Free Republic

A Verizon case study recently revealed that some people will go through great lengths in order to be able to watch cat videos all day. We first heard about it on TNW. The study documents the scam of a developer, who is referred to as Bob. He worked at a "critical infrastructure" company in the U.S. and started outsourcing his work to China underneath his company's nose, and would only pay those people less than one fifth of his six-figure salary. Here's how it was possible. Bob's company had started letting employees work remotely from home on certain days, so...

Heavy may be the head that wears the crown, but hot is the head that’s third in line. Prince Harry, 28, has been named the Top Bachelor, according to the editors at Town & Country, which named the current top 50 bachelors in the world. “Prince William’s baby brother flirts and flies Apache helicopters with equal aplomb,” the magazine wrote. The list isn’t very Hollywood specific (although both George Clooney and Jack Nicholson made the cut). Instead, in addition to the prince, people like Ralph Lauren’s son, Andrew, President Obama’s speechwriter Jon Favreau, and Greek shipping heir Stavros Niarchos (who...

The NRA advertisement was a brilliant, daring and effective challenge not only to the arrogant and overreaching president, but to the timorous Republicans and the media rabble. Brilliant and daring because the ad committed the taboo of actually mentioning that the president has children and they deserve and require armed protection. There were many among the easily terrified Republican class who squealed in dismay, although the children were neither named nor were they, wisely, pictured. But it was impossible to make a criticism of the ad that hit the mark clearly when Obama so tendentious lay assembled four little children...

Periodically, we post about unsolved murders in Denver -- and one of the ten cases we featured last May focused on the 1994 slaying of Jacqueline Gallegos. Now, however, a grand jury has indicted three men -- Andre Jackson, Samuel Sims and Jackie McConnell -- with the grisly and shocking crime. Details and the document below. Here's the personal story about the Gallegos case as shared on the invaluable website Families of Homicide Victims and Missing Persons: Jacqueline Collette Gallegos, 28, graduated from Great Bend (KS) High school. Next to the oldest of seven children, she loved music, dancing and...

Detroit police say a woman was fatally shot when she hugged an off-duty police officer while dancing at a party, causing the officer's service weapon to fire.

It's a battle between Tim Tebow and worldliness, and right now worldliness is winning -- or was, until last weekend. It always seems to win. Really, it never does (in the end). Let's back up a moment. Tebow, as you probably recall, is the openly Christian quarterback who often wins in improbable (read: miraculous) fashion. Two years ago, he and his mother made headlines when they appeared in a pro-life Super Bowl commercial (controversial because it stood against abortion). Last year his remarkable, come-from-behind victories as quarterback for the Denver Broncos captivated the American imagination. "Tebowing" became a new way...

So Obama released his Executive Orders to Prevent Maniacs From Being Maniacs today.  I’ve taken the time to translate the summaries into plain English below: 1. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal agencies to make relevant data available to the federal background check system. Tell the government to follow the law. 2. Address unnecessary legal barriers, particularly relating to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, that may prevent states from making information available to the background check system. Tell the regulators to stop the stupid and useless regulations. 3. Improve incentives for states to share information with the...

For Zack Kopplin, it all started back in 2008 with the passing of the Louisiana Science Education Act. The bill made it considerably easier for teachers to introduce creationist textbooks into the classroom. Outraged, he wrote a research paper about it for a high school English class. Nearly five years later, the 19-year-old Kopplin has become one of the fiercest — and most feared — advocates for education reform in Louisiana. We recently spoke to him to learn more about how he's making a difference.

I am listen to Hannity (delayed) while I wait for my daughter to complete her music lesson this evening. Hannity amazes me. He calls himself a conservative, but he is so willing to spend tax dollars to solve the "gun violence" problem. It got me thinking about where are American men. What I mean by that, is a man that has the courage to defend his family instead of spending tax dollars and going further in debt for ineffective solutions. (E.g., the police are only minutes away ...). If anything, all of the solutions being proposed cost more money, puts...

