Free Republic

A surprising viral video shows British soldiers strapped to jet packs flying around a ship, Iron Man style. The clip has drawn delighted reactions online, and plenty of questions. How do these things work? Are they being used by the military now? Can anyone buy one? Read on to find out. Tactical Drill Link

Police arrested a congressional staffer to Democratic Rep. Sander Levin Oct. 8 following a bizarre altercation where he attacked a lover with a shovel. According to a police report, Tim Foster assaulted a black man described as his boyfriend with a small red and black shovel, leaving the man so badly injured that he was hospitalized with scrapes and bruises across his neck and torso, Roll Call reported Tuesday. The dispute began at about 12:30 a.m., with the two getting into an argument at a house in Baltimore which soon escalated to physical violence on Foster’s part, according to Roll...

June 15, 2006 (CHICAGO) - A small fire at a Chicago Public Library on the city's North Side has burned about 100 books -- 90 of them in the gay and lesbian section. Chicago Police spokeswoman Monique Bond said the fire is being investigated as an arson -- but not as a hate crime. Gay rights activist Rick Garcia questioned that decision, noting the unique location of the fire. About 10 books in the branch's African-American history collection were also burned. No one was injured in the fire. The library branch where the fire occurred is near the center of...

Dear Mr. President, Please defend our borders! Ask Congress to make English the solitary official language, and then sign the bill! Help us to maintain the distinctive American culture! Legal immigration: yes! Say "No!" to open borders, illegal aliens, globalism and the America-Mexico-Canada-NannyState!

In an eagerly awaited landmark decision, the state's highest court ruled today that Governor Mitt Romney and Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly had the authority to invoke a 1913 state law that Massachusetts used to block out-of-state gay couples from marrying here when same-sex marriage became legal in 2004. The Supreme Judicial Court upheld the 1913 law when it was used to block same sex-couples from Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, because gay marriage is prohibited in those states. The court, however, did not rule on the claims of the couples from New York and Rhode Island because state...

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Some 40 gay rights activists protested outside St Peter's Square on Friday, a day after Pope Benedict condemned homosexual marriage. The group stayed out of the square, which is Vatican territory, but held up banners and placards criticising the Roman Catholic Church. One banner read "2000 years of discrimination" and said the Church should stay out of Italian affairs. Benedict, in an address to Italian politicians on Thursday, re-stated the Church opposition to gay marriages and to proposed laws that would formally recognise the rights of gay couples. The demonstration took place on the eighth anniversary...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A gay political organization is asking for an investigation of a drag show at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. The president of the Log Cabin Republicans of Greater St. Louis, Charles Stadtlander, says he attended the October 14th drag show. He raised concerns that the show mocked heterosexual audience members, that performers wore revealing outfits, used inappropriate language and simulated sex acts. He said university officials should not have allowed the event and raised concerns that tax dollars were involved. University spokesman Bob Samples says taxpayer money was not used to fund the event and proper...

MILWAUKEE, WI (AP) - The Milwaukee Gay Arts Center has filed a claim against the city, contending it committed a civil rights violation by shutting down performances of a touring musical revue. An ordinance requiring a city theater license was selectively enforced against the center last week for a presentation of "Naked Boys Singing" because it is a gay organization, according to the claim filed Tuesday by attorney Richard Hart on behalf of the group. The claim said such a permit was never required for other productions in the past and that numerous other venues typically present theater performances without...

Are Men the New Women? By Debbie Schlussel Earlier I wrote about women wanting to call football games--trying to be like men. But today, there are also two news items about men trying to be more like women: * USA Today has a piece on men and waxing. Eeeuw. Key Quote of the article: "Waxing makes up 35% to 40% of the business at Joq Day Spa for Men in Atlanta. 'Men are just becoming a lot more conscious of what their body looks like,' spa director Christopher Keever says." First of all, there shouldn't be a "day spa" for...

The man who's molding Logo, the new network for gays and lesbians, grew up in rural Illinois, attended Oral Roberts University and counted that cheesy keyboard solo on "Freeze Frame" as his big moment during gigs with his college band the Ozones. At first glance, Brian Graden hardly seems too hip for the room. But the 42-year-old Graden is one of television's busiest and most imaginative executives, already responsible for the programming on MTV, VH1 and CMT - and now Logo, which debuts Thursday. Long in the works, Logo will initially be seen in about 10 million homes with digital...

Jerusalem authorities have said they are banning a gay pride parade planned for next week, saying the event would be "provocative" and set off unrest.The Jerusalem Open House group, which is organising the march scheduled for 30 June, said it would challenge the decision in court on Sunday. The organisation said police had already approved the parade route. The event has been held for the last three years and previously passed off peacefully albeit under heavy security. "It wouldn't be right to authorise the march and the related festivities in Jerusalem out of the concern that it would be provocative...

As most FReepers already know, Winter Soldier is an online project of The Free Republic. It exposes the nefarious acivities of John Kerry during the War in VietNam. It also has a "poll", which asks the question: "Should a man who FALSELY accused American troops of atrocities, serve as Commander-In-Chief"??? The answer choices are: (sure) (no) (HELL NO!!) During the last 24 hours, left wing flamers have turned the poll into a joke. Over 250 additional votes of "sure" have been cast. Can you imagine??? 2099 people said "sure"??? Unbelievable, isn't it. It just goes to show you what we're...

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom touched off a defiant outburst of matrimony 10 days ago when he decided his city would issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples. These marriages -- now more than 3,000 -- are also one of the most flagrant acts of mass civil disobedience in recent years. The freedom-to-marry movement has long grounded its cause in the rhetoric and precedents of the American civil rights movement. As she began her arguments for gay marriage before the Vermont Supreme Court in 1998, lawyer Beth Robinson cited a landmark case from 1948, when the California Supreme Court...

What "Gay" Marriage Will Mean for our Children By Linda P. Harvey Column originally published on WorldNetDaily.com, July 19, 2003 © 2003 WorldNetDaily.com "Same sex marriage? It doesn't bother me!" In many circles, this is the prevailing sentiment regarding the possible legalization of same-sex relationships as "marriages" in the U.S. If the Supreme Court in the state of Massachusetts rules in favor of the homosexual couples who have sued for marriage rights, then other states will most likely be forced to recognize these couplings as marriages under the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the U.S. Constitution. There's just one...

<p>Washington -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger turned up the rhetoric against San Francisco's move to allow same-sex marriages, saying on national TV Sunday that he fears outbreaks of serious civil unrest if the ceremonies continue at City Hall.</p> <p>Schwarzenegger said on NBC's "Meet the Press'' that he fears worsening protests about the divisive issue and worries the situation could get out of hand if courts don't quickly stop the marriages, which are being performed in defiance of existing state law.</p>