote. A first-time volunteer, she admits that cold-calling strangers isn't easy - and...

I got my tickets for a presidential debate watching party with a personal appearance by the man himself after the debates. It is at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix on Wednesday October 13. Doors open at 3pm and close promptly at 6. George W will be making an appearance to speak to all of us supporters after the debates. We want to fill this place up and show the President how much support he has in Arizona! Tickets are free and available from: Bush-Cheney '04 Headquarters 4647 N. 32nd Street, Suite 125B Phoenix, AZ (32nd street and Camelback) and Northwest...

Keep in mind these polls do not reflect the sleazy democrat DUI revelation a few days before the election. That cost Bush a few points certainly. Check Zogby and CBS. They are the only ones that showed Gore leading. http://www.electoral-vote.com/info/polls-2000.html

I'm making my first attempt to put together a picture presentation set to Toby Keith's "Courtesy of the Red White and Blue". I'm trying to find the picture of President Bush with the fireman at ground zero where he has his arm around the guy, megaphone in hand, saying the terrorists will hear from all of us soon. I've googled, used alltheweb, and been to many sites I thought would have it. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Garden's set to rock Final touches in place for one huge party BY MAGGIE HABERMAN DAILY NEWS CITY HALL BUREAU Madison Square Garden is ready for a Republican party. The star-spangled balloons are blown up and bagged; the cherry-red carpet is nailed in place; the blue delegate seats are nailed to the floor, and the confetti with pictures of GeorgeW. and Laura Bush is set to go. There's one stage for the speakers and a separate, hydraulic platform for the entertainers. Then there's a secret stage for the President himself that won't appear until Thursday night. That was the view...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders said they were near a final deal on the overdue state budget Thursday night after the governor abandoned some proposed fee increases and agreed to pump more money into higher education. Republicans, however, balked at a rewritten deal involving local government finances, and Schwarz enegger and legislative leaders met into the night trying to resolve the differences. "We are at this hour stuck on local government," Schwarzenegger spokesman Rob Stutzman said late Thursday. The Republican governor and lawmakers are two days late finishing work on the $103 billion spending plan, which relies heavily on...

PHILADELPHIA — My brother took more trains, planes and automobiles in the last week of his life than he had taken in months, perhaps years. Those journeys were all the more surprising because they occurred in an intensive-care unit at the end of his three-year battle with bone marrow cancer. Bedridden after being rushed to the hospital for what would be the final eight days of his life, Kenny casually mentioned that he was visiting Detroit. It was a rather odd place for him to be traveling — even if only in his imagination — because the hospital was near...

Californians Pay Final Respects to President Ronald Reagan 9 minutes ago By JEFF WILSON, Associated Press Writer SIMI VALLEY, Calif. - Nancy Reagan touched her cheek to the flag-covered casket, then made way for Americans by the thousands to pay respects Monday to Ronald Reagan before a cross-country journey to a state funeral in Washington. A steady, near-silent stream of people — some saluting, some praying — circled through the rotunda of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, where the body of the nation's 40th president will lie in repose through Tuesday before traveling to Washington. After Friday's state funeral, the...

After my previous post about the new waffles googlebomb, I noticed something interesting on JohnKerry.com (click here for a screen capture of the site.) The graphic featured above includes the NCAA's logo for the Final Four and the logo found on the Kerry site that is very similar to it. When you click on it on Kerry's site you go to another page with a poll (to see a screen capture of the poll click here.) I did some quick googling and was able to find some background information on the NCAA and its rights to the "Final Four"...

After a final bruising encounter with the West, Islam's fiery spokesman Dr Mahathir bows out of public life By Kathy Marks in Sydney 21 October 2003 No one thought Mahathir Mohamad would go quietly. But few expected a row of the magnitude that saw Malaysia's Prime Minister taken aside by President George Bush yesterday and told in no uncertain terms his remarks about Jews were "wrong and divisive". The frosty encounter was at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit, which opened in Bangkok yesterday, attended by 21 world leaders. The meeting should have been an occasion to honour Dr Mahathir,...

Okay Mrs. P is not that bad, she does have a conscience!

Powell gives Syria 'final warning' over terrorism By Toby Harnden in Washington (Filed: 05/05/2003) Colin Powell, the US secretary of state, said yesterday he had given Syria a final demand to stop aiding terrorist groups and cautioned that it would face "continuing difficulties" with America if it failed to do so. Some US officials said President Bashar Assad appeared to have taken Mr Powell's tough message on board during three hours of talks in Damascus and had already acted to close down Palestinian offices in Syria. Mr Powell, who put his prestige on the line by making the visit in...

Combat phase is over, says Powell as final push begins By Terry Kirby 14 April 2003 A week, to paraphrase the old adage about politics, is a long time in war. Or at least the kind of war we experience now. Last Sunday, the Iraqi regime was largely intact, its apparatchiks still maintaining the war was theirs for the winning. Outside Baghdad, the Americans drew close to a final confrontation with the Republican Guard and the British advanced into Basra. The conflict was still in the balance: protracted street fighting, a siege of Baghdad or a chemical-weapons attack by a...

