Free Republic

A 5-year-old boy slipped out of the Imagination Station child care center unnoticed Tuesday afternoon, crossed two busy streets and wandered to a restaurant on the Interstate 35E service road in 100-degree heat. Employees of Hooters found the child safe about 5:20 p.m. He left the child care center in the 2300 block of San Jacinto Boulevard, crossed the Interstate 35E northbound service road and Dallas Drive, bought a soft drink at a service station and walked to Hooters, where an employee found him in the parking lot and called police.

DARWIN, Australia - An Australian man has been fined after buckling in a case of beer with a seat belt but leaving a 5-year-old child to sit on the car's floor, police said Tuesday. Constable Wayne Burnett said he was "shocked and appalled" when he pulled over the unregistered car Friday in the central Australian town of Alice Springs. The 30-can beer case was strapped in between two adults sitting in the back seat of the car. The child was also in back, but on the car's floor. "The child was sitting in the lump in the center, unrestrained," Burnett...

We must be living in separate worlds. That was the only conclusion I could arrive at, as I recently sat and watched video coverage of a major presidential candidate’s speech in Iowa. It was early Thursday morning, two days after Christmas. I was preparing to host the mid-morning talk show at Washington, DC’s 630 WMAL, one of the many talk radio outlets around the country for which I work. While sifting through the morning‘s most recent headlines, I happened to glance up at one of the television monitors in my studio, which was tuned to CNN. And the image on...

Mitt: I’ll “go after� retailers who sell violent adult video games posted at 5:03 pm on December 21, 2007 by Allahpundit This comes courtesy of HA’s resident IT czar, Mark Jaquith, whose inner libertarian shivers at the prospect of it. Mine too. We’ve been binging on Huck’s nanny statism for weeks now, but with Mitt emerging as the viable alternative it pays to remind ourselves of the lengths to which he’s willing to go to clean up the “cesspool� that is America. I want to restore values so children are protected from a societal cesspool of filth, pornography, violence, sex,...

My good friend Ms Owl dropped by to share a bit of wine and philosophy.

Proposed Twins Ballpark Minneapolis, Minnesota Tenant: Minnesota Twins (AL) Opening: April 2010 Groundbreaking: August 30, 2007 Style: Open air Surface: Grass Capacity: 40,000 (baseball only) Architect: HOK Sport (Kansas City) and Hammel, Green and Abrahamson Inc. (Minneapolis) Construction: M.A. Mortenson Co. (Minneapolis) Owner: Minnesota Ballpark Authority Cost: $522 million Public financing: Approximately $392 million from a 0.15 percent sales tax in Hennepin County Private financing: $130 million from the Twins Lease: 30 years Minnesota Twins tickets: Viewpoint Tickets - Best prices on Twins tickets, Baseball tickets and MLB All Star tickets. Location: In the Warehouse District, just north of Target...

TOKYO (June 13) - Japan will get its first nursing home for dogs with round-the-clock monitoring by doctors and a team of puppies to help aging pooches feel younger, a pet products company said Wednesday. Owners pay $800 a month to keep their dogs at the Soladi Care Home for pets, which opens Friday, according to a joint release by Soladi Co. and the Endo Veterinary clinic in Tochigi, eastern Japan. Veterinarians at the home will offer round-the-clock monitoring and residents will be fed specially fortified food, the release said. The home, which can accept 20 dogs at one time,...

TAMPA, Fla. - Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani on Sunday defended his law firm's role in representing Citgo Petroleum Corp., which is ultimately controlled by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, saying it was helping to protect American jobs. Giuliani acknowledged though, that his opponents will try to exploit news this week that a lawyer with Bracewell & Giuliani of Houston has been representing Citgo before the Texas legislature. The firm has had a contract with Citgo since before Giuliani joined it. "Oh, they'll exploit everything. There are things that make sense and things that don't make sense and that doesn't make...

