Free Republic

TENTACLED monsters, pale skinny humanoids, shimmery beings of pure energy... When it comes to the question of what alien life forms might look like, we are free to let our imagination roam. The science-in-waiting of extraterrestrial anatomy has yet to acquire its first piece of data, so nobody knows what features we will behold if and when humans and aliens come face-to-face. Or face to squirmy something. Despite this lack of hard evidence, a blend of astronomy and earthly biology offers some clues to what is out there. A few bold scientists are even willing to make an educated guess...

Nothing against the quality of Subway,but five dollars for a sub sounds a little expensive. For the average "hungry man",two subs and a medium pepsi is a meal. Now comparing that for what you can get for five dollars at Burger King or Wendy's, I would rather have three double cheeseburgers or Whoppers! I like subway,but that commercial with the three construction workers has got to go!

ROANOKE — A Roanoke man claims sheriff's deputies beat him in the city jail because of his burping. Thomas Scott Vandegrift made the allegations in a federal lawsuit filed last week against several deputies, the city, the sheriff's office and the sheriff. According to the lawsuit, the deputies were annoyed by Vandegrift's burping, which was caused by acid reflux. Vandegrift was being held at the jail on a drunken driving charge. He pleaded no contest in 2008 and received a six-month suspended sentence, a $750 fine and a year of driving restrictions. The lawsuit alleges excessive force, conspiracy to violate...

The California attorney general is asking Target Corp. to pull its Valentine's Day "Message Bears" from store shelves over concerns that they have illegal levels of lead. In a letter sent to the company Monday, Attorney General Jerry Brown said testing of the holiday toys revealed lead levels that violate federal law. The products were identified as two of Target's "Message Bears" -- one a pink stuffed bear with "XOXO" across the chest and the other a brown stuffed bear with "I Love U" across the chest, with "love" represented by a heart. Investigators from the Center for Environmental Health,...

A local woman's relationship started with love letters, fancy restaurants and lavish trips, but ended up in court where the man she thought she loved faces criminal charges. Marietta Egan claims the man of her dreams promised to invest her money, but ended up romancing her with it. She says she lost her retirement nest egg. And, now she's speaking out to help save other women from the same kind of heartache. SNIP "There was major, roses constantly, gifts, perfume, getaways," said Egen. Egen took years off from dating after her husband died to raise her son and met Lukens...

Defendant Rodney Alcala says the 1978 video shows that he was wearing an earring that police said he had taken from the body of a slain 12-year-old in 1979.The 20-second video clip shown to an Orange County jury Tuesday was a brief moment out of time. In it, serial murder suspect Rodney James Alcala, bachelor No. 1 in a 1978 episode of "The Dating Game," and the young woman who chose him blow kisses to the audience and dance in place. His hair is shoulder-length, straightened and feathered. His brown suit has wide lapels and his white shirt has...

Outlook: Wednesday, Feb 10: Start time no earlier than 11:54 am (warning signal) Race 1: 20 nautical miles to Windward and Return BMW Oracle (starboard tack), enters from right Alinghi (port tack) enters from the left Preview: Preview? There's been 33 months of back and forth, asking a court to decide who is the rightful challenger of record, what boats may race, and where they can or can't race, and every permutation of rule has been twisted and examined. Sides have been chosen around the America's Cup world, and this may be the least friendly competition among nations for yachting's...

An Indiana man lost for four days after his car became lodged in deep snow said he survived on Mountain Dew and mountain snow. Jason Pede, 31, said he was on his way from Dulce, N.M., to Aspen, Colo., on a rescue dog delivery when his Lincoln Navigator became lodged in deep snow on a small country road off Highway 114 near Saguache, Colo., KMGH-TV, Denver, reported Monday. Pede said he stayed in the car, surviving on a diet of Mountain Dew and snow, and found his electronic communication devices were not functioning in the weather. He said he burned...

A strip club in Ohio has raised $1,000 for Haitian earthquake relief during what was billed as "Lap dances for Haiti." Marilyn's on Monroe in Toledo donated the $10 cover charges collected Saturday to ISOH (I-S-O-H)/IMPACT, an organization based in suburban Perrysburg that provides food and clothing for Haiti. Marilyn's general manager Kenny Soprano says his establishment had been looking for a reason to hold a charity fundraiser even before the quake, as a way to improve its image. He says you don't hear much about strip clubs giving back to the community.

