Free Republic

EATONVILLE, Fla. - Former Vice President Al Gore on Sunday urged black voters "to walk through fire" to cast their ballots, testifying to his experience during the Florida recount of 2000. "If anybody ever tells you that one vote doesn't make a difference, ask them to come talk to me," said Gore, who two years ago lost the presidential election to George W. Bush in part because of the electoral debacle in Florida. That line, repeated at three Orlando-area black churches, was met every time with applause and cries of approval. Democrats have long regarded black voters as a crucial...

Man leaves tree home of 12 years, huts dismantled The Associated Press Published 11:20 a.m. PDT Wednesday, October 30, 2002 BRISBANE, Calif.(AP) - The tree home on San Bruno Mountain that attracted national attention when two squatters refused to leave a pair of meager huts after 12 years there, is now just a tree again. Besh Serdahely, 58, cleared out of the tree house Tuesday and park officials dismantled the dwelling, two months after San Mateo County officials stapled a notice to the 300-year-old oak in August saying Serdahely and his wife, Thelma Caballero, no longer were welcome. "I spoke...

LONDON (Reuters) - More than 200 years after they went out of fashion in Britain, professional hermits are back in the job market. A newspaper advertisement seeking a resident hermit for the stately Shugborough Home in Staffordshire, central England, has prompted a flood of replies from men eager to ditch stressed-out modern life for a spot of peaceful cave-dwelling. "There have been a few hermits in Britain since their heyday but they've usually just been recluses and loners. This is the first time the job of a resident hermit has been advertised in more than 250 years," organizer Corinne Caddy...

Will the tree run again?

!--mobile-->Zoning bible to alter face of city June 4, 2002BY FRAN SPIELMAN CITY HALL REPORTER Developers respond to possible changes BY DAVID ROEDER BUSINESS REPORTER The power to tax has been called the power to destroy. But in Chicago, the power to zone can be just as lethal. By producing a densely written ordinance and drawing new lines on musty maps, City Hall can transfer millions of dollars in land value, enriching some investors while leaving others in the cold. Zoning is a public policy decision about what to build where. If it's ill-advised, neighborhoods suffer. Developers and community groups,...