Free Republic

Even the LA Times had to admit this plot had something to it ! Usually they blow terror plots off as "exaggerated", but this one was in (Gasp !) California - rather than in Flyover country.

Mr. Meangenes showed up this morning,appropriated my cereal,and showed off his "country" accent....an' stuff.

Blu-ray burning its high-def DVD rival Blu-ray accounts for three of every four high-def discs sold Thomas K. Arnold April 23, 2007 (Reuters) -- Of the high-definition discs bought by consumers in the first quarter, 70% were in the Blu-ray Disc format, and 30% were HD-DVD, according to sales figures provided by trade publication Home Media Magazine. Blu-ray took the lead in February, and its percentage of total sales accelerated to the point where it accounted for nearly three out of every four high-definition discs sold in March. What's more, when given the choice, consumers are going with Blu-ray....

Nine Somali immigrant employees at poultry processor Gold'n Plump Poultry Inc. alleged in a federal lawsuit that they were discriminated against because of their race and religion at the company's Cold Spring, Minn., plant. The group alleges the St. Cloud-based company would not permit them short breaks during the day to pray. The Muslim faith, the lawsuit says, requires five prayers a day at times defined by position of the sun. The lawsuit also claims that the company was more likely to force Somalis than whites to work the night shift and do the least desirable jobs in the factory....

Gorillas infecting each other with Ebola 17:00 10 July 2006 NewScientist.com news service Debora MacKenzie Lowland gorillas are catching the devastating Ebola virus not just from the virus's normal host, thought to be bats, but also from each other. So conclude Damien Caillaud and colleagues at the University of Rennes in France, who began watching 377 gorillas in Odzala National Park in Congo in 2001. "Maybe 30 are left now" of that original group, Caillaud told New Scientist.(There are other gorillas in the park that were not in the study group, which was defined by their use of the observation...

WASHINGTON, May 24, 2006 – The National Guard's support for the border security mission won't detract from its warfighting and disaster support roles, but will actually sharpen its ability to carry them out, senior defense officials told Congress today. "National Guard combat readiness will not -- will not -- be degraded," Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, told the House Armed Services Committee today, putting added emphasis on his second "will not." President Bush proposed using up to 6,000 National Guard members on a rotational basis for up to a year to support the...

There's no helping you. This site is now just a diversion -- like a train wreck. This site is inherently for and about raving egomaniacs, and Jim's site policies -- which amount to excluding reality and actual dialogue in favor of political/militaristic pornography -- is conducive to cognitive dissonance, which at the times your worldview is threatened leads you into psychotic breaks (on the political cognitive plane, that is, and just maybe in other realms too). Not to mention that your baseline politics is based in mythology about American demographics, science, economics, ethics etc. You spoonfeed each other in the...

There is only ONE truth which says that there is only ONE GOD. Apparition photos of the Holy Mother of Christ presenting a tablet with her son's image as a blessing into our home on 24 Jan 2005. Believe in the one Lord, Jesus Christ.

The other side of Aulnay By Joseph Winter BBC News website, Aulnay-sous-Bois After a week of riots during which a Renault showroom was destroyed along with the hundreds of cars inside, the Paris suburb of Aulnay-sous-Bois has become known around the world as a place of violence and poverty. Aulnay-sous-Bois is a town of contrasts And yet just a mile or so from where the menacing, dilapidated tower blocks have seen nightly clashes between angry youths armed with petrol bombs and the police, is the Vieux Pays (Old country) district of Aulnay which has the feel of picture-postcard France. People...

Despite the governor's best efforts to sell Proposition 76 as the cure for what ails our state's budget process, it isn't. Instead, it's a direct assault on our democratic system of checks and balances. It would deliver a crushing blow to our public schools and could devastate state funding for local health care, transportation and public safety. Proposition 76 makes major changes in California's constitution, dramatically expanding the governor's power over the state budget and giving him the authority to cut spending for schools, public safety, health care, transportation and other programs "of the governor's choosing," without voter approval or...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2005 – A new Defense Department report sent to Congress today cites strong forward momentum in developing Iraq's security forces, noting a 50 percent increase in the number of troops capable of taking the lead in combat operations. The Report to Congress Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq, the second quarterly "report card" on the security, political and economic environment in Iraq, addresses specific baseline metrics, measurements and indicators of Iraq's security, political and economic environment. Peter Rodman, assistant secretary of defense of international security affairs, told Pentagon reporters today not all aspects of progress or lack...

