Free Republic

The other day, deep in Rego Park, a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens, Stanley Moscowitz and Walter Israel sat down at a Formica table for lunch at Ben's Best Kosher Deli on Queens Boulevard. Moscowitz, who's 53 and grew up in nearby Forest Hills, ordered first: matzo ball, tip of the tongue, roast beef, rye, Russian, onions and Dr. Brown's diet cherry drink. Israel ordered pastrami on rye bread. His son Jason ordered pastrami on white. In his defense, Jason did not ask for mayonnaise, but the combination of pastrami and white bread enjoys a certain...

The record U.S. budget deficit poses a serious risk to the U.S. economy, and Congress and President Barack Obama don’t seem to have a plan to deal with it. The risk is that our largest debt holders, the Chinese, seem uneasy about their holdings during a time when the annual deficit is four times larger than last year. In the past 10 months, the federal government has spent about $3 trillion while taking in about $1.74 trillion. Should the Chinese begin to sell some of their holdings, interest rates in the U.S. could increase dramatically. While the Obama administration apparently...

A federal judge in San Francisco has sided with Hollywood studios and ruled against RealNetworks’ DVD-copying software saying RealDVD allows users to engage in copyright infringement. U.S. District Court Marilyn Patel, in an order issued late Aug. 11, wrote that RealDVD “circumvents a technological measure that effectively controls access to or copying of the studios’ copyrighted content on DVDs.” Patel’s order effectively bars RealNetworks from selling RealDVD in any form, including its Facet DVD player that can create and store DVD copies. Dan Glickman, chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, said he was “very pleased” by...

Excerpted from Yes We Did! An inside look at how social media built the Obama brand (New Riders) Obama's official social network, my.barackobama.com, was at the heart of the campaign’s new media strategy. Affectionately referred to internally as MyBO, the site allowed users to create events, exchange information, raise funds, and connect with voters in their area. MyBO was the digital home base from which the campaign could mobilize its army of supporters. Creating an account required an email address and a password. Users didn’t even have to confirm their email address. This was done to make the sign-up process...

Even as banks grapple with rising foreclosures, many lenders have something else to worry about: A rising tide of potential losses from commercial real estate loans that could reach into the billions.

There's is a lot of activity out on the coast that may indicate a reawakening of the housing market there - and across the country. NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- No state has been harder hit by the housing bust than California. It has piled up more foreclosures and has endured among the worst home-price declines. The median price of a single-family home sold in February was $247,590, down 41% from 12 months earlier, according to the California Association of Realtors (CAR). And home construction in the Golden State has nearly vanished: December housing permits shrank to about a quarter of...

At least $5 million, and perhaps 10 times that amount, appears to be unaccounted for in funds entrusted to U.S. District Court Judge Manuel L. Real, and the rival Filipino claimants to the account want the controversy-plagued Los Angeles judge to provide full details of what happened with their money. In a protracted legal action brought by victims of late Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Real had been given control over about $34 million in assets seized from a Swiss bank account and a Panamanian shell company while the Manila government, the Philippines National Bank and individuals abused by Marcos pressed...

Today being the official end for another year of Israeli Apartheid Week, let's address the absurd lament from its enthusiasts that you can't criticize Israel today without being labelled an anti-Semite. Bull. First, let's dispense with "anti-Semite" -- a confusing term since Arabs can be Semites and many Jews aren't. Instead, let's call it what it is -- "Jew hatred." So, can people criticize Israel without being accused of Jew hatred? Of course.

Do you think you've hit bottom? Oh, no. There's a bottom below. - Malvina Reynolds To begin with after the end of a house price bubble homeowners feel that they have some sort of entitlement to the previous high value of their homes. If they can't get it, they often won't accept lower offers. So, previously established highs tend to be "sticky". This is exemplified by the trend of sales shown in Berkeley, CA, multiple listing data between the late 1960's and early 1980's. Sales volume went down. Inventory went up. Prices didn't drop. There is also normally a "resistance...

Finally a movie about Ronald Reagan. If young Americans knew the truth about Reagan, we would all be in better shape. God Bless Ronald Reagan. Thank you, Mr. President.

