Free Republic

BERKELEY — University officials say people living and sleeping in the wide street median outside the UC Berkeley tree-sit are creating a messy, dangerous and noisy situation with their tents, litter and drumming circles. But the people in the tents — who act as ground support for a handful of people still living in a university oak grove — say their small encampment is there to protect the grove, help those still perched in the trees and keep a watchful eye on university police, with whom they've sparred in the past. "It's dangerous. We are getting complaints from people who...

Dear Friends, Family and fellow Americans, On this Fourth of July, as we celebrate our Country’s freedoms, I want you all to know about a great American. His story so powerful, Susan and I felt compelled to share it with you on this day in the spirit of those who have also served so honorably, that we may all enjoy the blessings of freedom. His name is Lt Col Allen West and he is running for US Congress. Upon detailed inquiry my wife Susan and I have chosen to support Col. West and we could not be more proud of...

A young man got caught in the river's rage while trying to recover more of his folks belongings. He died in those merciless waters. At the rate the river was moving, it boggles the mind that his body could be recovered. Yet instead of being swept away, he was found relatively close by. God was hanging onto him for his family's sake. Perfect strangers were driving up to people's houses and would just start loading belongings. No questions asked, just pitching in. Getting people and parts of their life to safety. God was the matchmaker, giving people that could help...

People Who Can't Carry A Tune Either Don't Know Or Don't Care, Study Shows ScienceDaily (Jun. 15, 2008) — Acoustical analyses of people belting out "Jingle Bells," "Brother John" and a Polish birthday song, "Sto Lat" reveal that most people sing in tune and in time, even without musical training. Moreover, two distinct "phenotypes", or recognizable forms, of impaired singing exist that are linked to perceptual abilities. Establishing this linkage is helpful for designing a music education curriculum. Dr. Simone Dalla Bella and colleagues from the University of Finance and Management in Warsaw, Poland, set out to evaluate the proficiency...

4/29/2008 - MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFPN) -- Airmen from the 23rd Wing at Moody AFB performed a maritime rescue in the Gulf of Mexico April 25 that saved six lives. Moody Airmen responded by providing two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters from the 41st Rescue Squadron, a 71st RQS HC-130P King and pararescue assets from the 38th RQS. The wing received the support request from the Joint Personnel Recovery Center at Tyndall AFB, Fla., around 11 a.m. The request was in response to a report the Coast Guard received from the Eos, an 800-foot Panamanian-flagged tanker ship operating in...

This is an animation of a red-shoulder hawk and what he might be thinking about people staring at him.

Biography The Rev. OTIS MOSS III is the newly appointed pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. Otis recently moved to Chicago from Augusta, Georgia, where he was pastor of Tabernacle Church. He was a Ford Foundation Scholar and All-American Track and Field athlete at Morehouse College, before earning a Master of Divinity degree from Yale University. [Biographical information is correct as of the broadcast date noted above.] Watch the Video Sermon Watch the Video Interview Download Audio.mp3 Please right-click the link to display your browser's "save as" options. _________________ "The People Who Could Fly" There is a...

Older People Are Happy: Life Begins At 40 And 50 And 60 ScienceDaily (Feb. 18, 2008) — Growing old is a happier experience than many of us imagine - that’s according to the findings of a study conducted at Queen’s University, Belfast, on behalf of the Changing Ageing Partnership (CAP). The study, which was conducted by Dr John Garry from Queen’s University, looked at young people’s attitudes to happiness in old age and how these attitudes affect their current health-related behaviour. Dr Garry said: “We have all heard the saying ‘life begins at forty’. But it seems that many people,...

Displaced Iraqis line up in Saydiyah to fill out paperwork to return to their homes, Feb. 9. Iraqi security forces and Soldiers from 4th Battalion, 64th Armored Regiment helped more than 2,000 displaced families by checking their paperwork to ensure only those who have paperwork showing they lived in a home would move in. Photo by 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. BAGHDAD — Saydiyah, on the southern side of Baghdad, is in the process of restoring their community into what it once was—an economically-thriving neighborhood where different religious beliefs were not only tolerated but encouraged. The neighborhood, along...

