Free Republic

They were just trying to save his hair. But what started as a desire to preserve Koran Akindele Jenkin's dreadlocks, grown during his 13-year life, ended in tragedy and changed the Berkeley boy's world forever. Koran had picked up head lice in his thick, black shoulder-length dreads during a backyard campout with a group of friends. The eighth grader had never in his life had a haircut. He loved his hair. His mother loved his hair. Koran, a member of a hip-hop group, needed the hair to complete his look. But as the critters hopped around in Koran's locks, mother...

BOSTON -- As millions of Catholics prepare for the traditional midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, the Boston Archdiocese is making an unusual plea to parishioners. NewsCenter 5's Jorge Quiroga reported that church leaders are asking anyone with cold or flu symptoms to take certain precautions and avoid some rituals. The announcement comes days after two elderly men on Cape Cod died of flu complications. But public health officials warn against overreactions saying the cases are not unusual considering the ages of the victims, 89 and 90. Parishioners attending Christmas Mass are urged not to shake hands as a sign of...

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) -- City officials say one smelly employee is responsible for a new policy that requires all city employees to smell nice when reporting for work. The Murfreesboro City Council adopted the good hygiene policy Thursday: "No employee shall have an odor generally offensive to others when reporting to work. An offensive body odor may result from a lack of good hygiene, from an excessive application of a fragrant aftershave or cologne or from other cause." City attorney Susan McGannon said the problem had never come up in the 11 years she has worked for the city. But...

The French have never liked Disneyland Paris, blaming it for a host of cultural ills. But, as they relish its current financial woes, Philip Delves Broughton, who spent a day there with his family, says it's worth every euro Europe's "cultural Chernobyl", as one French critic called Disneyland Paris, is in meltdown again. Falling attendance, overspending on a new movie-themed park and those cursed terrorists are to blame. This month, it announced it would have trouble repaying its banks and the doomsayers are predicting bankruptcy. Small world: Disneyland Paris aims to bring the famous formula to Europe For those who...

Evidence of new virus found in stool samples, journal report says Scientists working to identify the cause of a mysterious respiratory illness that has killed 111 people worldwide are now almost certain that it is associated with a new kind of coronavirus, a family of viruses also responsible for the common cold. One of two groups of scientists whose findings were published online yesterday in separate New England Journal of Medicine articles also said they had found genetic evidence of the virus in some victims' stool samples. The finding lends support to a previously advanced theory that the virus might...

Note: Although the support of non-US citizens is appreciated, this petition should be signed only by US citizens. — Michelle Walsh, Author -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To: Mr. Michael Moore Michael Moore, we come to you as very concerned citizens of the United States. First of all, we want you to know that we have the utmost respect for you and your insistence on doing the right thing in support of freedom, truth and human rights. Through your words and actions, you have shown us that there is still a beacon of hope for the state of our nation. It is our faith...

Suddenly, there they were: crowds of unnerved men and women, grabbing baskets and stalking the aisles of a Guangzhou supermarket to stockpile rice, oil and salt. Some chattered breathlessly: "War is coming!" "Pneumonia!" Scenes like this one from the Daoneijia Supermarket in southern China's biggest metropolis have played out across the booming Pearl River Delta this week, part of the psychological fallout from a mystery malady that has caused five deaths and sickened hundreds with pneumonia. The rumours show no sign of abating - not surprising in a culture whose government routinely suppresses information and often lies. By Friday, provincial...

Police in Chile have caught a dealer who allegedly sold fake perfume made of goat urine. The 47-year-old is charged with creating a secret laboratory to manufacture fake perfumes.The perfume was sold all over Santiago by street vendors.Police said he employed nine people to fake expensive perfumes such as Chanel No.5 and Paloma Picasso.A chemical analysis of two perfume samples revealed they were made with goat urine and vodka.Newspaper La Cuarta reports that the man faces a prison sentence.

How do you tell a colleague, co-worker, or boss that their bad habits/lack of personal hygiene are driving you crazy?How do you let a flirt or homewrecker know you're onto them, without revealing your identity? Send an anonymous EMAIL! See the website for ways to Give-A-Hint!