Help for Haiti

Here Are Some Organizations Who Are Helping

Samaritan's Purse [click to read].
World Vision [click to read].
Compassion and Mercy Associates [click to read].
Red Cross [click to read].
Advancing Native Missions [click to read].
The Salvation Army [click to read].
"We Combat Natural Disasters with Acts of G-d"


Coast Guard photo of earthquake damage in Haiti.

Theodore Dalrymple on Haiti in City Journal [click to read].

Chapman's Mill on Broad Run

More Pictures of the Historic Mill


In 1742 Jonathan and Nathaniel Chapman built this mill. Located between the great valley of Virginia and the Port of Alexandria...

The last time I took my son to Dulles I stopped at Chapman's Mill [click to read] and took some Pictures [click to view]. It took a bit of hiking through Bull Run Mountain Conservancy to get near the mill, which is surrounded by a chain link fence. On Sundays the fence is open so I was able to drive right up to the other side of the mill where you get a better sense of how high it is.

This Summer one of the high points was reconstructing the historic town of Ellicott's Mills [click to view]. Chapman's Mill and McCormick's Mill [click to view] became models for our


...that operated in portions of three Centuries.

More Pictures of Our Model [click to view].
More Pictures of Our Model [click to view].

The William J. Carter Farm

Mountain Farm at Humpback Rocks


I tried to capture the isolation of such small farms in the mountains prior to the big storm. Of course the vapor trail doesn't help but you can still imagine. On a damp day you might have heard a train whistle from way down in the Valley back in the Nineteenth Century. I suppose that would have only added to your sense of being cut off from the world.

Thoughts on a Frosty Mountain Hike [click to read] got me thinking of a time years ago when my daughter and I went to the Frontier Culture Museum one Winter's day. One of our friends was the interpreter in the Irish farm house so we lingered a bit as a snowstorm blew in. I remember looking out the window and thinking how isolated little farm houses would be in stormy weather.

Later we read the Laura Ingalls Wilder books together. There is the time the Ingalls were caught in the Dakota's in their little house during a fierce blizzard. No Carharts were to be had then. Pa wore a big old Buffalo coat and had to keep walking so as not to freeze when he was caught out overnight.

More Photos [click to view] of the farm.

Church of Gore, Statement of Faith

Dr. Walter Williams Takes on the True Believers


Temperatures are not proving anthropogenic global warming but that does not mean anything to the 'faithful.'

Global Warming is a Religion [click to read].

"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed —and hence clamorous to be led to safety — by menacing it with anendless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary." -- Henry Louis Mencken (1880-1956)

I'm not a big fan of H. L. Mencken, who pretty much had the same opinion of all religion, but in this case the quote fits.


Three weeks after Virginia mountains received over twenty inches of snow the Blue Ridge Parkway is still closed.

"Be Informed"

John Coleman, Founder of the Weather Channel
Debunks Anthropogenic Global Warming 'Science'

Phil Has the Details [click to watch].

Anthropogenic Global Warming is a delusion. ht/Phil

"Be Prepared"

In Retsopect, She Did Exceedingly Well

Looking back on the period before the Republican Convention in 2008, one does well to remember that Joe Lieberman was the guy for Vice-President. That is, of course if you believed the conventional wisdom that Republicans needed to become more like Democrats to win elections -- a myth gleefully propagated by the 'mainstream' media.

Here's the problem though; give Colin Powell his 'ideal' Republican candidate and he still bolts from the ranks and endorses Obama. Face it, the Democrats will always be better at being Democrats than Republicans will. Forgotten in all this was the unique message that the party offers voters.

There were voices in the wilderness, however, that saw the value of returning to the party's life-affirming and government restraining roots. Nat Hentoff [click to read] was one such voice.

In a last ditch effort to save the floundering McCain campaign the party actually listened to the voices of people like Hentoff and brought Governor Palin into the fray as the upcoming convention rapidly filled the windshield. Palin was a popular governor who voted her conscience [and, hear this Washington, still HAD one]! She was rushed to the front and did very well. Without the economic meltdown that the Democrats so effectively tied to Bush, her energy very likely would have pulled out a win. The base was back in the game. A lot of independent voters were still signing up for 'change,' whatever 'change' was... the rest is history

When people I know start bashing Governor Palin for her inexperience, unreadiness, or whatever, I like to point out her Opinion Pieces [click to read] in such publications as the Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post [click to read]. The issues that counted when she was a governor rated her serious scholarship. Pronouncing Joe Biden's name right probably didn't get all that much thought. Looks Like She'll Get Plenty of Opportunity to Get it Right [click to read] in the very near future as a regular contributor to The Fox Network [click to read]. ht/SWAC Girl

Update: More on Governor Palin:

Larry Elder on Palin [click to read].

