Free Republic

Jennifer Marsh was sick of paying high gas prices and bothered by the abandoned gas station that was an eyesore on the drive to her studio each day. So the aspiring artist and inspired activist came up with an idea — to cover the gas station with a colossal handmade blanket in a way that would bring greater attention to the world's dependency on oil. ''I really tried to find a good balance of art and politics. I don't want it to be just a political statement. And I don't want it to just be a sculpture,'' said the 27-year-old...

ZHONGDIAN, China - China blanketed restive Tibetan areas Thursday with a huge buildup of troops, turning small towns across a wide swath of western China into armed encampments. Beijing acknowledged that last week's anti-government protests had spread far beyond Tibet's borders and that police opened fire on protesters. It warned foreign tourists and journalists to stay away from a huge expanse of territory across four provinces. In an overture of peace, the Dalai Lama offered to meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao and other leaders, reiterating that he was not asking for Tibetan independence. China has repeatedly ignored calls for...

Baby blankets bring daddies and their newborns together through scent before they can meet in person Local knitter Lisa Akers was looking for a way to share her knitting skills with people in need. She started the Blankets for Deployed Daddies program to provide baby blankets to deployed soldiers who are expecting a newborn during their deployment. These blankets are specially designed to hold the father's unique scent as a way to introduce the baby to the father as early as possible. Volunteer knitters around the country are producing these blankets for expectant families. Created from a cotton blend yarn,...

WASHINGTON, July 25, 2006 – The Defense Department evacuated 957 U.S. citizens from Lebanon to Cyprus yesterday aboard the contracted cruise ship Orient Queen, bringing the total to 12,870 since the crisis in Lebanon began July 16, DoD officials said today. Also, DoD airlifted the first humanitarian supplies promised to those in the war-torn country, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. Three helicopters delivered three kits of medical supplies to Red Cross personnel. Each of the three medical kits has enough medicine and supplies to meet the needs of 10,000 people for three months. Seven other kits have arrived in Cyprus...

CAMP BONDSTEEL, KOSOVO (Army News Service, Dec. 28, 2005) – Soldiers from KFOR 6B convoyed to a hilltop church overlooking the small town of Letnice/Letnica, Kosovo, Dec. 25 to deliver hand-made fleece blankets to residents there. “It’s important for me to celebrate Christmas here,” said 1st Lt. Melanie Meyer, liaison officer, Task Force Falcon. “This is my first Christmas away from my family in the states. I wanted to come out here today so I can still feel the same joy of giving during Christmas. Watching the faces of the kids getting really excited is great.” Several children dressed in...

An Iraqi police officer directs a woman to a truck where she was given a blanket by coalition forces in Tall Afar, Iraq, Nov. 13, 2005. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. James Wilt  More Photos Troops Give Blankets to Tall Afar Residents Temperatures in the region are beginning to drop as winter approaches, bringing a need for blankets. By U.S. Army Pfc. James Wilt 82nd Airborne Division TALL AFAR, Iraq, Nov. 14, 2005 — Coalition forces, with the aid of the Iraqi workers, distributed several truckloads of blankets to the local residents here, Nov. 13. With Iraqi soldiers and...