The Journey

Did 'Augusta Al' See His Shadow?

2012-02-02T05:50:00.000-08:00

No Sign of Stirring at the Local Groundhog Hole

File photo of 'Augusta Al.'

'Augusta Al' must have slept in. Either that or he became the victim of my neighbor's pistol practice and I wasn't aware of his demise. In Summers past I would awaken in the backyard hammock to his steely rodent gaze. He was a big groundhog.

This morning I walked up the hill to see if Al had stirred yesterday. There was no way he could have seen his shadow anyway but I wanted to know. I walked up the trail to the woods and came to the place where Al's hole was... no sign of fresh stirring. Al had indeed slept in.

There were plenty of signs of early Spring perhaps, but not a sign of marmot activity.

So I'll have to go with the six weeks of Winter theory put out by others. You can only trust a climate expert like 'Al' with a reasonable dose of skepticism.

Remembering Columbia and Challenger

2012-02-01T14:07:00.001-08:00

Memorial to the Astronauts in Arlington Cemetary

Plaque honoring Mission Specialist David Brown, Commander Rick Husband, MissionSpecialist Laurel Clark, Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla,Mission Specialist Michael Anderson, Pilot William McCool, and Israeli Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon.

Michael J. Smith, Dick Scobee, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, Judith Resnik are remembered.

First, They Came for the Catholics

2012-02-01T06:29:00.000-08:00

Matters of Conscience and Government Overreach

The entrance to St. Francis Church in Staunton.

Michelle Malkin writes today about Government Overreach [click to read] in the matter of conscience. Catholic adoption services in Massachussetts have already been shut down rather than give in to demands that they allow the government to dictate their placement policies.

"President Obama and his radical feminist enforcers have had it in for Catholic medical providers from the get-go. It's about time all people of faith fought back against this unprecedented encroachment on religious liberty. First, they came for the Catholics. Who's next?

This weekend, Catholic bishops informed parishioners of the recent White House edict forcing religious hospitals, schools, charities and other health and social service providers to provide "free" abortifacient pills, sterilizations and contraception on demand in their insurance plans — even if it violates their moral consciences and the teachings of their churches." -- Michelle Malkin.

Standing Together [click to read]. Protestants and Jews declare to the White House: "We stand with Catholics."

"Today, more than 40 non-Catholic religious organizations including Protestant-affiliated colleges, National Association of Evangelicals, Focus on the Family, Assemblies of God, Northwest Nazarene University, and Eastern Mennonite University, sent a letter to the White House demanding religious protection against the newly issued HHS contraceptive mandate."

“We write not in opposition to Catholic leaders and organizations. We write in solidarity.” Says the coalition letter. “Leaders of other faiths are also deeply troubled by and opposed to the mandate and the narrow exemption.” -- Emily Hardman

Homeschool Sports Participation Vote Today

2012-02-01T05:33:00.000-08:00

Tebow Bill May Get Voted Down Again in Committee
by Lynn Mitchell (Cross Posted from SWAC Girl)

The Hampton Generals make a TD.

Governor Bob McDonnell (R) is for it. Delegate Rob Bell (R- 58th House) sponsored it. The Family Foundation backs it. Home Educators Association of Virginia (HEAV) also backs it.

HB 947, affectionately known as the "Tebow Bill" (see background here), is in danger of being voted down ... again ... by the House Education committee that includes local Delegates Steve Landes (R-25th House) and Dickie Bell (R-20th House) who represent Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County.

The Family Foundation sent out a robocall Tuesday night alerting homeschoolers in the 20th District that Dickie Bell had indicated he would not support the bill in the House Education committee vote that may come as early at 9:00 Wednesday morning. Contact information was included to contact Del Bell: (804) 698-1120 or email DelDBell@house.virginia.gov and ask that he vote yes for HB 947.

The bill was voted out of the House Education sub-committee on January 27, just as it has in previous years. The next vote is where it fails year after year.

A sunset amendment was attached to the bill by Del. Landes that would limit it to a four-year trial period and, at that time, it would need to be re-voted on.

Reportedly the reason Dickie Bell opposes the bill is because it may expose homeschooled students to things they may not consider appropriate, something that crosses over into decisions made by capable parents.

I left a message at Del. Bell's office late this afternoon to learn more and to ask for confirmation but as of the time of publication of this post, I had not heard from him or his staff.

Twenty states across the country allow homeschool access and it has worked for them. Perhaps it's time for the discriminatory homeschool stereotypes to go away in Virginia starting with Del. Bob Tata (R-85th House) who made a very offensive comment concerning homeschoolers:

"I guess what you'd have is sort of like a bunch of adolescent free agents," Tata said with a laugh. "But how would you control it? I mean, you could have some 6 (foot) 4 (inch) gorilla at home who can't read or write but can run a 4.4-second 40-yard dash." [emphasis added]

Kudos to Rob Bell for his continuous support of homeschool families by again submitting the homeschool sports access bill this year and not giving up, something those families may remember when he runs for Attorney General in 2013.

Ruminations on Physics and Faith...

2012-01-30T10:30:00.000-08:00

Doing the Math, World is a Unique Place for Life

Mural by Laney Riley depicting the wonder of sea life.

"The strengths of the basic forces and certain other fundamental parameters in our universe appear to be 'fine-tuned'," Professor Lightman explains, "to allow the existence of life." -- Rabbi Avi Shafran

My Mother was a physicist. She studied the subject at Westhampton College (now part of the University of Richmond) and later at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. Mom, when I was young, always saw wonder in the construction of the mathematical formulas that described the very workings of nature. That wonder, learned at my Mother's knee, must be considered as one of the greatest influences on my becoming a person of faith.

In an article entitled Blind Faith and Physics [click to read], Rabbi Avi Shafran explores the implications, not only of that order, but of the rare 'coincidence' that our Universe, capable of supporting life, really is.

Building on the work of noted physicist Alan P. Lightman, Rabbi Shafran explores the implications of what science may be teaching us beyond basic observation.

"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse" -- Romans 1:20

"Do Not Go Where the Path May Lead"

2012-01-30T10:11:00.000-08:00

"Go Instead Where there is No Path..."

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” -- Ralph Waldo Emerson. ht/Lynn

Got Faith?

2012-01-28T18:15:00.000-08:00

"This Beginning of Miracles did Jesus in Cana..."

A billboard between Davis and Thomas West Virginia illustrates the miracle described in John 2, where Jesus turned the water into wine. The accompanying text asks: "Got Faith?"

THYME Magazine

2012-01-28T06:53:00.001-08:00

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor

Volume IV, Issue V

"Power Under Control"

"And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." -- Matthew 5:1-12

The 'other' weekly news magazine gets it right this week with their cover: "The Power of Shyness." Actually "Meekness" is defined more closely as "Power Under Control." Picture here a strong horse that gently responds to the reigns of its master and you will have a better grasp of the actual concept.

Watching the last Presidential debate, one great moment was when the candidates were asked: "If Raul Castro called you on the phone, what would you say to him?" Ron Paul's answer was simple: "I'd ask him what he wants?"

No great point was made... or was it? When one world leader calls another, couldn't the exchange indeed be made better if there was no initial posturing, just a simple question: "What does he want to talk to me about?"

With the future of our Nation hanging in the balance, one grows weary of destructive rhetoric and very desirous of dialougue that addresses our ills. That does not mean ignoring the very destructive policies that are pulling our Nation down at all. Rather, it is a call for Servant-leaders who will see beyond getting on a ticket and campaign against those policies rather than each other.

Distinctives are good. Let's discuss those at length, but let us remember that we are preparing for battle, not engaged in battle at the moment. It will take all of us working together to turn the tide in America. We are all flawed human beings, but made in the image if G-d!

It is just a dream, but I'd love to see us address the ideas with great, and even heated energy, while joining in the sentiment of Will Rogers, who once said: "I never met a man that I didn't like."

Dark Mentor to the 'Sage of Baltimore'

2012-01-23T06:51:00.001-08:00

Nietzsche's Influence on American Thought

Nietzsche.

H. L. Mencken wrote for the Baltimore Sun in the earlier part of the Twentieth Century. He gained the reputation of 'Sage of Baltimore' for the fruits of his eloquent pen. Most known for his reporting of the Scopes Trials in Dayton Tennessee, Mencken derided the presentation of Divine Creation using phrases such as "monkey trials." Some background is often omitted in the popular presentation of the issue.

A little digging shows that Mencken was one of the American thinkers who popularized the ideas of Friedrich Nietzsche.

"Indeed, Mencken was Nietzsche’s first American popularizer. The sage of Baltimore followed his 1908 book, The Philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche, written when he was only 28, with The Gist of Nietzsche, a collection of the German’s aphorisms, in 1910, and a translation of The Anti-Christ, published in the aftermath of World War I. Mencken, Ratner-Rosenhagen notes, told a friend that his denunciations of American life and culture “were plainly based on Nietzsche; without him, I’d never have come to them.” -- Fred Siegel, in City Journal.

Ideas about the 'perfectability of man' and their implications also influenced people like Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthiood. Sanger's eugenics led to the dark side in the sterilization of untold numbers of patients in Virginia's Western State Hospital [1]. Today the widespread use of Amniocentesis often results in the abortion of 'potentially imperfect' embryos. The quest for übermensch has now reached into the sanctity of life in the womb.

Fred Siegal explores today's "Nihilism with a Happy Ending" [click to read] in City Journal.

THYME Magazine

2012-01-20T12:13:00.000-08:00

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor

Volume IV, Issue IV

'The Pessimist'

The 'other' weekly news magazine this week gives us a glimpse inside 'Obama's World.' We at THYME feel like this is a worthy subject as well. Barack Obama spent twenty years under the teaching of Reverend Jeremiah Wright, student of James Cone. Cone's 'Black Liberation Theology' is a sort of race-based Marxism in a Christian wrapper. 'Hope and Change' leans in a Socialist/Marxist direction. The mainstream media does not seem concerned.

Obama launched his campaign in the living room of Bill Ayers, who he says is 'just a guy in the neighborhood.' Ayers is no 'Mister Rogers' though, having planned to blow up a number of government buildings in his 'wilder days.' 'Hope and Change' has a bit of Olinsky radicalism to it. The mainstream media does not seem concerned.

Mr. Obama's neigborhood isn't all that shabby either, thanks to his association with Tony Rezco. The Obamas own a pretty nice house, but 'Hope and Change' seems a bit like the 'Chicago Way.' The mainstream media does not seem concerned.

Mr. Obama's Keynsian economic policies are rolling up large amounts of government debt. 'Hope and Change' looks a bit like Weimar Germany. The mainstream media does not seem concerned.

Mr. Obama's publicists want to make him out to be the hero of the common man. If a Republican played this much golf and took so many vacations he would be the subject of much scrutiny. 'Hope and Change' looks a lot like the worst kind of elitism. The mainstream media does not seem concerned.

America is at a crossroads. Four more years of Obama policy could reduce her to a mighty nation that once was. Mr. Obama loves to apologize for America. Does 'Hope and Change' understand the precious legacy our ancestors bled to give us? The mainstream media does not seem concerned.

THYME Magazine

2012-01-13T04:27:00.000-08:00

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor

Volume IV, Issue III

"The Optimist:" The 'other' weekly news magazine features Warren Buffet on the cover. "The Optimist," they call him. But Buffet's tax plan and endorsement of Obama's policies (some of them) remind me of someone who built his country house LAST YEAR, and now is on the Board of Architectural Review. He's your worst nightmare if you are trying to build your house next to him THIS YEAR.

Buffet's tax plan would squelch a lot of new growth and fails to acknowledge the job creation that occurs under a fair tax structure. It smacks of the worst kind of class warfare, that promoted by someone who's already 'got his.' John Kennedy and Ronald Reagan both spurred the economy back into life by CUTTING rates.

Where is Tomorrow's Reagan?

First a little history is in order. Do you recall that Ronald Reagan started out as a Democrat? Indeed he changed his positions on some key issues as he grew in his political career.

The fact that Romney has come recently to certain positions is troubling. But history tells us he is not the first to make this journey:

"Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has drawn suspicion from the right for his flip-flopping on abortion, but he’s not the first candidate to change his view on the issue before seeking the White House.

Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Dick Gephardt and Al Gore also shifted on abortion as they set their sights on the presidency. When Romney was running for the Senate from Massachusetts against Ted Kennedy in 1994, he took a pro-abortion stance in the decidedly blue state."-- Newsmax [click to read] examines how Reagan and Romney are not all that different when it comes to this issue.

Bearing Drift Endorses Romney
By Lynn Mitchell

Bearing Drift [click to read] has endorsed Mitt Romney for President 2012, a decision I heartily agree with after following the process that has narrowed through debates, controversy, media scrutiny, and primaries. Mitt Romney for President? Absolutely!

Bearing Drift's editorial noted:

"Each candidate has strengths and weaknesses, but we feel Romney has emerged as the only candidate with the ability, organization, skill and leadership to both beat the President in November and to govern America well.

Instead of hope and change, it’s time for America to get some good, old fashioned competence."

Good, solid reasoning went into this decision. I would invite you to read the entire editorial.

"There is no doubt that Mitt Romney has the intestinal fortitude to take the “3 a.m. phone call” and make the correct decision. In matters of national defense, and emphasized in the endorsement by John McCain, Romney has proven he has the capacity to make the tough decisions to protect and preserve our nation as commander-in-chief. He has demonstrated already in this campaign superiority to any of the other candidates on national defense issues. Additionally, because he has taken a true introspective look at when life begins, we believe he will fight for the life movement and ensure Supreme Court justices are appointed that respect the rule of law instead of rule from the bench.

Mitt Romney had done what should be expected of conservatives and liberals alike – he has matured as a human being and developed political positions that demonstrate that maturity. While some deride his metamorphosis as political expedience, we see a man who has made deliberate and conscientious steps to develop a firm conservative foundation." -- Bearing Drift.

Read Lynn's original commentary Here [click to read].

THYME's Thoughts

The race is far from over, but it is clear that Romney is sailing into the final months with a steady hand on the tiller.He performs well in debates and stays on message. He certainly understands the need for defeating Barack Obama is the overriding concern in this election.

South Carolina [click to read] should be interesting.

"Choice and Competition" [click to read]

New Leadership for the Twenty-first Century

2012-01-11T06:09:00.000-08:00

David Karaffa is Sworn in as Supervisor

David is sworn in... Photo by Lynn Mitchell.

...surrounded by four generations of family. Photo by Lynn Mitchell.

The campaign staff pose with David. Photo by Lynn Mitchell.

We worked hard and had a lot of fun. (Can you tell)? Photo by Lynn Mitchell.

Celebrating a new era in young Conservative leadership, we look forward to meeting new challenges in the days ahead. Photo by Lynn Mitchell.

Lynn Has More [click to read]. On January 3rd, Augusta County history was written as David Karaffa took the oath of office. Supported by his family and friends, David took on the huge task of running an independent campaign. He knocked on a lot of doors. He taught more than he campaigned, showing citizens how the process worked so that they would understand how government works, how essental services are provided and paid for, and how representative government requires the involvement of informed constituents.

David asked people to get involved in their own government and they did, propelling him to office as Beverley Manor's newest supervisor.

Along the way he had great support from four generations of family. His Grandmother Lucille worked at the polls. His young daughters watched him teach the ultimate civics lesson. His father, Dr. David Karaffa, proudly stumped for his son's campaign.

As we gathered to celebrate,I could not help but echo Santiago's sentiment: "I live in a good town." Many of us had been touched by this fine family. My daughter found her best friend and soulmate in Kurt Michael's Governors' School class, she is the daughter of David's uncle. One of the greatest joys of the evening was in hearing just how many of us had been blessed through our association with the Karaffa family.

I feel that the legacy I speak of is still in its opening chapter.

This Truck Really 'Kicks Gas!'

2012-01-09T07:28:00.000-08:00

A Ride in David Waterman's Electric Ford Ranger

On the outside it looks like an ordinary 2003 Ford Ranger 2.3L 5 speed with a regular cab...

I was heading out of my neighborhood Saturday morning when David Waterman asked me: "Do you want to ride in my electric truck?" The answer should be obvious. David opened the hood, revealing the lack of a gasoline engine, radiator and exhaust manifold. Instead, a 150 pound WarpNine electric motor from NetGain is seated in place of the conventional engine. An adapter kit allows it to be attatched to the Ford drive shaft.

48 lithium ion cells provide power. A device called a controller regulates power to the motor. It is mounted up near the firewall and is a beautiful piece of milled aluminum with cooling fins.

David designed the vehicle around his driving needs. At 120 volts it takes 20 hours to put on a full charge. A full charge costs about $3.00 and the estimated range with all cells healthy is around 100 miles. That's a 'fuel cost' of three cents per mile!

A business such as an auto parts warehouse might provide a charging station so the trucks can be charged every time they are 'docked' for loading. A company could provide charging stations for its employees who had electric vehicles. A 50 amp 240 volt charge station could replenish the batteries in less than half the time of a full charge at 120 volts. Companies wanting to do a bit of 'green marketing' could put charging stations in the parking area.

But the time needed for recharge still limits range. Long trips are still questionable with the technology as it exists. Cracker Barrel restaurants in Tenessee have added electric car charging stations [1.] in a prototype installation but even a leisurly meal and time in the retail store might only give you ten miles of added range.

David starts the truck and we glide out of the neighborhood onto route eleven. He starts in second gear with the clutch out. Electric motors can start from a standstill. He shifts up for efficiency as we approach highway speed.

We enjoy a quiet ride and plenty of power as we ride through the countryside.

David estimates the conversion costs at under $15,000. That's pricey for a short-hop pickup but chunk-change for a prototype vehicle. The perfectly good gasoline motor awaits sale.

The lithium ion cells are made in China. Bench tests indicate David should get 200,000 to 400,000 miles out of the present set. He's had to exchange some bad cells though and attributes it to poor quality control at the Chinese plant.

David sees this technology as having a very specific nitch. Natural gas fleets for large over-the-road trucks and hydrogen need to be developed as well. One can argue that the truck is simply removing the pollution source to a coal plant in West Virginia, but it is still more efficient to control emissions from a large single source than many small ones. Also the truck eliminates foreign oil. The coal and uranium that fuel the truck come from North America.

...but under the hood things are quite different. Here is the 150 pound electric motor and its controller.

One of 48 lithium ion cells that make up the battery of the truck.

Kik'n Gas.

The "Land for Pieces" Scheme Exposed

2012-01-09T06:01:00.001-08:00

History Refutes the Effectivenes of 'Land-for-peace'

'Love' in Hebrew, by Robert Indiana. This sculpture is at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. Photo by Talmoryair.

Israel willingly gave up Gaza in a good faith move designed to move the Middle East closer to peace. A visit to the Southern Israel city of Sderot is an eye-opening illustration of just how effective land-for-peace really can be.

The residents of Sderot are mostly Russian Jews. They are not rich and lack the resources to move away from Sderot. Why would they want to leave? Gaza is now the launching point for hundreds of rockets that rain death and destruction on the city on an almost daily basis.

