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Next Week's Challenge from listener Ed Pegg Jr.: Write the digits from 1 to 9 in a line. If you put a plus sign after the 2, a times sign after the 4, and plus signs after the 6 and 8, the line shows 12 + 34 x 56 + 78 + 9, which equals 2003. That's nine years off from our current year 2012.? This example uses four arithmetic symbols. The object is to use just three of the following arithmetic operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, in a line from 1 to 9 to get 2012 exactly. The...

AUSTIN - Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Sunday that he is undaunted by his failure to win the backing of leading social conservatives and expressed confidence that he can still rally conservative voters in Saturday's South Carolina primary with his message of job creation and economic recovery. ....Perry was unapologetic about describing front-runner Mitt Romney's business activities as "vulture" capitalism, despite criticism from a number of leading Republicans, who warned that Democrats could exploit Perry's use of the term if Romney becomes the nominee. Perry said the issue of job creation and Romney's record at Bain Capital is certain to...

Voter turnout will likely drop substantially in the 2012 U.S. presidential election, due in part to decreased interest among young people who flocked to the polls in 2008 to help elect President Barack Obama. A report this week by the Center for the Study of the American Electorate at American University predicted that the drop in turnout among young people will likely contribute to a decline in overall voter turnout in the November election after near record numbers in the last two presidential elections. "The election is likely to offer a minimum of hope and a maximum of televised invective...

The South Carolina Republican Presidential Primary is on January 21, 2012. I live in South Carolina, so the Republican Presidential candidates have just about a month to convince me of one thing: that he or she will help cure the disease and not just the symptoms. I already know that it's imperative that President Obama not win a second term, and not just to save me from more gray hairs and so-not-cute wrinkles due to constant scowling at the nightly news. But, just as important and too often forgotten is the need for a President who will have the strength...

In a fundraising letter sent out this afternoon by the Democratic National Committee, Will Crossley, counsel and voter protection director, asks folks to support his party because, he implies, Republican efforts to suppress voters are worse than Jim Crow-era laws. “Dorothy Cooper was born before women or African Americans in our country could exercise the right to vote. She grew up in a Jim Crow-divided South, and saw the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965,” Crossley writes. “Dorothy is 96 years old. In 70 years, she's missed just one election. And she's never had a problem voting –...

The Case for Ron Paul By Jason McNew Ron Paul, a physician, has earned himself the name "Dr. No" by refusing to vote for any bill which assumes powers other than those given in Article I, Section VIII of the Constitution. When one takes a sober look at our country today, it's easy to see why Dr. Paul would behave this way. Take note that there is no authority in the Constitution for the setting of interest rates (as the Federal Reserve does) -- interference which led directly to the housing bubble (which Ron Paul predicted). Despite U.S. participation in...

The College Board and News Corp. sponsored a forum on education with four GOP presidential candidates last week, and the runaway winner was Newt Gingrich. (Truth in advertising: I moderated the session along with Joel Klein, the former New York schools chancellor who now runs an educational unit for our employer, News Corp. Each candidate received 30 minutes, which was refreshing after the 30-second trivial pursuits of the debates.) Michele Bachmann (local control), Rick Santorum (moral values) and Herman Cain (business principles) stuck mainly to their talking points, but Mr. Gingrich kept the crowd of 1,000 or so engaged and...

There are a lot of fine candidates running for President who are not Mitt Romney. You can certainly say fantastic things about Rick Perry, Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann and some of the other candidates who are reaching for that brass ring. Like everyone running, Newt Gingrich has his flaws, but given the state of the race, it's time to start giving Newt serious consideration. Why?1) Newt Gingrich would run a competent campaign: Let me say publicly what I keep hearing privately from other conservatives. They tell me that they really don't want to vote for Mitt Romney, but Herman Cain...

In an election season that already has taken more than its share of unlikely turns, few moments have seemed more improbable than the crowd scene Friday afternoon at a Chick-fil-A along a busy suburban thoroughfare here. At least 400 people jammed the restaurant, leaving those in the back straining to get even a glimpse of a man whose presidential candidacy had been left for dead not five months ago. Against the glassed-in playground stood Newt Gingrich, microphone in hand, promising: “If you’re with me, I think we will win the most decisive election in modern times, and I think we...

http://video.foxnews.com/v/1207121301001/polygamists-want-equal-marriage-rights/?playlist_id=86923

Rick Perry will deliver a policy address in Pittsburgh next Friday, his campaign said. Spokesman Mark Miner told POLITICO the speech would “focus on energy and job creation.” He said there would be “more in the coming weeks.” Continue Reading POLITICO’s Reid Epstein, traveling with Perry in Iowa this weekend, reports that the Texas governor told voters he planned to speak soon about what a “president can use to unilaterally deal with the issue of job creation.” “Over the course of the next few days, and certainly weeks and months, we’ll be laying specificity out, but we know what to...

