DEAR MAGA: Open Thread 20240411

This is going to be pretty much a placeholder. It’s cold and rainy here, and I’m not in the mood.

Badlands News Brief – April 10, 2024

The Biggest Corporate Welfare Scam of All Time

Now Can We Get Back to the Real Conspiracies?

TWEETS!

https://twitter.com/HazelAppleyard_/status/1778076316371243042

MEMES and FUN STUFF

____________________________________

And now for the business portion.

Please review our HOST and site owner’s Guidelines for posting and discussion for this site. Wolf is kind enough to put up with *most* of us and our antics after thorough vetting. Violators of the baiting and deliberately attempting to divide the group rules WILL face consequences.

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.

THAT MEANS THAT ALL OF US HERE ARE ENTITLED TO OUR OPINIONS AND PREJUDICES, ETC., SO LONG AS THEY CAUSE NO PHYSICAL HARM TO OTHERS OR DOXX OUR FELLOW TREE DWELLERS.

All opinions here are valued for the diversity they bring to the issues, and the shaping of understanding regarding topics for which many of us do not have all information. Correcting the record on any one topic is appreciated.

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:

  1. No food fights
  2. No running with scissors
  3. 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.

____________________________________________________


ACTS 5:27-33

27And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” 33When they heard this they were enraged and wanted to kill them.

_____________________________________________________

SATIRE

New Moon On Monday

Yes. It was a new moon. They don’t get any newer than in an eclipse.

And it was a Monday.

So here we go:

Official Video…blocked from being played elsewhere as usual
And I can’t find one that’s not blocked. Sorry…

The Event

I am going to talk about the event here, the adventure of going to see it and how I took the pictures I am showing, but I’m not going to discuss the science (much); I will save that for Saturday (with, probably, some of the same pictures).

Where did I end up going? I concluded on Sunday Morning that the best shot would be Indiana. The page I was looking at showed it as “green” for cloud cover; huge swaths of Texas were red…now including Eagle Pass, which was yellow until Saturday.

So I drove to St. Louis on Sunday, and then re-checked the weather guess…Indiana had gone yellow, but much of Texas had also gone yellow. So I decided (tentatively) to go to Southern Illinois and assess with eyeballs. I ended up at Rend Lake off I-57, south of the intersection with I-64; specifically at the Ken Gray trailhead. I got there in plenty of time.

Over the course of the next few hours a number of other people also joined us in the parking lot. One group had a fully professional video camera with them; apparently they’re making a movie of some sort. Another had a 600 mm lens (a big white!). He set up on the other side of the road.

Although sometimes there was a thin haze (looking like a dispersed contrail, but much greater in extent), it would often clear up. There happened to be one of these during totality but it impeded our view too little to notice if at all.

I did not buy a new camera (despite my joke from last time); I did buy a new 20-stop neutral density filter. And then I put it and the lens on a cheaper camera (a Canon M6 mk II). Why? Because that camera has a crop sensor and the pixel density is much higher. In other words, the images of the Sun that I took would be higher resolution. I put a wide angle lens on the expensive camera hoping to capture the planets and comet during totality. (The comet, it turned out, was a pipe dream; no one knowledgeable expected to be able to see it, and in this context I was not knowledgeable.)

The tripod lets you swivel 360 around an axis, which can be tilted. I decided to try to tilt it at about the same angle as the sun’s path across the sky, to try to avoid having the Sun appear to rotate in the field of view. There’s no actual way to make this work since (except on the first day of Spring and Autumn) the Sun doesn’t follow a great-circle arc across the sky. I’d have needed an additional wedge between the tripod “head” and the camera. However, I probably came pretty close; at least the Moon seemed to exit the Sun opposite of where it entered. Since I didn’t have a drive motor anyway, it didn’t matter much.

I was in touch with someone in Texas (a bit further northeast than Eagle Pass); they weren’t much interested in photography but I got not-very-good cell phone pics taken through some sort of red filter. So I could report to all that it had started in Texas. I was relieved to hear that the Moon hadn’t disappeared overnight (that would be just my damned luck).

So here’s the Sun just before the festivities started (f/5.6, 1/1000, ISO 100, ND 20 filter. An ND 20 filter reduces the light by roughly a factor of a million without changing the color.)

Note a big, bold sunspot just above the center, another one further out at about 9:30.

The Sun Gets Mooned

In an eclipse the lunar farside faces the Sun. Please, it’s “far side,” not “dark side.” It faces away from us; it’s not dark. Especially not here; it’s lit.

(OK…I suppose it’s “dark” in the same sense that the “Dark Ages” were dark. Not literally dark, but few records were left so we have trouble “seeing” them from our vantage point today. Likewise until spaceflight we had no idea what the far side looked like.)

More importantly, though, the far side could be considered the backside, and so during an eclipse the Moon is pointing its backside at the Sun. Meaning the Sun is getting Mooned.

OK, childish humor aside…until the next time.

I took one shortly after the start; the Moon is moving in from the lower right.

And you can see the progression. I got one in fact just before the sun spot got occluded.

By now, the lighting looks strange. Even a bit before this if you put down the eclipse glasses and looked around, there was this funny twilight quality to the light, though it was from overhead. Seconds before totality it got downright spookily dark.

And then totality hit. And the eclipse glasses went away.

And yes, its impact is a hit. Like flipping a light switch, suddenly you see the solar corona, surrounding the blackest black you have ever seen…the actual dark side of the Moon. Looking around it was like a super bright moonlit night, probably brighter than any moonlit night ever is (even when it’s a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious moon).

I was close enough to I-57 to hear that truck traffic continued unabated during the eclipse. Hard to believe that some people either didn’t care, didn’t know…or simply couldn’t interrupt their work (if it were someone doing CPR or fighting a fire I could understand!).

This eclipse was long. I hastily unscrewed the filter from the lens, and took more pictures. (I probably should have reduced the ISO to 250 or so.)

This one shows the whole corona. I’m going to go back to my regular crop after this one. Notice around the edges of the Moon, a few pink areas. Those are prominences (flares). Remember that the Moon is still moving towards the upper left. This picture was early (as in, just as fast as I could unscrew the filter!!!!) and prominences up near the top are most visible.

Note in this one that a prominence at about 5 o’clock is very visible. In fact it was easy to see with the naked eye. Because of the Sun’s position and orientation in the sky, that one looked like it was at the bottom of the disc to our eyes. Closer to the end of totality the one on the right hand side became visible too but wasn’t as bright as the one at the bottom.

The prominence at the right is actually showing an arc.

But all good things must come to an end. And end it did.

When even the slightest sliver of the photosphere (the visible “surface” of the Sun) shows up, the corona is gone. As you can see in the picture above.

Our celebrity sunspot is back!

And here with the Moon just about to uncover the last sliver of the Sun’s disc, it’s over.

