From Pine View Farm

May, 2025 archive

Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0

Capable of scuttling a legitimate research project because, though the intelligence may be artificial, the stupid is real?

Darn tootin’.

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Devolution 0

Writing at Psychology Today Blogs, Ira Israel finds what he refers to as “fabricated self-importance” to be of some concern. A snippet:

One of the most troubling aspects of our culture is how it has normalized overt rudeness. In social and professional settings alike, people increasingly treat others as stepping stones rather than human beings. This manifests in behaviors such as dismissive attitudes toward service workers, condescending remarks to subordinates, and ghosting acquaintances deemed “beneath” us on the capitalist food chain.

I commend his piece to your attention.

As an aside, I think “social” media feeds this phenomenon by rewarding persons for boasting and for boosting fabricated–I use that term advisedly–versions of themselves. But read his article and see what you think.

(Broken link fixed.)

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

And another random act of politeness.

AWe are a society of stupid.

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QOTD 0

Johann Most:

Whoever looks at America will see: the ship is powered by stupidity, corruption, or prejudice.

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A Tune for the Times 0

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The Privatization Scam 0

And it is a scam–to put the public’s money into private hands.

You can voucher on it.

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Still Rising Again after All These Years 0

Indiana’s Lt. Governor tries to rewrite history.

Afterthought:

They don’t want to admit the reality of slavery because that would require them to come face to face with who they really are.

They would rather believe that Gone with the Wind was an historical document, rather than what it was, probably the single most effective piece of political propaganda in America’s history.

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Suffer the Children 0

That’s not scripture. That’s a Republican family value.

Three little children being bars in Uncle Sam's hat.  Next to it, a newspaper with the headlline,

Click for the original image.

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The Artifice of the Deal, Reprise 0

David marvels at the mumbo-jumbo. (Warning: Short promo at the end.)

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

More politeness on the pavement.

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The Rule of Lawless 0

At Above the Law, Kathryn Rubino notes that Donald Trump has now set his sights on British lawyer and International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan for (gasp!) prosecuting. She goes on to note that

Trump’s bold sanction play for lawyers doing their jobs is yet another attack on the rule of law.

The distressing details are at the link.

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QOTD 0

John Gunther:

There are no generalizations in American politics that vested selfishness cannot cut through.

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