Free Republic

I just thought of something brilliant. A lot of parents want to homeschool, but one of the biggest arguments is that most parents don't know how to teach, that a certain sort of curriculum is needed. Basically, kids could go to school from home and while they take the courses, they aren't subjected to the misery of going to a school where they'll be bullied, harassed, and they can also have more free time to learn other stuff if they want to. For example, say Mary Jane wakes up at eleven, signs on, and then does a certain amount of...

Kevin Hassett's headline says it all: California’s Nightmare Will Kill Obamanomics. His article basically argues that California's budgetary fiasco is going to be seen as a prelude to a federal fiasco, and that the timing is perfect for shooting down ObamaCare. The California morass has Democrats in Washington trembling. The reason is simple: If Obama’s health-care plan passes, then we may well end up paying for it with federal slips of paper worth less than California’s. Obama has bet everything on passing health care this year. The publicity surrounding the California debt fiasco almost assures his resounding defeat. It is...

Sarah Palin is a sinner. She has violated several commandments and thoroughly deserves the savage beating that she is now getting from political mandarins and media elites. If it were not for one simple fact, I would say she was through in politics. And that fact is that if the Republicans were picking a nominee today, they would pick Sarah Palin. No? Don’t believe me? Who would beat her? Tim Pawlenty? Bobby Jindal? Haley Barbour? Mike Huckabee? Mitt Romney? All of these men might build credible, attractive, even powerful political operations by 2012. But right now? Today? Today, Sarah Palin...

Carnegie Mellon University researchers have shown that public information readily gleaned from governmental sources, commercial data bases, or online social networks can be used to routinely predict most — and sometimes all — of an individual's nine-digit Social Security number. Project lead Alessandro Acquisti, associate professor of information technology and public policy at Carnegie Mellon's H. John Heinz III College, and Ralph Gross, a post-doctoral researcher at the Heinz College, have found that an individual's date and state of birth are sufficient to guess his or her Social Security number with great accuracy. The study findings will appear this week...

A new report in this month's issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Human Sexuality finds that sexual orientation can be changed — and that psychological care for individuals with unwanted same-sex attractions is generally beneficial and that research has not found significant risk of harm. The study, conducted by the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH), examined more than 100 years of professional and scientific literature from 600-plus studies and reports from clinicians, researchers and former clients principally published in professional and peer-reviewed journals. "This research is a significant milestone when it comes to the scientific debate...

Suffice it to say, Maureen Dowd’s editorial is rife with cheap shots, double standards, flat out politically-motivated lies, and other things to keep Dowd’s psychiatric team busy for weeks. In other words, the article reveals more about Dowd than it does about Palin. It’s a shame that such a pretty woman can be so ugly on the inside. OK, let’s pick this piece apart, paragraph by detestable paragraph: Now, Sarah’s Folly By MAUREEN DOWDSarah Palin showed on Friday that in one respect at least, she is qualified to be president.Caribou Barbie is one nutty puppy.In the very second paragraph Miss...

"I think we saw it when Elvis died; in a different way you saw it when Frank Sinatra died; you saw it when John Lennon died," Obama told CBS. "There are certain figures in our popular culture that just capture our people's imaginations and in death they become even larger."

The grilling begins today.

I am a new member to FR but have been a lurker for years. I would ask if you could lift up your prayers for my Granny, Daphane Jenkins. A couple of weeks ago she had a pacemaker put in. Then a couple of days later she had a stroke. For the past week she had been in rehab progressing very good & then yesterday she had another stroke. She's 86 years old & so full of life. Please lift up your prayers that God will heal her. Thank you & God bless you all.

While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75 year old rancher, who's hand was caught in the gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to Obama and his bid to be our president. The old rancher said, 'Well, ya know, Obama is a 'Post Turtle''. Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a 'post turtle' was. The old rancher said, 'When you're driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's...