A canoe used for fishing and river travel, the waka tikai was discovered at the southern end of the beach. It took a couple of days to plan its excavation so that the seven-metre waka would not be damaged. Finding the whole length of a waka is fairly rare, as usually only sections are found, such as the prow or stern. Auckland Regional Council parks staff and locals carefully moved the waka on to a truck, which took it to a temporary home at the regional council depot. “It’s difficult to date the waka because it may have been created...

WASHINGTON, (AP) -- Don't say "mental retardation" — the new term is "intellectual disability." No more diagnoses of Asperger's syndrome — call it a mild version of autism instead. And while "behavioral addictions" will be new to doctors' dictionaries, "Internet addiction" didn't make the cut. The American Psychiatric Association is proposing major changes Wednesday to its diagnostic bible, the manual that doctors, insurers and scientists use in deciding what's officially a mental disorder and what symptoms to treat. In a new twist, it is seeking feedback via the Internet from both psychiatrists and the general public about whether the changes...

Hundreds of solar eclipses were recorded by medieval chroniclers, offering historians of astronomy with some vital information about how people in the Middle Ages reacted to this phenomenon. The latest research into this subject has just been published in the Journal for the History of Astronomy. In his article, "Investigation of Medieval European Records of Solar Eclipses," F. Richard Stephenson states he wants to provide "an intriguing insight into the effects of solar eclipses over a wide range of magnitudes on largely untrained and unsuspecting observers." Using chronicles mainly from England, France, Germany and Italy, Stephenson finds hundreds of accounts....

Ladies and gentlemen, I beseech you....the far left lane is not for parade routes, its not a scenic route, its not a driveway thru a cemetary. Its the thru-traffic lane, meant for the faster traffic. Please, if you can't or won't drive the posted speed limit, stay out of the far left lane. Look, I know you feel safe there. Its out of the way of all of those crazy drivers getting on and off the freeway. I know it's a jungle over there. They don't like newbies to merge, the newbies are in a hurry to move to the...

Check out this exchange between Obama and Fox's Major Garrett at today's WH presser with Gibbs. Obama and company are incapable of accepting rejection.

"It has been said the greatest volume of sheer brainpower in one place occurred when Jefferson dined alone..." John Kennedy HOW DID JEFFERSON KNOW?????? Especially read the last quote from 1802. And pass these on to your children and grandchildren!! When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe. Thomas Jefferson The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. Thomas Jefferson It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as...

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick is a changed man... At least that was part of his theme at the annual Super Bowl Breakfast this past Saturday. He spoke publicly about his faith in Jesus Christ. (Former Colts coach Tony Dungy was with him) Vick told the group that God was again the first priority in his life. "I feel I'm in the back seat now and God is in the front."

U.S. lawmakers are toughening their stance on Iran’s energy industry with new economic penalties, but experts doubt the Islamic regime will pay much attention and is more likely to open the doors even wider to other players eager to replace fleeing investors. Long on Congress’ radar screen, Iran is being targeted by two bills: The Senate’s Dodd-Shelby Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act passed in late January; and the House’s Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act approved in December. The bottom line is these bills, once signed into law by President Obama, will pursue financial institutions and businesses that do...

Not a great singer, but it works----this guy in a basement is writing and producing some cool conservative stuff. Same guy that just did "No Rules for Radicals" Here's the new one: Goodbye Miss America Let's help him out...  Share, share, share

I am trying to finish up a report for school and I had one more thing I wanted to cover. I am doing a pro-American view on the Iraqi war and I am wanting to discuss in detail of Ilario Pantano's Article 32 case. I have yet to find the transcript for this online and I really want to study it and report how Pantano actions were heroic (the only reason why Pantano and no one else is because my lib professor brought him up and said he was a murderer) Anyone here knows where I can recieve the full...

At a time when returning soldiers are regarded as national heroes and the number of war dead continues to rise, lying about medals affixed to a military uniform is seen as a lie so foul, it is criminal. It is being challenged now in federal court. Xavier Alvarez, a California man convicted in 2007 of falsely claiming to be a decorated Marine, is asking the U.S. Court of Appeals to overturn the conviction and rule the Stolen Valor Act unconstitutional. A ruling could come at any time. Most legal experts think he will lose. But he argues that his right...

