http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/hogwash/ en-us Sat, 13 Sep 2008 03:30:49 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2081359/posts Charlie Gibson's Questions to Obama vs. Questions to Palin ABC News Charles Gibson Interviews Barack Obama Presumptive Democratic Presidential Nominee June 4, 2008 (after Hillary Clinton concedes) http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=5000184 GIBSON: Senator, I'm curious about your feelings last night. It was an historic moment. Has it sunk in yet? GIBSON: What did your grandmother say? GIBSON: Public moments are not your own. There's a million people pulling you in a million different directions, but when everybody clears out, the staff is gone, you're in your hotel room at night and you're alone -- do you say to yourself: "Son of a gun,... ABC News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2081359/posts#comment Sat, 13 Sep 2008 03:30:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1998141/posts Man the lifeboats. The idiots are winning. Last week I watched, open-mouthed, a Newsnight piece on the spread of "Brain Gym" in British schools. I'd read about Brain Gym before - a few years back, in Ben Goldacre's excellent Bad Science column for this newspaper - but seeing it in action really twisted my rage dial. Brain Gym, y'see, is an "educational kinesiology" programme designed to improve kiddywink performance. It's essentially a series of simple exercises lumbered with names that make you want to steer a barbed wire bus into its creator's face. One manoeuvre, in which you massage the... The Guardian UK http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1998141/posts#comment Mon, 7 Apr 2008 22:18:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1933974/posts Two Roman Catholic female priests who were recently ordained co-pastored their first mass Saturday night in the central west end.Rose Marie Hudson and Elsie McGrath led the service at the first Unitarian church of St. Louis.About one hundred people showed up.The service was held in the church's Hope Chapel.The pastor of the church says it was a fitting place for an event where hope and understanding were very much alive.The Roman Catholic Church does not recognize the ordination of Hudson and McGrath that was conducted by an organization called Roman Catholic Women Priests. Mystl http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1933974/posts#comment Mon, 3 Dec 2007 15:41:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1809916/posts In the summer of 2006, I heard that a new book called Godless presented an insightful and devastating criticism of the theory of evolution. Although I learned that its author, Ann Coulter, is not a scientist but a lawyer turned author and TV pundit, she nevertheless appeared to be an intelligent and well-educated person, so I started reading. At first I was puzzled. There did not seem to be anything new; only tired and outdated antievolution arguments involving moths, finches, and fruit flies. But it wasn't until Coulter dusted off the old Piltdown man story that I suddenly realized: it... Talk Reason (from Skeptical Inquirer) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1809916/posts#comment Sat, 31 Mar 2007 20:48:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1801823/posts <p>ON CAPITOL HILL Valerie Wilson Testifies Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) chairs a House Oversight and Government Reform Ctme. hearing on the disclosure of CIA Agent Valerie Plame Wilson's identity. The hearing will look into whether White House officials followed appropriate procedures for safeguarding the identity of Ms. Wilson.</p> Cspan http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1801823/posts#comment Fri, 16 Mar 2007 12:55:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1716427/posts Per FR guidelines, can only provide a link. Link The new Webster's definition of wishful thinking per USA Today and Gannett, IMO. Poll is of 1007 "adults". USA TODAY http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1716427/posts#comment Mon, 9 Oct 2006 20:47:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1687121/posts Q: If it's true that bin Laden once worked for the CIA, what makes you so sure that he isn't still? Anne Busigin, Toronto, Canada BERGEN: This is one of those things where you cannot put it out of its misery. The story about bin Laden and the CIA -- that the CIA funded bin Laden or trained bin Laden -- is simply a folk myth. There's no evidence of this. In fact, there are very few things that bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri and the U.S. government agree on. They all agree that they didn't have a relationship in the... CNN http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1687121/posts#comment Mon, 21 Aug 2006 02:19:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1641798/posts Last month, Ithaca High School administrators sent a letter home with students, informing their parents that the flag of the Confederacy had been banned. Ithaca High School students can no longer display the emblem on belt buckles, t-shirts, or anywhere else while on school property. Apparently, the students wearing their Dixie Outfitters t-shirts, in a proud nod to our country’s better half, were white. It is unfortunate that civil liberties apply only to those in privileged groups, such as blacks or Hispanics.Because the United States Supreme Court has ruled in favor of protecting the freedom of speech exercised in displaying... Cornell American http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1641798/posts#comment Thu, 1 Jun 2006 16:07:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1652658/posts Missing Soldier's Uncle Criticizes U.S. By LYNN BREZOSKY BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) - As the families of two missing soldiers waited to hear if two bodies found Tuesday were their loved ones, the uncle of one lashed out at the government, saying it didn't do enough to bring the men home safe. ``Because the U.S. government did not have a plan in place, my nephew has paid for it with his life,'' Ken MacKenzie, uncle of Army Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, told NBC's ``Today'' show. U.S. Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said the military has recovered what are believed to be the remains... AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1652658/posts#comment Tue, 20 Jun 2006 20:47:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1608373/posts President George W. Bush took office to the sustained applause of America’s conservative movement. In 2000, he defeated the liberal environmentalist Al Gore, abruptly terminated the legacy of the even more hated Bill Clinton, and gave Republicans control of both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue. A few cynics were suspicious of Bush’s understanding of and commitment to conservative principles, but most on the Right welcomed his inauguration. Five years later, the traditional conservative agenda lies in ruins. Government is bigger, spending is higher, and Washington is more powerful. The national government has intruded further into state and local concerns. Federal officials... The American Conservative http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1608373/posts#comment Mon, 3 Apr 2006 18:04:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1602218/posts The Senate will return March 27 to debate proposals to add tens of millions of permanent foreign workers and their dependents over the next decade. The newest proposal by Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) (S. 2454) was touted as a more limited proposal than the giant amnesties being promoted in the Senate Judiciary Committee. But Sen. Frist's bill would allow 20 million more permanent immigrants to settle over the next 10 years. That compares to 25 million minimum additions under the McCain/Kennedy amnesty bill (S. 1033) and 30 million permanent foreign additions under the Specter amnesty bill (no bill number).... Numbers USA http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1602218/posts#comment Fri, 24 Mar 2006 11:59:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1567555/posts Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE) failed today to address rumors that Nevada Senator Harry Reid will step down next month as Senate Minority Leader. Reid has been stung by revelations that his political action committee (PAC) accepted more than $60,000 in contributions from Indian tribes linked to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Appearing on CNN's Late Edition, Biden avoided discussing either the Reid situation or any upcoming changes in Senate Democratic leadership. Reid is no stranger to scandal, having been the subject of a 1979 Justice Department probe into allegations that Reid — then Nevada Gaming Commission chairman — had received bribes... Red State http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1567555/posts#comment Sun, 29 Jan 2006 22:28:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1554032/posts Public opinion turns against Republican control of CongressWASHINGTON - Dissatisfied with the nation's direction, Americans are leaning toward wanting a change in which political party leads Congress - preferring that Democrats take control, an AP-Ipsos poll found. Democrats are favored over Republicans 49 percent to 36 percent.The polling came as disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty to tax evasion, fraud and corruption charges and agreed to aid a federal investigation of members of Congress and other government officials. Associated Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1554032/posts#comment Sun, 8 Jan 2006 12:58:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1528659/posts As the Fed continues its inflation campaign, most have yet to come to grips with the reality of America’s uniquely precarious situation. In an act of prestidigitation that would impress Harry Houdini, the Fed is now attempting to hide evidence of the most inflationary monetary policy in its history by no longer publishing data on the growth of M3, while mystifying the public with phony CPI statistics. However, the relentless rise in the price of gold is evidence that fewer people are being fooled by the Fed’s slight of hand. Gold’s recent rise to just under $500 per ounce, gaining... Financial Sense Online http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1528659/posts#comment Sat, 26 Nov 2005 02:48:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1456351/posts A letter to the editor - August 3, 2005 Dear Editor: Nearly two years ago George Bush Jr.'s top adviser, Karl "The Hatchet" Rove, outed a CIA operative by blabbing to newsman Robert Novak. It was a vintage Rove maneuver: slander, discredit, smear and out, if necessary, anyone who dared to challenge Bush about his real motives during his march to war. And Valerie Plame's husband had done just that by telling a differing version of the Bush truth. Bush immediately told the nation that "anyone having anything to do with the outing of Plame will not be a part... Madison.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1456351/posts#comment Wed, 3 Aug 2005 21:24:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1396752/posts THE U.S. military values some lives more than others. That’s the only conclusion you could draw from the trials of two U.S. soldiers--one accused of killing two American officers, the other of executing two Iraqi civilians. Last week, Sgt. Hasan Akbar was sentenced to death for using grenades and his rifle at a base camp in Kuwait to kill two officers and injure 14 other soldiers shortly after the March 2003 invasion of Iraq. The chief prosecutor at the military trial, Lt. Col. Michael Mulligan, said that “[Akbar] is a hate-filled, ideologically driven murderer.” But Akbar’s military attorney never presented... Socialist Worker http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1396752/posts#comment Wed, 4 May 2005 20:48:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1364985/posts Is America going broke? Record deficits, colossal debt and no clear plan for digging itself out. If the U.S. sinks, it will take Canada down with it. STEVE MAICH David Walker can see the future, and it scares the hell out of him. That wouldn't be terribly unusual if he were one of the thousands of lobbyists, legislators and activists crawling all over Washington on any given day, pontificating about the urgency of their pet issues. There is a thriving industry here built on pushing policy prescriptions for every ailment, real or imagined. But Walker isn't a lobbyist or an... Macleans.CA http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1364985/posts#comment Thu, 17 Mar 2005 22:39:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1349427/posts Alvin Plantinga - Department of Philosophy - Decio Hall - University of Notre Dame Methodological Naturalism? Abstract The philosophical doctrine of methodological naturalism holds that, for any study of the world to qualify as "scientific," it cannot refer to God's creative activity (or any sort of divine activity). The methods of science, it is claimed, "give us no purchase" on theological propositions--even if the latter are true--and theology therefore cannot influence scientific explanation or theory justification. Thus, science is said to be religiously neutral, if only because science and religion are, by their very natures, epistemically distinct. However, the actual... Access Research Network. