Free Republic

<p>SHE'S just a beauty queen.</p> <p>She's another Dan Quayle.</p> <p>And ironically, the biggest criticism of Sarah Palin, John McCain's veep choice, is she has no experience. Funny, coming from the Barack Obama camp.</p> <p>Following McCain's announcement of Palin - the first female to be put on a GOP ticket for the White House, and only the second in US history - the Obama campaign skipped the niceties and blasted her as the "former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience." She's also a governor of Alaska (my home state), the first woman in that office and the youngest elected in state history. She has an 80-plus percent approval rating. She has turned the state upside down with her reformist zeal and has made enemies of the Republican establishment.</p>

With all the furor over the possibility of a high-speed financial meltdown, it’s been easy to forget that we still have the problem of a weak real economy, and a Fed that is having a hard time getting traction. And as I’ve pointed out before, we’re quite close to liquidity trap territory: the point at which open-market purchases of Treasury bills, the normal way monetary policy operates, don’t have any effect because the T-bill rate is near zero. , today’s morning update: as of 8:49, the one-month T-bill rate is 0.539, the 3-month rate 0.728.

Like the Jedi Knights in Star Wars, much of Israel's safety depends on an absurdly small number of daring pilots and their jet planes. The Israel Air Force has managed to use that capacity with amazing skill and daring, as it showed last September when a dozen fighter bombers and support aircraft jammed Syria's Russian-supplied air defenses and destroyed a secret nuclear facility on the Euphrates river --- not far from Iran. The nature of that target has still not been revealed, but it must have been important enough to risk triggering a missile attack from Syria. That means the...

PHOENIX - The family of a teenage skeet shooter is complaining that school officials overreacted by suspending the girl for inadvertently leaving two unopened boxes of shotgun shells in her car when she drove to school. High school senior Kim Peters said she fears the punishment will cloud her permanent record as she applies to colleges. Her family is fighting the Dysart Unified School District to get the offense, possession of a "dangerous instrument," expunged. Administrators stand by their decision and rejected the family's first appeal. "We can never comment on a specific situation with a student (due to privacy...

How Amber Becomes Death Trap For Watery Creatures ScienceDaily (Oct. 20, 2007) — Shiny amber jewelry and a mucky Florida swamp have given scientists a window into an ancient ecosystem that could be anywhere from 15 million to 130 million years old. Scientists at the University of Florida and the Museum of Natural History in Berlin made the landmark discovery that prehistoric aquatic critters such as beetles and small crustaceans unwittingly swim into resin flowing down into the water from pine-like trees. Their findings are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The resin with its entombed...

A Lansing man may lose his right hand after triggering a booby trap in his own home. Police and fire officials say 50-year-old say Victor Iacobescu had been the victim of several break-ins. So he decided to protect his home from future burglars.

It's the No. 1 complaint in county government. The reality is, we all speed," said Del. Guy Guzzone, a former county councilman. Guzzone, like other state legislators, is expecting another General Assembly debate over legislation to allow local governments to install automated speed cameras that can safely catch more speeders - who would get expensive tickets but would not get points on their licenses - than any police radar team in history. State Sen. James N. Robey, a former county executive and county police chief, hopes to help spearhead the move for speed-camera authority next year, he said. Howard County...

WASHINGTON, May 3, 2007 – Coalition forces have been targeting al Qaeda in Iraq over the last six days in a series of raids dubbed “Operation Rat Trap,” a senior spokesman told reporters in Baghdad today. Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said coalition forces have no information that would substantiate the rumored -- and widely reported -- deaths of terrorist leaders Abu Ayyub al-Masri or Abu Omar al-Baghdadi. In fact, the general added, coalition officials don’t know who Baghdadi is. However, Caldwell said, coalition forces killed Muharib Abdul Latif, al Qaeda in Iraq’s chief propagandist, at about 2 a.m....

Border Patrol agents, “trapped” between two layers of border fencing could be sitting ducks for Mexican drug smugglers and coyotes, warns T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council. A 700-mile double-layer fence approved for construction along the U.S.-Mexico border, including a Brownsville-to-Laredo stretch, makes patrolling agents vulnerable to attacks. “The agents get trapped,” Bonner said, adding that the gates to exit the fence corridor are about a quarter-mile apart. “You can see where the gates are. It’s very clear. The smugglers know that there is no exit for our agents.” The agency does not keep statistics on incidents...

