Free Republic

President Obama did not mention it in his State of the Union address last night, and there hasn’t been much attention devoted to it in the Congress of late; but, the fundamental right to privacy Americans have a right to expect from their own government, has suffered yet another body blow. On the surface, things seem to be in order. For example, at the beginning of February, the Federal Trade Commission released a staff report outlining consumer privacy recommendations for developers of mobile phone apps. FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz called the recommendations “best practices” intended to “safeguard consumer privacy,”...

BEIRUT -- A high-ranking member of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps was assassinated this week while traveling from Syria to neighboring Lebanon, Iranian media reported Thursday, in the strongest indication to date that senior Iranian military commanders have been dispatched to Syria. Gen. Hassan Shateri was killed Tuesday by "unknown gunmen," described as "suspected Israeli agents," as he was on the road between the Syrian capital of Damascus and Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, various Iranian news agencies reported.

While most were relieved to learn that the bloody manhunt for Christopher Dorner had come to an end, for some it was the final step in the the fugitive ex-LAPD officer's martyrdom. During the manhunt, thousands of people rallied around Dorner, declaring him a crusader against police corruption, though he's accused of killing four people. On Tuesday night, a post on one of his biggest Facebook fan sites declared, "The spirit of Chris #Dorner will live on forever in our hearts, as an eternal flame - symbolic of the will to stand up in an attempt to eradicate those who...

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Mike Johanns called out his fellow Senate Republicans on Thursday for claiming that they aren't technically filibustering as they try to hold up Chuck Hagel's nomination to be defense secretary. "It's a filibuster," Johanns said. "If the Democrats were doing this, we would be hollering that this was a filibuster and probably did in the past." A number of Republicans are pushing to delay consideration of Hagel, the former GOP senator from Nebraska, requiring a 60-vote threshold on a procedural vote that Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., scheduled for Friday.

Inspired by FReeper Catfish1957: "Simple solution. Totally dismantle the federal government outside Defense, Treasury, and State. Delegate any other service to each individual state. Fedzilla must die." More at Reaganite Republican...

I wrote this on Facebook, but it got so many responses,I thought to repost it here. Just in case any of you get too mushy about Valentines Day: St. Valentinus was a Roman priest martyred during the reign of Claudius II, known as Claudius Gothicus. He was arrested and imprisoned upon being caught marrying Christian couples and otherwise aiding Christians who were at the time being persecuted by Claudius in Rome. Claudius took a liking to this prisoner – until Valentinus tried to convert the Emperor – whereupon this priest was condemned to death. He was beaten with clubs and...

Proposed Deodand Pistol, suggested retail, $74.99, a considerable savings over current “buyback” or turn in prices. The presidential push for gun bans has reinvigorated the medieval practice of labeling objects as guilty deodands with gun “buybacks” or turn ins. Organizers of the turn in events typically insist that the guns be destroyed rather than sold do individuals or dealers to provided needed resources to police departments and to reduce demands on taxpayers. In response to increased demand, gun manufacturers would do well to consider producing special “deodand” or “turn in” models. These could satisfy the demand for ceremonial destruction...

Germany's economy collapsed by 0.6pc in the final three months of last year as the eurozone recession finally caught up with the currency bloc’s most powerful member. A sharp fall in exports from the region’s trading hub caused the larger-than-expected decline, as official figures showed that the eurozone as a whole slumped 0.6pc in the quarter, the worst performance in over three years. The currency area has contracted for three quarters running and by 0.5pc for the year as a whole. It is 1pc smaller than in September 2011. Economists had expected Germany to be hit by the bloc’s waning...

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett is dipping into the ketchup business as part of $23.3 billion deal to buy the Heinz ketchup company. H.J. Heinz Co. says it’s the largest deal ever in the food industry. The company, based in Pittsburgh, also makes Classico spaghetti sauces, Ore-Ida potatoes and Smart Ones frozen meals. Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and its partner on the deal—3G Capital, the investment firm that bought Burger King in 2010—say Heinz will remain headquartered in Pittsburgh. Heinz CEO William Johnson said in a statement that the company “will have an opportunity to drive further growth” as a private enterprise....

The website Jezebel is calling out the men's magazine for using minorities as "props" It's been a big week for Sports Illustrated. First, a blogger leaked the swimsuit issue's much-anticipated cover, upstaging David Letterman's big reveal on Monday. Now website Jezebel is calling out the men's magazine for using minorities as "props" in photos featuring models in bikinis posing in seven different continents. Jezebel argues that the magazine is perpetuating racial stereotypes by drawing power and class lines between the Westernized models and the "primitive locals" and points to a long history of media using people of various ethnicities as...

