From Pine View Farm

November, 2015 archive

A Climate for Terrorism 0

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The Sounds of Silenced (Updated) 0

I have mentioned before that I believe that, generally,* complaints about “political correctness” are code for “I want to do and say offensive things without penalty.”

Addendum, a Bit Later:

Here’s another perspective.
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*Sure, there are occasional outbreaks of silliness; silliness is part of the human condition. Those, though, are insignificant compared to the daily blare of hatred, bigotry, misogyny, and prejudice.

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Legacy, Bushie Style, Reprise 0

Picture of toppled statue of Saddam Hussein releasing serpents labeled

Via Job’s Anger.

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A Picture Is Worth 2

Picture of Albert Einstein captioned, "Non-Christian Refugee."

Southern Beale has more.

Image via Juan Cole.

Aside:

It is ironic that, if (when?) this country goes to hell, it will be persons who loudly proclaim themselves “Christian” who lead it there.

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Legacy, Bushie Style 0

Actions have consequences. When that action is war, the consequence is seldom what the mongers of war predicted.

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

Hunting for dustbunnies, politely.

A Greenwood man ended up at the hospital after he accidentally shot himself while cleaning house.

The man was wearing a small pistol while he vacuumed his home on Blue Nole Road this afternoon when the gun went off.

The stupid, it burns.

Via Southern Beale.

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QOTD 0

Emma Goldman:

Someone has said that it requires less mental effort to condemn than to think.

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And Now for Something Completely Different 0

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Death Penalty Throes 0

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In Search of Evidence 0

The Boston Review, blows the underpinnings from all the CSIs, Bones, and a number of other cop science(-fiction) shows by looking at what happens in real-life crime labs–failing to observe the chain of custody, falsifying results, and generally doing sloppy, if not downright incompetent, work.

Here’s a bit:

Some of the basic problems of forensic science are hinted at in the term itself. The word forensics refers to the Roman forum; forensics is the “science of the forum,” oriented toward gathering evidence for legal proceedings. This makes forensics unusual among the sciences, since it serves a particular institutional objective: the prosecution of criminals. Forensic science works when prosecutions are successful and fails when they are not.

(snip)

It shouldn’t be controversial to point out that forensic science is not really a science to begin with, not in the sense of disciplines such as biology and physics. Forensic science covers whatever techniques produce physical evidence for use in law.

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The Blowback Strategy 0

I won’t pretend to understand the logic, if there is any, behind the attacks at Paris, but I am taken aback by the number of persons who do pretend to do so. At Gin and Tacos, Ed takes a stab at it, and, sadly, his theory has a sort of logic to it. I don’t know whether he is correct, but I do think it’s worth a read.

A snippet:

. . . what ISIS wants is to push European states far enough to produce a massive anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim backlash. Not just a backlash in terms of attitudes and prejudices but of laws. If some far-right government came to power in France and decided, for example, to round up every Muslim into camps or to force Muslims to carry electronic devices to track their movements then ISIS and their ilk can claim to be prophetic; “See? See? Look at how they treat us!”

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Phoning It In 0

Robin Root explains the dial phone to her nephew.

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The Fear Factor 0

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It’s All about the Vig All the Time (Updated) 0

From Santa Claus, meet Santa Crass.

Addendum, Later That Same Day:

The Mall caved.

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

Conduct estate sales politely.

(Greenville, Tenn., Sheriff Pat–ed.) Hankins said the auction company was preparing to sell a .22-caliber rifle.

The sheriff said a man in the crowd wanted to take a closer look at the gun and, as he took it, the weapon went off. A bullet from the gun struck a 63-year-old Surgoinsville woman in the face. She was also there for the auction, according to Hankins.

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QOTD 0

Norman Douglas:

A man can believe a considerable deal of rubbish, and yet go about his daily work in a rational and cheerful manner.

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And Now for Something Completely Different 0

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Voodoo Zombie Economics” 0

The Laffable Curve has become another lie that will not die. From John Young:

If supply-side economics (I like to call it faith-based budgeting – faith in the power of tax cuts) worked as advertised, don’t you think we’d know it by now?

Sure, tax cuts generate economic activity (as does spending), but never enough to make up for the lost revenue needed to pay for all the government that even so-called small-government types say they need.

Follow the link for evidence that the lie, gibbering and moaning all the while, still shambles its way through the Republican debates.

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How Stuff Works, “Words Mean What I Want Them To Mean” Dept. 0

Scott Beauchamp tries to make sense of Pentagon speak.

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Facebook Frolics 0

It’s all Tsu much.

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