Free Republic

SpaceX is nearly ready to Rock ‘n’ Roll with their first rocket sporting landing legs and slated to blast off this coming weekend carrying a commercial Dragon cargo freighter bound for the International Space Station (ISS). ... the path is clear for the Sunday’s (March 16) night time lift off at 4:41 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. ... For this Falcon 9 flight, the rocket will sprout legs for a controlled soft landing in the Atlantic Ocean guided by SpaceX engineers. “F9 will continue to land in the ocean until...

CABELL COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Parents, who were originally charged last year in connection with a child abuse case in Cabell County, are expected to be in court Wednesday to answer to new charges. West Virginia State Police say Michael and Amanda Adkins will answer an indictment related to incest and child abuse charges. These are additional charges, following a year-long investigation from when the couple was first arrested. They were arrested in March 2013 after State Police say they consented to two abortion-like procedures within 15 days for their 11-year-old daughter.

New York’s Superintendent of Financial Services, Benjamin M. Lawsky, has issued a public order that confirms the state is now accepting applications for digital currency exchanges. Perhaps most notably, however, was that Lawsky indicated that these businesses will be regulated under new New York regulation, which he committed to having in place by the end of the second quarter of 2014. In his remarks, Lawsky struck his usual balance of at once recognizing the promise of digital currencies and stressing that related business activities need to be conducted in a responsible and lawful manner.

Kangaroo meat ‘halal,’ Turkey's Religious Affairs Directorate says Turkey's Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet) has issued a fatwa stating that kangaroo meat and grasshoppers are “halal” food, but Islam bans eating “badgers, martens, weasels, beavers and sea otters.” “Islamic scholars agree that ‘halal’ animals that are not mentioned in the Quran and in the hadith [the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad] are those that don’t eat feces and carcasses, and which are therefore neither wild nor coarse,” the Diyanet’s High Committee of Religious Affairs said in response to a citizen’s question. As such, the fatwa continues, kangaroo is classified in the...

by Brian Hayes | Top Right NewsDHS last week ordered our Border Agents to DUCK and RUN from rock-throwing illegal aliens, and is restricting their right to shoot back, after the Mexican government and U.N. complained. Open-borders activists that called for the new orders seem to think rock-throwing is a big joke. Watch the video below to see how serious it is for our agents, several of whom have suffered serious injuries such as blindness and paralysis as a result. See images below as well as a report on how a single rock once brought down a Border Patrol helicopter.

In America’s increasingly litigious culture, it is truer than ever that no good deed goes unpunished. The first responders who risked their lives saving a man trapped in his sinking car last year learned this lesson when they received notice that they could face a lawsuit stemming from their heroic act. Last September, as Roy Ortiz drove to work in Boulder County, Colo., he reportedly lost control of his vehicle on a flooded road and ended up in a nearby creek. While he survived for two hours by using a tiny air pocket within the car, he would not have...

Marking the 10th Anniversary of the iconic ocean liner, Queen Mary 2, Cunard captain, Captain Kevin Oprey, agreed to go overboard and pose for these amazing photos from the bulbous bow of his massive ship.

Remember the Michigan cancer patient who claimed in television ad paid for by the conservative group Americans for Prosperity that Obamacare made her out-of-pocket prescription costs so unaffordable that “I will die”? As it turns out, Julie Boonstra, 49, of Dexter will actually save more than $1,000 a year under President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, the Detroit News reports. […] When Detroit News confronted Boonstra with what fact checkers had learned, she reportedly said their findings “can’t be true.” “I personally do not believe that,” she said. She still thinks her new plan is unaffordable because she’ll have to...

Some 4,000 years ago a young woman's cremated bones – charred scraps of her shroud and the wood from her funeral pyre still clinging to them – was carefully wrapped in a fur along with her most valuable possessions, packed into a basket, and carried up to one of the highest and most exposed spots on Dartmoor, where they were buried in a small stone box covered by a mound of peat. The discovery of her remains is rewriting the history of the bronze age moor. The bundle contained a treasury of unique objects: a tin bead and 34 tin...

