Free Republic

In 2005 Petty Officer First Class David Goggins’ life took a tragic turn. Several of his fellow U.S. Navy SEAL(s) were killed in a helicopter crash during a mission in Afghanistan. To honor them, Goggins vowed to raise money for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, which gives college scholarships and grants to the children of fallen special operations soldiers. Goggins rationalized that to raise money, he would have to do something extreme, something phenomenal— something incredibly painful. He decided to race ultramarathons when he Googled the 10 most difficult feats in the world. First on the list was the Badwater...

BISBEE — Not everybody was listening to President Bush’s State of the Union speech Tuesday night. In Bisbee’s Goar Park, a group of about 50 anti-Bush protesters “made a joyful noise to drown out Bush’s lies,” according to organizer Mary Elinor “Walking Mary” Adams, 65. The festive din poured up Brewery Gulch. Children joined in the noisy chorus. Coffee and refreshments were served. “Today, I’m with the people who speak the truth,” Adams said as her friend Beverly “Bobo” Quick, 60, danced nearby, smacking a tambourine on hip and hand. Local jewelry maker Joe Hogan, 70, wearing a Tibetan hat,...

WASHINGTON — Forget Botox, liposuction or breast enlargement. The newest trend in plastic surgery for women in the United States is vaginal reconstruction, including hymenoplasty, which offers patients new virginity. The procedure has become so popular that it has topped the other more conventional surgeries such as face-lifts and breast enlargement. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons says that vaginal surgery is one of the fastest growing trends in plastic surgery. In fact, as many as 30,000 women are said to opt for vaginal reconstruction yearly. The procedure, also known as "revirgination", is being hawked in magazines, the Internet or...

Bad water, bad leadership Once again Canadians have been left slack-jawed over the living conditions on a Native reserve. This time around the fuss is over a community called Kashechawan on the shores of James Bay. From the safety and comfort of our own homes we stare in disbelief at the newspaper pictures and television images of a community where even the most basic necessities of life can't be taken for granted. Kashechawan, where the water that flows from the taps is so filthy and contaminated it's not fit for bathing, let alone drinking. Where residents, many of whom are...