ContemporaryVirginian

Princess Helen of Serbia who represented the Modern Serbian Monarchy after winning independence from the Ottoman Empire. Her life would intertwine with the Romanovs and the Russian Revolution.  Russia has been grinding its way through Ukraine. The elites are counting their paychecks and then passing off slow progress as a great victory. The Russians are competent at building up their industrial capacity but is it enough to help allies? The Russians under the Tsar were willing to help the Orthodox at the expense of the Turks. The Ottomans were riding against the decline of Empire, trying to think of every trick to revive the empire once again. However, history proved to be a force which was breathing down the neck of the Ottomans. The Serbians would gain independence for the first time since the Battle of Kosovo, and they would now be able to become not subject peoples but a sovereign nation in an age of Nationalism. The Russian Federation does not even have an ounce of the courage ...

  ROVA means the Rest of Virginia in comparison with NOVA which means Northern Virginia. For many years, the Rest of Virginia has been ignored in favor of Richmond and Northern Virginia. Such a state of affairs has led to a divide in the state. Virginia before the 1950s was a rural state by its nature. It was a state that was founded in the reign of King James I and was largely about shipping tobacco. Many of these cities were built in a time where river transport was more important than land transport. As Virginia built the railways, places such as Manassas became more important. When I-66 right near Manassas, the town continued to grow, though its original character has been obscured by sprawl and suburban constructions. This meant that many "cities" in Virginia, especially those in those counties near the Chesapeake are so sleepy and disconnected from the rest of the state. The areas along I-81 and I-95 excluding the capital are not much better.  Virginia was state defined...

  Why I support Winsome Sears: The Cost of Living There is a general sense that one gets now that the Republicans are for cutting taxes. In this day and age, raising taxes simply makes no sense. The private sector has truly begun to surpass the public sector and it is time we start focusing on that part of the economy more. Economic statistics based on government spending are not as important. We should be focusing on building a strong private sector so we do not need a massive government that gets fingers in every sector of the economy.  The picture above was taken in Manassas Park. It is one of those new, overly expensive communities that is supposedly about ''community'. Such places are out of reach for most people. What we need to do is to stop putting taxes on everything. The days of increasing taxes are done in America. The private sector can provide many things that the public sector cannot. Most importantly is innovation. This is not just in America. Throughout hist...

 Why I support Winsome Sears It is another Governor's race, and it seem that history does not move. In this age, it appears as if we are in a constant remake of the same political races just as movie studios are not making any original movies. After many years since World War 2, it seems that culture is beginning to change and that maybe imagination will return to our country again. We need it now more than ever before. Winsome Sears is signifying that change. In a state that often was worshipping big government, Winsome Sears can be a breath of fresh air and continue the change Governor Younkin has brought to the state. Virginia is a special state and while I sometimes complain that it is boring at times, there is no where like the Mother of Presidents, as this state used to be known as. Maybe it can be known for more than just big government but for the revitalization of the American spirit. While that may sound naive to some people, I think that it is absolutely possible here. F...

  There is much to be said about AI Image generation. I have been fascinated by the power of large language models to create images or people that do not actually exist in our reality. In the image above, I made an image of ficitious American patriot woman who is lady of the night in the 1770s American city(probably Philadelphia). While some see the image as strange; I see it as a sign of a new beginning for art in America. When I look at the image of the woman, I amazed at how Grok is able to not create a woman of perfection but of realism here. That is essentially what I want to see. This sort of creation is an amazing piece of software engineering and we should try to appreciate that more.

  In the state of Virginia, we are not as taxed as other places, but the Democrats have been hunkering in their strongholds, attempting to enrich themselves at the expense of the average citizen. The party is basically a corrupt party at this point, one that exists in nostalgia and nothing else than that. One of the greatest triumphs of Trump 2.0 is his push to remove taxes on tips. The food service industry has often been ignored by many, but times are changing now. Taxes on the tips of service workers should be removed sot that they get more money in their pockets. It can only be helpful to many of the hard-working service sector employees.

  Nando's Gainesville Virginia

  Strasburg, Virginia. The Small town at the Entrance of the Shenandoah Valley. Strasburg, Virginia is a Virginian small town in the true sense of the word. Virginia is a state that is divided between two types of culture or three if you want to be more specific. There is the Northern Virginian culture of corporate offices and sprawling suburban houses. Then there is the Virginia of the South of small towns and cities such as Roanoke. Then we have the Richmond area stretching to Virginia Beach, a mix of the two cultures. I prefer the second culture here. It is more intimate and more interesting to see. Too often in Northern Virginia do we have people who just build data centers or parking lots for commuters everywhere. There is no character to the buildings, just repeating the same colonial style buildings. Strasburg, Virginia is one of those great towns with such a cozy feel which is hard to describe. You need to be there to understand what that feeling is. When I went there in De...

  Shack Shack Gainesville, Virginia Review Shake Shack has one of the best burgers in the local area. McDonalds is still a mainstay while Burger King is trying to always catch up. Shake Shack has its urban sensibility in spades. When going to this restaurant on opening week, it was so tough even getting in there without waiting in  line. Such experiences may have a premium in the post-covid era but I am generally impatient. I chose a day to wait and I enjoyed a very good meal which is well worth the money.

Iran Lost the 12 Day War and Israel has triumphed in the Middle East The 12 Day War was quite a roller coast ride of emotions and missiles and bombs flying across two countries that have generally hated each other.  President Trump has brough peace through strength. It is not cliche; think about under Biden how Hamas managed to launch October 7th attacks, and the administration was dithering while wasting its time on spending money on EVs and other useless projects. Trump is a much greater president than he ever was. Just because someone seems nicer does not make them competent or better ruler.  Iran's willingness for strategic patience cost them dearly in this war. Israel shows itself to be a creature of action not patience. In this world, action gives the greatest bounty not sitting for the hits. Iran is seen as the darling of the BRICS nations; a coalition of highly idealistic people who only seem to come together for meetings that go nowhere. Isreal has shown once again: ...