From Pine View Farm

2024 archive

The Privatization Scam 0

In the Charlotte Observer, a doctor speaks out on how the privatization scam is harming public school students with disabilities in North Carolina. Here’s a bit of his article; follow the link for the rest.

By taking money away from public schools and giving it to private schools, North Carolina Republicans are creating a system in which more children with disabilities won’t have access to the accommodations that they are legally entitled to.

The lawmakers who voted for vouchers should know private-school funding with public money is not popular with voters. Across the country, ballot measures to publicly pay for private schools failed in 2024.

That’s why all our Republican legislators and Democratic Reps. Carla Cunningham, Michael Wray and Shelly Willingham waited until after the election to overturn Gov. Cooper’s veto. They knew it would be unpopular with voters and may cost them.

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Thanksgrifting 0

Donald Trump offers up a Thanksgiving turkey to his cabinet picks, saying,

Via Balloon Juice, which has some excellent commentary.

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“Economic Arson” 0

David sees a pattern. (Warning: Short commercial at the end.)

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

Another oxymoronic “responsible gun owner” practices random acts of politeness.

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A Dental Examination 0

Michael Hiltzik drills through the conspiracy mongering, deception, and outright lies behyind RFK Jr.’s crusade against fluoridated drinking water and concludes it could lead quite literally to decay in our society.

Here’s a bit:

Fluoridation revolutionized dentistry, especially for children. Fluoridation of tap water was credited with reducing the incidence of tooth decay by as much as 70% when it was first introduced; by the mid-1980s, when other sources of fluoride, such as fortified toothpastes, were available, the effects of tooth decay in children were still 18% lower among those living in fluoridation communities than in those without it.

Who would benefit from the end of community fluoridation and a recrudescence of tooth decay? Dental supply companies, investors in which are rubbing their hands in glee at the prospect of more demand for their products. For example, shares of Henry Schein Inc., a distributor of specialty dental products, have risen more than 9% since RFK Jr. was named as Trump’s choice for HHS secretary.

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QOTD 0

Jane Wagner:

A sobering thought: what if, at this very moment, I am living up to my full potential?

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“History Does Not Repeat Itself, but It Often Rhymes”* 0

Mrs. Betty Bowers hears a Thanksgiving rhyme.

________________

*Mark Twain.

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Kleptocracy 0

Jim Hightower sees a pattern in Trump’s cabinet picks:

This is what Trump & Company mean by saying they’ll make government “efficient.” Instead of corporate powers having to lobby regulators to get special favors, corporate officials will become the regulators.

Follow the link for the evidence.

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The Business Model 0

Donald Trump, flanked by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.  Musk says,

Click to view the original image.

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Taking Exception 0

Methinks this cartoonist has got it exactly backwards as to who failed to learn from history.

And methinks we shall all pay a great price for that failure to learn.

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A Notion of Immigrants 0

Farron points out that the Trump administration plans to target not just immigrants, but naturalized citizens.

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

Once again politeness becomes child’s play.

Then it goes for a ride.

So many guns.

So much stupid.

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It’s Bubblelicious 0

At Psychology Today Blogs, Amir Levine takes a deep look at “information bubbles”: Where they come from, how they work, and the dangers they pose. Here’s one of said dangers (emphasis in the original:

Vulnerability to misinformation: According to Yuval Noah Harari, we as a society are increasingly at risk for manipulation and surveillance by power brokers that may want to shape our political beliefs and attitudes by learning about our fears, wants, and lifestyle and creating misinformation messages that penetrate straight through to our chosen information bubble.

Follow the link for his recommendations as to how best to avoid getting caught in a bubble.

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QOTD 0

H. G. Wells:

It is not reasonable that those who gamble with men’s lives should not pay with their own.

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A Tune for the Times 0

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Kleptocracy in Action 0

PoliticalProf.

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The Criteria 0

Caption:  The only

Click to view the original image.

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The Pusher Men and Women 0

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

Yet another “responsible gun owner” feels compelled to expose his portable phallus while traversing the pavement.

We are a broken society.

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Culinary Creations 0

Bringing new meaning to the term, “happy meal” . . . .

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