The Key Of Love Bayo Omoyiola, Jr. www.ourchurch.com/member/s/scroll_of_david scroll_of_david@yahoo.com Love is wonderful. Irrespective of the angle from which you view it. It is simply perfect and no flaw in it. Our Lord Jesus knew that we couldn’t get perfect without it. No wonder he said - Love your neighbour as yourself and love the Lord thy God with all your heart, mind and soul. He gave us the greatest commandment and gave us the key of love so that we may be able to open any door we wish to open. Alleluyah, for love is the key to everything! Maybe...

Is it terrible that I spend most of the time reading this whole Foley/Hastert disaster with my eyes firmly planted at the top of their sockets in mid-roll? Is it wrong that when I hear Representative DoubleChin of Some-Town-I'll-Never-Visit, MN* has had an affair, my first thought is "Dear Lord, who in their right mind would marry this guy in the first place, let alone have sex with him?" I've learned in life that someone's moral failings in one area do not necessarily translate into universal moral failings. I have a terrible temper, but I would never take drugs, steal,...

NASCAR fans sent a loud message to WKYC (Channel 3) -- one that still will be echoing in October. The station pre-empted NBC's coverage of the NASCAR Nextel Cup race in Watkins Glen, N.Y., on Sunday to air an Indians game (Ed - Indians game?!?). Racing fans promptly filled up the voice mail and the e-mail baskets at the TV station. As a result, the station is in discussions about swapping another Indians game for the one it planned to air Oct. 1, which again would conflict with a NASCAR telecast on NBC. The station did not intend to anger...

Bjorn Lomborg is a political scientist by training, but the charismatic, golden-haired Dane is offering me a history lesson. Two hundred years ago, he explains, sitting forward in his chair in this newspaper's Manhattan offices, the left was an "incredibly rational movement." It believed in "encyclopedias," in hard facts, and in the idea that mastery of these basics would help "make a better society." Since then, the world's do-gooders have succumbed to "romanticism; they've become more dreamy." This is a problem in his view, and so this "self-avowed slight lefty" is determined to nudge the whole world back toward "rationalism."...

Music industry to sue Yahoo China The music industry is to sue Yahoo China for allegedly providing links to pirated tracks. "We've started the process and as far as we're concerned we're on a track to litigation," John Kennedy, chairman of the IFPI, told Bloomberg.com. Yahoo China is the second largest search engine in the country, and is 40% owned by Yahoo Inc. Mr Kennedy told Bloomberg he hoped that negotiation could still prevent legal proceedings from starting. Last year the International Federation of the Phonographic Industries, whose members include EMI, Sony BMG and Warner Music, sued Baidu, the most...

Rod Ames gets help from Battalion Chief Coby Farnham to move his Harley-Davidson away from his smoldering home Thursday after Lacey firefighters knocked down flames at the home at 75th Avenue and Chinook Street on Johnson Point. Ames cleared the land and helped build his home in 1973. “God has blessed me and my life a lot more than other people. So this is just 'oh well,' ” Ames said. “It's been a wonderful home.”

WASHINGTON, March 7, 2006 – Winning the war on terrorism is U.S. Pacific Command's highest priority, the command's leader told the Senate Armed Services Committee today. To achieve that goal, the command is striving to eliminate the violence that now threatens the people and stability of the Asia-Pacific region and, more importantly, to transform at-risk environments, Navy Adm. William J. Fallon said. "We have in place key elements to succeed in advancing U.S. security interests and enhancing regional stability - vibrant alliances, opportunities for new partnerships, combat ready and agile forces, and committed soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines to lead...

Auditor questions spending priorities... At a time when lawmakers struggled to find money for health care for the state's most vulnerable people, Washington taxpayers footed the bill for a sex-change operation, penile implants, breast augmentation and ear piercings. In his most recent review of state Medicaid expenses, Auditor Brian Sonntag found thousands of questionable expenditures in the 2004 fiscal year. One in particular jumped off the page. Medicaid paid $9,549.92 to surgically transform a woman into a man. "You pick up the paper or watch the evening news and you see senior citizens who can't get medications of diabetes and...

