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The Democratic National Committee is asking America to weigh in on its party platform, and this week kicks off more than 1,300 meetings to hear from voters across the country on the big question: What should Democrats stand for - and against? If the idea sounds politically challenging, or even risky - think Rush Limbaugh and his dittoheads weighing in - San Francisco attorney Michael Yaki, who heads the party's platform committee, says not to worry. In fact, he's even invited Limbaugh and his dittoheads to come on down and take part in the meetings that will happen around the...

An intellectual is someone who thinks ideas matter more than people. If people get in the way of ideas they must be swept aside and, if necessary, put in concentration camps or killed. To intellectuals, individuals as such are not interesting and do not matter. Indeed individualism is a hindrance to the pursuit of ideals in an absolute sense. The individual, with his quirks and quiddities, his mixture of good and bad, intelligence and stupidity, longing for justice but anxiety to promote his own selfish interests, does not fit into a utopian community. Hence utopians, if they are in earnest,...

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, I know.......many folks are still covered in snow others are facing other horrendous weather issues. They are all in our thoughts and prayers. HOWEVER - at 1:26 Eastern this afternoon Spring officially begins. Trying to find articles about the first day of spring was practically an impossibility. Oh sure, there were some out there but most of them were real downers, so I decided today might be a great share some of our favorite gardening websites. The categories of gardening and seed catalogs on my favorites list are both as long as my arm, but I grabbed...

Howdy folks!!! I originally planned to wait until tomorrow (Friday) to get this going, but it is such a damp, dreary, plain old yucky day here on Virginia's Eastern Shore I decided to do it now --dreaming of spring, so to speak! One of the major topics that seemed to arise last week dealt with "zones" and how even people living in the same "zone" will have different growing conditions based upon location. Also because we are all so spread out the different zones do matter when it comes to planting times and plants. GardenGirl and Diana in Wisconsin are...

RENO, Nev. (AP) - John Edwards and Hillary Rodham Clinton criticized Barack Obama's praise of the Republican Party and Ronald Reagan—an anathema for many Democrats, particularly union members considered crucial to winning Nevada's Democratic caucuses Saturday. Obama responded by suggesting Clinton would be a "president whose plans change with the politics of the moment"—one of his most direct critiques of the New York senator yet. The intensity reflects what polls suggest could be a tight contest Saturday as Nevada plays its most prominent role ever in a presidential nominating campaign. Nevada was granted a coveted spot right after Iowa and...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3, 2008 – New Year’s resolutions frequently include good intentions, such as joining a gym, calling parents or organizing closets. But through its America Supports You program, the Defense Department is helping Americans resolve to support the nation’s servicemembers throughout 2008. America Supports You is a DoD program that connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad. It’s ringing in 2008 with a 12-month calendar suggesting ways to support the nation’s military men and women and their families each month. “Remembering the troops at a time when people are already setting...

Subliminal flag-waving discourages extreme ideas 05 December 2007 From New Scientist Print Edition. As if emotional campaign messages weren't enough, politicians now have another way to try to win over the electorate. A study in Israel shows that voters can be manipulated into changing their attitudes by being shown subliminal images of their national flag. A team led by psychologist Ran Hassin at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem divided volunteers into two groups: those who strongly identified with Israeli nationalism and those who identified with it only weakly. They then quizzed them about their attitude to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict after...

Holiday Shopping: Putting Our Money Where Our Mouth Is Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah FRiends! This is the time of year that is special because is engenders the spirit of giving and selflessness of its sacred origins. Each of us, in his or her own way, has a special place in our heart for this joyful time. As we put others' needs and desires first, as we look forward to the expression of surprise and delight on our loved ones' faces as they receive our gifts, as we peruse the ailes, let us consider the economic import of our duty. Some...

Fred Thompson's presidential campaign has been unorthodox since Day 1, and his decision to grab the "third rail" of American politics with both hands is a clear indication that he really is a different kind of candidate. Since agreeing to run, after a mild draft effort by conservatives looking to fill the void in the race for a candidate who shared their views and values, Thompson has pursued what can only be considered a nontraditional path. He has eschewed the traditional 24/7 campaign run by his competitors and expected by the Washington-based mainstream news media, which has labeled him poorly...

Rudy Giuliani was a brilliant can-do executive who transformed the fortunes of what was supposedly one of the most ungovernable cities in the nation. But on guns, abortion and almost every other social issue he's anathema to much of the party. Mike Huckabee is an impeccable social conservative but, fiscally speaking, favors big-government solutions with big-government price tags. Ron Paul has a long track record of sustained philosophically coherent support for small government but he's running as a neo-isolationist on war and foreign policy. John McCain believes in assertive American global leadership but he believes just as strongly in constitutional...

