Free Republic

Walter Parazaider, a co-founding member of Chicago who was with the band from its start in 1967 through his retirement in 2017, died Wednesday, family members announced. He had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for six years.Parazaider played reed instruments in the band for that 50-year run, and may be most easily recognized for his flute solo in “Colour My World,” though he was more often found on the saxophone. In the band’s earliest conception, he was the only horn player, and he is often credited as the one whose idea it was to bring an entire horn section in...

Johnson has waded into politics in the past, most notably with his 2020 endorsement of Joe Biden. In an interview with Esquire magazine, A-list actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson eschewed Hollywood's trend toward political activism, saying he believes it has come to dominate public debate. The 54-year-old “Moana” star said he personally feels the need not to add to the political fray with his own views. "What I have learned through experience is that I need to keep—need, not want—the main thing the main thing," Johnson said. "And the main thing for me, the thing that in the morning I...

If Roseanne proved that the left will stop at nothing to pull a sitcom star off the air over political views, Tim Allen continues to demonstrate that it’s possible to avoid that fate. Not only has he enjoyed recent success as the lead in “Shifting Gears,” he’s also been at the center of talks about a reboot of his classic series “Home Improvement.” That project has been stalled lately, though, and the right-leaning funnyman addressed the issue for fans who are looking forward to new episodes of the ‘90s sitcom. As the Daily Wire reported: “They keep talking about how...

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Michelangelo's Pietà showcases a level of artful mastery that beggars belief, especially considering he was only 24. This piece pushes the boundaries of amazing skills, making us question the very nature of human creativity. Join us as we explore this incredible work and what it reveals about the artist's genius, offering a unique perspective on art history. Giuseppe San Martino crafted this marble masterpiece in 18th-century Naples, challenging viewers to distinguish stone from fabric. While legends suggest alchemical secrets behind its creation, historical records offer a different perspective. Marmoreo explores the artistic techniques and theological questions surrounding this profound work...

A stripped-back take on Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman dominated this year’s Tonys, winning six awards, while Lesley Manville and John Lithgow took home lead acting trophies. Death of a Salesman was named best revival of a play, with the award-winning director Joe Mantello praising Miller’s story as one that “still talks to us through time”. Star Nathan Lane accepted the award on behalf of the cast, and called it a play that “continues to teach us who we are as humans and Americans”. The six wins makes it the most awarded play revival in Tonys history. Death of...

Here are three well received low budget films. Two suspense horror films that have been released. Obsession https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsession_(2025_film) Backrooms https://redstate.com/brandon_morse/2026/06/03/the-backrooms-is-everything-ive-wanted-in-a-movie-and-everything-hollywood-left-behind-n2203005 Pressure https://redstate.com/brandon_morse/2026/06/03/the-backrooms-is-everything-ive-wanted-in-a-movie-and-everything-hollywood-left-behind-n2203005

Over the weekend, as part of the Black Crowes' "Southern Hospitality Tour" along with Whiskey Myers, Crowes lead singer Chris Robinson tried to shut down the patriotic Tampa crowd and instead watched a steady stream of concertgoers leave mid-set rather than listen to his woke nonsense. During the show, according to TMZ, a screen showed the band’s crow mascot as Uncle Sam, which sparked “USA” chants from the crowd. Robinson seemed miffed by the patriotic outburst and snidely lectured the crowd, saying, “Thanks for the geography lesson.” As the chants continued, he added, “I don’t know what you have to...

Paintings are our best visual reference of what the American Revolution was like, for those who lived through it. They offer a glimpse into what people wore, how battles were fought, and what it felt like to live during the Revolutionary War. However, it’s important to remember that paintings of the American Revolution were not intended as realistic depictions of the events portrayed. Most paintings were much more idealistic in nature – even those painted by artists who witnessed the events first-hand... 1. Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze (1851)2. The Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull (1819)4. The...

There's really no "Body of Thread" here except "Black Albino" wrote "This song deserves to be played in the World cup. In fact, it should be the anthem." Have to agree with that. This skit is absolutely bound to put a smile on your face and love in your heart. The singer / dancer is so energetic, fun, and personable!! It reminds me of the old Coca Cola 1971 jingle "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)" On InstagramTikTok "My Name is Akramghettokidz Dancer From Ghetto Kids 🇺🇬❤️" God bless everyone 🙏

The departing performers all reached for the same script. Martina McBride claimed she had been assured the gathering was nonpartisan. Bret Michaels said he understood the event as a celebration of the country through music, a way to honor hardworking Americans, before declaring that it had supposedly “evolved into something much more divisive.” Rapper Young MC insisted he knew nothing of any political involvement and hoped to perform in Washington someday at something less “politically charged.” Morris Day & The Time, for their part, claimed they were never confirmed at all. None of these excuses survives a moment’s scrutiny. Nobody...