As the year draws to an end and President Bush enters his final month in office, there is much commentary about the Administration's record over the past eight years. Unsurprisingly, many of these stories assail and distort the President's record and recycle myths and unfounded allegations that have been leveled for the better part of his two terms. Historical accuracy requires a response to the litany of attacks leveled against President Bush, and while there's not enough space to respond to all of them, here are five of the most egregious:

Congressman Broun applies the following four-way test to every piece of legislation: 1. Is it Constitutional and a proper function of government? 2. Is it morally right? 3. Is it something we need? 4. Can we afford it?

Some of the posts on here are so so so amusing! Let's see, the implication that any woman who doesn't support Sarah is a lesbian? That any one who supports Obama is "unwashed"? The more comments I read, the more taken aback. What happened to actual conservatism? Did you all catch the McCain bug where if you disagree with someone you vilify them? Anyone care to come out of the woodwork and speak realistically?

Look, I don't know much about gymnastics, but I do know that landing a vault on two feet is better than landing one on two knees. Olympic gymnastics judges evidently disagree with me, as they awarded China's Cheng Fei a bronze medal yesterday even after she fell on her vault landing. American Alicia Sacramone finished fourth despite, you know, not falling.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Dennis Pflueger and his wife won a rent-free year in a nice new house in an expensive subdivision not far from the headquarters of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. As part of the prize, they then have the option to buy the four-bedroom home for $452,000. Mr. Pflueger, a telephone-cable installer who describes himself as an "old redneck," is in the middle of his free year. But the Pfluegers are a bit lonely. Just one other family lives in any of the 28 new or unfinished houses on Foxboro Court. ...Since real-estate tanked, many new planned communities across the...

http://www.realamericanstories.com/ People describe what it means for them to be an American.

"There comes a point in time where all the discussion and analysis has to stop. We are now six years away from 9/11. Simply kicking this problem further down the road is a time-tested Washington way of smothering a proposal with process," said Chertoff. "The time has come to bite the bullet." Or, as Jack Bauer might say (while in the midst of breaking half a dozen laws in the name of stopping an impending attack), "We're running out of time!" Chertoff summarized the major features of the final rules as follows: People must provide documentation that proves who they...

In this campaign and here on FR there has been a great debate going on over who is a "real" Republican and who is not. Indeed, this debate has become very intense but one critical thing has been missing in all of this hot rhetoric. Is there a general, accepted definition as to what constitutes are "real" Conservative? If so, what is it and who gets to decide this? So fellow Freepers, what do you think? What characteristics, beliefs, practices, actions or qualification must a candidate have in order to be considered a "real" Conservative? Or is the definition simply...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1, 2007 – Coalition and Iraqi troops are creating security in Iraq, and life is returning to normal for the vast majority of Iraqi citizens. But the momentum is not irreversible, the commander of Multinational Corps Iraq said today. Coalition and Iraqi troops have been able to break the cycle of violence in the country, and all trends are positive, Army Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno told Pentagon reporters via teleconference from his headquarters at Camp Victory, Iraq. When the Army’s 3rd Corps arrived in Baghdad a year ago, Iraq was enmeshed in sectarian violence. Al Qaeda in...

U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson offered a sobering view Tuesday of the pressure the housing market was having across the country, saying the decline stood "as the most significant current risk to our economy." Mr. Paulson even acknowledged that problems in credit, mortgage, and housing markets were much more severe than anticipated. "The ongoing housing correction is not ending as quickly as it might have appeared late last year," he said in a speech. "And it now looks like it will continue to adversely impact our economy, our capital markets, and many homeowners for some time yet." Housing prices have...

Wall Street extended its retreat Tuesday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the night before that the slumping housing market remains a "significant drag" on the economy. Bernanke's comments during a speech at the New York Economic Club revived concerns that a recovery from the summer's credit crisis might take longer than expected _ a sobering thought for investors, who are sifting through mixed third-quarter earnings and watching energy costs rise. The stock market had its biggest drop in more than five weeks Monday after a consortium of banks led by Citigroup Inc., which reported a steep profit decline...

Source: University of Florida Date: October 4, 2007 No Faking It, Crocodile Tears Are Real Science Daily — When someone feigns sadness they “cry crocodile tears,” a phrase that comes from an old myth that the animals cry while eating. An alligator weeps while eating at the Florida's St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park in spring 2006. University of Florida zoologist Kent Vliet shot the photo while observing alligators and caimans at the park in an attempt to determine the truth of the myth that crocodiles cry while eating. Five of the seven animals, close relatives of the crocodile, teared...

