Free Republic

Satiria, DC: — Bernie Madoff, mastermind of the biggest investment fraud in U.S. history, convicted of ripping off tens of thousands of people of as much as $65 billion has died in prison. He was 82. The news came as a shock to the Biden Administration who reportedly just days before had settled on a plan to pardon Madoff to head up the Social Security Administration. With the U.S. deficit swelling over the past six months to $1.7 trillion, and the United States spending nearly $660 billion more than it collected in March alone, the maneuver had been considered vital...

Do twins ever realize that one of them is unplanned? What if my dog only brings back my ball because he thinks I like throwing it? If poison expires, is it more poisonous or is it no longer poisonous? Which letter is silent in the word "Scent," the S or the C? Why is the letter W, in English, called double U? Shouldn't it be called double V? Maybe oxygen is slowly killing you and It just takes75-100 years to fully work. Every time you clean something, you just make something else dirty The word "swims" upsidedown is still "swims"....

Glass takes one million years to decompose, which means it never wears out and can be recycled an infinite amount of times! Gold is the only metal that doesn't rust, even if it's buried in the ground for thousands of years. Your tongue is the only muscle in your body that is attached at only one end. If you stop getting thirsty , you need to drink more water. When a human body is dehydrated, its thirst mechanism shuts off. Zero is the only number that cannot be represented by Roman numerals. Kites were used in the American Civil War...

Inquiry: By chance, I was wondering if you chaps might be innocently wondering, as I have, as to the decrease, and/or otherwise, of the activity on personal blogs or websites, etc. that y'all may operate as a hobby in your spare time relating to any of a number of topics. If so, perhaps y'all may care to comment on this--if you get chance--I realize y'all may be quite busy....??? That would be nice. Semper Fidelis Gunny G aka: Dick Gaines ***** *****

Did the ummah (the worldwide Muslim community) ever apologize for 911? Did the ummah apologize for Madrid train bombings, London bombings, Mumbai bombings, Bali bombings, homicide bombings in Israel, jihad in Thailand, Lebanon rout, Darfur genocide, Beslan, etc.? State department personnel are supposed to pray with Muslims on the newly declared "interfaith day of service," whatever that means on 911. Not only more Muslim outreach garbage but also more diffusion of religion (Islam) and State/state. We don't stop bending over backward to an ideology intent upon destroying us. It's insanity. Add another Obama insult to injury on 911, the national...

<p>How can we ensure that those who need medical care receive it while also reducing health-care costs? The answers offered by Democrats in Washington all rest on one principle: that increased government involvement can solve the problem. I fundamentally disagree.</p>

Exodus 3 1 Meanwhile Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There an angel of the LORD appeared to him in fire flaming out of a bush. As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush, though on fire, was not consumed. 3 So Moses decided, "I must go over to look at this remarkable sight, and see why the bush is not burned." 4When the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more...

A GATHERING OF EAGLES CARAVAN TO WASHINGTON, D.C. FROM 3/8-17 --- www.janereinheimer.com The theme is: These Colors Don't Run It all started when word got out that Cindy Sheehan, Jane Fonda and Ramsey Clark were going to lead a huge anti-war protest in Washington, D.C. -- disgracing the war memorials as they marched toward the Pentagon. Along the way, a patriot named Melanie Morgan (www.melaniemorganrocks.com) got on board with a campaign rally of her own which she calls "Move America Forward." Morgan is author of a book called American Mourning. She is also a talk show host on KSFO in...

Best of the Tube This Weekend We'll be appearing this weekend on Fox News Channel's "The Journal Editorial Report." Topics are the Saddam documents and South Dakota's new abortion law. Paul Gigot interviews The Weekly Standard's Stephen Hayes, who broke the Saddam story. Tune in tomorrow night at 11 EST or Sunday at 6 a.m. (For a complete list of airtimes in the contiguous U.S., click the link atop this item.) If you live in the Washington area and think we have a face for radio, you can hear us on "The Julian Tepper Show" Saturday at 8:30 p.m. on...

Gooseberry Falls, Minnesota (Danny Burk) Fuego Volcano, Guatemala (currently erupting, which is a common state for Fuego, but this is not a picture of the current eruption) Conchita, California, landslide, January 2005 (saw this on "Storm Stories" last week -- somewhat overlooked due to the tsunami coverage) Not exactly geology, but I've been saving this Yann-Arthus Bertrand aerial for a good day: And to finish this end-of-year celebration, a rainbow of hope from Bertrand:

Rear Adm. James Kelly assumed command of the U.S. Naval Forces in Japan today, replacing Rear Adm. Frederic Ruehe. The change of command ceremony was held aboard the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier at the Japanese port of Yokosuka, just south of Tokyo, where the U.S. 7th Fleet is based. Kelly becomes the second-most senior officer for the U.S. Navy in Japan following the 7th Fleet commander, Vice Adm. Jonathan Greenert. The 7th Fleet is the largest in the Navy, and is the only fleet that has its home port outside of the United States.

I have posted this at my website (link above). "The value of liberty was thus enhanced in our estimation by the difficulty of its attainment, and the worth of characters appreciated by the trial of adversity." --George Washington There have been several people, from politicians to pundits, that have opined about how to--or whether to-- rebuild the city of New Orleans. Right here and now, I will take a stand: REBUILD THE CITY. In the wake of a natural disaster of epic proportions, we also now have an opportunity of epic proportions. Not since the era of the Great Depression...

Hey anyone watching the race? Lets talk here. Moderator, if I screw this up, please erase it.

The Persian Wars may be famed in history, but few artifacts and material remains have emerged to shed light on how the ancient Greeks defeated the Asian invaders and saved Europe in what scholars call one of the first great victories of freedom over tyranny. It is well known that a deadly warship of antiquity, the trireme, a fast galley powered by three banks of rowers pulling up to 200 oars, played a crucial role in the fierce battles. Its bronze ram could smash enemy ships, and armed soldiers could leap aboard a foe's vessel in hand-to-hand combat with...

I have a credit card question for the brain trust that is FR.