“We do not believe any group of men adequate enough or wise enough to operate without scrutiny or without criticism. We know that the only way to avoid error is to detect it, that the only way to detect it is to be free to inquire. We know that in secrecy error undetected will flourish and subvert.” –J. Robert Oppenheimer
Without a doubt, faith is at the core of the Christian life. Faith is emphasized throughout the Bible and is presented as an absolute necessity. In fact, “without faith, it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). The entire chapter of Hebrews 11 is about faith and those who possessed it. Faith is a gift from God, as we see in Ephesians 2:8–9 and not something we come up with on our own. All Christians have received the gift of faith from God, and faith is part of the armor of God—the shield with which we protect ourselves from the “flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16).
The Bible never exhorts us to have “childlike” faith, at least not in so many words. In Matthew 18:2 Jesus says that we must “become as little children” in order to enter the kingdom of God. The context of Jesus’ statement is the disciples’ question, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (verse 1). In response, Jesus “called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me’” (verses 2–5).
So, as the disciples focus on what constitutes “greatness” in heaven, Jesus provides a new perspective: the way “up” is “down.” Meekness is required (Matthew 5:5). Jesus exhorts the disciples (and us) to seek to possess a childlike modesty in addition to their faith. Those who willingly take the lowest position are the greatest in heaven’s eyes. A young child is destitute of ambition, pride, and haughtiness and is therefore a good example for us. Young children are characteristically humble and teachable. They aren’t prone to pride or hypocrisy. Humility is a virtue rewarded by God; as James says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” (James 4:10).
Although faith is not mentioned in Matthew 18:1–5, we know that it isn’t humility that ushers a person into heaven; it is faith in the Son of God. A humble, unpretentious faith could rightly be called a “childlike faith.” When Jesus wanted to bless the children, He said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it” (Mark 10:14–15). How does a young child receive a gift? With openness, honesty, and unbridled joy. That type of happy authenticity should be a hallmark of our faith as we receive God’s gift in Christ.
Jesus promoted a humble, honest faith in God, and He used the innocence of a young child as an example. Emulating the faith of young children, we should simply take God at His Word. As young children trust their earthly fathers, we should trust that our “Father in heaven [will] give good gifts to those who ask him” (Matthew 7:11).
SPECIAL SECTION: Message For Our “Friends” In The Middle Kingdom
You knuckle-dragging barbarians are still trying to muck with this site, so I’ll just repeat what I said last time.
Up your shit-kicking barbarian asses. Yes, barbarian! It took a bunch of sailors in Western Asia to invent a real alphabet instead of badly drawn cartoons to write with. So much for your “civilization.”
Yeah, the WORLD noticed you had to borrow the Latin alphabet to make Pinyin. Like with every other idea you had to steal from us “Foreign Devils” since you rammed your heads up your asses five centuries ago, you sure managed to bastardize it badly in the process.
Have you stopped eating bats yet? Are you shit-kickers still sleeping with farm animals?
Or maybe even just had the slightest inkling of treating lives as something you don’t just casually dispose of?
中国是个混蛋 !!! Zhōngguò shì gè hùndàn !!! China is asshoe !!!
And here’s my response to barbarian “asshoes” like you:
OK, with that rant out of my system…
Loop it if you like; I will wait.
Richly deserved.
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 2022 or 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.
Precious metals continue to drop because the dollar is strong. It’s strong not because it’s actually worth a damn, but because foreign investors in the currencies markets put their money where they’ll earn high interest.
In other words the dollar climbs when the Fed hits the brakes and raises interest rates–an act which results in a recession. (That’s aside from whether the Fed “needed” to do it or not, which in turn is aside from whether the damned Fed should even exist in the first place.)
James Webb Space Telescope Update
NASA is now starting to talk more and more about the commissioning of the instrument; i.e., the sensors that will do something with the light that JWST collections. They’re going to track things on this graphic; the hexagons become bolded gold when that particular aspect of calibration is done.
There are 17 different modes that need to be calibrated, and they are described at length here:
And they’re still raving about how much better the optics are than they actually expected.
In other words this is about the only damned thing that the government has done right during His Fraudulency’s administration, so hopefully he won’t notice and decide he has to f*ck it up in order to have a perfect record.
In the meantime, we have a nice before/after image of a particular patch of stars. (The name of the image file indicates it’s of the Large Magellanic Cloud, still.)
The image on the left is from the old Spitzer Space telescope (which was also designed to look at infrared; its lifetime was strictly limited by the amount of cryo-coolant it had on board but it was very valuable while it lasted). That was taken at 8000 nanometer wavelength (that equals 8.0 micrometers).
The image on the right is from JWST, using the super-cold (6 or 7 K) MIRI instrument, at 7700 nanometers.
As you can see it’s much, much sharper!
This light is of a wavelength about ten times the very deepest red we can see with our unaided eyes, and it requires MIRI (the super cold sensor running at 6-7 K) to photograph.
Instead of being blurred blobs, the brighter stars in the LMC are actual points, with diffraction spikes. Dimmer stars are actually visible instead of just looking like background noise.
If you remember when JWST took a picture of the star that was being used as a reference when aligning the mirror segments, that star had really obvious spikes on it. They were at 12, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 o’clock with two shorter spikes at 3 and 9 o’clock. You see the same thing here. The first six I listed are caused by the seams between the mirrors, the left and right pair are caused by the “arms” that hold the secondary mirror in front of the main one.
Fuck Joe Biden
Biden, you don’t even get ONE scoop of ice cream today.
(Please post this somewhere permanent, as it will continue to be true; the SOB will never deserve a scoop.)
Incidentally, I’m writing this on Friday. This morning I saw a full-sized pickup truck in the oncoming left turn lane with a forest of flags in the bed. Once he turned and drove left-to-right in front of me, I could see two American flags near the cab, and SIX “Let’s Go Brandon” flags near the tailgate. That was unusual; usually there’s a mix of FJB (only not abbreviated) and “Trump Won” and “Trump 2024” flags when someone does this.
I haven’t seen such a display in a few weeks, by the way. Even the guy at the office complex where I work with the FJB flag on his pickup seems to have removed it (or doesn’t work there any more–trucks all look alike to me from the back, and all crossovers look like cockroaches).
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 !!!
This Sanctuary 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 you’re addressing the issue only, and not trying to confront 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.
Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things,” or, as the NET puts it, “Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth.” To set one’s mind on something is to choose to think about it, influencing one’s goals and guiding one’s course of action. The first part of the chapter is worth quoting in full to give the proper context:
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:1–17).
Colossians was written by the apostle Paul to the church in the city of Colossae. The culture of Colossae was thoroughly pagan and immoral, as it was in most of the Roman world—and as it is in much of the world today. The Christians in Colossae, however, could no longer take their cues from the world around them. They had to take direction from “above.” Although physically in the world, they were not to believe the same things that the culture around them did. They were not to behave according to the standards of the culture around them. That would be taking their cues from “below.”
Paul describes the “below” culture in a number of words and concepts: anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language, lying. The “above” culture, in contrast, is characterized by compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, peace, singing, worship, and gratitude.
How are we to cultivate the values that are from above while living below? It takes a concentrated effort. We must “set our minds” to it. We are inundated with messages that promote the “below” behavior. If we listen to the radio, overhear conversations at work, read billboards, watch the news, read the newspaper, flip through a magazine at the doctor’s office, watch TV programs or movies, etc., we will be constantly directed to embrace values that are clearly from below. Even if the messages we receive are not overtly immoral, the perspective is one that excludes God and prioritizes things as though life on earth is all that matters—our happiness and fulfillment (the “right” to be happy) are top priority. If we want to be directed “from above,” we must make an effort to counteract the messages that are omnipresent in our culture. To set our minds on things above, we must read and meditate on Scripture, attend church, listen to uplifting music, and read things that turn our hearts toward God. This is a recurring theme in Scripture:
Romans 12:2: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Matthew 6:19–20, 33: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. . . . Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
1 Timothy 6:17: “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”
Following his contrast of things below and things above in Colossians 3, Paul goes on to give a list of standards for Christian behavior that make absolutely no sense in today’s culture. Everything about the individualist, self-centered priorities that have high value today run counter to the type of restraint and sacrifice that Paul enjoins in verses 18–22:
“Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.”
The only way that a person can live according to the above dictates is if he or she is taking directions from somewhere other than the secular culture. Thinking on “things above” (the truths of God’s Word) not only guides us in what we should do but gives the reasons we should do it (grace, our position in Christ, our eternal reward, etc.). As we believe the truth “from above” more than the lies “from below,” we will start to act like creatures born from above, who have been raised with Christ (Colossians 3:1) and seated with Him at the right hand of the Father (Ephesians 2:6).
This Sanctuary 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 you’re addressing the issue only, and not trying to confront 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.
We’re all encouraged by verses that remind us of how much God has done for us and has promised to us when we put our faith in Jesus . . . and there are many, many verses in God’s Word that do exactly that.
I think we all have a number of favorite verses from God’s Word . . . and those verses were almost surely chosen to build us up in the Christian faith. Perhaps the following are a few of them:
John 16:33 “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Philippians 4:6–7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Psalm 34:4–5, 8 I sought the LORD, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.
Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Matthew 6:31–34 “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or “What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Proverbs 3:5–6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.
Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
Philippians 2:3–4 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Isaiah 41:13 “For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, I am the one who helps you.'”
1 Peter 5:6–7 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.
Psalm 94:18–19 When I thought, “My foot slips,” Your steadfast love, O LORD, helped me up. When the cares of my heart are many, Your consolations cheer my soul.
Revelation 21:4 “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”
But then life comes along with a virtual tsunami of forces that tear us away from what we think we should be doing with all the riches that God has given us and to reap His future promises. And when those waters recede, we’re left with piles and piles of guilt because we have, once again, failed to live up to God’s standards that are part and parcel of the Christian life.
We all want blessings, happiness, and fulfillment, and we associate a happy condition with a certain amount of ease. Jesus promises blessing and fulfillment to those who follow Him (John 4:14), but many people have been surprised that the way of Christ is not as easy as they had hoped. Sometimes, following Christ can be downright difficult.
The fact is, blessing and hardship aren’t mutually exclusive. The disciples “left everything” to follow Christ, and the Lord promised them “a hundred times as much” blessing in return (Mark 10:28-30). Jesus warned that all who follow Him must deny themselves and bear a daily cross (Luke 9:23). Hardship, to be sure, but hardship with a purpose and leading to the joy of the Lord.
Followers of Christ also face resistance from the world. “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). Jesus didn’t promise His disciples that everything would be coming up roses for them; just the opposite—He promised that they would have trials in this world (John 16:33). “But take heart!” He told them, “I have overcome the world.”
God’s moral laws have been written on the heart of every human – giving all people a conscience to aid them in determining wrong from right (Romans 2:14-15). When a person becomes a follower of Christ, he not only has God’s laws in his heart, but he also has the indwelling Holy Spirit to compel him toward living righteously (Romans 8:11). This in no way means the Christian will stop sinning, but it does mean the Christian will become more aware of his own personal sin and have a genuine desire to do what is pleasing to Christ (Romans 8:14-16).
In many ways, it’s after a person is saved that the struggle against sin really heats up in his life. All people are born with a nature that’s bent toward sin, which is why children don’t need to be taught how to misbehave – that comes naturally. When a person is converted, the sin nature doesn’t disappear – and so the internal conflict begins in the life of every believer.
The apostle Paul, who called himself a “bond servant to Christ,” writes of the struggle with his sin nature in Romans 7:14-25. In verse 15 he says, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (Romans 7:15). Christians engaged in this battle have a true desire to avoid sin, but they also have a natural desire to indulge the flesh. They become frustrated when they find themselves “doing what they don’t want to do.” And to further complicate matters, Christians not only don’t want to sin, they hate sin. Yet, they still sin.
Paul goes on to write, “It is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me” (Romans 7:17). Paul is referring to the dichotomy caused by the new birth – Paul is a “new man” through Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). But he still sins because sin is still alive in the human flesh – the sin nature survives the new birth (Romans 7:18). Paul calls the internal strife a “war,” as the new man battles the old man. Paul found the battle quite distressing because he wanted to do well (Romans 7:23). “What a wretched man I am,” Paul cries out in his distress (Romans 7:24).
Every Christian who is attempting to live righteously is called to this battlefield for his entire life. We are in a spiritual battle. But in grace and mercy, God makes an entire suit of armor available to the faithful believer for the fight (Ephesians 6:13).
