Free Republic

Please excuse the off-topic, personal post. I am looking for some suggestions and ideas. My son's 12U baseball team will participating (hopefully) next summer in the Cooperstown Dream Parks Baseball Tournament. For those unfamiliar with this, it is a big deal in youth travel baseball. 130 teams from all over the country (and even international teams) travel to Cooperstown, NY to play in this tournament. The kids will play in a minimum of 6 games. They live in barracks at the campus (with their coaches), and eat together, live together, etc. for the week. It is a once in a...

Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said during the Wednesday debate in Las Vegas that debates should be themed by issues, both to educate the public and determine how well candidates know each issue. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/elections-2020/aoc-calls-for-themed-debates-to-educate-the-public-on-issues/ar-BB10bgHV?ocid=spartandhp

“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years.” Alexis de Tocqueville

Many of us are on Facebook. Many also use Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media. We have 46 days to the election. Many undecideds will not see Romney's or his supporting PACs ads. Many undecideds will not see the Washington Examiner's expose on Obama. Many will not see the wealth of information that can be found here at FreeRepublic. By sharing Romney's ads and PAC ads with our Facebook friends and our social media contacts, we can spread the word. We can get people to think. Many young people (and older for that matter) have stopped watching the news. They...

I've been hearing the same ad for Newt over and over... Michelle Bachmann praising Newt in some sort of speach, talking about him in glowing terms "changing history" yada, yada, yada. The ad is paid for by Newt's SuperPAC So here's my question: Did Bachmann come out and endorse newt or did they dredge up some old speaches and take the statements out of context to craft it to look like Bachmann endorsed Newt?

2010 Abraham Lincoln Presidential Dollar Launch Ceremony Planned By Coin Update Staff on October 26th, 2010 Categories: US Coins, United States Mint Details of the launch ceremony for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Dollar have been announced by the United States Mint. Launch ceremonies have typically been held on or around the circulation release date for each Presidential Dollar coin, held at a location related to the former President. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential $1 Coin will mark the 16th release of the overall series and the final release for this year. The obverse of the coin features a portrait of Lincoln...

The United States is honoring our Nation's Presidents by issuing $1 circulating coins featuring their images in the order that they served in office. The United States Mint issues four Presidential $1 Coins each year, with Presidents Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan, and Lincoln being honored in 2010. Each coin has a common reverse design featuring a striking rendition of the Statue of Liberty. These coins feature large, dramatic artwork, as well as edge-incused inscriptions of the year of minting, or issuance, E PLURIBUS UNUM and the mint mark. In 2009 "In God We Trust" was moved from the edge to the...

2009 Presidential Dollar Designs Released The United States Mint has released the designs for the upcoming 2009 Presidential Dollars. Next year's coins will honor the Presidents William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, James K. Polk, and Zachary Taylor. Next year the motto "In God We Trust" will be moved to more prominent placement on the obverse of the coin. The date, mint mark, and "E Pluribus Unum" will be featured on the incuse edge lettering of the coins. The reverse design featuring the Statue of Liberty that has been used in prior years will remain unchanged and continue to be used....

I saw my son for the first time today. Grainy images...a quick blur... was that a foot? My wife will be at 20 weeks on Saturday. We've been anxiously awaiting this day. Would it be a boy or a girl? My wife wanted a girl. She was hoping for frilly pink dresses and all the "girly-girl" stuff that goes along with it. I won't say that I was indefferent, but the gender did not matter. I wanted a healthy child. I could think of great things about a boy or girl. I already had a daughter from my first marriage....

I just got back from an invitation only event with Governor Palin in Pittsburgh, PA this morning. She was announcing the McCain Palin pollicy regarding special needs kids. They will fully fund the federal mandates of IDEA and work to improve programs for special needs kids. I got to meet her and shake her hand. I also got to see her in action... she was incredible with these special needs kids. She took time to talk to them, not just pose for a quick pic and move on. I laft after about 45 minutes after she ended her speech and...

