Free Republic

Brief evacuation at Sidwell Friends School on Thursday morning Students and employees at Sidwell Friends returned to the school’s Wisconsin Ave. NW campus after a brief evacuation Thursday morning, according to school officials. President Obama’s two daughters are enrolled at the private school. (exerpt)

SANTA CRUZ --" City Councilman Tony Madrigal is due in court Nov. 10 on charges of reckless driving after being pulled over because the California Highway Patrol said he was typing on his laptop, texting, impeding traffic, swerving and driving on the center divide. The charges came to light after Madrigal failed to appear in court for an arraignment last month and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. Madrigal, 37, was cited for the offenses on Aug. 30 while driving his 2004 Toyota Prius north on Highway 1 near Mar Monte and Freedom Boulevard, according to the charges...

There is a troll named "zhanaya" who signed up yesterday and sent me an angry freep mail about something I commented on quite a while ago. "zhanaya" was very indignant and also a very bad writer. I think it's probably some teenybopper out of school for Easter Break. Seems to be a pattern here. I told "zhanaya" to back off or be zotted. That is all; film at eleven.

Firefighters are evacuating residents near a wildfire that is burning out of control this morning in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said the fire has burned about 500 acres. Sheriff's deputies from Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties are in the process of evacuating residents living in a three-mile stretch near Mount Madonna Road, according to Chris Morgan, a fire prevention specialist. Morgan estimates there are at least 20 homes in the are being threatened by the fire. "Our main priority is evacuations, getting people out safely," Morgan said. "Then we can start...

WATSONVILLE — Less than 24 hours after the California Department of Health Services issued a warning for consumers to beware of lead-contaminated Mexican candy, a Santa Cruz County health inspector Thursday found buckets of the candy inside a small store in Watsonville. John Hodges told the owner, Gil Garcia of Productos Diana, to remove the candy from the shelves until tests are conducted by the state to see how much lead is in it — if any. The owner of the store, located in the back of the Watsonville Discount Mall at Beach and Rodriguez streets, immediately complied, saying he...

There was a time when Santa Cruz environmentalists encouraged logging. "It is the policy of the Board of Supervisors to encourage the continued production of forest products," reads the county code, written in 1976 by former Supervisor Gary Patton, long known for his strong environmental stances. But while the code he wrote has not changed, the attitude of some county leaders has. And next month, they will further their attempt to curb one of the county's first and most controversial industries: harvesting trees. At their April 24 meeting, supervisors are tentatively scheduled to consider increasing the size that a piece...

SANTA CRUZ — It may not be a local race, but some in Santa Cruz are lining up to support congressional hopeful Pete McCloskey, the Republican primary challenger to Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy. Pombo, who has proposed bills to sell 15 national parks, abolish protection for 150 million acres of wilderness and weaken the Endangered Species Act, has irked the national environmental community to the point that it is rallying for his Republican opponent, even here in Santa Cruz. Pombo is "not a desirable congressman," said Democrat and Santa Cruz resident Eleanor Wasson, 98. Wasson is hosting a fundraiser for...

SANTA CRUZ — Former UC Santa Cruz chancellor M.R.C. Greenwood, who held the No. 2 position in the University of California system, has resigned her $380,000-a-year post in the wake of an investigation into the hirings of a colleague and her son. UC President Robert Dynes made no mention of the resignation during his visit to Santa Cruz on Thursday and Friday for events celebrating UCSC's new chancellor, Denice Denton. The press statement from his office came via e-mail after the ceremonies. The statement said the investigation into possible improper hiring practices and concerns about conflict of interest centers on...

Strike-weary Santa Cruz County residents have turned to hitchhiking, taxis, jogging, walking and riding bikes. The bucolic campus of the University of California at Santa Cruz has become a huge parking lot in the redwoods, as university officials allow students and staff -- now forced to drive to campus -- to park on campus roads. The bus strike is the talk of this left-leaning town -- more than the war in Iraq or Supreme Court nominees. Last week, a group of UC-Santa Cruz Republicans clashed with bus strike supporters. The demonstration was followed by a huge protest outside the Santa...

In the halls of American schools, the date Sept. 17 might not mean much. The federal government wants to change that. A new federal law requires schools that get federal money — including colleges — to set the day aside as a special celebration of the U.S. Constitution in an effort to combat an apparent ignorance of the country’s "supreme law." The date, which falls on a Saturday this year, can be observed by schools any time this week or next week. Many schools will celebrate today or Monday. Teachers, not just in social studies departments, always include topics of...