School children playing outside in Sderot have thirty seconds to find cover when the rockets are detected. Playgrounds may include large concrete pipes for them to run into.

Israel turned Gaza over to its residents with a well established agricultural economy. Large greenhouses provided work for Jews and Arabs alike. Today the greenhouses are largely destroyed -- and rockets are fired freely across the border.

The Land-for-peace Hoax [click to read] is explored further by Caroline B. Glick in Jewish World Review.

The leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Yusuf Qaradawi, in 2009 "called for the Muslim world to complete Hitler's goal of eradicating the Jewish people." -- Caroline B. Glick. It would seem that those who would promise peace in international negotiations should carry the same message home with them.

Augusta County Historic Churches

2012-01-07T14:18:00.000-08:00

Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Jolivue

Good Shepherd Episcopal Church designed by T. J. Collins was built in 1924.

THYME Magazine

2012-01-06T17:54:00.000-08:00

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor

Volume IV, Issue II

"So You Like Me Now?"

The 'other' weekly news magazine asks this, referring to Mitt Romney on their cover this week. Romney won Iowa by a mere eight votes (not eight percent, mind you eight VOTES)! We at THYME think the real story is the rise of Rick Santorum, featured on OUR cover with the same question.

The 'other' weekly news magazine also presents "The Meaning of Tim Tebow." I humbly suggest that the meaning of Tim Tebow and Rick Santorum are one and the same. TIME introduces Tebow like this:

"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;" -- Ephesians 4:11 ...and some to be quarterbacks!

You could apply that to leaders of state as well. In a time of moral vacuum, when Theodore Dalrymple reports that one can scarcely tell the difference between the sound of a mob of British youths partying... or beating the life out of someone, there are many who long to hear that difference.

Moral leadership is still a treasured commodity by many voters. Even the Left appeals to a sense of corporate morality (stop "global warming," etc.), but let's face it, people are looking for leadership that reaches into the way we live our individual lives. Let me be very careful here, they are NOT looking for meddlesome prudery, but rather those rare leaders who would show us that life indeed aspires to a higher purpose.

Santorum believes in an America that can aspire to its own exceptionalism, one that is worth defending from clearly identified threats. As the present occupant of the White House apologizes for America at almost every opportunity, it is a breath of fresh air to hear someone like Santorum celebrate her virtues.

Here we might note that those who oppose Tebow are often the very same people to whom Santorum is also a threat. Mainstream journalists are often out of touch with the Faith that moves the average person in our land. Statistics show that few of them are actively involved in Religious institutions. It is not surprising that they often miss the story.
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A Girl's Legacy: 'Angel' of Tucson's Dream for America [click to read]
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Revelry and Mayhem [click to read] by Theodore Dalrymple in City Journal.

"Is that British youths enjoying themselves—or killing someone?" -- Theodore Dalrymple

Tebow Critics Put Own Bigotry on Display [click to read] by Linda Chavez in Jewish World Review.

"Tim Tebow is not the problem. The real problem is our willingness to be bullied into thinking that prejudice masked as tolerance is acceptable." -- Linda Chavez

Thoughts on What Constitutes True Greatness

2012-01-06T05:04:00.001-08:00

A Wise Rabbi Gives Insight and Practical Direction

Detail of a Mural by Laney Riley and Bob Kirchman depicting the promise of a New Heaven and a New Earth.

"The Name of Heaven should become beloved through you." -- Imperative of Scripture -- Jonathan Rosenblum

Today's inspirational feature on Greatness and Healing [click to read] by Jonathan Rosenblum in Jewish World Review is a must-read for all who would seek to live in the light of Divine wisdom and guidance.

Dr. Vivien Theodore Thomas

2012-01-03T07:09:00.000-08:00

Breaking Barriers in Surgery and Opportunity

Dr. Thomas pioneered lifesaving surgical techniques.

A Milestone Monday Feature:

Dr. Vivien Theodore Thomas was born on August 29, 1910 in New Iberia, Louisiana. He was the grandson of slaves but completed high school in Nashville Tennessee. He dreamed of continuing his education and becoming a doctor but the Great Depression in 1929 dashed his hopes for higher education.

Thomas had found a job at Fisk University as a carpenter for their maintenance department. He worked through the Summer of 1929 but was laid off in October of that year following the stock market crash. This put his educational plans on hold and eventually he found work as a laboratory assistant with Dr. Alfred Blalock at Vanderbilt University.

The original job description was caring for the dogs being used for surgical experiments. Thomas fed the animals and cleaned their cages. Dr. Blalock took notice of the young Thomas, discovering that he possessed keen hand-eye coordination, a sharp intellect and the ability to think on his feet to solve problems. No doubt, Thomas' carpentry skills and training came in to play here.

Blalock began using Thomas as a technical assistant, having him perform much of the actual work in developing new surgical techniques. Through the 1930's Blalock pushed on into new frontiers in vascular and cardiac surgery. Thomas did essential work in perfecting the surgical procedures. This pioneer work made Blalock one of the leading surgeons of his time.

In 1940 Blalock was offered the position of Chief of Surgery at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. He requested that Thomas be hired with him. Their 34 year partnership would continue to push the barriers in surgical technique. Their work would eventually lead to learning how to correct the heart defects that caused blue baby syndrome, Their work on crush syndrome led to understanding that would save the lives of thousands of soldiers in World War II.

Baltimore society was even more segregated than Nashville and Johns Hopkins only hired African Americans in their houskeeping department. Thomas was put on the payroll as a janitor but worked alongside Blalock in surgery. He turned a few heads walking the halls in his labcoat. Here many wonder that Blalock so valued Thomas professionally but allowed him to be distanced socially. Both men, it must be remembered, where men raised in the old Southern society. The separation was highly codified in a city like Baltimore [I still have a map of the city from my youth that matter-of-fact labels the white and colored swimming pools in Druid Hill Park]. The recognition of merit over race and the mens' friendship was enough to remove the most insurmountable of barriers.

Blalock didn't object to Thomas initially being 'assigned' to housekeeping but by 1946 he had negotiated his status as the highest paid lab assistant at Hopkins.

Watching Thomas perform an intricate surgical procedure, Blalock remarked "That looks like something the Lord made." Thomas was able to perform complex surgeries with such efficiency of motion that the students said that he made them look effortless. When a young surgeon in training moved in too close to observe, he might unknowingly step into a spot next to Blalock, who would tersely remind him: "Only Vivian is to stand there!"

In 1976 Johns Hopkins presented Thomas with an honorary doctorate and appointed him an instructor of surgery, acknowledging the work he had already been performing for decades.

The Taking of Shenandoah National Park

2012-01-02T10:26:00.000-08:00

The Dream and Displacement that Built Skyline Drive

The flamboyant promoter George Freedman Pollack owned the Skyland Resort and was one of the park's biggest supporters. His resort was preserved as a visitor lodging facility while Blackrock Springs resort in the Southern District and other private businesses were closed.

I grew up loving Shenandoah National Park. My Mother had hiked White Oak Canyon and Old Rag Mountain as a girl and I inherited her wonder at this beautiful world of natural splendor. Mom also went to school in Criglersville with schoolmates who's families had been removed from the land that was to become Shenandoah.

This week Lynn writes about Shenandoah's History [click to read]. Her story, accompanied by wonderful photos, is great reading.

I find the abuses of eminent domain in the park's aquisition troubling. The handful of residents who refused to leave could have been handled much more humanely. Indeed, the park's mission might have been better served in the long run had the State of Virginia created a 'Park Zone' and offered the option of life tenancy where it did not compromise preservation of irreplacable natural resources.

Shenandoah actually did allow life tenancy in a few instances. The last resident, Annie Shenk, lived in Shenandoah through the 1970s.

Sacagawea's Story in Scupture

2011-12-30T11:51:00.000-08:00

Lemhi Shoshone Woman Guided Lewis and Clark

Sacagawea in Charlottesville's Lewis and Clark Statue...

A Milestone Monday Feature:

She was the wife of Toussaint Charbonneau, a Quebec trapper, and pregnant with her first child when she and her husband were hired to guide the Corps of Discovery. She would travel with them from present-day North Dakota to the Pacific Ocean. On the journey she would travel to the land of her birth, where she had been captured as a child. Her fluency in the languages and knowledge of the area's people not only led to the success of the expedition, Sacagawea can rightly be credited with their very survival.

...is placed crouched behind the two white explorers, though she likely was in front of them most of the journey. The sculpture was created by Charles Keck in 1919. [1.] Photos by Bob Kirchman

This 1910 sculpture by Leonard Crunelle at the North Dakota State Capitol shows Sacagawea and her child. Photo by Hans Anderson.

My favorite rendering of Sacagawea has to be this 1905 sculpture by Alice Cooper in Portland, Oregon's Washington Park. Photo by EncMstr.

THYME Magazine

2011-12-29T09:09:00.000-08:00

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor

Volume IV, Issue I

Essential Information for the Year Ahead

The 'other' weekly news magazine is starting the new year with its 'User's Guide.' We at THYME are also ofering a compilation of essential information for the year ahead. In fact, ours is a compilation that has served humanity in good times and bad for centuries... those writings that claim for themselves Divine authorship.

In an age that asserts that 'knowledge is power' and that 'all that we see is all that there is,' there is still much evidence that Faith, empowered by Spirit and Truth, offers more resources than those we can see with our eyes. How else do you explain such phenomena as the resurgence of Faith [click to read] in the former Soviet Union, where Religion was surpressed for decades? How do you explain why Christians continue to gather in countries such as Nigeria [click to read] where Muslim extremists killed forty believers on this past Christmas day?

History tells us that the Christian Faith (and Judaism as well) took root in atmospheres of severe opposition. People of Faith went on to 'turn the world upside down.' Alvin Schmidt documents this in his book Under the Influence [click to read]. The First Century Church rescued infants thrown into the Tiber River by parents who didn't want them. Modern Christians plead the case of the unborn who's parents don't want them.

Schmidt tells us the stories of people like Florence Nightengale and Dorethea Dix, who's faith led them to revolutionizwe healthcare. George Müller's [click to read] work among English orphans, The Movavian missionaries and many other heroes of Faith continue the list began in Hebrews 11. Perhaps not all who were 'Heavenly minded' did 'Earthly good,' but a lot of them did!

A Young Person's Guide to Essential Info

Focus and Purpose [click to read] by Rabbi B. Shafier in Jewish World Review.

"The Mesillas Yesharim tells us that the Divine didn't just create man and leave him to figure it all out. He didn't design an entire world for man, put him into it with a mission, and then stand aside saying, "But I am not going to tell you what it is. It's a secret. Go figure it out."

The Lord gave us a clear, definitive blueprint, an exact guidebook with clear directions on how to live our lives and the underlying reasons for it. The key to true success is to open that book, learn its words of truth, and mold our lives accordingly." -- Rabbi B. Shafier

Essential Morning Reading...

2011-12-27T07:15:00.000-08:00

Binyamin Jolkovsky's Jewish World Review

Temple Beth Israel in Staunton, Virginia.

My three readers [1.] know that I often reference Jewish World Review [click to read]. It is a wonderful resource for commentary, opinion and spiritual insight. I became an avid reader several years back.

What I didn't realize at first was that Jewish World Review is the work of one man, Binyamin L. Jolkovsky, who puts the publication together daily by himself. He regularly works through the night to get the day's issue up for his considerably more than three readers. The time stamp on his email digest is often in the wee hours of the morning (around three-something once this week). Honoring Shabbat and Holy days, his work ethic drives him to put out extra issues before sundown comes on those most special of times.

If there is a single person who has inspired me to blog it is Binyamin Jolkovsky. He artfully places current events and spiritual thoughts side by side in his publication. He is a man who's mission is deeper than face value. I have corrresponded with Mr. Jolkovsky a few times. He reads every email himself and is thoughtful in his response. He assures me he's not hiding a highly capable staff somwhere, though the quality of his work makes me wonder.

It is no wonder that I consider Jewish World Review part of my essential morning reading. Often the Bible insight offered in the spiritual portion gives me something to think about through the day. The insight about world events is something you would be hard pressed to find so well presented anywhere else.

Today I ask all of my readers to click on the link below and enjoy the rich fare served up by Jewish World Review, and if you find it as meaningful as I do, consider making a regular gift to keep it going. My contribution is based on what I'd be more than happy to pay for a commercial publication that delivered similar content.

A Magical Mural

2011-12-27T06:34:00.000-08:00

This was One Girl's Christmas Surprise

This mural by Laney Riley is magical enough in full light, but when you see it by night light it becomes a moonlit world.

Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht

2011-12-26T04:12:00.000-08:00

Beloved Carol Inspired by a Broken Organ

The pipes of the Trinity Lutheran Church organ in Crimora.

Lynn [click to read] brings us the wonderful story of how one of our most beloved carols came to be written:

In 1818, a roving band of actors was performing in towns throughout the Austrian Alps. On December 23 they arrived at Oberndorf, a village near Salzburg where they were to re-enact the story of Christ's birth in the small Church of St. Nicholas.

Unfortunately, the St. Nicholas' church organ wasn't working and would not be repaired before Christmas. Because the church organ was out of commission, the actors presented their Christmas drama in a private home. That Christmas presentation of the events in the first chapters of Matthew and Luke put assistant pastor Josef Mohr in a meditative mood. Instead of walking straight to his house that night, Mohr took a longer way home. The longer path took him up over a hill overlooking the village.

From that hilltop, Mohr looked down on the peaceful snow-covered village. Reveling in majestic silence of the wintry night, Mohr gazed down at the glowing Christmas-card like scene. His thoughts about the Christmas play he had just seen made him remember a poem he had written a couple of years before. That poem was about the night when angels announced the birth of the long-awaited Messiah to shepherds on a hillside.

Mohr decided those words might make a good carol for his congregation the following evening at their Christmas eve service. The one problem was that he didn't have any music to which that poem could be sung. So, the next day Mohr went to see the church organist, Franz Xaver Gruber. Gruber only had a few hours to come up with a melody which could be sung with a guitar. However, by that evening, Gruber had managed to compose a musical setting for the poem. It no longer mattered to Mohr and Gruber that their church organ was inoperable. They now had a Christmas carol that could be sung without that organ.

On Christmas Eve, the little Oberndorf congregation heard Gruber and Mohr sing their new composition to the accompaniment of Gruber's guitar.

Weeks later, well-known organ builder Karl Mauracher arrived in Oberndorf to fix the organ in St. Nicholas church. When Mauracher finished, he stepped back to let Gruber test the instrument. When Gruber sat down, his fingers began playing the simple melody he had written for Mohr's Christmas poem.

Deeply impressed, Mauracher took copies of the music and words of "Stille Nacht" back to his own Alpine village, Kapfing. There, two well-known families of singers — the Rainers and the Strassers — heard it. Captivated by "Silent Night," both groups put the new song into their Christmas season repertoire.

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,
Alles schläft; einsam wacht
Nur das traute hochheilige Paar.
Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar,
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!

English translation:

Silent night! holy night!
All is calm, all is bright,
'Round yon virgin mother and Child!
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

The Strasser sisters spread the carol across northern Europe. In 1834, they performed "Silent Night" for King Frederick William IV of Prussia, and he then ordered his cathedral choir to sing it every Christmas eve.

Twenty years after "Silent Night" was written, the Rainers brought the song to the United States, singing it (in German) at the Alexander Hamilton Monument located outside New York City's Trinity Church.

In 1863, nearly fifty years after being first sung in German, "Silent Night" was translated into English (by either Jane Campbell or John Young). Eight years later, that English version made its way into print in Charles Hutchins' Sunday School Hymnal. Today the words of "Silent Night" are sung in more than 300 different languages around the world.

The English version we know today was written by the Episcopal priest John Freeman Young, however the standard English version contains just three verses, whereas the German version contains six. (only verses 1, 6 and 2 from the original Joseph Mohr version are sung in English).

Christmas Greetings from Nigeria

2011-12-26T04:07:00.000-08:00

Drawn by the 12 Year Old Boy We Help Sponsor

Creche at the National Cathedral

2011-12-25T04:55:00.000-08:00

A Particularly Beautiful Representation of the Nativity

Photo by Laney Riley.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

2011-12-24T05:17:00.000-08:00

Wishing all of You Blessings and Joy as You Celebrate

Thoughts about Immanuel, G-d with Us [click to read]
by Randy Alcorn, author of Heaven.

Remembering a Great Mentor

2011-12-23T04:47:00.000-08:00

There was a Man who Convinced Me I Could Do This

Reconstructing my model of Ellicot's Mills for the B&O Railroad Museum.

A Milestone Monday Feature

In Chapter 14 of Chuck Balsamo's new book Make Me a Legend Pastor Balsamo talks about the importance of finding a good mentor. He brought back some important memories as I recalled the influence of a man named Reggie. Reggie served in the Navy during World War II and achieved the rank of Aviation Machinist's Mate, Second Class. He was a first class mentor.

I met this amazing man because I went to school with his daughter. He was a Chevrolet mechanic and an avid outdoorsman. He introduced me to the wonders of Coastal New Jersey as I happily paddled for hours through marshes and creeks. At about 50 years old, Reggie became an instructor at the vocational technology school. There he discovered his true gifts and passions.

At an age where most men are thinking about taking it easy, Reggie enrolled in Rutgers University and pursued a degree in administration. Education and young people had become his true calling and he graduated from college the same time one of his daughters did.

Days at Reggies place where full ones. He lived in a little postwar bungalo and when his children and their assembled friends were descending on the place around ten in the evening, he'd put on a pot of coffee. It came as no surprise that Reggie enjoyed lively conversation and sometimes these talk sessions would end in the wee hours of the morning. Good coffee, however, always made up for sleep deprivation.

Reggie went on to become a high school principal, but I have to believe that the best classes he ever taught were at his own kitchen table. He noticed that I was a hands-on guy struggling with an academic world. He found information on architectural model making and shared it with me. "You'd be good at this, Bob." Years later I was literally living off of this compliment. My little studio built models for architects, including one famous one. I worked on several models for resort projects in Japan, though I'm not sure how a man who served in the Pacific Theatre would feel about that.

No doubt, this man has influenced many young lives in a similar manor. I am priviledged to have known him.

Last Year at Sherando Lake

2011-12-17T14:59:00.000-08:00

A Frozen Wonderland in the Days Before Christmas

Last year the lake was frozen with a fresh coating of snow.

Christmas Greetings from PM Netanyahu

2011-12-17T14:47:00.001-08:00

Leader's Message of Hope and Encouragement

Binyamin Netanyahu's message to the Christian citizens of Israel, as well as Christians around the world.

Winter Scene in the Mountains

2011-12-14T18:35:00.001-08:00

Icicles Along the Blue Ridge Parkway

Cold temperatures create a wonderland by the roadside.

THYME Magazine

2011-12-14T07:35:00.000-08:00

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor

Volume III, Issue CI

Revolution vs Revolution
Not All Protests are Created Equal

Its official. The 'other' weekly news magazine has made 'the protester' 'Person of the Year.' THYME has named 'the rescuer.' Some gather in large groups to protest. Some, like Irena Sendler, risk their lives by taking the road less travelled. We at THYME were briefed that TIME might even go so far as making the 'Occupy' movement its 'Person of the Year.'