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Assembly Democrats, critical to the success of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's $222 billion public works program, on Thursday questioned how the proposal's bond money would be repaid and said their spending priorities differed somewhat from the governor's. The issues were raised in a news conference after Democrats returned from their annual retreat and marked the start of serious closed-door negotiations over Schwarzenegger's so-called strategic growth plan, the centerpiece of his legislative agenda for the year. Democrats said they agree on the concept of a plan to rebuild California's public works, but offered only a sketchy outline of alternatives...

The Saints will return to action in New Orleans much earlier than originally hoped or expected. The Saints will host their first game at the Louisiana Superdome, severely damaged in Hurricane Katrina, on Sept. 24 when they host the Atlanta Falcons, the NFL announced Sunday. "Superdome officials are pointing to the Falcons-Saints game on Sept. 24 as the first event in the building since Hurricane Katrina," commissioner Paul Tagliabue said. "We are pleased that this historic reopening will feature the annual renewal of the traditional Falcons-Saints rivalry." A 40-foot by 150-foot mural with the news of the Saints' 2006 home...

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq, Jan. 1, 2006 – Securing gains made and training local police are keys to victory over terrorists here in Anbar province, the commander of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force Forward said today. In the past few months, U.S. Marines and soldiers have aggressively attacked insurgents throughout the province, Marine Maj. Gen. Stephen Johnson, who is also commander of Multinational Force West, said. Coalition forces went into known insurgent areas and remained in those areas to ensure insurgents did not come back, Johnson said. "We are able to do this now because we have trained Iraqi...

Ordinary people are said to have difficulty in keeping New Year’s resolutions. Members of the political class must have an even harder time of it, given the shifts in the preferences and priorities of the public it primarily tries to please. Politicians probably (Why am I using so many words beginning with “p”?) don’t have sufficient time to spend on formulating New Year’s resolutions. They are, perhaps, still working on keeping campaign promises or maybe they are just too preoccupied with opinion polls and worrying about reelection strategies. So, purely in the spirit of helpfulness, I again offer busy politicians...

"While You Were Sleeping" by Casting Crowns Oh little town of Bethlehem Looks like another silent night Above your deep and dreamless sleep A giant star lights up the sky And while you're lying in the dark There shines an everlasting lightFor the King has left His throne And is sleeping in a manger tonight, tonight Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping For God became a man And stepped into your world today Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history As a city with no room for its King While you were sleeping While you...

Part of New Orleans's southern charm comes from its green canopy of live oak trees. Many of those trees have been standing in water for more than a week, depriving their roots of oxygen. (this is lead-in. Audio .wav file of the report at NPR site)

Kathleen Babineaux Blanco On January 12, 2004, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco became the first woman to serve as governor of Louisiana. In her long, distinguished career, Governor Blanco has served the people with a vision of creating a new Louisiana, filled with hope and opportunity for all citizens. As Governor, her top priorities include: providing affordable, accessible healthcare, improving the state’s education system, and creating a strong and vibrant economy. In her inaugural address, Governor Blanco outlined her priorities as governor: “We face important challenges in this new century: expanding our economy and creating quality jobs; building an effective health care...

Excerpts: "Jordan, 68, has spent his working life watching politicians avoid the reality that we are too dependent on oil. It's so much easier to win votes by promising to lower taxes, ignoring aging infrastructure and leaving the mess for the next generation. U.S. engineers and scientists haven't helped prepare for an era of declining oil because "we're so focused on health and national security," Jordan says. "We've neglected getting young people involved in how to keep our sewage plants and water supply going and fix our transportation system." . . . "We have the knowledge and materials to protect...

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. (Applause.) Thank you all. Please be seated. Earl, thanks for the warm introduction, thanks for the invitation, and thanks for the award. And I appreciate your leadership of ALEC. Good leaders make good decisions -- you made a good decision bringing this convention to Texas. (Laughter.) I'm pleased to be with the members of ALEC, and I want to thank you for serving. And I want to thank your families for standing by you as you serve. I appreciate you putting your community and your state and your nation ahead of your self-interest. I...

