Free Republic

The Permanent Record: From Empty Threat to Everyday Reality When I was a student back in the 1950s, we used to joke about the phrase “That’s going on your permanent record.” It was a hollow threat from teachers, something said when a kid stepped out of line — broke a rule, said something smart-alecky, or handed in an assignment late. We all laughed quietly to ourselves, because we knew there was no such thing. There was no record, and certainly nothing “permanent.” Today, that joke is no longer funny — because it has come true. We now live in a...

Tennessee lawmakers on Thursday voted to expel at least one Democratic state representative over his participation in a gun control demonstration during which a trio of Democrats interrupted the floor session and used a bullhorn to lead supporters outside in chants. The chamber voted to oust state Rep. Justin Jones of Nashville, who disrupted the proceedings alongside Reps. Gloria Johnson and Justin Pearson of Knoxville and Memphis, respectively. Jones was expelled in a 72-25 vote. Lawmakers needed 66 to remove him, according to the Tennessean. Before his ouster, Jones warned that such a move would backfire on Republicans, "Your overreaction,...

Researchers said it was "trivial" to identify users and view their browsing habits in purchased 'anonymous' browsing data... After receiving her free trial data, Eckert partnered with Andreas Dewes, a data scientist who runs the company 7 Scientists, to see if they could identify individual users within the massive dataset. At first glance, the browsing data doesn't look like much, just a bunch of URLs with timestamps... During their investigation, Eckert and Dewes managed to find a handful of politicians in the dataset. The web browsing habits of these public servants, such as the apparent kinky porn browsing habits of...

IRS checking out your Facebook and Twitter to help keep you honest You have less than two weeks to file your taxes and your Facebook or Twitter accounts could end up getting you in big trouble with the IRS. They're looking for tax cheaters. The IRS has been known to check car records, employment documents and other public records. Now, your social media page is on that list too. “I think that’s a little bit ridiculous,” replied one person we talked to. Some of the people we talked to were surprised. “I think it’s still an invasion of privacy,” commented...

A recent notice from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms reveals that the agency intends to acquire an online database capable of bringing up many of an individual’s personal characteristics and connections with just a few keystrokes. On March 28 the federal law enforcement organization, which is a branch of the US Department of Justice, filed a solicitation notice for a “massive online data repository system” for its Office of Strategic Intelligence and Information. The solicitation is hosted on the Federal Business Opportunities website, where vendors and developers can offer their services to the government in a competitive reverse...

So I received my renewal notice for my C&R FFL (03) yesterday, as it's due to expire in February. I've been religious with my renewals for years, but this year just feels different. I saw that BATFE seal on the envelope and my heart sank a little knowing that they're under this Marxist administration. My question to FReepers and firearm aficionados is this: should I renew? My feelings are that at some point in the future, firearms are going to be restricted either by international treaty (i.e. UN ATT) or by executive fiat, and I wonder if it would be...

According to Judicial Watch, Rep. Edolphous Towns (D-NY) has introduced the Presidential Records Act Amendments of 2011. That bill would do with Obama’s presidential records what Obama has already done to his personal and collegiate records: Seal them up. In an obvious effort to protect President Barack Obama, a group of congressional Democrats has introduced legislation to create an official process that will allow the commander-in-chief to keep presidential records secret after he leaves office. Ironically, Obama revoked a similar George W. Bush order in one of his first official acts as president. In 2001 Bush penned an executive order...

Can anyone tell me how to delete my pings? I just realized I have pages and pages of them going back to months ago. Thanks!

Educators and psychologists have long feared that children entering school with behavior problems were doomed to fall behind in the upper grades. But two new studies suggest that those fears are exaggerated. One concluded that kindergartners who are identified as troubled do as well academically as their peers in elementary school. The other found that children with attention deficit disorders suffer primarily from a delay in brain development, not from a deficit or flaw. Experts say the findings of the two studies, being published today in separate journals, could change the way scientists, teachers and parents understand and manage children...