Free Republic

People's rights are created through political processes -- as when the brand-new American states ratified the historic Bill of Rights, or when the French Revolution proclaimed the Rights of Man, or when the new United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In a less-formal manner, most modern democracies have established another right rooted in morality and equality: the right of sick people and families to obtain medical care.

MI man is Rock Paper Scissors champion Paper covering rock was the winning move Tuesday, 17 Nov 2009, 2:31 PM EST TAYLOR, Mich. (AP) - A Michigan man has won the world Rock Paper Scissors championship in Toronto. Tim Conrad of Taylor clinched the title after five hours of play and nine matches at the Steam Whistle Brewery on Saturday night. Facing off against his best friend in the first all-American final in championship history, Conrad beat Tom Butkin with paper covering rock. Organizers say Conrad dressed as Captain America during the competition to honor his home country. Conrad takes...

My neice watches this crappy television show. Its just disgusting. Teen prostitutes?? Her only concern is that they might be raped or kidnapped?? Preview for tomorrows show?? 8 months old and working as a prostitute. Gawd.... kids are watching this stuff. Kids are getting the message that this is normal. Thats what they learn from TV, movies and music. crap. That is what TV is, just crap.

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall arrive in St. John’s today for an 11-day visit that will bring them to Hamilton Thursday. It’s the 15th time Charles has toured Canada, but the first time with his wife Camilla by his side. One of the first things the couple must deal with is H1N1 flu... Charles is also up against an apparent apathy that could see him received with at least as much indifference as enthusiasm. A leaked poll, phone-in shows and online comments have suggested growing ho-hum feelings ... “Just when you thought things couldn’t get much worse around...

The Fashion Time Magazine’s Best Dressed Of The Day, who could it be? There were many strong candidates embracing old school glamour and chic, but Blake Lively and Hilary Swank sartorially inspired us the Hollywood way. Hilary Swank walked the red carpet in New York for the “Amelia” premiere. The actress stunned — we saw stars — in a blue Vionnet Resort 2010 draped gown. Super!

President Obama sat down for an interview yesterday with NBC's Savannah Guthrie. As part of her network's week-long focus on the role of women (captained by California First Lady Maria Shriver), Guthrie asked the president for his views. His short answer, "If women are thriving, everybody is thriving." Kind of diplomatic for a guy who lives with First Lady Michelle Obama, their two daughters and his mother-in-law. "I'm surrounded," Obama said when asked about his all-female household. "It's me and Bo," the first family's Portuguese water dog. Elsewhere in the interview, Obama talked about the career sacrifices women routinely make...

A Fox NFL Sunday skit made vicious fun of Jessica Simpson’s weight. Meghan McCain says cheap shots like that are harmful to women of all shapes and sizes. BY MEGHAN MCCAIN Last weekend’s Fox NFL Sunday broadcast featured an offensive animated segment making fun of Jessica Simpson’s weight. Yet again. The cartoon, which was set in the Dallas Cowboys' locker room featured several players joking about the singer in front of her ex-boyfriend, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. "Man, I still can’t believe Tony dated Jessica Simpson, even after she blew up bigger than Flozell Adams!" (Adams is the team’s 340-pound...

(CNN) – Meghan McCain says she's ready to quit Twitter all together after generating a wave of criticism from users of the popular social networking site Wednesday night for posting a picture of herself in a tank top that left little to the twitterverse's imagination. The controversy began quietly enough when McCain, the vocal daughter of the former Republican presidential candidate, tweeted that her self described "spontaneous" night in included reading a biography of the iconic artist Andy Warhol and ordering takeout. It was there the 24-year old McCain posted the photo of herself wearing a tank top that generated...

<p>Meghan McCain, a Daily Beast columnist and daughter of Sen. John McCain, apologized late Wednesday after posting a photo of herself on Twitter that stirred up some criticism and plenty of retweets.</p> <p>The photo shows Ms. McCain in a tanktop, holding a copy of Andy Warhol’s biography, and her accompanying tweet referred to her “’spontaneous’ night in.”</p>

While guest hosting The View last week, the subject of Tyra Banks appearing on her show without a weave or a wig came up during the Hot Topics segment. I have long been a huge Tyra fan and consider her an inspiration to young women, including me. The idea of her being seen without fake hair was another awesome moment of Tyra bridging the gap between reality and television. The conversation soon turned to our own hair—real and otherwise. Sherri Shepherd admitted that when she was little she wanted “Marcia Brady hair” like I had. For that matter, I said,...

