A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....12-11-02

[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.

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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.

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

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.

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 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.

                     

Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

It's wintertime! SNOW!!!!! Post your favorite snowmen here, ice skaters, sledders, etc! Then come sit by the fireplace and drink some of MeeknMing's wonderful hot chocolate. Maybe sing some carols or something. Have fun - share your winter stories, graphics, etc!

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 12-09-02 Paul Atreides 12-10-02 Gingerbread House Contest

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

[FreeTheHostages]

Personally, I was waiting a full hour until 3:39 to respond to your post 218 timed at 2:39 to answer your question with "I guess not."

Tick, tick. :)

[lodwick]

heheh - it's good to know there's other's out there with more spare time on than hands than's on mine.

[FreeTheHostages]

:) I think on the rules for yesterday's contest thread we said we'd announce by Thursday at the latest. 'Cause I think we both want to mull a little and there are these pesky work obligations too. So I guess it could theoretically be tomorrow, not today, that we decide. It may still be awhile.

[LadyX]

How nice of you to hail me!
Immersed in getting out Christmas cards and l-e-t-t-e-r-s - and cleaning for company, so put myself on Time Out..:)))

Hard to believe Christmas is just two weeks from today ~ ~ ~

Hugs to all ~ ~ ~

[Aquamarine]

Good to see you Lady. Hope you can spend more time with us here around Christmas. :)

[.30Carbine]

Dear Mama_Bear, I want to thank you for the wonderful Christmas greeting.
I wish you a very merry Christmas in return!

[Diver Dave]

Here ya go Ladies...

[Flyer]

Just wanted to drop back by and let y'all know I am thinking about you and all the dedicated work you are doing.

"I KNOW there's gingerbread around here somewhere"

[ru4liberty]

I don't want to put any of y'all into a panic, but there are only 19 more shopping days till my birthday. :)

[Diver Dave]

I don't want to put any of y'all into a panic, but there are only 19 more shopping days till my birthday. :)

Yeah, Ditto what she said! :)

[Mudboy Slim]

How can anybody NOT be thinking about gingerbread?!

LOL and thanks...MUD

[ru4liberty]

Hey, Dave! I forgot about that! Thanks for the reminder. If I remember correctly, you have a couple of years on me.

Next year, we'll need to start the countdown for shopping days in mid-summer as a service to these good people. Helping them plan ahead, you know. ;-)

[FreeTheHostages]

Gingerbread Contest Results

First prize: Sweetliberty's Homemade House It's real and it's simple and it's a lot of sugar and it's made with love. We love it. You get your choice of the two book prizes.

Second prize: GailA Almost too perfect to be real! American flag, gingerbread kids in the yard with a snowman, lovely Christmas tree in the background, great photo quality. Wow!! You get whichever book sweetliberty doesn't want.

Third prize: Tgsltakoma's 2nd photo on this post Very delicious looking!! And the judges were swayed by the narrative explanation that she had to hurriedly post all of her houses in one post because she's been very busy doing real conservative activist work. You get a lovely 2003 American wall calendar.

Honorable mentions:
No prizes, but lots of fame and glory for:

Flyer. Ah, how to describe these entries!! I *wanted* to give this to you but in the end, I guess I just couldn't believe that the 30-foot house was ever real. I tried to believe, really I did. That's a lot of gingerbread for one golden retriever to eat. But thanks for the memories, especially post 374 and your lovely red circle across the tray of crumps and paw printed certification that the house once existed.

xJones Pretty close to perfect and from my home state of Vermont. But, as Mudboy points out, those pretzels *should* have been chocolate covered!

Aquamarine had two great entries, both with music. We loved them!!

Diver Dave We give his mud hut (with a good conservative explanation on why he couldn't get the permits for a better gingerbread house due to government over-regulation of gingerbread-dom) an Honorable Mention for two reasons. First, we liked it. Second, our award of this Honorable Mention stands as proof positive that we were good as our word and thoroughly erratic in our judging. :D Don't say we didn't warn you!!

Thank you ALL for playing with us. All your entries were very sweet.

If you want to see more about why we did what we did, our analysis occurs at post 417 and also in the 530s of the last thread.

[FreeTheHostages]

Winners: please Freepmail me your snailmail address, which I promise not to share, and I'll get the books out. Sweetliberty and GailA -- whichever one of you wants the Carlo3b cookbook -- it's about a week from arriving at my place, is a short delay in mailing it out OK? The other gifts I have already and can mail now.

[ru4liberty]

Congratulations!!!

[FreeTheHostages]

Lodwick -- I loved your houses too! I loved your Teddy Bear at 484 the mostest!! He had plainly been cooking all day. LOL -- your post 493 of a mud-covered person. If you were trying to bribe us with cute photos, it very nearly worked!!

Kayak and WvNan -- other great finalists. Yours were in the "perfect all 'round house" category though, and for that subdivision, GailA's 252 was creaming everyone. But there were great houses!! Thank you.

[Aquamarine]

I'll take fame and glory any day! Just remember to spell my name right.....beside I've already bought one of Carlo's cookbook's which WILL be a collector's item one day. :)

[Aquamarine]

Very cute snowglobe Dave. :)

[FreeTheHostages]

:) Thanks for being a good sport. As things shook out, I liked your first house better -- an almost seductive close-up of the frosting! -- and I think Mud really liked the appropriate music for your second house. They were both really good! And you were such a cheerful presence with Flyer and Pippin and the whole Gilligan scandal. It was great fun with you!

[sweetliberty]

Thank you all SO much! They were all so pretty! I feel honored that you picked mine. My grandson will like Lynn Cheney's book.