Free Republic

Scientists have found and filmed one of the greatest ever undiscovered shipwrecks 107 years after it sank. The Endurance, the lost vessel of Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, was found at the weekend at the bottom of the Weddell Sea. The ship was crushed by sea-ice and sank in 1915, forcing Shackleton and his men to make an astonishing escape on foot and in small boats. Video of the remains show Endurance to be in remarkable condition. Even though it has been sitting in 3km (10,000ft) of water for over a century, it looks just like it did on the...

Everything I Need to Know About Sarah Palin, I Learned From Sir Ernest Shackleton On July 3rd, 2009, Sarah Palin resigned as Governor of Alaska, and nailed the following sign to her door: “Men Wanted For Hazardous Journey. Small wages. Bitter cold. Long months of complete darkness. Constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success.” This, the most famous newspaper advertisement ever penned, placed its original author, Sir Ernest Shackleton, in the position of having to select the crew for an Antarctic expedition from among the 5,000 men the ad brought to his office. Comparing Sara...

On July 3rd, 2009, Sarah Palin resigned as Governor of Alaska, and nailed the following sign to her door: “Men Wanted For Hazardous Journey. Small wages. Bitter cold. Long months of complete darkness. Constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success.” This, the most famous newspaper advertisement ever penned, placed its original author, Sir Ernest Shackleton, in the position of having to select the crew for an Antarctic expedition from among the 5,000 men the ad brought to his office. Comparing Sara Palin to the greatest explorer in history might appear to stretch the limits of...

A friend of the Duke of Cambridge has died attempting to make a solo crossing of Antarctica to raise money for one of the Duke's charities. Kensington Palace announced that Henry Worsley, 55, died in hospital in Chile, where he had undergone surgery after falling ill with bacterial peritonitis just 30 miles short of his goal. The Duke, who was Patron of the expedition, said he was "incredibly proud" of the former SAS officer's effort, which raised more than £100,000 for the Endeavour Fund, part of the Duke's Royal Foundation charity. Mr Worsley was trying to complete the journey that...

On July 3rd, 2009, Sarah Palin resigned as Governor of Alaska, figuratively nailing the following sign to her door: “Men Wanted For Hazardous Journey. Small wages. Bitter cold. Long months of complete darkness. Constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success.” This most famous newspaper advertisement ever penned placed its original author, Sir Ernest Shackleton, in the position of selecting his Antarctic expeditionary crew from among 5,000 applicants. Comparing Sarah Palin to Shackleton might appear to stretch the limits of metaphorical license, even for an Irishwoman given to hyperbole. I contend that it pales when compared...