Free Republic

The Russians -well known for their great sense of humor (especially when you're making fun of them)- have loudly complained to the Bulgarian government for not-the-first-time re. the ongoing vandalism offensive against (offensive) USSR-era monuments glorifying the Soviet Red Army, the Bulgarian Red Army, and/or socialism in general that still dot the bleak post- communist landscape of the EU's poorest country. One gets the feeling they might have done a bit better by now economically if not for the damage wrought by 40 years of communist stagnation- they seem to think that too, as evidenced by the Bulgarians' disgust...

Hollywood's famed Sunset Strip, Fall of '56  (photo PLAT)  Full gallery/video at Reaganite Republican...

It occurs to me that dystopian literature is essentially conservative/libertarian. Dystopian literature and film are essentially a pro-liberty art form. They remind us how Big Government abuses citizens and how much better things operate in an environment of freedom.

More at Reaganite Republican...

Into our town the Hangman came. Smelling of gold and blood and flame and he paced our bricks with a diffident air and built his frame on the courthouse square The scaffold stood by the courthouse side, Only as wide as the door was wide; A frame as tall, or little more, Than the capping sill of the courthouse door And we wondered, whenever we had the time. Who the criminal, what the crime That the Hangman judged with the yellow twist of knotted hemp in his busy fist. And innocent though we were, with dread, We passed those eyes...

Talk about lack of public beach access:1500+ miles of DPRK coastline are lined with an electric fence to deter potential defections by sea More at Reaganite Republican...

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photo CAS.sk (Slovakia) More at Reaganite Republican...

F-22 Raptor breaks sound barrier at 2009 Miramar Air Show More at Reaganite Republican...

The Grand Canyon from outer-space  (photo NASA) More at Reaganite Republican...

Salisbury, Rhodesia (now the impoverished toilet of Harare, Zimbabwe) - 1960s  (photo: RhodesiaRemembered ) More at Reaganite Republican...

Lizbeta Bordenova seeks handsome Moscow dentist -or else More at Reaganite Republican...

Kristina Karjalainen was actually born in Finland, but later moved to Tallinn, Estonia with her parents when she was three. The green-eyed blonde competed-in and won the Miss Estonia (Universe) pageant last fall. But the Finns and Estonians are closely related racially, culturally, historically, and linguistically... so I doubt anyone was too offended, except runners-up maybe. She's now a college student studying the Hungarian language (also related to Finnish and Estonian) while doing some modeling, lovely girl with some class from the looks of things: More at Reaganite Republican... (should be SFW unless you work unless you work with...

While New Yorkers like to think of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, as the epicenter of the American hipster, it's hardly the only place in the country where vegan, handlebar-mustachioed trustafarians ride their single-speeds to nanobreweries inside organic farm-to-table restaurants inside abandoned artist lofts tricked out with rooftop gardens where they grow only kale. Pretty much any US city, short of maybe Birmingham, AL, has some elements/neighborhoods of hipster culture at this point (you really just need a fixed-gear bike shop, right?), but these 10 cities are vying for the title of hipster-est. Behind Williamsburg, of course....

Albanian-American model Amanda Lajcaj has been suggested as a candidate for either Miss America or Miss Albania, and not only is she incredibly good-looking... she's also a good girl: Amanda is a professionally trained dancer. She has been competing in various dancing styles (ballet, jazz, hip hop, modern, contemporary, lyrical, etc.) since the age of seven. She is known for her sense of humor, said to be excellent at doing impressions. Amanda is regular at the charity events and loves to help others.  She is a devoted Catholic and attends mass regularly... Pics/more at Reaganite Republican...

"An old rat trap video of mine became a subject of a murder investigation and was presented on NBC Dateline. The only problem was they never got my permission to use my copyrighted content."

Geo W Bush visits Texas oil fields with his dad, 1955 More pics/video at Reaganite Republican...

Natalie Portman looked great in “Pirates of the Caribbean” and we think you’ll love seven of this Brit’s hottest moments.

Get ready for the next level of attention whoring; the selfie stick. The selfie stick could be a fad, but it could also become so common no one comments when someone pulls one out. The selfie stick is already popular all over Asia, where social degeneration is a couple years ahead of America. Vendors in the United States report selling out of selfie sticks, and the GoPro-Edition telescopic monopod is currently the 49th most popular item in the Amazon camera store.

Former FBI informant in the Weather Underground, Larry Grathwohl, is one of the stars of Joel Gilbert’s new film, “There’s No Place Like Utopia,” which is premiering in Denver on Friday and then goes nationwide. Friday, July 18, also happens to be “Blog About Larry Day,” to remember his service to the nation and his untimely death last year. His friend Tina Trent says, “we are asking that bloggers, radio folks, podcasters, and others in the media use July 18th to tell the truth about violent leftist radicals like Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn and their ilk.” She adds, “Their...