Free Republic

A woman from Birmingham (UK) says she feels lucky to be alive after arriving home safely from the capsized Costa Concordia cruise ship in Italy. Amelia Leon, 22, was in her cabin with her boyfriend, a crew member, when the liner struck the rocks on Friday. [snip] Ms Leon, a professional singer, said she felt very emotional following the shock of what she had experienced, and knowing people are still missing. She said: "The TV went on to the floor and completely smashed and the lights went out. 'This is horrible' "Obviously lots of people were pushing and shoving but...

GIGLIO, Italy (WLS) - Audio recording of the conversation between Capt. Francesco Schettino and Port Authority officials after the doomed Italian luxury cruise liner Costa Condcordia struck rocks Friday was released Tuesday morning. At least 11 people were killed in the aftermath, according to Italian media, and dozens more are still missing. The following is a translation of the recording, which was posted on the news website Corriere della Sera: Captain Schettino: It's Capt. Schettino. Port Authority: Schettino, listen to me, there are people trapped onboard, now you go back, you will go with your rescue boat under the stern...

Francesco Schettino to appear before judge today Arrested on suspicion of multiple manslaughter and abandoning ship Ignored order from coastguard to return to ship 'Offered to return to doomed cruise liner, but only to collect black box' Junior officers led a 'mutiny' after he dithered in giving orders Seventh person was found dead in shipwrecked vessel, rescuers say this morning 35 Britons on board reported safe and well, more than 60 people injured, 29 still missing Reports Schettino was dining with passengers when the accident happened The Costa Concordia's captain did abandon ship before hundreds of his passengers, it has...

BOSTON -- Tensions were high at Dewey Square Thursday night when police took Occupy Boston protesters into custody. The confrontation started when a protester allegedly brought a sink into the Occupy Boston encampment. According to protesters at the scene, they demanded to know from police why they were blocking the sink from entering the site. 7News was told police took possession of the sink. People then formed a barricade around a police vehicle. A protester told 7News one person was injured, and police confirmed that three people were taken into custody for disorderly conduct. Earlier on Thursday, a judge upheld...

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — Airline stocks bottomed Wednesday after Delta Air Lines Inc.’s financial results that missed Wall Street targets and revived anxiety industry profits would shrink quickly at the end of the peak travel season. Shares of the biggest U.S. carriers have been bouncing along at one-year lows this week: Jet fuel prices remain high, and though demand among well-heeled business travelers has held up despite concerns of an economic slowdown, leisure travel looks poised to drop.

Loose Lips Sink Ships

They may have been Election Day disappointments, but former Gov. Charlie Crist and ex-CFO Alex Sink aren’t going away. They’re joining a bipartisan group of legislators tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. in front of the Old Capitol to announce their support for a constitutional ban on oil exploration and drilling in state waters.

Dubai World Down the Drain by Tammy January 22, 2011 I just read a great article over at Hillbuzz.Apparently Dubai World, a man-made metropolis of islands in the Gulf of Oman, is SINKING. You may have caught the 60 Minutes interview with the King of Dubai as he explained this insane construction project. A project that was being built at the hands of slaves.Yes, slavery survives and thrives in the Middle East. Anyone who thinks these Islamic jerks have one iota of civility in their blood is sadly mistaken.And now these islands, built on slave blood are melting away. Karma...

First, let me be clear about this: Contrary to the growing consensus, I am still not convinced that President Obama is destined to be a one-term President. Despite the colossal rejection of the President’s policies and his “vision” in the midterm election earlier this month (the President himself stated repeatedly before the election that “my name’s not on the ballot, but my agenda is”), I’m still not assuming that he won’t turn things around for himself. In fact, as it stands now, I think President Obama is more likely to be re-elected than not. But there’s a present-day crisis on...

Gov. Charlie Crist and Alex Sink will both be back in Tallahassee on Tuesday following their unsuccessful election bids....The governor ran with no party affiliation, but lost to Rubio by more than 1 million votes.

99+% of the vote is in, Rick Scott has a 72,000 vote lead over Alex STINK.... Rick Scott and Jennifer Carroll REP 2,579,455 (48.98%) Alex Sink and Rod Smith DEM 2,507,448 (47.61%) But no one will call the race. What gives? Are we still waiting for "discovered" boxes of ballots in Palm Beach?