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1349427/posts#comment Wed, 23 Feb 2005 17:14:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1333424/posts SCHOOL LIFE THREATENING TO GAYS? HATE CRIME HOAX! Homosexual Activists Create a Crisis for Political Gain SAFE ZONES It is high time the moral framework of our society squarely confronts the deceptive propaganda that is being spread throughout our community regarding school safety for gay teens. The implication that an epidemic of crime is being perpetrated against people because of their sexual "orientation" is simply a ploy to gain sympathy and political momentum for the gay right movement. The facts are that there is NO epidemic of crime going on or a need for so-called school "safe zones" for fanatical... Alliance For Life Ministries http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1333424/posts#comment Tue, 1 Feb 2005 15:19:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1330328/posts Family Therapy Disparages Traditional Values: A Former Social Worker Speaks By Marian Shah Jul 28, 2004, 11:02 As a social worker, I once co-led a women’s group in Spanish. Even though I understand Spanish fairly well, I did not lead the group well. After my co-leader, a native speaker, confronted me about it, I did some thinking and figured out the reason. I volunteered for the group thinking that I would conduct culture-sensitive therapy for Latina women. Within a few days, for reasons I will explain, I felt uncomfortable. My co-leader warned me, “If you drop out, you tell Latina... Ladies Against Feminism http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1330328/posts#comment Fri, 28 Jan 2005 04:14:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1324996/posts US Democratic Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, who had hoped to replace George W. Bush as president yesterday, instead sat in the cold and clapped as the Republican began a second four-year term. Iowa Democratic Senator Tom Harkin patted Senator Kerry on the back shortly before the inauguration Senator Kerry had hoped would be his. As Mr Bush delivered his inaugural address, Senator Kerry, about 10m away on the steps of the US Capitol, joined other lawmakers and the crowd in repeated applause. Senator Kerry looked relaxed, at times wistful. He frequently smiled, able to hide any disappointment over what... news.com.au http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1324996/posts#comment Fri, 21 Jan 2005 00:09:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1317755/posts Excerpt from CBS press release: ----------------- This brings us to two senior figures at CBS News whose performance is discussed in some depth in the Panel's report. Based on the findings of that report, we believe the following is appropriate: The Panel found that Dan Rather was pushed to the limit in the week before the September 8th broadcast. He was finishing up the anchoring job at the 2004 Republican Convention and was covering Hurricane Frances in Florida. He asked the right questions initially, but then made the same errors of credulity and over-enthusiasm that beset many of his colleagues... AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1317755/posts#comment Mon, 10 Jan 2005 16:30:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1316768/posts Biodynamic food is grown out of a spiritual understanding of nature A bakery is fighting plans for a phone mast because it claims radio waves will ruin its "cosmic bread". Artisan Bread say emissions from the antenna will disrupt "subtle forces" which help to make the loaves. The bakery plots planetary movements and uses a special calendar to work out the best time to make the bread. But it is claimed the shop in Whitstable, Kent, would lose its special licence because the mast is too close to the premises. Bakery owner Ingrid Greenfield, who supplies exclusive shops including... BBC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1316768/posts#comment Sat, 8 Jan 2005 18:42:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1293379/posts This is rich. I just started laughing the instant I read it. From http://www.moveon.org/fox/ "From Unfair and Unbalanced A free and independent press is vital to democracy. Political partisans cannot be allowed to falsely represent themselves as journalists. That's why we believe: "The Federal Trade Commission and Congress must act to prevent Fox News from using the deceptive and misleading trademark 'Fair and Balanced.'" You can now ask the FTC to order Fox News to stop misleading consumers. The FTC's job is to protect consumers from deceptive advertising on the part of big media companies. Please enter your name, email... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1293379/posts#comment Fri, 3 Dec 2004 07:10:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1283766/posts Hostettler mounting campaign to change the name of Interstate 69            By August Wayne, THG NewsJohn Hostettler, the Congressman representing the 8th district of Indiana, has been convinced by local religious groups to introduce legislation in the House that would change the name of an Interstate 69 extension to a more moral sounding number.There are plans to extend the interstate from Indianapolis through southwestern Indiana all the way through Texas into Mexico in the coming years.  While most believe this highway will be good for the state’s economy, religious conservatives believe “I-69” sounds too risqué and want to change the... Hoosier Gazette http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1283766/posts#comment Fri, 19 Nov 2004 13:53:55 GMT