The Shelby Light Bulb

History, Scientific 7 Minutes

Dangling from the ceiling of a California firehouse is a bulb that’s burned for 989,000 hours – nearly 113 years. Since its first installation in 1901, it has rarely been turned off, has outlived every firefighter from the era, and has been proclaimed the “Eternal Light” by General Electric experts and physicists around the world.

Tracing the origins of the bulb — known as the Centennial Light — raises questions as to whether it is a miracle of physics, or a sign that new bulbs are weaker. Its longevity still remains a mystery.

A Brief History of the Light Bulb

Thomas Edison worked on improving carbon filaments. By 1880, through the utilization of a higher vacuum and the development of an entire integrated system of electric lighting, he improved his bulb’s life to 1,200 hours and began producing the invention at a rate of 130,000 bulbs per year.

In the midst of this innovation, the man who would build the world’s longest-lasting light bulb was born.

The Shelby Electric Company

Adolphe Chaillet

Adolphe Chaillet was bred to make exceptional light bulbs. Born in 1867, Chaillet was constantly exposed to the burgeoning light industry in Paris, France. By age 11, he began accompanying his father, a Swedish immigrant and owner of a small light bulb company, to work. He learned quickly, garnered an interest in physics, and went on to graduate from both German and French science academies. In 1896, after spending some time designing filaments at a large German energy company, Chaillet moved to the United States.

Chaillet briefly worked for General Electric, then, riding on his prestige as a genius electrician, secured $100,000 (about $2.75 million in 2014 dollars) from investors and opened his own light bulb factory, Shelby Electric Company. While his advancements in filament technology were well-known, Chaillet still had to prove to the American public that his bulbs were the brightest and longest-lasting. In a risky maneuver, he staged a “forced life” test before the public: The leading light bulbs on the market were placed side-by-side with his, and burned at a gradually increased voltage. An 1897 volume of Western Electrician recounts what happened next:

Chaillet’s original patent:

“Lamp after lamp of various makes burned out and exploded until the laboratory was lighted alone by the Shelby lamp — not one of the Shelby lamps having been visibly injured by the extreme severity of this conclusive test.”

Shelby claimed that its bulbs lasted 30% longer and burned 20% brighter than any other lamp in the world. The company experienced explosive success: According to Western Electrician, they had “received so many orders by the first of March [1897], that it was necessary to begin running nights and to increase the size of the factory.” By the end of the year, output doubled from 2,000 to 4,000 lamps per day, and “the difference in favor of Shelby lamps was so apparent that no doubt was left in the minds of even the most skeptical.”

Over the next decade, Shelby continued to roll out new products, but as the light bulb market expanded and new technologies emerged (tungsten filaments), the company found itself unable to make the massive monetary investment required to compete. In 1914, they were bought out by General Electric and Shelby bulbs were discontinued.

The Centennial Light

Seventy-five years later, in 1972, a fire marshall in Livermore, California informed a local paper of an oddity: A naked, Shelby light bulb hanging from the ceiling of his station had been burning continuously for decades. The bulb had long been a legend in the firehouse, but nobody knew for certain how long it had been burning, or where it came from. Mike Dunstan, a young reporter with the Tri-Valley Herald, began to investigate — and what he found was truly spectacular.

Tracing the bulb’s origins through dozens of oral narratives and written histories, Dunstan determined it had been purchased by Dennis Bernal of the Livermore Power and Water Co. (the city’s first power company) sometime in the late 1890s, then donated to the city’s fire department in 1901, when Bernal sold the company. As only 3% of American homes were lit by electricity at the time, the Shelby bulb was a hot commodity.

In its early life, the bulb, known as the “Centennial Light,” was moved around several times: It hung in a hose cart for a few months, then, after a brief stint in a garage and City Hall, it was secured at Livermore’s fire station. “It was left on 24 hours-a-day to break up the darkness so the volunteers could find their way,” then-Fire Chief Jack Baird told Dunstan. “It’s part of another era in the city’s past [and] it’s served its purpose well.”

Though Baird acknowledged that it had once been turned off for “about a week when President Roosevelt’s WPA people remodeled the fire house back in the 30s,” Guinness World Records confirmed that the hand-blown 30-watt bulb, at 71 years old, was “the oldest burning bulb in the world.” A slew of press followed, which saw it featured in Ripley’s Believe it or Not, and on major news networks.

Aside from the 1930s fire house remodel, the bulb has only lost power a few times — most notably in 1976, when it was moved to Livermore’s new Station #6. Accompanied by a “full police and fire truck escort,” the bulb arrived with a large crowd eager to see it regain power, but, as recalled by Deputy Fire Chief Tom Brandall, “there was a little scare:”

“We got to new location and the city electrician installed the light bulb and made connection. It took about 22-23 min, and [the bulb] didn’t come back on. The crowd gasped. The city electrician grabbed the switch and jiggled it; it went on!”

Once settled, the bulb was placed under video surveillance to ensure it was alive at all hours; in subsequent years, a live “Bulb Cam” was put online. At one point, the bulb’s groupies (9,000 followers on FB) received another scare when it lost light.

At first it was suspected that the light had finally met its demise, but after nine and half hours, it was discovered that the bulb’s uninterrupted power supply had failed; once the power supply was bypassed, the bulb’s light returned. The 113-year-old bulb had outlived its power supply, just as it had outlived three surveillance cameras.

