Free Republic

“Your son and daughter might be the next Hansel and Gretel,” should have been the warning label on the Guide to Paganism supplied to British prison governors by the Pagan Federation. Michael Spurr, director of operations of the Prison Service, approved the new norms, which allow pagan British inmates possession of incenses and an amulet, the services of pagan “chaplains,” and the practice of rites and chants in their cells, London’s Times reported on October 17th of last year.  Pretence of Antiquity Witchcraft and paganism have been growing worldwide, especially the practice of Wicca, for which courses one can now...

UPDATE with environment report, financing details, tariffs structure MADRID (AFX) - A consortium led by Cintra Concesiones Infraestructuras SA said it has signed its first contract to build a section of the Trans-Texas Corridor toll road project in the US and will invest 1.3 bln usd. In a statement, Cintra said the 50-year concession is to design, construct and operate segments 5 and 6 of the SH 130 motorway between Austin and Seguin. The consortium is 65 pct controlled by Cintra and 35 pct by local constructor Zachry. Cintra announced the contract in Dec 2004, and said it expected to...

ne day, after speaking to a group of high school students about the dangers of dabbling with occultic activities, such as Ouija boards, I asked if they had any questions or comments. In a subdued voice — and without a hint of sarcasm or levity — one boy raised his hand and said, “I had something . . . happen . . . to my friend and me when we used a Ouija board.” The room of teenagers was hushed as he explained what happened. They had used the board “just for fun” and didn’t expect anything to happen....

Italy’s highest court on Wednesday cleared the way for Romano Prodi, the centre-left leader, to take over as prime minister by certifying his victory in last week’s hotly disputed general election. Having reviewed several thousand contested ballot papers, the Court of Cassation confirmed that Mr Prodi’s alliance had defeated the centre-right government of Silvio Berlusconi, the premier who has governed Italy since 2001. Mr Berlusconi refused last week to acknowledge Mr Prodi’s victory, but some politicians in his coalition have signalled their willingness to accept the result and go into opposition. They calculate that, with a mere two-seat majority in...

When I was a teenager, I was told that I would someday be world famous. Leaders from many countries would make pilgrimages to my vast estates to seek my advice. I was even told that I would lead a punitive expedition across the galaxy to wipe out an alien civilization that dared to threaten our planet. Of course, I returned to Earth as a conquering hero. That same evening, other teenagers around the table I was sitting at, were told they would become famous actresses, captains of industry, or sports legends. Oddly enough, no one was told they would...

Just peaked in at the map. With 271,526 total votes, Bush leads nation wide 65-34. Bush leads in the electoral count 535-3. Every single state is colored Red. The only thing Kerry has is the D.C.

Our sources in Washington report that the US President has set his team three provisos for launching military action in the last week of February-first week of March: 1. By February 23-25, the entire American invasion force for the first stage must be fully assembled and ready to go. 2. If the heads of the Pentagon, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Richard Myers and war commander, Gen. Tommy Franks, cannot assure the president that the military buildup is complete and everything is set to go, the offensive will be delayed for a new decision. 3. All three...

I was flipping the radio dial changing channels and almost fell out of my chair when I heard this!So is this the kiss of death for their credibility with their 'seal of approval?'

Happy Halloween! Please tell us any scary, creepy, spooky encounters you have had with paranormal phenomena. Let's see which freeper has the freakiest story to tell on this Halloween night.