YAPHANK, N.Y., Sept. 1 — In the musical revue “Yip Yip Yaphank,” based on his time as an Army trainee here during World War I, Irving Berlin wrote with uncanny augury about what the repeated exposure to sudden loud noises can do to a person’s otherwise good nature. “I’ll amputate his reveille/and step upon it heavily,” Mr. Irving wrote about the Army bugler in “Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning,” the most famous song from his revue. The Army’s training camp here, Camp Upton, is gone, as is Mr. Berlin, but the spirit of jangled nerves...

Crumbling Chernobyl Shelter Poses DangerBy MARA D. BELLABY, Associated Press Writer Sat Apr 22, 6:37 PM ET An aerial view of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant shortly after the explosion of its still smoking fourth reactor is seen in this 1986 file picture. Ukraine marks the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident, the world's worst civil nuclear disaster, on April 26 this year. The concrete was used for the building of a sarcophagus around the shattered reactor, designed to contain emanating radiation. BLACK AND WHITE ONLY REUTERS/Vladimir Repik/Files CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, Ukraine - Chernobyl's coffin is cracking. Birds...

DEMOCRATS TRAP BLACK CHILDREN IN FAILING SCHOOLS For Immediate Release Contact: Frances Rice National Black Republican Association 601 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 900-S Washington, DC 20004 (202) 638-6940 (202) 639-8238 Fax NBRA websiteDEMOCRATS TRAP BLACK CHILDREN IN FAILING SCHOOLS Washington, D.C. - January 7, 2006 - On the heels of a protest rally by Democrats in Florida to shut down a privately funded program that gives school choice vouchers or "opportunity scholarships" to black parents, the liberal Florida Supreme Court ended the state-sponsored opportunity scholarship program, slamming the door in the face of black parents. The National Black Republican Association...

The Middle East, never a region of the world known for calm, is now experiencing especially unusual turmoil. There is the ongoing struggle between Israel and the Palestinians, and the new conflict for control of Iraq. Syria is under UN investigation for alleged involvement in the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. And Iran is the subject of international concern because of its nuclear program. Now Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has thrown a match. His call for wiping Israel off the map has been denounced in the West, and there has even been some suggestion of military action. At...

Iraqi Police, U.S. Troops Trap 5 Terror Suspects Intelligence reports and tips from local residents indicated that the suspects detained were involved in roadside bombings. By U.S. Army Maj. Russ Goemaere 2nd Brigade Combat Team BAGHDAD, Iraq, Oct. 13, 2005 —Iraqi Police joined forces with U.S. soldiers assigned to Task Force Baghdad to capture five suspected terrorists in east Baghdad Oct. 11. This is the second mission in the last few days where intelligence from the community directly led to the capture of suspected terrorists. On Oct. 8, the same unit detained five other terror suspects. "The people want...

Is this tax trap waiting for you? By William Neikirk Tribune senior correspondent Sun Aug 21, 9:40 AM ET The AMT is coming after you. Congress passed the AMT, or alternative minimum tax, in 1969 to crack down on 155 super-rich people who had escaped paying taxes. But in the next few years, it will ensnare millions in the middle class and perhaps roil the nation's politics. This year nearly 4 million taxpayers are being hit by the AMT, but that number will soar to 20.5 million taxpayers next year and 51.3 million, or 45 percent of all taxpayers, by...

When a skunk took a liking to Denver and Wanda Ward's backyard, digging holes under their fence and eating tomato plants, Denver decided to do something about it. He caught his culprit and thought he was doing the right thing by calling the city to come get it. He explains, "She wasn't interested in the skunk. She was interested in how I caught it. I told her I caught it with a steel trap and she asked did I know that's against the law and I said no m'aam I didn't." The Animal Services officer wrote Denver a $137 ticket...

