Free Republic

House democrats blocked the repeal of the light bulb ban. A majority of Americans oppose the government’s unpopular and unnecessary ban on incandescent bulbs and infringement on choice. On January 1 2012, 100 watt incandescent bulbs will become illegal, with lower wattages to follow. The democrats just voted to give jobs to China.

Immigration's Sideshow Lee Hockstader July 19, 2009 The Obama administration, moving gingerly toward what the president has said will be a far-reaching overhaul of the nation's broken immigration system, is trying to show at the outset that it is serious about enforcing existing laws. A glimpse of the president's strategy came earlier this month, when Department of Homeland Security officials said they would scrap a Bush administration initiative, tied up in the courts, that would have used Social Security information to force employers nationwide to fire millions of unauthorized workers. Instead, DHS said it would require federal contractors to use...

This letter to the editor appeared in the Savannah (Ga.) Morning News. The letter is self-explanatory. After you finish reading this there will be no need for any further commentary:Modified community needs civil rights protections Because of my body modifications, including tattoos and piercings, I consider myself to be a member of the modified community. Due to my modifications, I not only have to deal with the daily routine of turned up noses and annoying questions from those without any body modifications, but I have to fight even harder to get a job than someone without any visible modifications.So this...

Just got back from the Georgia National Fair. Ahhhh, the fair. The addicting aroma of deep fried oreos, bratwurst, Indian tacos, caramel apples, assorted meats on a stick, 5 pound baskets of cajun fries drowning in melted cheese, and turkey legs, all set amidst a background of electronic sounds permeating from the midway, people lugging around massive stuffed animals won from a carnie game, barns full of goats and horses ready to be judged, and the most important thing of all: the commercial vendors. Here, in the vast confines of numerous warehouses, hundreds of vendors set up shop, peddling anything...

OAKLAND — Oakland Police have no information on an alleged video-taped beating of a woman labeled a "snitch" being circulated over the internet by radio talk show host and Web maven Matt Drudge. The narrated video, taken by a cheering bystander in what police said appears to be a "sideshow" atmosphere, shows a young woman being pulled out of a car by a crowd of people. She is then punched, kicked and stomped while she is on the ground.

Two brothers were shot to death and a third man was wounded as they watched an illegal race on the isolated streets near the docks of the U.S Naval Supply Center in West Oakland early Sunday. Salvador Lascon, 27, and his 20-year-old brother, Fernando Lascon -- who were best friends and lived with their mother in San Leandro -- were pronounced dead on the 1400 block of Middle Harbor Road, south of the Bay Bridge toll plaza. "To lose a son like this is horrible," said the men's mother, Maria Lascon. "But to lose both at the same time is...

Cheney Blasts Kerry for Allawi Comments By MARGARET STAFFORD ASSOCIATED PRESS ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) - Vice President Dick Cheney chastised Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry on Thursday, saying his criticism of Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi showed an appalling "lack of respect." Allawi, who was in Washington on Thursday to address a joint meeting of Congress and meet with President Bush, gave a rosy portrayal of progress toward peace in his country. Shortly after he spoke, Kerry said the prime minister's assessment contradicted his own previous statements as well as the reality on the ground. Cheney said Kerry was...

The explanation for Senator John Kerry that he was in “Cambodia on Christmas 1968” is by now a famous if not humorous footnote to his overall portrayal of hi own Vietnam War experiences. It is seared in his own, and now our own, memories. However the statement by John Kerry of his whereabouts at that time begs a very important question. Did Kerry in fact violate a secret oath, made official by his signature, under penalty of severe punishment?William Shawcross, in his 1979 book Sideshow, detailing covert U.S. operations in Cambodia during the period of the Royal Cambodian government...

Link to C-SPAN http://inside.c-spanarchives.org:8080/cspan/schedule.csp I'm sure all the networks will be showing this.

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Welcome to Annika's Alley. Tradition-rich Colonial, where a bronze of five-time winner Ben Hogan greets everyone who passes through the front gates, turned into a massive cheering session Wednesday for Annika Sorenstam on the eve of her PGA Tour debut. Despite a steady, sloppy rain that cut short a pro-am round, Sorenstam had to walk through a wall of spectators just to get to the first tee. From there, the view was unlike anything she has ever seen. The 565-yard hole was a colorful outline of umbrellas from tee to green, and thousands of fans --...

<p>Paramount's Great America amusement park in Santa Clara was evacuated Saturday night an hour before closing time by police in riot gear after fighting broke out following a hip-hop dance contest.</p> <p>No serious injuries were reported, police said, and while arrests were made at the park throughout the day -- arrests are made just about every weekend, park officials say -- police could not say how many were related to Saturday night's fighting.</p>