Free Republic

The Algemeiner reports: Ten overweight hedgehogs have had to go on strict diets and exercise regimes after they ate so much on the streets of Israel they struggled to curl up into a ball to fend off predators. Animal lovers found them waddling around and brought them into the hospital at the Ramat Gan Safari. Staff there said the hedgehogs had probably been snacking on food left out for pets. “A lot of people put cat food on the streets for the stray cats, which is very nice but … the problem is that there’s other wildlife that eats it,”...

More of us than ever are feeling blue. Prescriptions for antidepressants have topped 50 million a year for the first time, according to recent figures by the Health & Social Care Information Center. But in addition to the well-known triggers for depression—such as stress, money and relationship worries—there are some more surprising reasons you might be feeling low… If you’ve cut down on burgers for health reasons, a lack of iron could be making you gloomy. This key nutrient is essential for the formation of hemoglobin, which is present is red blood cells and transports oxygen around the body. …...

Of all the holidays in the year, Thanksgiving is perhaps most incompatible with the moral dispositions of Generation Y. It is not that we refuse to partake of the turkey and mashed potatoes, nor that we refrain from watching the football games on television. Rather, we are ungrateful for most everything we have. We are a thankless generation. I may sound like a pessimist, but my premise is basically positive. My generation is materially blessed beyond what any other generation before us has ever had. A typical, middle-class 18-year-old is endowed with a fairly new car with a fancy stereo...

'A number of stories in the media have reported that I have engaged in high stakes gambling over the past decade. It is true that I have gambled large sums of money. I have also complied with all laws on reporting wins and losses. Nevertheless, I have done too much gambling, and this is not an example I wish to set. Therefore, my gambling days are over...'