Free Republic

On Drudge is a story that has been picked up by a number of outlets about a man who is white, but identifies as a Filipino. Some will embrace this concept. I know some of my relatives will. This Thanksgiving, I plan to counter with this comparison: If I identify as being black, does that indemnify me from paying reparations for slavery?

Contrast and compare the way the MSM is treating Phil Robertson and what he said and the way they treat Alec Baldwin and what he said, re: hurling gay slurs: He called Stark a “toxic little queen” and “little bitch.” He also tweeted “If put my foot up your f***g ass, George Stark, but I'm sure you'd dig it too much.”Alec was given a show in MS-NBC for goodness sake. He's all over Capital One ads, nobody is pulling 30 Rock, etc.

Utah's senior senator appears to be appealing to Tea Party voters as he tries to avoid in 2012 the same fate Sen. Bob Bennett met earlier this year. On Facebook, Twitter and to reporters in Washington Tuesday, Hatch offered the same message: "I'll stand up for the Tea Party every time. These people are angry, justifiably angry. They're taking part in the process. They're making a difference," Hatch said. Recent publications have pinpointed Hatch as a Tea Party target in 2012, and The Washington Post labeled Hatch as one of the five Republican senators who could fall that year. The...

Rain, snow and more rain is expected to fall along the Wasatch Front on Monday. A storm that came in Sunday evening dropped almost a half an inch of precipitation at the Salt Lake City International Airport overnight, according to the National Weather Service in Salt Lake City. Rain and snow showers were expected to continue throughout the morning before changing to rain showers and isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon. Monday's high in Salt Lake City is expected to be around 55. Snow also fell in Park City and Parley's Canyon on Monday morning, with more rain and snow expected...

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Utah man who inspired Dustin Hoffman's character in the movie "Rain Man" has died. Kim Peek, 58, collapsed at his home in Salt Lake City on Saturday from what his dad says was a massive heart attack. Kim couldn't do simple things like turning on a light or dressing himself because the membrane that allows the right and left hemisphere to talk to each other was missing. Kim was a unique megasavant. He was able to recall most everything he read or heard -- from zip codes to historical events -- and he could do...

SALT LAKE CITY -- A federal grand jury has indicted a law firm and its employees, accusing it of immigration fraud. Authorities said it is the largest fraud case of its kind in Utah history. The indictment unsealed Tuesday afternoon and obtained by KSL NewsRadio accuses the Alcala Law Firm of visa fraud. The indictment allege firm employees conspired to fraudulently obtain temporary worker visas for illegal immigrant employees who were already hired and in the country illegally. On its website, the Alcala Law Firm bills itself to businesses as able to "provide expertise to businesses looking for ways to...

By AP Science Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - The wind, a favorite power source of the green energy movement, seems to be dying down across the United States. And the cause, ironically, may be global warming - the very problem wind power seeks to address. The idea that winds may be slowing is still a speculative one, and scientists disagree whether that is happening. But a first-of-its-kind study suggests that average and peak wind speeds have been noticeably slowing since 1973, especially in the Midwest and the East. "It's a very large effect," said study co-author Eugene Takle, a professor of...

Here are some images from the Salt Lake City tea party. The opening speaker as the weather threatens. Showing a small portion of the crowd. The sign of the Federal Building and some of the hundreds of signs people brought. MY CONGRESSMAN! Jason Chaffetz (Utah 3rd Congressional District) gave a rousing speech. A pan of the crowd while Jason was speaking. I'd estimate 3,000 people were there. The ground sloped away from the speakers, so it does not like nearly that many. There were also a lot of people off to the sides. Hats for sale. I love capitalism. Utah...

SALT LAKE CITY— Police arrested 11 people, including a juvenile, after an undercover investigation exposed a Salt Lake City drug operation. Police say all the suspects are undocumented illegal immigrants who have been selling drugs in neighborhoods across the Salt Lake Valley. Undercover narcotics detectives say they have been buying drugs from people in two apartments at 1804 W. Shannon Circle for more than a month. Residents on Shannon Circle watched as detectives hauled their neighbors away one by one on Thursday morning. Police say they found cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamines, and cash in the neighboring apartments where the suspects lived....

Barack Obama discovers a leak under his sink, so he calls Joe the Plumber to come and fix it. Joe drives to Obama's house, which is located in a very nice neighborhood and where it's clear that all the residents make more than $250,000 per year. Joe arrives and takes his tools into the house. Joe is led to the room that contains the leaky pipe under a sink. Joe assesses the problem and tells Obama, who is standing near the door, that it's an easy repair that will take less than 10 minutes. Obama asks Joe how much it...