And the truth is you can't rev up the engine of an economic growth by heaping higher taxes on job creators. You can't spread success by punishing it. You can't unite our country by dividing it. The answer to our troubles lies in a positive, optimistic vision, with policies rooted in American exceptionalism. See, American exceptionalism is the product of unlimited freedom. And there is nothing troubling our nation today that cannot be solved by the rebirth of freedom – nothing. We need to repeal the job-killing bureaucratic nightmare that's known as "Obamacare."

Seimone Augustus and the Minnesota Lynx completed a near-perfect postseason by beating the Atlanta Dream 73-67 on Friday night to complete a three-game sweep of the WNBA championship series. Augustus had 16 points and Maya Moore, returning to her Atlanta home, had 15 to lead a balanced scoring attack as the Lynx won their first WNBA title. Minnesota closed the postseason with six straight wins, including sweeps of Phoenix in the Western Conference finals and Atlanta in the championship series. Most Minnesota players celebrated in a pile of hugs on the court. Taj McWilliams-Franklin, the 41-year-old starting center, headed to...

Pelosi Agrees With Rep. Jackson Lee: Republicans Raised Fuss Over Debt Limit Because Obama Is Black (Video) The worst Speaker in US history was back at it this past week. Minority Leader Pelosi told a group of black democrats that Republicans only raised a fuss during the debt debates because Obama is black. Via The Blaze: Democrats are incapable of understanding why anyone in their right mind would not want to steal from taxpayers to buy votes. This is the same nut who claimed she lowered the deficit.

Just about everyone here at the RedState Gathering of conservative bloggers and activists is familiar with one thing about the Texas governor: He's a job creator. Even though it's happening the same day as the Ames Straw Poll in Iowa, Perry's 1 p.m. speech is slated to be carried live by CNN, Fox News and C-SPAN, according to RedState organizers.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Notice the lovely woman in the Houston ACORN shirt standing with a smiling Rick Perry. Someone might want to talk with Houston’s King Street Patriots and their fight against Mighty ACORN in Houston with their True the Vote program. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTaQW4hLGWI&feature=player_embedded In other ACORN news: A Nevada Judge fines ACORN but wanted prison for ACORN’s leaders. Read BREAKING: ‘Banana Republic’ ACORN Hit with Maximum Fine in Voter Fraud Scheme over at Big Government for the entire run down. As you know President Barack Obama used to work for ACORN. His job was...

A major scandal amoung influential Democrats just broke, and so far it appears to be flying under the radar. Stephen Losey at Federal Times has the scoop. bilde.jpg In a nutshell: Alan Kessler, the former finance vice chair of the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's finance chair during her 2008 campaign, resigned suddenly from his position on the USPS' Board of Governors last month. Turns out, he was pressuring postal officials to back off of a land deal that would have cost his friend, Douglas Band -- who is Bill Clinton's lawyer, helps run the Clinton Foundation and helped...

Whether Gov. Rick Perry of Texas takes the stage wearing a suit or jeans, he walks with a confident swagger in cowboy boots. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie owns any stage because of his blunt talk and seemingly unpopular remedies. Outspoken former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin breaks political stereotypes with her unpredictability. These three share something: They are popular Republicans who are not seeking the party's 2012 presidential nomination — yet. Republican voters and political strategists lately are speculating whether one of the three might be a better choice than any of eight declared GOP contenders. People are thinking about...

Mr. Munzenrieder is upset because Drudge linked to stories that reported the violence surrounding the Miami Beach Urban Weekend as part of a larger collection of links covering multiple incidents of youth related violence that gripped such cities as Boston, Nashville, Charlotte, and Rochester over the Memorial Day weekend. Munzenrieder decried Drudge because some of the incidents in question involved Blacks and gangs, stating in his blog that he thought that covering such story was “kinda racist [1].” Munzenrieder went as far as to offer a quote a racial Gawker conspiracy theory: “since the president of the United States is...

Bill Keller infamously announced in 2007, "If you vote for Mitt Romney, you are voting for Satan!" While expressing less vitriol in his delivery, evangelical author Warren Cole Smith said something similar in his recent article, "A Vote for Romney Is a Vote for the LDS Church." Smith wrote, "I believe a candidate who either by intent or effect promotes a false and dangerous religion is unfit to serve. … A Romney presidency would have the effect of actively promoting a false religion in the world. If you have any regard for the Gospel of Christ, you should care. A...

