Free Republic

Reporting from Cairo and Beirut -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad can in one instant appear the diplomatic equivalent of damaged goods and in the next a confident leader whose bellicose speeches leave the West wondering how to deal with him and his perplexing nation now that he's won a much-disputed reelection.

Today is the 146th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Gettysburg. A few months later, as the National Cemetery there was being organized, an invitation was extended to President Lincoln to give "a few appropriate remarks" for the dedication in November, 1863. Lincoln would not be the main speaker, that honor would go to Edward Everett, one of the foremost orators of the day. Everett spoke for almost two hours and, for the most part, his remarks are lost to the ages. Lincoln's "few appropriate remarks" however, are some of the most familiar wods in American History. To...

Featured Term (selected at random):DEDICATION OF THE MONTHS Traditionally each month of the liturgical year is dedicated to some mystery of the faith or special saint, as follows: January, the Holy Name of Jesus; February, the Passion; March, St. Joseph; April, the Resurrection; May, the Blessed Virgin; June, the Sacred Heart; July, the Precious Blood; August, the Assumption; September, the Holy Cross; October, the Rosary; November, the Poor Souls; December, Advent, or the Coming of Christ. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

July 4, 2009 Hitler? He got things done, says Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone (Ben Gurr/The Times) Bernie Ecclestone, the Formula One chief, said yesterday that he preferred totalitarian regimes to democracies and praised Adolf Hitler for his ability to “get things done”. In an outspoken interview with The Times, the 78-year-old billionaire chastised contemporary politicians for their weakness and extolled the virtues of strong leadership. Mr Ecclestone said: “In a lot of ways, terrible to say this I suppose, but apart from the fact that Hitler got taken away and persuaded to do things that I have no idea...

My name is Brendan. I'm an Obamaholic. It started back in November of 2000. I didn't really hate George W. Bush then, but I really liked Al Gore and thought he would be the kind of president who would care for my needs. When the Supreme Court stole the presidency from Al Gore, I went into a fit. I had trouble sleeping, and I would become angry with my cats for almost no reason. My employer noticed that my work productivity had slowed down, and they put me on light duty. With the help of my shop steward, I was...

Three people have been arrested after their plan to aid the escape of an inmate from prison in Las Palmas on the Canary Islands was discovered by police. They planned to use a 13 foot long remote-controlled airship to deliver night vision goggles, climbing gear and camouflage paint to the Italian convict who would then use the equipment to escape from prison. It is thought the inmate, identified by police as 52 year-old Giulio B, would use the gear to scale down a prison wall at night where a car would be waiting to take him into hiding. "He would...

The major part of Indian reserves are in dollars -- that is something that’s a problem for us,” Tendulkar, chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, said in an interview today...

Exposure by Free Republic has forced the Huffington Post to take down an article attacking Sarah Palin over her Down Syndrome afflicted child, Trig, within ninety minutes of the offensive article being written about at Free Republic.Clicking on the source link at the Huffington Post now brings a page devoid of the article and headline. The keywords referencing Trig remain, however the original 'Comedy news' tag has been changed to 'Home news'The article, entitled "Palin Will Run In '12 on More Retardation Platform" was written by Huffington Post writer Erik Sean Nelson.Link to Huffington Post page.Link to Free Republic article...

The Obama administration faces its first real Latin American crisis. Let's hope Team Obama is aware of the goals of democracy's new-found but fickle friends. Honduras presents the Obama administration with its first real Latin American crisis. Since the 1981 return of civilian rule, Honduras has regarded itself as a friend of the U.S. In the '80s, it allowed the Nicaraguan Resistance or "Contras" to operate from base camps there. It lent troops for Operation Iraqi Freedom and continues to support a small U.S. military presence on Honduran soil. Economic ties are strong. Now those cordial relations are in jeopardy.

The former state telecoms company - one of Britain's biggest private employers with 106,000 staff - is trying to save money as it struggles to cope with the impact of the recession. BT has proposed that employees take up to a year off, in return for taking a 75 per cent pay cut. To encourage as many workers to take up of the offer, the company will pay their reduced salary as an upfront cash payment. It is also offering staff a one-off payment of £1,000 if they switch from full-time to part-time work. Parents are also being offered the...

Friday 1973 - As the Ziggy Stardust tour comes to a close David Bowie announces, "it is the last show I will ever do." 1995 - Stone Temple Pilot Scott Weiland is in court pleading not guilty to drug charges. Happy Birthday 1957 - Laura Branigan Saturday 1969 - Grand Funk Railroad play the Atlanta Pop Festival. A&R reps from Capitol Records like what they see and sign the band. 1987 - Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead kick off a short tour together in Foxboro, Mass. Happy Birthday 1938 - Bill Withers 1776- United States Of America Sunday 1964...