WASHINGTON - Human activity such as driving and powering air conditioners is responsible for up to 60 percent of changes contributing to dwindling water supplies in the arid and growing West, a new study finds. Those changes are likely to accelerate, says the study published Thursday in Science magazine, portending "a coming crisis in water supply for the western United States." The study is likely to add to urgent calls for action already coming from Western states competing for the precious resource to irrigate farms and quench the thirst of growing populations. Devastating wildfires, avalanches and drought have also underscored...

BAGHDAD — The city of Diwaniyah belongs to the people once again - a city where people walk the streets at night without fear or intimidation; a city where children go to the parks to play. It’s a city without “them” - the militants, terrorists, criminals and thugs that surrounded the city and its citizens in a cloak of fear. Over the past several weeks, 8th Iraqi Army Soldiers joined forces with Iraqi Special Operations Forces, Iraqi Emergency Response Units (ERU) and Iraqi Police to rid the city of these “bad men,” a common term used to describe those militants...

In honor of the Little Black People The Saisiyat tribe of Hsinchu and Miaoli will perform a solemn rite this weekend to commemorate a race of people that they exterminated By Jules Quartly STAFF REPORTER Saturday, Nov 27, 2004. Xiangtian Lake is one of two places to see the ritual. PHOTO: TAIPEI TIMES Drinking, singing and dancing are expected to take place deep in the mountains of Miaoli and Hsinchu when the "Ritual of the Little Black People" (¸GÆF²½) is performed by the Saisiyat tribe once again this weekend. For the past 100 years or so, the Saisiyat tribe (ÁÉ®L±Ú)...

White people 'a minority by 2027' By Christopher Hope, Home Affairs Correspondent Last Updated: 2:56am BST 31/08/2007 White people living in the UK's second biggest city are likely to find themselves in a minority in 20 years' time, according to researchers. Birmingham is likely to become a minority white city in 2027 A team of demographers from Manchester University has claimed that the number of white people living in Birmingham will be overtaken by the number of those with other ethnic origins by 2027. The news came as it emerged that 35 towns and cities in Britain have at least...

Ann Romney, wife of Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, finds strength in her family and her horses – and she's emerging as a potent political force this campaign season. "Ann deserves a lot of credit," says GOP pollster Neil Newhouse. "Politicians talk about family values, Ann and Mitt Romney live them." Her husband calls her "one of America's great moms" – a description she's "totally satisfied with." Mrs. Romney, 58, invited PEOPLE into the sunshine-yellow sitting room of her Belmont, Mass., home on June 12 to talk about her Mormon faith, raising five boys, living with...

Charles Clover meets the new head of the Science Museum and hears his controversial views on tackling global warming Beware of increased noise next time you visit the Science Museum, temple to scientific reason since the Great Exhibition of 1851. Its new director is a confidant of Al Gore's, with a lifetime belief that if you have a big story to tell you should "tell it with a megaphone." Chris Rapley, 60, comes to the museum from the British Antarctic Survey. In his 10 years as director, the institution that discovered the hole in the ozone layer in the 1980s,...

CityWatcher.com, a provider of surveillance equipment, attracted little notice itself — until a year ago, when two of its employees had glass-encapsulated microchips with miniature antennas embedded in their forearms. ADVERTISEMENT The "chipping" of two workers with RFIDs — radio frequency identification tags as long as two grains of rice, as thick as a toothpick — was merely a way of restricting access to vaults that held sensitive data and images for police departments, a layer of security beyond key cards and clearance codes, the company said. "To protect high-end secure data, you use more sophisticated techniques," Sean Darks, chief...

