Free Republic

SOLAR EXPLOSIONS: Solar activity is high. An intense X5-class solar flare erupted today (Oct. 23rd at 8:35 UT) from sunspot 486 near the sun's southeastern limb. The explosion hurled a coronal mass ejection (CME) into space. See the movie. Although the CME was not Earth-directed, it could deliver a glancing blow to our planet's magnetic field as early as Oct 24th (although the 25th is more likely). Sunspotcycle.com Another CME was already en route when this morning's explosion occured. Pictured right, it was launched on Oct 22nd by an explosion near sunspot 484. Forecasters expect it to arrive on Oct....

<p>The First Amendment to the Constitution provides a broad right of freedom of speech. However, if a false statement has been made about you, you may have wondered if you could sue for defamation.</p> <p>Generally, defamation consists of: (1) a false statement of fact about another; (2) an unprivileged publication of that statement to a third party; (3) some degree of fault, depending on the type of case; and (4) some harm or damage. Libel is defamation by the printed word and slander is defamation by the spoken word.</p>

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. ...................................................................................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel...

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. ...................................................................................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel...

Is America Promoting Street Racing? The latest plague to hit home in the US isn’t SARS or Smallpox. It’s something that has actually been around for quite a while now but hasn’t been toggled with. I’m talking about Street Racing. Parents all over America are sobbing over the loss of their child because of a car accident, but I’m not talking about your usual accident on the highway that took someone’s life. I’m talking about you going 120+ MPH on your local ¼ mile straight shot street. To make it worse, just these high speed racers aren’t dying, there are...

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. ...................................................................................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. Welcome to "Warrior Wednesday" Where the Freeper Foxhole introduces a different...

AUGUSTA — Special-order cigar smokers are angry over a new law designed to keep youths from ordering tobacco products over the Internet, saying it's affecting legal-aged cigar puffers who can no longer order their favorite brands.Scores of angry consumers have been bombarding the state with calls to complain their rights are being squashed and their lives managed too closely, according to legislative staff who have been taking calls.Some say their favorite brands aren't available anywhere near their towns. A few slam down the phone in frustration and anger."It's an incredible intrusion on my rights," said Pat Michaud, a portrait...

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. ...................................................................................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel...

DUVAL COUNTY, FL -- Florida's smoking ban was officially put into place on July 1st but not everyone is abiding. The state has had close to 800 complaints on restaurants that are not complying with the rules. In Duval County, there have been 19 complaints with the majority coming from customers of RP McMurphy's located in Jacksonville Beach. The restaurant has received a warning and has 30 days to comply.

Vatican: U.S. Catholic Sex Scandal Was Overstated Reuters Friday, October 10, 2003; 4:16 PM VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The media has exaggerated a sex scandal that has shaken the U.S. Roman Catholic Church and unfairly tainted thousands of priests with overzealous coverage, Pope John Paul II's top aide said Friday. "The scandals in the United States received disproportionate attention from the media," Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano told Reuters in an interview. "There are thieves in every country, but it's hard to say that everyone is a thief."

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. ...................................................................................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. Welcome to "Warrior Wednesday" Where the Freeper Foxhole introduces a different...

<p>HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — A woman has been charged with child abuse after "nanny cams (search)" showed her bashing a baby on the kitchen floor and forcefully shaking the 5-month-old girl, police said.</p> <p>One clip shows Claudia Muro (search), 29, raising the baby above her head and "slamming her on the floor three or possibly four times," according to a police report by Officer Susan J. Hayes released Friday. Muro's back is to the camera, and the lower view of the baby is blocked by the woman's body.</p>

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of “word for the day”. Rules: Everyone must leave a post using the “word of the day”; in a sentence. The sentence must, in some way, relate to the news of the day. Practice makes perfect.....post on.... conniption \con*nip*shun\, noun: 1. A fit of violent emotion, such as anger or panic. Also called conniption fit. One can but hope that the trend in California sweeps the nation and we see a decisive victory in the 2004 elections. With that,...

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. ...................................................................................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel...

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. ...................................................................................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel...

Film star glamour of cigarette cases hides truth for smokers By Elizabeth Day (Filed: 12/10/2003) It featured in Tolstoy's stories, was used in films by Marlene Dietrich and converted into a fatal weapon by James Bond: now the old-fashioned silver cigarette case is experiencing a surge in popularity as diehard smokers try to hide the stark health warnings on cigarette packets. Tobacconists across the country have experienced a surprising rise in demand for the cases, with some suppliers tripling their sales over the past 10 months. The demand has been prompted by the introduction in January of large black-bordered messages...

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. ...................................................................................... ........................................... . U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. . . Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family...

Maine suffers highest job loss at 22.1 percent By MATT WICKENHEISER, Portland Press Herald Writer Copyright © 2003 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. Maine lost a greater percentage of its manufacturing jobs than any other state over the last three years, according to a recent report from the National Association of Manufacturers. Economists blamed Maine's woes on an older manufacturing base, as well as a large number of mergers that moved corporate ownership out of state. Both fueled the move of jobs offshore. From July 2000 until August 2003, Maine dropped 17,800 manufacturing jobs, or 22.1 percent. The U.S. lost 2.73...

LANSING, Mich.,  -- Attorney General Mike Cox announced today that his office has received $2.7 million for the State of Michigan from two tobacco manufacturers in enforcement actions related to the national tobacco settlement. The payments are new funds that are not attributable to the Master Settlement Agreement reached in 1998. A total of $2,733,421.80 is now available for lawmakers to appropriate. The payments represent Michigan 's fair share of dollars secured under settlements the Attorney General approved in multi-state actions to enforce the Master Settlement Agreement. The monies are in addition to annual payments required under the national tobacco...

If you want to gamble in Maine, leave your smokes at the door.A new state law that goes into effect Jan. 1 will mandate that a proposed $650 million casino, like virtually all buildings open to the public, be smoke-free, unlike most other casinos.Some say a total smoking ban would hurt business and generate less revenue for the state. Others maintain that consumers are demanding more nonsmoking facilities and that smokers are conditioned  (??!!) to stepping outside to light up.Erin Lehane, spokeswoman for Think About It, which is backing the ballot proposal to create the casino in Sanford, said...