“We do not believe any group of men adequate enough or wise enough to operate without scrutiny or without criticism. We know that the only way to avoid error is to detect it, that the only way to detect it is to be free to inquire. We know that in secrecy error undetected will flourish and subvert.” –J. Robert Oppenheimer
This man, making Christmas calls from the White House, believes the world is a sphere. And he has even flown around it! So has our beautiful FLOTUS, who happens to be his wife!
Truth and common sense must be valued by us, as individuals, in order to lastingly disempower the authoritarian fake news media. This includes the perniciously smarmy science media, which never answers for its errors and lies. I believe that the media has been responsible not only for leftist pathologies like scientism, medical fascism, and radical gender ideology, but also for reactionary movements like modern flat Earth, rejection of all medicine, and Biblical geological literalism.
Just as Wheatie’s Stormwatch Monday Open Thread was created as a place for people to openly express their thoughts and opinions, so, too, is this Thank God Thursday Open Thread, where honest but civil discussion of all topics is encouraged. This thread is also to be known as Theistic Evolution Thursdays, due to the author’s expected “pontification” about his scientific, religious, and political opinions. You are welcome to pontificate back! Free speech matters!
Please label all AI-generated content as being such, unless it is patently obvious (e.g., humorous AI images). It is important that we as individuals not begin to pretend that socially derived artificial intelligence is actually our own, as this form of stealthy social information averaging and feedback would be one more pretense and deception between people, in service of stupid Marxist socialism, and of those who wish to substitute their communally protected lies for actual truth.
The source of alleged truth matters, not for the truth itself, but for validation.
And yes, it’s THURSDAY…again.
And that’s it. We’re done stealing from Wheatie.
OK – maybe her rules need to be posted.
No food fights.
No running with scissors.
If you bring snacks, bring enough for everyone.
Other rules may be derivable from these, and that conjecture is left for discussion.
If there is nothing beyond the “W” below, then this is a placeholder. For health reasons, I can’t always post a timely opinion before each Thursday, but I will try. Otherwise, you have this placeholder post, where YOU provide the content. Enjoy!
W
The New Year would not be the New Year without your usual 4 or 5 Temu Trinkets – so here we go!
(1) – Seven iconic rock-and-roll “mistakes” that ended up defining enduring songs!
(2) – Matt Walsh deconstructs a new Ken Burns documentary series on the American Revolution, and exposes a very subtle but pernicious wokeness. The gist is explained in 10 minutes, but it’s worth listening to at least half an hour to hear some eye-opening examples.
(3) – I just have to repeat this. We must ADMIRE this. We must STUDY this. We must PRAISE this.
This is just fantastic! I voted for this!!!
(4) – The revenge of Leonidas. The day that Greece united, and sent Persian globalists into the dustbin of history. Yeah, it’s AI slop, but the narration is good, and the images are borderline OK.
(5) – This is one of the best, yet shortest, mathematical descriptions of how quantum mechanics was derived by Schroedinger. Don’t expect to understand it all, but do expect to learn one or two things from the presentation, each time you watch it – and that is enough!
At this moment – today – 1/1/2026 – this site has existed for over 7 years and 3 months (it started on 9/18/2018). Measured differently, we’ve now had 9 different years on the header (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026).
We’ve actually had more years under Biden / Obama / Cackles on this site, than years under Trump! So let’s enjoy these Trump years, shall we?
I believe that 2026 will be a hard-fought year, but it will be a GOOD YEAR.
I’m not good at resolutions, but I’m going to resolve to make better use of my remaining time, to help God and Country, Family and Neighbors, Friends and – yes – even my Foes – although in the latter case, that will be limited to helping them see the light and do the right thing!
Today, we celebrate the culmination of a successful year recounting life in America. Thank you, POTUS Donald J. Trump and fellow patriots. It is also fitting that we end the stories of individual signers of the Declaration of Independence at this point as we have entered into our 250th year of existence as the United States of America. I will not spend any more time on this lead, most readers will agree this man deserves all of the attention due him.
Because of his accomplishments and the value of this signer to our nation, please provide enough time to read if interested in this series. There was no way to do this quickly. Do not miss the conclusion.
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas, T, Big T, Tommy, Tomás, TJ, Tom Terrific. I have a friend named TJ, so if I get sloppy that is what I will use. Thought I would get those out of the way early. Regardless, Thomas Jefferson was a big deal. His lasting legacy still is.
The biographies, documents and stories about Thomas Jefferson are plentiful. Since he is the last signer to discuss, I want to focus on some personal aspects and events of his life that express more about what he valued and who he was as a person in addition to the usual bio summary. Those are what formed his world views and led to his work that we value so highly even today.
Thomas Jefferson was born in 1743 on his family’s Shadwell Plantation. He was the third of ten children of Peter and Jane Randolph Jefferson. His father was a planter, surveyor, justice of the peace, sheriff, Colonel and member of the House of Burgesses. Peter was not well educated, but increased his understanding through reading many books. In 1745 Peter moved the family to Tuckahoe Plantation following the death of close friend, William Randolph III, who had named Peter guardian of his children. They remained there until 1753, when they returned to Shadwell.
Peter and Jane provided a privileged life to their family. They ate on fine dishware, frequently entertained, enjoyed classic books and music, and attended dances. The family was considered prosperous and cultured. While at Tuckahoe, Peter also oversaw the development of his plantation at Shadwell, traveling there as needed while managing the affairs of the Tuckahoe plantation. They owned 60-80 slaves for the farming and household needs.
While living with the Randolph children, Peter made sure Thomas was educated by tutors and schools. He thrived in his education. He studied languages, classics, science, history and other subjects while reading everything he could find. He and his family were friends with native Americans and they would visit frequently with the chief of the Cherokees, Ostenaco, in their home when he came to trade in Williamsburg. It was also there when he first came to know a man he admired, Patrick Henry.
In 1757 his father passed away and the estate was divided between Thomas and his brother, Randolph. He was 14 at the time and had a guardian, John Harvie, Sr. Harvie was a friend and business associate of Peter, who was also named executor of his estate. All of the children received an inheritance with Thomas inheriting over 5000 acres that included the ground that his famous Monticello would be built upon beginning in 1772. His mother received a life estate on the Shadwell home along with property that Thomas leased from her until her death.
At this point Thomas had grown tall (6′ 2″) and gangly while preferring to use the written word since he was not an eloquent speaker. In 1761 at age 18 he entered William & Mary College. The first school year he admitted to spending too much money and partying. Realizing this mistake, in his second year he committed to studying 15 hours per day, sleeping and eating for 6 hours, and practicing violin the remaining three hours.
He studied math and philosophy. He was taught British empiricism by William Small, which is the view that experience, especially of the senses, is the only source of knowledge. This is the same professor who was close associates with Francis Fauquier and professor George Wythe whom we discussed in the previous part. The four became a close knit group of friends who explored ideas together for five years. Jefferson later wrote that in their presence he “heard more common good sense, more rational and philosophical conversations than in all the rest of my life.”
What a group! Small was a Scottish physician who had emigrated to Virginia to teach there, who had background in medicine and philosophy. He was ten years older than Jefferson. Fauquier was 59 years old and serving as the Lt. Governor of the colony. He was raised in great wealth and was a renaissance man of the world who had interests and experiences in industry, science, arts and charities. We reviewed George Wythe in the previous part. He was in his mid 30’s, established in his law practice as well as being a professor. Young Thomas must have felt he struck gold with mentors. However, due to his upbringing and intelligence he added great value to the group.
He finished his formal studies in 1762 and joined the Wythe law practice to read the law working as a clerk. He followed that by opening his own law practice that focused primarily on land transactions. He was not oriented to being a great litigator, but to be a scholar.
The Next Phase
In 1768 he made the decision to build Monticello on a tall bluff on his property as well as to run for office in the House of Burgesses. A politician was born. A few years later in 1772 he married a wealthy widow, Martha Wayles Skelton. Her inherited land and slave holdings were double the size of his, thus making them quite wealthy. The couple had six children, but only two daughters survived to adulthood. They lived in a smaller structure Thomas built in 1772 while the much grander Monticello main house was under construction. Unfortunately, Martha did not live long enough to move into it. She passed away at age 33 in 1782. Thomas completed it soon after her death that same year.
Thomas stayed involved in law and politics while venturing into expressing views about the rights of colonists. He felt that the colonies were bound to Great Britain voluntarily and only through loyalty to the King. This led to a personal position paper he wrote being published in 1774 without his permission that was titled, A Summary View of the Rights of British Americans. This increased his prominence in Virginia and set him up as a strong advocate for independence from Parliamentary authority. The colonial leadership responded by sending him to represent the state at the Second Continental Congress in early 1775.
Jefferson was introverted and shy when all of the debates were flowing. John Adams wrote about his silence, yet, clear dedication to independence. His role soon became that of a drafter of Congressional resolutions. He was chosen to be a member in a committee that included Adams and B that was to draft the document that reflected the positions of Congressional members as to why independence from Great Britain was necessary. As the author, he chose to provide an “expression of the American mind” from the general “originality of principle or sentiment” that he heard from the words of all Americans, not just those in the Congress. This expression included the text covering the charges against King George III. It only took him a few days to prepare the draft. The members then began editing and revising only about 20% of the document. What they did not touch, which is included in its entirety, were these famous and arguably most important words in our nation’s history.