<p>Actor Charlie Sheen is demanding a meeting with President Obama to discuss his belief that the September 11 terror attacks were perpetrated by the federal government.</p> <p>In an interview with PrisonPlanet.com, The “Two and a Half Men” star unveils a fictional 20-minute exchange he imagines having with Obama – whom he supported in the November election – during which he implores the president to get on “the right side of history.”</p>

Kooky, Sexy, Cool – The Rise Of The New Witches [Pics in URL] Forget Kabbalah – paganism is the hot new religion, and thousands of young British women are embracing it By Eimear O'Hagan, 06/09/2009 Witches, covens, dancing around bonfires by the light of the moon and making offerings to goddesses - all the stuff of folklore and fairy tale, right? Wrong. Welcome to the world of paganism. Walk into any high-street bookshop and, alongside the usual chick-lit best-sellers, there's another set of books flying off the shelves, all about how to find your inner witch. Yes, really. Hot on...

Megan Fox talks about her "mental problems" in a new magazine interview - and even believes she has bouts of mild schizophrenia. The 23-year-old star of the Transformers franchise says her mental instability could result in her ending up dying young like one of her icons, usmagazine.com reports.

SINGER Lady GaGa has blasted rumours that she's a hermaphrodite as "ridiculous". Quizzed on an Aussie radio show, she said: "It's too low brow for me to even discuss." The US pop star, real name Stefani Germanotta, was responding to internet speculation about a controversial concert video. She also said in a recent web blog: "I have both male and female genitalia, but I consider myself a female." But GaGa, 23, told Oz's Matt and Jo show: "I've made fun of it before but to talk about it is ridiculous."

Daniel Craig has become a laughing stock on the set of his new Broadway play — after he demanded 24/7 security.

This is the best we’ve seen Tyra Banks looking in a while. The former top model looked stunning while attended the 36th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards.

LAKE WYLIE, S.C. -- The Knot Hole has been around for years, but a few months ago the owner put up a signs that reads, "Please notice, no colors allowed. Thank you." It got the attention of a NewsChannel 36 viewer, who asked to be identified only as "Jane." "At first looking at it I was offended, and then after that I got kind of angry," said Jane. A few days ago Jane, who is of Asian descent, and some girlfriends headed to the bar for a drink and the sign stopped her in her tracks. "Whether you are white,...

First came Paula Abdul's shocking -- OK, maybe just surprising -- exit from "American Idol." Now comes People's report that Simon Cowell has asked an old pal to join him as a judge. And that pal would be Spice Girl Victoria Beckham. Posh will appear on the show on a one-time deal. But you just know she would love the opportunity to show off her clothing line and set hair trends on a weekly basis.

This past month, Ruminant has been uncharacteristically silent, missing at least three column deadlines—not at all like her: and this at a time when her birth-country is so noisily scandal-ridden and patently loony that her usually effortless and knee-jerk snarkiness should have been propelling her on, of its own massive momentum, to write gleefully malicious prose, paragraph upon paragraph. But to what effect, I ask? To what effect? What can commentary add to "news" that is so transparently monstrous and mad that the only sane response is either 1) silence; or 2) going postal, in DC just for starters. Instead,...

EXCERPT [...] BILD: How would you rate your film if you were a critic? Brad Pitt: “Lots of fun! I’m happy with it, because all the actors are great. Each one is a mini star!” BILD: What does your wife Angelina Jolie think? Brad Pitt: “She really likes it. She laughed a lot.” BILD: You play an American soldier who scalps Nazi’s in a hit team and finally kills Hitler. Brad Pitt: “Yes there’s a lot going on in the movie, we had lots of fun. You have some great actors in Germany.” BILD: Who is the real Brad Pitt?...

LOS ANGELES, CA – The internet has been abuzz since this Sunday’s Golden Globes ceremony, where Megan Fox jokingly remarked that she looked like a man. When interviewed on the red carpet, she said “I look like Alan Alda in drag. I’m a tranny. I’m a man.” At the time, reporters passed it off as a jovial attempt to cover for her nerves. However, today she has cleared the air and officially reported: she’s really a man.