When adopting the record $26 billion tax-and-spend 2005-07 budget, the legislature and governor with each tax increase and spending addition signaled their intent to carve R.I.P. on the tombstone of Priorities of Government (POG) budgeting. POG, the highly successful and renowned budget process that requires state officials to prioritize all state spending within available revenue, was used in crafting a no-new-taxes 2003-05 budget under the direction of then Sen. Dino Rossi and former Governor Gary Locke. In fact, current Governor Christine Gregoire, prior to signing the tax-and-spend $26 billion budget, highlighted the state’s nomination for Harvard’s Innovation in Government Award...

At first, House Judiciary Chair Sylvia Luke, D-Nuuanu, did not care for the governor’s proposal to make Hawaii’s roads safer for pedestrians. Gov. Linda Lingle wanted a bill passed that would require drivers to stop, rather than yield, should a pedestrian step onto a crosswalk – Luke did not hear the bill. But in conference committee this week, the language from the governor’s proposal got inserted into a traffic bill, and at first Luke balked at the proposal. Instead she offered her own plan to make Hawaii’s roads safer – only trouble was everyone thought she was kidding. Luke pushed...

A wind turbine near a top-security prison is being switched off in the early mornings because the flickering shadows it creates annoy inmates. The £1m turbine next to Whitemoor Prison near March, Cambridgeshire, produces electricity for 4,000 homes. But Longhill Energy has agreed to halt the turbine because of possible "security problems" if prisoners became upset over the flickering shadows. The firm says the flicker only happens at certain times of the year. Managing director Martin Adler said: "At this time of the year the sun hits the blades of the turbine at a certain angle and creates flickering shadows...

A beer truck flipped over on a roadway overpass in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Monday, prompting local officials to comment on the tragedy. "It is sad," Capt. Scott Logan of the Halifax Regional Fire Service told The Daily News of Halifax. "Chances are they won't recover any of the beer." The truck, hauling 46,368 bottles of Alexander Keith's India Pale Ale, skidded to a stop against the overpass's guardrail, luckily avoiding a 50-foot plunge down to another road. The female driver was pulled out of the cab uninjured — "more frazzled than hurt," according to Logan — letting rescuers focus on...

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently issued a second report to Congress praising Washington's "commitment" to performance-based budgeting or priorities of government (POG). GAO's praise, however, came prior to Senate Democrats passing SB 6078 in order to more easily increase taxes and spending. That bill essentially guts the tax and spending limit provisions of the people's I-601 expenditure limit reform and signals a lack of commitment by Senate Democrats to the POG budget process. Prior to the passage of SB 6078, GAO issued a report titled "Reexamining the Base of the Federal Government," which highlighted Washington's POG efforts. GAO...

It looks like Olympia's recent attention to priority-based budgeting has drawn the interest of the federal government. In a recent study presented to Congress, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) highlighted Washington's priorities of government (POG) budget reform as a model to adopt in reviewing and crafting the federal budget. The GAO's report entitled, "Reexamining the Base of the Federal Government" notes: States and other nations also have engaged in reexamination exercises. States have variously examined their bases, through cutback management, performance and strategic planning, budget reform, and privatization/contracting out. In recent years, various states have reexamined their various programs and...

WASHINGTON (AP) - Some of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's top federal funding priorities for California would go unmet under the lean $2.57 trillion federal budget President Bush proposed Monday. Funding increases the governor requested for after-school programs, water quality improvement and reimbursing states for the cost of jailing illegal immigrants all were ignored. Other programs were funded at levels less than Schwarzenegger sought - among them the CalFed water project to restore California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and a high-tech research project at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. But the budget proposal did include some of Schwarzenegger's federal spending goals, which he listed...

Milorad Ulemek, a first-time novelist, has been a great success, according to his publisher. In just two weeks, his novel about the war in Bosnia, "Iron Trench," has sold close to 70,000 copies, a record in Serbia, according to the publisher, Mihailo Vojnovic While pleased with sales, Vojnovic, the director of M Books, concedes that the novel's success may have less do with its content than with its author's notoriety. . Milorad Ulemek is Serbia's most infamous paramilitary soldier, a man human rights groups say was responsible for some the worst atrocities in the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s. He...

