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Army to shrink to smallest size since Boer war while reservists' role bolstered • Regulars to fall from 100,000 to 84,000 after 2014 Under reforms to the Ministry of Defence published last month, senior members of the military will lose their jobs if they let costs get out of control and fail to manage budgets. The heads of the army, Royal Navy and RAF will be held accountable as never before, and responsible for cutting the number of officers.

DEAR BOSTON: Your personality test has been completed, and the results aren’t pretty. Two psychologists conducted a national survey, asking Americans questions designed to measure 24 “character strengths.’’ They grouped some of these strengths, like gratitude and valuing emotional connections, as “strengths of the heart’’ - a fancy way of saying kindness. And then, for each of the nation’s 50 largest cities, they calculated an average score.

Liberal Democrats were often befuddled by President Reagan's "Teflon presidency." By their lights, Reagan could commit the most heinous acts, but their criticisms were usually shrugged off by the American people, who judged him a "nice guy" who deserved the benefit of the doubt. President Obama has enjoyed something similar during his first 2 1/2 years in office. Even as public opposition mounted to his policies -- Obamacare, the failed economic stimulus program, cap and trade, skyrocketing government deficits -- Obama retained a reserve of public good will reflected in consistently strong personal favorability ratings. People who didn't like his...

She’ll make you wait “I am a queen, and I demand to be treated like a queen,” Jackson Lee once said, and apparently she wasn’t kidding. Her employees describe waiting for their boss for hours on end, sometimes late into the night, while she attends events or even sits in her office watching TV. “You worked really, really, really late for her. When she was in town, you were in the office. So that meant, two, three, four o’clock in the morning – we were there,” one former staffer said. “She liked to hold her staff meetings — she would...

On December 1, FCC Commission Chair Julius Genachowski made a speech announcing proposed rules through which the FCC proposed to establish “net neutrality.” There is much controversy about the rules and about “net neutrality” in general. The frustrating part: when you examine the arguments closely, it’s clear that no two commentators appear to be talking about the same thing. So what does “net neutrality” mean? To answer that question, first of all we need to understand a little bit about the Internet and how it works. (More technical readers can skip this section, or just amuse yourselves observing the simplifications...

Tina Fey is quickly becoming a one-trick pony. Despite her prolific and varied portfolio as a film and television actress, screenwriter and producer, it's clear that her favorite role is playing the mean girl. Over the weekend, she hosted "Saturday Night Live" - and mostly got attention for reprising her role as Sarah Palin in a scathing sketch that managed to mock Palin simultaneously as a self-obsessed reality star, an unsophisticated hick, a fanatical ideologue and a bad mother. Two years after the last presidential campaign, going after Palin again seems more than meanspirited - it's also a little lazy...

I live in the San Diego area with my wife and her father who now has dementia. In case you are unfamiliar with the condition, it used to be known as senility. A person with dementia may confuse the past with the present, easily forget things, and have random inaccurate thoughts that make little to no sense. That is why an attempt to carry on a decent conversation with a senile old man can easily leave a sane person befuddled or dismayed. Someone with dementia may also be completely unaware of his/her condition, even if told "You have dementia," because...

The Catholic sex-abuse stories emerging every day suggest that Catholics have a much bigger problem with child molestation than other denominations and the general population. Many point to peculiarities of the Catholic Church (its celibacy rules for priests, its insular hierarchy, its exclusion of women) to infer that there's something particularly pernicious about Catholic clerics that predisposes them to these horrific acts. It's no wonder that, back in 2002—when the last Catholic sex-abuse scandal was making headlines—a Wall Street Journal-NBC News poll found that 64 percent of those queried thought Catholic priests "frequently'' abused children. Yet experts say there's simply...

<p>It is unusual to find something good in Newsweek but this is good.</p> <p>People have been charging that sexual abuse of children is somehow more prevalent among Catholics and that this is due to priestly celibacy and its all male hierarchy, which protects it.</p>

The Catholic sex-abuse stories emerging every day suggest that Catholics have a much bigger problem with child molestation than other denominations and the general population. Many point to peculiarities of the Catholic Church (its celibacy rules for priests, its insular hierarchy, its exclusion of women) to infer that there's something particularly pernicious about Catholic clerics that predisposes them to these horrific acts. It's no wonder that, back in 2002—when the last Catholic sex-abuse scandal was making headlines—a Wall Street Journal-NBC News poll found that 64 percent of those queried thought Catholic priests "frequently'' abused children.Yet experts say there's simply no...

