Free Republic

An uncontrollable, deadly virus ravages America, shutting down civilian institutions and triggering martial law. Vaccinations are compulsory, and there are mass quarantines throughout the country. It's the stuff of Hollywood — but rumors that it could be real are spreading like the flu in the blogosphere, where some people are loudly expressing their fears that the federal government is seriously considering such measures as it maps out a worst-case-scenario response to the swine flu pandemic. During the bird flu scare of 2005, the Bush administration added novel forms of influenza — including the swine flu — to the official list...

The Moon Survival Challenge HOW TO PLAY Imagine you are returning to the base ship on the sunlit side of the moon after carrying out a 72-hour exploration trip. Your small spacecraft has crash-landed about 200 miles from the base ship. You need to reach the base ship, in addition to your spacesuit, you were able to salvage the items listed below. Using what you know about the moon, rate each item in the above list according to how important it would be in getting you back to the base ship. Drag the items below up and down to prioritize...

Would You Eat Your Buddies in a Blizzard? Suppose you were stranded in a blizzard and were forced to cannibalize your friends. This short survey will tell you how likely you would be to eat your buddies. Note: Click onto the link provided to take this self survey. Bon appetit!

How Many Five Year Olds Could You Take In a Fight? This short survey will tell you approximately how many five year old children you could fight at once. Results are based on physical prowess, training, swarm-combatting experience, and the flexibility of your moral compass. Here are the ground rules: You are in an enclosed area roughly the size of a basketball court There are no weapons or foreign objects Everyone is wearing a cup (so no kicks to the groin) The children are merciless and will show no fear If a child is knocked unconscious, he is "out." The...

What’s at stake… As we sit here debating Rudy’s abortion stance or Ron Paul’s ideas, here’s a little thought exercise that should clarify what’s a stake for all of us in the upcoming election. Analysts often pursue a worst-case scenario in order to outline the scope of an issue. Here’s my version of such a scenario for 2008: 1. Hillary! wins the Whitehouse. 2. Due to the retirement of key Republican Senators in states with a heavy Democrat base (sorry, I refuse to call them blue states), as well as incremental wins elsewhere, the Democrats not only pick up Senate...