Free Republic

The Venezuelan government has seized a U.S. flagged ship and detained its captain for more than a week. The ship Ocean Atlas has been at port in Maracaibo, Venezuela since August 29. After four hours in port, the ship was boarded by armed security personel, and the captain was detained on suspicion of trafficking in arms or drugs. The rest of the crew of 16 Americans has remained on board under guard. According to a well-placed source arrest warrants have been issued for all of the crewmembers, who are to be taken off the ship for questioning. Incredibly, my Forbes...

Holiday music wafted in, and the appeals board director asked Paul to close the door. Santa's last reply - a long, hand-crafted letter, in splendid script - lay open on the table. “He won't even follow directions for the appeals letter,” sniffed June, a board member. “We've asked him to address the board via e-mail and fill out specific forms, but he refuses!” Macomber, another panelist, spoke up. “Santa likes letters. They are homey and personal. He will never send an e-mail.” The other panelists looked at Macomber with pity, and the director gave a grimace-like smile. “If he'd comply...

Don't know why I didn't think of announcing this earlier to the forum but I'll be doing a presentation/ signing at the Braden River Library (SR 70 - a few miles east of I-75) at 10:00 AM tomorrow (2/19). Any freepers around, come on by. Jim Macomber Author: "Bargained for Exchange" "Art & Part" "A Grave Breach"

WASHINGTON -- Plans by the U.S. Army to recall thousands of retired soldiers and place them on active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan represent the worst kind of policy: unfair and unnecessary, a punishment dished out to American patriots to soothe the surly souls of foreign layabouts. The clause in recruitment contracts that allows the military to recall soldiers during times of crisis years after their retirement is necessary -- no argument there. It's an insurance policy in the event that the nation comes under catastrophic attack. But, as anyone who has sat through a recruitment officer's pitch knows, enlistees...

By Shawn Macomber Published 1/8/2004 12:08:05 AM CONCORD -- A man in a fuzzy gray American flag parka stood in front of the bright television camera lights, squinting into the glare, and announced his intention to become the next president of the United States. His two elementary school age children, or his "staffers" as he called them, passed out copies of his self-published plan to fix America. Tipping his cowboy hat to the crowd and media gathered before him, Robert Haines began his speech, "Many of these essays were written while I was incarcerated." Over the next three minutes, the...