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When 96 people from China arrived at Taoyuan International Airport near Taipei after paying hundreds of dollars to compete in a music contest offering big cash prizes, they soon discovered they'd been swindled. A con artist had faked invitations from the city of Taipei, pocketed the contest entry fees and abandoned the "contestants" at the airport when they arrived in mid-February. Some of the musicians were so angry that they refused to return home. Such scams are expected to increase in Asia, particularly greater China, as the economic downturn motivates swindlers to prey on the down-and-out looking for a change...

Good news for people who love freedom.

This video shows what REALLY goes in the minds of the Marines and every military serviceman in the United States.

STOCKTON, Calif. (AP) - Officials in Stockton, Calif., say a man on trial for murder was killed in the courtroom after he attacked the judge. San Joaquin County spokeswoman Karen McConnell says David Paradiso was fatally shot while he was attacking Superior Court Judge Cinda Fox. The Stockton Record reports that the judge was carried out on a stretcher and had bandages on one arm but was conscious and alert.

Just to remind Ronald Reagan fans that the favorite President of many conservatives is spotlighted on Turner Classic Movies tonight and on March 11, 18 and 25 when Reagan was just a young actor just trying to make a living. In these movies I think you will see the plain-spoken Reagan and that as a young man he the common touch.

VW Introduces Fifth Generation Polo; Weight Down, Fuel Consumption Down Volkswagen unveiled the fifth generation of the supermini Polo at the Geneva Motor Show. Despite improvements in all aspects of the car, Volkswagen was able to reduce the Polo’s body weight by 7.5%. The introduction of new TDI and TSI engines, as well as the 7-speed dual clutch transmission (DSG), has resulted in reduced fuel consumption and emissions over a wide range of engine power outputs. As an example, the 1.2 TSI turbocharged four-cylinder direct injection gasoline engine produces 77 kW (103 hp), while consuming 5.5 L/100km (43 mpg US),...

3/4/2009 - MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan (AFNS) -- The Misawa Air Base community welcomed home about 300 Airmen who had been deployed supporting expeditionary operations Feb. 27 through March 1 here. Families gathered on the flightline to greet their loved ones who have been gone for five to six months at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, in support of the 14th Fighter Squadron and Operation Iraqi Freedom. "It's unbelievable and really exciting," said Mindy Robert, while waiting for her husband, Lt. Col. Christian Robert, to return home Feb. 27. "The whole day has kind of been in slow motion. I didn't...

Medical marijuana users can exhale a sigh of relief that their driver's licenses will not be revoked or suspended if they have a doctor's permission to use cannabis. [snip] The Oakland-based organization's chief counsel, Joe Elford, said he filed a lawsuit against the DMV on behalf of Rose Johnson, 53, of Atwater, in November, claiming her license was taken away based solely on the fact that she uses marijuana to treat back problems, stemming from an auto crash. [snip] Johnson's driving privileges have since been restored.

"Following the colonial migrations, the United States enjoyed the greatest influx of Irish during the 1840s as Ireland suffered the Great Famine," he said. "Hungry but hopeful, poor but perseverant, Irish-Americans seized the opportunity to work hard, enjoy success, and pursue the American Dream. 'Leaders' "Many took on the difficult work of constructing America's infrastructure. Others assumed positions of leadership. "Among those leaders were signers of the Declaration of Independence and Presidents of the United States. Still others enjoyed great success and influence in the arts and literature. "From social activists to business leaders, athletes to clergy, and first responders...

The White House could easily have granted the press conference Gordon Brown so clearly craved. Though there was something a little craven, a touch humiliating about much of the build-up to this week's Prime Ministerial visit to Washington, it's reasonable to suppose that, in this instance at least, Brown may have been treated a little shabbily. The kindest way to view this is that the White House is so focused on economic fire-fighting that it has little time for diplomatic niceties; alternatively it sends a tough reminder as to who wears the trousers in this relationship partnership. There'll be none...

On today's Hardball, they brought up John McCain railing abput the latest Spend-o-rama and the amount of pork involved.

NATIONAL- On April 15th the DontGo Movement in collaboration with Michelle Malkin, Top Conservatives on Twitter, and Smart Girl Politics will be hosting Tax Day Tea Parties in every state in America. For the Tea Parties, the Portsmouth Tea Company will be donating one pound for every participating state. They will be providing tea similar to what was used at the 1773 Boston Tea Party..... President of the Portsmouth Tea Company, Marshall Malone, says, “It’s an honor to aid in the revival of liberty – fighting socialism rather than imperialism. The number of lives impacted is greater than our founding...

BAGHDAD, March 4, 2009 – During the 13th U.S. naturalization ceremony conducted for servicemembers in Iraq, 251 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines from 65 different countries became American citizens in the rotunda of the Al Faw Palace here yesterday. Servicemembers recite their oath of U.S. citizenship in the Al Faw Palace rotunda at the Camp Victory Base Complex in Baghdad, March 3, 2009. In the 13th such ceremony in Iraq, 251 servicemembers from 65 countries became naturalized U.S. citizens. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Joy Pariante  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The youngest participant was 19, and...

WASHINGTON, March 4, 2009 – Fred Baker III, an American Forces Press Service reporter, is traveling in eastern Afghanistan, an area of rugged beauty beset by insurgent violence and poverty. In his latest videos, Baker features one of Paktia province's few hospitals, where workers struggle to meet even basic needs, towns where local men grapple for work and handouts from the provincial reconstruction team, and U.S. troops as they strike a delicate balance between ridding the area of insurgency and winning the trust of residents. Baker's videos, along with his stories and journal entries, are posted on the DefenseLINK...

The parents of an 18-year-old Ohio man who suffered a brain injury while snowboarding claim in a lawsuit that doctors at a northwestern Pennsylvania hospital intentionally killed him so they could harvest his organs. The lawsuit claims that Hamot Medical Center doctors and a representative of the Center For Organ Recovery and Education caused Gregory Jacobs' death by administering medication and by removing his breathing tube, causing him to suffocate. "But for the intentional trauma or asphyxiation of Gregory Jacobs, he would have lived, or, at the very least, his life would have been prolonged," the lawsuit said. The suit...

"Clearly this kind of activity is unhelpful and not in keeping with the obligations entered into under the 'road map'," Mrs Clinton said, referring to peace efforts between the sides. Mrs Clinton, on her first foray into Middle Eastern diplomacy since taking her new post, spoke in the West Bank town of Ramallah following a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Mrs Clinton, who drove into Ramallah under heavy guard as Palestinian police armed with assault rifles lined the road, said she would be raising the issue of the planned demolitions of some 80 homes Palestinian neighbourhood in traditionally Arab...

Another must-see from Neil.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Democrats on Wednesday suggested Republicans should join their call for a nonpartisan "truth commission" to probe whether the Bush administration abused its power, or face partisan congressional investigations. The GOP response: Forget it. Sen. Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, was supported in his commission proposal by a former career diplomat and a retired admiral. But he told a hearing he convened that if Republicans "remain absent or resistant, this opportunity can be lost."

You don't say.

What grade would you give Obama's presidency so far? A B C D F