Free Republic

... The president's stimulus plan has been aimed primarily at the top of the economy, pumping money into banks and car companies and state and city governments. But it also has put more money into the hands of the poorest Americans by boosting monthly food-stamp allocations. Starting in April, a family of four on food stamps received an average of $80 extra. Money from the program -- officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program -- percolates quickly through the economy. The U.S. Department of Agriculture calculates that for every $5 of food-stamp spending, there is $9.20 of total economic...

Debunkers are saying its a shadow but many on youtube don't believe its a shadow. It does have a resemblance to Jackson as well,if it is him any reason why some spirits stay here on earth?

New Frivolous Ethics Complaint Filed Against Governor Palin By Tim Lindell Anti-Palin blogger Geoffrey Dunn at the Huffington Post: In the wake of Governor Palin stepping down from her job, new allegations have surfaced today in Alaska charging Palin with additional violations of the Alaska Executive Ethics Act. Zane Henning -- a conservative government watchdog from the governor's hometown of Wasilla and an oilfield worker on Alaska's North Slope -- asserts in a letter to Alaska Attorney General Daniel S. Sullivan that Palin has "been charging and pocketing per diem to live in her home and has used the process...

Despite the results of the 2008 presidential election, Americans, by a 2-to-1 margin, say their political views in recent years have become more conservative rather than more liberal, 39% to 18%, with 42% saying they have not changed. While independents and Democrats most often say their views haven't changed, more members of all three major partisan groups indicate that their views have shifted to the right rather than to the left.

Here is video of Democratic Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell today hammering Gov. Sarah Palin for he calls "abandoning her state." Rendell makes the point that Alaska needs Palin to lead as Governor during these difficult days in the economy. He repeatedly said she was "abandoning" her state. Sarah Palin is really the only person who knows why she made this decision. I suspect it has a lot to do with her family, and the need she feels to protect them and do what is best for them at this time. It is unbecoming for Rendell and others to use words...

President Obama often points to the famed Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., as one model for repairing the nation's health care.In interviews he has cited statistics showing that the Mayo Clinic spends 20% to 30% less on health care than other hospitals yet produces better patient outcomes. Some industry watchers point to Mayo's staffing model — primarily its practice of hiring doctors as salaried staff rather than independent, fee-for-service contractors. Hiring its own staff gives Mayo more control over its doctors, says Jason Gurda, a hospital analyst at Leerink Swann. "Most hospitals don't tell doctors what to do — they...

JULY 7, 2009 Deadly Ethnic Riots Pose Fresh Crisis for Beijing By SHAI OSTER and GORDON FAIRCLOUGH URUMQI, China -- Chinese security forces clamped down on large parts of this city of 2.4 million Monday, after long-simmering ethnic tensions erupted in rioting Sunday that authorities said left 156 dead and more than 1,000 injured. The number of fatalities, if confirmed, would represent one of the deadliest outbreaks of violence in China in decades. The government said more than 20,000 security personnel were deployed to Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang region. Armored cars patrolled the city's streets and squads of paramilitary...

    ~The FReeper Canteen Presents~ Road Trip: Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, California Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego is a United States Marine Corps military installation in San Diego, California. It lies between San Diego Bay and Interstate 5, adjacent to Lindbergh Field and the former Naval Training Center San Diego. MCRD San Diego's main mission is the initial training of enlisted male recruits living west of the Mississippi River. Over 21,000 recruits are trained each year. The Depot also is the home to the Marine Corps' Recruiter School and Western Recruiting Region's Drill Instructors School....

“Gold stocks represent a great place to be. In any economy where the central banker is widely referred to as ‘Helicopter Ben’ you’d better own some gold,” Tice advised.

Despite the results of the 2008 presidential election, Americans, by a 2-to-1 margin, say their political views in recent years have become more conservative rather than more liberal, 39% to 18%, with 42% saying they have not changed. While independents and Democrats most often say their views haven't changed, more members of all three major partisan groups indicate that their views have shifted to the right rather than to the left. These findings, from a June 14-17 Gallup Poll, somewhat conform to Gallup's annual trends on Americans' self-defined political ideology. Thus far in 2009 (from January through May), 40% of...

