Free Republic

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) ― In a flash, a police officer draws a handgun from its holster. Less than two seconds later, a red laser and bright light shine at whatever is in the gun barrel's path while a mini-camera records it all. That's how mini-cams on police handguns would work under a proposal gaining support in New York, which would be the first state in the nation to require the technology. State police were briefed on the technology and are reviewing it for a possible pilot program, said Michael Balboni, the state's deputy secretary for public safety. The device could...

I know Bobby DeLaughter got removed from the bench, and there was some stuff about him and Trent Lott being connected, but I can't find his political party affiliation. I know he ran for judge once and lost, but he got appointed later on (by a republican) but he was also appointed judge by a democrat. Does anyone know, is his party republican or democrat, and is he a liberal or conservative? Also, when he ran for judge the first time, on whose party line did he run? FWIW, he was play by alex baldwin in the movie "ghosts of...

For those of you who haven’t heard I had my first surgery last week. I had both of my knees scoped last Thursday to trim and remove bits of torn cartilage from my knees. There wasn’t a specific injury that necessitated my surgery it was just a long-term build up of wear and tear from a 16-year pro-wrestling career. The problems first started in my right knee and then later developed in my left, quite probably from putting added pressure on it while trying to favour the injured right. Thanks to an incredibly slow medical system the whole process from...

Taxes The Club for Growth is committed to lower taxes-especially lower tax rates- across the board. Lower taxes on work, savings, and investments lead to greater levels of these activities, thus encouraging greater economic growth. Over his eight years in the Senate, Fred Thompson generally supported broad-based tax cuts while opposing tax increases. These include: Voted for the 2001 Bush tax cuts Voted for repeal of the Death Tax Voted for capital gains tax cuts Voted to require a supermajority to pass tax hikes Voted to reduce the amount of Social Security benefits subject to taxation Voted against waiving the...

I have started using craigslist recently in regards to my job, quick question, is there a way to embed youtube video's in craigslist postings? or even in village voice backpages.com postings?On craigslist (or village voice backpages) is there any way to upload video in the ads or postings in any way?Or can you only link to a video instead of embed one in there?Before anyone asks, I work in real estate, and this would be really usefull.

Long story short, I am doing some renovation work at my house soon and am deciding on which items to get for my kitchen. So far, I am getting a viking oven, a sub zero fridge, probably getting broan range hood, but am a bit torn on a dishwasher and other stuff.Whats the best dishwasher, Bosch or Miele?Is Viking the best oven?Is sub-zero (not the mortal kombat character) the best fridge?The oven is going to be a 60 inch viking with grill and griddle, is this the best choice?I am kind of torn on which sub-zero fridge to get, between...

The more exposure middle school students have to anti-smoking ads, the more likely they are to smoke, according to a new University of Georgia study. Hye-Jin Paek, an assistant professor at UGA, found that many anti-smoking ad campaigns have the opposite effect on teenagers, backfiring because they actually encourage the rebellious nature of youth. "They don't want to hear what they should do or not do," Paek said. Instead, she said, ads should focus on convincing teens their friends are heeding the anti-smoking warning because peer pressure has the most direct effect. Paek and co-author Albert Gunther from the University...

U.S. consumers should be allowed to take phones along with them when they switch wireless carriers, and spectrum to be auctioned through the U.S. Federal Communications Commission should include rules requiring the winning bidders to sell access to competitors at wholesale rates, some U.S. lawmakers said Wednesday. Some members of the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet also questioned what they called huge early termination fees on wireless telephone contracts. But other lawmakers and executives with wireless carriers questioned the need for new wireless regulations, saying an already competitive market protects customers. The U.S. wireless industry...

Just a few questions for freepers. I'm looking into buying a houseboat here in NYC, and I've never bought or owned a boat before, what do I need to know. I.E. Do I need to have insurance, or some kind of drivers licience or an equivalent of it?What are slip fee's usually for docking a boat at the marina's in New York?Is it hard to find a place to dock the boat?Is there laws about living on the boat?What kind of permits do I need, and how do I register ownership of the boat, is there an agency or something...

Senator George Allen (R-VA), the third subject in Townhall.com’s series on potential 2008 presidential contenders, visited South Carolina this past Friday. As keynote speaker, Allen drew in the crowds to a fundraiser for Ralph Norman, Republican candidate for South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District. After his speech, Allen sat down with Townhall.com to discuss his thoughts on today’s issues and what the future holds for conservative politics. Included here are excerpts from both the speech and exclusive interview.COLUMBIA, SC -- George Allen is a serious contender for the Republican nomination for president. A former governor, he wears cowboy boots and can...

