Free Republic

DALLAS -- Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan has agreed to become the Texas Rangers team president, a person with knowledge of the negotiations

Best known for his haunting, Oscar-nominated performance as Ennis Del Mar, one of the gay cowboys in 2005 ' s "Brokeback Mountain," Ledger was a massive young talent on the cusp of greatness when he died last week in New York. The native Australian, who is survived by his 2-year-old daughter, Matilda, had recently finished work on this summer's "Batman" sequel, "The Dark Knight," in which he plays a villain, the Joker. Christopher Nolan, the film's director, shared these memories:One night, as I'm standing on LaSalle Street in Chicago, trying to line up a shot for "The Dark Knight," a...

It went down in history as one of the greatest military blunders of all time, but what really happened at the Charge of the Light Brigade?This film revises the accepted wisdom and provides new answers to the key questions. Blending CGI graphics with dramatic reconstruction and giving a fresh interpretation of the facts, this high-budget production sheds new light on the military reasons behind the orders and examines the four main characters responsible for the infamous charge.

Nolan Accused Of Stealing 33,000 Pounds Of Metal. Attorney General John Suthers said Timothy Allan Nolan pleaded guilty for violating the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act. He was indicted by a grand jury this year for allegedly stealing nearly 33,000 pounds of metal from businesses in Denver, Longmont and Northglenn.

Musician Tom Washington is playing a new tune in a new city. When Hurricane Katrina threatened his home in New Orleans, Washington packed up his family and his piano and headed to Baton Rouge. Washington said his life looked pretty bleak about five months ago -- he lost everything after the storm, but now he's trying to begin a new life in a new place. "We've lost a lot," Washington said. "I lost my mom the night before the storm, so that was a great loss." Things started to change for the displaced musician when he met with Pastor Shelton...

[HollywoodInvestigator.com] Libertarian Party delegates chose Constitutional scholar Michael Badnarik for their 2004 presidential candidate over Memorial Day weekend (May 27 - 31) at Atlanta's Mariotte Marquis hotel -- and the Hollywood Investigator was there! So were over 800 delegates from around the U.S., plus celebrity speakers (both on and off the convention floor), merchandisers, activists -- and controversy!

« Rock On | Main Jun 09 Fat Cats and Slim Canaries Wed 01:54 PM Sitting at “D—All Things Digital” listening to former Dean campaign consultant Joe Trippi talk – whine, really – about how no one in the party was listening to him, to his message, to his tech guys, you could glimpse a look of quiet satisfaction pass across Republican organizer Ralph Reed’s face. You could almost the feathers drift softly to the ground at Reed’s feet as the cat swallowed the canary. Gulp! There go the swing voters! Trippi’s complaint – that Democrats within the established parts...

TANYA NOLAN: As the President talks up the future of Iraq, Washington has launched an investigation into some of the past claims for going to war. The FBI has been asked to look at claims that some government officials had allegedly provided unauthorised and highly classified information to Ahmed Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress that was then passed on to Iran. The investigation comes amid claims that Iran used the US to topple Saddam Hussein's regime, by providing intelligence on weapons of mass destruction to Mr Chalabi and the INC – intelligence which later was proved to be false. A member...

Advancing the principles of freedom in the 21st century 2004 Conference Speakers After private discussions with Karl Rove, and subsequent discussions with Rove's staff, an official invitation has been extended to the Bush campaign for President George Bush, or his representative, to speak at the conference. If the President, or his representative is able to accept the invitation, it will not be known until just days before the event, and, for security reasons, will not be announced publicly. Congressman Ron Paul is the nation's number one defender of the Constitution in the House of Representatives. He has consistently supported...