Congress' latest job approval rating fell 6 points in just the past month, down to 18%--the lowest level in more than a year. According to Gallup, nearly 8 in 10 Americans (78%) now disapprove of the work of Congress. This decline in congressional approval is largely explained by a sharp drop in approval among rank-and-file Democrats, from 45% in January to 30% today. The slight changes in approval among Republicans and independents are not statistically significant.

Here is video of MSNBC's Chris Matthews saying Sarah Palin is "frightening," after playing a comment she made in an interview with Fox News Chris Wallace. Palin had been asked about possibly running for President, and how if she thought President Obama would be strong or weak politically in 2012. Palin responded that it depended on what happens between now and then, and gave as an example "what if" Obama "played the war card," - decides to "declare war on Iran." She said that would change the dynamic dramatically. Matthews said she is "frightening," and said "everyone knows a President...

Seven church fires so far this year have been ruled arson in the general east Texas area. What makes somebody burn a house of worship? The Klan used to do that, early in the last century and late in the century before that. I have nothing but contempt for anybody, of any race or creed, who would do such an evil thing. I found myself in a small town in Arkansas in the early 80s and began to realize the Klan was not just some fantasy. Coming from Dallas, this was quite a revelation to me, I couldn't believe they...

Sinatra Song Often Strikes Deadly Chord By NORIMITSU ONISHI GENERAL SANTOS, the Philippines — After a day of barbering, Rodolfo Gregorio went to his neighborhood karaoke bar still smelling of talcum powder. Putting aside his glass of Red Horse Extra Strong beer, he grasped a microphone with a habitué’s self-assuredness and briefly stilled the room with the Platters’ “My Prayer.” Next, he belted out crowd-pleasers by Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck. But Mr. Gregorio, 63, a witness to countless fistfights and occasional stabbings erupting from disputes over karaoke singing, did not dare choose one beloved classic: Frank Sinatra’s version of...

There are too many men--and hoarding cash is one way to triumph in a competitive marriage market. Much attention has been directed toward China's high savings rate. Not only is the savings rate disproportionately high compared with virtually every other country, but it directly impacts China's current account surplus and the U.S. consumer deficit. When national savings exceeds investment, the excess savings shows up in China's current account surplus. Given its far-reaching effects, both private sector analysts and policymakers have attempted to trace the causes of China's high savings rate and to predict how long it will last. Some have...

It is the secret to making anything taste fantastic, so much so it is known as the 'fifth taste'. And pretty soon you will be able to add it to absolute everything as tubes of the wonder stuff go on sale in 197 branches of Waitrose for £2.99 ($4.00) a tube.

Broad new TAU study finds statins cut cataract risk in men almost in halfStatins, a class of drugs used to lower cholesterol levels, have been successfully fighting heart disease for years. A new study from Tel Aviv University has now found that the same drugs cut the risks of cataracts in men by almost 40%. "Doctors have known for some time that there is some sort of preventative effect that statins have against cataracts," says Dr. Gabriel Chodick of the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University, who led the study....

To be honest, the photo of the bald eagle we posted last week near Fairway was just kind of depressing. There he was, pondering existence over icy waters, looking lonely, and actually balding. But the blogger who spotted that one, spotted two more this week on an ice flow in Harlem; "a huge female adult eagle finishing up a fish as another adult and juvenile begged for scraps!" If you want to see one of these in real life, they're being spotted up and down Riverside Park... just watch out for the packs of coyotes.

I received an email from a friend of mine today that supposedly has the smoking gun regarding Mr. Obama's citizenship, I couldn't find anything with this on snopes.

Han Han: Fifty Cent Party Must Work Overtime by C. Custer on February 9, 2010 Han HanHan Han is a famous post-80s generation professional race-car driver and best-selling author. He is also one of China’s most popular Chinese bloggers, and my own favorite. — Fauna From Han Han’s blog: Are You Xiao Ming*? I don’t know if everyone has noticed or not, but recently there have more and more Fifty Cent Party [wu mao dang] members on major forums and the comments of news sites. Of course, I don’t support calling anyone who disagrees with you “Fifty Cent Party“, but...