I don't know what's going on but Broward County is taking it's own sweet time counting votes again. If any Freeper is in Broward please check up on this. Methinks the 'rats are trying to steal this one for Alex Sink.

Look what you've wrought, Charlie Crist. Since that casual May 2009 e-mail announcing your candidacy for U.S. Senate, you've ripped apart the Florida GOP, and now it's dividing Florida Democrats. You've gone from national superstar and future presidential contender to someone banished from your lifelong party and fighting for political survival. Not to mention the trickle-down effect: Republican fixture Bill McCollum, poised to breeze into a second term as attorney general, is now through in politics; probably so is your lieutenant governor, Jeff Kottkamp; Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, the state Democratic Party's great hope, skipped re-election and is locked...

Bill Clinton sought to persuade Rep. Kendrick Meek to drop out of the race for Senate during a trip to Florida last week — and nearly succeeded. Meek agreed — twice — to drop out and endorse Gov. Charlie Crist’s independent bid in a last-ditch effort to stop Marco Rubio, the Republican nominee who stands on the cusp of national stardom. Meek, a staunch Clinton ally from Miami, has failed to broaden his appeal around the state and is mired in third place in most public polls, with a survey today showing him with just 15 percent of the vote....

Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink (D) is dealing with after-effects of what we might call ‘Debate-Gate’ in her bid to become Florida governor. Sink technically cheated during a commercial break in a debate. Throughout the campaign, Sink’s focus has been an attack strategy. With compliance from docile media, she has given the impression to voters that something in her Republican opponent Rick Scott's past—something he readily acknowledged publicly—is the best reason to elect her. Few if any newspapers, or for that matter, TV stations, have presented the facts in full context. The Democrat candidate has explained away her own past...

Video ad at link: http://www.youtube.com/user/AlexSinkFlorida#p/a/u/1/wzjcW4PvWTA

This is pretty extraordinary. Alex Sink, locked in a tight gubernatorial race in Florida with Rick Scott, reads a message on a Droid shown to her by her make-up artist. That’s against the CNN debate rules. It’s cheating. Scott notices what she’s doing and blows the whistle. [video at link] According to The St Petersburg Times, the message said: The attorney who [w]on the Sykes suit said alex sink did nothing wrong. Tell not to let him keep talking about her. Sink was clearly being surreptitious and, far from declining to read the message once she saw it related to...

OCTOBER 25, 2010 Alex Sink cheated during the debate If you watched the debate, you may have noted Rick Scott accusing the Alex Sink campaign of slipping her a note against the rules. He's correct. Violating their mutual agreement against notes, Sink makeup artist came in during a commercial break and showed her a phone with a message: "The attorney on Sykes suit said Alex did nothing wrong. Tell not to let him keep talking about her."

Sink Fires Adviser Who Sent Message in Violation of Debate Rules Published October 26, 2010 | FoxNews.com Florida gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink has fired an adviser who sent the Democratic candidate a message in the middle of a debate with opponent Rick Scott in violation of the rules. A make-up artist delivered the brief message on a cell phone during a commercial break in the middle of the CNN/St. Petersburg Times-hosted debate held Monday evening. Republican Scott noticed the infraction and called it to the attention of somebody on stage. When the debate resumed, Scott publicly criticized Sink for taking...

Republican Rick Scott now leads Democrat Alex Sink by six points in the race to be Florida’s next governor. It’s the widest gap between the candidates in six months of polling. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in Florida shows Scott with 50% support for the second survey in a row. Sink, the state’s elected chief financial officer, earns 44% of the vote. Six percent (6%) prefer some other candidate in the race. (To see survey question wording, click here.) This moves the race from a Toss-Up to Leans Republican in the Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 Gubernatorial...

Republican hopeful Rick Scott has hit the 50% mark, but the Florida governor’s race remains one of the closest in the country. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in Florida finds Scott with 50% support, while Democrat Alex Sink counters with 47% of the vote, also her best showing to date. Three percent (3%) like another candidate in the race. (To see survey question wording, click here.) The race continues to be a Toss-Up on the Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 Gubernatorial Scorecard. The survey was taken the night before the candidates held their first televised debate.

Republican Rick Scott has once again taken the lead in the race to succeed current Governor Charlie Crist in Florida. Sink leads Democrat Alex Scott in the newest polling, showing a reversal of former momentum for Scott. Furthermore, it refutes the idea that Scott, a businessman, could not win in the general election. Scott has also taken a bare lead in the average of major poll indices compiled by Real Clear Politics. According to this average Scott now leads by .6%. Not a lot, but certainly a lead. The most recent poll was conducted by Rasmussen, the most accurate of...

