Free Republic

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world. A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in...

If anyone out there has a fishing boat (the small kind) or who knows anyone who has an "amphibious" boat (the kind that are used for tourism) I urge you to contact local authorities and find out how you can help. A list of relief agencies can be found at www.therobb7.blogspot.com.

Swaziland (Reuters) -- More than 50,000 bare-breasted virgins vied to become the king of Swaziland's 13th wife Monday in a ceremony that critics say ill befits a country with the world's highest HIV/AIDS rate. King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa's last absolute monarch, is due to attend the annual Reed Dance ceremony, which he has used since 1999 to pluck new brides from thousands of dancing girls dressed in little more than beads and traditional skirts. Clad in short beaded skirts and colorful tasseled scarves and carrying machetes, the girls sang tributes to the king while marching around the royal stadium...

I turned fifty this past year....and the wanderlust has me firmly in its grips. I'm starting to plan for retirement (very early I hope) and am pretty sure an RV is in my future.I'm still unsure as to Class A or Class C. I would welcome any input based on personal experiences.Also....I plan to make this puppy, my actual home. So, it would be interesting to hear from anyone in regards to budgets, operating costs on a year round basis, lifestyle, downsides...upsides...etc.As a matter of fact...I would appreciate any input, or advice, at all.Quick background on me. NJ resident. I'm...

I just moved to the Omaha area and was looking for other FReepers.

Hello I got a virus that won't go away. I've tried several programs but none have been able to get it. Virus is Virtool.Mediainject.A Anyone got any fixes or programs that will deal with it?

AL ASAD, Iraq (Aug. 23, 2005) -- As if managing the Marine Aircraft Group 26 commanding officer’s budget wasn’t demanding enough, the Marines in the group’s fiscal office have been helping the local economy get back on its feet. While the group is deployed, the fiscal Marines have taken the role of purchasing agents to help the Marine Corps save money. For the last six months they have been accomplishing this and making a difference in the lives of Iraqi families who have businesses here. After being introduced to the local vendors, the MAG-26 Marines started working with them to...

The coalition soldiers’ job at city council meetings has been to mentor the Iraqi leaders, but recently local officials have taken the lead to conduct the meetings and resolve local issues. FORWARD OPERATING BASE GABE, Baqubah, Iraq, Aug. 22, 2005 — Coalition soldiers sat back as local Iraqi leaders discussed issues of concern in the Al-Abarra area Aug. 11. The meeting, at the Al-Abarra Government Building, brought together the members of the city council, the local Iraqi army commander and the Iraqi police chiefs from the area to discuss topics ranging from water to voting on Iraq’s new constitution. “Within...

SIERRA VISTA - The president of the Fort Huachuca 50 handed over six checks totaling $2,100 to the organizer of an effort providing water misters to Fort Huachuca soldiers heading to Iraq. Jana Proctor accepted the checks - one for $1,600 from the organization and five other personal checks of $100 each from the group's board members. With temperatures in Iraq still in the 110-degree and above range, soldiers seek ways to keep cool in what is physically and emotionally hot conditions. In presenting the checks, Fort Huachuca 50 President Tom Finnegan said that when he served in the Army...

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Aug. 18, 2005) -- To any casual observer visiting the F-11A pistol and battlesight zero range here, 1st Lt. Charles E. Hayter, a 26-year-old native of Billings, Mont., looks like any run-of-the-mill platoon commander… standing, watching over his Marines as they zero their rifles before they deploy to Iraq. A closer examination might reveal otherwise, but it would have to be a real close observation. The only telltale sign would be the tightness of one boot over the other and it’s rigid appearance, because inside that boot exists a prosthetic. Hayter, platoon commander for...

FALLUJAH, Iraq (August 17, 2005) -- Sergeant Jose Martins has a long history of helping shape 'average Joes' into tomorrow's war fighting leaders. From the 18-year-old Marine recruits he taught how to shoot, to the Iraqi soldiers he trained into drill sergeants, this 26-year-old Queens Village, N.Y. native's battlefield expertise has enriched many an aspiring warrior. "I was a PMI (primary marksmanship instructor) at Parris Island for three years," explained the 1997 Martin Van Buren High School graduate, recalling his days teaching future Marines in South Carolina’s famed recruit depot, Parris Island, the fundamentals of shooting. "Last year, I also...

