Free Republic

Palestinian militants barraged Israel with more than 200 rockets on Thursday, killing three people as Israel pressed a punishing campaign of airstrikes on militant targets across the Gaza Strip. Late in the day, Israel signaled a ground operation may be imminent as forces moved toward the border area with Gaza. At least 12 trucks were seen transporting tanks and armored personnel carriers, and a number of buses carrying soldiers arrived. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said he had authorized the army to call-up additional reservists for possible action. The army said it was prepared to draft up to 30,000 additional...

Now that the election has been completed, I know that I need to relocate. I am recently retired and I will sell my townhouse and move from Northern VA. But I haven’t yet narrowed the field of possible locations very much. GF and I have been entertaining the idea of purchasing a piece of rural property and constructing our own house. But we really want to be among conservative-minded folks. We have been actively reading this site for a long time and always appreciate the opinions of those involved. I would like to have as many opinions and suggestions about...

Military: The administration thanks the troops for their service by failing to comply with a law requiring that it help soldiers deployed overseas cast ballots in their home states. The administration has taken various states to court to block voter ID laws on the grounds it will disenfranchise voters. But it has no qualms about the disenfranchisement of military voters overseas through its failure to comply with and enforce the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act, passed by Congress in 2009 and signed into law by President Barack Obama. Snip Last week, however, the Pentagon's inspector general reported that...

Kids from all 57 states will attend a Kids State Dinner…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2t5EcrP0dQ   A few related government websites…http://www.letsmove.govhttp://ChooseMyPlate.govhttp://communities.challenge.gov/http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/MyPlate.htmhttp://www.ed.gov/blog/2012/05/a-state-dinner-just-for-kids/

MADISON – More than three dozen local election clerks appear to have missed a federally mandated deadline for sending out absentee ballots to military and overseas voters, according to the Government Accountability Board. Election officials had until this past Saturday to send out ballots requested by military and overseas voters who want to vote in the Aug. 14 primary in which Republicans will choose a U.S. Senate candidate to face the Democratic candidate, U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, in the race to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl. The number of clerks who missed the deadline may change, as some 265...

If you are a nonimmigrant American reading this, do you know why your ancestors came to America? The fact is, a large percentage of immigrants were trying to escape various forms of government persecution, including religious and tax persecution. The American Revolution was set off, in part, by a tax on tea that ranged from about 10 percent to 33 percent of its value. That and other grievances were enough to cause people to take up arms against the British. Rather than taking up arms, most people who believe the tax burden now has become too great pick up and...

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — They called it “random dancing” but First Lady Michelle Obama broke out some moves that resembled subdued variations of “the Monkey” or “the Jerk” Friday during an appearance at a northern Virginia high school. A screaming, raucous auditorium filled with elementary and middle school students greeted Obama and the cast of the Nickelodeon TV show “iCarly” at Hayfield Secondary School in Fairfax County. The appearance promoted an upcoming episode featuring Obama in which she thanks military families for their sacrifices. On the show, star Miranda Cosgrove plays the daughter of an Air Force colonel deployed overseas....

Study: Illinois, NJ tie for most outbound migration The Associated Press 12:20 PM CST, December 21, 2011 An annual study of interstate moving trends by United Van Lines shows that Illinois and New Jersey tied for the states with the largest outbound migration this year. Americans continue to migrate toward the South and West and away from parts of the Northeast and Midwest, according to United Van Lines, the nation's largest moving company.

The defense and aerospace contractor ATK, Alliant Techsystems, based in Eden Prairie, announced today that it will relocate its corporate headquarters Oct. 1 to Arlington, Va., where the company will expand its existing office space. The company will continue to maintain a strong presence in Minnesota, including approximately 210 Minnesota-based corporate employees. In total, ATK employs approximately 2700 people in Minnesota. ATK currently employs approximately 3,500 people in the Mid-Atlantic region, where it operates facilities in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia

A truck carrying Libyan rebel fighters drives towards the Zawiyah oil refinery. ZAWIYA, Libya—Fighting raged for a fourth straight day in this strategic coastal city 30 miles west of Tripoli on Wednesday, as rebel fighters battled to mop up pockets of loyalist soldiers and laid siege to the regime's last working oil refinery. The roads leading to Zawiya were clogged with rebel fighters pouring toward town and refugees fleeing in the opposite direction. The refugee flow from Zawiya, a city of 200,000 people, and from Tripoli hinted at the possible flood that could pour into rebel-held havens and neighboring Tunisia...

