From Pine View Farm

February, 2019 archive

The Conservative Climate Con 0

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Tales of the Trumpling: Snapshots of Trickle-Down Trumpery 0

A noose in New Jersey.

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QOTD 0

Robert Goldsborough, in the voice of Archie Goodwin (Robert Goldsborough continued the Nero Wolfe stories, with the permission of Rex Stout’s estate, quite by happy accident. He was not quite the writer that Stout was, but he did a yeoman-like job in the spirit of Stout. You can learn more here; I find this particular quotation quite prescient):

Given the way that men in this great country’s government have bollixed things up, more women holding office can only be seen as a good thing.

Goldsborough, Robert, Murder in the Ball Park (New York: MysteriousPress.com/Open Road, 2014), p. 176.

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His Moment of Defame 0

Elie Mystal comments on the defamation suit filed by the MAGA teen (AKA, “the little smirk”) against The Washington Post. After pointing out that truth is a defense against such a lawsuit, Mystal goes on to say

. . . winning a defamation lawsuit isn’t really the game we’re playing here. Instead, we’re fighting a new front in the culture wars, the front Trump has opened up against “the media.” Trump wants the media to be nice to him. Alleged sexual harassers like Clarence Thomas want to be able to punish the media for amplifying claims against them. MAGA wants their wild conspiracy theories and counter-factual views given equal time in mainstream sources.

Follow the link for context.

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“It Can Happen Here” 3

At The Sacramento Bee, Sasha Abramsky considers Donald Trump’s bogus “national emergency” and sounds a warning. An excerpt:

Trump has taken the country down a road that can only lead to fascism rather than the division of powers embodied in a democratic, constitutional system of governance. And the GOP’s congressional leaders, chief among them the opportunistic Senator McConnell, have signed off on this.

That, I suppose, should not be a surprise. At every step of the way over the past two years of Trump’s authoritarian and sadistic governance, when the GOP has had the chance to stand up to him and do the right thing, it has chosen instead to roll over. It has done exactly the wrong thing – choosing to placate its increasingly fanatical base, no matter the long-term damage to the country’s democratic infrastructure and global reputation.

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The Narcissism of Political Purists 0

My two or three regular readers know that one of my political pet peeves about “progressives” is the purists.

You know who they are: They’re the folks who say of one candidate or the other,

I agree with X on 95% of their positions, but I disagree with X on this one thing, so I’m going to cast a protest vote for [Jill Stein | Ralph Nader | Felix the Wondercat].

I think this video is germane.

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“Members Only” 0

Series of walls, labeled, from outer to inner,

Via Job’s Anger.

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“Mean for the Sake of Mean” 0

In The Roanoke Times, Nancy Liebrecht sums up the Trump administration’s governing philosophy. A snippet:

The Trump administration stated that its harsh policies were not new; it was just “enforcing existing law.” Members of the Obama administration, such as former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, specifically refuted this assertion, but now we have evidence in a Dec. 16, 2017, memo wherein a policy of deterrence was specifically outlined. In this memo Trump administration officials propose making conditions at the southern border so harsh that migrants will be deterred from the trek north. The memo described planned cruelty.

Donald Trump and his administration clearly view cruelty as an appropriate means of achieving their aims.

Follow the link for context.

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

Once again, politeness is child’s play.

Investigators say the boy was showing off his family’s gun collection to three girls inside the basement of a home on the 2000 block of Glendale Avenue Monday, shortly before 10:30 a.m. Monday. He then accidentally fired a gun he was holding and struck one of the girls in the face. Investigators say the boy didn’t realize the gun was loaded.

The child is being charged.

Thus passeth another day in the Garden of NRA Delights.

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Republican Family Values 0

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QOTD 0

E. H. Carr:

Change is certain. Progress is not.

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Geeking Out 0

Fluxbox on Mageia v. 6.

Screenshot

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The Jerk Quotient 0

This Psychology Today Blog post will help you understand our clear and president danger.

Read more »

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If One Standard Is Good, Two Must Be Better 0

Uncle Sam and Mitch McConnell looking a snorting, monstrous beast labeled

Click for the original image.

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United Skaters 0

Get out of Jail free cardShaun Mullen comments on the American politics of the free pass.

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Tales of the Trumpling: Snapshots of Trickle-Down Trumpery 0

A Trumpled fender.

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Taking Stock 0

Thom offers an inventory of actual crises.

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All in a Day’s Work 0

Image:  High-chair labeled

Via Job’s Anger.

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

Put a new spin on politeness.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office says the unidentified man was spinning a gun in his hand on Saturday when the weapon accidentally fired.

Authorities say the accidental shooting took place during a birthday party at the man’s home for his 16-year-old daughter.

Read more »

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Misdirection Play 0

Man says,

Click for the original image.

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