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Explanation of the debt limit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li0no7O9zmE

HONOLULU - An engineer who calls himself the father of the technology that protects the B-2 stealth bomber from heat-seeking missiles has been arrested and accused of selling U.S. military secrets involving the aircraft to a foreign country, the FBI said. Noshir S. Gowadia, 61, of Haiku was arrested Wednesday. According to the FBI, Gowadia in 2002 faxed a document detailing infrared technology classified top secret by the Air Force to a foreign official. He also provided classified information to two other countries, the FBI said. The government would not identify the countries or disclose how much he allegedly received....

After a long 10 day waiting period here in California, I finally got to take home my new Beretta AL391 Tenkys Gold Sporting 12ga shotgun. This is my first firearm purchase. After reading about how much fun sporting clays/skeet is, here on freerepublic, I took a lesson at the local sporting clay club and got hooked. So far I have only shot the skeet course. Finished with a 21/25 with my Beretta. I haven't tried the trap course yet. Now I want to go everyday after work. Just have to save up for ammo and clays.

CAIRO, Egypt - The activist group Human Rights Watch on Wednesday urged foreign governments to stop turning over suspected extremists to Egypt unless the country shows it does not torture prisoners. In a 53-page report, the New York-based group charged that a number of Islamic militants and other suspects had been tortured after being handed over to Egypt by several countries, including the United States. "Do not under any circumstances extradite, render, or otherwise transfer to Egypt persons suspected or accused of security offenses unless and until the government of Egypt has demonstrated that it has ended practices of torture...

JOHANNESBURG - Fresh from his disputed victory in Zimbabwe's parliamentary elections, President Robert Mugabe has turned his sights on the country's wildlife reserves in a bid to feed thousands of famished villagers. Zimbabwe's National Parks have been ordered to work with rural district councils to begin the wholesale slaughter of big game. Parks rangers said they had already shoot 10 elephants in the last week and their meat was barbecued at festivities to mark Zimbabwe's 25 years of independence. The 10 elephants were killed by National Park rangers. Four of the giant animals were reportedly shot in full view of...

I have a older Sony STR-SE501 receiver. It is an older unit to say the least. I have my dish network DVR system and a Sony DVD/VHS hooked up to it via optical cables for audio. When I order movies from dish network that transmit the 5.1 audio, the receiver indicates that it is receiving in the 5.1 mode. It also allows me to choose the cinema audio and shows all 5 speakers on the display. When I watch movies on the DVD player, the receiver doesn't show that it is decoding the 5.1 audio and only the front/center speakers...

Is tomorrow going to be a half mast day? I was planning on flying mine at half mast. Thanks.

TOP SECRET Dear friend, I know this may come as surprise and sceptic to you. I am one of the officials in the Energy management board, in Burkina Faso. We had a contract with Denmark through the Burkina Faso Danish Cooperation, which was signed on the 4th of march, 2003 on the Electrification of the Urban centres, offices and rural dwellers. The project has been executed, you can check on the website. www.SONABEL.BF. But, the main issue of contacting you is to intimate you that during the award of this contract, a few of my colleagues and l, had inflated...

Soledad (AP) - A teenager was arrested Thursday on charges that she gave birth to a baby girl inside a portable toilet and left her there. The newborn girl was found in lying in waste at the bottom of the toilet, according to a police report from the Monterey County Sheriff's Office. A farm worker pulled her out after hearing the child's screams. Paramedics rushed the girl to Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital and she was later transported to Lucille Packard Children's Hospital in Palo Alto. "I think if the baby had been another half hour to an hour longer there,...

I am buying a nice new 20ft flagpole for my property. Do any of you fly two flags at a time with one being the U.S. flag? Is it inappropiate to fly the "Don't tread on me" flag at the same time?

My fellow freepers. I have a few questions about the purchase of a shotgun. I have just discovered how much fun shooting clay pigeons at the local club. I have only been a couple a times and rent a Browning over/under from the club. But that can get expensive and its a different gun each time. The person that I took some lessons from recommended a Baretta over/under. My questions are semi-auto vs. over/under, brand, barrel length, 12 vs 20 gauge? I will be using the shotgun for clays mostly. Thanks in advance.

I have finally convinced to Mrs. to allow me to buy a gun. I have been to the local gun dealer that rents guns to use in the indoor range. I really like the H&K 45 USP. My purchase would be for protection and going to the range. What do you guys think of the H&K 45?

(AP) - Saying it had exhausted other alternatives, Mexico appealed to the World Court on Tuesday to stop the execution of 51 of its citizens in the United States. Mexico had initially sought to spare 54 citizens, but said at the start of hearings that three were removed from death row by Illinois Gov. George Ryan, who this month commuted the sentences of 167 inmates, mostly to life in prison, over concerns about capital punishment in his state. The Mexican government is first seeking a court order to postpone the executions until a 15-member panel of judges can hear its...

<p>Nearly three dozen peace activists rallied Wednesday at Petaluma High School, objecting to the one-day suspensions handed out to roughly 50 students who took part in a nationwide protest against the Bush administration's stance toward Iraq.</p> <p>Braving the early morning chill, the protesters from the Not In Our Name peace movement bore signs reading "War Disrupts Education" and "Extra Credit, Not Suspension." The school, they said, was suppressing dissent, freedom of speech and civil rights. Imposing a penalty of a one-day suspension was overkill, they said.</p>