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Even though he is the commander in chief, there are some orders that even President Obama cannot give - as he found out today, much to the mirth of a put-upon U.S. Marine. Hosting Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Rose Garden today, the president requested a standing Marine to open an umbrella and protect his head from the light rain that was falling. However, according to Marine Corps regulations, not even the President of the United States can request a serving officer to carry an umbrella without the express permission of the Commandant of the Marine Corps....

Marines presented an uncommon site on Thursday when the call of duty called for an umbrella over the President's head. Rain broke through the sun Thursday while President Obama and his guest, the Turkish prime minister, stepped from the Oval Office into the Rose Garden for a news conference. And while Obama attempted to ignore the rain for a moment, he was eventually distracted. Not one to be deterred by the weather, Obama improvised instead. Because the Turkish prime minister may not have a change of clothes, Obama noted jokingly, he decided to call over two marines instead. He then...

Barack Obama loves the troops… To hold his umbrella. POTUS deploys Marines for rain in Rose Garden with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan. (Major Garrett)

The newly-established Umbrella Corporation Weapons Research Group—no known connection to the pharmaceutical company, although their company logos are extremely similar—is preparing to launch a line of AR parts starting with a polymer pistol grip. With the help of Magpul they've developed an un-textured pistol grip that has a near vertical slant to it at just 13 degrees from perpendicular. These vertical pistol grips are emerging from a few different manufacturers including Magpul and Bravo Company Manufacturing and give people who prefer to shoot with their rifle stock collapsed or near-collapsed a more comfortable grip. The shelf price for this grip...

HANOVER, Germany – A German man has died almost a year after being struck in the backside by a mysterious stranger wielding a poisoned umbrella, The Local Germany reported Friday. The Local quoted the newsmagazine Der Spiegel as saying an autopsy and toxicological tests carried out on the victim were expected to suggest mercury poisoning as the cause of death. The unidentified 40-year-old man was diagnosed with mercury poisoning several weeks after he was attacked in Hanover by a man he described as a slim stranger with a Band-Aid on his face. He spent months in a coma, then seemed...

Goooooooood Morning Freepers...... Rise and shine and get on your silliness game face folks, it's gonna be a tough one out there today. And to get ya'll in the mood, I'm spinning some tunes for ya. Here's a classic hit, that'll get you going. And here's a a rockabilly remake, it's sure to get you singing along. But wait, here's one, that'll be sure to make you giggle... Now get on out there and get your silliness on. And while you do, you can pump it up to this... And one more classic hit, to get you going....you just don't...

Via Legal Insurrection: We are in REAL trouble. He can't figure out how to get it through:

It’s a goofy picture that does not reflect his competence as president. The Associated Press caption is boring: “President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama walk through a rainy Columbia Parc Development in New Orleans, Sunday, Aug. 29, 2010, on the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)” But it does make him look goofy. So, how many newspapers or TV outlets will show it? We shall see over the next 24 to 48 hours. http://blogs.dailymail.com/donsurber/archives/20221 . .

This picture of the President and the First Lady touring New Orleans has gone viral today, and I couldn't help but get in on the action and have some fun with it.  So, take a shot and send me your best caption.  While its a little long winded, I kinda liked this one... "Before his speech at Xavier University, Barry and Michelle visit the Columbia Pac Development to view newly built homes rebuilt below sea level and will flood again someday, and will again be rebuilt with your federal tax money.  Makes ya proud don't it?" The WyBlog offered up...

Inaugural No-Nos: Strollers, Coolers, Backpacks and More... The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies has posted on its Web site a number of tips to keep in mind for those planning on attending the Jan. 20 swearing-in ceremony and parade. Among the list of items banned from the festivities are baby strollers, coolers, backpacks, thermoses, umbrellas and signs. Go here for the full list and other tips about what to wear and what to expect.

POLK COUNTY, Fla. -- A Central Florida man was beaten to death over the weekend with an umbrella, according to authorities. Polk County sheriff's deputies said Richard Oaks, who owns a lounge in Lakeland, Fla., became involved in a fight with his friend, Alan Pierce, late Saturday. Pierce was hospitalized after the incident, officers said. After the alleged attack, Pierce's 17-year-old daughter apparently sought revenge and gathered her friends together, including Charles Bonfiglio, 21, and his brother, Corey, deputies said. The group drove to Oaks' home and beat him to death, a sheriff's report said. The Bonfiglio brothers and another...

Here's a quote from a government employee who witnessed a recent interaction between an elderly woman and an antiwar protester in a train station in Sydney: "There were protesters on the train platform handing out pamphlets on the evils of Australia. I politely declined to take one. An elderly woman was behind me getting off the escalator and a young (20ish) female protester offered her a pamphlet, which she politely declined. The young protester put her hand on the old woman's shoulder as a gesture of friendship and in a very soft voice said, "Lady, don't you care about the...

Many argue that communism will never be possible because of "human nature". The essence of this false argument is the belief that a communist society would consist of an all-powerful central government that would tell everybody what to do--and would therefore undermine the creative initiative of individuals and the search for happiness. • This argument is based on two false assumptions: (1) It assumes that a communist society will look like the former Soviet Union, or the current China, North Korea, etc (ie: corrupt police states with a feudal-style ruling class) (2) It assumes that people will only work in...

Here is the list so far for sponcers to this hate America fest: ANSWER Code Pink UFPJ NION Al Awda World Workers Party Ruckas Revolutionary Communist party Moveon.org ACORN Campus Antiwar Network International Socialist Org Greens Party Muslim Student Association CPUSA

Have you heard this yet? It's a .wav file that's pretty darn funny.  It's supposedly a copy of a voice mail that's making its way around the Internet.  Some guy is calling his boss & leaving a message telling him he'll be late, then becomes a play-by-play commentator when he witnesses a car wreck, all caught on the voicemail tape.Snopes currently has it listed as "undetermined."    I received the wav file yesterday in an email and don't have any way to host it, but you just HAVE to listen to this.  The man leaving the message is just as funny...

This is a funny voice mail: http://mfile.akamai.com/5022/wma/coast.download.akamai.com/5022/clips/05/02/020305_incident.asx

When we look at the constant assault on all that made America great -- a common language, personal liberty, the right to assemble with whom we wish, conventional marriage, the Boy Scouts, religion, etc. -- we need only look inward to those working among us. We can call them Democrats, liberals, the left, or progressives. The label is not important. By their acts, we know them as socialists and they have a plan to disassemble society as we know it. We have written about the infamous House Progressive Caucus[1] many times before. The Progressive Caucus is the Congressional arm of...

The purpose of FreeRepublic.com's multiple message boards is to limit the topics for each board to particular topics. Posting the same message on all the boards defeats the purpose of multiple-boards for special topics. It is very annoying to see the same message on every bulletin board. PLEASE! DO THE READERS A FAVOR. STOP CROSS-POSTING YOUR MESSAGES!

A New York City man became annoyed with a theme park worker dressed as Telly from "Sesame Street" and shoved an umbrella into the worker's stomach, police said. Hiram Cruz, of the Bronx, was cited for disorderly conduct for poking the 17-year-old employee Friday during a visit to Sesame Place outside Philadelphia, police said. The teen complained of minor stomach pain and was taken to a hospital as a precaution, Middletown Sgt. Ken Mellus said. "He felt that Telly was bothering him in some way," Mellus said. "I don't think he was trying to hurt the kid. He thought the...