Monday, February 28, 2022

THE REAL STATE OF THE UNION: POMPEO

SOTU
Mike Pompeo addresses CPAC.

Mike Pompeo Addresses CPAC



The “President’s” SOTU Speech
In One Picture!

We put the word “president” in quotation marks because, unlike the legacy media, we seriously doubt the integrity of the 2020 “Election.”

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h/t: Mike Lindell.

Kim Reynolds' Response

You shouldn't have to wake up every morning and worry about the next thing the government is going to do to you, your business, or your children.”



Good evening. I'm Kim Reynolds, Governor of the great state of Iowa. Like you, I just watched the “President”'s address. I listened as the governor of our state, as a mom and grandmother of 11, who's worried our country is on the wrong track. We're now one year into his presidency, and instead of moving America forward, it feels like “President” Biden and his party have sent us back in time—to the late 70s and early 80s. When runaway inflation was hammering families, a violent crime wave was crashing on our cities, and the Soviet army was trying to redraw the world map. Even before taking the oath of office, the “President” told us that he wanted to 'make America respected around the world again and to unite us here at home.' He's failed on both fronts. The disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal did more than cost American lives; it betrayed our allies and emboldened our enemies. North Korea is testing missiles again at an alarming rate, the Speaker of the House recently warned our Olympic athletes not to speak out against China, and now Russia has launched an unprovoked full-scale military invasion of Ukraine—an attack on democracy, freedom, and the rule of law. Now all Americans must stand united in solidarity with the brave people of Ukraine as they courageously defend their country against Putin's tyranny. As they fight for their freedom. But we shouldn't ignore what happened in the run-up to Putin's invasion. Waiving sanctions on Russian pipelines while limiting oil production here at home; focusing on political correctness rather than military readiness; reacting to world events instead of driving them. Weakness on the world stage has a cost. And the “President”'s approach to foreign policy has consistently been too little, too late. It's time for America to once again project confidence; it's time to be decisive. It's time to lead. But we cannot project strength abroad if we're weak at home. And that's what I want to discuss with you tonight. The “President” and Democrats in Congress have spent the last year either ignoring the issues facing Americans or making them worse. They were warned that spending trillions would lead to soaring inflation. They were told their anti-energy policies would send gas prices to new heights. But they plowed ahead anyway, raising the price at the pump by 50% and pushing inflation to a 40-year high. Four decades ago, when our nation was last reeling from inflation, I was a young working mom, just starting out. My husband Kevin worked days while I watched our girls. Then we'd switch. We would pass in the yard as he was coming home and I was leaving to work evenings at the local grocery store. From across the checkout counter, I saw the pain of inflation on my neighbors' faces; I saw what happens when prices rise faster than wages. The Biden Administration believes inflation is 'a high-class problem.' I can tell you it's an everybody problem. I saw moms' and dads' paychecks buy them less and less. I watched working people choosing which essentials to take home and which ones to leave behind at the register. And now “President” Biden's decisions have a whole new generation feeling that same pain. When I took the oath of office five years ago, I promised Iowans that I would never lose sight of who I was working for. That I wouldn't become detached from the problems they were facing—from the problems I had faced myself. But you don't have to check groceries to see what high inflation does to people. You just need to step outside the D.C. Bubble. Talk to Americans about what's on their mind. Ask them: What are your concerns? What keeps you up at night. They'll tell you, and I can tell you what's not on that list. They won't tell you that spending trillions more and bankrupting their children is the answer to their problems. They won't tell you that we should be paying people not to work. And they certainly won't tell you that we should give billions in tax giveaways to millionaires and billionaires in Democrat-controlled states like California, New York, and New Jersey. But that's what the Biden Administration has been pushing for over the last year. That's all part of Build Back Better. Thankfully the “President”'s agenda didn't pass, because even members of his own party said enough is enough. Well, the American people share that view. Enough is enough. And it's not just with D.C. spending. Americans are tired of a political class trying to remake this country into a place where an elite few tell everyone else what they can and cannot say. What they can and cannot believe. They're tired of people pretending the way to end racism is by categorizing everybody by their race. They're tired of politicians who tell parents they should sit down, be silent, and let government control their kids' education and future. Frankly, they're tired of the theater. Where politicians do one thing when the cameras are rolling and another when they believe you can't see them. Where governors and mayors enforce mandates but don't follow them. Where elected leaders tell their citizens to stay home while they sneak off to Florida for sun and fun; where they demand that your child wear a mask, but they go out maskless. You've heard the excuses. They were just holding their breath. But