Free Republic

Industrial-scale agriculture has changed the make up of our atmosphere. So "exofarms" ought to be visible on Earth-like planets orbiting other stars. One of the key developments separating modern civilization from the hunter gatherer societies of the past is the invention of farming, which took place about 10,000 years ago. This began with the cultivation of wild plants and the domestication of various animals for dairy products and meat. The big advantage of farming is that it sustains a much larger population than hunting and gathering. This led to the emergence of cities, the sharing of natural resources and of...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is nearing a decision on whether to press for a special election next year at which he would seek to end the conflict of interest that allows legislators to draw their own district boundary lines. I say, go for it. Not only that, Schwarzenegger should double the bet by proposing a measure to allow new lines to be drawn in time for the 2006 elections. Such a special election in the fall of 2005 would be extremely risky for the governor. If he were to fail, he would lose much if not all of the political momentum...

Published reports on Tuesday suggest that the California Personnel Board may remove President Sean Harrigan from the board of CalPERS when his term expires next year. Mr. Harrigan blames efforts by the governor's office and top corporate players. If removed, however, Mr. Harrigan will have no one to blame but himself. Mr. Harrigan is an international vice president and executive director with the Food and Commercial Workers International, and has used his position at the helm of America's largest public pension fund to promote a far-left political agenda rather than to mainly assure the health of the fund's sizable investments....

WASHINGTON - Former President Clinton said Thursday that neither the Iraq situation nor the war on terrorism should interfere with efforts to strengthen the economy and fix a health care system that leaves 41 million people uninsured. "No one really thinks these terrorists are going to win a military victory over us, even if God forbid we see another terrible incident or two in our country," Clinton said. "The only way that we can be vanquished is if we respond to this in a way that compromises the future of our children and the character of our nation." Speaking to...

"LawBreakers!!" (To be sung to the Rolling Stones' "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)") US FReepers done nailed Slick Willie... We've chased Algore 'cuz he's a DORK!! Usin' McAwful, Chairman of the DNC... Right'll make Osama bill's cellmate bark!! LawBreakers...with yer Medyuh Whore'd... Right's gonna tear Left's World apart!! RINO punks...yer just Blueblood Bores... Christ's gonna quench yer ravenous void!! Each vacuous Lib'ral is our FReepin' goal, y'all... Tell 'em, "Bring it to JimRob's Forum!!" Slick lied...he ain't dirt...yer MUD's gallery... Dem Lib'rals said, "MUD has no chance...no chance!!" LawBreakers...LawBreakers... You know our Rage shan't be denied!! LawBreakers...StainMakers... Smite thy...