The Christian life is never easy, but the difficulties don’t negate the joy. We consider Jesus, who “for the joy set before him . . . endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). God has set us free from the slavery to sin. The victory is ours (2 Corinthians 2:14). Through the Holy Spirit, believers receive encouragement, strength to persevere, and reminders of their adoption into the family of God. We know that our “present sufferings aren’t worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed” (Romans 8:18).
Always keep in mind that we’re on this earth for but a fleeting moment in time . . . and then we’re called to our true eternal home where peace, joy and God’s blessings rule forever.
I see from video of your “conversation” with MTG that someone posted yesterday, that you are still a pugnacious, lying, puddle of bearded dragon shit.
How you can look at yourself in a mirror is beyond me, unless your conscience has been replaced by a dedication to Leftist goals. It certainly isn’t dedicated to real adversarial journalism. Much less any kind of journalism.
I will give you this. You have better hair than Brian Stelter. But then, so did Telly Savalas. And Yul Brynner.
RINOs an Endangered Species? If Only!
According to Wikipoo, et. al., the Northern White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) is a critically endangered species. Apparently two females live on a wildlife preserve in Sudan, and no males are known to be alive. So basically, this species is dead as soon as the females die of old age. Presently they are watched over by armed guards 24/7.
Biologists have been trying to cross them with the other subspecies, Southern White Rhinoceroses (Rhinoceri?) without success; and some genetic analyses suggest that perhaps they aren’t two subspecies at all, but two distinct species, which would make the whole project a lot more difficult.
I should hope if the American RINO (Parasitus rectum pseudoconservativum) is ever this endangered, there will be heroic efforts not to save the species, but rather to push the remainder off a cliff. Onto punji sticks. With feces smeared on them. Failing that a good bath in red fuming nitric acid will do.
But I’m not done ranting about RINOs.
The RINOs (if they are capable of any introspection whatsoever) probably wonder why they constantly have to deal with “populist” eruptions like the Trump-led MAGA movement. That would be because the so-called populists stand for absolutely nothing except for going along to get along. That allows the Left to drive the culture and politics.
Given the results of Tuesday’s elections, the Left will now push harder, and the RINOs will now turn even squishier than they were before.
I well remember 1989-1990 in my state when the RINO establishment started preaching the message that a conservative simply couldn’t win in Colorado. Never mind the fact that Reagan had won the state TWICE (in 1984 bringing in a veto-proof state house and senate with him) and GHWB had won after (falsely!) assuring everyone that a vote for him was a vote for Reagan’s third term.
This is how the RINOs function. They push, push, push the line that only a “moderate” can get elected. Stomp them when they pull that shit. Tell everyone in ear shot that that’s exactly what the Left wants you to think, and oh-by-the-way-Mister-RINO if you’re in this party selling the same message as the Left…well, whythefuckexactly are you in this party, you lying piece of rancid weasel shit?
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. (This doesn’t necessarily include deposing Joe and Hoe and putting Trump where he belongs, but it would certainly be a lot easier to fix our broken electoral system with the right people in charge.)
Nothing else matters at this point. Talking about trying again in 2022 or 2024 is pointless otherwise. Which is not to say one must never talk about this, but rather that one must account for this in ones planning; if fixing the fraud in the system is not part of the plan, you have no plan.
This will necessarily be piecemeal, state by state, which is why I am encouraged by those states working to change their laws to alleviate the fraud both via computer and via bogus voters. If enough states do that we might end up with a working majority in Congress and that would be something Trump never really had.
Lawyer Appeasement Section
OK now for the fine print.
This is the WQTH Daily Thread. You know the drill. There’s no Poltical correctness, but civility is a requirement. There are Important Guidelines, here, with an addendum on 20191110.
We have a new board – called The U Tree – where people can take each other to the woodshed without fear of censorship or moderation.
And remember Wheatie’s Rules:
1. No food fights 2. No running with scissors. 3. If you bring snacks, bring enough for everyone. 4. Zeroth rule of gun safety: Don’t let the government get your guns. 5. Rule one of gun safety: The gun is always loaded. 5a. If you actually want the gun to be loaded, like because you’re checking out a bump in the night, then it’s empty. 6. Rule two of gun safety: Never point the gun at anything you’re not willing to destroy. 7. Rule three: Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire. 8. Rule the fourth: Be sure of your target and what is behind it.
(Hmm a few extras seem to have crept in.)
Mozart
Light this time around. The Turkish March, K331.
The string quartet, consisting of two violins, a viola and a cello, is a sort of economy orchestra. In the days when all music was live, if someone wanted to host a gathering and wanted music, they had to actually pay people to perform it. Except for the most fabulously wealthy hosts, that meant you weren’t going to be hearing symphonies and concertos! The string quartet was a good compromise (and you could even arrange a symphony for it). Each of the four instruments played different parts, so the music could be plenty complex.
Joseph Haydn around 1750 invented the “string quartet” as a compositional form (as opposed to an ensemble) with four movements, and wrote over sixty of them.
Mozart wrote 23 string quartets; this one, #17 “The Hunt,” K. 458 is probably the most famous of the bunch. Quartets 14-19 were dedicated to Joseph Haydn and composed between 1782 and 1785 (i.e., just after we won the Battle of Yorktown and bracketing the time we signed the Treaty of Paris with the United Kingdom).
This video is of The Hunt, in full. Movements are at the following time cues:
Mozart, in his dedication, admitted to taking “a long and laborious endeavor” with these quartets. Usually, he was able to compose in his head, with seemingly little effort. Putting it on paper was actually “copying it out” once completed, not part of the actual creative process.
To my dear friend Haydn,
A father who had resolved to send his children out into the great world took it to be his duty to confide them to the protection and guidance of a very celebrated Man, especially when the latter by good fortune was at the same time his best Friend. Here they are then, O great Man and dearest Friend, these six children of mine. They are, it is true, the fruit of a long and laborious endeavor, yet the hope inspired in me by several Friends that it may be at least partly compensated encourages me, and I flatter myself that this offspring will serve to afford me solace one day. You, yourself, dearest friend, told me of your satisfaction with them during your last Visit to this Capital. It is this indulgence above all which urges me to commend them to you and encourages me to hope that they will not seem to you altogether unworthy of your favour. May it therefore please you to receive them kindly and to be their Father, Guide and Friend! From this moment I resign to you all my rights in them, begging you however to look indulgently upon the defects which the partiality of a Father’s eye may have concealed from me, and in spite of them to continue in your generous Friendship for him who so greatly values it, in expectation of which I am, with all of my Heart, my dearest Friend, your most Sincere Friend,
W. A. Mozart
Upon hearing the quartets performed, Haydn said this to Mozart’s father, Leopold Mozart:
Before God, and as an honest man, I tell you that your son is the greatest composer known to me either in person or by name. He has taste, and, what is more, the most profound knowledge of composition.