We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
Chills. Some 250 years later these words reverberate as loudly now as they did then.
As we know our founding fathers soon voted to approve and sign the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson was only 33 years old. What many did not realize at that time was that he was somewhat saddened that the members found it necessary to modify any of the draft document at all. He meant every single word he wrote.
Carry Me Back to Ole Virginny
Thomas headed back to Virginia in October 1776 with legal system, education, and separation of church and state reforms in mind. He was met with great resistance on education and separation of church and state. It took a decade until 1786 to get a religious freedom statute approved. Jefferson considered the Revolutionary War period as the start of a worldwide battle to free all people of the world from power hungry institutions and oppressive governments. His proposed state reforms mirrored what he envisioned for the country with its independence from Great Britain.
He was elected Governor of the state in 1779, however, he and the state were surprised and unprepared for a British invasion that sent him quickly escaping as troops approached. The press caught wind of him leaving and called him a coward, a subject over which he fought the rest of his life. There was a formal inquiry into his actions that were repudiated by the General Assembly. Jefferson blamed Patrick Henry for the accusations and he never got over it. It hurt him deep in his being as he had respected Henry for much of his life. Three years later his wife, Martha, died while giving birth to their third daughter. Those two difficult events made a huge impression during this dark period in his life.
After Martha’s death he agreed to become a minister (ambassador) to France with B’s return to Philadelphia. He acknowledged that nobody could actually replace B and his impact, that he would just serve as his successor. During the period he deeply studied the cultures of the European nations and sent many artifacts, books and documents home to Monticello. After five years there soliciting better relations, trade and investment into America, he returned at the request of President Washington to serve as the first Secretary of State under the new Constitution. He was immediately at odds with Alexander Hamilton in that he felt Hamilton was for a powerful central government and favored the British too highly.
Due to the rise of the Federalists that included the dominant personalities of Adams and Hamilton, Jefferson united with friend James Madison in the founding of the rival Democratic-Republican (D-R) Party to counter their views. The D-R members believed in a decentralized central government, states rights, strict interpretation of the Constitution, and individual rights. The Federalists were generally the opposite and aligned with Great Britain even after the war while the D-R’s were aligned with France. The D-R’s referred to themselves as the Republican Party and historians often call them Jeffersonian Republicans to avoid confusing them with the more recent GOP.
Thomas ran for POTUS in 1796 against John Adams and lost by 3 electoral votes. That made him the Vice President to Adams under the rules of that time. They were two formerly close friends who had become increasingly agitated with each other’s positions and unwilling to compromise. The situation was awkward and contentious. Since Thomas and the D-R’s were opposed to a central federal bank, they were also at odds with Alexander Hamilton, who was its biggest proponent.
Four years later Adams and Jefferson ran against each other again with Jefferson coming out on top. Rather than discuss the convoluted mess that delivered that victory to Jefferson, I have linked a summary below. Just know that toughening the immigration laws by Adams and the Federalists with the Alien and Sedition Acts killed their chances and there was much political intrigue over those years that eventually led to the infamous duel between Hamilton and Aaron Burr.
I will now focus on Jefferson’s accomplishments during that first and second term. The first term was named the “revolution of 1800” by TJ himself. He came rolling into office like POTUS Trump did in his second term. Change was the order of the day. He wanted to reduce the scope and size of the federal government and empower citizens to control it. After the Alien and Sedition Acts that infuriated all non-Federalist Americans, he first sought reconciliation. Which is what was intended with his famous quote, “We are all republicans: we are all federalists.” In Jefferson’s mind the era had devolved into a “reign of witches” to go along with open calls of state succession. He offered the olive branch to all in an effort to bring the country together. It helped that he had a strong, loyal Cabinet that knew their roles well. His close ally James Madison was secretary of state, Albert Gallatin was secretary of treasury, Levi Lincoln (and later John Breckinridge and Caesar Rodney) was attorney general, Henry Dearborn was secretary of war, and Robert Smith was secretary of the navy. Again, just like PDT’s second term.
He had the MAGA type ideas when it came to establishing the roles of the judicial branch. Less than a week before his election, Adams and the Federalists created 16 federal judge positions to eliminate the SCOTUS justices having to travel. Jefferson was offended they added this additional judicial level without consulting him and was soon able to fire all of them when they abolished their circuit courts. All of the related events led to the famous case of Marbury v. Madison in the court of Chief Justice John Marshall. Yes, the same student and protege of Jefferson’s friend, George Wythe. The decision ruled that the law that was passed by Congress to permit the judges was unconstitutional. That ruling gave judicial review authority to the federal judiciary to overturn unconstitutional Congressional laws. It was a big deal then and now.
Jefferson went after SCOTUS associate justice Samuel Chase for many violations from the bench. Chase seemed to have a vendetta against Jefferson and his allies due to the removal of the federal judges. He was abusive to parties in many cases before the court. Jefferson called for impeachment. The Senate failed to secure the required two thirds vote which prompted him to conclude that impeachment was inadequate to address judicial abuses. He later referred to it as “not even a scare-crow.”
Which is one reason why politicized federal judges still get by with the lawfare BS they do today as well as We the People having to endure the idiocy of the leftist justices on SCOTUS.
He had a desire to reduce the size of the Navy to reduce costs. However, he sent it to handle the extortion of the nations of northern Africa in the Barbary War. Despite the costs involved it led to the resolution of the issue and the end of the tribute system those nations imposed. The American public was very supportive and appreciative.
He hated the snobbishness of the aristocrats and was vocal about his dislike of Washington and Adams mimicking British monarchal ceremonies and practices. From his election and on each anniversary date he would walk to his office rather than have any extravagant special events or processions. One of Britain’s new diplomats, Anthony Merry along with his wife, paid him a visit in 1803 all decked out with a plumed hat and ceremonial sword. The Merry Affair was born. Jefferson greeted him while wearing informal clothes with a pair of slippers on his feet. 😂 Later at the formal dinner in honor of the visit, he seated them amongst everybody else instead of preferred seating as his guests. He did similar things with the Spanish dignitaries that visited. Word got around in Europe. They were not amused.
In his mind he was not being rude or obnoxious, he was sending a message. He was making a point that he lived in his own life and expected in all American lives – We the People are all equal.
Louisiana Purchase
Granted, $24 worth of trinkets in exchange for Manhattan was a masterpiece deal from the century before. But what Jefferson and team negotiated with Napoleon was probably the deal of all time. An exchange of $15 million for nearly 828,000 square miles of land (approximately 4 cents per acre) is an astounding deal. It doubled the size of the nation overnight. Over time 15 more states would form from the acquired territory. Not only was it highly valued for natural resources, in so doing he closed off an unrestricted foreign port of entry into the continental U. S. at New Orleans while taking control of Mississippi River navigation.
However, it did not come easy in getting done. He had to pull a legal and political slight of hand move over which other elected officials and American people had to give him a pass. He had personal misgivings in doing the deal quickly, which was required by Napoleon, since TJ was a strict constructionist in regards to the Constitution. We will cover what that entails in a future thread.
He faced opposition from the usual Federalist opponents who had cost concerns as well as opposing geographic expansion of the country in general. However, the majority of elected officials and public supported it greatly. So, he got it done.
Because of it and other high points, his second term election victory was a blow out landslide. He took all of the states except Connecticut and Delaware to go with 73% of the popular vote and an electors advantage of 162-14 over Charles Pinckney of South Carolina, who also was a former minister to France. It remains the largest winning margin in American history. This illustrates how popular Jefferson and the D-R party had become along with how far the Federalists had fallen in the view of the public. He was the first and only former Vice President to be elected to two terms as President until Richard Nixon did so.
The Federalists had lost all leverage with the public over their opposition to the Louisiana Purchase, to TJ’s gunboat Navy, and allegations about his relationship with slave Sally Hemings. None of that mattered to the vast majority of We the People of that day. The D-R’s had jettisoned Aaron Burr from their ranks by that point and replaced him on the ballots with New Yorker George Clinton. The party also handily won control of both the Senate and House.
His second inaugural address was focused on the conditions on the ground. He sought peace and neutrality with the major foreign powers, but especially with Great Britain and France as they were warring against each other. He continued to seek even more support for the Louisiana Purchase even after completing the transaction. He wanted more peaceful relations with the native Indian tribes with efforts to educate more of them in an attempt to help them assimilate. He also sought to bring to an end the personal attacks he faced in the press, proving once again, that the fake media existed then as well as now. His words below will remind many readers of what we have seen for decades now.
During this course of administration, and in order to disturb it, the artillery of the press has been levelled against us, charged with whatsoever its licentiousness could devise or dare. These abuses of an institution so important to freedom and science, are deeply to be regretted.
Our fellow citizens have looked on, cool and collected… they gathered around their public functionaries, and when the constitution called them to the decision by suffrage, they pronounced their verdict, honorable to those who had served them, and consolatory to the friend of man, who believes he may be intrusted with his own affairs…our wish, as well as theirs, is, that the public efforts may be directed honestly to the public good.
