From Pine View Farm

Too Venal for Words category archive

All the News that Fits 0

Thom points out that mongering fear boosts ratings for television stations sells.

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Dis Coarse Discourse 0

Just when you think it can’t get any coarser . . . .

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Republican Family Values 0

Yearning for the good old days.

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Withdrawal Symptoms 0

Ohio women take drive-through banking to the next level.

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American Exceptionalism, Trumpled 0

Title:  World leaders react to Putin killing his enemies.  Image:  Every world leader says,

Via Job’s Anger.

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No Place To Hide 2

I think it’s safe to say that the internet invasion of privacy has been out of hand for quite a long time. and it certainly has more than its share of nefarious.

Here’s some nefariousness with an establishmentarian twist. Here’s a snippet from a report by the EFF:

In May 2023, the Wall Street Journal reported that Near was selling location data to anti-abortion groups. Specifically, the Journal found that the Veritas Society, a non-profit established by Wisconsin Right to Life, had hired ad agency Recrue Media. That agency purchased location data from Near and used it to target anti-abortion messaging at people who had sought reproductive healthcare.

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My Downward Spiral 0

Every time I find myself thinking that nothing can sink my opinion of humankind further, I find myself, as my old boss used to day, “in error.”

For example.

One more time, “social” media isn’t.

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Double Standards and the Double Dealer 0

Isaac Bailey disagrees with Donald Trump’s and the Trumpettes’ claims that he is a victim of a double standard. Rather, argues Bailey, Trump has benefited from double standards throughout his life.

A snippet (emphasis added):

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., recently said on Fox News that she sees “a two-tiered system of justice, a double standard, one for Donald Trump, and one for everybody else.”

She’s right. Despite overwhelming evidence of wrongdoing throughout his adult life, only now is Trump being charged or convicted of things such as fraud and being civilly held liable for rape.

Follow the link for context.

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Vaccine Nation 0

Suffer the children.

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The Art of the Con 0

LZ Granderson explains how the “businessman president” gave America the business.

Just go read it.

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Twits Own Twitter X Offenders 0

The widow of opposition leader Alexey Navalny accused Putin of killing him in a video posted on her X account on Monday. That came as she announced she was taking over Navalny’s role as opposition leader after his death in a remote Russian prison colony on Friday.

Her profile page showed an “Account suspended” message on Tuesday and an explanation that the service “suspends accounts which violate the X Rules.” Shortly after, the account appeared online again.

The story goes on to report that, as of press time, X had not responded to inquiries as to why this happened.

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Precedented 0

Mona Charen reminds of what Mark Twain said, that history does not repeat itself, but it often echoes.

She’s hearing an echo right now.

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Russian Impulses 0

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It’s Bubblelicious 0

Oliver Darcy offers a theory as to how dis coarse discourse got so coarse. I note it because it is consistent with my opinion that “social” media isn’t; he suggests that

For a right-wing online influencer, the top incentive is to amass video views and shares — all in a bid to increase one’s social media footprint and, thus, power and treasure.

Methinks he is onto something.

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It’s All about the Algorithm 0

At Psychology Today Blogs, Robyn Koslowitz discusses a TikTok challenge which, as nears as I can figure out, involves parents telling kids to go into a bathroom, telling them it’s a safe space where they can curse all they want. Then the parents record the result and post it to “social” media.

Koslowitz lists a number of reasons that this is a bad idea, starting with the idea that it’s a betrayal of trust (that is, saying that a place is safe, then then violating that space. The line that caught my eye, though, was this:

When a parent is filming their child for the sake of content creation, the focus moves off the child and parenting and onto an algorithm.

One more time, “social” media isn’t.

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The Crypto Con 0

Emma and the crew react to a crypto con artist’s claim that God made him do it. Listen to him closely: he’s clearly describing a Ponzi scheme. (Warning: mild language.)

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Gutting Out the Vote 0

The Arizona Republic’s E. J. Montini writes about an Arizona legislator who has decided that, well, if you can’t gut out the vote, why not just throw it out completely. A snippet:

Arizona state Sen. Anthony Kern, one of the Republicans being investigated by Attorney General Kris Mayes for falsely certifying that the state’s electoral college votes should be awarded to Donald Trump instead of winner Joe Biden, has come up with a novel approach to protect election stealers in the future:

Make it legal.

Kern has introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 1014, which — I am not making this up — allows that “the Legislature, and no other official, shall appoint presidential electors.”

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WWJD? 0

Not this.

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The Rule of Lawless 0

Donald Trump, wearing robes of royalty and holding a bottle labeled

Click for the original image.

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Be It Resolved . . . . 0

Title:  New Year's Resolutions.  Frame One:  Woman says,

Click to view the original image.

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