Free Republic

It's the only game in town where a pink slip can get you a prize. A laid-off computer programmer is putting on the Unemployment Olympics next week at Tompkins Square Park in the East Village. The jobless can take a break from scanning the classifieds and updating their résumés to compete in events like the Fax Machine Toss and the You're Fired Race. Nick Goddard, 26, came up with the idea when he lost his position last month, and he got a permit to stage the Olympiad at the ballfields at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. "Maybe it will lift everyone's spirits...

GERONA, Philippines (Reuters) - Ardith Vescara is an angry young woman. On top of family and academic pressure, the 13-year-old Filipino says boys tease her at school. But instead of letting her emotions eat away at her, she is treating herself to an unusual form of anger management. At the Isdaan restaurant in Gerona, about three hours north of Manila, Vescara and other patrons work out their stress for 15 pesos (30 U.S. cents) a go by hurling plates at the "wall of fury" emblazoned with words such as ex-wife, boss and lover. A shout of "tacsiyapo" -- or "shame...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Dark chocolate can not only soothe your soul but can lower blood pressure too, researchers reported Monday. The study, published by the American Heart Association, joins a growing body of research that show compounds found in chocolate called flavonoids can help the blood vessels work more smoothly, perhaps reducing the risk of heart disease. "Previous studies suggest flavonoid-rich foods, including fruits, vegetables, tea, red wine and chocolate, might offer cardiovascular benefits, but this is one of the first clinical trials to look specifically at dark chocolate's effect on lowering blood pressure among people with hypertension," said Jeffrey...