A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....11-25-02

Billie and daisyscarlett

[daisyscarlett]

A Few of FR's Finest.....
......Every Day

FR is a Treasure Trove of talented, compassionate, patriotic, wonderful people who gather every day to discuss the latest news and issues; salute and support our military and our leaders;  tell a few jokes;  learn a new word;  write poetry;  pray for those in need;  and congratulate those who are deserving. Thank you, Jim Robinson, for giving us the vehicle in which we can express ourselves.

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   I can remember lurking when there were only a few regulars who posted, and now there are over 60,000 who have registered for posting privileges. The forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest November 11, 2001

So many people have written me since my original Veteran's Day Tribute, asking how they, or a loved one, could be included in that tribute. Since I can no longer add the photos to the body of the thread, I've been including them in additional posts as I received enough to make another collage.

Still that doesn't seem to be enough. I think there's never been a better nor more appropriate time to keep the faces of our own Veterans and Active Military in front of FReepers--every day! That's why I wanted to do yet another Daily Thread .....ABOUT FReepers .....and FOR FReepers. But not only about our Military FReepers; for all FReepers! Wouldn't it be nice to get to know a few of the other FReepers as well? That's why, in addition to seeing FR's Finest Military Personnel every day, I thought it might be fun to feature a different FReeper (or FReepers) each day. If you would like to be pictured, or know someone who would, please FReepmail me and we'll turn the spotlight - on YOU - for the day!

And do let me know if you'd like your picture added to the groups of Veterans/Active Military below. I will keep this page updated, and continue to add them to the comment section of the original Veteran's Day thread as well.

TOP: Logos, SwedeGirl's hubby, Neil E Wright, FallGuy, 1John, Sneakypete
MIDDLE:  T'wit, COB1, LadyX, Dick Bachert, 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub
BOTTOM:  YankeeinSC, Delta21, JoeSixPack1

TOP:  Bosniajmc, AFVetGal, Archy, A Navy Vet
MIDDLE:  4TheFlag, Aeronaut, 68Grunt, Xinga
BOTTOM:  Codger, AAABest, Clinton's A Liar, Duke809, dcwusmc

TOP:  mc5cents, Norb2569, LBGA's son, VanJenerette
MIDDLE:  Jim Robinson, KJenerette, davidosborne, KG9Kid
BOTTOM:  gwmoore, Equality7-2521, SAMWolf

TOP:  porgygirl, Phil V., MudPuppy, NorCoGOP
MIDDLE:  RaceBannon, OneidaM, rdb3, jwTexian
BOTTOM:  USMC Vet, TheMayor, Vineyard, rhododogma

We now have eleven groups of veterans/active military; we will post each group of three or four twice a week, with thumbnail/links of the remaining seven or eight groups on each thread. Click on any of the thumbnails below to see the group full-size.

         

GROUP 5A: TOP:  spectr17, RightOnline, SERE_Doc, Tet68. MIDDLE:  FutureSnakeEater, RightOnline's wife, CIApilot, Clamper1797. BOTTOM:  usmcobra, onedoug, DiverDave, Joe6-pack.

GROUP 6A: TOP:  g'nad, AgThorn's son Justin, SLB, AgThorn's son Brett. MIDDLE:  fish70, razorback-bert, CheneyChick, Leroy S Mort, Mark17. BOTTOM:  Terry's Take, Taxman, DinkyDau.

GROUP 7A: TOP:  ValerieUSA's son Grant, SK1Thurman, kd5cts, RangerVetNam, dansangel and .45man's son-in-law Tony.BOTTOM:  rangerX, Old China Hand, Trish, Howlin's dad, Mustang.

GROUP 8A: TOP: ohioWfan's son, MamaBear's father-in-law, MamaBear's dad, ladtx. MIDDLE:  The Mayor's niece, M.Kehoe, Beach_Babe's son-in-law. BOTTOM:  deadhead's dad, HiJinx, Severa's hubby, viligantcitizen's granddad.

      

GROUP 9A: TOP: Q6-God, Scan59, Mama Bear and JKPhoto's son, ofMagog. MIDDLE:  Big'ol_freeper, JustAmy's great uncle, Prodigal Son. BOTTOM:  JustAmy's husband, JustAmy's brother-in-law, JustAmy's brother.

