Free Republic

WASHINGTON, July 14, 2005 – Sailors from Strategic Communications Wing One recently donated their time and energy in an effort to support troops overseas. Petty Officer First Class John Blaise with the Wing’s Mobile Operations Division spearheaded the “Gifts from the Home Front” fundraiser and organized the all day event. Blaise and other sailors from the Wing’s Mobile Operations Division collected monetary donations from Tinker Air Force Base Exchange customers, and used 100 percent of the donations to purchase “Gifts From the Home Front” gift certificates for the troops from the Army and Air Force Exchange Service Web site. The...

TOKYO - Two Japanese companies said Tuesday they have developed a DVD that can play on both existing machines and the upcoming high-definition players, raising hopes for a smooth transition as more people dump old TV sets for better screens. Toshiba Corp. and Memory-Tech Corp. said their disc has a dual-layered surface that can store both types of data on the same side. For consumers, that would eliminate the potential headache of having to own two types of DVD players: Both will be able to read such discs, though only the newer equipment can take advantage of the higher-resolution technology....

'Plans for King Fahd surgery cause commotion' GENEVA (AP) — Plans for King Fahd of Saudi Arabia to undergo cataract surgery has caused an upheaval at the hospital of the University of Geneva, a newspaper reported Wednesday. “I saw couches, beds and furniture arrive,” the Tribune de Geneve quoted a patient as saying. “They made noise all night. We weren't even warned. They even moved one patient to make space.” The 81-year-old king, vacationing since May in a residence he owns in Geneva, has rented part of the hospital's ninth floor, which is reserved for private care, the newspaper said....