We're all aware of the two mega-recalls of Toyota vehicles. The quick and easy explanation is that "cars are too complicated" and "cars have too many processors and too much software." Certainly, there is some truth to that (software-controlled cars creep me out), but the sticking-accelerator problem has nothing to do with electronics; it's a mechanical problem with a mechanical solution. But the real problem which designers of mass-market, high-volume products really face is the law of large numbers. When you have tens or hundreds of thousands of a product out in the market, some of its incredibly obscure and...

Too Much Celebrating In New Orleans. VIDEO Commerical.

Scientists report further progress in study of complement reactionResearchers have teased out the molecular process that can shut down a marauding, often deadly immune response that kills thousands each year who suffer battlefield casualties, heart attacks, strokes, automobile accidents and oxygen deprivation, according to an article published in the January edition of Molecular Immunology. The article provides additional detail about the enormously complex biomechanics of a reaction first observed in the lab by Neel Krishna, Ph.D., and Kenji Cunnion, M.D., while conducting pediatric research at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters (CHKD) and Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) in Norfolk,...

Michelle Obama is today launching a campaign to tackle childhood obesity in America – while admitting that she loves unhealthy food. The First Lady has urged children to become more active, but confesses to eating burgers, fries, ice-cream and cake. The Let’s Move initiative, outlined by President Barack Obama’s wife today, aims to teach youngsters how to increase their daily physical exercise. It also pushes for schools to offer more healthy meals and calls on food companies to label nutritional information more accurately. Some of her initiatives, such as tax breaks for grocery stores to move into poorly served communities,...

NEW YORK, - A group of New York urban artists are decorating city poles with satirical messages disguised as actual road signs. The urban artists, who call themselves TrustoCorp, told the New York Post their "goal is to populate our streets with satire and healthy doses of sarcasm." One of the signs, which features a hand firing a lightning bolt, reads: "Caution. God thinks you are stupid. Notice: Ignoring God is un-American." Some passersby said they do not find the satire humorous. "What's the point this person is trying to make?" asked Jessiva Lian, 37.

Entire headline: I'm a Marine, get me out of here! Troops face fury of animal rights campaigners after eating scorpions and drinking snakes' blood With tasks such as drinking the blood of a cobra and eating scorpions, you could be forgiven for thinking the latest I’m A Celebrity! series was under way. But instead of a host of D-list wannabes, these are Marines taking part in an annual war game exercise known as Cobra Gold. However, their stomach-churning antics are likely to enrage animal rights campaigners. As well as drinking cobra blood, participants found themselves smeared with the stuff, as...

NEW YORK, - Experts said three coyotes spotted on a New York college campus in Manhattan are just the first pioneers of a likely continuing migration. The predators were spotted Sunday morning on the Columbia University campus and a responding officer confirmed one as a coyote, New York's WABC-TV reported Monday. Campus administrators sent e-mail alerts to students warning them to keep an eye out for the wild animals. Stanley Gehrt, an associate professor in wildlife ecology at Ohio State University, said coyotes are often seen drifting into cities. "It's not uncommon at all, and it's going to increase in...

Singer weighed 136 pounds at death, had tattoos near brows, lips. LOS ANGELES - Michael Jackson's full autopsy report was released following the filing of involuntary manslaughter charges on Monday against the singer's personal doctor. Following are some notable or new highlights of the Los Angeles County Coroner's report into Jackson's June 25 death. --Jackson died of "acute propofol intoxication" administered at a level equivalent to that used during anesthesia for "major surgery". A consultant anesthesiologist said there were "no reports of its use in insomnia relief." --None of the recommended monitoring, precision dosing or resuscitation equipment was present in...

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) are considered to be the most important etiological agents of chronic gastritis. The eradication of H. pyloridepends on the combination of antibiotics and acid suppression drugs. Unfortunately, the side effects of antibiotics reduce the curative effect and treatment compliance. Probiotics provides an alternative method which can inhibit H. pylori infection efficiently without antibiotics associated side effects. A research team from China investigated the potential anti-H. pylori and anti-inflammation in vivo effects of two lactobacillus strains from human stomach. Their study will be published on January 28, 2010 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology. Their results illustrated...

