“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 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.
Word of The Week:
gwnofaoadfjsadf
noun
random typing on the keyboard by Wolf
Mole Day in some imaginary language
Used in a sentence
Wolf thinks that gwnofaoadfjsadf looks a bit like Welsh, even though it’s just jibberish.
A Bit of Music
This is a great but weird one.
The story is that Gretchen Wilson was a session artist for rock and country back before she got famous in country. Discussed here.
Apparently she’s always been quite a fan of Heart.
Let’s have some of the original!
OK – we have to finish with some science bluegrass for Mole Day. This is surprisingly good.
And now, back to business!
Election 2023 – The Final Stretch
Ohio Issue 1 is definitive. This is the ultimate groomer amendment, backed by the commies, begging to be added to the state’s constitution.
I will be doing what I can, which is never enough, to help defeat this monstrosity.
The choice is stark.
If this passes, parents will lose control of their kids FROM BIRTH – if the babies even make it that far.
I won’t be here on The Q Tree most of the time, during this home stretch, but I invite ALL OF YOU to bring the ammunition here. Bring the news about EVIL Issue One! Help me alert the nation to what they are doing in Ohio, which is worse than what they did in Michigan. Help the people of Ohio stop the insanity of “reproductive freedom” of CHILDREN FROM BIRTH.
After today, I will copy this post as a placeholder until the election is over. I will comment occasionally, but I will have to fight every day to STOP ISSUE ONE.
This Rejoice & Praise God Sunday Open Thread, with full respect to those who worship God on the Sabbath, is a place to reaffirm our worship of our Creator, our Father, our King Eternal.
It’s also a place to read, post, and discuss news that is worth knowing and sharing. Please post links to any news stories that you use as sources or quote from.
In the QTree, we’re a friendly and civil lot. We encourage free speech and the open exchange and civil discussion of different ideas. Topics aren’t constrained, and sound logic is highly encouraged, all built on a solid foundation of truth and established facts.
We have a policy of mutual respect, shown by civility. Civility encourages discussions, promotes objectivity and rational thought in discourse, and camaraderie in the participants – characteristics we strive toward in our Q Tree community.
Please show respect and consideration for our fellow QTreepers. Before hitting the “post” button, please proofread your post and make sure your opinion addresses the issue only, and does not confront or denigrate the poster. Keep to the topic – avoid “you” and “your”. Here in The Q Tree, personal attacks, name-calling, ridicule, insults, baiting, and other conduct for which a penalty flag would be thrown are VERBOTEN.
In The Q Tree, we’re compatriots, sitting around the campfire, roasting hot dogs, making s’mores, and discussing, agreeing, and disagreeing about whatever interests us. This board will remain a home for those who seek respectful conversations.
God is in Control . . . and His Grace is Sufficient, so . . . Keep Looking Up
Hopefully, every Sunday, we can find something here that will build us up a little . . . give us a smile . . . and add some joy or peace, very much needed in all our lives.
“This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep.” . . . “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
. . . and to Die is Gain
Philippians 1:21 says, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” In order to understand Paul’s words, we must first look at the context.
The book of Philippians is a letter from the apostle Paul to the church in Philippi. In the epistle, Paul encourages the church, gives them advice, prescribes the life Christians should lead, and more. At the beginning of chapter 1, Paul opens with greetings to the church, letting them know how much he yearns for them (Philippians 1:1–8). He then goes on to speak of his current imprisonment in Rome and attempts to put the minds of the church members at ease (verses 12–14). Paul knows his suffering is happening for a reason, and that reason is to further the message of Christ: “What has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel” (verse 12).
In Philippians 1:19–20, we see the background for Paul’s “to die is gain” statement. Up to this time, Paul had already suffered much in his missionary journeys. He was beaten, stoned, hated and derided, shipwrecked, and now imprisoned. But Paul found joy in his afflictions, because they had strengthened his faith exponentially and allowed him to serve as a strong witness for Christ. Preaching and living out the Word of God was Paul’s highest goal, and these events had provided him with ample opportunities for evangelism. He literally presented his body “as a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1) for God’s kingdom. Because he had faithfully run the race set before him (Hebrews 12:1), he knew God would be honored through both his life and his death (Philippians 1:19–20).
This brings us to Paul’s statement, “to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). As Christians, our whole lives are to bring glory to God, and Paul had the assurance that, even in his suffering, he was accomplishing that goal (“to live is Christ”). But, as we see in the second part of the verse, Paul knew that his death would bring glory to God as well—and not only that, but it would also be the time when his faith would come to fruition and he would live with his Savior forever (“to die is gain”). Paul longed for the day when death would bring him face to face with Jesus (verse 23.)
All Christians feel the pull of heaven and yearn for an eternity with Christ. Heaven will be far better than our earthly life, for we will be present with our Savior in a place devoid of sin, sickness, and death (2 Corinthians 5:8). What we lose in life we will gain in heaven. Before that time comes, our purpose on Earth is to live as a light of hope in the darkness of sin and death (Matthew 5:16). We live a life of sacrifice so we may be assured, as Paul was, that even our death will glorify Christ Jesus.
Well this is the week my old McCarthy vs. Dungsmear question would have repeated.
We know the answer. Dungsmear.
But now let’s talk about RINOs in general, and why they are the lowest form of life in politics.
Many patriots have been involved with politics, often at the grassroots, for decades. We’ve fought, and fought, and fought and won the occasional illusory small victory.
Yet we can’t seem to win the war, even when we have BIG electoral wins.
I am reminded of something. The original Star Trek had an episode titled Day of the Dove. It was one of the better episodes from the third season, but any fan of the original series will tell you that’s a very low bar. Still, it seems to get some respect; at a time when there were about 700 episodes of Star Trek in its various incarnations out there, it was voted 99th best out of the top 100.
