From Pine View Farm

November, 2012 archive

Twits on Twitter, No There There Dept. 0

William Shatner is in town and his twitter feed twitted that he was planning to visit the U. S. S. Enterprise, which is being decommissioned due to old age.

Then he wasn’t. When questioned about the twit, his publicist responded as follows:

Of the Twitter post that sparked news reports of Shatner’s appearance, Hepburn said, “Oh honey, you know he doesn’t run that, right?”

Wonder how you get to be a “star’s twit”?

Afterthought:

You didn’t really believe that these important folks who consider themselves important lowered themselves to actually twit for themselves, did you? Tell me you didn’t.

They hire twits to twit.

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Cats and Dogs 0

So true.

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General Funding 1

How high-ranking officers move from the war machine to the war lobby.

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The Republican Rice Caterwaul 0

Via Bob Cesca.

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Sauce for the Goose 4

In the Roanoke Times, William Fizer laments the ignorance of the wastrel youth:

When Jay Leno asks people on the street simple, common-sense questions, to which they have no answer, we think it’s funny. When author and historian David McCullough speaks to college students across this land, the students make statements and ask questions that shock him. At a recent talk, one college student had no idea that the original 13 states were on the East Coast.

He proceeds to provide evidence of the ignorance of the credulous oldth in the next paragraph, with this farcical statement,

Many Americans don’t know why we celebrate the Fourth of July or that U.S. founding documents are religious in nature, based on Judeo-Christian principles . . . .

which ignores the stated beliefs and actual writings of the founders, who were deeply suspicious of the influence of religion on government, the Wars of the Reformation, the Inquisition, and witch trials being fresh in their memories.

One could stretch a case and claim that, to the extent principles of justice and fairness are in some theoretical fashion “Judeo-Christian,” they may in some way be embodied in the founding documents, but it is ludicrous to arrogate justice and fairness somehow exclusively to the “Judeo-Christian” tradition. (Justice and fairness don’t seem particularly prominent in the thinking of those, such as Pat Robertson, who so loudly proclaim themselves as Christ’s appointed spokespersons in our public debate; vengeance and earthly dominion seem to preoccupy them.)

As I said, it would be a stretch. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America were much more the products of classical and Enlightenment philosophers than of any religious sect or creed.

Mr. Fizer’s distress at the ignorance of American history is, I think, well-taken.

He should start by learning some.

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The Federal Trough 0

Heh.

Gov. Christie asked the federal government Wednesday for an additional $7.4 billion for Sandy recovery, bringing the state’s total request to $36.8 billion.

The additional money would be used to reengineer beaches, including additional sand dunes, to protect the shoreline against future storms. Last week, state officials asked for $29.4 billion in federal funds to offset emergency response and repair costs.

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Stealing the Schools 0

Not from the schools.

The schools themselves.

All the cool gazillionaires are doing it.

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QOTD 0

Tecumseh:

Show respect to all people, but grovel to none.

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Voyeur Wars 0

Beyond creepy.

The day after authorities charged a South Jersey Catholic school’s custodian with being a high-tech Peeping Tom, parents expressed anger as they began to find out their children were among those secretly videotaped in private areas of the school.

He installed secret cameras in what were supposed to be secret places.

This dude put a lot of effort into being a perv.

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Womanhoodwinked 0

Via Raw Story.

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“When Jupiter Aligns with Mars . . .” 0

At Psychology Today, Michael Kay sees the alignment:

Wall Street, Washington and individuals have achieved alignment. Unfortunately, that alignment is stupid, careless and destructive. The alignment I am talking about is a severe case of “short-term-itis.” Our thoughts and actions have coalesced to settle in on this immediate gratification mentality. In Washington, it is driven by the next election. On Wall Street, it is all about quarterly earnings. The individual’s, driven by fear or greed, need to have the objects of their desires-now!

Building anything with a short-term destination in mind is an exercise in nothing less than stupidity.

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Football uber Alles 0

There is no truth to the rumor that college administrators value winning teams over inquiring minds.

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Stray Though, Caller ID Dept. 0

If you are unwilling to identify yourself, I’m unwilling to answer the phone.

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Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0

Slight improvement.

Applications for jobless benefits decreased by 23,000 to 393,000 in the week ended Nov. 24, Labor Department figures showed today. Economists forecast 390,000 claims, according to the median estimate in a Bloomberg survey.

The drop in claims indicates the job market in the mid- Atlantic region, which employs about 14 percent of U.S. workers, may be stabilizing after Sandy put some area residents out of work at the start of the month.

(snip)

The four-week moving average of jobless claims, a less- volatile measure, climbed to 405,250 from 397,750.

The number of people continuing to collect jobless benefits dropped by 70,000 to 3.29 million in the week ended Nov. 17. The continuing claims figure does not include the number of workers receiving extended benefits under federal programs.

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One Piece at a Time 0

Heh.

While stationed with the Navy SEALs, Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Lee Tappen wanted an easy way to fly home to the West Coast to see his wife. The plan he devised now could land him in prison.

Tappen, 35, admitted in federal court Wednesday that he built a plane, on the government’s dime, out of parts he ordered through his job. He pleaded guilty to filing a false claim and faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced April 1.

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QOTD 0

Jeanette Rankin:

If I had my life to live over, I would do it all again, but this time I would be nastier.

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“Well, at Least Where You Work, There Are Exits!” 0

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Facebook Frolics 0

All seriousness aside, any legal mumbo-jumbo you post on Facebook, or any other site with a “Terms of Service” that you agreed to, means nothing. The TOS pwns you, baby.

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Light Bloggery 0

Spent most of the last two days editing another podcast for HPR. I’ll let you all know when it comes out. Bloggery is likely to remain light for a couple of days. Things to do.

Editing audio in audacity

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Republicans against Disabilities 2

Little Ricky is back in action:

President-unelect Rick Santorum made his triumphant return to the Capitol this week and took up a brave new cause: opposing disabled people.

Specifically, Santorum, joined by Sen. Mike Lee (R., Utah), urged the Senate to reject the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities – a treaty negotiated during George W. Bush’s administration and ratified by 126 nations, including China, Russia, Iran, Cuba, and Syria.

The former presidential candidate pronounced “grave concerns” about the treaty, which forbids discrimination against people who have AIDS, are blind, use wheelchairs, and the like. “This is a direct assault on us,” he declared.

Follow the link to see his reasoning.

It makes sense only in the warped world of winguttery.

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