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LANCASTER, Pa. – The mother of the nation's first double hand transplant patient says he's out of the hospital and looking forward to returning to his wife and daughter in Georgia. Doris Schafer told the Intelligencer Journal-Lancaster New Era that her son, Jeff Kepner, visited her over the weekend in Lancaster. She says he plans to return to Augusta, Ga., at the end of this week. Schafer says Kepner is considerably happier than when she saw him in June at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, about a month after the transplant. She says her son still has no feeling...

Laying out the Bush administration's case for treatment of terror suspects, former Vice President Dick Cheney challenged the Obama administration to declassify information about the intelligence gleaned from enhanced interrogation techniques. "Releasing the interrogation memos was flatly contrary to the national security interest of the United States," Cheney said Thursday at the American Enterprise Institute. "The harm done only begins with top secret information now in the hands of the terrorists, who have just received a lengthy insert for their training manual." "I was and remain a strong proponent of our enhanced interrogation program," Cheney said. "They were legal, essential,...

Being the child of a wealthy entrepreneur must be something of a mixed blessing. Growing up in such a hothouse atmosphere, full of privilege and expectation, cannot be a relaxing experience. I spend most of my time working with entrepreneurs, and I really believe that they are not the same as other people. They have an ambition, a competitive urge and a lust to take risks that is way beyond the norm. I recall meeting Rupert Murdoch, Jimmy Goldsmith and Richard Branson on separate occasions in my late teens and wondering what they were like as businessmen and, even more,...

Does anyone else out there miss Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's presence on the national stage? I miss her terribly. All anyone wants to talk about nowadays are pirates and our horrible economy; back in election days, the stock market could drop 700 points in a day and the lead story would be Gov. Palin's inability to form a complete sentence on national television. Who cares about your pension being wiped out when you can feel smarter than a vice presidential candidate? Of course, it was just cheap fun and the country was going to have to move on from poking...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2009 – Iraq’s government and its security forces deserve praise for overseeing the successful and mostly violence-free provincial elections that were held countrywide Jan. 31, a senior U.S. military officer posted in Iraq said today. “First and foremost, I’d like to congratulate the government of Iraq for a successful, legitimate and credible election,” Army Lt. Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, commander of Multinational Corps Iraq, told reporters during a Baghdad news conference. Iraqi soldiers and police performed well during the election, Austin said, citing their “well-coordinated and executed security plan.” The “hard work and dedication” evidenced...

WASHINGTON, June 19, 2008 – The last of the five Army brigades to deploy with the “troop surge” in Iraq will return in July after a 13-month deployment, during which soldiers detained more than 800 terrorist suspects and helped foster Iraqi self-governance. Video The 3rd Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team has operated in the Arab Jabour area of southeastern Baghdad, where the number of attacks plummeted from about 30 a week when they arrived in May 2007 to about one a week now. “All in all, it's been a very successful operation for us,” Army Col. Terry Ferrell,...

Students in university-run leadership positions are often required to participate in some type of diversity training because simply being a just and logical person is no longer enough to lead a group of people. Instead, one must be immersed in every type of culture, background, and lifestyle the Office of Diversity Programs and Services can comprehend. The Resident Advisor preparation I was given at George Mason University recently was no exception, and I have broken down GMU diversity indoctrination into five easy steps so that you, too, can become the sensitive person the Left wants you to be. Step #1:...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25, 2008 – Based on debris analysis, officials are confident the Feb. 21 missile intercept and destruction of a nonfunctioning National Reconnaissance Office satellite was successful in destroying the fuel tank and reducing risk to people on Earth, the Defense Department announced today. The satellite’s fuel tank contained hydrazine, a hazardous chemical that could have posed a risk to humans if the satellite or its fuel tank had reentered the atmosphere intact. "By all accounts, this was a successful mission. From the debris analysis, we have a high degree of confidence the satellite's fuel tank was destroyed...