In sum, the plot is that an alien entity has arranged for 39 Enterprise crew, and 39 Klingons, to fight each other endlessly with swords and other muscle-powered weapons. The entity lives off of hostile emotions, you see and it wants a captive food source. (The other 400 or so Enterprise crew are trapped below decks and unable to help.) Each side has its emotions played and amplified by the alien entity; one Enterprise junior officer has false memories implanted of a brother who was killed by Klingons. The brother didn’t even exist.
Even people killed in a sword fight miraculously heal so they can go do it again.
The second best line of the episode is when Kang, the Klingon captain, notes that though they have won quite a number of small victories including capturing Engineering, can’t seem to actually finally defeat the Enterprise crew. He growls, “What power is it that feeds our battle yet starves our victory?*”
Indeed. He may have been the bad guy, but his situation should sound familiar.
We are a majority in this country. We have a powerful political party in our corner. There is endless wrangling.
And yet,
What power is it that feeds our battle yet starves our victory?
In our case, that power is the RINOs in our midst. They specialize in caving when on the verge of victory. Think of Obamacare’s repeal failing…by one Republican vote. Think of the way we can never seem to get spending under control (and now our entire tax revenue goes to pay interest on the debt; anything the government actually does now is with borrowed money).
We have a party…that refuses to do what we want it to do, and that refusal is institutionalized. If you’ve been involved with GOP politics, but haven’t seen this, it’s because you refuse to see it. Or because you are part of the problem yourself. (If so, kindly gargle some red fuming nitric acid to clear the taste of shit out of your mouth, and let those not part of the problem alone so they can read this.)
We fight to elect people, who then take a dive when in office. But it’s not just the politicians in office, it’s the people behind the scenes, the leaders of the national, state and county branches of the party. Their job is to ensure that real patriots never get onto the general election ballot. They’re allowed a few failures…who can then become token conservatives who will somehow never manage to win (Jordan), or can be compromised outright (Loren Boebert).
That way it doesn’t actually matter who has a congressional majority. I remember my excitement when the GOP took the Senate in 1980. But all that did was empower a bunch of “moderate” puddles of dog vomit like…well for whatever reason forty years later the most memorable name is Pete Domenici. And a couple of dozen other “moderates” who simply had no interest in doing what grassroots people in their party–those same grassroots people who had worked so hard to elect them–wanted them to do.
Oh, they’ll put up a semblance of a fight…but never win. And they love it when we fight the Dems instead of fighting them. Just like that alien entity, whose motto surely was “Let’s you and him fight. It’ll be delicious!”
If you think about it, your entire political involvement has come to nothing because of these walking malignant tumors.
That should make you good and mad.
The twenty five who blocked Jordan, and the hundred people who took that opportunity to stab Jordan in the back in the secret ballot should make you good and mad.
I’ll close this with another example of RINO backstabbing, an infuriating one close to home.
In my county, the GOP chair is not a RINO. She got elected when the grassroots had had enough of the RINOs. Unfortunately the state organization is full of RINOs, and the ousted county RINOs have been trying to form a new “Republican Party” and get the state GOP to recognize them as the affiliate. I’m honestly amazed it hasn’t happened yet.
In other words those shitstains won’t just leave when they get booted out; they’ll try to destroy what they left behind. It’s an indication that they know we know how important that behind-the-scenes party power is.
So they must be destroyed. That’s the only way they’ll ever stop.
We cannot win until the leeches “on our side” get destroyed.
What power is it that feeds our battle yet starves our victory?*
We know it. What is going to be done about it?
*NOTE: The original line was actually “What power is it that supports our battle yet starves our victory.” I had mis-remembered it as feeds. When I checked it, it sure enough was “supports” and that’s what I originally quoted. On further reflection, though, I realized my memory was actually an improvement over the reality, because feeds is a perfect contrast with starves. So at roughly 7PM Mountain time I modified it and wrote this note. A lot of the comments thus quote the original version, since that’s what people saw up until then.
RINOs an Endangered Species? If Only!
According to Wikipoo, et. al., the Northern White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) is a critically endangered species. Apparently two females live on a wildlife preserve in Sudan, and no males are known to be alive. So basically, this species is dead as soon as the females die of old age. Presently they are watched over by armed guards 24/7.
Biologists have been trying to cross them with the other subspecies, Southern White Rhinoceroses (Rhinoceri?) without success; and some genetic analyses suggest that perhaps they aren’t two subspecies at all, but two distinct species, which would make the whole project a lot more difficult.
I should hope if the American RINO (Parasitus rectum pseudoconservativum) is ever this endangered, there will be heroic efforts not to save the species, but rather to push the remainder off a cliff. Onto punji sticks. With feces smeared on them. Failing that a good bath in red fuming nitric acid will do.
But I’m not done ranting about RINOs.
The RINOs (if they are capable of any introspection whatsoever) probably wonder why they constantly have to deal with “populist” eruptions like the Trump-led MAGA movement. That would be because the so-called populists stand for absolutely nothing except for going along to get along. That allows the Left to drive the culture and politics.
Given the results of our most recent elections, the Left will now push harder, and the RINOs will now turn even squishier than they were before.
I well remember 1989-1990 in my state when the RINO establishment started preaching the message that a conservative simply couldn’t win in Colorado. Never mind the fact that Reagan had won the state TWICE (in 1984 bringing in a veto-proof state house and senate with him) and GHWB had won after (falsely!) assuring everyone that a vote for him was a vote for Reagan’s third term.
This is how the RINOs function. They push, push, push the line that only a “moderate” can get elected. Stomp them when they pull that shit. Tell everyone in ear shot that that’s exactly what the Left wants you to think, and oh-by-the-way-Mister-RINO if you’re in this party selling the same message as the Left…well, whythefuckexactly are you in this party, you lying piece of rancid weasel shit?
In Defense of Ranked Choice Voting
One of the biggest obstacles to direly-needed change is RINOs, and one of the weapons in their arsenal is the “Wasted Vote” argument.