Could the third time really be a ‘charm’ in New Jersey? We’re not so sure how many in New Jersey would really find it a charm though.NJ Driver’s License (New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission) According to NJ.com, another effort is underway to allow illegal immigrants to obtain a New Jersey driver’s license. Under the state legislature measure, New Jersey would issue “driving privilege” cards to undocumented immigrants.Similar bills were introduced in 2006 and 2008 but neither advanced and were never introduced to the Senate.Senator Joe Vitale says that the measure is about “public safety,” but where is the protection in...

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today allowed marketing of the first device for the preventive treatment of migraine headaches (Cefaly, STX-Med). It is also the first transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) device specifically authorized for use before the onset of pain, the FDA noted in a statement released today. "Cefaly provides an alternative to medication for migraine prevention," Christy Foreman, director of the Office of Device Evaluation at the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in the statement. "This may help patients who cannot tolerate current migraine medications for preventing migraines or treating attacks." The device,...

Some church leaders in Kentucky say guns can be an effective way to beef up the flock. Organizers of a Baptist church convention said it will use guns giveaways across the state to attract nonbelievers who are more prone to go duck hunting than sit in a church pew, The Courier-Journal reported. The goal of the Kentucky Baptist Convention's "Second Amendment Celebrations" is to "point people to Christ," the report said.

Staff and volunteers at Helen Woodward Animal Center (HWAC) in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. saw first hand just how strong a mother’s love can be – even when the baby is from another species! Beignet, a young long-haired Chihuahua, and Gumbo, a tiny grey kitten, were found abandoned in a backyard in Barstow, Calif. Neighbors found Beignet, whose own puppies were nowhere to be found, nursing the small grey kitten and surely keeping him alive as nighttime temps dropped to the 20s. The pair was transported to the HWAC and thrived under their care. Marcie Grube of HWAC says Gumbo...

The U.S. Army is bringing in the really, really big guns. Regular units will soon be issued a Swedish-built "recoilless" rifle that can fire an 84-mm. projectile nearly a mile and has the power to take out a tank. The 15-pound guns, which soldiers hold just above the shoulder to fire, were previously only issued to Special Forces. But after soldiers in Afghanistan repeatedly complained that insurgents were wise to the limitations of their M-16 rifles, the Pentagon has decided to make the Swedish-made Multi-Role Anti-Armor Anti-Personnel Weapon System (MAAWS)-- or the M3 Carl Gustaf for short-- standard issue.

Newly-elected New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last week that space-sharing agreements for three New York City charter schools have been rescinded. This decision marks an abrupt change from de Blasio’s charter-friendly predecessor, Michael Bloomberg, who helped create a supportive environment for publicly funded charter schools and was a proponent of space-sharing agreements between charter schools and traditional public schools. The three charter schools affected by de Blasio’s announcement are operated by the Success Academy network. Two of the charter schools have yet to open, and will likely not open because of de Blasio’s decision, while the third...

Abu Dhabi policewoman calms girl and assures her that there was nothing to fearA chameleon in a house garden scared a girl in Abu Dhabi, after she mistook it for a “crocodile”. She contacted Abu Dhabi Police via the Operations Room, and reported that a “crocodile” was found in the garden of her family’s house “sticking out its tongue”, and preparing to attack her, she told the police on the phone The police mobilised its force and made its way to the reported site, accompanied by the specialised authorities, where they discovered that the animal that was “sticking out its...

Stunning story from Saudi ArabiaWhat has happened in a Saudi town recently could only take place in films and the incident itself could be a good plot for a movie focusing on gallantry and nobility. A girl in her 20s offered to marry a man who is nearly 40 years older than her just to save her father from a long jail term because of debt. After failing to pay his debt of SAR3 million (Dh2.95 million), the girl’s father was arrested and faced many years in prison unless he settled his debt. But the father from the central province...

