Free Republic

Poor Oprah. Of course, Oprah is not poor by anyone's definition (we should all be so poor), but she found herself between a rock and a hard place on the question of whether to invite the newest, and right now probably the biggest, celebrity in the world on her show.Of course, the ratings would be huge. And when someone in the entertainment business decides NOT to do something that would garner unbelievable ratings and attention, that decision is always subject to scrutiny.Having endorsed Obama, and having taken heat for it, Oprah has since tried to keep her personal politics separate...

Are Olympics Sponsorships Worth It? For some, not anymore. High-profile Beijing Olympics sponsors Kodak and Lenovo are pulling the plug on future Games by Frederik Balfour and Reena Jana With the opening ceremonies for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games just days away, corporate sponsors are getting ready to do victory laps of their own. This year's Olympics have been hyped as a blockbuster for marketers, a chance to ride the wave of Chinese national pride that may translate into billions of dollars in sales of Adidas sneakers, McDonald's (MCD) Big Macs, or General Electric (GE) wind turbines.

China's Ex-Envoy to Korea Accused of Leaks Former Chinese ambassador to Korea Li Bin has been accused by China of disclosing state secrets related to North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s visit to China last January, according to a report Wednesday in Hong Kong's Ming Pao Daily News. According to the article, the accusations against Li may be related to reports on Kim's plans to visit China that appeared in the South Korean and Japanese press. Typically, Kim's visits to China are not disclosed by the Chinese government until after he has left, and then only in passing. The Hong Kong...

Of Gay Sheep, Science and Peril of Bad Publicity By JOHN SCHWARTZ Published: January 25, 2007 Charles Roselli set out to discover what makes some sheep gay. Then the news media and the blogosphere got hold of the story. Dr. Roselli, a researcher at the Oregon Health and Science University, has searched for the past five years for physiological factors that might explain why about 8 percent of rams seek sex exclusively with other rams instead of ewes. The goal, he says, is to understand the fundamental mechanisms of sexual orientation in sheep. Other researchers might some day build on...

A boy from an isolated village in Malawi's rugged bush was handed into the care of Madonna yesterday when a judge approved the pop star's adoption papers.David Banda was born in a mud hut 18 months ago. His mother, Marita, gave birth without a nurse or medical equipment, save for a plastic sheet. She died days later. The High Court in Malawi's capital, Lilongwe, plucked David from his home village of Lipunga, where children in rags play in the dust beside women pounding maize, and gave him a symbol of Western popular culture for a foster mother. Mr Justice Andrew...

/begin my translation PLA Maneuvers with Intervention to N. Korea in Mind? 09/11/06 China's PLA is reportedly conducting training exercises designed to cope with crisis in Korean Peninsula Chinese state media, Xinhua, reported, "Total of 6,000 troops, made up of mechanized infantry brigade(3,000) from Shenyang Military District and its opponents(3,000), an armored brigade from Beijing Military District, went into training exercises against biochemical, naval, and aerial attacks. It started on Sept. 5 on a training base under Beijing Military District, located on a steppe in Inner Mongolia." 190th Mechanized Infantry Brigade of 39th Corps under Shenyang Military District finished map...

/begin my translationKim Jong-il's China Visit Cancelled For Now, But Tried Again Soon"N. Korean advance team still staying in China... N. Korea still wanted the visit" (Seoul=Yonhap News) Hwang Jae-hoon = Kim Jong-il's plan to visit China was leaked prematurely to the outside, and it was cancelled, but they will give it another try soon, according to a (new) claim. Chang Sung-min, head of Peace Forum for World and N.E. Asia, has told Yonhap News on Sept. 6, 'I learned it from a credible source on Kim Jong-il.' He said, "It is true that Kim wanted to visit China between Aug. 30 and Sept. 1 and have a meeting with President Hu Jintao. However,...

A Los Angeles filmmaker who was imprisoned in Iraq for 55 days sued Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and other high-ranking military officials Friday, alleging that his detention violated his civil rights, the law of nations and the Geneva Convention. Mark D. Rosenbaum, legal director of the ACLU of Southern California, said the suit is the first civil action challenging the constitutionality of the U.S. government's detention and hearing policies in Iraq. Cyrus Kar, 45, of Los Feliz was freed a year ago, just days after the American Civil Liberties Union sued seeking his release. The new lawsuit, filed in...

