Free Republic

He crossed the Atlantic because it was there, and the Pacific because it was also there. Mr. Fairfax and Sylvia Cook in 1972, after their Pacific trek. He made both crossings in a rowboat because it, too, was there, and because the lure of sea, spray and sinew, and the history-making chance to traverse two oceans without steam or sail, proved irresistible.

Welcome to the 11th installment of the FReeper Weekly Recipe Thread 2012. Looking for something new to make or made something new that came out great? Please share a 'tried-and-true' recipe or two- for fellow FReepers to add to their 'go-to' Recipe Stack of Family Favorites! Here's the place to share and explore your latest and greatest favorite recipe. (All 2011 FReeper Recipes are on my profile page as an Online Cookbook Thread Link)

Good afternoon gardeners. I have been debating all day if I should post this week’s thread. And can’t help myself at this point. I do not like stepping on JADB’s ownership of the thread and I hope y’all and she understands. As many of you know my wife and I are moving from Meridian, Ms to Marshall, Tx and I was not sure I would be able to keep on gardening at the house we are leasing. Peggy has received a written approval letter from the owner for us to put in a small garden. So I will be trying...

Weekly FR Boating Thread ~ Vol. 4 ~ Feb. 17, 2012 ~ Spring Projects Launching ~ Weekly FR Boating Thread ~ Vol. 1 ~ Jan. 27, 2012 Weekly FR Boating Thread ~ Vol. 2 ~ Feb 3, 2012 ~ “Off Season” Weekly FR Boating Thread ~ Vol. 3 ~ Feb. 10, 2012 ~ Boat TransportationLast week’s thread had 23 posts, including boat transportation sources and recommendations. With Spring in the air and the boating season around the corner, what is everyone doing to prepare? This week I have been busy helping clients either prep their boats to sell or get...

A team of builders renovating a vineyard facility in France were stunned when U.S. gold coins worth $1million rained down on them from the rafters. The treasure trove of 497 coins was hidden in the attic of an old building in the rural village of Les Riceys in the country's famed Champagne region. The pieces, which have a face value of $20 each, were minted between 1851 and 1928 and are the equivalent of 17 kilograms of gold.

He’s best known for his serpentine tongue and devilish makeup, but Gene Simmons is a dead serious businessman... [snip]

This is the 2nd & final night, culminating in Best in Show. Tuesday, February 14 - 8-11 p.m. (ET) live on USA Network Groups: Sporting, Working and Terrier Groups Best In Show

We are new to apple/macs, and our Lightroom software has gone a bit glitchy. Apparently I have the dreaded beach ball spiral of death or something like that. When we try to edit photos we get this beach ball spiral symbol in our software window. It almost acts like it needs reinstalling but some blogs I've read said that does not work. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Group Results: TOY - 1st place - Ch Palacegarden Malachy Breed: Pekingese Sex: Dog Date of Birth: January 24, 2008 2nd place - Affenpinscher 3rd place - Miniature Pinscher 4th place - Silky Terrier NON-SPORTING: 1st Place - GCH Spotlights Ruffian Breed: Dalmatian Sex: Dog Date of Birth: March 02, 2007 2nd place - Chinese Shar-Pei 3rd place - Lowchen 4th place - Poodle (miniature) HERDING: 1st Place - GCH Babheim's Captain Crunch Breed: German Shepherd Dog Sex: Dog Date of Birth: March 10, 2007 2nd place - Bouviers des Flandres 3rd place - Old English Sheepdog 4th place -...