Man, do I feel sane! Earlier tonight I spent about 10 minutes at sunset in my hot tub, not alone as usual, but this time I was invaded by my brother, my delusional, intoxicated, know-it-all, angry-at-the-world, idiot hippy hot-tub-hijacking brother. His rants are amazing; everyone is ripping him off, he absolutely MUST keep spending money so as to make his “land” make money for him. (This in spite of the fact that he’s already thrown about $300K down a rat hole and needs to pay it back.) If he had his way he would drain every dollar out of the...

WASHINGTON (AP ) - Former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, President Bush's choice to be homeland security secretary, has withdrawn his name from consideration, the White House announced late Friday. Presidential press secretary Scott McClellan, in a conference call to news organizations, revealed that Kerik had withdrawn ``for personal reasons.'' ``The president respects his decision and wishes the commissioner and his wife, Hala, well,'' McClellan said in a statement. ``Commissioner Kerik is withdrawing his name from director of homeland security,'' the spokesman said. ``He informed the White House this evening that he was withdrawing for personal reasons from consideration...

NEWARK, N.J. -- Jails and detention centers around the country must stop using police dogs to control detainees as of Saturday under a new policy issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a division of the Homeland Security Department, issued a memo to its 22 regional field offices last month ordering them to refrain from contracting with facilities that use dogs around detainees. The facilities will still be able to use the dogs to sniff for drugs or other contraband, said bureau spokesman Russ Knocke. "We believe there are other effective...

New twist on old Nigerian scam. LOL! ******************************************************** From_the desk of Dr Dennis Moore, Account Officer, Nat West Bank(UK), London-UK. Dear Friend With reference from your country's Chamber of Commcer I solicit for partnership in this project knowing fully well that it will be beneficial to both parties. I am Dr Dennis Moore, an account officer the late Mr Alex Guest a customer of Nat West Bank. I know we have not met before but I am contacting you with due sense of humanity responsibility and the few awareness that you will give it a mutual understanding I have urgent...

Imagine this scenario if you can. The President of the United States is involved in a serious car accident and, while recovering, receives a visit from the Archangel Gabriel. Forced to acknowledge the desperate state of the country due to his poor leadership, the President vows to set the nation right, fires the crooked cabinet members who got him elected and transforms himself into an all-powerful dictator who wages war against organized crime, all in a determined bid to restore social order in America. What sounds like a right-wing paranoid fantasy is actually the plot of Gabriel Over the White...

'The Rape of Nanking' author is found dead Iris Chang, the bestselling Bay Area author whose book on Japanese atrocities in China during World War II catapulted her to fame and prominence, was found dead from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound. She was 36. Chang drove down a road south of Los Gatos and shot herself in her car, authorities said. Santa Clara County sheriff's Deputy Terrance Helm said a motorist driving Tuesday morning on Highway 17 south of the Cats restaurant in an unincorporated area near Los Gatos noticed a car a short distance down a private water district...

Neighbors sue man for letting peacocks roam WOODSIDE, Calif. Some people in Woodside, California, want a home where the peacocks don't roam. So the town is suing a reclusive resident who allegedly allows his peacocks to run free. Officials have received 41 complaints this summer about the birds screeching at all hours, pecking at windows and ruining flower gardens. Sheriff's deputies have visited Ronald Mullen's house five times, but have spoken to him only once. He's believed to be keeping at least 20 birds. The town manager says Mullen can keep as many peacocks as he wants. But officials hope...

A Santa Cruz soldier’s story By SARAH QUELLAND sentinel correspondent SANTA CRUZ — Twenty-three-year-old Michael Little was born and raised in Santa Cruz, but he grew up on the road to Baghdad. Little, a communications officer in the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment based in Encino, joined the military to get an education and serve his country. "I joined the Marines because I wanted to be the best," he said. "I wanted to put myself to a challenge. I’m constantly giving myself challenges and trying to push myself harder each time to reach those goals." In Iraq, his troop, among...

I just heard Lee and Mel on KSFO state that two California delegates were the ones who allowed the Code Pink protestors who attempted to disrupt the President's speech last night. Apparently the two protestors were seated with the California delegation. One of the protestors was Medea Benjamin, infamous leader of Code Pink. Lee and Mel just mentioned that perhaps former CA governor Pete Wilson was one of the delegates who gave his convention pass to the protestors. I've been searching FR for any articles about the disruption last night, but have found nothing.