BAGHDAD — U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Kevin J. Bergner, spokesman for Multi-National Force-Iraq held an operational update on al-Qaeda in Iraq Wednesday at the Combined Press Information Center. Bergner named al-Qaeda in Iraq as the principal near-term threat to Iraq. “The government of Iraq, Iraqi security forces and Coalition forces are engaged in a tough fight against al-Qaeda and in particular it’s extremist ideology and leadership,” said Bergner. However, Bergner said both Iraqi and Coalition forces are making progress in the fight against al-Qaeda. “We are pursuing those who run those networks, and we are enabled by increasing amounts of...

Why isn’t everyone beautiful, smart and healthy? Or, in a less-polite formulation, why haven’t ugly, stupid, unhealthy people been bred out of the population—ugly people because no one will have them as mates, meaning they don’t get the chance to pass their ugliness to the next generation; stupid people because they’re outgunned in the race to financial success (that is, acquiring resources needed to survive and reproduce); unhealthy people because they die before they get a chance to reproduce? Evolutionary theory predicts that the unfeeling hand of natural selection would lead to a culling of disadvantageous traits—or, as biologists more...

People with moles age more slowly than others Last Updated: 1:43am BST 11/07/2007 People who seem to stay younger for longer are also likely to have more moles, research released yesterday suggests. A study of twins found a striking correlation between high numbers of moles and a biological marker for slow ageing. As a result, people with a lot of moles might be expected to live longer than those who have very few, despite facing a greater risk of skin cancer. Dr Veronique Bataille, from the Twin Research Unit at King's College London, who led the study said: "The results...

London - British public safety officials today increased the national alert level to "Quite Elevated Indeed" -- the highest category possible -- and appealed to UK citizens to "keep a sharp lookout for diverse people engaged in activities." "We ask the public to report any behaviors by various people that may or may not be of a suspicious nature," said Lt. Clive Jameson of the Metropolitan Police Service. "We further ask the public to be especially vigilant for activities of broad stratas of people who may be from countries of some sort, especially those within the eastern and/or western hemisphere."...

“Rich people didn’t make America great.� Hillary Clinton, April 21, 2007

Imagine having a glass capsule measuring 1.3mm by 1mm, about the size of a large grain of rice injected under your skin.

Smarter people are no better off 12:16 25 April 2007 NewScientist.com news service Roxanne Khamsi Contrary to common expectation, intelligence does not always predict financial wellbeing. Even though smart people earn more, on average, it does not protect them from financial difficulty. New research has found that people who score higher on intelligence tests end up with the same net worth as others when lifestyle factors are taken into account. And the study confirms that you don't have to be smart to be wealthy. The work reveals that while exceptionally smart individuals typically earn more, they are also more likely...

WASHINGTON - Researchers have found another gene that may keep you from fitting in your jeans. You can't blame this gene, named FTO, for all the extra inches. But British scientists discovered that people who carry two copies of a variation of the FTO gene weighed, on average, 7 pounds more than people who lack it. Unlike other genes thought to be involved with appetite or calorie burning, scientists have no idea yet what FTO is supposed to do. But research published in Friday's edition of the journal Science shows strong evidence of a link. Using blood samples provided by...

One in five young people rely on handouts By Amy Iggulden Last Updated: 12:47am BST 10/04/2007 A "lost generation" of unemployed young people is costing the economy billions of pounds a year in benefits, youth crime and educational under-achievement, a major report discloses today. The first large-scale study of its kind also shows that the population of "Neets" - people not in education, employment or training - is more than double that of Germany and France and is still growing. Roughly one in five young people faces a lifetime on government handouts, under-achieving in education and runs the risk of...

Hi, A couple of friends and I have started a new blog lampooning the "People For A Perfect World" types out there who want to legislate every single facet of our lives, and I'm looking for news articles from around the country and world to highlight. These articles should be about legislators or activists of any stripe who want to create laws for the purpose of creating a "Perfect World" where nothing bad happens and everybody lives in 3-part harmony (to quote an old 3 Dog Night song). So far we've highlighted the various ridiculous ramblings of such as Sally...

