Free Republic

It is no secret that America is polarized. This is a fact that is manifested in so many different ways. Traveling down the highway to Chicago, for example, I came upon two successive billboards that I thought were striking examples of our divided culture. The first billboard caught me by surprise: it consisted of an electrocardiogram of a heart that suddenly stops beating. The caption read: When you die, you will meet God. As we were passing through the snowy night, I was unable to catch more details of this billboard. I do not know who put it out or...

World news does not always fully capture people’s level of happiness. Last year, Gallup found a majority of people in the world experienced positive emotions. Of course, in some countries and regions people were much more positive than others. People living in the countries experiencing the most positive emotions were the most likely to report high levels of enjoyment, smiling and a good night’s sleep. The people in the most miserable countries, on the other hand, were the least likely to experience these emotions. These are the world’s most content and miserable countries.According to Jon Clifton, managing director of the...

MONTEREY, Calif., Nov. 5, 2008 – Spend the day with Army Capt. D.J. Skelton and you may just get a little jealous. Army Capt. D.J. Skelton, commander of Company E, 229th Military Intelligence Battalion, stands in front of his company with his first sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class James O. Bishop. Skelton was seriously wounded in Iraq and chose to stay on active duty. DoD photo by Fred W. Baker III   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Skelton lives near the beach in northern California and spends his off-duty time camping, rock climbing and learning to surf. His sunrise...

It's coming, one way or another. Whether we like it, or not.

Contentment Ironic isn’t it? We live in the country that is the most prosperous in human history yet at the same time our country is filled with people struggling to find contentment. No doubt the media has a vested interest in stirring our need to have more and improved “things.” Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous thrived in the TV ratings race for years by tempting us with images of people who have amassed wealth and fame. And in doing so they taught us that contentment comes through acquisitions and accomplishments. We bought it. Unfortunately, if the truth were known,...