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WASHINGTON, Feb. 21, 2008 – Away from the rigors of combat last night on an evening dedicated to their selfless service, the only shootout troops worried about was between dueling National Hockey League teams. During Military Appreciation Night at the Verizon Center here, the Washington Capitals honored some 5,000 servicemembers and their families with free admission and hosted dozens of wounded warriors from military hospitals. From the giant high-definition screen hanging from the arena's ceiling, shout-outs to servicemembers and videos featuring troops and hockey pros projected onto some 18,000 fans attending the Capitals-New York Islanders contest. At a pre-game...

This is a rare creature that has been captured on camera just recently.

How Well Do Dogs See At Night? ScienceDaily (Nov. 9, 2007) — A lot better than we do, says Paul Miller, clinical professor of comparative ophthalmology at University of Wisconsin-Madison.Dogs have good night vision, due in large part to the tapetum, a mirror-like structure which reflects light, giving the retina a second chance to register light that has entered the eye. This is also what makes dogs eyes glow at night. The dog is holding a toy in her mouth. (Credit: Michele Hogan) “Dogs have evolved to see well in both bright and dim light, whereas humans do best in...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2007 – For some servicemembers of past generations, the USO evokes images of comedian Bob Hope telling jokes while clutching a golf club. But during USO Night yesterday at RFK stadium here, troops on hand were treated to an up-close view of professional baseball players wielding Louisville Sluggers. Marine Sgt. Justin L. Clough; Army Spc. Marion D. Pettus, III; Air Force Senior Airman Nicole P. O’Hara; Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Samuel S. Jordan; Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Daniel J. Walsh; and Ned Powell, president and chief executive officer of USO, pose with Screech,...

Source: University of Adelaide Date: August 17, 2007 Brains Learn Better At Night Science Daily — If you think that the idea of a morning person or an evening person is nonsense, then postgraduate student Martin Sale and his colleagues from the University of Adelaide have news for you. Martin Sale demonstrates the technique to stimulate nerve activity in the brain. (Credit: Image courtesy of University of Adelaide) They have found that the time of day influences your brain’s ability to learn—and the human brain learns more effectively in the evening. And by identifying at what point in the day...

  Night Air Assault Mission Nets Insurgents   Preparation results in successful mission to capture insurgents and weapons. By Sgt. Johnnie French, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq, June 26, 2007 — U.S. Paratroopers targeted an insurgent stronghold nicknamed “Hawaii� outside of Mahmudiyah June 23. The paratroopers from Company C, 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (BCT) (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division conducted Operation Peregrine II and captured five members of an insurgent cell in north Babil. “It was difficult. This was our first air assault, and at the last...

Aircrew aids Globemaster carrying severely injured troops from Iraq. ROYAL AIR FORCE MILDENHALL, England, Feb. 14, 2007 — A late night call, a cancelled sortie and flexibility led an aircrew from the 351st Air Refueling Squadron here to expedite medical care for more than a dozen severely injured troops being transported from Iraq to Andrews Air Force Base, Md., on Feb. 7. "The maintainers and my crew worked unbelievably fast because we realized how critical the mission was, " Capt. Colin Henderson, 351st Refueling Squadron According to Capt. Brent Toth, 100th Operations Support Squadron scheduler, the refueling mission was far...

I have searched and searched for the thread that was present late last week. Someone named Old sargeant or something like that started this story that was to be carried on by others on the thread. However, this person did such a good job that they continued the story. Can anyone provide the link please?

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20, 2006 – Over the past two and a half years, about 500 severely wounded servicemembers and their families have enjoyed 5,000 free dinners out on the town thanks to Hal Koster and Marty O’Brien. “Some of them have come to multiple dinners because some of them are here for years,” Koster said Aug. 18, as he looked over the 60 or so guests dining on the rooftop of The Exchange restaurant here. About 20 servicemembers, many in wheelchairs and prosthetics, family members and other guests dined overlooking a panoramic view of the U.S. Capitol, and the Washington...

2006 ABC Saturday Night College Football schedule • Sept. 2, 8 p.m. ET: Notre Dame at Georgia Tech • Sept. 9, 8 p.m. ET: Ohio State at Texas • Sept. 16, 8 p.m. ET: Nebraska at USC • Sept. 23, 8 p.m. ET: Notre Dame at Michigan State; USC at Arizona • Sept. 30, 8 p.m. ET: Ohio State at Iowa or Michigan at Minnesota* • Oct. 7, 8 p.m. ET: Oregon at California; ACC, Big 12 or BIG EAST (12-day selection) • Oct. 14, 8 p.m. ET: Michigan at Penn State; Arizona State at USC • Nov. 4, 8...