Mozart lived from 1756 to 1791 and it is probably the greatest tragedy of orchestral music that he died so young. Imagine what he could have done in the next twenty years. (OK, honestly no one can imagine it, or they’d be Mozart.) Beethoven got his start shortly after Mozart’s untimely death; what influence would they have had on each other? Beethoven was famous for breaking the rules of the Classical era; would Mozart have been sympathetic? Possibly; a lot of his later works were quite “edgy” by the standards of the day.
Everything down, with the sole exception of platinum.
James Webb Space Telescope Update
The mirror is done. Instruments are at proper temperature.
People who have spent half a lifetime working on it now get to move on to their next endeavor, and hopefully will succeed at it as well.
All of the instrument packages now get a crisp image. The mirror is better than they expected!
They will now proceed to commission those packages. That’s expected to take about two months.
The picture above shows the results of aiming the JWST at a part of the Large Magellanic Cloud. This is a small galaxy that is a satellite of our own Milky Way, and is readily visible at night in the southern hemisphere (as is the Small Magellanic Cloud), provided, of course, you’re not in a big city. It’s a good target because, as seen from here there are a lot of stars crammed together in one part of the sky and they’re all at pretty much the same distance from us.
(This is how we discovered that Cepheid variables had an intrinsic brightness proportional to their period of variability–an astronomer looked at a bunch of them in the LMC and SMC and noticed their apparent brightness was proportional to their period of variability; since all were at the same distance, the apparent brightness was directly related to the intrinsic brightness with no possible confusion due to differing distances.)
When Supernova 1987-A blew up in (wait for it) 1987, it was in the LMC.
I’ve never seen the LMC and SMC, though I did look for them when I was a good deal further south than I am now. Alas, the lighting situation was terrible.
Anyhow, the process of commissioning the instruments is expected to take a couple of months, and involves setting operating parameters and the like (the blog doesn’t have a lot of detail, so I didn’t boil it down for you; they did).
To conclude: My standard Public Service Announcement. We don’t want to forget this!!!
Remember Hong Kong!!!
If anyone ends up in the cell right next to him, 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 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 !!!
This Sanctuary 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 you’re addressing the issue only, and not trying to confront 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.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (2 Corinthians 1:3–4).
The idea of “comfort” implies at least two parties: one who gives the comfort and one who receives it. It also implies a need—one that Scripture speaks of exclusively for humans. Animals have no capacity to receive spiritual comfort. The holy angels have no need for comfort. Satan and his demons are eternally beyond it (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 12:9, 12; 20:10). Only humans—higher than the animals, lower than the angels, and composed of body, soul, and spirit—were created with the capacity to receive and give comfort, and we live in a world where we need it.
Bound in time, yet with a sense of our own eternity like angels (Ecclesiastes 3:11), we humans suffer distress in a unique “three-dimensional” way—past, present and future. We remember previous distresses and are filled with grief or regrets (Genesis 37:35; Matthew 26:75). We face each day’s troubles and worry (Matthew 6:25–32). We reflect on these things and dread what may come next (verse 34). And beyond these worldly matters is that most distressing sensation of all, the guilt for having deeply, inexcusably offended our good and righteous Creator and Judge (James 2:10–11; Revelation 6:16).
Believers in Christ have a comfort from God that includes a true freedom from guilt. For Christians, our righteous Judge is also our loving Savior (John 3:16–17)—a sharp contrast with the terrifying assortment of distant, cruel, or unappeasable deities of the ancient world into which Paul brought the good news of free, complete and irrevocable forgiveness, reconciliation, and adoption (Romans 3:23–25; 2 Corinthians 5:11–21; 1 John 3:1–2).
In 2 Corinthians 1:3, God is called the “Father of compassion” and the “God of all comfort.” In His mercy and love, God is eager to provide comfort to His children in any and all circumstances. Whatever the trial we face, our Heavenly Father knows the situation and offers comfort as needed. The fact that He is the God of all comfort teaches that all comfort ultimately comes from Him. He is our source of peace and happiness and blessing.
The comfort we Christians receive flows through us to others “so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (2 Corinthians 1:4). Like grace, comfort is an active, powerful gift to be not merely received but actively shared with others, supernaturally multiplied to advance God’s kingdom (Matthew 25:14–30). And so the Bible commends those who are simply with people in trouble, such as those who are sick or in prison, whether or not we can change their circumstances (Matthew 25:36–40). In bringing comfort to those in trouble, we glorify God by giving a glimpse of how He comforts those who are in distress.
All three Persons of the Trinity participate in comforting us just by being with us. That is enough. The Father is always with us, as He was with Moses (Exodus 3:12) and the nation of Israel (Deuteronomy 31:6–8). So, too, are the Son (Matthew 28:20; John 14:18) and the Spirit (John 14:16–17). Hence, Paul confidently ends his letter to the Corinthians with the beautiful blessing: “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14).
The Holy Spirit is how Jesus keeps His promise to always be with us as the God of all comfort. One meaning of the Greek root word is “close beside.” All three Persons of the Trinity live with and in believers (John 14:17, 22)—very close indeed! As a result, no past, present, or future distress can separate us from God and His love for us in Christ (Romans 8:35). We are not only comforted in our troubles, but we are “more than conquerors” in them (verses 30–39). When we turn our worries into prayers, “the God of peace will be with [us]” (Philippians 4:6–9).
In the end, when we finally leave the temporary troubles of this life and enter the permanent joy of the next, our Heavenly Father will forever comfort each one of us, wiping away every tear (Isaiah 25:8; Revelation 21:4), welcoming us into a world where comfort is no longer needed because there is “no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4). We will enjoy the God of all comfort forever.
The Bible brings comfort during difficult times
The Bible is the Word of God written to His people and, as such, it contains everything we need to be “complete” (2 Timothy 3:15-17). Part of the “everything” we need is comfort. The Bible has a lot to say about comfort and has many passages that comfort us in life’s tough times. Yes, the Bible comforts us!
