Free Republic

PHILADELPHIA - Those who watched the ninth inning of Game 4 in the National League Championship Series won't soon forget it. Manny Ramirez wasn't one of those people. When asked prior to Tuesday's workout how surprised he was to see Jimmy Rollins beat the Dodgers with a walk-off double into the right-center gap the night before, Ramirez said he was in the shower at the time. "When I came out, they were turning the TVs off and everybody was coming in," Ramirez said. Philadelphia's 5-4 victory gave the Phillies a 3-1 series lead and put Los Angeles on the brink...

The Orionid meteor shower is expected to put on a good show tonight into the predawn hours Wednesday, weather permitting. This annual meteor shower is created when Earth passes through trails of comet debris left in space long ago by Halley's Comet. The "shooting stars" develop when bits typically no larger than a pea , and mostly sand-grain-sized, vaporize in Earth's upper atmosphere. "Flakes of comet dust hitting the atmosphere should give us dozens of meteors per hour," said Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. People in cities and suburbs will see far fewer meteors, because all but the...

I was in the shower....

MOUNT JULIET, Tenn. -- A woman in Mount Juliet got a scare this week when a man broke into her home while she was in the shower. The intruder quickly ran out, but the woman grabbed her gun and shot at his car. Police arrested Franklin Fish a short time later. The woman identified him as the burglar. Detectives believe Fish is wanted for several other home break-ins.

NEW YORK - Your shower may not be getting you as clean as you think with a U.S. study finding many showerheads are dirty and may be covering you in a daily dose of bacteria that could make you sick.

A Vermont man rescued a baby moose from dogs that had chewed up his hips, but it doesn't look like David Lawrence can protect the moose from state wildlife officials who say the now-grown bull must be killed. Every day Lawrence makes the trip from Albany, Vt., to an Irasburg farm to visit Pete, a male moose whose affection he earned by nursing the bull back to health with a daily supply of food, reported WPTZ-TV in Plattsburgh, N.Y. "He expects me to come through the gate every day. This area has become his home because he knows I'm going...

The 50th anniversary this year of the shooting of Hitchcock's film Psycho will be employed to demonstrate how a one-minute shower will help conserve water and the environment.The Royal Society of Chemistry is seeking a lookalike of Janet Leigh, who played the part of Norman Bates' shower victim in the celebrated horror movie.The RSC is to make a tasteful video, called Shower Murder, to go on its website to illustrate how a shower can be taken effectively in just 60 seconds, so avoiding the huge wastage of water and the contamination that many in Britain cause currently.   RSC chief...

Showering during the working day helps employees become more productive and more creative, according to a new study. Four businesses - a restaurant, an architect firm, an advertising agency and a lingerie company - took part in the eight-week study, conducted by PR firm Lucre. Staff took a shower break in addition to their usual daily wash - and results showed improvement across a range of areas, from mood to productivity. Employees taking shower breaks at the four businesses - ad agency Home, in Leeds, restaurant The Chancery, in London, architects and designers 3s, in London, and Simone Perele UK,...

SEATTLE - It may the last thing on your mind when you get ready for a shower, but that new shower curtain may bring some unwanted friends into your home. A study found that more than 100 chemicals are released by some curtains, and some are at levels that violate indoor air safety standards. "I think what's most surprising was the amount of chemicals that were released into the air when you bring a new shower curtain home," said Ivy Sager-Rosenthal of Washington Toxics Coalition. "Well there is a range of volatile aromatic hydrocarbons that are coming off. These compounds...

Democratic leaders have sent tens of millions of dollars to freshman lawmakers’ districts in hope of protecting the party’s newfound majority come November. A new study of December’s omnibus spending package shows that the party in power has resisted pressure to abandon earmarking, at least to the extent of handing lawmakers in tough districts plenty of pet projects they can boast about to voters. Democratic freshmen in the House were among the biggest recipients of earmarked funds, often surpassing much more senior colleagues by millions of dollars. Republicans have made the practice of earmarking a major campaign theme and are...

Airborne astronomers to track intense meteor shower 16:59 03 January 2008 NewScientist.com news service Stephen Battersby The most intense meteor shower of the year hits Earth tonight. If the skies are clear and you live at high northern latitudes, then you could see dozens of Quadrantid meteors streaking over the pole. Or you might spot a plane full of astronomers racing northward, trying to find out how this unusual meteor shower was created, and whether it is the shrapnel of a celestial explosion witnessed in the 15th century. Like other meteor showers, the Quadrantids appear when Earth moves through an...