Revolution is not new to the human experience. Consider for a moment the American Revolution and the French one. The carefully crafted documents of the American experiment have lived on for 200 years as a clear statement of individual liberty and responsibility. Out of the wreckage of war our founders brought forth a Republic that has weathered many storms as it provided her people with safety and stability in comparison with the condition of many of the world's people.

France's Revolution began in 1789 with the convocation of the Estates-General in May of that year. Members of the Third Estate proclaimed the Tennis Court Oath in June. The Bastille was burned in July. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen were passed in August, and the march on Versailles forced the royal court back to Paris in October.

On September 1792 a Republic was declared and King Louis XVI was executed the following year. External threats also played a dominant role in the development of the Revolution. A radicalized Revolution brought the Jacobins and Maximilien Robespierre to power. The Committee of Public Safety was a virtual dictatorship during the Reign of Terror from 1793 until 1794. It is estimated that 16,000 to 40,000 people were killed. The Directory assumed control of the French state in 1795 and held power until 1799. Then Napoleon Bonaparte ruled as Emperor.

Absolute Monarchy was restored after the fall of Napoleon.

Those who desire Revolution should be careful what they wish for.

The storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789.

THYME Line...
Why I founded THYME

It was after September 12th 2009 and I had just participated in the 09/12 rally in Washington DC. My Mother-in-law gets TIME and I was shocked to see how they treated this movement. Thousands of regular Americans had paid their own way to assemble on the National Mall, motivated by a desire to see America rightly governed. TIME's cover featured television and radio personality Glenn Beck sticking out his tongue and the headline 'Mad Man.' The rally so many of us had worked so hard to attend was buried in a small spread inside.

Flash forward and TIME is more than happy to celebrate the more 'sixties' style protests of the 'Occupy' movement and the 'Arab Spring.' Again I warn you, those who desire Revolution should be careful what they wish for. Those who protest Wall Street must realize that government gave us Fannie and Freddy policies that created the worthless mortgages. Wall Street firms are culpable for bundling and selling them as 'investments,' but government should be held responsible for creating them in the first place.

As to the protests around the world, beware of the radical elements that will try to assume power in Egypt and elsewhere. History, I fear, is about to repeat itself.

THYME Magazine

2011-12-11T14:18:00.000-08:00

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor

Volume III, Issue C

THYME's 'Esther of the Year'

The 'other' weekly news magazine has its 'Person of the Year.' WORLD Magazine has its 'Daniel of the Year,' so this year THYME will have its Esther. Esther, you may recall was the young girl who saved the Jewish people from extermination by the wicked Haman in the Persian Empire of Xerxes. The feast of Purim joyfully celebrates the deliverance.

A Twentieth Century Esther might have gone unnoticed but for the work of four students at Uniontown High School, in Kansas, who discovered her story. The Play: Life in a Jar is the result of their research. Elizabeth Cambers, Megan Stewart, Sabrina Coons and Janice Underwood, four high school girls, are responsible for bringing this woman's amazing life to light.

Irena Sendler was born in 1910 in Otwock, Poland, fifteen miles outside of Warsaw. Her Father was a doctor and most of his patients were poor Jews. Undoubtedly Ms. Sendler was influenced by her Father's compassion for his patients. When the Germans invaded Poland in 1939, Irena was a Senior Administrator in the Warsaw Social Welfare Department, which provided meals, financial aid, and other services for orphans, the elderly, the poor and the destitute of the City. She enrolled Jewish families under fictitious names and often used quarantine for such infectious diseases as typhus and tuberculosis to keep nosy officials at bay.

In 1942, however, the Nazis walled off sixteen blocks of Warsaw, herded Jewish families in, and created the horrific Warsaw Ghetto.

Horrified by this new development, Sendler joined Zegota, the Council for Aid to Jews, organized by the Polish underground resistance movement, and recruited ten of her friends to help her. In order to get into the Ghetto, she obtained a pass from Warsaws Epidemic Control Department and posed as a health worker. Sanitation and basic services were lacking. The Nazis saw little need to provide these things, but were concerned about the possibility of disease epidemics that might escape the Ghetto.

Irena was deeply moved by the plight of the babies and children. Initially she and her fellow workers smuggled in food, clothing and medicine as they performed their work as sanitation workers, but knowing that 5000 people a month were dying in the Ghetto, Irena was compelled to do far more. She and her 'fellow employees' smuggled babies in their tool boxes, older children in sacks and boxes on their trucks. They often sedated the children so they would be quiet but she is said to have used a dog on one of her trucks who would bark menacingly whan soldiers would approach to inspect it. The soldiers had no desire to get close to the dog and left the interior of the truck unsearched.

Sendler, a young Mother herself, had to convince other Mothers to hand her their babies and children. One Mother asked her: "Can you guarantee my child will live?" Her answer was the harsh truth that if the child stayed, he would surely die. "In my dreams," she once said, "I still hear the cries when they left their parents."

"Irena Sendler accomplished her incredible deeds with the active assistance of the church. "I sent most of the children to religious establishments," she recalled. "I knew I could count on the Sisters." Irena also had a remarkable record of cooperation when placing the youngsters: "No one ever refused to take a child from me," -- Jewish Virtual Library

Most of the children who left with Sendler's group were taken into Roman Catholic convents, orphanages and homes and given non-Jewish aliases. Sendler kept the only record of their true identities in the hope that one day she could restore them to their families. The names of 2500 rescued children were placed in jars which Sendler buried under a neighbor's apple tree.

On October 20, 1943, the Gestapo, who were becoming increasingly aware of her activities, arrested Irena Sendler. Even under torture -- they broke her legs and feet -- she refused to give up those names. She was sentenced to be executed but her friends bribed officials and she was able to escape.

After the war Irena dug up the jars and worked to reunite children with their families. Sadly many had no family to go to anymore. The woman they had known only as 'Jolanta' was sad that she could have not done more for them.

Honored by international Jewish organizations - in 1965 she was accorded the title of Righteous Among the Nations by the Yad Vashem organization in Jerusalem. In 1991 she was made an honorary citizen of Israel.

Irena Sendler was awarded Poland's highest distinction, the Order of White Eagle. She died at the age of 98 on May 12, 2008.
Source: The Telegraph [click to read] and Jewish Virtual Library [click to read].

Irena Sendler with her children, Janka and Adam.

The Ignoble Nobel

It is reported that Irena Sendler was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Although nominees names are kept from publication there is good reason to believe she was recently passed up in the process. The prize went to Albert Arnold Gore for a slide show on 'Global Warming.' In an era where world leaders routinely deny that the Holocaust happened, and portray the most speculative 'science' as proven truth this should not come as a great surprise.

We should never allow the popular narrative to erase the truth and heroism of women like Irena Sendler and the message their stories hold for us.

Holocaust Can't Happen Again [click to read], can it? Thoughts from Arnold Ahlert in Jewish World Review.

THYME Magazine

2011-12-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor

Volume III, Issue XCVIII

Post card of a wire mill in Allentown Pennsylvania.

Revival and Renaissance in America

This week the 'other' weekly news magazine features the cover: "How America Learned to Sell Cars Again." We at THYME are a bit reluctant to see car sales as a barometer of a society's greatness. Economic indicators are important in measuring a society's health, to be sure, but we'll get to them later. Many around us are looking for deep answers to deep problems. Of times like this it might well be said: "Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest." -- Luke 10:2. Now more than ever, those who would stir men's hearts to higher, nobler aspirations are needed... men and women who understand where a society's true greatness really lies.

Concerned about the materialistic, acquisitive, corrupt world of an affluent society, they sought to confront her sins and establish her again as a light to the world. The year was 1769 and under the preaching of George Whitefield the English beginnings of the Great Awakening had their start. Soon it would change the fabric of American life as well.

Men like Jonathan Edwards took the message of redemption and made it personal. His sermon: "Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God" moved many to see the Gospel message in a personal way, not simply as academic material. The personalization of faith led men and women to change their ways and live in light of a redemptive message. Scholars may debate the amount of influence this movement had in the creation of the United States of America, but the fact that it had an influence is clear!

The late Eighteenth Century saw waves of revival. Camp meetings organized by preachers like James McGready brought the far scattered settlers together to confirm their commitment to personal and life-changing faith. Itinerant preachers spread the movement through the South among both those of both European and African ancestry. A massive interdenominational meeting at Cane Ridge, Kentucky, in 1801, marked the high point of the movement.

but by 1830 the movement had waned.

America's failings are well documented. Dark times such as the Cherokee Removal and a host of local rebellions show us that America was often prey to the baser nature of man. Modern historians tend to forget the perilous course of America's journey.

Our nation might have ended early in its founding when Continental Army soldiers, who had not been paid, were set to march on Philadelphia. They might have killed the representatives but for the intervention of their beloved leader, George Washington, who rode out to meet them.

The shots fired on Fort Sumpter might have been the end of our United States as well. Indeed the 1860's saw a divided landscape and untold carnage at places like Antietem. Great cities such as Richmond and Atlanta were destroyed, their citizens displaced, their economies ruined.

Men like Dwight L. Moody spoke into the darkness. Moody's revivals are legend.

Mill building in Allentown as shown on an old post card.

Modern times saw two great wars in Europe that threatened to engulf all of human civilization. Untold horrors were seen by the liberators of the death camps. Men like Billy Graham and his son Frankin rose to speak into our times. Local Pastor Chuck Balsamo just published his book: Make Me a Legend [click to read]. Troubled times are nothing new. Pastor Balsamo seeks to inspire today's generation to step up and pray and participate in the dream of a better tomorrow. Indeed, a historical thread exists that suggests that the great American nation was built largely by a lot of people who, in the words of Hebrews 11 [1.], were "seeking a better Kingdom."

Something Every American Should See

Now For Economic Renaissance

It is clear that our nation is in a time of economic crisis. The crisis is made worse by the weakening of family and community ties -- the ties that carried many through the Great Depression of the 1930's. Still, we at THYME offer the following resources that offer hope at a time when it seems so many are peddling hopelessness.

Journey from Allentown to Krappetown [click to read] by Clark Whelton in City Journal. Where Our Manufacturing Went and How to Bring it Back!

Wanted: Blue Collar Workers [click to read] by Joel Kotkin in City Journal. Who will power America's new Industrial Revolution?

Heavy Metal is Back [click to read] by Joel Kotkin in Forbes.
The Best Cities for Manufacturing.

Rebuilding the American Economy [click to read]. City Journal's Autumn 2011 Issue.

Life in Renaissance Waynesboro [click to read] By Bob Kirchman in The Journey.
Bringing New Life to the Gateway to the Blue Ridge.

A factory in today's Allentown as American industry awaits renewal.

Advertisements

This Christmas, why not give a gift that is truly unique... a gift certificate for a child's mural or an original architectural portrait will be a gift that will not be forgotten.

Spontaneous Delight as a Design Element

2011-12-07T06:10:00.000-08:00

The Intersection of Art and Life is a Teaching Moment

Here is a better way to encourage more people to use the stairs.

Behavior police take note. Here is a great example of a better way to get people out of their routines; Out-of-the box thinking! The idea was to encourage more people to use the stairs. You could have used the same old approach of trying to correct 'wrong' behavior -- or a fresh approach like these designers chose to.

Fun as a Teaching Tool
A Drab Hallway Becomes a Bright New World

At Staunton Alliance Church, we were confronted by a long institutional hallway that led to our childrens' outdoor playground. Tracy Daniel, our administrator, approached me one day with the idea of painting a mural to "brighten up the hallway." Her idea was that we create a missions theme along the walls. Thinking that a mural painted by an architectural illustrator might be a bit boring, I partnered with Laney Riley, a very talented artist in our congregation.

Our theme soon grew into a depiction of Isaiah 60 and Revelation 21where the restored Earth and Heaven are one. Representatives of every Nation are brought into the presence of the Lord. It is the hope of every believer, according to scripture, but is often depicted as a white-on-white perpetual harp concert. I'd read some books by Randy Alcorn, who writes about Heaven and puts it in its true context: a world of delights more delightful than anything we in this world can imagine... and yet, our imaginings here, and our most delightful experiences are but an indication of the joy that awaits us.

Thanks to what I refer to as 'Laney Magic,' bright colors and faces reflecting 'sanctified mischef' are the norm. This isn't your Mother's nursery mural. The figures are life-sized. We start the sketches by finding real children's pictures. Often they are kids in rags. We turn them into 'princes and princesses' of the New Heaven and the New Earth. We leave a bit of mischef in their faces though so the kids can see themselves in that beautiful world. The Creator who made the otter and the hairy-nosed wombat certainly has a playful streak, and Imago Dei would suggest that our love of fun is divinely authored.

An Irish boy, full of playful pranks, takes shape.

Here's 'Kristina's World.' The American girl, of Irish and Cherokee ancestry, stands in front of a farmhouse built in 1828. Bright colors and life-sized figures draw children into the painting.

Mural Art as a Teaching Tool

2011-12-06T17:23:00.000-08:00

Venable Elementary School in Charlottesville

A three story mural by Chico Lorenzo inspires students daily.

THYME Magazine

2011-12-03T10:18:00.000-08:00

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor

Volume III, Issue XCVII

Why Newt? Why Not Mitt?
Things to be Learned from the Presidential Race

The 'other' weekly news magazine asks this week why Republicans don't like Mitt Romney. Of course its Joe Klein doing the asking so one doesn't need to spend a lot of time wondering who Joe would like to see running against Barack Obama next year. Mr. Klein. let me help you with this. First of all, it is not really a dislike of Romney so much as a feeling that his newfound Conservative credentials are exactly that... newfound, and not necessarily core beliefs.

Most people are aware that being a successful Republican in a Northeastern blue state is a lot different than being a Republican in, say, Texas. One DOES expect foundational values to guide how one might govern. Massachussetts' state run healthcare plan raises legitimate questions when one looks at the very real possibility of nationalized healthcare.

That's not dislike, Mr. Klein. That is simply good old fashioned due diligence.

Many Conservatives would not be upset at all if Romney were to win the Presidency and adhere to a healthy respect for Constitutional limitations on a national level.

And please, Mr. Klein, don't even go near the whole "he's Latter Day Saints, the Southern Evangelicals won't support him" narrative. Most of these same people are positive in their response to Glenn Beck. Beck's being LDS does not deter the Evangelicals in question from supporting him. He can inspire almost a million people (with jobs, responsibilities and schedules) to show up on the National Mall. This brings me to my most important point, Mr. Klein, IDEAS are driving this campaign more than you want to admit. This year's field proves that people of every creed and color are welcome at the table where ideas are being discussed.

The rise of Herman Cain and the subsequent rise of Newt Gingrich show one thing -- there are an awful lot of people out there who WANT this thing to be about ideas. People want to see a plan and purpose in their candidate to stengthen and secure this great nation of ours. They seem to want MORE discussion of restructuring the tax code and returning to Constitutional limitations on government.

How else would you explain the popularity of Conservative talk radio? If you had described the medium before Rush Limbaugh made it happen, no one would have believed you. Over twenty million people tune in to hear a guy talk to people about politics. Conventional wisdom would have told you no one would, but they do. Advertisers pay those "confiscatory rates" happily to gain access to a large audience.

But there is more to the equation. The rise and fall of Cain tells us that integrity matters too. People need to feel they can trust a candidate before they invest in him or her. Sadly, many people generally distrust our leaders -- even many who want government to do more for them. Here Romney can gain ground by fleshing out the principles behind the points. The people he needs to sway will take the time to listen. They understand the argument that a state may set up institutions the Federal government is forbidden to by the Constitution. Mitt might gain even more ground by making people like Joe Klein uncomfortable with his candidacy, daring to flesh out the different nature of national and state policy decisions.

The Romney Record

Interestingly enough, Joe, your article makes a pretty good case for why Conservatives are just not all that excited about Mitt. The accompanying graphic shows his 'shifts' in thinking on immigration, healthcare and abortion are hard to believe as epiphany in light of his political aspirations at the moment. It is not unlike the change in position of Al Gore and Bill Clinton, who were pro-life until they sought national office as Democrats.

Then there is the whole Bain Capital [click to read] affair. Romney touts his private sector job creation credentials through his work with Bain. Unfortunately a closer look shows a mixed record. Romney cites his Bain experience to prove he can create jobs. He points to Bain's investment in a (then) "little-known office supply store called Staples, which now employs more than 90,000 worldwide."

"But a closer examination of the prospectus paints a different picture of Bain's operation. Under Romney's leadership, Bain became one of the nation's top leveraged buyout companies, helping lead a trend in which businesses were acquired using debt often pledged against their own assets or earnings." -- Tom Hamburger, Melanie Mason and Matea Gold in Jewish World Review

The result was often the failure of eviscerated companies. Pensions and benefits were lost. Jobs were lost. Bain demanded financial performance at the expense of good business practices. Some of the horror stories contain everything the OWS crowd profess to hate. It might not have the tabloid traction of alledged infidelities, but ethically it is the same darned thing.

Why Not Rick Santorum?

A far more interesting subject to think upon is the fact that (so far) Pennsylvania's Rick Santorum has not pulled into the lead. Perhaps Santorum is the horse to watch in this race. His foreign policy understanding is very complete. His credentials are pretty solid.

Rick Santorum, an unapologetic believer in American Exceptionalism, understands that those who wish to destroy America do so because they hate everything we are – a land of freedom, a land of prosperity, a land of equality. Rick knows that backing down to the Jihadists means that we are only putting our foundational principles at greater risk. As an elected representative, Rick knew that his greatest responsibility was to protect the freedoms we enjoy – and we should not apologize for holding true to these principles.

Along with John Boehner and Jim Nussle, Rick was a member of the “Gang of Seven” who targeted the waste and fraud of the House Post Office and Bank. This did not make Rick Santorum a popular man in an old boy’s club like the House of Representatives, but Rick knew that the only way to make a positive difference in the lives of his constituents was to challenge the corrupt norms that had seeped into the People’s Body.

Sir Francis Drake's Prayer (1577)

2011-11-30T19:03:00.000-08:00

Disturb Us, Lord, When We are Too Pleased...

The form of a dove is seen in the morning clouds. I did not really see it until I looked at the picture after I snapped it. Funny thing, I'd been musing on a conversation I'd had a week before with a friend about being led by the Spirit.

This is the prayer of the famous navigator who bested the mighty Spanish Armada:

Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
with the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wilder seas
Where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.

We ask you to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push back the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

This we ask in the name of our Captain,
Who is Jesus Christ.

Tomorrow many of us will begin a week of praying for our nation and our communities at 6:00am each morning. May the Lord show us Himself in a way we can't even begin to fathom.

A People of Prayer [click to read]

Howard Anthony and the Heathkit Story

2011-11-26T05:57:00.000-08:00

Surplus Electronic Parts Changed a Company's Path

Howard Anthony transformed a purchase of surplus electronic parts into a legendary American institution.

