Free Republic

Robber flies snatch victims from the air using the same interception strategy as guided missiles and falcons, but how do they intercept airborne quarry when their view is obstructed by foliage and clutter? Researchers from the University of Cambridge, UK, and the University of Minnesota, U.S., report in Journal of Experimental Biology that Holcocephala fusca robber flies combine two strategies, one that allows them to swerve around obstructions, with their usual strategy to intercept prey. While many flies are content to land on pieces of fruit or carrion, robber flies (Asilidae) engage in mortal combat. Intercepting smaller insects on the...

The cost of driving in Pennsylvania is going up on two fronts in the new year. First, the state tax on wholesale motor fuels will increase Jan. 1 — 8 cents for gasoline and nearly 11 cents for diesel fuel. Those costs are expected to be passed on to retail prices at the pump. A week later, tolls on the Pennsylvania Turnpike will increase for the ninth year in a row, this time by 6 percent. The change will increase the cost of a trip from Ohio to New Jersey from $48.90 to $51.85 for cash and from $34.93 to...

Hillary Clinton went into hiding this week. Her campaign says she is preparing for the third and final debate next Wednesday. According to American Mirror she has nothing scheduled except fundraisers until Wednesday night. Coming off the heels of two private fundraisers in California on Thursday, Clinton doesn’t have any public events scheduled between today and the final presidential debate on October 19. That’s five days. Neither leading Clinton schedule tracking website — HillarySpeeches.com and WillHillaryWin.com — list a single event for her, as of Friday morning. Hillary knows the media will do her bidding while she is away. Yesterday...

Warren Buffett has an op-ed in today's NY Times on one of his most popular themes: The rich should pay more in taxes.  At first blush, his position seems noble: A rich guy says that people like him should pay more to support the commonwealth.  But on closer examination, one realizes that Mr Buffett never mentions doing anything to eliminate the tax-avoidance strategies that he uses most aggressively.  In particular: 1. His company Berkshire Hathaway never pays a dividend but instead retains all earnings.  So the return on this investment is entirely in the form of capital gains.  By not paying dividends, he saves his investors (including...

The most conceited White House in memory thinks it is making history in Asia. Instead, President Obama is completing his longest foreign trip with no real accomplishments to show for himself—and a reinforced image as a weak leader in over his head...

When Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton wants to get a message out, her presidential campaign handpicks news outlets. Or, in some cases, bypasses the media entirely. The New York Democrat's third-quarter fundraising blowout was leaked to the Drudge Report. She made sure an Iowa newspaper printed her comments that she found Sen. Barack Obama's answer to a foreign-policy question "irresponsible" and "naive." She also uses her "Hillary Hub" campaign creation to break news. The strategy allows Mrs. Clinton — who rarely holds press availabilities — to avoid taking questions from reporters who cover her campaign and who might have detailed follow-up...

"Jump the Shark" is a semi-known phrase meaning "lose all credibility" or "it's all downhill from here." The phrase comes from www.jumptheshark.com - which catalogs and debates the (paraphrase) "defining moment when you know you're favorite TV Show has reached its peak and its all downhill from here." The phrase "jump the shark" comes from a Happy Days episode - late in the series - where Fonzie went on a vacation with the Cunninghams. In that episode of the sitcom, Fonzie jumped over a jaws-like shark while waterskiing on the ocean. Fans generally thought this moment was so absurd, that...

Bill Clinton has warned Senator John Kerry, the presumptive Democrat presidential nominee, to counter Republican efforts to turn this year's election into a debate on gay marriage and other "cultural issues" such as gun control and abortion. In an interview with the Financial Times, the former US president urged Senator Kerry to fight a values-based campaign focused on health, education and crime. If he stayed on that ground, Mr Kerry could win by "quite a nice margin". < clip >