MEXICO CITY — In the country that's home to the cult of the Day of the Dead and Saint Death, communing with the dearly departed is nothing new. But what about wearing them on a necklace or a ring? Thanks to a pair of Swiss inventors, Mexicans can do just that by transforming their loved ones' ashes into diamonds. Sound morbid? Gloria Alvarado doesn't think so. Four years after her husband died of a heart attack, the Mexico City health-store owner will now be able to carry him with her wherever she goes. "I know it's not actually him," Alvarado,...

The Clovis people, known for their distinctive spear points, likely were not the first humans in the Americas, according to research placing their presence as more recent than previously believed. Using advanced radiocarbon dating techniques, researchers writing in the journal Science on Thursday said the Clovis people, hunters of large Ice Age animals like mammoths and mastodons, dated from about 13,100 to 12,900 years ago. That would make the Clovis culture, known from artifacts discovered at various sites including the town of Clovis, New Mexico, both younger and shorter-lived than previously thought. Previous estimates had dated the culture to about...

Rageh Omaar embarks on a unique journey inside what he describes as one of the most misunderstood countries in the ... all » world, looking at the country through the eyes of people rarely heard - ordinary Iranians. It took a year of wrangling to get permission to film inside Iran but the result is an amazing portrayal of an energetic and vibrant country that is completely different to the usual images seen in the media. A country of contrasts Rageh soon discovers that Tehran is a complex place and uncovers a city of extremes of wealth and poverty, where...

The American's Creed http://www.ushistory.org/documents/creed.htm by William Tyler Page I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed, a democracy in a republic, a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes. I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws to respect...

My lucubrations for today’s webposting would like to argue just this one single point: Doctrinal clarity is lost when Catholics call Protestant heretics. To be sure, that habit of unthinkingly hurling accusations of heresy at Protestants pretty much died out after the Second Vatican Council, when talk of “separated brethren” became all the rage. But a random spot-check of some Catholic blogsites of a conservative bent–where heresy is often used as the term of choice when these bloggers are in their Colonel Blimp harumphing mood–tells me it’s time for some clarity here. Which prompts the following reflections. First of all,...

BAGHDAD, Dec. 21, 2006 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today assured the Iraqi people that the United States is firmly behind them and is working with their government to solve Iraq’s political, military and economic woes. “I especially emphasized to the prime minister the steadfastness of American support and our enduring presence in the Persian Gulf,” Gates said in a news conference at the residence of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The new U.S. defense secretary arrived in Baghdad yesterday to talk with U.S. and Iraqi leaders to help him formulate recommendations for President Bush. He met yesterday...

Ngoc: three decades without sleep Sixty-four-year-old Thai Ngoc, known as Hai Ngoc, said he could not sleep at night after getting a fever in 1973, and has counted infinite numbers of sheep during more than 11,700 consecutive sleepless nights. "I don't know whether the insomnia has impacted my health or not. But I'm still healthy and can farm normally like others," Ngoc said. Proving his health, the elderly resident of Que Trung commune, Que Son district said he can carry two 50kg bags of fertilizer down 4km of road to return home every day. His wife said, "My husband used...

THE SEA PEOPLES All at once, they were on the move, scattered in war. They laid their hands upon the lands to the very circuit of the earth, their hearts confident and trusting; Our plans will succeed... " (Ramesses III). The name "Peoples of the Sea" comes directly from the Egyptian records, describing the Sea Peoples' exploits. As their collective name tells us, they were tribes who had developed a life style almost totally dependent upon the sea. They perfected boats, sailing and navigational techniques for fishing offshore as well as long distance travel and explored much of the Atlantic...