Howdy to the Texas FReepers. It hit me this morning that this country is really really screwed. Our Government takes in around 180 billion a month and borrows 120 billion to get up to it's 300 billion in expenditures. They are intentionally driving the country over a cliff and fast. Not sure if this will look like Argentina or Chile. I'm thinking that Texas is a safe harbor to get my wife and kids through this once it all falls. I'm looking at being near a metro area like Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, or Austin (I know the libs...

Most presidents affect the standing of their political parties. Ronald Reagan advanced his party's standing among young voters. So did Bill Clinton. In his first term, George W. Bush helped Republicans equal Democrats in party identification in the 2004 exit poll -- the first time that happened since polling began. But in his second term, Bush proved toxic to the Republican label. The Pew Research Center showed Democrats with a 51 percent to 39 percent party identification edge over Republicans in its 2008 polls. Now Pew Research has come out with figures for 2011. They're not good news for Barack...

My sister stopped over this morning. We got back to talking about moving to another state....again. She stated Texas has been calling her, she is an RN. The hospital she works at now used to have several booths, recruiting new grads. Now they have none. They are constantly invited to "luncheons", in which they do not participate. They have stopped hiring, as I have found out trying to find a new job. My sister said they are encouraging recent grads to go to Texas, to get their bacholers & RN license. I know, from FR, TX is booming. My sister...

The Bili'in-area security/separation fence is being dismantled, four years after the Supreme Court ordered the government to reroute the barrier and one year after an initial rerouting of the barrier and a first-stage replanting of trees. Palestinian Authority Arabs, accompanied by Israeli and international leftists, have rioted nearly every Friday for years over the barrier, part of which was built to run directly through the village of Bili'in. Once dismantled, the IDF will rebuild the anti-terrorism barrier at a cost of some NIS 26 million, and this time only 400 meters away from Modi'in Illit. The new route enlarges the...

Ok, I am from NJ. Between the high taxes, strict gun laws and crazy liberals I am seriously thinking about moving... have been thinking this for quite some time. Right now I have three children and have to pay for private schooling for all three because the public school's agenda's here are disingenuous and horrible. I want to make sure I do not go from the frying pan into the fire. I have a few choices for job transfers to NC, TX and OH. I need to be in a good area as I have a Neurological disorder and need...

"We're seeing one of the lowest mobility rates in a century," says Nathaniel Karp, chief economist for banking firm BBVA Compass. Karp says the recession has forced many people to stay put because they are unable to sell their homes, cannot find jobs or are unwilling to relocate for work if it means sacrificing a partner's stable position. The slowdown makes the question of who's moving and why even more significant than in years past. Using 2010 projections by Moody's Economy.com, Forbes ranked the states in which people are leaving faster than they are arriving. Economists report several overlapping trends...

People often turn to their faith to ease their minds. Now first lady Michelle Obama is hoping people will turn to churches, temples and synagogues to lose weight as well. The first lady launched a new addition to her Let's Move! campaign. Things might be changing at local services. Starting Monday, faith-based organizations of all kinds will begin a new crusade to end childhood obesity in a generation. It's called Let's Move: Faith and Communities, and the First AME Church of Los Angeles is leading the charge....

Did you see the new FNC commericial where in the dialoge, the voice says " We don't..*lean"...we *move*..forward!"... What a hoot! >BOD

TYLER, Texas — Most political candidates promise to start a new program or policy on their first day in office, but Bill White has different plans if elected Texas governor. The Democrat says his first bold move would be into a mobile home. In another jab at Republican Gov. Rick Perry, who is costing taxpayers $10,000 a month by renting a mansion outside Austin, White vowed during a swing through East Texas on Wednesday to move into a trailer home if elected. The millionaire businessman and former Houston mayor currently lives in a 4,122-square-foot home appraised at $2.1 million, but...

I would never expect the President nor his liberal Democratic allies to waste their time aggressively campaigning for the military vote. I do however expect the President to uphold the law and protect the right of every person serving overseas to have their vote counted in our elections. Now once again it seems many of our deployed men and women will again be disenfranchised by an unconcerned administration and a DOJ that has too many other important issues than worrying about whether the armed services overseas get to vote. Could it be that maybe the majority of them won't vote...

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, known for his smoothness and precision, seems to have erred egregiously twice in just weeks. First, he speculated on TV that Democrats might lose the House, an inexcusable blunder because it is his job to omit the truth — not lie, just omit the truth — when the truth hurts. Then, there he was in print this week, deriding “professional liberals” who label President Barack Obama too moderate, saying they need “to be drug tested.” Gibbs should have expected this would enrage liberals. Maybe that’s just what he planned. Facing reporters Wednesday, Gibbs neither...