An Egyptian woman has filed for divorce from her husband on the grounds that he has not showered since they married, AlArabiya.net reported Sunday. The wedding took place two months ago. It was a quick courtship for Yara Saad Al-Din, 23, and Aysar Ali, 31, who got engaged two weeks after meeting on an airplane, AlArabiya reported. But a couple of months into the marriage and the honeymoon is over. Ali recently confessed to his blushing bride that he hasn't showered in all eight weeks of their union, and now the missus is ready to change her marriage vows to...

Friday, November 16, 2007 According to predictions, the famous Leonid meteor shower will peak this weekend. The best viewing is predicted to be during the wee hours before dawn on Sunday, when you might see as many as 10 to 15 meteors per hour. But meteor showers are notorious for defying predictions, so don’t discount Saturday and Monday mornings. And don’t be too surprised if the Leonids surpass or fall shy of the predictions. Even though the first quarter moon will light the evening sky, moonlight shouldn’t bother this year’s Leonid meteor display. As a general rule, the fast-flying Leonid...

"I would, if it weren't for my religious beliefs and the fact that I'd be facing prison time, shoot my husband dead for his deliberate annoyance."

I would really like to read the "I'm going to go take a shower now" thread that happened here probably 4 years ago. PLEASE, PLEASE.....

Rare meteor shower to shed light on dangerous comets 17:07 08 August 2007 NewScientist.com news service Stephen Battersby A rare meteor shower predicted to hit Earth on 1 September should give astronomers only their second chance to study an ancient comet's crust. It could also help them develop a warning system against an otherwise insidious threat – a comet aimed at Earth from the dark fringes of the solar system. September's shower, called the alpha Aurigids, has only been seen three times before, in 1935, 1986 and 1994. The reason for this elusiveness is the shower's unusual origin. Most meteor...

Bits of Halley's Comet will streak into the Earth's atmosphere before dawn on Sunday during the peak of the eta Aquarid meteor shower. Although moonlight will make all but the brightest meteors impossible to see, those that are visible may be quite spectacular due to the geometry of the shower. Halley's Comet last swung by the Earth in 1986 and now lies in the outer solar system. But every time it passes near the Sun on its 76-year orbit, the nucleus of the icy object sheds about 6 metres of material, which spreads out along the comet's orbit. Twice a...

Inventors have created a soap infused with caffeine which helps users wake up in the morning. The soap, called Shower Shock, supplies the caffeine equivalent of two cups of coffee per wash with the stimulant absorbed naturally through the skin, manufacturers say. "Tired of waking up and having to wait for your morning (coffee) to brew?" ask the makers, thinkgeek.com. Scented with peppermint oil, each bar is designed to provide a stimulant boost within five minutes.

JESSUP, Md. (AP) -- A father serving two life sentences for killing his two small children was found dead in a prison shower, apparently the victim of a homicide, authorities said. Richard Spicknall, 34, was found unresponsive in the shower at the Jessup Correctional Institution around 7:40 p.m. Saturday. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead a few minutes later, said Department of Correctional Services spokesman Mark Vernarelli. Mr. Vernarelli said Spicknall's death was a homicide. The state's chief medical examiner, Dr. David Fowler, said he could not release the cause of death because the case...

Mon 4 Sep 2006 Malodour on the dancefloor NIGHTSPOTS are being forced to pump out perfume because the new smoking ban is failing to disguise body odours. Air fresheners and scented oils are being deployed in a bid to banish smells caused by sweaty revellers. Licensed trade chiefs say venues are turning some people away because of poor hygiene, which was covered up before by the smell of cigarette smoke. Kay Bennett, of Edinburgh city centre nightclub Cabaret Voltaire, said: "If you walk into a club with a few hundred people dancing, you notice a smell. It's a combination of...

Mice, contrary to popular belief and cartoons like Tom and Jerry, don't actually like cheese, British researchers said after studying their diet and those of other animals. Instead, the tiny rodents prefer foods with a high sugar content like grains and fruit and would turn their noses up at something as strong in smell and rich in taste as cheese, scientists in Manchester in northwest England said. Animal behaviourist David Holmes, from Manchester Metropolitan University, said: "Clearly the supposition of mice liking cheese is a popular premise. Mice have evolved almost entirely without cheese or anything resembling it. "Mice respond...

