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Architecturally Awesome Sand Castles for Summer's End The best buildings sculpted from sand require the skills of an architect—sudden structural collapse is a significant risk—and the details depicted by some well-packed granules rival the most ornate towers and palaces you'd find on terra firma. Any of the examples here could be widely regarded as significant structures—if only they hadn't washed away hours after their completion. According to Ted Siebert's 1990 book, The Art of Sandcastling, "Seawater is an ideal bonding agent for a sand castle. As seawater in a sculpture evaporates, salt crystals remain, forming a thin crust over the...

The President is spending a few days at his ranch in Texas and Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the National Security Council, updated reporters in Crawford today on international events that President Bush in monitoring from his nearby ranch. Vice President Dick Cheney visited the Georgian Embasssy in Washington. Pray for President Bush -- Day 2896

Major Highlights NOAA: U.S. Temperature Above Normal in July, Fifth Warmest July on Record for Globe July 2008 was the 30th warmest July for the contiguous United States, based on records dating back to 1895, according to an analysis by NOAA's National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. The average July temperature, 74.9°F, was 0.7 degrees above the 20th century mean, based on preliminary data. The combined average global land and ocean surface temperature for July 2008 tied with 2001 and 2003 as the fifth warmest July since worldwide records began in 1880, according to an analysis by NOAA's National...

<p>BRESSANONE, Italy - Serenaded by an oompah band and chiming church bells, Pope Benedict XVI ended a two-week vacation in the Italian Alps on Monday and returned to his summer residence in the hills outside Rome.</p> <p>The 81-year-old pontiff looked well rested as he said goodbye from the main window of the seminary in the northeastern town of Bressanone where he was staying.</p>

1. Is Harry Reid keeping the Senate open again? It doesn't seem like it.... 2. In that case - is Bush making recess appointments? He ought to. Thanks.

The White House has rejected calls from House Republicans that it convene a special session of Congress on energy, saying it wouldn’t make a difference. “We don't have plans to call Congress into session -- it won't make a difference if Democratic leaders are unwilling to bring up a bill for an up-down vote,” said White House spokesman Tony Fratto. Republican Study Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) and Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) asked President Bush to convene the special session in an Aug. 1 letter. The same day, House Republicans launched an unusual protest on the House floor urging...

Summer is half over. Know why? Because Maine's blueberry harvest is underway. And blueberry growers are expecting a pretty good crop this year. University of Maine experts expect an average or slightly above average yield of 80 million to 100 million pounds of berries, thanks to adequate rain in May and June. Blueberry specialist David Yarborough says the hot, humid, but largely dry first few weeks of July stressed crops to some degree. But he says recent showers are refreshing them. Love to head out and pick the little blue bubbles of yummy, juicy goodness? If you are in southern...

Expanded Learning Time or Money? by: Rachel Paulk, July 24, 2008 The Center for American Progress recently held a panel pushing for the implementation of and lauding the benefits of expanded learning time (ELT) programs in schools nationwide. Most programs involve either lengthening the actual school day or increasing the number of days in a school year; to date, mostly charter schools and some elementary and middle schools have been able to integrate a functional ELT program into their curriculum. Proponents assert that the added time helps teachers expand and further expound on core classes like reading and math, though...

Leggy lasses in short skirts are proving to be a biggest threat to road safety of male drivers. A new research has shown that car crashes shoot up in summers as most male drivers get distracted eyeing babes in sexy summer outfits. According to the survey by website uSwitch.com, over a quarter admit being distracted after spotting a hot woman walk past or in another car The sexy summer outfits have even made 7pct of male drivers have a crash or a near miss. The study shows accidents shoot up by 50pct on the hottest days of the year. Some...

Maryland can't find any kids to eat free SCHOOL lunches during the SUMMER. One genius said, "We would go into alleys and hand out fliers about the program." Maybe they should check the dumpsters, landfills, and junkyards too. Or maybe the kids are just eating lunch at home. Undaunted, liberals will keep trying like hell to throw our money away.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Declining gasoline purchases, due to higher prices, are hurting the federal fund that pays to maintain the nation's highways, the director of the Congressional Budget Office said on Thursday. The fund is built on an 18.4 cent tax levied on each gallon of gas. It had been forecast to run out by 2009, but the fund is now shrinking more quickly, Peter Orszag testified to a Senate panel.