The Department of Justice denied accusations by former voting section attorneys who say states are being encouraged to use waivers to bypass the new federal Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act. The accusations prompted Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) to write a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, dated July 26, demanding answers and requesting specific information about how the agency was going to enforce the MOVE Act provision that requires states to send military and overseas voters absentee ballots 45 days prior to elections. Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich responded with a letter dated July 30. "The Department of...

An article from the Denver Post highlighting Colorado’s waiver request reveals that the supposed lack of time between the Colorado primary and General election to send ballots to overseas voters is not actually the impediment to enfranchising remote military voters.  In fact, the article states, “Colorado's Aug. 10 primary leaves 84 days to comply. However, under Colorado law, election officials can wait until 32 days before the election to deliver ballots to election offices.”   So despite a fairly early Primary and plenty of time to hand-draw the ballots and print every single ballot with a laser printer, the Colorado SOS...

Once upon a time you could count on the Washington Post to be accurate, even if everyone knew they were biased.   Greg Sargent of the Washington Post proves today that is no longer true.  For his latest piece has both bias and inaccuracy.  Mr. Sargent’s lack of accuracy demonstrates why the Post doesn’t have a rosy future – bias and inaccuracy is the death knell of dead-trees journalism.  The cost structure doesn’t have enough of a market that enjoys both bias and inaccuracy in their product. For starters, he reports that no states have applied for waivers from military voting...

Dumb question, but can I include my guns in my household move or do I have to send them through firearm dealers.

The appointment of a well-respected ex-Navy lawyer to oversee war-crime trials is being seen in military legal circles as a sign the Obama administration might reverse its decision to bring Khalid Shaikh Mohammed to New York for a civilian trial. At the same time, a pending speedy-trial ruling in a second terror case in New York could give Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. an escape route through which he could switch the trial of Shaikh Mohammed (KSM) from federal court back to a military system set up by former President George W. Bush and Congress.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Gerri Bostic lost all her material possessions 25 years ago when police dropped a bomb on her block, killing five children and six adult members of the militant group MOVE and incinerating 61 row homes.

Bird influenza viruses have a variety of strategies to cross the species barrier and spreadThe 2009 H1N1 influenza virus used a new strategy to cross from birds into humans, a warning that it has more than one trick up its sleeve to jump the species barrier and become virulent. In a report in this week's early online edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, researchers show that the H1N1, or swine flu, virus adopted a new mutation in one of its genes distinct from the mutations found in previous flu viruses, including...

United Van Lines, LLC has released its annual migration study on where it takes its clients to and from among the 48 contiguous states. The Mackinac Center for Public Policy has tested their data against actual census data going back to 1977 and found the two to be very highly correlated. This makes UVL data something of a leading migration indicator. According to UVL, a staggering 67.8 percent of its Michigan client traffic was outbound in 2007. That rate is an all-time record high, eclipsing the previous 1981 record of 66.9 percent during a year the Great Lake State suffered...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4, 2008 – A group in Massachusetts is offering wounded servicemembers tools to help them transition into civilian life. “(We are) giving our wounded heroes a second chance at the opportunity to become marketable for the 21st century work force through education and training,” said Michelle Saunders, director of Veterans Moving Forward. As a part of the Veteran Hospice Homestead, Veterans Moving Forward is engaging community colleges and educational facilities around the country to create solutions to help alleviate the financial burdens of wounded veterans and their families, Saunders said. The Veteran Hospice Homestead provides medical, psychological...

I mentioned over the weekend that there was a revolt in the SF Bay Area brewing against the Code Pinkos who defaced a military recruiting center in Berkeley. Melanie Morgan has set the date and issued a call to arms: We will rally to support our troops and denounce efforts by Code Pink and others to ‘chase’ the military out of Northern California. We make our stand at the Marine Recruiting Center in Berkeley which has just been defaced by anti-war protestors. Code Pink has a rally planned to denounce the miltiary on Wednesday, October 17th. We are calling on...

I want to say when I first saw the post scouting for locations for this event, I thought in my haste, that it was a local Chicago Freeper chapter that was meeting to support our troops. I was heartened for the locale was my suggestion but more importantly after the debacle in Congress and what they do to our wonderful men and women in the military, I was proud to partake in honoring them. I chose Niles,Il. because it befitted what Move Across America had requested and the fact it is a Memorial to our fallen veterans. It is...

