Free Republic

[Catholic Caucus] German Synodal Way: The “Discussions” Are Only Window Dressing German Synodal Way: The “Discussions” Are Only Window Dressing Last week, the first session of the German Synodal Way met in Frankfurt. Gloria.tv spoke with several insiders belonging to the conservative minority faction. They draw the following picture: The German Bishops' Conference and the anti-Catholic Central Committee of German Lay Catholics form a single ideological block. This block prevents any discussion, has already prepared the outcome, and will present predetermined results to the Synod for approval. The outcome of the Synod is already established The results of the synod...

Have you heard of the "Burp Gun"?, no not the Grease gun. This Russian gun is rich with history. The sub-machinegun was used as a close-quarter gun during WWII by the Russians against the Germans. The Russian PPSh-41 was known to many as the "Burp Gun" due to the sound it made when fired. With an incredibly high cycling rate of around 1,000 rounds per minute, this submachine gun is incredible. The PPSH can fire from a stick magazine that holds 35 rounds or a drum magazine that holds 71 rounds. The light, recoiling cartridge allows for very controllable firing...

I was head coach of a local swim team and was working with a 12-year-old girl who had enormous talent, beautiful technique and a gift for moving effortlessly through the water. I was pushing her hard . . . [but] Nothing would make her really try. So I called my friend Larry Liebowitz, a wonderful coach I knew . . . “Dan,” he said, “you want this more than she does.” I frowned, and realized he was right. Then he added the kicker: “You’ve got to realize, there’s nothing morally wrong with not wanting to swim.” . . . I...

Here's hoping 2020 is the best year yet!! President Trump should take the win in the Senate trial without dragging it out, then concentrate on winning the 2020 election with wide coattails, then bide his time as the cases against the various coup plotters wind their way through the justice system. Win the election, hold the senate, take back the house!! And then continue the work of making America great again: Build the wall, enforce the law, deport them all!! End DACA!! End sanctuary cities!! End anchor babies!! Continue cutting regulations, cutting government, cutting spending and cutting taxes!! Continue negotiating...

If you watched the Super Bowl for the commercials you wasted 4 hours of your life. Unless you’re a Millennial as that’s who they were made for and - I’d speculate – by. Since advertising, like bond trading, is notorious for being a young man’s (generic usage, no complaints please) game I think it’s safe to assume that most of yesterday’s ads were conceptualized and written by members of the millennial demographic. And if they are our future, gird your loins for a tedious ride. The $5.6 million for a 30 second spots were mediocre at best and dreadful at...

At a time when only 41 percent of college students graduate in four years—and only 56 percent in five years—colleges and universities across the country are phasing out the only truly objective measure of academic excellence and student success in the application process: standardized tests. Next month, for example, the University of North Carolina Board of Governors (BOG) is set to vote on a policy that would significantly diminish the role of test scores in the admissions process. To do so, however, would be a blow against academic standards for the 16 UNC schools. Currently, in order to even be...

With the Super Bowl comes a slew of commercials vying for viewers' attention. During advertising's biggest night, companies and organizations forked over up to $5.6 million for 30 seconds — with nearly 100 million people tuning into the big game. This year, Hyundai and Jeep made the "best of" list with their whimsical humor by poking fun at Boston accents and reuniting the “Groundhog Day” cast, Punxsutawney Phil included. Google struck heartstrings with a quiet message about aging and remembrance. Cheetos and Doritos both played off exaggerated dancing to good effect. Meanwhile, Pop-Tarts and a Hard Rock action-movie commercial failed...

Tomorrow night, President Donald Trump is set to give his final State of the Union address to the very Congress in the midst of impeaching him. Why? We were told by Democrats far and wide that Donald Trump was a threat to the republic and that he needed to be removed ASAP. In early December, Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke very publicly of the dark threat sitting in 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. “The president’s actions have seriously violated the Constitution,” she somberly stated in an address at the Capitol.

I was part of a Democratic administration that failed to fix a rigged system – I know our current president is a symptom of our disunion, not its only cause [snip] Although Clinton and Obama faced increasingly hostile Republican congresses, they could have rallied the working class and built a coalition to grab back power from the emerging oligarchy. Yet they chose not to. Why? My answer is not just hypothetical, because I directly witnessed much of it: it was because Clinton, Obama and many congressional Democrats sought the votes of the “suburban swing voter” – so-called “soccer moms” in...

