Hopefully, everyone is keeping warm in this “climate change” PSYCH of regular winter weather.

In the interest of conserving server space, Wednesdays will see some recycled header images. I mean, it is hump day after all.

It is also the anniversary of one of the most disastrous Supreme Court decisions ever handed down. 47 years ago the unborn children of America were deprived of their right to life by bench fiat. Since that time, over 60 million Americans have been murdered in the name of “choice.” On Friday, Americans from all over will descend on Washington to protest the decision that still stands despite decades of challenges.

In honor of VSGPDJT being at Davos in Switzerland, here’s a little mood music from the American perpective.

Welcome back to the previously scheduled Wednesday Open Thread!

Okay, so here’s the deal. This is the open thread. This is where we all come to get the news that other Q tree inhabitants think is worth knowing and sharing. Please, post links to any “news” stories quoted, and ask for help if you are stumped as to how to do that. We’re a friendly lot. Someone will be with you shortly, and there is no reason to have to press one for English.

Free speech, and the open exchange and hashing out of ideas is not only allowed, but encouraged. If we all don’t use it, we’re going to lose it. There are, however, limits to civility, and those limits are strictly observed here. We are all on the same team. No personal threats, baiting, name calling and other behavior you would not want someone else to do to you is allowed.

Manners, i.e., “please” and “thank you” for requests of rescuing comments from “the bin” are greatly appreciated.

Yes, it can be rough to temper speech. However, those who would like to slog it out from the comfort of the seat behind your keyboard, Wolf has provided a venue known as the UTree. Please, take it there where this is allowed to happen:

And now for some house keeping:

There are a few rules here in the branches of the Q Tree. Our host, Wolfm00n, outlined them in a post on New Years Day 2019. Please, review these rules from time to time, maybe while waiting for the defrosters to get rolling while warming up the car in this global warming climate change deep freeze that’s happening.

Fellow tree dweller 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.

Steve suggests – to be accurate – no shooting at the nuclear weapons, but to be safe about it, don’t event point firearms toward them. I, Deplorable Patriot, bossy chick that I am, request no teasing the animals, pets and wildlife alike. FG&C asks that you wash your hands, wipe down all non in-home surfaces, and take some vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, and get plenty of rest.

And please, pretty please with sugar on top, no celebratory gunfire…at least not indoors. Concealed carry is encouraged though.

Teasing and trolling the lefties and their bastions, on the other hand is a moral imperative. I will say this one aged well.

__________________________________________________

From today’s first reading from the First Book of Samuel, Chapter 17 (the whole reading is long):

With his shield bearer marching before him,
the Philistine also advanced closer and closer to David.
When he had sized David up,
and seen that he was youthful, and ruddy, and handsome in appearance,
the Philistine held David in contempt.
The Philistine said to David,
“Am I a dog that you come against me with a staff?”
Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods
and said to him, “Come here to me,
and I will leave your flesh for the birds of the air
and the beasts of the field.”
David answered him:
“You come against me with sword and spear and scimitar,
but I come against you in the name of the LORD of hosts,
the God of the armies of Israel that you have insulted.
Today the LORD shall deliver you into my hand;
I will strike you down and cut off your head.
This very day I will leave your corpse
and the corpses of the Philistine army for the birds of the air
and the beasts of the field;
thus the whole land shall learn that Israel has a God.
All this multitude, too,
shall learn that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves.
For the battle is the LORD’s and he shall deliver you into our hands.”

The Philistine then moved to meet David at close quarters,
while David ran quickly toward the battle line
in the direction of the Philistine.
David put his hand into the bag and took out a stone,
hurled it with the sling,
and struck the Philistine on the forehead.
The stone embedded itself in his brow,
and he fell prostrate on the ground.
Thus David overcame the Philistine with sling and stone;
he struck the Philistine mortally, and did it without a sword.
Then David ran and stood over him;
with the Philistine’s own sword which he drew from its sheath
he dispatched him and cut off his head.

As always, prayers for the fight against that which seeks to enslave us are welcome.

Back to our regularly scheduled news from Davos and beyond.

Welcome to the new Tuesday open thread where the Classical World’s god of war will be front and center. The day, in fact, in every language is named for him.