Life is fraught with many difficulties. We all experience setbacks in one way or another. Sometimes they are sudden; sometimes they are gradual. Maybe we have suffered the death of a loved one or been forsaken by a loved one. Maybe our health is poor or our finances are uncertain. Whatever the difficulties, they affect all of us at some point in our lives, and the Bible states that this is inevitable (Job 5:7; Genesis 3:17; Proverbs 22:8). The Bible is the Word of God (Isaiah 55:11), written by God’s servants under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21) and provided as both a guide and an aide to our daily living.
How does the Bible comfort us? Perhaps the most important aspect of God’s Word is the promises that are contained within, promises that the Lord makes to those who are prepared to trust Him. It is these promises that bring comfort, promises that feed off the weakest spark of saving faith to provide the reward of comfort, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. There are many promises in the Bible that have to be combined with faith to be realized, for without faith it is impossible to please God, the provider of comfort in times of trouble (Hebrews 11:6; 2 Corinthians 1:5; Psalm 46:1).
Clearly, the promises of God cannot be appropriated in the same way by the unbelieving, with whom God is angry continually (Psalm 7:11). Nevertheless, it is because of God’s grace, through the work of regeneration that happens at conversion, that these promises are realized and become the very fuel that spurs His people on to greater faith and greater obedience. These things go hand in hand; we trust God’s promises, and He has promised to reward us accordingly with joy, peace, and comfort, intangible things that the world can never supply. One of the greatest ways the Bible comforts is Isaiah 26:3 (“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”). Embrace it in faith, asking for the Lord’s help, and there will be no disappointment.
In Delaware, Ohio, Trump supporters stand in line for his rally this evening. Despite Trump’s endorsement of @JDVance1, some voters here tell @rachelvscott they aren’t yet sold on Vance, citing concern about comments Vance made in the past that were disparaging to Trump. pic.twitter.com/vanHqO3ZWR
While the city and county of Delaware are named for the Delaware tribe,[6] the city of Delaware itself was founded on a Mingo village called Pluggy’s Town. The first recorded settler was Joseph Barber in 1807. Shortly afterward, other men started settling in the area (according to the Delaware Historical Society); namely: Moses Byxbe, William Little, Solomon Smith, Elder Jacob Drake, Thomas Butler, and Ira Carpenter.[who?] In 1808, Moses Byxbe built the first framed house on William Street. Born in Delaware County in 1808, Charles Sweetser went on to become a U.S Congressman 1849 – 1853.[7] On March 11, 1808, a plan of the city was filed, marking the official founding of the town. Byxbe and the others planned the city to be originally on the east bank of the river, but it was switched to the west bank only a few days after the first plan was filed.[why?]
Even though Delaware was still a small community, in 1812, when the capital of Ohio was moved from Chillicothe, Delaware and Columbus were both in the running and Delaware lost by a single vote to Columbus.[8] However, following the War of 1812, settlers began arriving in Delaware in greater numbers. Among some of the earliest settlers were the parents of Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th President of the United States. The Hayes home no longer stands, but a historical marker in front of a BP station marks the location. As of 2018, the Rutherford B. Hayes Comes Home committee is trying to raise $125,000 to get a statue of Hayes placed at the corners of William and Sandusky streets and a bust of Hayes to be placed at Rutherford B. Hayes High School. The statue would be a 125% scale depiction of the president, which would stand at about 10 feet with its pedestal. Committee Chairman Bill Rietz said that the committee would like to raise the money by October 4, 2019, Hayes’ 197th birthday.[9]The Rutherford B. Hayes House once stood in Delaware, Ohio
In the early days of the town, a sulfur spring was discovered northwest of Joseph Barber’s cabin. By 1833, a hotel was built as a health spa near the spring. However, the Mansion House Hotel was a failure, and by 1841, citizens began raising funds to purchase the hotel property with the intent of giving it to the Ohio and North Ohio Methodist Episcopal Conference of the Methodist Church for the purpose of a Methodist college. With that effort, Ohio Wesleyan University was founded in 1844.[10]
Railroads came to the area in April, 1851 as Delaware served as a stop on the Cleveland Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad. Additional rail lines were added to serve Delaware providing access to major cities and markets throughout the country by the late 1890s. At the turn of the century, Delaware could boast of its own electric street railway system. In the early 1930s, electric inter-urban service was provided by the Columbus, Delaware and Marion system.
During the Civil War
During the Civil War, Delaware was the home to two Union training camps. The first on the west side of the river for white recruits of the 96th and 121st Ohio Volunteer Infantry were mustered into service. The second, on the east side of the river was for African-Americans joining the army in Ohio in the 127th Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry – later renamed the 5th Regiment United States Colored Troops.[11]
About the rally:
When: Saturday, April 23, 2022 Time: Trump speaking at 7 pm ET Where: Delaware County Fairgrounds
Guest Speakers
J.D. Vance, Candidate for U.S. Senate in Ohio
Rep. Mike Carey, U.S. Representative for Ohio’s 15th Congressional District
Max Miller, Candidate for U.S. Representative for Ohio’s 7th Congressional District
Madison Gesiotto Gilbert, Candidate for U.S. Representative for Ohio’s 13th Congressional District
Over the past four years, President Donald Trump’s administration delivered for Americans of all backgrounds like never before. Save America is about building on those accomplishments, supporting the brave conservatives who will define the future of the America First Movement, the future of our party, and the future of our beloved country. Save America is also about ensuring that we always keep America First, in our foreign and domestic policy. We take pride in our country, we teach the truth about our history, we celebrate our rich heritage and national traditions, and of course, we respect our great American Flag.
We are committed to defending innocent life and to upholding the Judeo-Christian values of our founding.
We believe in the promise of the Declaration of Independence, that we are all made EQUAL by our Creator, and that must all be TREATED equal under the law.
We know that our rights do not come from government, they come from God, and no earthly force can ever take those rights away. That includes the right to religious liberty and the right to Keep and Bear Arms.
We believe in rebuilding our previously depleted military and ending the endless wars our failed politicians of the past got us into for decades.
We embrace free thought, we welcome robust debate, and we are not afraid to stand up to the oppressive dictates of political correctness.
