Free Republic

House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said calls by Republicans to drill for more oil “is not the answer America needs.” “Making gasoline more affordable would be the exact opposite of what we need to do,” Pelosi asserted. “We need to wean the country off of its dependence on fossil fuels. We can only do this if we discourage Americans’ love affair with their cars and put an end to the frenzy of excessive and senseless driving.” In support of her contention that Americans’ driving habits are “excessive” and “senseless,” the Speaker pointed to a recent study showing that...

Oppression At the Airport Still Think You Are Free? The first thing you lose when you walk into an airport is freedom of speech, according to Walter Williams article "Airport tyranny". You do not even have to say any particular thing to find yourself arrested. Even if you say something totally innocent (in a country with free speech everything is innocent), if some TSA thug claims it distracted him or her. Quoting James Bovard, Williams wrote: "According to the February 2002 Federal Register, people can be arrested if they act in a way that 'might distract or inhibit a screener...

Rape by gangs of immigrants is an assertion of dominance, and in that sense it is a political act. It says, “We are in charge here, and we do as we please with non-Muslims. No one may stop us; we operate with impunity.” There’s been a lot of talk here recently about the increased incidence of rapes, many of them committed by Muslim immigrants, in both Europe and Australia. We’ve highlighted the situation in Sweden, Norway, and Britain. Now it’s time to look at Belgium as well. If the Belgium government fails to prove such assertions wrong, then immigrant-dominated areas...

Have any of you ever bicycled or walked across America? It is something I've been thinking about for several years. If you have done this, would be interested in reading about your experiences. Routes you took (or avoided), mistakes made, lessons learned, planning, did you carry a firearm, memorable experiences, how long did it take, etc. ..... any aspect that you'd like to comment on.

RFFM.org Commentary Except for the dominant media and the most serious of Democratic Kool-Aid drinkers, it is clear the Islamic world would like to see Barack Hussein Obama become the next president of the United States of America. I'm sorry, Sen. McCain, I know you don't like things stated so bluntly, even when it's true, but facts are facts. Yes, I also know your temporary friends in the mainstream press like you because the "Straight Talk Express" prides itself on the use of political correctness. In fact, that is why you have gotten as far as you have this political...

TX and AZ Border Watches FOR YOUR INFORMATION...... Border watches on the TX and AZ borders have been scheduled by Texas Border Volunteers and Patriots Border Alliance (AZ). If you are interested in participating....please go to the following websites or contact the following e-mail addresses for further information. MEMBERSHIP IS REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE ON ANY BORDER WATCH!! BACKGROUNDS ARE CHECKED!! Texas Border Volunteers.....for information to join....go to www.texasbordervolunteers.org and download application or e-mail questions to vol052000-tbvmbrship@yahoo.com . Patriots Border Alliance (AZ).....for information to join (online)....go to www.patriotsborderalliance.com or e-mail questions to quetzal@wbhsi.net . As to recent news articles.....illegal aliens are...

I returned from vacation this morning and just had to share this with you guys. The first leg of our trip was a visit to beautiful Savannah, GA. While trying to get my bearings upon our arrival, I made a wrong turn and ended up in a neighborhood that ... I would not normally visit. However, we spotted this interesting sight and I made it a point to get a shot of it while leaving this area. This is located at the corner of Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd and Victory. Now, some might simply see this as just...

Presidential contender Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) rejected rival Senator John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) suggestion that the two of them make a joint visit to Iraq to assess the situation. “Anyone who wants to be president has got to have a first-hand view of the situation on the ground in Iraq,” McCain said. “Visiting the area, talking to the commanders, troops and Iraqi leaders is essential to understanding what’s going on.” McCain’s currently planned trip would be his 8th since the war began in 2003. Obama went to Iraq once, in 2006, and pronounced it a “a grievous mistake in which I...

