From Pine View Farm

September, 2012 archive

Decoding de Code 0

Farnsworth explains the meaning of “states’ rights.” A nugget:

States Rights was regularly trotted out over the 20thCentury whenever those black people wanted to go to integrated schools, wanted to get paid a decent wage at a job with safe working conditions, wanted to walk down the street without fear, wanted to vote. The good ole boys in the South would get outraged and scream that supporting and encouraging those actions violated their sacrosanct concept of States Rights.

This speaking in code is called “Dog Whistle Politics”, and the Republicans have elevated it an art form.

The next time someone says, “because states’ rights” to you, ask him, the state’s right to do just exactly what to whom?

Share

Everybody Must Get Fracked 0

It adds the spice of danger to life:

The U.S. Geological Survey released two reports this week confirming that fracking for natural gas has led to groundwater contamination — a fact that has been contested by the industry.

The USGS results are consistent with earlier findings by the Environmental Protection Agency that contamination from fracking had seeped into monitoring wells near gas drilling operations in Pavillion, Wyo., a rural community within the Wind River Indian Reservation. The contaminants detected include methane, ethane, diesel compounds and phenol, a known neurotoxin.

It’s on an Indian Reservation, so if probably doesn’t count.

Share

How the Reagan Devolution Created Romney’s Bain 0

Thom Hartmann explains:

Via C&L.

Share

Romney’s Bain 0

Share

The Republican War on Women 0

Woman to Republicans:  The last time anyone showed this much interest in my vagina, they had the decency to buy me dinner first.

Via Bartcop.

Share

Money Changers in the Temple 0

Notice how the professional religionists always seem to be going for the gold?

God works in mysterious ways, it’s said, but his path to state lawmakers in Sacramento has taken a particularly odd route – through a North Carolina courtroom.

A bitter split three years ago in an evangelical group providing Bible studies at California’s Capitol has sparked an East Coast lawsuit. Two groups – Capitol Ministries and Capitol Commission – are rivals for the chance to bring Christian teachings to legislators at capitols nationwide.

Each nonprofit group blames the other for backstabbing and deceit in the effort to touch lawmakers’ hearts through ministries funded by millions of dollars from Christians and sympathetic churches, foundations and businesses.

The story makes Hamlet, minus the swordplay of course, seem like an episode of the Flintstones.

Share

Bipartisan Achievement 0

Non Sequitur

Click for a larger image.

Share

Wholesome Competition Is a Healthy Experience 0

Indeed, it is almost Saintly in the way it prepare children for the grown-up world.

In a pee-wee version of the NFL’s bounty scandal, the head coach and league president of an Orange County children’s football team have been suspended amid allegations that players were offered up to $50 in cash to knock opponents out of games.

Share

D List 0

In my local rag, Mike Gruss dissects his “favorite Craig’s List ad of the year.” Here’s the ad; follow the link for the dissection.

looking forsome one who can pretend or play my wife for a day to attend some formal dinners will provide dress and you can keep the dress after the event or two.. will pay 100 dollars cash must be at least 18 thanks and real female of course please send pic of some sort and contact number …must be willing to wear something nice hold my hand and stuff…to act like we are in love..because this formmal dinner is immportant..You just need to be a nice looking clean …race white or asian looking

I miss the classifieds.

Share

QOTD 0

Clark Gable:

It’s an extra dividend when you like the girl you’re in love with.

Share

The Voter Fraud Fraud 0

More evidence has been uncovered that the Republican hysteria about “voter fraud” is a manifestation of psychological projection.

Share

Unskewered Polls 0

Over at Unqualified Offerings, Jim Henley reveals the formula that right wingnut Dean Chambers uses to make sure that poll results just look right to him.

Here’s three pieces of the algorithm. Follow the link for the rest.

      1. Does a poll show an Obama lead outside the so-called margin of error? The poll is skewed.
      2. Does a poll show an Obama lead inside the MOE? That’s a “statistical tie.”
      3. Does the poll show a Romney lead inside the MOE? Don’t call this a “statistical tie.” Call it a Romney lead*.
Share

Fantasy Basketball in Virginia Beach 0

Local Virginia Beach Babbitts recently floated a plan to shovel money to developers to build a sports palace.

(Or was that “build a sports palace to shovel money to developers”? The object of the subject sometimes transposes.)

They might want to consult with their fellows in Glendale, Arizona.

The city this year expects to collect about $10 million from those sports venues and surrounding commercial development, such as Westgate City Center, to help pay the debt.

The annual debt payment is two to three times that, $23 million to $29 million this year, depending on whether the city can successfully refinance. In addition to the debt payment, the city will pay millions more for someone to manage Jobing.com Arena.

Share

Ripped from the Ticker: Piggie of the Week 0

Share

Sleeping All Day Is Exhausting 0

Cat Yawning Wide

Share

Takin’ Its Akin Back 0

Dick Polman describes how, now that the deadline for withdrawing from the race has passed, GOP bigwigs are once again supporting Todd “Legitimate Rapes Don’t Make Babies” Akin.

In my local rag, editorial writer Darryl Lease fingers the missing element–something missing since at least the Nixon era:

Maybe he (Akin–ed.) will win. But, sooner or later, the Republican Party will need some help rediscovering what it’s lost here – its conscience.

Most of us can find ours in a mirror. Some GOP officials, it appears, will need special technology.

Share

Mitt the Flip and the 47% Solution 0

Leonard Pitts, Jr., points out that it is to demonize those who struggle.

Romney’s remarks, then, are of a piece with a narrative — poverty as character defect — favored by many who know exactly jack about the reality of poverty, but who have discovered that demonizing the faceless poor, giving us someone new to resent and blame, is good politics.

They wrap their attacks in rags of righteousness and pretensions of pragmatism, but there is something viscerally wrong, morally shrunken, in a nation where the most fortunate are encouraged to treat the least fortunate as some enemy race.

So the big story here is not about what damage Romney did to his campaign. Yes, the fact that he used condemnation of the poor as a lever of political advantage shames him.

Share

Dustbiters 0

Just when you think it’s over, another one bites the dust:

Share

The Voter Fraud Fraud 0

Voter fraud is not just a Republican lie.

It’s a Republican practice. Projection, anyone?

A vendor fired by the Republican Party of Florida for submitting questionable voter registrations forms in Palm Beach County is also responsible for filing flawed applications in other counties and states, election officials confirmed Friday.

Earlier this week, Florida Republicans fired Virginia-based Strategic Allied Consulting after Palm Beach County flagged about 100 registration forms that looked suspicious because of signatures that looked alike and incompleteness. The Palm Beach County state attorney’s office is reviewing those forms, said spokeswoman Christine Weiss.

But subsequent to that revelation, other counties have reported irregularities with voter registration forms with the identification number of 11-93 — which traces back to the Republican Party of Florida.

Share

QOTD 0

Peter Ustinov:

In America, through pressure of conformity, there is freedom of choice, but nothing to choose from.

Share