The Washington Post’s Style section conducted a survey of who could fill the most-trusted void left behind by Walter Cronkite. A series of liberal-media heroes were named: Brian Williams, Bill Moyers, Jim Lehrer, Barbara Walters, Fareed Zakaria, Garrison Keillor, and Jon Stewart. But several people skipped the media stars and selected the Obamas. ABC Nightline correspondent Vicki Mabrey nominated Michelle as a Cronkite replacement: "Rosie the Riveter for our times in a designer gown. You just want to be her best friend forever."

"Does it sound campy to say I love gay men?” asks Meghan McCain, sipping an iced tea at the nouveau-chic Hotel Palomar in Washington, D.C.’s Dupont Circle. Campy or not, the lovesick McCain has been ubiquitous this year, sallying forth on late-night TV -- Larry King Live, The Colbert Report, The Rachel Maddow Show -- to scold the Republican establishment for its social conservatism and stump for gay marriage. “If two people fall in love, they should have the option to get married just like I can,” she told Stephen Colbert, pointing out the inherent hypocrisy of a party that...

Someone PLEASE explain this to me: He's a chick magnet. Reportedly, Jessica Simpson is seeing him now. He dumped Jen Aniston and has left broken hearts all over the place. He's boring to me, and super annoying. Does someone have an answer to this inquiry?

It seems Jessica Simpson got an unwanted birthday present for her 29th Friday – according to People magazine, boyfriend Tony Romo broke up with her the night before. A source close to the singer, 29, told People that she was “heartbroken” at the news. “She loves Tony. But it’s been difficult lately. He’s busy with his career and she’s getting ready to shoot her show ‘The Price of Beauty.’ They decided to part ways.”

WOAH…Cameron is that you!?! Woah! Honestly, I don’t recall seeing Cameron Diaz in this condition ever in my life! We were used to that beautiful smile of hers and fresh look, which always made her so natural looking and now….wow!

Gary Coleman and his wife aren't seeing eye to eye. The ex-child star's bride - who is 5-feet-5 - was busted after trashing her 4-foot-8 husband's bedroom, police said. She allegedly greeted cops in her Utah driveway with a profane tirade. "F--- you and f--- him!" Shannon Price screamed before her arrest Wednesday night. "You deserve this after how you treated me!" she shouted at Coleman as the "Diff'rent Strokes" star stood amidst toppled furniture, scattered DVDs and strewn clothes. Price, 23, spent two hours in a county lockup before being released on $1,205 bond. Police in Santaquin, Utah, were...

The Oscar-winning actress says she traveled to Spain as a teenager, fell in love with the country, and embraces the culture to the point that she visits at least once a year and makes sure her young children, Apple and Moses, also speak the language. "When I was 15, I went to a small town outside Talavera de la Reina and I had the most wonderful experience. It really changed my life," Paltrow said in fluent Spanish during a recent interview. Paltrow said Spain "became a second home." "It is so different from the United States. It seemed to have...

TMZ has just obtained video footage of the heated confrontation between Perez Hilton and Will.I.Am -- in which Perez can clearly be heard calling the Black Eyed Pea a "f**king f*ggot." The footage begins in the middle of the verbal altercation outside an after-party for a music award show in Toronto -- moments after Hilton claims Will went after him like a "heat-seeking missile" and unleashed a verbal tirade at him. With a crowd surrounding Perez, Will and Will's manager, Polo -- the guys argue back and forth for about a minute, until Perez tells Will, "you're not a f**king...

The Long Island Lolita is all grown up now and she's traded her prison garb for stripper's lingerie. Amy Fisher, who has gone from teenage other-woman-shooter to prison wench to writer, will dance at an Independence Day weekend show at the Déjà Vu strip club.

n his latest stunt to promote his sure-to-be-controversial July 10 comedy Bruno, Sacha Baron Cohen appeared dressed as a bull at the historic Las Ventas bullfighting ring in Madrid, according to the Associated Press. "Ich have come to redress the wrong done to the gay community by that Hollywood movie on Harvey Milk which was acted by Sean Penn, who's not even gay," Baron Cohen told the crowd in the accent of the flamboyant-Austrian-fashionista character he plays in the movie. Wearing a furry black bull costume, complete with hooves and prominent genitalia, Baron Cohen, who engaged in similar in-character guerilla...

Billy Joel splits from third wife 'over 33-year age gap' By DAILY MAIL REPORTER 18th June 2009 Singer Billy Joel has split from television host Katie Lee after five years of marriage. [Pics in URL] The couple today released a statement claiming they 'caring friends' and a spokesperson denied a third party was involved in the break-down of their relationship. The 60-year-old, one of pop's most successful singer-songwriters wed the 27-year-old host of American reality TV show Top Chef in his mansion on New York's Long Island in 2004. Over: Billy Joel and wife Katie Lee, seen here in New...

