Free Republic

A veterans group is looking for a place to plant more than 1,100 white crosses on a visible site in Sonoma County, one for each of the American troops killed in Iraq. The memorial, known as Arlington West, would serve as a reminder of the "human cost" of the war, say local members of Veterans for Peace, a national organization that claims 4,400 members. "These are the invisible dead," said Tom Harriman, a Sebastopol attorney, Vietnam War veteran and member of Veterans for Peace Chapter 71 in Sonoma County. "These folks are getting killed and no one wants to acknowledge...

CONCORD, N.C. -- NASCAR changed its scoring system Tuesday, setting up a showdown for the Nextel Cup over the season's last 10 races. "I'm confident it is going to work and the drivers and teams are going to like it after they hear all the details," NASCAR chairman Brian France said. NASCAR has been criticized in recent years for using a points system that rewarded consistency more than winning. Matt Kenseth won the 2003 championship despite finishing first in just one race. Ryan Newman was sixth in the standings despite winning a series-high eight races. The new system will change...