A nation 'fearful of young people' Press Association Sunday October 22, 2006 10:38 PM Britain is a nation fearful of young people, a children's charity has claimed. Youngsters have been "demonised" by the media and politicians creating myths and increasing fear amongst adults, Barnardo's said. But wearing hoodies and meeting friends on streets is all part of growing up according to Pam Hibbert, principle policy officer for the charity. She said: "We have become fearful of all children. We know for example young crime in itself has remained fairly static in the last ten years - it is a minority...

Kim's life of luxury as the people starve By Richard Spencer in Beijing (Filed: 16/10/2006) From imported lobsters to cognac and Mercedes-Benz cars, the expensive tastes of North Korea's secretive leader, Kim Jong-il, have never failed to stagger those who have witnessed his conspicuous consumption. However, his love of the finer things in life, in a country where his people have been allowed to starve, is now being challenged by the United Nations sanctions imposed at the weekend. They include a clause banning the export of luxury goods to North Korea and aim to cut off or at least greatly...

Kuelap – the Machu Picchu of Northern Peru.The mysterious super fortress of the Chachapoyan Cloud PeopleKuelap is the largest building structure of the Americas. It is estimated to contain 3 times more material than Egypt’s largest pyramid. Peru considers Kuelap to be as good as Machu Picchu and is trying to make this its equal 2nd major destination. It is twice as old as the Incas and in remarkably better condition before restoration. Kuelap is an unknown giant just waking up. Peru is a huge country the size of the 5 west coast states, California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, and Montana....

NINEVAH PROVINCE — After several years of neglect in Ninevah Province, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has stepped in to help rebuild the infrastructure. Located on Forward Operating Base Diamondback, Mosul, the engineers are currently working on several projects aimed at boosting quality of life and services for local Iraqis. “We are making a big difference here in northern Iraq,” said Lisa Lawson, project engineer, USACE, gulf region north, and resident of Tulsa, Okla. “We are helping to provide water, electricity, schools, police stations, and health clinics.” The mission of USACE is to provide quality, responsive, full-spectrum engineering services...

WILFORD, Idaho (AP) -- The Hepworths knew the house would require some maintenance. But they never thought they'd need a snake charmer. Shortly after Lyman and Jeanine Hepworth began working on a rundown property outside of town, they experienced a trauma more fit for Samuel L. Jackson's character in "Snakes on a Plane" than a pair of eastern Idaho do-it-yourselfers. Snakes, perhaps thousands of them, fell on Lyman Hepworth's head when he opened the door to a pump house near the small house the couple planned to buy. "When it warmed up, we walked onto the yard and the whole...

BAGHDAD — Multi-National Force-Iraq Spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell talked about ongoing operations, the Coalition’s objectives in Iraq, and challenges that face the Government of Iraq and its citizens, during a roundtable discussion with Iraqi media here Thursday. “Our ultimate goal for the Coalition forces here in Iraq is to see an Iraq that is at peace with its neighbors, that has a country here that has a representative government that respects the rights of all Iraqi citizens, with security forces that are sufficient to maintain the security for the Iraqi citizens, and then to deny this country as safe...

CNN's Eye of Sauron. CNN Airport Network is available in 42 of the busiest U.S. airports and is seen in more than 1,880+ gates and other viewing areas.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22, 2006 – Combined U.S.-Iraqi operations in Baghdad have produced real results for citizens there, who are seeing improvements in their neighborhoods and basic services and who report a stronger feeling of security, a top U.S. general in the area said today. As neighborhoods are cleared of violence through Operation Together Forward, Iraqi citizens are slowly returning to their everyday lives and gaining more confidence in the military and police forces, Army Maj. Gen. James D. Thurman, commander of Multinational Division Baghdad, said in a news conference from Iraq. “The whole point is to keep the people looking...