Periodically a third party has arisen, trying to hold RINOs to account by putting pressure on them from outside of the party, since doing so from the inside has historically done very little good. But, even if you find a third party candidate who perfectly reflects your views, you’re likely to vote for the RINO anyway. Why? Because if you don’t, the Democrat might win, and that would be even worse. So if you vote for that third party (that few will vote for), you’re throwing your vote away and increasing the likelihood of the Democrat winning. (It’s half as much a gain for the Democrat, as actually voting for the Democrat would be. Not as much, but half as much. Because although you denied the R your vote, you did not flip your vote to the Democrat.)
The Republican Party Establishment knows you don’t love them. But they know you hate the Democrats worse, and they use that to continue to herd you into supporting them. With gritted teeth you cast your vote, but your vote counts the same whether you cast it enthusiastically. And the other alternative, pissing on the voting apparatus to express your actual feelings, is probably a felony.
But what if you could vote for that third party without increasing the chances of the Dem walking away with the prize?
This is what ranked choice voting, or instant runoff voting, can do provided it is properly implemented. (And this includes the votes, and only genuine votes, being counted honestly, of course. However, I’m going to compare it to what we have today, and pretend that is honestly done too. RCV can’t work if it’s not honestly administered, just like our current system isn’t working because it isn’t honestly administered.)
The idea behind RCV is to vote by expressing your order of preference. You could vote for the Patriot Party, then for the RINO Party as your second choice (and ignore the Democrat, the Green, the Overt Socialist Schmuckmonkey Party, etc).
What does this do? It nullifies the wasted vote argument. Your vote will be counted for the Patriot party, first, then instead of it being “wasted” when the Patriot Party loses, it ends up going to the RINO. Actually, it’s just barely possible that the Patriot Party would actually beat the RINO, if people weren’t all individually afraid to vote for it.
It’s just like the famous “Prisoner’s Dilemma” where your fear of other peoples’ actions prevents you from doing the optimal thing–and vice-versa. As long as Job Lowe is afraid to vote Patriot because he’s afraid you’ll vote RINO, you’ll have to vote RINO because you fear that Job Lowe will, because he fears you will.
So on the whole I like RCV. It gives you a no-risk way to vote against the RINO scum, and in favor of someone who deserves your vote.
The problem is, as done here in the US, it comes packaged with a “jungle primary.” A bunch of candidates get to put their name out there, and the top four (or so) candidates get onto the “main” ballot. This gives party establishments their way around the threat of a good third party bumping them off. Because they know that few people bother with primaries, and third parties don’t have the resources to run in a primary…so they throw two or three establishment hacks into the primary and they will probably beat the third party. The result is the RINOs end up with two of the four slots in the general election, and the Dems get the other two. Now there’s suddenly no third party candidate on the ballot at all.
If we were to combine RCV with the present system where each party could nominate exactly one candidate to appear on the November ballot, or at the very least, ensure minor parties could get onto the ballot with at least one candidate regardless of the primary, we would be getting somewhere, but the establishment is smarter than we like to give them credit for. They will support the jungle primary + RCV “solution” rather than the more appropriate one-candidate-per-party + RCV solution.
It’s not RCV that is the problem, it’s the primary structure grafted onto it.
Justice
It says “Justice” on the picture.
And I’m sure someone will post the standard joke about what the fish thinks about the situation.
But what is it?
Here’s a take, from a different context: It’s about how you do justice, not the justice that must be done to our massively corrupt government and media. You must properly identify the nature of a person, before you can do him justice.
Ayn Rand, On Justice (speaking through her character John Galt, in Atlas Shrugged):
Justice is the recognition of the fact that you cannot fake the character of men as you cannot fake the character of nature, that you must judge all men as conscientiously as you judge inanimate objects, with the same respect for truth, with the same incorruptible vision, by as pure and as rational a process of identification—that every man must be judged for what he is and treated accordingly, that just as you do not pay a higher price for a rusty chunk of scrap than for a piece of shining metal, so you do not value a rotter above a hero—that your moral appraisal is the coin paying men for their virtues or vices, and this payment demands of you as scrupulous an honor as you bring to financial transactions—that to withhold your contempt from men’s vices is an act of moral counterfeiting, and to withhold your admiration from their virtues is an act of moral embezzlement—that to place any other concern higher than justice is to devaluate your moral currency and defraud the good in favor of the evil, since only the good can lose by a default of justice and only the evil can profit—and that the bottom of the pit at the end of that road, the act of moral bankruptcy, is to punish men for their virtues and reward them for their vices, that that is the collapse to full depravity, the Black Mass of the worship of death, the dedication of your consciousness to the destruction of existence.
Ayn Rand identified seven virtues, chief among them rationality. The other six, including justice, she considered subsidiary because they are essentially different aspects and applications of rationality.
I’m sure enough of this that I put my money where my mouth is.
The prior election must be acknowledged as fraudulent, and steps must be taken to prosecute the fraudsters and restore integrity to the system. (This doesn’t necessarily include deposing Joe and Hoe and putting Trump where he belongs, but it would certainly be a lot easier to fix our broken electoral system with the right people in charge.)
Nothing else matters at this point. Talking about trying again in 2024 or 2026 is pointless otherwise. Which is not to say one must never talk about this, but rather that one must account for this in ones planning; if fixing the fraud in the system is not part of the plan, you have no plan.
This will necessarily be piecemeal, state by state, which is why I am encouraged by those states working to change their laws to alleviate the fraud both via computer and via bogus voters. If enough states do that we might end up with a working majority in Congress and that would be something Trump never really had.
Lawyer Appeasement Section
OK now for the fine print.
This is the WQTH Daily Thread. You know the drill. There’s no Poltical correctness, but civility is a requirement. There are Important Guidelines, here, with an addendum on 20191110.
We have a new board – called The U Tree – where people can take each other to the woodshed without fear of censorship or moderation.