The Book of Sarah [click to read].

Texas for Palin [click to read].



THYME Magazine's 'Woman of the Year' [click to read].

Team Sarah [click to read].

Conservatives for Palin [click to read]. ht/Mike, SWAC Girl

THYME Magazine

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor


Volume II, Issue II

Designer Genes

Francis Collins calls the genetic code "The Language of G-d." Indeed there is a beautiful blueprint for life that causes us to wonder.There is the predictability that is the hallmark of great design but there is more to this wonder than meets the eye. Science suggests that environment and choices we make can have an effect, positive or negative, on how the design unfolds.

The science of epigenetics suggests that our environment and the choices we make in light of it may shape the direction of our development and that of our children. The code, it would seem, is written in such a way as to allow for the creature to be 'modified' to better function in an ever changing environment.

For years biologists assumed that Alaska had two distinct species of brown bear. More recently they discovered that the large Kodiak and the Grizzly were really genetically the same animal. The bigger bears enjoyed a diet rich in salmon and their smaller cousins' diet was a mixture of forage and small game. Environment and diet obviously contributed to the difference in execution of the same genetic plan.

Scientists studying human biology have discovered similar findings. The children of one people group that endured alternating periods of want and plenty showed that the offspring of those who endured famine tended to live longer lives than those born of those who could eat all they wanted. The implication is that we can make the tough choices in the way of diet and lifestyle and better that of our sons and daughters.

But on a deeper level, is it possible to look beyond the "Language of G-d" and be influenced by the designer's mind of the Creator. Can it be that our beings, made in the manner perscribed by our DNA, may begiven to the noblest of purpose or the basest?

History is full of people who have experienced some sort of personal redemption. That is to say they have moved from lives of dark deeds to noble ones. A prime example is John Newton, an English slave trader. He repented of the foul business of trading in human lives and wrote the hymn "Amazing Grace" to explain the redemptive experience that changed his life. Newton would go on to be a major encourager of William Wilberforce, the Parliamentarian who fought for decades to end the slave trade.

Newton, so well depicted by Albert Finney in the film "Amazing Grace" clearly had the capacity to destroy human lives by enslaving them --yet it was Newton who discovered himself to be the slave to the wretched life of a slaver. There is a line in his famous hymn where he says "[I] was blind but now I see!" If man has a spiritual aspect to his character, described by some 'spiritual DNA,' Newton's was clearly and forever altered for the better.


Dr. Francis Collins.

Healthcare: The Saga Continues

On January 6th about 200 Virginians [click to read] showed up at the local offices of Senators Warner and Webb to voice their concerns about so-called healthcare 'reform.' As you know, the President who promised 'transparency' is now pushing for the conference in secret to work out the differences between House and Senate versions of the bill.

Our Senators didn't want to meet with us for town hall meetings so the people had to go to them. ht/SWAC Girl


We tried. David Karaffa set up a forum for the Senators to expain the healthcare legislation but both declined.

Creating a Race of Thugs

Yankee Phil [click to read] Reports on a disturbing trend in British law enforcement... arrest the self-reliant citizen and give rights and protections to the criminal. What kind of citizenry and society will emerge from this trend?


We now have 750 RSVPs. Help push us over 1,000!!!!!

Email at rsvp@richmondteaparty.com [click to respond] and simply put in the subject line how many people you will bring. It is that easy!

Here is the 'companion' TIME Issue [click to read]. I was told that since many Conservatives don't bother to look at the 'Professional' weekly news magazine anymore, someone might miss the full impact of my 'cover commentary.'

Send the Man a Disgronifier

Mr. Obama's History Lesson

Mark Steyn in Jewish World Review [click to read] hits the nail right on the head this time. We are at war with people who want to kill us. Go ahead and say it Mr. President.Radical Muslims are hard at work trying to spread carnage and mayhem in the Western world. Say it!