A tourist from Massachusetts was recovering at a New York City hospital after being brutally beaten by a gang of seven young men armed with a tire iron and a baseball bat, police today revealed. Kevin McCarron, 24, from Andover, was battered and stomped unconscious by the men after an argument in the trendy Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan early Sunday. An onlooker captured horrific cell phone video of the attack, showing several young men kicking the victim on the ground.

President Obama pushed back against criticism earlier this week that he is too insular and not social enough in Washington. He said simply, “I like a good party.” Today, he reinforced the message. Leaving a farewell reception at the Treasury Department for Secretary Timothy Geithner, Obama was asked “So, you like a good party?” “They didn’t serve any alcohol,” Obama responded with a big grin, as he appeared to munch on something.

It's very very simple....h/t The Jawa Report for the quote belowAlso, an interesting window into the unending abyss that is liberal hypocrisy from Doug Powers at Michelle Malkin: Jay Carney responded this way to an NRA ad that called the president an “elitist hypocrite” because his kids go to a school protected by armed security: “Most Americans agree that a president’s children should not be used as pawns in a political fight.”Agreed…that’s what somebody else’s kids are for. See the list of orders here.

Video of Home Built Vehicle That Can Handle Thin Ice

The House lawmaker responsible for oversight of the nation's railways promised Wednesday to use his new position to put the brakes on a controversial high-speed railway in his state. California Rep. Jeff Denham (R) was appointed chairman of the House Transportation Committee's Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials subcommittee Wednesday. Denham has sought previously to deny federal funding for the proposed California high-speed railway, and he said Wednesday afternoon in an interview with The Hill that he would use his new perch to keep the up roadblock. "I've obviously taken a very storing position about California high-speed rail and I'm going...

Honolulu (AP) - A Schofield Barracks soldier was shot and killed by police early Tuesday after he repeatedly rammed multiple police cars with his truck in Waikiki. Several police officers were injured in the incident. The 25th Infantry Division said in a statement that it's cooperating with the Honolulu Police Department as officers investigate. The unit won't release the soldier's name until his family members are notified. "This is an incredibly tragic incident, and we offer our condolences to the soldier's family and to the officers injured," Lt. Col. Derrick Cheng, spokesman for the 25th Infantry Division, said in a...

"It’s an honor to be part of this historic event," Maj. Jorge E. Vargas saysAn Army major who hails from South Florida says he is looking forward to his rendezvous with history: Monday, he will serve in his military capacity at President Barack Obama's second inauguration. “In my shoes, it’s an honor to be part of this historic event, celebrating democracy and supporting the military in celebrating freedom,” Maj. Jorge E. Vargas said in a phone interview Wednesday. Vargas, 36, said that even though he has served in the military 17 years, Monday’s inauguration will be the first one he...

Gov. Rick Perry released the following statement regarding President Obama's executive actions: "The Vice President's committee was appointed in response to the tragedy at Newtown, but very few of his recommendations have anything to do with what happened there. "Guns require a finger to pull the trigger. The sad young man who did that in Newtown was clearly haunted by demons and no gun law could have saved the children in Sandy Hook Elementary from his terror. "There is evil prowling in the world - it shows up in our movies, video games and online fascinations, and finds its way...

Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) -- The Clark County coroner's office has identified 14-year-old Haji Mohamud from Las Vegas as the victim in a fatal shooting on Jan. 12. According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, numerous calls about shots fired at an apartment complex in the 1400 block of East Reno Avenue at about 1:30 a.m.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has condemned the taking of as many as 41 foreign hostages at a natural gas facility in Algeria, a move apparently linked to the French military operation in neighboring Mali. Secretary Panetta says the United States will take “all necessary and proper steps” in response to the hostage crisis at the facility, run by British, Norwegian and Algerian companies. “The United States strongly condemns these kinds of terrorist acts. It is a very serious matter when Americans are taken hostage, along with others," he said. Speaking in Rome, Panetta said he did not know how...

A suspected gang member wants to remove his tattoo that prosecutors allege was a threat aimed at a Minneapolis police officer. But the attorney for Antonio Frasion Jenkins Jr. says the state grant that paid for removal of gang-related body art ran out.