A final, forceful attempt to place maximum pressure on the French By Andrew Gumbel in Los Angeles 17 March 2003 Only one question remained after yesterday's Azores summit: whether the United Nations can be persuaded, in extremis, to throw its collective weight behind the Iraqi war that has now become well-nigh inevitable, or whether the rifts dividing the Security Council will have to wait until after the war to be addressed. Nothing said by Tony Blair or George Bush gave the slightest suggestion that war can be averted. The leaders said they would give diplomacy another 24 hours to run...

<p>WASHINGTON - The United States issued a take-it-or-leave-it ultimatum to Turkey on Wednesday as a stalemate developed over access to Turkish bases even as ships carrying U.S. troops drew close to the conflicted ally's shores.</p> <p>A key component of the Pentagon's Iraqi battle plan envisions a two-front attack, one from Turkey on the north, the other from Kuwait on the south. If Turkey refuses to cooperate, U.S. officials said they will have to substantially alter their war strategy.</p>

<p>HOUSTON - New information from 32 seconds of garbled data show that shuttle Columbia's flight control system was still trying to guide the orbiter even after NASA lost contact with the ship, the agency said Saturday.</p> <p>NASA has been working feverishly to resurrect information from the data, which Columbia continued to transmit after Mission Control lost contact with the seven-member crew on Feb. 1.</p>

US pulls out diplomats in final preparation for strike on Iraq By Rupert Cornwell in Washington and Andy McSmith 09 February 2003 The United States has pulled out all but its most senior diplomats from countries surrounding Iraq, in preparation for a seemingly inevitable war. Diplomats' families are also being evacuated, and the Polish envoy who represents US interests in Baghdad has been withdrawn – raising the question of whether anything can now halt the planned US invasion, which is expected to start within a month. The US has ordered a fifth carrier group to the Gulf. Yesterday Hans Blix...

  20th Century U.S. History Final: 1) The Dixiecrat party was made up of Southern a) Democrats b) Republicans 2) Jim Crow laws were passed by legislatures controlled by: a) Democrats b) Republicans 3) When the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. led the civil rights efforts in the South, the governing powers that opposed him were of which party? a) Democrat b) Republican 4) In Arkansas, the governor who stood in the door of a schoolhouse to block integration was a: a) Democrat b) Republican 5) The president who ordered in the National Guard to dislodge the above-mentioned governor from...

History Describe the history of the papacy from its origins to the present day, concentrating especially (but not exclusively) on its social, political, economic, religious, and philosophical impact on Europe, Asia, America, and Africa. Be brief, concise, and specific. Medicine You have been provided with a razor blade, a piece of gauze, and a bottle of Scotch. Remove your appendix. Do not suture until your work has been inspected. You have 15 minutes. Public Speaking 2,500 aborigines are storming the classroom. Calm them. You may use any ancient language except Latin or Greek. Biology Create life. Estimate the differences in...

ZOGBY IN REDActual results are in black SD Senate- Thune (R) Over Johnson (D) 52-47SD Senate- Johnson (D) Over Thune (R) 50-49 Pollster John Zogby: "Looks like Pryor triumphs by trouncing Hutchinson among Indpendents. Here's another case where 401k holders voted against the incumbent." MN Senate- Mondale (D) Over Coleman (R) 51-45MN Senate- Coleman (R) Over Mondale (D) 50-47 Pollster John Zogby: "Despite the President's best efforts, looks like Mondale holds on." GA Senate- Cleland (D) Over Chambliss (R) 50-48GA Senate- Chambliss (R) Over Cleland (D) 53-46 Pollster John Zogby: "A big surprise because this race was on the watch...

Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, has warned Iraq that it must readmit weapons inspectors or face the consequences of military action. Mr Straw, speaking outside the Foreign Office, said that he and Prime Minister Tony Blair were holding "intensive discussions" with members of the United Nations Security Council following Iraq's offer to allow weapons inspectors back into the country. Mr Straw, who is due to meet Mexico's foreign minister later today, said that unless Iraq complied fully with the "spirit as well as the letter" of United Nations resolutions, then military action will have to follow to deal with the...

Indianapolis, Sept. 7 - The shaming of United States basketball is complete. Already stung by their presence in the fifth-place game, the Americans were further humbled with an 81-75 loss to Spain on Friday night in Conseco Fieldhouse. "In Spain, the people are sleeping, but right now, our team is dreaming," said Javier Imbroda, Spain's head coach. "It was a historic victory for us." For the U.S., it was a recurring nightmare. The U.S. controlled most of the game, but fell apart down the stretch, blowing a 71-59 lead in the fourth period. Spain closed the game with a 22-4...

One random selection: Two 16 oz. ribeyes, one lb. turkey breast (sliced thin), twelve strips of bacon, two large hamburgers with mayo, onion, and lettuce, two large baked potatoes with butter, sour cream, cheese, and chives, four slices of cheese or one-half pound of grated cheddar cheese, chef salad with blue cheese dressing, two ears of corn on the cob, one pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream, and four vanilla Cokes or Mr. Pibb...The list is here.

Cup final delayed as anthem booed The start of the French cup final has been delayed for 20 minutes after the national anthem was booed by some spectators. An angry President Jacques Chirac demanded an apology. He ordered the game be halted until the French Football Federation apologised. "It's inadmissible and unacceptable ... (that) France be humiliated by a gesture of this nature," said Chirac, who was present for the match between Lorient and Bastia. The two teams returned to the dressing room for about 20 minutes. Federation president Claude Simonet said his organisation "presents its apologies to France because...