Free Republic

Picture this: A crowd of almost 100,000 on the beach in Wildwood, New Jersey, watches patiently as an artist standing on a giant stage furiously paints an American flag to the tune of “America The Beautiful.” As the music crescendos to the last “sea to shining sea,” the artist puts his finishing touch on the flag and then begins to peel something off the painting, revealing the familiar hair and then the face and body of former President Donald Trump, wearing a collared, pullover shirt with the number “47” emblazoned on the chest. The crowd goes wild. Watch: https://twitter.com/i/status/1789460470291722671

Most Europeans have a unique idea about what Americans look like in each US state, and artificial intelligence has brought these views to life in lifelike images. Mdjourney, a system that creates images based on users' text prompts, created an image for each of the 50 states based on how those across the Atlantic perceive them. According to AI, Europeans think Alabamians typically have missing teeth, all Utahans are Mormons and Virginians are stuck in the Victorian era. While some images are far-fetched, they offer insight into potential biases and stereotypes in AI technology.

The artist who sketched former President Donald Trump’s arraignment last week in Florida responded to criticisms that he portrayed Trump as younger and more physically fit than reality. “It’s rare I get any kind of feedback,” sketch artist William J. Hennessy Jr., 65, told the Boston Globe. Hennessy was one of three artists who captured Trump’s appearance at his arraignment in federal court in Miami last Tuesday. Trump was indicted on 37 federal charges related to alleged willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and false statements. Trump pleaded not guilty and slammed the charges as a...

At my age death of contemporary friends is not an surprising occurrence. But with some it is a shot deep to the Soul. Sharon was an incredibly beautiful woman. She looked 20-30 years younger than her mid 70s. A powerful Christian warrior who never mentioned the Christian ministries she provided to many. She was a talented artist. Various media but oils were throughout her gorgeous home. She and her husband Mike Marsalis had a fascinating life including living in Paris where they both went to culinary school and studied under Julia Child . I met them via politics: GOP/Free Republic/theRight...

A local community has been rocked by the shock death of a much-loved teenager who tragically died in his sleep. Heartbreaking tributes are flowing for Melbourne student Balin Menzies, 15, who died suddenly on April 21. It is not yet known what caused his death. Balin was actively involved in various sporting and community groups across Greensborough in Melbourne's northeast. The teen was also a promising street artist who painted murals under the name Posh, including a wall at Greensborough Skate Park. The mural is now surrounded by spray paint cans and flowers in his honour. Greensborough College paid tribute...

Early in 2020, an Indigenous artist urged the owners of a new music venue in town to change its name. It was called The Winnebago, after the street on which it stands. Many Indigenous people and allies let the owners know that wasn’t the best name for a white-owned music venue. One of them was nibiiwakamigkwe, also known as Kay LeClaire, a founding member and co-owner of the queer Indigenous artists’ collective giige, and budding leader of Madison’s Indigenous arts community. It took several months, but the venue eventually relented and rebranded as The Burr Oak. “I’m glad the owners...

Today is the feast of Saint Luke, a father of the ancient Church renowned as Evangelist, Historian, and Physician. We should be aware of one additional title that is traditionally attributed to this early disciple of Christ: Artist. For the name of Saint Luke is attached to one of the most venerable works of art of the ancient Church—the Hodegetria icon which resided in Constantinople until its destruction in 1453. While the origins of the Hodegetria icon are shrouded in mystery, its connection to St. Luke is based upon traditions stretching back to the early centuries of Constantinople as a...

As we reported earlier this month, Jonathan Kent, the new iteration of Superman, is bisexual, according to DC Comics. The traditionally heterosexual superhero will embark on a same-sex relationship with a friend in a new comic book series. “Jon,” who is the son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane, started his tenure in July.DC Comics last week announced the changes to Superman in its series “Superman: Son of Kat-El.” In addition to coming out as bi-sexual and beginning a relationship with Jay Nakamura, Superman’s motto, “Truth, Justice, and the American Way,” is being replaced by “Truth, Justice, and a Better...

The attempted murder case against a Massachusetts college professor nears its end. Rie Hachiyanagi, 50, who taught art at Mt. Holyoke College, pleaded guilty on Friday to trying to kill a friend in a four-hour attack. “She expected to get away with murder — my murder,” survivor Lauret Savoy, herself a professor of geology and environmental studies at the school, said in her victim impact statement, according to The Greenfield Recorder. Assistant District Attorney Matthew Thomas told the court in Greenfield, Massachusetts, that Hachiyanagi arrived at Savoy’s home unannounced late Dec. 23, 2019 and hid until the geology professor realized...