Oslo police recently released its 2007 Rape Report. The report shows a marked increase in Somali rapists, generally on account of gang rapes. At least ten women were attacked and molested by a gang of Somali men at Sofienberg park in Oslo on Saturday evening. Last year a record-high 161 rapes and 35 rape attempts were reported in Oslo. Over 70% of the rapists were non-Norwegian [ed. ethnically, a majority had Norwegian citizenship]. Lawyer Abid Raja visited a cafe in Grønland in Oslo for Norwegian broadcaster P4. There he met three young men (ages 26, 30 and 35), from Somalia...

The Mexican peso was commonly used in early America. By a decree of July 6, 1785, the value of the United States dollar was even set to approximately match the peso. The first U.S. dollar coins were not issued until April 2, 1792, and the peso continued to be officially recognized and used, along with other foreign coins, until February 21, 1857. Since that period, the peso has at times taken on Banana Republic characteristics. Embarassingly, the U.S. dollar is now falling in value against the peso...

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain (Ariz.) told a campaign audience that charges he has a bad temper make him angry. “In fact, I had to deck one of my senate colleagues for calling me ‘Senator Hothead,’” McCain announced. “For me, fighting for this country and my beliefs isn’t just a figure-of-speech.” McCain argued that he is “the perfect candidate for those bitter Americans who cling to guns and religion and have antipathy toward those who hate our country.” Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) called McCain’s remarks “a vindication of my plan to rejuvenate America by sweeping aside the angry...

ST. LOUIS (Map, News) - Federal airline regulators said Wednesday that 24 jets operated by commuter airline company Trans States Airlines Inc. were grounded because they do not meet safety standards. Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Elizabeth Cory said the airline reported the problem Tuesday and the aircraft were being checked.

Stopped at the local Walgreens the other day and saw a Prious with a radar detector. And we don't have that many hills around here!! LMAO

CHICAGO (Reuters) - American Airlines canceled almost 1,100 flights, or nearly half its schedule, on Wednesday to reinspect aircraft, a disruption that affected about 100,000 passengers and triggered chaos at the busiest U.S. airports. The airline said it expects about 900 cancellations on Thursday.

Advice

CHARLOTTE, N.C.-- A gun carried by a US Airways pilot accidentally discharged during a flight from Denver to Charlotte Saturday, according to a statement released by the airline. The statement said the discharge happened on Flight 1536, which left Denver at approximately 6:45 a.m. and arrived in Charlotte at approximately 11:51 a.m. The Airbus A319 plane landed safely and none of the flight’s 124 passengers or five crew members was injured, according to the statement. It was a full flight. An airline spokeswoman said the plane has been taken out of service to make sure it is safe to return...

It was a scary ride aboard a U.S. Airways flight over the weekend. Some passengers said they saw parts of their plane's wing come off in midair. The plane took off from Orlando on Saturday. Officials at U.S. Airways said a small part of the wing came off and hit the plane while in flight.

Those planning on attending the Olympics have been warned that the Chinese government will be keeping close tabs on them while they’re in the country. The U.S. State Department advised that “All visitors should be aware that they have no reasonable expectation of privacy in public or private locations. Visitors should anticipate that they will be watched, taped and recorded wherever they go.” “We must guard against slander and immorality,” said Chinese Minister of Morality, Lo Wang. “Those who would speak ill of the Chinese government or attempt a ‘Spitzer’ in one of our hotels will be dealt with harshly.”...

Gas lines in China go have a look.

Southwest has apparently shelved an effort to outsource some of its maintenance to a facility in El Salvador, according to a report filed by Bloomberg News this afternoon: Southwest Airlines Co., under fire for missing required aircraft inspections, dropped a plan to move some maintenance operations outside the U.S., a union official said today.

I JUST FLEW IN FROM BUFFALO (and boy, did it ever suck!)(not Buffalo; the flight) Why is commercial air travel in this country such a miserable experience anymore? Seems that every aspect of it has lost any enjoyment. It's gotten to the point that I avoid traveling altogether. While booking flights online has never been easier, flights cost more, take longer, include more tightly-scheduled stops and come with significantly diminished levels of customer service. No detail with which to nickle-and-dime the passenger appears to be too small, too petty. Even the boarding process has lost the semblance of order it...

