Free Republic

The musical master turns 90 on Sunday. To understand the influence Stephen Sondheim has had on the musical theater, imagine in the rock world that one artist had roughly the impact of Bob Dylan plus the Beatles. The undisputed master of his medium is turning 90 (March 22), and his influence remains as dominant as ever, even as two major New York productions of his work sit frozen and anxious, awaiting the all-clear signal. Rock, once a province of brainless lyrics and cotton-candy musical schemes, entered maturity with first the protest anthems and apocalyptic prophecies of The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan...

A 12-year-old girl is “fighting for her life” at an Atlanta hospital after testing positive for coronavirus, according to a report. Justin Anthony said his cousin Emma was placed on a ventilator Saturday after being confirmed positive the day before for the virus, CNN reported. She initially was diagnosed with pneumonia on March 15, only to receive test results days later for the virus, according to the report. Anthony said his young cousin is “fighting for her life” despite having no pre-existing conditions that would put her at higher risk for the infectious disease, the outlet reported. he 12-year-old has...

The great Wallace Stegner once called America’s national parks “the best idea we ever had,” and we couldn’t agree more. Equal parts meditative and mind-blowing, these magnificent wildlands somehow make us feel our most humbly—and gratefully—human. They’re our gift to ourselves and our truest escape, whether for a solitary hike or an eight-person family vacation. And though, for now, we may not be able to visit them in person, we can remember past trips and look forward to future visits with these breathtaking virtual tours, some led by rangers—others self-guided. So set aside your puzzle-making and your Netflix queue and...

Gov. Phil Murphy said he’s “really damned unhappy” to hear stories he’s hearing about New Jersey residents not abiding by his stay-at-home order to combat the coronavirus outbreak and warned Sunday to expected a law enforcement crackdown. “There’s too many people not paying attention to this. We’ve about had it. We’re not happy," Murphy said during a conference call to update the state on the latest cases. “We banned any social gatherings in the state. We want people to stay home,” he said. "We want all of these steps to be enforced aggressively.” Enforcement could include arrests, he said. Under...

ABC link, excerpted.PHASE 1 Beginning at 12:00 p.m. on Monday, March 23, 2020, all hotels, motels, resorts, inns, Air- BnB, Homeway, VRBO, guest houses, campgrounds, RV Parks, Vacation Cabin rentals and any other short-term rentals in Graham County will be closed, EXCEPT for persons needing accommodation with a legitimate work-related stay. Business owners, contractors and emergency service workers who expect to have employees needing to make reservations for a stay in Graham County will need to provide a work related identification badge from their employer along with a letter from the employer stating the purpose of the work to be...

Just a vanity. The weather where I live is nice. Cool but sunny. I took the opportunity to put out my flag (its been in mothballs over the winter). Just a statement that, hey, we are Americans. We will overcome this contagion...together. I noticed others started flying theirs too. Just might not be a bad idea during these times to affirm your love for this country. I suspect many of you are way ahead of me, but let this be contagious too.

Kitten cuteness break from Youtube. 6 minutes

President Trump Participates in a Teleconference with Governors on Coronavirus Response This is a video of a conference call between all the US governors and the President and Vice President about the response to the coronavirus. It is a long video, but it is worth a view, because you get to notice all the things the press won't tell you, such as: - All the governors are thanking the President and Vice President for their coordination and assistance. - President Trump and Vice President Pence are on top of the situation completely.

Three cheers for President Trump’s success in forcing a federal bureaucracy that normally moves at the speed of a glacier to begin working at “Trump Speed.” From the day he announced he was running, Trump’s critics have assailed him with all manner of claims that he was unfit to be President. Their real reason for inventing so many lies was that he wasn’t like them because he was a CEO instead of a bureaucrat. He had built a business empire and become wealthy by setting objectives, giving orders to his trusted staff, and holding people accountable for delivering results in...

On Wednesday, March 18, 2020, New Zealand decriminalized abortion. “It’s been a long time coming,” said Margaret Sparrow, a doctor who dedicated her life to championing for looser abortion laws. Until the passage of this bill on Wednesday, the procedure was still subject to regulations under the Crimes Act, which requires women to demonstrate to a doctor that their pregnancy poses a danger to their physical or mental health before going through an abortion...

NY Governor Cuomo: ‘This is Not a Short Term Situation … 4 Months, 6 Months, 9 Months  Here’s New York Gov. Cuomo saying the coronavirus lockdown could last as long as 9 months and that up to 80% of the population will get the virus https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1241766068332515329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1241766068332515329&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.towleroad.com%2F2020%2F03%2Fny-governor-cuomo%2F  

Carlton and United Breweries, whose major brewery is in Abbotsford, Melbourne, wants the Victorian state government to include breweries in the “essential services” that remain open as the country experienced a run on liquor stores Sunday as buyers panicked and stormed outlets to buy as much alcohol as they could. “Carlton & United Breweries, Australia’s largest brewer, is greatly concerned about no beer being available in Australia for at least three months if beer is not given exempt status, and what this would mean for tens of thousands of jobs,” a spokesman told the Australian newspaper.

Like most people, I had initial deep concerns regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. However, I think some perspective and proportion are overdue. Let's start with something provocative: aside from high-risk populations, does the entire American population really need to "social distance" itself into isolation and depression? Do large numbers of Americans really need to be forced into underemployment and unemployment? Do large numbers of businesses really need to shut their doors and face bankruptcy? Unrecoverability? For people over 65 or with underlying health issues, such as emphysema, asthma, congestive heart issues, cancer, and other identified vulnerabilities, social distancing and even...

Video at link.

The Last Crisis We are living in the time of the end. The fast-fulfilling signs of the times declare that the coming of Christ is near at hand. The days in which we live are solemn and important. The Spirit of God is gradually but surely being withdrawn from the earth. Plagues and judgments are already falling upon the despisers of the grace of God. The calamities by land and sea, the unsettled state of society, the alarms of war, are portentous. They forecast approaching events of the greatest magnitude. The agencies of evil are combining their forces and consolidating....

If I know our gov't that stimulus money will be fully taxable in your 2020 tax return.

KEY POINTS: * The WHO announced its new 'SOLIDARITY trial' to compare the effects of different drugs on coronavirus * Drugs that will be tested include remdesivir, originally conceived as a drug to fight Ebola, and an anti-malaria drug called hydroxychloroquine * Countries that have committed are Argentina, Bahrain, Canada, France, Iran, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and Thailand * The US was not listed as one of the countries although the WHO's director-general says he believes 'many more will join' ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The US will not be part of a new trial led by the World Health Organization examining which...

Made in the 1960s for the California Highway Patrol, "Routine Stops" details some of the basic mistakes made by complacent patrolmen, that had fatal consequences. The film details the "suspicious attitude" that patrolmen must develop, as a basic means of protecting themselves against the actions of criminals. The police cars shown appear to be the Dodge Polara or Dodge 880. The narrator of the film was Guy Oates, who at one time served as the Chief of California State Police.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has blamed President Trump for the city’s severe shortage of COVID-19 supplies even though City Hall didn’t secure its first order for emergency protective gear until March 6, The Post has learned.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has become the first senator to test positive for the coronavirus. His staff says he is asymptomatic. In a statement released on Sunday, Paul's deputy chief of staff, Sergio Gor, wrote: "Senator Rand Paul has tested positive for COVID-19. He is feeling fine and is in quarantine. He is asymptomatic and was tested out of an abundance of caution due to his extensive travel and events. He was not aware of any direct contact with any infected person. He expects to be back in the Senate after his quarantine period ends and will continue to work...