Free Republic

This is pretty nuts — researchers at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University have grown “laboratory testicles” they hope could eventually ease male infertility, which affects 10% to 15% of American men. The tiny, artificial organs, produced from cells extracted from mouse testes, are said to resemble the structure and function of natural mouse testicles. The researchers, led by Dr. Nitzan Gonen, are aiming to develop human-like testicles from human stem cells to help treat developmental sex disorders and infertility. “Fertility clinics are able to identify some of the problems that cause male infertility — a low sperm count or an abnormal structure...

I really tried to like this guy. He is just a hot mess. He refuses to use a filter for his mic so half his sentences sound like walrus farts. He is constantly pretending the 'lefties' are astounded at his brilliance (hot take, they're not) . He is dangerously naive about that. He is constantly shouting to the audience to 'kiss my ass.' His topics are usually old or cribbed from Tucker. His life experience is not as interesting as he thinks it is. The good news is his contract with Cumulus expires soon and will not be renewed. Lord...

If you ask most young people today if they have any hobbies, you will receive one of four answers: 1. "No." 2. "What do you mean?" 3. "Yeah. I play video games/watch TV/watch movies." 4. "Yeah..." and then they may actually cite a hobby. The fourth is the least common. Dan Scotti, lifestyle writer at the website Elite Daily, and a millennial, wrote a perceptive piece on the matter titled, "Why Don't Millennials Have Hobbies Anymore?" "None of my friends have hobbies," Scotti wrote. And he was honest enough to include himself in this assessment: "With a pair of iPhone...

Even golfing can be a tearjerker of a subject for Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), who’s known for frequently dispensing waterworks. “I wanted to make sure that every kid had the same chance I did — an opportunity,” Boehner, with tears filling his eyes, says in a promotional spot for The Golf Channel show, “Feherty.” Another clip from the program, which airs Aug. 3., shows Boehner telling host David Feherty about a photo of him and some companions that sits in his office, saying, “The three of us are talking about how easily we turn to tears.” Boehner — who’s gotten...

A Central California mayor’s remarks that bullying victims should toughen up and defend themselves has sparked anger among some city officials and gay rights advocates. At a recent City Council meeting, Porterville Mayor Cameron Hamilton said he opposes bullying but thinks it is too often blamed for the world’s problems. Hamilton said some people need to “grow a pair.” The mayor was responding to a student program proposing safe zones around town with signs directing children to places where they could seek refuge from bullies. Porterville is a community of 55,000 residents 70 miles southeast of Fresno. …

Today feels like 2012 all over again: Conservative leaders and critics are once again focusing their attention on U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice...... Stage 1: But Rice Lied About Benghazi! This stage is self-explanatory..... Stage 2: But Rice is Incompetent! In other words, there's no scandal-scandal, but she's a bad choice based on her merits (more about that here)..... Stage 3: Obama Just Wants Revenge! Since Rice's new position doesn't require Senate confirmation, of course Obama chose Rice to get back at Republicans for attacking her last fall........ Stage 4: Resignation Well, they tried......... Stage 5: Acceptance, or, Let's Change the...

NEW YORK (AP) — Producers of "South Park" said Thursday that Comedy Central removed a speech about intimidation and fear from their show after a radical Muslim group warned that they could be killed for insulting the Prophet Muhammad. It came during about 35 seconds of dialogue between the cartoon characters of Kyle, Jesus Christ and Santa Claus that was bleeped out. "It wasn't some meta-joke on our part," producers Trey Parker and Matt Stone said. Comedy Central declined to comment. Earlier this week, the radical group Revolution Muslim said on its website that "South Park" had insulted their prophet...

INDIANAPOLIS -- Sixth-grader Matt Porter didn't enjoy getting "Most Likely Not To Have Children" and "Sir Clowns-a-Lot" awards from two teachers at his school. His parents aren't pleased, either. Matt said he received the awards in front of classmates during a ceremony at the Decatur Intermediate Learning Center at the end of the recently finished school year. His mother and his stepfather have asked the Decatur Township school system to reprimand the teachers, and they want an apology. "Words cut deeper than any knife could. They hurt," said his stepfather, Joseph Sims. "When you hurt a child like that, you...