This eclipse was far better than the one in 2017, what with all the prominences and the greater duration of totality (I actually put the filter back on too soon, took it off and took the last two pictures).

If you missed it due to apathy or negligence…well it sucks to be you!

I could see as soon as I got back on the interstate that traffic northbound (to Chicago and St. Louis) was already jammed. And I was tens of miles away from St. Louis and hundreds from Chicago.

So I went south, intending to catch I-40 west at Memphis. It was longer, but probably faster. Even there the last 10 miles before the I-55/I-40 interchange took about an hour; Memphis too had eclipse jams, made worse by police blocking off exits on the way in.

I stopped in Conway, AR, and didn’t get going until late on Tuesday (I had just had two short nights and made up for it bigtime). I finally got home at 2AM Tuesday.

Now for the bad news. I was only able to see Jupiter and Venus. The comet was too faint. Mercury was simply lost in the glare. And Mars and Saturn were down in the trees.

And I had to guess about the right exposure to try to capture them on the wide angle lens. And I don’t know how bad my guess was, because I took two totally blown out white rectangles for pictures. Was I off by twelve stops? eighteen? Who knows. I didn’t even save them.

Hopefully on Saturday there will be a “regular” science post.

Dear KAG: 20240410 Open Thread

Cover image: Mount Rainier (the current batch of camel pictures suck)

Badlands News Brief – April 9, 2024

The Ministry of BS Will See You Now

High Gold Price Points to Sustained Inflation

No kidding.

The Habits of Liberty

Russia Accuses Hunter Biden’s Burisma of “Financing Terrorism”

So the CDC knew all along about those 780,000 side effects to its COVID vaccine as it was assuring us it was ‘safe’

Yes, and a lot of people out here on the fruited plain knew and could have told you three years ago. The question is would we have been believed?

Patriots Do Not Flinch

X Files….

The moon is made of cheese. Everyone knows this.

If you think that was bad….

LOOK! FOX caught on!

Memes & Stuff

I hit mine at 3, 5 and 7.

Have a good day y’all.

(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:

First time watching reactions for this classic have been coming up in my feed. Yes, it’s shocking to the politically correct generation.

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:

  1. No food fights.
  2. No running with scissors.
  3. 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.

__________________________________________________

PSALMS 34:2-9

1I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and be glad. 3O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! 4I sought the LORD, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. 5Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed. 6This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. 7The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 8O taste and see that the LORD is good! Happy is the man who takes refuge in him!

One of the best things the St. Louis Jesuits ever produced;

JOHN 3:16-21

16For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. 18He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God.

This one never gets old:

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.

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.

SATIRE SECTION

Dear KAG: 20240409 Open Thread

Cover image: The Eclipse by Danielle

White House Announces Plan To Protect Bureaucrats From Being Fired By New Trump Admin

Artificial Intelligence and Irrational Fears — Guest Post by Jim Fedako

I’m still avoiding it.

What Liberals Get Wrong About ‘White Rural Rage’ — Almost Everything

Badlands News Brief – April 8, 2024

Hide in the Shadow of Your Wings

A study conducted by Pfizer Stooges proves mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination during Pregnancy is highly likely to cause a Spontaneous Abortion but Health Authorities have been Bribed to dismiss it

Obama’s Continuing War on Suburbia, Courtesy of Joe Biden

The Pushback Against Financial Institutions That Advance ESG

The Battle Against DIE Has Just Begun

Joe’s worst nightmare: two famous black guys sit down together and trash his border invasion…

Israel Denies that Troop Withdrawals Mean Giving Up on Destroying Hamas

Biden’s green economy plans stumble as no one considered how much electricity would be needed

Gold to $3,000? Why Not $5,000?

The Whole Temple

The TikTok Ban

Tweets…X-Files, uh, posts, whatever

Serious hmm….

There’s a lot more eclipse stuff, but….

Meme Zone

Admit it, who sang along?

Something to remember, always.

Per the boss’s instruction:

I’d throw in a few Rockefellers and Rothschilds also.

How often does one see a bassoon and percussion duet?

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.

Guidelines for posting and discussion on this site were outlined by our host, WolfM00n. Please, review them from time to time.

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:

  1. No food fights.
  2. No running with scissors.
  3. 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.

__________________________________________________

JOHN 3:7-15

7Do not marvel that I said to you, `You must be born anew.’ 8The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit.” 9Nicode’mus said to him, “How can this be?” 10Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this? 11Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen; but you do not receive our testimony. 12If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man. 14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”

109

Anonymous ID: hHkrVD7x No.148156632 
Nov 5 2017 20:06:36 (EST)

Anonymous ID: pqW40Wgk No.148156518 
Nov 5 2017 20:05:48 (EST)

>>148154137

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.

Satire

Dear KMAG: 20240408 Joe Biden Didn’t Win ❀ Open Topic


Joe Biden didn’t win. This is our Real President:

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).

And yes, it’s Monday…again.

But we WILL get through it!

We will always remember Wheatie,

Pray for Trump,

Yet have fun,

and HOLD ON when things get crazy!


We will follow the RULES of civility that Wheatie left for us:

Wheatie’s Rules:

  1. No food fights.
  2. No running with scissors.
  3. If you bring snacks, bring enough for everyone.

And while we engage in vigorous free speech, we will remember Wheatie’s advice on civility, non-violence, and site unity:

“We’re on the same side here so let’s not engage in friendly fire.”

“Let’s not give the odious Internet Censors a reason to shut down this precious haven that Wolf has created for us.”

If this site gets shut down, please remember various ways to get back in touch with the rest of the gang:

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:

dromestoners

noun

people who remove stones from temporary airfields

Used in a sentence

Wolf Moon had no idea that “dromestoners” were even a thing, much less the fact that they have a special name.

Used in a questionable video

Possible source on “dromestoners”


MUSIC!

Dromestoners is also the last song on an album by the same name.


THE STUFF

Time to go from “dromestoners” to “one-stoners”! Three big advances in math problems, explained very nicely for us non-mathematicians.

Math – a nice subject to view from the OUTSIDE!

Speaking of math – and physics – and ASTRONOMY – isn’t there an eclipse today?

Just sayin’!

And remember…….

Until victory, have faith!

And trust the big plan, too!

And as always….

ENJOY THE SHOW

W


I Aim To Raise A Ruckus

(Giving a RINO the Boot)

No, the real problem is the fact that a majority of the 168 top GOP people voted for her. And now that has happened five times so they cannot claim they didn’t know what she was.

In spite of the fact that under her “leadership” the party had deliberately sabotaged the will of its base, had deliberately refused to challenge blatant election fraud, had gone out of its way to ensure certain candidates do not get nominated, had diverted donor money to namby-pamby candidates who have all the electoral appeal of a puddle of dog vomit…and in general has done nothing whatsoever to help fix the problems that plague America.

