From Pine View Farm

December, 2014 archive

Misty Water-Colored Memories 0

John Crisp wonders about motivation and memory. A nugget:

But one wonders why it (the Sons of Confederate Veterans–ed.) wishes to force an image of its battle flag into such a prominent, publicly sanctioned place as a license plate, where it might cause in-your-face offense to a black citizen who happens to be sitting behind an SCV member at a red light.

For that matter, some white Texans might cringe a little, too. My mother’s direct line of descent includes Francis Marion Hayes, a Texas frontier lawyer and eventually a state legislator. On March 7, 1860, he wrote to his brother: “I have nothing of importance to write in the way of news. I attended another negro sale yesterday. Negroes did not sell so high as they did the first of January. I bought one little boy about 10 years old for $1151.00, about as good a bargain as was sold on that day.”

The next time you hear someone get all misty-eyed about the Old South and the Lost Cause, ask, “What, exactly, was the cause that was lost?”

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How Stuff Works, Surgical Strike Dept. 0

Der Spiegel parses NATO’s kill list. A snippet (much more indescriminate death and destruction at the link):

The Afghan, who has been given the code name “Doody,” is a “mid-level commander” in the Taliban, according to a secret NATO list. . . .

The operations center identified “Doody” at 10:17 a.m. But visibility is poor and the helicopter is forced to circle another time. Then the gunner fires a “Hellfire” missile. But he has lost sight of the mullah during the maneuver, and the missile strikes a man and his child instead. The boy is killed instantly and the father is severely wounded. When the pilot realizes that the wrong man has been targeted, he fires 100 rounds at “Doody” with his 30-mm gun, critically injuring the mullah.

“Surgical strike” is a myth perpetuated by those who monger war and would have you believe that life is a video game.

In real life, there is no such thing.

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“Their Fair Share” 0

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

The hunt for politeness continues apace.

Tama County officials say three members of a family were preparing to go muzzleloader hunting for deer when a gun discharged, killing the person who was loading the gun.

Another gun discharges all on its ownsome, without interference of a human creature with agency. It’s the shooting singularity, I tell you! The shooting singularity!

Or, possibly, some persons are too stupid to handle firearms.

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Summation 0

What the Booman said.

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The Fee Hand of the Market 0

Quality destruction at a price that’s right.

The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General has launched an investigation into the monitoring of the nearly $1 billion contract held by International Auto Logistics, which has come under intense criticism for its performance shipping service members’ vehicles around the globe.

Complaints about the Georgia-based company have been pouring in since shortly after IAL started the job in May. Service members’ cars were arriving late, IAL’s tracking system was inaccurate, and the company was not responding to grievances or queries.

Plus, many of the vehicles that do get delivered are delivered damaged. Much more at the link.

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QOTD 0

Martin Mull:

The trouble with jogging is that the ice falls out of your glass.

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And Now for Something Completely Different 0

Via Classic Arts Showcase.

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

Play politely.

The two victims were playing with a gun Friday evening at a home in Cameron. The boys believed the gun was unloaded. It was not. The shot struck the 19-year old victim in the forehead and he later died at a local hospital. The second victim remains hospitalized.

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“Don’t Get Sick. If You Do Get Sick, Die Quickly.” 0

(Open tag fixed.)

A medical student summarizes the effects on Virginia’s rural poor of Republicans’ partisan rejection of Medicaid expansion. A snippet:

Medical students, are reminded daily of the need for primary care physicians in underserved areas of our state. We are taught the benefits of preventative medicine and how continuity of care contributes to better health outcomes. It is only logical that a healthier population is safer, more productive and more able to contribute to the economy at large.

However, our state legislature has demonstrated their allegiance to partisan politics over the health and welfare of the commonwealth. As a result, chronic diseases are more prevalent here in Appalachia than in any other part of the United States.

For example, disparities in cancer screening between Appalachian and controlled non-Appalachian populations result in significantly higher cancer incidence and mortality here in Appalachia. In addition, five-year survival rates for cancer patients in Appalachian populations are significantly lower than their non-Appalachian equivalents.

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Droning On 0

I sty with my little spy . . . .

Using a drone, North Carolina filmmaker Mark Devries has filmed what he says are cesspools of pig waste at farms in the state that supply hogs to Smithfield Foods Inc. His footage can be seen at factoryfarmdrones.com.

Some of the pools of waste, he says in the video, are the size of four football fields. Devries also said some of the waste is sprayed in the air, contaminating adjacent neighborhoods.

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Light Bloggery 0

I got nothing.

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QOTD 0

Peter Ustinov:

The habit of religion is oppressive, an easy way out of thought.

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Chartering a Course to Disaster 0

The Privatization Scam strikes again (with bonus must-take quiz).

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Forever Young 0

Join the Photoslop Generation.

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Bootstraps 0

Man asking for money on street corner:  Please give to help me reach the level that lobbyists work tirelessly to get me my own tax cut.


Click for a larger image.

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

It’s not polite to get loaded, so get politely unloaded.

According to WFSB, police found that 24-year-old Britney Koba has accidentally shot herself in the thigh when she was trying to unload the firearm in her car. Koba was taken to Hartford Hospital.

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Running a Campaign Like a Business 0

Debra J. Saunders, writing at SFGate.com, has qualms and the resurfacing of Carly Fiorina as “Presidential hopeful.”

So maybe it isn’t totally crazy that Fiorina is running for president even if she’s never won an election. But it is totally crazy that Fiorina is running for the White House when, according to federal election reports, her 2010 campaign still owes $486,418 to creditors. Who wants a deadbeat for president?

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The Return of Little Ricky 0

Lady at returns window to man holding


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QOTD 0

Walter Elliot:

Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.

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