From Pine View Farm

April, 2015 archive

This Thing Is Not What You Think It Is 0

Gins and Tacos points out the misreading.

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Facebook Frolics 0

Facebook says, “Privacy, schmivacy. I’m going to take my electrons and go home.

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“Idiocy Is Bipartisan” 0

Jon Stewart cross-examines Judith Miller, clueless shill, on her role in mongering the Great and Glorious Patriotic War for a Lie in Iraq.

Below the fold in case it autoplays.

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Torturous Reasoning 0

Shaun Mullen looks at recently disclosed evidence that the American Psychological Association is complicit in torture and other war crimes. A nugget:

In early June 2004, the report said, a senior APA official issued an invitation to a carefully selected group of psychologists and behavioral scientists inside the government to a private meeting to discuss the Bush administration’s public relations crisis and the role of psychologists in the torture program. Following a meeting, the association issued guidelines that reaffirmed that it was acceptable for its members to be involved in the interrogation program.

Read the rest, and weep.

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

A feet of politeness:

On Wednesday at 3:42 p.m. Racine County dispatchers was advised there was a patient at the Aurora Memorial Hospital of Burlington with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the foot, according to a news release issued late Wednesday.(snip)The preliminary investigation shows the injury was a result of a hunting accident, according to the release.

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For the Sport of It 0

Urban decathalon:

Via Job’s Anger.

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Nothing To Do, Nowhere To Go 0

Somewhat better.

Applications for U.S. jobless benefits declined last week to the lowest level in 15 years, showing employers view a first-quarter slowdown in the economy is probably temporary.

First-time filings for unemployment insurance fell by 34,000 to 262,000 in the week ended April 25, the lowest since April 15, 2000, a Labor Department report showed Thursday in Washington.

(snip)

The four-week average of claims, a less-volatile measure than the weekly figure, declined to 283,750 from 285,000 in the prior week.The number of people continuing to receive jobless benefits dropped by 74,000 to 2.25 million in the week ended April 18, the lowest level since December 2000.

In related news, Bloomberg needs to send its “experts” back to the minors.

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“Outside Agitators” 0

When I was a young ‘un, it was common for segregationists out to perpetuate “Our Way of Life” (TM) to blame the Civil Rights Movement on “outside agitators,” because, natch “our darkies” (as they would say) were happy working for pittances and living in shacks.

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QOTD 0

Robert Green Ingersoll:

Tolerance is giving to every other human being every right that you claim for yourself.

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All That Was Old Is New Again 0

Jon Stewart tries to survive the Blitzer.

Below the fold in case it autoplays.

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Facebook Frolics 0

Pedantic” has negative connotations for a reason.

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Those Who Forget the Past etc. 0

Werner Herzog’s Bear explains.
Just read it.

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

Politeness must be inculcated from a young age.

A Pocatello firefighter who lives in Chubbuck has been charged with misdemeanor injury to a child in the accidental shooting death of 5-year-old Noelle Aston Shawver, of Blackfoot, last July by another 5-year-old.

(snip)

The little girl was killed after being struck by a bullet discharged from a firearm held by another 5-year-old child on the afternoon of July 30, 2014, at Lish’s home. Adults in the home at the time were in another room.

Afterthought:

Just for grins and giggles, consider whether this would be a misdemeanor were the persons involved black in Baltimore.

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Words from On High 0

Plutocrat on top of huge pile of money to protestor holding

Via the Bob and Chez Show Blog.

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The Occupation 0

Steven D.

Afterthought:

Q. What is the difference between a riot and an uprising?

A. Who writes the press release.

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If One Standard Is Good, Two Must Be Better 0

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QOTD 0

Steven Levitt:

You’d be a fool or a deluded idealist to think ethics would be prominent on Wall Street. That is not a statement against people in the money business, just a fact.

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Twits on Twitter 0

Twisty twits.

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“Banking on Bigots” 0

Via Kos.

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Religious Schism 2

Dick Polman sees cracks in the Republican coalition between the Masters of Mammon who would run the Republican Party and the Miss Grundies on whose votes they rely.

But on this day when gay marriage is being argued in the U.S. Supreme Court, the God squad and the corporate world are seemingly on the verge of divorce.

Third-tier Republican presidential hopeful Bobby Jindal is trying to repair the breach, in a hilariously ham-handed fashion, and we’ll get to him soon.

Marriage equality is the key point of contention between the factions, and their differences seem irreconcilable. Christian conservatives, who comprise a huge chunk of the party base, believe that gay unions are bad for the nation’s moral character. But corporate leaders have come to believe that right-wing intolerance is bad for business.

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