Obamacare supporters are unleashing a massive public relations campaign, turning to political networks and sports teams to help them sell the new law to a skeptical public. For the Affordable Care Act to succeed in expanding the ranks of the insured, many of the 30 million currently uninsured need to purchase an insurance plan in the new exchanges the law sets up. But advocates worry that it could be difficult to convince people to sign up for coverage. The WSJ reports: According to backers of the law, enrollment faces big obstacles as polls and focus groups suggest a majority...

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — If Christopher Dorner is dead, who will get the $1.1 million reward that was being offered for his arrest? Officials say it’s complicated. Randy Paige, reporting for CBS2 and KCAL9, says the language used was “a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction” of the suspect. There will be no arrest. And no conviction. So does Los Angeles have to pay up? And if so, to whom? LA Councilman Dennis Zine is one of three council members who called on the city to offer $100,000. (The additional money came from other municipalities, organizations and...

PALMDALE (CBSLA.com) — The owner of the Big Bear-area vacation rental cabin that went up in flames in the Christopher Dorner standoff watched it happen live on television Tuesday afternoon. Candy Martin of Palmdale didn’t want to speak on-camera, but her two children, Eric and Leah Funnel, told “Inside Edition” they couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw that their family’s cabin was the final act of the Dorner manhunt. “We turned the TV on and saw the news…the Dorner guy had been caught. I heard he was still in the Big Bear area, (but) I thought he was long...

InstaPoll: We Want To Hear From You! What is your reaction to last night's State of the Union address? I Agree with the President's Remarks I Disagree with the President's Remarks I Need More Details from the President Please provide any additional comments or reactions to the State of Union below. *By answering this survey, you are subscribing to my newsletter.

The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index rose to minus 35.9 in the period ended Feb. 10 from minus 36.3 in the prior week. But notice that the recession of the early 1990s saw a dip below -20 but quickly rebounded. We are seeing no such rebound from below -20 in this recession (although the NBER claims that it ended in June 2009). I am not so confident given the tenacity of negative consumer confidence. Over the past three months, we have seen some commodity prices skyrocket. First, lumber has soared 23.77%. Second, gasoline has soared 15.91%. While gold and silver are...

After four years of Barack Obama's diplomatic 'leadership' and billions of dollars in attempted friendship aid, a new public opinion poll reveals that 92% of Pakistanis now disapprove of the United States. The results could have been worse. Not much. But a little. Fully four Pakistanis out of 100 do approve of the United States, President Obama and his policies. They, however, seem to keep kind of quiet about their views in that rowdy land. That's the lowest favorable rating Pakistan's citizens have ever given their ostensible North American ally. The new Gallup Poll, out this morning, reports that the...

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control released data Wednesday revealing that 20 million new sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are diagnosed each year nationwide, costing some $16 billion in taxpayer funds. Half of the 20 million new infections affect people ages 15 to 24 - who only make up a quarter of the population,l according to the statistics. Human papillomavirus (HPV) tops the list as the most common infection followed by chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, hepatitis B, HIV and trichomoniasis.

Missouri Democrats introduced an anti-gun bill which would turn law-abiding firearm owners into criminals. They will have 90 days to turn in their guns if the legislation is passed. Dana Loesch Radio reported on the new legislation being pushed by Missouri Democrats: Any person who, prior to the effective date of this law, was legally in possession of an assault weapon or large capacity magazine shall have ninety days from such effective date to do any of the following without being subject to prosecution. Here’s part of the Democratic proposal in Missouri: 4. Any person who, prior to the effective...

The North Dakota Senate snuffed out a measure Wednesday aimed at curbing the oil industry’s practice of wasting natural gas as an unwanted byproduct of oil production. The bill, arguably the toughest to date against the oil industry in North Dakota, was defeated 34-13. Sen. Tim Mathern’s measure would have cut an exemption commonly used by oil companies claiming an economic hardship of connecting a well to a natural gas pipeline. Oil companies in North Dakota can flare natural gas for a year without paying taxes or royalties on it. After that, companies can request an extension because of the...

That's right -- not just Nixon ... Nixon and Bush. Can vilification from the left get much worse than that?