His second term was a series of ups and downs dealing with issues of the day. Exploration and development of purchased territory, road building, improvement in relations with Indians, supporting the continued exploration by Lewis & Clark all the way to the Pacific, ending the Barbary War, dealing with Aaron Burr’s sedition and treason, trying to navigate through the war between Britain and France without damage to America, banning the importation of slaves, and so on dominated his time. When he finished his term, he endorsed his long term friend James Madison over his VP Clinton. He spent much effort calming the waters of party politics that this endorsement churned up to ensure Madison’s and the party’s victories over the Federalists in 1808.
However, one period stood out as troublesome. The Brits never stopped harassing American merchants with attacks on shipping and impressment of sailors into service in the British Navy as they fought France. But France also did likewise to a somewhat lesser degree as the Napoleonic Wars raged on. In 1806 Jefferson and Congress easily passed the Non-importation Act in an attempt to stop Great Britain from doing those activities. It cut trade off with them with specific, popular products. It did not work, Britain ignored it. Faced with continued pressure, Jefferson and Congress easily passed a stronger version, the Embargo Act of 1807, that also stopped American firms from importing or exporting with both Great Britain and France, albeit with loopholes as well as lax subsequent enforcement. Jefferson was pushing to increase domestic manufacturing and production of many of the products that were imported. He wanted more time to get that done.
Great Britain and France worked around that by trading in other countries near America that were not included in the embargo, who would then sell the goods to American merchants. The Act was marginally successful at best and the public grew to hate it due to price increases and lack of availability of some products. Most of the public actually supported smuggling to import the needed items. Laws and their enforcement were ignored. After the Federalist Party rebounded from the fallout and gained a handful of seats in Congress in the 1808 elections, the Act was repealed in 1809 with Jefferson’s support when Madison became POTUS.
The issues became moot in 1812 when America declared war against Great Britain and war time restrictions on trade took hold. With the war’s peace settlement, Congress passed the Tariff of 1816 to protect American manufacturing for a three year period. An extension was requested, but southern politicians objected due to their trade connections to Great Britain. A decade after the war the issue was eventually addressed through Senator Henry Clay’s and Senator John Calhoun’s American Systems which did employ more structured tariffs.
But that tariff structure chafed the south even more in the lead up to rebellion a few decades later. With their agrarian based economy the movement of agricultural products to Great Britain was a lifeblood for prosperity. They did not take to the tariffs well.
Jefferson’s Presidency and standing were still so admired by the people that Jeffersonian Republicans won the Presidency for 24 of the following 28 years. He retired from public life back to Monticello where he frequently met with leaders in government and other walks of life as they sought his counsel, wisdom and companionship. His last major public service achievement was the successful founding of the University of Virginia at the age of 76. Per monticello.org, he led the legislative campaign for its charter, secured its location, designed its buildings, planned its curriculum, and served as the first rector.
Winding Down
His later years were dedicated to trying to pay his debts. Complicating it were the negative effects that the Louisiana Purchase had on property values in the east during the rush to purchase inexpensive land in the west. There were fewer buyers remaining in the east. He had difficulty selling his property for enough to repay debts. He also had co-signed on notes to help a couple of friends, one of whom had passed away; which cost him even more.
When the British burned the Capitol Building in the War of 1812 the entire 3000 books in the Library were burned with it. Jefferson sold his personal 6500 book library to replace it as he had planned to give it to Congress at his death anyway. An agreed price of $23,950 was negotiated and both houses of Congress approved the purchase despite the usual Federalist opposition. They hated his political positions and thought many of the books would reflect them. Jefferson was able to repay two debts of his friends he had cosigned from a large portion of the proceeds. Despite his cash problems, he found enough funds in his remaining years to purchase an additional 2500 books before his death. He often said he could not live without reading books.
When he died he left all of the 5000 acre Monticello property and personal collections to his daughter, Martha Jefferson Randolph. She could not afford to maintain the Monticello property, so it was eventually sold in 1827 to a Charlottesville druggist for $7500. After a failed business venture on the property he later sold it to the Levy family who owned and maintained it for 90 years, which was a blessing. At that point it was sold to the Thomas Jefferson Foundation in 1923 for $500,000 and a full restoration was completed afterwards. All but 500 acres of the original land that is retained by the organization was sold over the years.
The link below is a summary history of the property.
So let’s address one of the elephants in the room – the Jefferson Bible. It was one of his most controversial actions taken by him later in life and it brought heated responses, mostly negative. Basically he did not want anything to do with the miracles and deity of Jesus, but wanted everything to do with His moral positions, wisdom, and philosophical compassion for humanity. He saw his Biblical revision as a rational expression of the philosophy he personally valued, which is why he kept it private. He felt religion should remain privately held by an individual.
George Whitefield he wasn’t. Whitefield taught the Calvinist view that salvation comes from the blood sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross for our sins and His subsequent resurrection conquering death. Whitefield preached the opposite of Jefferson’s beliefs, that we could never do enough good works to earn God’s favor, that the deity of Jesus Christ as Son of God, his sacrifice on the Cross, and subsequent resurrection conquering death were essential to Christian beliefs. That was the prevailing belief then and now of traditional Protestant Christianity. On the other hand Jefferson was the anti-Calvinist who believed that good works earned acceptance by the Creator or Being as he called Him at times. The inherent problems with that view is that it contradicted the Word of God in many ways, so he cut the related parts of the Bible out in response. I have not checked, but I doubt these words are still in his revision. Ephesians 2:8-9 says,
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Needless to say it would be hard to claim to be a disciple of Jesus when you are only a disciple of the doctrine of Jesus that matched your views, so he did not claim it.
As a result it appears that TJ was a powerful, effective instrument used for the Godly purposes of moving America forward. Many of his words and actions indicate he was a deist as some were who were influenced by Enlightenment period views. However, there were contradictory statements made by TJ throughout his years that indicated he did accept Christ as his personal Savior, however, only God knows the hearts and minds of man. That determination is outside of our purview – thankfully.
Next up was the even bigger elephant in our culture’s views involving the issue of intimate relations with slaves and in particular, one Sally Hemings. Despite the scandal it caused at the time, this one resolved quickly in this era with the following public release from Monticello.org in 2018;
Additional information was released by Monticello later and the pertinent statement is below.
Many of the enslaved house servants were members of the Hemings family. Elizabeth Hemings and her children were a part of the (Martha) Wayles estate and tradition says that John Wayles was the father of six of Hemings’s children and, thus, they were the half-brothers and sisters of Jefferson’s wife Martha. Jefferson gave the Hemingses special positions, and the only slaves Jefferson freed in his lifetime and in his will were all Hemingses, giving credence to the oral history. Years after his wife’s death, Jefferson fathered at least six of Sally Hemings’s children. Four survived to adulthood and are mentioned in Jefferson’s plantation records. Their daughter Harriet and eldest son Beverly were allowed to leave Monticello during Jefferson’s lifetime and the two youngest sons, Madison and Eston, were freed in Jefferson’s will.
Historical accounts have Sally’s parents being an African woman and a British sea captain. Many accounts said she was attractive, however, portraits made in the years since her death are speculative in nature since no period portraits are known to exist. After TJ’s death, Sally moved to Charlottesville to live with two sons. She died there in 1835.
Another elephant we discussed in an earlier part, which was his on and off and on again friendship with John Adams. We have Benjamin Rush to thank for the final reconciliation of the two. In their latter years they both realized they were being too hard headed in their positions and expressions during their day in politics and governing. They were able to share humor about themselves in their many letters to each other. It is fitting they both died on July 4, 1826, two hours apart some 50 years after the signing our Declaration of Independence.
Conclusion
Jefferson was asked his opinion of the most important things he accomplished in his life. Per Monticello.org; “He was the primary draftsman of the Declaration of Independence and of the Virginia Statue of Religious Freedom, nor could others claim the position as the Father of the University of Virginia.”
It goes on to say, “He had dedicated his life to meeting the challenges of his age: political freedom, religious freedom, and educational opportunity. While he knew that we would continue to face these challenges through time, he believed that America’s democratic values would become a beacon for the rest of the world. He never wavered from his belief in the American experiment.”
“I have no fear that the result of our experiment will be that men may be trusted to govern themselves. . . .” Thomas Jefferson, 2 July 1787
It is time to take in his achievements. He was President of the United States – 2 terms, Vice President, Secretary of State, Minister to France, Governor of Virginia, Co-founder Democratic-Republican Party, Member and Representative to the Continental Congress and Virginia State Legislature, Colonel in the Virginia Militia, author, architect, attorney, farmer, scientist and patriarch of a large clan. He will be forever remembered for the Louisiana Purchase during his first term – it had a monumental affect on America.
Yet, per his instructions all he wanted to be remembered for was etched on his grave marker:
HERE WAS BURIED THOMAS JEFFERSON AUTHOR OF THE DECLARATION OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE OF THE STATUTE OF VIRGINIA FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND FATHER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA BORN APRIL 2, 1743 DIED JULY 4. 1826
We will remember this great patriot for as long as America exists. There are insufficient words to express our gratitude. There are major reasons he was honored in our nations capital with this,
But wait, one more thing…
Remove the radical differences in personalities, then compare the lives and achievements of Thomas Jefferson and Donald Trump. The parallels are eye opening.