"After the speech, local farmer Les Nelson cuts through the crowd. He has a crewcut, wears worn jeans, holds out his thick hands, and says: “Kill the terrorists, secure the border, and give me back my freedom.” Thompson looks to him, and says, deadeye, “you just summed up my whole speech.” That quote is part of an excellent in-depth article over at The Politico that picks up on the intangible that is taking place out on the campaign trail between Fred Thompson and the people he speaks to. Fred is coming across as...........

BEIJING (AP) - Blog service providers in China are "encouraged" to register users with their real names and contact information, according to a new government document that tones down an earlier proposal banning anonymous online blogging. At least 10 major Chinese blog service providers have agreed to sign the "self-discipline pledge" issued by the Internet Society of China, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported Tuesday. Online bulletin boards and blogs are the only forum for most Chinese to express opinions before a large audience in a society where all media are state-controlled. China has the world's second-biggest population of Internet...

Is Jesus Real When I was young, I was asked, by an acquaintance in my town to find his graduation ring. This ring was lost in a lake called Spring Grove, located in Chepachet, RI. I was going swimming there and he offered to pay me 2 dollars if I find it. I swam a long time looking for that ring and found nothing. While coming out of the water, my eyes found on the beach a small ring of hemp rope, used for kids games with a little wooden peg to throw the little hoop of rope on. With...

What price tag would you put on your house: a real estate agent's suggested price, the price a nearby home recently sold at, an appraiser's estimate, or another number? ...Location, location, location" still applies — now more than ever, agents and appraisers say. Home values can vary by whether the neighborhood's clean and quiet, in a good school district or even by its proximity to an upscale supermarket. So factor area amenities into the pricing equation ...Great kitchens and baths, with new fixtures, help sell homes. But buyers are getting more energy-conscious and real estate agents say efficient heating and...

Very soon a new real-estate tax may be introduced in Russia, the tax, which was originally thought to redress social injustice, to oblige rich Russians to pay more for their apartments. However, the true consequences the tax will cause can hardly be predicted, as it is common practice for the Russian government to introduce a tax without proper preparation works. Russian civil servants obviously think that only rich people can own big apartments in fashionable districts, that is why the new tax isn’t planned for 90% of the country’s inhabitants, whose apartments’ size matches the “tax-free minimal living room”. The...

Researchers foresee a day when people tortured by chronic, unexplained pain will be able to prove that they really hurt -- evidence that could help sufferers be taken more seriously and could even lead to better treatments. Recent studies suggest that prolonged, ongoing pain leaves a signature in the brain that can be detected using advanced imaging techniques. In other work, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and elsewhere have found that excruciating nerve damage can be detected in bits of skin the size of a pinhead. And genetic tests may someday prove useful, researchers believe: Certain genes appear to be...

Six years ago, as his 11th-grade classmates struggled with the college-application ritual, Toby Hughes tried to envision his future. A Georgia honors student with a 1350 SAT score, he knew he wanted to go into computer science, so he went to local computer companies and asked what they wanted in an employee. "They told me I would be more marketable if I had practical technical training as opposed to theoretical academic training," says Mr. Hughes. He began taking specialized computer-networking classes while still in high school, landed a $52,000 job after graduating, and now, at 24, makes well past that.

Engineer struggles to keep family safe while contributing to the reconstruction of Iraq. TIKRIT, Iraq, Oct. 6, 2006 — Having one brother murdered and a brother-in-law kidnapped and tortured, Sa’ad Rasheed narrowly escapes with his life but continues working in the reconstruction of his country. Daily, Iraq is featured in western media headlines. Reports of insurgents jam the news waves with doom and gloom. While the dangers are real and bad things do happen, stories of bravery and dedication to ones’ country are lost to the masses. Bricks and mortar may not be as exciting or as riveting as insurgents...

R.I.P: Steve Irwin's body isn't yet cold and already the Pecksniffs are out, tut-tutting the late crocodile hunter's risky encounters with wild beasts. They miss the point: Irwin's life was about enriching humans. Irwin, who died over the weekend after a freak attack by a stingray, did not live a riskless life. In fact, for those who've watched his Animal Planet shows, some wonder why a fatal encounter hadn't happened earlier. But it's indisputable that he mastered nature with a rare talent — a talent that took him to the edge of possibility. For the sake of the rest of...

