Free Republic

~ EXCERPT ~ In front of a run-down shack in north Houston, federal agents step from a government sedan into 102-degree heat and face a critical question: How can the woman living here buy four high-end handguns in one day? The house is worth $35,000. A screen dangles by a wall-unit air conditioner. Porch swing slats are smashed, the smattering of grass is flattened by cars and burned yellow by sun. >>> snip <<< Among other things, the agents are combing neighborhoods and asking people about suspicious purchases as well as seeking explanations as to how their guns ended up...

~ EXCERPT ~ When House Democratic leaders were rounding up votes Friday for the massive climate-change bill, they paid special attention to their colleagues from Ohio who remained stubbornly undecided. They finally secured the vote of one Ohioan, veteran Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Toledo, the old-fashioned way. They gave her what she wanted - a new federal power authority, similar to Washington state's Bonneville Power Administration, stocked with up to $3.5 billion in taxpayer money available for lending to renewable energy and economic development projects in Ohio and other Midwestern states.

While President Obama partners with Hugo Chavez and the Castro Brothers to destroy Honduran democracy, all is not bad news in the region.Congratulations are in order to Panama and its new president, Ricardo Martinelli. BTW, despite what our state-run media says, Panama has not joined the Chavista countries in demanding Honduras restore it's dictator wannabe. On 1 July, The Republic of Panama will enjoy its fourth peaceful presidential transition since the overthrow of Noriega in 1989. I was there, but I didn't have anything to do with it. I did experience the pleasure of having a squad of Cubans...

The Photographers  Photo 1, U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Josue L. Escobosa, via http://ChamorroBible.org/gpw/gpw-200907.htm Photo 2, U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald, via http://ChamorroBible.org/gpw/gpw-200905.htm Photo 3, U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kyle Steckler, via http://ChamorroBible.org/gpw/gpw-200907.htm Photo 4, A U.S. Air Force 90th Fighter Squadron F-22A Raptor stealth fighter intercepts and escorts a Russian TU-95 "Bear" bomber flying near the Alaskan NORAD Region airspace on November 22, 2007.

CARVER EUROPE the Dutch company responsible for the extraordinarily dramatic Carver One three-wheeler, has declared bankruptcy and closed up shop. While not exactly posessing the broadest appeal, the Carver One boasted a unique and innovative automatic tilting mechanism that improved maneuvrability - and looked damned cool in the process. But with demand for quirky three-wheelers squished by the global recession, Carver was left with a rapidly evaporating market for their sole road-going product. The company was ostensibly formed to manufacture and market its tilting technology (named Dynamic Vehicle Control) to major automakers, but the Carver One was virtually its sole...

The Organization of American States gave Honduras three days Wednesday to restore the deposed president, Manuel Zelaya, or face suspension, as the interim leader of the country defied international condemnation of the coup that led to his appointment and said only force could unseat him. Calling Mr. Zelaya’s overthrow an “old-fashioned coup,” the organization’s secretary general, Miguel Insulza, said: “We need to show clearly that military coups will not be accepted. We thought we were in an era when military coups were no longer possible in this hemisphere,” The Associated Press reported. Jorge Taiana, the foreign minster of Argentina who...

The year is 2020 and the gasoline tax is history. In its place you get a monthly tax bill based on each mile you drove — tracked by a Global Positioning System device in your car and uploaded to a billing center. What once was science fiction is being field-tested by the University of Iowa to iron out the wrinkles should a by-the-mile road tax ever be enacted. Besides the technological advances making such a tax possible, the idea is getting a hard push from a growing number of transportation experts and officials. That is because the traditional by-the-gallon fuel...

A new half-cent sales tax to build transportation projects in Los Angeles County goes into effect today, raising the county's rate to 9.75%. But the measure passed by voters in November might generate about $1.8 billion less than originally estimated. Officials for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority said that the worst recession since World War II would probably reduce the revenue collected under Measure R from about $40 billion to roughly $38.2 billion during the next 30 years.

This video was made by someone on the ground in Honduras. Notice that there is no mass violence as major networks would have you believe. The protests seem to be relatively peaceful. As well, they really blast CNN for their poor coverage of this.