WASHINGTON, May 1, 2006 – For the past two and a half years, veterans of wars past have been helping heal the latest generation of wounded troops every Friday in a basement steakhouse here. Members of Disabled American Veterans help a wounded servicemember before the final Friday night dinner for wounded troops at Fran O'Brien's steakhouse in downtown Washington, D.C. Groups like DAV and Helping Our Heroes Foundation bring dozens of wounded troops out to the Friday dinners, which now will be held at various locations in the nation's capital, beginning May 5. Photo by Paul X. Rutz  (Click photo...

FOB KALSU, Iraq (Army News Service, April 21, 2006) – As Soldiers from 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, fight terrorists and help the Iraqi army protect its country, Soldiers from Company A, 204th Support Battalion, 2nd BCT, silently creep through the streets of Iraq re-supplying Soldiers in the fight. New supply shipments arrive daily at Forward Operating Base Duke, where they are processed and distributed by the Soldiers of Co. A, 204th Spt. Bn. “Everything from food, water and office supplies to oil, wood and serviceable parts are sent on logistical packages to each base in the 2nd...

Site requires membership to pull up story but here is excerpt... Grandson Wants Russian Authorities to Investigate Stalin’s Death Joseph Stalin’s great-grandson has appealed to the Russian authorities with a request to investigate the circumstances of his great-grandfather’s death, news agencies reported Thursday. “When Stalin was disposed of, Khrushchev, who imagined himself to be a statesman, was able to come to power. His so called activities were nothing but a betrayal of the interests of the state that he headed,” Jacob Jugashvili said in a statement. The betrayal committed in the Kremlin should be judged in the Kremlin, too, he...

Clooney film faces censorship (But You Know The New York Slimes...) by Julia Wheeler The film which won George Clooney an Oscar may be banned in one of the countries where it was shot because of political sensitivities. Syriana was partly filmed in the United Arab Emirates. The authorities there are still deciding whether the film, which is a political thriller, will be shown.

MARINE BARRACKS WASHINGTON (Feb. 24, 2006) -- In 1776, the United States declared its independence from the British government. However, the United States Marine Corps finds itself 230 years later, modifying the traditions of the British Royal Marine Corps and using those traditions as a foundation to create some of their own. H & S Company NCOs of the “Oldest Post” carried on the tradition of formal military dining, or the Marine Corps Mess Night, Wednesday, Feb. 22. First Sergeant Walter C. Baldwin, company first sergeant, H & S Company, said the purpose of the Mess Night, although formal, is...

Pakistanis 'killed in US strike' Two Pakistani nomad women have been killed after a rocket fired across the border from Afghanistan landed on their tent, Pakistani officials say. Four children were hurt in the attack late on Saturday in North Waziristan. Locals say US-led coalition forces in Afghanistan fired four rockets into Pakistan's tribal area after coming under fire from unknown attackers. A US spokesman confirmed coalition forces had returned fire into Pakistan, but was not aware of casualties. Post 'attacked'The incident is the third this year in which civilians have been killed inside Pakistani territory in apparent missile strikes...

CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq (Jan. 19, 2006) -- The commanding officer of 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward), gives an order to one of his Marines to dance. Without hesitation the Marine starts “busting a move” to the hip-hop music that blares through the speakers. Normally this kind of order would be considered unlawful, however, this kind of behavior is not only accepted, but expected during the Marine Corps tradition known as the mess night. Usually mess nights are held at officer clubs or other suitable places either on or off base where Marines can suit up in...

Leaders fiddle as France burns By Colin Randall in Paris (Filed: 08/11/2005) France was struggling to overcome one of its gravest post-war crises last night as every major city faced the threat of fierce rioting that began 12 nights ago and now seems to have spun out of control. More than 1,400 vehicles were destroyed during a night of increasing violence Despite an assurance from Philippe Douste Blazy, the foreign minister, that France was "not a dangerous country", the spread of violence prompted the Foreign Office in London to warn travellers that trouble could break out "almost anywhere". Dominique de...

