Free Republic

We took our Support The Troops Float to Ft. Collins for the St. Paddys parade to counter the leftists hate march in the parade. Here is what our float looked like.

Strong demand for cheap exports is driving economic growth in China China's trade surplus neared record levels in February - fuelling criticism that its currency is undervalued.The surplus hit $23.8bn (£12bn) for the month, more than nine times higher than a year earlier and the second largest on record, official data shows. China has resisted calls from the US to remove currency controls that limit the amount the yuan can rise or fall. The US argues that China keeps the yuan artificially cheap in order to boost its exports. According to Goldman Sachs analysts "the significant increase in the...

Balloon Injures Two at Macy's Parade Nov 24 1:17 PM US/Eastern By DAVID B. CARUSO Associated Press Writer NEW YORK A giant balloon at the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade snagged a street light near Times Square and caused part of it to fall into the crowd, injuring two people, according to police and eyewitness accounts. The accident happened near the end of the parade when the balloon's tethers became entangled on the head of the street lamp, about 2 1/2 feet in diameter, and knocked it off. The 26-year-old woman and 11-year-old girl were apparently hurt by the debris. They were...

The Greeley group of Freepers had a Float in the Greeley Independence Parade and took home the Independence Award for outstanding Community Float.#16: #19: #23: #31: #34: #35: #43: #47: #48: #51:

The San Francisco Chinese New Year's Parade, happening today, is a big event, drawing a half million or more spectators, and serving as the largest public event for the Bay Area's large (and growing) Chinese population. Unfortunately, this year's event is marred by gross poltical bias. The Falun Gong movement, undergoing savage repression in China, but an active part of the overseas Chinese community, is being banned from sponsoring a float. Meanwhile, a float promoting same sex marriage, will be featured in the parade. It is a private event (using public streets - like the St. Paddy's Day parade in...

Space Future - http://www.spacefuture.com/pr/archive/on_the_practical_and_sporting_aspects_of_football_in_zero_gravity.shtml O Thornton & P Collins, 19 September 2001, "On the Practical and Sporting Aspects of Football in Zero-Gravity", Presented at Symposium on The Popular Commercialisation of Space, British Interplanetary Society, 19 September 2001. Also downloadable from http://www.spacefuture.com/archive/on_the_practical_and_sporting_aspects_of_football_in_zero_gravity.shtml Presented at Symposium on The Popular Commercialisation of Space, British Interplanetary Society , 19 September 2001 On the Practical and Sporting Aspects of Football in Zero-Gravity Oliver Thornton & Patrick Collins Introduction: Association Football, or 'soccer', is the major spectator sport in the world, as well the most widely-played. When space becomes a practical living space for the...

Bush urges China to adopt market-based currency rate (Kyodo) _ President George W. Bush urged China on Wednesday to adopt a market-based currency rate and vowed to press major trading partners to open their markets as part of his efforts to reduce the huge U.S. trade deficit. "In terms of the trade deficit, it is important for us to make sure that countries treat their currencies in market fashion," Bush said in outlining his policy agenda for the second term at a press conference. "I've been working with China, in specific, on that issue." The Bush administration apparently wants China...

PASADENA - The Rose Parade float that almost wasn't came through in fine fashion Saturday, not only representing the Antelope Valley as it made its way down the famed Colorado Boulevard parade route, but by also grabbing the Princess Trophy for most beautiful small float, under 35 feet. Float organizers speculated that perhaps it had something to do with the luck and charisma of a few of its riders who had already won a coveted prize in their own field: aerospace designer Burt Rutan and pilot-astronauts Michael Melvill and Brian Binnie of SpaceShipOne fame. "We're just ecstatic," said Mary Rainwater,...

Electronic transmission means banks will debit accounts in just minutesJohn Cailleau writes his rent check two days before his monthly Social Security payment is deposited into his account. Daniel Shiner used to keep ailing firms alive by shifting funds between accounts to artificially pump up their cash flow.The two Bay Area residents represent millions of Americans who have juggled their finances by playing the float -- that is, writing checks on money that isn't in their accounts, on the bet that it will be there before the checks are cashed.But the float will get a little less buoyant starting Oct....

O'Reilly: Who's gonna say this isn't a war anymore? Col. David Hunt: We can't have Americans being beheaded anymore. We can't have towns like Fallujah. Its time for the bombs to start dropping. O'Reilly: This is a war. I think just about everybody will believe that at this point. Everyone except Ted Kennedy. Col. David Hunt: Who gives a crap about Ted Kennedy! Put him in a boat in Boston harbor and ship him off!!!!

Lawmakers Support Students' Anti-Abortion Parade Float Officials Say Parade Is Not Platform For Views POSTED: 1:59 p.m. EDT July 3, 2003 UPDATED: 4:10 p.m. EDT July 3, 2003 Four northern Michigan lawmakers are siding with a group of anti-abortion students whose entry was barred from a National Cherry Festival parade. The festival last month rejected the entry from the 70 members of Grand Traverse Area Students for Life. The group had marched in the Junior Royale Parade for the past seven years. But festival organizers say the Traverse City event is meant to be a celebration of community, and...

Mystery shrouds IOP's floating orb Thursday, June 13, 2002 BY GLENN SMITHOf The Post and Courier Staff      <!summ!>ISLE OF PALMS-When a giant silver orb washed up in front of her rented beach house Monday night, Marie Segneri wondered for a moment if aliens had landed in the middle of her family reunion.<!end!>     The smooth, metallic ball was at least 3 feet in diameter and weighed a couple hundred pounds or more. Aside from a series of numbers stamped on its slightly dimpled surface, the sphere offered few clues as to its origin.     "It looked like it may have...

Potter Peter Lange on board his boat made of bricks. Picture / Glenn Jeffrey Built like a brick ... boat? 02.04.2002 - By REBECCA WALSH As Peter Lange's two-tonne brick boat was lowered into the water for its maiden voyage yesterday, it was hard to ignore the fact that it was April Fool's Day. Nestled under the support straps of a crane, the Mt Eden potter's terracotta creation looked perfectly at home on land. "I would just leave it there, Peter. Stop while you are ahead," one woman yelled. But with Lange on board and a group of friends...