The problem appears to particularly affect the white handsets of Apple's new turbo-charged device, which is twice as fast as its predecessor, the iPhone 3G, and boasts an improved camera and the ability to record video. Dozens of users have reported overheating issues, with some iPhone owners unable to pick up the device because the handset gets so hot. Owners of the white iPhone 3GS say the casing turns pink with the heat. Some users have said the device has been too hot to put to their ear while making a phone call. The overheating seems to occur when owners...

Stop Islamist oppression of women.

Less than one week ago an Iranian cleric stated that he believed that some of the post election protesters should be executed. Unfortunately this procedure has begun. Six Mousavi supporters reportedly hanged in Iran ( Jul 01 2009 ) Jerusalem, July 1 (ANI): Six supporters of defeated Iran’s presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi have reportedly been hanged after the authorities warned the opposition that they would tolerate no further protests over the disputed June 12 presidential elections.

When the federal government started dangling billions of stimulus dollars for education in front of states, many snapped up the money right away. By now, the last day to request stabilization funds, all but one state has submitted an application. That one is Texas. “We haven't received Texas' application yet, but we are hoping they will submit one,” Elaine Quesinberry, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Education, said late Tuesday. Texas anticipates receiving more than $3 billion in stabilization funds, the largest appropriation. It's money that can be used to turn around failing schools, create student assessments or develop...

The year is 2020 and the gasoline tax is history. In its place you get a monthly tax bill based on each mile you drove — tracked by a Global Positioning System device in your car and uploaded to a billing center. What once was science fiction is being field-tested by the University of Iowa to iron out the wrinkles should a by-the-mile road tax ever be enacted. Besides the technological advances making such a tax possible, the idea is getting a hard push from a growing number of transportation experts and officials.

Only the Senate and House Republicans can save Obama now by compromising and lending his extremist legislation the veneer of bipartisanship in order to remove it as a political issue. If the likes of GOP Sens. Olympia Snowe (Maine), Susan Collins (Maine), Chuck Grassley (Iowa), Orrin Hatch (Utah) and others refuse to go along with Obama on healthcare and on cap-and-trade, they will force him to pass both programs as one-party bills. Not only is it possible that as public support runs out on these measures he will fail even to get 50 votes to pass them, but it is...

As Northrop Grumman rolls out its first Global Hawk Block 40 aircraft, the high-flying unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) program is facing some hurdles. The Office of the Secretary of Defense and U.S. Air Force are ironing out particulars of a delay to the initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) period for the Block 20/30 Global Hawk. Industry and government sources suggest it is likely to be nine months; the original plan was to start IOT&E in August and wrap up in November. Meanwhile, House appropriators are considering a substantial cut to the program in fiscal 2010, according to a program...

In his last homily as parish priest Sunday, the Rev. Jerry Ryle discussed Jesus' shortest sermon. The priest then faced the overflowing crowd at Sacramento's St. Philomene church and told parishioners what to expect from his sermon that morning."I'm going to go a little longer," said Ryle as parishioners laughed. "I have a lot to say."For 41 years, Ryle has presided over daily Mass in the Diocese of Sacramento. Now the priest is retiring, one of nine clerics officially stepping down today. Their retirements – the priests have served for decades and hold senior positions – are having a ripple...

The L.A. Times had a very interesting piece last week on the unusually close relationship between Service Employees International Union President Andy Stern and President Obama. The story revealed how Stern "enjoys unusual access to the White House," and how often Stern is invited to attend meetings the administration holds on policy even as other union heads are left out of the loop. The piece does cast some doubt on just how much clout Stern might have with Obama as several of the initiatives he has pushed hard for have yet to come to fruition -- but it should also...

Like his fellow prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Kuwaiti detainee Fayiz Mohammed Ahmed al-Kandari hoped that President Obama's election would finally bring justice. Judges, not political appointees, would prevail and restore the rule of law. Unfortunately, nothing seems to have changed. The Obama administration is reportedly considering an executive order that would "reassert presidential authority to incarcerate terrorism suspects indefinitely," and the situation at the prison itself is worsening.... When international media attention on Guantanamo grew, such "enhanced" interrogation techniques stopped. But since Obama pledged to close the prison, cell extractions, slurs and petty persecutions have increased. In some cases, the...

I have a computer with Windows Vista but prefer Windows XP. Who sells new computers with XP? I think such vendors must exist, because my company still uses XP and presumably buys computers for new employees.