Both were/are practical, well educated, very stable geniuses. Both were raised in prosperous homes. Both were/are workaholics. Both were builders who had/have famous estates. Both were/are incredible visionaries. One is a master of spoken words, the other was a master of written words. Both believed/believe in a decentralized and limited government, the rights of states, in individual liberty and rights, in freedom of religious expression, in law and order. Both sought/seek peaceful relations with foreign countries. Both valued/value deep thought and intelligence. They both had multiple female “attractions” and children from multiple women. Both were/are healthy and were raised in ecumenical Protestant backgrounds. One fleeced the Louisiana Purchase territory from Napoleon while the other is working on acquiring or controlling Greenland and even Canada. Both did not hesitate to use their military to go after criminals and foreign aggressors when needed. The similar comparisons go on and on.
However, the most interesting is who their obvious enemies were/are. That would be the Federalists for TJ, with the Dem controlled Uniparty of today for the Donald. Their enemies used/use identical tactics and strategy. They both expressed/express irrational hatred of the men. They smear, defame and oppose anything either TJ or the Donald wanted/want to do or accomplished/accomplish regardless of how good it was/is for We the People. The Federalists never did like or trust average Americans at all. Their early leader, John Adams, expressed as much well before the revolution, moving his family once to avoid interaction with common folks. They used them as sheeple like the Dems/uniparty do today. Both political groups wanted/want to be treated as the betters in society, above We the People. To achieve their ends they enlisted the fake news media in their attacks just like today. The propaganda, lies and smears were done the same way. They used/use lawfare, activated politicized judges, and played/play dirty politics the same then as they do now.
The results have been the same as well. Both Jefferson and Trump got stronger as they withstood the personal attacks. We the People grew in number and had their backs the entire time. Their popularity grew/grows.
We can only look forward to the same result for the Donald and MAGA as Jefferson had with the D-R’s and populism then. Jefferson turned the American Experience on its head and the movement controlled the nation for two decades after he had passed away. The Federalist Party died with the War of 1812 due primarily to the weight of their relationships with the British enemy, but also due to central government overreach and taxation. The D-R’s began a run of control that was not without bumps and bruises, but pushed America forward. As a party they died later. The politics of the day evolved with the development and needs of the country. The two political parties were replaced by the Democrat Party in the 1830’s that arose from the remnants of the Jeffersonian Republicans as well as the formation of the relatively short lived Whigs in the 1930’s and 1940’s.
That tells us that there is no guarantee that the current Dems or even the GOP will survive the MAGA movement. I am OK with that. It’s the American Way.
Long live Donald J. Trump, but longer live MAGA in the spirit of the great Donald Trump and the great Thomas Jefferson.
Please remember Wolf’s rules for our community. In general that means to be respectful to each other and to pull no shenanigans that your mom might find offensive or otherwise cause jail time. That said, free speech is honored here.
Joe Biden never won. This is our Real President – 45, 46, 47.
AND our beautiful REALFLOTUS.
This Stormwatch Monday Open Thread remains open – VERY OPEN – a place for everybody to post whatever they feel they would like to tell the White Hats, and the rest of the MAGA/KAG/KMAG world (with KMAG being a bit of both).
The bands called “Ox” are lacking, IMO. The two best options are (1) German heavy metal, and (2) Canadian alt-country that can’t be found. Let’s try something else.
THE STUFF
Although I’m not exactly a fan of recent country, this badly AI-visualized compilation of real human country from 2025 is in fact a fairly enjoyable playlist for New Year’s Eve. Listen – don’t watch.
I had to find a new video – the one I put there earlier got wiped by YouTube. Guess that’s the way it is. AI songs, stolen songs, monetization games.
In any case, enjoy!
OK, some of that stuff was pretty good. But we need MOAR.
Feel like some science? How about something that touches on the very design of how things change – something very close to math itself?
Why, that almost sounds like the hand of God!
Feel like recalculating your life? Maybe you need some new resolutions!
Note that the image below was ready for today, from the beginning of this Thursday column!
This man, making Christmas calls from the White House, believes the world is a sphere. And he has even flown around it! So has our beautiful FLOTUS, who happens to be his wife!
2018
Truth and common sense must be valued by us, as individuals, in order to lastingly disempower the authoritarian fake news media. This includes the perniciously smarmy science media, which never answers for its errors and lies. I believe that the media has been responsible not only for leftist pathologies like scientism, medical fascism, and radical gender ideology, but also for reactionary movements like modern flat Earth, rejection of all medicine, and Biblical geological literalism.
Just as Wheatie’s Stormwatch Monday Open Thread was created as a place for people to openly express their thoughts and opinions, so, too, is this Thank God Thursday Open Thread, where honest but civil discussion of all topics is encouraged. This thread is also to be known as Theistic Evolution Thursdays, due to the author’s expected “pontification” about his scientific, religious, and political opinions. You are welcome to pontificate back! Free speech matters!
Please label all AI-generated content as being such, unless it is patently obvious (e.g., humorous AI images). It is important that we as individuals not begin to pretend that socially derived artificial intelligence is actually our own, as this form of stealthy social information averaging and feedback would be one more pretense and deception between people, in service of stupid Marxist socialism, and of those who wish to substitute their communally protected lies for actual truth.
The source of alleged truth matters, not for the truth itself, but for validation.
And yes, it’s THURSDAY…again.
And that’s it. We’re done stealing from Wheatie.
OK – maybe her rules need to be posted.
2025 by Bakocarl, from Wheatie in 2019
No food fights.
No running with scissors.
If you bring snacks, bring enough for everyone.
Other rules may be derivable from these, and that conjecture is left for discussion.
If there is nothing beyond the “W” below, then this is a placeholder. For health reasons, I can’t always post a timely opinion before each Thursday, but I will try. Otherwise, you have this placeholder post, where YOU provide the content. Enjoy!
2018
W
Christmas is here! A special collection of ornaments is presented!
~1870/2018
2021
2023
And now, some of the usual goodies!
(I) A new favorite version of this song – created by humans, arranged by humans and machines (see YouTube).
(II) How about some Christmas lights, on a chemis-tree? Actually, this is “How to figure out Planck’s constant using colored LEDs” – or something like that.
(III) A rose may be a rose by any other name, but is a “meta-rose” still “meta” without “meta-“? Or even with “ortho-” or “para-“? Your call, patriots!
From Melania’s website, this “meta-rose” is one of her digital collectibles.
For a discussion of why roses are rosey, see here.
(IV) What would Christmas be without some chess? I still have the family chessboard my parents got us for Christmas! Here is a fast, furious and fun game!
(V) Sorry – I’m in love with this mathematical picture of 1729! Many thanks to our cthulhu for pointing it out!
We’ve been through a lot of Christmases together, my friends. It has been a long but blessed road.
2018
2019
2020, uploaded by grandmaintexas
2021 (Wheatie’s last post on Gab)
Christmas Tree beside a Stream, Emerald Lake, Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada, North America
While completing this series my heart and mind have been stirred by the patriots and their families. It has also made me curious about members of our family trees. It has been encouraging to see more study and research into American family genealogy. Our Aubergine is well versed in it and inspired me to get back to work on it recently after she posted some of her results and connections. Two decades ago I did some research on my family and came up empty beyond the mid-1800s. I restarted it with more current resources lately and was amazed. It is a testament to the interest of many more people wanting to know their family histories and taking time to post results with supporting documents. I first restarted with my paternal side as there were more readily accessible sources.
In this series of “begats” in my paternal lineage there were various maternal maiden names that need traced as well. Those will come as time permits. I also looked at the paternal lineage on wifey’s side of the family on a limited basis. The original purpose, which has since expanded, was to add this information to the two memory books of our fathers. However, in doing so I did note one curious connection from 1720 in North Carolina that has led to many jokes in our household. It seems we have a mother in common from that year. 😂 She originated from my side and married a man on wifey’s side. She then had a son that eventually led to wifey’s father and her.
So kissin’ cuzins would be us! I knew there was sumthin’ about that gal. No hillbilly jokes, please. Around here we use Bammer (Alabama) jokes. I made the mistake one time of telling a kissing cousin Bama joke to a really nice guy from that state who really had married his first cousin.
Oopsie. He took it well. I was a bit embarrassed. But I digress.
😀
This paternal trace on my side of the fanily originates in Scotland in the 1100’s with family members migrating into Ireland and England in the 1400-1500’s before soon leaving for the colonies. At its farthest point back that I have traced individuals, my paternal direct linage came from the Kent, England area pre-emigration to the colony of Rhode Island. A royal governor of that colony is in my direct lineage. He is about the only prominent or famous dude in all of those centuries I could find. Other than one Captain in the British Navy well before the Revolutionary War period, it appears all of the men on that side were grunts doing grunt things.
This particular paternal trace has progressed from 1547 in Middlesex, England to a 1661 marriage document in Quaker information in Maryland to the family migration, births and burials in the Raleigh area of NC during the early 1700’s to the migration of descendants to southeastern KY lumbering and coal mining areas, followed by moves to eastern TN lumbering and coal mining areas. In the process it has become very apparent I came from a Christian background with all of the baptism and christening documents that have been posted. It is in my blood. I am glad because I have not desired to live any other way. As a side note I immediately become emotionally involved when I hear the sound of bagpipes. I never understood why when I was younger. I do now.