Bachelor Party Checklist: Timing - Try not to have the party on the eve of the wedding. This is very bad for everyone involved including your friend. It is highly likely that he (or she) will be spending a good part of their life savings the following day, they will want to be sober for it. A week in advance is a good idea. Even a month in advance is acceptable. Friday and Saturday nights are best. Food - You probably won't be expected to truly feed everyone, however you should provide something to eat. It could be pot luck...

Mitt Romney has a lot of ideas. That's one area where you can't criticize him. His latest idea is called the "One-Strike, You're Ours" Law. Catchy title. Basically, what Romney proposed last night during his speech in Colorado Springs was tougher penalties for first time sexual Internet predators who prey on young children. If you are caught and convicted then you'll get "stiff mandatory jail time" plus Romney will sick big brother on you because the penalty will also be a lifetime of tracking by GPS systems. I can already see the ACLU mobilizing the forces. If they thought the...

On Saturday Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney ventured to the Young Republicans (YR) convention in Hollywood, Florida and we got a preview of two different types of candidates. Thompson offered a “red meat” speech-playing to the emotions of the young crowd and pulling out crowd pleasing lines. He intoned: “I'm getting tired of having to apologize for the United States of America around the world. I'm tired of other people's perceptions that we need to apologize.” He thanked Mary Matalin, chatted about Scooter Libby, reminisced about his days as a YR and repeated threw out lines praising America’s greatness, declaring...

It seems that the battle line of public sentiment has been drawn right down the middle of one simple question. Believe it or not, the debate actually hinges on whether or not people believe that the threat to this country, and our way of life, is real. If you believe we are at risk, the survival instinct tells you to do something about it. If you don’t believe there is a threat, you go about lazily lapping at the watering hole while the lion continues to creep up in the brush. There are those out there who say that we...

My oldest niece is graduating from high school next month and we are trying to come up with cool and different things to serve and other ideas for her open house. We'd appreciate any recipes, hints, what not to do, etc. etc..

Al-Qaeda is winning the war of ideas, says Reid By Patrick Hennessy and Melissa Kite Last Updated: 12:36am BST 22/10/2006 John Reid has issued a dire warning that the Government risks losing the "battle of ideas" with al-Qaeda. The Home Secretary spoke out at an emergency meeting of ministers and security officials amid an ever-growing threat from home-grown Islamist terror groups. The government-backed Radical Middle Way site He called for an urgent but controversial escalation in the propaganda war and said al-Qaeda's so-called "single extremist narrative" was proving ever more attractive to young British Muslims. The Government needed to do...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2006 – Wars are won by determination and by understanding the nature of the enemy and the consequences of failure, and the U.S. can be victorious in the war on terror if Americans reaffirm their commitment to the fight, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here yesterday. “In the long, hard slog ahead -- and it will be long, and it is hard, let there be no doubt -- it’s up to all of us to continue to wage the war of ideas and convey to others the importance of the fight, the scope of the threat,...

Published Sunday September 10, 2006 Midlands Voices: To defeat terrorists, we'll need to win war of ideas BY DAVID D. BEGLEY The writer, of Omaha, is a lawyer. Six months after Sept. 11, 2001, my then 6-year-old asked me, "Why do they want to bomb us? We never hurt them." Five years later, we remain at war and the question persists. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld recently spoke about the danger that "any kind of moral or intellectual confusion about who and what is right or wrong can weaken the ability of free societies to persevere." One thing that has...

I wanted to give credit where credit is due. Also on tap: our successful anti-missile tests and North Korean reaction to same. Last but not least, the ever-popular Ayman Zawahiri and his new sidekick American - raised Adam Gadahn !

Frontpage Interview’s guest today is Richard Mgrdechian, the author of the new book, How The Left Was Won: An In-Depth Analysis of the Tools and Methodologies Used by Liberals to Undermine Society and Disrupt the Social Order. Richard Mgrdechian FP: Richard Mgrdechian, welcome to Frontpage Interview. Mgrdechian: Thanks for having me. FP: So what led you to write this book? Mgrdechian: Over the past several years, I’ve grown more and more concerned by what I saw happening within American society in terms of the increasing levels of divisiveness and the subtle, but undeniably destructive effects that liberal policies were having...