I'll be there tomorrow! I post this on the off chance that some other Freeper(s) will also be there and want to get together. I'm not exactly sure what I will find but this was, at least at one time, among the most beautiful man-made places on earth. Link to Previous Post about Hialeah Photo-essay here ML/NJ

Welcome to the 10th installment of the FReeper Weekly Recipe Thread 2012. Looking for something new to make or made something new that came out great? Please share a 'tried-and-true' recipe or ten- for fellow FReepers to add to their 'go-to' Recipe Stack of Family Favorites! Here's the place to share and explore your latest and greatest favorite recipe. (All 2011 FReeper Recipes are on my profile page as an Online Cookbook Thread Link)

When you have a cold or are suffering from allergies, tissues are a must-have, but the cost can rack up when you're buying them all the time. Have you ever considered using toilet paper instead? Here are a few good reasons why you should. We've all grabbed a few squares from the bathroom roll in a pinch, but using toilet paper over tissues is actually a more cost-effective choice in the long run. On average, a box of tissues has 65 sheets and breaks down to about 2 cents per sheet. However, a roll of toilet paper has nearly four...

Good morning Gardeners!!!! I know I'm not part of your usual cast of gardening threadmasters, but it's afternoon here and the thread hasn't arrived yet! So I'm going to start one, and if it turns out later that I shouldn't have, then I'll appologize really nicely. *Ahem*: The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. This thread is non-political,...

Weekly FR Boating Thread ~ Vol. 3 ~ Feb. 10, 2012 ~ Boat Transportation Launching ~ Weekly FR Boating Thread ~ Vol. 1 ~ Jan. 27, 2012 Weekly FR Boating Thread ~ Vol. 2 ~ Feb 3, 2012 ~ “Off Season”Last week’s thread had 26 posts, including the source for this week’s thread – boat transportation. I have helped clients ship vessels of all sizes and types all over North America and overseas. Except for two small scratches, every shipping project was successful, albeit harrowing on occasion. To help ensure your boat shipping efforts are successful, I will provide boat...

Shocking news: Kodak, the company that invented the first digital camera back in 1975, announced today that it is pulling out of the camera market entirely. The phasing out of digital cameras, pocket video cameras, and digital picture frames will likely happen by the end of June. Instead, the company will be focusing on licensing out its patents and brand name

Good morning fellow gardening Freepers. I'm in need of a good affordable garden tiller and was wondering what you folks think. I used to simply rent one but that option is pretty much out now since nearly all the rental places quit carrying tillers. The one place left that does rent tillers is prohibitively expensive. So, I'm considering just buying a smaller one. The Mantis XP fits my budget and they make a convincing sales pitch (good warranty, free shipping, Honda Engine) but I don't have a clue if they're any good. I'm open to any and all suggestions. I'm...

I am currently deployed and found out about a group of people supporting vets by building hand made CBG's free of charge and sending them to the troops. Here is a picture of one sent to me by Huntz Meyer. Huntz did a beautiful job. This guitar sounds great and he personalized it for me by cutting the sound holes in the shape of hammers and anvils. My screenname Hotmetal=blacksmith. If you know someone that is deployed and likes music tell them about this site. I joined,hooked up with a builder and in no time I had my prize custom...

Seems like I've been running Win XP SP2 forever. Recently upgraded to SP3 'cause Turbo Tax needed it. I'm beginning to think about going to Win 7. As a "Geezer Geek" at our local SeniorNet franchise, I've been using W7 Pro since we installed it on our 11 computers last summer and am very familiar with it. Of course, MSFT does not provide a smooth upgrade path from XP to W7. And I've got some beloved software that won't run w/ W7. Thus, I'm thinking about doing a fresh install of W7 Pro and then running XP in a virtual...

You can’t argue with the research… Researchers have long known that people who have frequent sex are generally healthier Most health benefits seem to be linked to penile-vaginal intercourse Frequent sex may also bring longer life, fewer coronary events, lower blood pressure Researchers have long known that not only is sex fun (when done with the right person, of course), but that people who have frequent sex tend to live longer and have healthier hearts and lower rates of certain cancers. These studies also show that men with an active sex life have healthier sperm, and sexually active women have...

Why hasn't the MSM brought up the "Forgettable&Meaningless" Cairo Speech where Obama tried to convince his kool-aid drinkers that Americans and The Arab World "Share Mutual Interests"? What was that 2009 Speech all about anyway? That Americans are very much in line with Muslims&The Arab Culture? And look at what happened in Iran that year, then the endless violence amongst Muslim nations over the last two or so years. And now we have a Hostage Crisis in Egypt. Great Job Oh Holy One! OBAMA, THE 2009 NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER ! Yes, there is finally peace in the Middle East!

