Free Republic

COPENHAGEN, Denmark – Danish museum officials say that an archaeological dig last year has revealed 365 items from the Viking era, including 60 rare coins. Danish National Museum spokesman Jens Christian Moesgaard says the coins have a distinctive cross motif attributed to Norse King Harald Bluetooth, who is believed to have brought Christianity to Norway and Denmark. Sixteen-year-old Michael Stokbro Larsen found the coins and other items with a metal detector in a field in northern Denmark.

Good afternoon/evening FReepers. Yep, it is Beer Thirty Time Once Again!Happiness is a bubbling airlock! And a Cold Brew Irish Stout Yum! Good evening/afternoon brewers and winemakers. Let us know what y’all are brewing up and making. Any interesting brews or wines you have discovered?

Not sure but this may be my first "vanity" thread since joining in 1998. In any case, I know there's folks on here who are deeply involved in photography and know lots about camera's and digital camera's -- something of which I know about zero. I'm taking the better half on her dream vacation this summer to Alaska for her birthday. We have a small 12mp digital pocket camera, but are thinking we'd really need something better (better zoom, image stabilization for example) for some nice nature pic's. I've been reading up on different camera's from SLR to DSLR and...

Richard Swanson, 42, planned to walk from Seattle to Sao Paulo, Brazil, for next year’s tournament. His dreams of dribbling to the World Cup were cut short. Richard Swanson, 42, planned to walk, soccer ball at his feet, from Seattle to Sao Paulo, Brazil, to make it in time for next year’s international soccer tournament. But Swanson was mowed down by a pickup truck Tuesday morning south of Lincoln City, Ore., only two weeks and a few hundred miles into his journey. This map from the “Breakaway Brazil” Facebook page shows the journey Swanson attempted. Upon his death, he was...

TEMPE, AZ (CBS5) - A 19-year-old Arizona State University student with a blood-alcohol level five times the legal limit was left at a Tempe hospital with a Post-it note attached to his body to alert doctors he had been in a drinking competition earlier in the night. Tempe police Sgt. Michael Pooley said the unidentified student was found in a wheelchair between 1 and 2 a.m. Saturday in the emergency room lobby of St. Luke's Hospital. The student had passed out and started shaking and turning blue before the student's fraternity brothers dropped him at the hospital with the note,...

So, my son and I will have a 5-day bonding experience and we will drive the Pacific Coast Highway from San Diego to Carmel and back in a pristine (red, of course) 1985 Alfa Romeo GTV-6/2.5. I welcome your suggestions for some good driving music for the trip. Thanks!

Video #1Video #2Video #3Video #4The rest are at the site...Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Back in the days when we had an economy and the living was almost easy, when I was hunting and shooting and building rifles, and still had some color in my beard, I would not have considered not having a Dixie Gun Works catalog around.Almost 700 pages, everything from tomahawks and gunlocks to snake oil. There are tools, gun flints and chunks of wood for fancy knife handles.Well, the other day I ordered myself another one.5 bucks, and for another 2 bucks they ship it UPS!You can read a Dixie catalog for hours, even if you don't need any gun...

If there hasn’t been a Color Run 5k or 10k race near you, there probably will be soon. And with all that color, you certainly want to take some pictures, right? Not with your camera you don’t. I’m never one to worry much about lens dust, but the color bombs they throw out at Color Runs are different. In the last month my lens rental business has had over 20 lenses and several cameras nearly ruined by these things. For what it’s worth, all of the renters tell us they really weren’t near any of the major ‘color bombs.’

One of the more unusual items on display at the NRA convention in Houston was Magpul's Microbus with its minigun:

A 6-year-old South Dakota girl who was initially accused of cheating in a federally-sponsored art contest was restored as a winner, and her painting of a duck is again on track to be used on a U.S. postage stamp. A 9-by-12-inch oil painting of a canvasback duck by Madison Grimm, of Burbank, S.D., was declared the winner from some 29,000 entries in the 2013 Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest. In addition to having their artwork immortalized on a stamp, winners receive a $5,000 scholarship. But days after the April 19 announcement, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service officials said Madison —...

Penetration and expansion test of the 9mm Hornady Critical Defense, 115 grain JHP. The ClearBallistics test block is comparable to 10% ordinance ballistic gel, and includes four layers of denim. The inclusion of denim is an IWBA protocol. Test gun is the Glock 19, 4" barrel. Video includes brief overview of the cartridge, recoil shots, and one shot test. Advertised velocity is 1140 fps. Chronograph velocities from the Glock 19 are noted in the video. VERY IMPORTANT INFO REGARDING AMMO TESTS ON THIS CHANNEL: Please understand that these techniques are merely representations to indicate possible ballistics; they are not intended...