And given that our source known as Q has all but said it’s showtime, Mars is front and center. It’s on, and we’d best be ready.

A little mood music is in order.

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.

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.

Fellow tree dweller 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.

__________________________________________________

A quick word from our Eternal Sponsor via the Prophet Isaiah:

Do you not know? hath it not been heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have you not understood the foundations of the earth? [22] It is he that sitteth upon the globe of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as locusts: he that stretcheth out the heavens as nothing, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in. [23] He that bringeth the searchers of secrets to nothing, that hath made the judges of the earth as vanity. [24] And surely their stock was neither planted, nor sown, nor rooted in the earth: suddenly he hath blown upon them, and they are withered, and a whirlwind shall take them away as stubble. [25] And to whom have ye likened me, or made me equal, saith the Holy One?

[26] Lift up your eyes on high, and see who hath created these things: who bringeth out their host by number, and calleth them all by their names: by the greatness of his might, and strength, and power, not one of them was missing. [27] Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel: My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God? [28] Knowest thou not, or hast thou not heard? the Lord is the everlasting God, who hath created the ends of the earth: he shall not faint, nor labour, neither is there any searching out of his wisdom. [29] It is he that giveth strength to the weary, and increaseth force and might to them that are not. [30] Youths shall faint, and labour, and young men shall fall by infirmity.

[31] But they that hope in the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall take wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

As always, prayers for the fight against that which seeks to enslave us are welcome. Via con Dios.

Today, I thought we could go in a different direction. Something more of the Great Awakening variety. In the last week, President Trump told the world of the horrors the Iranian people have seen at the hand of their own government in the wake of the Soleimani assassination, and in return, the Iranian people are joining those in Hong Kong, France and other locations protesting against brutal and oppressive regimes.

And then this resurfaced from last July. Please, watch it to the end and share where you can.

OMG OMG. They lied to us all. This looks like Election Interference……
This is "SICK" pic.twitter.com/xaQKnxCVwi

— Diamond and Silk® (@DiamondandSilk) January 13, 2020

The red pilling has been kicked up a notch. With that in mind, we who have followed the need for red pilling know what is ahead. Our friends who remain blue pilled don’t. So, how will the medicine be administered? (I could post a certain Mary Poppins song here, but will refrain due to the tooth aches it will produce. Skipping the Bon Jovi Bad Medicine, too.) We’ll find out.

In the meantime, this at least is safe.

https://youtu.be/ov1kjVvYpWk

Okay, so here’s the deal. This is the open thread. This is where we all come to get the news that other Q tree inhabitants think is worth knowing and sharing. Please, post links to any “news” stories quoted, and ask for help if you are stumped as to how to do that. We’re a friendly lot. Someone will be with you shortly, and there is no reason to have to press one for English.

Free speech, and the open exchange and hashing out of ideas is not only allowed, but encouraged. If we all don’t use it, we’re going to lose it. There are, however, limits to civility, and those limits are strictly observed here. We are all on the same team. No personal threats, baiting, name calling and other behavior you would not want someone else to do to you is allowed. I mean, this could happen.

There is absolutely no reason for infighting to result in burning down the tree, house up in the branches and all. Yes, it can be rough to temper speech. However, those who would like to slog it out from the comfort of the seat behind your keyboard, Wolf has provided a venue known as the UTree. Please, take it there.

And now for some house keeping:

There are a few rules here in the branches of the Q Tree. Our host, Wolfm00n, outlined them in a post on New Years Day 2019. Please, review these rules from time to time, say when in line during the post holiday clearance sales.

Fellow tree dweller 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.

Steve suggests – to be accurate – no shooting at the nuclear weapons, but to be safe about it, don’t event point firearms toward them. I, Deplorable Patriot, bossy chick that I am, request no teasing the animals, pets and wildlife alike. FG&C asks that you wash your hands, wipe down all non in-home surfaces, and take some vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, and get plenty of rest.

And please, pretty please with sugar on top, no celebratory gunfire…at least not indoors.

Teasing and trolling the lefties and their bastions, on the other hand is a moral imperative.