GROUP 10A: TOP: dakine's wife, MeeknMing's dad, Auntbee's nephew, MilitiaMan7, AlasBabylon. BOTTOM:  Joe Brower, Temple Owl, Temple Owl's wife, dutchess' dad, Aomagrat.

GROUP 11A: TOP: ladtx #2 son; DiverDave's twin Don; petuniasevan and husband poorman; Mustard; ladtx #1 son. BOTTOM: AlamoGirl's brother Floyd; AG's dad; AG's brother Jim (inset); WVNan's husband; ladtx' Aunt Eva.

                     

The Guild

Disclaimor: Today we are presenting a profile of The Guild. It is difficult for us to be objective in this Profile as both Billie and myself hold this thread very dear to our hearts. She was one of the early members though I was in lurk mode for the early days ...much too intimidated by these witty, charming, informed, accomplished, brillant, gracious (told you it is hard to be objective, lol...) FReepers to post. Eventually, I did come out of lurk mode and became a frequent poster to The Guild for many months. ~ daisyscarlett

The running thread known today as The Guild began life in February of 2001. It had its genesis in the aftermath of the Clinton scandals. On 2/02/01, a thread was posted about   Hillary's fur coats.   Yep, it was reported that Denise Rich had given Hillary not one, not two, not three but FOUR fur coats. Many outraged Freepers were attracted to this thread and began reporting on other gifts the Clintons had received and/or appropriated. It was decided to do a group research endeavor and lots of new facts were discovered and reported. (Think Chihulay vase, think saxophones, think White House china and furniture). The results of this investigation are included in this thread by LBGA:

Guild Gift Summary

At first the thread was called the "Ladies Guild" and this evolved into the "Ladies Investigative Guild". FReeRepublic's Registered designed the Guild's logos.

It is now known as The Guild. Hillary's Lovely Legs posts and maintains The Guild threads. She gets help from BigWaveBetty and mountaineer when she is not available.

Early mottos of the thread were "Hey Wait a Minute"...WH Usher Gary Walters, and "People who try to pretend they're superior make it so much harder for those of us who really are."... Hyacinth Bucket

The following is a link from the "early days" which contains links to many other threads. These threads are informative, interesting and often hilarious.

The Guild 3-07-01

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Pearls, Deviled Egg Dishes, "Bless Her Heart"

Membership in the Ladies Investigative Guild had only two requirements-that one own pearls and a deviled egg serving dish. However, if one did not own either or both of these items, and still desired membership in the Ladies Investigative Guild, another member always stepped forward and donated required items so that essentially everyone who wanted to be involved, could be. It was also considered good form to follow a criticism or negative comment of a public figure with the words "Bless Her/His Heart".

Following the completion of the Investigation into the theft of property by the Clintons, the Guild continued to thrive, reporting on other misdeeds of the Clintons and their friends and exalting in President Bush and his family. All sorts of news and events were discussed on the Guild. Some of the original posters left, new ones arrived. Eventually a major new project was undertaken. A

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The Daffodil Project

This project was inspired by   "The Daffodil Prnciple"   and involved "planting one seed at a time" to make this a better Country. A tracking chart was implemented, and Guilders began writing letters to newspaper editors, media management, politicians etc. hoping to plant seeds of Conservative ideas wherever possible.

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Guild Care Packages

The Daffodil project had barely gotten off the ground when 9-11 happened. Guild members came together to comfort each other and share stories of families and loved ones touched by that day. When the War on Terror began, the Guild decided to send some Care Packages to our troops in Afghanistan. They began collecting and purchasing items and sending them off to Hillary's Lovely Legs who was going to forward them to the "Any Soldier" program. A stumbling block occurred, though, when the Department of Defense announced that the 'Any Soldier" program was cancelled due to the terrorism threat. This created a dilemma. But, under the leadership of Hillary's Lovely Legs, this was solved and soon many packages were on their merry way to our service men and women aboard the U.S.S. Roosevelt.

Many Guild members sent contributions, and Hillary's Lovely Legs purchased items in bulk for the Care Packages. Others mailed things they had personally collected, or purchased, or that they had made themselves. Included in these Care Packages were items ranging from books and candy, to handmade scarves for the flight crews to wear around their necks, to drawings by school children, to original drawings and art work by Billie on which she wrote individual notes, to cosmetics for the females, hot sauce to spice up the food, and lip balm for windchapped lips.

