Free Republic

President Obama's recent trip to Russia contrasts sharply with Ronald Reagan's 1988 visit to Moscow. President Reagan reached out to the Russian people, too. He gave the first nationally televised speech ever delivered-uncensored-to the peoples of Russia. Reagan made a point of speaking of religious freedom and invoking God's blessing on the Russian people. Like Obama, Reagan also spoke to elite students. But unlike Obama, Reagan made a point of telling students at Moscow State University in the most civil terms why despotism was wrong. The Information Age then in its dawn was physically based, he told the sons and...

For all the publicity about the Supreme Court's 5-4 reversal of Judge Sonia Sotomayor's decision (with two colleagues) to reject a discrimination suit by a group of firefighters against New Haven, Conn., one curious aspect of the case has been largely overlooked.That is the likelihood that but for a chance discovery by a fourth member of the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, the now-triumphant 18 firefighters (17 white and one Hispanic) might well have seen their case, Ricci v. DeStefano, disappear into obscurity, with no triumph, no national publicity and no Supreme Court review.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Authorities said a bullet from a gun that was accidentally dropped injured a Tampa woman sitting in a bathroom stall. Police said the bullet hit 53-year-old Janifer Bliss in the lower left leg. She was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. Bliss was sitting on the toilet in a hotel bathroom when a woman in the next stall accidentally let her handgun slip out of her waist holster. The weapon discharged when it hit the ground.

Short answer: because they're good. Long answer: because Google has none of its own. Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you. That's because, in Apple's case, they already have. Apple is renowned for its secrecy. Employees are given different code names for new products so they can't gossip about them in the company cafeteria. Vendors and parts suppliers are punished if they leak any news. Blogs that publish news about new products have been browbeaten by lawyers and even bought out. Apple's pattern of offering hints and cryptic disclosures about founder Steve Jobs' health--a campaign...

JULY 10, 2009 Why We'll Leave L.A. The business climate is worse than the air quality. RICK NEWCOMBE Los Angeles If New Yorkers fantasize that doing business here in Los Angeles would be less of a headache, forget about it. This city is fast becoming a job-killing machine. It's no accident the unemployment rate is a frightening 11.4% and climbing. I never could have imagined that, after living here for more than three decades, I would be filing a lawsuit against my beloved Los Angeles and making plans for my company, Creators Syndicate, to move elsewhere. But we have no...

“When you come to a fork in the road, take it” Yogi Berra When Sarah Palin resigned as Alaska’s Governor, you’d have thought she confessed to having Muslim roots in three Islamic States while apologizing to the world for the atrocities committed by America. OOPS--I’m getting my stories mixed up with our president--silly me. My psychiatrist diagnosed me with multiple personalities. I was beside myself…and so was I. Unlike Sarah, the liberal press and a few conservatives could have been diagnosed with multiple personalities. The Sybil wannabes were filled with hubris as they spewed against the Palins. The newsies looked...

We know from that adoring cover story in New York magazine a few weeks back that Maureen favors green cowboy boots, a pink Burberry — and lots of lame. That story also confided that Maureen is just such a “fox,” an assertion that was somewhat belied by the photos, both old and current, accompanying the feature. The truth is that she is now a woman in her 50s who looks like an attractive woman in her 50s. Except for her forehead, which is age 27 and so smooth (I wonder, how come?) that it seems she wouldn’t be able to...

I think they see their poll numbers taking a hit, the claims from the Sham Wow President this week are over the top...(Video)

It should not take long for a clear thinking American who looks at the accomplishments (or lack thereof) of the Obama administration to feel frustrated and annoyed over what has transpired: record spending, earmarks, a time line for the closing of Gitmo with no plan for what to do with its detainees, apologizing for the "arrogance" of America, and shaking hands with evil dictators. What else is one to feel? How about optimism? There is light at the end of this dark tunnel. While America is going down a path of Socialism there is, at least at the social level,...

TAMPA — A 31-year-old man was arrested Friday afternoon and charged with animal cruelty after a witness told police he beat pit bull with a pipe and cut off the dog's ear with a machete. The witness told police and Hillsborough County Animal Services the man called the pit bull that was walking south past his yard into the yard and closed the gate. Then he picked up a pipe and began beating the dog and laughing before he got the machete and sliced off the dog's ear, an arrest report said. Police say Clopinel Pascal of 8506 N. 17th...