__________________________________________________

From this week’s readings, the Canticle of Anna, 1 Samuel, Chapter 2:

My heart hath rejoiced in the Lord, and my horn is exalted in my God: my mouth is enlarged over my enemies: because I have joyed in thy salvation. [2] There is none holy as the Lord is: for there is no other beside thee, and there is none strong like our God. [3] Do not multiply to speak lofty things, boasting: let old matters depart from your mouth: for the Lord is a God of all knowledge, and to him are thoughts prepared. [4] The bow of the mighty is overcome, and the weak are girt with strength. [5] They that were full before have hired out themselves for bread: and the hungry are filled, so that the barren hath borne many: and she that had many children is weakened.

[6] The Lord killeth and maketh alive, he bringeth down to hell and bringeth back again. [7] The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich, he humbleth and he exalteth. [8] He raiseth up the needy from the dust, and lifteth up the poor from the dunghill: that he may sit with princes, and hold the throne of glory. For the poles of the earth are the Lord’s, and upon them he hath set the world. [9] He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness, because no man shall prevail by his own strength. [10] The adversaries of the Lord shall fear him: and upon them shall he thunder in the heavens. The Lord shall judge the ends of the earth, and he shall give empire to his king, and shall exalt the horn of his Christ.

As always, prayers for the fight against that which seeks to enslave us are welcome.

Back to the real world.

Are we up now? Out of post-holiday hibernation mode on this hump day in the darkest time of the year? If not, here’s some inspirational music.

Okay, so here’s the deal. This is the open thread. This is where we all come to get the news that other Q tree inhabitants think is worth knowing and sharing. Please, post links to any “news” stories quoted, and ask for help if you are stumped as to how to do that. We’re a friendly lot. Someone will be with you shortly, and there is no reason to have to press one for English.

Free speech, and the open exchange and hashing out of ideas is not only allowed, but encouraged. If we all don’t use it, we’re going to lose it. There are, however, limits to civility, and those limits are strictly observed here. We are all on the same team. No personal threats, baiting, name calling and other behavior you would not want someone else to do to you is allowed. I mean, this could happen.

There is absolutely no reason for infighting to result in burning down the tree, house up in the branches and all. Yes, it can be rough to temper speech. However, those who would like to slog it out from the comfort of the seat behind your keyboard, Wolf has provided a venue known as the UTree. Please, take it there.

And now for some house keeping:

There are a few rules here in the branches of the Q Tree. Our host, Wolfm00n, outlined them in a post on New Years Day 2019. Please, review these rules from time to time, say when in line during the post holiday clearance sales.

Fellow tree dweller 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.

Steve suggests – to be accurate – no shooting at the nuclear weapons, but to be safe about it, don’t event point firearms toward them. I, Deplorable Patriot, bossy chick that I am, request no teasing the animals, pets and wildlife alike. FG&C asks that you wash your hands, wipe down all non in-home surfaces, and take some vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, and get plenty of rest.

And this week we have a new one: please, pretty please with sugar on top, no celebratory gunfire…at least not indoors.

Teasing and trolling the lefties and their bastions, on the other hand is a moral imperative.

__________________________________________________

One of today’s antiphons from the Prophet Isaiah, Chapter 9:

The people that walked in darkness, have seen a great light: to them that dwelt in the region of the shadow of death, light is risen. [3] Thou hast multiplied the nation, and hast not increased the joy. They shall rejoice before thee, as they that rejoice in the harvest, as conquerors rejoice after taking a prey, when they divide the spoils. [4] For the yoke of their burden, and the rod of their shoulder, and the sceptre of their oppressor thou hast overcome, as in the day of Median. [5] For every violent taking of spoils, with tumult, and garment mingled with blood, shall be burnt, and be fuel for the fire.

[6] For a CHILD IS BORN to us, and a son is given to us, and the government is upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, God the Mighty, the Father of the world to come, the Prince of Peace. [7] His empire shall be multiplied, and there shall be no end of peace: he shall sit upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom; to establish it and strengthen it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth and for ever: the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. [8] The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel. [9] And all the people of Ephraim shall know, and the inhabitants of Samaria that say in the pride and haughtiness of their heart: [10] The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with square stones: they have cut down the sycamores, but we will change them for cedars.