it's the American people who are waiting to exhale. Waiting for the insanity to stop. We now live in a country where violent crime is out of control, liberal prosecutors are letting criminals off easy, and many prominent Democrats still want to defund the police. It seems like everything is backwards. The Biden Administration requires vaccines for Americans who want to go to work or protect this country but not for migrants who illegally cross the border. The Department of Justice treats parents like domestic terrorists but looters and shoplifters roam free. The American people are left to feel like they're the enemy. This is not the same country it was a year ago. The “President” tried to paint a different picture tonight, but his actions over the last twelve months don't match the rhetoric. It's not what he promised when he took office. But it doesn't have to be this way. There is an alternative. Across the nation, Republican governors and legislators are showing Americans what conservative leadership looks like. What it means to respect the people we serve. To hear them out. To stand up for them and walk alongside them. We know our problems require bold action, but we also know that bold action doesn't have to mean government action. It's Americans making their own decisions for their own families and future. Republican governors faced the same Covid-19 virus head on. But we honored your freedoms and saw right away that lockdowns and school closures came with their own significant costs; that mandates weren't the answer. And we actually listened to the science, especially with kids in masks and kids in schools. What happened—and is still happening—to our children over the last two years is unconscionable. Learning loss. Isolation. Anxiety. Depression. In so many states, our kids have been left behind and many will never catch up. That's why Iowa was the first state in the nation to require that schools open their doors. I was attacked by the left; I was attacked by the media. But it wasn't a hard choice. It was the right choice. And keeping schools open is only the start of the pro-parent, pro-family revolution that Republicans are leading in Iowa and states across this country. Republicans believe that parents matter. It was true before the pandemic and has never been more important to say out loud: Parents Matter. They have a right to know, and to have a say in, what their kids are being taught. Families also have every right to live in a safe and secure community. And that begins with a safe and secure country. But the Biden Administration has refused to secure our border. They've refused to provide the resources to stop human trafficking. To stop the staggering influx of deadly drugs coming into our neighborhoods. They've refused to protect you. With Texas and Arizona leading the way, I, along with Republican governors from several states have sent resources to the border. And we've actually gone to the border—something that our “President” and “Vice President” have yet to do since taking office. On the economy, the contrast couldn't be more stark. While Democrats in D.C. are spending trillions, sending inflation soaring, Republican leaders around the country are balancing budgets and cutting taxes. Because we know that money spent on Main Street is better than money spent on bureaucracy. Today, I signed legislation that eliminates Iowa's tax on retirement income and sets our tax rate at 3.9%. That's less than half of what it was just four years ago. And it shouldn't come as a surprise that out of the top 20 states with the lowest unemployment rates, 17 have Republican governors. Republicans may not have the White House. But we're doing what we can to fill the leadership vacuum. On the issues that are affecting Americans, Republicans are leading. We are standing up for parents and kids; we're standing up for life. We're keeping our communities safe and thanking those in uniform. We're fighting to restore America's energy independence, including biofuels. We're getting people back to work, not paying them to stay home. Most of all, we're respecting your freedom. Behind me stands Iowa's Capitol, where we display our state motto: 'Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain.' Those aren't just empty words. It's a belief that the greatness of this state—that the greatness of this country—lies in our people, not government. You shouldn't have to wake up every morning and worry about the next thing the government is going to do to you, your business, or your children. If we, as elected leaders, are doing our job, then the government is working well but operating in the background. It's supporting the ingenuity and spirit of our people, not drowning them out. It's keeping them safe, not restricting their freedom. That's what I believe. That's what Republicans believe. And that's what Republicans are doing. I'm blessed to be the Governor of Iowa, where people are humble, hard-working, and patriotic. We take care of each other. And yes, we are, as they say, Iowa Nice. But you don't have to be from Iowa to see that those are the values of America at its best—all of America. Over the last few years, I've put my faith in Iowans, and they haven't let me down. I encourage this “President” to do the same. To put his faith in you, the American people, who have never wavered in your belief in this country, regardless of who leads it. Because you know—you've shown—that the soul of America isn't about who lives in the White House; it's men and women like you, in every corner of this nation, who are willing to step up and take responsibility—for your communities, for your neighbors, and ultimately for yourselves. By that most important measure at least, the State of our Union is indeed strong. Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America."

