Free Republic

RITTMAN, Ohio - The cracking of rifle fire silenced the twittering blue jays, blackbirds and killdeer. As members of the color guard lowered their rifles, the smell of bitter smoke drifted over the family and friends of former Army Sgt. Ellis Hale, a Vietnam War veteran who died of prostate cancer at age 59. Sniffles and gentle sobs accompanied a recording of taps. Moments after the final note, Sherry Hale walked down a curved brick walkway past the saluting line of representatives of the country's past wars. Head bowed, she clutched to her chest the American flag that covered her...

Alaska Bird Makes Longest Nonstop Flight Ever Measured Dave Hansford in Wellington, New Zealand for National Geographic News September 14, 2007 A female shorebird was recently found to have flown 7,145 miles (11,500 kilometers) nonstop from Alaska to New Zealand—without taking a break for food or drink. It's the longest nonstop bird migration ever measured, according to biologists who tracked the flight using satellite tags. The bird, a wader called a bar-tailed godwit, completed the journey in nine days. In addition to demonstrating the bird's surprising endurance, the trek confirms that godwits make the southbound trip of their annual migration...

The hoopla over whether House Speaker Nancy Pelosi should have access to an Air Force commuter jet or to a larger, more amenity-laden, 757-styled jet just goes to prove that anything in Washington DC can be politicized. Quite frankly, with Ms. Pelosi’s penchant for taking pot-shots at the president, I would have thought her request would have been for a C-130 gunship. Traditionally, members of congress have had to requisition the use of Air Force transportation through the Executive Branch. The allocation of a personal aircraft to the Speaker of the House only began after the terrorist attacks of September...