In the middle of it all there was one who was born in 1731 and died in 1798 who served in the colonial army as a member of the 3rd battalion of the Cumberland County, PA militia. I was able to trace others, including younger military aged sons from North Carolina, who enlisted in Virginia and served honorably. Just knowing that brought patriot pride.
When we examine our family trees, we experience a slice of Americana that binds us even more to this great country. It becomes personal instead of simply names and events in a book. We are American by birth and by choice, it is our heritage. It helps us understand better why the non-enemy peoples from all over the world want that same citizenship and birthright as well. American pride is a real thing. You can tell the motives of those people by their desire to assimilate into the American Way. If they don’t want to assimilate, they are compromised and may be enemy combatants. They will never be real Americans if they do not assimilate. That is how you can identify them.
I will never understand why citizens of Great Britain willingly chose to throw all of it away by not resisting the opening of their doors to hordes of Islamic muck rakers and jihadists. Their blind allegiance to the Crown and Parliament has been their undoing. Their plight illustrates how right our patriot fathers and mothers were for kicking them and their lackeys out of America. Now, we are having to do it again with the heathen hordes that came in illegally that were invited by the uniparty and Demoncraps in particular. Of course, that bunch has always been tightly associated with the Brits and the (un)royal family. There should be no more pretending about bipartisan support of America and its culture. We have seen the enemy, we cannot unsee it. They are still the same as they were centuries ago.
It is a dirty shame THAT is not taught in public schools today. But it can be in private schools and homeschooling. As for me and my house…
As we near the completion of this topic of American Stories there are just two signers left that are far too important to the cause of liberty to take time away time from their stories. As we have learned the state of Virginia mattered greatly to the efforts of the patriots in their quest for independence. Below is just one more example. If there was such a thing as American royalty, perish the thought, this family would be listed near the top.
Benjamin Harrison V
We will now discuss a signer with a distinguished family tree and legacy. Benjamin Harrison V was born in 1726 at the Berkeley Plantation in Charles City County, VA. It is the site of one of the first annual Thanksgiving celebrations in America in 1619. That is correct, two years before the popular Plymouth, MA related native Indian and pilgrim feast tale told to schoolchildren. Interestingly, it is also reported as the location where the Army bugle call of “Taps” was first written and played in 1862.
His parents were Benjamin Harrison IV and Ann Carter Harrison. He was the eldest son of their ten children. He was born the same year his father completed the Berkeley Plantation mansion, which is constructed of brick that was fired on the property. The initials of both his father and mother appear on a date stone over a door. Harrison V’s (H-5) great-great grandfather (H-1) emigrated to the area in 1633 from the Isle of Wight in England.
H-5’s mother was the daughter of wealthy planter and politician, “King” Carter. Carter owned over 300,000 acres and a thousand slaves. For a time he was Treasurer of Virginia, on the King’s Council, and very involved in colonial government. The Carter family traced their roots in America to predecessors who emigrated to the area in 1649.
H-5 was tutored at Berkeley until attending William & Mary College in classical studies with patriot notables, Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson. However, at age 19 a lightning strike killed his father and two sisters back home at Berkeley in 1745. Already disenchanted with college life anyway, he returned home to take over operations of their 1000 acre farm that included ship building and horse breeding. Three years later at the age of 22, H- 5 married Elizabeth Bassett of nearby New Kent County, a niece of Martha Washington. Her great grandfather, William, had also emigrated to the area from the Isle of Wight.
H-5 grew into a physically imposing man during the period. As an older adult he stood 6′ 4″ and weighed about 250 lbs. He and Elizabeth had eight children who survived to adulthood in their 40 year marriage. He and his family had between 80-100 slaves, but had a more humane view and treatment of them, feeling a great responsibility for their care. Families were respected and kept together. The Harrison family were Anglican and felt a duty to teach them about Christianity. Many other slave holders would not do so as they were considered property, while H-5 and family made sure that the willing were baptized. Unfortunately, some of the other younger Harrison men in the extended family were less principled and had relations with slaves. Over the years that followed H-5 began working to stop the slave trade and introduced legislation to do so.
H-5’s family had deep involvement in politics going back to H-1’s arrival there. There are records of their many squabbles with British authorities going back to 1640. One Harrison was even imprisoned for six years for challenging British authority over charges of tyranny and treason. H-5 entered politics in 1749 with his election the House of Burgesses where he periodically served as Speaker until royal governor Lord John Dunmore shut it down in 1774. Throughout his years of service and due to his influence the Brits tried to win him over to their side with potential appointments, but he always refused and sided with colonial causes. He strongly opposed the Stamp Act, but did not agree with Patrick Henry’s resolutions proposing civil disobedience.
With the dissolution of the House of Burgesses, he was immediately selected for the First Continental Congress in 1774, during which he participated greatly from the beginning. He chaired the committee that debated the drafting of the Articles of Association and signed them later that year. He roomed with Peyton Randolph and George Washington while they were in Philadelphia and remained a major contributor throughout his service in Congress into 1778 including the signing of the Declaration.
H-5 was well noted for his use of humor that helped reduce tension among the patriots through the years. From the Descendent site is this humorous conversation with Elbridge Gerry as they prepared to sign the Declaration.
“I shall have a great advantage over you, Mr. Gerry, when we are all hung for what we are now doing. From the size and weight of my body I shall die in a few minutes and be with the Angels, but from the lightness of your body you will dance in the air an hour or two before you are dead.”
H-5 did not trust yankees. 😂 He was well known for not trusting anything that came out of the New Englanders. He was a major backer of state’s rights. The only powerful patriot he trusted from that NE area was John Hancock, of whom he thought very highly due to his fair treatment of all. He said of Hancock that he was “noble, disinterested and generous to a very great degree.” Despite his opinions, he was chosen by all to read Thomas Jefferson’s draft of the Declaration of Independence on July 1 as well as to chair the debate the following day.
While serving he solicited assistance from other countries as a member of the Secret Correspondence Committee. He worked closely with General Washington in planning the American army. He even served as a lieutenant in the county militia during the war and was a chief magistrate as well. Berkeley Plantation was ravaged during the war by Benedict Arnold and British troops, which included throwing their many family portraits into a fire, losing family historical documents and artifacts in the aftermath. That same Berkeley became the site of Gen. George McClellan’s headquarters as he gathered forces in the failed attempt to take Richmond for the Union during the Civil War many years later.
Further from the Descendants site:
After the war, Harrison remained active in Virginia politics as a member of the House of Delegates, which chose him to be its speaker. When his second- cousin Thomas Nelson, Jr., resigned from the governorship in 1781, Harrison was elected governor of Virginia and was re-elected twice. He was instrumental in shaping the U.S. Constitution as a member of the Virginia Ratification Convention in 1788 when he argued strenuously for a Bill of Rights prior to ratification, not after. Failing that he voted in favor and helped secure Virginia’s ratification in a close vote. He sat on the committee that recommended rights to be included in what became the Bill of Rights.
Whew. It wears me out just reading all this great man did on behalf of our nation. But after all that he returned to serve in the state legislature in 1791 before developing a severe case of gout and passing away at age 65. Elizabeth died a year later. They are buried at their beloved Berkeley Plantation, a national historic landmark.
Up to that point H-5 was long known for being healthy, active, and dignified in manner. He was rotund and found to love good food, wine, and bawdy behavior. As many noted he excelled in dealing with difficult situations and people as he was cheerful, steady and did not allow problems to bother him. John Adams wrote that Harrison had “contributed many pleasantries that steadied rough sessions.”
But Elizabeth’s and his story cannot be fully told without discussing their descendants. How about two future POTUS among other notables? From Wiki:
Among them was eldest daughter Lucy Bassett (1749–1809), who married Peyton Randolph (1738–1784). (Remember who H-5 roomed with in Philly?) Another daughter, Anne Bassett (1753–1821), married David Coupland (1749–1822). The eldest son was Benjamin Harrison VI (1755–1799), a briefly successful merchant who served in the Virginia House of Delegates but who died a self-indulgent, troubled, young widower. Another was Carter Bassett Harrison (c. 1756–1808), who served in the Virginia House of Delegates and the US House of Representatives. Other children were Elizabeth Harrison (1751–1791), who married physician William Rickman (c. 1731–1783) and Sarah Harrison (1770–1812), who married John Minge (1771–1829).
The youngest child was General William Henry Harrison (1773–1841), who became a congressional delegate for the Northwest Territory and also was governor of the Indiana Territory. In the 1840 United States presidential elections, William Henry defeated incumbent Martin Van Buren, but fell ill and died just one month into his presidency. Vice President John Tyler, a fellow Virginian and Berkeley neighbor succeeded him. William Henry’s grandson, Benjamin Harrison (1833–1901), was a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Benjamin served in the U. S. Senate and was elected president in 1888 after defeating incumbent Grover Cleveland.