French violence enters 10th night Nearly 900 vehicles were burnt on Friday night Urban violence in France has entered a 10th night, with fresh arson attacks in suburbs of Paris and elsewhere. Reports say that the Essonne region south of the capital and the southwestern city of Toulouse are the latest to be affected. The attacks came as the French authorities said they were determined to stop the unrest. Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy warned of stiffer jail sentences for arsonists following Friday's damage. Nearly 900 vehicles were set on fire, as incidents were reported in Nice, Lille, Marseille and Dijon...

AR RAMADI, Iraq (March 28, 2005) -- Bellows from the 7-ton's diesel exhaust echoed off of brick buildings lining the narrow streets. Corporal James P. Kohler Jr. and his fellow squad members sit cramped in the big rig's bed singing halfhearted Marine Corps' cadences trying to relieve nervous tension as they traveled to their destination. It was late; close to 10 p.m. They knew nothing good was out at that hour and that is why they're there. The 21-year-old Grandterrace, Calif., native and the other Marines with 2nd Platoon, Company C, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, spent a night on...

BAGHDAD (Army News Service, Oct. 18., 2005)— Iraqi Army and Coalition Forces captured 15 suspected terrorists in a series of pre-dawn combat operations conducted in and around Baghdad Oct. 18. Three of the suspects taken into custody are thought to be bomb emplacers and another is believed to be a weapons dealer and terrorist cell financier. The largest operation was carried out by Iraqi Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division. Shortly after midnight, the Iraqi Army Soldiers captured five suspected Anti-Iraqi Forces during a raid against a terrorist safe-house in the Adhamiyah district of central Baghdad....

RED DEVIL, Alaska, Aug. 22, 2005 – Air Force engineers brought a gift of light to this remote Alaskan village last week. In the small village of Red Devil, 250 air miles west of Anchorage, air travel is the sole means to enter and leave the town. The 4,750-foot gravel airstrip lined with orange cones is essentially the town's lifeline to the rest of the state. This lifeline was significantly strengthened Aug. 17 when airmen from the 611th Civil Engineer Squadron, based at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, installed a runway lighting system. Red Devil, along with 62 other communities,...

Abbas poses pragmatic for the Western press, while the PA Media Portray Feb. 25's Suicide Bomber of a Tel Aviv Night Club as a Hero fighting for Allah. While PA leader Mahmoud Abbas issues tersely worded condemnations of the February 25th suicide bombing of a Tel Aviv night club, the PA news media has been glorifying the memory of the bomber, Abdalla Badran, calling him a “shahid”, a martyr, a person who died for the highest ideals of Islam. Taking a page right out of Arafat’s book, Abbas has been projecting a moderate, pragmatic image abroad while the PA's state-controlled...

Well, Oscar Night is upon us again. And if Chris Rock is nearly right, I might be the only straight white man who watches the Oscars for both the pretty women almost dressed plus the primetime fun of making rude comments as the awards are handed out. I think I seen about every Academy Awards when I've been able to since my folks got a television set in 1955. It was always in the back of my mind to one night walk up and accept one of those small golden guys. I tried the acting route, even obtaining a SAG...

HILLARY'S FIRST NIGHT AS PRESIDENT in January 2008 Hillary Clinton gets elected President and is spending her first night in the White House. She has waited so long... The ghost of George Washington appears, and Hillary says, "How can I best serve my country?"Washington says, "Never tell a lie." "Ouch!" Says Hillary, "I don't know about that." The next night, the ghost of Thomas Jefferson appears... Hillary says, "How can I best serve my country?" Jefferson says, "Listen to the people." "Ohhh! I really don't want to do that." On the third night, the ghost of Abe Lincoln appears... Hillary...

Subject: Fw: "Dark and Stormy Night Contest" winners For you lovers of good writing, listed below are the 10 winners of this year's Bulwer-Lytton Contest, aka the "Dark and Stormy Night Contest" run by the English Department of San Jose State University, wherein one writes only the first line of a bad novel: 10. "As a scientist, Throckmorton knew that if he were ever to break wind in the echo chamber, he would never hear the end of it." 9. "Just beyond the Narrows, the river widens." 8. "With a curvaceous figure that Venus would have envied, a tanned, unblemished...

BOISE, Idaho - A city ordinance bans complete nudity at all gentleman's clubs, but one has challenged that ordinance by distributing pencils and sketch pads to patrons during "art night." The ordinance does give nudity exclusions for artistic displays which include dance, ballet and dramatic performances, so every Monday and Tuesday, the club encourages customers to sketch the models as they perform nude routines. "As far as the Boise city code, it specifies it has to be a serious artistic manner and this is a serious artistic manner," said Chris Teague, Erotic City owner. The club has put on art...