Lasting Impression: Does The Face Of A CEO Determine A Successful Company? ScienceDaily (Jan. 14, 2008) — It certainly takes more than a pretty face to run a leading national corporation. But according to a recent Tufts University study, the performance levels of America’s top companies could be related to the first impressions made by their chief executive officers (CEOs). Using photographs of the highest and lowest ranked Fortune 1000 companies’ CEOs, psychologists Nicholas Rule and Nalini Ambady quizzed ordinary college students to determine which of the pictured faces were characteristic of a leader. Without knowledge of the pictured individuals’...

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) - Customers in Germany and Britain lined up to buy the iPhone as it debuted there Friday, with Apple Inc. hoping to replicate the success that the combination cell phone, music player and Web browser has seen in the United States. Apple hopes to sell 10 million iPhones in 2008, helped by its launch in Asia next year. In Germany, the phone went on sale at more than 700 T-Mobile shops, including one in Cologne that opened just after midnight with some 350 customers already waiting outside...

AN NAJAF — A young boy from Hollendia underwent a final surgery to correct a severe colon condition at Al Sadr Hospital in An Najaf Oct. 9. The boy, Ahaip, had already undergone two surgeries to reintroduce his colon into his body. For Ahaip, this final surgery marked the end of a long road to recovery, made possible by U.S. Soldiers. Ahaip was born with an obstructed bowel at birth, which required emergency surgery. The surgery left Ahaip’s intestines outside his body until he was discovered by Soldiers from the 97th Civil Affairs Battalion, a Reserve unit from Fort Bragg,...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE Q-WEST— Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, have been working side-by-side with the Iraqi Police (IP) since November in southern Ninevah province. During the 10 months of deployment, the 5-82 FA troops have seen the IP improve in their capabilities to conduct operations and ultimately secure Iraq. “A lot has changed since the beginning of the war and the beginning of our deployment,” said Sgt. Kurt Schroder, artillery surveyor and dismounted patrolman. “The IP are doing better on their own and they are doing...

WASHINGTON, July 29, 2007 – Afghan National Security Forces, supported by coalition partners, successfully conducted an operation against Taliban fighters in Helmand province this week, military officials reported. Several Taliban fighters were killed during a precise operation July 27, according to reports, and there were no reported civilian casualties or damage. “This operation follows a series of … blows against the Taliban command over the last few weeks,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Claudia Foss, International Security Assistance Force spokesman. “They are aimed at impacting the ability of the Taliban to plan and coordinate its attacks.” In other operations...

Source: University Of Edinburgh Date: July 10, 2007 Best Males Have Less Successful Daughters Science Daily — The strongest and fittest of a species might be expected to produce the best offspring, but this is not always the case, researchers at the University have found. Red deer stag. (Credit: iStockphoto/Roger Whiteway)Studies of red deer published recently in Nature suggest that the most successful males are more likely to produce less fertile daughters. Male and female deer need different attributes to succeed. Genes which prove to be an advantage in fathers don't necessarily prove beneficial in daughters. Males who win fights...

WASHINGTON, June 6, 2007 – Afghan and coalition forces detained 19 suspected militants, killed two dozen enemy fighters and discovered numerous enemy weapons during operations in Afghanistan over the past three days, military officials reported. In operations today, Afghan and coalition forces detained 10 militants in an operation against Taliban forces in the Qalat district of Zabul province. Coalition forces acted on credible intelligence that led them to the suspected Taliban hideout, officials said. As forces began the operation, two men fled the scene with a rocket-propelled-grenade launcher and three grenades. Coalition forces fired warning shots and apprehended the two...

CAMP ECHO — Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Division-Central South Brigade Combat Team conducted a successful military operation in the Al Izza district of Al Kut city Wednesday. ISF and Coalition troops dubbed the Operation Viper’s Bite. The operation, which involved close air support, resulted in the detainment of 13 people suspected of insurgent activities. Three of them are on the most wanted persons list in Wasit province. The rest of the detainees were handed over to the Iraqi Police. The joint forces seized machine guns, rocket propelled grenades, 122 mm artillery shells and approximately 1500 rounds of small caliber...