My wife and I are thinking of retiring in Asheville in a couple of years. (We are also considering other places.) We welcome any FReeper comments, opinions, experiences, recommendations, resources, links, etc. about living in Asheville....housing market, services, government competency, churches, medical facilities, cultural life, political environment (red/blue), etc. We are interested in what kind of neighborhoods there are (we have houses in historic districts of two different towns right now, so we have an obvious interest in that) and we prefer established neighborhoods as opposed to new developments. Please feel free to FReepmail any personal comments, but comments in...

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 15, 2005 — On first blush, Daniel D. Pierson may appear to be the quintessential, stern, grizzled, desert camouflage uniformed U.S. Army first sergeant. “Yep, I'm a snake-eater,” he jokes, alluding to his special forces training and assignments. “But I only eat bad snakes.” In turn, Melissa Head, an attractive, easy smiling young lady, would seem to be the very antithesis of the senior military professional with the burr haircut. Both, however, have several things in common. First, they both come from the Missouri River border town of Council Bluffs, Iowa. Additionally, each is presently a member...

ITOMAN, OKINAWA, Japan (Aug. 15, 2005) -- Twenty-six students from 3rd Material Readiness Battalion, 3rd Force Service Support Group's corporals course volunteered their time to make some improvements at Tai Chu En orphanage Aug. 2. The Marines painted a mural of a landscape on a wall that is 6 feet tall and 35 feet long, cleared a 6 feet wide strip of sugar cane from the wall with gas-powered trimmer garden tools and played with the orphans. The orphanage has more than 100 residents and was established 23 years ago. It is named after a Buddhist monk who brought Buddhism...

I've worked for "someone else" for the past 30 years and am still not rich! So I'm seriously considering working for myself (or win the lottery, whichever comes first). My family and friends have raved about my homemade spaghetti sauce and over the past several years many have strongly recommended that I find a way to market it.<> I did some preliminary research on canning and discovered that the process for canning tomatoes is different from the process of canning meats. (My sauce contains beef, pork, sausage and mushrooms.) Is anyone familiar with canning sauces who could give me some...

Have any of you had experience with video conferencing using MSN Messenger. I have tried this a few times this summer with DSL on both ends and it was pretty amazing. Videocam and headset cost about $70. With the cost of energy and travel going up will we be using more of this? I would rather sit in my home office in my underwear and do business than get in the car to go visit someone. When it first came out it didn't work very well but it seems like the techology has finally caught up to the times. I...

This is the vainest vanity I've vanitized. My blog (http://bibchr.blogspot.com/) just went whack on me, out of nowhere. Look! The right side panel is on the floor! I did nothing, I changed nothing. I can't figure the code problem. Blogger hasn't answered me, readers have no idea. My guesses haven't worked! FR has the best assortment of techiegeeks I know -- and I use that as a term of respectful endearment. So I turn to you. Anyone with a clue? Please, ping your tech FRiends if you haven't one. (A clue, I mean... not a friend.)

Does anyone know of a Internet filter that resides on your own computer that can block specific web sites? know that my MS IE has a "web content manager" that will allow a general block (password protected) but if the site is un-rated it won't allow you to access that site unless you enter a password. What I'm looking for a a piece of software that runs in the background that will allow you to block particular web sites. Any help would be appreciated.

I was just wondering if anyone has had such an experience and what did you do about it. My friends had been saving and planning a trip to Anchorage,Alaska for 3 years. They were to leave 20th of this month. Lo and behold the husband was not feeling good last week, legs were hurting, shortness of breath, wife took him to hospital emergency room. Cath was ordered and and they discovered major blockage, had open heart surgery right then and there. Needless to say trip had to be cancelled, They realize the airlines would voucher the tickets for another time,...

The project is critical to the ongoing shift of responsibility from U.S. to Iraqi units. BAGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 9, 2005 — With the smell of sawdust hanging heavy in the air, the soldiers cut and hammer away at their latest project - turning a parking garage into a barracks. This complicated project and others like it are critical to the ongoing shift of responsibility from U.S. to Iraqi units. The newly-converted barracks will soon be a home for soldiers of the Iraqi Army. “Anything we can do to get (Iraqi Security Forces) set so they can take on the responsibilities...