Free Republic

Nobody ever says, "Madonna who?" She's part of our culture, an American success story who's maintained a media presence for 20 years now, re-inventing herself with every prevailing wind, while never, ever giving the impression she's doing anything other than what she wants to do. We are by turns impressed, embarrassed, shocked and amazed by Madonna's antics, but we're rarely surprised anymore. Madonna, the dancer from Detroit, set out to become famous and succeeded beyond anybody's but her own wildest dreams. She's 45, and shows no signs of slowing down or relinquishing her place in the spotlight; in fact, she's...

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) --The Material Girl has stepped onto the political stage and endorsed Democratic presidential hopeful Wesley Clark. "I think he has a good handle on foreign policy, I think he's good with people, and I think he has a heart and a consciousness," pop singer Madonna said. "He's interested in spirituality -- I mean, those things mean a lot to me." The singer and children's book author met Clark a few weeks ago for over an hour. In an interview recorded last week with CNN's Denise Quan, Madonna said they discussed his becoming president. The singer told...

<p>Today we begin a five-part series on the mysteries and meanings of dreams. The series will feature dream excerpts from local residents, as well as stories on the history of dream research; nightmares and how to confront them, strange sleep disorders that include people who walk, fight and eat while dreaming; and the controversial topic of lucid dreaming -- being able to know you're in a dream and partially control it.</p>

'Cupid' and the Archaeological Imagination In the eyes of archaeologists, the Quren Ruins of Yunyang County, Chongqing Municipality is really an enigma. It is rarely seen in China to settle an archaeological site in a county, but this time a Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220) county proper is expected. Though the truth hasn't been fully revealed yet, surprises have come out one after another. "Cupid" unearthed An unexpected gain for archaeologists working at the Quren Ruins is a little bronze man. Its height is between three and four meters. The face of the old sculpture has been blurred,...