However that last is to be expected; I cannot expect anyone who IS the problem to help FIX the problem.

RINO McDaniel would have been powerless without an entire party leadership of the same mind as her. They wanted this dismal performance; they want to ignore the party base.

Her being gone will likely solve nothing as someone just like her will eventually be elected by those same pustulous people.

Me, over and over again in my openers (as amended when RINO McDaniel got the boot

So there I have been screaming at the top of my QTree lungs time and time again, that we have RINOs up and down the Party leadership and as long as that is true we will get nowhere.

Well RINO McDaniel is gone. But what about those 168 people?

In particular, what about this useless bint?

This is Vera Ortagnon, the National Committeewoman for Colorado.

The RNC consists of one woman and one man from each state and territory in the United States, plus (I believe) the state (or territory) chair. 50 states + DC + 5 territories = 56, 56 x 3 = 168.

And as I have been pointing out, likely to the point you’re sick and tired of reading me do so, most of these people loved RINO McDaniel.

Including Vera Ortagnon. She endorsed RINO McDaniel the last four times RINO McD ran for RNC Chair.

At the Colorado State convention, which was held on Saturday April 6, both the national committeewoman and national committeeman were selected for a new four year term.

The Committeeman for Colorado was unopposed for re-election, claimed he did not vote for RINO McD, and I heard absolutely no grumblings or suspicion of him at all.

National Committeewoman, on the other hand…well, I just told you Ortagnon’s a problem.

And two people ran against her.

Ortagnon first. In addition to her love of RINO McD, one thing that’s a bit aggravting is that it is impossible to hear from Vera Ortagnon without her making the point that she is Hispanic. I mean she explicitly says so, just in case her accent doesn’t make it clear. (She is a legal immigrant from Colombia; I have to admit that when she told the story of her naturalization, it was touching.)

The first opponent was Laura Imer. She was endorsed by plenty of prominent people (including the committeeman, once he was re-elected)…but there’s something offputting about her. Maybe it’s the fact that she looks a bit like Lynn Cheney. She is loud, and angry. But I saw no sign whatsoever that she is a RINO.

When she gave her speech, she dropped in the fact that Ortagnon had endorsed and presumably voted for RINO McD four times. Now it’s customary NOT to sling mud at your opponents, so that just showed a mean streak to most of the deletages, and I am glad she did it because Ortagnon and Imer took hits from that shot.

Because I wanted the third candidate to win. Meet Christy “Ruckus” Fidura.

She has been the driving force in turning Pueblo, yes Pueblo, the town of steel workers’ unions and lots and lots of Hispanics, RED when it has been “blue” for decades upon decades.

Unlike many places in Colorado, the geography makes sense. Pueblo is in Pueblo County, which is the county immediately to the south of El Paso County, in which is not El Paso. For many years, Pueblo was more famous than Colorado Springs; globes and small-scale maps would show two cities in Colorado: Pueblo and Denver. Even as a kid I would see these. By the time I was looking at maps, though, Colorado Springs had exceeded Pueblo in size, and now Colorado Springs is much better known across the country and to some extent even around the world, than Pueblo is.

So why the nickname “Ruckus”? Because she fights and the Dems in Pueblo know better than to mess with her. And someone coined the slogan “I aim to raise a ruckus” and Ruckus herself loved it.

In short, she’s effective, combative…and just absolutely Deplorable.

OK so I’ll come back to this race in a bit.

I mentioned that El Paso’s delegation to the two races we worked on yesterday was very small. Seven of us in a meeting of hundreds for US Congressional District 4. Twelve of us for House District 56. Completely overshadowed by other counties, even ones we tend to think of as “small” counties.

At the State convention, though, El Paso County is by far the biggest one. We owned an entire block of chairs on the floor. A supercontinent of our own.

But only seven of us had gotten to vote for Boebert the day before.

Did I exploit the sheer envy value of my photograph of a ballot with Lauren Boebert’s name on it? Who, me?

I went over to the Hinsdale County delegation during a break and told them, “Now I know how you must feel at these things.” Hinsdale is one of the emptiest counties in Colorado, with a population of a 788 people in 2020. And Hinsdale is famous for being where Alferd Packer, the “Colorado Cannibal” had his meal of long pork.

[Aside: Here’s what the sentencing judge, presumably a Democrat, is supposed to have said when he sentenced Packard (spelled phonetically): “Stand up yah voracious man-eatin’ sonofabitch and receive yir sintince. When yah came to Hinsdale County, there was siven Dimmycrats. But you, yah et five of ’em, goddam yah. I sintince yah t’ be hanged by th’ neck ontil yer dead, dead, dead, as a warnin’ ag’in reducin’ th’ Dimmycratic populayshun of this county. Packer, you Republican cannibal, I would sintince ya ta hell but the statutes forbid it. ”

Well, that’s one answer for the question of what to do with Democrats. But not one I endorse. Probably too much mad cow disease in the meat.]

After an additional discussion about this quote (the Hinsdale folks were adamant that Packer et all of the Dimmycrats) I went back to my seat.

People who arrive at these events have to be “credentialed” and it seems like that cannot be anything but a gigantic clusterf*ck no matter what. We were supposed to start at 9 AM, didn’t come close to that, and the credentials committee finally submitted their final report (including alternates who had been made delegates) at 3 PM. After which we could vote.

So the candidates made their speeches including an electrical engineer alumnus of CU Boulder who was running for the board of regents (we’re close to the same age and may even have been in classes together). He was unopposed (no petitioners either), and nominated by acclamation; I wish him luck in the general election.

One useful bit of business that got done is the party leadership is now allowed to explicitly endorse candidates that won at the assembly, which can be used to give them a leg up over those who petitioned on.

And we had some speakers. Including…drumroll…Matt Gaetz!

(I regret that I have found no video of his speech, which was excellent.)

He was here to help out both Lauren Boebert and Dave Williams (apparently Matt’s wife and Boebert are besties). Dave Williams is our state chair, and he is running to replace Doug Lamborn in the 5th district (the one that covers most of El Paso County; the one I was in before redistricting). By all accounts Williams, should he win the primary and the general election, would be a fighter for MAGA; some think he’d be just as solid as Gaetz. Good luck, Dave!

The registration process was complicated. We got our badges (showing photo ID to claim them). We then had to walk through a doorway and they put a sticker on the back with a six letter, mixed case code on it. We were then supposed to scan a QR and give it both our badge number (on the front) and the code on the back to complete sign in. Out of a couple of thousand people, however, about a 150 didn’t do that last step. When they went to vote for committeewoman, they had to complete their registrations before they could vote, but then…the credential committee report had to be amended one more time. That caused a…er…ruckus.

