Free Republic

Former bandmate Johnny Marr revealed that Rourke's death comes after a "lengthy illness with pancreatic cancer"Andy Rourke, bassist for The Smiths, has died. He was 59. Rourke’s death was announced today (May 19) by former bandmate Johnny Marr on social media. Per Marr’s statement, Rourke died following “a lengthy illness with pancreatic cancer”. Marr also paid tribute to his former bandmate, writing: “Andy will be remembered as a kind and beautiful soul by those who knew him and as a supremely gifted musician by music fans.” Rourke was best known for being the main bassist for The Smiths between 1982...

Remember Rachel Dolezal? The famously white NAACP leader from the Spokane area who got around by pretending to be Black, has company. Turns out a Black Lives Matter activist leader from Indianapolis has somehow been caught out and now also admits to being white while pretending to be Black. Satchuel Cole (original name: Jennifer Benton -ed.) has been highly a visible racial justice activist in Indianapolis, has worked with the local Black Lives Matter chapter and was even the spokesperson for the family of Aaron Bailey who was killed by police during a June 2017 traffic stop, according to The...

As we're in Slutwalk month, we'll all again be told women can dress as provocatively as they want, act as provocatively as they want, and if anything bad happens as a result, the woman is never to be blamed. Sorry, but a black person would be kinda' foolish to attend a Klan rally. If he or she did and got an ass-whuppin', there would be many people who'd think attending was a rather stupid idea. Everyday on social media we see women portraying themselves in ways that, as Bill Clinton said, have that "come hither look" and we unfortunately see...

What a sad indictment on our culture that a twice-divorced Vaishnava, PETA loving vegetarian rock-and-roller who once tried to convince the drug-addicted lead singer of the Sex Pistols to marry her, is now a voice of reason when it comes to the hyper-sexed nature of modern pop music.

Time has come for me to leave the chaos of FreeRepublic. Over the past 13 years I always felt that FR was the home of Conservatives with core values that could not be compromised. This election cycle has shown me that I have been wrong in my assessment. The lack of moral or intellectual commitment by many of the FR members has resulted in the end of my involvement. I'm sure JR and many others are pleased but know that the early years were great experiences. God Bless to all and enjoy the next 4 years of Obama.

So I'm on a radio discussion board and people are bringing up Rush's use of My City Was Gone (lyrics etc). I pointed out that the Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde owned a restaurant in Akron. Oops, past tense: (Oct 2011) "It is with great regret that The Vegiterranean in downtown Akron has closed its doors for the last time. This has been a labour of love for me for the last four years. We tried everything we could to keep the restaurant going but unfortunately due to the current economic climate this has not been possible...Your friend, Chrissie Hynde" I had...

Someone posted an unfriendly sign on Sarah Palin’s tour bus earlier today. The villain’s message, pasted directly over the words, “We the People” on a picture of the Constitution, read, “I, The Media Whore.” Gawker has more: [the sign] was sacrilegiously placed over a monster image of the preamble to the United States Constitution for nearly 15 minutes. The bus was parked outside Fox News headquarters.

For a while now I’ve been saying that Romney is no conservative, and anyone holding him up as the hope for the conservative movement against Obama in 2012 is fooling themselves. During his campaign for the Republican nomination in 2007/2008 Romney held himself up as a rock-ribbed conservative. The reality is that he’s a power-hungry politician. He was one of the first political leaders in America to institute what amounts to a nationalized health care system in Massachusetts, and his various positions on abortion have changed so often in timing so convenient for his political career as to leave one...

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. listens during remarks of the Fiscal Responsibility Summit, hosted by President Barack Obama, not pictured, Monday, Feb. 23, 2009, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Henry Waxman (R) speak to reporters during the Fiscal Responsibility Summit hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House in Washington February 23, 2009. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., second fromleft, accompanied by, from left, Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and Rep. George Miller, D-Calif. gestures...

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it (John 1:5). The world settles into winter, at least in the northern hemisphere, and life to many seems increasingly bleak. Foreclosures, layoffs, government bailouts and financial failures, continuing war on two fronts, terrorist attacks, murders of some identified only by their faith -- this world is in abundant need of light. We know light that is not overcome by darkness, for God has come among us in human flesh. Born in poverty to a homeless couple, to a people long under occupation, Jesus is human and divine...