No charges will be filed in Wednesday's accidental shooting at the Carter Lake police department. Thursday afternoon Pottawattamie County Attorney, Matt Wilber said the investigation showed nothing criminal, just a mistake. Police Chief Shawn Kannedy accidentally hit Sergeant Dan Driver in the torso while conducting a firearms demonstration. He says Chief Kannedy was showing a couple of officers that a magazine from a full-sized gun would also work in their sub-compact service weapons. He went to load the magazine into a 40-caliber service weapon without realizing it was already loaded, and the gun went off. It's the kind of accident...

Former Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets outfielder Lenny Dykstra filed for bankruptcy in California Tuesday. The 46-year-old, who made a name for himself in the investment community and as publisher of a failed magazine after his playing career, claimed just $50,000 in assets against $10 million to $50 million in liabilities. When the ex-ballplayer hosted a lavish launch party at New York's Mandarin Oriental Hotel in April 2008, he was probably already in debt. Before a year was out, Dykstra was scrambling to hold off the creditors nipping at his heels. In March 2009, foreclosure papers were filed on...

Both the US and Israel believe Iran has the technical capacity to build one nuclear bomb within a year if it decides to do so, but both countries also believe the chances that Teheran will indeed make that decision are slim, according to assessments made known to The Jerusalem Post. According to these Israeli assessments, there is not much difference now between the US and Israel regarding a timeline for a "worst case scenario" on Iran's development of a bomb. At the same time, both Jerusalem and Washington currently believe that "worst case scenario is not likely to materialize." The...

July 11, 2009                                 Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Gn 49:29-32; 50:15-26a Jacob gave his sons this charge:"Since I am about to be taken to my people,bury me with my fathers in the cave that liesin the field of Ephron the Hittite,the cave in the field of Machpelah,facing on Mamre, in the land of Canaan,the field that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittitefor a burial ground.There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried,and so are Isaac and his wife Rebekah,and there, too, I buried Leah–the field...

Times columnist David Brooks says he has first-hand knowledge of senatorial libidos — referencing an unnamed, presumably male Republican Senator who planted a hand near his personal no-fly zone. Brooks had MSNBC's John Harwood leaping out of his seat earlier today: BROOKS: You know, all three of us spend a lot of time covering politicians and I don’t know about you guys, but in my view, they’re all emotional freaks of one sort or another. They’re guaranteed to invade your personal space, touch you. I sat next to a Republican senator once at dinner and he had his hand on...

18th Maccabiah Jewish Israel Olympics Push Web 2.0, SEO, New Media Social Networking By Herb Brandon Israel News Agency Jerusalem, Israel ---- July 10, 2009 ...... The 18th Jewish Maccabiah Games in Israel are among the first leading global sports and cultural organizations to unleash the full power of new media, SEO -search engine optimization social networking. "The most powerful means to reach millions of people today is through Web 2.0," says Joel Leyden, president of the Leyden Communications Internet Marketing Group who serves as an digital PR and international media advisor to the 18th Maccabiah Games. "New media social...

Isaiah 13 The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see. 2Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles. 3I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness. 4The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle. 5They come...

Gov. Brian Schweitzer is calling on the Obama administration to force General Motors to honor its contract with a Montana mining company instead of going overseas to buy the precious metals used to control vehicle pollution. By failing to shield the platinum and palladium mines, the Democrat said Friday that the administration had shown a bias against his state -- at a time when other U.S. jobs were protected with a "buy American" clause in the $787 billion stimulus act. GM is shedding its contracts with Stillwater Mining Co.'s platinum and palladium mines as part of the automaker's emergence from...

As tensions continue to mount between Iran and the United States over Iran’s disputed presidential election, its nuclear program and Vice President Joe Biden’s apparent go-ahead for Israeli strikes on Iran (since refuted by President Obama), authorities in Tehran continue to insist the insurgency and various terrorist attacks in Iran’s Sistan and Balochistan province are inspired and funded by the United States. On June 29, a provincial prosecutor announced that 13 members of the Sunni Muslim and ethnic-Balochi Jondollah insurgent group had confessed that their leader, Abdolmalek Rigi, was an agent of the United States and Israel (Vision of the...

Should the motto "In God We Trust" be removed from U.S. currency? * 15052379 responses FReep MSNBC Poll but be sure you read it first it is designed to trick you!