Free Republic

ST. PAUL, Minn. — President Bush is unlikely to make it to the Republican National Convention, and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) may deliver his acceptance speech via satellite because of the historically huge hurricane threatening New Orleans, top officials said. Late Saturday night, the RNC was planning to issue a release announcing the formation of a "working group of representatives from each of the states in Hurricane Gustav's path. The group will ensure that all affected delegates have information and assistance in real time. "The Affected States Working Group is led by all five state party chairs from the affected...

my friend, Anthony, came up with this

I am SO FREAKING TIRED of people who don't know the difference between "lose" and "loose." Y'all are ILLITERATES!!

Feeling The Economic Pinch For Some Ohioans, Even Meat Is Out Of Reach by Yuki Noguchi Katia Dunn/NPR Angelica Hernandez (left) and her mother, Gloria Nunez, struggle to make ends meet on a very limited budget. All Things Considered, July 17, 2008 · A generation ago, the livelihood of Gloria Nunez's family was built on cars. Her father worked at General Motors for 45 years before retiring. Her mother taught driver's education. Nunez and her six siblings grew up middle class. Things have changed considerably for this Ohio family. Nunez's van broke down last fall. Now, her 19-year-old daughter has...

I would hope that Fox, the govt., etc., provided benefits...but maybe not, if Rush has to ask. Rush wouldn't ask if he didn't have to.

Coal, steel, oil — we think of these old-economy industries, and we picture pollution. Smoggy skies, fouled rivers, toxic waste. As we make the transition to a new economy, we imagine that industrial pollution will become a thing of the past. Mobile phones, laptops, MP3 players — they conjure images of spotless semiconductor factories and the eternal summer of Silicon Valley where the digital economy was born. But the tech industry has a dirty little secret: it has toxic waste of its own. Phones and computers contain dangerous metals like lead, cadmium and mercury, which can contaminate the air and...

By ADAM SCHRECK, AP Business Writer 2 hours, 57 minutes ago NEW YORK - United Airlines said Friday it will start requiring minimum stays for nearly all domestic flights beginning in October. It is also raising its cheapest fares by as much as $90 one-way. The second-largest U.S. carrier said the moves are among a number of changes it is making to combat record high fuel prices. The Chicago-based airline has been among the most aggressive in the industry in pushing fares and fuel surcharges higher in recent months, and its latest policy could prompt other carriers to consider following...

Hillary Clinton in negotiations for Barack Obama to help pay off her debts Posted by Toby Harnden on 02 Jun 2008 at 22:28 Negotiations are understood to be taking place between the Obama and Clinton campaigns about the Illinois senator helping to repay some of the massive debt incurred by his rival. One of Hillary Clinton’s donors said that the former First Lady’s campaign was as much as $40 million in the red. In a conference call with major donors this afternoon, contributors were told by Harold Ickes, a senior Clinton adviser, that she was unlikely to pull out of...

(05-12) 19:45 PDT -- Rather than tossing loose change into a panhandler's empty cup, San Francisco officials want you instead to slide your spare quarters and nickels into a homeless meter. The city's latest attempt to deal with one of its most vexing problems will be announced in coming weeks in the form of 10 old parking meters installed in some of the most heavily panhandled areas, The Chronicle has learned. Money deposited in the meters would go directly to charities that help the homeless. The goal, officials say, is to reduce panhandling and to educate tourists and residents about...

I don't want to alarm anybody, but maybe it's time for Americans to start stockpiling food. No, this is not a drill. You've seen the TV footage of food riots in parts of the developing world. Yes, they're a long way away from the U.S. But most foodstuffs operate in a global market. When the cost of wheat soars in Asia, it will do the same here. Reality: Food prices are already rising here much faster than the returns you are likely to get from keeping your money in a bank or money-market fund. And there are very good reasons...

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin says she's pregnant with 5th child and is due sometime in May Associated Press - March 5, 2008 10:43 PM ET JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and her husband are expecting their fifth child. Palin, 44, wouldn't say whether the child will be a boy or a girl, explaining that she had not shared that with their children yet. The baby is due in mid-May. She and her husband, Todd, have three girls and a boy, ages 6 to 18. Their oldest, Track, enlisted in the Army last year. Former Massachusetts Gov. Jane...

