Free Republic

In the pantheon of video game mascots, few figures are as iconic as Master Chief from the “Halo” series. Donning his famous green armored spacesuit, he ventured into hostile worlds, taking down the Covenant, an alien race intent on conquering the universe and accessing the ring worlds, or “haloes,” left over by another more ancient alien race, the Forerunners. It was only a matter of time before idea-starved Hollywood adapted the popular series to TV or film. Already they have made movies for other popular video game franchises, such as “Super Mario,” “Resident Evil,” “Mortal Kombat,” “World of Warcraft,” “Tomb...

(snip) According to the press release, National Geographic’s Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted, scheduled to air next year, promises ‘three key ingredients: unlocking a culture’s culinary secrets through exploration and adventure with local food heroes; tracking down high-octane traditions, pastimes and customs that are specific to the region in hopes of discovering the undiscovered; and, finally, testing Ramsay against the locals, pitting his own interpretations of regional dishes against the tried-and-true classics.’ Let’s look at all three elements. The first two are about a sweary, loud-mouthed chef with little understanding of a country’s cuisine, traipsing around with a camera crew, ‘discovering’ their...

SHARQOT — In a moment reminiscent of the first triumphant days of the Iraq war, American Soldiers walked through a crowd of cheering Iraqi children. On a dirt road in the village of Sharqot, the children whistled loudly for the Soldiers, then, remarkably, broke into applause. Surprised, 1st Lt. Michael E. Havey Jr. beamed at the cheering crowd. “That was pretty monumental,” said Havey, platoon leader of 3rd platoon, Battery A, 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment. “(Before) they wouldn’t even give us a wave.” Territory for Soldiers of 5-82 FA, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, out of...