Free Republic

A man whose dog found a lump of rare and valuable whale sick on a beach is expecting to be able to sell it for more than £100,000. Ken Wilman, 50, was out walking on Morecambe beach when his dog Madge started sniffing a lump of rock. He told Sky News: "At first I thought it was a football but as I got closer I realised it was a big stone. "She wouldn't leave it alone. I picked it up and it smelt horrible so I knocked it with my walking stick and a small lump came off. "I put...

October 29, 2010 The Great Unwashed By CATHERINE SAINT LOUIS A DAILY shower is a deeply ingrained American habit. Most people would no sooner disclose they had not showered in days than admit infidelity. But Jenefer Palmer, 55, of Malibu, Calif., cheerfully acknowledged recently that she doesn’t shower or shampoo daily and doesn’t use deodorant. Ever. No, she does not work from home in pajamas. In fact, Ms. Palmer, the chief executive of Osea, an organic skin-care line, often travels to meet business contacts at the five-star luxury hotels where her line is sold. They might be surprised to read...

Bottom reached “Natural living” advocates unveil their latest planet-saving invention - the reusable toilet wipe.

Last fall, Ian McKellen dropped his pants on stage to reveal everything he has -- and soon the full-frontal scene may play on public television. The nude scene was part of the "Lord of the Rings" star's performance in the title role of "King Lear" in New York. The scene depicts Lear losing his sanity. "King Lear" was taped and will air on PBS next year -- but it's not known if McKellen's private parts will make it to television. PBS is not cable. It's a regular broadcast network and it has to worry about wardrobe malfunctions. Pressed for an...

Same-Sex Couple Sues After Faced With Ultimatum at Mariners Baseball GameAnyone who has attended a Major League Baseball game in the past decade has probably seen a "Kiss Cam" where couples throughout the ballpark are featured locking lips on the big-screen JumboTrons. But controversy over ballpark kissing erupted at Safeco Field in Seattle this week when a same-sex couple claimed they were discriminated against because of their sexual orientation, which stadium officials deny. Sirbrina Guerrero, 23, says she and her partner, who requested anonymity, were just "exchanging pecks," not acting any differently than heterosexual couples at the game, when park...

The organisers of a major sporting event in Samoa have said they will change guidance that banned gay and lesbian competitors from having sex. The rules, published by Samoa team managers yesterday, apply only to Samoan athletes competing in the Pacific Games, a multi-sport event held later this year. The organising committee moved quickly to reject the rules and order changes. The Samoa National Olympic Committee president and organising committee chairman, Tapasu Leung Wai, told Radio Australia that the gay sex ban was not endorsed by the committee. "I regret that it appeared that gay people were being singled out...

BATAVIA, N.Y. -- Five parents who asked to transfer their children out of Batavia High School classes with a transsexual teacher have been denied, according to city schools Superintendent Richard Stutzman. The written requests did not meet the guidelines set out by the district, Stutzman said Tuesday without providing specifics. "That's all between the school, the teacher, the parents," he said. Other students were allowed to adjust their schedules because their requests were based on changes in their academic programs, Stutzman said. Fall classes began Wednesday in Batavia, 31 miles southwest of Rochester. Diagnosed with a transsexual disorder, the teacher...

Starts off dark, ends up very pallid This author proves she just doesn't have the stomach for all the Jacko ickiness MARK STEYN >> Read the excerpt: On Michael Jackson Years ago, Liz Smith, the doyenne of New York gossip columnists, printed a short item heralding Hilton Kramer's forthcoming biography of Lana Turner. Miss Turner was the legendary sexpot of the silver screen and Mr. Kramer was then the eminent art critic of the New York Times and not the most obvious biographer of the former. But, when you make your living from name-dropping, it can't always be easy dropping...

E-mail Author Send to a Friend Version August 04, 2005, 8:12 a.m. Kissing Sibs Could the Supreme Court embrace incest? By Matthew J. Franck Here’s a question that could reasonably be asked of President Bush’s nominee to the Supreme Court, John Roberts: Is there a constitutional right to engage in incest? The question is not “academic”; it is virtually guaranteed to make an appearance before the bar of the Court in the near future. Of course, the question’s foreseeable character is a reason not to ask about it to some minds. But as I have argued here on NRO,...

Matt Damon has admitted that he'll probably grow old with Ben Affleck rather than the woman of his dreams. Speaking to German magazine Brigitte Damon said he believed in his long term friendship with Affleck and added: "I can well imagine growing old with him." He also said that it was unlikely a woman would come between them. "My longest relationship with a woman lasted two and a half years. That's very short when I consider how long I've been friends with Ben," he said. The actor, who wrote and starred in Good Will Hunting together with Affleck, also stood...