Today, the bulb still shines, though, as one retired fire volunteer once said, “it don’t give much light” (only about 4 watts). Owning a frail piece of history comes with great responsibility: Livermore firefighters treat the little bulb like a porcelain doll. “Nobody wants that darn bulb to go out on their watch,” once said former fire chief Stewart Gary. “If that thing goes out while I’m still chief it will be a career’s worth of bad luck.”

“They Don’t Make ‘Em Like They Used To”

Everyone from Mythbusters to NPR has speculated on the reasons for the Shelby bulb’s longevity. The answer, in short, is that it remains a mystery – Chaillet’s patent left much of his process unexplained.

In 2007, Annapolis physics professor Debora M. Katz purchased an old Shelby bulb of the same vintage and make as the Centennial Light and conducted a series of experiments on it to determine its differentiation from modern bulbs. She reported her findings:

“I found the width of the filament. I compared it to the width of a modern bulb’s filament. It turns out that a modern bulb’s filament is a coil, of about 0.08 mm diameter, made up of a coiled wire about 0.01 mm thick. I didn’t know that until I looked under a microscope. The width of the Shelby bulb’s 100-year-old filament is about the same as the width of the coiled modern bulb’s filament, 0.08 mm.”

The Lightbulb Cartel

Light bulb companies like Shelby once prided themselves on longevity – so much so, that the durability of their products was the central focus of marketing campaigns. But by the mid-1920s, business attitudes began to shift, and a new rhetoric prevailed: “A product that refuses to wear out is a tragedy of business.” This line of thought, termed “planned obsolescence,” endorsed intentionally shortening a product’s lifespan to entice swifter replacement.

In 1924, Osram, Philips, General Electric, and other major electric companies met and formed the Phoebus Cartel under the public guise that they were cooperating to standardize light bulbs. Instead, they purportedly began to engage in planned obsolescence. To achieve this the companies agreed to limit the life expectancy of light bulbs at 1,000 hours, less than Edison’s bulbs had achieved (1,200 hrs) decades before; any company that produced a bulb exceeding 1,000 hours in life would be fined.

Until disbanding during World War II, the cartel supposedly halted research, preventing the advancement of the longer-lasting light bulb for nearly twenty years.

Whether or not planned obsolescence is still on the agenda of light bulb manufacturers today is highly debatable, and there exists no definitive proof. In any case, incandescent bulbs are being phased out worldwide: Since Brazil and Venezuela began the trend in 2005, many countries have followed suit (European Union, Switzerland, and Australia in 2009; Argentina and Russia in 2012; the United States, Canada, Mexico, Malaysia, and South Korea in 2014).

As more efficient technologies have surfaced (halogen, LED, compact fluorescent lights, magnetic induction lights), the old filament-based bulbs have become a relic of the past. But perched up in the white ceiling of Livermore’s Station #6, the granddaddy of old-school bulbs is as relevant as ever, and refuses to bite the dust.

The Mysterious Case of the 113-Year-Old Light Bulb

Source document written in 2014.

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Published by NebraskaFilly

Army veteran (1976-1979), retired with entirely too much time on my hands

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212 thoughts on “The Shelby Light Bulb”

  2. OK, this is strange….I pulled up FJB’s schedule to see if there was a State visit scheduled – FJB and Dr. Jill depart the WH for Andrews AFB at 1:15 pm; FJB receives a briefing on the hurricane season at 1:45 pm; at 2:50, FJB departs for WH (no mention of Dr. Jill returning?); FJB arrives at WH at 3:00 pm.

    https://factba.se/biden/calendar/

    Liked by 1 person

  3. This pissed me off but of course he’s black and hitting white people so its ok

    Charges dismissed against COVID patient who assaulted senior citizen in nursing home

    https://www.wxyz.com/news/charges-dismissed-against-covid-patient-who-assaulted-senior-citizen-in-nursing-home

    Hayden’s father argued that his son is not a vicious person and that he’s a victim of the system.

    The charges against Jaden Hayden were dropped this week after declaring him incompetent to face trial.

    And yet he was able to film himself? What about the people he beat?

    Liked by 2 people

  4. Most of the article: “Tuesday’s primaries had a few surprises with another potential surprise popping up in Pennsylvania if the final count goes in a certain direction. But even in the early hours on Wednesday, we have already learned a lot about the state of the America First movement. There were some positives, but overall I’m not coming away from Tuesday with a feeling that America or the Republican Party are heading in the right direction.

    The big question that’s still to be answered is whether Dr. Mehmet Oz or David McCormick win the U.S. Senate Republican primary in Pennsylvania. As counting ended Tuesday night, we’re already seeing potential shenanigans that are reminiscent of the 2020 stolen election. Is the fix in, or is the Pennsylvania election system simply horrible? Either way, it’s bad news for the America First movement because both candidates are globalist RINOs.

    Here are some things we’ve learned already…

    Dirty Politics and Propaganda Still Work

    Kathy Barnette was a good candidate in Pennsylvania. She wasn’t great. She surged in the final three weeks of the race due to a few things going her way, including the opportunity to highlight her status as a woman conceived through rape when the SCOTUS leak brought abortion to the national forefront. But that late surge made her two biggest opponents panic, especially Dr. Oz. His cronies sprung to action last week and went into full-blown dirty politics mode.

