Free Republic

To properly understand an object, it is necessary not only to understand its function but also to understand the web of values, associations, and historical contexts that surround the object. If we are to put the chamber pot in its proper place in Victorian society, it is necessary to understand the chamber pot’s history and the values that emerge from that history.

Explore the concept of fast food in ancient Rome, focusing on the thermopolia—small bars and eateries that catered to busy city dwellers. These establishments were especially important for those who didn’t have kitchens at home, offering pre-prepared food like grilled meats, vegetables, cheese, and even heated wine. The thermopolia were found near busy urban areas like the forum and the baths, providing a quick and affordable dining experience for Romans on the go. We visit Ostia Antica, the port city of Rome, where frescoes still depict typical menu items, such as olives, eggs, and cheese. These establishments also featured large...

Party conference begins next week when Reform UK kick off their two-day jamboree in Birmingham. Spirits within Nigel Farage’s party are high after a successful summer in which they dominated the recess period with a well-executed ‘flood the zone’ media strategy. A steady drumbeat of weekly announcements culminated on Tuesday when Reform’s long-awaited deportation strategy was unveiled. Now, the party has received a further boost with a new poll for the i paper which gives them their highest polling to date: Reform 35, Labour 20, Conservatives 17 per cent. This is the first time Reform has hit 35 points. Polling...

***** Tunes For Our Troops ~ Buddy Holly ~ ***** ~ Support The Artists You Hear Throughout The Canteen! ~***** Warning: Not all music may be appropriate for children! Please click with caution. Thank you! Tunes For The Troops This music is provided for the entertainment of our Troops, Veterans, Allies & their families! Enjoy the variety of musical selections that the Canteen DJs provide throughout the thread. Please ping any DJ with your requests for the Troops! All music is removed on Monday.Thanks to all the DJs for their time & effort providing entertainment for the Troops! *Canteen...

BOULDER, Colo. -- Colorado introduced a sideline bathroom in its opening game against Georgia Tech for Deion Sanders, who was recently diagnosed with bladder cancer and needs to frequently use the restroom. The portable privacy tent, which is being sponsored Friday by Depend undergarment, is next to the Buffaloes bench, so the Colorado coach won't have far to go. Earlier this month, Sanders wrote on social media about relying on Depend, which makes an undergarment for people with incontinence. He wrote: "I wasn't joking! I truly DEPEND on Depend. Ain't NO SHAME in taking care of yourself. NO SHAME in...

Tough-talking fiscal conservative Senator Joni Ernst is set to stun Washington by announcing she won't seek reelection. The 55-year-old Iowa Republican does not plan on seeking reelection in the 2026 midterms, according to sources close to her who spoke with CBS News. Ernst, the first female combat veteran in Congress, has served in the Senate since 2015 and her second term will expire on January 3, 2027. The sources disclosed that the senator's announcement is scheduled for Thursday. Ernst's Senate office did not immediately return the Daily Mail's request for comment. A two-term senator from southwestern Iowa, Ernst went to...

This is the first sermon I ever preached from a pulpit in a Church. I have a ministry to the homeless in Greenville, SC and also in the local jails. Forgive me for speaking so fast, it was supposed to be only 30 minutes, but it is 45.

A 12-year-old boy says he was brutally attacked by a classmate armed with brass knuckles. The family of the 12-year-old victim is speaking out, saying not only was their son bullied and attacked, but they also allege that the school failed to protect him. What they're saying: According to the family, Damian had been bullied by another male student all week. It was the first week of school for students at James A Foshay Learning Center in Exposition Park. It started as taunts and pushes but quickly escalated. On Friday, Aug. 22, Damian said the bully pulled him from class....

FinCEN says Chinese networks moving billions for Mexican cartels also push illicit cash through U.S. real estate, elder care centers, and human trafficking schemes. WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of the Treasury issued a stark warning Thursday that Chinese money laundering networks have become a primary engine driving Mexico-based drug cartels’ expansion into the United States, flagging $312 billion in cartel-linked suspicious transactions and a further $53.7 billion in illicit real estate activity over the past four years. Officials underscored the systemic risks posed by what they described as a sprawling global underground economy.

Twenty years ago, Hurricane Katrina roared ashore along the northern Gulf Coast, becoming one of the deadliest and most destructive natural disasters in U.S. history. The Category 3 hurricane devastated Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, leading to more than 1,000 deaths and more than $100 billion in damage. The cyclone first developed on Aug. 23, 2005, as a tropical depression over the southeastern Bahamas and, within a day, strengthened into Tropical Storm Katrina before moving toward Florida. Due to the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, Katrina quickly organized and made landfall near the Miami-Dade and Broward County...

The Israeli military on Friday ended its policy of pausing daytime operations in Gaza City, intended to ease aid delivery, in the latest indication that the military was moving toward a full-scale invasion of the area. In a statement, the military said the “local tactical pause in military activity” would not apply to the city as of 10 a.m. on Friday, describing the area as a “dangerous combat zone.” The Israeli military said in late July that it started instituting pauses of operations between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. in several parts of the Gaza Strip. It made the move...