Jack Welch gives advice on how the new graduate can succeed in American companies. It seems to be good advice to succeed in any company -- anywhere. His number one piece of advice: OVERDELIVER - This is very un-American -- and very un-student-like. In school, students learn to meet certain objectives -- answer certain questions within certain time parameters. In the workforce -- it's not that way anymore. To get an A+ in business, Welch says, a person -- 22 years old or 62 years old -- needs to: 1. Expand the organization's expectations of what you can do --...

Camp Pendleton officials are busy adding spokesmen, bringing in more military lawyers and brainstorming to find ways to accommodate the roughly 150 reporters covering the case of eight service members who are accused of killing an Iraqi man without cause. If those logistical challenges aren't enough, base commanders also must deal with the scores of people who have gathered in front of Camp Pendleton's main gate every Saturday for the past three weeks. The visitors are protesting the detention of the defendants, who are confined in the base brig. They're expected to hold a further demonstration today. “The military should...

KAPOLEI, Hawaii -- The Associated Press was denied credentials to cover the LPGA Fields Open tournament Wednesday in a dispute over new restrictions on use of its stories and photos. AP reporter Jaymes Song was not allowed on the course during Wednesday's practice rounds or in the media room to cover Michelle Wie's news conference after refusing to sign the credential form with the new restrictions. Freelance photographer Ronen Zilberman also refused to sign the form and was denied a credential. The tournament begins Thursday. Without an agreement, AP sports editor Terry Taylor said the AP will not provide photographs...

NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba, Jan. 13, 2006 – An extra hearing yesterday in the case of a Canadian teen accused of murdering a U.S. Army medic in Afghanistan dealt with acceptable levels of pre-trial publicity. Presiding Officer Marine Col. Robert S. Chester, an experienced military judge, ruled that public comments made by the prosecution did not damage the defense's case. Muneer Ahmad, civilian defense attorney for Omar Ahmed Khadr, requested Jan. 11 that Chester prevent chief prosecutor Air Force Col. Morris Davis from making inflammatory comments in the media. In particular, Ahmad, a law professor at American University, objected...

<p>A computer hacker gained access to private files at Acxiom Corp., one of the world's largest consumer database companies, and was able to download sensitive information about some customers of the company's clients, the company said Thursday.</p> <p>"The data on the servers was a wide variety of information, some of which was personal, some of which was not," Jennifer Barrett, the company's chief privacy officer, said in an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday. The AP was notified of the intrusion by an anonymous caller who would not identify himself or his connection with the company.</p>

US police have arrested Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a US soldier killed in Iraq who has become a prominent war opponent, along with two dozen people for demonstrating without authorisation in front of the White House. Ms Sheehan became an icon of the anti-war movement when she camped outside President George W Bush's ranch in Texas during his August vacation, demanding he meet her for a second time. Ms Sheehan had met the President earlier with a group of families of fallen soldiers. Ms Sheehan and the other protesters staged a "die-in" in front of the the White House,...

SACRAMENTO -- Amid the first signs of possible trouble in raising money for his special election campaign, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is sending top administration officials out looking for free media -- beginning with a stop in Bakersfield next Tuesday. Tom Campbell, the governor's finance director, and Margaret Fortune, a senior education adviser, will hold "an informal discussion" with Bakersfield business and community leaders about the issues in the election, said Todd Harris, spokesman for the governor's campaign organization. Details on the time and place of the event had not been worked out Thursday, Harris said, but the media will be...

Many argue that communism will never be possible because of "human nature". The essence of this false argument is the belief that a communist society would consist of an all-powerful central government that would tell everybody what to do--and would therefore undermine the creative initiative of individuals and the search for happiness. • This argument is based on two false assumptions: (1) It assumes that a communist society will look like the former Soviet Union, or the current China, North Korea, etc (ie: corrupt police states with a feudal-style ruling class) (2) It assumes that people will only work in...