Countries the world over jockey hard to attract foreign investment. They care about it enough to make it a national priority, to send spies against their competitors, to build infrastructure, and to change laws to make their investment climate attractive. Most know of the economy-developing potential of foreign capital. The United States itself was developed this way, largely on British capital which built its great railroads, mining ventures, universities and corporations. China is now the giant of this game opf attractring foreign investment, aptly offering favorable business conditions and great opportunities to businesses the world over. But it's not just...

"So far, we have gotten calls from as far away as California from people wanting boots for the Inauguration," said Walter Pie, president of the Pinto Ranch Fine Western Wear, just down the road from where former President George Bush lives in Houston. "Especially from women." "The boots sell for between $1,000 and $3,000, with the all-alligator skin model going for $6,000." Indeed!! How can we as a Nation look ourselves in the mirror while plans are coming together to squander millions and millions of dollars -- both public and private -- on galas; parades; travel, meal, and lodging expenses;...

Bush vs. Kerry: An Election Like No Other By Ali Sina I watched the first round of the presidential debate between President Bush and Senator Kerry with a lot of interest. I am not an American but I believe the outcome of this election will affect not just America but the entire world. If you don’t accuse me of being hyperbolic I dare to say that this is the most important election in the history of mankind. On this election may depend the future of the world and whether there would be another world war or perhaps it could be...

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040905 By BEN WALKER, AP National Writer NEW YORK - Maria Sharapova's drive to win another Grand Slam title got dashed Saturday when tennis' newest "It" girl lost to Mary Pierce 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the third round of the U.S. Open The 17-year-old Wimbledon winner lost the final five games, worn down a bit by her third straight three-set match. Sharapova hurt herself with 14 double-faults, including two in the game when Pierce broke her to take a 5-3 lead in the final set. The seventh-seeded Russian wore a black ribbon on the front of her dress, in memory...

John Kerry's official Web site last week deleted his advocacy of homosexuals in the military after the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel reported on this disclosure of the Democratic presidential candidate's position. Before the language was eliminated, the Web site said bringing gays into the military was one of Sen. Kerry's ''priorities.'' The page on homosexual issues had gone on to say: ''John Kerry opposed the Clinton administration's Don't Ask Don't Tell Policy. He was one of the few senators to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee and call on the president to rescind the ban on gay and lesbian service...

Oregon Libertarian Tom Cox is following up on his promise: He said last year -- when he was chairman of the state Libertarian Party -- that Republican legislators in his state who voted to approve a tax hike would be opposed when they came up for re-election. He is now running against one of those Republicans. And his move has been noted -- and applauded -- by local media and lawmakers alike. The Salem Statesman Journal, in the capital city, pointed out that both Libertarians and some Republicans said they would do their utmost to kick those lawmakers out of...

Measure 26-48 Proposes 12% County Tax Increase in Portland, OR Area (Multnomah County) Taxpayer Association of Oregon PAC Press Release About Us Sponsor Us Political Links Gov. Links Email us a News Story Find your Legislator Free $100 Tax Credit O r e g o n   P o l i t i c a l   N e w s   U p d a t e d   E v e r y   M o r n i n g!   ( b y   8 : 0 0 ) TAO-PAC takes on Measure 26-48!Help us defeat Multnomah County's 12% income tax increase!! We have lawn signs!Call Craig Flynn at 503-255-3557...

During the Democrat Party of Oregon's convention held in my town of Beaverton on March 10, 2002, there was a call to curb the dominance of talk radio by the right. The Democrats had a lot of other nonsense in their agenda and resolutions, but the call to reinstate the "fairness doctrine" has caused the most talk. They are making the rounds on the radio shows and are sounding like the losers they are. Resolutions adopted by the Democratic ConventionMarch 10, 2002 1. Democratic Party Call to Action    Whereas, extreme right-wing talk radio dominates nearly 90% of the talk-radio market,...