LONDON (AFX) - The dollar's early afternoon recovery, in the wake of a solid US jobs report for August, came to an abrupt halt on mounting concerns that the US housing market is teetering on the verge of collapse. The National Association of Realtors revealed that pending home sales slumped by 7 pct in July to their lowest level in three years. Its pending home sales index, based on contracts signed in July, fell to a seasonally adjusted 105.6 in July from a downwardly revised 113.5 in June. Paul Ashworth, senior US economist at Capital Economics, said outright falls in...

They promise the American Dream: A home of your own -- with ultra-low rates and payments anyone can afford. Now, the trap has sprung For cash-strapped homeowners, it was a pitch they couldn't refuse: Refinance your mortgage at a bargain rate and cut your payments in half. New home buyers, stretching to afford something in a super-heated market, didn't even need to produce documentation, much less a downpayment. Those who took the bait are in for a nasty surprise. While many Americans have started to worry about falling home prices, borrowers who jumped into so-called option ARM loans have another,...

NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- Sales and home prices fell at a faster clip than expected and inventories climbed further in August as the housing market continued to deteriorate, according to a Banc of America Real Estate Agent survey.And market experts believe the housing downturn will likely last longer than homebuilding stocks currently reflect.The study, released Tuesday, shows consumer sentiment toward buying a home soured in August."Consumers are shifting from a mindset of waiting for a better price to one where they do not want to buy at this time, no matter what the price is," the study said."We think this...

Sam Webber had it all during the real estate boom. The former accountant bought old houses, fixed them up and resold them for more than he paid. It was a good independent living until four months ago when the bottom fell out of his game. Now as home prices have declined 5 percent from last year in Sacramento County, Webber is what analysts call "upside down." He owes banks more than his two remaining fixer-uppers are worth. He's missed mortgage payments on each. Worse, he's tied up his entire savings and previous profits in remodeling the houses. Webber has one...

REAL bubbles pop. They are fully formed one moment and gone the next. Financial bubbles rarely meet with such a definitive end, which has always been the biggest problem with the metaphor. They let out their air in unpredictable bursts, and it’s usually impossible to figure out whether they have finished deflating or are just starting to.Still, the latest housing numbers seem like they could be a turning point. A real estate crash might not be the most likely outcome, but it certainly seems legitimate to think about what one would look like.The number of building permits being issued is...

The downturn in the US housing market will force businesses to slash 73,000 jobs a month in the new year and could be more damaging to the world economy than the dotcom crash, economists have warned. After official figures last week showed that the number of new homes sold in July was 22 per cent lower than a year earlier, while prices were almost flat, fears are mounting that the 'orderly' housing slowdown predicted by the Federal Reserve will become a full-blown crash. 'Things do seem to be getting worse very quickly. Freefall is a strong word, but I think...

There are four moving parts that make up the Treasure Coast's new housing reality: sellers, brokers, builders and buyers. We asked 10 experts with professional ties to the housing industry in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties 10 questions about the new housing reality. Here's how they explained the new reality to sellers, brokers, builders and buyers. Q: Looking at today's housing market, what in your opinion is the new housing reality on Treasure Coast? A: I don't think you'll see any improvement until late 2007, early 2008, but I'm probably more pessimistic than most. The last two months...

Sellers are offering perks like car leases and granite countertops to drum up interest. If that fails, they may try to sell for less than they owe on the home.

Missed in last week's 'Fed is done' euphoria was more stark evidence the housing bubble has burst. Growing numbers of homeowners can't make their payments.

Sales of existing single-family homes in Palm Beach County posted the biggest second-quarter decline in the state as one of the hottest real estate markets in the nation continued to cool down, a Florida Association of Realtors report released today shows. Indeed, home sales dropped in all 20 markets in Florida, with all but two posting double-digit slides compared with the same quarter a year ago. Chart: Second quarter home sales In Palm Beach County, buyers closed on 2,733 single-family homes in the second quarter, a 36 percent drop from the same period last year, when buyers bought 4,293 single-family...