After Barack Obama, America's first African American president, is America now prepared to vote its first black president into office? This week, the Republicans' best shot for a presidential win, staunch conservative Herman Cain, takes to the campaign trail. After an impressive showing in the first debate amongst GOP hopefuls, Cain, rather than Romney or Gingrich, could be the one to beat in 2012 -- a true black man. To clarify, being black in America is not about the color of one's skin or the curl of one's natural hair, though part of it. It is about a shared history...

Extreme left wing group Peace Now accused Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of racist motivation for standing up to U.S. President Barack Obama in a White House press briefing last week. In an op-ed piece for Ma’ariv, Peace Now Director-General Yariv Oppenheimer called Netanyahu’s behavior “unprecedented.” It was no coincidence, he explained, that the Prime Minister’s “Israeli arrogance broke records,” and that “sentences that are supposed to be said behind closed doors and in internal discussions were exhibited for all to see in a condescending and ugly manner.” Netanyahu’s “supercilious and patronizing attitude” in "scolding" Obama stems from the fact that...

Today on the view, Whoopi Goldberg criticized the “birther” conspiracy theory (and Donald Trump continually bringing it up) as racist: “I’m getting tired to trying not to find things slightly racist. It is very difficult, on a daily basis, to see this stuff and not say, you know, this is what it is. I have been raised to think, ‘Well, maybe that’s not what they mean. Let me figure it out.’ But, being black, when you say, ‘Y’know, this is racist,’ 9,000 people say, ‘Oh, you’re just playing the race card.’ Well, you know, I’m playing the damn card now.”

Navigate: POLITICO Ben Smith Jackson: Trump birth talk is race "code" Main Content Jackson: Trump birth talk is race "code" - Ben Smith: Jackson: Trump birth talk is race "code" April 26, 2011 Categories: Blogs Jackson: Trump birth talk is race "code" Rev. Jesse Jackson told POLITICO today that the birther movement is part of a larger pattern of rollbacks against civil rights and and an attack on the legitimacy of the nation's first African-American president -- reserving special ire for developer Donald Trump and his renewed interest in the conspiracy theory. "Any discussion of his birthplace is a code...

VALPARAISO — A 12-year-old faces two counts of resisting law enforcement for his alleged actions when he refused to clean up spilled milk in the Ben Franklin Middle School cafeteria. A police officer was helping supervise the lunch period on Tuesday, because both the principal and assistant principal were in a meeting, and the boy got into a confrontation with a school staff member. After refusing to wipe up the mess, according to the police report, the sixth-grader refused to sit and wait for the other students to return to class so the staff member could deal with him individually....

Always beware the ides of March. For Vanessa Hudgens, that meant dealing with the leak of a brand-new batch of shocking nude photos, which blazed the web on Tuesday March 15. PHOTOS: Her ex Zac Efron's transformation It's not the first time the Sucker Punch actress, 22, has dealt with similar pics. Reportedly self-taken, nude photos were released without authorization first in 2007 -- and another batch in 2009. "Vanessa is deeply upset and angered that these old photos, which were taken years ago, continue to resurface," the star's attorney, Christopher Wong, tells UsMagazine.com in a statement

Japan’s turbulent history of war and natural catastrophe has already given the world a terrifying vocabulary of death: tsunami, kamikaze, Hiroshima. But the country now stands on the brink of unleashing its most chilling phrase yet: genpatsu-shinsai – the combination of an earthquake and nuclear meltdown capable of destroying millions of lives and bringing a nation to its knees. The phrase, derived from the Japanese words for “nuclear power” and “quake disaster”, is the creation of Katsuhiko Ishibashi, Japan’s leading seismologist and one of the Government’s top advisers on nuclear-quake safety. He said that the world may never know how...

Ayn Rand’s tome, Atlas Shrugged, is often credited for changing people’s lives with its cautionary tale of business colluding with government to destroy freedom and prosperity. The novel, which has sold about seven million copies, has seen its influence grow under the Obama Administration. Writers like Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal have noted how Pres. Obama’s aggressive socialist agenda mirrors Atlas’s fifty year old plot. It is no surprise, then, that Atlas is selling better than ever, over half a million copies in 2009 alone. Even the movie industry, anything but a friend to liberty and capitalism, could...