If anyone thinks the Securities and Exchange Commission's goal is investor protection, they should read this WaPo article by Zachary Goldfarb. The goal of the SEC is the same as that of all government agencies: 1. To protect their turf 2. Expand their turf SEC investigator Genevievette Walker-Lightfoot clearly had Bernie Madoff in her sights. She knew something was up, outlined her suspicions and what steps should be taken next in examining Madoff. But, at the same time, the SEC was having a turf war with Eliot Spitzer over who would supervise certain mutual fund infractions. Rather than allowing her...

Pope Benedict clears way for Cardinal John Newman to become first English saint in 40 years By SIMON CALDWELL 03rd July 2009 Cardinal Newman, pictured in his study chapel at the Birmingham Oratory in 1889, will be given the title 'Blessed' Cardinal Newman, the Anglican vicar who shocked Victorian Britain by converting to Roman Catholicism, is a step closer to becoming the first English saint for 40 years. Pope Benedict XVI yesterday announced the beatification of John Henry Newman, meaning he will be given the title 'Blessed'. It follows the recognition by the Vatican of the healing of an American...

Ever hear of a ramped flu virus in April? The makeup of the H1N1 influenza flu strain spans three continents with a genetic mixture from avian, swine and human flu viruses. Mounting evidence points to a conspiracy that the swine flu in its current configuration, was cultured in a lab and is not natural by any means. Though the World Health Organization (WHO) is referring to the situation as a "public-health emergency of international concern," the apparent emergence in several countries of this entirely new strain of H1N1 flu virus has led some scientists to believe that it is only...

Republican Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska announced Friday that she will resign her office July 26, fueling speculation that she intends to spend the next four years pursuing her party's presidential nomination in 2012. Mrs. Palin made her stunning announcement at her Wasilla home with Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell, who will be sworn into office at the end of the month, she said. She did not take questions from reporters and only cryptically referred to her future plans. In her announcement, she said it "hurts to make this choice," but compared herself to a point guard in basketball. "A good...

Friday, July 3, 2009 Sarah Palin Crosses the Rubicon By Videmus Omnia In 49 BC, Julius Caesar led his army across the Rubicon River. As he did so, he reportedly muttered the phrase "Alea iacta est" - "the die is cast". It was the point of no return. Sarah Palin has crossed the Rubicon today. It's a gamble of incredible proportions. None of us saw it coming, and we're the most dedicated political junkies you will find anywhere. It took our breath away. I wish I had the eloquence of RAM, but for now it's fallen to me. All of...

Paul Krugman says that the jobs report confirms that we're plunging right back toward another Great Depression. We've lost 6.5 million jobs since the peak. After adjusting for population growth, we're down 8.5 million. As Richard Bernstein noted yesterday, wages and the workweek are also declining. Obama's stimulus, meanwhile, promises to create 3.5 million jobs by the end of next year (if you believe the projections). So, by then, assuming no further loss in jobs (please), we'll be about 5 million below where we should be. And state and city budget pressures are wiping out many of the benefits of...

In Tegucigalpa, the morning of Monday, June 29 was calm. Shops and businesses were opening as usual, giving little sign of the political upheaval of the previous day. In the early hours of June 28, members of the Honduran military stormed the Presidential House. President Jose Zelaya was evicted from the premises at gunpoint and flown out of the country. As the population began to wake up, many areas were without electricity. The supply was reportedly switched off to prevent Zelaya´s supporters from broadcasting propaganda. Nationwide bus services were canceled for June 28, in an attempt to stop radicals from...

I'll start. I lost my job as a controls engineer when the factory I worked at cut production by about 70%. Luckily I had another job within a couple of weeks. Date of loss: 3/31/09 New job: 4/27/09

July 03, 2009 R.I.P.: Budget Woes Spell Doom for Roadside Rest Stops Drivers Looking for a Break Keep on Trucking; Virginia Leaves Door Open for July 4 Holiday By MIKE ESTERL As millions of Americans take to the road for the holiday weekend, a humble highway fixture is under attack. Later this month, cash-strapped Virginia plans to barricade entrances and switch off the plumbing and electricity at nearly half its highway rest areas. Other states also are lowering budgetary axes on the public pit stops that have lined the interstate highway system since its creation in 1956. But rest stops...