Part of what makes sex-crimes police procedural Law & Order: Special Victims Unit bearable is that it’s a fantasy. Not the sex crimes part. The swiftness and proficiency with which Detective Olivia Benson catches rapists (44 minutes) is soothing to watch because, in real life, only 3 percent of rapists ever see jail time, according to RAINN. So it’s nice to know that SVU star Mariska Hargitay is not just profiting off ripped-from-the-headlines wish fulfillment. She's also working to close the gap between the reality and Law & Order. In addition to her documentary about untested rape kits, Hargitay has...

Leonard M. Smith served in two wars, was married for 58 years, raised five children, and did not suffer fools. And so, upon is passing, his family honored us with an obituary that – while entirely none of our business – shared with us a sense of the remarkable life and times of their Dad.

Beyoncé has appeared in a new video promote a campaign to ban the word 'bossy' arguing that it is a negative word used to label ambitious young women.

SANFORD - The parents of George Zimmerman have sued comedienne Roseanne Barr, saying they fled their Lake Mary home in the middle of the night and have been unable to return because she posted their address on Twitter two years ago. Robert Zimmerman Sr. and Gladys Zimmerman filed suit Monday in state circuit courtm accusing Barr of trying to incite "a lynch mob to descend" and carry out "vigilante justice." According to the suit, Barr published their address on Twitter March 29, 2012, a month after their son, George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teenager in Sanford but...

Seven years ago this summer, I upgraded from dial-up to DSL. For the first time I could actually play videos, including live streams. And this is how things stood . . . until recently. For about a month or so (at least) I have noticed that flash videos have been playing very sluggishly, with a lot of lagging and stuttering. I have attempted some fixes which have improved YouTube, but there is still trouble elsewhere, especially live feeds, which might as well still be on dial-up. I have been told I'm not the only one having this problem, and that...

Ron Paul has basically said that Crimea has the right to self-determination and by extension a right to an independence referendum vote. The Obama administration seems to be goading Europe (not that it would take that much) into agreeing with it that Crimea (and Eastern Ukraine) do not have the right to self-determination, and that Western powers will not accept a referendum vote in Crimea (or Eastern Ukraine for that matter) that leads to Crimea joining Russia, or becoming independent. Margeurite, yesterday, nailed it on the head, though, in a thread of mine: "The West cannot have it both ways....

A father-of-two left his wedding ring and watch to give to his children in case something happened to him before boarding the missing Malaysia Airlines flight as he flew out to start a dream job in Mongolia. Mechanical engineer Paul Weeks, 39, of Perth, Australia, was on the flight as he made his way to his first shift in a fly-in fly-out job. His wife Danica has revealed how he left the objects with her to give to their two boys if something was to happen to him. Mrs Weeks however said on Sunday that she was praying for a...

We don't have many Amish here in CA but I have been watching this Amish Mafia show and they film these guys actually breaking the law and was wondering how come the cops have never show up and arrest anyone?

Would Parmesan by any other name be as tasty atop your pasta? A ripening trade battle might put that to the test. As part of trade talks, the European Union wants to ban the use of European names like Parmesan, feta and Gruyère on cheese made in the United States. The argument is that the American-made cheeses are shadows of the original European varieties and cut into sales and identity of the European cheeses. The Europeans say Parmesan should only come from Parma, Italy, not those familiar green cylinders that American companies sell. Feta should only be from Greece, even...

ROME – Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe has been lobbying to get Pope Francis to agree to watch his new biblical adventure story, Noah. But there is little sign that the spiritual leader of the world's 1.1 billion Catholics will comply. Religious audiences have been split in their views on the megabudget Darren Aronofsky production, which will hit cinemas in the U.S. March 28 and come to Italy two weeks later. Paramount Pictures says that more than four out of five religious moviegoers say they are interested in seeing the film, but some Christian groups say it strays too far from...

A 60-year-old British man was cleared of an assault charge in the case of a fight between neighbors that began with an argument about throwing cat feces. Chippenham Magistrates' Court in Wiltshire, England, heard Matthew Lucas, 38, confronted neighbor Douglas Pidgeon, 60, after finding cat droppings that appeared to have been thrown into his yard, the Daily Telegraph reported Tuesday. Lucas said he was concerned his 5-year-old daughter could have touched the cat droppings and suffered ill effects. Pidgeon told the court he threw the feces over the fence because he was tired of the Lucas' cat using his "garden...

