Free Republic

Bordeaux-no! A Michigan woman was arrested and then rushed to the hospital after she stole a bottle of wine and hid it inside a “body cavity,” cops said. The 48-year-old was allegedly caught by shopkeepers drinking a bottle of alcohol in a Traverse City liquor store without paying for it, and returned the next day to nab a bottle of Chardonnay. Employees attempted to stop her, but were unable to find the pilfered tipple. That is, until police arrested her and found it stashed inside an unnamed bodily orifice at the jail, at which point she was brought to Munson...

WASHINGTON — Duck, cover, and grab the wine! A woman was caught on camera blissfully snatching bottles of wine during the chaotic aftermath of the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. While throngs of reporters and other guests fled the Washington Hilton ballroom, an unknown blond woman wearing posh black fur went straight for a table to stockpile booze. Because the shooting took place early, during the salad portion of the marquee dinner, there was an abundance of wine left abandoned at tables across the ballroom. The woman’s identity is not immediately clear, and it’s not apparent whether she...

During the White House Correspondents' Dinner (WHCD) on April 25, 2026, a reported gunfire incident (described as shots fired in or near the lobby) caused panic, leading to an evacuation of attendees, including President Trump and other high-profile guests who were rushed out by security. In the chaos, viral videos emerged showing several guests—perhaps journalists, members of the press, or attendees—grabbing unopened bottles of wine and champagne from the tables as they left. One clip prominently features a woman picking up multiple bottles and walking out casually. Other people in the background are also seen carrying bottles. Key details: The...

Imagine sitting down for dinner in first-century Galilee without a fork or a fast-food burger in sight. You would likely be dipping crusty barley bread into a bowl of savory lentil stew. (Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of red lentil stew...) Life was much slower then, revolving around the seasons and the harvest for basic survival. Food was fuel, but it was also the center of community and deep religious celebration. Sharing a meal meant sharing your life with neighbors and family members in a very real way. Let’s look at what was actually on the menu for...

According to a Gizmodo report, analysis of residue samples taken from an incense burner previously unearthed near Pompeii has identified an offering used in ancient Rome. "We've long known from ancient writers that the Romans burnt frankincense in their sacrifices," said Johannes Eber of the University of Zurich. "Preserved ashes and traces of fragrant resins from a domestic shrine near Pompeii provides tangible proof and a striking reminder of just how globalized the ancient world truly was," he added. The terracotta censer, decorated with an appliqué of a reclining woman, came from a domestic shrine at a rural villa north...

Not all types of alcohol are created equal — and a new study suggests that wine may carry lower health risks than beer or hard liquor. *** Using UK Biobank data, researchers analyzed participant questionnaires. The adults were placed into one of four groups based on their alcohol consumption levels. The study was observational — meaning the findings show an association but cannot prove cause and effect. *** Analyzing cardiovascular disease deaths, researchers discovered that moderate wine drinkers had a 21% lower risk of dying from the disease than people who never drank or occasionally drank — though, once again,...

America's wine industry is grappling with one of its most painful downturns in decades as younger consumers cut back on drinking and baby boomers age out of the market — reshaping alcohol habits nationwide. The trend has contributed to more than $1 billion in lost U.S. wine revenue last year and a roughly 6 million-case drop in production, according to industry data and reports.

As wellness conversations broaden beyond abstinence, new research explores cannabis through a harm-reduction lens and what it could mean for moderating alcohol consumption.-A 2025 Brown University study found that inhaling cannabis with active THC reduced short-term alcohol consumption and delayed drinking among heavy drinkers in a lab setting. Participants also reported a decreased urge to drink compared to a placebo. -The study used cannabis containing 7.2% THC and does not address long-term drinking habits or effects in people who don’t already use marijuana. -Experts warn that replacing alcohol with cannabis poses risks, including dependency and psychiatric side effects, especially with...

Winemakers are pulling the cork on California. Another giant in the world-famous wine growing region is shutting down and slashing staff, making it the fourth since the start of 2026. Jackson Family Wines has stopped production at its Carneros Hill facility in Sonoma’s Carneros region, laying off more than a dozen employees, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notice filed with California authorities on Feb. 12. *** Jackson Family Wines is known as one of the top US wine producers, the sixth-largest wine company in the country. *** It owns the Kendall-Jackson label and about 40 other brands, producing...