Members of an Atlanta street gang were filmed beating a man who was brutally assaulted because “faggots” were not allowed in their neighborhood, according to a videotape of the apparent hate crime. The 30-second clip, posted today to the Worldstar Hip Hop web site, was shot outside a grocery store in Atlanta’s Pittsburgh neighborhood. The business, located at 1029 McDaniel Street SW, is a popular congregating spot for members of the Pittsburgh Jack City Gang (or “PBJC”). The group has also used the name “Jack City 1029.” After being provided a link to the video, an Atlanta police spokesperson told...

This loving mastiff didn’t mind adding one more to her litter of pups, even though it didn’t have a tail to wag and was suspiciously wearing a diaper.

20 or so people in there, half of them under 30 going for their technician. I was one of 2 in there to upgrade to general, and one showed up for the highest class, amateur extra. Anyways, I ask this kid (22-25yo) "Why are you getting into ham radio"? He matter-of-factly said, "For the upcoming zombie apocalypse". I laughed and half the room turned around, glad to proclaim the same, hell even bragging about it! A couple more admitted that they were embarrased to say that but essentially that is why they were there. I found out with a little...

Welcome to the 9th installment of the FReeper Weekly Recipe Thread 2012. Looking for something new to make or made something new that came out great? Please share a 'tried-and-true' recipe or nine- for fellow FReepers to add to their 'go-to' Recipe Stack of Family Favorites! Here's the place to share and explore your latest and greatest favorite recipe. (All 2011 FReeper Recipes are on my profile page as an Online Cookbook Thread Link)

This animation of a mother eagle prompting her young to sing! The voices of this animation is of my wife and grandson. The piano instrumental song is Jesus Loves Me. Ending piano instrumental is, Since Jesus Came Into My Heart, by the Black Pond Baptist Church members.

Hooded Mergansers for the most part. I used to see a greater variety when I was hunting, I can't get far enough off the road these days.

Last week saw the launching of this Weekly FR Boating Thread. 15 posts with 6 boating links – nice start! Launching ~ Weekly FR Boating Thread ~ Vol. 1 ~ Jan. 27, 2012 Everyone is welcome to come aboard – come on it, the water is fine!This time of year almost all boaters are mired in the midst of ‘off-season’. What do you do to survive your ‘off season’? Listen to boating music, watch boating movies, surf boating YouTube and blogs, busy yourself with Winter boat upgrade and maintenance projects, catch up on non-boating stuff? Where you do your boating...

Good morning gardeners! Red Devil here. JustaDumbBlonde and her husband are on their way up to Montana for a well deserved vacation. She should be able to post the thread from her remote Montana location next week.  I am sure she will continue with her plans for a soil structure thread next week. Her Thread subjects are so informative and interesting. Although I have not been real active on the thread, I read each and every post. Y'all have been doing a great job!I should be able to get some sort of a  garden going this year, at our...

Two infamous Swedish murderers, the "Skara Cannibal" and the "Vampire Woman," hope to get married, according to Expressen, a Swedish newspaper. The couple met at their high-security psychiatric ward in eastern Sweden, the paper said, and flirted over Internet chat rooms. ”We got together on November 13th. 'Do you want to be my girlfriend?' he asked on MSN. Then we decided to get engaged, which we did on December 9th,” Michelle Gustafsson, aka the "Vampire Woman," told Expressen. Gustafsson was convicted in 2010 of the stabbing death of a father of four in Stockholm, the paper said. She wrote chilling...

Nikon has unveiled a new superzoom compact camera called the P510 that offers a ridiculous 42x optical zoom — the highest zoom ratio ever seen in such a camera. In 35mm terms, the lens goes from a 24mm on the wide-angle side to a 1000mm on the telephoto end. The 16.1MP camera also boasts a 3-inch LCD screen, 1080p video recording, GPS, 5fps continuous shooting, and ISO 3200. It’ll hit store shelves later this month with a price tag of $430.