Former police chief Haulk files to run for CIty Council By PETER J. HOVANEC -- MONROE (Aug. 5, 2005) With about three hours left in the municipal filing period, the races keep getting more interesting. On the last full day of filing, former Monroe Police Chief Bobby Haulk joined the race for Monroe City Council. Haulk retired in June from after being ousted by the former city manager and many of the council members he is looking to join. Haulk first retired Oct. 28, reportedly after being given an ultimatum by the council to resign or be fired. He was...

RUSH: So here we go, conservatives. "GOP Right Splintered on Schiavo Intervention." It's the New York Times. You can make book on this: Whenever some conservatives disagree with others, the New York Times and the rest of the media move in, say, "A-ha, they're falling apart!" They've been hoping and praying for a split-up and a fall-apart and a never-ending battle that would split the so-called Republican conservative coalition. Adam Nagourney takes this stab at it. "The vote by Congress to allow the federal courts to take over the Schiavo case has created distress among conservatives who say that lawmakers...

[Technology News]: Spam fighters are cheering from the sidelines a recent US court decision that dovetails with their technological efforts to turn the tidal wave of spam that threatens to drown the world's computer networks. Jeremy Jaynes was found guilty last November by a state court in Leesburg, Virginia, of sending more than 10 million unsolicited emails a day. He was hawking pornography, work-at-home schemes and stock-picking software. The spams are estimated to have earned him about $750,000 a month. He is now on $1 million bail, forbidden from using the internet and will be sentenced this month. The jury...

FAIRFAX, VA -- In major victories for America’s sporting heritage, voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment recognizing every citizen’s fundamental right to hunt, fish and trap, and rejected ballot issues banning bear hunting methods. "This is a sound victory for outdoorsmen," said Chris W. Cox, the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) chief lobbyist. "Most Americans understand that hunters, anglers and trappers have long led the nation in establishing effective conservation and wildlife management practices. "Anti-hunting groups claim to protect animals, but their policies are ill-conceived, poorly researched and potentially disastrous to wildlife," added Cox. "On Election Day, voters sent a clear...

Sometimes it’s irksome, and sometimes it’s laughable. I don’t know about you, but I find it quite entertaining watching numerous candidates for public office wave fishing rods and handle guns on TV in an all-out effort to get elected on Nov. 2. Some of them really want you to believe they are active sporting men and ladies in our Bayou State woods and waters. Now then, I know quite truly that at least a few are the real deal. In fact, I have spent a little time fishing and hunting with at least one in my 15 years as an...

       In a span of no more than two seconds, the shooter must swing the shotgun in the direction of the bird in flight, anticipate the angle of impact, aim and shoot at a target that appears, as it flies away, to be no larger than a quarter.        But that's the attraction of trapshooting — it's not easy. In fact, there are inherent features built into the sport to make it more difficult, like the direction of flight, wind, lighting and a black disc with a neon-orange top taking instant flight at 65 miles per...

Woman Locks Self Into Bear Trap VERNON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — An animal-rights activist protesting the state's bear control methods locked herself into a bear trap Monday before being arrested. Angela Metler, 47, was charged with obstruction of governmental functions and additional charges against her are pending, authorities said. "Once she entered the trap, she locked herself with a lock to the bear trap itself, which required us to first remove the lock and then remove the lady from the bear trap," Sgt. Robert Walsh said. Police also said they had to disassemble part of the trap to get her...

<p>There is a pic of Evita and Lurch under the headline, which currently is unclickable. More news to follow, I would gather.</p>

SEPARATE HOTEL ROOMS AFTER SHOUTING MATCH

Constructing the Escape Barrier(Wall) A Soldier Watching Over Construction Crews Digging Traps for Escapees A Section of Finished Escape Barrier Across the River

Would be president John Kerry seems to have a few national security ethics problems before he even gets to the nominating convention. Or perhaps we can illustrate better with a question: Besides being rabid liberals, what do Joseph C. Wilson IV, Jamie Gorelick, Richard Ben-Veniste, Richard Clarke, and Sandy Berger all have in common? Sure, they all worked for the Clinton fiasco and all are egotistical and brash; but that's not the point. Now they are all helping the Kerry campaign in one way or another -- often behind the scenes. And, as is often the case with the Clinton...