TALLAHASSEE - Alex Sink's attempt to rebut campaign allegations by Republican gubernatorial opponent Rick Scott that she fiddled while Florida's investment portfolio burned was bolstered by an unlikely ally Tuesday: Florida Attorney General and former Scott foe Bill McCollum. Days after Scott unleashed allegations that Sink was at fault for an investment freefall, Scott's former Republican rival McCollum appeared to go out of his way Tuesday to steer the state's top investment official to provide cover for the State Board of Administration's investment oversight during the tumultuous years following the 2007 market crash. In a series of questions, McCollum led...

Republican businessman Rick Scott has moved to a six-point edge over Democrat Alex Sink and has hit the 50% support mark for the first time in Florida’s gubernatorial race. The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Voters shows Scott with 50% of the vote, while Sink, the state's chief financial officer, earns 44% support when leaners are included. Six percent (6%) of voters prefer some other candidate in the race.

A Sept. 10-12 Ipsos Public Affairs poll for Reuters (MoE =/- 4.6%) found 47 percent of likely voters backing Rick Scott and 45 percent Alex Sink. In the Senate race, Rubio led the field with 40 percent, compared to 26 percent for Crist, and 21 percent for Meek. Crist was winning 31 percent of Democrats (Meek 47 percent); 22 percent of Republicans, and 52 percent of independents. Interestingly, among registered voters it was Rubio 32, Crist 29, and Meek 22. Asked how they'd vote without Meek in the race, it was Rubio 46, Crist 45.

Neither candidate has addressed the unfolding multimillion dollar scandal, but one will eventually have to. The Florida race for governor between millionaire Rick Scott (Republican) and state CFO Alex Sink (Democrat) has a $30 million dollar pink elephant in the room: a lack of oversight in the stateÂ’s purchasing mechanism that has led to the loss of taxpayer dollars totaling in the tens of millions, leading to concerns of mismanagement at the stateÂ’s main purchasing entity. In a race already fraught with negative allegations on both sides, the problems at the Department of Management Services (DMS) puts forth the added...

The 2010 primary races are over in Florida, and the Republican primary nominee for Governor is Rick Scott. The race wasn’t even close, with Scott winning in 53 of 67 counties. A win this big for a virtual political outsider should send a strong message to those who control the Republican Party of Florida. Unfortunately, that message isn’t resonating with quite a few people. For the record, I am not a Scott supporter. I have issues with a guy who wants a job so bad that he’s willing to spend $50 plus million on his own campaign for a job...

President Barack Obama swooped into Florida for less than three hours Wednesday to pick up $700,000 for the Florida Democratic Party...For Alex Sink, the Democratic frontrunner for governor, the potential price for embracing the increasingly unpopular president was too steep. The state's chief financial officer did not join Obama at the deli or greet him at Miami International Airport, and she had stepped off the stage by the time Sen. Bill Nelson introduced the president...

Nikki Phelps struggled against kidney cancer for 10 years, depleting the life savings of her family and eventually causing them to sell their home in order to supply her with Sutent, a common treatment for cancer. Her insurance company refused to buy the drug. Her insurance company was the government of England, which through its National Health Service, refused to supply her with this drug. She died this spring. ''As many as 20,000 Britons may have had their lives cut short because of decisions taken by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

WASHINGTON – Mortgage rates fell this week to the lowest level on record, giving consumers added incentive to lock in low payments on home purchases and refinancings. Mortgage company Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average rate for 30-year fixed loans sank to 4.69 percent, from 4.75 percent last week. That's the lowest since Freddie Mac began tracking rates in 1971. The previous record of 4.71 percent was set in December. Rates for 15-year and five-year mortgages also hit lows. Mortgage rates have fallen over the past two months. Investors wary of the European debt crisis and the turbulent stock...

The Obama administration’s announcement they will sue Arizona over the state’s recently passed immigration law known as SB 1070 may have some on the left cheering, but Democrats sitting in McCain won districts may not be sitting too pretty on the issue. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Arizona Democrat, is currently in dangerous re-election waters. Her 8th congressional district was won by Senator John McCain, Arizona Republican, in the 2008 presidential election by a +6 margin. Ms. Giffords, like her fellow Arizona Democrats in McCain won districts, Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick and Rep. Harry Mitchell, has not been extraordinarily vocal on SB 1070,...

