From Pine View Farm

March, 2015 archive

The Fee Hand of the Market 0

Headline:  Massive Target Layoffs--Stock Rises.  Man to wife:  You know it's going to bad when Wall Street is happy.

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“Look in the Mirror, Boy” 0

This surprises no one who pays attention to the antics of hedge fund managers, politicians, Wall Street banksters, mongers of war, mega-church ministers, or Silicon valley execs (emphasis added):

Depressing news from the world of psychology: Nearly every stereotype about the gender gap with regards to narcissism, ambition and leadership is right.

That’s according to a study in the March issue of the Psychological Bulletin, the journal of the American Psychological Association. In a review of three decades of survey data from nearly half a million participants, researchers found that men are more likely to demonstrate narcissistic behavior than women, regardless of generation or age.

Details at the link.

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“Separate but Equally Justified” 0

Jon Steward on Ferguson, below the fold in case it autoplays.

Read more »

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How Republicans Give the People the Business 0

Jason Stanford explains the con; follow the link for the rest:

What would happen if we ran Texas like a business? A big chunk of our core revenue stream—oil and gas taxes—is suddenly on shaking ground. Do you hand out shareholder dividends (tax cuts), reinvest cash reserves for unmet needs (funding for schools, roads and water), or hunker down in the face of economic uncertainty?

Oh, who are we kidding? “Running government like a business” is something politicians tell voters to trick them into letting politicians run government any way they please.

Via Progressive Populist.

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Republican Health Care Alternatives 0

ER receptionist:  Health insurance?  Patient:  I got kicked off my health insurance because I got sick, so I put off going to the doctor until I was so sick I had to come here . . . .  Receptionist:  Oh, yes, the

Via Job’s Anger.

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QOTD 0

Quintus Tullius Cicero*:

During war, the laws are silent.

____________________

*That’s the other Cicero.

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Everything That Is Wrong with “The Weather Channel” in One Sentence 0

Steven M., in a long post about a different topic:

The Weather Channel loves to terrify people by making weather, especially winter weather, seem as scary as possible.

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

There’s nothing like a little politeness to end an argument.

According to the police report, Schmidt had been drinking for several hours before returning home, consuming more alcohol and arguing with his girlfriend at their Coon Prairie residence. At approximately 1 a.m., the female party departed to go to the restroom, when she heard a gunshot. She returned to find Schmidt laying on the floor bleeding from his head.

Schmidt told law enforcement that the shooting was not intentional and that the loaded handgun had accidentally discharged striking him in the head.

And yet another gun that seems to have fired itself . . . .

. . . and yet another gun nut too stupid to unload a gun when preparing to clean it.

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Twits on Twitter 0

Anti-vax twits.

Via Kos.

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Pay No Attention to the Machine Behind the Curtain 0

It has nothing to do with Jeb “Oh God Please Not Another” Bush.

World Headquarters of Bushco.  Voice says,

Via Balloon Juice, which has other stuff that is even more depressing than the prospect of yet another Bush.

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A Taxonomy of Wingnuttery 0

Types of Wingnuts:  Supply-side extremists (


Click for a larger image.

Via Kos.

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Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0

Snowed out right out of work.

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits rose last week to the highest level in more than nine months, a sign harsh winter weather may be stalling the job market’s progress.

Jobless claims increased by 7,000 to 320,000 in the week ended Feb. 28, the most since May, from 313,000 in the prior period, a Labor Department report showed Thursday in Washington.

(snip)

The four-week average of claims, a less-volatile measure than the weekly figure, climbed to 304,750 from 294,500 the week before.

The number of people continuing to receive jobless benefits increased by 17,000 to 2.42 million in the week ended Feb. 21.

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Today Is the Day To Make TWUUG Your LUG 0

Learn about the wonderful world of free and open source. Learn how to use computers to do what you want, not what someone else wants you to do.

It’s not hard; it’s just different.

Tidewater Unix Users Group

What: Monthly TWUUG Meeting. (If can’t attend, you can always join the forums.)

Who: Everyone in TideWater/Hampton Roads with interest in any/all flavors of Unix/Linux. There are no dues or signup requirements. All are welcome.

Where: Lake Taylor Transitional Care Hospital in Norfolk Training Room. See directions below. (Wireless and wired internet connection available.) Turn right upon entering, then left at the last corridor and look for the open meeting room.

When: 7:30 PM till whenever (usually 9:30ish) on Thursday, March 5.

Directions:
Lake Taylor Hospital
1309 Kempsville Road
Norfolk, Va. 23502 (Map)

Pre-Meeting Dinner at 6:00 PM (separate checks)
Uno Chicago Grill
Virginia Beach Blvd. & Military Highway (Janaf Shopping Center). (Map)

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Merchants of Derp 0

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QOTD 0

Harold Coffin:

A consumer is a shopper who is sore about something.

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Rationality 0

Iranian Prime Minister on phone of President Obama:  Dude, yeah, of course we are open to negotiations.  We're Iranians, not Republicans.

Via Job’s Anger.

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The Snaring Society 0

Der Spiegel takes a look at the megalomaniacs of Silicon Valley and finds it’s not a pretty sight. Here’s a bit; the entire article is worth your while.

The new “masters of the universe,” though, are fundamentally different from their predecessors: Their primary focus isn’t on money. They don’t want to just determine what we consume, but how we consume it and how we live. They aren’t trying to capture just one economic sector, but all of them. They aren’t stumbling haphazardly into the future, rather they are ideologues with a clear agenda. Indeed, aside from their astounding success, it is that ideology that makes them unique. The religion of Wall Street is money. But the religion of Silicon Valley goes much deeper. It is driven by substance; it is the unfailing belief in a message.

That message holds that technology can change humanity for the better. The people from the valley who hope to reshape the world fundamentally believe that their high-tech solutions will create a better future for all of mankind just as pious Hindus believe in reincarnation. But they are not interested in external interference. The Silicon Valley elite has little use for policymakers and considers regulation to be more than just a hindrance, they see it as an anachronism. Their message seems to be: If societal values such as privacy and data protection stand in the way, then we simply have to develop new values.

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Diploma Millstones 0

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Plus Ca Change, Redux 0

Nixon’s odious Southern Strategy rides again!

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Plus Ca Change 0

Alabama opts for nullification, because it worked so well the last time.

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