A few minutes ago I posted a thread about BRANT, one of the Swifties. The thread got pulled as a duplicate, which is fine. BUT.....I can't find the duplicate of the Brant story, only the Drudge story about self-inflicted wounds. Can someone show me where the Brant phone call story is??

He was on yesterday I believe, but he's on again today (unless it's a re-run).

SALT LAKE CITY — The night after 27-year-old Lori Hacking (search) disappeared, her husband was causing a disturbance at a local hotel, FOX News has learned. Police late Monday night responded to a complaint at the Chase Suites Hotel, where Mark Hacking (search) was running around naked, only wearing a pair of sandals. When the officers realized who he was, they took him to the nearby University Neuropsychiatric Institute (search), where he was admitted as a patient. FOX News has also learned that less than a half hour before Mark Hacking called police to report that his pregnant wife never...

I hate flying. That's been the fact for quite a numbers of years. But after the events at O'Hare airport last Friday, July 16th, I vow that I will NEVER fly through that airport again, and what's more, I will NEVER EVER again fly on United Airlines. "Fly the friendly skies" my great aunt fanny! Their motto SHOULD be "We don't care, we don't have to. We're United." On that day, dozens of planes were stuck on the tarmac, not allowed to take off. After the first hour had passed, our "friendly" pilot announced that there was a weather system...

Like the title says, Does EVERYTHING have to be excerpted now?? Lately it seems that EVERY thread that is posted is excerpted. Is that the rule now? EVERY thread? I don't even go to Drudge anymore due to the invasive pop-ups and trash he deposits on my hard drive. And it's not like I don't have protection; I probably have five or six popup/virus protection thingies working on my hard drive. But every time I go to Drudge, I pick up a mess of unwanted junk. And to have to sign in for some stupid little newspaper in a stupid...

A week or so ago I ordered some farm supplies off of the internet. My county is so business-loathing that I usually have to go out of the county or out on the net to make certain purchases. I ordered a small portable greenhouse; it arrived a week later. I ordered a gallon of dog/cat repellent; it arrived yesterday. But the fifty pounds of orchard seeds, a grazing mix, has NOT arrived. My UPS driver tells me that it's being "held" at UPS because the county needs to inspect it. He said he saw the box and it was open,...

The Santa Cruz anarchists who rent basement space from the Resource Center for Nonviolence have been told to leave. The reason? A clash of philosophies, said Kyle Sirman, at the Anarchist Infoshop. Incompatibility, said Bob Fitch, a Resource Center official. The anarchists have ``been unable to create a continuity of safe and welcoming atmosphere,'' said Fitch, who manages the property. But Sirman said Fitch told the group there was too much traffic and not enough personal hygiene. Some of the complaints, Sirman quoted Fitch as saying, ``had to do with us smelling.'' The Resource Center sells books and bumper stickers,...

WASHINGTON (AP) - The decades-old tradition of tenure protects teachers, often frustrates principals and has even surfaced as an issue in the presidential campaign. Now tenure itself is under review. Tenure guarantees that public school teachers who have this protection cannot be fired without legitimate cause and due process, perhaps even a court hearing. Almost every state provides tenure in some form. Yet with federal law requiring schools to have a top teacher for every core class, more administrators are questioning whether tenure keeps them from getting rid of even a small number of instructors who just are not good...

Click herefor your own personal fireworks. Why fight the crowds??

Pardon the second vanity of the day, but I've been listening to the host filling in for Savage, Barry Farber, and I've been absolutely glued to the radio. What a brain! What a voice! What a gentleman! Michael could certainly take some lessons from Farber. I'm now a fan of his.........just ordered his book, in fact. I'm sure others already know about him, but I just discovered him today. Hope someone else heard him......he's spectacular.

Can't stick around to do much discussing tonight, but Savage is REALLY feeding the Bush bashers today. He's at his MOST obnoxious right now. He's attacking Bush for NOT being rude and offensive at the Clinton portrait unveiling. He says Bush didn't say anything good about Reagan at the funeral. Savage is an ignorant buffoon, IMHO.

