Free Republic

Charlie Crist is technically an independent now, but that doesn't change his RINO status...

KEY WEST, Fla., -- Two employees of a South Florida company that collects used cooking fat from restaurants have been charged with stealing fat from other companies' clients. Pedro Gonzalez and Eduardo Vega told police they were trying to make up for the loss of grease that vanished from their scheduled stops before they could make the pickup, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported. Both men work for Avila Environmental, a company based in Miami. Police reports indicate Monroe County sheriff's deputies were on alert because another collection company complained about cooking fat going missing in the Florida Keys. Deputies...

NOVEMBER 12, 2011 Health System Reflects Greece's Ills BY CHARLES FORELLE ATHENS—A few years ago, George Gianakouras, a retired salesman of hotel supplies from the Greek port town of Volos, was feeling sluggish. His doctors diagnosed heart disease. He was given cardiac drugs and scheduled for angioplasty and stenting at a hospital in Thessaloniki, Greece's second city. Like nearly all Greeks, Mr. Gianakouras was covered by a state social-security fund, which paid €10,000 ($13,600) for the hospital bill. There was one more thing: Mr. Gianakouras said he gave his surgeon "black money"—€5,000 in cash—to perform the operation. "If you don't...

The dismissal of Greece’s top military chiefs has the opposition up in arms. With the Greek crisis worsening by the day, PM George Papandreou has been accused of trying to rein in the armed forces before a potential government collapse. ­ Sweeping changes to Greece’s military leadership were approved by Prime Minister George Papandreou during a meeting of the Foreign and Defense Council in Athens today. The Chief of National Defense, as well as the chiefs of the army, navy and air force, were all replaced, according to a statement released by the Greek Defense Ministry Wednesday. In addition, a...

Greece's startling decision to call a referendum on last week's EU summit deal has set off wild tremors across the eurozone, pushing Italy to the brink of a perilous downward spiral. The country's ruling Pasok party appeared to be splintering on Tuesdsay night, leaving it unclear whether the governent of premier George Papandreou can survive a parliamentary vote of confidence on Friday. Signs that the EU's pain-stakingly negotiated Grand Plan is unravelling within days has been a profound shock to confidence. A frantic search for safe havens led to the second biggest one-day fall ever recorded in Europe's AAA bond...

Germans expressed fury and frustration at Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou's shock decision to call a referendum on the latest aid package, with some saying the gamble would push Greece out of the euro zone. "You can't help thinking that they should be grateful as Europe is trying to help," said Konstanze Pilge, a 26-year old student, walking near the Brandenburg Gate in central Berlin. "Now it looks like they are going to mess things up." Papandreou dropped his bombshell on Monday evening, less than a week after European leaders agreed the outlines of a second bailout for Athens. "It...

On Monday, U.S. stocks racked up their best month in 20 years in October. Greek Premier George Papandreou said he will put Greece's bailout deal through a referendum, potentially undoing a long-awaited agreement struck just last week and sending European stocks down 4.4 percent. The region's bank shares fell 7.9 percent to $16.25. Greek opposition parties said the referendum was putting Greece's European Union membership at risk and instead called for a snap election. U.S. bank shares were expected to follow European lenders lower. The Financial Select Sector SPDR fell 4 percent with Bank of America down 5.9 percent and...

Brussels - Peace should not be taken for granted if the euro fails, German chancellor Merkel told MPs Wednesday (26 October) ahead of the eurozone summit where an increase of the bail-out fund firepower may lead to Germany's own state assets being taken as collateral. In a dark blue jacket reflecting the mood in and about the eurozone, Merkel abandoned her usual cautious rhetoric warned outright of a war. "Nobody should take for granted another 50 years of peace and prosperity in Europe. They are not for granted. That's why I say: If the euro fails, Europe fails," Merkel said,...

Assorted pundits chronicling Europe’s debt crisis bemoan that insufficient federal authority undermines systemic solutions to the fiscal pressures arising from the continent’s Mediterranean underbelly. Those enamored with state cures for any conceivable ill believe an overriding central authority should force dissimilar nations to act in unison. The proffered salve for festering sovereign debt sores is increasingly concentrated power. This sounds strikingly similar to the incessant prattle emitted across America’s airwaves: partisanship and political paralysis thwart Washington’s ability to act. Washington needs more control. Always more. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner waxes, “You have this terribly damaging political dysfunction here and in...

