Free Republic

The Catholic Church in Venezuela has said it is running out of wine to celebrate Mass because of nationwide shortages of basic supplies. It said the scarcity of some products had forced the country's "only wine maker" to stop selling to the Church. Critics blame the shortages on tight state control of the economy and inadequate domestic production. But the government insists that an opposition-led conspiracy and price speculations are the problem. "[Our supplier] Bodegas Pomar have told us that they can no longer make wine because they're facing difficulties," Church spokesman Monsignor Lucker told BBC News. Some of the...

WAILUKU, Hawaii - Maui may be running out of sand, threatening not only its famous year-round beaches but the state's booming construction industry. Sources of readily available sand may run out within five to seven years, according to a report being prepared for Maui County. The vast system of sand dunes from Waihee to Waikapu has largely been covered by development, and what's left is being mined, the report says. Maui sand is in high demand because it's a key ingredient in concrete and the only material now available for beach restoration projects. About 318,000 tons of sand are dug...

Three Strikes yer Out: Time For Republicans to Step up to the Plate. by N. BeaujonApril 30, 2005 George Bush, former part owner of the Texas Rangers should understand this baseball analogy: It’s the 8th inning in the second game of the World Series and you’re down 12 runs. You were last years World Series champions, so how did you go from hero to goat? Likely, by resting on your laurels and taking your fan base for granted. Republicans had better not count on the successes of last season to think they’re going to win in 2006 or 2008. In...

The ME generation refuses to acknowledge that there is a looming problem with the Social Security system. Are you tired of all the Social Security discussions that have been flooding the air and print waves the past two weeks? Having a hard time understanding the plethora of opinions -- some good, some bad -- being thrown at you from all directions by people who seem to know what they are talking about, but are spewing venom the likes of which you haven’t seen since either the last presidential debate or the most recent episode of The Apprentice? Well, get used...