The 2006 FreeRepublic LexiconAKA "The Freepism, Freepology, Lingo, Dictionary, Terminology, Lore Handbook" A revised and condensed version of The Lexicon of FreeRepublic, culled from Lexicon of FreeRepublic - 4th Edition and Freeper Lingo Thread (the history and meening of 'Freepisms' including pictures). Thanks to the many Freepers who contributed! In this latest update, I have cut the emoticons and standard acronyms (LOL etc - which are readily available on the web and previous Lexicons) for the sake of brevity. I have attempted to include all definitions and histories provided to me and give credit to those who provided me the...

SLOCUM TWP. – Luther George Cragle got undressed and stepped into the shower Tuesday afternoon thinking his lady friend was right behind him. But she was already out the door with his wallet, driving his car down the road. The woman, Renee Helena Davis of Wilkes-Barre, didn’t get far. She was arrested later Tuesday on a felony charge of theft of a motor vehicle. According to police: Cragle picked up Davis at Ricci’s pizza shop on Park Avenue, Wilkes-Barre, at about 4 p.m. and drove her to his Slocum Road residence where they agreed to shower together. He got into...

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad When Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad got an anonymous text message suggesting he didn't wash enough, he did not take it lying down. He fired the president of the phone company, had four people arrested, took other legal action and accused those involved of conspiring with the Israeli foreign intelligence service Mossad, according to the Iranian opposition website Rooz Online. The website says Ahmadinejad, known throughout the world as a hard-liner who has threatened Israel with destruction and questioned the Holocaust, is the target of many barbs among the populace in his country.

Fox News just reported a small plane down in the ocean off Santa Monica near Ocean Park. Anyone hear anything more?

A PEEPING tom has been sentenced to 350 hours of community service for installing a camera to spy on two women, including his girlfriend, in the bathroom of his Sydney home. Harley Bateman, 28, was convicted last year of installing a camera for indecent purposes and filming for indecent purposes. Ordering Bateman to perform 350 hours of community service, Deputy Chief Magistrate Graeme Henson said he accepted that his behaviour was "isolated" and did not represent "a long-term threat" to the community. Central Local Court was told that the Randwick tow truck driver had rigged up a camera system in...

The Department of Energy may soon be paying a visit to a certain shower-head manufacturer in Arizona. The company is Zoe Industries Manufacturing. It runs Showerbuddy.com, a popular site that sells amazing equipment for bathrooms. Consumers love the company but one man doesn't. He is Al Dietemann, head of conservation for the Seattle Water Board. Al ordered some products and sent them to BR Laboratories in Hungtington, California, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. And sure enough, Bureaucrat Al gained enough data to report Zoe to the feds, accusing Zoe of "blatant violations of environmental protection laws." Now the heat is...

Seattle officials plan to take action against the makers of a showerhead they say violates the city's maximum water flow rate requirement. The decision follows a lab test by Al Dietemann, head of water conservation for Seattle Public Utilities. He obtained the product online whose ads claimed experiences akin to tropical waterfalls, reports the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. "The people of Seattle have a very strong environmental ethic, and I think most people would be appalled at others who are wasting energy or water," Dietemann told the newspaper. Dietemann said he had received complaints from local plumbers and developers about body spa...

Well I was going to put this into some other thread but things have been moving so fast that it is going to be lost and I have been encouraged to give it one of its own. So since this is the first time I've posted like this, I hope I do it all right. I was feeling really frustrated by all the conflicting accounts of how many people were at the anti-war/anti-everything related or not related to Bush protest, that I decided to try to get a closer number based on the picture that came from Reuters of the...

Taking a shower could give you brain damage, new research suggests. It can expose people to dangerously high levels of manganese, a poisonous metal dissolved in water. It has been linked to damage to the nervous system. Most countries have strict guidelines for 'safe levels' in water, to which suppliers must adhere. But they do not take into account inhalation of steam vapour while showering, warn US scientists. Inhaling it leads to a 'direct unfiltered pathway of toxins' to the brain which increases the risk, they argue. Studies on rats suggested a tenminute shower every day could cause brain and...