Disney's newest Star Wars movie, 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' just opened in theaters. It cost millions upon millions to make the film and it is absolutely getting its butt kicked by a small, independent horror movie called 'Obsession' which was made for a paltry $750,000. Of course, $750K is a lot of money, but not by the standards of a Hollywood movie. That's chump change. Even so, people are flocking to theaters to see 'Obsession' instead of Disney's newest expensive flick. Star Wars fans have just been burned too many times. Disney basically broke the franchise by using it to...

A popular graffiti artist was fatally struck by a Brightline train in Florida, local officials say. On May 13, Eric Alan Hirt, 47, was struck and killed at 12:26 a.m. local time while walking on the tracks in Biscayne Park, Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office (MDSO) Detective Joseph Peguero said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. Eric was hit by an oncoming Brightline train, the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office confirmed, according to The Miami Herald. The Brightline train is one of two high-speed trains in the U.S., traveling as fast as 125 miles per hour. The train began test runs in 2017....

Chehel Sotun is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Isfahan, Iran. The palace was completed in 1647 during the Safavid era. It is known for its twenty columns, wall paintings, mirror work, and wooden decorations. In the course of the recent conflict, the Governor's Office building located several hundred meters from the palace was struck. No direct hit occurred on the palace itself. However, shockwaves from the nearby strike caused observable damage to the structure.

Archaeologists have recently uncovered fragments of a life-size mural depicting the Greek Trojan War hero Achilles in the remains of a Roman home near Reims, France. The discovery, dating to the 2nd century CE, sheds new light on the cultural reach and artistic sophistication of ancient Roman Gaul. The mural, depicting the mythological tale of Achilles and Deidamia, was found on the western outskirts of what was once the Roman city of Durocortorum, now modern-day Reims. The discovery offers a rare glimpse into the tastes and traditions of the Roman elite who lived far from the empire’s major urban centers....

Comparisons to “Solo” are particularly telling. That film disappointed in 2018, yet current adjusted figures show “The Mandalorian and Grogu” falling short even of that benchmark. International totals hover around $63 million for the opening, insufficient to guarantee profitability without exceptional word-of-mouth. With theaters demanding their cut, breaking even requires the film to approach half a billion worldwide—a tall order given current trajectories.

The saga of woke comics is the saga of woke America. Much like video games, comics and superhero movies were ignored by conservative movements as “meaningless kids stuff” until recently, which is part of the reason why those industries were so easily invaded by leftists and used to indoctrinate millions of children and teens a decade ago. Culture is more important than politics. This is obvious. It’s a fact that leftists have understood for generations and one that conservatives have foolishly dismissed. Only in the past few years has there been a shift; at least, the progressive rampage through America’s...

Long before the fiery pits and pitchforks of Christian Hell haunted the religious imagination, the afterlife in ancient Hebrew thought was a muted, shadowy place known as Sheol. The Hebrew Sheol and the Greek HadesIn early Hebrew belief Sheol was not a realm of torture or glory but a land of forgetfulness—where all the dead, both righteous and wicked, shared a common fate. In many ways, Sheol resembled the Greek Hades—not in its geography or grandeur but in its indifferent stillness for humans. It was a silent cavern of shadows, where even the most luminous of biblical figures—Adam, Moses, David—drifted...

The mystery of how Egypt’s pyramids survived thousands of years of earthquakes may partly come down to smart engineering, according to a new study that examined how the Great Pyramid of Giza responds to seismic vibrations. Researchers found that the Pyramid of Khufu has a natural vibration frequency that differs sharply from the surrounding ground, helping reduce the risk of dangerous resonance during earthquakes. The study, led by Mohamed ELGabry and published in Scientific Reports, analyzed ambient seismic noise recorded inside the 4,600-year-old pyramid. Researchers said the findings may explain why the structure has survived centuries of earthquakes with little...

OK - I got one yanked a while back - still not perfectly clear on what things will get something you post pulled, but I think the last one had something to do with a title not matching source title?