Church
In 1852, Frederic Edwin Church painted Virginia's Natural Bridge

My Writing on Historical Architecture
[click to read]

One of Virginia’s most amazing architectural treasures wasn't formed by the hand of man at all. (read more)

THYME Commentary Has a New Home
[click to read]

Here are links to articles and publications we're reading. (read more)

PontifusBANNER

Sunday, February 27, 2022

THE WORLD STANDS WITH UKRAINE

Ukraine
Buildings around the world are illuminated in support of Ukraine

WORLD STANDS WITH UKRANE

Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelinski refused to leave Kyiv. Around the world buildings are lit up blue and yellow, the colors of the Ukrainian flag, in support. His resolve, and the resolve of the defenders of Kyiv, should ring true with lovers of liberty on our shores. His stance is not unlike that of eighteenth century Virginian Patrick Henry, who said "Give me liberty or give me death." Yes, there are still leaders of that caliber today. The world is hungry for them.

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Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelinski. Photo by Volodymir Zelinski/twitter

A Prayer for Volodymyr Zelensky
[click to read]

History has found the Ukrainian president, and his courage is remarkable to witness. (read more)

Church
In 1852, Frederic Edwin Church painted Virginia's Natural Bridge

My Writing on Historical Architecture
[click to read]

One of Virginia’s most amazing architectural treasures wasn't formed by the hand of man at all. (read more)

THYME Commentary Has a New Home
[click to read]

Here are links to articles and publications we're reading. (read more)

PontifusBANNER

Saturday, February 26, 2022

THE REAL STATE OF THE UNION: RUBIO

RUBIO
Marco Rubio addressed CPAC

The True State of the Union II



Church
In 1852, Frederic Edwin Church painted Virginia's Natural Bridge

My Writing on Historical Architecture
[click to read]

One of Virginia’s most amazing architectural treasures wasn't formed by the hand of man at all. (read more)

THYME Commentary Has a New Home
[click to read]

Here are links to articles and publications we're reading. (read more)

PontifusBANNER

Monday, February 21, 2022

THE REAL STATE OF THE UNION: REAGAN

StateofUnion
The Real State of the Union/President's Day

THE REAL STATE OF THE UNION


This speech by Ronald Reagan in 1983 is more pertinent for today than anything you will hear out of the White House now.

Church
In 1852, Frederic Edwin Church painted Virginia's Natural Bridge

My Writing on Historical Architecture

IMG-2249

The ‘Most Sublime of Nature’s Works’
[click to read]

One of Virginia’s most amazing architectural treasures wasn't formed by the hand of man at all. (read more)

Virginia State Capitol, Richmond. 1830 watercolor by William Goodacre

American Classicism and the ‘Gentleman Architect’ Thomas Jefferson
[click to read]

In 1784 Thomas Jefferson found himself in France as our first ambassador. (read more)

IMG-2251

An ‘Academical Village’ as a Model for a New Republic
[click to read]

If you had traveled with the Marquis de Lafayette to the Piedmont region of Virginia in 1824... (read more)

