Free Republic

Happy Thanksgiving! I know this is a vanity but it is my first one in over five years. I really just wanted to thank everyone for educating me, putting in my place (on occasions), being friends, and so many other positives. I cannot put into words how Free Republic has changed my life. This is not only the source of news that I receive, but it is also a place that I come to for assistance from time to time. My education has gained a ton since joining here. I apologize to those who I really irritated over the years....

Tomorrow, while celebrating with friends and giving thanks for all that He has given, please…don’t drink and drive. This video is the message America needs to see, but the alcohol lobby won’t allow you to see. So, I present it here: (Forgive me if I offend anyone, but it needs to be told) http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=Z2mf8DtWWd8

In December 2009, there was a thread here on Free Republic outlining the fact that Coca-Cola had released "holiday" packaging that said "Feliz Navidad" in Spanish, but "Holiday 2009" in English. Some were outraged because it appeared that Christmas was okay to acknowledge in Spanish, but not in English. It seems that Coke has learned their lesson and for their 2010 packaging, they use the English greeting "Merry Christmas". Click here to read the original 2009 Free Republic article on this matter. Click here to see an image containing both the 2009 and 2010 Coke package designs with the "Holiday...

Tomorrow is Veteran’s Day. Although many people confuse Veteran’s Day with Memorial Day, they are distinctly different in many ways. One thing is for certain…it causes a great problem for me. First a little history, then we’ll get to my problem. At the end of World War I, prior to the signing of the peace treaty at Versailles, fighting ceased when an armistice went into effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, 1918. In 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11th as the first official commemoration of Armistice Day. After some changing dates and different...

The White House is considering a push for hundreds of billions of dollars in new stimulative spending, focusing on business tax cuts including a temporary cut in payroll taxes. In part, this is good policy. In part, it's necessary policy. Anne Kornblut and Lori Montgomery quote an unnamed Democratic strategist complaining that the White House has let the issues get away from them in advance of November's election. "'We did the mosque, Katrina, Iraq, and now Middle East peace?' said a Democratic strategist who works closely with multiple candidates and spoke on the condition of anonymity. 'And in between you...

Muslim parents, students and civic groups are campaigning to add two of their religious holidays to the New York City public school calendar, pinning their hopes on state lawmakers after failing to win over Mayor Michael Bloomberg to the idea. ... "Our kids know other holidays but then they see that their holidays are not recognized. It sends a mixed message," said Isabel Bucaram, a Muslim with two children in city schools. "My daughter says to me, 'They do it for others. Why not us?'" (Yeah, it sends a "mixed message to kids when you can't have Easter or Christmas...

(AFP) – 1 hour ago MARBELLA, Spain — US First Lady Michelle Obama and her nine-year-old daughter Sasha arrived Wednesday on Spain's Mediterranean coast for a vacation with friends at a luxury hotel where they have booked 60 rooms. The pair and their entourage arrived at the Hotel Villa Padierna in the hills above the resort town of Marbella, a haunt for the rich and famous, aboard a cavalcade of vehicles. They had flown to Malaga on a US air force plane. President Barack Obama, who celebrates his 49th birthday on Wednesday, has stayed behind in the United States as...

BALI, Indonesia (AP) -- Putu Valentino Rosiadi should have started third grade this month. But instead of buying a new school uniform and notebooks, his father mournfully cradles a black-and-white photo.

The soldiers came in a convoy And each one had a bag The mission: to make certain Every headstone had a flag The soldiers who lay silent From wars that had come and gone Awaited our remembrance On Memorial Day’s bright dawn. (Continued)

Last holiday was Easter where Google ignored the holiest holiday of Christians while it instead honored some obscure European author. This Memorial day google ignores Memorial day by not decorating their google logo with Memorial day pictures. Bing on the other hand honored both Easter and Memorial day. Don't believe me check it out. Bing Google

Two people were injured in a Sunday afternoon shooting that happened outside a Cinco de Mayo celebration. Two groups of juveniles exchanged gunfire in the area of Lake Street and 5th Avenue, according to Minneapolis Police Sgt. Bill Palmer. Authorities say the incident was gang-related. One teen was shot in the chest and taken to Hennepin County Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. Another teen was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries after being shot in the foot and the leg. Police have one person in custody in connection with the incident, which happened near a Cinco de Mayo celebration. They have...