    Sean Hannity led the charge with misleading representations of both Barnette’s history as well as her performance in the 2020 election. The argument he made that stuck the most was that she lost to a “weak” Democrat in that congressional race. What he didn’t mention is that the “weak” Democrat was an incumbent in a very blue district. He also failed to mention that Barnette received 48% more votes than the GOP candidate who ran in the same district against the same opponent two years earlier.

    There simply wasn’t enough time to debunk claims that she supports Black Lives Matter, defunding the police, and Critical Race Theory. She doesn’t, but between Hannity and others the false rumors stuck. Dirty politics and propaganda worked, and Barnette finished third. [NF: I wouldn’t give up on her yet…..mail-in ballots still need to be counted, not to mention the thousands that wouldn’t scan.]

    Scandals Still Sink Good Candidates

    Congressman Madison Cawthorn lost. I’m not going to dwell on the details or how big of a blow this is to the America First movement in the House, other than to note that Cawthorn was considered a rising star just a few months ago. What happened? He embarrassed the GOP Establishment with claims that he was asked to attend an orgy by a fellow member of Capitol Hill, so they dug up every ounce of dirt they could find to get him booted.

    He had scandals, but should they have been enough to sink his career? No. Unfortunately, a plurality of voters disagreed with that assessment.

    Mail-In Ballots Ruin Everything

    Lastly, let’s talk about the big race of the night. Dr. Oz and McCormick are neck-and-neck with the mail-in ballots remaining. In most countries, they would have had all the ballots easily counted by now, but this is America and The Swamp is still in charge. Just because Democrats use mail-in ballots regularly to manipulate results doesn’t mean Republicans are immune.

    There was a time not too long ago when getting a mail-in ballot was a special scenario for those who were travelling or otherwise unable to go to the polls on election day. Today, most states have some form of easily available mail-in ballots, and that has made elections far more complicated than they should be in tight races.

    As Harmeet K. Dhillon noted on Twitter:
    —————
    America First Needs Better Candidates
    As I said earlier, Kathy Barnette was a good America First candidate. She wasn’t great. Madison Cawthorn was great up until the point that he made himself a target. Janice McGeachin had the right credentials and a true America First spirit, but somehow her campaign didn’t materialize properly.

    There were some America First victories on Tuesday, including Doug Mastriano, but most were not surprising in any way. All of the surprises swung away from the America First movement, which tells us we’re not getting the best possible candidates. The fight against RINOs is nearly as important as the fight against Democrats. If we continue to let the Republican Establishment call the shots, we’re never going to do more than make incremental changes to bloated governments in a time of great need for the American people.

    We need better America First candidates. Period.”

    Liked by 1 person

  5. I disagree with the analyst’s opinion – I think a lawsuit will be filed because of all the bots and Musk won’t have to pay the $1B fee.

    EXCERPT: “Elon Musk tweets, questions about bots, and other distractions aside, the Twitter board of directors intends to hold the world’s richest man to his agreement to purchase the social media platform for $44 billion, CNN reports.

    Musk has said he cannot go through with the Twitter purchase until it can be determined now many users it has, excluding spam bots. He has even asked the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for its help to certify that bots are 5% or less of Twitter users.

    Twitter filed its proxy statement with the SEC Tuesday, saying it wants the deal to close “as promptly as practicable.”

    CNN obtained a statement from the board Tuesday that says: “The Board and Mr. Musk agreed to a transaction at $54.20 per share. We believe this agreement is in the best interest of all shareholders. We intend to close the transaction and enforce the merger [acquisition] agreement.”

    However, analyst Dan Ives said Tuesday there is now a 60% or more chance that “Musk ultimately walks from the deal and pays” the $1 billion breakup fee.”

    https://www.newsmax.com/finance/streettalk/twitter-elon-musk-1-billion-fee-merger/2022/05/18/id/1070331/

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Not much more to the article – the rest: “Venture capitalist Tim Draper, who has invested $100 million in Musk’s Twitter deal and has been a Tesla and SpaceX backer, believes the deal will still close, but at a lower price. “I think he’s going to get a better deal because he found out that … two-thirds [of users] are bots,” Draper said at the Token Security Summit in New York, the New York Post reports.”

      Liked by 1 person

  6. EXCERPT: “A new mural in the city of Georgetown, Texas, is generating controversy for its support of LGBTQ ideology. Members of one church who spoke out against public subsidies for sexual politics at a city council meeting believe their subsequent eviction from the Georgetown Palace Theatre was retaliation for their speech.

    The mural is part of a jointly sponsored initiative between the Georgetown Independent School District (GISD), Georgetown City Council, and the Georgetown Arts and Culture Board to display the work of one student artist a year. Under the agreement, GISD sponsors materials up to $500, and the city is responsible for hiring an artist costing up to $500, Georgetown Community Impact Newspaper reported in March.

    Last year, the mural followed the theme “Everyone Deserves Kindness.” This year’s mural, designed by a student at Forbes Middle School, displays the phrase “be your own person” in rainbow text above an assortment of red poppies, with some flowers painted with the transgender, bisexual, non-binary, and other sexual pride flags.