And remember Wheatie’s Rules:
1. No food fights 2. No running with scissors. 3. If you bring snacks, bring enough for everyone. 4. Zeroth rule of gun safety: Don’t let the government get your guns. 5. Rule one of gun safety: The gun is always loaded. 5a. If you actually want the gun to be loaded, like because you’re checking out a bump in the night, then it’s empty. 6. Rule two of gun safety: Never point the gun at anything you’re not willing to destroy. 7. Rule three: Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire. 8. Rule the fourth: Be sure of your target and what is behind it.
Gold has more than recovered from its recent dip…and I expect it will keep going up. There’s a lot of concern in the markets over the Israeli-Hamass war and the current mess in Washington.
I’ve never been able to locate the exact record gold price (I get sent to pages that show a chart of the last ten years, then you have to pick the right fraction of pixel to see the peak price as a number…and there’s no way to zoom into these, they’re all set to have today as the end date). But it’s under $2100. At least one person I know who watches it for a living thinks it will bust $2100 soon.
We’ll see soon enough if he is right.
Obligatory PSAs and Reminders
China is Lower than Whale Shit
To conclude: My standard Public Service Announcement. We don’t want to forget this!!!
中国是个混蛋 !!! Zhōngguò shì gè hùndàn !!! China is asshoe !!!
China is in the White House
Since Wednesday, January 20 at Noon EST, the bought-and-paid for Joseph Biden has been in the White House. It’s as good as having China in the Oval Office.
Joe Biden is Asshoe
China is in the White House, because Joe Biden is in the White House, and Joe Biden is identically equal to China. China is Asshoe. Therefore, Joe Biden is Asshoe.
But of course the much more important thing to realize:
Joe Biden Didn’t Win
乔*拜登没赢 !!! Qiáo Bài dēng méi yíng !!! Joe Biden didn’t win !!!
Paul Singer was Marco Rubio’s billionaire backer in 2016. It’s all the same people all the time.
BOMBSHELL INFORMATION!!! 🔥🔥 EVERYONE MUST WATCH THIS!!! Explains a lot of why the Uniparty and RINO 22 may be acting as they are 🤔 💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥 pic.twitter.com/WCok4hIxQ8
We're shaking up Washington, D.C., and breaking the fever.
The only reason people think there's chaos in this town right now is because the special interests aren't in control anymore. pic.twitter.com/cjgQislCZ3
— Former Congressman Matt Gaetz (@FmrRepMattGaetz) October 19, 2023
This Video Truly Can Not Be Shared Enough, George Carlin On American Education
“Then everyone wonders why 17 other countries graduate more scientists than we do. Education! Politicians know that word, they use it on you. Politicians have traditionally hidden behind three things.… pic.twitter.com/IC23d7VEn9
This is probably the most teachable point to come out of the Israel chaos, particularly when it comes to 'Normie' MAGA.
For some time, I've been open about my journey from an Obama voter to a Trump supporter, my recognition of the Uniparty and Deep State, and how instrumental… pic.twitter.com/1uO0KICt2g
“It took my breath away.” —Dr. Drew on the new study shows 50% of young men who got myocarditis after the vaccine now have permanent heart damage and he doesn’t understand why this isn’t front page news. And he recommends injured students sue any school that mandated it. pic.twitter.com/rlUgKhCS2l
When you finally realize everything the government and media tells you is a lie – is the day you’ll start finally seeing the truth. https://t.co/DfWLsHk634
Umm…. It’s Istanbul that was Constantinople, and changing the name of the ancient city is doubtful since Constantine was the Roman Emperor who legalized Christianity.
President Trump calls to DEFUND the World Health Organization.🇺🇸
"The World Health Organization has become nothing more than a corrupt globalist scam". 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/4gJSGJjvoC
The New World Order is a term that's been ubiquitous to the Truth Community and 'conspiracy' circles for decades; and as an increasing number of citizen researchers know, it's completely true.
The NWO isn't so much an organization, however, but a unifying philosophy and plan of… pic.twitter.com/mZXjdmFh0B
The discourse on this site is to be CIVIL – no name calling, baiting, or threatening others here is allowed. Those who are so inclined may visit Wolf’s other sanctuary, the U-Tree, to slog it out. There is also a “rescue” thread there for members of the Tree to rendezvous if the main site goes kablooey. A third site has been added for site outages of longer duration.
This site is a celebration of the natural rights endowed to humans by our Creator as well as those enshrined in the Bill of Rights adopted in the founding documents of the United States of America. Within the limits of law, how we exercise these rights is part of the freedom of our discussion. In that spirit, though, threats of violence real or hypothetical are out of bounds.
Fellow tree dweller the late Wheatie gave us some good reminders on the basics of civility in political discourse:
No food fights.
No running with scissors.
If you bring snacks, bring enough for everyone.
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1In the meantime, when so many thousands of the multitude had gathered together that they trod upon one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 3Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. 4“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear him! 6Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.
CNN Blames Fog Of War For Errant Reporting On Gaza Bombing, Russian Collusion, Jussie Smollett, Covington Catholic, Hunter’s Laptop, The Steele Dossier, Kyle Rittenhouse, Origins Of Covid (Continued) https://t.co/A5C295Pw7Fpic.twitter.com/NiUKYwcQDx
Interesting point to consider in the whole “Biden and his people are in charge” milieu…. The US Embassy in Israel is still in Jerusalem. Wouldn’t they have moved it back to Tel Aviv?
The Mind War is a tense psychological battlefield at present.
The Collective Mind has experienced PTSD when it comes to Crisis Events … but that can be turned around on [them.]@realjusthuman and I attempted to find a directional path forward through the engineered chaos. pic.twitter.com/d1xP8xNfmX
I’ve asked colleagues at work why they’d have multiple jabs to protect themselves from a “virus” that was obviously not killing me. And why they aren’t having any more. To cut it short we have gone from you’re a conspiracy theorist, get vaccinated to silence.