A "Milestone Monday" Feature

As a child, one activity my Dad introduced me to was building Heathkits. Dad was a NASA engineer and he had built his own high fidelity music system in the fifties. Heathkits were a uniquely American phenomenom in a time when Americans were proud of their ability to make things. Some company history may be gleaned from the Heathkit catalogue:

"When Edward Bayard Heath founded the Heath Aeroplane Company during the early 1900's, little did he realize what would eventually evolve from his small "airplane trading post" as it was commonly called. Before he died, Mr. Heath was able to see the fruition of his early dreams. In 1926, he produced an airplane in kit form—the famous Heath "Parasol." For years this light aircraft was a favorite in the flying fraternity. Mr. Heath was killed during a test flight in 1931, marking a tragic end to a brilliant career. From that point through World War II, the Heath Company remained in the aircraft and replacement part business."

After the second World War, the Heath Company branched into what would be its greatest creative glory. In 1935 an ambitious engineer named Howard Anthony purchased the company. Buying a large stock of surplus wartime electronic parts, Anthony designed and "mail order marketed" an oscilloscope for $39.50.

"Mr. Anthony based the success of his idea on the premise that anyone, regardless of technical knowledge or skills, could assemble a kit himself, and save up to 50% over comparable factory-built models. All that would be required were a few simple hand tools and some spare time."

"The key to the kit-builder's, and consequently Mr. Anthony's, success, was the instruction manual. Its contents still guide the Heath Company today. It contains simple, non-technical instructions and large "exploded" diagrams that take the builder through each and every step...show him exactly what to do and how to do it."

Mr. Anthony's designers would create a new kit and then the all-important instruction manual would be written. The first draft would be printed out and then the designers would pull some of the ladies off of the packing line to build the new kits. These women would then, quite literally, rewrite the manual.

Heathkit instructions were a wonderfully simple progression of check-off directions accompanied by clean and easy to interpret drawings of the part you were assembling. Whenever one of the women building the kit became confused, the designers would carefully note the instructions and diagrams she did not understand and work with her to make it more user friendly. The result was a set of instructions that allowed virtually anyone to build a complex piece of equipment -- one piece at a time.

If your completed device did not function, all was not lost. The instructions included basic troubleshooting procedures, also tested and refined by the ladies in the packing department. As a last resort, you could in some cases send your assembly back to Heath for analysis. I remember once Dad actually did this.

The trouble shooter at Heath isolated the problem -- a faulty component -- and wrote us a nice note. He or she even complimented my soldering ability!

Diversifying the Product Line

Initially the Heathkit line produced items such as the oscilloscope, of interest primarlily to electronics buffs. The product line expanded to include radios and home entertainment products. By the late 'sixties you could even build a color television! Heath offered a small computer. The kit came with the step-by-step check off instructions for building the device. Anyone could build a pc using them.

The operating instructions, written by computer geeks, proved to be another matter altgether. Skipping the process of using line workers to smooth out the manual, their first very 'computerese' operating instructions baffled many.

Advances in solid state electronics gradually eliminated the need to hand solder components into assemblies and the company was sold in the 'eighties. What remains, interestingly enough, is a company that prodces educational materials.

Heath Educational Systems says on their web site:

"Our educational and training materials are developed with a proven philosophy of learning and integrate visual, auditory, and hands-on exercises. We call it 'The Heathkit Approach to Learning'."

What is even more fascinating is the influence of Heathkit on another legend of the electronics industry, Steve Jobs. The founder of Apple Computer had this to say about Heathkit in an April, 1995 Computerworld article:

"Heathkits were really great. Heathkits were these products that you would buy in kit form. You actually paid more money for them than if you just went and bought the finished product if it was available. These Heathkits would come with these detailed manuals about how to put this thing together and all the parts would be laid out in a certain way and color coded. You'd actually build this thing yourself. I would say that this gave one several things. It gave one an understanding of what was inside a finished product and how it worked because it would include a theory of operation but maybe even more importantly it gave one the sense that one could build the things that one saw around oneself in the universe. These things were not mysteries anymore. I mean you looked at a television set you would think that "I haven't built one of those but I could. There's one ofthose in the Heathkit catalog and I've built two other Heathkits so I could build that." Things became much more clear that they were the results of human creation not these magical things that just appeared in one's environment that one had no knowledge of their interiors. It gave a tremendous level of self-confidence, that through exploration and learning one could understand seemingly very complex things in one's environment. My childhood was very fortunate in that way."

THYME Magazine

2011-11-23T19:57:00.000-08:00

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor

Volume III, Issue XCVII

Why Thanksgiving is Good for You

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” -- Psalm 100:4-5 NIV

The 'other' Weekly News Magazine [click to read] features this cover this week: "Why ANXIETY is Good for You." We at THYME see this one a bit differently. In the Bible, Philippians 4:6 exhorts us NOT to be anxious. Rather we are to view our needs in light of our relationship to a loving G-d. Indeed, our requests are presented in light of the gratitude we feel as we consider the goodness and provision to be found in the Divine.

Fitting thoughts as we celebrate the feast of Thanksgiving. These are indeed anxious times, and it is easy to become overwhelmed by the general angst of the period we live in. History tells us of Divine promise and fulfillment. The Patriarchs piled up stones to remind them of G-d's faithfulness in the past and to keep them faithful as they waited to see His faithfulness in their present lives.

"And it shall be on the day when ye shall pass over Jordan unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, that thou shalt set thee up great stones, and plaister them with plaister: And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over, that thou mayest go in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, a land that floweth with milk and honey; as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee." -- Deuteronomy 27:2-3

Indeed, one must recount the stories of how G-d met needs in times past. One must also tell of the promises of G-d. Faith needs fuel, and Gratitude is the substance that makes our faith burn bright, even in the darkest of times.

Standing on the Promises [1.]

Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
through eternal ages let his praises ring;
glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
standing on the promises of G-d.
Refrain:
Standing, standing,
standing on the promises of Christ my Savior;
standing, standing,
I'm standing on the promises of G-d.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
by the living Word of G-d I shall prevail,
standing on the promises of G-d.
(Refrain)

3. Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
bound to him eternally by love's strong cord,
overcoming daily with the Spirit's sword,
standing on the promises of G-d.
(Refrain)

4. Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
listening every moment to the Spirit's call,
resting in my Savior as my all in all,
standing on the promises of G-d.
(Refrain)

The staff of THYME wish you a most blessed Thanksgiving!
___________________________________________________

The 'Common Course and Condition'
America's First Experiment with Socialism

When the Pilgrims first set up their economic system in Plymouth they opted for a system where all the results of their labor were held in common. All of the colonists then drew from the common store what they lived on. The Common Course and Condition, as this system was called, resulted in some bad feelings on the part of those who produced effectively and some lack of initiative on the part of those who were happy to have the food without the work.

The system produced constant shortages and a man who rose early and worked diligently came quite naturally to resent his neighbor who slept in and contributed less effort. Friction was high among the colonists and in 1623 Governor William Bradford declared the common course a failure.

The colonists were next assigned plots by families. Larger families were given larger plots. Everyone was responsible for the production of his own land and growing food for his own family. The results were noteable. Far more crops were planted and tended. There was plenty instead of shortage and all in response to this new sense of ownership.
___________________________________________________

Church Found where Pocohantas was Married

Her eyes meet yours as you enter the Virginia Executive Mansion. A young girl from days long ago, yet her presence in the foyer immediately captured my attention. There are two portraits of Pocahontas in the room, one in English clothing (below) and the more familiar rendering seen above.

Pocahontas's formal names were Matoaka (or Matoika) and Amonute. Pocahontas is a childhood name that perhaps referred to her playful nature. After her marriage to John Rolfe, she was known as Rebecca Rolfe.

Archeologists say that they have Discovered the Church [click to read] where Pocahontas married Jamestown planter John Rolfe.

Unique Items from Our Catalogue...

2011-11-23T04:37:00.000-08:00

Gifts that are Really One of a Kind... Original Art

Laney Riley creates unique mural art. A gift certificate lets your child enter into the creation of her own special wall art.

Laney Murals for Young People's Spaces [click to view]

The Kirchman Studio can create a portrait of your home, your farm or business, your church or some place with special memories. A gift certificate lets someone enjoy the creative process as well as the final artwork.

The Kirchman Studio [click to view]

This Christmas, why not give a gift that is truly unique... a gift certificate for a child's mural or an original architectural portrait will be a gift that will not be forgotten.

University of Virginia Chapel in Charlottesville

2011-11-20T11:01:00.001-08:00

A Gothic Chapel amidst Jefferson's Classical Village

This is my painting of University Chapel. When Jefferson created his academic village it did not have a place of worship. In the late Nineteenth Century members of the Charlottesville community raised the money to build this gothic revival chapel designed by Charles Emmet Cassell of Baltimore. The cornerstone was set in 1885, and the completed chapel was dedicated in 1889. The chapel marks a sharp departure from Jefferson's classical forms.

THYME Magazine

2011-11-17T08:41:00.000-08:00

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor

Volume III, Issue XCVI

"What Hath G-d Wrought"

The 'other' Weekly News Magazine [click to read] features The Invention Issue. We noticed very quickly that the featured 'hummingbird drone' and other best inventions of the year share the quality of being inspired by unique things in nature. Thus THYME presents: The Inspiration Issue.

When Samuel Morse invented the telegraph, he keyed "What hath G-d wrought" as the first words transmitted over the new device. When Bell invented the telephone, his "Mr. Watson, come here. I need you." seems anticlimactic. Still, there is much evidence of modern innovators who were more than willing to give credit where credit was due when it came to their unique inspiration.

Consider the story of the great industrialist, Robert G. LeTourneau. During the war he was given the task by the government to design a large piece of equipment to move airplanes. He literally was given a contract to build a device that had never been built before. He and his crack staff of engineers went to work on the problem and found themselves hopelessly overwhelmed by the task before them. With the deadline looming large before them, and his staff at the point of frustration, LeTourneau got up from his work group. It was Wednesday night, he said, and he was going to prayer meeting.

"You can't do that, boss," one fellow blurted out; "We've got a deadline on this thing!"

LeTourneau's response must have stunned his men: "But I've got a deadline with G-d!"

LeTurneau went to prayer meeting. He prayed, sang hymns and left his problems in the hands of one far greater than himself. He says that as he walked home that night, details of the machine he needed to build came into his mind in vivid and complete pictures.

Every great invention of mankind began as an idea in someone's mind. Likely the idea was the result of some new perspective gained by observation. One of the great joys of teaching young people to draw is to watch them teach themselves deeper levels of observation... and yes, they teach themselves. You can create the opportuity for a student to learn, but you defeat your own purpose if you "see" for them in this exercise.

A Divine Promise to Meditate Upon

2011-11-17T07:06:00.000-08:00

When Life Is Beautiful and Ugly On The Same Day

Detail of a Mural by Laney Riley and Bob Kirchman depicting the promise of a New Heaven and a New Earth.

“O storm-battered city,
troubled and desolate!
I will rebuild you with precious jewels
and make your foundations from lapis lazuli.
I will make your towers of sparkling rubies,
... your gates of shining gems,
and your walls of precious stones.
I will teach all your children,
and they will enjoy great peace.
You will be secure under a government that is just and fair.
Your enemies will stay far away.
You will live in peace,
and terror will not come near.
If any nation comes to fight you,
it is not because I sent them.
Whoever attacks you will go down in defeat.

“I have created the blacksmith
who fans the coals beneath the forge
and makes the weapons of destruction.
And I have created the armies that destroy.
But in that coming day
no weapon turned against you will succeed.
You will silence every voice
raised up to accuse you.
These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the Lord;
their vindication will come from me.
I, the Lord, have spoken!
-- Isaiah 54:11-17 NLT ht/Chuck Balsamo

Here are some thoghts: When Life Is Beautiful and Ugly On The Same Day [click to read] by Pastor Chuck Balsamo. I hope they encourage you as much as they did me.

Veterans' Day Weekend View of Washington

2011-11-16T13:48:00.000-08:00

Looking Across the Potomac from Arlington Cemetary

The view across Arlington National Cemetary towards Washington. An Airplane approaches Reagan National Airport . The Washington Monument and the Capitol are visible as are the headstones of American soldiers.

The Old Post Chapel at Fort Meyer, next to Arlington National Cemetary.

THYME Magazine

2011-11-10T06:30:00.000-08:00

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor

Volume III, Issue XCV

The 'other' weekly news magazine cover headline, 'An Army Apart' refers to the life our soldiers live far awy from our shores. As Veterans' Day approaches, we remember in prayer those who guard our freedom and our dreams. May our Gracious Father look after them and bring them safely home... to pursue their dreams and become part of what we at THYME celebrate today, the young people we know who are already at work shaping the world of tomorrow!

The pioneer work of Florence Nightingale still influences the care given to hurting, wounded people today. At age 17 this young woman first received her calling to care for the suffering. She followed that dream and laid much of the foundations of modern nursing.

Today much ink is spent in telling us that our young people lack vision and direction. Kay Hymowitz and others have documented a perpetuation of male adolescence well into adulthood. A 24 year old in the 1960's would likely be married with a child. He might be going to school on the GI Bill. In our day, he most likely will be single and in no hurry to 'grow up.' All around me, however, is much evidence to the contrary...

Young People Building a Better Tomorrow

As a 'powerful' member of the alternative media, I was given an advance copy of Chuck Balsamo's soon to be released book: "Make Me a Legend" from Destiny Image Publishers. It didn't take me long to see that the devotion to a dream, the ability to step up and be a world changer, was a characteristic that I observed and admired in people close to me.

At 28, David Karaffa is already engaged in building a better world. Others will step up to analyze the political implications of his victory in the Augusta County supervisor's race. I would like to focus on his ability to focus on a problem and work tireslessly towards its solution. Along with Pastor Balsamo, I would like to point out that this quality is one that every one of us should cultivate. All of us have gifts. They need to be opened and cultivated. Mr. Karaffa taught me much in the way of how that can be realized by his own example.

Seeing the local board of supervisors moving in a predictable course and codifying faulty assessment values, David stepped up his involvement in local affairs. He successfully created an awareness of the issues and branded his own 'New Conservative' campaign to put a new level of responsive representation into local government. He helped motivate a wave of candidates who ran as independents... answerable ONLY to the voters. His Campaign Manager, Tommy Kelly is younger than him. A Volunteer Fire Fighter, Tommy spoke with authority about issues surrounding the support of essential government services.

The lackluster world of local races where few people vote and even fewer work the polls was shaken on November 8th. The independent candidates had energetic people walking neighborhoods and meeting voters at the polls on election day. David's younger sister worked the polling places, as did his Grandmother Lucille! You could see in several generations of Karaffas a true apprenticeship of dearly held values.

Driven by our collective belief, the Karaffa campaign won the election and gave citizens a new voice in their affairs. David's work is no less important than the work of men like Jefferson and Adams, who first inked our charters of liberty.

Pastor Balsamo apologizes for interjecting a bit of history into his second chapter. His brief account of the First Great Awakening, the Second Great Awakening and the Great Prayer Awakening of 1857-1858 offer background that is pure gold for today's young people to absorb. Between the great periods of revival, the human condition suffered under the burden of depravity. Men were driven to prayer and inspired individuals received Divine calling. Does G-d call men to his service today? I know a young man who preached a stirring sermon on prayer, his first, at age nineteen.

When I look into the faces of so many young people I know I see a world of promise. I see a dedication to building G-d's Kingdom, to alleviating human suffering and building a better world for those around them. This weekend I will have the priviledge of working with a nineteen year old who is devoting her brightness of spirit to working with youth in the neighborhood of her church. Her story and many others inspire my own prayer and hope for the future.

Got to www.chuckbalsamo.com [click to view] for more inspiration!

"Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." -- 1 Timothy 4:12

The People Have Spoken in Augusta County

2011-11-08T19:21:00.000-08:00

Historic Vote for a New Board of Supervisors

David Karaffa's distinctive blue signs were seen at polling places such as this one at Victory Worship Center. Photo by Dr. David Karaffa.

History was made on November 8th 2011 as three of four independent contenders for seats on the Augusta County Board of Supervisors won their respective elections.

Lynn Remembers How it Began [click to read]. David Karaffa has stepped up to offer new energy and fresh perspective to our board.

"It was a long journey for 28-year-old David Karaffa to his victory Tuesday night for the Beverley Manor District supervisor position in Augusta County. Fourteen months earlier he had decided to run for the position. He spent months learning the business of local government as he visited with workers in the Government Center, soaking in the new-found knowledge about water pipes and fire services and infrastructure and the budget process." -- Lynn Mitchell

For all of us who know David and share his vision, yesterday's victory marks an important beginning. We, the voters, have placed the future fiscal and institutional health of our county in good hands.

Augusta Co. BOS-Beverly Manor Dist.
100% OF PRECINCTS REPORTING
> David Karaffa 602 51%
Jeremy Shifflett 564 48%

Augusta Co. BOS-N. River Dist.
100% OF PRECINCTS REPORTING
> Marshall Pattie 1,498 64%
Larry Roller 555 24%
Stephen Morris 272 12%

Augusta Co. BOS-Pastures Dist.
100% OF PRECINCTS REPORTING
> Tracy Pyles 1,086 65%
James Warren 580 35%

Augusta Co. BOS-Wayne Dist.
100% OF PRECINCTS REPORTING
> Jeffrey Moore 1,014 53%
Kurt Michael 888 47%
___________________________________________________

School Board Race [click to read] decided by one vote. Chris Foschini began his write-in campaign on the Thursday before the election. With almost no press coverage and volunteers passing out sample ballots on election day, Mr. Foschini lost to write -in candidate Lee Godfrey by One Vote! Think your vote doesn't matter? Think again!
___________________________________________________

The Rise of the Independents [click to read] by Lynn Mitchell is a good piece of analysis of what happened Tuesday. She comments on a prediction by former Delegate Chris Saxman:

"There are several heavily contested races here in Augusta County for the Board of Supervisors. Two former chairmen of their respective parties – Kurt Michael and Marshall Pattie are running as Independents along with other Independents like David Karaffa. The primary issue goes back to a botched tax assessment and turnout is expected to be high. This is a very interesting case study in the growing trend towards independents running outside of the party structures. I expect several if not all of them to win."

David Karaffa, Eve of Election

2011-11-07T10:42:00.000-08:00

"The People Have a Choice Here in Augusta. "

David Karaffa and his wife, Katie.

This Tuesday’s election has caught attention in the last week. Many things have been said by me, my opponent, the newspapers, blogs, and emails. Boiled down, the people of Beverley Manor, and three other districts, have a choice here in Augusta. Do we continue with what we have had for the last four years on the Board of Supervisors or do we change direction with new representation.

I am honored to have the endorsement of The News Virginian and of Jim Bailey, Republican Supervisor of the Beverley Manor District from 2001-2007. I have also had the privilege of multiple Volunteer Fire Fighters on my campaign along with Letters to The Editor in both newspapers supporting my bid for supervisor.