"...Last week, I attended a debate organised by Intelligence Squared, an organisation devoted to high-level public argument. The subject was so popular that, instead of the usual venue, the Methodist Central Hall in London had to be hired. More than 2,000 people crammed in. The motion was "We'd be better off without religion". ...By a curious reversal, it is now the atheists who thump the tub for their non-faith, as if it were they who were the preachers. ...I feel that atheism may be acquiring precisely those characteristics that atheists so dislike about religion - intolerance, dogmatism, righteousness, moral contempt...

When historians get around to chronicling the first half of the 21st century, let's hope they don't write that America lost its war against terror by default. Any change of direction from Washington now will be taken as a concession, and will certainly be read by Hamas, Hezbollah and the Taliban as a signal that they are on the right track. But, what choice do we have? How can we achieve victory when we are fighting a war that has no specific goal? In our effort to bring peace and democracy to the world, we seem to have confused the...

A Soldier from Company D, 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, attached to 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, communicates with his squad leader while pulling security during Operation Beastmaster.BAGHDAD — Staring down at an empty lot, Spc. Craig McBaine wondered how such a tranquil neighborhood could be the scene of so much carnage. Nicknamed “IED Alley East,” this 700-meter stretch of barren earth has been the scene of many attacks against coalition and Iraqi security forces. On this day, the patch of land, bordered on three sides by once-beautiful three-story houses, is occupied by up-armored Humvees, Bradley Fighting Vehicles...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6, 2006 -- Nearly five years after America “awoke to a nightmare attack” on Sept. 11, 2001, the nation is thankful that terrorists haven’t succeeded in launching another attack on U.S. soil, but recognizes that it’s not for the terrorists’ lack of trying, President Bush said at the White House today. “Nineteen men, armed with box cutters, took control of airplanes and turned them into missiles,” Bush said of the Sept. 11 attacks. “They used them to kill nearly 3,000 innocent people. We watched the Twin Towers collapse before our eyes -- and it became instantly clear that...

WASHINGTON, June 23, 2006 – The Missile Defense Agency and the Navy conducted a successful "hit to kill" missile defense test yesterday off the island of Kauai, Hawaii. The test involved the launch of a Standard Missile 3 from the Aegis-class cruiser USS Shiloh to hit a "separating" target, meaning that the target warhead separated from its booster rocket, officials said. "Hit to kill" technology uses direct collision of the interceptor missile with the target, destroying the target using only kinetic energy from the force of the collision. It was the seventh successful intercept test involving the sea-based component of...

6/14/2006 - VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) -- An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from Launch Facility-04 on North Vandenberg at 1:22 a.m. today. The primary purpose of the launch was to assess and demonstrate the operational effectiveness of the Minuteman III weapon system. The missile’s three unarmed re-entry vehicles traveled approximately 4,800 miles in about 30 minutes, hitting pre-determined targets at the Kwajelin Missile Range in the western chain of the Marshall Islands. Col. Jack Weinstein, 30th Space Wing commander, was the spacelift commander. Lt. Col. S.L. Davis, 576th Flight Test Squadron commander, was the...

Lt. Col. Yashal Midhat Mohammed, the Iraqi Army's K1 executive officer, inspects each firing line. Lt. Col. Mohammed is in charge of the Iraqi Army's K1 training facility near Kirkuk, Iraq. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Cassandra Groce Iraqi Army Runs Successful Firing Range Iraqi Army soldiers receive personal weapons firing instruction. By Spc. Cassandra Groce133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment KIRKUK, Iraq, June 12, 2006 — The weapons range is an important part of any soldier’s basic training. The Iraqi Army is no exception. "The Iraqis had a good command of the range. Each Iraqi Army officer is expected...