Greg Gutfeld drops red pill on air on Hamas sleeper cells in US:
"I am worried about the border. I am worried about the refugees. But I'm also worried about the people already here… There's already an apparatus in the US that's radicalizing minds and it's our academia."🔥 pic.twitter.com/FXW9PTafg2
So after all the drama yesterday it turns out the Gaza hospital wasn’t bombed, the parking lot was, and 500 people didn’t die. Oh and the rocket wasn’t from Israel, it was from a failed rocket that Palestinian terrorists shot at Israel. Absolutely insane. pic.twitter.com/Eet1eExuGx
The Rule of Three is one of the oldest in the writing world, suggesting that the smallest number of ideas that can form a pattern allows meaning to be conveyed most effectively.
I argue that the Rule of Three can also be applied to the War for Peace and the War of Stories. pic.twitter.com/V9jc1JWuWF
I said yesterday that Joe Biden appeared to be caught in a political and narrative pincer akin to the 'no-win' scenario Kobayashi Maru.
Today, on the first public leg of his super serious peace tour, he's managed to reduce what the Collective Mind is being told is the most… pic.twitter.com/KuGy6049V3
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The discourse on this site is to be CIVIL – no name calling, baiting, or threatening others here is allowed. Company manners are appreciated. Those who are so inclined may visit Wolf’s other sanctuary, the U-Tree, to slog out discussions best saved for a wrestling mat. If, for some reason, this site is not available, head over to the UTree and visit the post at the top of the list or the closest rescue thread.
This site is a celebration of the natural rights endowed to humans by our Creator as well as those enshrined in the Bill of Rights adopted in the founding documents of the United States of America. Within the limits of law, how we exercise these rights is part of the freedom of our discussion.
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Be careful in expressing thoughts as we would all like to think well of the rest of the group, and ill-thought out comments have a way of wrecking that for everyone.
Fellow tree dweller, the late Wheatie, gave us some good reminders on the basics of civility in political discourse:
No food fights
No running with scissors
If you bring snacks, be sure they are made with bacon
Auntie DePat’s requests as we are all supposedly adults and don’t just play them on TV like the body doubles pretending to be the squatter in chief:
If you see something has not been posted, do us all a favor, and post it. Please, do not complain that it has not been done yet.
The scroll wheel on your mouse can be your friend. As mature adults, please use it here in the same manner you would in avoiding online porn.
Thank you so much for any and all attention to such details. It is GREATLY appreciated by more than one party here.
21But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it, 22the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction; 23since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins; 26it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies him who has faith in Jesus. 27Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On the principle of works? No, but on the principle of faith. 28For we hold that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law. 29Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of their faith and the uncircumcised through their faith.
PSALMS 130:1-6
1Out of the depths I cry to thee, O LORD! 2Lord, hear my voice! Let thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications! 3If thou, O LORD, shouldst mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? 4But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. 5I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 6my soul waits for the LORD more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.
This is the coolest thing John Rutter ever arranged or composed.
. PRAY ……. Like Nehemiah OBEY ……. Like Daniel LEAD …….. Like Moses BUILD ……. Like Noah FIGHT ……. Like David SERVE ……. Like Martha BELIEVE ….. Like Mary EDUCATE … Like Paul PROTECT .… Like Peter LOVE ..……….Like JESUS
However; my study of events, trajectory analysis, & what I believe needs to fall, what needs to transpire, leads me to believe certain events are inevitable.
Nobody has all the answers when it comes to the Israel Chaos … except the Biden Admin?
This week, Biden is going to be front and center in the midst of a crisis that’s drawing widespread, emotional reactions from virtually every demographic worldwide.
-Biden has impromptu but well known trip to Palestine and MENA -Advance teams are scrambling -Risk at all time high -Kamala is Bidens successor “IF” -Congress has no Speaker -Foreign Agents have infiltrated top levels of our National Security structure -Draft…
‼️JIM JORDAN IS A GO‼️ 🇺🇸A Message from Our President🇺🇸
Jim Jordan will be a GREAT Speaker of the House. As everyone knows, I have long ago given him my Complete and Total Endorsement! pic.twitter.com/PuGkwqUjrO
Historically, a triumvirate of super states has the potential to usher in the longest periods of peace and stability.
This is because a trinity of independent-acting, sovereign nations with significant power projection capabilities is each incentivized to maintain direct… https://t.co/HZiskZA2uL
💥Trump Going to Trial💥 🇺🇸A Message from Our President🇺🇸
I will be attending the trial in Manhattan this morning. I greatly appreciate all of the legal professors and scholars that are saying I DID NOTHING WRONG. I can’t have a JURY and am being viciously tried under a Statute… pic.twitter.com/dN0DuJNz3M
Putin & Xi are meeting on Wednesday in what is largely a Narrative Deployment meant to bring focus onto their proposed solutions to the ongoing Israel Crisis, that being a two-state solution that recognizes Palestine.
Donald Trump is the best Narrative Warmaster we have at work in the Info War.
As such, most of his Narrative Deployments can be read Bicamerally:
– Trump vowing to defend Israel and crush those responsible for terror in the region doesn't have to refer to nation states, but… pic.twitter.com/1Z61fMjV6n
(I don’t remember who brought this to a daily in the comments, but thanks.)
And, of course, the obligatory George Carlin:
Per the Boss:
And now for the obligatory message from our sponsors:
Here at the Q tree we believe in the concept of CIVIL open free speech and the discussion that fleshes out ideas. When commenting and participating in the OPEN discussion on this thread all comments MUST NOT CONTAIN personal threats, baiting, name calling, or other anti-social words fomenting hate, violence or destruction. Our host Wolfm00n has strict rules about that.
Fellow tree dweller, the late Wheatie, gave us some good reminders on the basics of civility in political discourse:
No food fights.
No running with scissors.
If you bring snacks, bring enough for everyone
Please, stock up on blanks for celebratory gunfire, be ready to swing from the chandeliers…and no messing with the nuclear weapons.