Oh, it doesn't help to make the point that the enemy screws up so much... can't light my shoes, my pants don't burn fast enough... The temptation is to see these people in light of their 'wardrobe malfunctions' but look back through our recent history and take note of the Tehran embassy hostage situation, the USS Cole, the Behruit Marine barracks slayings, both attempts to bring down the World Trade Center, the plane that hit the Pentagon, the plane that augered in to a field in Shanksville Pennsylvania, the beheading of Daniel Pearl, the kidnapping of Martin and Gracia Burnham and the slaying of Martin Burnham during their rescue.

They don't seem so funny anymore.

These are just the ones I can recite from memory. There are many more. We are under attack and the attacks haven't stopped for all the bowing and apoligizing of our Community Organizer in Chief. Mr. President, I humbly suggest that it's time to wake up and smell the hummus. [1.]

Ice and Snow on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Three Weeks After the Big Snow it is Still Closed


The gate has been closed for three weeks now.


The going is slick, even on foot...


...unless you walk in the deep snow.


Humpback Mountain is five miles away.


The snow on the road still has a lot of melting to do.


The cliffs are icy too...


...with formations that look like bridal veils.

Here are some thoughts from SWAC Girl about Dr. Neil Frank [click to read].

Dr.Frank says: "Now that Copenhagen is past history, what is the next step in the man-made global warming controversy? Without question, there should be an immediate and thorough investigation of the scientific debauchery revealed by “Climategate.”

The hacked emails from the Climate Research Unit of the United Kingdom's University of East Anglia show a pattern of surpressing dissenters to the theory of choice -- in this case 'global warming.'

In an editorial entitled Climategate: You Should be Steamed [click to read] Dr. Frank points out just how serious this propagation of a myth has become.

The Positive Power of Reality

How We See the Unseen Aspects of Life Matters


A leaf in the frozen snow speaks of a season unseen.

Glass Half Empty [click to read], Paul Beston in City Journal.

As one who regularly gives form and color to the dreams of others, the subjects of optomism, pessimism and reality are far more than abstract terms to me. Many a lovely picture has been created of a concept that is painful to look at for its unsustainability. Many a concept has passed through my hands where missed opportunity is painfully obvious. Imagination has been subdued by the mandate to produce as much leasable space as one can for as little money as possible.

Paul Beston is commenting on the book Glass Half Empty by Barbara Ehrenreich, an interesting commentary on how the positive thinking mantra has infected our culture in the material and spiritual realms. She takes a swipe at the 'motivational' culture in the workplace where attitude has become a commodity to be infused by high powered [and highly paid] speakers. Posters of men standing on mountaintops abound with bits of inspiration in the "believe, achieve" mindset.

My son and I were building an architectural model together and we decided our studio lacked "motivational" posters so a picture of the Bridge over the River Kwai went up with the phrase "Be Happy in Your Work." Surely we know the need for forward vision but the popular culture's hopeful message lacks the substance of something our f orefathers knew. As highly paid as the motivators are, they are no match for the union mindset that actually prevails more often than not.

Indeed, Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine possessed something stronger. Beston hints that the religious influence of the day was more honest in its depiction of the human condition. Here's where this article grabbed my attention. Realism is descriptive, yet there is something more -- the Faith described in the eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews in the Bible. The passage begins with the statement: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

On the surface that might fit right on to another motivational poster in modern psychology but read on.

If you read the entire chapter you see some places where circumstances were changed and others where faith led to the choosing of a much more difficult path, even death and deprivation.

"Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the words of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."

There is far more to the order of this world than that which we can see. There is far more to reality that exists than that which we can concieve in our heads. No amount of believing will allow me to run a marathon as fast as the Kenyan, yet without the will to run I will not allow the abilities I have to prosper.

Perhaps it is more reasonable to emulate Eric Liddell, the 'Flying Scottsman,' who ran to feel G-d's pleasure. Perhaps our true joy will be found when we realize we're not going to make any olympic team but we'll contibute to the development of our sons.

Faith allows us to see a purpose and a motivation even when we do not always reap the rewards that culture would suggest are worthy. It is the stuff fifty years devotion to the same woman is made of. It is bedrock, the unseen foundation of so much we would long for.

