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What was Obama’s top aide Valerie Jarrett thinking when she got dressed this morning? Was she feeling randy? Apparent so – that’s the only reason we can figure as to why Valerie Jarrett would dress exactly like Austin Powers for her appearance on CBS This Morning.

Bloody salmon cooked over a fire and tea made with glacier ice were on the menu for President Obama during his appearance on NBC's "Running Wild with Bear Grylls" on Thursday night. But the president also made time to talk about climate change policy as he and Grylls hiked along the Exit Glacier and through the Alaskan wilderness during the hour-long show. Obama taped the episode during a trip to the state in September. The pair discussed wildlife and the wilderness, and they swapped personal stories about their backgrounds, families and Obama's life in the White House. Grylls also...

A scientist who found deep grooves chiselled into the teeth of dozens of 1,000-year-old Viking skeletons unearthed in Sweden believes the strange custom might have been learned from aboriginal tribes during ancient Norse voyages to North America -- a finding that would represent an unprecedented case of transatlantic, cross-cultural exchange during the age of Leif Ericsson. The marks are believed to be decorations meant to enhance a man's appearance, or badges of honour for a group of great warriors or successful tradesmen. They are the first historical examples of ceremonial dental modification ever found in Europe, and although similar customs...

So, how was the public convinced that MacDonald was guilty despite all of these “reasonable doubts”? Enter my old neighbor Joe McGinniss. MacDonald signed a contract giving McGinniss exclusive rights to his life story, and so McGinniss was given unprecedented access to the defense team – living with them, working with them, eating with them. But when the guilty verdict came down, McGinniss did a one-eighty on them. Apparently, falsely convicted men don’t make for good books. McGinniss decided it was a better story to agree with the jury. MacDonald wasn’t a sympathetic figure. He did himself no favors with...

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Hardware store manager Mike Dowling wants to be clear: His shovels might slow an attacking zombie, but you'll to need something else to put the final nail in the creature's coffin. "I wouldn't say it's for killing zombies," the veteran Omaha store manager said. "But it's helpful for cleaning up if you ever have to."

Declaring "we don't have time for games," President Obama said Tuesday that it would be "inexcusable" for lawmakers to let politics stand in the way of a budget compromise that is well within reach. In an unannounced appearance in the White House press briefing room after an Oval Office meeting with congressional leaders, Obama said Democrats have already agreed to cuts well beyond the GOP's initial proposal, but that he was nonetheless committed to further negotiations to reach a final deal to fund government operations through the end of the fiscal year. "Nobody gets 100% of what they want, and...

The Navy admiral tapped to take command of U.S. forces in the Middle East said any speculation of war with Iran is "unhelpful" and only serves to "up the ante of fear and uncertainty." Adm. William J. Fallon told The Associated Press in an interview Tuesday that Iraq and Afghanistan are priority tasks for the United States in the Middle East. Fighting a war with Iran is not something the U.S. wants, he said. "Some in the world are talking some fear of alleged imminent attack by the U.S. on Iran," Fallon said. It "serves no good purpose, (is) unhelpful,...

I am wanting to write a story based on a young adult in the 1960s. Since I was born in 1973 all I really know is what I studied in books. But, I want to get beyond love beads and LSD. I want to be able to write this as it really was. I know it's said if you remember the '60s you weren't really there. But, if anyone does remember I would appreciate reading your stories and facts. Thank you.

Friday , November 10, 2006 LINCOLN, Nebraska — George McGovern, the former senator and 1972 Democratic presidential candidate, said he will meet with more than 60 members of Congress next week to recommend a strategy to remove U.S. troops from Iraq by June. If Democrats don't take steps to end the war in Iraq soon, they won't be in power very long, McGovern told reporters Thursday before a speech at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

A counter-culture arts festival which champions alternative living is being vetted by environmentalists for its contribution to global warming. Burning Man bans the sale of anything but ice and coffee and declares clothing optional. The festival, which is expected to draw nearly 40,000 people to the Nevada desert this week, is described as an "experiment in temporary community dedicated to radical self-expression and radical self-reliance". It has few rules, no structure and features performances, installation art and music, which culminate in the symbolic burning of a large wooden man. A group of San Francisco scientists, calling themselves Cooling Man, have...

