"The ballot before had Saddam Hussein -- yes or no -- and if you put no, the bodyguard took you to

"The ballot before had Saddam Hussein -- yes or no -- and if you put no, the bodyguard took you to the jail."
Ali Almoumineen
A lawyer who left Iraq in 1992 and settled in Nashville, Tenn. He registered to vote in Iraq's election.
"I thought I would die, and worse than that, I would die all alone."
Michael Mangal
Who was rescued Jan. 19 from Pillowpanja island. All of the other 100 or so islanders were washed away by the Dec. 26 tsunami.
"Everybody's been really patient."
David Dickinson
Who has a 2,000-ton pile of cow manure at his cattle business that began burning about two months ago and continues to smolder.