Lets's start a thread for posting our Derby picks. We need an FR bookie. We can play for told-ya-sos. I'm a cheapskate who's broke all the time, so I'm only betting on the big race. I'm putting $2 across the boards on "Normandy Invasion" and also $2 across the boards on "Frac Daddy". I know it's stupid to pick them because you like their names, but every once in a while it works. I picked a horse named "Frisk Me Now" once in some podunk race and it won even though it went off at like 50 or 60:1. The...

I am getting to go on a weeklong road trip down the east coast where I plan to cut across the Blue Ridge parkway and drive west. I don't have a destination or a plan, I want to spend some time in a part of the country I really haven't seen. I thought I might go through some rural areas where I could just pull off a road somewhere and plink some cans with a wristrocket if it was a nice day and I felt like getting out of the car. Then it occurred to me that I don't know...

Good evening/afternoon brewers and winemakers. Good afternoon/evening FReepers. Yep, it is Beer Thirty Time Once Again!Happiness is a bubbling airlock! And a Cold Brew Or In This Case A Mint JulepDerby Day Tomorrow Or Make Your Own With Your Favorite Bourbon Mint Julep Recipe 2 cups sugar 2 cups water Sprigs of fresh mint Crushed ice Bourbon Whisky Silver/Gold/Glass Julep Cups Make a simple syrup by boiling sugar and water together for five minutes. Cool and place in a covered container with six or eight sprigs of fresh mint, then refrigerate overnight. Make one julep at a time by filling a julep...

Take heart baby boomers, there's life in those aging bodies!

The world of heavy metal has lost one of its pioneering guitarists. Jeff Hanneman, one of the cofounders of Slayer, died today, the band announced on its website. He was 49. "Slayer is devastated to inform that their bandmate and brother, Jeff Hanneman, passed away at about 11 am this morning near his Southern California home," the statement reads. "Hanneman was in an area hospital when he suffered liver failure. He is survived by his wife Kathy, his sister Kathy and his brothers Michael and Larry, and will be sorely missed."

Advice for an old guy: I was working out at the gym when I spotted a sweet young thing walking in....I asked the trainer standing next to me, "What machine should I use to impress that lady over there?"The trainer looked me over and said; "I would recommend the ATM in the lobby."

I got this in an email. Click on the link to watch it.The Little Red Wagon Down to the last detail. Unbelievable

I remember many years ago there was a machine on the market that (I think) was designed to reduce second-hand smoke. You inserted a real cigarette into the small device, and the device burned the cigarette for you and caught all the smoke that didn't come through the filter. Again, I think--I never used one. Does anyone recall the name of this product? Thanks in advance, FA

I just took the plunge and purchased a small travel tailer (25 ft.) My wife and I will use it for mostly stationery camping at a lot we own on a lake in Northern VT. We have all of the power and water hook-ups there, and it will be our vacation and weekend home for the summer. The trailer is brand new and has all of the normal, mid range functions: Refrig, TV, stereo, Queen bed, one slider, shower, etc. I am writing to ask other trailer owners what things they would get at the outset to make their lives...

An Indian stuntman attempting to break a world record by crossing a river on a zip-line -- while hanging by his ponytail -- died while performing the feat Sunday. Police officer Sailendra Nath Roy, 49, apparently had a heart attack as a result of zip-lining on a wire suspended nearly 600 feet in the air across the River Teesta in West Bengal, India, according to a Sky News report. Roy holds the Guinness World Record for covering the longest distance on a zip-line while hanging by his hair. Roy’s shoulder-length hair was attached to a pulley on a wire, and...

Specifically, handgun magazines. Just the bottom, so I can more easily identify what ammo they contain. FMJ vs. JHP, that kind of stuff. Anyone done this? What sort of paint should I use? I'm worried about the oils and solvents that will come in contact. Not too worried about flaking, as it will happen anyway . . . but I don't feel like repainting often. Is this even possible? Or should I go with colored tape? Any better ideas?

Two men became the new proud owners of a rare 1913 Liberty Head nickel, which was hidden in a closet for 41 years after its owners were mistakenly told it was fake. Larry Lee, 63, from Panama City, Fla., and Jeff Garrett, 54, from Lexington, Ky., paid $3,172,500 for the coin from Heritage Auctions in Schaumburg, Ill., on Thursday. “I love rare coins,” Lee told ABCNews.com. ”For anyone connected to coins, this is like a dream come true.” Lee and Garrett bought the coin in partnership. Garrett, who was one of a team of experts brought in to authenticate the...

