Free Republic

Political Correctness: A healthy, white, heterosexual, Christian man has unfair advantages in the U.S. military over other soldiers, says a training manual approved by the Pentagon, warning in great detail about a so-called White Male Club. Those who thought the U.S. military was already the ultimate level playing field, a place where skill and fighting ability were what mattered, not gender, race or religious belief, were sadly mistaken, at least according to a 600-plus-page manual used by the military to train its Equal Opportunity officers. According to the manual, put together by the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI), and...

“I think the concern would be that the system will be overwhelmed, that there will be a greater demand than we can meet in a quality fashion and that we have to delay services for a lot of individuals.” — Dr. Steven Lamm (NYU School of Medicine)“Surprise, surprise, surprise” — Gomer Pyle I’m neither a doctor nor a rocket scientist; I’m just a simple journalist and economist who once taught junior high school math following my college graduation. However, it seemed to me that the math didn’t add up three years ago when Obamacare was first proposed, and it certainly...

The November 5th issue of Runner's World carries a column by athlete Nick Symmonds calling for a handgun ban for everyone except police and military personnel. The column also calls for a ban on "assault rifles," while kindly proposing that regular citizens should be allowed to keep a shotgun with which to hunt birds and a "[rifle]...for big game animals."

A dramatic scene unfolded Friday when family members searching for Bethany Arceneaux, 29, who was kidnapped earlier in the day, miraculously found her and her kidnapper in an abandoned property. Police told KLFY-TV that family members searched an abandoned property in Duson, La., and saw Arceneaux inside. When they confronted her kidnapper, 29-year-old Scott Thomas, he reportedly started attacking the woman, who appears to be his child’s mother. Though details are still a little murky, police said a family member defended Arceneaux and shot Thomas. The suspect was later pronounced dead, though it is unclear if the family member delivered...

Controversy over the Affordable Care Act continues to rain on President Obama’s personal parade … or drip, drip, drip like political water torture. A Pew Research poll out Friday has Obama’s job approval rating on health care policy sliding downward ever since his second term began (when it wasn’t that great to begin with): from 45-47 percent approve/disapprove in January, to 41-53 in September, to 37-59 today. Pew finds his overall approval rating down to 41-53, a virtual reversal from January (52-40). On the economy, it’s down to 31-65 approve/disapprove; immigration 32/60; foreign policy 34/66. Only on the threat of...

Most market watchers expect that Janet Yellen will grapple with two major tasks once she takes the helm at the Federal Reserve in 2014: deciding on the appropriate timing and intensity of the Fed's quantitative easing taper strategy, and unwinding the Fed's enormous $4 trillion balance sheet (without creating huge losses in the value of its portfolio). In reality both assignments are far more difficult than just about anyone understands or admits. Unlike just about every other economist, I knew that the Fed would not taper in September because the economy is still fundamentally addicted to stimulus. The signs of...

Featured Term (selected at random:FIDEJUSSORLiterally "one who testifies by faith." The term is sometimes applied to the sponsors at the baptism of an infant. They testify to the faith in place of the child and promise to ensure, as may be necessary, that the child is reared in the Catholic faith. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

Op-ed: It is morally disgraceful for US president to pressure Jews to turn their back on Israeli concerns While the Iranians are continuing installing hundreds of new advanced centrifuges every month, the Obama administration has been pressuring US Jewish organizations to stop lobbying in support of US legislation to tighten the economic sanctions against Iran, turn their back on Israeli concerns, and side with President Obama’s wishful thinking of a possible diplomatic solution with Iran. It is quite disturbing for the president to ask any US organization to turn against a democratic ally for the sake of appeasing and accommodating...

LPD: Man Arrested for Hate Crime After Trying to Attack His Sister Lincoln Police arrested two men they say were involved in a hate crime Thursday evening. It happened around 5 p.m. near 27th & M Streets in Lincoln. Police say 20-yr-old Ahmed Tuma was angry with his sister because she is in a relationship with a woman. Police say Tuma said it is shameful to their family and against Muslim beliefs. Police say Tuma's sister and her fiancee arrived at home near 27th & M when he and a friend, 20-year-old Nathan Marks ran up to them. Police say...