It’s not funny but it’s on “Funny or Die.” President Barack Obama appears in a “Funny or Die” video with Zack Galifiankis for the comedian’s “Between Two Ferns” satirical talk show. The pair strident, antagonistic trade barbs that don’t work– they come off as hostile and satirical. Then there’s a pitch for Obamacare and its impending March 31st deadline. This is supposed to appeal to young people. But basically the two just insult each other. The whole comes off as less presidential than Richard Nixon saying “Sock it to me” on “Laugh In.”

Many Americans consider obesity one of the nation’s most important health issues. Many also battle themselves with the problem every day. According to a recent report, 27.1% of all Americans were obese last year, up from 26.2% the year before. While many in the United States continue to struggle with their weight, the problem is more pronounced in the southeastern part of the country. Six of the 10 states with the highest obesity rates last year were located in that part of the country. Mississippi was the fattest state in America, with 35.4% of its residents considered obese. Based on...

Plan B on display

Former Iranian intelligence officer says Tehran ordered downing of plane over Lockerbie in retaliation for US attack on Iranian airliner. Who was responsible for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland? While the Libyan government was thought to have masterminded the terrorist attack, a bombshell documentary by Al Jazeera quotes a former Iranian intelligence officer as saying that it was Iran that ordered the atrocity. The former agent, Abolghassem Mesbahi, who defected to Germany from Iran, is quoted by the Telegraph as saying that flight 103 was downed in retaliation for a US Navy strike on...

7 Reasons why the Crimea has avoided bloodshed and why region was and remains Ukrainian  by Alexander Briginets This top 7 reasons - is the result of my many meetings in the Crimea with people of different views and opinions. I am deeply convinced that the chances of implementation of Putin's scenario in Crimea are slim or nil. The first reason - the right decisions and heroism of Ukrainian soldiers. Russia was expecting 2 options: aggressive response with firearms or defection to the Russian side. All commanders without central guidance made the right decision - passive resistance. This is the...

Chuck Norris' personal code of ethics / principles for life I will develop myself to the maximum of my potential in all ways. I will forget the mistakes of the past and press on to greater achievements. I will always be in a positive frame of mind and convey this feeling to every person that I meet. I will continually work at developing love, happiness and loyalty in my family and acknowledge that no other success can compensate for failure in the home. I will look for the good in all people and make them feel worthwhile. If I have...

Our client Angela went on a job interview."It's supposed to be a Marketing Manager job, but they sure talk a lot about graphic design in the job ad," said Angie. "And the job's been posted on the company website for six months."Angie went to the interview and sat in a lobby for half an hour. A nice woman came to get her and deposited her in a small interviewing room. A not-as-nice lady came in and started grilling Angie with questions, taking notes as Angie spoke (no eye contact - all business!)."Tell me about your experience with Adobe Illustrator.""Tell me...

A curious story, and one which should be taken with a mine of salt, has surfaced out of the pro-Russian newspaper Iskra, which reports - so far on an entirely unsubstantiated basis - that last Friday, in a mysterious operation under the cover of night, Ukraine's gold reserves were promptly loaded onboard an unmarked plane, which subsequently took the gold to the US. From the source: Tonight, around at 2:00 am, an unregistered transport plane took off took off from Boryspil airport. According to Boryspil staff, prior to the plane's appearance, four trucks and two cargo minibuses arrived at the...

Gun controllers and gun grabbers of the intolerant left have long tried to promote this idea that gun owners are a fraternal order of good ole boys. That ALL gun owners can be encapsulated in a caricature of being a bunch of old fat white guys. Nothing could be further from the truth. Personal protection, freedom from tyranny; these are sentiments that translate regardless of age, gender or color.

Democrats control the Senate, but instead of bringing up a Democrat-sponsored climate-change bill, a few dozen of them pulled an all-nigher on the Senate floor to draw attention to the issue. It's a clear indication that Democrats don't have the votes -- or the public support -- to pass their own climate-change legislation. And they blame the lack of bipartisanship on billionaire Republican donors and "all that dark money," as one Democrat described it.

