Free Republic

I've been asked one of those questions so basic that you never know 'til you're asked, that you really don't know. So I tried answers.com and all those other reasonable places and still can't answer. I figure there are enough smart people on FR to improve my chances. Question: When a fire starts, why does it flare up with a sudden burst of energy that is more intense than the subsequent flames? What's going on there? Why does it not kindle gradually, appear first feeble and then grow to its regular intensity?

Almighty Eternal God, in Your fatherly goodness, be kind to the soul of Your servant, ____. Cleanse him whom You have called from this world of all his faults, take him into the Realm of Light and Peace and into the Community of Your Saints, and give him his share of Eternal Delight in Your Kingdom. God, Creator and Saviour of all the faithful, forgive all the sins of all Your servants' souls. Let them receive forgiveness through our pious prayer, for which they have always been yearning. For this we pray through Jesus, Our Lord. Amen.

"Your response to this survey is required by law (Title 13, U.S. Code, Sections 141 and 193). Title 13, as changed by Title 18, imposes a penalty for not responding. We estimate this survey will take about 38 minutes to complete."

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — A dream honeymoon to scuba dive on Australia's Great Barrier Reef turned into a terrible nightmare, and the horror is about to play out years later in a courtroom in Alabama. An Alabama man who already served prison time in Australia after pleading guilty to a reduced charged in the death of his bride goes to trial Monday, accused of murdering her for insurance money. Tina Thomas Watson drowned during a scuba dive on the reef just days after her wedding in October 2003.

The husband of a missing Utah mom blew up his home Sunday —apparently intentionally — killing himself and the couple’s two young sons, authorities said. Josh Powell’s house in Graham, Wash., exploded and burst into flames moments after a social worker brought the two boys Charlie, 7, and Braden, 5, for a visit with their dad. Powell was under investigation in the disappearance of his wife, Susan, from their West Valley City, Utah, home in December 2009.

Think about it. We talk about the right to free speech, the right to bear arms, the right to assembly. The right to rise doesn't seem like something we should have to protect...

Dr Gregg Homer, from Stroma Medical in California said his Lumineyes technology uses a laser tuned to a specific frequency to turn brown eyes to blue.

"A couple stayed in their home during the Bastrop, TX fires and noticed huge amount of hummingbirds coming to feed. Captured Biologists say the birds were migrating and the fires and drought had killed their usual flowers"

MS. TUMULTY: Medicare is going broke. Consider the fact that half of all Medicare spending is done in the last two years of life. And research that has done -- been done right here at Dartmouth by the Dartmouth Atlas would suggest that much of this money is going to treatments and interventions that do nothing to prolong life, or to improve it. In fact, some of it does the opposite. Do you consider this wasteful spending? And if so, should the government do anything about it?

They call him "Twenty-Four." Yoandri Hernandez Garrido's nickname comes from the six perfectly formed fingers on each of his hands and the six impeccable toes on each foot.

Friends of mine just adopted their 10th child. How they afford it I don't know! but the adopter dad has gotten the idea that they MUST acquire a 15-passenger vehicle to get around in, although they rarely take everyone when they go anywhere. The oldest kids are over 18, the youngest is one year old. I know nothing about cars so I keep my mouth shut, but I have heard that 15-passenger vehicles are prone to rollover. Any wise freepers out there on this subject? Is there a 15-passenger that is safe, and if not, what is the problem with...