STOCKS TANK IN FINAL MINUTES OF THE DAY: Here's What You Need To Know Sam Ro Oct. 7, 2011, 4:00 PM More signs that the U.S. economy is not as bad as everyone thought. But, big downgrades in Europe bring us back to reality. First, the scoreboard: Dow: -18 S&P 500: -10 NASDAQ: -27 And now, the top stories: * The highly-anticipated September jobs data came out with a bang. U.S. companies added 103k non-farm payrolls. Economists expected just 60k. The July and August figures were both revised upwards. However, the unemployment rate was unchanged at 9.1%, which wasn't a...

Drowning in red ink, Greece has nowhere to turn to revive the economic growth that might put its debt on a sustainable trajectory, reassure angry foreign creditors and offer hope to its recession-weary citizens. Instead, the country finds itself in a vicious circle—a death spiral, some would say—in which it is borrowing ever more to keep up on its existing debts, crushing growth in the process and thereby worsening its all-important ratio of debt-to-gross domestic product. Springing the debt trap would not be a miracle cure either: a manageable level of borrowing is a necessary but not a sufficient condition...

Reuters: Greece to cut pensions over 1,200 Euros per month by 20% Just a headline for now. Gotta be a lot of people collecting more than 1,200 Euros per month. My guess is that if the rioting hasn't started (again) it will shortly.

According to this report the odds that Greece defaults on its obligations to the EuroZone is now at 98% which only proves, once again, that bailouts works....works to grind the economy to a halt and ensure that any recovery is impossible. Greece has a 98 percent chance of defaulting on its debt in the next five years as Prime Minister George Papandreou fails to reassure investors his country can survive the euro-region crisis. “Everyone’s pricing in a pretty near-term default and I think it’ll be a hard event,” said Peter Tchir, founder of hedge fund TF Market Advisors in...

The humane thing to do to a rabid dog is put it out of its misery. The humane thing to do to Greece is the same. Instead, officials in Germany, the EU, and IMF insist on putting Greece through another round of austerity measures inhumane torture in return for "one more" tranche of money. Disgustedly, but not at all unexpectedly IMF officials say Troika Expected To Approve Greek Loan Tranche This MonthGreece's creditors are expected to give the thumbs-up for the disbursement of the next tranche of its 2010 bailout pact later this month after the Greek government announced new taxes to cover...

20 Signs Of Imminent Financial Collapse In EuropeSeptember 13, 2011 Are we on the verge of a massive financial collapse in Europe? Rumors of an imminent default by Greece are flying around all over the place and Greek government officials are openly admitting that they are running out of money. Without more bailout funds it is absolutely certain that Greece will soon default on their debts. But German officials are threatening to hold up more bailout payments until the Greeks "do what they agreed to do". The attitude in Germany is that the Greeks must now pay the price for...

Wracked by debt but blessed with abundant sunshine, Greece plans to develop some 20,000 hectares of solar power parks in a bid to export renewable energy to Germany, a report said on Saturday. Top-selling Ta Nea daily said the project, which has a tentative budget of 20 billion euros ($29 billion), could create 60,000 jobs at a time when Greece is battling a deep recession and record unemployment figures. Germany is looking for alternative energy sources after chancellor Angela Merkel's government decided to shut down all 17 of the country's nuclear reactors over 11 years, following the disaster at the...

The "government’s twelfth hour" has come, writes Politis, reporting from a Cyprus embroiled in political and financial crisis. On 28 July the government presented its resignation, which had been requested by President Demetris Christofias the previous day. In addition, the paper explains, "the rating agency Moody's downgraded the country by two notches and is expressing concern about the fiscal situation in Cyprus following the explosion at the naval base." The explosion of a munitions stockpile that left 12 people dead on July 11 wiped out the main power station in the country and has cut power output by half. "The...

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou told his cabinet Monday it was crucial to accept years of austerity to secure a new international bailout, a challenge for a nation already seething over corruption. Unease is growing within Papandreou's ranks about the consequences of waves of budget cuts demanded under successive deals with the European Union and the IMF -- and this could turn into alarm after at least 80,000 Greeks crammed a central Athens square to vent their anger over the dire state of the nation. As the government struggles to prevent Greece from defaulting on its debt, the Socialist cabinet...

Grease star Jeff Conaway died today after a drug overdose sent him into a coma two weeks ago. His family are understood to have decided to turn off his life support machine yesterday. His ex-girlfriend Vikki Lizzi, who claims she has power of attorney over the 60-year-old, tried to block the move. The actor, who famously played Kenickie in the hit 1978 film, has been in a deep coma since taking an overdose of painkillers earlier this month. Conaway's family, who have kept a vigil at the Los Angeles hospital over the past two weeks, have been told by doctors...

I am looking for recipes for a good cookout meat this Saturday. Anyone?