SIERRA VISTA — Republican gubernatorial challenger Don Goldwater made a stump run through Cochise County this weekend to expound on his border platform. Goldwater, who is from Phoenix, was quick to say he’s the only candidate who favors building a wall on the border to prevent illegal immigration. On Friday night at the Outback Steakhouse in Sierra Vista, he had dinner with friends and talked with the Herald/Review. Goldwater said the source of our dysfunctional Southwest border is a “supply and demand issue.” While the Arizona National Guard is deployed to the local international border, Goldwater said they are serving...

Republicans argue that conservatives have cornered the market on new ideas. Not so, say Democrats, who will have a magazine of ideas to prove it. Kenneth Baer, who was a speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore, and Andrei Cherny, director of speechwriting for 2004 presidential nominee John Kerry, are the editors of the magazine that will be launched Tuesday. The quarterly publication will be titled, "Democracy: A Journal of Ideas." Democrats argue that the party is still living off the New Deal and needs to update its ideas about government. The topic for the first panel discussion and magazine launch:...

I admit, I wasn't overly impressed with Yamanaka Shunji's various designs until I read the specs on this one. It is an eight-wheeled vehicle that he and Chiba Institute of Technology's Furuta Takayuki designed. Nissan also pitched in to see how robotics and automobile technology can get along. The vehicle can make a 360-degree circle, move diagonally, and - get this - even climb stairs. I am guilty, too. I have often accused the Japanese of not being very creative. They are amazing at copying and approving on previous designs -- and then mass-producing them while maintaining quality. But my...

Well, what do you know, Japan came up with an idea first, and it's America's turn to chase it. It's called design barcoding. A Tokyo-based company customizes bar codes for Japanese companies such as Wacoal, an apparel maker. Now, it wants to bring its business stateside. The idea is have bar codes with logos or images. These days, self-checkout counters are becoming hot, and millions of eyes are noticing those little lines as they turn and aim them at the scanner. Interesting idea, eh? Media buzz in Japan gave companies like Pacarc plenty of free publicity on the matter. I...

SACRAMENTO – Mexican President Vicente Fox said yesterday that the U.S. Senate vote for sweeping changes in immigration policy is a “monumental step forward” and vowed that his country will continue to improve its economy so Mexicans will have less incentive to cross the border. His remarks to a joint session of the California Legislature drew applause from Democrats, while Republicans largely remained silent as they wore yellow no más lapel buttons – a protest for “no more” illegal immigration. “It is a moment that millions of families have been hoping for,” Fox said of the Senate action. “This is...

Almost swapped a lower end Dell Inspiron 1200 for a 1984 300ZX the other day. Despite the fact that it was full of rust, if the motor had been running, I would have taken it. But there's something about a slipped timing belt and valve slap that made me say no. So I'm discussing it with a friend here at work, and he mentions that he has a 1987 Alfa Romeo Milano Platinum that he would be interested in swapping for the laptop. Only problems is that it needs a new headlight cluster switch inside the steering column, and there's...

New ideas are on the horizon for making Davis-Monthan Air Force Base a nicer neighbor. From higher aircraft altitudes to different flight routes to annual town hall meetings, a civic committee is considering an array of suggestions and will present the most promising of them to the public next week. The work of the Military Community Compatibility Committee represents one of most extensive efforts ever made to iron out conflicts that have arisen as urban growth surrounded the air base, one the city's largest employers. The group has spent months trying to find workable solutions that will protect D-M while...

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, April 6, 2006 – Provincial reconstruction team commanders from around the country converged here last week to share ideas on how to improve stability and security in Afghanistan. PRTs extend the visibility and reach of the Afghan government, shape the environment for reconstruction, and provide a visible international presence that deters terrorist and criminal activities, especially in remote areas. Afghanistan has 23 provincial reconstruction teams: 14 in the south and east, the areas in which the coalition has primary security responsibilities, and nine in the north and west, where NATO's International Security Assistance Force carries out...

ONE of the best passages of “Gulliver's Travels” concerns his visit to the Grand Academy of Lagado. Gulliver is naturally bemused by the schemes of the “projectors” for making life more comfortable: extracting sunbeams out of cucumbers, or training pigs to plough fields with their snouts. But what really shocks him is their “wild impossible chimeras” for fixing politics: “schemes for persuading monarchs to choose favourites upon the score of their wisdom, capacity and virtue; of teaching ministers to consult the public good; of rewarding merit, great abilities and eminent services.” For much of the past 200 years Europe has...