Mainers call the black fly the state bird. Residents and tourists have long steeled themselves against the flies' annual warm-weather onslaught, sometimes duct-taping pant legs and wearing screened hoods to keep the deceptively small bugs from delivering bloody bites or crawling into seemingly every body crevice. But there are now more black flies in more places in Maine, and the reason may be surprising: It's the success of the environmental movement.

<p>As the sun rose at 0458, a cheer went up from the brave crowds who had taken up their positions overnight at the stone circle on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire.</p> <p>Clad in ponchos, black cloaks and makeshift waterproof jackets made from bin-bags, revellers gathered at the Heel stone....</p>

It's Being from Arizona, I have to pass these along (they can apply to other "hot" states as well)...It's so hot in Arizona that... the birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground. the potatoes cook underground, and all you have to do to have lunch is to pull one out and add butter, salt and pepper. farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying hard-boiled eggs. the cows are giving evaporated milk. the trees are whistling for the dogs. you no longer associate bridges (or rivers) with water. you can say...

June 2007 May was just about as demented weather-wise as a month can be! First—the cold, reinforced by drought, then wind and more wind. Rain, more cold, and some more wind from a different direction! It sort of felt like maybe we were actually in Auntie Em’s house, spinning round and round, being pelted by rain and buffeted by wind coming from every direction and wondering what in the world was going to happen to us. What few plants survived the frost, and didn’t succumb to the drought, gave up in the face of an extremely long and miserable nor’easter....

Get A Little Sun This Summer -- It Could Help Save Your Life, Researcher SuggestsExperts still agree that a fairly modest amount of sun is enough -- perhaps 10-15 minutes of exposure on your arms and face about three times a week. Sunburn should of course be avoided and a tan clearly isn't necessary -- but some real sun exposure probably is. (Credit: iStockphoto/Robert Churchill) ScienceDaily (Jun. 18, 2008) — As summer comes and people across America get ready to start slathering on the sunscreen, a note of caution is in order – a little sunshine is good for you....

A ban on bikinis at the city pool is expected to be revised, ending a short-lived prohibition on the popular two-piece pool attire. The restrictions were not popular, even in the community where the council passed a resolution in 2006 to favor the "natural family" consisting of a working husband, a stay-at-home wife and a "full quiver of children."

Firefighters cleared space around houses and nervously hoped the weather would hold out as they struggled today to contain a 700-acre wildfire in the Santa Cruz Mountains that has chased 1,500 people from their homes. The Martin Fire has destroyed several structures since it broke out Wednesday afternoon near the community of Bonny Doon, about 12 miles north of Santa Cruz, and is threatening 1,000 to 1,200 homes. Fire officials said they did not know exactly how many houses had already burned. "We have a lot of homes in the area that have been impacted either directly or indirectly,"...

Finals week is over; summer is here. And thanks to misguided politicians, your teenager is more likely to be sitting in front of the television than waiting tables or scooping ice cream. This year, it’s harder than ever for teens to find a summer job. Researchers at Northeastern University described summer 2007 as “the worst in post-World War II history” for teen summer employment, and those same researchers say that 2008 is poised to be “even worse.” According to their data, only about one-third of Americans 16 to 19 years old will have a job this summer, and vulnerable low-income...

From Icecap.com's website: The Aspen Skiing Company said Monday that it will open up Aspen Mountain from June 13 to 15 for skiers and snowboarders. The company says record winter snowfall has left the mountain covered with snow, leaving behind an average of more than 3 feet of snow on the upper slopes. So, for this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Aspen will open seven runs and about 45 acres of mostly intermediate terrain that is accessible by the Ajax Express chairlift. And Missoula, Montana’s water park is closing due to cold weather ‘to protect children from hypothermia’. In the Seattle...

