Free Republic

TAMPA — In all he did, Justin Inversso made it a mission to do the work of a higher power, his father, Frank, says. In his job as a lifeguard supervisor at Adventure Island, a job he had held since March, the 21-year-old University of South Florida engineering student not only protected lives, but strived to enrich souls of those around him. "He was a strong young man, conscientious of living his life according to the ways of the Lord," said Frank Inversso, a bailiff with the Pasco County Sheriff's Office. "He was a true lifeguard. He was committed to...

I don't know Abby Sunderland as well as those close to her, but I think I know her better than other reporters and columnists know her. I've interviewed the Thousand Oaks teenager several times, and before she set out to chase a dream and try to circle the planet on a 40-foot yacht, I sailed with her through the night aboard that yacht, Wild Eyes, which by now probably rests at the bottom of the Indian Ocean. Same goes for Abby's older brother, Zac. While working for the Los Angeles Times, I followed his 13-month around-the-world odyssey from the beginning,...

Dangerous, Inexperienced Sailing: The Real Sunderland Reality Opinion by laconic (4 Hours Ago) in Society Abby Sunderland was rushed out the gate in an ill prepared attempt to get an obscure record. She had to stop at Cabo for major upgrades on her boat. There were 2 auto pilots on the boat and the electrical demand exceeded the ability of the wind generators and solar panels to supply power. This was in California and Mexico, not the overcast Atlantic or Souther Ocean where you might not see the sun for days. Bad omen and signs of total incompetence before even...

If you use Twitter, be sure to head on over today and have some fun with #ObamaFriday!

With President Obama’s signing today of a new federal law, the size of your paycheck may become just a little more interesting to your co-workers. Enactment of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is likely to spark many employees’ interest in possible pay discrimination. The measure will remove obstacles to lawsuits on the issue by reversing a 2007 Supreme Court ruling that refuted pay-discrimination charges by Lilly Ledbetter, a supervisor at a Goodyear Tire and Rubber plant in Alabama. The high court had rejected Ms. Ledbetter’s claim because it wasn’t filed within the 180-day statute of limitations. The new legislation...

A Bellevue company that handles payments for youth sports groups is being sued in federal court by a New Jersey soccer club that claims the company failed to turn over $142,000 in registration payments. Montclair United Soccer Club of New Jersey filed the lawsuit Nov. 10 in U.S. District Court in Seattle, claiming it has received only partial payments of funds handled by Count Me In Corp., also known as Arena Group. Named as defendants are the corporation and J. Terrence Drayton, identified as the founder and chief executive officer of Count Me In and Arena Group. According to the...

Those fertile Duggars are expecting Baby #18! Wow!

I haven't been sleeping much lately, my husband is somewhere on the other side of the world and I haven't spoken to him or received an email from him all month! Anyway, I was just doing some surfing and I thought I'd ask my FRiends for some of their favorite web sites (other than FR of course) so that I can get some new surfing ideas. So what are your favorite web sites that you regularly visit or have found recently? My top ten can't miss sites are: 1) FR (of course) 2) Weather.com (Don't know why) 3) ebay.com (what's...

Henry Dickens - not guilty Charles Enfinger - not guilty Patrick Garrett - not guilty Raymond Hauck - not guilty Charles Helms Jr. - not guilty Henry McFadden Jr. - not guilty Kristin Schmidt - not guilty Joseph Walsh II - not guilty Before the verdict was read, Judge Michael Overstreet asked the people in the courtroom to refrain from expressing emotion. Regardless, weeping came through the courtroom from family members of the drill instructors.

A car-train crash in Pasco County killed an 8-year-old boy shortly before midnight Thursday. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, an SUV driven by Heather Eres was stopped at the railroad tracks waiting for a freight train to pass. A pickup truck driven by illegal alien, drunken, Eli Alvarez slammed into the SUV, pushing the vehicle into the passing freight cars, killing Eres' son, Kevin Bryant and severely injuring her. Full Story at BayNews9

Okay Freepers, 970 WFLA radio has been running an unscientific poll they are calling "Candidate Idol". The Big Five have been Republicans and Hillary and Obama looked to be in danger this week--however, the poll got DUmped on yesterday and Hillary has vaulted to the top!!! Let's right this ship! (pun intended) 970WFLA

I know Freepers are wonderful when it comes to praying for our FReeper family and FRiends. A friend of ours was killed last night in a road rage incident coming home from Daytona. He leaves a sweet wife and three young children--the third just an infant. I know our Lord will hear your prayers and bring strength to this family. Thanks! GG

Just saw Pirates--the kids couldn't wait. Interestingly, there were some positive religious references in the movie. Curious to see what others thought of it...GG

Hurricane Katrina While there is plenty of blame to go around for what has gone wrong with Hurricane Katrina, it is not a particular person or a particular agency that fell down. Our very notion of government failed us. Listening to the heart-wrenching frustration surrounding the aftermath of Katrina, I hear Americans of all backgrounds voicing their dismay and shock over the failure of government to timely and adequately respond. But I also marvel that many, if not most, of these people have supported a system of low taxation and “smaller government.” These are Democrats and Republicans who rejoiced over...

On TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19th, we invite you to leave your checkbook and credit cards at home as a symbolic gesture that we no longer "buy" the glacial pace of change for working women around the world. Click here to read more. The money we don't spend during our one day BUYCOTT will be used to underscore the importance of investing in future generations of women. On October 19th, we will contribute $12,000 to Room To Read to build a new 85 Broads school in Vietnam (click here for more info). In 2002, we built two 85 Broads schools in Nepal...

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St Petersburg police say somebody threw something that went bang, at a cop-car at 18th avenue and 28th street south last night, the second such case this week. The police union says in some areas the outlaws are in control.

28 November 2001Have Soviet-era bio-weapons infected Afghan refugees? Ominous news from Pakistan and Iran indicate that at best a viral pandemic may be brewing among Afghan refugees, at worst that former Soviet biological weapons have possibly made their first appearance. In Pakistan, at least 75 people have been diagnosed in Quetta, capital of Baluchistan province, with Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in the largest outbreak of the disease ever recorded. Eight have already died. All the infected are refugees recently arrived from Afghanistan or people living close to the border. An isolation ward surrounded by barbed wire has been established at ...

This letter was written by a USMC Harrier pilot! Dear Americans, When I opened my e-mail this morning I had about twenty forwards of the article written by Gordon Sinclair, the Canadian who so eloquently praised the United States. What most of you do not realize is that this commentary was written many years ago. Those of us in the Military Service have known about it for a long time. Now, Americans are flooding the net with it as if it were new. It is not. When it was written most Americans didn't read it, because most Americans did not ...