(off subject: How does one access the past threads and comments one has posted?)
Click on Pings or “New Posts to You” at the top of the page of FreeRepublic. Every page has a “Pings” link somewhere (this one is at the center of the page footer). If you revisit this thread you’ll see this answer; otherwise I guess you’ll ask someone else later on a different thread, LOL!
There’s no way in FR to retrace your steps as to which threads you visited unless you commented. Often FReepers type “Self Ping” as a reply to some post so they can find the thread later.