Free Republic

Ideologically? Socially? Romantically? No one wants to be rejected, but inevitably we all do our fair share of rejecting. Admittedly, I have never asked myself how I would want to be rebuffed, such that I would still feel mutual respect and a desire to move forwards together. That requires a confidence found only when we feel unthreatened by others and by our own hurt. But we can’t avoid conflict forever. If we’re going to reject and be rejected for the rest of our lives, we should talk about how it should happen. Let’s start with ideological rejection. Gone are the...

With all of our modern technology, our modern lifestyle, our comfortable homes, and so on, it's easy for some people to forget that we're part of the natural world, too. Part of that means that we, like any animal, are subject to predation. It's not common; most big predators have learned that humans are dangerous and steer clear. But apex predators remain apex predators, and they will on occasion decide to prey on a human, especially a hiker or jogger alone and unarmed on a trail. That's what appears to have happened to a solo hiker on a mountain trail...

The MONTHLY Gardening Thread is a 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. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack the...

For more than a decade, an elderly Chinatown resident purportedly had no access to electricity, water and gas. With bags of sundries piled high within his one-room rental flat, his nights were spent along the stretch of corridor outside the unit. His circumstances were shared online on Dec 23 by non-profit platform Keeping Hope Alive, which assisted in decluttering the flat. The volunteer group's Facebook post noted how time seemed to have stopped 10 years ago for the man in his 80s, who had a 2015 calendar hung on a wall. With water supply cut off, the man, surnamed Wong,...

Built by a small Italian team, the bot exploded in popularity.Turns out robots can trade, too. A new AI trading bot reportedly flipped a $3,200 investment into $14,158 in just one week, with the receipts to prove it, according to verified trading records and third-party data from MyFxBook. The story doesn’t end with the initial success. Starting from July 2025, with a $1,000 investment, the bot once again stunned traders. By December 2025, it earned a profit of $5,600 — an astonishing 560% gain over the 5-months period. Skepticism was expected... and honestly, deserved. Sure, there are glowing reviews online...

(The Epoch Times)—An outbreak on a Celebrity Cruises ship left more than 100 people suffering from gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Dec. 30. Ninety-five passengers and nine crew members who were on the Celebrity Eclipse reported symptoms, predominantly vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps, the CDC said in a summary of the outbreak. The cause of the illnesses is not yet known. The cruise set sail on Dec. 20 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and made four stops after traveling south, including a stop in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Christmas....

The Westcar Papyrus describes a conjuring trick performed 4,500 years ago. Image credit: Keith Schengili-Roberts via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5) It’s literally the oldest trick in the book, although it’s one you’ve probably never seen before. And while no beautiful assistants are sawn in half, this ancient illusion – performed for the Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu – is death-defying in the truest sense of the word. Long before the rabbit-in-the-hat trick was even conceived, an unknown Egyptian scribe penned what is now known as the Westcar Papyrus. Thought to have been written during the Second Intermediate Period – which lasted...

In narrow, hand-dug tunnels carved into the mountainside, villagers have uncovered a natural opal wonder that's turning heads in the global gem trade. At almost 10,000 feet above sea level, villagers in northern Ethiopia have uncovered a seam of pure black opal buried within hand-dug tunnels. The site, hidden in Wollo Province’s rugged terrain, is quickly drawing attention for the exceptional quality of its stones. This unexpected find is not only rare due to the gem’s natural dark body color, but also because it comes from small-scale, artisanal efforts rather than industrial operations. As demand rises for untreated black opals,...

They say they’re Christians and are not occultists. Nor, he says, are they witches. Her husband, she swears, isn’t a warlock. But this Chesapeake couple does sell crystals, intended to help customers heal — their bodies, their auras — physically and metaphysically. Chris and Lindsey Thornhill own and operate Love and Crystals, marketing it specifically as a Christian crystal store and gift shop.