HIT, Iraq, June 2, 2006 – U.S. soldiers here not only perform combat operations, but also are working to train the Iraqi army -- and they know what success would mean. "The Iraqi army is our ticket home," Army Lt. Col. Thomas C. Graves, commander of U.S. forces in this city on the Euphrates River, said yesterday. Graves' 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, performs combat operations while helping train the Iraqi Army partner unit in the region. "Coalition forces in this area are still doing a lot of combat operations," Graves said. "But those (operations) are done with the idea...

WASHINGTON, May 25, 2006 – A U.S. Navy ship shot down a long-range ballistic missile in its final seconds of flight during a test yesterday. It was the first successful ship-launched intercept of a ballistic missile in its terminal phase, U.S. military officials said. During the Navy and Missile Defense Agency test, Aegis cruiser USS Lake Erie, equipped with technology to detect and track intercontinental ballistic missiles, launched a Standard Missile 2 to intercept a missile fired from the Pacific Missile Range facility on Kauai, Hawaii. "The test yesterday was an opportunity to see if a modified configuration of the...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq, May 21, 2006 – Iraqi soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division, and U.S. troops from 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, captured a small arsenal and detained several men yesterday in Muqdadiyah, military officials at this Tikrit base reported today. The soldiers worked together using numerous forms of information to compile a solid operation to capture enemy force cell members and recover whatever munitions they possessed. The large cache found included 19 mortar rounds, more than 4,000 small-arms rounds, 34 pounds of bulk explosives, hand grenades, various improvised explosive...

AL ASAD, Iraq (Apr. 10, 2006) -- PHOTO ESSAY: In the early hours April 3, Marines and sailors with the Incident Response Platoon prepared for an operation that would take them outside the wire and into the local town of Baghdadi, Iraq. The IRP is attached to Marine Wing Support Squadron 274, Marine Wing Support Group 37 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, and is responsible for providing security in support of response and pre-planned missions throughout the Al Anbar Province. Their scheduled task was to escort members of a Civil Affairs Group and Police Transition Team to a housing complex...

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- The fast-attack submarine USS Scranton (SSN 756) successfully demonstrated homing and docking of an Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV) system during at-sea testing in January 2006. The two UUVs used in the testing are a part of the AN/BLQ-11 Long Term Mine Reconnaissance System (LMRS), which was designed to enable submarines to conduct clandestine undersea surveys to locate mines. “The testing demonstrated several important capabilities of a submarine-launched UUV system,” said Capt. Paul D. Ims Jr., program manager for UUVs in the Program Executive Office for Littoral and Mine Warfare. “These included the ability of the submarine...

INDIAN HEAD, Md. (March 1, 2006) -- Key Volunteers from the Chemical Biological Incident Response Force (CBIRF) didn't realize how many Marines and Sailors at the unit had a sweet tooth until they sold $430 worth of baked goods March 1st. Two hours after the "Returning Heroes Fund" bake sale began, it became abundantly clear that a simple idea like selling baked goods to raise funds for Marines and Sailors returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom would be a success. As the shadow of the third anniversary [March 19th] of the Iraqi conflict approaches, Sheryl Brochu, the...

USS TARAWA, At Sea (NNS) -- Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 1 is scheduled to return to Naval Station San Diego, after spending more than half a year deployed to the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans, the Mediterranean, and Persian Gulf. The three-ship USS Tarawa (LHA 1) strike group deployed to the Western Pacific in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the global war on terrorism. “This was the most successful deployment I've experienced. It had nothing to do with me and everything to do with the young Sailors and Marines on board Tarawa," said Capt. Peter Murphy, Tarawa’s commanding officer....

PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII (NNS) -- The guided missile cruiser USS Chosin (the War Dragon) (CG 65) returned to its homeport of Pearl Harbor after a six-month deployment to the Western Pacific and 5th Fleet area of operations Jan. 9. Chosin, commanded by Capt. Doug Venlet, departed Hawaii in July as part of Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 1. "The Sailors of the 'Mighty War Dragon' performed every mission to Chosin standards - a fantastic effort in everything they did," said Venlet. During the deployment, Sailors from Chosin and helicopter Anti-Submarine Light Squadron 37, Detachment 4 supported maritime security operations (MSO). MSO...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11, 2005 – Iraqi and coalition forces have set the conditions for a successful Dec. 15 parliamentary election in Iraq that will be mostly free of violence, U.S. officials said today. The officials also said a broad and representative cross-section of the Iraqi population, including Sunnis, will participate "By and large, with the exception of the al Anbar province, (we) are very confident that there will be a large turnout and little or no violence," Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., commander of coalition forces in Iraq, said. Even in Anbar, "we expect better turnout this time than...

MIANASHIN, Afghanistan, Oct. 21, 2005 – The airdrop of supplies in the morning had fallen far from the mark, leaving water bottles and boxes of food strewn for hundreds of yards across the mountain. The paratroopers had spent the afternoon carrying box after box down from the ridgeline, but several large loads still needed to be transported. With daylight rapidly disappearing, the company seemed to have run out of options. Luckily, that is when "donkey man" showed up. Army Spc. Daniel Boyle spotted the old man leading a team of donkeys up a hill in the distance. With a flash...

CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, AR RAMADI, Iraq (Oct. 20, 2005) -- Dawn broke over Iraq to empty, silent streets Oct. 15. A lone bus cruised down an empty street. As it dragged to a halt the door opened and a handful of Iraqi citizens boarded. Their destination: one of the many polling sites across the country where the Iraqi people would vote on the draft Iraqi Constitution. Second Marine Division and Iraqi Security Forces wrapped up Operation Liberty Express this week, which provided security for 139 polling sites throughout Al Anbar province during the Iraqi Constitutional Referendum. The results of the...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2005 – President Bush congratulated the Iraqi people Oct. 16 for the success of their constitutional referendum Oct. 15. "On behalf of the American people, I'd like to congratulate the people of Iraq for the successful completion of a vote on their draft constitution," Bush said. "By all indications, the turnout was greater than the turnout from the last-January election, which is good news. By all indications, the Sunnis participated in greater numbers in this election than last time. And that's good news." The president said he was pleased that the level of violence in this election...

AL ASAD, IRAQ (Sept. 28, 2005) -- When duty in Iraq called twice in two years, they were ready and continued their steadfast support of the Iraqi people and their desire to live in freedom. The Moonlighters of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 764, Marine Aircraft Group 26, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, have recently finished their second deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. HMM-764 is a reserve CH-46E Sea Knight squadron based out of Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The Moonlighters will be returning to the United States after flying 3,800 mishap-free combat hours, transporting 14,918 passengers and hauling 26,972...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2005 – The successful parliamentary elections in Afghanistan Sept. 18 have proven wrong all critics of U.S. efforts in that country, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said in a Pentagon news briefing today. Critics of the war in Afghanistan were not just wrong, they were harmful because they made the cause seem hopeless, Rumsfeld said. The millions of Afghan citizens who turned out to vote proved them wrong, and terrorists weren't able to affect the elections, he said. "Terrorists have done everything in their power to try to intimidate the millions of Afghan voters and the literally thousands...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19, 2005 – The people of Afghanistan successfully voted in new leaders Sept. 18. Limited violence was reported near only a handful of voting stations, military officials said. Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police and international military forces ensured more than 12.5 million registered voters had an opportunity to participate in the National Assembly elections in a relatively safe and secure environment. "It's a historical day that we have today. ... It will be good for our future, and we will have a good future," Jahwedolah, an Afghan police patrolman, said. The election results will not be known...

ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT - News) demonstrated a key technology milestone for the integration of a boosted penetrator warhead with a long-range cruise missile that can be used against hard and deeply buried targets. ADVERTISEMENT In the test, held at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, in Socorro, NM, the penetrator was expelled from a missile body using a small discharge pressurization device. "This is a unique method of attacking hard and deeply buried targets," said Jim Pappafotis, director of Advanced Programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "We made a...