Sean Penn Drops Out of The Three Stooges By Krystal Clark What’s eating Sean Penn? He’s not known as the most gentle soul in Hollywood, but he is known for having some serious acting chops. Unfortunately we won’t be seeing him doing what he does best for a while. According to Variety, the two-time Oscar winner has dropped out of two major film projects he was signed on to star in for Universal and MGM. The projects in question are Cartel, and the much talked about The Three Stooges. The actor informed both studios that he won’t be able to...

Miley Cyrus has reportedly had her nose pierced so we ask is it a cool new trend or trailer trash tacky? Nose piercing was all the rage back in the 1990s but- with Miley Cyrus' massive influence- are we about to see facial piercings make a comeback amoung teenage girls? Miley has been forced to keep her Disney image squeaky clean up until now but it seems she may be starting to rebel against her Hannah Montana typecast. According to reports it was her father Billy Ray Cyrus who took her to get her new face decorations and Miley has...

A teenage girl is suing a tattoo artist for £10,000 after she allegedly asked him for three stars on her face - but ended up with 56. Eighteen-year-old Kimberley Vlaminck paid £55 for 'the graffiti that has ruined my life' in her Belgian home town of Courtrai. Kimberley says the tattoos have ruined her life She claimed the Romanian tattooist who performed the artwork misunderstood her French and English. She claims she fell asleep while he was doing his work... and awoke to 'this nightmare'. 'It is terrible for me,' said Kimberley. 'I cannot go out on to the street,...

Robert Pattinson has had enough of being rejected by co-star Kristen Stewart and has demanded that the actress choose between him or her longtime love Michael Angarano. "Robert is completely frustrated," a friend of his told OK Magazine! "If Kristen isn't interested in a serious relationship, she needs to tell him so he can move on." The source said that Robert Pattinson is giving Kristen Stewart a few months to sort out her feelings. Pattinson wants the issue resolved by the time the two re-unite in Vancouver for the filming of Eclipse, the third installment of the Twilight franchise. "He's...

Hollywood star Cameron Diaz has spoken out in defence of women who don't want children. The 36-year-old Hollywood actress said there were already enough people living on the planet. But she also said she was not ruling out having children herself. Diaz told Cosmopolitan magazine: 'I think women are afraid to say that they don't want children because they're going to get shunned. 'But I think that's changing too now. I have more girlfriends who don't have kids than those that do. 'And honestly? We don't need any more kids. We have plenty of people on this planet.' On whether...

Obama claims Constitution written 2000 years ago http://www.conservativefront.com/2009/05/27/our-2000-year-old-constitution/

When sharing a red carpet with a 16 foot robot, Megan Fox knew she'd have to go the extra mile to get attention. The actress guaranteed she made a maximum impact at the world premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen in Tokyo with a striking figure-hugging purple gown. Taking a style tip from seasoned red carpet veteran Liz Hurley, Megan showed off her fabulous legs in a slashed-to-the-thigh satin gown. Purple passion: Megan Fox showed off her toned legs in a slashed-to-the-thigh purple dress and platform heels at the Tokyo premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen The 23-year-old...

Stars getting tattoo’s in foreign languages isn’t new, but unlike the general public stars usually get the spelling on their tattoos right. Hayden Panettiere is the exception. Panettiere has a tattoo down her side reading “Vivere senza rimipianti,” which is suppose to be Italian for ”Live without regrets.” Except for one small thing: Rimipianti is not the correct spelling. Somewhere along the line, an additional letter i was added to the tattoo, where as it should have read “rimpianti.” Thankfully for Panettiere, the additional i doesn’t turn the word into a different, and perhaps seriously wrong word, it’s just simply...

Scarlett Johansson & Gwyneth Paltrow have had a furious bust up on the set of their new movie Iron Man 2, according to a new report. Running With Scissors star Paltrow — who is married to Coldplay rocker Chris Martin — is said to be furious that 24-year-old Johansson is hogging all the limelight, prompting fierce rivalry between the pair. “Gwyneth has become very frustrated with Scarlett,” a source told British newspaper The Sun. “They come from different worlds and have completely different styles. “Gwyneth has found Scarlett very demanding of the attention of the crew. It’s not a happy...