Dear Friend: I hope this newsletter finds you healthy and energized as winter comes to an end. I am certainly invigorated and ready for an action-packed Spring in Congress. Restoring Fiscal Discipline in Congress – My Three-Point Plan This February, Congress received the President’s budget for fiscal year 2007. While I believe most of this budget is well-reasoned and responsible, I am very concerned about the excessive deficit. Congress needs to remember: We have a deficit NOT because we have a revenue problem, but because the federal government has a spending problem. Government doesn’t tax too little; it spends too...

Evangelical ministry Focus on the Family is explaining its support for a Colorado bill, following criticism that it gives some rights to same-sex couples. In recent statements, Focus founder Dr. James Dobson and the government lobbying arm of the Colorado Springs-based ministry have noted that the bill in question addresses the issue of �fairness� in obtaining certain benefits for a pair of people who want them. He has denied he supports "gay marriage," civil unions, or domestic partnerships. �What this bill is that we have endorsed is a fairness bill with regard to need, not sexual relationships,� said Dobson in...

Taking as a model the research techniques that Steven D. Levitt displays in his best-selling book, "Freakonomics," graduate students in economics are focusing on small insights about the economy rather than broad theories that explain how the overall system works. In doing so, they are withdrawing in effect from political debate. The broad-brush approach was a defining characteristic of the economists who were shaped by the Depression. The younger generation has tried to shun prescriptions that seek to cure the economy's ills. Instead, they cast economics as a scientific inquiry, using mathematical models, for example, to explore the economy without...

Max Borders: Joining me is Thomas P.M. Barnett, author of the new book, Blueprint for Action. It's a follow-up to the phenomenally successful The Pentagon's New Map. Welcome, Tom. Thomas Barnett: Thanks for having me. Borders: Before getting into the details of your new book, Blueprint for Action, would you mind going over the "Core-Gap" thesis, the foundation for your first book? Barnett: The first book really began out of work I was doing for the Office of Secretary of Defense, helping them think about the international security environment, post 9/11. And my charge was to come up with a...

Many issues that affect our lives and shape our nation turn on judges' decisions on constitutional questions. Can students say "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance? Can states take away private property for private uses? Can Congress restrict campaign contributions and expenditures? Answers to these and other constitutional questions depend critically on how one approaches the interpretive task. Any sensible approach to constitutional interpretation must look to the core sources of law - the text, structure, and history of the constitution. For many questions, these will provide enough guidance to answer the constitutional question presented. Yet in many other...

Dear RSC Colleague: With the advent of elections in the Republican Conference, I wanted to write to clarify my intentions and to explain the role that I believe the Republican Study Committee should play in the upcoming debate. First, as to my intentions, despite the fact that I have repeated for months that I had “no intention of seeking any leadership position,” there have been numerous media reports mentioning me as a possible candidate for leadership. Because some of you have encouraged me to consider seeking a leadership position, Karen and I endeavored to give the matter the kind of...

DEAR ABBY: Several of my friends and I were bemoaning our status as single women in our late 20s/early 30s, and discussing an article we had read in The New York Times about how smart women are less likely to get married. We'd all like to find Mr. Wonderful and be married. But if we have to curtail our professional success, financial wherewithal and IQ to do it, how can a person even begin to do such a thing? I have a feeling you'll say to be ourselves and it will all work out, but thus far it has NOT...

Eons ago, in the pre-Alan Greenspan era, Paul Volcker (Mr. Greenspan's predecessor as chairman of the Federal Reserve System) was touring the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. He pointed to an especially fierce native American mask. "That must have been for their central banker," Mr. Volcker joked for the benefit of the journalists tagging along. Come Feb. 1, Ben Bernanke will be the one that journalists tag behind when - as expected - he succeeds Greenspan. Will Mr. Bernanke have to figuratively don a ferocious mask in order to tame inflation? Probably not. But he may...

If China graduates more than eight times the number of engineers that the United States does, is it thrashing America in the technology race? That's what many scientists and politicians are suggesting in the wake of an October report by the highly regarded National Academies. Its numbers are startling: China adds 600,000 new engineers a year; the US, only 70,000. Even India, with 350,000 new engineers a year, is outdoing the US, the study suggests. But that gloomy assessment depends on how one defines engineers: Those with at least four years of college training? Or do their ranks include two-year...

In the stress-management classes Debbie Mandel teaches, parents often tell her about their struggles to combine work and home. Ranking high on their list of challenges is the cellphone. "Most of the complaints are about how it intrudes on their home life," says Ms. Mandel, of Lawrence, N.Y. "They get called in the middle of the night. The phone is always ringing about minute issues. They ask me, 'How do we deal with that?' " It's a question on many people's minds these days. A study in the December issue of the Journal of Marriage and Family finds that cellphones...