What a great song!!

The Space Needle fireworks are traditional. It was hysterical...three...two...one...nothing happened. They finally got it running...but there are so many comedy routines running through my head right now.... I had been watching a Bob Newhart special on PBS just before midnight...and I could just hear Bob say..."...now, did you try the green button...." You should have seen the anchors on TV....

Trout leap to freedom in incredible escape from pond through eight-inch pipe By MICK McDERMOTT Down on the fish farm, workers could not understand why the number of brown trout had suddenly taken a dive. But close observation revealed the reason - an aquatic version of the Great Escape. The resourceful fish are leaping 3ft out of the water and into an eight-inch pipe which brings fresh water into the farm near Alresford, Hampshire. Following their instincts the trout, cousins of the Atlantic salmon, then swim against the flow for 30ft before finding freedom at the other end as they...

Goodbye old girl, how the loss of a man's best friend effects one dog lover By BRUCE FOGLE At the moment, I am unanchored. Emotionally adrift. Not because my marriage has hit the skids, or because my children are unwell. I haven't lost my job. I'm not even moving home. My mind's in a stew for a banal, some of you might say a really trivial, reason: my dog died. It's not that my dog was anything particularly special. She was a family dog, a six-year-old female golden retriever, one of the umpteen dogs you might see every day being...

Friday, October 12, 2007 Sanchez, former U.S. commander in Iraq, calls war 'a nightmare with no end in sight' By Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes Mideast edition, Saturday, October 13, 2007 AP file photo Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, V Corps Commanding General, at a welcoming ceremony for soldiers of the 1st Armored Division at their base in Wiesbaden, Germany, in October, 2004. ARLINGTON, Va. – The former top commander of U.S. troops in Iraq slammed the handling of the war and gave a bleak assessment of the current situation in Iraq. “There is no question that America is living...

Officer says she will drop suit against family in near drowning Rene Stutzman Sentinel Staff Writer 5:11 PM EDT, October 11, 2007 CASSELBERRY A police sergeant who sued a family with a baby who suffered severe brain damage from a near drowning because the officer slipped and fell in a puddle of water at the house will drop the lawsuit, her attorney said late this afternoon. Attorney David Heil, who represents Casselberry Police Sgt. Andrea Eichhorn, said he plans to file paperwork to that effect as early as Friday. The city also reported today that it has placed Eichhorn on...

Unexploded Rocket-Propelled Grenade Impales Army Private in Afghanistan By RUTH REISS [snip] One RPG skidded past Lt. Mariani's vehicle. All of the vehicles had to quickly get out of the "kill zone." But before they could get to safety, two rockets hit Pvt. Moss' Humvee. Staff Sgt. Eric Wynn, 33, the soldier in the front passenger seat, felt one slice through his face. Moss remembers the truck practically lift up. He was thrown up against the Humvee and then moved to return fire. "I smelled something smoking and I looked down ... and I was smoking," he said. Wynn turned...

Walt Crowley, historian, part of city history, dies at 60 By Sharon Pian Chan [snip] Mr. Crowley, in his trademark bow tie, served as a conscience of the city -- as city planner, local television commentator, speechwriter to a former governor. In his final, and possibly most lasting role, he served as public historian through the Web site and in a dozen books he and his wife collaborated on, including the histories of the Rainier Club, the Blue Moon Tavern and Seattle University. "He really, truly loved Seattle, and he dedicated the latter part of his life to trying to...

Mandela still alive after embarrassing Bush remark Fri Sep 21, 8:15 AM ET JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Nelson Mandela is still very much alive despite an embarrassing gaffe by U.S. President George W. Bush, who alluded to the former South African leader's death in an attempt to explain sectarian violence in Iraq. "It's out there. All we can do is reassure people, especially South Africans, that President Mandela is alive," Achmat Dangor, chief executive officer of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, said as Bush's comments received worldwide coverage. In a speech defending his administration's Iraq policy, Bush said former Iraqi President Saddam...