Grand Haven at night

What you are looking at is the physical representation of Hyundai's will to succeed in the U.S., also known as the 2009 Hyundai Genesis. The Korean automaker's first attempt at a rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan will debut in Detroit next week and arrive on our shores later this year (we think) with a price tag that starts below $30,000. As is Hyundai's way, it will feature power, performance and amenities that belie its little price tag. First, the design. The Genesis sedan has clean lines and uncluttered surfaces that look detailed and, frankly, expensive. Yes, it's derivative. There's a bit of...

www.ananova.com Chinese man has built a cage for his car to stop thieves kidnapping parts and demanding ransom money. Mr Zhang, of Jilin city, says his car's computerized engine management system was stolen twice.

I could use some advice on where to stay that's cheap clean,safe and located near the transit line ( I'm just sleeping there, not looking to spend much time in my room) Just me and a buddy going to watch baseball and look around. I'd prefer just outside Tokyo if possible. I have not been there in nearly 20 years when I visited while in the military. What's the exchange rate roughly? What day trips are good to take? (I prefer self-guided tours) Is Mt.Fuji worth the trip? What's the best beer hall? Is a rental car practical or worthwhile...

RAFAH, Egypt — Electric batons could not stop hordes of Palestinians from illegally pouring through a hole in the border fence between Gaza and Egypt. Nor could water canons and bulldozers. Palestinians have repeatedly crossed into Egypt for supplies since last Wednesday. As soon as Egyptian forces have sealed up one hole, Hamas forces have succeeded in blasting a new one somewhere else in the 18-foot fence that divides this backwater border town in two. Nothing Egyptian officials did seemed to work until they began blasting Yoko Ono music from the same speakers normally used to call Muslims to prayer....

Arizona’s Governor, Janet Napolitano (D), plans to use new photo radar and other speed enforcement technology on state highways to generate revenue to help close the state’s budget deficit. Her proposal projects at least $120 million in revenue per year from the program. This is about a tenth of a forecast $1.2 billion deficit. Napolitano acknowledged that the technology was sold to the public as a means of promoting safety, but said it would be foolish to overlook its revenue raising potential. "Since the majority of the traffic on our roads exceeds the speed limit, we realized we’re sitting on...

As one smoker said at the Detroit Auto Show, "Do you know what smokers have to go through today just to smoke? It's like they're trying to erase us from history." More and more carmakers are making it harder to smoke in one's own vehicle by replacing lighters and ashtrays with storage spaces and power outlets. The trend is driven by "pressure from anti-smoking groups, fewer smokers and the need for the extra storage space." According to the United Health Foundation, about 20.8% of the population smokes, which means about 60 million people. According to Apple, 100 million people have...

A quest to discover the forgotten churches of Russia's rural heartlands takes Robin Stummer to a place where time flows backwards Mist and vodka - not bad travelling companions for a journey into a slice of rural Russia that isn't so much frozen in time, as sucked back into it. That this haunted, haunting flat expanse of forest, wetlands and meadow is only a few hours from the flash-cash mayhem of 21st-century Moscow merely adds to the unreality. Soviet and imperial bureaucrats alike failed to name this distinctive region, organised tourism never really arrived, road signs were, and are, virtually...

The last time the three-wheeled Aptera was featured on our site, we promised to keep you abreast of any new information that we found. Thanks to a tip from a reader named Matthew, we are pleased to let you know that Aptera is now accepting orders. Aptera has a Web site here, but there is not a great deal of information or raw-data to be found there. A better source of information is at their MySpace page, which is here. According to this article, Aptera is looking at around 300 miles per gallon along with acceptable performance numbers of about...

Mexican President, Felipe Calderon, denounced “the growing harassment” of Mexicans in the United States. “They’re treating our people like outsiders who have no right to be there,” Calderon complained. “They are arresting them, deporting them, denying them their basic human rights.” Calderon cited the recent flap over New York Governor Eliot Spitzer’s proposal to grant illegal immigrants driver’s licenses as “an example of the lengths to which the American right wing will go for political advantage. Here was a simple plan to ensure that Mexicans’ human rights to drive and vote would not be denied because of lack of documentation....