A while back an inventor came up with an accurate bump fire device, so accurate and fast that the ATF not only seized it they went over his mailing list and threatened to arrest any customer who bought one and didn't hand it over. There was an article and videos of the device here but I can't find them. Anyone remember that posting? I wanted to show it to a friend of mine who owns some similar devices. Thanks.

Fast succumbing to FN-FAL envy . . . but the Belgian FNs have priced themselves out of reach since hubby bought his 30 years ago. I'm looking for a sturdy, accurate, reliable auto loader in .308 Win. (We have never owned a rifle in .223, hubby hated the M16 not just because they took away his M14 but also because the early ones had lots of problems. I have never been bothered by recoil, my deer gun is a Ruger M77 in .308. Besides, .223 would mean another set of dies . . ) I've looked at an FNAR, also...

From the wilds of Craigslist, this piece of automotive excellence emerged recently seeking new ownership for the price of an entry-level iPad. Yes, it's a 1992 Geo Metro given a limousine stretch. Yes, there's a mural of Betty Boop with a tiger on the hood. And it has some of the most avant-garde ad copy I've seen...

Next Week's Challenge from listener Ed Pegg Jr.: Write the digits from 1 to 9 in a line. If you put a plus sign after the 2, a times sign after the 4, and plus signs after the 6 and 8, the line shows 12 + 34 x 56 + 78 + 9, which equals 2003. That's nine years off from our current year 2012.? This example uses four arithmetic symbols. The object is to use just three of the following arithmetic operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, in a line from 1 to 9 to get 2012 exactly. The...

A SoCal woman says the energy efficient window installed in a neighbor’s condominium is melting the plastic components on cars parked in her carport. Heather Patron of Studio City was dealing with a mystery regarding her Toyota Prius. “The side view mirrors were melting,” says Patron. “Anything that was plastic on the car was melting.” Toyota told Patron nothing was wrong with the car. After having the mirrors replaced, she noticed the mirrors on the car parked next to hers were also melting. Patron then observed a powerful beam of light that was reflecting off the window of a next...

Most of these are in my front yardIt's sort of wild, just cleared enough to walk around a bit. I'm not the type to push a lawnmower around.I'm far enough into the woods that no one has to see it but me anyway. action=view&current=FROG_ANIM.jpg" target="_blank">

No new stuff, these are from the archives, some going back several years.Various cameras, I've worn out several. I believe they were made to be used

Welcome to the 8th installment of the FReeper Weekly Recipe Thread 2012. Looking for something new to make or made something new that came out great? Please share a 'tried-and-true' recipe or eight- for fellow FReepers to add to their 'go-to' Recipe Stack of Family Favorites! Here's the place to share and explore your latest and greatest favorite recipe. (All 2011 FReeper Recipes are on my profile page as an Online Cookbook Thread Link)

I like shooting skeet, 5-stand, and sporting clays. Unfortunately, my hearing is deteriorating, especially in my left ear. I can now barely hear women and small children. My wife is encouraging me to get hearing aids so I can better understand her instructions. I am now using foam inserts and cheap noise canceling headphones when I shoot. I wonder if shooting is going to make my hearing even worse. I would hate to give it up. If anybody has any experience on the topic, I would like to 'hear' about it.

A challenge usually left to NASA eggheads or PhD students was conquered by two Toronto teenagers earlier this month when Mathew Ho and Asad Muhammad sent a Lego-manned flight capsule into space. The two 17-year-old Agincourt Collegiate Institute students completed their year-long mission two weeks ago, successfully sending a balloon carrying a Lego man and a small Canadian flag out of earth's atmosphere. The unit was launched from a park near Ho's east-end home and ascended 80,000 feet before the balloon popped. The Lego man and his cargo fell safely to earth, with the help of a homemade parachute, where...