Mould no threat to people of New Orleans 01 September 2006 From New Scientist Print Edition. The buildings of New Orleans were left covered with mould after the floods caused by hurricane Katrina, but it seems the spores pose little threat to the city's remaining inhabitants. High levels of airborne fungal spores were reported in the flood zone soon after the hurricane. One species of particular concern to health officials was Stachybotrys, which is blamed for a wide range of health problems, particularly in people with asthma. But last week the International Congress on Aerobiology in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, heard that...

Ever since its disastrous 2000 merger with America Online, Time Warner has been playing defense. Outside agitators like Carl Icahn have called on the media behemoth to sell or spin off units that generate cash reliably but don't offer much in the way of growth, notably AOL and the company's vast cable holdings. CEO Richard Parsons, refusing to budge from the company's conglomeration strategy, has politely demurred. But recent events suggest that Icahn and the professional noodges have focused on the wrong corporate assets. What if Time Warner sold off Time Inc., the company's mammoth magazine business? Home to such...

TV star Nasrallah impresses people on all sides in hopeful Lebanon By Patrick Bishop in Tyre (Filed: 29/08/2006) The leader of Hizbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, became one of the most widely admired leaders in the Middle East overnight after a broadcast in which he impressed audiences of all persuasions. The lengthy, peak-time television interview was watched all over the region. Some viewers likened the portly, smiling sheikh to the Egyptian leader, Gamal Abdel Nasser, who half a century ago became a hero by defying Israel, Britain and France during the Suez crisis. Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah makes his widely admired television...

'People are definitely sceptical' When the government announced last Thursday that it had foiled a massive terror plot, broadcasters and newspapers were barraged with a wave of sceptical views from listeners and readers. Nearly a week on, are people still so distrustful? Patrick Barkham takes to the streets to find out Wednesday August 16, 2006 The Guardian (UK) Police officers outside the Masjid-E-Umer mosque in Walthamstow. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters It was not in horror or panic that thousands of ordinary people contacted the BBC or posted points on the Guardian's Comment is Free website in the hours after last week's...

Time Warner's Time Inc. subsidiary said Tuesday that it will end publication of Teen People magazine with its September issue, although the company said it will continue operating TeenPeople.com. "We're looking at…what makes sense for the Time Inc. portfolio," spokeswoman Ali Zelenko said. "We decided it made sense for this brand to live on on the Web." The move echoes similar moves elsewhere among teen-oriented titles. Hachette Filipacchi Media shuttered ELLEgirl magazine with its June/July issue, although it is continuing to operate the Web site www.ELLEgirl.com. In October 2004, Conde Nast Publications purchased the assets of teen-oriented YM and closed...

U.S. Army Capt. Demechel Robinson Supply Officer Enjoys Helping People By U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Nikki Prodromos 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment TIKRIT, Iraq, July 25, 2006 -- U.S. Army Capt. Demechel Robinson likes helping people. From her job as the assistant S-4 of Operations, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division to her involvement in many charitable organizations, she spends most of her time giving something back. Robinson helps bring the 3rd Brigade Combat Team troops on the ground their medical supplies, water, food, ammunition, and other necessities by providing an accurate and continuous picture of the brigadeÂ’s...

ONE MAN MADE THE DIFFERENCE A Veterans Journal Exclusive By David Brown In the 2000 election, President George W. Bush was elected by an uncomfortably-slim majority. The next election could be a repeat! The story behind that struggle for victory is about to be told by the man who, by single-handed tenacity, 'brought home the bacon' for George W. Bush.

7/19/2006 - SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) -- Three Air Force MH-53 Pave Low helicopters are part of the forces helping transport American citizens from Lebanon to Cyprus. The aircraft, from the 352nd Special Operations Group at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, are operating out of Akrotiri, Cyprus. They have been doing this for several days, U.S. European Command spokesperson Maj. Pam Cook said. The helicopters were in the region when tasked to provide support to the ongoing movement of Americans, the major said. The Airmen join other U.S. military forces also helping in the operation. Other U.S. military units involved are...