I am married to my beautiful wife Katie; we have two children, Grace and Hope. I have a degree in applied sciences from Blue Ridge Community College with a focus in nursing. I am a conservative, and I am running as an Independent for the Board of Supervisors. As an Independent, I am answerable to the people not constrained by party affiliation. I believe in small government, property rights, and government transparency, low taxes, and proper funding for education. I am pro-life and believe in our right to bear arms. If voters are confused about whom the Republican is in this race, it probably stems from the fact that my ideas and principles are directly in line with common sense conservatives. But I am more than that, I think outside the box. I don’t believe in voting as a block or gang, however I do believe in working together for common goals. I believe government has its place in our society and that the role of an elected Representative should be making sure core services are provided responsibly and efficiently, holding down growth of government, and shrinking its intrusion into our lives.

I have many ideas on how we can improve Augusta County. For example, I support immediately beginning a new property assessment and implementing a tax holiday for new small businesses in their first year. I have a proposal on how to lessen the burden of accounting for small business assets, incentives for volunteer fire fighters to increase their ranks, and changing the county budget to a zero based process. I am also in favor of staggering the elections of our Board of Supervisors here in Augusta.

This election is about new ideas and a new direction and an opportunity to put conservative values back on the Board of Supervisors. I ask you, the voter, to take the time between now and tomorrow to research the issues and make an informed decision before coming to the polls.

Thank you.

David A. Karaffa

Candidate Beverley Manor District

www.davidkaraffa.com

Karaffa: Creativity in Seeking Solutions

2011-11-07T08:51:00.000-08:00

Understanding a Problem is the First Step in Solving it

Senators Webb and Warner were 'absent' this year when citizens demanded town hall meetings. David Karaffa held one anyway.

Here's one I'd forgotten, but the good staff at the News Virginian reminded me of the Town Hall Meeting that David Karaffa held to spotlight the problems with the President's health care bill and how our senators were avoiding the voters. The paper correctly points out that Karaffa is a well informed young man with an uncanny ability to make the complex understandable.

We need his sharp mind on the Augusta County Board of Supervisors. David has the ability to take apart the tough issues facing our county and involve the voters in the solutions.

Augusta County Historic Churches

2011-11-06T17:56:00.000-08:00

The Church Built by the Railroad's Builders

The group Clann Mhór is researching and documenting the story of the Irish immigrants who built the Blue Ridge Tunnel and St. Francis. This gothic building designed by T.J. Collins replaces the one they first constructed.

The unique green stone, quarried in Pennsylvania, is no longer used for building because it deteriorates rapidly.

Detail of the front entrance to St. Francis Catholic Church.

Clann Mhór [click to read] means Great Family in the Irish language. The name refers to all the Irish workers, their families, and enslaved African Americans—who labored one way or another on construction of the Blue Ridge Railroad and its four tunnels from 1850 through 1860. The longest of these is the Blue Ridge Tunnel on Afton Mountain, Virginia.

Many of them came to America to escape the great famine in Ireland. They lived in rough camps, made about a dollar a day, and their labors connected the Valley to the Eastern portion of Virginia. Today there are few traces of their camps, but their simple gravesites give silent testimony to the fact that they lived and died in our Blue Ridge.

The tunnel builders had no mechanical drills. They used a long metal bit that was struck with a hammer by a 'driver' and turned by a 'shaker,' just as you may picture from the 'John Henry' ballad. Black powder would be tamped into the hole with a steel rod and ignited to pulverize the stone. Laborers would then remove the loose rock by hand. It was hard dangerous work and it is estimated that some 200 people died during its construction.

Clann Mhór is a small, local research group based in Albemarle County, Virginia. They are raising money for research and to fund an archeological dig. The group also hopes to provide educational materials for our community and erect a memorial that honors the workers in the town of Crozet.

Learn more at Clann Mhór's Blog [click to read].

A Healthy Dose of 'Vitamin I'

2011-11-05T18:05:00.000-07:00

Independent Candidates Offer Fresh Vision

David Karaffa brings a solid Conservative perspective to the process of solving problems facing local government.

On the Appalachian Trail, 'Vitamin I' refers to Ibuprofen, the friend of hurting hikers. Ibuprofen allows people to hike on, not listening to their aching knees and ankles, often hurting themselves in the long run.

The 'Vitamin I' that I refer to, however, is the fresh voice of young Conservative candidates running as Independents in our county supervisors' races. Rather than mask the pain of our current situation, these candidates create constructive dialogue that must proceed the tough choices that will be required in the upcoming session. By spotlighting tough issues, these candidates alert us to problems that must be solved before they cause bigger pain down the road.

Consider the needs of our Volunteer Fire Companies. We are losing volunteers at a rate that could lead to the demise of this essential community protection that neighbors provide for each other. Investment is necessary to retain and recruit these fine people. A property tax credit of up to $750, reimbursement for mileage and for training expenses go a long way to show our practical appreciation for these first responders.

In a lean economy, government must ensure that essential education needs are met. Open budgets need to be scrutinized and seriously discussed by all who will be affected. Tough choices need to be handled wisely. David Karaffa, Kurt Michael and Marshall Pattie, along with sitting supervisor Tracy Pyles, will spend the time it takes to work with the school board, educators and the taxpayers to make the process clear and understandable.

State monies, paid by us the taxpayers, must be fairly allocated. To that end the unrealistic valuations of the last assessment must be corrected. The formula for allocating state funds depends on fair assessed values. Our inflated valuations cause us to receive less than our share. Our new supervisors will be committed to correcting this problem.

Economic development is a key element for all of these candidates, who see vital work for the next generation of Augusta County citizens as an imperative. We cannot afford to remain known as the county that 'dissed' Toyota. With involved individuals on our board we can attract new industry and still retain the unique agricultural character of our region.

With the recent loss of Roger Zirkle, a great gap was felt in our school board. With no time to place names on the ballot, Lee Godfrey, who had previously sought this office as a Democrat, began a write in campaign. Ms. Godfrey, unfortunately, represents a more liberal perspective than that of most citizens of the district. She has actively participated in anti-war rallys and could be a vote against Weekday Religious Education and issues of parents' rights should they come before the board.

Once again an Independent Conservative voice entered the race when local business owner Chris Foschini threw his hat into the ring. Now voters in the Beverley Manor District will be able to choose a candidate (also a write-in) who actually reflects their values and concerns. A parent, with one son in the Army and two younger children in Augusta schools, Chris wants to see practical steps to train students for their future lives as citizens. Observing that so many problems government attempts to solve are the result of bad financial decisions, Foschini envisions a mandatory financial requirement for high school graduates.

Chris Foschini for School Board

2011-11-03T17:29:00.000-07:00

Running in Beverley Manor District of Augusta County

Chris Foschini.

Augusta County, Virginia – November 3, 2011 – Chris Foschini decides to put his name forward as a write-in candidate for the Augusta County School Board in the Beverley Manor District.

Local business owner, Chris Foschini, feels the conservative needs are not represented on the ballot this Tuesday for the Beverley Manor School Board seat. If elected, Chris Foschini will support Week Day Religious education, strict oversight of school funds, keeping Ladd elementary and Beverley Manor open, and integrating technology into the classroom thus saving school dollars.

Chris Foschini’s biggest concern is that young people graduating at the high school level do not have sufficient education about money management. Chris would push for mandatory financial education before graduation. “Our country’s financial crisis is a result of poor money and debt management. Part of the solution must be educating our young people to make wise decisions and planning when it comes to their financial future.”

Chris Foschini is married to his wife Stephanie, he has three children, one in the United States Army and two others currently attending Augusta County Public Schools. Chris Foschini and his family are members of the Assembly of God at Destiny Family Center in Stuarts Draft.
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Lynn Has More [click to read] on the School Board Race.

"Foschini, who is married with three children, is a military dad with a son in the United States Army. His opponent, Lee Godfrey, is also running as a write-in candidate. Previously, she unsuccessfully ran as a Democrat for Beverley Manor District supervisor and, in 2007, she was pictured in the Rockbridge Weekly holding a sign at an anti-war rally[1.]"

Painterly Pansies on the Portico

2011-11-03T13:12:00.000-07:00

Georgia O'Keefe Could Have Painted this Composition

The bright color of fall flowers creates a strong composition.

THYME Magazine

2011-11-03T08:31:00.000-07:00

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor

Volume III, Issue XCIV

Can You Still Move Up in America?

Yesterday a young man called Rush Limbaugh's show lamenting that he would not have much opportunity in today's America. Income inequity, he opined, had robbed him of his chance. Mr. Limbaugh then taught another one of his great lessons, telling the story of one of his wealthy friends. What followed was a description of jobs created and opportunities that followed in the wake of this man's spending and investing his fortune. The man has a private jet and the people who fly and service it are paid better than their peers. The rich man likes these people and pays them more because he wants to keep them.

The young man was steeped in the myth that: "the rich are holding on to their money, and I can't get any." The 'other' weekly news magazine asks the question: "Can you still move up in America?" Obviously, in their world, the answer is no... at least not as easily as in times past.

The young man's lament seemed familiar, and I remember hearing similar laments in the wake of the Carter presidency... even into Reagan's first term. But something happened as Reagan pushed back overexpanding government and the resulting prosperous period lasted for many years. Some have called the Obama presidency "Jimmy Carter's last term." Indeed, the expansion of government and huge bailouts (and huge deficits), are reminiscent of the Carter years.

But economies are never zero-sum games. Even in the dark days of the 'Misery Index,' businesses grew. Consider White's Truck Stop in Raphine, Virginia. David White left the already successful Jarrel's Truck Plaza near Richmond's busy I 95 to set up shop on the convergence of two new interstates in Western Virginia. A stone's throw from the shop where Cyrus McCormick built the first reaper, White built his famous Truck Stop. I met a number of employees there and it seemed like many of them had stayed there a long time. Mrs. White added a bit of class to the trucker's dining room. Drivers could enjoy a fine sampling of items not found on the menu of other stops. This business grew in the mid-seventies.

Though construction and home sales are at all-time lows, new industry has made its way to the state of Virginia. Mercury Paper near Winchester is but one of a number of companies taking advantage of the state's pro-market policies. Augusta County, though known for snubbing auto giant Toyota, still has a chance to gain a share of economic development. David Karaffa, candidate for the Beverley Manor seat on the Board of Supervisors, proposes a tax holiday for new businesses who locate in the county. This policy is pro-business in that it allows a head start for new players in the market. Present Federal policies in particular stifle new business and often are the result of 'Crony Capitalism,' being crafted to protect established companies. Karaffa's policy would actually help level the playing field and put market forces back into play. One year's tax holiday allows new firms to establish themselves but does not create a crutch for business models that would not work without subsidies.

So to answer the queston: "Can you still move up in America?" we say there is plenty of evidence for a positive answer if government does not get in the way.

White's Truck Stop as seen in 1976. From an advertisement in Overdrive Magazine.

Unleash the Entrepreneurs

2011-11-03T07:12:00.000-07:00

Bad Policies are Holding Back the Ultimate Job Creators

Agriculture was revolutionized by Cyrus McCormick, who built his first reaper at his Father's mill in Augusta County. The operation moved to Chicago to become the International Harvester Corporation.

Unleash the Entrepreneurs [click to read] by Edward L. Glaeser in City Journal.

Waynesboro grew to its greatest extent in the mid-Twentieth Century propelled by industry such as the DuPont plant that employed thousands...

...and provided the resources for them to build many fine homes in the city.

The Irishmen Who Built the Blue Ridge Tunnel

2011-11-01T18:43:00.000-07:00

Buckingham Branch Railroad Follows Historic Path

Claudius Crozet's Original Blue Ridge Tunnel. Library of Congress Image.

More than 150 years ago about 2,000 Irish immigrants changed the face of Augusta County. For eight years they joined with over 100 African-American slaves and, by hand, dug 4,262 feet through the rock of Afton Mountain to built a railroad tunnel. When they were finished in the 1850s, Richmond was connected by railroad to Staunton and Nelson County and Augusta County were connected underneath the mountain by the same rock tunnel. Some of those Irish who constructed this engineering marvel stayed in the Valley where they built a church—St. Francis Catholic Church—as well as homes, and businesses.

On Sunday, Nov. 6 at 3 p.m. the story of those Irish, the African Americans, and the tunnel they built will be the topic presented at the Augusta County Historical Society’s Fall Meeting. The event will be held in downtown Staunton at St. Francis Catholic Church’s Parish Hall. Parking is available on Augusta Street and off of New Street where handicapped spaces are available. The event is free and open to the public. A short history of St. Francis will precede the main program. The event is free and open to the public.

Several members of the group Clann Mhór will present the program. Clann Mhór started as a research group dealing with the construction of the original Blue Ridge Railroad line that ran the 17 miles from the Mechum's River (near Ivy, Va.) up through the mountains to the South River in Waynesboro. They have evolved to include the continuation of the railroad construction further west to Staunton and Clifton Forge. Key to understanding the railroad history of the region is learning about the Irish workers hired to construct the line. Researchers with Clann Mhór, which means Great Family in Gaelic, have collected the names of over 1,900 Irish workers and their families and 100 slaves associated with the railroad. At least 941of the workers were native Irish coming mainly from the counties of Cork, Kerry, and Limerick. The men building the tunnel by hand worked six days a week, for about one dollar a day.

Using records from the C&O Historical Society, Thornrose Cemetery, and early Staunton newspapers, as well as Augusta County Courthouse records including marriages, deaths, citizenship applications, and census records, Clann Mhór has created a rich picture of the lives of the railroad workers. Included in the presentation will be the story of the infamous Father Daniel Downey of St. Francis.

A reception will follow the program and question and answer season. One of the presenters will also have copies of her books for young readers (Feed the Children First: Irish Memories of the Great Hunter and Knockabeg: A Famine Tale) for sale. Check the ACHS website (http://www.augustacountyhs.org/) for more information about the Fall Meeting or contact ACHS at augustachs@ntelos.net or 540-248-4151. ht/Lynn

This 19th century photo of the tunnel and the workers was taken on the western, Augusta County, side of the tunnel. Today the original tunnel awaits restoration into a regional greenway open to walkers and cyclists. Trains still pass through the mountain by way of a newer tunnel constructed in 1942 [1.]

A Walk to White Rock Falls

2011-10-31T06:41:00.000-07:00

Autumn Turning to Winter with Fresh Snowfall

Autumn leaves create a pattern of ripples in the stream below the falls.

I hiked to White Rock Falls [click to read] on Sunday. This is a relatively short hike from the Blue Ridge Parkway to a beautiful watefall.

Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall...

2011-10-29T06:57:00.000-07:00

An October Snowfall Creates Images of All Seasons

Flowers, Autumn leaves and some Summer green mix with a new snowfall to create a collage of seasons.

More Snow Pictures [click to view].

The Danger of Confusing Unity with Conformity

2011-10-29T06:18:00.000-07:00

Rabbi Berel Wein Clarifies the Difference

The Danger of Confusing Unity with Conformity [click to read] by Rabbi Berel Wein in Jewish World Review addresses an often misunderstood understanding of the two concepts. They are, unfortunately, easily confused.

"Though there are many in both the secular and religious world who, given the chance, would impose conformity upon the rest of us, we are simply not built that way." -- Rabbi Berel Wein

Renderings for the Clean Energy Company

2011-10-27T10:45:00.000-07:00

New Corporate Headquarters in Hiroshima, Japan

Clean Energy Company Renderings [click to view].

Comfort Care Banquet Goal Exceeded!

2011-10-27T10:28:00.001-07:00

Two Evenings Net $112,000 in Pledges

Abortion Survivor Gianna Jessen spoke. People responded. Comfort Care was hoping for $75,000 in pledges but organizers were rejoicing when $112,000 was promised. The canvasses with scripture that decorated the room were provided by Laney Mural Art for Young Peoples' Spaces [1.]

THYME Magazine

2011-10-27T08:46:00.000-07:00

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor

Volume III, Issue XCIII

Think about this for a minute: Did you ever know much about Margaret Thatcher's husband, Sir Denis Thatcher? Do you even know his name? He might have indeed been "the smartest man in the UK" but the news media never trumpeted it.

Similarly, how much do you think about Mr. Bachmann? You didn't know who Todd Palin was until his wife was tapped to run for Vice President in 2008.

The 'other' weekly news magazine just pulled out the old "smartest woman in America" template to describe the style of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Mrs Clinton may indeed be a sharp cookie (even if she doesn't BAKE cookies), but if she hadn't hitched her wagon to a star... young and rising Bill Clinton, she might well be doing real estate deals today in her law firm.

That is not to deride her success, given the opportunity handed to her. Still, to be quite honest, Mrs. Clinton is in some good company when it comes to 'Smart Power,' as TIME calls it. Consider the young Mother from Wasilla Alaska who got involved in local politics out of her own concern. She took on oil interests and became governor. Read her op-ed pieces in the WSJ [1.] and the folksy accent is gone along with the whole beauty queen thing. What remains is good solid analysis that is worth reading.

Michele Bachmann is another person worth listening to. Though she's faded in the presidential race, her input has been valuable in forging the debate. The 'mainstream media' clearly has trouble embracing brilliant women who do not embrace their ideology. The alternative media and citizen journalists are more than happy to fill this void.

Sir Denis Thatcher, husband of UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, greets US First Lady Nancy Reagan, at No.10 Downing Street, June 2, 1988.

A Lesson in "Choice and Competition"

2011-10-25T17:46:00.000-07:00

Nanny State Update from 'The Journey'

It's a Dad's dilemma. I've been there, done that, but a dear friend of mine recently went through it with some unimagined consequences.

A parent of a young child, running late to get that child to school, decides to forgo the homemade lunch and stops at Wendy's to get something. Surely this would not cause any problems.

Upon arrival at the school, the child's drink from Wendy's was taken because 'it is not approved as healthy.' Consciencious parent forks over milk money to the child and goes off to work. The administrator now holds on to the child's Wendy's meal and at lunch time the child has to eat the meal in the office. The reason: The government lunch program does not allow 'competitor's' products.

Wow! Use a broad brush with that and you could ban the whole lunch from home thing... unless you make everything from scratch. Any packaged portion of a brown bag lunch could be considered 'competitor.' You get the picture. I'm including a link to Tom Harkin's Letter [click to read] explaining the whole 'healthy lunch' thing. It is instructive.

But here are the facts. The children in this family are all thin and athletic. They play soccer and run track. They are fed very healthy meals at home. They need no 'nanny state' intervention.

As to Dave Thomas, who created Wendy's. His Adoption initiatives and other programs that he started have done more to help real children in real situations than the 'uber-nanny state' ever will.
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On Tyranny and Liberty [click to read] by Myron Magnet in City Journal

Would the Founders Approve of the Nation We've Made?

Journey to Jesus, the Complete Mural

2011-10-25T05:29:00.000-07:00

The Epic of Human Civilization: Isaiah 60, Rev: 21

Click Here for larger image.

Click Here for larger image.

We began in July of 2010 with the painting of Mizuki, our Japanese girl. Our project took images of real children, often in very difficult places, and made them princes and princessess of the New Heaven and New Earth...

...as an expression of Christ's redemptive work towards people of all nations.