Once the packages were off, the Guild waited anxiously for an acknowledgement of receipt of the Care Packages. It was a long time coming but finally a letter from a crew member of the USS Roosevelt was received. This letter was soon followed by a thank you letter and signed photo from Rear Admiral Mark Fitzgerald to the Guild.

Letter from the USS Roosevelt

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Hosting of Live Threads.

In the past one and a half plus years, the Guild has hosted numerous live threads of such events as the Miss America Pageant, Miss Universe Pageant, Miss World Pageant and, of course, the Oscar and Emmy telecasts. Like most everything the Guild does, this has been hugely successful. Freepers seem to love these live threads and really look forward to them. For instance, this year's Oscar telecast had 2351 comments - an incredible number of posts for a one day event!

Oscar telecast Live Thread

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Holiday Recipes

The Guild has had three outstanding Recipe Threads. These threads not only contain great recipes, they also have feedback from those who have tried the recipes and helpful hints of all kinds in preparing and presenting food for special events and holidays. The most popular single recipes are Hillary's Lovely Legs' Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Hillary's Lovely Legs' Chocolate Chip Cookies. To die for...this I promise you!

Thanksgiving Recipes

Summer Barbeque Recipes

Christmas Cookie Recipe

Three exciting things happened to The Guild this spring and early summer. First off, they were removed from the "Cheesehole". Secondly they received a "Button" on the Home Page of Free Republic. And thirdly, they received Daily Thread status. These things were accomplished with the help and support of Lodwick, one of the loyal posters at the Guild. The Guild is very easy to find now. Drop in and say hi! Currently, the Guild has a Thanksgiving Recipe Thread for 2002 running and they have already started shipping out Care Packages to our troops for this holiday season and will continue to "support our troops who sacrifice so that we may enjoy our freedom."

>

THIS WEEKEND'S THREAD

11-23,24-02 Week in Review

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

     1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
     2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
     3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit.
     4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
     5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me an FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

What in the world is a fiddlehead?

[FreeTheHostages]

I used to post on the MSNBC chat board as Hillary's Fat Ankles, but got booted for having a vulgar screen name. When I changed to Hillary's Lovely Legs I was deemed PC and was allowed to continue posting.

Those dopes at MSNBC, my name is now far more offensive. I laugh at my own mocking.

17 Posted on 09/22/1999 11:10:32 PDT by Hillary's Lovely Legs

A great story that bears repeating.

[daisyscarlett]

"You ought to be a swimsuit model! Wow, BWB "

When that photo of BWB in the swimsuit first went up on the Guild, someone quipped "You should changed your screen name to Big Wave Betty's Lovely Legs and it would not be a joke". LOl...

[swheats]

You're welcome. In the interest of full disclosure. The artist is http://www.millan.net. I'd hate for her to hunt me down cause I stole somethin'.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

DaisyScarlett is correct, we are still in the cheesehole.

We had Miss America and the Emmy's shoved into the cheesehole after they were started in News. We were able to keep the Victoria's Secret Show thread in News.

Dec 7 will be the Miss World live thread. Since it's one of the most watched world events, we hope to keep it in news.

[BigWaveBetty]

Hey Pippin, I missed your post earlier today. And where have you been? Haven't seen your sunny good mornings lately!

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

I just answered my own question

University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Bulletin #4198

Facts on Fiddleheads

Fiddleheads are the young coiled fern leaves (about an inch in diameter) of the ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris). Nearly all ferns have fiddleheads, but those of the ostrich fern are unlike any other.

Fiddleheads are a Maine delicacy that appears in the early spring during April and May. Harvest the tender little rolls of fern almost as soon as they appear within an inch or two of the ground. Carefully brush out and remove the brown scales. Wash and cook the “heads” in a small amount of lightly salted boiling water for ten minutes, or steam for 20 minutes. Serve at once with melted butter. The quicker they are eaten, the more delicate their flavor. They may be served, like asparagus, on toast. Cooked, chilled fiddleheads can be also served as a salad with an onion and vinegar dressing.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has investigated a number of outbreaks of food-borne illness associated with fiddleheads. The implicated ferns were eaten either raw or lightly cooked (sautéed, parboiled or microwaved), which was what caused a food-borne illness outbreak in British Columbia in 1990. Although a toxin has not been identified in the fiddleheads of the ostrich fern, the findings of this investigation suggest that you should cook fiddleheads thoroughly before eating (boil them for at least 10 minutes).

