A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....12-10-02

FreeTheHostages and Billie | Billie; FreeTheHostages

[Billie]

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:  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.

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

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.

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

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

GROUP 2A: TOP:  Bosniajmc, AFVetGal, Archy, A Navy Vet MIDDLE:  4TheFlag, Aeronaut, 68Grunt, Xinga BOTTOM:  Codger, AAABest, Clinton's A Liar, Duke809, dcwusmc

GROUP 3A: TOP:  mc5cents, Norb2569, LBGA's son, VanJenerette MIDDLE:  Jim Robinson, KJenerette, davidosborne, KG9Kid BOTTOM:  gwmoore, Equality7-2521, SAMWolf

GROUP 4A: TOP:  porgygirl, Phil V., MudPuppy, NorCoGOP MIDDLE:  RaceBannon, OneidaM, rdb3, jwTexian BOTTOM:  USMC Vet, TheMayor, Vineyard, rhododogma

      

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.

                     

by FreeTheHostages
Graphics and layout by Billie

Welcome to a Gingerbread House party!   Today we're going to have a contest with a REAL prize!!  If you win, we'll snail-mail you a *real prize* -- your choice of:

Lynne Cheney's "A Patriotic Primer,"
a great book for kids of all ages......

or Carlo3b's

The Clinton Legacy Cookbook

A fun and fanciful look at the world of Great Food and Hilarious Politics, blended by a world renowned Chef Entrepreneur Carlo Morelli! This 375 page recipe, cartoon, and original humor collection, is a real world cookbook and is a true recipe for sidesplittin' and tummybustin' fun and a body of collaborative effort with over 200 contributors and two years in the stirring presentation!

To enter and win, you just have to follow these rules.

1.  No fair complaining about how the judging is impulsive and the judges were probably drunk when they made their decision.  You're not supposed to know that . . . .

2.  The judges will accept bribes.  The judges are Mudboy Slim and FreeTheHostages.  We tend to agree on things and if we don't, we'll just have a big public fight on this thread and resolve the issue violently.  So don't worry about there being an even number of judges.  Mudboy Slim has only half a brain anyway.  If I were you, I'd focus on persuading me, FreeTheHostages!

3.  This being FReeper's Finest, cheerfulness, beauty, and humor count.

4.  For purposes of this contest, "Gingerbread House" is *very* liberally defined.  (Apologies for using the word "liberal" -- I'm a guest host you see, just helping out for the holidays; you can't expect much of me!)  Your entry can be a picture stolen from the web, something you drew yourself on Paintshop Pro, a verbal description of a gingerbread house, blueprints for a gingerbread house, or something just generally gingerbread-housey.

5.  If there are FReeper kids who post cute, patriotic gingerbread house pictures of houses they actually did, you should know that I (FreeTheHostages) will totally get teary-eyed and probably give them extra points just for being Right-wing children!

6.  Knowing a lot about cooking and the history of gingerbread house-making won't impress the judges.  We're not terribly learned, although we did read a bunch (well, maybe not a bunch, but a little) of background info on gingerbread houses to earn our keep as guest hosts!

7.  The judges reserve the right to pick something submitted in total violation of these rules.  Just for fun!  So go ahead and have your daily chit-chat and fun on this thread.  Who knows?  Maybe one of loddy's puppy photos will charm us in the end!!

8.  Post must be made to this thread by midnight PST today and winner will be pinged in an announcement in this thread by December 12th!  Isn't this FUN?!

A Good Recipe for Gingerbread "Lumber" for a Real Gingerbread House...

Never made a gingerbread house?  FreeTheHostages has 6-8 gingerbread parties every December.  She uses the following recipe, passed on to her from her Vermont relatives, and it works pretty well in creating sheets of good construction material from which, when cooked, to cut out your walls and roof.  (Psst... the secret to solid gingerbread for house construction:  work the dough TOO MUCH before rolling it out, and after it comes out of the oven, leave it in the pan a second so that one side gets tough -- not burned, but tough).

If you're going to cut out the walls after it's cooked, why not roll out the dough right onto an edged cookie sheet, and prong it a few times with a fork?  The dough's expansion along the edge of the cookie sheet makes a nice flat bottom for walls.

Nancy's Gingerbread Construction Material

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups unsulfured molasses
1 egg
2/3 cup water
6 cups flour (maybe more)
1 tsp each of cinnamon, ginger,
allspace, and ground cloves
2 tsp baking soda

Sift the flour and spices and baking soda together.  Mix the shortening and the sugar.  Add the egg and water to it.  Then mix with the flour mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes -- until done.

