Free Republic

Right now, most of the pitched battles between Muslims and Jews in Jerusalem concerns Jews trying to pray in the vicinity of the spurious Al-Aqsa. I say spurious since any competent historian, with only the must rudimentary knowledge, could dismiss Muslim claims in five minutes or less. The Muslims assert that Mohammed rode al-Buraq -- a mule with the face of a woman -- to Al Aqsa (the Furthest Mosque), in Jerusalem, where from thence, he ascended to heaven. The ascent to heaven is called: al-Miraj, from where we get the word: mirage. A more ridiculous and fantabulous story could...

But the three judges invited inmates’ attorneys to file a new motion with either or both of two individual judges who oversee major class action lawsuits over inmate medical and mental health care. Both judges are members of the three-judge panel, which also includes a federal appellate judge. The judges virtually laid out a pathway for the inmates’ attorneys to seek help from the individual judges, and perhaps come back to the special panel after they lay the proper groundwork. The third judge, U.S. District Judge Kimberly Mueller of Sacramento, agreed on legal grounds but said she thought the special...

It’s Palm Sunday.  Who needs a break?I thought so. These times are not conducive to much of anything. I mean seriously, my major accomplishment yesterday was perfecting Instant Pot popcorn. I followed the directions to the letter but added 2 tablespoons of melted butter to the huge bowlful it produced, as well as an extra half teaspoon of Flavocol, sprinkled from on high. There was still a small bowl left this morning that I ate with my first cup of coffee so it’s all gone.Raj made something a bit less ethereal - homemade kielbasa.  We’ve discovered kielbasa is the perfect...

In the U.K., Queen Elizabeth II will be making a rare and stately message to rally the nation, in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, a brave move for the nation fighting rising COVID-19 cases, doubly so in light of London's historic legacy of plagues. But back at No.10, things are a bit more redolent of something different from the classics -- a human comedy. Poor Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been hit hard by the coronavirus. Assuming he's going to get through this, what he's doing now is certain to endear him to the British public, who will all recognize not just Boris being Boris, but things relatable in...

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem (Music in The Bible) Psalms Psalm 146 1 Praise the Lord.[a] Praise the Lord, my soul. 2 I will praise the Lord all my life;     I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. 3 Do not put your trust in princes,     in human beings, who cannot save. 4 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;     on that very day their plans come to nothing. 5 Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,     whose hope is in the Lord their God. 6 He is the Maker of heaven and earth,     the...

A small group of Bernie Sanders' top aides and allies - including his campaign manager and his longtime strategist - have encouraged the independent senator from Vermont to consider withdrawing from the presidential race, according to two people with knowledge of the situation. The group includes campaign manager Faiz Shakir and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., a top Sanders surrogate and ally, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive private discussions. Sanders himself has become more open to the prospect of dropping out, according to one of the people with knowledge of the situation...

Joe Biden said Sunday that the Democratic National Convention may need to be held virtually. The former vice president and 2020 Democratic frontrunner told ABC’s “This Week” that his party's convention is “necessary,” but added it may not be possible to bring thousands of people to one location safely amid the pandemic. “Well, we’re gonna have to do a convention,” Biden said. “We may have to do a virtual convention. I know I think we should be thinking about that right now.” “What we do between now and then is gonna dictate a lot of that as well,” he added....

The Mylan plant in Morgantown, West Virginia will restart production of hydroxychloroquine this week. The drug was touted by researchers, doctors and President Trump in the treatment of the COVID-19 virus. Generic Drug Company Teva in Israel is also mass-producing the drug to save lives. Many of the drugs will come from a plant in Morgantown W. Va., in case any are worried about Chinese sourcing. — Stephen Smoot (@S_A_Smoot) March 22, 2020 The Dominion Post reported: Mylan’s Morgantown plant is restarting production of an anti-malaria medication that is under study as a potential treatment for the COVID-19 virus. The...

The White House announced Friday that it plans to designate $100 billion in emergency spending approved by Congress to reimburse hospitals and other health care providers for treating the estimated 28 million people who are uninsured in the United States. The decision comes amid the fast-moving novel coronavirus pandemic that has left many Americans furloughed or fired and without health insurance. The situation has become so urgent that Trump administration officials who once vilified the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, are now turning to the law as a workable option. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said...