The delegates had to walk right by the Pueblo County delegation to cast their ballots. As you might imagine there were a lot of Ruckus signs there. In order to avoid mobbing the voting area, delegates were divided into six roughly equal-sized groups, El Paso County was Group One (all by itself). After I voted, I looped back to the Pueblo area and held up a Ruckus sign. Next to us were a bunch of very young people holding Immer signs; then we realized they were guests, not delegates! Our spiel incorporated “Ruckus has support from actual delegates!”

Finally after all that, at about 6:30 PM (it had taken three hours to vote and hand count the ballots; that was actually a smooth process), we got to hear the results. I don’t recall the exact numbers but, with just under two thousand ballots cast:

Vera Ortagnon : roughly 200 votes. Crushed!!!

Laura Imer : roughly 500 votes.

Christy “Ruckus” Fidura : Over 1100 votes!!!

Kickass!!!

And THIS is how you kill a RINO! By Raising A Ruckus!

Score one for the good guys!

And yes, I have put my money where my mouth is.

Dear MAGA: 20240407 Open Topic

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.

Please also consider the Guidelines for posting and discussion printed here: 
https://www.theqtree.com/2019/01/01/dear-maga-open-topic-20190101/


On this day and every day –

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.”


My Soul Restored

The only biblical passage that contains this phrase is Psalm 23:3: “He restores my soul.” This is in the context of the Shepherd who leads His sheep to “green pastures,” “quiet waters” and “paths of righteousness.” As Christians, we are the sheep of God’s pasture (Psalm 100:3), and only He can restore our souls. To restore means “to repair, renovate, or return to a former condition.” The soul is the deepest part of us, our spirit and innermost being. Since God is the one who made us, only He can restore us, because only He knows what we truly need to restore our souls.

God has given us the answers about restoring our souls in the Bible—the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17), and it has the answers and wisdom to deal with everything we will ever face. It can make us wise unto salvation (2 Timothy 3:15), serve to encourage us when we are faint-hearted (2 Corinthians 1:3), and be our guidebook to a life of peace and satisfaction (Psalm 119:97-105). While there are all kinds of books written by men offering worldly wisdom, only God’s Word is truly capable of restoring the soul and offering hope in times of distress.

Of course, restoring the soul is only possible for those whose souls have been redeemed through faith in Christ. Jesus promised rest to all those that would come to Him (Matthew 11:28-30), so it is important that we are sure of our salvation and our relationship with God. Only those who are truly born again in Christ can experience the peace and joy that God has promised in His Word.

Thankfully, God has provided for us when we face discouragement, trials and temptations. He has provided three primary sources of encouragement and strength. First, He has given us His Word to guide us, encourage us and nourish us spiritually. We need to spend time reading it, hearing it preached (Romans 10:17) and most of all obeying it (Psalm 119:2; Proverbs 3:1-2; James 1:25). Second, God has also given us the privilege and power of prayer (Matthew 7:7-11; Mark 11:24-25; John 15:7; Hebrews 4:16; 1 John 5:14). We need to take our problems, our discouragement and our tiredness to God in prayer, knowing that He loves us and cares for us (1 Peter 5:6-7). Third, He has given us other Christians to encourage us and support us (Ecclesiastes 4:9-19; Ephesians 4:29; Hebrews 3:13). It is important to be a part of a healthy, well-balanced church and to regularly worship and fellowship with other believers (Hebrews 10:23-25). Christians who have gone through similar struggles can be a great source of encouragement and help as we go through dark times (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

Discouragement in times of trouble and tribulation is not unusual. Throughout the Bible we see examples of godly men and women who have faced similar situations. These examples can serve as encouragement to us today, because the same God who was faithful to them then will be faithful to us today. It’s helpful to begin by reading the Psalms because King David wrote many of these during the dark times in his life, and they can serve to encourage us when we are depressed, tired and discouraged. Because David had experienced the joy of a soul restored by God, he could pen the beautiful words of the 23rd Psalm: “He restores my soul.” https://www.gotquestions.org/restore-my-soul.html

2024·04·06 Joe Biden Didn’t Win Daily Thread

What is it that feeds our battle, yet starves our victory?

January 6 Tapes?

Where are the tapes? Anyone, Anyone? Bueller? Johnson??

Paging Speaker Johnson…this is your conscience calling you out on broken promises.

Boebert Day

Friday was the day that delegates from all over Colorado’s 4th Congressional District met to designate a candidate. This is Ken B*ck’s old district. Lauren Boebert who now represents Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, has moved into this district believing that she has a better chance of winning here. Her election in 2022 was the closest race for Congress anywhere in the United States; she won by a few hundred votes.

OK a bit of personal background. I live in El Paso county; that’s the one where Colorado Springs is located. It’s actually the most populous county in Colorado (even beating out the City and County of Denver). As a result of the last census, Colorado gained an eighth house seat and everything got redistricted. My old congressional district, 5 (Doug Lamborn, who is also leaving) had formerly included El Paso County and a bunch of smaller surrounding counties, now CD5 can’t even cover the whole county. A bit on the west side of the county got shaved off and given to CD 7, my piece on the east, on the prairie, got shaved off and handed over to CD4.

Finding myself in Ken B*ck’s district I have said several times that I wished I were in Boebert’s district. With her making this move…well now I am…but first she has to win the election!

It’s a near certainty that the Republican nominee will win the district; the problem is to ensure that Lauren Boebert becomes the nominee.

I was an alternate to this assembly but did manage to fill in for someone who didn’t show, so now delegate SteveInCO had the opportunity to vote.

Four candidates were vying for the nomination at the assembly. Boebert, some guy named Ted Harvey, someone else named Richard Holtorf and yet another named Jerry Sonnenberg.

As it turns out, the other three are verifiable RINOs with scores in the 60s (100=perfect conservative) though in the case of Harvey I had to talk to another former state legislator who worked with him to find it out; his term was too long ago.

Of course every single one of them talked a good game…Did you know that they are all ranchers? No? You would within five minutes of arriving at the assembly; every one of their signs said “rancher” on it.

An observer from Mars would be forgiven for concluding, on the basis of their speeches, that all four were equally conservative. (This is why listening to the speeches is pointless. However, IF you’ve been around long enough to know who the old retired RINOs are, you can sometimes figure things out by watching WHO is doing the nominating.)

So after the speeches it was time to vote. (And yes one of the other three went out of his way to say he wasn’t a carpetbagger from Rifle, and I could hear people’s surprise that he would attempt to call out Boebert that way; generally candidates at these things do not sling mud at each other.)

And at 12:20 on Friday, April 5, I happily cast my ballot for Lauren Boebert.

That felt good.

And it has been many years I could feel good casting a ballot (with the exception of the presidential primary on Super Tuesday).

