Tag Archives: white-house

by | October 28, 2025 · 8:43 am

Bits & Bytes

DAILY PRAYER: Dear Lord, Inspire in us such confidence in Your Word that we are truly not afraid to die, but look forward to the blessed moment we first meet You face to face. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

BALLROOM: The portion of the East Wing that was demolished this month was part of a two-story expansion of the previously much smaller East Wing that was built in 1942 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

GERRYMANDERING: CLICK https://www.facebook.com/reel/710502354776180 to hear Arnold Schwarzenegger give Jake Tapper a history lesson. I need to forgive him for his nasty vaxxx messaging during COVID.

HISTORY: Hitoshi Imamura was a Japanese general during World War II, commanding forces in Southeast Asia, including the Dutch East Indies. Under his leadership, Japanese troops committed numerous atrocities against civilians and prisoners of war. After Japan’s surrender, Imamura was tried by an Allied military tribunal and sentenced to ten years in prison for war crimes. Unlike many of his peers who denied responsibility, Imamura expressed remorse, believing his sentence was too lenient given the suffering inflicted under his command.

In a striking act of personal accountability, Imamura built a replica prison cell in his garden after his release and chose to live there voluntarily until his death in 1968. The cell was austere and modeled after wartime confinement conditions, symbolizing his ongoing penitence. His self-imposed isolation stood in stark contrast to the widespread denial among other convicted officials, offering a rare example of moral reckoning in postwar Japan.

PRAYER for OUR NATION: Dear Lord, Keep our minds and hearts firmly on the things that matter. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

RACIAL PROFILING: My brother was a CEO in Los Angeles years ago. He said they were legally barred from ever asking anyone about or making a record of individual employees’ races. They were also legally required to match the local racial demographics, department by department, and to report these numbers to the government on a regular basis. The government sent surprise inspectors to tour the facilities and verify the reports were true.

PARENTING: CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fCwk0zTsmuw [1:31] to hear how Matthew McConaughey was raised. We didn’t allow “the B word.” The world is so unbelievably rich with things to see and do and learn. Nobody has any right to ever be BORED.

SCHADENFREUDE: CLICK https://x.com/DerrickEvans4WV/status/1982270013961552182 [:13] to hear a racist Democrat smirk about “white people in red states” facing hunger.

TDS: On Sunday, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) tweeted, “Don’t even think of seeking the Democratic nomination for president unless you pledge to take a wrecking ball to the Trump Ballroom on DAY ONE.” Meanwhile, the Washington Post has admitted, “Privately, many alumni of the Biden and Obama White Houses acknowledge the long-overdue need for an event space like what Trump is creating. It is absurd that tents need to be erected on the South Lawn for state dinners, and VIPs are forced to use porta-potties.”

GRAMMY NOTES: I suffered a long bout of illness in 2016. Dearest nursed me through it all, picking me up, cleaning me, feeding me. I remember one moment after a fall. He was holding me close as he lifted me off the floor and laid me back into bed. I said, “Most of this sucks. But this, right here, this is really nice.”

SHORTS:

CLICK https://www.facebook.com/reel/1325077545749467 to see a massive crack repaired.

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fJSWHrNWqoM for a llama R*CKST*R.

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by | October 23, 2025 · 10:10 am

A Brief History of the White House

Above is a rendering of James Hoban’s 1792 design for the first presidential home.

President Thomas Jefferson added colonnades (covered walkways) to the east and west sides of the building to connect the main residence to service buildings. Jefferson’s opponents criticized the cost and design.

On August 24, 1814, British troops torched the building, destroying all but the outer walls.

The South Portico was constructed in 1824 under President James Monroe.

The North Portico was constructed in 1829-1830, under President Andrew Jackson. Again, opponents criticized the cost and design of the additions. Ironically, the design for the North Portico had been done by James Hoban as part of his original design.

This is how the North facade of the building looked in 1860.

In 1881 to 1883 President Chester Arthur hired Louis Comfort Tiffany to redecorate the worn décor of the interior. Critics accused Arthur of turning the White House into a “palace” unfit for a democratic leader. In Congress, Democrats decried the expenditure as wasteful. The Tiffany decorations were later removed or modified by subsequent presidencies, reflecting shifting tastes.