Media: As Telesur, Hugo Chavez's new South American TV network, goes on the air, it's billed as a pan-American alternative to CNN. Knowing Chavez, sensible minds fear a propaganda machine. It's much worse. Ahead of its first broadcast Sunday, Telesur released a ghastly news trailer featuring one of the hemisphere's grimmest narco terrorists, Manuel "Sureshot" Marulanda. This professional killer leads the 13,000-strong FARC Marxist guerrillas who have terrorized Colombia for 40 years. As Sureshot preened before Telesur cameras, Telesur officials justified their free publicity for him as newsworthiness. "Do they think Sureshot doesn't exist?" said Director-General Aram Aharonian, a Uruguayan...

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/cmp/20050715/tc_cmp/165702500 UN Panel: No Single Nation Should Control Internet Addresses Aoife White Thu Jul 14, 9:38 PM ET BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP)--A U.N. panel created to recommend how the Internet should be run in the future has failed to reach consensus but did agree that no single country should dominate. The United States stated two weeks ago that it intended to maintain control over the computers that serve as the Internet's principal traffic cops. In a report released Thursday, the U.N. panel outlined four possible options for the future of Internet governance for world leaders to consider at a November "Information...

Here is the list so far for sponcers to this hate America fest: ANSWER Code Pink UFPJ NION Al Awda World Workers Party Ruckas Revolutionary Communist party Moveon.org ACORN Campus Antiwar Network International Socialist Org Greens Party Muslim Student Association CPUSA

In the midst of the media firestorm over Ed Klein's blockbuster book, "The Truth About Hillary," we can see the moral cowardice and equivocation that can destroy our nation from within. Yes, the very effective Clinton spin machine has worked with their allies in the so-called Mainstream Media to censor Klein and keep him off the TV airwaves. But that was to be expected. NBC, CBS, ABC, MSNBC and CNN are all predictable. They are all left-leaning - and they all succumbed to pro-Hillary pressure. Like all liberals they talk one game and live another. ‘Diversity' and ‘freedom of choice'...

It’s no coincidence that Jane Fonda’s new book, My Life So Far, precedes the release of her new movie Monster-in-Law. That’s just good old-fashioned Hollywood promotion; however, something went wrong on the way to Larry King’s forum – she did not apologize for her activities in Vietnam. Yes, her publicity blitz expresses regrets, but there is no heartfelt apology. When the avuncular interviewer actually asked a challenging question about her nefarious goings on it was clear Jane hadn’t rehearsed her lines – here’s her sincere response: “I’m sorry I was photographed sitting on an anti-aircraft gun.” Wow, her arrogance and...

-OPERATION FALCON- (Or Operation Horsefeathers ?) A massive roundup of fugitives has been carried on over the past few days, on a nationwide scale.Newscasters tell us - breathlessly-10,000 fugitives have been "taken off the streets" !! Really ? Such fugitive roundups are nothing new. I was involved in them (peripherally) once or twice a year for at least 5 years before I retired.They work like this: Every police department in the nation has a backlog of fugitive warrants. Most are for failure to appear minor offenses,but a hefty percentage involve non-appearance on more serious matters. Periodically, the US Marshal's Service...

Recent News! They discover proof that Atlantis did not submerge complete but only one part...By Salvador Morales. Atlantis News Agency. Madrid, Spain. 01-06-2005. The Spanish investigator and scriptologist, Georgeos Diaz-Montexano, has discovered paleographical proofs that in fact the island or peninsula (Nêsos) denominated like Atlantis or Atlantic, it was divided in two parts below the sea. To date all atlantologists and students of the Timaeus and the Critias de Plato had thought that in texts of the Greek philosophist narrated the collapse of the all island or Atlantis peninsula, nevertheless, Georgeos Diaz-Montexano has reviewed the oldest texts known writings in...

A Monster Thickburger bought by a reporter Monday at a St. Louis Hardee's was presented appealingly enough, wrapped neatly in light paper and standing a whopping 2 1/2 inches tall inside a box. But the double-pattied behemoth, bought as part of combo with French fries and a drink, stretched the mouth and stomach, too much for the reporter to absorb in one sitting.

THIS AM...on Fox News, Podesta was being interviewed about the library. When asked about the extend of the displays about shillery, he said that...she was important..."as the vice president." He didn't say, "as was the vice president."