On November 18, 2011, the rainbow (Benjamin Riley's handprints) and the guide to the names and their meanings were installed. Our mural was finished.

Fiscal Health and Local Government

2011-10-24T06:40:00.000-07:00

New Challenges Require Clear Vision

The next board of supervisors will face some tough choices. The problems facing local governments today require thoughtful solutions rather than simple slogans.

The local newspaper said it well: "The next Augusta Board of Supervisors will have to make some difficult decisions." The phrase: "Bring me men to match my mountains." comes to mind. Indeed, the need for informed individuals willing to hammer out the hard choices has never been clearer. The recent property assessment debacle proves that well.

Nichole Gelinas in City Journal writes about the indicators of health in local and state finances. Her article: Hidden in Plain Sight [click to read] says that disclosure requirements are a step in the right direction, but they alone will not fix the situation.

Fair and Honest Property Assessments

Think of our own local government and the recent property assessment battle. The historical pattern had always been one where assessments were performed in a rather casual way to follow the then predictable rise in real estate values. Governments planned expenditures based on this pattern and boards of supervisors rubber stamped the whole process.

In a steadily growing economy there was no need for questioning reality, after all. The can kicked down the road was highly unlikely to roll back on you.

After 2006, reality changed. The appraisal and budget process that followed underscored the need for lively and open debate. Tracy Pyles, supervisor from the Pastures District, took the bold and necessary step of addressing flaws in the process that would eventually come back to bite us. The assessors were using values derived from a real estate bubble that had already burst. There was no reality in letting tax rates be driven by these numbers. Furthermore, the inflated numbers created a false report to state revenue agencies, resulting in reduced payments to the county from state taxes collected. Northern Virginia localities saw their property values reduced in a more honest process and actually received increased state funding while Augusta's was reduced.

The inability of other local elected officials to throw themselves into this debate is telling. In low-crime Mayberry, Barney Fife can keep his service revolver empty and his bullet in his pocket. If revenues can be counted on to rise 'safely,' we can afford to let the supervisors kick the can down the road, or so it might seem. Actually the need for open and honest debate is even more important when we might plan honestly for a range of contingiencies. The best reforms happen quietly and in a timely manner. They may never show up in print.

The 2011 campaign for supervisor's seats in Augusta County should create no less than a mandate for the kind of debate that will monitor county vital signs BEFORE a fiscal disaster occurs.

First Responder Support Strategies

Recent audits of Augusta's fire stations uncovered problems that beg the question: "Why didn't the board of supervisors impliment key elements of a fire plan they commissioned?" David Karaffa, candidate for Beverley Manor District Supervisor proposes some strong steps to support our volunteer community. Property tax credit of up to $750 is a great incentive for someone like an artisan farmer who is willing to give her time to protecting the community as a fire fighter/EMT. Reimbursement for mileage and training also help her with practical support as she provides real safety to the county. Tuition credits for young first responders would enhance recruitment of the next generation.

Supporting the volunteer community now makes perfect sense. This 'stitch in time' response to volunteer support would help to preserve the ideal of self-protecting community service. At the same time, Karaffa suggests, we need to unfreeze and fill key paid positions.

Education as a Priority

Seeing an educated population as a key element of economic development, Karaffa says: "Education is vital for our economy, our children, our government, and our future. If elected, I will work side by side with the school board in terms of budgeting and other needs to make sure that every dollar put toward education is used to its fullest and not wasted. I will frequently be checking in with the school board representatives and will attend their meetings to hear the concerns of the parents in our community." Believe him. As the parent of two young daughters, he's concerned that monies reach the classroom. He's already going to more meetings than some people who are already elected and makes a practice of informing himself going into decisions.

Fiscal Responsibility and Accountability to the People

David Karaffa supports budget process where the people are given the opportunity to see the actual figures before the budget is voted on. Openness, he feels, would be a great deterrant to unnecessary and frivolous spending. A quesionable hundred-thousand dollar expenditure on new cell phones for county employees might well have been cut before unnecessary spending occurred. In an era of tightened belts and necessary sacrifice, it is refreshing to see a new generation of candidates who see tax revenues as the people's money.

Note: The Author of this post actively serves in the campaign of David Karaffa for Supervisor.

Abortion Survivor Gianna Jessen to Speak

2011-10-24T04:41:00.000-07:00

A Voice for Those Who Cannot Speak

Gianna Jessen survived an abortion. Now she speaks for the unborn.

Gianna Jessen [click to read] has been on Dr. Dobson's show to tell her story. Since the unborn cannot speak for themselves it is a powerful thing to hear from someone who wasn't supposed to live. Tonight and tomorrow night, Ms. Jessen will be speaking at the Comfort Care Womens' Health Center Banquet at the Waynesboro Best Western (at exit 94 on interstate 64). Banquet time is 6:15 both evenings, October 24th and 25th. For details and reservations click Here.

Gianna Jessen does not quit. Giving up is not an option to her. Gianna has what she refers to as the "gift" of Cerebral Palsy. She weighed a mere 2 lbs at birth and the doctors said she would never be able to hold up her head, sit up, crawl or walk. She began to walk by the age of three years old with the help of leg braces and a walker.

Gianna is a Christian. Her life was given to her by the grace of God. She shouldn't be walking, but more miraculous still; she should not even be alive. Gianna's biological mother was 17 when she had a saline abortion in her third trimester. Many Americans don’t realize it is legal to have an abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy. After being burned alive for approximately 18 hours in the womb from the saline solution, Gianna was delivered alive in a Los Angeles County abortion clinic. Her medical records state, "born during saline abortion"...this is what caused her Cerebral Palsy.

Notes from Our Critter Consultant

2011-10-22T05:27:00.000-07:00

Is this what Bears Really do in the Winter?

Our 'Critter Consultant,' Laney Riley [1.] found this interesting image. She writes: "Who would have known?"

THYME Magazine

2011-10-20T16:44:00.000-07:00

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor

Volume III, Issue XCII

China Conundrum Confounds Capitalists

It is time for America to come to terms with China. No sooner than we reported on the dissapearance of Liu Xia [1.], the 'other' weekly news magazine is reporting on China's bubble. We need to, as Herman Cain says: "outgrow China." Surely the world benefits from a robust economy in China, but we dare not neglect the dangers of turning over to her the role of world superpower. China is a land of many complex and contradictory realities. Persecution of people of faith and creative individuals is a dark problem wherever it occurs and China has long been known to suppress. In 1989 tanks rolled over peaceful demonstrators in Bejing's Tianamen Square. That event marked a dark time for freedom loving people in China.

Asian Megacities as Political Theatre

What Le Corbusier would have wrought in Paris has become the new reality of Bejing and Shanghai.

Le Corbusier once wrote of his Plan Voisin for Paris: “Since 1922 [for the past 42 years] I have continued to work, in general and in detail, on the problem of Paris. Everything has been made public. The City Council has never contacted me. It calls me ‘Barbarian’!” -- Le Corbusier’s writings, p. 207.

Fast forward to the Twenty-first Century and Shanghai [Le Corbusier on steroids]. It all seems like the realization of the fictional Coruscant from Star Wars... a completely urban environment that stretches as far as the eye can see. The entire planet of Coruscant is one continual city.

Guy Sorman discusses the rise of Asian 'Super Megagopolises' [click to read] in City Journal. Looking at the Mega-model of Shanghai, one could begin to wonder: "can Coruscant be that far off." Sorman points out, however, that Shanghai is largely a political creation...designed to create the impression that China is ready for business with the world. [1.]

Every day the city teems with life and every night the workers necessary to make it function vacate the pristine city. It is like Disney World, where the 'cast members' descend into 'Utilidor,' remove their costumes, and disappear to homes elsewhere.

For Shanhai workers, 'homes elsewhere' often means crowded andsubstandard. Just as China's factories are seldom seen by Westerners,those who maintain the stage for world commerce live in a vastlydifferent world than the one they 'portray' in their 'day jobs.'

Or perhaps, the Death Star in Star Wars is a better analogy. Its scale is way beyond human. It is intended to convey a sense of awe. Might we be looking at the work of some latter day Nimrod, seeking to elevate himself to the heavens?

Sorman points out how the mad rush into the 21st Century has obliterated the traditional spaces of Shanghai and Bejing, which were much more human in size and scate. Again Star Wars comes to mind. Green beautiful planets like Naboo and Alderon risk elimination as the Empire expands its grasp.

This scale model of Shanghai dwarfs the people in the room...

...and calls to mind the fictional city of Coruscant.

In the 'Sixties America sought to 'remake' her major cities. Le Corbusier style housing blocks were constructed to elevate the urban poor. Many of these 'projects' have since been torn down. While we were building them Moscow was building similar blocks of apartments. Today in Moscow, urban youths flock to the rooftops. [2.] Called 'Roofers,' these young people seek the rooftops simply for the openness and the view.

How to Return to the Village
Returning Government to the People in the 'Audience'

Nineteenth Century America was a nation of villages. Great centers of commerce existed, but they were fed by a vibrant countryside. When Thomas Jefferson created his ideal 'Academic Village' to house the University of Virginia he purposefully left one side open to the surrounding agricultural land. From the steps of the Rotunda one could look upon the rolling hills of Albemarle County.

Architect Stanford White convinced the University to fill the void with Old Cabell Hall a long time ago. The recently completed South Lawn attempts to recreate a space leading off into the trees of Charlottesville. The challenge of getting back to the garden is ever before us.

Rooftop Gardens [click to read] offer one method of getting people and open spaces together. Reclaiming existing environments is another. Aging strip malls could be recycled into village centers for the surrounding suburban homes, offering a place residents could walk or bicycle to. Vacant lots and neglected riverfronts can become parks and gardens.

William Atwood's Renewal of the Crozet Shopping Center.

Suburb bashing has always been a fashionable intellectual pastime.That is one reason I like Robert A. M. Stern. He sees the reasons people seek out single family dwellings of a traditional form. I have a friend who lives on the upper West side and his penthouse with a view of the Hudson is very nice but give me my gardens.People put up with the wretched infrastructure overload and strip centers because the village is still appealing. The residential areas become landscaped oasis for their residents. Kids play outside the house in view of the kitchen window. People visit at the back fence.Moreover the suburbs are seen by their dwellers as affirming opportunity and safety. If people had no emotion for their homes they would be fine with Le Courbusier type high rises but that is simply not the case.The problem is really one of infrastructure and public space [or lack therof]. Strip malls and box stores create a sterile wasteland but they may become the village centers of the future.

Time magazine once featured a piece called 'Repurposing Suburbs' which shows some fine examples of recreating this type of public space. William Atwood's Crozet project turns a tired strip mall into a village center. One cannot wait for Atwood to get his creative hands on some of the new "Town Center" projects which are now just collections of big box stores. Some time ago I drew a concept where the CSX tracks between Staunton and Charlottesville became a light rail line connecting Staunton, Fishersville, Waynesboro, Crozet, Ivy, The University of Virginia Medical Center and Downtown Charlottesville. The result would be a series of village centers and a better utilization of existing infrastructure.

City Journal's writers draw conflicting conclusions. Houston is touted as encouraging its middle class while Gotham offers limited options. Dense urban areas do tend to create energy efficiency. The trick is to see opportunities to improve the communities we have already created.That would certainly involve offering condominiums and a pedestrian friendly center to suburban communities and reclaiming all those wonderful old low density neighborhoods of our cities.

There is more to solving this problem than finding architectural solutions. Redemption too, must begin on a human scale. In a future post I will explore the role of 'New Monasticism' and activists like Star Parker in this aspect of redemptive work in our culture.

Next: Counterpoint to Coruscant [click to read].

Our Future Should be Built on Our Past Success

The Valley Railroad was once a branch of the B&O that ran all the way to Rockbridge County.

Agriculture was revolutionized by Cyrus McCormick, who built his first reaper at his Father's mill in Augusta County. The operation moved to Chicago to become the International Harvester Corporation.

Fishersille Mike shares this piece: Hard Choices All Around [click to read]. The bottom line is that it is time to start making things again. He references This Article by William Gross [click to read].

"The global economy is suffering from a lack of aggregate demand. With insufficient demand, nations compete furiously for their share of the diminishing growth pie.

In the U.S. and Euroland, many policies only temporarily bolster consumption while failing to address the fundamental problem of developed economies: Job growth is moving inexorably to developing economies because they are more competitive.

Unless developed economies learn to compete the old-fashioned way – by making more goods and making them better – the smart money will continue to move offshore to Asia, Brazil and their developing economy counterparts, both in asset and in currency space."

Drive past the once flourishing DuPont plant in Waynesboro and this will soon start to sink in. Once this complex employed thousands. Today a few hundred workers make Lycra. To qoute Billy Joel: "We're all in Allentown now."

Well we’re living here in Allentown
And they’re closing all the factories down
Out in Bethlehem they’re killing time
Filling out forms
Standing in line

Well our fathers fought the Second World War
Spent their weekends on the Jersey Shore
Met our mothers at the USO
Asked them to dance
Danced with them slow

And we're living here in Allentown.
But the restlessness was handed down
And it's getting very hard to stay.

Well we're waiting here in Allentown
For the Pennsylvania we never found
For the promises our teachers gave
If we worked hard
If we behaved.

So the graduations hang on the wall
But they never really helped us at all
No they never taught us what was real
Iron or coke,
Chromium steel.

– Billy Joel, 1982

But 'living in Allentown' is not an option. The decline of the American economy cannot support our large urbanized population.

"The constructive way is to stop making paper and start making things. Replace subprimes, and yes, Treasury bonds with American cars, steel, iPads, airplanes, corn – whatever the world wants that we can make better and/or cheaper. Learn how to compete again. Investments in infrastructure and 21st century education and research, as opposed to 20th century education are mandatory, as is a withdrawal from resource-draining foreign wars. It will be a tough way back, but it can be done with sacrifice and appropriate public policies that encourage innovation, education and national reconstruction, as opposed to Wall Street finance and Main Street consumption."

Some of the developments that make American plants less competitive are not bad. American mills in the Nineteenth Century employed children, often in dangerous environments. A system that has made life better for the workers is not a bad thing. High corporate tax rates, unsustainable pension plans and redundant Federal oversight that discourages production are very bad things.

We needn't reclaim all manufacturing. We need to find opportunities to excell as new technologies develop and master their development. New processes and craftmanship should fill our vacant plants and find market share enriching customers around the world.

Producing our own energy is essential. Increased nuclear capacity must be developed along with our own oil, gas and coal resources. Controlling energy costs is essential to our future productivity.

Localized production, small and home businesses and artisan farms are part of the answer too. Less centalization of such things as food production is good and renders us less susceptable to worldwide economic chaos.

The 1904 Saint Louis World's Fair and American Superiority

This Article by Guy Sorman in City Journal caught my eye. In 1904 the robust American economy was recognized as a world leader, but Sorman quotes a study showing the American economy coming into its own by 1820! He goes on to point out how egalitarian American ideals actually created the first mass market. Joseph Schumpeter's “creative destruction” is also mentioned as a reason for economic prosperity as the new constantly replaces the old and the market reallocates resources accordingly.

That translates into new innovative technology and methods. Eventually we'll be driving hydrogen cars and seeing advances in healthcare delivery. Government mandates won't accomplish this, changing economies, innovation and market demand will.

I once did a reconstruction of the Nineteenth Century town of Ellicott's Mills, first terminus of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad outside of Baltimore. The Ellicott Brothers had migrated from Bucks County, Pennsylvania and settled on the banks of the Patapsco River. There they convinced Charles Carroll [the signer of the Declaration of Independence] to diversify his plantation agriculture. They intruduced wheat, flour mills, limestone mining and many other innovations and that is a model of what happened throughout the young Republic.

Our real cultural diversity as a 'Nation of Nations' fuels discovery and innovation. In spite of the professed loathing of so many world rulers for our Nation, the best and brightest still want to come here.

Ellicott's Mills is typical of many American communities in the Nineteenth Century. Model by Mr. Kirchman.

Sorman points out that the U.S. economy and its spirit of enterprise still set the pace for the rest of the world. We must not invoke change that diminishes that.

The First Terminus of the B&O Railroad

B&O Station.

Patapsco Hotel.

Arch of the old railroad bridge.

Floods of the Twentieth Century.

Cornerstone of the railroad bridge...

...still carrying Chessie System trains today.

Freedom to Create in China

2011-10-19T18:21:00.000-07:00

Works of 'Forbidden Artist' Liu Xia Seen for First Time

Artist Liu Xia disappeared this past January.

Her work was not allowed to leave the country but six images by Liu Xia were smuggled out. Why is this artist's work censored? Surely her abstract black and white images are no threat to the modern 'open' Chinese state.

"Liu Xia is the wife of Liu Xiaobo, the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, jailed for 11 years for threatening the security of the state. His only crime was to have written a petition—an act permitted by the Chinese constitution, by the way—asking for dialogue with the Communist Party in order to organize a transition toward democracy. This petition, circulated on the Web, was signed by several thousand Chinese scholars and artists." -- Guy Sormon

Here are the images and commentary: Freedom to Create [click to read] by Guy Sormon in City Journal.

Lotus Pond at Miller School

2011-10-15T10:56:00.000-07:00

'Old Main' Rises above the Tree Shaded Grounds

The Lotus pond is one of my favorite places at Miller School in Albemarle County.

William H. Howland

2011-10-14T19:48:00.000-07:00

The Mayor Who Made a Difference

This is part of the 'Milestone Monday' series.

An Article for the June 1996 Deep Cove Crier
by Reverend Ed Hird, Rector,
St. Simon’s Anglican Church, Used with his permission.

So often, Toronto functions as the city that other Canadians feel the most ambivalent about. The proverbial expression "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" readily comes to my mind as I think of Toronto. And yet ironically, the nickname "Toronto The Good" points to a side of Toronto that has largely been forgotten in the Canadian amnesia about our own heritage and roots. I was talking recently to Phyllis Beck, the Deep Cove Crier Seniors Columnist, about Toronto roots, only to discover that her daughter-in-law, Barbara Hall, is the current Mayor of Toronto. I commented to Phyllis about the recent discovery that my Great-great-grandfather, Thomas Allen, was a senior Alderman in Toronto during a period of 19 years. When I was in Toronto a few months back, getting a first-hand glimpse of the "Toronto Blessing", I kept driving back and forth past Allen Road. My ignorance about this road named after my Torontonian ancestor reminded me afresh of our Canadian forgetfulness about some of our own heros.

William H. Howland

One such hero was Mayor William Howland of Toronto, a public servant who was so dedicated to helping the disadvantaged that he gave away most of his wealth. Son of the Honorable W.P. Howland, the first Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario, William was possessed with a bubbly enthusiasm and phenomenal capacity for hard work. By the age he was 25, William was president, vice-president, or a director of more than a dozen companies in the fields of insurance and finance, electrical services, and paint manufacturing. When he became president of the Queen City Fire Insurance Company in 1871, he was the youngest insurance company president in Canada. As well, Howland was President of three influential organizations: the Toronto Board of Trade, the Dominion Board of Trade, and the Manufacturer’s Association of Ontario. Out of his love for his country, he served as Chairman of the Canada First movement, personally financing its weekly newspaper "The Nation".

