Free Republic

One of the most iconic living quarters in the history of mankind, the yurt is most closely associated with the nomadic peoples of central Asia. Herodotus, the father of history himself, was the first to describe yurts in the written word. According to him, yurts were the primary domiciles of the Scythians, who rode horses and lived in a nomadic fashion near the Black Sea from 600BC-300AD. The Ger Nomadic Mongolian families called their homes “gers.” Their dwellings were made up of same-sized orange mesh-like walls that curved around the center of the tent. Each yurt had 3-5 walls and...

Smaller House, Larger Life Making the choice to live small in a yurt or tiny house is no quick decision. However, if you want to be reduce your carbon footprint, connect closely with the people you live with, be one with nature, cut down on material possessions, or want to live a more green and sustainable existence, the lifestyle might be perfect for you. Intrigued? These experienced tiny dwellers have a lot of useful insight into the experience of inhabiting tiny structures like yurts and tipis to make the most out of living in them. Kenton Whitman (http://www.rewildu.com) Living in...

Here's your 101 guide on the structure that helped Genghis Khan conquer Eurasia — from how they're made to where you can stay in one or where you can buy one.A yurt is a round cylindrical dwelling capped with a conic roof that's been in use for at least the past few thousand years. Originating in Central Asia (Genghis Khan and his horde used them), the yurt was valued by its native progenitors for its portability, durability and structural soundness. Yurts are easy to put up and take down (requiring just a couple hours of work) and could be transported...

A 95-year-old Tennessee resident, who was part of acts of persecution in Nazi Germany, has been deported to Germany, the U.S. Department of Justice said Saturday. Friedrich Karl Berger, of German citizenship, was deported because of his participation in Nazi-sponsored persecution while serving as an armed guard of the Neuengamme Concentration Camp system in Nazi Germany, in 1945, according to the statement. "Berger's removal demonstrates the Department of Justice's and its law enforcement partners' commitment to ensuring that the United States is not a safe haven for those who have participated in Nazi crimes against humanity and other human rights...

Trip Chowdhry of Global Equities Research pulls no punches in his latest Apple Inc. AAPL 1.92% In a recent note, Chowdhry called for the "completely clueless" Tim Cook to be replaced. He cited a culture of "bozos" at Apple destroying $486 billion in shareholder value under Cook's management. Apple's PE multiple under Steve Jobs was consistently above the S&P 500 PE and above 20X according to Chowdhry. The S&P 500's current 20.5X PE dwarfs the 11.5X PE Apple generated under Tim Cook and Luca Maestri leadership. The lack of reward (positive yearly stock performance) is the market's way of telling...

An octopus with possible psychic powers, who has correctly picked the winner of Germany's four World Cup matches so far, on Tuesday tipped Germany to beat Argentina in their World Cup quarter-final match on Saturday. Paul, a two-year-old octopus born in England now living in a German aquarium, has a 100-percent winning streak at the World Cup -- and even accurately predicted Serbia would beat Germany in their Group D match-up earlier in the tournament. The eight-legged octopus, a denizen of Sea Life in the western town of Oberhausen, has turned into a celebrity oracle for getting all four picks...