Let it Snow!

Snowboarding the Back Yard...


My son took a few runs down the new powder on top of the old snow in our back yard.

Let it Snow!

Will Anyone Believe in Global Warming After This?


Clouds gather on December 17th, the day before the big snow.


It started the next afternoon with a dusting...


...and continued through the night...


...leaving 20" to 30" on the ground the next day!


A winter scene unfolded before our eyes.


Traffic crawled on the roads that were open...


...and some roads took heroic efforts to reopen!


Two weeks later much of the ground was still white...


...waiting for more snow!

A Political 'Perfect Storm' in 2010?

Already a New Wind is Blowing...

An Upheaval to Remember [click to read] Fred Siegel in City Journal.

"Republicans Have Failed" Says Chairman

Michael Steele at Regent University:
No B+ In His Tough Self-grading of Party


Michael Steele grades his party with candor.

Here the Chairman of the Republican Party Shares His Thoughts [click to read] about how the party lost its way [and much of its message] in the era following that of Ronald Reagan.

His new book: Right Now: A 12-Step Program for Defeating the Obama Agenda, has a very clear and welcome message. The party needs to see where "...we most glaringly compromised our principles."

"We must support Republican officials who assert these principles. When elected Republicans vote against Republican principles, the voters must withhold their support - withhold it vigorously and consistently."

The System Failed, Slay the Messenger

Francis Chester Sanctioned for Challenging Assessments

Judge Victor Ludwig likened him to 'Robin Hood' and slapped him with a $2000 fine for bringing a lawsuit against the county government on behalf of 10,500 citizens to roll back 2009 real estate assessments to 2005 values.

Robin Hood, you may recall, was fighting for the people who were struggling under abusive confiscation by the government too.

More from SWAC Girl [click to read].

The System Failed, Slay the Messenger

Kurt Westergaard and Others Who Criticize Radical
Islam are On Their Own...

Bruce Bawer in City Journal [click to read]. Western [liberal] Civilization seems determined to ignore this very clearly defined threat to its very existence.

“Will Europe manage to set its foot down strongly enough . . . that there will be no doubt that the continent never will give up its founding values? Or will the commentariat and political elite continue to give way, inch by inch . . . ?” -- Hege Storhaug [click to read].

Death of a Theory by Rich Lowry [click to read] in National Review. ht/Mike

The System Failed, Bust the Bloggers

TSA Goes After Two Travel Bloggers

Judith Miller [click to read] talks about the whole debacle surrounding Umar Farouk Abdulmuttalab’s almost successful act of terrorism. Seems like TSA went into high gear with new regulations that caught the attention [and subsequent ridicule] of two travel bloggers: Chris Elliott and Steven Frischling. Somehow they got hold of the new regulations before they were supposed to. TSA went after the two journalists:

"Rather than focus its energy and resources on discovering how the 23-year-old Abdulmutallab managed to board an American airliner wearing explosive-laden underwear—endangering nearly 300 other passengers flying from Nigeria or Amsterdam, where the plane stopped before heading for Detroit—the TSA sent three of its agents at night to the journalists’ homes. Elliot and Frischling described them as “polite” but intimidating: they were armed with subpoenas and threats of grave legal consequences if the reporters failed to divulge their source. Under pressure, Frischling handed over his computer, which was returned the next morning, its software corrupted. Elliott called his lawyer and refused to turn over his computer or e-mails. The TSA gave him another two weeks to comply with the subpoena."

Ultimately TSA dropped the matter but the problem remains; the government wants to control the internet. Americans for Prosperity reports on this latest overreach and Makes a Call to Action [click to read] that all of us who cherish the free media need to step up for. Rush Limbaugh refers to the MSM as State Controlled Media.' We don't need the internet reduced to the level of Newsweak.

News You Can Use (but Hopefully Won't)

How to Recognize and Fight a Terrorist on a Plane

Randy Plante in Human Events [click to read].

Oliver North Lt. Col. (Retired) USMC [click to read].

Obama and Socrates

So, What DID Obama Know?

"True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us." - Socrates

Phil Has these Musings [click to read].

SWAC Girl has This [click to read] on the true genius of our 'Community organizer in Chief.' He's revitalizing citizen involvement in government!

