From Pine View Farm

August, 2020 archive

Going, Going, Gone 0

Frame One:  Donald Trump says,

Click for the original image.

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Heritage 0

At The Roanoke Times, Reggie Figard responds to those who protest the removal of Confederate monuments; he reminds them that their treasured “Southern Heritage” is not what they would claim it to be. Here’s an excerpt:

Whenever a segment of a country takes up arms in rebellion against the rest of the country those individuals are by definition “traitors” to that country. Rebelling against your country for an immoral cause such as retaining slavery is not a noble cause.

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QOTD 0

Joseph Roux:

Experience comprises illusions lost, rather than wisdom gained.

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Geeking Out 0

Stormy weather.

Screenshot

The Fluxbox window manager on Ubuntu MATE. The background is from my collection.

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A Requiem for Ahmaud Arbery 0

The Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III delivers a sermon for our times. H/T to my friend Andrew Jackson for the link.

If you are white like me, I especially urge you to listen to this message.

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Maskless Maruaders 0

Kermit and Miss Piggy would not be amused.

A 17-year-old employee at Sesame Place in Bucks County was punched in the face and required surgery for his injury after a dispute with a park visitor over wearing a mask, police said Monday.

We are a society of stupid.

And of selfish.

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

Open the door to politeness.

Once again, we are reminded that “responsible gun owner” is an oxymoron.

With an emphasis on the “moron.”

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A Legal Kanyenundrum (Updated) 0

Lawyer called out for representing two (reputedly) opposing clients.

Addendum:

It must be five ‘clock somewhere.

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The Threat 0

Frame One:  Voice comes from the White House saying,

Click for the original image.

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Trumpling the Disinformation Super Highway 0

Afterthought:

There is a very real difference between spin, which may offer different interpretations of the facts twist the facts, and lies, which ignore the facts.

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American Crossroads 0

Crowd approaching T-intersection labeled

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QOTD 0

Bill Bradley:

The only way to be true to our American tradition is to maintain absolute governmental neutrality regarding religious beliefs and practices.

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And Now for a Musical Interlude 0

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The Unimaginable 0

MAGA hat man:  Those stupid face masks are a liberal plot to take away our freedom.  Trump tee-shirt man:  Democrats are in the pocket of Big Mask.  MAGA hat man:  The coronavirus is just a big hoax anyway.  It'll go away on its own.  And we'll probably have a vaccine by election day.  Trump tee-shirt man:  People die of all kinds of things.  It is what it is.  MAGA hat man:  The problem isn't the virus--it's all the testing.  We're just too darn good at it.  Trump tee-shirt man:  You can't walk down the street without somebody sticking a swab up your nose.  MAGA hat man:  Obviously it's time to reopne the schools.  The kids will be fine.  They have tremendous immune systems.  Trump tee-shirt man:  Any parent will tell you, children never come homw sick from school.  MAGA hat man:  Democrats want to use the fake crisis to impose mail-in voting, which only works in Florida and nowhere else.  Trump tee-shirt man:  They're trying to steal the election, by getting more votes.  MAGA hat man:  If Biden wins, America becomes a hellscape beset by disease, civil unrest, and widespread unemployment--run by a man in obvious cognitive decline who has no idea what to do about any of it.  (Pause)  Trump tee-shirt man:  I can't even comprehend what it would be like to live in such a country.  MAGA hat man:  Truly, it staggers the imagination.

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“The Constitution Is Not a Suicide Pact” 0

Sam and his crew dissect the ludicrous arguments offered by Libertarians against common sense safety measures in these viral times. (Warning: Some language.)

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Proceeding along the Path to Pariah 0

The AP reports on the rest of the world’s view of the failure of the United States to deal with these viral times. An excerpt (emphasis added):

Perhaps nowhere outside the U.S. is America’s bungled virus response viewed with more consternation than in Italy, which was ground zero of Europe’s epidemic. Italians were unprepared when the outbreak exploded in February and the country still has one of the world’s highest official death tolls at 35,000.

But after a strict nationwide 10-week lockdown, vigilant tracing of new clusters and general acceptance of mask mandates and social distancing, Italy has become a model of virus containment.

“Don’t they care about their health?” a mask-clad Patrizia Antonini asked about people in the United States as she walked with friends along the banks of Lake Bracciano, north of Rome. “They need to take our precautions … They need a real lockdown.”

Much of the incredulity in Europe stems from the fact that America had the benefit of time, European experience and medical know-how to treat the virus that the continent itself didn’t have when the first COVID-19 patients started filling intensive care units. Yet, more than four months into a sustained outbreak, the U.S. is about to hit an astonishing milestone of 5 million confirmed infections, easily the highest in the world. Health officials believe the actual number is closer to 50 million, given testing limitations and the fact that as many as 40% of all cases are asymptomatic.

“We Italians always saw America as a model,” said Massimo Franco, columnist with daily Corriere della Sera. “But with this virus we’ve discovered a country that is very fragile, with bad infrastructure and a public health system that is nonexistent.”

Read more »

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What It Is, Redux 0

Title:  Famous Stable Reflections on Death.  Image One:  Hamlet, holding skull, says,

Via Job’s Anger.

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

Achieve domestic tranquility, politely.

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Still Rising Again after All These Years 0

Monumental bluster blather.

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QOTD 0

Michael Palin:

Contrary to what the politicians and religious leaders would like us to believe, the world won’t be made safer by creating barriers between people.

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