    Church Leaders Speak Up

    Church on the Square Pastor Bradley J. Helgerson, along with two other church members, spoke out against the mural at an April 26 Georgetown City Council meeting. Calling the ideology expressed by the mural “an attempt to fundamentally reorder society,” Helgerson said his remarks were aimed to provide “theological context for the ideology lurking behind this artistic expression.”
    ———————-
    On May 6, two days before its Mother’s Day service, Helgerson received an email from Palace Theatre Executive Artistic Director Ron Watson, stating the Church on the Square was evicted due to “resource management issues,” effective immediately. He did not elaborate further, even after multiple requests from Helgerson.

    “I must say that I am perplexed,” Helgerson replied to Watson’s email. “Can you provide us more information as to what the issue is?… As a religious organization we are afforded certain protections by the federal government against discrimination and the immediacy and vagueness of your termination letter gives us reason for pause.”

    Georgetown Palace Theatre is run by a non-profit separate from but with close ties to the Arts and Culture Board. Helgerson says the arts community in Georgetown is “very tight-knit.” One Palace Theatre board of directors member also holds a seat on the Arts and Culture Board.

    A copy of the lease shows the church had a month-to-month agreement with the Palace Theatre, and Helgerson says they paid for May in full. The church has been renting the facility since September 20, 2020, according to the lease agreement.
    ———————
    “It was highly suspicious,” Helgerson said. “The way that it was terminated just made no sense. It wasn’t like, ‘Hey, we changed our mind, we’ll give you until the end of the month’ or, ‘Here’s why…,’ or anything, it was just an immediate cutting off, giving us absolutely no chance of finding a place for our Mother’s Day service.”

    https://thefederalist.com/2022/05/18/texas-church-evicted-after-pastor-criticized-lgbtq-mural-in-city-council-meeting/

    Liked by 1 person

    1. “This is going to be good. Candace Owens rarely wastes time on little projects. For those who have become jaded about all-things-Pharma ever since the American public was lied to about safe and effective mRNA injections, she has produced a very worthwhile vlog series on Parler about several childhood vaccines. That’s worth watching on its own.

      Now, Owens is coming out with an earth-shattering documentary about the death, exploitation, and aftermath of George Floyd. For those with functioning brains, nothing ever added up. Floyd’s death was never about race – even prosecutors, including Minnesota’s Attorney General Keith Ellison, never tried him for a hate crime and later admitted race didn’t play a role – and yet the entire summer of 2020 was laced with unprecedented violence, mayhem, and murder.

      Owens covers all her bases, exploring Floyd’s most intimate relationships, discussing the case with legal and medical experts (as opposed to paid hacks), sitting down with Chauvin’s kin, and looking at the grossly corrupt organization of Black Lives Matter. Along with 2000 Mules, this might be the other most noteworthy documentary produced this year.

      The timing of this project could not be better. It could also explain why the Daily Mail released damning evidence that Patrisse Cullors, the vile subhuman profiting off the backs of every former slave, victim of Jim Crow, and bum like Floyd. Her organization has been proven to be a gigantic fraud, nothing more than a front for her and other founders and higher ups to live lavishly while pretending to care about the plight of America’s black communities.’

      https://thebluestateconservative.com/2022/05/18/watch-conservative-firebrand-candace-owens-drops-mind-blowing-trailer-about-george-floyd-and-blm/

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Most of article: “There hasn’t been nearly enough attention being paid to the World Health Organization’s Pandemic Treaty. This is, of course, by design. They don’t want the world to pay any attention to it until it’s too late, and that may be the case already. That’s not to say we should give up and stop fighting. We should fight until it’s signed in hopes that it won’t be. We should fight after it’s signed in hopes of negating it. And we should be prepared to fight when they use it to come for us, because they will.

    With zero coverage by corporate media, scant coverage on conservative media, and shockingly little coverage from alternative media (which I’ll discuss below), it’s clear that the New World Order’s goal of keeping people in the dark is being achieved. It’s my hope that by illuminating the most dangerous aspect of the treaty, we’ll be able to shake some patriots awake and get more attention paid to this existential threat.

    On the surface, the Pandemic Treaty is awful. It essentially hands over sovereignty regarding healthcare issues to the WHO, giving them power over all nations to dictate how to handle a “pandemic response.” That alone is abysmal, as my good friend Dr. Peter Breggin detailed over at America Out Loud:

    ‘On May 22-28, 2022, ultimate control over America’s healthcare system, and hence its national sovereignty, will be delivered for a vote to the World Health Organization’s governing legislative body, the World Health Assembly (WHA).

    This threat is contained in new amendments to WHO’s International Health Regulations, proposed by the Biden administration, that are scheduled as “Provisional agenda item 16.2” at the upcoming conference on May 22-28, 2022.1

    These amendments will empower WHO’s Director-General to declare health emergencies or crises in any nation and to do so unilaterally and against the opposition of the target nation. The Director-General will be able to declare these health crises based merely on his personal opinion or consideration that there is a potential or possible threat to other nations.

    If passed, the Biden Administration’s proposed amendments will, by their very existence and their intention, drastically compromise the independence and the sovereignty of the United States. The same threat looms over all the U.N.’s 193 member nations, all of whom belong to WHO and represent 99.44% of the world population.2

    These regulations are a “binding instrument of international law entered into force on 15 June 2007.”3 U.N. members states can be required by law to obey or acquiesce to them.’