As always, prayers for the fight against that which seeks to enslave us are welcome.

Back to the real world.

It’s Midnight somewhere. And mood music for the day that no one understands, but we all sing anyway….

Okay, so here’s the deal. This is the open thread. This is where we all come to get the news that other Q tree inhabitants think is worth knowing and sharing. Please, post links to any “news” stories quoted, and ask for help if you are stumped as to how to do that. We’re a friendly lot. Someone will be with you shortly, and there is no reason to have to press one for English.

Free speech, and the open exchange and hashing out of ideas is not only allowed, but encouraged. If we all don’t use it, we’re going to lose it. There are, however, limits to civility, and those limits are strictly observed here. We are all on the same team. No personal threats, baiting, name calling and other behavior your mother and grandmother told you not to do while calling you by your full name is allowed. This, seriously, could happen.

https://youtu.be/vNAM7hqNESU

There is absolutely no reason for infighting to result in burning down the tree, house up in the branches and all. Yes, it can be rough to temper speech. However, those who would like to slog it out from the comfort of the seat behind your keyboard, Wolf has provided a venue known as the UTree. Please, take it there.

And now for some house keeping:

There are a few rules here in the branches of the Q Tree. Our host, Wolfm00n, outlined them in a post on New Years Day 2019. Please, review these rules from time to time. When the gaps between the floats at the Rose Bowl Parade get bigger would be alright.

Fellow tree dweller 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.

Steve suggests – to be accurate – no shooting at the nuclear weapons, but to be safe about it, don’t event point firearms toward them. I, Deplorable Patriot, bossy chick that I am, request no teasing the animals, pets and wildlife alike. FG&C asks that you wash your hands and take some vitamin C. Daughn suggests you whip the sugar with the shortning (butter) before adding the flour.

Teasing and trolling the lefties and their bastions, on the other hand is a moral imperative.

__________________________________________________

Psalm of the day, Number 67.

Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered: and let them that hate him flee from before his face. [3] As smoke vanisheth, so let them vanish away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. [4] And let the just feast, and rejoice before God: and be delighted with gladness. [5] Sing ye to God, sing a psalm to his name, make a way for him who ascendeth upon the west: the Lord is his name. Rejoice ye before him: but the wicked shall be troubled at his presence, Who is the father of orphans, and the judge of widows. God in his holy place: [7] God who maketh men of one manner to dwell in a house: Who bringeth out them that were bound in strength; in like manner them that provoke, that dwell in sepulchres. [8] O God, when thou didst go forth in the sight of thy people, when thou didst pass through the desert: [9] The earth was moved, and the heavens dropped at the presence of the God of Sina, at the presence of the God of Israel. [10] Thou shalt set aside for thy inheritance a free rain, O God: and it was weakened, but thou hast made it perfect.

As always, prayers for the fight against that which seeks to enslave us are welcome.

Here we go, 2020!

And for those who open presents….

Don’t laugh too hard. One of my brothers was watching late night TV, and these snuggle suits were advertised, and long story short, I have an Energizer Bunny suit somewhere in this house.

And for those of us dealing with unseasonably warm temperatures, this dream really does not have to come true.

Okay, so here’s the deal. This is the open thread. This is where we all come to get the news that other Q tree inhabitants think is worth knowing and sharing. Please, post links to any “news” stories quoted, and ask for help if you are stumped as to how to do that. We’re a friendly lot. Someone will be with you shortly, and there is no reason to have to press one for English.

Free speech, and the open exchange and hashing out of ideas is not only allowed, but encouraged. If we all don’t use it, we’re going to lose it. There are, however, limits to civility, and those limits are strictly observed here. We are all on the same team. No personal threats, baiting, name calling and other behavior your mother and grandmother told you not to do while calling you by your full name is allowed.

There is absolutely no reason for infighting to result in burning down the tree, house up in the branches and all. Yes, it can be rough to temper speech. However, those who would like to slog it out from the comfort of the seat behind your keyboard, Wolf has provided a venue known as the UTree. Please, take it there.