So here’s the deal. To get to go to this assembly, you must attend precinct caususes; each precinct is assigned a number of delegates in proportion to the number of people who voted for the Republican candidate for governor the last gubernatorial election. (That really should be spelled goober-natorial.) At the caucus they vote for people to go. I failed to get into this (but did get into county and state house level assemblies) but secured an alternate slot. If enough people from my county failed to show up I could replace one of them. As it happens, out of 7 delegates total, one did not show up, and I was the only alternate from my county, and I got “elevated”…and so I got to vote for Boebert. (El Paso County, the 900 lb gorilla of the state, only had 7 delegates here…because only a tiny sliver of the county got put into this congressional district.)

OK so here are the rules: only candidates who get 30 percent of the vote are considered “designated” and will appear on the primary ballot. UNLESS the candidate also gets an adequate number of signatures by petition, in which case the threshold is ten percent. This is a major problem, as I will explain below.

In any case the final vote tally (with 159 votes being 30 percent, or 53 votes being ten percent) is: Boebert 215, Ted Harvey 135, Richard Holtorf 81, and Jerry Sonnenberg getting 96 votes. So only Lauren Boebert would appear on the primary ballot.

Except for those damn petitions.

Under Colorado law, you can petition onto the primary ballot and completely bypass these assemblies. Almost every incumbent GOP politician does this; they’re generally despised by the party grassroots because…they’re RINOs. Or you can petition AND go to the assembly and be designated with only ten percent of the vote.

In this case, Harvey did not petition at all, so he is out of the race, and good riddance. However Holtorf and Sonnenberg did petition (perhaps unsuccessfully, I don’t know yet) and therefore WILL be on the ballot if they were successful.

There is at least one other candidate, Flora (I don’t know if that’s a first or last name) who petitioned on and did not go through the assembly; she (?) will be on the primary ballot. There may be others.

The one bit of good news is that assembly winners go on the ballot above the petitioners.

The reason I said petitioning is a problem is that Incumbent politicians use the petition process to circumvent the party grassroots. They don’t have to pay any attention to us whatsoever; they hire someone to gather signatures for them, they end up on the primary ballot with no indication of how they got there (other than they aren’t top line on the ballot), and because of name recognition they win the primary, again. Petitioning needs to either be ditched, or require a 20% showing at the relevant assembly. But this will never happen, the incumbents know they can’t get re-elected without the petition process, so it will remain required by law, because they won’t change the law.

Other races decided on Friday were state school board…where a RINO and a good candidate ended up almost tied, so both will be on the primary ballot, and my house district (at a totally separate meeting), where there were two good people and one RINO, however his home base county (whose people he has snookered) had half of the delegates in that assembly. So it was a 50-25-25 split and the RINO will be on the ballot unopposed (no petitioners for this race). The incumbent, by the way, is a RINO who has brain cancer; he opted not to run.

I still have the (unused because unnecessary) second round ballot from the House 4th CD race; it’s going to become a treasured souvenir of the first time I got to vote for Lauren Boebert. I even have a picture of it:

Saturday (today) will be the election of RNC committee people; three candidates, the incumbent talks too much about being Hispanic and endorsed RINO McDaniel in 2022 (HELL NO!), of the two others, one has managed to turn Pueblo County red (former union democrat stronghold) and will get my vote. The third one has been spamming me a lot (almost as much as the incumbent) and I’ve been ignoring her.

News Flash

Today, it is still the case that Joe Biden didn’t Win.

I realize that to some readers, this might be a shock; surely at some point things must change and Biden will have actually won.

But the past cannot actually be changed.

It will always and forever be the case that Joe Biden didn’t win.

And if you, Leftist Lurker, want to dismiss it as dead white cis-male logic…well, you can call it what you want, but then please just go fuck off. No one here buys that bullshit–logic is logic and facts are facts regardless of skin color–and if you gave it a moment’s rational thought, you wouldn’t either. Of course your worthless education never included being able to actually reason–or detect problems with false reasoning–so I don’t imagine you’ll actually wake up as opposed to being woke.

As Ayn Rand would sometimes point out: Yes, you are free to evade reality. What you cannot do is evade the consequences of evading reality. Or to put it concretely: You can ignore the Mack truck bearing down on you as you play in the middle of the street, you won’t be able to ignore the consequences of ignoring the Mack truck.

And Ayn Rand also pointed out that existence (i.e., the sum total of everything that exists) precedes consciousness–our consciousnesses are a part of existence, not outside of it–therefore reality cannot be a “social construct” as so many of you fucked-up-in-the-head people seem to think.

So much for Leftist douchebag lurkers. For the rest of you, the regular readers and those lurkers who understand such things: I continue to carry the banner once also carried by Wheatie. His Fraudulency didn’t win.

Let’s Go, Brandon!!

Hey China!

Or rather, “Hey Chinese Communist Party and your entire array of servitors, ass-wipers, and fellators!”

You’re not even worth my time this week. When you decide to act like civilized people, maybe I’ll give you a lesson or two in how non-barbarians behave.

Hey BiteMe!
(Or, Whoever Has Their Hand Rammed Up That Putrefying Meat Puppet’s Ass)

[Language warning]

You and yours have caused a lot of injury. Literal injury with your war on people who don’t want to take an untested vaccine. When people die in an emergency room because a hospital won’t admit them because they haven’t had their clot shot, that’s a crime.

I’m going to address here the insult on top of the injury, because I am among the insulted. I still have my health but apparently you want me to live under the 8th Street Bridge (which actually isn’t on 8th Street, but whatever, that’s what the I-25 overpass over Cimarron is called), so maybe if you have your way that won’t be true for long. Dreadful time of year to become homeless.

No, you’re just trying to make me unemployed, because I won’t take your fucking shots.

Well, that threat is NOT going to work. I. Won’t. Take. Your. Fucking. Shots.

And it looks like enough people agree, that you’re having to back down, you worthless asswipe.

You’re LOSING.

You LOSER.

You Chinese-bought ratfucking traitor.

I would love to see you die an agonizing, humiliating death. (This isn’t a threat, because I am not threatening to cause that death. I am just announcing my intention to party if it happens.) It would be just recompense for the way you’re killing America…and millions of Americans.

His Fraudulency

Joe Biteme, properly styled His Fraudulency, continues to infest the White House, we haven’t heard much from the person who should have been declared the victor, and hopium is still being dispensed even as our military appears to have joined the political establishment in knuckling under to the fraud.

One can hope that all is not as it seems.

I’d love to feast on that crow.

(I’d like to add, I find it entirely plausible, even likely, that His Fraudulency is also His Figureheadedness. (Apparently that wasn’t a word; it got a red underline. Well it is now.) Where I differ with the hopium addicts is on the subject of who is really in charge. It ain’t anyone we like.)

Justice Must Be Done.

The prior election must be acknowledged as fraudulent, and steps must be taken to prosecute the fraudsters and restore integrity to the system.

Nothing else matters at this point. Talking about trying again in 2024 is hopeless 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 is not part of the plan, you have no plan.

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.

(Hmm a few extras seem to have crept in.)

Spot Prices.