<p>Dear Etta: I need your help to let the Jacksboro area squirrel hunters know Mepps still buys squirrel tails. Every year it gets tougher to get the tails we need to dress our spinners, but we know from experience a little ink or air time is always a big help. Details are below. Any assistance you can offer, Etta would be sincerely appreciated. Should you need additional information please contact me.</p>

Marijuana users can be arrested for drugged driving weeks after they toast a joint, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled Wednesday in a Jackson County appeal. A veteran prosecutor hailed the ruling as a correct interpretation of the zero-tolerance law that will make enforcement easier. A longtime defense attorney said the high court has opened the floodgates on overreaching government. "This goes to show the Supreme Court does not seem to care about individual rights," Jackson attorney Jerry Engle said. At issue were cases from Jackson and Grand Traverse counties. The local case involved the prosecution of Dennis Kurts for driving...

Where can women find real men? In a book, of course… By Boris Johnson (Filed: 15/06/2006) Look at her in the Tube opposite. No, you fool. Look at what she's reading. You've made it through to the middle of the Telegraph and, if you are anything like me, you have scaled your personal intellectual Everest for the day. But look at the girl over there, and that damn thick square book on her lap. She must be on page 181, and when she turns the page she's going to be on 183, then 185, 187. It's unbelievable. Where does she...

Quick: What do 61% of Republican and 10% of Democrat Senators have in common? They represent America—at least on the issue of immigration. These numbers, drawn from the recorded vote on last week’s disastrous amnesty-granting immigration “reform” bill in the Senate, starkly illustrate two related insights about the ongoing illegal immigration crisis. One is that, despite gleeful media reports that “Congressional Republicans” are at odds with most of their supporters on the immigration issue, the great majority of Republican congressmen are not. Let the pro-amnesty RINOs (El RINOs?) get their support from the illegal aliens they believe they are so...

Jim and Shelby Griffin figured their condominium was a sure seller. It was a spacious, three-bedroom place close to the best schools and a few minutes’ drive from the Atlantic oceanfront in Virginia Beach, Va.—a city that for two years had been in the grip of a real-estate frenzy. The Griffins had watched friends sell homes within hours of listing them. They’d seen multiple offers above the asking price become common. Through 2004 and most of 2005, prices seemed to leap by the week. “If you found something you liked, you had to make an offer that day,� recalls...

Do you want to reduce the price of gasoline by almost 60 cents a gallon immediately? Get the real price gougers. They take nearly 60 cents of every $3.00 gallon of gas. They should pay the windfall profits tax. They should be investigated. What are they doing with this money? How is it being spent? How are they ripping off the gasoline consumer? They manipulate the market in oil. They withhold large amounts of the oil supply from the public, artificially reducing the supply so that the price of gasoline continually goes up. They prohibit the refining of oil, and,...

Pvt. Daniel Gorun secures an area Saturday while first aid is being administered to a fallen comrade during training on Fort Huachuca. At top, Pvt. Claudia Reynoso poses as an Iraqi woman working at a camp as soldiers approach during Saturday's training exercise. (By Mark Levy-Herald/Review)FORT HUACHUCA — A squad of Demon Dogs soldiers listened intently to three GIs who served in Iraq explain to them what they did right and wrong during training on Saturday. The knowledge imparted by their company commander, first sergeant and a drill sergeant was designed to increase their knowledge of what they may face...

Why the West should never kowtow to al Qaeda's demands on Darfur.IN HIS MOST RECENT audio taped message, Osama bin Laden succinctly restated his rationale for international terrorism. This is worth understanding for several reasons, not the least of which being that it provides a much-needed refutation to the often-stated argument that al Qaeda and its supporters are driven and strengthened only by the actions of the United States in general and, more narrowly speaking, the Bush administration. As bin Laden makes clear, his grievances are by no means limited to the U.S.-led invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan or the...

A statement from Yale University, defending its decision to admit former Taliban spokesman Ramatullah Hashemi, explained that he had "escaped the wreckage of Afghanistan." To anyone who is aware of the Taliban's barbaric treatment of the Afghan people, such words are offensive--as if Mr. Hashemi were not himself part of the wrecking crew. It is even more disturbing to learn that, while Mr. Hashemi sailed through Yale's admissions process, the school turned down the opportunity to enroll women who really did escape the wreckage of Afghanistan. In 2002, Yale received a letter from Paula Nirschel, the founder of the Initiative...