Free Republic

The Me Diploma by: Malcolm A. Kline, July 28, 2009 When international test scores came out showing that American students scored lower on standardized math tests than Koreans but felt better about themselves, statisticians scratched their heads. It turns out that the Yanks may actually have been living up to what they were trained for. “In a recent study, 39% of American eighth-graders were confident of their math skills, compared to only 6% of Korean eighth-graders,” Jean M. Twenge and W. Keith Campbell report in The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement. “The Koreans, however, far exceeded...

SNIPPET: "According to a report issued by Fund for Peace, Yemen is in the midst of a violent storm caused by the disappearance of the oil and gas reserves and the large flow of Somali refugees with connections to Al-Qaeda as well as the flow of extremists from Saudi Arabia. The report said that "the refugees and the extremists are the most significant imports by Yemen in 2008.""

(Probably Part I of II) From previous posts, such as this one, you can tell I am somewhat sympathetic towards Lee Myung Bak. He seems to be the wrong president at the wrong time, but anyways I just read this article and every single time I read something like this, the political situation in Korea boggles the mind (But on a side note, I'd also argue that South Korea is one of just two East Asian countries with democratic institutions - Taiwan being the other one. And Japan, well, we'll see). That is, how on earth can people care so...

Note: Photos included. SNIPPET: "The statement can be boiled down to these three questions:" SNIPPET: "In short, this was a pep talk for AQ’s supporters in Pakistan, a warning to those who oppose them, and a rallying cry to jihadists worldwide."

SNIPPET: "The two main Islamist terror groups battling the weak Somali government may merge into a single outfit. Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, the leader of Hizbul Islam or the Party of Islam, said he is working to unite his faction with Shabaab, an al Qaeda-backed Islamic terror group that has lobbied to join the international terrorist organization. Aweys said talks were proceeding and urged followers to continue to fight until they achieve "victory over enemies" of Islam."" SNIPPET: "Al Qaeda has increasingly focused on Somalia as being a major theater in their efforts to drive the West from African, the...

Uninsured or Unexamined? by: Mytheos Holt, July 24, 2009 In the shadow of President Obama and Speaker Pelosi’s increasingly desperate efforts to get health care reform past a recalcitrant Congress, the Cato Institute recently decided to host a discussion highlighting further weaknesses in the President’s public relations campaign. This Monday, July 20th, Cato hosted a discussion at Rayburn Office Building intended to discuss a new study by former Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Director June O’Neill, now of the Employment Policies Institute, entitled “Who are the Uninsured?” O’Neill prefaced the discussion of her study by highlighting the administration’s oft-repeated claim that...

Obama just made the most stupid move of his presidency. It is time for conservatives to remind who Obama REALLY is, a person who spent the last 20 years of his life in one of the most hateful church in America. A man who was friend with Jeremiah Wright, a pastor who insulted American the first Sunday after 9/11. A man who was a member of a church which gave an award to Louis Farrakahn, the "Black Hitler". Conservatives, remind the American people of who Obama REALLY is.

I have spent time trying to make sense of the recent debate over Obama's Constitutional qualifications to be President of the United States and have recently come to the conclusion that Obama would be a "natural born" U.S. citizen if his father was Obama Sr., a British subject and Kenyan national at the time of his birth.

SNIPPET: "UPDATE: The Koobface gang is upgrading the command and control infrastructure in response to the positive ROI out of the takedown activities." SNIPPET: "Related posts: Dissecting Koobface Worm's Twitter Campaign Dissecting the Koobface Worm's December Campaign Dissecting the Latest Koobface Facebook Campaign The Koobface Gang Mixing Social Engineering Vectors"

The ObamaCare nightmare. Here are a few of the 14: ObamaCare Press Conference Lie # 4 7/22/9 Obama repeated his health plan "won't add to the deficit. And I mean it!" Fox News: Democrats and the Obama administration argue that the $245 billion included for doctors -- the approximate 10-year cost of adjusting Medicare reimbursement rates so physicians don't face big annual pay cuts -- does not have to be counted in the overall cost of the health care bill. Their only-in-Washington reasoning is that they already decided to exempt it from congressional "pay-as-you-go" rules. In other words, it doesn't...

