Free Republic

Wherever we drive nowadays, we see electric vehicles (EVs) amid the normal internal combustion cars and hybrids. Maybe one in ten, maybe one in twenty, maybe one in a hundred. It all depends on where we live and where we go. They are no longer the noticeable rarity they were just a few years ago; you no longer turn your head in surprise when you see that Tesla logo beside you. The modern Left has a dream – that soon, very soon, every vehicle in the world will be electric, running on a heavy, cobalt-laden, lithium battery that needs to...

Smoked lizard dipped in barbecue sauce. Deep-fried crickets. Fudge-covered scorpion. Nope, these aren’t the latest exotic street food offerings from half a world away. These multilegged dishes are prepared by a vendor known as Chef John at the Arizona State Fair, held every fall in Phoenix. State fairs, of course, are synonymous with fried foods. And while the usual staples like funnel cakes remain, cooking up unusual options has become a sport in itself. At fairs across the U.S., concessionaires delight in one-upping each other with the strangest, fattiest, most questionably edible snacks, many of which fall into one of...

Zeke lived with an FFA teacher because he had no other home. He worked for his room and board; he fed the pigs and chickens, and helped with the milking. The summer between the 8th and 9th grades, Jasper, the FFA teacher, took Zeke to a neighbor's ranch and let him pick out a day-old Hereford bull for his first FFA project. The deal was that Jasper would pay for the calf, and for the feed, and Zeke could repay Jasper when the calf grew to become the Grand Champion Steer at the state fair, and sold at the fair's...

RALEIGH, North Carolina (AP) -- An outbreak of E. coli infections linked to last month's state fair may be larger than previously thought, with more than 100 additional cases under review, according to health officials. The number of confirmed infections grew to 31 by Saturday, and the state Department of Health and Human Services was investigating 103 more cases. Department spokesman Bill Furney attributed the additional reports to heightened awareness among doctors and the public. "We're in a state where we are looking for it," he said. The most common link among victims is that some visited a petting zoo...

From the NC Board and saved for Taxduction1 to read when she grows up: Yesterday, the family and I went to the Dixie-Classic Fair in Winston-Salem. The Republican booth was a rocking place to be; Lot's of people stopping by; lot's of laughter carrying down the aisles. On a lark, Taxdeduction1 went over to the Donkey zone--which was deserted except for two workers--and posed a question or two. "Why should I vote for John Kerry?" she asked. The two gentlemen manning the booth very nicely pointed out John Kerry's desire to protect the environment. "Does he care about women's rights?"...