EU foreign ministers support British position and warn of 'appropriate measures' if 15 sailors and marines not released The EU threatened to act against Iran last night if it did not immediately and unconditionally release the 15 British sailors and marines it has been holding for more than a week. EU foreign ministers meeting in Bremen, Germany, threatened "appropriate measures" if Tehran did not let the group go, supporting Britain's position that the crew had been in Iraqi waters when they were seized eight days ago. The ministers did not spell out what measures would be taken, but British diplomats...

Tony Blair voiced his “disgust” with Iran last night after Tehran broadcast a second televised “confession” by a captured Royal Navy sailor, apologising for “trespassing” into Iranian waters. A clearly angry British prime minister said the Iranians’ “manipulation” of the British prisoners would “fool no one”. He insisted the crisis could only be resolved by the release of all 15 sailors and Royal Marines seized by the Iranians last Friday. At the same time, Mr Blair appeared to be digging in for a prolonged stand-off — warning that Britain would have to show “patience” as well as “firmness and determination”...

The dispute over 15 Royal Navy personnel being held in Iran is becoming a "difficult" and "dangerous" situation, the UK home secretary says. John Reid's remarks on Sky News came after Tony Blair hinted at taking a more aggressive diplomatic approach. The UK is set to release photographs to back its assertion that the Britons had not been in Iranian waters on Friday. Preparations are in place for a news conference at the Ministry of Defence in London, where photographs of the moments when the Britons were captured will be revealed. BBC diplomatic correspondent James Robbins said the UK could...

(Sprague-WTNH) _ The bitter cold weather we're expecting tonight will give some students in Sprague an extended weekend, and students in Bridgeport and Ridgefield an extra hour to get ready for school. School officials in Sprague have canceled class on Friday. There's only one school in this district. It's the Sayles School at 25 Scotland Road in Baltic, a pre-K through 8th grade school. According to the Sprague superintendent's office, school was canceled because of the cold wind chill, and officials don't want children standing at the bus stop to be exposed to frost bite. St. Joseph's school in Baltic...

Dear Rush: Pardon my French, but you’re full of s***! As I listened to your show last week, you chose to criticize and attack conservative Americans like myself who feel the Republican Party does not deserve to win in November. Rush, since when did you become such a shill for the GOP? Choosing the party over the base is a very disappointing move to this long time listener. I’m very disappointed in you, Rush Limbaugh, you’ve lost touch with the reality that is life for the common man in America. I heartily recommend you take pause and reconsider your programming...

There was a time when men's hairstyles only came in one form: short. Close-cropped, clean cut and, frankly, a bit dull, short was pretty much it when it came to cutting men's hair. -snip- Braso attributes the new hairstyles to men's fashion trends that favor romantic fabrics like velvet. "Everything in fashion is sort of romantic and soft, almost dandyish," he said. "In a way, hair is sort of following that." -snip- But Braso said not to discount fashion as a factor in the move toward longer locks. As a whole, he said, men are edging closer to a hair-consciousness...

And now I think I'm going to leave. Because one my first post I was called a troll, and told by a poster I made them sick. Then some dink corrected my grammar. Are the rest of you nice? PS I voted for GWB last year, (my first time ever voting, I'm 19.)

Let's just be honest about it: 2005 was a disaster for Republicans and conservatives. No, we never really had a chance in Jersey, even though it looked like it, but we got beaten even worse then we should have. Kilgore blew the Virginia race. Yes, Warner's popularity was big, and yes, it's an off year election, and no, Bush isn't at the height of his popularity, but this race was mainly Kilgore's fault. Why did this happen though? What made him think he could run Hitler ads and piss off the NRA and get away with it? California was almost...

These days, it's hard to tell just who the majority party in Washington really is. But according to the last several national elections, Republicans have won the House, the Senate, and the presidency. As Bush begins his second term with increased majorities in both House and Senate chambers, it seems that the more power Republicans garner via the voters, the less resolve and political courage they display. If you believe you sense the beginnings of a commentary that may be less than complimentary to the GOP, trust your instincts--you are right. This space is usually filled with anything but hyperventilating...