Free Republic

Only recently described by science, the mysterious mushrooms are found in different parts of the world, but they give people the same exact visions. Every year, doctors at a hospital in the Yunnan Province of China brace themselves for an influx of people with an unusual complaint. The patients come with a strikingly odd symptom: visions of pint-sized, elf-like figures – marching under doors, crawling up walls and clinging to furniture. The hospital treats hundreds of these cases every year. All share a common culprit: Lanmaoa asiatica, a type of mushroom that forms symbiotic relationships with pine trees in nearby...

Gigantic Confederate Flag Flies Over I-65 Flag Erected By Sons Of Confederate Veterans POSTED: 7:54 pm CDT April 11, 2005 UPDATED: 4:57 pm CDT April 12, 2005 VERBENA, Ala. -- A huge Confederate flag now waves high above motorists traveling Interstate 65 in Autauga County. For some, it symbolizes a rich southern history, but others acknowledge that it could be seen as offensive. “I like it because we're from the south, and I'm a big southern girl,” said Kim Jones, a Verbena resident. The 20- by 30-foot Confederate flag can be seen for miles and is located at mile marker...

Andy Card: "There's a salesman here to see you Karl. I tried to throw him out the door, but he's persistent. He's dressed in a kilt and says to tell you he has a 'boonie good bargain for ya,' and that you'd know that that means." Karl Rove: "A 'boonie good bargain,' you say? Show him in." Salesman: "I knew you'd let me in Mr. Rove. Nothing important escapes your steel trap brain." Karl Rove: "If you're selling what I think you're selling, I'm more than interested in talking to you. 'A boonie good bargain,' indeed. The kilt and the...

Researchers from the University at Buffalo are developing a handheld sensor that can detect the presence of toxins potentially used as agents in biological warfare. The proposed sensor, which will utilize optical-detection and chemical-sensing technologies, could be used in urban, military, industrial and even home environments, says researcher Albert H. Titus, assistant professor of electrical engineering in the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. "Our sensor will have certain advantages over what is currently available," Titus says. "It will be lightweight, portable, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and it can be tailored to detect many types -- or different quantities...