An 'awwww'- inspiring video of a little boy in a plush tiger costume having a play date with a real-life tiger cub in a Washington state zoo has won over millions of web users in the past week. The heart-melting footage was taped by Heath and Jackie Shaffer on Halloween, when the couple took their 2-year-old son, Marshall, to the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma.

Louisiana family rescues bloodied, kidnapped woman from ex-lover: report Bethany Arceneaux was allegedly taken hostage by her ex-boyfriend Scott Thomas. Her Duson family is now claiming that they rescued Bethany and killed her abductor. BY CAROL KURUVILLA / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS A Louisiana family decided to take justice into their own hands on Friday — and it was all captured on camera. Marcus Arceneaux cradled his frightened niece, Bethany Arceneaux, in his arms as he tenderly placed her in a car. Blood ran down Bethany’s face and she held a cloth to her neck to stem the flow. But...

Find Your Health Plan Now Instantly compare premiums for health exchange plans in the 34 states without marketplace websites

Welcome to the FReeper Recipe Thread. Looking for something new to make or made something new that came out great? Please share a 'tried-and-true' recipe or three- for fellow FReepers to add to their 'go-to' Recipe Stack of Family Favorites! Here's the place to share and explore your latest and greatest favorite recipe.

Jon Kingsdale, who oversaw the Massachusetts health insurance exchange from 2006 to 2010, is a managing director of the Wakely Consulting Group. Wakely has provided actuarial and other technical assistance for the Obama administration’s Affordable Care Act. “The Affordable Care Act is not just a Web site. It’s much more,” President Obama said last month. This focus beyond short-term technical problems is meant to bolster the faith of those, like me, who support the Affordable Care Act. However, it will succeed only if the administration does much more than fix the Web site.As HealthCare.gov — the main door to insurance...

Speaking at a Democratic fundraiser, held at a private residence in Dallas, Texas, President Obama stated, “we are remaking the courts.” The President’s statement is especially important, due to the fact that critics of the President have long accused him of attempting to change the American court system, in order to ensure his leftist agenda is deemed to be constitutional. The President, however, has denied doing this, until now... Continue reading at BeltwayExaminer.com

State health cabinet and insurance officials are trying to counter frustration and confusion — and political arguments — in the wake of a rash of insurance policy cancellations as a result of the Affordable Care Act. Around 280,000 Kentuckians will see their current insurance policies be discontinued in the coming months because of changes brought on by the Affordable Care Act, but that does not mean they are being dropped, according to the Kentucky Department of Insurance. About 130,000 individuals and 150,000 people who hold small group policies in the state will receive letters stating that their policy is discontinued...

Lady M beckoned and Hollywood’s heavy weights responded: they showed up at the White House yesterday for a workshop on how to get a job in the movies. Practical advice in the age of Obama. Drama ensued. 'I don’t know about you guys, but I was listening backstage, and I just wanted to put my ball gown on and twirl and twirl.' – Michelle Obama   I think we could use a little travelling music about now: (Click button to play) Young At Heart: Frank Sinatra Fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you If you're young at...

The point of the story is this: is the real issue being debated by these city governments one of effort or relationship? In other words, is it an issue of equal benefits for an equal effort in the workplace or is it one of equal benefits for equal relationships? The following example shows why it is not really an issue of equal benefits for equal effort.

Geneva fallout: Iran becomes a nuclear power, followed by Saudis. Israel loses trust in Obama Falling-out between two allies over nuclear Iran Israel’s most painful lesson from the two-day Geneva conference on Iran’s nuclear program is that the man who guaranteed to defend Israel’s security, President Barack Obama, is now marching hand in hand with Tehran towards a nuclear-armed Iran. This is the reality behind the fuss and excitement surrounding the signing ceremony in Geneva Friday, Nov. 8, and the slick words gushing forth to put a convincing face on the interim deal put together between Iran and the Six...