About 4,000 foreclosed homes in Los Angeles County have backyard pools. Health officials fear that many of these pools will turn into perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes -- and the dreaded West Nile virus -- if they go unmaintained.

Even with the skies overcast and threatening rain, Khang Nguyen, 18, and Joel Juan, 19, kicked back after school at Alki Beach."It's just a relaxing way to hang out with friends," Nguyen said of the bonfire crackling in front of them one evening earlier this week.But Seattle Parks and Recreation might do what even this week's chilly weather couldn't -- douse the long tradition of beach bonfires at Alki and at Golden Gardens.Park department staff is recommending reducing bonfires at the two beaches this summer and possibly banning them altogether next year.The park board will hear the recommendation Thursday, and...

ALBANY, N.Y. - When Joe Fox sends his daughters away to summer camp, he's confident they will be surrounded by kids who share his family's beliefs and values. Caitlin, 16, and Elizabeth, 10, go to Camp Quest, which in 1996 created a niche getaway for children who are agnostic, atheist, or just not sure what to believe yet. American parents have plenty of summer-camp options, from Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts to the YMCA, and soccer, dance, music and drama camps. The Camp Quest concept started in 1996 with 20 kids at a site in Ohio with the slogan "Beyond...

(With food costs rising, many are expecting green thumb boom) A perfect storm is brewing over Wisconsin garden centers, and if the forecast is correct, it will rain Early Girls, Beefy Boys, Mr. Stripeys and other colorfully named vegetables - assuming the weather finally warms up. The buzz at the start of Memorial Day weekend, traditionally prime time for planting gardens, is that sales of herb and vegetable plants and seeds might outpace last year by as much as 40% to 50%, according to the nation's largest mail-order seed company. A storm front of high food and gas prices -...

In 1945, Robert Sherman invented the modern portable, in-window air conditioner (Patent # 2,433,960 granted January 6, 1948). It was subsequently "appropriated" by a large manufacturer who made hundreds of millions of dollars on it. Sherman did not have the resources to fight the big corporation in court (they reportedly promised to "break him" if he tried) and thus never received a dime. He died in 1962. Recognition of his contribution to heating/air conditioning is long overdue. Click

With summer finally kicking into gear across the country, you can almost hear the gentle hum of air conditioners ratcheting up. And with it, climbs home energy bills. These days, the average household spends $1,900 annually on energy (based on electricity and gas usage), according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). But much of that, say energy conservationists, is money wasted. The good news: Cutting back doesn't mean you need to be a tree-hugging naturalist, suffering stoically as you read by candlelight. These days, you can do right by the environment and your pocketbook—without any major lifestyle sacrifices. In fact,...

'Don't speak Spanish…can't get the job?' When San Bernardino High School teens Jazanique Jackson, Ashanae Brown and Kimyen Hawkins decided they wanted to work this summer, they left nothing to chance. They knew the rules: plan ahead; role play; be positive; adapt; relate and encourage. So when they hit the streets to start their summer job search they were prepared for virtually every eventuality except one. ¿No habla ingles? Can't speak Spanish.

Park the mower: climate change to kill off lawns Jonathan Leake, Environment Editor THE Met Office is to warn gardeners to plan for a warmer climate by cultivating drought-tolerant plants such as palms, olives and Mediterranean herbs and to resign themselves to the death of the traditional lawn. It believes this year will be one of the hottest on record. The Met Office will issue the warning at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Hampton Court Palace flower show this July. “If you are planting long-lived plants like trees then you might want to choose a species that can cope with...

What are the trendiest sunglasses of the season? From enormous-sized shades, aviators (and their variations), Jackie O styled mute-toned-to-round lens ala 70s - all are worth mentioning. Seen on many celebs these days, Ray-Ban Wayfarers are still popular in S/S 08.

PITTSBURGH - Republican Sen. John McCain on Tuesday called for a summer-long suspension of the federal gasoline tax and several tax cuts as the likely presidential nominee sought to stem the public's pain from a troubled economy. Timed for the day millions of Americans filed their tax returns, McCain offered some immediate steps as well as long-term proposals in a broad economic speech. The nation's financial woes have replaced the Iraq war as the top concern for voters, and McCain, who has said economics is not his strongest suit, felt compelled to address the problems as he looks ahead to...