Looking for a bit of advice. We're about to take a long Thanksgiving trip and need to break up the travel with an overnight stop in Memphis, TN. Problem is, we really don't want (and really can't afford to) pay for TWO hotel rooms for our family. There's my wife, myself, and our 6 kids (aged 14 and under). Anyone have some suggestions for a good, inexpensive place to stay in Memphis for a family of eight! All the chains we've been checking allow a maximum of 2 adults, 4 kids. Like NOBODY on earth has more than 4 kids....

* Take It Easy - aggressive driving ruins efficiency as much as anything. Revving the engine, quick acceleration, and high speed travel reduce your MPG a lot faster than you may realize. When applicable, use your cruise control to help keep the RPMs level. * Timing is Everything - Stop-and-go traffic, crowded roads, and looking for a parking space are all fuel-burners. Try running your errands outside of rush hours and peak shopping times. With the amount of stores that are open late or 24-hours, you can find most of what you need later or earlier than peak times. Not...

Dear FReepers, I returned last night from my visit to Israel. It was fantastic! We spent most of the time with my daughter and her family, who live in the North of Israel. My grandson turned 3 years old, which is celebrated by an "upsherenish" ceremony in which his hair was cut for the first time. We observed this festive ritual in Meron, at the tomb of Rabbi Simeon Bar Yochai, the author of the Zohar, the mystical work of Kabbalah. The reason for this custom, a child is compared to the fruit of a tree, which may not be...

A Conservative Website for Rochester, NY, Launched Today, RochesterConservative.com I'd like to invite all Freepers to come on over and visit RochesterConservative.com, the Conservative website for the Greater Rochester, NY area. Our country is currently in the midst of a cultural war between the left and right, liberal versus conservative, athiest versus Judeo/Christian. Anybody who’s been following or participating in blogs and internet forums has probably taken note of this. RochesterConservative.com is a grassroots effort to spread the word that smaller government is good government and self reliance and love of God and Country is still considered a virtue in...

OK, this is the last resort. I've put this off til the last minute, cause I was sure we'd have more people stepping up by now.Now I'm asking for help.TankerBabe and I are trying to get some winter gear to a unit in Afghanistan.We just need a little help.Do what you can, spread the word.

Retail prices in Canada are starting to fall in response to the surging Canadian dollar, and shoppers could soon find themselves with extra spending money on their hands just in time for Christmas. It will also be a lot cheaper for Canadians to shop in the states.

The revelation that the 9/11 hijackers had accumulated 35 driver licenses from states with lax requirements led Republican Governor George Pataki to issue an executive order in 2002 requiring driver's license applicants to submit Social Security numbers, to prove that they were legal residents, or provide proof that they were ineligible for a Social Security card. Under Democratic Governor Eliot Spitzer’s new policy, foreign passports and birth certificates will be enough to obtain a New York driver’s license. Spencer claims this will make the state’s roads safer. “Look, people have to drive,” Spitzer explained. “It’s better that they get licenses...

See for example this thread first. Controversy erupts o'er King Tut We know that he's an Egyptian, but The claim that he's not black --not by a racist hack! So they CAT scanned his mummy, so what?

What airline do you most often frequent? Why? Do you look for the cheapest fares? Is it the in-flight service which attracts you? What is it about the airline that has you choose it over the others? I do a fair amount of travel, from ATL (Atlanta-Hartsfield) to SE Asia. I have flown on Garuda, Singapore Air, Delta (although not in several years), Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Korean Air and Northwest. I have become quite dissatisfied by the service, or lack thereof, with Northwest, which is what I have been using for the long Pacific flights from Minneapolis or Detroit to...