MADISON, Wis. -- The executive board president of the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Association has issued a statement on the organization's website expressing regret for the endorsement of Gov. Scott Walker in the governor's race. In a post dated Feb. 16, Tracy Fuller writes, "I am going to make an effort to speak for myself, and every member of the Wisconsin State Patrol when I say this … I specifically regret the endorsement of the Wisconsin Trooper's Association for Gov. Scott Walker. I regret the governor's decision to 'endorse' the troopers and inspectors of the Wisconsin State Patrol. I regret being...

TEN YEARS! Today I celebrate the anniversary of my 10th year on Free Republic! It's been a hell of a ride. I've ticked off a lot of people and I've gained some life-long friends. That's curious right there. I'd like to extend my thanks to Jim Robinson and the Moderator staff for putting up with me all this time. Feel free to take a poke at me if you wish, it's a free for all.

The Savior, the Master Teacher    By Elder Jay E. JensenOf the Presidency of the SeventyJay E. Jensen, "The Savior, the Master Teacher", Ensign, Jan. 2011, 42–47   We are to feast upon the words of Christ—the scriptures—and, as He did, use them to teach and strengthen others.  Under the direction of His Father, Jesus Christ created worlds without number. He was the great Jehovah, the God of the Old Testament. He was born of a mortal mother, Mary, and of God the Eternal Father. He was the greatest being to live on earth. He said He came “to do the will of him...

For the most part, I think Rush Limbaugh is better ignored. He’s a shameless liar who has helped turn incivility into the national past-time, a demagogue who has done more than his share to divide the body politic. And made hundreds of millions of dollars doing it. But his utterly classless mocking today of a visiting dignitary — Chinese President Hu Jintao — ought to embarrass many of Limbaugh’s ardent fans. While Limbaugh frequently engages in race-baiting, his performance today was a low ebb even for him. Commenting on the fact that Fox didn’t immediately provide translation during Hu Jintao’s...

Maybe you know her as the “PDS” Princess, the splenetic sister of snark, a loyal correspondent or perhaps a really fun time waster. Whatever you call her, DeMille can forget getting his close-up, because the FReeper known as MaggieCarta is ready for her zot, Mr. Robinson… Ok, before I begin the Dictionary, I'd like to say, I've really enjoyed my time here on FR. Best wishes, and a Merry Christmas and a Happy 2011 to all. The dictionary begins below...

Why’s he coming at Diwali? He wouldn’t host an official visit the White House on Christmas Day. So why’s he coming to India during our biggest festival? So say many residents of Mumbai, where US president Barack Obama arrives late on Friday for a three-day trip to India. The privileged few who will meet the great man might be excited by the prospect. But for many Mumbaikers, Obama will get in the way of what they like best - a good party. Fireworks, a highlight of any Diwali - after all, it is the festival of lights - will be...

I watched the debate between Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman. The commercials run by Carly Fiorina were interrupted twice, maybe three times in the post debate broadcast on Channel 4 NBC. Did anybody else catch that? Carly's latest ad is POWERFUL! (She should request an immediate audit of the broadcast, an apology, and a comp of time in the prime time before the election ....

I've never done a vanity before, but did anybody see Marc Lamont Hill on O'Reilly tonight? He was on for at least 5 minutes claiming he had evidence that the Tea Party was racist. He cited a survey conducted by some commie prof and according to Hill this is conclusive proof that the movement is heavily racist. Fortunately, O'Reilly took the side of the Tea Partiers.

I am sick and tired of this site being taken over by Catholics ( of which I am one ) stories or proverbs. This is a news site not a religion site. Go do that somewhere else. I am not opposed to your prostilazion(sp), just not here. We lose credibility if any religious group dictates or can be quoted from this site. As a long term member of this site I regret posting this information, but the site has been buried in Catholic stuff recently and it should be shunted to some separate page.

Harrison Ford and 'Brothers and Sisters' star Calista Flockhart tied the knot yesterday in New Mexico, TMZ is reporting. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson performed the ceremony, which took place at the Governor's mansion in Santa Fe. LA radio station K-Earth 101 was the first to break the news. The couple's marriage license was filed today in New Mexico. The Hollywood power couple has been together for over eight years and got engaged in February of 2009. Harrison proposed over Valentine's Day weekend while away on family vacation. This will be Ford's third marriage and he has four children and...