At age 32, Howland was led to Christ by his priest, Dr. W.S. Rainsford of St. James Anglican Cathedral. His life-changing experience gave him a new passion for helping the poor. He became involved helping with the Hillcrest Convalescent Hospital, the YMCA, the Haven Home for Unwed Mothers, the Prisoner’s Aid Association, the Central Prison Mission School, and the Toronto General Hospital. Night after night, Howland visited the slums, going from house-to-house, and reaching out to the poor, the sick, and the alcoholic. He also purchased 50 acres to start an Industrial School in order to steer youth away from the life of crime. Other initiatives were his building an alternative school for drop-outs, and a Home for the Aged and Homeless Poor. When he began to teach an interdenominational bible study for 100 young men, his new priest J.P. Lewis objected to Howland’s involvement with non-Anglicans. Out of this rejection, he began the interdenominational Toronto Mission Union, which operated seniors’ homes, convalescent homes, and Toronto’s first-ever home nursing service.

Because of his great compassion for the poor, he was elected as Mayor of Toronto in 1885, with a strong mandate to clean up the city. Howland signaled his arrival in the mayor’s office by installing a twelve-foot banner on the wall, reading, "Except the Lord Build the City, the Watchman Wakes but in Vain". Despite fierce opposition, Howland was so successful, that Toronto became nicknamed "Toronto the Good". As champion of the poor, Howland and his Alliance friend, Rev. John Salmon, would tramp the lanes and alleys, feeding the poor, praying over the sick, and comforting the sad. With a population of just 104,000, Toronto had over 800 licensed and unlicensed saloons. Over half of all criminal offenses recorded in 1885 were related to drunkenness.

Howland is described in Desmond Morton’s book "Mayor Howland: the Citizen’s Candidate" as the first reform mayor in Toronto’s history. Due to bureaucratic corruption, municipal garbage collection was all but non-existent. Even City Hall’s own garbage was rarely picked up. Rotting garbage fouled the alleyways, yards, and streets, giving Toronto a reputation for flies, stench, and disease. With no general sewage system, Toronto lived on the verge of a typhoid epidemic. Children swam in the same Toronto harbour area into which raw sewage was flowing from the ditches. Toronto’s fresh water supply was sucked through leaking and rotting wooden pipes, half buried in the sewage and sludge of the Toronto harbour.

Howland believed that we didn’t usually need more laws; we just needed to enforce the ones that already existed. He shocked the city bureaucrats by enforcing the already existing bylaw which forbid the depositing of garbage within the city limits. After he threatened to send the city commissioner to jail for breaking this bylaw, garbage miraculously began to be collected! Howland also worked hard in the construction of a trunk sewer system, to redirect the sewage away from the Toronto Harbour. He had such a dramatic impact in reducing the crime rate that other mayors began visiting Toronto, hoping to imitate Howland’s miracle.

During his re-election campaign in 1887, all the taxi cabs were paid off by Howland’s opponent so that they would refuse to take Howland’s supporters to the polling stations. Women however (2,000 widows and single women with property) had just been given the vote. So they held up their long Victorian dresses, and trucked through the snow to give Howland the moral reformer a second term. When Howland was re-elected by a landslide, over 3,000 of his supporters at the YMCA hall spontaneously burst into singing "Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow.".

After he unexpectedly stepped down as Mayor after two terms, Howland became the founding President of the Christian Alliance (which later took the name C&MA: Christian and Missionary Alliance). The unique interdenominational nature of the early C&MA allowed Howland to be its president, while still remaining an Anglican. When he died unexpectedly at age 49, his funeral involved Anglican, Alliance, and Presbyterian clergy. With more than a thousand mourners on foot from all social classes, it was the largest funeral procession that had ever been held in Toronto. A poem published in the Toronto Globe said of Howland: "And not Toronto mourns alone; All Canada his fame had heard; His name is dear, a household word, And far and wide, his worth was known". May William H. Howland continue to be a living symbol of the difference that just one Canadian can make.

Reverend Ed Hird, Rector,
St. Simon’s Anglican Church

Toronto in the late Nineteenth Century.

THYME Magazine

2011-10-14T19:15:00.001-07:00

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor

Volume III, Issue XCI

Asserting that the majority of Americans long for moderate politics, the 'other' weekly news magazine stuggles to understand the rise of Herman Cain.

The staff of THYME has travelled to Tea Parties. We've picked up a cup of Joe at Kline's and hit the road ourselves to catch the pulse of America. Here's what we see.

First of all, the Tea Party is the real deal. This is the real grassroots movement and it has flooded Washington DC with real working people in reasponse to what is happening there. When one party rule shut down representative government, the people demanded a hearing anyway.

A Journey to Washington...

Pennsylvania Avenue! A marcher shares the moment on his cell phone.

The avenue was packed with thousands of marchers! We were able to squeeze in behind a large group of Texans [is that redundant]? Sam Houston and Bigfoot Wallace would be proud! Our voices echoed off the large buildings lining the way. Someone started the song:

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet,
Whose stern impassion'd stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America! God mend thine ev'ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!
America! America! May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev'ry gain divine!

O Beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam,
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

-America, The Beautiful Lyrics by Katharine Lee Bates - 1913

We only sang the first stanza. Only 'dangerous' [1.] home schoolers can remember the whole song. They read things like the Constitution too. It was enough to stir my soul. We were on our way to the Capitol!

People pulled out their cell phones and called friends and relatives at home. the feeling in the air was just too big to keep to yourself. I phoned my wife. Every one of us represented many more who wanted to be there. A friend of mine in Williamsburg called me!

Around us were people representing every state in the Union. They were all doing the same thing. The great dome grew closer!

Clouds breaking over the Capitol.

The crowd surrounding the Capitol Reflecting Pool.

"Prepare to witness great and mighty miracles in your life time."--Glenn Beck

The West Front of the Capitol was already packed with people when we arrived. we managed to find this spot near the reflecting pool and behind us people continued to stream in. Every one in the crowd was motivated by their own concern, anger and love of country to make the journey.

I never saw the speakers' platform. We barely were able to hear the speakers but I especially remember the car dealer from New York who spoke about how the government takeover of the manufacturer had led to his dealership being taken away. Three decades of strong sales and good service to the community was dissolved overnight!

Now we were faced with the government controlling healthcare and an even larger share of the economy. Social Security and Medicare are bankrupt, the Post Office is losing money too. The language of HR3200 provides for expanded role for government in your health care and your health care decisions. Cap and Trade puts more tax burden on industry as it tries to compete with the world. Patrick Henry's worst nightmare seems poised to become reality. The American people have gathered on the National Mall to say "enough!" [to be continued]

SWAC Girl Can't Stop Writing About It Either [click to read].

London Daily Mail Estimates Crowd at One Million [click to read].

"The size of the crowd - by far the biggest protest since the president took office in January - shocked the White House." -- London Daily Mail

A Lady from Australia comments: "After all the first 'tea parties' were ridiculed in by many actors, politicians and the so called main stream media when they hit out the first time, they can't be ignored now. I think that there are many Americans who now regret the way they voted."

Pajamas Media on 'How Big Was The Crowd?' [click to read].

Looking Back: 9 Principles, 12 Values [click to read]. Glenn Beck plants the seed.

"It is the duty of every patriot to protect his country from its government." -- Thomas Paine

Signs Seen on Greenville Avenue

2011-10-13T06:15:00.000-07:00

Sixty Years of Staunton Eateries on Display

Harry's Lunch.

Kline's.

The Most Important Level of Government...

2011-10-13T06:07:00.000-07:00

Bumper Stickers Seen on Greenville Avenue

David Karaffa bumper stickers remind you to vote on November 8th. Be sure to check if your local polling place has changed due to redistricting.

The Forgotten Christians of the East

2011-10-11T17:36:00.000-07:00

Egypt's Copts Struggle Under Persecution

One of the world's oldest churches, the Coptic church, is under siege.

The American News is saturated with the 'anti corporate' protesters. There was even a protest in Staunton, conveniently staged on a Federal holiday. The News Leader took great pains to tell us how 'nice' the mob was. Corporationa are evil. I HAVE a corporation (the rendering and model studio). OK, main stream media, I'm evil and greedy already. Let's move on.

On Sunday night, Egyptian Coptic Christians staged what was supposed to be a peaceful vigil at Egypt's state television headquarters in Cairo. The 1,000 Christians represented the ancient Christian community of some 8 million whose presence in Egypt predates the establishment of Islam by several centuries. They gathered in Cairo to protest the recent burning of two churches by Islamic mobs and the rapid escalation of state-supported violent attacks on Christians by Muslim groups since the overthrow of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in February.

As many as forty of them were killed by soldiers and muslim thugs. They were beaten, dragged through the streets and run over by military vehicles. They are my brothers.

Caroline B. Glick has This Report [click to read] in Jewish World Review.

Autumn Color Begins on the Parkway

2011-10-11T17:19:00.000-07:00

The Mountains Take on a bit of Color

Raven's Roost Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

THYME Magazine

2011-10-06T10:17:00.000-07:00

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor

Volume III, Issue XC

The Passing of a Modern Day Edison

Steve Jobs has died at the age of 56. The 'other' weekly news magazine joins us in honoring the founder of Apple. Many will write today about the man's amazing ability to see into the future and apply technology in new and meaningful ways. Perhaps the greatest thing to celebrate and contemplate is the unique climate of inventiveness that is so much a part of American life.

I have friends who invent products like Rider's Rasp and Paddock Patch. Therefore, in my work I encounter many people who work in the realm of ideas. Some have called the creation of ideas the 'greatest American resource.' Indeed, as we look to the future, might we see young minds rise to the challenges before us? I believe we have yet to see the greatest work of the wunderkind who are among us. I have two friends who are building electric vehicles.

Being in the business of communicating ideas gives you a unique perspective on the creative experience. I think of the time in the Nineteenth Century when it was suggested that the government close the Patent Office because: "everything that is going to be invented has already been invented!" Good thing we didn't heed that advice too seriously!

Thoughts on Purpose in Life's Work

2011-10-04T17:44:00.000-07:00

Every Person's Calling to Build G-d's Kingdom

Painted glass vase by Carmen Rose Shenk.

I came upon this quotation which seems to recast significantly the purpose we so diligently seek for our lives. It is worth reflecting on these truths in a world where our retirement funds are dissapearing, our masterpieces fade and our trophies tarnish. There is a better place to invest our time and treasure... that Kingdom that was the hope of the faithful in Hebrews 11:

"But what what we can and must do in the present, if we are obedient to the gospel, if we are following Jesus, and if we are indwelt, energized, and directed by the Spirit, is to build for the kingdom. This brings me back to 1 Corinthians 15:58 once more: what you do for the Lord is not in vain. You are not oiling the wheels of a machine that's about to roll over a cliff. You are not restoring a great painting that's shortly going to be thrown on the fire. You are not planting roses in a garden that's about to be dug up for a building site. You are -- strange though it may seem, almost as hard to believe as the resurrection itself -- accomplishing something that will become in due course part of G-d's new world. Every act of love, gratitude and kindness; every work of art or music inspired by the love of G-d and delight in the beauty of his creation; every minute spent teaching a severely handicapped child to read or walk; every act of care and nurture, of comfort and support, for one's fellow human beings and for that matter one's fellow nonhuman creatures; and of course every prayer, all Spirit-led teaching, every deed that spreads the gospel, builds up the church, embraces and embodies holiness rather than corruption, and makes the name of Jesus honored in the world -- all of this will find its way, through the resurrecting power of G-d, into the new creation that G-d will one day make. That is the logic of the mission of G-d." -- N. T. Wright, Surprised by Hope, Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church, page 208.

A Stimulous We Could Believe In

2011-10-01T05:47:00.000-07:00

The President Needs to Look to Teddy, Not Franklin

The Great White Fleet with the battleship USS Connecticut at the lead...

"There's a stimulus plan that President Obama could put forward that would attract strong bipartisan support and which would also produce great jobs at great wages while strengthening the nation's defenses.

He could propose to build the Navy the country needs." -- Hugh Hewitt

This Proposal [click to read] would basically consist of carrying out a plan put forth five years ago to deploy a fleet of 313 ships by 2020. "The Navy is short by more than 30 ships of its own admitted needs. That is the equivalent of just under three complete aircraft carrier strike force groups (each with 13 ships built around a carrier and each requiring about 8,000 sailors)," according to Hewitt.

...left Hampton Roads, Virginia in December of 1907 to circumnavigate the globe. The ships were all painted white, the Navy's peacetime color scheme.

THYME Magazine

2011-09-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor

Volume III, Issue XXXIX

Special Money Issue

The federal government will take in $2.173 trillion in 2011. That’s their income, and it sounds pretty good. Until, that is, you factor in that the federal government will spend $3.818 trillion during the year. So, just like many families, the government’s outgo exceeds their income—to the tune of $1.645 trillion in overspending. That’s called the deficit. Altogether, the government has $14.2 trillion in debt. According to the MSM though, we're making 'serious' budget cuts to address the problem head on. Here are the actual numbers:

US Tax Revenue: $2,170,000,000,000
Federal Budget: $3,820,000,000,000
New Debt: $1,650,000,000,000
National Debt: $14,271,000,000,000
Recent Budget Cut: $38,500,000,000

Now, in the spirit of Rush Limbaugh, let's make the complex understandable. Simply divide all the big numbers by one hundred million (remove eight zeros) and think of it as a household budget:

Now it starts to make sense, right?

L. Randall Wray of the Roosevelt Institute argues that you cannot compare the Federal budget to a household budget, largely basing his assumptions on the mass of the United States economy. As India and China continue to grow, however, Wray's assertions seem less convincing.

The current situation in Greece and Europe would seem to underscore the old agage: "If your outgo exceeds your income, then your upkeep will be your downfall."

Joy in the Journey, Milepost 60

2011-09-28T07:25:00.000-07:00

True Friends on the Road Less Travelled...

A special hike with my family after our celebration at Humpback Mountain picnic area.

I had no idea what it would feel like, reaching the next big turn of the odometer as it were, but the congratulatory messages started pouring in early from friends and family. The first was from friends in Thailand, where my birthday would have started earlier.

This Lovely Tribute [click to read] by my friend and fellow blogger, Lynn Mitchell, really moved me. Thank you!

Paintless Dent Repair

2011-09-28T07:07:00.000-07:00

The Art of Smoothing Damaged Auto Metal

Keith Hebert of Dent Free Paintless Dent Repair [1.] concentrates as he brings an automobile hood back to its original shape using an assortment of specially designed tools.

Does Government Do Too Much?

2011-09-26T08:14:00.000-07:00

That Could Depend on Your View of the Divine

The Federal Reserve in Washington.

Here is a really thought provoking piece: Does Government Do Too Much? [click to read] by G. Jeffrey MacDonald in Jewish World Review. Dr. Walter E. Williams looks at the real cost of looking to the government for more and more, asking: "How do we Fix it?" [click to read] ht/Greg

"People who strongly believe in an engaged G-d who "has a plan for me," were much more likely to agree that "the government does too much" and "able-bodied people who are out of work shouldn't receive unemployment checks," according to a just-released Baylor University survey.

By contrast, those who believe that G-d is more removed from day-to-day affairs — or who don't believe in G0d at all — are more likely to reject small government and economic conservatism." -- G. Jeffrey MacDonald

Life in Renaissance Waynesboro

2011-09-26T07:42:00.000-07:00

Reinvigorating Augusta's Gateway to the Blue Ridge

Fairfax Hall, originally the Brandon Hotel, once lured visitors to Basic City. Now Basic City is part of Waynesboro. Illustration by Bob Kirchman.

Waynesboro grew to its greatest extent in the mid-Twentieth Century propelled by industry such as the DuPont plant that employed thousands...

Waynesboro rode the industrial boom of the mid-Twentieth Century to become a very prosperous community. The city's beautiful homes and churches give evidence of this golden age. In This Two Part Series [click to read] NBC 29 looks at how the big factories helped build Waynesboro and their decline has led to new challenges for the community.

Fairfax Hall is one example of how the community is seeking to reinvent itself by revitalizing some of its great historic institutions. Bill Hausrath used historic preservation credits and incentives for creating affordable housing to restore Fairfax Hall to its original glory [with modern appliances]. The Wayne Theatre is being restored as a performance venue.

Wayesboro is located at the entrance to a major National Park and is convenient to two major interstates. There are a number of properties such as the old Virginia Metalcrafters building just waiting for creative 'reinvention.' The Valley has a willing workforce waiting to be tapped. The Governor is actively pursuing pro-market policies on the state level.

Silicon Valley firms facing higher taxation in California should be takng note.

...and provided the resources for them to build many fine homes in the city.

Lynn Mitchell was having lunch at Grean Leaf Grill [1.] on Main Street as our team was working on a project across the street which will bring more life to downtown. Photo by Lynn Mitchell

THYME Magazine

2011-09-22T17:25:00.000-07:00

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor

Volume III, Issue XXXVIII

The 'Science' of Favoritism

There is so much to report on this week: Palestinian 'statehood,' the economic woes of Europe and the United States and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to New York. The 'other' weekly news magazine is featuring the cover story: "Why Mom Liked You Best." OK, it is a story remeniscent of an old Smothers Brothers show.

Here's a favoritism study worth reporting: Why does the American Left so love the Palestinians and Jihad-friendly folks who'd really like to see us gone right after they nuke Israel into oblivion (and they blatently say so)? American intellectuals have bent over backward to promote disdain for our own amazing achievements as a people in our major universities. Our media is saturated with self-loathing 'reporting' guaranteed to dispirit the most resilient of people.

While it is a sign of maturity as a people to deal honestly with our failings as a people, it is equally mature to recognize the goodness that underpins the American way of life.

It is time to take back the conversation from the naysayers. America still stands as a unique experiment in self-government and individual responsibility. It is still the land of opportunity to millions who live outside her borders. Her Constitution has served as a catalyst to give dignity and a voice to people of every ethnicity and persuasion. The American dream is not about owning a house, it is rather that vision of a bright shining city on a hill, one that inspires and enriches the human condition... a celebration of "imago dei."

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassion'd stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness.
America! America!
God mend thine ev'ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law.

O beautiful for heroes prov'd
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country lov'd,
And mercy more than life.
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev'ry gain divine.

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears.
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.

The lyrics were written by Katharine Lee Bates and the music composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward.

Binyamin Netanyahu Addresses the UN

"The real leader of the free world."

"The Most Important Level of Government is Local"
--Thomas Jefferson

Signs for David Karaffa for supervisor line the entrance to the Brookwood subdivision.

If Israel Disappears...

2011-09-20T06:58:00.000-07:00

Show Me the One Free Society in the Middle East

The United States should realize that Israel's friendshp is one of the few certainties we have in the Middle East. We should cherish it accordingly.

If Israel Disappears... [click to read] by Cal Thomas in Jewish World Review.