We know that the rule of law is the ultimate safeguard of our freedoms, and we affirm that the Constitution means exactly what it says AS WRITTEN.
We support fair trade, low taxes, and fewer job-killing regulations, and we know that America must always have the most powerful military on the face of the Earth.
We believe in Law and Order, and we believe that the men and women of law enforcement are HEROES who deserve our absolute support.
We believe in FREE SPEECH and Fair Elections. We must ensure fair, honest, transparent, and secure elections going forward – where every LEGAL VOTE counts.
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 2022 or 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.
Everything down except palladium (and it went down on Friday). Silver down a LOT in percentage terms. So I guess the market manipulators (if they aren’t tinfoil hat imaginings, but that’s yet another metal) are at work.
Expect continued inflation and for shortages to not just continue but get worse.
James Webb Space Telescope Update
JWST is still in the last mirror-alignment iteration.
The NASA website is talking about temperature right now. MIRI is keeping chill at 6 or 7 kelvins, but not everything is at final temperature. The mirror, especially, is not quite at its final temperature. The primary mirror segments’ (the segments are the individual hexagonal parts of the big mirror) temperatures vary from 34.3 to 54.5 kelvins, and the secondary mirror (which is at the end of the tripod-like structure; it reflects light back towards the instruments) is at 29.4 kelvins. The primary and secondary mirrors are made out of beryllium, which just takes a long time to cool off. Things are close enough, though, to work on commissioning the instruments, and for that the telescope is oriented to look at the ecliptic poles (i.e., perpendicular to Earth’s orbital plane, or roughly parallel to the sun’s axis of rotation), and in that orientation JWST heats up the most. Which is still not much but at those temperatures any amount of heating could be significant. But the system is working well, and the spacecraft can continue cooling off even in this orientation.
Orthodox Easter
Yesterday was Good Friday. Tomorrow is Easter.
If you’re thinking I’m out of my skull, well, you’re probably right but not on account of this; you see, I am talking about (Eastern) Orthodox holidays.
Easter is supposed to be the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox (the “paschal moon”, which is why it moves all over the place from year to year, but actually computing that date is a challenge.
Today, of course, we could determine the exact instant of the equinox (start of spring), the exact instant of the full moon, and then go to the next Sunday. But because not every place on Earth is at the same date, that could be problematic. Imagine that first full moon being on Sunday at 11:43 PM ET; that day should be Easter, right? But in Europe and certainly in Jerusalem, that’s Monday, and so Easter should be the next Sunday, not this Sunday.
But in ancient and medieval times, the Church just deemed spring to start on March 21, and counted from there using an algorithm that approximates the phase of the moon. But even March 21 being the first day of spring is a bit slippery, historically, because we began to switch calendars in 1564. Currently, it’s very likely that March 21 will actually be the first day of spring, but before the change spring might start on March 10–but the algorithm said to start with whatever day was called March 21, not the actual day of the equinox.
The algorithm is still being used today, with the “new,” more correct March 21.
Trying to follow the thread of this made my head hurt, but apparently, because (Eastern) Orthodoxy didn’t change calendars when the (Roman) Catholic church did, nor even when the protestant churches did, they don’t agree with the western churches, and usually end up celebrating Easter (and every other thing tied to the date of Easter) a week later.
Now whether they are late (rather than later), or the West jumps the gun and celebrates early, is a fight I don’t have a dog in. But the difference is an interesting historical artifact of how both our knowledge of astronomy and our calendars have developed over the centuries.
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 !!!
This Sanctuary 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 you’re addressing the issue only, and not trying to confront 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.
– sent the 10 plagues on Egypt to free the Israelites – enabled the Israelites to carry away the riches of Egypt – provided the pillars of fire and cloud to guide them – moved the pillars to protect the Israelites – parted the Red Sea (or Sea of Reeds) – closed the waters to drown the pursuing Egyptians – sweetened the waters at Marah – sent quails and manna to feed the Israelites – provided water from the rock in Horeb – enabled the Israelites to defeat the Amalekites – came in thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over Mount Sinai – descended to Sinai in fire with an earthquake – appeared in His Shekinah Glory over the Israelites’ Tabernacle – caused the earth to swallow Koreb and his rebellious followers – enabled the Israelites to destroy the Canaanites at Hormah
After all this, the Israelites grew impatient, and spoke against God and Moses.
Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
Then God told Moses to make a bronze snake and put it up on a pole so the people could easily see it. God would use this bronze snake to heal people so they wouldn’t die.
And what would God require the people to do in order to live?
– NOT to build an altar to God – NOT to make a sacrifice to God – NOT to bring an offering to God – NOT to promise to love God with all their soul, mind and strength – NOT to obey all God’s commands – NOT to have faith that would move mountains – NOT to sin no more – NOT to worship God more fervently – NOT to praise God more frequently – NOT to pray to God even longer – NOT even to quit complaining about eating manna every day
Just LOOK at it. Not look and believe . . . just look.
“Anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.
Now faith is a very integral component in Jesus’ completed work of salvation. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
This episode with the snakes is a foreshadowing of things to come . . . a precursor to Jesus’ death on the cross to save our lives from sin. God chose the circumstances and the action to be taken to save one’s life.
God knows full well the frailty of belief from men, and I believe He has chosen to require only a simple trust from a person in Jesus as Savior. And, although it is impossible to completely understand, God then has given to each of us the sufficient measure of faith . . . it is not of ourselves, it is the gift of God. We can’t fully understand this . . . we have only to accept the gift in belief . . . and give thanks and praise to God for it!
We are fortunate that we have more than a bloodied, pierced, dead Savior lifted up on a cross to look to. We have a triumphant Savior, raised from the dead in total and complete victory over the sin that would deny us life. And now, He has ascended to the Father, our Father in heaven, where He now sits at God’s right hand, interceding on our behalf, until God makes His enemies His footstool.
Praise God! Maranatha!
Low in the grave He lay, Jesus, my Savior, Waiting the coming day, Jesus, my Lord!
Vainly they watch His bed, Jesus, my Savior; Vainly they seal the dead, Jesus, my Lord!
Death cannot keep his Prey, Jesus, my Savior; He tore the bars away, Jesus, my Lord!
The Chinese Should Think Before Wiping Us Out As Sometimes They Need Us To Solve Their Problems For Them
Okay you knuckledragging ChiComs trying to take us down…here’s a history lesson for you.