Congressional Reform Act of 2010

With The Lowest Approval Record in a Long Time
Return to the Jeffersonian Ideal is Long Overdue...


September 12th, the citizens come to Washington to be heard.

Greg sent this to me. I'm not sure who the source is but I think you'll agree that it is just common sense to push these reforms now!

1. Term Limits: 12 years only, one of the possible options below.
A. Two six year Senate terms
B. Six two year House terms
C. One six year Senate term and three two year House terms

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators: serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

2. No Tenure / No Pension: A congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office. Set up a 401(k) or IRA and let them contribute during their term like normal people. Better yet, let the government match their 401(k) contribution based on how much the federal debt is reduced during their term.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators: serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

3. Congress (past, present and future) participates in Social Security: All funds in the Congressional retirement fund moves to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, Congress participates with the American people. And when the system goes belly up, they lose right along with us.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators: serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

4. Congress can purchase their own health care, just as all Americans should be responsible for their own. If ObamaCare is rammed down our throats, Members should not be exempted.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators: serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%. Or again, tie their compensation to defined results such as federal debt reduction and per-capita GDP growth.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators: serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

6. Congress--and all federal employees--loses their current health care system and participate in the same health care system as the American people.. Let the government sponsor a real group insurance plan with realistic employee contributions to the premiums, as well as deductibles and co-pays.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators: serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people. If they don't like school choice, let them send their kids to the DC public schools.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators: serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

8. All contracts with past and present congressmen are void effective 1/1/2011. The American people did not make contracts with congressmen, we simply elected them to office for a defined term. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves, not to mention opening all the lucrative lobbying, consulting, and appointment opportunities.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators: serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

THYME Magazine

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor


Volume II, Issue IA

The World's Safest Airline

In 2008, El Al was named by Global Traveler magazine as the world's most secure airline. They know they are a target so they take reasonable precautions. Passengers are asked to report three hours before departure. Civilian and military security personel are present at the airport to watch for anything unusual. All passengers are interviewed individually prior to boarding, so El Al staff can identify possible security threats. Questions typically are about where they are coming from, the reason for their trip, their job or occupation, and whether they have packed their bags themselves.

At the check-in counter the passengers' passports and tickets are closely examined. A ticket without a sticker from the security checkers will not be accepted. At passport control passengers' names are checked against information from the FBI, Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), Scotland Yard, Shin Bet, and Interpol databases. Luggage is screened and sometimes hand searched. In addition, bags are put through a decompression chamber simulating pressures during flight that could trigger explosives.

All El Al pilots are former Israeli Air Force pilots. The cockpits are equipped with double doors to prevent entry by unauthorized persons. A code is required to access the doors, and the second door will only be opened after the first has closed and the person has been identified by the Captain or First Officer. Reinforced steel floors separate the passenger cabin from the baggage hold as an additional precaution.

Armed sky marshalls are present on all flights and are mixed with the passengers.

El Al planes also feature a sophisticated infrared missle defense system, added after a 2002 attempt to shoot down one of their planes.

The airline is regularly criticized for 'profiling' passengers. They probably don't waste time wanding grandma and some blonde lady while you are waiting your turn. They're too busy keeping everyone safe.

Fear of Flying Imans

On Friday police shot a 27 year-old Somoli with ties to al-shabaab, al-Quaeda's East Africa branch, as he tried to enter the home of Kurt Westergaard. Westergaard, you may recall, is the Danish cartoonist who depicted the prophet Mohammed with a bomb in his turban.

The unidentified Somoli was wielding an axe and a knife and alledgedly attacked police when they discovered him attempting to enter Westergaad's home through a window.

After Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a 23-year-old Nigerian with al-Qaeda ties tried to light a bomb in his briefs on a plane descending into Detroit, does anyone see a pattern here? Young 'lonely' men seduced into a sinister plot to do mayhem to Western civilization and anyone who would dare criticize them for plotting to do mayhem to Western civilization.

What Our TSA Needs to Learn

Mark Steyn Has This [click to read] in Jewish World Review.

Obama's Near Miss [click to read]. Judith Miller in City Journal

Here is the 'companion' TIME Issue [click to read]. I was told that since many Conservatives don't bother to look at the 'Professional' weekly news magazine anymore, someone might miss the full impact of my 'cover commentary.'