Move over van Gogh and Picasso. There is another artistic genius about to enter the scene. Hunter Biden. Until now, the world mostly thought his skills lay in his locomotive expertise thanks to years of riding the Amtrak choo-choo, according to Politico (though we've come to know it involved being adroit at doing cocaine). However, we now find out that his choo-choo knowledge is way overshadowed by his incredible artistic talent which led him to search for "universal truth" through painting according to ArtNet on Monday with their Hunter the Painter paean to the artist in waiting by Katya Kazakina,...

A search of publicly available material suggests several of Surgisphere’s employees have little or no data or scientific background. An employee listed as a science editor appears to be a science fiction author and fantasy artist. Another employee listed as a marketing executive is an adult model and events hostess. The Guardian has since contacted five hospitals in Melbourne and two in Sydney, whose cooperation would have been essential for the Australian patient numbers in the database to be reached. All denied any role in such a database, and said they had never heard of Surgisphere. Desai did not respond...

A Texas teen who had just been busted in a double murder case promoted his Instagram handle as he walked past throngs of reporters this week. Kiernan Christopher WIlliams, 19, is facing two capital murder charges in connection with the Sunday night slayings of Robert Martinez, 21, and Alejandro Robles, 25, during an argument at the Ventura bar in San Antonio, police said. Officials walked Williams in front of TV cameras a little after 4 p.m. Monday - and the teen used the opportunity to promote himself. “Y’all gotta follow me on instagram, _32baby.k9_,” Williams said, according to video obtained...

Kurdish artist/journalist Zehra Dogan went to prison for portraying life in southeastern Turkey during the country's state of emergency. Now she is free, and has no plans to give up her fight against injustice.Why did you paint a picture of destroyed houses with a Turkish flag? That is the question authorities asked Kurdish artist and journalist Zehra Dogan when she learned she was going to jail for her paintings, articles and social media posts. "Then they threw me in prison," she said. "But they are the ones who created this picture- I only illustrated it."Imprisoned twice for alleged terrorist ties,...

HERE ARE 35 FAMOUS PAINTINGSBelow, 20 have been used to create the history of the Kavanaugh nomination. How many could you name?

Hawaii’s holiday season will get a little extra dose of magic this year, with one of the true voices of Christmas scheduling two concerts for the Blaisdell Concert Hall. Johnny Mathis, whose landmark holiday album “Merry Christmas” was released 60 years ago, will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 21 and 22, his first shows in the islands in more than 20 years. Backed by a 35-piece orchestra, Mathis will sing a mix of Christmas standards and his own greatest hits. Mathis has two No. 1 songs to his name — “Chances Are” and “Too Much, Too Little, Too Late”...

Every month or so, WSJ publishes a Peggy Noonan editorial to stir up the Corporatist and Never-Trump animals. This particular piece stretches the bounds of logic more than most of her rants. Still, for the sheer pleasure of relishing Noonan's monthly TDS rage, it's worth a quick scan and laugh. A couple of her FReeper teasers: Mr. Trump came from the chaos, he didn’t cause it. He just makes it worse each day by adding his own special incoherence [Trump] can’t capitalize on this moment... because he’s not a serious man. Noonan's losing her grip on the writing talent. Parts...

Philip Mead was online late one night in May, looking for possible artifacts from the American Revolution, when a painting up for auction caught his eye and got his heart racing. The chief historian at the Museum of the American Revolution, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, had spied an unsigned watercolor from 1782. It was a panorama of an army encampment, and to his expert eye seemed to feature the only known wartime depiction of the tent George Washington used as his command center during the Revolutionary War. The tent is the marquee exhibit at the museum, which opened in April. And,...

A Middle Eastern woman was caught surveilling a U.S. port of entry on the Mexican border holding a sketchbook with Arabic writing and drawings of the facility and its security system, federal law enforcement sources tell Judicial Watch. The woman has been identified as 23-year-old Leila Abdelrazaq, according to a Customs and Border Patrol (CPB) report obtained by JW this week. Abdelrazaq appeared to have two accomplices, a 31-year-old man named Gabriel Schivone and a 28-year-old woman named Leslie Mcafee. CBP agents noticed the trio "observing the facilities" at the Port of Mariposa in Nogales, Arizona on December 2. Schivone...

WASHINGTON–From street art to coloring books, Sen. Ted Cruz’s fans have creative ways of praising him. Now you can add a hip-hop anthem to the list.Entitled “Time for Truth”–like Cruz’s autobiography–the nearly five-minute jam is written straight out of Cruz’s presidential campaign platform. It also calls the senator “a gift from God,” fighting career politicians and “[leading] us back to freedom, our Constitution and Jesus.”“Are you fed up with the excuses? / Ted Cruz has got your back. / Standing for America on marriage and Super PACs / Taking down the Washington Cartel / He’s fighting for our well being...

When I saw this commercial, I honestly thought perhaps the Army is now making ads specifically targeting homosexuals. (We all know that it's just a matter of time.) I'm definitely ---not--- saying that graphic artists are all homosexuals. However...