Are Duracell batteries actually better batteries, or is it marketing?

Just noticed on www.556RECON.com that some 556x45 55 grain FMJ has dropped to 65 cents per round. Link to report here.Link to ammo: here.

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — A rare century-old U.S. nickel that was once mistakenly declared a fake and forgotten about for decades has sold at auction for more than $3.1 million. The 1913 Liberty Head nickel is one of only five known to exist. But it's all the more prized because of its unusual back story: It was surreptitiously and illegally cast, discovered in a car wreck that killed its owner, declared a fake, forgotten in a closet for decades and then declared the real deal. It was offered up for sale Thursday by four Virginia siblings at a rare coin and...

Good afternoon/evening FReepers. Yep, it is Beer Thirty Time Once Again!Happiness is a bubbling airlock! And a Cold Brew Irish Stout Yum! Good evening/afternoon brewers and winemakers. I missed posting last Friday and I apologize. I just got caught up in all the news coming out of Boston last Friday and missed posting the thread. I did get to brew up another Irish Stout last week and it needs to be racked into a secondary tomorrow. My last Irish Stout turned out to be so good I needed more! Yum!

Establishing a bond with a pocket pistol is similar to marriage—in one way: You have to be willing to accept compromise. To make any compromise worth the effort, there must be a clear objective. In this case preserving your life is the goal, and pocket pistols, whether diminutive semi-automatics or small-frame revolvers, do their part and offer a solution that is easy to carry concealed. Merely slipping one into the front pocket of your jacket, however, will not prevent a determined threat from causing you bodily harm. To stop a violent attack, you must be prepared to counter with force...

MCDONALD, Pa., - Police in Pennsylvania said they responded to a report of two men burning something in a shed and discovered an alleged moonshine making operation. McDonald police said Midway residents called officers to their neighborhood April 11 with a report of neighbors burning something in a shed and one witness told police he suspected they were making moonshine because he had seen a man loading Mason jars into a vehicle, The (Washington, Pa.) Observer reported Tuesday. Police said they entered the shed to discover Matthew Zirwas III, 33, and Matthew Kirks, 29, operating what appeared to be an...

I attended my first MotoGP race over the weekend at The Circuit of the Americas in Austin. I've been following MotoGP for years and I've seen many races on the Speed Channel. Believe me, nothing can prepare you for this experience. Until you see and hear those motorcycles in person you haven't an inkling of the power and acceleration. It was a Repsol Honda day. The rookie Marc Marquez won, followed by fellow Spaniards Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha). This was on my bucket list and I was tremendously impressed. The traffic was horrendous but I knew that going...

This is the image posted at Drudge (the name of Allah)...And this was the what was actually recorded by John the Revelator as "666"...Curious to say the least!

I have been experimenting with making my own apple pie "moonshine". I am using 190 proof Everclear..looking for advise or maybe a recipe.

Graffiti artists The Yok and Sheryo swear they’re not on drugs. “It seems like we’re just taking acid and putting all this s--- together, but it really is a collection of what we’ve seen,” The Yok said. The duo, who now live in Brooklyn, just put up a city-commissioned mural along 16th and Morgan streets as part of 25th Ward Ald. Danny Solis’ public art initiative. The viaduct wall now sports a Vulcan-eared monkey eating deep-dish pizza along with a sunglasses-wearing skeleton head wearing a hat that says “Zap Rap.” The Yok and Sheryo won’t give their full names because...

My email to the NRA;

Got em alive in liberal mass...great now we can get to the truth and I think water-boarding will be a very useful tool.I also think it should take place on go ole PBS/WGBH Boston..Lets really put out PBS tax dollars to work and WB this Bad Boy

I am looking for someone with access to a full size Civil War Cannon, who would be able and willing to bring it to a gathering of old, dried up Artillerymen in the Evansville Area in June. Would prefer a field gun in the 10 lbs class, but if you have something different let me know.

Any of you who frequent the prepper threads, or are on the Prepper Ping List, I am putting together a monthly free magazine, BY US and FOR US. This is not a blog pimp post, I don't have a blog or web site, and don't want one. I am looking for interested FReepers to provide content (articles, photos, columns, gear reviews, etc.) that will be assembled into a PDF that is ad free and noncommercial, which will be posted here monthly and, if Kartographer agrees, pinged to the Prepper ping list for free download and enjoyment. Readers will not have...