El Al Airline [click to read]. Book your flight to Israel or many other destinations.
Official Israel Tourism Website [click to read].

Virginia's Tomorrow

With the Right Vision it Could Be Bright Indeed!


Innovative structures might house offshore energy workers. The towers turn to catch the advantage of sun and wind...

Virginians resoundingly voted for a new tomorrow [1.] this past November.The election of Bob McDonnell alone would signify that. The sweep byMcDonnell, Bolling and Cuccinelli is more like a mandate. There is clearly support for a Reagan-like revolution in the direction of stateleadership. Here is a look at what the future might hold for the Commonwealth.

1. A Push for Energy Independence

It’s no secret that Governor McDonnell wants to see Virginia’s natural resources, including offshore drilling rights, fully exploited. In a letter to Ken Salazar [2.] he makes that very clear. Offshore drilling can be done safely and would provide new jobs in the energy sector for the state. Drilling revenues would energize the state’s economy and, if managed well, lead to sustained economic health.

Cheaper, locally produced energy must be a priority. North Anna’s remaining reactor needs to be built. A healthy mixture of ‘new’ and old technologies must be put into play to ensure reasonably priced and readily available power.

2. Leaner Government Expenditures

The states in the Union with the worst economic situations such as California and New York are the ones with the most unsustainable spending. The only alternative to cutting spending is a round of job-killing tax hikes which create reduced revenues in the long run as industry is hobbled by rising costs.

With surveys showing that the average government worker salaries are higher than those in the private sector it is time for some wage freezes in government. Some functions would be more affordable if outsourced to private contractors. A hard eye needs to be applied to requests for ‘new’ computer systems to ‘increase efficiency.’ Often the new system creates learning curve inefficiency and incompatibility issues. It might make more sense to procure smaller ‘off the shelf’ solutions for known issues. By doing so you reduce the learning curve loss to one department and target the solution. The ensuing ‘compatibility issues’ are of a much more manageable size.

3. Private Enterprise Taking Over

In the socialist country of France, one sees fine highways and bridges that have been built and are operated through private companies that are contracted to build and maintain them. Virginia already has the Dulles Toll Road operating under a similar contract. Interstate 66 from the beltway into Washington presents a similar opportunity.

A private contractor should be charged to operate the facility with congestion tolls and elimination of the HOV only status. Additional lane capacity should be considered and paid for by bonds to be retired through the toll.

Privatization of ‘public’ transportation should be considered as well.

4. Freedom and Market Principles in Education

Educational choice should become a real force in Virginia’s preparation for her future. Tax credits for those pursuing alternatives to public education would put real market competition into play. More importantly, this move would put real opportunity inthe hands of Virginia students.

5. Medical Reimbursement Reform on a State Level

The state can promote policies such as tort reform and increased market competition in the insurance industry. Medical savings accounts should be not only encouraged but rewarded through tax treatment.


...and provide new alternatives to building on agricultural land.


Virginia's greatest resource is a creative and diverse population. Xaver Wilhelmy, a transplanted Austrian, developed these innovative glass organ pipes...


...and even envisioned them integrated into church windows!


This piece of innovative architecture captures water that would ordinarily be lost to the street and storm drain.


Projects like the Village at Afton [3.] would create jobs and encourage tourism in our area.

1. Based on 'New York's Tomorrow' special edition of City Journal. Many of the principles outlined therin would be applicable to Virginia's future.

THYME Magazine

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor


Volume II, Issue I

Michelle Malkin just came out with The Underreported Stories of 2009 [click to read]. Czars were on her mind too. We discovered that THYME had neglected to produce a cover for 'Green Job's Czar' Van Jones. He'd already been removed by the time THYME came into being, still, Ms. Malkin is right; this bit of news is underreported.

THYME does not want to be found guilty in any way of surpressing such important news so here is the belated cover, in the spirit of TIME's 'Is Rush Limbaugh Good for America?' cover.

Here is the 'companion' TIME Issue [click to read]. I was told that since many Conservatives don't bother to look at the 'Professional' weekly news magazine anymore, someone might miss the full impact of my 'cover commentary.' Here is Rush's Cover Idea [click to read] for TIME.