Free Republic

Sarah Steed and Gladys Jessop knew they'd face a stark choice when Child Protective Services removed their children: remain on their Yearning for Zion Ranch outside Eldorado or relocate to a faraway city near their kids. They chose to relocate. The women, followers of a breakaway Mormon sect that practices polygamy as a religious requirement, soon faced a crueler choice: which child to be near. Though child welfare workers promised to make every effort to keep siblings together, it hasn't always happened. Steed's six young children have been scattered across the state, at four foster care facilities in three cities:...

I've heard that a new MRE component is being manufactured, but there seems to be limited information about it. Here's what I've found so far: Pocket Food (Includes a picture) And an older item that discusses the matter at: seabeecook The second article mentions GoodMark Foods Inc., which has been acquired by ConAgra. Anyway, I'm curious - has anyone come across such things? Who is the contractor that produces the components? How do they taste? Is there a viable (and legal) source? Yours for culinary excellence, Neutrino

I've been thinking of procuring some MREs as the hurricane/severe weather season approaches - and thought my fellow FReepers would be the best possible source of information. It appears that there are two general options - the MRE pack from SOPAKCO - an example of which is here The other supply seems to be assembled from contract overruns, for example the item at this link It appears that MREs are more cost-effective than freeze dried items. I prefer to have an assembled meal instead of purchasing individual items. Also, I recognize that the Sopakco meals don't have heaters - but,...

Crude oil is at $60 a barrel and rising. British motorists are paying record prices on the forecourts. The £1 litre may not be that far away. Traders on commodity exchanges are warning that a cold winter in the northern hemisphere could see prices, already up 38% since the start of the year, rise a lot further. Policymakers are clearly worried by the short-term picture. The G8 summit at Gleneagles next week will discuss the likely impact of high oil prices on the global economy and what the rich countries of the west ought to do in response. Every other...

I'm thinking of purchasing a pair of combat boots - I want something durable, comfortable, and suitable for extended walking. I'm in Texas, so heat is a greater environmental challenge than cold. In this instance, price is not a concern. Quality, durability, and functionality are critical. Altama seems to have some good products; Magnum has some strong advocates. Corcoran has some proponents - one model is here Danner has an interesting model here So, as I asked earlier...what is your favorite? Which would you never use? And why? Quite possibly I'm not aware of the best brands or models, so...

The courts ordered all water and nourishment to be withheld from Terri Schiavo. This was more that removal of the feeding tube - no one was permitted to give her a drink of water or a crumb of bread. As we know, she survived for 13 days. Presumably, it was known that she was in pain, since she was given morphine. The question is coming. First, a small disclaimer - I don't think Terri Schiavo should have been killed. Question: since the court's order was, in essence, an order to kill her, would it not have been kinder to have...

During 2004, oil prices reached levels unprecedented in recent years. Many IEA member countries and non-member countries alike are concerned about oil costs and oil security, and are looking for ways to improve their capability to handle market volatility. This book aims to provide assistance. A core mission of the International Energy Agency (IEA) is energy supply security. Indeed, the Agreement on an International Energy Program (I.E.P.), the treaty signed by all IEA member countries, obliges IEA member countries to not only to maintain emergency oil reserves, but also to apply voluntary and mandatory measures for reducing oil consumption on...

In May 1995, Christopher Reeve was taking part in a cross-country equestrian competition when a fall separated his skull from his spinal cord. He was left totally paralyzed. Of that moment, he later said, "It dawned on me I was going to be a huge burden to everybody, that I had ruined my life and everybody else's. Not fair to anybody. The best thing to do would be to slip away." When his wife Dana came into his room, he looked at her and mouthed the words, "Maybe we should let me go." It was the defining moment that saved...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- America's trade deficit soared to an all-time high of $60.3 billion in November, reflecting record levels for imports of everything from oil and consumer goods to farm products, the government reported Wednesday. The Commerce Department said the November deficit was up 7.7 percent from an imbalance of $56 billion in October, which had been the previous monthly record. The new record caught private economists by surprise. They had been forecasting a slight narrowing in the November trade gap.

After 911, people around the world sent America messages of support and condolence. I believe we all appreciated that. The tragedy in Russia seems to be on the same order as our own 911. Fewer people, yes - but so many innocent children and infants. Is there someone/somewhere that we can send messages of condolence to the Russians during this time of pain and loss?

Get set to jet set to Uncle SamPRIYA RANJAN DASH TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, AUGUST 06, 2004 12:03:18 AM ] NEW DELHI: India seems to have finally acquired some trade chutzpah. It is all set to offer a free trade agreement on services to the champion of free trade, the US.  The offer has already been discussed between prime minister Manmohan Singh and commerce minister Kamal Nath and will be brought to the cabinet shortly. New Delhi feels the FTA deal would be a win-win for both the countries. While American banks and insurance companies can open as many...