Lord Bath has died at the age of 87 after contracting coronavirus. Longleat, the park and home he ran, announced on Twitter the 7th Marquess of Bath died on Saturday at the Royal Bath United Hospital. He was admitted there on 28 March where it was confirmed he had the virus. In the statement, his family appealed for privacy and thanked the medical team which "cared so professionally and compassionately" for him in his final days.

A day after he was abruptly fired by President Trump, outgoing Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson spoke on the phone with Senate Minority Chuck Schumer. The New York Democrat said Saturday evening that he told the independent watchdog, whom defenders fear was removed to settle a score stemming from the impeachment saga, he will be remembered as a "hero." "I spoke to Inspector General Michael Atkinson tonight, thanked him for his service, and told him that history will remember him as a hero and those who retaliated against him as scoundrels," Schumer tweeted.

A reasonable observer would expect a minimum level of professionalism from New York City health commissioner, Dr. Oxiris Barbot. One wouldn't expect that someone charged with protecting New York City's public health would instead endanger the well-being of New Yorkers by ignoring the severe health ramifications and the real danger of the coronavirus. However, while most of the Democratic leadership of New York City was busy criticizing President Trump for deciding to impose travel restrictions on those entering the United States and dismissing the incoming threat of the coronavirus in February, this health commissioner was quoted stating the following on...

Our gospel tune today is Branded by Wylie Gustafson (Wylie & The Wild West) (1996). THE WESTERNER https://thewesterner.blogspot.com/

Or check your local tv provider. "The sh*t has hit the fin!!"

“Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well” (Proverbs 5:15 KJV).

Indeed one can see that these academico-bureaucrats who feel entitled to run our lives aren’t even rigorous, whether in medical statistics or policymaking. They can’t tell science from scientism — in fact in their image-oriented minds scientism looks more scientific than real science. (For instance it is trivial to show the following: much of what the Cass-Sunstein-Richard Thaler types — those who want to “nudge” us into some behavior — much of what they would classify as “rational” or “irrational” (or some such categories indicating deviation from a desired or prescribed protocol) comes from their misunderstanding of probability theory and...

TAMPA — A bicyclist and a motorcyclist were killed Saturday when they collided on Bayshore Boulevard, the scenic promenade that officials have labored to make safe after two previous high-profile tragedies. The crash happened around 11 a.m. when a bicyclist was trying to cross the road in a crosswalk near Rome Avenue. A motorcyclist, one of three who had been traveling north, hit the bicyclist. Tampa police said the motorcyclist, who was in their 30s, died at the scene. The bicyclist, in their 50s, was pronounced dead later at a hospital. Police had not identified the victims by late Saturday...

We’ve heard much during the Wuhan flu crisis about a “worst case scenario” of two million dead Americans, a staggering number. But missing from the national conversation is something equally important: What’s the worst case scenario given our present course of action, largely locking down the country and freezing life like an insect stuck in amber? What if worse coming to worst means a great depression, a descent into tyranny, millions more dead from other causes and a permanently impoverished nation? Almost the entire virus debate has centered around whether the experts are correct about the infectivity and virulence of...

President Trump on Saturday dismissed a critical tweet from Joe Biden, saying the former vice president couldn't have authored the post because "he doesn't write." Biden tweeted Saturday just before Trump's White House coronavirus briefing began that Trump wasn't responsible for COVID-19, "but he is responsible for failing to prepare our nation to respond to it." When asked about the tweet during the press briefing, Trump said a "Democratic operative" wrote it and implied Biden wasn't capable. "He doesn't write. He's probably not even watching right now," Trump said of the televised daily briefing. "And if he is, he doesn't...

The Affordable Care Act turned 10 last month and is credited with helping 20 million more Americans get health insurance than before the law was enacted. But the coronavirus pandemic could be the first true test of how well "Obamacare" works at preventing significant coverage loss, experts say. For people stricken with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, coverage through the ACA could mean the difference between financial stability and bankruptcy that could cause lingering hardship long after the pandemic ends, industry experts say. Yet with unemployment skyrocketing across the country - a record 6.6 million Americans filed for...