It's time to suspend Cinco De Mayo celebrations until Mexico cleans up its act and gets control of drug cartels running rampant along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Last month, I posted some questions about what to do in L.A. Well, I am finally arriving in L.A. on Tuesday, and looking forward to it. Mind you, the recent earthquake in southern Cali did send a couple of shivers down my spine, but that's regular life for Californians I guess! Hoping to catch plenty of nature and experience the real California, and not the Hollywood-filtered kind.

If you want to destroy a house, undermine the foundation. If you want to destroy a nation, do the same. If you want to destroy people who are defined by ideas, trash the ideas. If you want to bring down a society that is sustained by its history, perform a historectomy. You want a meaningless day off work, so you can check out the sales? Then Presidents Day is for you. But I prefer Lincoln’s and Washington’s birthdays. I’m old enough to remember when holidays had a deeper significance.

Obama Trifecta: President Obama just completed the UNHOLY and ANTI-AMERICAN TRIFECTA: 1st president in 110 years to miss the annual Army-Navy Football Game. 1st president to not attend any Christmas religious observance. 1st president to stay on vacation after a terrorist attack. Add to that the first President not to stay in Washington for Christmas for the last 20 years. Past Presidents did not leave Washington for Christmas vacation until after Christmas. This was done so that their staff (Secret Service, Air Force One Crew, Limousine transport, Presidential advancing logistics etc.) could be with their families for Christmas

ANDERSON — Romando James, a professor emeritus at Clemson University, understands the traditions and purpose of Kwanzaa. He also knows he is among a minority of people who know what the cultural celebration is about. “We celebrate the first fruits, responsibility to community,” James said. “But when the mass of television and radios and even hip hop artists see there’s no big returns coming in, it just doesn’t happen.” In essence, because of the lack of understanding and the ability to make money of it, the celebration is losing some if its popularity, James said. Take Evita Broughton. Four years...

A former Abington fifth-grade teacher accused of having sex with a 13-year-old boy hundreds of times has been sprung from house arrest to spend Christmas with her family. Brockton Superior Court Judge Thomas Connors gave Christine McCallum the OK to visit her mother in Rhode Island today and tomorrow, according to Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz’s office.

Freue dich, freue dich, O Christenheit! Christkindchen komm in unser Haus, Leer deine schönen Sachen aus, Stell dein Eselchen auf den Mist, Daß es Heu und Hafer frißt. + + + Rejoice, rejoice, O Christendom! The Christ-Child to our house has come. Bring now forth thy treasures fine, Lift thine ass-colts from the mire That they on hay and oats may dine. + + + From all of us at Chez B-Chan to all of our friends here... + + + JOYEUX NOËL FRÖLICHE WEIHNACHTSENZEIT FELIZ NAVIDAD MERRY CHRISTMASキリスト�誕生日�����������Kiristo no tanjoubi, omedetou gozaimasu...and a Happy New Year!

It's that time of year. Let us act like the American and German forces of WW1 and WW2. Let go of our differences and come together in reverence, for tomorrow is the day set aside to remember the birth of a child that was called the Prince of Peace.

Christmas trees, decorations and carols are being banned from schools and businesses, leaving nothing but a commercial holiday.

BALTIMORE, Dec. 23, 2009 – Two days before Christmas, the longest line today at the airport here wasn’t at a ticket counter, or at security checkpoints. It was at the international terminal, where hundreds of well-wishers lined up to welcome about 150 troops home from combat deployments. Troops returning from deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan get a hearty holiday homecoming as they arrive at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. DoD photo by Donna Miles  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Families, veterans, beauty queens, students enjoying the first day of their holiday vacations and even Santa Claus began descending on...