Simmons hopes he’s wrongLeading energy analyst believes Saudi Arabia’s crude oil supply near peak; calls for greater global reserve transparency to anticipate ‘cataclysm’F. Jay SchempfPetroleum News Contributing Writer (Houston) Matt Simmons hopes he is wrong. But if he’s right in his belief that Saudi Arabia’s giant oil fields might already have peaked and could start into rapid decline in as few as three years, somebody better have a “Plan B” ready or there’s no way, he says — absolutely no way — to avoid a world energy cataclysm. Pretty strong words. Stronger, perhaps, than any uttered before about energy. Simmons spoke...

JULY 12, 2004 - Last November, after a deluge of customer complaints about unintelligible English, lengthy telephone waits and poor service, Dell Inc. rerouted technical support for its U.S. corporate clients from a call center in India to facilities in Texas, Idaho and Tennessee. Weeks later, Lehman Brothers Inc. followed suit, shifting offshore help desk support for the financial firm's internal users back to the U.S. Another company, Fremont, Calif.-based Everdream Corp., pulled the plug on its offshore help desk center in Costa Rica in April. The reason: plummeting customer satisfaction. Elsewhere, a decision by the Washington State Health Care...

BEIJING : China's military strongman Jiang Zemin told visiting US National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice China would not "sit idle" if foreign forces supported Taiwan independence. "If Taiwan authorities are determined to pursue Taiwan independence; if foreign forces interfere and support this, we would definitely not sit idle without doing anything," Jiang was paraphrased on Chinese state-run television station CCTV as saying. The aging but still powerful former president's veiled warnings against US military intervention if Taiwan formally declares independence and China attacks the island came amid increasing tension between Beijing and Taipei. The recent re-election of pro-independence Taiwan President...

DOBBS: Still ahead here tonight -- the investment rush to China has hit a new level tonight. We'll have that story for you. China's latest gain coming at the expense of, guess what, the United States. We'll have that special report next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) DOBBS: Stocks today barely moved on Wall Street: the Dow down 15; the NASDAQ down almost 6; the S&P fell a point. Startling new numbers tonight on a changing trend in foreign investment affecting this country and you and me. Christine Romans with the story -- Christine? CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Lou, companies rushed to invest...

Jolted workers rethink life's basics 09:54 AM CDT on Saturday, June 26, 2004 By KATHERINE YUNG / The Dallas Morning News  Mark Olesen and Jerry Dugick live 181 miles apart. They're strangers to each other, but they share a common bond. Losing their tech jobs to overseas workers cost each of them more than paychecks and pride. For Mark, a former software engineer for IBM in Austin, it led to bankruptcy and nearly a year away from his family, driving big rigs to natural gas fields around the country. Jerry, a former engineer and project manager for Cadence Design...

San Antonio Express-News The legal community has suffered a black eye at the hands of lawyer Ted Roberts. Using an unorthodox legal tactic, Roberts threatened to expose the indiscretions of several of his wife Mary's lovers by notifying them of his intent to explore whether he had grounds to sue them. The Express-News exposed the situation earlier this week. Ted Roberts' actions became part of a case that entered the court system when he was sued by former law partner Robert V. West III, but those records were sealed in March 2002 by a district judge. Some of the...

IT becomes pillar industry of Chinese economy   China's information technology (IT)sector has become a leading pillar industry, which enables the country to surpass Japan and edge into the world's second place, next only to the United States, in terms of scale. China's IT sector realized 1.88 trillion yuan (226.5 billion USdollars) in sales income last year, compared with the 190-billion-US dollar sales revenue for Japan's IT industry, said Chen Wei, a senior official with the Ministry of Information Industry, at a press conference held Thursday on SINOCES 2004, or China International Consumer Electronics Exposition. The exposition, said to be among the best and...

    Earlier this year, Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina defended her company’s decision to send American jobs to Asia by declaring, “There is no job that is America’s God-given right anymore.” She probably did not mean to include CEO’s of Fortune 500 corporations in this statement—Hyderabad does not offer all the amenities she is used to, after all—but her blunt declaration that patriotism has no place in the board room perfectly captures the logic behind outsourcing.     Fiorina’s sentiments were echoed by Greg Mankiw, the chairman of President Bush’s Council of Economic Advisors, who observed that “outsourcing is just a new...

The Department of Homeland Security recently awarded what could be a $10 billion border security contract to Bermuda-abased Accenture. My guest tonight says it is outrageous and wrong to reward a company for abandoning our country. Congresswoman Rosa DeLaura has authored legislation that would prevent government contracts from being awarded to foreign companies. In her statement, she said, "The United States should not be doing business with those who want all the benefits of citizenship without any of the responsibilities."