Free Republic

- We're too late! It's already been here. - Mulder, I hope you know what you're doing. - Look, Scully, just like the other homes: Douglas fir, truncated, mounted, transformed into a shrine; halls decked with boughs of holly; stockings hung by the chimney, with care. - You really think someone's been here? - Someone or some THING. - Mulder, over here - it's a fruitcake. - Don't touch it! Those things can be lethal. - It's O.K. There's a note attached: "Gonna find out who's naughty and nice." - It's judging them, Scully. It's making a list. - ...

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: President Barack Obama Date: Thu, Dec 24, 2009 at 12:02 PM Subject: A historic moment To: Don xxxxx Don -- Although it's Christmas Eve, I wanted to share some exciting news: The Senate just passed a historic health reform bill. In all the back and forth, it's easy to lose sight of what this incredible breakthrough really means. But consider this: This Christmas, there are millions of Americans without health insurance who risk losing everything if they get sick. There are mothers and fathers who wonder how they'll provide for their children because an illness...

On Kevin Wence's 10th Christmas, he opened a gift from his father and discovered what would become "A Christmas Story" legend: a Red Ryder BB air rifle. His first gun. Last week, Wence bought his 15th, a stainless-steel Smith & Wesson Model 686 revolver. Unlike the air rifle, this gun won't sit under the Christmas tree, he said. But it would be a family gift that he, his wife and his 24-year-old son, all trained in shooting, could use to protect their St. Petersburg home. "In responsible hands, they're safe. They're fun. It's a hobby," Wence said as he signed...

UNDATED (AP) -- The person who wraps up your holiday gift purchase at the mall could be someone who's highly qualified -- in a field other than retail. With double-digit unemployment, lots of people who've been laid off from jobs for which they've been highly trained and well paid are taking full-time or part-time hourly-wage jobs waiting on holiday shoppers. The manager of a clothing boutique in Detroit says mortgage brokers are among those who've been looking for work. He says, "They just want a job," and that they don't care what it is. Scott Beebe, an engineer with two...