Free Republic

Tornadoes do strange things, says storm chaser Jay Antle. Antle on Thursday night came to the Basehor Community Library to talk about his experiences on the hunt for storms and to set the tornado story straight. Kansas is commonly referred to as “Tornado Alley,” but Antle says this term is somewhat of a simplistic myth. “Tornadoes are actually a rare phenomena in Kansas, despite what your out-of-town relatives might say,” Antle said. “I know they ask you, ‘How do you live in Kansas with all those tornadoes?’ But the truth is, only one tornado happens per two counties in Kansas...

The recent UFO hoax in New Jersey could be educational in several ways. We might try to understand the thinking of the two men who have admitted to the hoax. We might also learn more about the complex overall situation related to UFOs. The two men who launched helium-filled balloons with common road flares attached to them did it because, according to Associated Press reports, they wanted "to debunk so-called UFO experts." Chris Russo, 29, and Joe Rudy, 28, will be charged with disorderly conduct, according to the Morris County prosecutor. The men launched the balloons in January and February,...

Detainees may be leaving the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, but a host of exotic inhabitants—giant snakes, "banana rats," nesting sea turtles—are there to stay, protected by the same razor-wire fences that keep "enemy combatants" in. Best known for its controversial role in the U.S. "war on terror," the site of the military prison known as Gitmo, seen above in a November 2008 file photo, is also an important refuge for wildlife pressured by Cuba's tough economic conditions, ecologists say. "There are laws that protect [animals] on paper, but in general there is not a lot of enforcement" outside...