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR THE SUMMER TIME During hot weather make sure you follow these simple rules - it could save your bulldog's life DON'T take your dog outside during the day. Shut him in a room with a cool floor and draw the curtains to keep the sunlight out, if you do this early enough it will prevent the room from becoming warm as the sun comes into the room. Have an electric fan running in the room to keep the air circulating and make sure there is fresh water available at all times, put a dribble of apple cider...

2/19/2008 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- Students and certain other eligible persons can gain marketable skills and earn money while enjoying their summer vacations with the Air Force Summer Hire Program, Air Force Personnel Center officials here said Feb. 19. Job vacancies will be posted on the USAJobs Web site and may be advertised locally by a base's civilian personnel flight via bulletin boards, services squadron newsletters or base newspapers. Also, many civilian personnel flights interact with local community colleges and high schools and have already identified eligible and interested students. In either case, the job request...

How a Volcano Eruption Wiped Away Summer by Michael Sullivan Jessica Goldstein, NPRFor more than two decades, volcanologist Haraldur Sigurdsson has been researching the volcanic eruption of Tambora. By studying layers of soil, he can decipher the history of the explosion. The biggest volcanic eruption ever recorded in human history took place nearly 200 years ago on Sumbawa, an island in the middle of the Indonesian archipelago. The volcano is called Tambora, and according to University of Rhode Island volcanologist Haraldur Sigurdsson, the eruption is one of the most overlooked in recorded history. Tambora's explosion was 10 times bigger than...

Unprecedented warm temperatures in the High Arctic this past summer were so extreme that researchers with a Queen's University-led climate change project have begun revising their forecasts. "Everything has changed dramatically in the watershed we observed," reports Geography professor Scott Lamoureux, the leader of an International Polar Year project announced yesterday in Nunavut by Indian and Northern Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl. "It's something we'd envisioned for the future - but to see it happening now is quite remarkable." One of 44 Canadian research initiatives to receive a total of $100 million (IPY) research funding from the federal government, Dr. Lamoureux's...

Well summer is in full swing or coming to an end depending upon where you live. How has this summer been for you? Do you like summer? What are your favourite summer food? Do you think that summer emphasis or eases the problems or joys of being single.? Did you go away this year if so was it fun? Did you meet some interesting people? Did anything or fun or embarrassing happen? As summer draws to an end and autumn beckons does this make you sad or do you like autumn? The wonderful colours and wonders of nature as the...

(CBS) NEW YORK Don't forget to bundle up if you're headed out in New York City today. After all, it is August 21. The city along with the rest of the tri-state region is feeling the chilly effect of a cold front sweeping through the region, accompanied by cool rain showers. As of 4 p.m., the high temperature for the day in Central Park was just 59 degrees. The normal high for today is 82 degrees. The normal low is 67, still well above what the city is expected to see today. Forecasters say temperatures could warm up to only...

Grenada County chancellor had overstepped his boundaries -- The Mississippi Supreme Court was correct when it vacated a judge's order on Friday that banned schools in several counties from holding outdoor activities during certain hours because of extreme heat. Five school districts had asked the high court to overturn the order that would have restricted activities outside schools from 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. There's no questioning that Chancery Court Judge Mitchell Lundy has his heart in the right place. But he was severely overstepping his authority - and acting a bit like Big Brother - in deciding he knew...

The governing body for high school athletics in Mississippi asked the state Supreme Court Friday to block a chancellor’s order banning outdoor activities because of the heat. The Mississippi High School Activities Association filed a request with the high court in response to Chancellor Mitchell Lundy’s order Thursday blocking activities between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. until the record high temperatures ease. The order blocked, among other activities, outdoor football practice in a six-county area, including DeSoto County, as teams prepare for the start of the prep season the end of this month. In asking the court to issue either...