Kitco Ask. Last week:

Gold $2,234.00
Silver $25.04
Platinum $918.00
Palladium $1,038.00
Rhodium $5,150.00

This week, markets closed as of 3PM MT.

Gold $2,330.20
Silver $27.54
Platinum $936.00
Palladium $1,026.00
Rhodium $5,150.00

Gold has been going up, and up, and up. It touched $2300 on Wednesday, dipped on Thursday, and more than made up for the dip on Friday. And Silver Finally Woke Up. It was $2.50 over the previous week, just shy of a ten percent increase. (Gold went up less than five percent.)

Gold is well above the magic $2,067 mark. That’s the point at which the dollar is worth one cent in gold by the old gold standard of one troy ounce of gold is $20.67. Does that mean the dollar is worth a real penny? I would say it probably has more purchasing power than a cent did in the 1920s, but then we’ve gotten better at producing things…what you should see with stable money is a decline in prices as we get more productive. Instead we get a steady inflation. Sometimes very strong, but never do prices trend down. Gee, I wonder what that could be about.

(I think we all know.)

The Eclipse

Of course the big news in the hard sciences is the upcoming solar eclipse.

I won’t belabor what an eclipse is…especially since I did so a few months ago in a combined Annular/Total article: https://www.theqtree.com/2023/09/30/2023%C2%B709%C2%B730-joe-biden-didnt-win-daily-thread/ .

But I will show this map of the path of the eclipse.

A bit of a joke there but it highlights the point that only totality is going to be something more than mildly interesting. If you can get to that O! M! G! stripe, do so; the closer to the center the better.

Weather is looking bad through all of Texas with slightly better chances of good weather near the border with Mexico. But chances are, we’ll have this to say on Tuesday.

As has been pointed out a solar eclipse occurs somewhere on Earth roughly every 18 months or so. These are not rare events in that sense. But it can be centuries between occurrences at any one particular spot on Earth, so they seem like truly unusual events. Most people must travel to see one during their lifetimes. (And some make it their rather expensive hobby to try to see them all; these people are called “eclipse chasers.”)

Well I am part eclipse chaser. I’m going to this just in case the weather turns out better than expected.

See you on the 9th.

Obligatory PSAs and Reminders

China is Lower than Whale Shit

Remember Hong Kong!!!

Whoever ends up in the cell next to his, tell him I said “Hi.”

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 His Fraudulency 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 !!!

DEAR MAGA: TGIF Open Thread 20240405

Pimms Cup

ngredients

  • 2 ounces Pimm’s No. 1
  • 1/2 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • Ginger ale, to top
  • Garnish: cucumber slice
  • Garnish: mint sprig
  • Garnish: strawberry
  • Garnish: lemon wheel (optional)
  • Garnish: orange wheel (optional)

Steps

  1. Add Pimm’s No. 1 and lemon juice into a highball glass over ice, then top with ginger ale and stir briefly to combine.
  2. Garnish with a cucumber slice, mint sprig, skewered strawberry and optional lemon and orange wheels.

Badlands News Brief – April 4, 2024

Citizen Groups Stepping Up to Demand Honest Elections

Feminism Is Barbarism

The Ruling Class Screwed Over Manufacturing Towns Like East Palestine Long Before A Train Derailed

The Push for WW3

Tweets & Stuff From X

Eff off, Petey.

Memes & Other Fun Stuff

And now for the business portion of the post borrowed from Tuesday:

Guidelines for posting and discussion on this site were outlined by our host, WolfM00n. Please, review them from time to time.

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:

  1. No food fights.
  2. No running with scissors.
  3. 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.

_____________________________________________________

ACTS 4:1-12

1And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sad’ducees came upon them, 2annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3And they arrested them and put them in custody until the morrow, for it was already evening. 4But many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to about five thousand. 5On the morrow their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem, 6with Annas the high priest and Ca’iaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a cripple, by what means this man has been healed, 10be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by him this man is standing before you well. 11This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, but which has become the head of the corner. 12And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

SATIRE!

If I ever get married, I will not take my husband shopping will be in the vows.

Have a good weekend!

Back In My Day: Finale

You may be surprised a bit about how this BIMD series ends. My days as an active participant in business as well as industry related government and politics ended not long after the debt markets collapse and The Great Recession of 2008. I have led readers through a maze of connections and parallels to well known people, events, criminals and American culture over several decades. So it probably will make sense to some of you that I end with another odd connection to a person I have never actually met, yet, know on a deeper level than many who have. It is only fitting that this series Finale end this way.

Senator James Donald (Bowman) Vance

Time to pull back my curtain more. If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to read the book of Mr. Ohio MAGA and now, devoted PDT supporter, Senator J. D. Vance. It is called Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis.

JD’s background is similar to mine though we are thirty years apart in age. Like me, he was not a Donald Trump fan when he was younger. However, I quickly accepted and embraced the importance of what Donald and Melania Trump did when they came down that escalator. Quite frankly, JD would have been too young to fully understand why that was so important. With what I had witnessed in our country over many years I saw that act as a “real” profile in courage that I admired. It led me to digging deeper and seeing America First was not just a self promoting slogan of The Donald. JD embraced PDT years later after PDT won the presidency. He wrote and published the subject book in 2016, which was made into a leftist leaning Netflix movie by Ron Howard along with stars Glenn Close and Amy Adams a few years later. His understanding of politics and the world had not yet percolated into the finer blend it is today.

In summary, like most of us, JD was and is a work in process. I am good with that since he made the correct choices for America when he gained maturity such that wisdom and discernment could rule his head and heart. The Wiki page linked below is a reasonable representation of him in my opinion although I realize folks may quibble over specifics.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._D._Vance

If readers care to know who I am as well as millions like me including JD from the past, present and future; you need to understand who Scots-Irish hillbillies are. This may seem strange to many of you. However, JD explains it well in the Introduction section of his book, which only expands as it goes. As a people we are in the backbone of MAGA and that started long before Donald Trump arrived on the scene. Some of the original “America First” are Scots-Irish. We are the same people who view all humans as equal; who left the oppression of the British monarchy, controlled state religion, and heavy handed government for the wilds of America. Independent, self sufficient and contrary to a fault while being fiercely loyal to family, friends and America would be a good description. A large number of our types, hillbillies, settled into the Appalachian mountains. However, we have long since spread our wings into the rest of this country. Below is a link to know more about a very important segment of America that is ignored by the media narratives of the day.

https://www.americanheritage.com/scotch-irish

Connections And Parallels

I am going to delve into this and more with the expansion of the Civilized War series, which replaces BIMD. This is another reason why I suggest reading JD’s book to gain a down and dirty understanding of a large segment of people in America. Our midwestern readers on here may enjoy the read as much as the hillbillies. Others from around the country and other walks of life will probably be interested in the family interactions and the personal effects that the drug culture has on society that JD describes. As a bonus you get a first hand view of law school at Yale as well as the Ivy League and law industry in general. Many may want to know what a potential VP pick and current MAGA senator on the rise looked like when he was growing up and as a young adult. The readers will get a raw, emotional, strong sense of what makes JD tick, while knowing he has continued to grow and evolve.