    How It Became Official

    On January 18, 2022, with no public awareness, officials from the Biden Administration sent the World Health Organization these extensive amendments to strengthen WHO’s ability to unilaterally intervene into the affairs of nations merely suspected of having a “health emergency” of possible concern to other nations.4 The U.S. amendments cross out a critical existing restriction in the regulations: “WHO shall consult with and attempt to obtain verification from the State Party in whose territory the event is allegedly occurring…”5 By eliminating that, and other clauses (see below), all the shackles will be removed from the Director-General of WHO, enabling him to declare health emergencies at will.

    The amendments would give WHO the right to take important steps to collaborate with other nations and other organizations worldwide to deal with any nation’s alleged health crisis, even against its stated wishes. The power to declare health emergencies is a potential tool to shame, intimidate, and dominate nations. It can be used to justify ostracism and economic or financial actions against the targeted nation by other nations aligned with WHO or who wish to harm and control the accused nation.

    Although sponsored by an American administration, WHO’s most significant use of this arbitrary authority to declare national emergencies will be used against the United States if our government ever again dares to take anti-globalist stands as it did under the Trump administration.

    How Much Time Do We Have to Stop the Amendments?

    The contents of the proposed amendments were not made public until April 12, 2022,6 leaving little time to protest before the scheduled vote. As noted, the amendments are scheduled and almost certainly will be enacted May 22-28, 2022.

    The existing WHO regulations then provide for an 18-month grace period during which a nation may withdraw its “yes” vote for amendments, but the current proposed amendments would reduce that opportunity to six months. If the U.S.-sponsored amendments are passed, a majority of the nations could, in the next six months, change their individual votes and reverse the approval. But this is a much more difficult proposition than stopping the whole process now.

    Dr. Breggin is absolutely correct, but he omitted the most devastating aspect of the treaty. He did this unwittingly, as the vast majority of patriot journalists have, because there is a degree of separation. As I discussed on the latest episode of The Midnight Sentinel, there’s another challenge looming over us that ties directly in with the treaty. The powers-that-be are in the process of tying “climate change” to “healthcare” in a way that would give the World Health Organization total supremacy.

    By making climate change a healthcare issue, they will have the catch-all they need in order to exert control over every aspect of our lives. Climate change will be blamed for pandemics, as Dr. Li-Meng Yan noted on the latest episode of Two Mikes. Climate change will be blamed for the current food shortages that are plaguing the world, giving the World Health Organization control over the food supply. Add in energy, military, and transportation issues that will be tied to climate change and it’s clear the Pandemic Treaty bolstered by an attachment to climate change is the ultimate huge step towards The Great Reset.

    Now, let’s discuss why the Pandemic Treaty isn’t getting as much attention as it deserves, even on alternative media sites. The powers-that-be are intentionally flooding us with “bombshell” news. Just when something like Pandemic Panic Theater started subsiding in February, we had the Ukraine war. When that started growing long in the tooth, we had the Hunter Biden laptop “confirmation,” conspicuously timed to steal attention from alt-media journalists. Elon Musk buying then not buying Twitter was a big one. Baby formula shortages, the SCOTUS leak, Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard, mass shootings… the flow of “bombshells” has been incessant.

    I’m not saying that these are necessarily fake news pieces or false flags. But the timing of each is striking. And those things that could have dropped at any time such as the NY Times “revelation” about Hunter Biden or the SCOTUS leak were selected to happen exactly when they did in the gaps between world events making the news.

    This is the point where skeptics will claim I’m stretching or that the powers-that-be don’t have that much control. However, I’ve been doing this long enough to know there are always lulls in the news cycle. There really hasn’t been a lull since January, which happens to be when the World Health Organization first introduced the Pandemic Treaty.”

    https://noqreport.com/2022/05/17/the-real-threat-from-the-pandemic-treaty-that-most-are-completely-ignoring/

    Liked by 1 person

  10. okay…we’re out of here soon…
    going to go to my son’s house and help him with the roof.
    we have opens scheduled for a while, but Filly will be in and out.
    I will try to check in, in the mornings and evenings.
    have a great few days everybody!

    Liked by 2 people

  11. EXCERPT: “To someone who has only a hammer, the old adage goes, every problem is a nail. To a contemporary Leftist steeped in the Left’s current prejudices, hatreds, and mythologies, everyone who opposes the Leftist agenda is a racist. Leftists have frequently demonstrated that for them, Leftism is essentially a religion: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Grey Goose) in April 2021 gave thanks to her god for laying down his life in a salvific sacrifice: “Thank you, George Floyd, for sacrificing your life for justice.” Catholic University displayed a painting of George Floyd as Jesus. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) last October published a new hymn entitled “The Climate is Changing.” In September 2019, climate idolaters at Union Theological Seminary began worshipping potted plants as a “liturgical response to our climate crisis.”

    Jean-Pierre’s reflexive charges of “racism” are also a manifestation of Leftism as a religion. The particular sect to which Jean-Pierre belongs is harshly dualistic, with the good – the people of color and their allies – on one side and the evil – the “racists” – on the other. There are no shades of gray. If you oppose the Left, you must ipso facto belong in the evil camp, and hence you are a racist. It’s a simple and all-encompassing worldview, admitting of no compromise, no concessions to the coterie of evil people: they must simply be destroyed, destroyed utterly. That the president’s handlers would choose someone with such an outlook to be press secretary sends a chill down the spine of every free American.”

    https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2022/05/if-youre-reading-karine-jean-pierre-probably-hates-robert-spencer/

    Liked by 1 person

  12. EXCERPT: “American Voters: “We’re concerned about the prices of milk, eggs, baby formula, and gas.”

    U.S. Government: “So you’re saying we should spend tens of billions more on a proxy war against Russia and ban oil and natural gas drilling here at home?”