The priesthood is being cast as the refuge of pederasts. In fact, priests seem to abuse children at the same rate as everyone else.The Catholic sex-abuse stories emerging every day suggest that Catholics have a much bigger problem with child molestation than other denominations and the general population. Many point to peculiarities of the Catholic Church (its celibacy rules for priests, its insular hierarchy, its exclusion of women) to infer that there's something particularly pernicious about Catholic clerics that predisposes them to these horrific acts. It's no wonder that, back in 2002—when the last Catholic sex-abuse scandal was making headlines—a...

Barack Obama's "approval index" as measured by Rasmussen Reports (the difference between those who strongly approve and strongly disapprove of his performance) has declined steadily since his inauguration. There is nothing surprising about this, but Obama's honeymoon proved short as disapproval has risen more quickly than was the case for most recent Presidents. Currently, Obama's approval index is mired at +2, the lowest of his administration: Overall, Obama's approval rating of 55% is remarkably steady and not very high for a President still in his first three months in office. The significance of the current numbers is that the small...

Oh, now. I’m sure all she meant is “America, in its entirety, under George Bush is downright mean.” Or under Hillary Clinton, or anyone else except Barack Obama. That’d be okay, of course. [Michelle] Obama begins with a broad assessment of life in America in 2008, and life is not good: we’re a divided country, we’re a country that is “just downright mean,” we are “guided by fear,” we’re a nation of cynics, sloths, and complacents. “We have become a nation of struggling folks who are barely making it every day,” she said, as heads bobbed in the pews. “Folks...

Of course, we all know that while men and women are both capable of cheating, it's often the guys who have the biggest problem keeping their belts firmly buckled. And we all know that no matter who it's with, why it's done, or where the after-hours canoodling takes place, cheating is-most of the time-the ultimate relationship death sentence. But instead of dwelling on what happens after the cheating takes place, one of the ways to perhaps prevent infidelity is by knowing a little bit about why men stray. I'm not offering them as excuses, merely explanations as to what happens...

Sen. John F. Kerry yesterday blasted the Bush administration for war and homeland security policies that he said leave Americans more vulnerable to attack. Kerry’s remarks came in a Faneuil Hall speech on the eve of tomorrow’s five-year anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. In his fourth speech this year at the venue, Kerry accused the administration of using the tragedy that killed about 3,000 Americans to justify the war in Iraq. “It is immoral to treat 9/11 as a political pawn (to) excuse the invasion of Iraq,” Kerry said. “They were attacked and killed not by Saddam...

OMAHA, Neb. -- Chanting came from the front sidewalk of the Cheyenne County Courthouse in Nebraska's panhandle on Wednesday. Protestors wanted to be heard. "Out with Judge Cecava," voices shouted. "Protect our children," others said. The courthouse has been at the center of controversy since Judge Kristine Cecava sentenced Richard Thompson to ten years probation rather than prison time for raping a 12-year-old girl. In her sentencing on May 25, the judge said she didn't think Thompson could survive in prison, partly because he's only 5 foot one inch tall. Jamie Russel works across from the courthouse and she had...

WESTERN AL ANBAR PROVINCE, Iraq (April 13, 2006) -- Editor’s Note: The name of the Iraqi soldier featured in this article has been changed to protect his identity. The townspeople of Sad’ah, a town near the Iraq-Syria border wave and greet a heavily-armed Iraqi soldier as he patrols the streets, hunting for would-be insurgents. The townsfolk witnessed the man grow from a child to a trained soldier and now he is keeping them safe on a daily basis, disrupting insurgent operations in his childhood hometown. “Hadi” has an advantage over the other “Jundi” - Iraqi Army privates – since he...

Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson this morning, saying an investigation is needed to get to the bottom of a recorded conversation in which Johnson said Supreme Court justices had assured him they would not overturn state law to allow same-sex marriage. Senators Claire Robling, R-Jordan and Mike McGinn, R-Eagan, both assistant minority leaders, said in a statement released this morning that "the facts have been elusive. Sen. Johnson's story has been constantly evolving. The integrity of the Minnesota Senate and the Minnesota Supreme Court has been diminished."