As nearly half of U.S. adults say they’re actively trying to drink less, the non-alcoholic aisle has become crowded with options that promise ritual without consequence. The problem is that many of them taste like cough syrup or some other kind of compromise. Wine, in particular, has historically struggled in this category. As a professional product tester, I can attest to my own disenchantment with non-alcoholic wine, to the point that I’ve covered it maybe once before. You can remove the alcohol, but can you preserve structure, aroma and the layered character that makes wine worth pouring in the first...

Today, February 22/ 5 Adar, marks 46 years to the day [on both calendars] since the Miracle on Ice victory over the Soviet Union.Team USA is all smiles.(February 22nd is another double birthday observance day; also tis the birthday of the father of our nation.)Adar is the month of Purim. As such, it is a month for Jewish commentaries involving wine.The Secret of WineAnd wine maketh glad the heart of man.. (Psalm 104:15)Wine enters, secrets emerge (Sanhedrin 38a.3)"Wine isn't just a drink in Jewish tradition -- it's a symbol of joy, sanctity, and ritual. From welcoming Shabbat to celebrating holidays...

Gallo, a major wine manufacturer, announced the closure of a large Napa Valley production facility and the elimination of nearly 100 jobs across Napa and Sonoma counties — a stark sign of the shifting landscape around alcohol consumption in America. Considered the worlds largest winemaker by volume, Gallo filed a “warning” notice with the California Employment Development Department on Feb. 12, confirming it will permanently pull the cork on The Ranch Winery in St. Helena. The closure will leave 56 workers high and dry by April 15. Gallo is also slashing staff at some of its other prestigious labels, including...

I have win10 on a couple computers and it turns out they can't be updated to win11

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,...

Linux users often hear phrases like “the terminal is faster” or “real Linux users don’t rely on the GUI.” While these statements are common in online communities, they rarely reflect how people actually use Linux in daily life. Most users browse the web, manage files, edit documents, connect external devices, and install apps without ever touching the command line.For everyday computing, the graphical interface is usually the most comfortable path. It is visual, discoverable, and forgiving. If you want to move a document, rename a set of photos, preview a video, or open a PDF, there is no reason to...

Like you, I see those flashy headlines and articles every day trying to convince Windows users to switch to Linux—how it’s supposedly better in every possible way, how you can use all your favorite apps, and so on. But honestly, most of that is just talk. It sounds great on paper, but it doesn’t match up with reality. Still, I guess those kinds of articles do their job pretty well.Here, though, I want to take a slightly different approach. Right from the start, let me be clear: I’m not here to persuade anyone to jump on the Linux bandwagon. Instead,...

ZDNET's key takeawaysWindows 10 support has ended, making Linux a possible alternative.It's a good time to consider switching from Windows to Linux.Switching to Linux can extend your computer's life and performance.I can still remember when I decided to install Linux on my very first computer (a Pentium 75). I'd been using Windows 95 and found myself more frustrated than not. I was experiencing constant blue screens of death, couldn't make the OS behave how I wanted, the software was expensive, and I hated the way it looked.So, I installed Linux over Windows, and the rest is history. I've been using...

Winboat is a tool that now easily let's you run your Windows programs underneath Linux in a way that makes it almost seamless. How do you do this? Let's find out!

As many of us have seen, Windows 11 is introducing AI into PCs programmed with that O/S. Granted, there are methods of removing it. Installing W11 with Rufus software is a common way of doing it. Using Flyoobe is another option. There is also software out there to remove unwanted components once W11 is installed. Regardless, I, and I'm sure many others, are trying to find ways of running Windows software on a Linux system. I've run across a few software packages in Linux that try to accomplish this. Bottles, Wine, Winapps and PlayonLinux are just a few things I've...

Want to play Windows games on your Linux system but not sure where to begin? Heard that some Linux distros are better optimized for gaming but don’t know which ones to pick? Don’t worry, here’s a guide to the five best Linux distros that make running Windows games smooth and hassle-free.The good news is that gaming on Linux has improved dramatically in recent years. Besides the many native Linux titles already available, you can also play a huge selection of Windows-only games using compatibility tools like Proton (built into Steam) and Wine. In fact, nearly 80% of the most popular...