Do you see what I mean that if it were a thing, the Harrison clan would be American royalty? We owe a big debt of gratitude to H-5, Elizabeth and family for their selfless, patriotic service to America.
Please remember Wolf’s rules for our community, which includes labeling all AI. In general the rules mean to be respectful to each other and to pull no shenanigans that your mom might find offensive or otherwise cause jail time. That said, free speech is honored here.
It is that time again. The Savior of all mankind is remembered and lifted up on the day. It is a story that never gets old or loses its meaning. Enjoy your times with family, friends and fellow church members. Pray for our nation that we may find favor and please Him.
Be blessed and go make something good happen!Merry Christmas!!!
Joe Biden never won. This is our Real President – 45, 46, 47.
AND our beautiful REALFLOTUS.
This Stormwatch Monday Open Thread remains open – VERY OPEN – a place for everybody to post whatever they feel they would like to tell the White Hats, and the rest of the MAGA/KAG/KMAG world (with KMAG being a bit of both).
Our various sister sites, listed in the Blogroll in the sidebar
Our beloved country is under Occupation by hostile forces.
Daily outrage and epic phuckery abound.
We can give in to despair…or we can be defiant and fight back in any way that we can.
Joe Biden didn’t win.
And we will keep saying Joe Biden didn’t win until we get His Fraudulency out of our White House.
Wolfie’s Wheatie’s Word of the Week:
rounce
noun, verb (multiple meanings)
The handle for moving the carriage on a hand printing press
The handle by which the bed of a hand press, holding the form of type, etc., is run in under the platen and out again; — sometimes applied to the whole apparatus by which the form is moved under the platen.
The handle by which the bed of a hand press, holding the form of type, etc., is run in under the platen and out again.
The whole apparatus by which the form is moved under the platen.
to be agitated
to flounce around
to fuss
to restore damaged coffee by stirring it in a tub with boiling water and then drying it.
Used in a sentence mixing some of the above meanings
Through our leaflets protesting the lies of the Wall Street Journal, we did our best to rounce the bubble, one might say.
Shown in a picture of “rounce and rails”
Printing press, part of. 1995.0214.002.
Shown in another picture of “rounce and girths (straps)”
Shown in a video (“oiling the rounce”)
So how does one “pronounce the rounce”?
MUSIC!
You guessed it! Another hymn by these folks. For full disclosure, I don’t think this woman on the thumbnail is an actual person. Suspicious Cat doesn’t think this is her actual voice, either.
THE STUFF
Christmas is almost here! Are you ready?
Look what I discovered by searching on “rounce” and finding something uploaded by a teacher named “Nicole Rounce”!
Enjoy a patriotic musical!
Not exactly sure some of this conversation is historically accurate.
This man, making Christmas calls from the White House, believes the world is a sphere. And he has even flown around it! So has our beautiful FLOTUS, who happens to be his wife!
Truth and common sense must be valued by us, as individuals, in order to lastingly disempower the authoritarian fake news media. This includes the perniciously smarmy science media, which never answers for its errors and lies. I believe that the media has been responsible not only for leftist pathologies like scientism, medical fascism, and radical gender ideology, but also for reactionary movements like modern flat Earth, rejection of all medicine, and Biblical geological literalism.
Just as Wheatie’s Stormwatch Monday Open Thread was created as a place for people to openly express their thoughts and opinions, so, too, is this Thank God Thursday Open Thread, where honest but civil discussion of all topics is encouraged. This thread is also to be known as Theistic Evolution Thursdays, due to the author’s expected “pontification” about his scientific, religious, and political opinions. You are welcome to pontificate back! Free speech matters!
Please label all AI-generated content as being such, unless it is patently obvious (e.g., humorous AI images). It is important that we as individuals not begin to pretend that socially derived artificial intelligence is actually our own, as this form of stealthy social information averaging and feedback would be one more pretense and deception between people, in service of stupid Marxist socialism, and of those who wish to substitute their communally protected lies for actual truth.
The source of alleged truth matters, not for the truth itself, but for validation.
And yes, it’s THURSDAY…again.
And that’s it. We’re done stealing from Wheatie.
OK – maybe her rules need to be posted.
No food fights.
No running with scissors.
If you bring snacks, bring enough for everyone.
Other rules may be derivable from these, and that conjecture is left for discussion.
If there is nothing beyond the “W” below, then this is a placeholder. For health reasons, I can’t always post a timely opinion before each Thursday, but I will try. Otherwise, you have this placeholder post, where YOU provide the content. Enjoy!
W
Christmas is approaching! Get in the spirit!
(1) Another hymn by this bunch. I find this very listenable.
(2) MOAR CHESS. Get in the spirit of giving! Watch these two top players give each other gift moves, until the one who gives the earliest gifts WINS. Otherwise known as a stupid, bad game, won by the biggest troll.
(3) OK – time to get serious for a moment.
GATTACA is coming, thanks to CRISPR. We were warned!
Title: “OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and His Husband Are Funding the Creation of Genetically Engineered Babies”
Subtitle: “The rebirth of Frankenstein in the era of CRISPR and AI”
Last week I gave the Trumpmania economic and government strategy and plans that are being implemented to regain control of America and accelerate our world dominance. I now discuss a macro economics answer as to how we get the huge national debt off our collective backs. Are you ready?
Spend less than we take in. Pay back the debt. Done.
Don’t fall for the doomsday BS or even the termination of the Fed being needed. In my opinion, the latter will be neutered back to its original intent by #47 because it can be used for the white hats to our collective benefit – at least for now. Long term, all bets are off on what happens to it as the functions they perform are literally Treasury’s responsibility. After its usefulness is done it could be shut down or materially changed. There is no doubt it has been used as a weapon against us since 1913. Watch how #47 and Scott Bessent turn it into an asset against foreign trade and currency manipulators. Boomerang.
If you have not already, watch the Marlow interview with Scott Bessent in the link below. Watch now or in your spare time, but watch it. Even if you have zero understanding of the economy you will come away with knowledge that will be useful to you going forward. Trump has this. Trust him.
As for day to day media information, watch the world or business news, read an article, listen to a podcast – whatever. Believe what you will believe. Just know that if the GDP of America; its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – defined as the total monetary value of all final goods and services produced within a country during a specific time period, typically measured annually or quarterly – averages 4% annually over the next three years the national debt will begin declining at a decent rate and the annual budget deficit will turn into a surplus every year. Actually that begins to happen irrespective of tariff revenues. Fact, it is an economic reality proven time again. They report it quarterly and annually. You will now be able to trust the reported data because of #47 and DOGE.
Guess what has happened already for two quarters in 2025? Yup, around 4% GDP. What is a primary reason for the Schumer Shutdown exclusive of political party infighting? The negative economic impact it had on the recovery and acceleration of business investment under Trump. Yes, TDS. It slowed the recovery down to probably around 1.5-2% per Kevin Hassett, chair of Trump’s National Economic Council. The Demoncraps felt it would help them to win a few blue state elections. They gave the 🖕 to We the People in doing so. Kevin may be downplaying it. The Atlanta Fed predicted we would still see 3.9% in the fourth quarter even with the Schumer Shutdown.
The people you can trust for reporting the truth on the economy are Scott Bessent and Kevin “Happy” Hassett. Both have our backs and the blessing of #47 to handle things. The latter has long been one of my favorite truth tellers. Just a really good dude. Signals are out that he and Kevin Warsh are the two at the top of the Fed Chair list. Both are outstanding and will do MAGA proud. We should know soon.
Next up add in the net tariff revenues. Which is why PDT predicts they will be able to eliminate the personal income tax, especially for low and middle income folks. PDT still needs the SCOTUS to rule in MAGA’s favor on them. If they do not, expect the markets to react negatively for a time and for PDT to retool their approach to using them. Bessent has already said they have other Constitutional methods to use if needed. The prayer is that they are not needed.
The Demoncraps care more about hurting Trump than the well being of even their own voters. Which means he and MAGA are over target. Demoncraps do that for personal party politics and don’t give two shits what any American thinks about it if it helps them gain or retain power. That is why there should be no bipartisan deals negotiated with them. We the People lose by giving them leverage if they do. Advance MAGA legislation and if the Demoncraps do not sign it, expose them openly while eliminating any financial or other support you legally can to their districts. Time to play hard ball.
With nearly $20 T being invested into America over time, 4% annual GDP is likely to be the floor if there are no Demoncrap generated disasters. If We the People deliver control of both houses of Congress, there is nothing stopping 5+% from happening annually for a very long time. The filibuster threat cannot even stop that because MAGA can deliver another reconciliation bill and PDT can use impoundment. The latter is the POTUS authority to delay or not fund non-essential appropriations. Since the Demoncraps cannot get any appropriations approved without GOP help going forward, stopping the funding of non-essential appropriations helps reduce the size of government, which reduces expenses and capital costs.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is already predicting 6% GDP at some point in 2026 as it currently stands. That is record breaking, but also sustainable if the patriots and We the People do our jobs with the midterms and beyond. That totally rebuilds the foundation of America economically and militarily. No adversaries will want to take that on. FAFO will rule and their demise will be swift and painful.