    American Voters: “No, listen: inflation is making it impossible to afford groceries. Our businesses are dying.”

    U.S. Government: “You want us to talk more about transgenderism and the legacies of slavery? Maybe throw in some free sexual grooming advice for your children?”

    American Voters: “Pay attention! We’ll talk slowly for the remedial learners in Congress. In every way possible, America is headed in the wrong direction right now!”

    U.S. Government: “You think we need more illegal immigration right now? That’s fine, we can do that. No problem.”

    Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw humorously remarked that “Britain and America are two nations divided by a common language.” Now the same can be said about American citizens and their “public servants.” There is what Americans want, and there is what those in power give them. So much for representative government, eh?

    Oh, pshaw! We still have “representative” government; we’re just no longer the ones it represents. If the security fencing surrounding much of D.C. weren’t a dead giveaway, the Leviathan’s merciless efforts to target half the country as “terrorists” and “insurrectionists” have drilled the point home. Americans, you will behave, or you will lose your First Amendment “privileges” for good, and if you persist in your mischief, we will be forced to bump up gas prices and starve even more of your children! From the swamp’s point of view, greed and power are the only constituents worth representing. Citizens, in contrast, are just a bureaucratic hassle to be managed.

    Now, that doesn’t sound like a “government of the people, by the people, for the people,” does it? It sounds more like a government setting itself above those it governs, using force and coercion to bend its subjects to its will. If that is how “democracy” is now defined, it’s little surprise that the New World Order crowd sings its praises. I say, good sir, don’t those heavy-handed executive mandates reek of despotism? Impossible — this is a democracy! No wonder the Chinese Communist Party has the gall to praise a rigged Hong Kong election in which its handpicked candidate receives nearly one hundred percent of the vote as a “victory for democracy.” The D-word has become the quintessential get-out-of-jail-free card for all the world’s tyrants.”

    https://redwave.press/americans-and-their-government-have-become-divided-by-a-common-language/

    Liked by 2 people

        1. My thoughts exactly. I’ve decided I’m becoming a conduit of info, because I never get to read everything I want to read & what I do read is very hard to recall so passing good stuff along seems to be a good role for me lately 🙂

          Liked by 1 person

          2. By the way, if you want to share any of these opens, I have no problem with that either. I don’t need attribution – it has all been written by others anyway, so have at it! I just do a cut/paste and insert the pics, fix any formatting, etc. Except for the ones I write about my personal life – those I would prefer not to be shared. But Pat and I do want to be careful about who knows about our blog – neither of us want to deal with any trolls causing trouble.

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            1. OK, does that mean you would prefer me to Not put links back to the original comment or post out at Gab, for instance? That’s where I usually drop things apart from the Q-Tree & Marica’s (where I probably wouldn’t put your info as they often have found similar leads there already).

              Just let me know–thanks 🙂

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              1. As for the links to the original comment, probably not unless you know that none of the recipients would bring trouble to the blog so no, not on Gab – at least that is how I feel about it but you should check with Pat – it is really her blog, after all. The article links you can post wherever you like. I don’t want to happen here what has happened in the recent past, if you know what I mean. We do NOT want to have to ban anyone, if it’s at all possible but, of course, we will if necessary. I have no issues whatsoever with QTree or M’s since Pat and I still read both anyway. There are some at M’s who would probably be upset.
                We do still care about everyone – that won’t change. I don’t think I could ever completely turn my back on M’s – the blog and people there (including you) helped save my life back in the day and I will never forget the haven it was for me.

                Liked by 1 person

              2. Thanks for the clarification. 🙂

                I don’t really know, or understand, what happened at M’s just that suddenly A Lot of “regulars” suddenly got upset about something (hopefully some kind of misunderstanding all the way around) & left, I wish I knew where…

                I really wanted to read some of those original conversations for greater clarity but never did dig in deeper. Life is busy & getting my hubby through trucking school & into his new job is my current priority followed on quickly by getting ready for our first grandchild & then dealing w/ Josiah’s upcoming wedding…

                Stuff at the Q-Tree I’ve observed (from afar) a number of times…& it’s saddening but often “understandable” as WolfMoon takes his best guess at keep his blog ultra free speech, welcoming, yet limited access (to keep out trolls & FIBs etc.).

                I believe you got banned early on (very disappointingly) as an example of his hardline approach…don’t recall the details.

                I think GmaTX got fed up w/ FG&C, in particular (who can be incredibly obnoxious–I’ve had to step back myself a few times from his “assaults” to regroup) in some rough discourse about Lin Wood, iirc.

                I think FG&C & Scott got temporarily moderated &/or banned & have chosen not to return, thus far, I think.