To cut to the chase, JD and I are from the same hometown of Middletown, OH. We just lived there a few decades apart. He was born in the year I divorced and moved from the delta to eastern TN, which was a rebirth for me. So he was born when I was reborn. His grandfather undoubtedly worked with my father in that Armco steel mill during the same period. They probably had met and possibly knew each other well. With his family being coal miners from southeastern KY before hitting the Hillbilly Highway like my parents did from southwestern VA, there could have been other interconnections. As an example, the best man and matron of honor at my parents wedding in 1950 in that VA coal mining town they soon left, which was not that far from Breathitt County, KY; were a married couple named Vance. They may have been related to JD through his grandparents in some way. A look at where the men spent many of their years along with a couple of summers for me is below.

https://www.journal-news.com/news/historical-photos-armco-and-steel-through-the-years-middletown/RBj4EDBeOMNjbKyjQVUv6M/

JD’s grandparents and my parents both hit the Hillbilly Highway north, U. S. Route 23, within a year of each other. The coal mines were shutting down and the jobs were ending. The attraction of heading to the MidWest to the explosion of factory jobs was strong. For many there was very little choice and that would include my parents and JD’s grandparents.

The Path To MAGA Is Littered With Good Intentions

I will interject a point now that was made clear to me awhile back by our esteemed host and leader, Wolf. When people are sincere and have no desire to harm others, consider granting them a path back to restoration when they have fallen. Show a little grace. Consider refraining from attacks or making assumptions; give them the opportunity to learn and grow if they are misguided and still finding their way. As an example, Wolf advised me to do that with well meaning medical practitioners with Grandson #1 and he was right. They adapted to conditions on the ground, learned and changed. This concept and practice also applies to other occupations and people. We need to remember, especially during this period around Easter, that we all have received a path back to redemption via the cross at Calvary. Most folks are trying to find their ways in a confusing world and if we are patient and offer guidance when given the opportunity it may work to our collective benefit.

It is an absolute miracle JD made it out of his situation. It is also highly unusual for somebody who was subjected to what he was as a child to become what he has become. Along his life’s journey he made the decision to sign on for a four year stint with the Marines from 2003-2007 that included doing his part in the Iraq War. That endeavor appeared to instill discipline, order and the confidence he lacked. He followed that by working a couple of jobs while getting through Ohio State with two degrees in 19 months. Each experience he endured changed him in some way, sometimes good and sometimes bad. He did not get everything right, none of us do. As an example even into adulthood his views of Barrack Obama were an example of getting it totally wrong. I am sure he learned differently as much of the rest of the world has. Being young and impressionable he fell for the uniparty ploys as portrayed in his book. He valued social and occupational climbing within the society that once excluded him. However, you can tell that he was beginning to rethink all of it a couple years after PDT won as stated in the Afterword section of the book. Again, this book was written prior to its publishing in 2016.

JD’s life to the point of his Yale Law School days left him wondering about many things most people never notice who have not experienced what he did growing up. The following stood out like a sore thumb to me from his book:

When you go from working-class to professional-class, almost everything about your old life becomes unfashionable at best or unhealthy at worst. At no time was this more obvious than the first (and last) time I took a Yale friend to Cracker Barrel. In my youth, it was the height of fine dining—my grandma’s and my favorite restaurant. With Yale friends, it was a greasy public health crisis.

Vance, J. D.. Hillbilly Elegy (p. 208). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.

In all deference to JD and his friends, the new Biscuit Benny at Cracker Barrel is a food culture masterpiece. Those snobs you developed networks and hobnobbed with at fancy dining establishments were idgits. Been there, done that, know the end results. Give me the people and the comfort food at the Cracker Barrel. While you are at it, JD, ask PDT about his affinity for Big Macs.

He goes on to discuss the inner workings of Yale Law School, job interviews, and fine tuning his academics and related activities. In summary, he was playing the man’s game hoping to hit all sevens on the slot machine of life. This is similar to what I did before escaping the Dem criminal machine of the delta for good. Finally, he hits pay dirt in the form of sage advice from a trusted professor about him potentially clerking for a Supreme Court feeder judge to improve his credentials.

“I think you’re doing this for the credential, which is fine, but the credential doesn’t actually serve your career goals. If you don’t want to be a high-powered Supreme Court litigator, you shouldn’t care that much about this job.” She then told me how hard a clerkship with this judge would be. He was demanding to the extreme. His clerks didn’t take a single day off for an entire year. Then she got personal. She knew I had a new girlfriend and that I was crazy about her. “This clerkship is the type of thing that destroys relationships. If you want my advice, I think you should prioritize Usha and figure out a career move that actually suits you.” It was the best advice anyone has ever given me, and I took it. I told her to withdraw my application.”

Vance, J. D.. Hillbilly Elegy (pp. 219-220). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.

He took her advice. His future wife was in Yale law school when they first met and later clerked for Justices Kavanaugh and Roberts. We can give her experiences and employers the side eye, but we also need to acknowledge that at least those two are not Ginsburg types. They have delivered some wins lately even if they disappoint on occasion. JD may actually continue to benefit from his wife’s thoughts and experiences as it comes from the real world. She was a bit unique in that she exhibited no pretense and has a lot of plain speak in her. All of it came together for them because he took counsel from a wise female law school professor who recommended he avoid the spotlight of doing something that would not necessarily benefit his personal and occupational plans along with the relationships. Score one for wisdom and discernment.

And if you have read his book, I found the same level of acceptance and love for family and those in need of kindness as JD found through his wife and her family. Just like him, it took many years and a failed marriage to overcome the adverse childhood experiences (ACE) that I had experienced. They were different than JD’s, but just as devastating.

More Comparisons

“My” plan always included living in the east TN area where I do today going back to when I was 5 or 6 years old. I never felt comfortable or fit in well where I had to grow up in the Rust Belt even though many would consider me to have been successful in doing so. My heart was always in the hills and mountains of Appalachia as it was for JD growing up. One of my high school nicknames was even Tennessee. However, the attraction changed for JD over time.