In 2025, artificial intelligence played a huge role in our offices, social media feeds, music and film, and now – dictionaries, says this linguist from the University of Limerick.For us linguists, the flurry of “word of the year” announcements from dictionaries and publishers is a holiday tradition as anticipated as mince pies. The words of the year aren’t just a fun peek into new slang and language changes, they also tell us quite a bit about the worries, trends and obsessions of the English-speaking world. And this year’s list has one clear theme. In 2025, artificial intelligence (AI) played a...

Even though Santa Claus can see you when you’re sleeping and knows when you’re awake, he still needs help from his elves. Elf on the Shelf was created 20 years ago, and since then, more than 31 million scout elves, elf pets, and elf mates have been sold, according to the Lumistella Company. Needless to say, it’s become a Christmas tradition for many children and parents.

Written during a heatwave, ‘Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!’ became a holiday standard. Dean Martin’s version is impossible to beat.August 1959 was an exceptionally hot month for most of the United States. It greatly amused Dean Martin, as he walked into Capitol Records’ studio, at 1750 North Vine Street, Hollywood, on Thursday, August 6, to think that he was about to record his own version of the winter song “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” on such a hot day. Martin, whose singing imitated the smooth baritone vocals and phrasing of Bing...

Authorities are searching for two men who went missing after leaving on a fishing trip from Fort Myers on Friday morning. The missing men were identified as 57-year-old Randall Spivey and 33-year-old Brandon Billmaier. The two left early Friday morning on a 42-foot Freeman boat from a residence in the 15000 block of Intracoastal Court in Fort Myers, the Lee County Sheriff's Office said. The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed it is working on the case and gathering additional details. Search and rescue crews are working from the surface to the skies and are advising all aircraft to maintain situational awareness...

Ethan Hawke called celebrity a “poison” for a young actor’s brain. The actor, 55, sat down for “The Joe Rogan Experience” to talk about his start in Hollywood as a young man, as well as to reflect on the psychological effect of becoming famous at a young age. “I think celebrity is like a tiny drop of mercury. Or it’s poison. It’s poison for your brain,” the actor said.

By my count, Linux has over 11% of the desktop market. Here's how I got that number - and why people are making the leap. The Linux desktop has continued its slow growth. Linux has been making gains in no small part because of Microsoft Windows' blunders. Users and governments have been losing trust in Windows and Microsoft. My colleague Jack Wallen and I have been telling you for a while now that you should switch from Windows to the Linux desktop. Sounds like some of you have been listening. The proof of the pudding comes from various sources. First,...

On December 12, coinciding with International Mountain Day, 69 municipalities in the Valencian Community joined a nationwide initiative to create mobile-free spaces aimed at offering young people and teenagers stays in natural environments without mobile phones. The project, Refugios Bien de Altura: spaces without coverage, is promoted by the Spanish Association of Mountain Municipalities (EsMontañas) and funded by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (Miteco). It transforms municipal hostels and rural accommodation in 284 mountain villages across Spain into areas of voluntary digital disconnection. Among the 69 participating Valencian towns, only six are in the province...

To celebrate America's Semiquincentennial in 2026, the Mint will be updating the circulating nickels, dimes, and quarters that you find in your pocket change. Browse the image portfolio below to see all the 2026 coins or visit our Media Kit to read about the background of the designs.

This week, a judge ruled Michigan’s new 24% wholesale marijuana excise tax can go into effect on Jan. 1. (Dec. 10, 2025) Michigan marijuana businesses brace for 24% tax on Jan. 1 | 2:21 WOOD TV8 | 261K subscribers | 1,181 views | December 10, 2025

While less prevalent these days, it’s hard to not appreciate the sound of a high-revving naturally aspirated engine. The team at Boreham Motorworks just pulled the cover off their new 2.1-liter, inline-four cylinder engine. This small-displacement powerplant puts out an impressive 325 horsepower and, as the name suggests, screams all the way to an astonishing 10,000 rpm. It may be small, but innovative engineering is significantly pushing the boundaries for what a street-driven engine can be.

A car crash on the Dumbarton Bridge near Hayward left a classic car destroyed and traffic snarled on Sunday afternoon. Four cars crashed just before 3:30 p.m. in the second and third eastbound lanes near the middle of the bridge, according to the California Highway Patrol.