European and American countries that took Africans to other continents to serve as slaves should pay reparations, say attendees at the African Union (AU) conference in the Caribbean Island of Barbados. Addressing the conference, Africa's Development Minister, Hola Bushwa says the countries who were responsible for the slave trade must take responsibility for their actions. “Today, Blacks in America and Europe live lives of luxury compared to those left behind in Africa,” Bushwa said. “The African continent has suffered poverty and corrupt governments while their racial brothers whose ancestors were taken as slaves have prospered.” Bushwa demanded that either the...

Democratic presidential candidate former senator John Edwards (D-NC) told a labor group that he is asking Americans to give up their wasteful ways. Edwards told a forum held by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, he thinks Americans are willing and able to make this sacrifice in order to conserve energy for use by more important people like himself. “As I have crisscrossed this nation during my campaign, I have seen how Americans waste energy,” Edwards said. “They drive gas-guzzling SUVs. Their homes are bigger than they need. They eat too much.” Edwards...

Seaside: Not All it's Sleazed Up to Be Posted by Belmar Benny August 07, 2007 11:51AM Categories: Belmar Benny, Photos There's no doubt the first reaction most people have when mentioning Seaside Heights will somehow invoke the term "Sleazeside". And sure, Seaside is certainly the most honky-tonk shore town next to Wildwood, and the filthiest next to Atlantic City, but it's not without its charms.  Disregarding nightlife- which aside from Bamboo in my opinion, leaves nothing to be desired (unless you're an 18 year-old juice-bag on coke, who enjoys dancing with your shirt off in a circle of like-minded...

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY -- My team and I (Iraqi & American) are being transfered to an UNDISCLOSED LOCATION. For the next several weeks it is very likely that I will NOT be unable to respond to e-mails or POST on FR. Your continued prayers for my team and I are appreciated !I have set in motion what I hope will be a continued effort towards VICTORY for Duncan Hunter !http://DuncanHunter.meetup.comI have appointed several "assistant organizers" who can keep the ball rolling until I get back "online"Just because I can't POST/E-mail does not mean I won't be able to READ :)..Take care,...

Coasting through the legislature on a slogan “speed kills,” a new law in the state allows police to get tough with drivers caught exceeding the posted limits. The measure seeks to both make an example of those “who refuse to comply with the law” and raise revenue to fund “vital government functions.” State Highway Patrol spokesman, Captain Robert Morris defended the law as “the stick we have long needed to beat some sense into those who speed or drive improperly. Year-after-year the vast majority of drivers have ignored the posted limits. Fines and points have failed to achieve compliance. More...

Castro’s government has complained that the United States has fallen behind in the number of visas allotted for Cubans, suggesting this was a deliberate attempt by the Bush administration to cause trouble for the Cuban nation. The U.S. failure was labeled ''grave and unjustifiable'' according to a statement published in the Communist Party’s Granma newspaper. “The U.S. negligence condemns Cubans to continued lives of poverty and oppression on this island,” the statement read. “An inadequate number of visas distributed in a timely manner induces many to risk their lives in leaky boats in an attempt to reach America. This is...

See for example this thread first. The news certainly is not the best of a weapons-related arrest Parts for old F-14's and you know what that means... They were purchased at Iran's behest!

This is just a quick prayer request. I am relocating to Minnesota. I will be driving there the next three days, and my family is going to follow with the moving trucks in the first week in August. Any and all prayers for a happy safe trip, and God's blessing on the new life, are welcome.

See for example this thread first. The beginning of the Tour de France Now forgive me if I look askance Cause although Landis won just last year it's no fun if I cannot be rooting for Lance!

The Communist government of North Korea has stepped up the number of public executions of cell phone users and those who circulate outside information in the country. Under that nation’s laws, citizens are prohibited from communicating with the outside world. “The peace and happiness of the Korean people must not be disturbed through the transmission of unauthorized information,” said Wee Fat, Minister of Happiness and Tranquility for the government. “All that we need to know will be told to us by our great leader, Kim Il Jong.” Wee defended the severity of the punishment saying it was “necessary to stamp...