IMG-2252

Romantic Aspirations, Vision, and Viaducts
[click to read]

Charles Carroll of Carrollton might well have been the Elon Musk of his day. (read more)

92A29CD0-A519-4733-B6BA-B6003B355BDD-1200x800

The Saving of Mount Vernon
[click to read]

I was painfully distressed at the ruin and desolation of the home of Washington, and the thought passed through my mind: Why was it that the women of his country did not try to keep it in repair, if the men could not do it? It does seem such a blot on our country.”—Louisa Bird Cunningham (read more)

Monticello

The Mind of Monticello
[click to read]

Opened to the public in 1924, Thomas Jefferson’s beloved home of Monticello in Albemarle County, Virginia, is one of the most recognized buildings of early America. Its unique façade is reproduced on our nickel. Monticello (Italian for “Little Mountain”) is still a favorite destination for adults and youth, as all are treated to a look into the amazing gifts of America’s third president. (read more)

IMG-2253

A Conversation With Charles Marohn: ‘Honor the Struggle!’
[click to read]

Walking six blocks to work each morning gives Charles Marohn a unique insight into the vitality of his town. (read more)

Robinson House

Celebrating Bonds That Reunited America
[click to read]

The History Behind the Robinson House

To-day gladdens the hearts of all true Americans, the spectacle of a re-united country, knit together in real brotherhood of its citizens and in the bonds of an honorable, cordial and lasting pacification—and not least, the spectacle of veterans of the Army of the Potomac joining hands with veterans of [the] Army of Northern Virginia, to establish, as we here to-day establish, this “Lee Camp Soldiers’ Home.” — Colonel Archer Anderson, Address on the opening of Lee Camp Soldiers’ Home, May 20, 1885 (read more)

IMG-2255

Norman Rockwell’s America
[click to read]

I was showing the America I knew and observed to others who might not have noticed.”Norman Rockwell (read more)

As seen in American Essence Magazine

THYME Commentary Has a New Home
[click to read]

Here are links to articles and publications we're reading. (read more)

PontifusBANNER

Saturday, February 19, 2022

WE ARE ALL CANADIAN TRUCKERS NOW

Truckers
We are All Canadian Truckers Now

WE ARE ALL CANADIAN TRUCKERS NOW

The truckers in Canada, having a reasonable complaint against forced 'vaccination' (it's not a vaccine, but a gene therapy) mandates, took to the streets of Ottawa to protest. The Trudeau regime was quick to cast them as 'dangerous insurrectionists' when, really, science is more and more on their side. Lockdowns and border closings are meaningless, as are 'vaccine' mandates, when it has been proven that the inoculation, in fact, does NOT stop the virus, and it is already on both sides of the affected border. What can be the reason for pushing it then, if not simply to control?

The Canadian truckers now find themselves in the same regrettable situation as United States citizens who rallied in Washington on January 6, 2021, to protest the very dubious 'results' of the 2020 election. They too have been labeled 'dangerous insurrectionists.' Add to that anyone who questions the efficacy of the so-called 'vaccine,' mask mandates, and dares to mention repurposed drugs and you see a very dangerous precedent being set. Yes, the Canadians and the United States citizens are pushing back. Here in the United States, it is our Constitutional right. It is, according to our Declaration, a HUMAN right.

And that puts us in brotherhood with people around the world such as the Uyghurs, a persecuted group in China, and many others, who's only "crime" is not to believe what the powers that be want them to. Our Amendment One is a beautifully crafted statement, crafted for times as these. May it guide us as we stand in solidarity with all who weather the storms of tyranny!