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis: President Barack Obama With President Barack Obama, Zach Galifianakis, Scott Aukerman, Funny Or Die, Between Two Ferns, more » Episode 18: President Barack Obama sits down with Zach Galifianakis for his most memorable interview yet.

Did you hear the biggest news of the week? No, it’s not that Russia invaded the Crimea and is “occupying” Ukraine. Sure, that nearly tanked world markets, but it was bush league compared to the other news, involving a major strategic American ally, that slipped under the radar. Qatar had its ambassadors pulled by their neighbors: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. Yes, it seems that these three countries don’t quite appreciate the Qatari-backed Muslim Brotherhood/al Qaeda revolutionary program, nor do they like the fact that Qatar refuses to pledge to desist in aiding and sheltering people who...

A Colorado man, despite acknowledging that he's lucky to be alive after being trapped in a submerged car, has filed an intent to sue his rescuers for half a million dollars. Roy Ortiz filed his intent to sue the county of Boulder and his rescuers for a tentative $500,000 as a "preservative" measure, his attorney, Ed Ferszt, told ABCNews.com. Ferszt said the county should have closed the road during floods in September. He said the first responders were also included because they did not realize Ortiz was trapped in the car until they prepared to lift it out of the...

New Zealanders are to vote on whether to change their national flag, with many including the country's prime minister wanting to see it replaced with the silver fern symbol used by the All Blacks rugby team. Prime Minister John Key today announced plans to hold a referendum within three years, receiving the backing of his political opponents who said they would follow through with plans even if they oust Key in this year's national elections. The current flag depicts the Southern Cross star constellation and includes Britain's Union Jack in the top left corner.

The computer giant can afford to abandon traditional measures of intelligence. Most companies can't. Laszlo Bock, the head of human resources at Google, made quite a splash with his announcement last year that the technology firm has changed the way it hires people. Gone are the brainteaser-style interview questions that so many candidates abhorred. But also gone, it would seem, is any concern with discovering how smart applicants really are. "GPAs are worthless as a criteria for hiring, and test scores are worthless.... We found that they don't predict anything," Bock told the New York Times. Let's take Bock at...

An Ohio high school student training to be an EMT was charged with a felony and sent to jail for 13 days because police found a pocketknife during an unauthorized search of his car. “I didn’t think anything of the Airsoft guns,” said Wiser in a statement. “Our school is a technical school, and I was planning on meeting with my Airsoft team after school. My stun gun was locked in the glove box, and the knife was in my EMT medical vest. I bought it at K-Mart and have it as part of my first responder kit for cutting...

A friend is challenging me on Sarah Palin's resignation from the Governorship of Alaska. I remember it very clearly that she was being hounded by frivolous ethics complaints but I can't find a list of the complaints nor the results of those complaints. I remember reading at some point that she was cleared of any wrongdoing at some point but when I do a Google search for "Sarah Palin Ethics Violations" I get a bunch of snarky Huffington Post and other MSM articles from 2010 and before breathlessly celebrating "ethics convictions." I can't see to locate an article that speaks...

Michael Cargill is a gay, black Republican who owns Central Texas Gun Works and sells guns online for Bitcoin.

A recently released Pew Study shows the majority of Millennials (born 1981-1996) oppose gun control. The study was conducted January 23 to February 9. In the study, Millennials opposed gun control by a margin of 50-48 percent. Although it's a small margin, WAMC Northeast Public Radio points out it is "roughly at par with the attitudes of older generations."

I missed the big Carl Sagan thing when it happened. I was in high school when Cosmos came out, we lived in the country and if you wanted to watch a different television network, you had to go up into the attic and turn a giant antenna with a pipe wrench. Sports and girls and D&D were more of a priority than television. .................................................... Then suddenly we get a claim that Giordano Bruno is responsible for the concept of the universe - because he read 'banned' books. Lucretious wasn't science - there was no scientific evidence for his claim that...