Due to the short season for fiddleheads, some people like to preserve them to be used later. To freeze fiddleheads, prepare them as you would for the table. Blanch a small amount at a time for two minutes. Cool and drain. Pack into moisture- and vapor-proof containers and store them in the freezer.

Many people are interested in pickling fiddleheads. In cooperation with the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the UMaine, Extension staff have tested some pickling recipes for fiddleheads. The most successful of these in terms of flavor, keeping quality and safety are included in this fact sheet.

 

[daisyscarlett]

Maine Fiddleheads

"Fiddleheads are a unique vegetable that grows along Maine's riverbanks. The "fiddlehead" is the coiled beginning of the ostrich fern. Locals await the arrival of fresh fiddleheads each spring and cherish their unique flavor and distinctive appearance."

SheLion and Larry Johnson-do you guys await the arrival of fiddleheads each Spring and cherish their unique flavor?

[BigWaveBetty]

Thank you ST.LOUIE, nice graphic. Mountaineer is one of my favorite posters there, she's always got the scoop.

Wooooo Hoooooo indeed Mud! :-)

[swheats]

Keep hope alive my sista. Maybe Jim will wake up Christmas morning, or before, and bring back the Guild as a daily thread to the main forum.

What do you say Jim? These ladies and gents search high and low and find the info that you just wouldn't see anywhere else.

[Mudboy Slim]

Yeeeeeee-HAAAAAWWWWWWWWW!!!

Good linkwork there, my FRiends...MUD

[BigWaveBetty]

Hey swheats! How's things going with you? Hope your home adventure is working well. Still in the cheesehole for us. Thanks so much for giving us the stick man gif, we love him!

Yes daisy, can you believe right in the middle of the Emmy's ----ZAP---- into the hole!

Next time I'll ask Secretary Rumsfeld to give them the ZAP!

[BigWaveBetty]

Big Wave Betty's Lovely Legs and it would not be a joke". LOl...

LOL I had forgotten about that. Thanks for the reminder. I always thought that was so funny, never, ever considered my legs a good feature. Just goes to show, you don't see yourself the way others do. (of course I attribute it to LBGA's magnificent camera skills)

[daisyscarlett]

That is a great site - swheats...I bookmarked it.

[swheats]

Great image. We're all settling in and actually making progress.

[Diver Dave]

Don't know whether to post this recipe over at the Guild or here?!?

Nonetheless, it comes from a recipe book from my parents church. For those expecting a large crowd on Thanksgiving and want an alternative for turkey. Too late for this Thanksgiving, but plan ahead for next year.

Elephant Stew

1 med.-sized elephant
2 rabbits
1 tank gravy
Salt & Pepper

Cut elephant into small pieces. This will take approximately 3 months, so it is necessary to save the trunk for storage of cut pieces. Add brown gravy to cover elephant. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over fire at 275 degrees for 27 days or until tender. This stew serves 3,800 people. If more are expected, add the two rabbits. Add rabbits only if necessary, as no one likes to find hare in his stew.

[daisyscarlett]

Good to see you back BWB.

I will answer for Pippin. She is now restricted to freeping at work during her lunch break and coffee breaks only. And she is moving soon to a super new apartment so is spending a lot of her nonwork time packing etc...

[ST.LOUIE1]

Louie, we are all friends. :)

I'll visit you soon. : )

Say, will LouieWolf be welcome, too?

Gotta warn ya, though, he looooves being hugged. LOL

[daisyscarlett]

LOL...that is so funny and cute...Elephant stew...Well, it is a Republican Stew at least. I am sure it is much tastier than Donkey Stew.

[mountaineer]

I've now visited two American cemeteries in France, and related battlefields, Normandy (WWII) and Verdun (WWI). In both cases, I have found that words cannot describe the feeling of being surrounded by 10,000 crosses and Stars of David, marking the graves of young Americans who gave their lives for their country under horrible circumstances. It's definitely a "take plenty of Kleenex" experience. If you know of anyone buried there, the people in the office can tell you exactly where to find his grave, but it's a worthwhile trip even if you're not looking up anyone in particular.