<p>WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama won't leave Washington for his Hawaii vacation until the Senate finishes work on the health care overhaul, even if that means staying in town for Christmas Eve.</p> <p>"My attitude is that if they're making these sacrifices to provide health care to all Americans then the least I can do is to be around and provide them any encouragement and last-minute help where necessary," Obama said Tuesday.</p>

Bishop D'Arcy's final Christmas message for the Ft. Wayne/South Bend Diocese. Published in the Dec. 20th, 2009 issue of Today's Catholic. “My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Link only (that's a shame) - Tips on protecting against Christmas tree fires

Has the Letter from Jesus about Christmas arrived in your email box yet? I’ve received it several times and I appreciate every person who sent it because I know they are trying to bless me. It’s filled with great ideas: We should smile at strangers, visit people in nursing homes, donate to the Salvation Army, and be kind to the clerks in stores that do not celebrate Christmas. Wonderful ideas. I applaud those suggestions. We should all follow them. If the letter’s intent is to infuse readers with the warmth of the season, I approve. The problem is, one concept...

(Dec. 11, 2009) — Just after the aftermath of yet another insult to our allies via the refusal to participate to the traditional events surrounding the award of the Nobel Prize including a dinner with the King, on the pretenses that the recipient was a very busy, sitting “President,” responsible for not one, but two, wars and facing the worst economic crisis “EVAHHH!”, the White House is quietly organizing yet another vacation-time for the Obamas. They would have you believe that nothing has been decided yet, when in fact the logistics of booking their 13 day vacations in Hawaii, from...

Now that the holidays are upon us, it’s time to get annoyed with the consumerism, secularism and political correctness that continue to whittle away at the meaning of the holiday season. The secular and consumption-driven nature of the season has become so routine that one has to work hard to remember to take time for the traditions and religious observances that once defined the season. I thought I had seen every example of how religious meaning has been stripped out of Christmas until a friend showed me the label on a festive seasonal bottle of Coca Cola the other day....

The first of five U.S. cities will be hit by a new atheist holiday ad campaign this Thanksgiving weekend. Washington, D.C., residents can expect to see ads proclaiming, "No God?...No Problem!" inside buses and rail cars. Washington, D.C., residents can expect to see ads proclaiming, “No God?...No Problem!” inside buses, rail cars and on the side or tail of buses by week’s end. The campaign, sponsored by the American Humanist Association, will then target the transit systems of New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. According to AHA, the holiday ad campaign is the first by a humanist group...

“Most Americans are ignorant of the fact that Thanksgiving was celebrated in Texas 23 years before the first Pilgrim set foot by accident in Massachusetts in 1621"

“Thanksgiving: America’s Forgotten Holiday”Ah, Thanksgiving! Turkey, football, and the start of the holiday shopping season. No, wait, that started back around Labor Day. But seriously, is that what Thanksgiving has come to? An opportunity to eat 2,000 calories in one sitting, then fall asleep on the couch watching the Detroit Lions, so you can get up the next morning at 5:00 a.m. to buy presents for people you don’t like, with money you don’t have, for stuff they don’t need? Thanksgiving has become the Eve of Black Friday. And it’s a big day at the movie theatres, too. Got to...

The level of swine flu activity in the United States appears to be declining, although officials are worried about another increase of cases during the Thanksgiving holiday when many people travel and families gather. The news came as scientists in Norway announced that they had detected a mutated form of the swine flu virus ... It is the most recent report of mutations in the virus that is being watched closely for any change that could make it more dangerous. The two patients who had the mutation and died were the first swine flu fatalities in Norway. The third patient...

As Americans gear up for the holiday season, they're fine-tuning wish lists, digging out unfortunate Christmas sweaters and bracing for the onslaught of holiday advertising campaigns. This year adds a new contender to the long list of groups vying for attention, and it comes with a twist. The American Humanist Association today launched its first nationwide "godless holiday campaign." Its slogan: "No God? ... No Problem!" The ads, which show smiling people in Santa hats, will appear first on Washington, D.C., buses and subway trains over Thanksgiving weekend. In early December the campaign will expand to Los Angeles, San Francisco,...