A REVOLUTIONARY night-vision system developed for the Dutch military makes night-time video images look as clear and colourful as those shot in broad daylight. The idea was to improve on the fuzzy grey or green pictures that are the hallmark of today's night-vision systems. Although these monochrome images are an improvement on unaided night vision, their lack of colour can make them hard to interpret. Full-colour night vision would help emergency services and the military better assess their surroundings, says Alex Toet of the TNO research lab in Soesterberg, the Netherlands, who led the team that developed the system. He...

Where is it?

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) --Shots were fired early this morning at an exotic night club in West Palm Beach. A woman went to the Flashdance Exotic Night Club after it closed today to talk to the owner about getting a job. She asked the owner if her two friends could go in with her. The owner let them in, and then the two male friends beat up the owner. The woman applying for the job beat and tied up the cleaning lady. The owner managed to pull out a gun while the men were kicking him. He fired shots...

Zombie flicks approach a .500 batting average-- far above any other genre of horror. Is there any other sort of horror movie where you can go into a theater and say, "There's about a 50% chance this is a legitimately good, well-crafted movie"? I don't think so. Why do they tend to be so good? How do they continue to delight and surprise while working, by and large, within the same basic and narrow parameters established by George Romero's Night of the Living Dead? I think it's a combination of several factors. Continue reading 1. Zombies are, essentially, uninteresting monsters....

The Night Before Solstice Twas the night before solstice and all through the co-op Not a creature was messing the calm status quo up. The children were nestled all snug in their beds, Dreaming of lentils and warm whole-grain breads. We'd welcomed the winter that day after school By dancing and drumming and burning the Yule, A more meaningful gesture to honor the planet Than buying more trinkets for Mom or Aunt Janet, Or choosing a tree just to murder and stump it And deck it all out like a seasonal strumpet. My spouse and I, having turned down the...

The purpose of FreeRepublic.com's multiple message boards is to limit the topics for each board to particular topics. Posting the same message on all the boards defeats the purpose of multiple-boards for special topics. It is very annoying to see the same message on every bulletin board. PLEASE! DO THE READERS A FAVOR. STOP CROSS-POSTING YOUR MESSAGES!

It was already after 11 p.m. in San Francisco when a visibly exhausted Larry King told his CNN colleagues, "Right now gentlemen, the odds are we’ll have no winner tonight." At this, another wave of Kerry supporters filed out of Jillian’s, a restaurant in downtown San Francisco where Democrats and Kerry backers had gathered to watch the returns roll in. By then, an event that a few hours earlier had housed hundreds of cheering optimists had dwindled to about 30 souls mostly staring resignedly, finishing their drinks, or shaking their heads at the CNN coverage projected on a jumbo screen...

On the day after, Chris Schlichting heard discouraging word of the presidential vote as soon as he woke up. "The clock radio went off, and I was broken-hearted," he said.

We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail!Good morning.

Let's use this thread to post information on local GOP victory parties. I'll be smugly celebrating in the belly of the beast, Madison, WI.Election Night PartyCity Center West- 525 Junction Rd

In New Jersey, it's last call on Ladies' Night. This week, director of the state division of civil rights, J. Frank Vespa-Papaleo, announced that the Garden State will henceforth ban the longstanding practice of offering drink and admission discounts to women on designated ladies' nights. The 13-page ruling lectures that a bar's desire to attract customers doesn't override the "important social policy objective of eradicating discrimination." In this case, "discrimination" refers to a Cherry Hill restaurant's Wednesday-night practice of charging men a five dollar cover while letting women in free and offering them cheaper drinks. This ruling will apply to...

I turned it over to my ABC channel thinking Monday Night Football would be on. When I got to ABC I saw something entirely different. "The Practice" was on. So while I surfed on FreeRepublic I left it on in the background. I heard something about Guantanamo Bay and it got my attention. There was a courtroom scene with a man interrogating a woman. They made Guantanamo look like a death camp. They starting inserting terrorist groups here and there. It looked like the person writing the script knew some names and just threw them into a huge bin and...