More [click to watch]

Church
In 1852, Frederic Edwin Church painted Virginia's Natural Bridge

My Writing on Historical Architecture

IMG-2249

The ‘Most Sublime of Nature’s Works’
[click to read]

One of Virginia’s most amazing architectural treasures wasn't formed by the hand of man at all. (read more)

Virginia State Capitol, Richmond. 1830 watercolor by William Goodacre

American Classicism and the ‘Gentleman Architect’ Thomas Jefferson
[click to read]

In 1784 Thomas Jefferson found himself in France as our first ambassador. (read more)

IMG-2251

An ‘Academical Village’ as a Model for a New Republic
[click to read]

If you had traveled with the Marquis de Lafayette to the Piedmont region of Virginia in 1824... (read more)

IMG-2252

Romantic Aspirations, Vision, and Viaducts
[click to read]

Charles Carroll of Carrollton might well have been the Elon Musk of his day. (read more)

IMG-2253

A Conversation With Charles Marohn: ‘Honor the Struggle!’
[click to read]

Walking six blocks to work each morning gives Charles Marohn a unique insight into the vitality of his town. (read more)

Robinson House

Celebrating Bonds That Reunited America
[click to read]

The History Behind the Robinson House

To-day gladdens the hearts of all true Americans, the spectacle of a re-united country, knit together in real brotherhood of its citizens and in the bonds of an honorable, cordial and lasting pacification—and not least, the spectacle of veterans of the Army of the Potomac joining hands with veterans of [the] Army of Northern Virginia, to establish, as we here to-day establish, this “Lee Camp Soldiers’ Home.” — Colonel Archer Anderson, Address on the opening of Lee Camp Soldiers’ Home, May 20, 1885 (read more)

IMG-2255

Norman Rockwell’s America
[click to read]

I was showing the America I knew and observed to others who might not have noticed.”Norman Rockwell (read more)

As seen in American Essence Magazine

THYME Commentary Has a New Home
[click to read]

Here are links to articles and publications we're reading. (read more)

PontifusBANNER

Monday, February 7, 2022

A FRESH LOOK AT SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL

0000000000000000000
February, 2022

A Fresh Look at Sir Winston Churchill



IMG-3034
Sir Winston Churchill was a prolific painter. Here is his self-portrait.

Church
In 1852, Frederic Edwin Church painted Virginia's Natural Bridge

My Writing on Historical Architecture

IMG-2249

The ‘Most Sublime of Nature’s Works’
[click to read]

One of Virginia’s most amazing architectural treasures wasn't formed by the hand of man at all. (read more)

Virginia State Capitol, Richmond. 1830 watercolor by William Goodacre

American Classicism and the ‘Gentleman Architect’ Thomas Jefferson
[click to read]

In 1784 Thomas Jefferson found himself in France as our first ambassador. (read more)

IMG-2251

An ‘Academical Village’ as a Model for a New Republic
[click to read]

If you had traveled with the Marquis de Lafayette to the Piedmont region of Virginia in 1824... (read more)

IMG-2252

Romantic Aspirations, Vision, and Viaducts
[click to read]

Charles Carroll of Carrollton might well have been the Elon Musk of his day. (read more)

IMG-2253

A Conversation With Charles Marohn: ‘Honor the Struggle!’
[click to read]

Walking six blocks to work each morning gives Charles Marohn a unique insight into the vitality of his town. (read more)

Robinson House

Celebrating Bonds That Reunited America
[click to read]

The History Behind the Robinson House

To-day gladdens the hearts of all true Americans, the spectacle of a re-united country, knit together in real brotherhood of its citizens and in the bonds of an honorable, cordial and lasting pacification—and not least, the spectacle of veterans of the Army of the Potomac joining hands with veterans of [the] Army of Northern Virginia, to establish, as we here to-day establish, this “Lee Camp Soldiers’ Home.” — Colonel Archer Anderson, Address on the opening of Lee Camp Soldiers’ Home, May 20, 1885 (read more)

IMG-2255

Norman Rockwell’s America
[click to read]

I was showing the America I knew and observed to others who might not have noticed.”Norman Rockwell (read more)

As seen in American Essence Magazine

THYME Commentary Has a New Home
[click to read]

Here are links to articles and publications we're reading. (read more)

PontifusBANNER