Liberally-biased press ignores Democratic blunders October 12th, 2005 Dan Hemp, regular columnist Over the past weeks, the media’s judgment of what stories deserve front page news coverage has been controversial to say the least. One such story takes place in Austin, Texas. The district attorney for that area, a hopelessly partisan Democrat named Ronnie Earle, indicted House Majority Leader Tom Delay for conspiring to break Texas election laws with little or no evidence to make his case. Once he realized that he had no chance in court, he re-indicted Delay with the new and more serious charge of money laundering....

So far this fiscal year, the Border Patrol has apprehended almost 100,000 undocumented migrants from countries other than Mexico, commonly called OTMs, says a report in GovExec.com. The number of OTMs is projected to reach about 150,000 by the end of this fiscal year, which is a 200 percent increase compared to fiscal 2004, according to the Border Patrol. Concerns about OTMs from special interest countries - such as Iraq, Syria and Iran - were highlighted in Capitol Hill testimony in February by former Homeland Security Deputy Secretary James Loy: "Recent information from ongoing investigations, detentions and emerging threat streams...

US destroys rebels bunkers

A girl who was watching American and Iraqi soldiers on patrol in front of her house smiles when she sees a news photographer as Airman First Class Andrew Pulido is on guard during a foot patrol in a northern neighborhood of Mosul May 10, 2005. He is assigned from the US Airforce to the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment of the Styker Brigade, for the purpose of coordinating air support.

On patrol in Baghdad, from left: Sgt. Todd Chapin, Wade Devlieger and Brent Pingeon wait outside of Adnon Palace in Baghdad. Richard Sennott Star Tribune Published March 19, 2005

Two Iraqi girls, refugees from the embattled city of al-Qaim fetch water from a truck after fleeing with others into the desert, about 45 km (29 miles) south of al-Qaim, in western Iraq, Thursday, May 12, 2005. Near the Syrian border, hundreds of American troops in tanks and light armored vehicles rolled through desert outposts as Operation Matador entered its fifth day, the U.S. military said Thursday.

04/28/05 - U.S. Marine Cpl. Randolf Ramirez conducts one on one security patrol training with an Iraqi Security Force (ISF) Soldier at Camp Fallujah, Iraq, on April 28, 2005. Marines with 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, are training ISF soldiers to take over security operations in Fallujah. DoD photo by Cpl. Robert R. Attebury, U.S. Marine Corps..

Army Sgt. Chris Branson prepares a M2 .50-caliber heavy machine gun on top of his Humvee prior to departing for a live fire weapons training exercise for the Iraqi National Guard at Forward Operating Base Duke in Najaf, Iraq, on April 13, 2005. The U.S. Army is currently assisting in establishing Iraq's defensive forces as part of the rebuilding process of Operation Iraqi Freedom. DoD photo by Chief Petty Officer Edward G. Martens, U.S. Navy. (Released) 050413-N-6501M-002

U.S. Army Spc. Brendan Piper, a civil affairs specialist with the 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion, carries a stubborn sheep to a needy family in Baghdad, Iraq, April 20, during Operation Sheep Drop. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Dan Balda

Medford, Oregon - There's nothing so special about two gays living together, or two lesbians living together, that should cause Oregon's Legislature to treat them any differently than the members of any other special family unit. If those in non-married, non-traditional relationships, want the same benefits as marrieds, all Oregonians should all be treated the same. Discrimination by any other name is still discrimination. Gays and lesbians in Oregon have claimed that they are a discriminated class of Americans because they are denied the same legal status and the same tax and estate planning benefits as married, heterosexual couples. By...