Newser) – The Daily Beast's chief investigative writer who "unintentionally" lifted lines from a Miami Herald article has apparently done the same thing on 4 previous occasions, cribbing from the Herald and Texas Lawyer. Gerald Posner is now on suspension from Tina Brown's online news operation, reports Gawker. "I now realize that a method of compiling information that I have used successfully since 1984 obviously does not work," Posner notes in his blog.

Sarah Palin and the Tea Party movement “both have far less support in the country at large than a gullible Old Media seems to understand or suggest,” Time magazine senior political analyst Mark Halperin asserted on “The Page” while colleague Joe Klein, on Time’s “Swampland” blog, showed fear of the supposedly impotent coalition as he denigrated her Saturday night convention speech as “anti-intellectual drivel,” scolding as “anti-American” those dumb enough to like her: Those who celebrate Sarah Palin's lack of knowledge as a form of “authenticity” superior to Barack Obama's gloriously American mongrel ethnicity and self-made intellectuality are representatives of...

KABUL—The fledgling Afghan National Army has been created from scratch by the U.S. and its allies. But, at least in its senior ranks, it increasingly resembles an Afghan army of old—one the U.S. helped rout two decades ago. The Afghan government is dominated by former mujahedeen guerrillas; both the minister of defense and the army chief of staff are former anti-Soviet insurgents. Most ANA generals and colonels appointed to serve just below them, however, are veterans of the Soviet-built Afghan military that hunted these insurgents through the 1980s. (continued)

Oscar-winning actor Louis Gossett Jr. says he is being treated for prostate cancer. Gossett, who made the announcement Tuesday, says the disease was caught early and he expects to make a full recovery. The 73-year-old actor says he is going public about the disease because there is not enough emphasis in the African-American community on fighting it with preventive examinations and early treatment. Gossett has appeared in dozens of films. He won an Oscar for best supporting actor in 1983 for his portrayal of the no-nonsense Navy flight school sergeant who whips Richard Gere into shape in "An Officer and...

This is a personal perspective, but it comes from having worked in Healthcare for more than a quarter century. You want to bring down the cost of healthcare? Start by reigning in the trial lawyers. It is estimated that about 5% (and that's on the low side) of all medical procedures done in America today are unnecessary but performed specifically as “defensive medicine” to help protect the doctor or hospital from a malpractice lawsuit. Eliminating just that 5% would save $110 billion a year. This does not include any downstream benefit from reduced insurance premiums and litigation costs. Medical Tort...

"These people survive on us coming down and spending money and coming here to these beautiful places. It sort of made sense to sort of say, 'Hey, let's help out Mexico.' " Take that, Angie!

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Drinking milk during pregnancy may help reduce your baby's chances of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) as an adult, according to a preliminary study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 62nd Annual Meeting in Toronto April 10 to April 17, 2010. The study involved 35,794 nurses whose mothers completed a questionnaire in 2001 about their experiences and diet during pregnancy with their nurse-daughter. Of the nurses studied, 199 women developed MS over the 16-year study period. Researchers found that the risk of MS was lower among women born to mothers with...

President Obama on Tuesday said he is open to working with Republicans on a health care reform deal but said he is unwilling to start the legislative process over from scratch, instead arguing that on health care and much of his agenda the GOP minority is going to have to accept some ideas it does not like. In an abbreviated, unannounced press conference — his first since July — Mr. Obama told reporters in the White House briefing room that he was willing to listen to Republican ideas and that he's already taken steps by proposing cooperation on nuclear energy...

The Saints beat the Colts 31-17 for their first Super Bowl victory. It was a thrilling win, with the outcome in doubt until Tracy Porters' 74 yard "pick six" with 3:12 left in the game and the Colts driving for the potential tying score. The other big winner in this game was sports books. Evidence shows that bettors love two things: favorites in point spread betting and the over on total betting. According to sportsbook.com, as of about 4pm Eastern on Sunday the line was the Colts -5 and the over-under was 57. Based on action at off-shore sports books,...

Who do you want to play the lead in the Lifetime movie? Sarah Palin Rogue Agent FoR Change