Free Republic

The writings of the egoist Voltaire did more for liberation than those of the loving Rousseau did for brotherhood. - Alexander Herzen, From the Other Shore.ADMIRALS It is good, from time to time, to kill an admiral, in order to encourage the others. - Voltaire, Candide, 1759. ADVERSITY A man is on earth like a soldier at his post. - Voltaire, Ingenous, 1767. He struggled; he called to his aid philosophy, which had always helped him; he derived from it only enlightenment and no relief. Duty, gratitude, sovereign majesty violated: these presented themselves to his eyes like avenging gods; he...

<p>On the word of a child who later changed her mind, Aleck Carpitcher might do life in prison.</p> <p>In 1999, at age 43, he was sentenced to 38 years without parole. A Roanoke County judge spared Carpitcher the full 73 years the jury wanted him to serve for sexually abusing the 11-year-old daughter of his girlfriend.</p>

"God created man in His image and likeness, and man promptly returned the favor." -- Voltaire

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Outside the gates of the U.S. military base at Kandahar airport, Jalat Khan selected a stone from the gravel on the shoulder of the road and swallowed it. Then Khan, a jobless wanderer in a turban and robe, did it again. And again. Pretty soon, a crowd had gathered, oblivious to the U.S. Army Humvees rolling out of the base on routine patrols. Even the clatter and roar of American helicopters and transport planes -- part of the daily base traffic that usually turns heads -- couldn't compete with Khan on Thursday, who invited spectators to hear...

PHOENIX - Faisal Al Salmi also received three years' probation, during which he will be prohibited from flying, taking flight training or going to an airport without court permission. U.S. District Judge Roslyn Silver said Al Salmi will likely be deported after serving his sentence. Since he has been behind bars since his arrest Oct. 18, he will spend only about a month more in prison. Al Salmi, speaking through an interpreter, lashed out at FBI agents during the hearing. "They have been sworn in to tell the truth but they lied to the judges, they lied to the jury,...

How Females Choose Their Mates Females often prefer to mate with the most flamboyant males. Their choice may be based on a complex interaction between instinct and imitation by Lee Alan Dugatkin and Jean-Guy J. Godin Picture a man who has a way with the ladies, and a character not unlike James Bond may spring to mind. He's clever, classy, fearless and flashy-characteristics that are almost universally appealing to the opposite sex. Throw in the powerful sports car, and you have a nearly irresistible combination. That females often flock to the most ostentatious males is not a phenomenon unique...