WASHINGTON, DC – Sen. George Allen (R-VA) issued the following statement today in regards to Sen. John Kerry’s campaign travel through Virginia: “The citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia are proud of their values and proud of the communities they live in and are dedicated to making their state and their country safer, stronger and more prosperous. “John Kerry’s voting record and policy proposals are out of touch with these values and are not reflective of the priorities of Virginians. By constantly voting against tax-relief for working families, constantly advocating burdensome regulations that stifle small business growth and entrepreneurship, John...

Earlier this week, the campaign of Sen. John Kerry attacked President Bush for his inattention to the flaws in Iraq intelligence estimates. However, Mr. Kerry's attack, and his failure to inform himself on those matters, raise serious questions about his priorities.     Earlier this week, Mr. Kerry's campaign demanded to know if the president had read the entire October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs (WMD). It blasted out an e-mail headlined, "Did anyone in the White House read the full National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq?" and followed it with a conference call led by...

ARLINGTON, VA - Today, Bush-Cheney '04 announced the release of the campaign's newest ad, "Family Priorities."  This ad continues a dialogue with the American people about the priorities of American families. John Kerry has said that he represents "conservative values," but his claim ignores a long history as the most out of the mainstream member of the United States Senate.  Kerry voted against parental notification for teenage abortions and in favor of letting schools distribute the morning after pill without telling parents.  The ad will run in select spot markets.Script for "Family Priorities"President Bush:I'm George W. Bush and I...

FLASH: Kerry's aides said that he was returning to Boston on Sunday a day ahead of schedule to receive a national security briefing. Comes after headlines from CNN Kerry interview: 'Well, I haven't been briefed yet...They have offered to brief me. I just haven't had time'...

"It is a great example of John Kerry's priorities that on the day he said he did not have time to receive his intelligence briefing on threats to America, he found time to attend a Hollywood fund-raiser, filled with enough hate and vitriol to make Michael Moore blush." -Steve Schmidt, Bush-Cheney '04 Spokesman John Kerry's Priorities Kerry Says He Hasn't "Had Time" To Be Briefed On Terrorist Threats. KING: "News of the day, Tom Ridge warned today about al Qaeda plans of a large-scale attack on the United States. Didn't increase the -- you see any politics in this?...

I live in Virginia, and I had the pleasure of seeing the new Bush Campaign commercial called "PRIORITIES". This political commercial is probably the most devastating since the "Willie Horton" ads from the campaign of 1988. Check it out NOW!! The best part is that it tells the truth!! And the last line is haunting............. "Senator Kerry has his priorities. Are they yours" ?????

ARLINGTON, VA - Today, Bush-Cheney '04 released the campaign's newest ad, "Priorities."  This ad is part of a dialogue with the American people that we will have in the weeks leading up to the Democrat convention about the priorities of America's families.  John Kerry is trying to run away from the record that made him the most out of the mainstream member of the United States Senate.  He began an "extreme makeover" last week on a bus trip when he declared that he understood the "conservative values that they feel" in the heartland.  This ad reflects the true Kerry record.A...

The Bush/Cheney campaign is launching a new ad questioning the voting record of Sen. John Kerry. Called "Priorities," the ad begins, "Leadership means choosing priorities," and continues: ----------------------------------------------------------------- While campaigning, John Kerry has missed over two thirds of all votes. Missed a vote to lower health-care costs by reducing frivolous lawsuits against doctors. Missed a vote to fund our troops in combat. Yet, Kerry found time to vote against the Laci Peterson law that protects pregnant women from violence. Kerry has his priorities. Are they yours? In a conference call with reporters this morning, Bush campaign spokeswoman Nicolle Devenish said...

<p>WASHINGTON (AP) - The government's former top counterterrorism adviser testified Wednesday that the Clinton administration had "no higher priority" than combatting terrorists while the Bush administration made it "an important issue but not an urgent issue."</p> <p>Richard Clarke told a bipartisan commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that "although I continued to say it (terrorism) was an urgent problem I don't think it was ever treated that way" by the current administration in advance of the strikes two and a half years ago.</p>