Judy (hmmm?) Woodruff just had a report that Karl Rove had offered Nebraska Sen Ben Nelson the post of Secretary of Agriculture. Nelson is up in 2006...and facing a hard race from popular GOP Gov Mike Johanns. Nelson is among the most conservative of Senate Dems..Does this make sense, because Nelson votes with the GOP on most of the key issues..?

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan urged the Security Council on Thursday to issue ``the strongest warning'' to the forces fighting in Sudan to bring an end to the civil wars there. Annan's comments were made to Security Council members in Kenya's capital, where they have begun extraordinary meetings on the violence and humanitarian crisis in Sudan. ``I regret to report that the security situation in (the western region of) Darfur continued to deteriorate despite the cease-fire agreement signed earlier,'' Annan said. ``Both the government and its militias as well as the rebel groups have breached these...

WASHINGTON - Democratic Party leaders said Wednesday they want to know why Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites) ended his presidential campaign with more than $15 million in the bank, money that could have helped Democratic candidates across the country. Some said he will be pressured to give the money to Democratic campaign committees rather than save it for a potential White House bid in 2008. "Democrats are questioning why he sat on so much money that could have helped him defeat George Bush (news - web sites) or helped down-ballot races, many of which could have gone our...

Reprinted from NewsMax.com Sunday, Nov. 14, 2004 5:45 p.m. ESTClinton 'Elvis' Library to Include Monica As Bill Clinton's library is unveiled at a gala opening this week, one thing is certain: His messy legacy will be on full display. One alcove will be dedicated to impeachment, and organizers have promised not to sidestep even Monica Lewinsky or Paula Jones. The 58-year-old political superstar is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors a year to his library. "Bill Clinton is a rock star," said Skip Rutherford, head of Clinton's nonprofit foundation that built the $165 million library. "He is Elvis."...

From "Light the Lamp!": The monthly newsletter of the Holy Flame Pentecostal Church of Little Rock, Ark. We welcome back to the area Senator Hillary Clinton (D., N.Y.), who has been spending so much time here in Little Rock lately that she's practically joined the church choir! "I'm here spending time at my husband's library," she told the Lamp when we caught up with her after a Sunday camp meeting, "and of course, I always take time to worship God in as evangelical a way as is feasible, given time and location constraints. As you know, I consider myself an...

(The) "nuclear option," (is) a parliamentary maneuver to effectively change Senate rules so that only a simple majority is needed to end a filibuster of a judicial nominee. Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said he has not decided whether he would invoke that option next year. Robert F. Bennett, R-Utah, the chief deputy majority whip, said such a move would occur only if Democrats filibuster a Supreme Court nomination. It's the last paragraph in the source link.

By Rob Long EDITOR'S NOTE: This article appears in the November 29, 2004, issue of National Review. Church Newsletters From All Over From "Light the Lamp!": The monthly newsletter of the Holy Flame Pentecostal Church of Little Rock, Ark. We welcome back to the area Senator Hillary Clinton (D., N.Y.), who has been spending so much time here in Little Rock lately that she's practically joined the church choir! "I'm here spending time at my husband's library," she told the Lamp when we caught up with her after a Sunday camp meeting, "and of course, I always take time to...

SUCCESS! Bush more prepared to lead war on terror One of the critical concerns for the American people is who will lead the war on terror. President Bush has been leading it and his record speaks for itself. There has not been a successful terrorist operation carried out in the USA since 9-11. Now John Kerry tells us that he will be the most effective leader in the war on terror. At the debates in Iowa this past January, Kerry was asked when he would approve a pre-emptive strike in the face of international disapproval. "Only when the U.S. is...

Bill Clinton loses his temper with David Dimbleby during a BBC television interview to be broadcast this week when he is repeatedly quizzed about his affair with Monica Lewinsky. The former American president, famed for his amiable disposition, becomes visibly angry and rattled, particularly when Dimbleby asks him whether his publicly declared contrition over the affair is genuine. His outrage at the line of questioning during the 50-minute interview, to be broadcast on Panorama on Tuesday night, lasts several minutes. It is the first time that the former President has been seen to lose his temper publicly over the issue...