Millions of people could have their eyesight saved thanks to ground-breaking laser treatment that has the potential to eradicate the most common cause of blindness. One of Britain's leading eye experts has developed a technique to reverse the disabling effects of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which leaves many older people unable to read, drive or live independently, and eventually robs them of sight in one or both eyes. Professor John Marshall has developed a way of "cleaning" eyes which, due to the ageing process, have accumulated tiny particles of debris which start to cloud their sight. His pioneering technique uses...

America in the Crossfire by: Alana Goodman, July 07, 2009 At a foreign policy discussion at the Heritage Foundation on June 29th, former Sen. Jim Talent (R-MO) warned that there would likely be a weapon of mass destruction (WMD) attack somewhere in the world within the next four years. According to former Sen. Bob Graham (D-FL) and Talent, other threats on the horizon are North Korea, which currently has enough plutonium for 10-12 nuclear weapons and almost has the ability to produce these weapons at an assembly line basis; the South Asia nuclear arms race between China, Pakistan, and India;...

New Voices in Evolution Activism: From Madalyn Murray O'Hair to Eugenie Scott by Lawrence Ford* Recently, the prestigious publication Scientific American honored Eugenie Scott as one of its ten most influential science people in America, along with a manager at a computer chip company, an electric car industry executive, an infectious disease physician, and even Bill Gates from Microsoft. Who is Eugenie Scott and why is she being honored? Did she contribute to lifesaving cancer research? No. Did she invent a device that will help millions of people in need? No.Kate Wilcox of Scientific American writes of Scott: Thomas Henry...

Dear Congressman King, Thank you for having the courage to express your views on the MSM's shameless glorification of Michael Jackson. In this intensly politically correct environment it is often difficult to express the truth. The MSM's glorification of Michael Jackson is as shameless as their deification of BHO. As the parent of a five year old, I, too, believe that Michael Jackson, with his long, sordid history of drug abuse and child molestation is horrible role model and example for today's youth. I also believe that the news media's coverage of the funeral as if it were a state...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A study comparing how two common dietary oil supplements affect body composition suggests that both oils, by themselves, can lower body fat in obese postmenopausal women with Type 2 diabetes. The two oils compared were safflower oil, a common cooking oil, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a compound naturally found in some meat and dairy products that has been associated with weight loss in previous studies. Both are composed primarily of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are considered “good fats” that, when consumed in proper quantities, are associated with a variety of health benefits. In the study, 16...

Sound Off Connecticut is a popular conservative/libertarian call in talk show hosted by Jim Vicevich weekday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon ET. Although based in Connecticut, the show welcomes callers from all over the United States! This is your chance to sound off America! Call into the show toll free (800) 966-9842! Listen to the LIVE AUDIO STREAM at http://wtic.com - it's free and NO registration is required! If you're in southern New England listen over the air to WTIC 1080 AM, the 50,000 watt Connecticut powerhouse! Are you outside of Connecticut? Start your day off listening to Jim...

Barack Obama’s disinformation machine. What is the cost and where does the money go?

With characteristic feisty-ness, Alaska Governor Sara Palin gave her critics hell in her first interview since announcing she was stepping down as governor of Alaska (see video above). Palin gave reporters some additional insight into her reasons for resigning: "Most candidates, most public officials get to look into a camera and say, 'you better leave your hands off my kids,'" she said. "Well I haven't been able to say that. And that double standard that's been applied, that's been a little bit frustrating." Read or watch the video to see the Governor strike out and act coy at the same...

Well before Sarah Palin's stunning announcement that she is resigning as governor of Alaska, GOP insiders were concerned that Palin was showing signs that she was not up to leading the party to victory in 2012. On the surface, Palin has everything going for her. A rock star, she is smart, a terrific speaker, and an articulate spokesperson for Republican values. As governor and mayor, she has a string of real accomplishments to show for herself. As noted in the Newsmax story "Sarah Palin Mythology Debunked," much of the criticism of her has had no basis in fact. But unfair...