We could discuss multipolarity of regions of the world here, but I will wait. Just know that the Monroe Doctrine is the rule of order on this side of the world again. Both Chyna and Russia know it. The Euros are on their own. We will maintain a military force as a deterrant, but that will primarily be for America’s protection. Since the Euros want to shiz in their nests, it will be up to them to clean it up. #47 will be glad to sell them some of our weaponry and equipment to fight their forever wars.
To you, all of this means federal deficit reduction; which means lower interest rates, more liquidity (cash) in the economy, more economic growth, more well paying jobs with good benefits, continued low inflation and more opportunity for all of us long term. Anybody opposing that is a declared enemy of the American Way and Experience.
In reality, most of the world is over the old system that destroys to the benefit of the elites. They want what is now being delivered by #47 and patriots. Which is why the leaders of those nations agreed to high tariffs and massive investment into the USA. They are over forever wars and meddling in their own national affairs. We need to make sure it continues.
What that means personally to each and every one of you reading this is thousands of dollars of annual buying and investing power more than you have now with prices of products edging down or stabilizing at current levels. The extra funds compound annually if you invest into about anything that has and holds real value; not just CD’s, stocks and bonds. Land/property, precious metals, collectibles, etc. will also increase in value.
Method For Lasting National Prosperity
The actual method to reset everything PERMANENTLY in this country is the same that it has been since forever. It is a balanced budget amendment along with an amendment for no personal federal income tax in our U. S. Constitution. They must include enforcement provisions that even SCOTUS has no options to abort like the first and second amendment. Wut, you say? Yes, that is all it takes.
Which is just like the Brits treated the colonists. Some things never change without rebellion. The timing of the Fed potentially going away would affect the timing of the balanced budget amendment and its amendment language.
How do I know for sure that two amendment method works? Because there are very prosperous red states that do exactly that. I live in one. There are others. All are in really good financial shape with stable to growing employment and rising incomes of their citizens even in nationally troubled economic times.
Why must there be amendments to the Constitution you may ask? How many amendments to the Constitution have been terminated or repealed in over 236 years? One. The 21st effectively repealed the 18th. It was the repeal of prohibition – booze. That’s it. How many people do you know who would rise against the government for only spending what it takes in or eliminating personal income taxes? Exactly.
I am sure it is safe to say the 80/20 rule would apply. After ratification the two amendments would survive any future challenges easily. The political will to get it done resides within the MAGA movement. #47 is already on board with it and pushing for the personal tax elimination. It needs a block of GOP elected officials sufficient to make it and balanced budgets Constitutional amendments. That means killing dead their allegiance to the old system. Which means some existing elected officials have gotta go.
Primary out the RINO’s and elect large numbers of MAGA GOP. Increase the overall number of MAGA elected officials in government everywhere. Set the options on the table, explain what they do for the American people, and enjoy the fruits of their passage.
As an example, nearly every state ranking of financial health and solvency include Tennessee and Florida in the Top Five. Both require balanced budgets and have no personal income taxes. There are nine states with no personal income taxes and 49 with with some form of balanced budget requirement. None of the states that are without personal income taxes are anywhere near the bottom of the list for economic health. That honor is reserved for all of the high debt, highly taxed blue states with personal incomes taxes such as Illinois, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and California. They are the bottom feeders who suck the economic lives out of their citizens who continue to seemingly enjoy the condition of being bent over by electing the people who stick it to them. That they do should tell We the People to completely ignore or shout them down every time they open their mouths.
When you add right to work state status, no personal income taxes, and a required balanced budget, you get an influx of population and business growth. It is a proven formula for success. Those same principles work for the federal government as well. It creates the environment for success. It shores up The Golden Age.
So how do we reduce and eventually eliminate our massive national debt? Are you ready?
Again, spend less than we take in. Use the difference, the surplus, to pay back higher interest treasury debt first. Even Dave Ramsey knows and tells people that in their personal finances.
Besides forcing a balanced budget via amendent, how do you get to surplus?
Well, that’s the good part. #47 and cabinet have already done enough, but are continuing to do it even more as explained above. The answer is massive investment into America that increases manufacturing, energy and natural resource development. Return to true supply side economic independence instead of playing the globalist game of London and Europe. That dramatically increases tax revenue collections over time. Add in massive tariff surpluses already in place that can be directly applied to the debt or given back to We the People as a, wait, what did #47 call it, oh yeah, DIVIDEND.
Dividends are paid from profits. America, Inc. is making money now and will make even more in the future as the business investment takes root. Again – America, Inc. is no longer just a user of funds at that point. Successful businesses pay dividends to shareholders, which in this case is us – We the People.
The balanced budget amendment generally includes requirements on what is done with surpluses. The sooner you get to surplus the sooner you can use future, more inflated dollars to pay off older, less inflated debt. Paying off debt reduces the carrying cost (interest expense) of remaining debt and it becomes a smaller percentage of the annual budget expenses going forward. The more you do it, the faster the debt repayment accelerates.
We can also accelerate the rate and total reduction by simply marking our massive gold reserves to market as well. That improves the balance sheet by $1.4 T +/- overnight based on current quotes. Doing it will probably also mean a return to the gold standard with the dollar solidifying as the world’s reserve currency. America then finds stability from less inflation, less to no market bubbles, less to no forever wars. All of that has been fueled by phony baloney fiat currency of the past.
However, there is no guesswork that the Sovereign Wealth Fund is going to be used because both PDT and Scott Bessent have discussed it publicly. The link below explores it and other subjects accurately in my opinion.
Surplus tax revenues from an expanded economy + tariffs + Sovereign Wealth Fund investment = National Debt demise. Balanced budget with restrictions on surplus fund usage keeps it there. We do not have to do a thing for all of this to happen to our benefit except be good citizens, show up in big numbers to vote for the patriots, and protect our nation.
This will be the last of my planned current day economic summaries for awhile. I have done all I can do to inform. I will still post in the comments on current activities if I can add to the flow. If conditions on the ground change dramatically in a different way, I will revisit. Me and my house chose the Lord, #47, and the patriots. So I am going to do what I have asked of everybody else – make a difference for America.
It is now time to discuss another largely unsung hero of the signers. This one was special and a critical piece in the quest for independence as we will see with another highly important founding father in a couple of weeks. Enjoy!
George Wythe
George Wythe was born in 1726 in the former Elizabeth City County, now city of Hampton, Virginia on the prominent Chesterville plantation. Over time the previous settlements and towns dissolved or merged into the city of Hampton, such that it lays claim to being the oldest continuously English speaking city in North America.
George was of the third generation of this predominantly Quaker family. His parents, Thomas III and Margaret Walker Wythe, were planters and Thomas owned a half interest in a wharf in Hampton. Unfortunately, Thomas passed away when George was three years old. His well educated mother homeschooled George. He became proficient in Latin and Greek while she also taught him the classics, logic and science. He entered William and Mary (W & M) Grammar School at age 14, studied two years, then spent two years in the study of law under his uncle, Stephen Dewey, in Charles City Council. After that he returned to Chesterville to continue his studies. At the age of 20 in 1746 he easily passed the bar exam.
Since his brother, Thomas IV, was established at Chesterville he moved to Spotsylvania County to open his practice. George moved in with the King’s attorney, Zachary Lewis, because Lewis had a great deal of case backlog. While there he met Lewis’ daughter, Ann. They fell in love and were married a year later. Unfortunately, Ann caught a fever and died seven months later. George was distraught with grief. He returned to Williamsburg and joined Ann’s uncle, Benjamin Waller, in his practice to get a new start on life. While there he was selected to clerk for two important committees of the House of Burgesses. This led to many contacts and an entry into the world of politics. In 1754 he was selected to fill a vacant seat in the House of Burgesses.
A year later his brother, Thomas IV, died and George inherited Chesterville. That same year he married Elizabeth Taliaferro, whose family lived a few miles outside of Williamsburg. A wealthy landowner and architect, Elizabeth’s father built the couple a nice brick home in the city to begin their lives together. It served as their home for over thirty years. The home was restored and has been owned by Colonial Williamsburg since 1938.
George would win and lose seats in the House of Burgesses for several years. In 1758 Francis Fauquier became the new royal Governor of Virginia. As a neighbor, Francis formed a close bond with George, who at that point was teaching at W & M. This included them bonding with a 20 year old student named Thomas Jefferson. The three of them were joined by fellow W & M professor, William Small, and became a tight knit group who frequently met for dinner to discuss science, literature, architecture, politics and morals. This continued for five years.
Wythe joined Patrick Henry in 1763 to argue against the Two Penny Tax. A year later they had a mini falling out over the Stamp Act. Wythe had sent an letter of admonition previously to Parliament concerning the Two Penny Act and was waiting on a response. When the Stamp Act was approved, Henry and supporters reacted harshly, while Wythe wanted to wait for an official response from his letter. Henry’s resolutions passed in the House and Governor Fauquier, Wythe’s friend, was forced to dissolve the General Assembly immediately in response.
A few years later George was elected Mayor of Williamsburg and had become more prominent in the area. When Lord John Dunmore was named royal Governor, the two frequently clashed. It became apparent to George it would no longer be possible to support the Brits and he moved more toward independence causes. After the battles of Lexington and Concord, Dunmore seized the arms and powder from the colonial magazine at Williamsburg. When the colonists learned of it they went after Dunmore and he was forced to escape to a British ship off shore. He left and never returned.
