Free Republic

J Carnes felt queasy looking out at the rows and rows of rotting cabbage heads marked by cracked black leaves. The pungent odor -- like boiling cabbage, but worse -- made him retch. Even as the sun faded into the horizon, small clusters of migrant workers remained stooped in the fields. They moved fast, cutting the last good crops out of the dirt and dropping them into burlap sacks strapped across their chests. But there weren't anywhere close to enough workers. And, anyway, it was already too late. "The fields had a dark, ugly, death-look to them," Carnes recalls, "like...

USC is the new No. 2. The Trojans advanced one spot to overtake Michigan in Top 25 today, a day after their 44-24 victory over Notre Dame. USC, the sixth team to be ranked No. 2 this season behind No. 1 Ohio State, leads the Wolverines by 36 points in the poll. Michigan, which completed its season with a 42-39 loss to Ohio State on Nov. 18, fell to No. 3. The Wolverines (11-1) are 63 points ahead of No. 4 Florida, which beat Florida State 21-14 to improve to 11-1. Ohio State (12-0) was a unanimous No. 1 for...

Evidently, I did not watch Texas A&M stun Texas and Louisiana State and Arkansas duel on Friday. I will not be in Tucson today to watch Arizona State play Arizona, while keeping one eye on Notre Dame-Southern California. Considering the reaction after the latest Game of the Century last week, one would think that the rest of the season has been cancelled, and only Michigan deserves a ticket to Glendale to face Ohio State for the national championship on Jan. 8. And the basis of this grand pronouncement? A three-point loss against the Buckeyes in Columbus, in which the Wolverines’...

LOS ANGELES - Most of the star power Southern California used to beat Notre Dame and almost everyone else the Trojans faced during the past four years is gone.Nevertheless, the Trojans keep winning and once again have a chance to play for a national title. The reason is no mystery to Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis - it's coach Pete Carroll."All I know is the guy, in the last 57 games the guy played, they won 54 of them," Weis said. "You think about what I just said now. Fifty-four out of 57. I mean, three losses by a combined...

AUSTIN, Texas - While the chance to repeat as national champion is long gone for Texas, the Big 12 title is still there for the taking. For rival Texas A&M, it's there for the spoiling.No. 11 Texas (9-2, 6-1 Big 12) and Texas A&M (8-3, 4-3) meet today for the 113th time in a fierce rivalry that dates to 1894 but has been decidedly one-sided since the Aggies' last victory in 1999.A Texas win locks up the Big 12 South and a berth in the conference title game. An Aggie victory legitimizes the program's resurgence under fourth-year coach Dennis Franchione.Throw...

NEW YORK — More than two dozen people, including a professional baseball scout and a high-stakes poker player, were charged today in connection with a billion-dollar-a-year gambling ring that rivaled casino sports books.The illegal betting scheme was orchestrated through a Web site called Playwithal.com, run by the poker player, James Giordano, 52, of Pine Crest, Fla., according to Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.A break in the case came last year when investigators secretly hacked into a laptop computer that Giordano had left in a Long Island hotel while attending a wedding, police said. He was...

Scientists have taken big step towards helping humans British scientists have managed to make blind mice see, a breakthrough that could open the way to treating millions of people who lose their sight. A team successfully transplanted retinal cells into mice that were blind as a result of a genetic defect, the effects of which are very similar to the human disease retinitis pigmentosa. The treated mice regained some vision, and the team responsible showed that the transplanted cells integrated into the retina and formed new photoreceptors, the cells that are sensitive to light. The loss of photoreceptors underlies many...

GOP Fort Bend official says they are just repeating party's position Fort Bend County Democrats are irate about campaign signs linking Democrats to illegal immigrants and terrorists, but the Republican county commissioner who paid for them said they accurately reflect Democratic positions.Early voters in the heart of the heated race to succeed former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay were greeted Wednesday with red and white signs that read: "Want more illegals? Vote Democrat" and "Encourage Terrorists. Vote Democrat."By midafternoon, outraged Democrats had removed the signs but not the acrimony. "This is a majority minority county where Hispanics, blacks and Asians...

ATLANTA — A lovesick teenage girl drove into an oncoming car in a suicide attempt that she counted down "8, 7, 6..." in a text message to the female classmate who spurned her, authorities said. The teenager survived but a woman in the other car — a mother of three — died.Louise Egan Brunstad, 16, was charged Thursday with felony murder. Prosecutors said they intend to try her as an adult. If convicted, she faces an automatic life sentence."She was actually counting down her imminent threat: 'Nine, eight, seven, six ... I'm going to do it,'" said Fulton County District...

Former partners are competing for the contract to develop segment of Trans-Texas project Former business partners are now competing for one of the state's richest construction contracts — development of a transportation corridor between Northeast Texas and the Mexican border, passing near the Houston area.The Texas Transportation Commission voted Thursday to seek proposals from the two for development of the route designated TTC-69, part of the state's ambitious Trans-Texas Corridor plan.Projects envisioned for the corridor include a $12 billion toll road running west of U.S. 59, high-speed passenger and freight rail, pipelines and other utilities.Spanish-owned construction giant Cintra and San...

UT professor who outraged readers says antiwar activists like him were right about 9/11 We all remember where we were and what we felt on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. I also have a clear recollection of the morning of Sept. 14, 2001.I got to my office early, and the red message light on my phone was already blinking. My voice-mailbox was full of angry condemnations of an essay that had run in the Houston Chronicle that morning ("U.S. just as guilty of committing own violent acts," Outlook), in which I sharply criticized past U.S. policy and warned that...