WILLMAR, Minn. - The pastor who secretly recorded Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson comments about the Minnesota Supreme Court and the state's law against gay marriage says he has no regrets about what he did. Brent Waldemarsen, senior pastor at Harvest Community Church of God in Willmar, acknowledged in an interview published Friday in the West Central Tribune that his recording of Johnson, DFL-Willmar, had opened up a can of worms. "Unfortunately, it's the senator that opened it," he told the newspaper. Waldemarsen recorded Johnson telling a January meeting of the New London-Spicer Ministerial Association that Supreme Court justices had...

It's a sign of how little Democrats have on Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito that on Day Three of his confirmation hearings they were still pounding away on his membership in an obscure Princeton alumni group that flowered briefly at the judge's alma mater. They can't touch him on credentials or his mastery of jurisprudence, so they're trying to get him on guilt by ancient association. Senators Ted Kennedy and Chuck Schumer did their best yesterday to imply that Judge Alito was racist and sexist by linking the nominee with the views of some members of Concerned Alumni of Princeton,...

Look at the main stream media and how they portray VP Cheney and others... Reuters and the main stream media do their best to make them look mean & bad...       and son on... Very few pictures like this one...

There’s a Klansman in your pocket. Now, before you panic, please know that I do not refer to the hooded secret member that many of you no doubt immediately feared, but I refer to an insidious intimidator nonetheless. Obviously, I’m talking about your photo ID -- the most intimidating thing any American will ever have to face on Election Day -- at least according to the ACLU. After a recent Justice Department approval of Georgia’s new anti-fraud law, requiring voters to show one of six reliable forms of photo ID before voting in upcoming elections, the ACLU’s Daniel Levitas claimed...

WASHINGTON Jun 12, 2005 — Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean said Saturday that positive responses from key supporters have reinforced his determination to keep talking tough even though some congressional Democrats have suggested he should tone down his rhetoric. "People want us to fight," Dean told the national party's executive committee. "We are here to fight."

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (May 31) - Robby Gordon was not being critical of Danica Patrick when he said she had an unfair weight advantage in the Indianapolis 500. Rather, he said he was simply discussing a flaw in the Indy Racing League's rules. "The only thing I was saying was that I have a problem with the rule, not any particular driver," Gordon said Tuesday. "I've been impressed with Danica from the first time she got in an IRL car earlier this year, and I certainly did not mean to disrespect her or any other driver." Patrick wowed the racing world...

SALT LAKE CITY - Meanness in girls can start when they still are toddlers, a Brigham Young University study found. It found that girls as young as 3 or 4 will use manipulation and peer pressure to get what they want. "It could range from leaving someone out to telling their friends not to play with someone to saying, 'I'm not going to invite you to my birthday party,'" said Craig Hart, study co-author and professor of marriage, family and human development at BYU. "Some kids are really adept at being mean and nasty." They regularly exclude others and threaten...

YOU GUYS ARE ALL MEEAAAAAN! tHE WAY YOU TREAT P[EOPLE ON YOUR WEBSITE AND THEN TTRHOW THEM OUT AFTERWARDS! UGH! i AM SO FRUSTRATED AND MAD AT YOU PEOPLE IM HAVING TROUBLE GETTING THE WORDS TO COME OUT! AYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAIIIIIEEEEE! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE! THE WHOKLE THING IS A JOKE THE WAY YOU THROW PEOPLE OUT LIKE THOSE PREACHERS THAT WERE SAYING STUFF LIKE AND THEM THROWING THEWM OUT! WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO RELIGIOUS LIBERTY!? yOU ALSO THROW A GUY OUT BECAUSE HE COULDNT SPELL jEW! AND HE GOT FIRED AFTERWARDS AWWWW! WHO ARE TOU TO DO THAAAAAT!HE GOT...