"If the Palestinians laid down their arms, there would be peace. If Israel laid down its arms tomorrow, there would be no Israel" -- credited to Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

"Any solution for the Iraqi problem cannot be reached without Arabs and Arab participation." --Amr Moussa, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States

"How will decent people in the region ever believe in peace if Arab terrorists interpret every gesture of peace as a display of weakness and then act accordingly?" --Tom Lantos, US Congressman

ht/Phil for these quotes.

Phil has Some Background [click to read] on the situation in Israel as Mrs. Clinton throws Israel to the wolves. Thankfully Israel has Binyamin Netanyahu to guide her, a man who walks in the spirit of David and the wisdom of Solomon. I hope Mr. Netanyahu realizes how many of us are ashamed of the treatment he is being given by our 'official' representatives.

When Mr. Netanyahu addressed the United Nations and said "have you no shame?" he spoke for many of us. He spoke for me!

So Mr. Netanyahu, please realize how many of us see your leadership and appreciate it. We are working to restore balance in our own government that includes official recognition of the bond between our peoples.

When I think of Israel my mind cannot help wandering to flowers. This small nation, the size of New Jersey, exports many fine flowers and other agricultural products as well. Her produce is known throughout the world.

A Little History [click to read]. ht/Phil

A Two State Peace isn't the Arab Goal [click to read]. Here is some historical perspective from Jeff Jacoby in Jewish World Review.

The "whole world" wants a Palestinian state and near utopia in the Middle East. It won't happen. Here's why.

Modern Day Nehemiah

2011-09-20T06:50:00.000-07:00

Noam Bedein's Mission is Unique, But It's Not New

A "Milestone Monday" Feature

"But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. "What is this you are doing?" they asked. "Are you rebelling against the king?" -- (Nehemiah 2:19)

Noam Bedein, Founder of Sderot Media

I frankly expected someone much older. The website I discovered while trying to get perspective on the situation in Southern Israel Sderot Media [click to read] is the creation of Noam Bedein, a young man in his twenties. Just like Nehemiah of old, Bedein saw the perilous situation of his beloved city and became both advocate and activist to change things. In the face of opposition from the Western Media, Uninformed pressure from Western Leaders and downright hostility from Hamas, the young photojournalist found his mission to tell Sderot's story and work for the healing of her people. Bedein’s ultimate goal is: "to make people aware of the crisis and present the Israeli perspective that is not often portrayed accurately in the media."

Bedein has lived through about 7000 rockets raining down on the city, who's population consists largely of new immigrants [many from Russia] who are simply too poor to move elsewhere. Many of the citizens are dug in to stay, fearing their exodus would simply create a vacuum for terrorists to move in.

Through Sderot Media, he has also founded Sderot Community Treatment Theater. This theatre project helps young residents of Sderot suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome.

Words Mean Things, Punctuation Matters

2011-09-19T06:27:00.001-07:00

A Friend Shines New Light on an Old Mystery

Jesus, from the Mural at Staunton Alliance Church.

"Since I have been at SEBTS studying theology for 6 years now I have been looking for an explicit statement about Christ being G-d. There have been those like John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with G-d, and the Word was G-d.” Or, Col 2:9: “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form…”

But none of them used the words “Christ” And “G-d” in the same sentence. Well I found one: Romans 9:5 ESV translates this well. Here it is in the Greek and my own translation." -- Danny Achten

Punctuation Matters [click to read] by Danny Achten

Massanutten Mountain Morning

2011-09-19T06:10:00.000-07:00

Scenes from a Getaway at Massanutten Lodge

Dew on a spider web...

...catches the morning light.

Horses at the Keezlenutten Stables.

Sunlight filters through the morning mist in the trees.

THYME Magazine

2011-09-15T16:14:00.000-07:00

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor

Volume III, Issue XXXVII

The Rise of Rick Perry, MSM's Downfall

You know the story: "There's no one out there for the Republicans..." it seems like the MSM is obsessed with it. Take a look at the recent CNN Tea Party Debate, however, and you come away with the realization that Conservativism actually has a pretty deep bench. This week the 'other' weekly news magazine reports on 'The Rise of Rick Perry.' You can almost hear the frustration as Joe Klein embarks on another road trip in search of what he calls 'sanity in America.'

Klein's 'sanity' probably would consist of the Republican candidate being, at worst, Mitt Romney or at best, John McCain. Those crazy Tea Party Conservatives, according to MSM, are just too likely to scare away those all-important independents. When they say this, they're forgetting Ronald Reagan and a host of other solid Conservative candidates who won by articulating conservative principles.

All attempts to cast the Tea Party Conservatives as crazy racist fringe people fly in the face of the fact that they are the adults in the room. They WANT to talk about taking on government spending and runaway debt. They know that the definition of a 'Ponzi Scheme' fits the way Social Security actually is funded.

They're smart enough to know that a state executive with real experience has had to make some tough calls. They may disagree with some calls that executive has made, but they can see that real experience happens in the real world. Governing a state is a lot tougher than being a 'Community Organizer' or voting 'present.' One must actually digest the best information available and make the best call with it. Here is where Michele Bachmann might do well to remember some military history. Great campaigns and important victories are often realized after some initial moves that can be called no less than disasterous. Expecting perfect decisions is a little unrealistic.

They are hungry for leadership with a proven record creating a state environment friendly to job creation and industry. They are hungry for leadership that exhibits Faith and commitment to principles. They overwhelmingly voted for such candidates in the last election. They are working for 'sanity in America.' Joe, wake up and smell the coffee.

The Perils of Dividing Jerusalem

A Little Realism [click to read] from Michael J. Totten in City Journal.

Palestine's Nakba Narrative [click to read] by Sol Stern in City Journal.

The Palestinian Obsession [click to read] by Caroline B. Glick

"Every single Palestinian leader from the supposedly moderate Fatah party has rejected Israel's right to exist and stated that they will never set aside their demand that Israel accept millions of foreign born Arabs — the so-called Palestinian "refugees" -- as citizens. They say this with the full knowledge that this demand is nothing less than a demand for Israel's destruction." -- Caroline B. Glick

The Window from which We Look

2011-09-13T08:44:00.000-07:00

Sometimes what we see Depends on our own Window

"A young couple moves into a new neighborhood.
The next morning while they are eating breakfast,
The young woman sees her neighbor hanging the wash outside.
"That laundry is not very clean", she said.
"She doesn't know how to wash correctly.
Perhaps she needs better laundry soap."

Her husband looked on, but remained silent.
Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry,
The young woman would make the same comments.

About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a
Nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband:

"Look, she has learned how to wash correctly.
I wonder who taught her this."

The husband said, "I got up early this morning and
Cleaned our windows."

And so it is with life. What we see when watching others
Depends on the purity of the window through which we look ." ht/Joy

Tea Party Debate, Taking on the Evil Empire

2011-09-13T04:57:00.000-07:00

"You Came in That!, You're Braver than I Thought!"

My own photo of Michele Bachmann from last year's rally.

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement." -- Unknown.

Watching last night's CNN Tea Party Debate [1], I was not so much looking for a winner and a loser, but wanting to see how the candidates might work "in ensemble." Visible was a lot of talent that rightly combined might just propel us to the point of retaking the high ground necessary to save this country.

Erick Erickson [click to read] is calling Perry the winner. Still, he points to how Rick Perry fumbled the immigration and HPV issues. Bachmann drilled into Perry, who stumbled into an awkward defense of his decisions on those two points. Perry would have been light years ahead had he stopped after admitting that his decision was wrong. Experienced leaders, you see, have had to have opportunity to gain experience.

Bachmann sounded a bit like Princess Leah in Star Wars, Grilling the reckless Han Solo. That banter is some of the greatest dialogue in movies. Filmmaker George Lucas put together his initial cast by working the actors "in ensemble." That means he wanted to see how they worked together before he cast them. Lacking the number of "Han Solos" he needed to do this, he grabbed Harrison Ford, who was an unemployed actor doing carpentry in his office. He put him in the dialogue tryout with Carrie Fisher and the rest is history! The two of them had what it takes to defeat the evil empire! Not only that, the chemistry was amazing to watch...

Back to last night's debate, Bachmann and Perry just seemed to have what it takes to sharpen a great attack on Obama's Evil Empire. Make Ron Paul the new Fed chairman and replace all the Czars with the wisdom of Gingrich and Cain, but give us Han and Leah to fight Emperor Obama and Darth Biden. I see the chemistry there.

Is Social Security a 'Ponzi Scheme,' as Rick Perry Says?

Merriam Webster Definition of PONZI SCHEME: "an investment swindle in which some early investors are paid off with money put up by later ones in order to encourage more and bigger risks (Origin): Charles Ponzi,1949 American (Itaian-born) swindler."

Early 'investors' in the Social Security System pay into an 'account' that does not exist. Monies go into the general fund and are spent by the government. Early investors are actually paid off with money put up by later ones. How is this NOT a Ponzi scheme?

Giving the Victims of 09/11 a Voice

2011-09-11T14:42:00.000-07:00

One Man's Unique Vision to Never Forget

Xaver Wilhelmy created a unique glass organ pipe design and a plan to remember the victims of 09/11.

This is a Milestone Monday feature.

I first met Xaver Wilhelmy in 2003 and a few days after our introduction we were standing overlooking the massive hole at Ground Zero. I had been asked to illustrate his proposal for the memorial competition.

The vision that he unfolded that day was inspiring. He wanted to create a massive organ who's 3000 some pipes would give a voice to each person who was murdered in the attacks on the United States. Xaver is a master craftsman who has made organ pipes out of every material imaginable. The instrument he envisioned would have the usual metal and wood pipes... but in addition there would be the wonderful glass pipes! They would rise around the room to capture light coming in through the windows. I could give myself goose bumps imagining something like Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man ringing through that wonderful room.

Xaver actually created a portion of the work... a series of glass pipes depicting the American flag. He showed them at two conventions of the American Guild of Organists. Alas, his inspired piece was overlooked in the 5000 some entries in the memorial competition. Still, it begs one to reconsider the non-memorial memorials so in vogue right now. Rather than reduce the victims to some monolithic repeated design, why NOT celebrate the unique character and voice of each life that was destroyed that day.

Phil's Video [click to watch] reminded me of Xaver's vision. Seeing the faces of the NYPD members who died that day prompted me to think again about the voices that were silenced that day... Fathers, Husbands, Brothers, Sisters, Friends and Colleagues. May we do the right thing and never forget them.

Read Xaver's Vision [click to read] in his own words.
ht/Laney, who reminded me of this post.

Xaver Wilhelmy's beautiful glass organ pipes form an American flag.

THYME Magazine

2011-09-09T14:50:00.000-07:00

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor

Volume III, Issue XXXVI

9/12

It was the day after the attacks on the United States by Islamic extremists who hijacked airplanes and flew them into icons of American military and financial strength. Thousands were dead. The illusion of safety we had lived under was forever shattered.

Did you reach out and take the hand of a stanger to pray? Did you put your lunch money in a firefighter's outstretched boot? Did you gather with others in a church that evening?

Like the Continental Army camped at Valley Forge, we knew that our Nation and our way of life were in danger of being lost, and we came together.

'Beyond' 9/11

The mainstream media wants us to 'get over 9/11.' Andrew Breitbart [click to read] offers the details. The same people who want us to 'get over' the founding of our nation and who want us to 'get over' the foundational faith that has sustained us, want us to 'get over' this moment in history.

"The Mainstream Media would have you believe that a hurricane hitting a city that is below sea level and that has been struck by hurricanes repeatedly throughout its history is anomalous and open to yearly review, yet the terrorist attacks upon us is a matter we need to simply get over now! This is the same media that will show images of flooded homes and victims awaiting rescue in the aftermath of Katrina, but then make the excuses that we can’t show the images of 9-11 because of the trauma and possible hatred they would foster if shown annually." -- Kevin L. Martin

It was no small wonderment then that the 'other' weekly news magazine ran "What to Eat" as their cover for the issue dated September 12. To be fair, TIME publishes the issue a week before the issue date. Still it is interesting to see their commemorative issue crank out the following week, delivered early enough to be in readers' hands for the 9/11 weekend. It seems almost like an afterthought. To be fair, the issue commemorates the event and people, but the headline 'Beyond 9/11' seems to indicate that they'd like to move on from discussing the historical significance of that terrible day.

Miracles and Divine Protection in Manhattan

"Ten years ago this Sunday, Muslim terrorists rained death and destruction of unparalleled magnitude on an unsuspecting America at New York's Twin Towers and the Pentagon outside Washington. And while so many first responders gave their lives in their attempts to save others, one group witnessed a succession of open miracles — and no losses. A decade later, the leaders of Hatzolah, an EMT group whose members are comprised entirely of Orthodox Jewish volunteers, relive the Divine Providence of that horrifying day, which they didn't believe they'd survive" -- Eytan Kobre

"I'm here to listen to some prominent Hatzolah members share their recollections of 9/11 for the tenth anniversary coverage of that tragedy of tragedies — but I fail. Because as I sit across from Heshy Jacob, Hatzolah's indomitable president, it quickly becomes clear I've gotten it all wrong: For Heshy, as for Hatzolah CEO Rabbi Dovid Cohen and board member Zelig Gitelis, who joined our conversation, there are no 9/11 "anniversaries," tenth or otherwise. They — like the 185 other Hatzolah members who spent September 11, 2001, in downtown Manhattan — relive those frightening hours every day of their lives."

Read More [click to read] in Jewish World Review.

Jewish World Review editor Binyamin L. Jolkovsky offers a Packed Issue [click to read] of commentary and analysis of the day that is well worthy of recommendation. If you are not a regular reader of this fine publication, I urge you to begin today. Although it is delivered 'free' on the web, please treat it as any valuable news source and consider making a regular donation to cover your 'subscription.'

Myth and Reality after 9/11 [click to read] by Victor Davis Hanson in Jewish World Review.

Our Flag will be flying Sunday.

A Sampler from City Journal

Judith Miller:
New York 9/11/11 [click to read]
Ten years after the terror attacks, the city is safer, thanks to the NYPD—but the threat remains.

Victor Davis Hanson:
The Ripples of 9/11 [click to read]
A decade of surprises in the war on terror

Andrew Klavan:
When Hollywood Hit Rock Bottom [click to read]
Post-9/11, the film industry covered itself in shame.

Fred Siegel, Sol Stern:
Naming the 9/11 Enemy [click to read]
Our long struggle will only get longer if we refuse to understand radical Islamism.

Ron Radosh:
How Time and Newsweek Memorialize 9/11 [click to read]
The 'other other' weekly news magazine loses touch.

An Alternative to the President's Speech

2011-09-08T16:04:00.000-07:00

Tim Hawkins Says What the President Ought to Say

"The Government Can."

Children's Art is a Statement of Truth

2011-09-07T07:29:00.000-07:00

It is a Great Gift to be Able to See through Young Eyes

Handprint Rainbow.

"I'd like to study the drawings of kids. That's where the truth is without a doubt." --André Derain. ht Laney Riley

September 11, 2001 Lives in our Memory

2011-09-05T12:14:00.000-07:00

Never Forget the Real 9/11...

The Cross found at Ground Zero. Photo by Samuel Li. CC

Our parents could tell you exactly where they were and what they were doing on that day in December when Japanese planes struck Pearl Habor. I will always remember that beautiful blue skied September day. It was the kind of day private pilots love to be able to get off work and put in some flying time. Then the sky was suddenly devoid of aircraft as Yamisaki's towers collapsed and the Pentagon burned. In Shanksville, Pennsylvania an airliner crashed into the ground.

We were under attack. We prayed. Firefighters and members of NYPD did their jobs... they were heroes! They were our fellow Americans.

You would think that the events of September ten years ago, like the attack on Pearl Harbor, would remain in the forefront of our National narrative. Sadly, there are many who would rewrite that narrative to Exclude the Events of 09/11 [click to read]. ht/Lynn

On Jumping to Conclusions

2011-09-05T06:37:00.000-07:00

Some 'Information' is Best Left Unshared

While the sign may show insensitivity, it is not what it appears to be.

There is a reason I don't forward emails. Sometimes I feel compelled to learn a little more on my own before passing information along. This one is making the rounds now, showing a sign on the door of a 'Perfume Planet' store in Houston's Harwin Central Mall. The email states that the owner of the store is closing his business to honor one of the 09/11 hijackers.

A little research will show you that none of the hijacker/terrorists was named 'Ali.' The Imam Ali (Imam is a title for a religious leader, not a name). The Imam Ali is no modern day terorist, but rather a 7th Century cleric, a cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad.

Ali was attacked while praying in a mosque on the 19th day of Ramadan. He died two days later. A calendar coincidence placed the anniversary of his martyrdom on September 11 in 2009.

While the store's manager, Imran Chunawala, may legitimately be accused of insensitivity, the sign itself is no reference to the attacks on America in 2001. Perpetuating a slander against the man is a greater evil.

Sadly history is full of misinformation mishandled. Six million Jews died in the horror of Nazzi genocide. Misinformation fueled the campaign to exterminate them. In our own country, the extermination of Native Americans was similarly incited.

One of the saddest chapters of our National history is recorded in the book 'Trail of Tears.' The event was the extermination of a whole community of Moravian Cherokee. Befriended by the settlers of Eastern Pennsylvania and Central North Carolina, the Moravian Cherokee adapted the peaceful ways and the faith of their Moravian friends only to be slaughtered later as 'hostile savages.'

Red House Virginia's Terrorist Training Camp

Meanwhile, real threats seem to go unheeded my many in the MSM. A good example is this compound in rural Virginia. With enough real threats to consider, there is no need to create imaginary ones.

In the fight against worldwide terrorism, truth is our friend.

This is a fairly old Fox News report, but the content is still important.

THYME Magazine

2011-09-02T11:15:00.000-07:00

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor

Volume III, Issue XXXV

Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)
Alan Jackson

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?
Were you in the yard with your wife and children
Or working on some stage in L.A.?
Did you stand there in shock at the sight of that black smoke
Risin' against that blue sky?
Did you shout out in anger, in fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry?

Did you weep for the children who lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don't know?
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below?
Did you burst out in pride for the red, white and blue
And the heroes who died just doin' what they do?
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself and what really matters?

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell
you the difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?
Were you teaching a class full of innocent children
Or driving down some cold interstate?
Did you feel guilty 'cause you're a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone?
Did you call up your mother and tell her you loved her?
Did you dust off that Bible at home?

Did you open your eyes, hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep?
Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages
Or speak to some stranger on the street?
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Or go out and buy you a gun?
Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watchin'
And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns?

Did you go to a church and hold hands with some strangers
Did you stand in line and give your own blood?
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love?

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell
you the difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day?

Lower Manhattan, New York, New York. Photo by Detective Greg Smedinger

Arlington, Virginia.

Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The 'other' weekly news magazine features 'food' on the cover [1.] For the September 12th issue, we feel something more serious is appropriate.

It's a Beautiful Day and I Can't See It

2011-09-01T12:14:00.000-07:00

How We Describe a Situation Shines a Certain Light on it

ht/Joy

Evening light on Elliott's Knob.