George then went to Philadelphia as Dunmore’s replacement to the First Continental Congress that year. From the Descendants site:
During the continuing debate over independence, he asked his fellow delegates, “In what character shall we treat? As subjects of Great Britain? As rebels? Why should we be so fond of calling ourselves dutiful subjects? We must declare ourselves a free people.”
In the spring he returned to Virginia to argue for Thomas Jefferson’s plan for their state government and returned to Philadelphia in time to sign the Declaration of Independence in September. He then moved Congress to make Jefferson, B and Silas Deane colonial agents (ministers) to France; for them to act as ambassadors. From our story on B, we now realize just how important it was to have him in France. We can thank George Wythe for that observation and recommendation.
He returned to Williamsburg the next year and was elected Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates where he assisted Governor Patrick Henry is meeting obligations to fund and supply the military. Even though he was exposed to British forces, he remained in Williamsburg throughout the remainder of the war and avoided capture. In 1777 he was also named as a justice on the state’s Chancery Court, on which he served until 1788. In 1779 Jefferson as Governor appointed him to a new professor position over Law and Police at W & M when James Madison was President of the school. Many famous elected officials, attorneys and future judges were taught by Wythe over the years that followed which included Henry Clay, Littleton Tazewell, James Monroe and John Marshall. Remember that for a future Part.
He and Elizabeth hosted Gen. Washington in their home before the battle of Yorktown. He later worked on the Articles of Confederation as well as the Constitution in 1787 before he had to quickly return home when Elizabeth fell ill and soon passed away. The next year he worked within the state for the eventual ratification of its Constitution. In 1789 he resigned from W & M to move to Richmond with one of his students (William Munford) to be near the Chancery Court. Over the years that followed he studied Hebrew and began conducting electrical experiments there along with that former student. He returned to public service as a Presidential Elector in 1800 and 1804; both times voting for his long term friend and political ally, Jefferson. He had freed his slaves many years before at Chesterville and was adamant in his belief that, “…. freedom is the birthright of every human being….”.
The grandson of a sister came to live with him while in Richmond, George Wythe Sweeney. Wythe had written him into his will in 1803 as he and Elizabeth had no children. When he later discovered Sweeney was stealing from him he modified the will to read that Sweeney received half and a former freed slave, Michael Brown, would receive the other half. Sweeney discovered the changed will and codicil. He secretly began poisoning both Wythe and Brown with arsenic in their food. Both died, but before Wythe did he wrote Sweeney totally out of his will by order of the judge presiding over the murder charge. Sweeney had also poisoned Wythe’s former slave housekeeper, but she survived and sought to testify in Sweeney’s murder trial. Her testimony was disallowed because she was a Negro and not allowed to testify against a white man by law. As a result Sweeney was ruled to be not guilty.
George Wythe was 80 years old when he died and is buried at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Richmond. this is the same church where Patrick Henry gave his famous “give me liberty or give me death” speech. Per the Descendants site,
Wythe will be forever known by the comments of those with whom he associated.
“Four days after his death, on June 10, the Richmond Enquirer wrote: “Kings may require mausoleums to consecrate their memory, saints may claim the privilege of canonization; but the venerable George Wythe needs no other monument than the services rendered to his country, and the universal sorrow that the country sheds over his grave.”
From Thomas Jefferson, “No man ever left behind him a character more venerated than George Wythe. His virtue was of the purest tint; his integrity inflexible, and his justice exact; of warm patriotism, and, devoted as he was to liberty, and the natural and equal rights of man, he might truly be called the Cato of his country…. (He was) my faithful and beloved Mentor in youth, and my most affectionate friend through life.”
Benjamin Rush, “a profound lawyer and able politician. I have seldom known a man who possessed more modesty or a more dove-like simplicity and gentleness of manner.”
Reverend Lee Massey called George Wythe “the only honest lawyer I ever knew.”
Historian/biographer Reverend Charles Goodrich, wrote: “With all his great qualities, he possessed a soul replete with benevolence, and his private life is full of anecdotes, which prove that it is seldom that a kinder and warmer heart throbbed in the breast of a human being….As a judge, he was remarkable for his rigid impartiality, and sincere attachment to the principles of equity; for his vast and various learning; and for his strict and unwearied attention to business. Superior to popular prejudices, and every corrupting influence, nothing could induce him to swerve from truth and right. In his decisions, he seemed to be a pure intelligence, untouched by human passions, and settling the disputes of men according to the dictates of eternal and immutable justice…. He took a great delight in educating such young persons as showed an inclination for improvement. Harassed as he was with business, and enveloped with papers belonging to intricate suits in chancery, he yet found time to keep a private school for the instruction of a few scholars, always with very little compensation, and often demanding none.”
George Wythe was absolutely essential as a cornerstone building block in the creation of America. He will be honored for as long as America exists.
Please remember Wolf’s rules for our community. In general that means to be respectful to each other and to pull no shenanigans that your mom might find offensive or otherwise cause jail time. That said, free speech is honored here.
I wish all of you a Merry Christmas. Thanks be to God for the Savior of all mankind entered the world this week over 2000 years ago. He shall be called the Prince of Peace…
Be blessed, enjoy your times with family and friends, and go make something good happen!
Joe Biden never won. This is our Real President – 45, 46, 47.
AND our beautiful REALFLOTUS.
This Stormwatch Monday Open Thread remains open – VERY OPEN – a place for everybody to post whatever they feel they would like to tell the White Hats, and the rest of the MAGA/KAG/KMAG world (with KMAG being a bit of both).
This explainer is powerful, making very understandable the link between tail loss and other differences between humans and apes and/or monkeys. And not only is the “genetic clock” consistent with what we know – this hypothesis almost certainly explains other inherited traits which come from similar larger patterns in DNA, and not from smaller base-pair mutations.
And – drum roll – they got (ethically, using mice) confirmation in a lab. Yes. Really.
This man, making Christmas calls from the White House, believes the world is a sphere. And he has even flown around it! So has our beautiful FLOTUS, who happens to be his wife!
Truth and common sense must be valued by us, as individuals, in order to lastingly disempower the authoritarian fake news media. This includes the perniciously smarmy science media, which never answers for its errors and lies. I believe that the media has been responsible not only for leftist pathologies like scientism, medical fascism, and radical gender ideology, but also for reactionary movements like modern flat Earth, rejection of all medicine, and Biblical geological literalism.
Just as Wheatie’s Stormwatch Monday Open Thread was created as a place for people to openly express their thoughts and opinions, so, too, is this Thank God Thursday Open Thread, where honest but civil discussion of all topics is encouraged. This thread is also to be known as Theistic Evolution Thursdays, due to the author’s expected “pontification” about his scientific, religious, and political opinions. You are welcome to pontificate back! Free speech matters!
Please label all AI-generated content as being such, unless it is patently obvious (e.g., humorous AI images). It is important that we as individuals not begin to pretend that socially derived artificial intelligence is actually our own, as this form of stealthy social information averaging and feedback would be one more pretense and deception between people, in service of stupid Marxist socialism, and of those who wish to substitute their communally protected lies for actual truth.
The source of alleged truth matters, not for the truth itself, but for validation.
And yes, it’s THURSDAY…again.
And that’s it. We’re done stealing from Wheatie.
OK – maybe her rules need to be posted.
No food fights.
No running with scissors.
If you bring snacks, bring enough for everyone.
Other rules may be derivable from these, and that conjecture is left for discussion.
If there is nothing beyond the “W” below, then this is a placeholder. For health reasons, I can’t always post a timely opinion before each Thursday, but I will try. Otherwise, you have this placeholder post, where YOU provide the content. Enjoy!
W
Another collection of TEMU TRINKETS. Don’t worship any of them – for all worldly things are IDOLS! But ordered here with increasing Godliness, enjoy these seven!
(1) Speaking of idols, this demonstration is straight outta CHURCH LADY 101. This song is oozing with downfall. Great beat and guitar, though! I loved this song back in the day. Get your “wise as serpents” on as you read the lyrics.
(2) Let’s move on to a quick and nostalgic review of SuSE musical parodies. A mixed bag of originals, spiritually, dissected by examination as cover versions with techie lyrics.
(3) Gonna go all “Steve” on y’all with an astronomy video. Turns out that neutron stars have a lot of interesting structure that’s requiring a lot of work to understand.
The AI narration is somewhat annoying, becoming more repetitive after the half-way point, but it’s still very educational, whether you stick it out or not.
(4) Let us transition [COUGH] away slowly from the idolatrous and the divinely created but nonetheless fully material toward [but not yet to] the divine, with this rendering of a still somewhat worldly song [watch the end of the video and check out this link].
(5) A nice, brief (2 minute) discussion of one of my favorite hymns. No music, just theology.
(6) And now the music – with the vocal part only as written lyrics – to aid in studying them. Consider these words in light of what is currently being launched against Trump and MAGA. Trump, who has done so much to return this nation to its Godly roots. Fortify thyself against the demons who attack!
(7) Now enjoy the music with vocals – a version I had not heard before. I found it worth going to YouTube to read the channel’s take on the song and its history.