PRETENDERS star CHRISSIE HYNDE hates talking about politics because she's convinced Americans are not ready to elect a black president. The singer admits she is a fan of Democrat Barack Obama, but doesn't think her fellow countrymen will vote him into the White House when they go to the polls on 4 November (08). She tells Blender magazine, "To be honest, there's nothing I want to talk about less than politics. I'd rather vomit and lick it up. "I like Obama, but he's not gonna win. Trust me, I know my people."

The Dixie Chicks are raising a rukus again. This time they are using Lubbock's name.The Chicks new album contains a song called 'Lubbock or Lave It.' It criticizes local radio stations who boycotted their music after the trio made anti-Bush remarks at a concert three years ago.Another song called 'Not Ready to Make Nice' is about the backlash they recieved from the Bush comments.The album is due out in April.

I finally got one of those phones that will play actual music for the ringer, not just the polyphonic tones. Right now, my ring is the opening riff from INXS' The One Thing, which is pretty cool. But I was thinking the ultimate one would be the Pretenders song that Rush uses to introduce his radio show. Anyone know where to get it, or have it already?

A Contentious and Unforgettable Night at the Old GOP BallparkMonthly Republican district meetings are usually more staid than argumentative and more sedentary than physical. Tonight's GOP District 22 meeting was definitely one of the exceptions. I have heard that the Phoenix police have been called in to other GOP district meetings in the recent past. Normally, there are more laughs than raised voices in D22 meetings. District 22 basically encompasses the City of Gilbert, where we are only a month away from a Town Council run-off election between a classic conservative Republican -- incumbent Dave Peterson -- and a WISH...

I have never been involved in "veterans' issues", and I find it revolting to see the media's cameras pass a hundred well dressed and well adjusted veterans with their families, to focus on "Viet Nam vets" who display themselves in camouflage that was not even issued until 1980. These men are often "wannabees", who steal honors they never earned, discredit men who did what they lacked courage to do, and try to blame the failures of their lives on the fiery mold of "a terrible war" that many, perhaps most, did not even see. Their "memories" and stories are usually...

Two of the three documents/articles below were prepared within The Vatican. The first document/article focuses on the present day China's persecution of the Roman Catholic Church in China ( commonly referred to as China's "underground Catholic Church"). The second document/article quotes Cardinal Etchegaray, retired president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. He has frequently served as the Pope's diplomatic envoy. On 03 October 2003, he publicly denied the existence of a divide between the underground and Chinese government-recognized 'patriotic' Catholic Church. "There is only one Church with two faces," he said. "There is not one 'patriotic' Church and...

Do you suspect your neighbor (or someone else) is exaggerating his Vietnam War record to impress the ladies? If so - and if he is - it's not all that difficult to find out. The best place to start is the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, depository of the military records of everyone who ever served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Available information includes dates of service, ranks, type of discharge, citations and awards. Although a 1973 fire destroyed about 80 percent of all records between 1912 to 1960, NPRC can still verify military service from the Department...

<p>SOME MIGHT THINK that by 2003, a Pretenders concert would have evolved into your basic, run-of-the-mill, classic rock show.</p> <p>That's a good one.</p> <p>Saturday's show at the Warfield in San Francisco a Pretenders concert, but it was really the in-your-face Chrissie Hynde show in every way, shape and form.</p>

<p>A chicken protest led by the Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde turned into a near riot over the weekend when angry diners attacked her for ruining their meals.</p> <p>The rocker joined a dozen animal activists in a protest raid on a Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) fast food restaurant in Seattle, Wash.</p>

Between songs, the pugnacious Hynde, in a classic black T-shirt and jeans, bantered and battled with the crowd. She dedicated "You Know Who Your Friends Are" to "all you junkies and f--," gave a shout-out to the late Joe Strummer, opined that she hopes the United States loses if it goes to war with Iraq ("Bring it on! Give us what we deserve!"), and introduced the song "Fools Must Die" with the self-deprecating quip, "I'll show you how it's done."