TALLAHASSEE — Republican Bill McCollum's relentless criticism of a federal health-care reform bill and his willingness to sue to block it appear to be paying dividends with Florida voters. The attorney general and leading GOP candidate for governor has moved out to a double-digit advantage over Democrat Alex Sink since last June, garnering an edge of 49 percentage points to 34 percentage points in the latest Mason-Dixon poll released Monday

TALLAHASSEE – Republican Bill McCollum’s trigger-happiness to sue over the federal health care overhaul appear to be paying dividends with Florida voters. The attorney general and leading GOP candidate has swelled his advantage to double-digits over Democrat Alex Sink since early summer, garnering a 49-percent to 34-percent edge in the latest Mason-Dixon poll released Monday. Last June, McCollum, a 20-year congressman and three-time statewide candidate with far higher name-recognition than the relatively novice Sink, nonetheless held just a 6 percentage-point lead, fanning Democratic exuberance that the party had its best shot at re-taking the Governor’s Mansion in decades. Since then,...

Women are a big step closer to serving on U.S. Navy submarines. ABC News has learned that the Navy has decided to lift the ban on female submarine crew members. Subs are one of the last places in the military from which women are excluded.

KABUL - Thousands of U.S., British and Afghan troops are poised to launch the biggest offensive of the war in Afghanistan in a test of the Obama administration's new counterinsurgency strategy. Military operations usually are intended to catch the enemy off guard, but for weeks U.S. and allied officials have been telling reporters about their forthcoming assault on Marjah, a Taliban-held town of 80,000 and drug-trafficking hub in southern poppy-growing Helmand province.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Bill McCollum's early entry into the 2010 Florida governor's race may be paying off. Florida's Republican attorney general has a 10-point lead over his Democratic opponent, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, in a new poll released Wednesday by the Quinnipiac (Conn.) University Polling Institute. McCollum was favored by 41 percent compared to 31 percent who preferred Sink in a random telephone survey of 1,618 registered voters taken Jan. 20-24. McCollum seemed to get a bump from his promise to challenge the constitutionality of any federal health care bill that requires people to buy health insurance, which was...

The 42nd president sees female power as one solution to climate change. While politicians bicker over cap-and-trade legislation, Bill Clinton is looking to the empowerment of women as a weapon for fighting global warming. "In every single society in which that has happened, there's been a moderation in population growth," said Clinton. Because population growth is seen as a major contributor to rising levels of greenhouse gas, Clinton believes that putting girls in school and giving them access to microcredit, capital, and labor markets will temper both the birth rate and climate change. "We need to find a morally acceptable...

WASHINGTON (AFP) – President Barack Obama vowed Monday to work with US allies to "halt the rise of piracy" off Somalia's coast, as the Pentagon warned there was no purely military solution to the seaborne scourge. ... "I want to be very clear that we are resolved to halt the rise of piracy in that region," Obama said at an event designed to highlight investments in transportation infrastructure. "To achieve that goal, we're going to have to continue to work with our partners to prevent future attacks, we have to continue to be prepared to confront them when they arise...

A teenage employee celebrated his birthday by taking a bath in the utility sink at the Burger King in Xenia, Ohio, local station WHIO-TV reported.

SACRAMENTO -- The skids seemed greased for one of environmentalists' top priorities this year: legislation forcing the construction industry to reduce pollution, which enjoyed strong support among environment-friendly Democrats. But the measure died suddenly last week when another frequent ally -- labor unions -- weighed in against it. The bill would have required construction firms bidding for certain public contracts to retrofit pollution-spewing diesel equipment. Unions, which spend millions on Democratic campaigns ... said they feared the regulations would make construction work too costly and result in lost jobs. The Democrats, who dominate the Legislature, need labor's help on an...

CHRISTMAS, Fla. -- A popular Central Florida tourist attraction faces fines this weekend after a tour boat filled with children and other riders began to take on water and sink in alligator-infested water. Officials said a boat at Jungle Adventures Nature Park in Christmas was carrying more than 12 people Saturday when it broke down during the tour. "All of the sudden, water started coming in through the rear and the guide told us to shift to the front, right side of the boat," rider Evangelo Mondo said. "We had gators out there. We were all very scared the water...