I can't stand media liberalism. From the article: ========McNamara revealed his misgivings three decades after the American defeat that some called "McNamara's war."========= Allow me to correct this. ========McNamara revealed his misgivings three decades after the American defeat that some liberal journalists called "McNamara's war."=========

The gulf between America's national power and Russia's weakness is glaring. One figure should dispel any delusions of grandeur that Russia might harbour in the wake of President Dmitry Medvedev's meeting with President Barack Obama in Moscow. By 2050, Russia will have only 14 million more people than Uganda, a country less than two per cent of its size. A parlous health system, widespread alcoholism and the shocking fact that Russian women have more abortions than live births mean that the population of the world's largest nation falls by about 800,000 a year. There are 142 million Russians today, but...

7/3/2009 By 2nd MEB , 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan — — U.S. Marines and Afghan soldiers and police are continuing clearing operations in key population centers along the Helmand River valley in an effort to secure the local population from the threat of Taliban and other insurgent intimidation and violence. Almost 4,000 Marines and Sailors from Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan, along with more than 600 Afghan national security forces, are currently operating in the districts of Nawa and Garmsir in central Helmand province. MEB forces are operating as far south as the vicinity of Khan Neshin, the capital...

Starbucks agreed in April to pay a former lead network engineer in Seattle $120,000 plus a mediator's fee to settle a lawsuit that alleges racial discrimination and retaliation "so severe that it required him to take a medical leave of absence." Victor Washington of Shoreline, who is African-American and worked for Starbucks from September 2006 until May 2008, alleges in the July 2008 lawsuit that a white co-worker made racist comments to him such as repeatedly telling him to "fetch" the co-worker's umbrella and tie his shoes for him. In the lawsuit, Washington says he complained to his supervisor and...

Editors Note - This is reposted from RangerUp (with permission) and was written by Lex McMahon, son of Ed McMahon, pictured below receiving his father's flagHow does a son say goodbye to his father? While this is a profoundly painful question to ponder, in this instance, the answer is really very simple – by honoring my father’s request to be buried and celebrated as a great Marine. To Ed’s millions of fans around the world, he was an entertainment icon who’s brilliant and colorful career spanned some 70 years and included work as a bingo caller in a traveling carnival...

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Emmy Award winner Alec Baldwin is eyeing a post-acting career that could take him off a Hollywood soundstage into the halls of Congress. Baldwin, who currently stars in the NBC comedy "30 Rock," told Playboy magazine that he is seriously considering running for Congress. But he acknowledged his opponents would have plenty of fodder to use against him. "I'll put it this way," he told the magazine. "The desire is there; that's one component. The other component is opportunity." A native New Yorker, Baldwin said he has been approached by an unnamed Democratic law firm who wanted...

Check this video out..

Multi-National Security Transition Command- Iraq J4 observed the July 4th holiday by raising flags to be sent to the United States. U.S. Army Col. Keith Kodalen receives the flag from U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Rosa Harmon. Photo by Van Williams, Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq. BAGHDAD — July fourth, the day of American independence, was celebrated in the International Zone with special flag raising ceremonies by Soldiers with Multi-National Security Transition Command - Iraq (MNSTC-I). The flags, after being raised and flown here, will be sent to servicemembers, family and friends in the United States.U.S. Army Col. Keith Kodalen,...

The Senate faces a remarkable opportunity to advance the competitiveness of the U.S. economy, and create jobs through innovation, at a time of unprecedented economic turmoil.And it can be done without investing any taxpayer dollars. The patent reform bill recently passed the Senate Judiciary Committee, with overwhelming, bipartisan support. The bill deserves passage by the full Senate and ultimately the full Congress. Since our patent laws were last updated 50 years ago, the importance of intellectual property to our economic well-being has risen dramatically, and technology, products and business models have become more complex. Yet the laws have not been...

BAGHDAD – As Coalition combat forces have lowered their public profile by pulling back from Iraqi cities, towns and villages, so, too, have the trainers and advisors to the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF). The Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq’s (MNSTC-I) mission is to train, mentor and advise the ISF, at the request of the Iraqi government. This role is a key element of the U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement. Although the public may see them less often, MNSTC-I advisors and trainers continue their important jobs, in accordance with the terms of the Security Agreement. With the Iraqi government, they share a common goal...