For millennia, you had to suffer from this:
Yep. Steppe Nomads. They laid waste to your country, burned, raped and pillaged (but not in that order–they’re smarter than you are) for century after century.
You know who figured out how to take them on and win? The Russians.
Not you, the Russians. And it took them less than two centuries. And Oh By The Way they were among the most backward cultures in Europe at the time.
You couldn’t invent an alphabet, you couldn’t take care of barbarians on horseback, and you think you can take this board down?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! We’re laughing at you, you knuckledragging dehumanized communists…worshipers of a mass-murderer who killed sixty million people!
I mean, you still think Communism is a good idea even after having lived through it!
By my reckoning that makes you orders of magnitude more stupid than AOC, and that takes serious effort.
His Fraudulency
Joe Biteme, properly styled His Fraudulency, continues to infest the White House, 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.
“No Chemicals”
A detailed analysis of the contents of His Fraudulency’s skull was performed.
Absolutely no chemicals found!
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 2022 or 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.
Political Science In Summation
It’s really just a matter of people who can’t be happy unless they control others…versus those who want to be left alone. The oldest conflict within mankind. Government is necessary, but government attracts the assholes (a highly technical term for the control freaks).
James Webb Space Telescope Update
MIRI (the Midrange InfraRed Instrument) is now at 6K and the final iteration of mirror alignment is in progress. Once this is done, it’s time to work on commissioning the instruments…and I have no idea what that entails, to be honest. My vague notions of what that meant were all taken care of as part of the mirror alignment process.
The NASA blog put out another article on what JWST is expected to do. It’s expected to learn more about extrasolar planets that we have already detected; in particular it will be able to analyze their atmospheres.
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.
In fact, they closed 3PM on Thursday; the market weenies get Good Friday off and apparently that’s true even in Asia.
Gold is definitely on another upward climb. It was a couple of bucks higher on Wednesday, but that downtick doesn’t cover the fact that it’s distinctly in the upper 19s now. (1975? I remember that year…) The price of platinum can’t get any rounder than it is right now (even rounder than rhodium’s was last week). Palladium and rhodium are the two losers this week, albeit not by very much. But they are the two metals whose price is most dependent on industry.
T4 Combinatorics
If you’re wondering what “Combinatorics” is (and let’s face it, you probably weren’t wondering until you read that title, if even then), it’s the branch of mathematics that has to do with counting things; including counting the number of possible combinations of things. It’s not “hard” to do, but the concepts are a bit abstract sometimes.
If you’ve ever seen those statements about how many different configurations some puzzle (like a Rubik’s Cube) can have (and only one of them is right!), those were computed with combinatorics. (No one went and looked for them all.)
Ancient Indian physician Sushruta in the 6th century BCE asserted that given six tastes, there are sixty three possible combinations total where they are taken one at a time, two at a time, three at a time, and so forth. The ancient Greeks looked into this sort of thing too. During the Middle Ages, more progress was made, but not in Europe. Again in India more general formulas were found.
The specific problem here is precisely the number of combinations of different objects can occur. As it turns out, that’s also the same number as possible sequences of coin tosses.
Going back to Sushutra’s example, if you flip a coin six times, there are 64 possible outcomes. It could come out tails all six times. It could come out tails the first five times, then heads the last time. It could come out tails the first four times, then heads the fifth time, then tails the last time. And so on. If I were to tabulate all 64 of them with 0s (for tails) and 1s (for heads) it would look like someone counting in base 2 or binary.
000000 000001 000010 000011
…and so on.
There’s another method of stepping through all of the possibilities, and that’s to use a sequence where exactly one of the six things changes each time. That’s a bit trickier, but you can get some cool patterns out of it (like the bottom half of the list being a mirror image of the top half…except for the first digit which is 1 instead of 0).
But something may be bothering you….Sushutra said there were 63 combinations; I have just been yapping about there being 64. The discrepancy is because Sushutra didn’t count the case where none of his 6 samples were being tasted.
So far, perhaps not a surprise. The number of possibilities is 2n, where n is the number of times you toss the coin (or the number of flavors you’re sampling). And this works when the different tries are independent of each other. In the case of the coins, one toss has no effect on any of the others. In the case of the flavors, there are no rules like, for example, that flavor E is forbidden if you are using flavor B.
Slightly more interesting is the question, out of these six possibilities, how many of them have exactly three flavors. Or how many possible sequences of six coin tosses have exactly three heads in them?
Well, it turns out there’s a formula for this. And it involves, interestingly enough, combining formulas for another couple of possible problems.
Let’s say you have six scrabble tiles, A, B, C, D, E, F. How many possible words are there?
You could exhaustively list them all out, but that’s tedious. Instead let’s try thinking about it.
There are six possible choices for the first letter. Once you pick the first letter, though, there are five possible choices for the second letter; so each of the six first possible letter possibilities has five possible second letters. So that’s 6 x 5 = 30 possibilities for the first two letters. You can proceed similarly, 4 possibilities for the third letter, 3 for the fourth, 2 for the fifth, and 1 for the sixth. So we’re looking at 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 720 possible combinations. (It’s a good thing we decided not to try to list them all!)
This is a common enough thing that we call this the factorial and denote it with an exclamation point, in this case, 6! = 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 720.
I don’t believe it’s possible to form a good word of English out of those six letters, with all of those six letters and no others (but correct me if I’m wrong!); the best I can come up with is FACED. Or DECAF. I guess if you’re sore at the Federal Elections Commission you could say BADFEC.
But this is a game of Scrabble, and so you might settle for using some of the tiles. For example, how many candidate four letter words are there?
You can follow the same reasoning as above. Six possibilities for the first letter, five possibilities (for each of the six) for the second letter (30). Four possibilities (for each of the thirty) for the third letter (120). For each of those, three possible fourth letters (360). But now we STOP, because we don’t pick a fifth, or sixth letter. The math is: 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 = 360. So it’s like 6! only not taken all the way down to 1. In fact, it’s like 6! divided by 2!. Look: (6x5x4x3x2x1)/(2×1); the twos and ones cancel and we’re left with 6x5x4x3. Note that 2 is 6 – 4, i.e., it’s the total number of titles minus the number of tiles actually chosen.
So there’s a general formula here. You have n objects, you want to choose m of them. The number of possibilities is n!/(n-m)!