LANSING – Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today issued the following statement on Volkswagen’s presence in Michigan: “We are grateful that so many Volkswagen jobs are staying in Michigan. By choosing to continue their automotive and technology related functions here they will be retaining 600 of their employees in Michigan. We look forward to continuing our strong relationship with Volkswagen in the years to come.” Granholm met with Stefan Jacoby, incoming President and CEO of Volkswagen of America last evening. In conversations and a formal letter to the Governor, Jacoby said Michigan is and will remain an important global center for...

LOS ANGELES - Immigration advocates are struggling to frame images of this week's clash between police and protesters in a way that promotes their cause, with some activists considering using the event to attract supporters. Some advocates believe the police action against mostly peaceful demonstrators could add urgency to efforts to create a path to citizenship for the nation's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants. But others worry the reform movement could be blamed for the melee and that immigrants will be afraid to participate in future demonstrations. "These kinds of situations, if they are framed properly, can be a powerful...

Adapt, Move or Die: Prehistoric Climate Change by Joe Palca The skeleton of a prehistoric elephant found on a beach in England raises questions about ancient changes in global climate. Scientists estimate that the elephant was 10 tons — twice the size of today's African elephants. Sam Brown, Norfolk Museums and Archaeology Service The prehistoric elephant bones were found protruding from the cliffs at West Runton after a winter storm. Geologists analyze the layers of sediment in the cliffs for clues about the ancient climate. “We're entering a new phase, and it certainly seems to me that this is now...

Move to speed up pay-as-you-drive By David Millward, Transport Correspondent (Filed: 07/08/2006) The country's first pay-as-you-drive road pricing scheme could be in operation within four years after the Transport Secretary urged Cabinet colleagues to find room for a Bill in the next parliamentary session. Douglas Alexander's pitch for a legislative slot is the strongest signal yet that a major overhaul of the way in which motorists are taxed will become a reality. Without the necessary powers, the 2010 deadline for a pilot study set by Alistair Darling, Mr Alexander's predecessor, could slip. The Department for Transport has been looking for...

You know, I do appreciate the purported goals of Move America Forward, but sometimes I have to wonder whether Michael Moore is running the show, just to make a conservative outfit look inept. First and foremost, when your name -- AND your logo -- say MoveAmericaForward dot org, you do NOT have a voiceover that refers to your organization as MoveAmericaForward dot COM. It'd be like George W. Bush all of a sudden referring to himself as George H. W. Bush or something similarly ridiculous. But you know, even as stupid as that is (and as stupid as it implies...

WASHINGTON, July 24, 2006 – As demand for evacuation drops, Defense Department units will deliver more humanitarian assistance to beleaguered Lebanon, a senior defense official said today. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said DoD has evacuated 11,913 American citizens from Lebanon since the operation began July 16. He said officials anticipate evacuating another 1,200 from Lebanon today, but that demand for evacuation seems to have peaked. The operation is not over, Whitman said, "but we are coming close to completing the assisted departure operations. We are going to be shifting our emphasis to a humanitarian effort." He said two ships --...

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                         June 19, 2006 Contact: Robert Dixon (916) 441- 6197B L O G S H O C K E R ! Daily Kos Embraces Pro-Troop “Move America Forward” (SAN FRANCISCO) – Liberal blogger Markos Moulitsas Zuniga, founder of the popular left-of-center blog, DailyKos.com, has just returned from his first annual “YearlyKos” convention by embracing a surprising mantra: that of the nation’s largest grassroots pro-troop organization, Move America Forward (website: http://www.MoveAmericaForward.org). In a posting headlined “Move America Forward” the blogger “Kos”...

I'm thinking of the Carolina mountains as my next place to live. Would you consider Asheville, with its art deco feel as the place to live or would you go for Greenville with its more settled ambience? I've lived in California on the coast all my life and I'd like to try something different. Low cost of living, affordable housing, a safe place to live and having that view outside the window without the price tag. I know Colorado is expensive because every one goes there but no one seems to know the Blue Ridge Mountains are just as stunning....

While we were busy collecting more signatures on our "Censure Jimmy Carter" petitions from tens of thousands of Americans, some of the former president's supporters were responding in a rather hateful way. Just as those in the "Blame America First" crowd have profanely denounced our troops, our military, our Commander in Chief and carried signs saying "We Support Our Troops... When They Shoot Their Officers," they now have verbally attacked and made death threats against the staff and family members of the Censure Carter Committee. As I type this message our staff is assembling the emails and voice mails to...

