Free Republic

Raqqa, Syria Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, also known as ISIS, announced today that he would be disbanding all forces and returning all land to Syria and Iraq. The move was prompted by the ongoing Climate Conference in Paris. "This is one thing we could not have anticipated," Mr. al-Baghdadi said in prepared remarks. "When we see the world coming together like this on such a dangerous subject as Global Climate Change, we realize that our Caliphate will never survive. It's only a matter of time before Climate Change is no...

TWO INCIDENTS occurred on July 28. Both took place on the West Coast; both involved an American venting his hostility to Jews. But only one of them became, in the days that followed, the big national story about anti-Semitism. The other was treated as a serious but local matter, and drew only modest coverage around the country.

"FOX NEWS SUNDAY" GUEST HOST BRIT HUME: For more now on efforts to resolve this conflict, we're joined from our New York studios by the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., John Bolton. Mr. Ambassador, welcome. Good morning. U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS JOHN BOLTON: Glad to be here.

My daughter is 18 and voting in Boston. She showed up at the polling place to vote when it opened at 7:00. After waiting a half-hour in line she was told she was at the wrong place and sent to another location. She walked to the other location and waited another half-hour to be told she was still at the wrong place and was sent to a third location. By the time she got there the line was too long to allow her to vote and then get to work. My daughter is a registered Republican. She admits her mistake...

To the editor: I watched much of the debate on September 30th and was surprised at the lack of knowledge Senator Kerry demonstrated with some of his comments. Specifically: Senator Kerry implied that the War on Terror is a War on Osama. The Senator should know that killing the leader is not the way to defeat an enemy. Senator Kerry's focus on capturing or killing Osama bin Laden indicates he still thinks of this as a criminal pursuit rather than a war. The correct way to defeat a multinational group like Al Qaeda is to make it impossible for the...

<p>There's a new Girl Scout in town and she prefers trinkets instead of badges to reflect achievement.</p> <p>The organization famous for cookies is revamping its programs in hopes of keeping "tweens" or middle-school aged girls interested in the program.</p> <p>The Girl Scouts of America  has launched a program called Studio 2B, which allows girls ages 11 to 17 help set their troop's agenda, where they earn charms instead of badges, and their mentors are college-aged women instead of moms.</p>

IT'S A GOOD THING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WAL-Mart is just 150 yards from my office. In my very informal Belz Blue-Collar Poll on Homosexual Marriage (see last week's issue), I forgot one very important follow-up question, and had to hurry back this morning to get a few more opinions. (This very unscientific approach is why you should attach no statistical significance to my findings.) To put this account in context, you need to know that a couple of days ago, I had also stopped by for a visit to the local unit of Red Cross, where I go as often as...

Now that the Massachusetts Supreme Court has ruled it unconstitutional (in that state) to deny marriage to homosexual partners there is a lot of noise about how politicians are reacting. Most of the nine dwarves have declared that they oppose homosexual "marriage" but support "civil unions" that look exactly the same on paper. (President Bush has stated that he supports a maintaining our traditional understanding of marriage without giving us any specifics.) Does anybody remember the duck test? Civil unions are marriage. This is a semantic shell game. Now, don't get me wrong. I understand Democrats and their semantic shell...

As if California public schools didn't face enough problems, now they have to teach their children how to spell Schwarzenegger.

In listening to all the news about how "badly" the rebuilding of Iraq is going, I had an interesting thought. If we had reduced Baghdad to rubble instead of the "smart" bombing that was carried out, would the Iraqi people be demonstrating because the power was not yet restored, or would they be busy rebuilding their homes and burying their dead? Perhaps the biggest mistake of this war was targeting the Hussein regime. That made our occupation look more like a coup than a victory in war. The result is that the people are more concerned with whether their trains...

I am mindful of the similarities between the US left and Saddam Hussein's regime. They are both rather small as a percentage but with control beyond their size. They both use fear and terror to maintain their control. They both represent a failed approach to government. They both need to be removed for the good of their country. On the other hand, Free Republic is accorded a lot of power by the liberal left to accomplish rather surprising goals. When the Dixie Chicks start losing airtime, it's Free Republic's fault. When the Democrats lose control of the Senate, it's Free...

Two new Elephant jokes, for which my daughter deserves the credit: Q: What did Tarzan say when he saw the elephants coming?A: Here come the elephants.Q: What did Jaques Chirac say when he saw the elephants coming?A: I surrender.Q: What's the difference between an elephant and a French officer?A: The elephant will charge.

I need to know if there is any way a URL could show up in the IE 5.5 history list without the browser having actually visited that page. I also need to know if a document URL could show up in the recent Document folder without the browser having browsed to that URL.

When is Playboy going to run a spread on "The Women of Islam?"

Please forgive this attempt to get some free legal advice. An organization here in PA has published our address and phone number in a directory. We had checked a box on a form saying we did not want our information published, but they apparently did not keep that form (from anyone) - they took personal information from another form. When I called and asked that they immediately stop publishing the directory with our information they initially refused. After some discussion they finally acquiesced. Note that the directories are labelled "Confidential" at the top of each page. Also note that the...

  007: I thought I was gayby Hugh DoughertyIt is a revelation which will leave women the world over shaken but, thankfully, not stirred. Pierce Brosnan, who plays a spy who could safely be considered the world's most resolutely heterosexual man, has admitted he once thought he might be gay. 'Sexiest man alive': Pierce Brosnan was once confused about his sexuality The man more commonly associated with a well-cut dinner jacket and a scantilyclad woman on his arm has told how he was a shy 16-year-old who felt confused about his sexuality, "I was young, frivolous and full of...

I attended a public hearing on Pennsylvania HB 2560, a new law which would significantly reduce government control of home schooling in PA. There were, perhaps, 800 in attendance (I've never been very good at such things). This was a hearing for the House Education Committee, not a public forum, so we were only there to listen. Here are my observations, for those who are interested: There were supposed to be two panels. One was to start at 10:00 and end at 11:00. the other was to start at 12:00 and end at 1:00. The first panel ended at 12:15....

This is a post-only mailing. Please do not respond to this message unless you wish to unsubscribe. See bottom If you are going to quote any part of this position paper, please quote it in its entirety. ************************************************ UPDATE ON THE JUNE 13TH MEETING ************************************************ By now, you have probably heard that next Thursday, June 13, 2002, is a very important date for home educators in Pennsylvania. This is the day that the House Education Committee is holding a hearing on the pros and cons of HB2560, the proposed legislation affecting home education in Pennsylvania. Rep. Jess Stairs, the Majority...

<p>According to the recent study Aggravating Circumstances by Public Agenda Online, 80 percent of Americans consider "lack of respect" to be a serious social problem.</p> <p>Most surveyed believe the problem is increasing, with 41 percent viewing themselves as part of the problem.</p>

Father Files Compliant Alleging Right Of Privacy Violated Posted: 11:55 a.m. PST March 28, 2002 Updated: 1:08 p.m. PST March 28, 2002EL CAJON, Calif. -- El Cajon education officials have rejected a discrimination claim filed by a parent who argued his daughter should not have to share restrooms or dressing areas with lesbian students. Trustees of the Grossmont Union High School District agreed Wednesday to accept a report that determined there had been no discrimination against Paul Scott's daughter. Scott filed a complaint last month alleging discrimination and intolerance by "not addressing a very clear right of privacy violation" that...