                EmeraldStar & Wheatie have skipped out but I don’t know what the issues were…

                It’s not as bad as the CTH banning was seemingly–I finally got banned there for posting some deliberate prayers for AngelStaria/AngelleAtTheGatesOfWar, after first having those prayers accepted in conversed on in the Prayer Pages. I received no warning but suddenly my recent comments were removed & nothing else could go through. Later my special needs son, Josiah, tried to communicate on the Prayer Pages & found he was also banned, presumably as an appendage of me–sigh…

                I found that CTH banning personally hurtful, but not unexpected, based on what others at the Q-Tree said. Ironically I’ve only ever been a Q “Agnostic” at most, never followed, am open to insights from that entity, but Never have looked to it for objective “truth”…

                One of the prayers I’d shared before CTH banned me was about reconciliation. I’ll dig it up at some point & do a post about it, probably on my SpecialConnections.wordpress.com blog just to document the process & maybe get some “resolution” internally…

                Once I started reading at the Q-Tree I rarely read much at CTH anyway, but the banning still hurt.

                I look at Q-Tree somewhat like the banned treepers reconstituted presidential page & Marica’s more like the Open Forum. M’s is more friendly & personal & Q’s is more knock down news analysis style. They both serve a very helpful niche (in my mind)…

                I do wish I knew & understood what happened & could help heal the breach for Everyone. In God’s hands these fallings out can still have positive repercussions by expanding our outreach in new ways–He works Everything out for our good & His glory!

                Daughn left from Q-Tree, I think primarily from FG&C heckling/abuse, & that ended up sort-of leading to me getting to be an author–which was a Major trade Down (zero equivalency). Her blog gets top billing in the Blog Roll side margin, but she rarely ever says anything at Q-Tree any more–A Tragic Reverberating community loss, as is GMaTX because we lost their posts as well as their voices.

                I think MagaMom got banned because she exposed herself as some type of plant as a vax shill & then ascribing violent motives to some of the January 6ers. Someone’s still at the Q-Tree that reminds me periodically of MM’s approach so she May be a similar plant or just share certain personality idiosyncrasies.

                I wish we could all just get along & frankly I don’t understand how certain regular Q-Treepers can repeatedly go after each other’s throats. It’s like some of them are looking to be offended by each other & it’s more about previous interactions than the current conversation but I usually stay out of it since I don’t know the full back-story…

                I Really Wish you & Pat were back at M’s & the Q-Tree for you BOTH bring Huge Gems to the table in numerous ways!!!! I’m Extremely Thankful that you Both are willing to talk with little old me ❤

                Liked by 1 person

              3. Oh, I could probably explain a lot of it….the difference between QT and M’s that you mentioned – recall before Wolfie banned me, I was rarely at M’s – I wasn’t as connected with Cowboy as everyone else, alto I did care about him a lot – I was simply amazed that, during all of his travail, he was still able to think of me and my sorrow over HB’s loss, a lot of respect for that man – so I popped in now then. And we all know I’m not a warm and fuzzy kind of person – I thrive on the analysis, forcing me to broaden my mind and re-evaluate hypotheses, always learning – I want to know everything! I always had a problem with FG&C – arrogant jerk, is what I called him. Steve and I got along great for the most part, considering my drastically altered religious beliefs now and his atheism. I enjoyed a little snarky back and forth – it is fun if you both know you are teasing. And I do love sarcasm! I know I pissed off BigMamaT over Lyin’ Canadian Ted – she thinks very highly of him, I almost despise the man. I think I insulted LP unintentionally once.

                So I landed at M’s after Wolfie banned me, deeply wounded, tbh. Y’all were there for me and brought me back to life. But……given that my chosen mission in life is to wake up as many people as I can and convince them to pay attention, inform them of the REAL facts, etc. – the posting of fake stuff is anathema for me – I CANNOT PASS ON FAKE NEWS!!! I would lose all of my credibility and my e-mails will simply be deleted without even a glance. My comments on BB and other sites would be automatically discarded or ignored. I cannot allow that to happen!

                But……M has so much on her plate, that she left the decisions to others, who, IMO, were not honorable people. JMO mind you! And it simply isn’t M’s nature to be firm with people – she is a conciliator – she makes peace – she doesn’t rule with an iron fist. She holds up every single member of her family and showers them with unending love. That is her forte, her “skill!” It is what she does best.

                THAT is NOT me! We all know that! That toughness, and a firm hand, is what running a blog requires if you want to avoid the big blow-ups, especially when you get as many people as we had. You need hard and fast rules, clear to everybody, and you need to enforce them.

                It was simply an untenable situation for me so…..Pat had also had her negative experiences and we were always on the same page – same type of personality – so she let me join her and it is kind of “our” blog now. And I still have a good reason to follow some odd trail when my interest is caught, or research something I’d heard about in general thru the years but never really KNEW what it was about; then learn about it and bring it to others. I enjoy that tremendously!

                So….here we are. I wish some from M’s would drop in now and then and say hi but neither Pat nor I have ANY intention of trying to draw anyone away from M’s. I would like to see the two blogs interacting similar to QT and M in the old days, personally. And anyone at M’s is more than welcome to take any link I post and pass it on wherever – I simply want to inform as many people as possible. You know me….I’m always searching out new things and new sources.

                So, my dear, the test?

                Liked by 1 person

              4. Thanks so much for sharing these insights! It helps me understand, from your perspective, a bit better.

                I’m not as good as you are w/ confirming that something isn’t “fake” news. I’m guilty of passing along pithy memes w/out knowing if they are truly based in fact because they are funny or pointed.

                Your commitment to confirming sources, & your analysis, is much needed…& appreciated!!! Thanks for going the extra mile to dig & to share.