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Somali-born Dutch politician known for her outspoken criticism of Islam, plans to leave parliament and move to the United States after admitting she lied to win asylum in the Netherlands. Hirsi Ali, 36, sought asylum in the Netherlands in 1992, claiming to be escaping from an arranged marriage. She gained Dutch citizenship in 1997 and was elected to parliament in 2003. A storm erupted about her asylum application last week after a Dutch television documentary interviewed members of her family about her background. They said she had not been forced into an arranged...

...I was formerly known as Iraqi Fedayeen Major General, Ali Ibrahim Al-Tikriti. I was one of Saddam's chief Generals dealing with his secret nuclear, chemical, and biological programs... After the Gulf War our weapons programs were driven deep underground to avoid international inspections. We composed an idea of using salvaged parts from Tamuz in the early 90's as well as research we still had filed to begin construction of a simulation reactor. One of the most critical components was the gas centrifuges. After numerous attempts to acquire specially designed high strength aluminum tubes for these centrifuges we were finally successfully...

Minneapolis-St. Paul is a "cosmopolitan gem," according to a new ranking by Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine. Granted, "the winter weather isn't for wusses," Kiplinger's June issue reports, but the seven-county Twin Cities area has so many good things to brag about: cost of living and housing, quality health care, low crime rate, education, quality of life, cultural amenities, the economy and transportation. St. Paul doesn't get short shrift either in the write-up: The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra are mentioned, among other pluses. Minneapolis is described as "progressive and hip, with a Midwestern sensibility."...

DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich., April 20 /PRNewswire/ -- An historic FBI Town Hall Meeting with Arab and Muslim Americans will be televised nationwide on May 15th at 8pm ET / 9pm PT on Bridges TV. Bridges TV is available as a free channel on Wow Cable & Internet and GlobeCast Satellite. However, Comcast Cable, the nation's largest cable provider, charges customers an extra $180 a year to watch Bridges TV. "We are deeply saddened by such excessive overpricing by Comcast Cable. There is an urgent need for better coverage of Arab and Muslim American issues in the media. Offering Bridges TV...

AL ASAD, Iraq (Mar 5, 2006) -- Issues Marines face on a daily basis, which can lessen their quality of life and hinder their mission, include downed power generators, lights not turning on, mud bogs created by standing water and gear or personnel needing transportation. The Forerunners can turn to five talented, multi-tasking Marines with the logistics section of Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 16, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, to solve these and other miscellaneous problems and tasks as they spring up. "We are responsible for the maintenance of five barracks, six hangars, the base ordnance building...

Tories move to heal White House rift By Alec Russell in Washington and George Jones, Political Editor (Filed: 16/02/2006) The Tories will today seek to end an extraordinary rift with their natural allies in the White House with a staunch statement of support for President George W Bush over the need to stop Iran having a nuclear weapon. At the start of a two-day visit to repair relations, Liam Fox, the Conservative defence spokesman, will tell a Washington think-tank that Britain remains America's "most reliable and effective ally". Dr Fox: coming to America In a speech to the Heritage Foundation,...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger calls California the land of opportunity. So does Nevada -- but for a different reason. Silver State officials this week launched an advertising campaign in several California cities, their latest attempt to hijack California companies weary of the state's high insurance, utility, and tax costs. Nevada's latest ads -- running in newspapers with links to similarly themed Web sites -- play off the wink-and-a-nod notion that even the bear on California's state flag has skedaddled across the border to Nevada. Oversized outdoor ads will be draped on downtown buildings in Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, and San...

NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 23, 2006 – New Orleans faced an uphill battle against mountains of debris after storm surge and levee flooding from hurricanes Katrina and Rita brought city services to a halt in 2005. With the city and its municipal solid waste collection contractor unable to resume operations, the garbage, stench and health risk increased with each sultry day. "Our contractors were having problems regrouping their people and equipment," said New Orleans Director of Sanitation Veronica T. White, a specialist in public and environmental health. "The No. 1 urgency here was health." On Sept. 21, New Orleans asked the...

Confusion over Iran 'assets move' Iran has broken the seals on three nuclear facilities There is confusion over whether Iran is moving foreign exchange reserves from Europe to avoid possible sanctions, after conflicting remarks by officials. The deputy head of Iran's central bank has said that Iran has no plans at the moment to shift its money. But Iranian news agencies reported on Friday that the bank head had said the state had started to withdraw assets, amid a row over its nuclear programme. Iran denies US and European claims that it is seeking to build nuclear weapons. The UN's...