Lawmakers should put more money into the state's KidCare subsidized health insurance program to get more children signed up, says Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, who plans to make the program one of her priorities in her new job. In her role as CFO, Sink gets to choose the chairman of the board that oversees the Healthy Kids Corp., which runs KidCare and other state programs that provide health coverage for uninsured children. In an interview last week, Sink said she plans to take the position herself and push for more money to be spent...

SAQLAWIYAH, Iraq (Nov. 28, 2006) -- Marines from 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment swooped down on unknowing insurgents recently. Marines netted 13 suspected insurgents and rescued two Iraqis held hostage by insurgents. Marines completed a search of a garage complex with the assistance of B Company, 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment and assets assigned to Regimental Combat Team 5, which included amphibious assault vehicles, tanks and air support. "There had been reports of insurgent activity in the area, so we went in and searched it," said Cpl. Rodrigo R. Santos, a 26-year-old rifleman from Yonkers, N.Y. "They were suspected of...

WILLIAM Jefferson Blythe III was born on August 19, 1946, in Hope, Ark. After his mother remarried, he took the family surname, Clinton. Clinton was a good student. He enjoyed playing the saxophone and even considered a professional musical career. While in high school, a fortuitous meeting with President John Kennedy led him to choose a life of public service.

Ferry sinks off B.C. coast VANCOUVER -- Rescuers plucked dozens of people from lifeboats off B.C.'s Queen Charlotte Islands early Wednesday after a large ferry sunk in choppy seas. At least 96 of the 102 people aboard were rescued, said Capt. Leah Byrne of the Search and Rescue Centre in Victoria. She said a search was continuing. Byrne did not say why the Queen of the North went down. The ship was en route to Port Hardy from Prince Rupert, a trip of about 450 kilometres. The 125-metre-long vessel is reported to be completely submerged about 135 kilometres from Prince...

Malta fears it will sink under growing tide of migrants from Africa By David Rennie in Valletta (Filed: 21/09/2005) The holiday island of Malta is in the grip of an accidental tragedy: it is directly in the path of a growing and potentially vast flow of asylum seekers from sub-Saharan Africa to southern Europe. Caught: exhausted boat people from Africa await their fate Its proximity to Libya, 180 miles to the south, threatens the identity and culture of the islanders. Thousands of refugees have made the crossing in recent months. Libya has said that there are 1.5 million sub-Saharan Africans...

Friends of ours moved into a home recently. To my surprise, when I went to a bathroom, I found that the sink had NO overflow protection. Wouldn't you know it, a few days later, I learned that someone had stopped the sink but left the faucet running. The overflow caused damage to the ceiling below the bathroom. I called Home Depot and they said the only sinks they sell are ones WITH overflow protection. Are there any code requirements regarding overflow protection for bathroom sinks? Thanks.

100 Missing After Boat Sinks in Pacific By ANDREW SELSKY, Associated Press Writer More than 100 people were feared dead after a boat laden with illegal immigrants capsized and sank in rough waters in the Pacific Ocean, officials said Wednesday after nine survivors clinging to a wooden box and buoys were rescued. Ecuadorean Navy Capt. Armando Elizalde told Colombian RCN television most of the 113 people aboard "sank with the boat." The disaster happened Friday night more than 100 miles off the coast of southwest Colombia. "The boat, with way too many people aboard, was unable to resist a strong...

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Mechanical engineers at Purdue University have new findings offering promise for modifying household refrigeration technology with small devices to cool future weapons systems and computer chips. The devices, called "micro-channel heat sinks," circulate coolant through numerous channels about three times the width of a human hair. Such devices might be attached directly to electronic components in military lasers, microwave radar and weapons systems, as well as in future computers that will generate more heat than present computers, said Issam Mudawar, a professor of mechanical engineering who is leading the research. The researchers are adapting refrigeration systems...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1723080#1723213 Capn Sunshine (1000+ posts) Wed Apr-13-05 10:25 PM Original message My excellent adventure at my neocon congressman's office Well I just drove over to the local office of Rep. Gallegly here in Westlake Village. It's in a newer building, definitely AA or AAA-, among the highest rents in the area. Nice digs. The office itself is spacious, with a wall of windows and a view that takes in our local mountains beyond the 101. I know and have clients in this building. All of them are quite affluent. No one is at the front desk, but a nicely turned...