                Hubby passed pre-trip & parking maneuvers but needs to re-do the road-test unfortunately. He’s regrouping & hopefully getting some more road time today at the school to be ready to re-test on Saturday afternoon. I Really think the school should have had him Driving (not just parking) more than just the 1 day w/ 2 hours behind the wheel (the best driver in that group) in the 4 weeks he’s been waiting to test!

                Liked by 1 person

              5. Good grief! The majority of the training should BE the driving portion!!!! Oh, Val, some of these schools…..I can remember back in the 70’s and 80’s (the issue in the ’90’s and 2000’s were the poorly trained immigrant drivers) when my brother, sister, and every other seasoned trucker I knew, used to bitch and moan and complain about those “school” drivers. Good drivers are built here by going to work at local companies starting out being the back-up driver for a seasoned driver. Some trips call for 2 drivers – the apprentice learns behind the wheel.

                Over time, they move up, learn more, experience unexpected problems, learn the rules of the road, how to drive down a mountain, run-off ramps, etc., etc. Or, in my nephew’s case, my brother and his wife had their own trucking business so Chris grew up in a truck. I posted a long time ago – I think at M’s – a picture of him as a 6 month old or there about, heading out on a trip with Dad in the truck, with a crib of sorts in the sleeper.

                That is how a REALLY good truck driver is built. In your case, unfortunately, you didn’t enter the industry with any experience or connections in that realm. No other choice but to go to a school.

                My sister would probably be the best to offer advice but here is my take: get past that driving test – it would be helpful for sure. Even if he can’t, he might consider trying to find a smaller company to try the apprentice angle. Sending my best wishes! He can do it, especially with your strong support.

                Val, I began my on-line learning process in 2013 and have progressed from there – almost 10 years now. When I talk about fake news, I’m not talking about the clearly funny, obvious memes and stuff, satire (but it MUST be marked as satire!) – I love posting those, too. No, I’m talking about links to articles, Tweets, and sites that are discovered to be satire and passed off as real. Or out-of-date and not currently accurate. That’s what I have to be careful of.

                Liked by 1 person

              6. Thanks for all these thoughts & the wisdom of your family’s hard-won experience. It’s definitely a live & learn world!!!

                I’m still guilty of passing off “fake” news, but not deliberately. I’ve gotten caught in the satire site stuff more than once. Often it’s a case of “this sounds too good to be true” but the Hopium addict portion of my brain, mostly held in check, screams for a fix & I blow it! Ha ha 😉

                Liked by 1 person

              7. Val, that’s why I HAD to stop following the Hopium! I simply can’t continue the ups, the downs, with nary a drop of proof. The only way I can go on and continue to fulfill my mission the best I can, is to have the hard and fast rule: “SHOW ME….PROVE IT!” I have to see verified evidence. Now, do I totally discount it all? Do I still have that little bit of hope buried down deep? Yeah, it’s still there, so I try to keep up on some of it – but I am NOT passing that on in a comment thread any more. I will sometimes decide to post something with a disclaimer – “have no idea whether this is true or not” kind of thing. As long as it is pointed OUT that it is or isn’t vetted information – that’s all. A simple “not vetted” is all that would be required – that tells everyone to tread at your own risk, “be careful but you might be interested.”

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              8. I think “buyer beware” is the subtitle of our lives! Great approach & wisdom you’ve shared there. I agree w/ it all & that’s pretty much my attitude too, though not nearly so well articulated as you have done–thanks!

                Liked by 1 person

              9. Here’s Wolfie’s latest to manage his blog 🙂

                https://www.theqtree.com/2022/05/19/dear-maga-open-thread-20220519/comment-page-2/#comment-904819

                Wolf Moon
                Wolf MoonOffline
                Admin
                Wolf
                May 19, 2022 23:30

                A quick note to those who wish for moderated members to return.

                The moderation policy tosses out all posts which involve lamentations and accusations about other individuals who post here. Thus, when moderated members post, it is best not to encourage binnable posts, by comments about the conflicts. Your goal should be to get your friends back here, and to help them completely ignore people they don’t like, so that they don’t waste their time and energy on posts that are going into the trash.

                Just a friendly hint that undoubtedly makes my life harder, but might make you all happier.

                Liked by 1 person

              12. Here’s Steve (who I also Love to interface with!) on combatting Hopium theories

                https://www.theqtree.com/2022/05/19/dear-maga-open-thread-20220519/comment-page-1/#comment-904654

                SteveInCO
                SteveInCOOnline
                Coyote
                Reply to Sadie Slays
                May 19, 2022 12:51

                Yep.

                That’s the problem we’re facing right now.

                Most of these “devolution”/”this is all a movie” theories are so dang nebulous the SAME thing can be used as evidence both for and against them.

                Epistemically, they’re worthless theories.

                Liked by 1 person

  16. Hey Pat, Filly, & compatriots,

    Just wanted to ask for prayer for tomorrow. Hubby is scheduled to take his DOT CDL-A test at 10 am about an hour & a half away from our home. He’s asked me to drive him so that he’ll be fresh for the test.

    This has been a grueling process since the first week of March & we are so hopeful that he will pass the first time he tests so we can turn our energies toward his employment endeavors. God’s will & timing & all…

    I would greatly appreciate your prayers for Michael (& I & our family) as we continue moving forward.

    Thank you so much & God Bless You All!!!

    In Jesus’ Love,

    Valerie

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