SNIPPET: "The New York Taliban and Osama bin Laden supporter formerly known as Joseph Cohen, Yousef al-Khattab, claims he has called the family of American hostage Bowe Bergdahl. Thank God that the Bergdahl family didn't answer the phone..."

New polling data for the 2012 presidential election is out.If the 2012 election for president were held now, among potential Republican candidates already known to the public, Sarah Palin makes the best showing in a match-up against Obama.Romney trails last.

AARP sent me one of those unsolicited AARP membership letters with the pre-printed membership card. So I called their 800 number and said I was interested in joining however I have a few questions and wanted to understand the AARP position on the Healthcare Bill. The nice lady that I spoke with was located in Nevada. She explained to me that AARP supports this bill and it not a “socialist” plan as some are saying. She want on to tell me that this plan would cover the 47 million individuals not insured and that number was probably a lot higher....

The first 72 hours following any disaster are the most critical, but it's also during those intial hours that emergency services and personnel are stretched to the limit. With a system of carefully planned 72 Hour Kits, your family can be self-sufficient until help arrives. 72 Hour Kits, or Bug Out Bags, are those handy-dandy, all-in-one grab bags that, theoretically, could keep you and your family in good shape during a three day emergency. How well they do their job depends on how well-equipped they are for your family's particular needs. Think of your 72 Hour System as three layers...

Sonia Behind the Bench by: Alana Goodman, July 21, 2009 Since President Obama announced his nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, the media has hailed the Puerto Rican federal court of appeals judge as a role-model for women and Hispanics. News coverage by the major networks has mainly focused on Sotomayor’s “inspiring” rags-to-riches upbringing and her “politically moderate” judicial record. Noticeably downplayed in the barrage of media is coverage of Sotomayor’s ties to ultra left-wing groups and speeches she has made expressing a radical perspective on jurisprudence that is not consistent with the views of most Americans. While...

Note: The following blog entry is a quote: Speaker At Hizb Al-Tahrir Conference In Lebanon Calls For Jihad In Cyprus, Balkans, Caucasus At the annual conference of the Islamist organization Hizb Al-Tahrir in Lebanon, on the subject of jihad, organization member Sheikh Adnan Mizyan said yesterday that in light of the fact that many countries of Muslims are today under occupation, including Palestine, Iraq, Cyprus, the Balkans, the Caucasus, Afghanistan, and Kashmir, the Islamic ummah must take jihad measures in order to free them. Source: Al-Safir, Lebanon, July 20, 2009 Posted at: 2009-07-20

Here I was in a rather small capital of Northern Ireland, which is still and probably always will be a part of the United Kingdom --an opinion of which I don't have. But anyways, it's a city hall! And, on the grounds of this city hall (it's a small city with a population of some 267,500 according to the NISRA), there's a memorial that dedicates the lives of those that fought and died in Korea nearly sixty years ago. All because of the words of one man -- Harry Truman (who single handedly decided to intervene in the Korean War;...

Note: Photo included. (Bristol, England) A 20-year-old radical Muslim, Isa Ibrahim, was sentenced to prison this week after being convicted of plotting a suicide attack on a Bristol shopping center. Police were alerted to the plot by a member of the Al-Baseera mosque after Ibrahim boasted of his plans. Police then raided Ibrahim's apartment and found that he was in the process of packing home-made explosives in a suicide vest. The jury convicted Ibrahim, a former pupil of Downside School, near Bath, by majority of making an explosive. He was also found guilty of preparing terrorist acts. Ibrahim was given...

www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/customersupport/feedback.do SNIPPET: "Update: Wow looky here a contact us blank for Hilton Hotels. Or 1-800-HILTONS (1-800-445-8667)."

Tonight’s Poll Would you trust your senator or congressman with a secret? Yes 5% 205 No 95% 4139 Total Votes: 4344 This is not a scientific poll ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Your America Below you will find the information you need to contact the leaders of Your America: To find your Senator, click here. To find your Representative, click here. Or call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Email: sf.nancy@mail.house.gov Phone: 202-225-4965 Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid Email: senator_reid@reid.senate.gov Phone: 202-224-3542 President Barack Obama To Email President Obama, click here. Phone: 202-456-1111 Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano Mail: Department of...