Presidential Dollar Coin Release Schedule As you may already know, the United States is honoring our Nation's Presidents by issuing $1 circulating coins featuring their images in the order that they served, beginning with Presidents Washington, Adams, Jefferson and Madison in 2007. The United States Mint will issue four Presidential Dollar Coins per year. The first Presidential Dollar, honoring George Washington, will be released February 16, 2007. The release schedule for 2007 is below. Release Date President Years Served 02/16/2007 1 George Washington 1789-1797 05/18/2007 2 John Adams 1797-1801 08/17/2007 3 Thomas Jefferson 1801-1809 11/16/2007 4 James Madison 1809-1817

United States Mint Announces the 2007 Designs for the 50 State Quarters® Program WASHINGTON – The United States Mint today officially released the designs selected for the five new 2007 commemorative quarter-dollar coins in the United States Mint’s 50 State Quarters® Program. The new quarters will honor Montana, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming and Utah. The coins will be issued at approximate ten-week intervals beginning early in 2007. The public may exchange their bills for each new quarter in person at the site of the official quarter launches, or buy the coins online when they are issued. The new quarters will also...

Congresswoman Melissa Hart's bus tour will stop in King's Restaurant parking lot (Route 286 in Plum Borough) this Sat Nov 4 at 11:20am. Rep Hart will be there in person to address the crowd. It should not last more than 30 minutes. We should be done by 12 noon. We would like a good crowd to welcome her and rally the voters for the Election next week. So, please feel free to invite like-minded friends and neighbors to attend with you. Also immediately following, we will be canvassing through various parts of Plum for Santorum, Swann, and Hart and those...

2006 State Quarter Designs Here are the 2006 State Quarters in order of release: Nevada The first commemorative quarter-dollar coin released in 2006 honors Nevada, and is the 36th coin in the United States Mint's 50 State Quarters® Program. Nevada, nicknamed "The Silver State," was admitted into the Union on October 31, 1864, becoming our Nation's 36th state. Nevada's quarter depicts a trio of wild mustangs, the sun rising behind snow-capped mountains, bordered by sagebrush and a banner that reads "The Silver State." The coin also bears the inscriptions "Nevada" and "1864." Nevada became a territory in 1861, several years...

Historic Nickel with Forward-Facing Jefferson Heads into Circulation WASHINGTON – Pouring hundreds of shiny, new 2006 nickels from a silver goblet designed by President Thomas Jefferson, officials at the United States Mint launched into circulation today the Nation’s first circulating coin that features the image of a United States President facing forward. The Nation’s coinage has depicted profiles of presidents for nearly a century. This new image of President Thomas Jefferson is based on a Rembrandt Peale portrait of Jefferson, painted in 1800. The United States Mint expects to ship approximately a billion of the new five-cent coins (nickels) to...

I have been asked about an exchange levy on foreign currency transactions where the money leaves the US. Apparently a 1.75% levy is assessed when US currency is converted into a foriegn currency and the money sent out of the country. I need to find out everything I can about this and have come up completely empty. I figured that there had to be someone here who has experience with this levy and can at least point me in the right direction to look.

A First for the United States: Jefferson to Face Forward on 2006 Nickel WASHINGTON – The Nation’s circulating coins have featured the profiles of presidents for nearly a century. The United States Mint is announcing that for the first time in history, the image of President Thomas Jefferson will face forward on the 2006-dated 5-cent coin (nickel). This new image, based on a Rembrandt Peale painting of Jefferson in 1800, is expected to grace the nickel for years to come. The United States Mint will launch into circulation the 2006 nickel, called “Jefferson, 1800,” early next year, concluding the Westward...

I am in the process of purchasing a certified pre-owned vehicle. I usually buy new, but figured this time I would try Certified Pre-Owned primarily for price reasons. I get to get the vehicle I want with the equipment I want and pay a whole lot less. The vehicle is a 2005 with 17,000 miles. Looks great inside and out (just came in and had not gone through the detail shop yet). It has a minor ding that the dealer will take care of on the one wheelwell. I deceided to get a Carfax Report and it showed that the...

I felt strangely compelled to post an Opus today...hadn't been one for a while, so I guess its time...

This year, the United States proudly honors the Marine Corps and all Marines who have sacrificed and contributed in our Nation’s service. Public Law 108-290, signed August 6, 2004, authorizes the minting of a Silver Dollar to commemorate the 230th Anniversary of the United States Marine Corps. On November 10, 1775, the Continental Congress authorized the raising of two battalions of American Marines, thereby creating the legendary institution today known as the United States Marine Corps. From the Nation’s birth to the present day, the Marines represent a proud culture of service and contribution in defense of the values and...