And now for some house keeping:

There are a few rules here in the branches of the Q Tree. Our host, Wolfm00n, outlined them in a post on New Years Day. Please, review these rules from time to time, maybe while waiting in line with the kids to see Santa. After all, the line does go all the way to Terre Haute.

Fellow tree dweller 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.

Steve suggests – to be accurate – no shooting at the nuclear weapons, but to be safe about it, don’t event point firearms toward them. I, Deplorable Patriot, bossy chick that I am, request no teasing the animals, pets and wildlife alike. FG&C asks that you wash your hands and take some vitamin C. Daughn suggests you whip the sugar with the shortning (butter) before adding the flour.

Teasing and trolling the lefties and their bastions, on the other hand is a moral imperative. Folks, this is what we escaped.

__________________________________________________

As it is Christmas….

Set to music:

As always, prayers for the fight against that which seeks to enslave us are welcome.

Not too much egg nog now.

And here we are at the LET IT SNOW version of the Wednesday Open Thread. Yes, several of us are under the tyranny of the white stuff. We would thank our friends in more tropical climes to not rub it in.

And now for something completely politically incorrect.

Okay, so here’s the deal. This is the open thread. This is where we all come to get the news that other Q tree inhabitants think is worth knowing and sharing. Please, post links to any “news” stories quoted, and ask for help if you are stumped as to how to do that. We’re a friendly lot. Someone will be with you shortly, and there is no reason to have to press one for English.

Free speech, and the open exchange and hashing out of ideas is not only allowed, but encouraged. If we all don’t use it, we’re going to lose it. There are, however, limits to civility, and those limits are strictly observed here. We are all on the same team. No personal threats, baiting, name calling and other behavior your mother and grandmother told you not to do while calling you by your full name is allowed. This sort of battle, on the other hand, is perfectly acceptable.

https://youtu.be/cM8DcCoZulw

There is absolutely no reason for infighting to result in burning down the tree, house up in the branches and all. Yes, it can be rough to temper speech. However, those who would like to slog it out from the comfort of the seat behind your keyboard, Wolf has provided a venue known as the UTree. Please, take it there.

And now for some house keeping:

There are a few rules here in the branches of the Q Tree. Our host, Wolfm00n, outlined them in a post on New Years Day. Please, review these rules from time to time, maybe while waiting in line with the kids to see Santa. After all, the line does go all the way to Terre Haute.

Fellow tree dweller 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.

Steve suggests – to be accurate – no shooting at the nuclear weapons, but to be safe about it, don’t event point firearms toward them. I, Deplorable Patriot, bossy chick that I am, request no teasing the animals, pets and wildlife alike. FG&C asks that you wash your hands and take some vitamin C. Daughn suggests you whip the sugar with the shortning (butter) before adding the flour.

Teasing and trolling the lefties and their bastions, on the other hand is a moral imperative.

__________________________________________________

In the eternal fight against the forces of evil and darkness, unceasing prayer is always needed.

And from today’s Lectionary, and the Gospel According to St. Matthew.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means “God is with us.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
He had no relations with her until she bore a son,
and he named him Jesus.

As always, prayers for the fight against that which seeks to enslave us are welcome.

And now, on to the day’s news…..

Welcome the Deck the Halls open thread. For those NOT following any sort of Liturgical Calendar, you might be done. Well, the rest of us will be doing it this week. How about some inspirational tunes.

Yes, given the solar minimum we are experiencing, a sable under the tree would be nice. Although, I’d like my convertible to be a candy apple red 1961 Corvette with a white swoosh.

But I digress, we need tunes.

My favorite…..

https://youtu.be/739xhwKMmVI

Okay, so here’s the deal. This is the open thread. This is where we all come to get the news that other Q tree inhabitants think is worth knowing and sharing. Please, post links to any “news” stories quoted, and ask for help if you are stumped as to how to do that. We’re a friendly lot. Someone will be with you shortly, and there is no reason to have to press one for English.

Free speech, and the open exchange and hashing out of ideas is not only allowed, but encouraged. If we all don’t use it, we’re going to lose it. There are, however, limits to civility, and those limits are strictly observed here. We are all on the same team. No personal threats, baiting, name calling and other behavior your mother and grandmother told you not to do while calling you by your full name is allowed. Otherwise, we’d end up looking like the other side.