Please remember to remain locked and loaded and ready for trouble should the insurrectionists try to invade your space.
Those who have things to say that do not fit the generally accepted limits of “civil” discussion, Wolf has provided a venue known as the UTree. You’re welcome to visit over there and say hi to anyone hanging out over there. The “Rescue Thread” is also over there. In the event a rendezvous of the tree is needed, please check it out, as well as the newest rescue venue.
Auntie DePat’s requests:
If you see something has not been posted, do us all a favor, and post it. Please, do not complain that it has not been done yet.
The scroll wheel on your mouse can be your friend. As mature adults, please use it here in the same manner you would in avoiding online porn.
Thank you so much for any and all attention to such details. It is GREATLY appreciated by more than one party here.
One other vital note:
Please, review these rules that our host Wolfm00n outlined toward the beginning of the growth of the tree itself. it won’t take long.
10All thy works shall give thanks to thee, O LORD, and all thy saints shall bless thee! 11They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and tell of thy power, 12to make known to the sons of men thy mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of thy kingdom. 13Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endures throughout all generations. The LORD is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds. 17The LORD is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings. 18The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth.
LUKE 10:1-9
1After this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to come. 2And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and salute no one on the road. 5Whatever house you enter, first say, `Peace be to this house!’ 6And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you. 7And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages; do not go from house to house. 8Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you; 9heal the sick in it and say to them, `The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
As always, prayers for the fight against that which seeks to enslave us are welcome.
Please include: President Donald Trump, the Q team, our soldiers in the field, special forces, tactical units, first responders and those working behind the scenes…and any and all people with family members in the hospital, COVID or not.
And…members of the QTree who no longer participate for one reason or another.
We are getting ready to experience a level of evil that will be hard to comprehend. Stay strong. Be prepared.
It is quite clear, as per Wolf’s message from July, that we are under spiritual attack. Building up a robust arsenal of prayer and discipline is a must in fighting the enemy and his minions.
In that spirit, the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel from Tuesday’s threads, and the Breastplate of St. Patrick, not to mention the Litany of Humility are favorites recommended by exorcists in spiritual warfare.
Interest In Drag Queen Story Hours Wanes After They're Renamed More Accurate 'Man Wearing Lingerie Wants To Spend Time With Your Kids Hour' https://t.co/qU6XqFDU2G
Uh, isn’t reading the first amendment a prerequisite for being a judge?
Tweet hopper:
How's the War of Stories going?
All these storylines have managed to do is expose exactly what Donald Trump and the America First ideology want to expose—that being the utter ineptitude of our would-be ruling class to do anything other than enrich themselves and their proxy…
I love how the public are willing to blindly believe Israeli MIL without evidence.
But when Russian MIL accuses the US of creating bioweapons, accompanied with the paper trail, US grants, photos inside the facilities, with detailed reports to the UN…
There might be a glimmer of hope that this conflict will deescalate.
Russia are introducing a ceasefire proposal to the UN tomorrow, Iran said they will not intervene, and countries are urging Israel not to conduct a ground assault in Gaza.
Details, while important, can also be used as a means of leading astray, obscuring a path that leads to false paradigms—‘real’ Micros being used in service of false or misleading Macros.
How many American politicians have put out a statement this week saying that their top priority amid the chaos overseas is to assure the safety and security of the United States? How many presidential candidates? Few if any. We should all understand how absolutely insane that is
In 2023, three world leaders have taken on the role of Peacemakers:
Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, and Xi Jinping.
While two of these men currently occupy positions of (public) power, and so, are entering headlines with frequency in attempts to broker peace deals, the third… pic.twitter.com/A9KG8nYwxL
The 'bipartisan' Strategic Posture Commission has released an in-depth (re)action plan addressing the increasing coordination and power projection of Russia & China.
We had a business meeting and he casually mentioned that the massive earthquake in Turkey was the result of a nuke detonated deep underground for Turkey's refusal to go along with the NATO agenda.
My response: "Yes, I know."
— Zach Vorhies / Google Whistleblower (@Perpetualmaniac) October 16, 2023
Meme & Fun hopper:
Made with Square InstaPic
Something to remember, always.
Per the boss’s instruction:
I’d throw in a few Rockefellers and Rothschilds also.
Of course, this does not mean committing felonies, but standing up to the forces that want to tear this nation – and humanity apart. The very people XVII told us will be destroyed by the time this movie comes to an end are currently roaming the halls of power…supposedly. It’s a sickening sight.
The discourse on this site is to be CIVIL – no name calling, baiting, or threatening others here is allowed. Those who are so inclined may visit Wolf’s other sanctuary, the U-Tree, to slog it out. There is also a “rescue” thread there for members of the Tree to rendezvous if the main site goes kablooey. A third site has been added for site outages of longer duration.
This site is a celebration of the natural rights endowed to humans by our Creator as well as those enshrined in the Bill of Rights adopted in the founding documents of the United States of America. Within the limits of law, how we exercise these rights is part of the freedom of our discussion.
Fellow tree dweller, the late Wheatie, gave us some good reminders on the basics of civility in political discourse:
No food fights.
No running with scissors.
If you bring snacks, bring enough for everyone.
And Auntie DePat’s requests:
If you see something has not been posted, do us all a favor, and post it. Please, do not complain that it has not been done yet.
The scroll wheel on your mouse can be your friend. As mature adults, please use it here in the same manner you would in avoiding online porn.
Thank you so much for any and all attention to such details. It is GREATLY appreciated by more than one party here.
16For I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, “He who through faith is righteous shall live.” 18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth. 19For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse; 21for although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened. 22Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man or birds or animals or reptiles. 24Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever! Amen.
PSALMS 19:2-5
1The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. 2Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. 3There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; 4yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun,
LUKE 11:37-41
37While he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him; so he went in and sat at table. 38The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner. 39And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of extortion and wickedness. 40You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? 41But give for alms those things which are within; and behold, everything is clean for you.
