Free Republic

By now, we all know that Walmart has decided to stop selling certain types of ammunition because some people think it’s more scary than other kinds, which they will continue to sell… and many folks hail this as a victory of sorts for “Main Street America,” i.e. the small independent gun shops that will benefit from increased business as shooters buy ammo from them instead of Walmart. Meanwhile, a shooting range in Texas has started to sell ammo by the pound and trolled Walmart about it. Alpine Shooting Range decided to sell ammo from dispensers and charge by the pound....

Solid cargoes like crushed ore or sand can suddenly turn to liquid… and cause the ship to sink. And the phenomenon happens more frequently than you might think... Solid bulk cargoes are typically ‘two-phase’ materials as they contain water between the solid particles. When the particles can touch, the friction between them makes the material act like a solid (even though there is liquid present). But when the water pressure rises, these inter-particle forces reduce and the strength of the material decreases. When the friction is reduced to zero, the material acts like a liquid (even though the solid particles...

$2.1 million stake in 94 properties is part of federal pilot program to sell distressed real estate in bulk ___ A New York-based private equity firm is the latest investor entering the Chicago area's market for distressed homes. The Cogsville Group LLC paid about $2.1 million for an equity interest in 94 foreclosed properties from Fannie Mae that stretch from the Wisconsin border to the South Side of Chicago. The properties include 111 rental units, 68 of which are occupied. The transaction, part of a pilot program to sell foreclosures in bulk in hard-hit housing markets, was announced Tuesday by...

The State Department on Wednesday defended spending tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars on books authored by President Obama, while White House spokesman Jay Carney called the book-buying an “embassy-based decision.” The comments followed a report Wednesday by The Washington Times that found the State Department had spent more than $70,000 on books by Mr. Obama. Most of the purchases came in the months after Mr. Obama won the White House, though the embassy in Paris spent more than $8,000 for copies of “Dreams From My Father” as recently as March.

Romney fans, please don't shoot the messenger. Mitt Romney's book has debuted at #1 atop the NY Times best-seller list among non-fiction hardcover books. However, the NY Times also provides some additional information that may explain how Romney's book hit the #1 spot. Whenever the NY Times places a "dagger" symbol next to a book, it signifies that "some bookstores report[ed] receiving bulk orders" for the book. The NY Times placed not just one, but two, daggers next to Romney's book. You can draw your own conclusion as to who it was that purchased Governor Romney's book in bulk. By...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2005 – Iraqi security forces will provide the primary security for the Oct. 15 constitutional referendum and the December elections, a U.S. commander in Baghdad, Iraq, said today. In a news briefing, Army Lt. Gen. John Vines, commander of Multinational Corps Iraq, said that because Iraqis will be mainly responsible for security, U.S. forces in the area will be increased only by about 2,000 troops for the referendum and elections. Vines said he expects insurgents to increase attacks as the referendum approaches, but coalition and Iraqi forces will be prepared to defend the Iraqis' democratic process. "Unfortunately,...

<p>Among the usual paperclips and pencils cluttering the desk of textile-plant engineer Jeff Kivert is a new necessity: 50 pounds of Silly Putty.</p> <p>The allure of such a wad is difficult for Mr. Kivert, of Whitehall, Pa., to explain. "To hold a pound of it in your hand, it's unbelievable," he says. A pound is about the size of a softball. Ten pounds is bigger than your head.</p>