North Korea Builds 400 Km Fence, Sets Traps to Stop Defectors It has been learned that North Korea is building a 400 km wooden fence from Shinuiju, North Pyongan Province to Onsong, North Hamgyong Province in order to put a stop to the recent exodus of defectors from the country. In a telephone conversation with this reporter, an officer in a North Korean border guard unit said, "In accordance with an order from the National Defense Commission calling for us to completely seal the border, border guard units and all the citizens of the border regions were mobilized and have...

U.S. Advisor Says Iraq Peace Offer Was a Trap(2003-11-09) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A last minute peace deal offered by a top Iraqi official in the run up to the war that toppled Saddam Hussein was a trap designed to discredit U.S. policy, an advisor to the Pentagon said on Sunday.Richard Perle, former chairman of the Defense Policy Advisory Board who had met with a Lebanese businessman who conveyed the Iraqi offer meant to prevent an invasion, said the offer had not been credible.Perle told ABC television's "This Week With George Stephanopoulos" that the offer by former chief of intelligence, Gen....

WALDO, Fla. - Much like U.S. 301 splits this north Florida town down the middle, a billboard warning that the town is a speed trap has residents divided. In the latest salvo of an 8-year-old war with police Chief A. W. Smith, AAA has erected a black and yellow billboard on the highway between Waldo and Starke, northeast of Gainesville. "Speed Trap," the sign says in black block lettering inside a bright yellow diamond. Beside it, yellow on black, is the word "Waldo." Under that: "6 miles ahead." A similar billboard warns motorists about Lawtey, about 20 miles north of...

Scientists Bring New Twist To 'Death By Chocolate' With Chocolate Flavoured Mousetrap <!-- BODY BEGIN <p>A mousetrap made out of chocolate developed by scientists at the University of Warwick is set to bring a new meaning to 'Death by Chocolate'. The novel invention leads mice into temptation with the irresistible, alluring scent of chocolate essence without the use of bait. </p> <p><p>A collaboration of the University of Warwick's Innovation Direct service, a free consultancy service for SMEs (Small and Medium Sized Enterprises) and Sorex Ltd, a leading manufacturer of rodent control products, from Cheshire, has developed the mousetrap made out...

It's not easy being Paul Krugman these days. He's got a new book coming out, and he's trying his damnedest to push it. He's all over the talks. He even did an interview with Rolling Stone last week — he's got a cover line sandwiched between "Eminem vs. Jarule: An Underground Rap War Heats Up" and "All-Girl Smackdown: Inside the World of Pro Catfighting." But the timing just isn't working. His book is called The Great Unraveling, but right now most things seem to be raveling. I'm thinking remainder bins. Think, for a moment, about how good things have been...

By Peter Baker Washington Post Foreign Service Tuesday, April 15, 2003; 8:44 PM MARINE COMBAT HEADQUARTERS, Central Iraq, April 15 -- The Marines were told to look for House 13. Inside they hoped would be U.S. soldiers captured by the Iraqis. As they made their way through a dusty warren of two-story mud-colored hutches in the Iraqi town of Samarra, they found House 11. They found House 12. But no House 13. What they did see were more and more Iraqis swarming around. First a child who popped around a corner, then two or three men. Soon there were dozens...

WITH THE 5TH MARINES, Iraq, March 27 (UPI) -- An Iraqi armored unit and infantry troops were pummeled with airstrikes and artillery fire Thursday after falling for a trap that lured the Iraqis into vacated U.S. positions in central part of the country. The armored unit, including Soviet-made tanks, were approaching vacated positions across the open desert when two Navy F-14 aircraft swooped down from a bright, clear sky -- the first after three days of vicious dust storms -- and released laser-guided missiles and bombs. Cobra helicopter gunships then buzzed in lower, firing Gatling guns and rocket launchers. Plumes...

I have discovered (perhaps I am not the first) a huge vulnerability in our use of the Web and for the sake of future discussion I will coin a term and call it 'web noise'. While concerns about computer virus's and email scripts dominate the news about computer attacks, a subtle version has been introduced by what appears to be folks inspired by rap lyrics. Imagine one day you want to search for some information and you get the garbled text results like the following large sites illustrate: freakystylz.comyuppychat.com web.iwasateenagewolfman.com As you drill down the links int these large trees...