Free Republic

HARTFORD, Conn. - Songwriter Paul Vance, who earned pop culture immortality with the 1960 smash about a bashful bather, "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini," has died. He was 68. The New Milford-raised Vance, whose real name was Paul Van Valkenburgh, died Sept. 6 at his home in Ormond Beach, Fla., said his wife of 32 years, Rose Leroux. He had been battling lung cancer for two years. Vance and songwriting partner Lee Pockriss also co-wrote "Catch a Falling Star," a No. 1 hit for Perry Como in 1958. But they had their biggest success with the song...

Here's a picture of a spider that I found under my baker's rack awhile ago--I can't identify it though...was hoping some of the wonderful folks here might be able to help. If it's a garden spider, we'll do a release into the back yard garden, but I have a 5 y/o and I don't want to take a chance that it's a dangerous spider. Anyone got an idea what this might be?

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Men worried about having a small penis are usually pretty average, but have a false idea of what the normal size is, according to a report in the medical journal Urology. This best way to reassure men with penile concerns is to educate them, the author of the report says. Men should know that a normal-sized penis is 1.6 inches or more when flaccid or 2.76 inches when stretched out. The findings are based on a study of 92 patients who went to the andrology department at Cairo University Hospital in Egypt over a 2-year...