Free Republic

The home-improvement chain is unveiling power tools that won't work unless they're properly scanned and activated at the register via Bluetooth technology. If a thief managed to smuggle a power drill out of the store without paying, the drill simply wouldn't turn on. Scott Glenn, Home Depot's vice president of asset protection, told Insider about the company's fight against organized retail crime. He made a point to distinguish between "professional shoplifters" and disorganized solo thieves. The pros, he said, frequently are connected to a larger network that can, in some cases, function as a sophisticated "shadow business."

I have been trying very hard to buy American, and/or to avoid buying goods made in China. I need to buy several new power tools (e.g. circular saw, reciprocating saw, miter saw), and it seems impossible to NOT buy products made in China. Sorry for the vanity, but it is the Fourth of July, and buying American is important. Suggestions?

Two Atlanta men survived an attempt to kill themselves Friday by cutting off their arms with a circular saw, according to Atlanta Police Major Lane Hagin. The men managed to sever three of their arms about six inches above the wrist, he said. The two men — ages 40 and 41 — left a suicide note with the manager of their Atlanta apartment building saying they were committing suicide because their business had failed and they were recently diagnosed with HIV, Hagin said. After reading the note, the manager called police who found the two men in their apartment with...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of “word for the day”. Rules: Everyone must leave a post using the “word of the day”; in a sentence. The sentence must, in some way, relate to the news of the day. ;-) Practice makes perfect.....post on.... gimcrack \JIM-krak\, noun, adjective: gimcrackery; noun 1. A trivial mechanism; a device; a toy; a pretty but useless or worthless object; a gewgaw. 2. Tastelessly showy; cheap; gaudy. The pages in the campaign paper trail released thus far give details on...

In an effort to be inclusive, this thread is for nonmetrosexual males (and likeminded women) to advise queer guys on their outfits, decor, vehicles, hairstyles, homes and hobbies. I've outfitted the thread with keywords toward this end.Enjoy.

November 4, 2002 Different Face for Cover of Popular MechanicsBy DAVID CARR n the universe of male subjects for magazine covers, there are only a few sure things. Ben Affleck is a winner, and George Clooney is always a good bet to do well on the newsstand. But few can anchor a magazine like Jesus, a cover subject who brings them back year after year, particularly for news magazines like Time, Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report. Now the appeal of Jesus has found a surprisingly new home — the cover of Popular Mechanics. The December issue of...