Associated Press Writer LEVITTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Terri Schiavo's ashes will be buried in an undisclosed location near Philadelphia so that her immediate family doesn't show up and turn the burial into a media spectacle, a member of the Schiavo family said Thursday. ``If Mike knew they would come in peace, he would have no problem with it,'' Scott Schiavo, Michael Schiavo's brother, said during an interview at his home. After an autopsy, Michael Schiavo plans to have his wife's body cremated and her ashes brought to Pennsylvania, where she grew up. Scott Schiavo said the ashes would be buried...

New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) has long been rumored as desperately seeking the democratic nomination for president in 2008. And while many political observers fully expect the power hungry former First Lady to hit the campaign trail within only a few months of being re-elected as a US Senator in 2006, US News & World report claims to have a confirmation of sorts. From USNews.Com's Washington Whispers: Hillary's in… You don't have to take it from us about Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton 's desire to run for president. Her brothers, Hugh and Tony Rodham, say it's true. Friends...

The purpose of FreeRepublic.com's multiple message boards is to limit the topics for each board to particular topics. Posting the same message on all the boards defeats the purpose of multiple-boards for special topics. It is very annoying to see the same message on every bulletin board. PLEASE! DO THE READERS A FAVOR. STOP CROSS-POSTING YOUR MESSAGES!

I was just thinking about the Jeremy Glick episode. O'Reilly may be moderate politically, but that doesn't mean unbiased these days. His problem is that he isn't neutral when it comes to the United States. He is pro-American. To the left, that's biased.

KLBJ AM quotes "National Coalition For The Homeless" that Austin is the "10th Meanest City" towards the homeless in the United States. Lady interviewed downtown at the capitol states (I'm paraphrasing here), "I think it's unfair. We have shelters for them to go to. I don't think we deserve to be ranked 10th". Advocate suggests that if downtown businesses raised minimum wage to 10.50, it would alleviate much of the problem.

THINGS YOU'D LIKE TO  SAY OUT LOUD AT WORK1. I can see your point, but  I still think you're full of shit.2. I don't know what your problem is, but  I'll bet it's hard to pronounce.3. How about never? Is never good  for you?4. I see you've set  aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public.5. I'm really easy to get along with once  you people learn to see it my way.6. I'll try being nicer if you'll try  being smarter.7. I'm out of my  mind, but feel free to leave a message.8. I don't work here   I'm a...

I'll be traveling to LA early next week and am considering going to a California Angel game. According to the subway staff, I should be able to get from my hotel location to the stadium by jumping on two trains. My questions are: Will I be going thru any high risk areas to get to the game? If you're an LA Freeper, would you travel this route? Any help would be appreciated. See instructions below. Starting at Vermont Station Go to Wilshire Vermont Red Line Station Take Metro Rail Red Line East (UNION STA RED LINE) at 12:09 p.m. Pay...

Howard Dean was courting the women's vote at a Women for Dean rally yesterday in Hooksett, N.H., with the help of C-Span cameras carrying the action live. But it turned ugly after the rally when he ordered his aides to remove his politically shy wife, Judith Steinberg Dean. "Get her out," he said. "Get her out. Get her out." The cameras and microphones caught it all. Earlier, Dr. Steinberg had introduced the candidate. They even exchanged loving glances. But, inexplicably, Dr. Dean turned into Mr. Hyde. Dean's campaign has been in freefall since an appearance just before the Iowa caucuses...

<p>Democrats in the state Senate floated a budget proposal on Tuesday. Republicans sank it. Democrats will blame Republicans' anti-tax torpedos, but this budget wasn't seaworthy. It didn't cut nearly enough expenses to get state spending in line with a realistic projection of future revenues.</p>

Democrats claim Republicans groomed double agents to infiltrate partyBerkely, CA - Recent reports from several democratic government officials have claimed the Republican party have groomed double agents to infiltrate the democratic party. Supposedly GOP officials under surveilance from leftwingers have been seen numerous times consulting with high ranking Democrats in congress and the senate. The democratic party is now re-evaluating each party member and asking for a blood sacrifice to confirm their commitment to the ultimate goal of turning the USA into a socialist controlled communist government before 2020. The sudden lack of loyalty to the democratic party, the recent...

In Gaza, the mother of a Palestinian suicide attacker who killed two Israelis before being shot dead has spoken of her feelings about her son's actions. A video released by Hamas shows a proud mother taking up arms beside her favourite son. Click here for full BBC News story.