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

[daisyscarlett]

"I wish I had more time to do more than lurk occasionally but HLL has kept me busy with The Guild threads."

Substitute Billie for HLL and the "Finest" for "The Guild" and you have my sad tale. I just don't get to the Guild like I used to....Maybe you and I should trade places for a couple of weeks, lol.

You are a very important part of the Guild as everyone knows. Your humor and knowledge and loyalty are appreciated.

I will always wonder what the sailors on the Teddy Roosevelt thought when they opened one of the Guild boxes and saw the thousands and thousand of Mentos you purchased at Costco and sent. I remember HLL quipping once when I posted a photo of the USS Roosevelt crew, before we heard that they got the packages. "The next photo you post I hope to see a sailor chewing mentos and wearing lip balm" (Lodwick had sent many, many tubes of Avon lip balm to complement your mentodents, ha ha).

And can LBGA post the photo of you in the pool at DisneyWorld?

[daisyscarlett]

I "met" you also on the Guild. Think I sent you on a wild goose chase looking for a Conway Twitty Christmas CD. About time to haul those Christmas CD's....Love the "wings' you posted today.

[Paul Atreides]

Wow! This is a great thread.

[kayak]

The Guild has done an extraordinary amount of investigative work ...... the media would do well to learn their search techniques ..... they might even be able to report some facts occasionally if they would do just a fraction of the searching that our Guild has done!

The Live Threads, the Recipe Threads, the Care Packages, the Daffodil Project ..... the awareness and action taken by the members of The Guild truly make them citizens, not spectators!

This special recognition of The Guild is certainly well deserved!

[daisyscarlett]

Love those Page Six items you guys post. Love the tabloid ones too. Amazingly, some of them turn out to be true. The one about Carolyn Condit having no thumbs turned out to be not true. But wasn't it fun scrutizing photos of her and checking out her hands to see if her thumbs were pasted on. lol..

[daisyscarlett]

In memory of the five helicoptor crew lost in VietNam on this date, RIP.

[Mixer]

Happpy Monday to all!!!!!

Hope everyone is excited about the short work week. For those of you entertaining guest this week for thanksgiving you are to be truly appreciated. I am going to my mother's house and she puts a lot of work into making thanksgiving a great time.

The calendar is down at the moment so I have no idea if we have any anniversaries today. As soon as I can get into it I will post any if they are out there.

[habs4ever]

What a fine tribute to some very funny ladies! They are sassy, saucy and sarcastic, and so very generous to send the care packages like they did.Hats,gloves and pearls, off to The Guild!

[LBGA]

(LBGA there's money in it for you if you don't post the picture of us sitting at the bar)

How about the pic of us in the pool? Was this before or after the margaritas??? I don't remember. ;-)

[BigWaveBetty]

Substitute Billie for HLL and the "Finest" for "The Guild" and you have my sad tale. I just don't get to the Guild like I used to....Maybe you and I should trade places for a couple of weeks, lol.

I know, I've been missing you. :-(

saw the thousands and thousand of Mentos you purchased at Costco and sent.

LOL! Poor HLL about pulled her back out when she picked the box up at the P.Office. I just send money and let her buy the candy.

She told me yesterday how she was buying vast amounts of Milano cookies and the clerk made an inquiry. She told the clerk they were for the troops and the clerk pointed out a sign that HLL had missed. "We support the troops." Clerk said you can get a 50% DISCOUNT!! And you know how we love a discount! (sorry HLL had to tell the story, couldn't wait for you)

And can LBGA post the photo of you in the pool at DisneyWorld?

Oh Lord, I hoped she had deleted that by now. Well, ok, if y'all promise not to laugh at the horrible bathing suit I'm wearing. I don't know what I was thinking when I bought it, must have been in a colorful mood. ;-)

The one at the bar is awful, I look three sheets to the wind! (I only had two Margaritas!!)

[LBGA]

Ooohhhh... what lovely roses! Thanks for the pic, Valerie. :-)

[daisyscarlett]

Hi lady....You are no slouch in the baking department yourself so if you say those chocolate chip cookies are great, then folks should sit up and take notice.

Has the Guild seen the current issue of People which has a two page spread on Chels and Ian and their social life? No photos of a drunken Chels but they did allude to her mishaps last winter. Justified it somewhat as testing her independence.

[LBGA]

LOL... I still have them! Should I post the real pics? :-)

[BigWaveBetty]

Was this before or after the margaritas??? I don't remember. ;-)

LOL!!!!! I think that was after the third margarita. We were trying to sober me up so I could drive home. See! I wasn't that drunk, at least I remember! ;-)

[daisyscarlett]

Thanks TO. I, of course, must share those kudos with my pardners, as I know you intended them for all of us.

Billie, Lori and Sandy, see POST #40-

[daisyscarlett]

Hi SheLion...love your signature graphic...

[BigWaveBetty]

GULP! Yeah, go ahead, (no laughing at my choice in bathing suits) just the one where my legs look great. :-)

[jwfiv]

Good morning, Pippin. Good ol' Meek sure makes a good cup of hot chocolate, perfect for a Monday morning.

Thanks, Meek...)

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

Thanks for the mention of this year's treats to the troops.

I am so glad that this year we will be getting cookies from the Pepperidge Farm folks, because last year we got 100 pounds of pickles and salsa from the Frog Ranch Company. I will never forget the day the UPS man showed up at my door with box after box of pickles and salsas and dumped them in my living room. It took forever to get them into my basement for shipping. They were so heavy.

Then we got donations from an olive oil distributor. He bought over 24 gallons of premium olive oil and left them on my porch. There was no way that I could ship gallons of olive overseas, so lodwick suggested that we call the Salvation Army so they could use it in their soup kitchens.

I also forgot to mention, that with Billie and everyone else's help, The Guild managed to raise $610 last year with our sale of hats, book bags and shirts on CafePress, and all of that was contributed to the Salvation Army 9-11 Fund.

It's been a pleasure and an honor to know all of you.

[LBGA]

Here you go!

... and this was BEFORE the margaritas! What a fun day it was. :-)