America is about to revisit one of the most turbulent decades in its history, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean told a religious conference in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. "We're about to enter the '60s again," Dean said, but he was not referring to the Vietnam War or racial tensions. Dean said he is looking for "the age of enlightenment led by religious figures who want to greet Americans with a moral, uplifting vision." "The problem is when we hit that '60s spot again, which I am optimistic we're about to hit, we have to make sure that we don't...

Ok, it has been a real pleasure chatting with everyone here on FR (well, just about everyone anyways) but it's time for me to move on. I've got some work to do that is going to require 110% effort from me for extended period of time and I can't have any distractions whatsoever. I'll stop by from time to time but am afraid if I still have my account I will be tempted to post and then - as is my wont - get into silly, useless debates about things I a) don't really care about, or b) don't know...

NEW YORK (AP) -- Groovy is over, hip is square, far out is long gone. Don't worry, though -- it's cool. "Cool" remains the gold standard of slang in the 21st century, as reliable as a blue-chip stock, surviving like few expressions ever in our constantly evolving language. It has, despite the pressures of staying relevant and trendy, kept its cool through the centuries -- even as its meaning changed drastically. How cool is that? Way cool, say experts who interpret words and slang for their messages about society. "Cool is certainly a charter member for the slang hall of...

Feeling Groovy By Salena Zito Take any thought, urban legend or hot button issue, post it on a blog and within a flash it is viral. Within 24 hours, sometimes less, it can be Googled. Little Green Footballs, an off the beaten path Blog-became a household word faster than-the-speed-of light with it’s mock up of a word document. Now known as Rathergate. The fine art of word-of-mouth has gone bionic with the eclipse of the Internet. Phrases, slang’s and theories that were once migrated into society at speeds the equivalent of a snail, are now instantly part of our daily...

Well Freepers, we've analyzed the 1970s and the 1980s. Both decades had their highs and lows. Now we must dive into the decade that created the heady mix in our culture that lead to the pathetic 1970s and the resurgent 1980s. Although many freepers were not yet born, enough about the 1960s was captured on video and audio that everyone will have an opinion. But I begin with the facts: WORST OF THE 1960s5. John Kennedy's Assisination: Though no hero to conservatives, JFKs death marked the end of the patriotic democrat party, and ushered in an era of appeasement, socialism,...

E-mail Author Author Archive Send to a Friend Version June 07, 2005, 9:21 a.m. Federalism, Up in Smoke? The Supreme Court upholds a sweeping justification of federal power. In 1996, California became the first of nine states to decriminalize the medical use of marijuana. Although California law allows doctors to prescribe marijuana under state law, the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) prohibits the use, cultivation, or possession of marijuana for any purpose. Seeking relief from a variety of painful symptoms, Angel McClary Raich challenged the federal prohibition on constitutional grounds. Among other things, Raich argued that insofar as the...

Are you feeling screwed, blued and tattooed because the man slipped it to you? Like, stay loose, hit the pad and share a thumb with your pash. Huh? If that made no sense to you, check out "The Hippie Dictionary" by John McCleary. Using the new book to translate, readers come up with the more conventional: Are you feeling mistreated by the authorities? Relax, go home to bed and share a very large marijuana cigarette with your significant other." Those expecting the dictionary, published by Ten Speed Press, to be a stodgy reference work are in for a jolt. McCleary's...

Masked demonstrators hurl objects during clashes with Italian Police at Circo Massimo grounds at a protest against the visit by President Bush in Rome, Friday June 4, 2004. Bush, who met Pope John Paul II at the Vatican Friday, is in Italy to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Rome's liberation and will proceed to France Saturday.(AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito) A U.S. flag with a swastika is seen during a protest against a visit by President Bush (news - web sites) in Rome, Friday June 4, 2004. Bush, who met Pope John Paul II at the Vatican Friday, is in...

1. Like Hitler, President Bush was not elected by a majority, but was forced to engage in political maneuvering in order to gain office. 2. Like Hitler, Bush began to curtail civil liberties in response to a well-publicized national outrage, in Hitler's case the Reichstag fire, in Bush's case the 9-11 catastrophe. 3. Like Hitler, Bush went on to pursue a reckless ultra-nationalist foreign policy without the mandate of the electorate. 4. Like Hitler, Bush has accordingly improved his popularity ratings, especially with veterans and conservative Republicans, by mounting an aggressive public relations campaign against foreign enemies. Just as Hitler...