As many families gather for this splendid holiday feast, there are too many others who in the year suffer the American equivalent of hunger. This is more like deprivation and thankfully not the clinical malnutrition and starvation it is in the Third World. At the same time, this super-rich nation is also battling what is described as an epidemic of overweight and obesity. Obesity, according to the experts, is mushrooming faster than any other health problem. If not slowed down, it will exact $344 billion in health care costs in 2018. By that time 43 percent of Americans, or 103...

Forget buying a ton of gifts. A week before Thanksgiving, the holidays are shaping up as a season of no frills. And for some, the joy of family time and gift-giving has been replaced this year by a quest for basic necessities as more jobs are lost and unemployment benefits start to expire. Michigan, with one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation at 14.8 percent in September, has a food crisis going into the holiday season. "We have people coming to the food bank who said they were donating to us last year, but who are now out...

Holiday Message to our Troops! Sign the Card With Your Message (Fox News Radio) A GroupCard for Our Troops! Started By: FOX News Radio Delivery Date: Monday, Dec 7 - 3pm Eastern This GroupCard can be signed and viewed by many people. Pass this card around: Message from FOX News Radio: FOX News Radio would like to send our troops a big THANK YOU from all our loyal listeners and friends. Please take a moment to send your note of thanks. Include a photo, or a sticker if you would like. More Message from FOX News Radio: Sign This Card...

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Retailers beware. Some tried-and-true discounting tactics for pepping up holiday season sales can be a boon for some products -- but a bust for others. First-of-its kind research from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business confirms that certain kinds of point-of-purchase discounts can effectively attract more buyers in the short-term but for some products can tarnish sales and brand equity over time.

The Hidden Truth About Halloween: Behind the Mask Does the Bible have anything to say about the strange customs surrounding Halloween? In fact, it does—and none of it is good.While God's Holy Days in the Bible celebrate the role of Jesus Christ in bringing mankind to salvation in the eternal family of God (as explained in the following article and our free booklet God's Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope for All Mankind), Halloween is a celebration of the opposite—of demonism, witchcraft, death and evil spirits.God's Word makes it clear that no one should dare entertain witchcraft or act...

Ward Churchill (remember him?) references the book, Smallpox and the American Indian, during his testimony in his civil suit against the University of Colorado at the City and County Building in Denver, Colorado March 23, 2009. Churchill is suing the University of Colorado for wrongful termination. AP photo. Today, I picked up 2 kids I carpool to the gymnastics club from their magnet school, as I do every Monday. Apparently, there was no mention about Columbus Day. Nada. Zippo. Nothing negative or positive. But they did watch a performance by dancers dressed like Mayan/Aztec Indians; and the older one said...

Barack Obama is merely following precedent by fleeing Washington and big headaches - the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the deteriorating prospects for health care reform, legislation to cool the globe (or should we worry now about warming the globe?), and various "czars" gone wild. He's in Copenhagen with the missus not on the nation's business, but the business of his cronies in Chicago. [Snip] The White House thought [it was a bad idea to skip town] last week, when the president's men said it was unlikely that the president would go to Denmark when there was so much rotten...

A video promoting tourism in Denmark has been removed from YouTube after complaints it promoted promiscuity. The three-minute clip shows a young blonde woman, trying to find a man whom she had a one night stand with, who fathered her child "August". VisitDenmark's manager, Dorte Kiilerich said the film was supposed to be a "nice and sweet story of a woman". But Denmark's Economy Minister, Lene Espersen, said it "was not a very well-thought-out picture of the country". In the advert, the woman says - in English - that she was "trying to find August's father". "We met one night...

PEABODY — It was the contract provision that made Peabody national news. Today, Sept. 11 became a paid holiday for police officers, according to an agreement the police union reached with Mayor Michael Bonfanti last October. The designation means officers will be paid time and a quarter on the anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C. The provision was groundbreaking. No other police department in the country had such a holiday, and it triggered a backlash, fueled by local and national news stories, against the Peabody police. They were accused of exploiting a national...