SPACE CENTER, Houston - A spacewalking astronaut gently pulled two potentially dangerous strips of protruding filler from Discovery's tile belly with his gloved hand Wednesday, successfully completing an unprecedented emergency repair. Astronaut Stephen Robinson said both pieces came out easily during the spacewalk, which lasted six hours. He did not have to use a makeshift hacksaw put together in orbit that he brought along just in case. "That came out very easily, probably even less force," Robinson said of the second piece. "I don't see any more gap filler. ... I'm doing my own inspection here. It is a very...

The Chrysler group is sitting pretty compared with General Motors and Ford Motor Co. Chrysler is gaining sales and share in a market that's depressed. The Chrysler 300 sedan has given the Chrysler group a hot aura - and shown that it can make cars that excite U.S. consumers. While Ford Motor and GM struggle with turnaround efforts, the Chrysler group, says COO Tom LaSorda, is "just trying to maintain the momentum. That is what we are pushing with our employees." ... Through March, the Chrysler group's sales are up 5.6 percent to 546,732 units. In contrast, U.S. light-vehicle sales...

I've seen some great footage of the dancing Iraqis on FoxNews, especially the fantastic one where Iraqi males are dancing in a line with one guy out in front snapping his head back and forth on his neck. Does anyone have any idea if this footage is available on the web?

MR. RUSSERT: Private accounts for Social Security--the president has made that a priority of his domestic agenda. Will you work with him in privatizing part of Social Security? SEN. REID: Tim, I can remember as a little boy my widowed grandmother with eight children. She lived alone, but she felt independent because she got every month her old age pension check. That's what this is all about. The most successful social program in the history of the world is being hijacked by Wall Street. Yes, Social Security is a good program. And if the president has some ideas about trying...

The purpose of FreeRepublic.com's multiple message boards is to limit the topics for each board to particular topics. Posting the same message on all the boards defeats the purpose of multiple-boards for special topics. It is very annoying to see the same message on every bulletin board. PLEASE! DO THE READERS A FAVOR. STOP CROSS-POSTING YOUR MESSAGES!

Breaking.Top of the website on the conservative Japanese daily "Sankei" Shimbun news, Japanese language:Samarra (Samara), Iraq has been captured and put down completely by victorious US troops jointly with Iraqi Government troops...... 109 terrorists killed..... 37 captured....... 47 bodies at local morgue....... Some civilians in there, unfortunately, as collateral (R.I.P)...... Most Iraqi civilians fled the city (thousands). This then enabled US troops to seal off city, preventing terrorists from returning or getting out. Blasted mercilessly their autos, boats, etc. loaded with weapons.......Sankei says the fierce offensive fighting by US troops against Iraqi resistence, guerillas and terrorists is going to now...

"A South African ecologist was stomped to death by an elephant while she was trying to chase a herd of elephants away in a game reserve in the northeastern province of Mpumalanga,local media reported Wednesday. The elephant was later shot dead by the ecologist's colleagues. The victim,Kay Hiscocks..."apparently clapped her hands loudly,walking towards the elephants..." ( I can't go on ! For full details,please click on the link shown.)

Short women more successful with men 00:01 14 August 02 NewScientist.com news service Shorter women are more likely to have long-term relationships with men, and more likely to have children, according to a study of 10,000 people born in the UK in 1958. The average height for a British woman is 1.62 metres (5 feet, 4 inches). But those who were between 1.51 and 1.58 metres were most likely to be married and to have children by the age of 42. This relationship held true even after accounting for social class. The study also found that women prefer men who...

Short women more successful with men 00:01 14 August 02 NewScientist.com news service Shorter women are more likely to have long-term relationships with men, and more likely to have children, according to a study of 10,000 people born in the UK in 1958. The average height for a British woman is 1.62 metres (5 feet, 4 inches). But those who were between 1.51 and 1.58 metres were most likely to be married and to have children by the age of 42. This relationship held true even after accounting for social class. The study also found that women prefer men who...