ATLANTA, Feb. 11, 2006 – Twelve representatives of seven grassroots troop support organizations met here yesterday for the first of eight planned regional "America Supports You" summits. America Supports You is a Defense Department outreach program designed to recognize citizens' support for U.S. servicemembers and their families. The summits are designed to provide a venue for a two-way discussion about what is working well for support groups and what could work better. Tips to help the groups grow and improve their effectiveness are part of the focus as well, said Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs,...

Judith Butler is a superstar of academia. She is known primarily for her role in the development of ‘Queer Theory’. She has led the Post-Modern attempt to undermine the significance of the biological difference between the sexes. Butler proposes as attainable a utopian world in which gender identity—male or female—is disconnected from biology and therefore infinitely malleable. These bizarre ideas have had real world consequences. Butler and her allies are part of the leftist assault on reality—the reality of Capitalism, freedom and America as a force for good in the world. Once the basic biological bedrock is no longer determinative...

If Canadians in Monday's election bring about a minority Conservative government, as the polls declare they will, it will be the first time in 26 years they have elected a prime minister who is not from Quebec. If they give a non-Quebecker a majority, a distinct possibility, it will be for the first time in 47 years. In their massive perhaps premature celebration or commiseration of what they unanimously view as an impending Conservative victory, nowhere to my knowledge have the Canadian media mentioned this curious reality, which of course reflects Quebec's undeniable domination of the federal government for nearly...

New Orleans residents express anger at first wave of rebuilding ideas By: CAIN BURDEAU - Associated Press NEW ORLEANS -- Angry residents expressed frustration Wednesday at the debut of rebuilding proposals for this devastated city, taking aim at a suggested four-month moratorium on new building permits in areas heavily flooded by Hurricane Katrina. "Our neighborhood is ready to come home," said property owner Jeb Bruneau of Lakeview, which borders Lake Pontchartrain. "Don't get in our way and prevent us from doing that. Help us cut the red tape." The Bring New Orleans Back Commission, appointed by Mayor Ray Nagin, released...

FReepers of many talents, *Merry Christmas!* That said, I need help in the idea department. I have in my garage, an outdoor Nativity set of 11 pieces. Baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, an Angel, 3 Wise Men, a shepherd boy, a donkey, a cow, and a lamb or two. At present I do not have a Manger. Displaying the figures without a Manger seems so incomplete to me. Therefore, I want to build a Manger for my front yard; one that could be broken down or easily stored during the spring, summer and fall. I thought the Internet would have some...

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Hoping to breach the walls of supposedly liberal colleges and universities with intellectual ammunition, the Center of the American Experiment recently launched a new Web site for conservative college students. Center CEO Annette Meeks said the Web site (www.intellectualtakeout.com) is the first of its kind and is intended to ''support free exchange of ideas on campus.''''The point is not to indoctrinate students,'' she said, but to ''expose students to points of view not readily available in the classroom.'' While most of the site is informational, it also has an edgier feature called the ''Daily Dish.'' The debut...

Small brain did not stop Hobbit having big ideas By Nic Fleming and Roger Highfield in Dublin (Filed: 08/09/2005) A fossil of a diminutive human nicknamed "the Hobbit" does indeed represent a previously unrecognised species of early Man, according to a new technique that suggests it was a cultured little fellow. Sceptics had argued that the Hobbit, discovered in Indonesia and first announced last year, could have been an individual who suffered from microcephalya, a disorder that limits brain growth. The fossils' discoverers had suggested that the Hobbit was either a pygmy form of a known species or a previously...

HONOLULU, Aug. 24, 2005 – Like the patriots of the Revolutionary War, Americans must realize that the "ideas and ... ideals in our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution are just words on paper unless men and women are willing to risk their lives to preserve them and to fight for them," the nation's highest ranking military leader said here Aug. 23. Speaking at the National Convention of the American Legion, Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that Americans must hold on to their resolve to win the war against terror. Myers,...

In the spring of 1969, Hillary Rodham, then 21, gave her first graduation speech, at her own exit from Wellesley College, offering up fiery words that would later be featured on the pages of Life as a kind of counter-commencement for the era. She stunned the old folks by chastising the day's main speaker Senator Edward Brooke, of Massachusetts for delivering irrelevant remarks. "We're not in positions yet of leadership and power," she said at the time, "but we do have that indispensable task of criticizing." This spring, Hillary Clinton, New York's junior senator, has taken to the graduation podium...

