Free Republic

THEY WERE THE Navy’s last chance. It was 10:20 a.m. on Thursday, June 4, 1942. Forty-seven U. S. Navy dive bombers had found what they were looking for. Far below, four Japanese aircraft carriers were launching the first planes of a massive strike that could decide the Battle of Midway. So far, two days of American air and submarine attacks had failed to damage a single ship of the peerless Japanese Aircraft Carrier Striking Force. The priceless intelligence advantage the U.S. had gained through years of backbreaking effort by Navy codebreakers was about to be squandered. The heroic sacrifice...

Farting, breaking wind, cutting the cheese, or gas. The English language has numerous words for flatulence and this is even before we devolve into the subcategories that make up the genre. Whatever you call it, farting is a taboo act, but it is also a source of fascination. It’s not for nothing that there is a popular children’s book series called Fart Squad or that the preview of the most recent installment of the Alvin and the Chipmunks dynasty led with the punchline, “Sorry, pizza toots.” Today farting is something for which we perfunctorily ask forgiveness, but in the past...

A Rare Glimpse Aboard One Of France’s Silent But Deadly Nuclear Submarines For France, nuclear deterrence is very much an underwater affair. At all times, one of the country’s four ballistic missile submarines quietly patrols the ocean depths. Armed to the teeth, each vessel is equipped to carry more than a dozen nuclear missiles. A view from inside France's retired "Le Redoutable" sub By Nathalie Guibert LE MONDE/Worldcrunch It’s an abrupt shock to the ears, and it causes the eyes to widen, like a newborn who is hearing for the first time. The sound of shrimp resonates within the helmet,...

WASHINGTON -- The age of the silent hybrid may be coming to an end. Gas-electric hybrids, propelled by electric motors at low speeds, are well-known for their quiet ride and great mileage. But their silence isn't always golden. Some researchers and safety groups say that quiet operation -- "hybrid creep" -- can pose risks for unsuspecting pedestrians and the blind, who use sound cues. Advocates for the blind have sought the addition of artificial noises in hybrids for several years, concerned that the expected sales growth of hybrids could lead to more pedestrian fatalities and injuries. Hybrids account for about...

August 16, 2006 -- A potent, noxious gas odor - first noticed in the waters off Bayonne, N.J. - wafted to the shores of Staten Island and Queens yesterday, sickening at least 21 people and prompting hundreds more to frantically call 911... But Bayonne fire officials said they checked ... and said... "It wasn't us".

Hong Kong - A primary school in China is fining pupils five yuan each time they fart in class, a news report said on Friday. Hu Zhuang Elementary School in Beijing has begun imposing the fines as part of a crackdown on bad hygiene habits in the wake of the Sars outbreak, according to the South China Morning Post. No one has been fined so far at the school which has also introduced rules banning pupils from dropping litter or coughing without covering their mouths.