There is absolutely no reason for infighting to result in burning down the tree, house up in the branches and all. Yes, it can be rough to temper speech. However, those who would like to slog it out from the comfort of the seat behind your keyboard, Wolf has provided a venue known as the UTree. Please, take it there.

And now for some house keeping:

There are a few rules here in the branches of the Q Tree. Our host, Wolfm00n, outlined them in a post on New Years Day. Please, review these rules from time to time, maybe while waiting in line with the kids to see Santa. After all, the line does go all the way to Terre Haute.

Fellow tree dweller 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.

Steve suggests – to be accurate – no shooting at the nuclear weapons, but to be safe about it, don’t event point firearms toward them. I, Deplorable Patriot, bossy chick that I am, request no teasing the animals, pets and wildlife alike. FG&C asks that you wash your hands and take some vitamin C. Daughn suggests you whip the sugar with the shortning (butter) before adding the flour.

Teasing and trolling the lefties and their bastions, on the other hand is a moral imperative. This Christmas list is from last year, but deserves a second look.

https://grrrgraphics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/holiday_gift_guide_2018.jpg

__________________________________________________

In the eternal fight against the forces of evil and darkness, unceasing prayer is always needed.

From today’s Lectionary, Isaiah 40:25-31.

To whom can you liken me as an equal?
says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high
and see who has created these things:
He leads out their army and numbers them,
calling them all by name.
By his great might and the strength of his power
not one of them is missing!
Why, O Jacob, do you say,
and declare, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?

Do you not know
or have you not heard?
The LORD is the eternal God,
creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint nor grow weary,
and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.
He gives strength to the fainting;
for the weak he makes vigor abound.
Though young men faint and grow weary,
and youths stagger and fall,
They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength,
they will soar as with eagles’ wings;
They will run and not grow weary,
walk and not grow faint.

And today’s Gospel reflects the piece I memorized for a music jury once:

As always, prayers for the fight against that which seeks to enslave us are welcome.

And now, on to the day’s news…..

Since favorite Christmas movies don’t technically need to be about Christmas, and we need a peppy tune here, this is the march and theme to one of the most underrated American movies made in the last fifty years. It has all the hallmarks of an American classic. Good guys and bad guys, guns, an all star cast AND a score written by John Williams. (I recommend the director’s cut.)

Okay, so here’s the deal. This is the open thread. This is where we all come to get the news that other Q tree inhabitants think is worth knowing and sharing. Please, post links to any “news” stories quoted, and ask for help if you are stumped as to how to do that. We’re a friendly lot. Someone will be with you shortly, and there is no reason to have to press one for English.

Free speech, and the open exchange and hashing out of ideas is not only allowed, but encouraged. If we all don’t use it, we’re going to lose it. There are, however, limits to civility, and those limits are strictly observed here. We are all on the same team. Infighting here tends to resemble…well, this.

There is absolutely no reason for infighting to result in burning down the tree, house up in the branches and all. Yes, it can be rough to temper speech. However, those who would like to slog it out from the comfort of the seat behind your keyboard, Wolf has provided a venue known as the UTree. Please, take it there.

And now for some house keeping:

There are a few rules here in the branches of the Q Tree. Our host, Wolfm00n, outlined them in a post on New Years Day. Please, review these rules from time to time.

Fellow tree dweller 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.

Steve suggests – to be accurate – no shooting at the nuclear weapons, but to be safe about it, don’t event point firearms toward them. I, Deplorable Patriot, bossy chick that I am, request no teasing the animals, pets and wildlife alike. FG&C asks that you wash your hands and take some vitamin C.

Teasing and trolling the lefties and their bastions, on the other hand is a moral imperative.

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In the eternal fight against the forces of evil and darkness, unceasing prayer is always needed.

From the Apocalypse, chapter 12:

And there was a great battle in heaven, Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels: [8] And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. [9] And that great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, who seduceth the whole world; and he was cast unto the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. [10] And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying: Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: because the accuser of our brethren is cast forth, who accused them before our God day and night.

As always, prayers for the fight against that which seeks to enslave us are welcome.

And now, on to the day’s news…..