When it's cool, cut it to the size you want for your walls and roof.  Use foil-covered sturdy carboard for your yard.  On the yard, make two of the four walls have a point atop them, a triangle to support the roof.  Use melted chocolate chips to put the walls together, and hold them in place with toothpicks until the seams dry before putting on the roof.

When the house is done, consider decorating with candy using a frosting that hardens as it cools.  Everyone has their favorite, but here's a frosting recipe that hardens quite well:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tarter
5 TBLS of ice-cold water
2 egg whites.

Atop a double boiler with boiling water below, vigorously beat with electric beater on "high" for 7 minutes. Frost and decorate as desired!  ~ FreeTheHostages

With special thanks again to FreeTheHostages, who has written another fun and entertaining thread for our holiday reading, and is also providing the prize for First Place in today's contest. This thread, and Mud's "Life Story" on Friday, were such fun to 'get creative with' in the layouts and graphics - just my cup of tea!

A big thanks also to our judges, MudboySlim and FreeTheHostages, for taking the time from their busy holiday schedules to offer their votes-for-sale to the highest bidder. ~ Billie

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 12-09-02 PaulAtreides

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

Time's Running Out! ~ Billie

[Landru]

"I can't understand you EITHER!!"

It's really not that hard following my train of thought.
What's so hard to understand about Gingerbread (~anything) & Rum (~anything) being a lousy combo, huh?
Now gingerbread *&* milk??
Hell yea.

From now on, if it'd make it any easier and/or when all else fails?

...try moving your *lips* as you read my stuff. {g}

[Mudboy Slim]

"Show Yer Rage!!"
(To be sung to Bob Seger's "Turn the Page")

He's all wrong, this loathsome liar, The Beast From Arkansas...
Can you condone Ol' Slick's intern moanin'...humpin' Bill's four-inch Ceegah?!
Can you ignore how he treats women...
Or the girls Willie's Lust destroyed?!
Folks, your thoughts must soon be wonderin'...the way mine always do...
"Why'd we give Slick so much Power...when he's such a gawl-durned fool?"
Now you know why folks missed Reagan...
I'm just glad Clinton's term is through...ummhmmmmmm...

See, here's the scam...crimes've been bold, my FRiends!!
More than a Man...humpin' his page...
He must go!! CONVICT Slick, my FRiends...
Must be BOLD...Left'll feel our RAGE!

Well, the Lib'rals are so arrogant...Left's got no Moral Code!
Still, they spew their lies and "spin you"...
As if you just got off the Boat!
You pretend the Press don't bother you...
But you just want to explode...!!!
Most times you can't hear 'em talk...other times you can...
All the same ol' cliches..."Radical Christian"..."Righteous Man".
But, you always seem outnumbered...Right don't dare make a stand.

Here's The Plan, get control again...
Fight da Man, show'em your Rage...
LEFT MUST KNOW!! JAIL RAT's WHORE, my FRiends...
When we're BOLD, we'll turn the page!!

Out there on your jobsites...you think ev'rything's "Okay"...
While bit by bit your Liberties...are slowly sucked away!
As the cash flows from your wallet...you cower just beneath the fray.
Later in the evening, as you lie awake in bed...
With the echoes of EX-Prez'dent's lies...ringin' in your head...
How you try, but you just can't forget...
All your forefathers who bled...
They bled for you!! We didn't want a King...
We've got laws...put Slick in a Cage!!
Left don't know...how to feel our pain!
When we VOTE, they'll know our rage!!
Ah, there Slick is...in the News again...
DemonRATS, where's YOUR outrage?!
SLICK MUST GO!! Right's in charge again!!
There Slick goes...Where? Think I know-ow!

FReegards...MUD

[daisyscarlett]

This thread is indeed a hoot. I just dropped in say "hi" and have been here for a while. Do have to move along now but hope to be back for the "judging"...

[FreeTheHostages]

I tried moving my lips. I still don't get it. Gingerbread and rum: that sounds good to me! :::batting side of head & going cross-eyed:::

[Mudboy Slim]

"I'm not drunk, but I very very rarely drink, so with just one beer, one of the 2 judges is officially tipsy!"

Tuesday afternoon's not one of my heavier drinkin' days, but after I go to the gym this evening, I promise to grab a toddy before judging begins...LOL!!

"WOOOO HOOOO Time to start judging soon, have to get ready!! :D"

Soon?! I thought I read that you gave folks 'til Midnite PST which is 3 AM EST in my book. I might just haveta take a nap before this is all over...MUD

[Aquamarine]

LOLOL!!

Maybe we should rename the Music Special "Purple Haze" or "The Color Purple"....LOL!

[FreeTheHostages]

but hope to be back for the "judging"...