This is the moment a white American police officer punches a teenage black girl in the face after a dispute about how she and her friend crossed the road. Video footage of Officer Ian Walsh lashing out at the 17-year-old in Seattle has shocked the U.S. The teenager reels backwards in shock from the blow before clutching her face while a bystander can be heard asking: ‘Are you serious?’ Police arrested the girl, Angel Rosenthal, and her friend, 19-year-old Marilyn Ellen Levias, both of whom have criminal records. Seattle Police chiefs have launched an investigation into the alleged assault after...

Carrie Fisher knows that when she dies a photo of Princess Leia will pop up during the Academy Awards tribute reel -- and she's accepted it. The born-famous actress (dad Eddie Fisher left mom Debbie Reynolds for Elizabeth Taylor) has a permanent place in pop culture history thanks to 'Star Wars,' but her personal life has made its share of news. She's currently enjoying massive success with her book and one-woman show, 'Wishful Drinking.' PopEater got a few minutes with the acerbic actress-writer, and she talks candidly about her famous name, the ups and downs of being bipolar, the benefits...

The plan: Take a popular '80s television series and translate it to the big screen for a modern audience. Amp up the explosions. Kick up the comedy elements. Make it a solidly entertaining film for the summer movie masses. Get some kind of a wrestler/MMA star to fill Mr. T's shoes. I, for one, love it when a plan comes together, and The A-Team, the latest film from Joe Carnahan, executes the aforementioned plan to a T. Wildly entertaining and packed with as much charm as it is bang, the film hits on all cylinders, even if a little forgiveness...

Well this should not be a surprise to anyone but Red Dawn is the latest film to be put on hold due to MGM’s financial status. With no executives to control the studio, creditors have placed the responsibility of the once great film company on themselves. This move has affected all the movies it was tied to, from the twenty-third Bond film to The Hobbit. Because of MGM’s financial problems Daniel Craig left Bond 23 for Girl with a Dragon Tatoo and Gullimero Del Toro left The Hobbit.

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is denying Internet-fueled rumors she has breast implants. Palin made the denial this evening on the Fox News Channel's On the Record with Greta Van Sustern. Palin is a paid contributor for Fox.The rumors started when Palin was recently photographed at the Belmont Stakes wearing a snug top that showed off her very fit and well-endowed physique.Palin took the rumor in stride, telling Greta that she and her family have been subjected to all kinds of rumors. Palin did note that she sometimes decides to wear clothes that rein in her bust so as to...

So much for the undeserved stereotype of California Republicans voting lemming-like for the most conservative, unelectable contenders. Tuesday, GOP voters rejected the most conservative candidates in favor of moderate hopefuls generally deemed to be more likely to win in November. Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman trounced Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina beat two skilled opponents. Like Whitman, most candidates endorsed by former Gov. Pete Wilson won big. Most endorsed by conservative demigod Tom McClintock tanked. It wasn't even close. Down ticket, Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado, a GOP moderate, fended off more conservative competition. In the attorney...

New 'Transformers 3' Star: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

"The Hurt Locker" star is the latest celebrity recruited to Marvel's upcoming super team-up Jeremy Renner is the latest celebrity superhero -- he has signed up to star in the upcoming "Avengers" movie. The actor was nominated for an Academy Award this year for his role in Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker," and he's following up the low budget war drama with a big screen blockbuster, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Renner will play arrow-slinging superhero Hawkeye in The Avengers..............

Sir Paul McCartney to be honoured by Barack Obama at White House Sir Paul McCartney is to perform at the White House as he receives an award from President Barack Obama. 24 May 2010 Sir Paul McCartney performs during a stop on his Up and Coming Tour at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles Photo: AP Photo/Chris Pizzello The ex-Beatle will appear next week, with the show being broadcast in the US over the summer. The president and first lady are hosting the show in the East Room on June 2 for an event at which Sir Paul will receive...

A judge has ordered Lindsay Lohan to wear an alcohol monitoring bracelet and take weekly drug and alcohol tests, according to The Associated Press.

At first, Michael Mann, a Penn State professor and a central figure in the Climategate scandal, but best known for his discredited "hockey stick graph" didn't like being mocked in a YouTube video. Now Mann is alleging he's a victim of hate groups. On ABC's May 23 "World News Sunday," a segment from anchor Dan Harris alleged that threatening e-mails Mann received were part of a "spike" in violence aimed at the global warming alarmist community. "The ongoing oil spill crisis in the Gulf is keeping the debate over climate and energy very much in the headlines and that debate...

I know why he worried. This means Obama, if he goes to Arizona, may need to show his real birth certificate if arrested. And for the guy who has spent over 2 million dollars preventing anyone from seeing his real birth certificate, I'm guessing he's worried about the possibility of what that discovery will yield. Back to regular programming...