Free Republic

97 years old. "The Right Stuff" immortalized him.

Tom Wolfe, an innovative journalist and novelist whose technicolor, wildly punctuated prose brought to life the worlds of California surfers, car customizers, astronauts and Manhattans moneyed status-seekers in works like “The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby,” “The Right Stuff” and “Bonfire of the Vanities,” died on Monday in a Manhattan hospital. He was 88.

BroadwayWorld has just learned that playwright, actor, author, screenwriter, and director Sam Shepard has passed away. Shepard, who had been ill with ALS for some time, died peacefully on July 30 at home in Kentucky, surrounded by his children and sisters. He was 73 years old. Shepard is the author of forty-four plays as well as several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs. Shepard received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play Buried Child. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of pilot Chuck Yeager in The Right Stuff...

Silly me. I thought America's unparalleled space program (before the present administration began dismantling it) was a triumph of American ingenuity, technology, vision and boldness. Instead, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden says its "foremost mission" is not returning to the moon, or completing a mission to Mars; rather it is improving relations with the Muslim world. Bolden says President Obama told him he also wants NASA to encourage children to study science and math, but isn't that best done by applying science and math to a robust space program? Obama is boldly going where no president has gone before. It is...

Brian Morganstern, the Circuit City clerk whose tip led to the arrest of the “Ft Dix Six” appeared on CNN’s American Morning today. I’ve edited the interview for length. Roberts: You’re being hailed as a hero. How do you feel about that? Morganstern: I don’t feel like a hero, to be honest with you. I feel like I did the right thing. But the real heroes are our men and women overseas, and the people in our law enforcement who handled this situation.

Columbus, Ohio -- Former senator and astronaut John Glenn and his wife were taken to a hospital with minor injures after being involved in a car accident, police said. Glenn, 85, and his wife, Annie, 86, were in fair condition early Saturday morning at Grant Medical Center, a nursing supervisor said. The driver of the other car, Amy Myers of suburban New Albany, said she was driving east late Friday night when Glenn, who was headed west, tried to turn left onto a highway ramp.

Breaking on CNN web page from AP report.

A twin engine Gulfstream One turbo-prop made a belly landing about 100 feet short of a North Las Vegas runway at 0914 5 May. One of the two passangers aboard - who had no flight experience in a multi engined aircraft - took control of the aircraft, after the pilot took ill while en route to San Diego. Reports indicated that the pilot suffered a heart attack during flight and subsequently died at a local Las Vegas hospital. The passanger is intimated as having had in a previous life stick time in gliders (but never in any powered aircraft -...

This coming Monday-Wednesday, THE RIGHT STUFF will be in Dayton OH; all area Freepers come on out! Press release below: PRO-REPUBLICAN STAND-UP COMEDY SHOW!! DAYTON PREMIERE of "THE RIGHT STUFF"! For club information and reservations, please call: 937-433-LAFF (5233) www.jokerscafe.com Tired of Republican bashing? Tired of Bush bashing? Tired of America bashing? Well, this is the “Bash” for you! Come on out and spend an evening with comedians who look at the world the “Right” way… Look out, Bill Maher! Step aside, Janeane Garofalo! Run for cover, Michael Moore! Pro-GOP comedians perform Monday Oct. 18th through Wednesday October 20th at...

By Pamela Hess Pentagon correspondent Published 8/1/2004 5:06 PM RAMADI, Iraq, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- Living on a Marine base on the edge of restive Ramadi is a shock to a civilian's senses. It's endlessly dusty and loud; the latrines smell; it's beastly hot. There is no color other than brown, and everyone is armed. But mostly you marvel at how they go about their days: run with M-16s flapping against their backs for miles at high noon when it's topping 115 degrees just for the exercise; how they wear long sleeves, pants, suede desert boots, 30 pounds of armor...

MN Freepers, heads up! For Immediate Release Contact: Eric Peterkofsky, (818) 207-2997rightstuffcomedy@yahoo.comwww.rightstuffcomedy.com MINNESOTA PREMIERE of "THE RIGHT STUFF"! Conservative stand-up comics to perform March 31st at: UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA -- TWIN CITIES CAMPUS (MINNEAPOLIS) Tired of God bashing? Bush bashing? Conservative bashing? Then this is the "Bash" for you! Come to University of Minnesota's Coffman Union and spend time with comedians who look at the world the “Right” way… Look out, Bill Maher! Step aside, Janeane Garofalo! Run for cover, Michael Moore! Politically conservative stand-up comics are finally coming out of the closet! They are sick and tired of having...

<p>All Alaskans should support President Bush's soon-to-be-announced plan to establish a permanent human colony on the moon.</p> <p>Why? Simple. Job opportunities.</p> <p>The moon is cold, dark, lonely and a long way away from the continental United States.</p> <p>Remind you of anywhere?</p>