We music pros really don’t like this one, but it has its moments.
Be afraid neither of the world, nor of the future, nor of your weakness. The Lord has allowed you to live in this moment of history so that, by your faith, his name will continue to resound throughout the world. — Benedict XVI
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do thou, Prince of the Heavenly Hosts, by the power of God, cast down to Hell Satan and all his evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
>>148156518 Amen brother. Q
As always, prayers for the fight against that which seeks to enslave us are welcome. Via con Dios.
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).
What the heck! This chick will NOT get out of my Twitter X feed!
In the Bay Area today talking about vaccines for COVID, flu and RSV! Now is the best time to get #vaccinated to protect you and your family. pic.twitter.com/O3ZRIOutcA
"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?'" (John 11:25-26)
This Rejoice & Praise God Sunday Open Thread, with full respect to those who worship God on the Sabbath, is a place to reaffirm our worship of our Creator, our Father, our King Eternal.
It’s also a place to read, post, and discuss news that is worth knowing and sharing. Please post links to any news stories that you use as sources or quote from.
In the QTree, we’re a friendly and civil lot. We encourage free speech and the open exchange and civil discussion of different ideas. Topics aren’t constrained, and sound logic is highly encouraged, all built on a solid foundation of truth and established facts.
We have a policy of mutual respect, shown by civility. Civility encourages discussions, promotes objectivity and rational thought in discourse, and camaraderie in the participants – characteristics we strive toward in our Q Tree community.
Please show respect and consideration for our fellow QTreepers. Before hitting the “post” button, please proofread your post and make sure your opinion addresses the issue only, and does not confront or denigrate the poster. Keep to the topic – avoid “you” and “your”. Here in The Q Tree, personal attacks, name-calling, ridicule, insults, baiting, and other conduct for which a penalty flag would be thrown are VERBOTEN.
In The Q Tree, we’re compatriots, sitting around the campfire, roasting hot dogs, making s’mores, and discussing, agreeing, and disagreeing about whatever interests us. This board will remain a home for those who seek respectful conversations.
God is in Control . . . and His Grace is Sufficient, so . . . Keep Looking Up
Hopefully, every Sunday, we can find something here that will build us up a little . . . give us a smile . . . and add some joy or peace, very much needed in all our lives.
“This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep.” . . . “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
To Live is Christ . . .
Philippians 1:21 says, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Most people focus on the second part of the verse, “to die is gain,” and contemplate the joys of heaven. But we should not overlook what comes before. The importance of the phrase “to live is Christ” cannot be overstated. In all honesty, this phrase should be central to every Christian’s life.
In this statement, the apostle Paul is saying that everything he has tried to be, everything he is, and everything he looked forward to being pointed to Christ. From the time of Paul’s conversion until his martyrdom, every move he made was aimed at advancing the knowledge, gospel, and church of Christ. Paul’s singular aim was to bring glory to Jesus.
“To live is Christ” means that we proclaim the gospel of Christ. Paul preached in synagogues; he preached at riversides; he preached as a prisoner; he preached as an apostle; he preached as a tentmaker. His message was constant: “Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). He brought the message of Christ’s sacrifice to kings, soldiers, statesmen, priests, and philosophers, Jews and Gentiles, men and women. He would preach to literally anyone who would listen.
“To live is Christ” means that we imitate the example of Christ. Everything that Jesus did and said, that’s what Paul wanted to do and say. The church benefitted from his godly example: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). What would Jesus do? That’s what we want to do.
“To live is Christ” means that we pursue the knowledge of Christ. We want to know Christ better and better each day. Not just a set of facts about Christ, but Christ Himself. “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10-11).
“To live is Christ” means that we are willing to give up anything that prevents us from having Christ. Paul’s testimony in this regard: “Whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him” (Philippians 3:7-9). We cling to the promise of our Lord in Mark 10:29-30 that our sacrifices for Jesus’ sake will be repaid a hundredfold.
“To live is Christ” means that Christ is our focus, our goal, and our chief desire. Christ is the center point of our mind, heart, body and soul. Everything that we do, we do for Christ’s glory. As we run the “race marked out for us,” we lay aside the entangling sin and worldly distractions, “fixing our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1-2). He is our life.
I posted about this a couple of weeks ago (see sidebar, last entry as of now…well until Wolf adds this post to the sidebar right underneath it). This is an event that would be a total solar eclipse…except that the Moon is near the farthest point in its orbit when it happens, so it’s consequently farther away and appears smaller. Too small, in fact, to cover the disk of the Sun. (The fact that the Sun is slightly closer to the Earth in January than it is in July–because of Earth‘s elliptical orbit around the Sun–probably doesn’t play much of a role; in October it ought to be pretty close to its average distance to Earth.)
And yes…I remember a conversation where I begged people to say “the far side of the moon” to mean the side we don’t see. Because that far side isn’t always dark; it’s quite well lit up when we see the new moon; at new moon the side facing us is the actual dark side of the moon.
Well moons don’t get any newer than when there’s a solar eclipse; we literally see exactly none of the lit side of the moon at those times; it’s perfectly back-lit. So this being my third full eclipse (another annular also in Albuquerque back in 2012, and the total eclipse in 2017), I’ve now seen the entire dark side (and this time it’s correct to say it) three times.
Anyway, it seems like I did everything I could to try to sabotage myself without quite succeeding in doing so. I planned to leave before 4 AM, it was 5 AM when I left. I left the camera I intended to use at home (idiot!) but had every other camera including my second choice (ironically a more expensive camera by far). I forgot to charge the batteries…one was dead, one was halfway there and I had trouble finding it. I also forgot to hang a weight off the tripod.
OK so the original plan was to drive to Albuquerque from Colorado Springs. Albuquerque was almost right in the middle of the track for this thing; the eclipse would last the longest and the Moon would almost perfectly center itself on the Sun…my eyeball, the moon, and the Sun would be in a perfect line for a split second. But the late departure meant I had to take more extreme measures.