Thanks to Kyle Swift, access to the trail at Garden Canyon will be easier and safer. Swift, 15, is a Boy Scout with Troop 486 and together with volunteers he organized, the path from the parking lot at Garden Canyon to the trail was improved on Saturday, April 6. “The problem with this trail is that access from the parking lot to the trail system requires you to have to go down a very steep, slippery slope with loose rocks,” said Swift. “I myself have slipped and fallen down in this area.” Swift took on the problem as his service...

Good afternoon/evening FReepers. Yep, it is Beer Thirty Time Once Again!Happiness is a bubbling airlock! And a Cold Brew Irish Stout Yum! Good evening/afternoon brewers and winemakers. Well, it has been a little more than a month since the last thread was posted. The Oatmeal Stout I bottled around the middle of Feb. has bottle aged and carbonated very nicely and is mighty, mighty tasty. My next Homebrew will be another Oatmeal Stout because this one turned out so well. I hope all of you and your Brews and Wines are doing well. Stop by and share what you are brewing...

Can anyone tell me what is the name of the car that this dash is a part of? What are those levers in front of the steering wheel used for? Air vents? Nice looking dash.

A collection of nearly 100 antique tractors, mostly of the bright-yellow Caterpillar variety, will be auctioned at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Trout Run, Pa. The auction’s 109 lots, which range from farm tractors to heavy earthmovers and various durable parts, carry an total estimated value of $500,000, said Scott Edwards, territory manager for Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, which is managing the sale. The presale value is Mr. Edwards’ own best guess because such collections of vintage industrial iron rarely come up for auction. Still, many antique tractor enthusiasts have inquired about the sale. “It’s not something you see every day,”...

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is actively shopping for a drone that would "stalk hunters," the organization said Monday. [READ: Drones to Monitor Endangered Animals in Africa] The group says it will "soon have some impressive new weapons at its disposal to combat those who gun down deer and doves" and that it is "shopping for one or more drone aircraft with which to monitor those who are out in the woods with death on their minds." The group says it will not weaponize the drones, but will use them to film potentially illegal hunting activity and turn...

It’s a snowy Saturday night in Boston, and the bros are moving in pack formation. As we trudge through the fresh powder toward South End, the 10 or so guys I’m walking with jostle and joke their way forward through the frigid air, bouncing with that particular surge of giddy energy you sometimes get when you’re hanging out with people you have never met in real life. As members of Gaybros—a Reddit-based community for gay guys with traditionally manly interests like sports, hunting, and beer—the large majority of their bonding takes place through comment threads under topics like “Ron Swanson...

Subbing for mylife...

I got out with my son in law, got coffee and just rode around. Grandson is at National Guard annual training through this month so it's quiet around here. Even when he is asleep there is a subliminal rumble present LOL, and you miss it when he goes out the door.The ponds were all quiet today, nothing but sunning Red-eared Sliders, Trachemys s. elegant. Believe it or not these are the same turtles they used to sell in dime stores, with the little tank and a plastic palm tree. Last week they were just peeking out of the water, today...

A rare 1909 baseball card, known as the "Holy Grail" of baseball cards, has sold for a record $2.1 million, the auction house that conducted the sale said Saturday. The 1909 card of Pittsburgh Pirate shortstop Honus Wagner was auctioned by Goldin Auctions in West Berlin, New Jersey for $2,105,770.50 to an unnamed buyer. Bidding started at $500,000 on Feb. 25.

his Model of Stephenson's Steam Engine was made in 2008 by master glassblower Michal Zahradník. Highlights: * The crankshaft is glass. The piston is glass. The counterweight that makes the wheel spin evenly is glass. Imagine that everything is made out of glass. * There are no sealants used. All is accomplished by a perfectly snug fit. The gap between the piston and its compartment is so small, that the water that condensates from the steam seals it shut! * Notice the elaborate excessive steam exhaust system next to the piston

I am considering purchasing a laser rangefinder as an aid for target practice. I don't want to spend a lot of money, and I don't want to waste my money if cheap ones aren't very good. I have narrowed my search down to this one: $115.89 Simmons Laser Rangefinder, 10-600 yards Does anybody have any experience with laser rangefinders they can share?

snip---------------- With few exceptions, states with the highest rates of gun ownership -- for example, Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Alabama, and West Virginia -- also tended to have the highest suicide rates. These states were also carried overwhelmingly by George Bush in the 2000 presidential election. snip-------------------- "In states with a higher percentage of the population that belong to a church, it is plausible that religious views and doctrine about suicide are well-known through sacred texts, theology or sermons, and adherents may be less likely to commit suicide." snip--------------------- The sociologist said that although policies aimed at seriously regulating firearm...