Two Hevron residents were illegally imprisoned for a night - a mother and her nursing baby. Yesterday morning, when the mother was brought before a judge, he rebuked the police for having provided false information and causing him to order an illegal imprisonment. The story began when the police arrived at Yifat Alkobi's home on Tuesday afternoon to arrest her, after an Arab resident of the city complained that she had built a playground on his property. She had refused an earlier summons to come herself to the police station, on the grounds that the charges were too ridiculous to...

What could be more entertaining than Al Sharpton winning the Democratic nomination for president? Probably won't happen but, it's fun watching Democrats squirm at the prospect. (www.republicansforsharpton.com) All Republicans should be working to help Big Al receive as much media attention as possible. I hope he does well on SNL tonight...talk about leading the Democratic Party into oblivion. Run Al, Run! - Metro

To the Moderator: I am sorry for this, an admitted repost. I was fearful that I did not properly enter it into the server last time. I found myself unable to search for the post and thought that it might be impossible for others to find it and respond. Again, my humblest apologies. Those of you who have visited the Rush Limbaugh website recently may have seen an interesting video posted on the main page, on the right about halfway down. As you click to watch why it pays to see what goes on in the studio just before the...

It's not easy being a humorist. Some days you wade knee-deep in a flood of ideas, quips and witty repartees. The only problem you have then is deciding which of your comic gems to use and which to save for the drought that you know is coming. And the droughts always come. That's most days. I know I've written some really funny pieces. And I also know that I've written some real clunkers. The way I know that I'm really hitting my comic stride is when I laugh out loud as the words pour from my keyboard (Alas, it's been...

Bars, clubs forced to drop promotions in face of lawsuitsBy Alex Roth UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER It might seem like a harmless marketing stunt, although some lawyers will tell you it's an insidious form of anti-male discrimination. Either way, it's now history in the Gaslamp Quarter. Several local bars and clubs have been forced to drop their so-called ladies night discount-for-women promotions in response to a series of lawsuits claiming the practice discriminates against men. Lawyers quietly settled all the suits last month. Seven nightspots in the Gaslamp and elsewhere in San Diego County agreed to pay a total of $125,000...

Years Were Longer 1.3bln Years ago: Chinese ScientistsPeople who complain that there aren't enough hours in the day might have preferred to live 1.3 billion years ago. At that time, according to the latest research by a group of Chinese scientists, there were 15 hours in one day, 42 days in a month, and 13 to 14 months, or more than 540 days, in a year. The finding was obtained through a five-year systematic study of stromatolite samples, known as "stone with memory", by several researchers with the Tianjin geology and minerals research institute under the China Geological Survey...

Guys? Who's better?

Thursday, June 19, 2003 'Right now, the company is working some of the people six and seven days a week' Union members at ITT seek change in overtime policy By DUNCAN ADAMS THE ROANOKE TIMES A mandatory overtime policy sent union officials and ITT Night Vision management to the negotiating table last month. During the famous "Bread and Roses" strike in 1912, textile workers in Lawrence, Mass., fought both for increased pay and a chance to enjoy the finer things of life. More than 90 years later, union members at ITT Night Vision in Roanoke County are prepared to walk...

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2003 June 15 Noctilucent Clouds Credit & Copyright: Pekka Parviainen (Polar Image) Explanation: Sometimes it's night on the ground but day in the air. As the Earth rotates to eclipse the Sun, sunset rises up from the ground. Therefore, at sunset on the ground, sunlight still shines on clouds above. Under usual circumstances, a pretty sunset might be visible, but unusual noctilucent clouds float so high up they...

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2003 April 11 London at Night Credit: ISS Crew, Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Lab, JSC, NASA Explanation: Do you recognize this intriguing globular cluster of stars? It's actually the constellation of city lights surrounding London, England, planet Earth, as recorded with a digital camera from the International Space Station. Taken in February 2003, north is toward the top and slightly left in this nighttime view. The encircling...

Night battle on outskirts of Baghdad US troops are fighting Iraqi forces on the southern outskirts of Baghdad. Marines have traded heavy fire with Iraqi militia units, while army units encountered lighter resistance from Iraqi forces southeast of the city. A large explosion rocked a presidential complex in central Baghdad used by Saddam Hussein's son Qusay. Brigadier General Vincent Brooks, speaking at US Central Command headquarters in Qatar, said special operations forces were in key locations inside the capital. US forces reported that about 2,500 Republican Guards surrendered between the cities of Kut and Baghdad. Coalition forces have confronted two...