Brad Pitt’s parents allegedly want him to dump partner Angeline Jolie, with who he has six children, and reunite with ex-wife Jennifer Aniston. Sources say the actor’s mom Jane Pitt dislikes Jolie and feels the actress is “no good.” “[Brad’s parents] sat him down and basically told him she’s trouble and no good. They urged him not to bring her to Cannes. Brad’s mother Jane is sick about what’s going on and has not been able to sleep well,” says an insider. “Jane would like nothing more than for Brad and Jen to reunite.” Pitt is rumored to be talking...

Madonna and Jesus Luz are getting married. The Brazilian model's father Luis Heitor Pinto da Luz has revealed the couple are planning a Kabbalah ceremony to have their union recognized by the mystical Jewish faith followed by the 50-year-old singer. However, their union will not be legally binding. Luis said: "The Kabbalah ceremony in New York that will link up my son Jesus Luz and Madonna only confirms that he is extremely happy."

<p>Barbra Streisand's secrets are bared in a tell-all by her ex, Hollywood producer Jon Peters. "Studio Head," sold to Harper- Collins for $700,000, claims Ray Stark, producer of "Funny Girl" and "The Way We Were," an ogre of male chauvinistic casting-couch sexual entitlement, molested Barbra.</p>

If Kelly Clarkson is tired of pregnancy rumors, she might want to avoid clothing choices like she's donned recently. The singer looked considerably heavier performing at the KIIS-FM Wango Tango in California this weekend (below, right). Contrast how the original American Idol looks compared to just two months ago, when promoting her new album on the current season of the hit show. Maybe she was channeling her inner Jessica Simpson and just picked a really unfortunate outfit. Sorry, that's a huge insult to Kelly Clarkson to even be mentioned in the same sentence. Our bad! Anyway, is she with child?...

Political blogger Meghan McCain isn’t exactly the toast of D.C. right now. Sen. John McCain’s daughter — who writes online for The Daily Beast and will soon release a book about life as a Republican — lost it after getting stopped by security when she arrived at the White House Correspondents dinner Saturday. The problem? She had only two tickets, but brought two friends. “The security guard sent her to talk to someone to sort out the situation, but Meghan got bratty and nastily told him, ‘We’ll just stand here then,’ like an insolent child,” our source said, adding that...

A 17-year-old girl had to be airlifted to a local hospital Tuesday evening after she was run over by her own car while trying to "ghost ride," a car stunt popularized in the East Bay, police said. "Ghost riding" typically entails a car owner walking or dancing alongside or on top of a vehicle that is idling forward without a driver. The stunt has local origins, particularly in the Bay Area rap scene radiating from Oakland and Vallejo. The injured girl was "performing a horseplay maneuver" as her 1980s-model Chevrolet Blazer idled along about 6 p.m. near San Jose Avenue...

Following her edgy (and obscenity filled) tribute to Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts continues to reveal her wild side. Spotted Monday on vacation in Hawaii with husband Danny Moder and their three kids, cameras caught a new tattoo peeking out of the Oscar winner's green bikini. Situated on the small of her back, the tat consists of the names of her little ones surrounding an illustration. Four-year-old twins Phinnaeus and Hazel's names are side by side rounding her backside, while just above them is Henry, nearly 2. Roberts is next slated to appear in the movie adaptation of the best-selling Eat,...

Elizabeth Edwards tells talk show host Oprah Winfrey that it's a "complicated question" if she still is in love with her husband, former presidential candidate and U.S. Sen John Edwards, after his admitted affair. In an episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to air Thursday, Winfrey asks Edwards, "Are you still in love with him?" Edwards responds, "You know, that's a complicated question," in an excerpt provided in advance to The Associated Press by Harpo Productions. Winfrey also asks Edwards, "Is it a day by day thing?" And Edwards says, "Neither one of us is out the door so I...

Pink announced recently that she and her estranged-husband Carey Hart are getting back together. And by "getting back together" I mean they're gonna put their wedding rings back on, live in the same house, but bang other people. Sweet! From the Chicago Sun Times: Turns out all that hoopla about breakup of the marriage of rocker Pink and her motorcross star hubby, Carey Hart, was a bit exaggerated. Seems the couple never got around to filing for divorce. Anyway, now they're back together, but have apparently worked out what the couple is calling an "open marriage" deal. According to a...