The Rev. Steve Molin's annual vacation coincided with the installation of a new sign outside Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Stillwater four years ago. Molin decided to have a little fun at his own expense and put up the following message before he left: "Now is a good time to visit. Our pastor is on vacation!" When he returned the next week, he changed the sign to read: "Shhhhh! He's back!" The response was quick and positive: "Everyone seemed to understand that this was a church that can poke a little fun at itself," Molin said. Now known as the...

Freedom of speech on many university campuses is being exercised with an increasingly liberal bias that is staking a worrisome monopoly on the free marketplace of ideas. Evidence of this bias is a new study published in the March issue of Forum, which showed that—by their own description—72 percent of professors in American universities and colleges are liberal and 15 percent are conservative. Hence, it is reasonable to question whether students are receiving a fair and balanced education. The concern is understandable. As stated by one of the study’s authors, Robert Lichter, “In general, even broad-minded people gravitate toward other...

On almost every major question in Washington today, the choice isn’t whether to move in a Republican or Democratic direction, but how far in a Republican direction to move. This is the grim reality of political life for Democrats at a time when the GOP controls the White House and both chambers of Congress. This situation creates obvious problems for Democrats. But it’s also produced surprising risks for Republicans, measured in skidding approval ratings for President Bush and Congress. The dynamic is more complex than it might originally seem. From Social Security, to intervention in the sad case of Terry...

http://netwmd.com/articles/article878.html Those of us following the development of Islam in America have for years worried about the unhealthy influence of Saudi money and ideas on American Muslims.We watched apprehensively as the Saudi government boasted of funding mosques and research centers; as it announced its support for Islamist organizations such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations; as it trained the imams who became radicalized chaplains in American prisons, and as it introduced Wahhabism to university campuses via the Muslim Student Association.But through the years, we lacked information on the content of Saudi materials. Do they water down or otherwise change the...

There are lots of great craft Ideas for Cub Scout and Girl Scouts here. There is a small cost but hey, .... as they always say if you get pais to work you're an employee, if you work for nothing you're a volunteer, if you pay to work and like it you must be a adult scout leader.

Gal Luft is executive director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security in Washington, D.C. He is a specialist on strategic issues and energy policy with a PhD in strategic studies from Johns Hopkins University. A former lieutenant colonel in the Israel Defense Forces, his writings have appeared in Commentary, Foreign Affairs, the Los Angeles Times, Middle East Review of International Affairs, the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal. Mr. Luft addressed the Middle East Forum in Philadelphia on October 27, 2004. Introduction In both World War Two and the Cold War, the side best deploying scientific...

Search Is on for Perfect 2008 Candidate Fri Nov 5, 5:18 PM ET By RON FOURNIER, AP Political Writer WASHINGTON - Wanted: a former altar boy from the Southwest who speaks Spanish, married into a rich Republican family from Ohio and revolutionized the Internet after working as a volunteer firefighter in Florida. Position: president of the United States. Building a perfect candidate for 2008 is easy with hindsight and exit polls at your disposal. Some three years and 360 days away from the next presidential election, this is what Republicans and Democrats might be looking for: _ A fifth-generation Hispanic-American...

What are FReepers fixing to eat during these hot August days? I try to have something substantial without heating up the kitchen. We have only a charcoal grill and concluded a few weeks back that it's too much work to use very often -- no doubt those w/ gas grills are using them regularly as they aren't as much trouble.

Source: University Of Wisconsin-Madison Date: 2004-04-14 Old Mound May Lead To New Ideas About People 5,000 Years Ago MADISON -- Thanks in part to dynamite and the gold-seeking Mexican fishermen who detonated it in the late 1970s, archaeologists have discovered the remains of a 5,000-year-old shell mound. Constructed of cement-like floors, the mound, researchers say, is the oldest known platform intentionally built in Mesoamerica, the cultural region comprising Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, and it could completely change our understanding of the prehistoric people who once inhabited this area. The mound, built almost entirely from marsh clamshells, is...

<p>Imagine doing a Google search for a phone number, weather report or sports score. The results page would be filled with links to various sources of information. But what if someone typed in keywords and no results came back?</p> <p>That's the scenario critics are painting of a new bill wending its way through Congress that would let certain companies own facts, and exact a fee to access them.</p>

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<p>Technically, Stephen Thaler has written more music than any composer in the world. He also invented the Oral-B CrossAction toothbrush and devices that search the Internet for messages from terrorists. He has discovered substances harder than diamonds, coined 1.5 million new English words, and trained robotic cockroaches. Technically.</p>