Free Republic

It was something that had never occurred to Jane Flannigan, until she got the call Sunday that her eight-year-old son had been hit by a car while biking with a friend. Owen Erickson was not badly hurt, though he did end up on the hood of the car. But when the car's driver moved his Toyota Prius from the street to the curb, Flannigan noticed something. "I saw the car, but I could not hear anything," she recalled about the hybrid vehicle which was operating on battery power at the time. "It is totally silent." That's when it dawned on...

I've HAD it with this non-stop Aruba coverage on The Hannity and Colmes show. I used to search through (teevoooo) any H and C episode to get past the Aruba coverage. But, then, Aruba for 2, 3, 4 SEGMENTS?!? They may as well change the name from Hannity and Colmes to NATALIE AND COLMES. I finally deleted the program from the auto-record, and it's been weeks since I've watched the program. I ask you all to do the same to pressure these guys into a more balanced, reasonable program. So, HONK if you're sick of the NATALIE and COLMES show!...

He was known as Peter Pan - the boy who could fly - but something went fatally wrong moments after Australian Darcy Zoitsas leapt from a 1000-metre Norwegian BASE jumping site. As he hurtled down the huge cliff face of Kjerag Peak in western Norway his parachute failed to open on Monday. "I used to call him Peter Pan, the boy who can fly and refuses to grow up and are surrounded by lost boys. He would smile in recognition and call me his Wendy," wrote Lesley Assersen at an online remembrance message board. "I had hoped to live with...

With summer just around the corner and visions of vacations dominating Americans' thoughts, our highways will experience a dramatic increase in traffic. To enhance the travel experience for motorists, the National Motorists Association (NMA) has designated June as Lane Courtesy Month and is kicking off the campaign with the slogan "Do the RIGHT Thing!" Lane Courtesy, also called Lane Discipline, has a powerful influence on highway safety, traffic flow, and congestion. Arguably, its effect is more important than speed limits, traffic enforcement, or any other attempt to control driver behavior. Ask almost any motorist what most raises their ire when...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Coyotes, the rangy animals associated with the American West, have been spotted in the U.S. capital for the first time, sparking gossip in precincts where talk usually turns on politics. "On our way home from a party tonight, my son spotted a coyote trotting among the trees," one writer said in an e-mail group for one of Washington's tonier sections. "One ran across Military (Road). No question, a healthy smallish coyote!" another wrote on Oct. 21, referring to a location about 5 miles from the White House. Residents of the Washington area have reported seeing coyotes for...

Britain's most famous scientist, Stephen Hawking, condemned the U.S. led invasion of Iraq as a "war crime" and said Tuesday it was based on lies. The physicist spoke at an anti-war demonstration in London's Trafalgar Square timed to coincide with the U.S. election. Protesters read out the names of thousands of Iraqis and coalition troops killed since the March 2003 invasion. "The war was based on two lies," said Hawking. "The first was we were in danger of weapons of mass destruction and the second was that Iraq was somehow to blame for Sept. 11. "It has been a tragedy...

SUNNYVALE, Calif. (Wireless Flash) -- American freeways may be better pick-up places than bars or weddings because 62 percent of drivers love to flirt while behind the wheel. That's according to a car survey by Yahoo!Autos, which also reveals that an additional 62 percent admit they find potential love partners more attractive if they drive a nice car. That's not all: 69 percent talk to their car and 52 percent have even given it a name. Finally, 49 percent believe their car is a woman; 29 percent say it's a man and 22 percent can't make up their minds