U.S. Army Spc. Evelyn Plocienik, assigned to the 940th Military Police Company, based out of Walton, Ky., stands guard during a contraband search in an internment camp at Camp Bucca, Iraq, April 23, 2005. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Arthur D. Hamilton

U.S. soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment prepare to enter the home of a suspected insurgent during an early-morning raid in Baghdad, Iraq, April 30, 2005. U.S. Army photo

04/15/05 - The Honor Guard aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) post the colors during a burial at sea ceremony in the Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 2005. The Mayport, Fla., based aircraft carrier Kennedy is currently conducting scheduled carrier qualifications in the Atlantic Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Tommy Gilligan)

U.S. Navy sailors man the rails on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, as the ship returns to Naval Station Norfolk, Va., April 18, 2005. The Truman spent four months in the Persian Gulf before returning home to Norfolk, after completing a scheduled six-month deployment in support of the Global War on Terrorism. Courtesy photo by Amanda Hoyle

Col. H.R. McMaster, commander of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, and Command Sgt. Maj. John Caldwell, 3rd ACR, salute the regiment’s colors during the uncasing ceremony on Camp Striker, Iraq April 13. The Regiment returned to Iraq nearly one year later after serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom I.

U.S. Army Sgt. Pleszko, assigned to the Tactical Psychological Operation Team 1583, hands out psychological operations material to children while conducting a mission with Bravo Company, 130th Infantry Battalion, in Baqubah, Iraq, April 12, 2005. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Eddie L. Bradley

AL ASAD, Iraq--A KC-130J, from Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252, also known as 'Otis', sits on the flightline here as the sun rises over Iraq. The KC-130J is achieving success during its first combat theater debut. More than 22,000 pounds of cargo was parachuted to the ground in the early morning darkness April 16. This was the first successful aerial delivery of cargo since the KC-130J arrived here in February. This also marked the first combat aerial delivery for the J model aircraft. This airdrop measured six truck loads worth of supplies, which means more than 12 Marines did...

A U.S. soldier from 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment scans the distance for possible enemies during Operation Vigilance in Wardak province, Afghanistan, April 15, 2005. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Bradley Rhen

Iraqis soldiers detain a man on the outskirts of Madain, Iraq Sunday, April 17, 2005. Iraqi security forces raided the central Iraqi town Sunday, where Sunni militants were holding dozens of Shiite Muslims hostage and threatening to kill them unless all Shiites left the area, an Iraqi official said.(AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)

President George W. Bush speaks to Soldiers and their families on April 12 at Kenneth W. Cooper Field on Fort Hood, Texas. Spc. Matthew Chlosta

U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Drew Bone, commander, Battery E, 2nd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, Camp Lejeune, N.C., studies the rocket propelled grenade fragmentations that impacted on this guard tower April 2, 2005, during an attack at the Abu Ghraib prison compound. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael J. Carden

Army Spc. Anthony Dowden of the 3rd Infantry Division presents a plaque made from a piece of armor that saved him from a sniper's bullet to Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 12, 2005. Rumsfeld awarded two Bronze Star medals and 10 Purple Heart medals and reenlisted more than 100 troops at a town hall meeting with U.S. and coalition troops. Rumsfeld is in Iraq to visit with U.S. and coalition forces and to meet with the newly elected members of the Iraqi government. DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. Cherie A. Thurlby, U.S. Air Force....

The toppled statue of Saddam Hussein is seen in in Firdos Square downtown Baghdad in this April 9, 2003 file photo. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay/File)

U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Jerome H. Murkerson, an Adger, Ala. native and staff non-commissioned officer-in-charge of the Camp Blue Diamond quick reaction force, hands a stuffed animal to an Iraqi child, April 3, 2005. The Marines handed out stuffed animals and soccer balls to Iraqi children to foster good relations with the citizens of the town. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Stephen D'Alessio

Army 1st Lt. Jonathan Toland, a member of Company C, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, pulls forward security during a stop on a patrol in Ghazni province, Afghanistan. Photo by Sgt. Jennifer S. Emmons, USA

A U.S. military medical evacuation helicopter flies over Baghdad, Iraq, near to sunset Monday, April 4, 2005. Earlier Monday, a suicide bomber blew up a tractor in the second attack in three days near the infamous Abu Ghraib prison on the outskirts of Baghdad.(AP Photo / Jim MacMillan)