I have a dear friend and neighbor who is elderly and not in the best of health. Day in and day out during gardening season she sits at her kitchen table and watches me work in my yard and garden, living vicariously through me. Once or twice a week I'll take her some vegetables and we discuss gardening, which was such an important part of her earlier years. You can see the love of gardening in her eyes every time we have a talk. I asked her one day to tell me the difference between dirt and soil. Soil,...

Ahoy, fellow FR boating lovers! (Boating = all boats and water-related activities; sailing, cruising, fishing, beach combing, flipflop wearing, key lime pie eating, surfing, SUPing – if it floats, tastes salty or is sand encrusted, it belongs here!) While politics are important, our country is great, and FR is amazing; boating is all about fun afloat! This post is the launch of a weekly FR thread about anything and everything boating. (Boating FReepers are either enjoying their boats or dreaming about boats while surfing on Free Republic.) Back story: my parents met in a boatyard, I grew up on boats,...

It's More Common Than Adultery and Potentially As Toxic, So Why Is It So Hard to Stop Nagging? Ken Mac Dougall bit into the sandwich his wife had packed him for lunch and noticed something odd—a Post-it note tucked between the ham and the cheese. He pulled it out of his mouth, smoothed the crinkles and read what his wife had written: "Be in aisle 10 of Home Depot tonight at 6 p.m." Mr. Mac Dougall was renovating the couple's Oak Ridge, N.J., kitchen, and his wife had been urging him to pick out the floor tiles. He felt he...

SUPPLEMENTAL VOL. 1 USDA Unveils New Plant Hardiness Zone Map The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today released the new version of its Plant Hardiness Zone Map, updating a useful tool for gardeners and researchers for the first time since 1990 with greater accuracy and detail. The new map — jointly developed by USDA's Agricultural Research Service and Oregon State University's PRISM Climate Group — is available online at http://www.planthardiness.ars.usda.gov . ARS is the chief intramural scientific research agency of USDA. For the first time, the new map offers a Geographic Information System based interactive format and is specifically...

Madison - Alicia Rheal is an artist who lives on a quiet street within sight of the Capitol. She's also a librarian. Instead of rows and rows of bookshelves filled with Dewey Decimal System-categorized tomes, Rheal's library is decidedly low-tech and charming. No library cards are required. There are no fines. In fact, library users are encouraged to take any book they want and keep it. Rheal is one of many caretakers of the growing phenomenon of Little Free Libraries - tiny boxes designed to promote literacy and the love of reading through free book exchanges. Each Little Free Library...

Hobbies...yeah,it's been around a while. I don't understand Polish, but the woman's statement and encouragement included the word "quick"....mmmm, not so good....

Welcome to the 7th installment of the FReeper Weekly Recipe Thread 2012. Looking for something new to make or made something new that came out great? Please share a 'tried-and-true' recipe or seven- for fellow FReepers to add to their 'go-to' Recipe Stack of Family Favorites! Here's the place to share and explore your latest and greatest favorite recipe. (All 2011 FReeper Recipes are on my profile page as an Online Cookbook Thread Link)

I've done a bit of looking for a camera for my 12yo son, with little success. Hopefully some more knowledgeable FReepers can give me some good advice. I want a camera that he can use to actually learn about photography, not just use to take pictures. I'd like a camera that has the capabilities to manually set shutter speed and aperture, not just one with a lot of snazzy automatic features. Actually, I'm afraid all those features will just get in the way. At the same time, I'm not looking to spend more than a couple hundred dollars. I have...

It was just a couple of weeks ago that I was really glad that the last of my garden had frozen. Being blessed with a long growing season is not always what it's cracked-up to be. You understand ... gardening is hard work! When it lasts from March or April until December, it can get tedious.Then, yesterday, my first order of seeds that I don't need came in from John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds. Four beautiful little envelopes that sound like maracas; Baby Lincoln Leeks, Tres Fine Maraichere Endive, Beaumont Broccoli, and Large Fruited Mixture Ornamental Gourds.I am stoked.Yep,...

Occupy movement is even dumber than expected. For your laughs...