French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in the New Hampshire of the United States to spend his summer holidays, the AFP reported Friday. Sarkozy is to spend his summer vocation in the upmarket lakeside town of Wolfeboro, a holiday rental company was quoted as reporting. No official report about Sarkozy's arrival and his official schedule are available. Sarkozy won the French presidential run-off in early May. The White House welcomed the election result, and said the Bush administration looks forward to having cooperation with the new French leader. It was reported in June that Sarkozy would travel at the invitation of...

Sarkozy, his country's celebrated new leader, is planning to get some rest and relaxation on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee.

101 Frightening Ice Cream Flavors From Around The World Ice cream is a frozen dessert made from dairy products, such as cream (or substituted ingredients), combined with flavorings and sweeteners, such as sugar. In the fifth century BC, ancient Greeks sold snow cones mixed with honey and fruit in the markets of Athens. Persians, having mastered the storage of ice, ate ice cream well into summer. Roman emperor Nero (37–68) had ice brought from the mountains and combined with fruit toppings. Today’s ice treats likely originated with these early ice delicacies. But at some point, the world of ice cream...

NEW YORK - The city opened nearly 300 cooling centers Monday as temperatures across much of the Northeast surpassed 90 degrees — the hottest in the metropolitan area since a heat wave last year that was blamed for 40 deaths. Extra utility crews were on hand in case of power outages, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg urged residents to help prevent blackouts by conserving power. He urged New Yorkers not to exert themselves in the sweltering conditions. "It is very hot," Bloomberg said. "I don't care how good a runner you are, I don't care how strong you are, you should...

Temps Top 100 in West From Heat WaveJul 5, 7:52 PM (ET)By REBECCA BOONE (AP) Tourists walk in the shade to avoid the sunlight in Las Vegas, Thursday, July 5, 2007. A heat wave...   BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Sweltering residents across the West headed for lakes and rivers on Thursday, seeking relief from triple-digit temperatures expected to set records through at least Friday. (Snip) Around Las Vegas - where temperatures reached 109 degrees before 1 p.m. Thursday - transformers were overheating and causing electrical pole fires because of all the people switching on their air conditioners, said Scott Allison...

<p>MINNEAPOLIS — A six-year-old girl has been hospitalized after a horrifying accident at a swimming pool, when she sat on an open drain and a powerful suction pump tore out part of her intestinal tract. A surgeon told the family Wednesday that part of her intestines had been lost.</p>

Anchor gets stuck on Bush's boat By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer 12 minutes ago President Bush's presidency is stuck in low gear. On Sunday, his fishing boat was stuck on stop. Fellow Republicans may not be rushing to rescue his legislative agenda, but the Secret Service bailed Bush out of a jam when his boat anchor got wedged in rocks along the Atlantic Coast. Relaxing before his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the president went fishing with his father, former President George H.W. Bush, and daughter, Barbara. They dropped the anchor to fish less than 100 feet from...

Bucharest - Persistent heat of 35 degrees celsius has caused 19 deaths in Romania by Friday morning, but the worst was yet to come, meteorologists and medical services warned. The people who succumbed to the heat were mostly older or chronically ill people, according to the health ministry. In Bucharest alone 143 people passed out in the searing heat on the streets. After hovering around mid-30's since the start of the week, the temperature was expected to rise to 38 in the coming days. The heat in the streets is already higher, since the temperature is measured in the shade...

Yes, folks, it's SUMMERTIME again!    Time for family vacations....      Going to theme parks...       Going to the beach...        Going swimming...     And trying new things...    “The bigger the summer vacation the harder the fall” ~ Unknown

A recent study from Wharton University found teen employment has hit historic lows in the last three years, and, according to the report, "experts say we should be worried." Researchers found that in the summer of 2006, 37% of teens nationwide worked - nearly 11% fewer than were working in 1989, the peak of a nationwide economic boom. One labor professor said, "If adult employment fell by the same rate teen employment has in the last 10 years, that would be the greatest job loss in American history since the Depression." The report said that teens want to work, but...

Syria's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday dismissed accusations by a United Nations envoy who expressed alarm to the Security Council over reports by the Lebanese army and observers that both arms and militia men were crossing the border from Syria to Lebanon.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world. A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in...