The corner of 800 West and Fremont Avenue (1100 South) was the scene of horrific violence Sunday. On Monday, it was the scene of hugs and prayers as a neighborhood still in shock tried to do what it could to begin healing. A 7-year-old girl was killed during a drive-by shooting Sunday while she played on the corner in front of her house. Investigators said Sunday they did not believe the girl was an intended target. Monday, however, police said that part was still being investigated. Maria Del Carmen Menchaca, who went to Riley Elementary School, was shot about 6:30...

It is terrific. It is fun, entertaining, has a great message, and, almost unbelievably, there is not a single joke involving flatulence, someone getting covered in dung of any kind, a male falling head first into a bosom or a guy getting hit between the legs.

A Vancouver man remains in a Texas jail, accused of trying to buy technical equipment U.S. authorities say was destined for Iran. Seyed Abolghassem Rohani Eftekhari, also known as Farshid Rohani, was denied bail Wednesday in San Antonio because officials believe he is a flight risk. Rohani, 44, is accused of acting as a middleman between the Texas-based Southwest Research Institute and an engineering company in Tehran. Rohani was arrested Sept. 18 when he arrived in San Antonio for training on the equipment, which is used to detect defects in pipes and other metal equipment. The website for the Southwest...

Despite widespread gloom and doom about global warming, a Utah State University researcher says climate fluctuations may be good for some plant species. Peter B. Adler and his colleagues believe it may be advantageous for native grasses to undergo changes in climate. The research used data recorded in Kansas from the 1930s through the early 1970s. The data, which was kept in a storage shed for several decades, has recently been recovered and digitized. Although the study, "Climate variability has a stabilizing effect on coexistence of prairie grass," looks at events in the past, the period studied saw major rainfall...

Rep. Chris Cannon is headed to a primary election. The five-term incumbent couldn't muster the 60 percent of delegate votes needed to clinch the nomination at the Republican State Convention today. So he will face John Jacob in a June 27 primary. Former Congressman Merrill Cook was defeated in the first ballot. Jacob, a multi-millionaire developer from Eagle Mountain, actually had a majority of delegate votes, but not enough to clinch the nomination. The 3rd Congressional District race has been dominated by the issue of illegal immigration. The congressman has been a supporter of a guest worker program and his...

RICHMOND, B.C. -- The B.C. government backed down Friday from a legal battle to force the retail giant Costco to hand over customer information on shoppers who avoid provincial sales tax by buying goods in Alberta. Revenue Minister Rick Thorpe said he thinks British Columbians would follow the rules and pay sales tax when they return home if they know they what the rules are. So he has decided to reverse course and allocate money within the department's existing budget to mount a public awareness campaign. "I believe very, very strongly that British Columbians are very, very compliant when they...

A lawsuit against memorial crosses is set to be filed Thursday by a group that feels they violate the separation of church and state. Three Utah atheists, backed by a national organization based in Texas, are filing suit against the state for allowing crosses to be erected in honor of highway patrol troopers, who have died in the line of duty. Richard Andrews said, "I feel the same way a Jew might feel if you put a state symbol on a swastika" According to the UHP Association, a support group for troopers and their families, many fallen troopers' relatives consider...

A police statement filed with the Wasatch County Jail implicates a father and son in the shooting death Sunday of a Heber City man, but it does not explain a motive. Antonio Pelaez-Vasquez, 55, and Cunny A. Pelaez, 19, admitted to being in their van when someone shot and killed Aniceto Armendariz, according to a probable cause statement filed by the Utah Highway Patrol. "During the same interview," the statement reads, "one of the suspects described the shooting incident and the weapon used." Police recovered a 20-gauge shotgun and shells from the scene and say Pelaez described the firearm. The...

PBS is airing Christmas special after Christmas special. They are even using the word "Christmas" over and over. One special is even featuring the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. PBS receives 15% of its funds from the federal government. Christmas pagent after Christmas decoration after Christmas story must be removed from public schools, who receive 8% of their funding from the federal government. The ACLU is suing school superintendant after school superintendant. Could someone please tell me how this is fair?

Hollywood — The eight major Hollywood studios have filed suit against CGI animation company Pixar for its consistent record of quality movies. The complaint alleges that with its sixth consecutive profitable and critically acclaimed film in “The Incredibles,” Pixar is overturning a decades-long public relations campaign waged by Hollywood studios to convince the public that it’s impossible to consistently make high quality films. “If Pixar doesn’t get with the program, we’re going to have to fundamentally change the way we do business,” groused Paramount chairwoman Sherry Lansing, whose studio hasn’t produced a hit film in several years. “I repeat my...