Celebrity-Crazy If anyone doubts that America's corporate media are celebrity-crazy, just look at the hours and hours that television devoted to the recent arrest of Michael Jackson on child molestation charges. The known facts of the case can be stated in less than three minutes. Three search warrants were executed. Police have not said what, if anything, they found. Multiple charges of child molestation were filed. Jackson posted a $3 million bond. Arraignment is set for Jan. 9. End of story. Whether he's guilty or innocent of these particular charges, his own statements and eccentric behavior have raised suspicions in...

Elizabeth Smart's parents are losing control of a carefully orchestrated and lucrative November Sweeps rollout for official product based on the abduction of their daughter! MORE The "Elizabeth Smart Story" [which many in the industry have dubbed "The Ed Smart Story"] began to unspool this week on schedule with an authorized Couric/Oprah one-two public relations punch. But now Ed and Lois Smart and Doubleday, publisher of the upcoming book, are claiming the project has been kidnaped -- after CBS betrayed them by airing an unauthorized one-hour "news" special last Saturday night! MORE According to the publisher, CBS had verbally agreed...

The flap surrounding George Andres, his flagpole and his crusade to fly Old Glory on that flagpole played across the country on Friday. Rush Limbaugh weighed in on the controversy, and Andres also did a segment on Lou Dobbs Tonight on CNN. Andres said his phone began ringing shortly after 6 a.m. Friday.

José Acostas is the hero of the day in New York. He bravely fought off three armed robbers, defending a place of business with a handgun. Since the handgun is assumed illegal, José Acostas is sitting in jail. But he is a hero to New Yorkers. I do not expect Governor Pataki to pardon him. Besides, this is a golden opportunity for President Bush in a key state where, BTW, he is holding the convention. He should make a speech that there is a good chance he will pardon this hero, that he will ask Attorney General Ashcroft to investigate...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Daytime television viewers -- considered to be among America's most conservative audiences -- will see their first on-screen lesbian kiss next week, ABC television said on Monday. The kiss will take place during the April 22 episode of the Emmy-award winning soap opera "All My Children," making what ABC said would be a first in the world of daytime television. It comes in a scene featuring gay teen character Bianca Montgomery (Eden Riegel), who came out as a lesbian in 2000, and her new friend Lena (Olga Sosnovska) who "in a moment of truth and true...

Friends and family of Former Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan are more than miffed at Junior Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (Democrat-NY) who broke the news to a stunned United States Senate Chamber last week that the longtime New York Democratic Senator had died.'That was not hers to announce, it was classless,' says a family representative.The family had planned to issue a statement Wednesday at 6:30 PM, but Senator Clinton spilled the beans earlier without the family's okay.What happened? Clinton associates say she was in a caucus meeting when an aide told the group of Moynihan's death.Since she had replaced Moynihan, Clinton...

DEMOCRAT PUBLICITY SUMMIT FAILS TO ADDRESS STALLED ECONOMIC LEGISLATION Democrat Inaction In Washington Means No Relief For Hard-Working Americans And Their Families. From The Democrat Senate’s Failure To Pass A Budget Or A Prescription Drug Plan, To Their Failure To Make The Tax Cuts Permanent, Democrat Inaction Negatively Impacts The Lives Of Everyday Americans! ____________________________________________________________________ SEN. HOLLINGS (D-SC) RECOGNIZES THAT DEMS HAVE NO ECONOMIC POLICY. “Democrats want a Senate vote next week on jobless benefits. Friday, Congress’ Democratic leaders Daschle and Gephardt host their own economic ‘summit’ after rebuffs from Bush, GOP. Other Democrats bemoan the party Babel. ‘We need...

July 19, 2002Clear and present angerBY JOEL REESE Daily Herald Staff WriterPosted on July 18, 2002 Thirty minutes with a surly Harrison FordHarrison Ford is not happy to see us.We are six Chicago-area journalists who are about to have an audience with one of the world's biggest movie stars. We are sitting in a business suite in the Ritz-Carlton, awaiting Ford's entrance. Harrison Ford, well - he needs no introduction. He's Han Solo, he's Indiana Jones, he's Jack Ryan. And now he's here. A door opens and it's Harrison Ford, the ruggedly handsome mega-icon who beats the bad guys, seduces...