Though tracks often miss mark, they still beat out human predictions The swirling clouds sweeping into the Caribbean Sea had not even reached tropical depression status when Houston forecasters began to worry about the system that would become the short-lived Hurricane Ernesto."Those weak at heart are advised not to look at the 144-hour Canadian model," noted a local meteorologist in the Aug. 24 forecast discussion posted on the Web site of the Houston/Galveston office of the National Weather Service.That's because the six-day forecast provided by the Meteorological Service of Canada's computer model had the tropical system strengthening into a major...

SPECIAL FOOD EDICIÓN Dear Mexican,Why do Mexicans forget about great beers like Tecate, Negra Modelo and Bohemia and start drinking swill like Bud Light when they come to the United States? I always remember John Steinbeck's immortal line -- "Ah, Bohemia beer and the Pyramid of the Sun; entire civilizations have created less"-- yet if you visit any taqueria in Houston on a Saturday afternoon, the Mexicans are pounding down American beer and nobody drinks Mexican cerveza except the gringos. This makes no sense. Drinko por CincoDear Gabacho, That Mexicans drink gabacho beer makes perfect sense: This is America,...

Park attraction in Mexico offers reality, but doesn't amuse lawmen EL ALBERTO, MEXICO — "Run! They're on our tails!" shouted a man in a ski mask as he led 15 people down a steep ravine and into a thorn-infested thicket.Gunshots pierced the night air. Sirens wailed. Then came a voice, sounding like the Border Patrol. "Don't cross the river!" someone yelled in a heavy accent. "Go back to Mexico where you belong!"Welcome to one of Mexico's strangest tourist attractions:A park where visitors pay $15 to hike across fields and through treacherous ravines, a grueling experience aimed at simulating an...

MOSCOW — Eric Clapton's scheduled concert on Red Square next week has been canceled after Russian authorities abruptly withdrew their permission, the guitarist's publicist said. A Russian promoter had received an official permit for Clapton to perform on Red Square on Thursday, but officials withdrew that Friday, Clapton's publicist, Kristen Foster, said in a prepared statement. "Eric Clapton is extremely sorry to disappoint his numerous Russian fans but the circumstances of the cancellation are completely beyond his control," she said. Russian President Vladimir Putin's press service relayed a request for information to the Kremlin administrative department, which could not be...

Those among you who like your skies darkened by black helicopters are invited to mosey on down to the remote Chinese village of Huangyangtan which hosts what must be the strangest military installation ever spotted (http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showthreaded.php/Cat/0/Number/484568/page/vc) by the Google Earth Community:Zooming in for a closer look, we have what appears to be a 900x700m scale model of a mountainous landscape......complete with lakes, valleys and snow-capped peaks:Truly bizarre. Google Earth aficionados can examine the evidence for themselves here (http://regmedia.co.uk/2006/07/19/huangyangtan.kmz) (.kmz) while wondering what on Earth, or where on Earth for that matter, this remarkable landscaping project is. Don't, however, spend...

7/11/06 - KTRK/HOUSTON) - Sophisticated graffiti artists have left their mark near downtown Houston. Someone covered up a billboard on La Branch at Winbern with a poster featuring a picture of Jesus Christ holding a Budweiser can. The company that leases the billboard believes vandals made the poster at home and then pasted it on top of the ad that's supposed to be there. It shows Jesus holding a Budweiser in between the phrases "Jesus, King of Jews" and "Jesus, King of Beers." "I thought that was just crazy," said commuter Jose Cazares. "It looks professional too."Neighbors say the billboard...

These are all registered domain names of legitimate companies or organizations. Someone should have thought twice. 1). A site called 'Who represents' where you can find the name of The agent that represents a celebrity. Their domain name is: www.whorepresents.com 2). 'Experts Exchange', a knowledge base where programmers can Exchange advice and views at: www.expertsexchange.com 3). Looking for a pen? Look no further than 'Pen Island' at: www.penisland.net 4) Need a 'therapist'? Try 'Therapist Finder' at: www.therapistfinder.com 5). Then of course, there's the ' Italian Power Generator Company' - www.powergenitalia.com 6). And now, we have the Mole Station Native Nursery,...

As a pivotal date nears, a campaign tries to persuade the young to vote MEXICO CITY - "It's my first time," confesses a youthful female voice, asking a shopkeeper for help in picking out just the right outfit. "Ahhh," says the older woman knowingly. "Then I would suggest some super sexy lingerie.""Don't you think that's a little revealing," the customer asks, "for going to vote?"If a radio spot comparing voting to a woman's first sexual experience seems like a desperate attempt to capture the attention of youth, well, it is.The Mexican government is in the midst of a crusade to...

Impatient with feds, Perry says state will install Web cameras public can view SAN ANTONIO - Irked by what he called federal "inaction" on border security, Gov. Rick Perry unveiled state plans to install hundreds of video surveillance cameras along the Rio Grande to allow anyone with Internet access to witness and report suspicious activity as it occurs. "I look at this as no different than the neighborhood watches that we've had in our communities for years and years," the governor said Thursday.In making the announcement, Perry sought to distance himself from President Bush on the immigration controversy and align...