Refer to the map:
I-25, which comes down from Colorado Springs is the thick line that comes into the frame at the top, just to the right of center. You’ll notice it meanders a bit. Just after entering the eclipse path, it jogs northwest, and gets no further in; finally it reaches Albuquerque.
I decided, because I was running late, to do something desperate. Notice right after I-25 enters the path, there’s a road running southeast from it (US-84). That’s a two lane road with very little traffic, I could get on that and drop down to the east-west road (I-40) then turn west and actually be getting deeper into the zone.
The eclipse was in progress by the time I reached US-84. I got about halfway down I-40 from US-84 to the next diagonal road (which also runs the wrong way!), stopped and set up. This was exit 234 if memory serves, and if you want to follow along on a more sophisticated map.
By the time I set up my equipment, the eclipse was well under way.
The Equipment
OK, let’s see, I had a Canon R5–roughly $3500. A Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.0-5.6 L, roughly $2200. A $250 tripod. And a two dollar filter to dim the sun enough it didn’t roast the electronics in the camera.
Clearly, before next April’s eclipse I will need a better camera.
OK, seriously, the filter is a piece of thin cardboard with a 1×5 inch window in it; the window has the same plastic they use in eclipse glasses. It’s handy for quick looks at the sun…or it can be duct taped over a camera lens (make sure the duct tape covers any part of the lens the filter does not).
And, incidentally, the R5 is arguably the best EOS camera Canon makes right now, though the R3 is better at a number of things. But not for this job. So I guess I have no choice but to improve the filter.
Oh, yeah, I forgot the duct tape. Fortunately gas station convenience stores usually sell it. Not cheap but IneededitrighteffingNOW!
The filter works…but it imparts an orange glow to everything, and the sun gets an orange tinge to it. Well it would if it weren’t blown out in the images. Which is fine, it should look white not orange anyway. (I could conceivably get photographs of sunspots if I didn’t blow out the sun by mistake; I know I did with the same filter on a different camera during the Venus transit of 2012.) In a way the event looked better through regular cheapass eclipse glasses (which I also had with me), because they aren’t obviously glaring orange in areas that ought to be jett black.
Here’s the first picture I took after setting up.
(Cropped from 8192×5464 pixels full frame down to 3000×2000, then reduced in size 50 percent to 1500×1000.)
The Moon came in from about 45 degrees clockwise from the top (1:30 though I shouldn’t use clock positions to indicate directions here because someone might think I am actually giving the time). So given that you can see it has 60 percent of the way across the Sun already. I cut it close!
Closer to annularity:
This is right about the point (just a bit later actually) where the crescent of the Sun starts to curve inwards at the tips. That can only happen if the occluding body isn’t as wide (in terms of angle of sky) as the Sun. Or in other words, you won’t see it look like this shortly before a total eclipse.
Getting very close.
At this point things happen rapidly. I started hitting the button on the bulb (wire remote) every second or so, I can flip through them on my computer and watch the horns of the crescent grow longer. (I want to figure out how to make a time lapse movie out of them. And yes the camera could probably have done that, except I couldn’t remember how to set it up and certainly didn’t have time to do it right there and then!)
Oh, good, I wasn’t imagining things! This is 57 seconds after the previous picture:
This is the moment right before annularity. The ring is complete…except for two breaks. These are due to mountains on the moon cutting off the Sun’s disk, still…for just that moment. As the moon moves further down and to the left the mounts will eventually fall completely inside the Sun’s disk.
A similar effect happens during a total eclipse but is much more obvious, because the sun shining between the mountain peaks is the ONLY sunlight in view (the rest of the ring is absent). This is called “Bailey’s beads.” Bailey’s beads are visible with the unaided eye and are evidence the moon has mountains and is not an absolutely smooth sphere. (This was controversial around Galileo’s time when many believed everything in the sky was pristine and perfect. Clearly no Chinese weather balloons back then!)
I wasn’t in the middle of the path so the “ring of fire” was not of uniform thickness even at mid eclipse. At roughly 10:38 AM Moutain Daylight Time, this is as close as it came from where I was:
You’ll notice in these last three pictures the sun is apparently moving up and to the right. I didn’t bother trying to center it when I cropped the big 45MP image. Instead I made sure to crop exactly the same area off each picture, so you could see the (apparent) motion of both the Sun and Moon as the eclipse progressed.
Several times I had to loosen the tripod and shift to keep the Sun/Moon from leaving the frame entirely, but I did not have to do that at this time, and so what you see is the real relative motion of the Sun and Moon against the sky as A) the Earth rotates, causing the illusion of motion from east to west, B) the Sun moves, ever so slowly reoughly west to east, taking a full year to completely circule through the entire sky. (That’s what a year is, in fact.) This is “real” motion against the background stars…except for the fact that it’s really us on Earth moving, in the other direction! The Moon is also moving west to east across the sky, about 12-13 times faster than the sun; New Moon is when it laps the sun going across the sky. (And this time it really is the Moon that is moving.)
And now annularity ends.
Again, we see the effect of mountains on the lunar rim. People on those mountains, at that moment would see Earth and Sun on the horizon…in two exactly opposite directions. (I did not have to move the camera, but I did crop this from a different location in the frame, so that’s why it seems to be centered again.)
The total duration here, according to the timestamps, is 3 minutes, 49 seconds.
The moon looks like it’s dropping through the center of the bottom side of the Sun. In fact, I joked with another eclipse watcher who was there, that I was now taking pictures of the Turkish flag..which is often hung downwards like a banner (much like the US flag is hung behind the Speaker’s chair in the House of Reprehensibles), with the crescent points towards the ground. Of course the Turkish flag also has a big five pointed star on it.
Last one…the moon almost completely departed, Down and left the tiniest “cut”.
Many lessons learned for next April. Better filter. Dial down the exposure a bit (and maybe catch some sunspots if there are any), and the focus could be a tiny bit sharper.