Contest closes at midnight PST, that's 3 a.m. EST where I live. (God knows what time it is on Slim's planet.) But the point being: Mudboy Slim and I might feel free to start commenting and posting on how things look this evening, but we won't be announcing a winner until tomorrow in deference to our East Coast friends. We'll announce/post the winning post(s) in tomorrow's thread so that our thread doesn't continue into tomorrow. That's my idea anyhow. Does that sound OK?

[jwfiv]

I felt proud when I got the nerve to italicize, bold and line break...have wanted to post pictures, but was clinging to my irrational fear of getting into deeper waters.

This computer stuff, especially when errors are there for all Freeprville to see, can be intimidating....)

[FreeTheHostages]

Yeah, Mud, per my previous posts, I think we can discuss our early inclinations tonight, but we can't make any final decisions until tomorrow. Then we announce the winner and our "reasons" in tomorrow's thread. That's my plan, to the extent that I -- burp -- currently have one. :D :D

[Aquamarine]

Sorry all, that was an inside joke. I'm having trouble picking out just the right shade of purple font.

[Landru]

":::batting side of head & going cross-eyed:::"

Amazing how I can imagine such a scene in my mind's eye.

Of course you realize the downside to gingerbread & rum, right?
Do too much of that combo?

...& they'll be rollin' ya around on a dolly in no time, a'tall.

[Diver Dave]

...A bit off topic, but from the sound of things, the bar is open... sooooo, from an article in today's Modesto Bee... Here, Hold muh Beer...

Brick to the head leads to helicopter ride

By MIKE CONWAY
BEE STAFF WRITER
MERCED -- Detective Curt Gorman is used to dealing with people who run afoul of the law. But not necessarily the law of gravity.

Gorman figured the city had another murder early Sunday, when dispatchers called him at home and said someone had been shot in the back of the head.

"I'm getting dressed and thinking, a gunshot to the head. It's Christmastime. It's got to be a homicide," Gorman said Monday.

A Riggs Ambulance Service crew sent to the 600 block of East Main Street found a man bloody and unconscious.

Officers began securing the crime scene and knocking on doors to find out if neighbors had seen or heard anything suspicious.

Officers soon called Gorman and told him to go back to bed.

"The neighbors said the victim was intoxicated and wanted to see how far he could throw a brick into the air," Gorman said. "He threw it up in the air a couple of times trying to get it higher.

"The last time he threw it up into the air, he lost sight of it because it was dark. It hit him in the back of the head."

The man was taken by helicopter to a Modesto hospital, Gorman said. The victim's name and condition were not available. He was believed to be in his 20s.

[FreeTheHostages]

ROFL. The stories police officers can tell. . . .

[Mudboy Slim]

"the victim was intoxicated and wanted to see how far he could throw a brick into the air"

Always a favorite pasttime of mine when I've had a drink or two...SHEEEEESH!!

That's the good thing about drinkin' regularly but not really drinkin' to get drunk anymore...I don't really do the totally STOOOOPID things I used to do in High School...LOL!!

FReegards...MUD

[jwfiv]

Uh oh, can't stop...

This is wayyyy fun!

[Mudboy Slim]

"...can we have a ruling? Does this count as a gingerbread house?"

Looks like something made outta gingerbread, and it might be a house, but I'm not sure it'll qualify as a finalist...LOL!!

FReegards...MUD

[Mudboy Slim]

"But I am shocked that your *other judge* made it through the "judiciary committee."

Fortunately, I'm low enuff on the totem pole that my appointment did not require Senate approval.

LOL...MUD

[FreeTheHostages]

:) Agreed! Well, just like last time, I intend to be chatty later this evening about a draft list of my favorite 4 or 5 and why. And if you wish you can do the same. Then we'll wait until after the submission deadline and see if there's anything to add to the finalists. Then you and I were engage in a huge flame war tomorrow and ruin tomorrow's thread as we attempt to pick the winner from the finalists -- or peacefully resolve it in Freepmail, whichever you prefer. :) That is my plan.

[Balata]

OK, here's my entry. It was easy, for you see this is the exact replica of the house I am actually building. (How about shameless pity, is that an emotion that will influence the judges?)

Now, if you can just imagine the following song I wrote being sung in the background as you are doing the judging you will understand my plight. (Well, I really don't have the song completely written yet, but I do have the title.)

Hey, MUD, what do you think? If you help me with the lyrics I'll split the royalities.

FREE, as an attorney, surely you can understand. (What a great time to demonstrate Attorneys really do have a heart.)

Use your imaginiation now here's the song title.

***ALL MY EXS ARE WEARING ROLLEXES***

[FreeTheHostages]

ROFL.

But see God has still provided to you the beauty of nature. Those trees in the yard are some of the nicest trees we've seen in this thread.