U.S. soldiers from Charlie Company 2BTC 10MNT search a house for weapons in Abu Ghraib, West of Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday April 3, 2005. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Iraqi children gather for a festival for orphans at an amusement park in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, April 2, 2005. The Iraqi Islamic Women's Society held the event. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Stevie Knox, right, personal security officer, Headquarters Headquarters Company, 155th Brigade Combat Team, Mississippi National Guard, gives a briefing to a squad of soldiers before going on a foot patrol outside of Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq, March 13, 2005. During the patrol, the soldiers handed out pencils and coloring books while looking for insurgent hideouts. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. David Foley

An Iraqi mother enjoys the carousel ride during a leisurely day out with her children at the Sharkh Fun Fair amusement park in Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, March 25, 2005. The modestly priced park provides relief from the daily stresses of living in the often violent Iraqi capital. Scott Nelson / WorldPictureNews

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Senior Technician Chief Petty Officer Robert Snider (left) gives instructions to EOD Technicians Petty Officer 1st Class Jeremy Porter and Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin Harck as they prepare to enter the waters of the Persian Gulf from an H-3 Sea King helicopter during an underwater mine operations phase of Exercise Arabian Gauntlet 2005 on March 23, 2005. Arabian Gauntlet is a multi-lateral surface, air and mine countermeasure exercise designed to practice maritime security operations with coalition partners and allies in the region. DoD photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class John Parker, U.S. Navy. (Released)

U.S. Air Force Capt. Robert Frees, Col. Abdul Hadi, Brig. Gen. Shams Ahmad, and Mr. G.K. Madhu Kiran conduct a site survey on TV Hill overlooking Kabul, Afghanistan, March 17, 2005, to locate a new microwave radio antenna tower that will link all Kabul area Afghan National Army facilities for data and voice communications. Office of Military Cooperation-Afghanistan photo by Senior Airman Michael Payne

U.S. Army soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division search a house for weapons during a patrol in the Abu Ghraib district of Baghdad March 27, 2005. Al Qaeda's wing in Iraq said it had shot dead a senior Interior Ministry official kidnapped last month, and posted a video of the apparent killing on the Internet on Sunday. Picture taken March 27, 2005. REUTERS/Bob Strong

U.S. Army soldiers with the Third Infantry Division hold candles during a midnight Catholic Easter service at Camp Liberty in Baghdad March 26, 2005. REUTERS/Bob Strong

U.S. Army Capt. Chris Owen (far right) and Col. Terry Sellers (center), 2nd Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, meet with United Nations field representatives on the east bank of the Helmand River to discuss the needs of residents displaced by four days of flooding, March 22, 2005. The United Nations and the U.S. Army are providing short term emergency relief to the refugees until they are able to rebuild. Local Afghan government officials are leading the effort by assessing needs and distributing aid while the Afghan National Army, local police and Coalition soldiers are providing security and manpower for the delivery...

Hundreds of people from across the country visited Arlington, Va., to participate in the "Faces of the Fallen" evening ceremony March 22, 2005. “'Faces of the Fallen' is about love and relationship, courage and sacrifice. It is also about the vision of artist and the power of art to bring us together in sorrow, compassion and respect,” said Annette Polan, artist. Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. D. Myles Cullen

Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld (center) shakes hands with Defense Attaché Col. Bill Dalson, U.S. Air Force, after arriving at the Ministro Pistarini de Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on March 21, 2005. Rumsfeld is traveling to South and Central America to meet with key government officials and his defense counterparts to strengthen bilateral ties. DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. Cherie A. Thurlby, U.S. Air Force. (Released) 050321-F-7203T-067

An A-10 from the 75th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Bagram Airfield, Afgahnistan, returns to base after flying a close air support mission over Afghanistan. The A-10s at Bagram perform multiple missions to include convoy escort, shows of force, firepower in support of Coalition troops on the ground and search and rescue, as displayed in the March 18 rescue operation of more than 200 Afghan flood victims U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Catie Hague

U.S. Army 42nd Infantry Division, Task Force Liberty CPL John Lastella of Staten Island, New York practices for an Easter concert with his unit's band at Forward Operating Base Danger in Tikrit, Iraq, Saturday, March 19, 2005. This weekend marks the second anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. (AP Photo/Sasa Kralj)