In 1902, President T. Roosevelt expanded the facility to give his large family more living space in the residence. The executive offices were moved to a new West Wing, while a new East Wing was built for social events and guests.

The photo above was taken in 1903. It shows First Son Archie Roosevelt on his pet horse, Algonquin, in front of the new West Wing.

The photo above was taken in 1906, showing the East entrance to the newly expanded Executive Mansion.

In 1909, President William Howard Taft expanded the West Wing. The photo above shows him sitting in the newly built Oval Office.

In 1929, not long after the stock market crashed, a fire damaged the roof, attic, and floors of the West Wing. Renovations were completed in 1930.

In 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt had the Oval Office (shown above) moved to its present location in the southeast corner of the building, next to the Rose Garden. To accommodate the expanding presidential staff, the basement was expanded and a second story added.

When President Harry Truman moved into the White House in 1945, he noticed large areas of cracking plaster and unusual popping and creaking noises. Engineers conducted a survey and confirmed that the White House’s structural integrity was compromised. One architect worried the whole building might collapse.

Truman ordered a complete renovation that would retain the original sandstone walls, the Third Floor and the roof, while removing and then rebuilding the interiors on a skeleton of steel structural beams with a new concrete foundation. Two levels of sub-basements under the North Portico were constructed and the Grand Staircase was changed significantly. For three years, President Truman and his family lived in Blair House (aka the President’s Guest House), across from the White House.

During the renovations, Truman had a second story porch added above the South Portico to allow the First Family to go outdoors directly from the residence. This was the last major exterior renovation until President Trump’s current addition of a ballroom on the East end. But all along the way, there have been interior alterations and improvements. All told, 39 of our 46 presidents have changed the Executive Mansion in some way. Trump is just the latest.

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by | August 2, 2025 · 7:16 am

The White House Ballroom

Construction is due to start next month on a new 90,000-square-foot White House State Ballroom to host major functions, eliminating the need for temporary tents on the South Lawn. The ballroom will have a seated capacity of 650 people, significantly larger than the largest current event space, the East Room, which has a 200-person capacity. CLICK https://x.com/FoxNews/status/1951393572894191707 to hear Trump say he’ll pay for the whole thing himself if private donors don’t contribute. Estimated cost is $200 million.

The last time a president oversaw a major renovation to the White House was the Truman Reconstruction (1948 to 1952). The White House, originally built in 1800 and rebuilt after the War of 1812, was in dire need of renovation. The interior wooden beams and floors were sagging and at risk of collapse and the plumbing, electricity, and heating systems were antiquated, posing fire hazards and inefficiencies.

With congressional approval, Truman initiated a comprehensive reconstruction to both preserve and modernize the White House. The interiors were gutted down to the foundation so a new steel and concrete framework was installed to replace the weakened wooden structure, ensuring long-term stability. Moldings, fireplaces, and paneling were carefully removed beforehand and reinstalled after to preserve the White House’s historical character.

A deeper, stronger foundation was dug to support the building and a two-story basement was added, including a bomb shelter (in response to Cold War nuclear fears) and mechanical rooms. New electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems were installed to meet modern standards. The Grand Staircase was rebuilt, and new elevators were installed for accessibility.

Truman added a balcony on the second floor of the South Portico, providing a private outdoor space for the First Family. This was controversial at the time, as critics argued it altered the White House’s iconic facade, but it’s now a beloved feature. The same thing happened in Paris when the Eiffel Tower was built. So, while I saw a lot of griping on X about Trump’s ballroom, I’m sure that one day it will be a cherished and praised feature of the White House.

The new ballroom will maintain the same neoclassical architectural style and will be located in part where the East Wing currently stands. The East Wing, built in 1902 and expanded in 1942, currently houses offices for the First Lady, the White House Military Office, and visitor offices, all of which will be temporarily relocated during construction. It isn’t clear where those functions will be moved to after construction is finished. Part of the ballroom will jut onto the South Lawn, connected via the East Colonnade, with a Palladian facade and columns on its eastern wall.

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