Last Saturday night, CNN’s Don Lemon and his panel laughed uproariously at their portrayal of Donald Trump supporters as uneducated idiots. “‘Donald Trump’s the smart one, and y’all, y’all elitists are dumb!'” Trump-hating Rick Wilson bellowed in a southern accent, pretending to be a typical Trump voter. Wilson also referred to the president’s base as a “credulous boomer rube demo.” The laughs were endless. They were really into it. The two panelists lampooned pathetic Trump voters and Lemon belly-laughed, doubled over from all the hilarity. Later in the week, apparently as a result of some blowback the viral clip caused,...

One person was killed and five others were wounded in a shooting on a Greyhound bus traveling from Los Angeles to the Bay Area early Monday, officials said. An unidentified man was taken into custody, according to California Highway Patrol communications supervisor Steve Loftus. Investigators have not determined a motive. Police began getting calls from passengers on the bus, traveling on Interstate 5, at about 1:30 a.m. local time, Loftus said. The bus had left Los Angeles about an hour earlier and following the shooting, the bus driver pulled off at the nearest exit, in Grapevine, south of Bakersfield. About...

Still, Trump has something to prove. Given his success in the 2016 GOP race, it is easy to forget that he started out by losing the Iowa caucuses to Ted Cruz. So he wants to make up for that. But more importantly, he wants to cement Iowans' support for his reelection. Plus, he wants to take advantage of the increased intensity of support among Republicans who believe Trump has been treated unfairly by Democrats in Washington. "It's a powerful one-two punch at a time when people think he's being treated unfairly with impeachment," said Jeff Kaufmann. "I think it's a...

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem (Music in The Bible) Psalm 106 Psalm 106 1 Praise the Lord.[a] Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;     his love endures forever. 2 Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord     or fully declare his praise? 3 Blessed are those who act justly,     who always do what is right. 4 Remember me, Lord, when you show favor to your people,     come to my aid when you save them, 5 that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones,     that I may share in the joy of your nation     and join your inheritance in...

snip: But today, that symbiosis is off kilter: Americans’ interest in hunting is on the decline, cutting into funding for conservation, which stems largely from hunting licenses, permits and taxes on firearms, bows and other equipment. Even as more people are engaging in outdoor activities, hunting license sales have fallen from a peak of about 17 million in the early ’80s to 15 million last year, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service data. The agency’s 2016 survey suggested a steeper decline to 11.5 million Americans who say they hunt, down more than 2 million from five years earlier. “The...

Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg has been nominated for the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize by two Swedish lawmakers, a report said on Monday. Jens Holm and Hakan Svenneling, members of Sweden’s Left Party, said the 17-year-old Thunberg “has worked hard to make politicians open their eyes to the climate crisis.” Her work toward “reducing our emissions and complying with the Paris Agreement is therefore also an act of making peace,” they said. The Paris accord, from which President Trump withdrew in June 2017, seeks to combat the rise in global temperatures by reducing emissions. Thunberg, who has encouraged students to...

"Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1:1). If exalting Christ is your goal, anything that furthers the gospel will bring you joy. Next to the Lord Himself, Paul is perhaps the greatest illustration that joy is not necessarily related to one's circumstances. Paul wrote to the Philippians from a prison cell, yet he spoke of joy and contentment. His life was a series of difficulties and life-threatening situations (see 2 Cor. 11:23-33). In fact the Lord, shortly after confronting him on the road to Damascus, said, "[Paul] is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before...

In the past I've always used Malwarebytes and SpyBot to scan my computer. Recently Malwarebytes doesn't pickup anything, probably because I use the free. Looking to replace Malwarebytes.....any suggestions. THX

President Trump is likely finishing his State of the Union speech today. Not that he needs any help, but I suspect we all might have a few suggested lines to add.

(CNN)Pamela Anderson and Jon Peters are calling it quits after just 12 days of marriage. "I have been moved by the warm reception to Jon's and my union," Anderson, 52, said in a statement to CNN. "We would be very grateful for your support as we take some time apart to re-evaluate what we want from life and from one another." The former "Baywatch" actress and famed movie producer celebrated their union at a ceremony in Malibu, California, on January 20, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The wedding was never formalized, Anderson said in the statement. Peters, 74, has produced...

Its Swingin' Monday and we have Cowhand.com by Dan Roberts (2000). I could really relate to this tune when I first heard it almost 20 years ago. But look at me now: 2 PCs, a laptop that will remote in to both PCs, and 3 external hard drives to store docs, audio books and music. My how things have changed. THE WESTERNER https://thewesterner.blogspot.com/