One thing that needs to be stressed, though! This formula is for use when you care about the order of the selection. In other words, if you grabbed the letters A, C, E, F, it matters to you whether you grabbed them as F, A, C, E or C, A, F, E or FCEA.
When dealing with Sushruta’s flavors, the first, third, fifth and sixth flavors (combined) taste the same no matter what order you’re adding them. It’s as if you didn’t care what order ACEF was written in.
So how do you adjust your answer to the question of how many possible ways to select four of the six letters if you don’t care about the order?
Well, imagine that you had actually written down all of the possible combinations (all 360 of them). Some number of these would have the letters A, C, E, and F in them. In fact, all possible orders of those letters would appear in the list exactly once. How many possible orderings of A,C,E,F are there? We already know this: 4 x 3 x 2 x 1.
And this is true for any possible grouping of four letters. There will be nine other anagrams of those four letters in the list.
So to get the answer, we start with our 360…and divide by 4! which is to say, 24, and get 15. This is the factorial of the number of objects we are choosing (m).
So, remember we got the 360 with n!/(n–m)!; this new number involves dividing again by m!.
So our number of combinations for an unordered choice of m objects out of a group of n objects is n!/[(n–m)!m!]. My combinatorics teacher called it “n-choose-m” or he’d substitute actual numbers.
We could, for example, figure out how many possible groups of ten letters we could pull out of the alphabet. With 26 letters, we have 26!/(16! x 10!).
So punch that into your calculator.
Well, don’t. 26! is probably too big for your calculator.
But you can probably get clever before you punch the numbers in.
Write those factorials out. It turns out you can do a lot of cancelling! You can skip 10×9…x1 on top, and just divide by 16x15x14…on the bottom. Better yet, you can skip the 16x15x…x1 on top and only divide by 10! on the bottom.
26 x 25 x 24 x 23 x 22 x 21 x 20 x 19 x 18 x 17 / 10 x 9 x 8 x 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1.
Right off the bat, you can cancel the 20 up top with the 10 and 2 on the bottom, and the 18 up top with the 6 and 3 on the bottom:
26 x 25 x 24 x 23 x 22 x 21 x 19 x 17 / 9 x 8 x 7 x 5 x 4 x 1
Do a bit more cancelling–get rid of the 5, 7, and 4 by dividing them into the 25, 21, and 24 respectively:
26 x 5 x 6 x 23 x 22 x 3 x 19 x 17 / 9 x 8
You have three even numbers on top. Divide them all by 2 and get rid of the 8 on the bottom:
13 x 5 x 3 x 23 x 11 x 3 x 19 x 17 / 9
And you now have two threes, so you can get rid of the 9 and those 3s
13 x 5 x 23 x 11 x 19 x 17
Well, now, we don’t have to do any dividing! In fact, you should NEVER have to do any dividing after you cancel. Why? We’re counting numbers of combinations, and that has to be a whole number. You won’t get a fraction. So if it looks like you’re about to get a fraction, you messed up somewhere–you didn’t do a cancellation you could have, or you made a simple arithmetic error.
So now go to the calculator, and it turns out there are 5,311,735 possible sets of ten letters you could pull out of 26 letters of the alphabet.
Yikes, that’s a lot!
You can get to some really big numbers this way with bigger “pots” of choices; in fact you can easily get to numbers that are larger than the numbers of quarks in the universe without too much trouble.
In fact, consider the number of possible bridge hands, which is 52!/(39!13!). If you think you’ve played enough bridge to repeat a hand…you’re probably wrong! Because there are 635,013,559,600 of them. That’s still more than the US Debt…though ask me again next week.
(And the game would still be different unless the other three players also each got the same hand as before. This could be computed with our n-choose-m formula, too, applied successively (it’ll be that number, times 39-choose-13, times 26-choose-13, times 26-choose-26) to see how many possible bridge deals there are.)
There’s another clever method to compute m-choose-n. It’s very visually oriented, but it does involve computing all of the smaller problems first.
Start with 1.
Then below it, staggered, write 1 1.
So you see:
1 1 1
You repeat this, over and over again. Each number is the sum of the two above it (and “blank” is zero). So you get:
1 1 1 1 2 1 1 3 3 1 1 4 6 4 1 1 5 10 10 5 1
And so on. What good is this exercise (which is called “Pascal’s Triangle”)?
It turns out that if you go to row n, the mth element is n-choose-m. But you have to start counting from zero. That last row is row 4 (not 4). And if you want 4-choose-2 you have to go to the third element on that row, which is 6. This is logical, because the actual first element is always a 1, and that’s how many ways you can pick zero items out of the group of 4. Or 17, or whatever. The last number is choosing all of the elements, and of course there’s only one way to do that (if you don’t care about the order).
Another neat thing about this triangle is if you sum up everything in the row, you get the total number of possible selections in that row, for example, with 4 items, the total is 16…which is 24.
Pascal’s triangle has a whole host of interesting properties, actually.
Once you see this triangle, it’s pretty clear that the biggest single n-choose-m value is when m is half the size of n. (Or if n is odd, when m is either just above or just below half of n.)
So that, if you toss a coin a hundred times, the most likely outcome is 50 heads and 50 tails, (In fact that is possible about 1×1029 different ways!) though a 49/51 split is almost as common (~9.89 x 1028 different ways), and a 48/52 split wouldn’t be all that surprising either (~9.32×1028 different ways). But 100 heads (or tails) in a row? Ridiculously unlikely! Even a 75/25 split can “only” occur 2.42 x 1023 ways, which sounds like a lot…but is 2 42/100 millionths as common as a 50/50 split. And therefore. 0.00000242 times as likely as a 50/50 split if you try the experiment.
Conversely an exact 50/50 split might be the most likely result, but it’s less likely than a 49/51 and 51/49 split put together, much less if you add all the other near/even splits. There are 2100 possible sequences, that’s 1.267×1030 possibilities. So there’s roughly 1 chance in 12 2/3 you’d get an exact 50/50 split.
The takeaway from this is that an exact “middle” result becomes less and less likely the more things are involved…but a result near the middle becomes overwhelmingly likely the more things are involved.
But what, you might ask, does this have to do with heat and temperature and thermodynamics?
This sort of example does not really have much to do with it, but the general concepts behind combinatorics do have a lot to do with it, as it turns out. Next time…
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 !!!