Le Computer A French teacher was explaining to her class that in French, unlike English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine. "House" for instance, is feminine -- "la maison." "Pencil" , however, is masculine -- "le crayon." A student asked, "What gender is 'computer'?" Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups, male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether "computer" should be a masculine or a feminine noun. Each group was asked to give four reasons for their recommendation. The men's group decided that "computer" should definitely be of...

<p>As a musician and Beethoven scholar, I was overwhelmed yesterday when Beethoven's Ode to Joy was sung at the funeral. Even though the English text being sung had absolutely NO connection with the original Ode from the Ninth Symphony, ONE connection DID strike me.</p>

SANTA CRUZ — Miss Santa during the summer months? Well, he will be in town June 12, but this time he is a man with a mission. As part of a global warming demonstration, Santa will hold a press conference on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk at 11 a.m. Santa’s unusual visit to Santa Cruz is because global warming causes the North Pole to melt during the summer months, environmentalists say. Organized by the environmental groups Duyure Adelante, Green House Network and Campaign Earth, "Save Santa’s Home" demonstrations will take place June 12 in cities across the country. Duyure Adelante...

INSTALLING "HUSBAND 1.0" Dear Tech Support, Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed a distinct slow down in overall system performance -- particularly in the flower and jewelry applications, which operated flawlessly under Boyfriend 5.0. In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalled many other valuable programs, such as Romance 9.5 and Personal Attention 6.5, and then installed undesirable programs such as NFL 5.0, NBA 3.0. and Golf Clubs 4.1. Conversation 8.0 no longer runs, and Housecleaning 2.6 simply crashes the system. I've tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these problems, but to no avail. What can I...

Winding up a visit from my wacko Liberal older Brother this weekend, and boy, does he have an incredible NEW alert from Liberal radio. It seems that our President has made it LAW that ALL Vietnam Vets, even up to age 65, are now eligible to be drafted back into the military to be sent to the Middle East. Yes yes.......the last time I saw him it was the children, male and female, who were about to be "drafted" even though his girl is 32 and his boy is 25, and partially handicapped. Yes, sez he, Bush is going to...

Yes, this IS from yesterday's news. And yes, it's not really a burning issue. But I just haven't been able to shake my feelings about the photos of Alexandra Kerry at Cannes. The photos are very disturbing to me, and I think I finally figured out just why. When I remember back (several decades ago) to being Alexandra's age, 30, even as an adult one of my deepest motivations was still to make my Dad proud of me. Now, Dad was no prude, and neither am/was I. And I WAS in a career that required me to dress in somewhat...

<p>THE RECENT actions of Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner were reckless and inflammatory. With no regard for truth or consequences, Turner unveiled graphic photographs at a Tuesday press conference, suggesting that the images portrayed the rape of Iraqi women by US soldiers. The display was an all-time low for a member of the City Council. Turner, now in his third term, used twisted logic to justify the photo array. While stopping short of claiming authenticity, Turner argued that "the American people have a right and responsibility to see the pictures" in light of recent revelations regarding abuse of Iraqi prisoners.</p>

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) -- A small earthquake centered in the Pacific Ocean rattled residents of this beach-front city awake early Sunday but apparently caused no injuries or damage, police said. The magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck at 1:47 a.m., according to officials with the U.S. Geological Survey and the California Institute of Technology. It was centered 10 miles west of Isla Vista, where the University of California, Santa Barbara, is located.

KING OF PAP: New Jersey construction executive Henry Vaccaro (above) holds a drawing of a boy made by Michael Jackson, part of a confiscated collection that includes surreal notes that address boys as "rubbers" and his thoughts on child molestation. - Don Murray Investigators in the Michael Jackson child-sex case swooped in on a New Jersey man's memorabilia collection last month, seizing six items as evidence. Two pairs of the self-styled King of Pop's underwear, photos and handwritten notes are among the items they took. Under orders from Jackson's Santa Barbara prosecutor, Tom Sneddon, agents removed the items about four...

Shortly after the announcement of alleged al Qaeda dirty bomber Jose Padilla's arrest in June 2002, a number of Internet sites posted a comparison of Padilla's 1991 mug shot to a police sketch of John Doe No. 2, a never-apprehended suspect in the Oklahoma City bombing. Stories on the comparison appeared in the Wall Street Journal and the Boston Herald, as well as on the Web site of the Village Voice, NBC's "Today Show," and NPR's "Here and Now" radio news program, among others. INTELWIRE has extensively investigated Padilla in an effort to confirm or refute such a connection. As...