Free Republic

A new survey has revealed a rather gloomy attitude to Labour, with policies like the smoking ban driving further support for Nigel Farage and his Reform party. The upcoming ban on disposable vapes and smoking for those born after 2008 is pinned as a key driver of this resentment, with Sir Keir’s government being accused of interfering too much in the lives of Britons. The poll, commissioned by the Adam Smith Institute think tank, suggests Labour’s nanny-state attitude is also fuelling defections to Reform. One in five 2024 Labour voters say they have become more likely to vote for Reform...

IN MARCH OF 1965, the first U.S. troops landed in Vietnam. They were carrying the M14 rifle, chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO (M80 Ball) cartridge, which had a detachable 20-round magazine and was capable of semi- and full-automatic fire. The military soon learned the M14 on full auto was extremely difficult to control; most burst fire was ineffective. As a result, many M14 rifles were issued with the selector levers removed, making the rifle effectively, an M1 Garand with a 20-round magazine. The M14 was accurate but heavy, weighing nearly nine pounds, empty. As U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War...

Low-cost airline Ryanair has responded to 'anti-fun' opponents of its advertising by sending its raunchy 2009 cabin crew calendar to select Swedish politicians. Top of their mailing list is feminist Liberal Party politician Birgitta Ohlsson, who last month urged consumers to boycott the budget carrier over its “old-fashioned” response to complaints about an advert featuring a young woman in a skimpy school uniform. "We're expecting her usual 'anti-fun' response,' Ryanair spokesman Stephen McNamara told The Local. Entitled 'The Girls of Ryanair', the airline's new 2009 calendar features liberally oiled and scantily clad female cabin crew. "I can't see what the...

Re-focus Halloween! If your school insists on having some kind of Halloween celebration, recommend that they steer away from the ghoulish and occult and, instead, focus on the event as a fall festival. ... "When you turn evil into a game, it trivializes it and numbs children to its darkness." (excerpt from email) GREAT RESOURCE SITE for Teachers, Parents & Students.