From Pine View Farm

2022 archive

Fly the Fiendly Skies 0

New vistas of fiendliness open before you every day.

Or you might even find yourself sitting next to Florida Man.

We are a society of stupid.

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Stray Question 0

Who would have thought that, if you conspire to overthrow the government, you could be found guilty in court of conspiring to overthrow the government?

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QOTD 0

Vincent Price, in the voice of Simon Templar*:

Youth has no monopoly on idiocy.

_____________________

*In The Missing Bridegroom

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An Unregulated Militia 0

Frames One through Five:  Series of persons in front of venues that have been the scene of recent mass shootings, all saying,

Click for the original image.

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society,” Reprise 0

Ned Barnett runs the numbers. A snippet:

Second Amendment zealots say that people, not guns, kill people. But when a nation has more guns than people ­— 393 million guns and 326 million people — the prevalence of guns is going to lead to the demise of people through intentional shootings, accidents or suicides. The toll is more than 110 people every day.

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

Yet another child is sacrificed on the NRA’s idol of lead.

One more time, “accident” and “negligence” are not synonyms.

Afterthought:

Some years ago, when I lived in Delaware, I took a defensive driving course so as to reduce my car insurance rates. (No, I didn’t have any tickets or anything like that. It was all about the Benjamims. The one ticket I ever got came later, and I richly deserved it, as I forgot to come off cruise control in time, but that’s another story.)

The Delaware state trooper who taught the course mentioned that, in the course, they no longer referred to “accidents”; rather, they referred to “collisions,” because, in almost all cases, if a driver had done something–even one thing–different, the accident collision would not have happened. (As an aside, the traffic reporters on my local NPR station do not talk of “accidents”; they talk of “crashes,” I suspect for a similar reason.)

It is well beyond time that police spokespersons and news outlets reporting on gun nut negligence should have adopted the same practice.

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The Bullies’ Pulpit 0

Sam and his crew discuss the right-wing’s demonization of LGBTQ persons, the Colorado Springs shooting, and the hypocrisy of Republicans’ reaction thereunto.

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The Standoff 0

Crowd standing at foot of steps of impressive building holding signs reading

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The Deposit 0

Honest to Pete, you can’t make this stuff up.

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The Crypto Con 0

Musical Notes
Another one bites the dust.

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QOTD 0

Jeremy Irons:

Civility, politeness, it’s like a cement in a society: binds it together. And when we lose it, then I think we all feel lesser and slightly dirty because of it.

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‘Tis the Season 0

Republican Elephant sitting on Santa's lap.   A long piece of paper dangles from his grip.  Elephant says to nonplussed looking Santa,

Via Yellowdoggranny.

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All the News that Fits, Foxy Shady Dept. 0

Scare tactics.

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A Toy Story 0

Florida Man.

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The Me Veneration 0

Donald Trump, holding a sign reading

Click to view the original image.

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

Yet another incident of passing politeness:

“On scene, the complainant stated a male was driving a white Nissan Armada and pointed a gun at him, and his 5-year-old daughter, during a road rage incident,” the probable cause statement says.

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Dis Coarser Discourse 0

Arnie D. Fielkow and Tracie Washington, writing at NOLA.com, have a history of political disagreements. However, writing at NOLA.com, they report that there is one thing on which they do agree. Two snippets:

Never in our lifetimes have we experienced the level of hate, anger and hostility over our politics, economy, foreign policy, and even the meaning of democracy. Incidents of antisemitism, racism and bigotry are at frightening levels, and legitimate questions are being raised regarding what America is and really stands for. Respectful discourse has almost become a relic of the past and many are afraid — with good reason — to even express personal views.

(snip)

Clearly, the actions and dog-whistles of certain political leadership have empowered and legitimized bigots. Most thought neo-Nazis and the KKK were in the past, but frighteningly they have publicly re-emerged with new allies from QAnon, the Proud Boys, and others. Who would have ever thought that our nation’s Capitol would be attacked or, maybe worse, that some would try to justify one of the worst days in US history? Is this really the America we all want?

Meanwhile, Will Bunch offers a theory as to the underlying cause; follow the link for his complete essay:

The antisemiti, the homophobia, the violence … this isn’t the American right flexing its muscles out of strength. Quite the opposite. The forces of 400 years of white supremacy culture are like a wounded bear right now — lashing out, and extremely dangerous because its proponents know they are a seriously endangered species.

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Cored Values 0

Michael in Norfolk notes that Republicans, particularly evangelical they-call-themselves Christians have redefined “freedom of religion” to “freedom to religion.” A nugget from his article:

For many years now, the Christofascists and their puppets within the Republican Party have defined “religious freedom” to be an unfettered ability to inflict one set of religious beliefs on all of society . . . .

(Broken link fixed.)

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QOTD 0

Steve Allen:

Ideas have consequences, and totally erroneous ideas are likely to have destructive consequences.

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“Look in the Mirror, Boy” 0

A reader of the Portland Press Herald channels Pogo in her letter to the editor.

(Syntax error corexxted.)

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