Pope Leo XIV has issued a clarion call to Catholic politicians worldwide, urging them to align their actions with the Church’s teachings on the sanctity of life. This new message follows on the heels of a recent pro-life message where the Pope emphasized the need to reject “voices of death” and embrace a culture of life. Pope Leo firmly rejected the false notion of Catholic politicians saying they are “personally pro-life” but voting for abortion: “There is no division within the personality of a public figure: there is not on one side the politician, and on the other the Christian.”...

A 10-year-old jumped from a two-story window in a bid to escape her stepmom and dad before she was ultimately tortured to death, according to police. Rebekah Baptiste was found unresponsive on a highway in Holbrook, Arizona, in July after allegedly enduring months of abuse at the hands of her parents. She was rushed to hospital where she died days later from 'non-accidental trauma'. Doctors said the little girl showed signs of sexual abuse and had 'severe bruising throughout her body' as well as 'possible cigarette burns' to her back and 'missing chunks of hair'. Her father Richard Baptiste, 32,...

[Catholic Caucus] Thousands of Catholics join SSPX Jubilee Year Pilgrimage to Rome, process into St. Peter’s BasilicaOn August 19-21, the pilgrims entered the Holy Doors of first the Basilica of St. Mary Major, then St. John Latera's Basilica, and finally St. Peter's Basilica.Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) procession inside St. Peter's BasilicaLast week, nearly 8,000 Catholics from 44 countries joined the 680 clergy and religious of the traditional Priestly Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) on its pilgrimage to Rome on the occasion of the Jubilee Year 2025. On three different days, August 19-21, the pilgrims entered the Holy...

[Catholic Caucus] Vatican welcomes LGBT pilgrims as it scrubs references to SSPX pilgrimageIn the very city of Rome, under the shadow of St. Peter's Basilica, a sin that cries to heaven for vengeance is celebrated under the name of 'inclusion.'Friends, what does it mean when the Vatican welcomes open promoters of sexual perversion into its Jubilee celebrations?That’s right, a group of over 1,000 so-called “LGBTQ Catholics” are about to descend upon Rome next week for the Jubilee year.It’s organized by an Italian group called “La Tenda di Gionata” – the Tent of Jonathan, now that is likely a repugnant and...

A renewed investigation into the unsolved 1967 murder of the wife of McNairy County, Tenn. sheriff Buford Pusser debunks what has for decades been depicted in movies and implicates the long-dead lawman in his wife’s shooting. The sheriff, who died in a 1974 car crash, long said Pauline Pusser went with him on a call on Aug. 12, 1967 when a car pulled up alongside them and shots were fired, killing her and leaving Buford shot in the face. She was 33. The scene was depicted in the 1973 movie “Walking Tall,” with Buford Pusser depicted by Joe Don Baker....

Amid increasingly belligerent Russian rhetoric against NATO, tiny Estonia has assumed the role of David standing up to Goliath. In recent months, Tallinn has intensified its signaling that in the case of an imminent Russian invasion, it would not hesitate to strike first. The world is now seeing the country’s logic. In a September 2024 interview with the Estonian public broadcaster ERR, Estonian General Vahur Karus stated that if Moscow showed signs of preparing for an attack, Estonia would strike the Russians first: “Our capability to neutralize the enemy on its own territory is crucial.” In the subsequent months, Estonia...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Breitbart News on Wednesday in an exclusive interview that the antisemitism that has grown on the political right is not only anti-Israel, but anti-American and anti-Trump. Netanyahu addressed the problem he referred to as the “woke right,” which arose as some conservative pundits — including a few who had once been supportive of Israel — opposed Israel in the “12-Day War” against Iran, as well as any American involvement on Israel’s side. The issue arose in a discussion of antisemitism, which has become familiar on the left in recent years, and is resurgent on...

The gunman who slaughtered two children and injured 18 other people at a Minneapolis Catholic school and church had recently broken up with his romantic partner — and previously had a “medical mental health” call made to his home when he was a teen, according to police records. The father of Robin Westman, 23, told investigators that the shooter had “broke up with a significant and/or romantic partner” and had been staying with a friend in St. Louis Park, Fox9 reported. Police were also made aware of a 2018 welfare check at the home of Westman’s mother, with the incident...

29 August 2025 The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist on Friday of week 21 in Ordinary Time St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Ammansville, TXReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: Red. Year: C(I).Readings for the feriaReadings for the memorialThese are the readings for the feriaFirst reading1 Thessalonians 4:1-8What God wants is for you all to be holyBrothers, we urge you and appeal to you in the Lord Jesus to make more and more progress in the kind of life that you are meant to live: the life that God wants, as you learnt from us, and as you are already...