Rural Appalachia was the ancestral land of both sides of my family tracing back into the early 1700’s on my Scots-Irish/English side as well as many centuries before that on my mother’s Cherokee side. It was where I spent a good portion of my life growing up as we were always on the road visiting family around the region as time permitted just as JD describes in his book. JD’s Papaw and Mamaw in southeastern KY were the equivalent of my Papaw and Mamaw in eastern TN as well as Mamaw and step grandfather in southwestern VA – just different lives and stories to tell. There were also far less four letter words spoken by mine and definitely no hillbilly justice with a gun in hand. 😂

I had a love for the great outdoors, the mountains, forests, streams, rivers, lakes and most of all, the people of this region. Still do. I marvel at the bear, deer, turkey, hawks, eagles, trout and bass that abound here. As I aged I no longer pretended life was OK living anywhere else. JD adapted to his environment in Ohio much better than I did. Both of us lived elsewhere before choosing to go to our promised lands for good. Little did I know as a kid when we hit the roads south that I was passing by my future wife’s hometown as we took Mamaw and Papaw on trips with us into the Smokies national park. We may have eaten in the local restaurant Wifey worked in when she became a part-time server at age 13 to help her family make ends meet.

JD chose to return to and stay in Ohio, his home. I chose to go to TN, my home. Both choices were the right things to do based on our individual circumstances. JD’s upbringing was rough and more violent. Mine was slightly more civilized with a Masonic/Eastern Star cult influence. JD’s was filled with no parental stability due to a revolving door of spouses and boyfriends to go with a mother lost in substance abuse and mental illness. Mine had no divorce proceedings, yet plenty of alcohol addiction, mental illness, screaming and multiple relationships causing two people to be nothing but bad roommates. Both of our dysfunctional homes were filled with great mental suffering for the children. Both of us found solace, stability and safe harbor with grandparents and friends.

Even with all of that in his past, it is not surprising at all to me that JD is on PDT’s short list for VP. He overcame great odds to be who he now is, which is somebody PDT would highly value. Once he figured things out about PDT and it matched his personal vision for America; he jumped in with both feet as any good Scots-Irish hillbilly former Marine would do. He is a high functioning individual who is battle hardened. He fits the image of what PDT wants the GOP to become with some on the job training.

To read JD’s story, is to read mine. Different characters, different time period, different influences, different occupations, similar ancestral backgrounds, similar family life concerns, same determination, same theme and similar storyline. Literally the same streets, same type people, even the same grocery store describe our life stories growing up. We played in the same parks and rode bikes on the same sidewalks. His mother grew up about 4-5 minutes from our home at the same time, the same home he lived in with his Mamaw much of the time. His mother is my younger sibling’s age, although they probably would not have known each other since we moved to a smaller community nearby in my junior high school years.

I was never all that good at imposed compliance and scripted existence, which is why I declined an opportunity for a Naval Academy appointment in high school and followed the path in my BIMD stories. The spectacle and obvious deception about the Vietnam War turned me away from the military. Decades later after his time in the Marines, JD chose to go to Ohio State and Yale law school when provided the opportunities. Both choices reflected what each of us believed were the right things to do at the time, which were in different periods of American history. We both made our own decisions about our futures.

My parents are both buried in the Rust Belt area where they made their beds all those years. JD’s grandparents were buried back home in Breathitt County, KY. My father even bought grave plots overlooking that same steel mill to which he gave much of his life. That is where he wanted his final resting place – until he didn’t. In his last days as he neared death while living with us back in TN he deeply regretted having left the land of his father and mother. He was so proud that I returned and made a good life here. He loved Wifey and Daughter with all of his heart and enjoyed our circle of friends and Wifey’s side of the family. He even joined us in our worship of the Lord. Before he passed away he had progressed to the point of wanting to lead us in saying grace over meals, much to our delight. If I had asked him to be buried here, he likely would have. Instead I told him to finish what he had started there in Ohio, and so he did. I took him back to Ohio to die and be buried overlooking the mill. All of his friends and family came to the funeral. Our 92 year old former retired pastor officiated the services. It was well with his and my souls.

It Is A Small World

When we take time to care about and have relationships with other people there is great benefit to all. You never know when you might say the right words, offer encouragement or provide for the physical needs of somebody who needs them at the perfect time. The same applies to truly listening to understand somebody else. Lending a hand to the less fortunate and children is such a no brainer for those who care for their neighbors. We all need help at times.

From the BIMD stories I have shown some of my interconnections and parallels with people and events that you may know or otherwise have an interest. My challenge to you the reader is to identify your own. Discover how all of your experiences fit together and share the experiences with others. Telling and listening to stories has been done since mankind set foot on earth. It adds great value to life. It is within these life stories you may find the hand of God has also guided or even saved you or somebody you love.

We live in a giant, beautiful mosaic of goodness that has been intruded on by those who seek to disrupt and destroy. Do not let them. Love others anyway. Share your stories.

I would not be me without one last short connection discussion. I had a line of business boss in corporate lending BIMD (the bank had a wierd org structure) who worked with me on the underwriting of the Haslam family’s Pilot Oil needs. As God would have it, he was born and raised in the same hometown of JD and me in Middletown, OH. He was a decade older than me and grew up in the “wrong” end of town. His father deserted the family growing up, which had a profound impact on how he lived his life. He was fortunate like JD and me to receive financial assistance for college and to go to nearby Miami University in Oxford. After graduation he left the area for good. A long commercial banking career ensued in several states that eventually led him to east TN. Throughout it all he continually chased the blessing of and inclusion in the high society crowds in each community. Earlier in life he married, they had children, he had an affair with a younger co-worker, he divorced, he left his kids with their mom, he married the mistress co-worker, and they moved on to other employers and places. As time went by his younger wife became the major breadwinner in the family. He eventually would just coat tail her by working with the company she was asked to join.

In the middle of those times with wife #2, we ended up working together when he was hitting the backside of his usefulness in his commercial banking career. However, he was still trying his best to be included in high society. It was the same type social climbing situations I had been thrust into by my ex’s family that I totally rejected more than a decade before he and I worked together. He would get irritated if I did not agree with him and participate in that pursuit. At one point, exasperated, he said, “I know where you came from and where you are today. You are just a redneck. Don’t you want to rise above it?” I looked him in the eye and said, “No. I am a hillbilly and quite proud of it.” He backed away and never confronted me again.

He knew who hillbillies were since he grew up in the middle of them in Middletown. No further explanation was necessary. I left that job a year later. He continued with that bank until they let him go a couple of years later and took a job chasing more rich people and clients for a large international investment company his wife had joined. He has wasted his entire life chasing other people’s dreams and what he thought would make him happy. For many with ACE that feeling of inadequacy never seems to go away. Mine changed forever when I was reborn by the Holy Spirit of God in my promised land. It remains to be seen if it will or already has for JD.

You have been shown three guys from three different generations who were all from the same midwestern town of 50 K population who came up from working class situations and completely broken families that went on to live very different lives that crossed the nation once they became adults and left that town. This story is just one example of the interconnections and parallels that our loving God orchestrates for billions and billions of lives on this planet every second of every day.

My job is done here. I have done what I intended to do, it is now time for this series to end. Forward we march to Civilized War and other stories. Blessings to all and may God forgive and bless our nation as we turn our eyes toward Him and His glory.

He. Is. Risen. ✝️