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Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez died of a massive heart attack after great suffering and inaudibly mouthed his desire to live, the head of the country's presidential guard said. "He couldn't speak but he said it with his lips … 'I don't want to die. Please don't let me die,' because he loved his country, he sacrificed himself for his country," General Jose Ornella said. The general said he had spent the past two years with Chávez, including his final moments, as Venezuela's president of 14 years battled an unspecified cancer in the pelvic region.

Sources tell ABC News that the president will announce today that US troops in Iraq will draw down to zero by the end of the year. A White House official says that at approximately 11:30am today, President Obama convened a secure video conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to talk with him about this news.

Two American hikers who were detained in Iran have been sentenced to eight years in prison on charges of "illegal entry" and "espionage," the state TV website says.

And why hasn't Obama denounced Anthony Weiner For "Presenting His Little Friend" to strange women on the net? Now that Obama is beyond embarrassed because of the "Small Weiner Incident",what is he going to do? Why not hold a "Weiner-Summit"? Using the same White House Picnic Table,and let's have Obama,Biden,Barney Frank&His Boyfriend "Anthony Weiner" all sit there,munching on Hot-Dogs,Chips,Fries&Soda,and they can all discuss why "It Wouldn't Be Prudent" to expose your smallest body part on the web!

For many of us, being a child was no picnic. Without the resources to take opulent family vacations, we instead spent our youthful summers painting fences, mowing the lawn, weeding gardens, washing the dogs, cleaning our rooms and picking berries to earn a pocketful of change. When School started back up in September, the joy of seeing our friends again was quickly doused by the 2 hours of homework each night (Parochial School..ya know). But the one thing we could rely on to put that spring back in our little feet was the trunk full of TOYS. Yes, those magical...

We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail!

Yet another grafix-filled post from yours truly, this time documenting our monthly Republicans Club meeting here in Venice, which featured Congresswoman Katherine Harris as speaker. This inspired a protest by some pink-clad whacko ladies who both protested outside, as well as attempted to distrupt once Ms. Harris started to speak. We shut them down in both cases, and the local ABC affiliate, Channel 7, was there to get it all on camera. I will be taping their broadcast from 5 to 7 PM tonight to make sure I don't miss it. As the left suffers defeat after defeat every election...

MIDI - MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR It's John's...Cambodian Mystery Tour Come on...you all will enjoy it, for sure Here is your invitation...Cambodian Mystery Tour He's taking reservations...Cambodian Mystery Tour Cambodian Mystery Tour, a once in a lifetime event John is providing a tent It's John's...Cambodian Mystery Tour Come on...you all will enjoy it, for sure You can pretend you are a spook...Cambodian Mystery Tour Wear foil hats like you're a kook...Cambodian Mystery Tour Cambodian Mystery Tour takes off on November the third John hopes you're passing the word If you fall from the boat...you know he'll take note Cambodian Mystery...

Okey dokie, Lots of good stuff going on in CPAC. First up is RightTalk radio with The Shrew officiating: Taxman decided he was a FRiend of W's: Freeper Seeking the Truth (Gene McDonald) was in attendance with his lovely wife hawking his wares (I bought a shirt from him): A contingent of FReeper babes showed up. Left to right are Ms.AntiFeminazi, Libertina, Diotima, NautiNurse, Victim of Circumstance (and Terri), and someone with a really nice set of hooters ;-) Hobsonphile, her brother FrustratedCitizen and a FRiend stopped by. They had purchased an Ann Coulter doll. Myself, I bought three. One...

Require Weapons Inspections at US Secret Military Bases We, the undersigned, hereby appeal to the UN Security Council to pass a resolution to require the United States to open its secret military and research facilities for inspection. Evidence has been mounting, from the world's leading viral scientists, chemical weapons experts, and former military officers at these facilities, that highly dangerous and experimental technologies and weapons are being developed at US secret bases, under the cloak of "National "Security." The American people, including our representatives, can not gain access to these facilities, under threat of death (posted), and have no way...

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Internet trading leader eBay Inc. increased its shift toward fixed-price sales Monday by launching a new format that lets buyers and sellers skip traditional auctions entirely. EBay, which began as an auction-only site, already facilitates instant sales of items, both through Half.com, a site it acquired in 2000, and through the ``Buy It Now'' option, which accounts for one-third of all items listed on eBay. With ``Buy it Now,'' sellers can list an item at a set price, and the sale ends if someone offers to pay that price. If someone enters a bid below...

WASHINGTON, July 17 (Reuters) — The government today approved the use of the Xyrem drug from Orphan Medical Inc. for some patients with narcolepsy but said distribution would be tightly controlled because of lingering concerns about the drug, which was banned in the 1990's for its use in date rapes. The Food and Drug Administration said it would allow Xyrem to be prescribed for patients with weak or paralyzed muscles associated with narcolepsy, an irresistible tendency to fall asleep. But the agency said the drug — which was removed from the market because of abuse as a sleep-inducing recreational drug...

Yesterday in the 105 degree heat (which seemed cool in comparison to Friday's 109 degrees which was a scorcher) fifty FReepers and family got together at Woodward Park in Fresno, California for a "tailgate" picnic dinner and fun! FReepers who attended were (in alphabetical order): Amerigomag BadJoe BobJ Brock COB1 Chadsworth Clovis Skeptic (and his wife and daughter) Cool Guy CounterCounterCulture Diotima Diver Dave DoughtyOne (and his wife) FriendAnn Gracie1 (and her husband and son) Java Man Jim Robinson (and Sheila and Chris) JKPhoto John Robinson JustAmy (and her husband and son) Lager (and his daugher and granddaughter) Ladyinred Maccabee-AJB...

Vegas!Yeah, I'm cool. A white-haired, old around the edges kind of guy with a fantasy of slipping into The Strip some fabulous night in a '71 Caddie, top down, black silk shirt open to the navel, lot of gold chains, fat cigar, the valet kid impressed and thinking I'm some kind of high-roller from L.A. instead of a big bland dude from Portland (Oregon) heading off for the 10-cent video poker machines. Instead, conned into by my companion, Lola (a name quite appropriate), I'm standing on line two hours with a coterie of French tourists, all of us waiting to...