A century ago, Labor Day in Bell County was more about brotherhood and less about barbecue. The first Monday in September began 127 years ago as a "working man's holiday," but, in reality, in Bell County, the day emphasized more "working" than "holiday." Far from being the "last day of summer vacation," most Bell Countians anticipated Labor Day for a bountiful cotton harvest. Although the observance is 118 years old in Texas, not until 1909 did Bell County's Labor Day celebrations swell to widespread celebration. Before then, 12-hour shifts were common; worker conditions perilous. Railroads, Temple's major employer, were the...

MUMBAI (AFP) – Marriage hit the rocks? Considering a divorce? An Indian tour operator wants warring couples to hold off consulting lawyers and go on holiday instead -- with a relationship counsellor in tow. KV Tours and Travels, based in the western city of Mumbai, has launched "divorce tourism" packages, designed to get spouses who have fallen out of love to bury the hatchet. "With divorce tourism, what we're trying to do is to bring together couples who are heading towards divorce to stop them," the company's chief executive Vijesh Thakker told AFP. India, where marriage is still viewed as...

These are the one's that everyone in the family says are a must have for all Holiday meals, from Easter to Christmas and everything in between, we think of any reason possible to serve "Gaga's Sweet Potatoes". Gaga is what my son calls my mother, his grandmother, and her sweet potatoes are the big crowd pleaser. We'd be better off forgetting the turkey on Thanksgiving than to show up without these sweet delights.

U.S. President Barack Obama has declared Monday, July 27th, as National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day. The White House released the proclamation Saturday, a day before the armistice ending the Korean War was signed in 1953. Obama said that by virtue of the authority vested in him by the Constitution, he proclaims July 27th as National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day. He urged all Americans to observe the day with ceremonies honoring and giving thanks to distinguished Korean War veterans. He also asked federal departments, interested groups, organizations and individuals to fly the flag at half-staff in memory of fallen...

WASHINGTON, June 30, 2009 – As the United States completed its withdrawal of combat forces from Iraqi cities in accordance with today’s deadline, Baghdad commemorated the milestone with a national holiday. The departing American brigades and battalions leave behind a significantly smaller contingent of U.S. trainers and advisors in the cities, where Iraqi forces now have primary authority, the top U.S. commander in Iraq said. The move comes as part of the status of forces agreement between the United States and Iraq. “A small number of U.S. forces will remain in cities to train, advise, coordinate with Iraqi security forces,...

The world's first burger pilgrimage has been announced allowing 'food tourists' to pay homage to the humble fast-food. The itinerary takes in 16 cities in eight countries that are deemed to have played a pivotal role in the evolution of the burger. The Burger Pilgrimage Trip, cooked up by fast-food giant Burger King, will take 35 days to complete and cost a whopping £3,400. It is aimed at the rapidly growing number of 'food tourists'. Historically, the burger started as a meatball in classical Roman times, with more sophisticated versions developing in the Middle Ages. Sarah Power, marketing director of...

Hug a tree. Recycle. But don't forget the biodegradable "green" poop bags to ensure your dog has a small carbon pawprint. Yes, Earth Day has come to this.

WASHINGTON, April 8, 2009 – A California based troop-support group has collected and mailed more than 600 Easter baskets as part of April’s observance of the Month of the Military Child. “Because the Easter bunny and children go hand-in-hand, our Easter project was directly targeted to the children,” said Karla Davis, Pennsylvania state coordinator for Soldiers’ Angels. “We were blessed enough with support for sending out over 610 Easter baskets this year. There were also several hundred gift cards sent with the baskets to help the parents in purchasing Easter dinner.” The majority of the baskets went directly to...

D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty has proposed to eliminate as a public holiday Emancipation Day, which commemorates Abraham Lincoln’s decision in 1862 to free slaves in the District.