I wanted to throw a casserole party for one of our FR moms. For those of you that dont know what a casserole shower is...I will explain. :) Please post a casserole recipe that is easily made and frozen so when the baby makes their welcomed appearance Mom can have some help with some easy and good food to make for herself and her family. This is a baby shower/casserole shower people. It's time for some recipes and really cute pics. :) Have Fun!

Police: 48-Year-Old Used Wire, Electrical Tape To Build Periscope-Like Device CHULUOTA, Fla. -- A 48-year-old man was arrested and charged with voyeurism for allegedly using a cell phone and a mirror attached to sticks to spy on women showering at a campground in Seminole County, according to Local 6 News. Police said a woman was bathing at a shower facility at Lake Mills Park Tuesday night when an insect landed on her causing her to scream for help. Her husband ran to the shower area and noticed Kevin Lambrechts standing outside the building with a machete, Local 6 News reported....

We need more Judges to speak out more.

<p>What is this palce? Are you peeple for reel? Is this some kind of joke?</p>

STEALING toiletries and even bathrobes from hotels is one thing, but a British couple have taken pilfering to new heights after liking their hotel shower so much they took it home with them. The unusual theft came after the pair, a man in his 50s and a woman in her 20s, spent the night in a four-poster bed room at the 17th-century Globe Hotel in Topsham, near Exeter, southwest England, its owner said. After they checked out of the room, staff found the entire shower unit had been taken from the en suite bathroom. Hotel owner Liz Hodges said the...

Can someone explain PING to me? Thanks!

January 18, 2005 By Carol Lazar While the rest of the country is blessed with rain, Cape Town, is suffering under a massive drought and each day the situation deteriorates. Sweltering temperatures and gusting winds have added to the problem and gradually the levels of the water in the Cape damns is sinking and they are less than 50% full. There is, as you might have guessed, a crisis situation. Severe water restrictions have now been placed upon Capetonians and they are allowed to water their gardens just once a week for half an hour with a hand-held hose...

Enough already. Where are the moderators that are letting these dang threads from this Zot wanna bees going on and on and on. The one up now is at 7,000 plus. Another one was at over 64,000 the last I looked. Don't just boot the idiots, pull the threads they start too!

I'm thinking John Wayne. Who else has acted in more motion pictures?

unnngh...

Gunfire being reported at Hatian Presidential Palace where Colin Powell is currently visiting. No word on his whereabouts/safety as of yet. Reported by Fox via AP.

Nothing going on...post responses here

To save space, I hereby devote this post for all of you who feel compelled to chime in and gripe about duplicate posts. Save the valuable space by placing all such posts here. Thank you.

I am doing some research on the NEW MEDIA. There used to be a thread on here that had some history about how Free Republic started. But I can't for the life of me find it in the archives. If any of you have links or knowledge on the subject I would surely appreciate if you would post them in this thread. I have several friends and customers (I FReep in my place of business) who want more info on this site. Further, I also have been asked to give a talk to a local community group about the New...

Will Dick Cheney step aside tonight? Did anyone else hear this rumor?

So lots of changes to FR lately . . . and change is good. Except for one change. When I go to a thread - any thread - I can only see 50 posts at a time. That's not enough. I want as many answers per page as I can get - 250, the way it used to be! I've gone to More, then to My Preferences, and set Views to 250. Several times.

Bugs? Weird stuff? I've made significant changes to the underbelly, I believe all the bugs are ironed out, but, who knows? I'll keep an eye on the crash log, and if you see anything that really shouldn't be, please let me know here or via Freepmail. Thanks.

42 Percent Of Americans Pee In The Shower - 7 Percent Never Bathe PISCATAWAY, N.Y. (Wireless Flash) -- Urine trouble now. According to a new survey, at least four out of every 10 Americans pee while taking a shower. According to a shower survey sponsored by VertiSpa, 42 percent urinate while bathing, certainly pissing off the 58 percent who don't. That's not the only stat splashed from the shower study. The average shower is 101 degrees Fahrenheit and uses nearly 50 gallons of water. -- 52 percent of Americans sing in the shower, with "Singin' In The Rain" being the...

Just heard it on the radio.

I was just outside my building in Old Towne, Alexandria, VA(suburb of Washington, DC) and noticed 2 low flying F-16 fighter jets fly by. I remember this happening about a month ago, but that, I eventuqally found out was for a photo shoot. Today's weather(gloomy/rain) is definitely not optimal for photo ops. Have searched the web, no results...