From Pine View Farm

“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

Another oxymoronic “responsible gun owner.”

Another car.

Another improperly stored firearm.

Another child.

Our society’s addiction to lead is killing us.

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Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0

In the course of a longer article debunking a rumor that AI bots are being “trained” on DropBox documents, security expert Bruce Schneier observes (emphasis added)

It seems not to be true. Dropbox isn’t sharing all of your documents with OpenAI. But here’s the problem: we don’t trust OpenAI. We don’t trust tech corporations. And—to be fair—corporations in general. We have no reason to.

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QOTD 0

Robert Quillen:

Discussion is an exchange of knowledge; argument an exchange of ignorance.

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And Round and Round We Go 0

It would seem that Donald Trump’s lawyers’ strategy can be summed up as, “If at first you don’t succeed, do the same thing harder.”

From Above the Law:

On Friday, defense lawyers in the former president’s civil fraud case in New York filed a fifth motion for directed verdict repeating again the same arguments they’ve been making for two years without success.

    Trump never lied on his financial statements. Or if he lied, he had an “ironclad disclaimer clause” that immunized him from prosecution. And nobody was hurt by his fake finances, it’s a victimless crime. Anyway how can there be a “lie” about subjective valuations, it’s all vibes, man. Plus Michael Cohen is a liar, and the state has no authority to bring this case. Also, if the original loan is outside the statute of limitations, then all the annual statements of finance submitted to the lender are time-barred. So, please don’t murder the Trump Org?

Justice Arthur Engoron wasn’t persuaded the first 1,000 times Trump made these arguments, and he didn’t break his streak yesterday. Although, honestly he seemed a little bored with the whole thing.

Aside:

Methinks the point isn’t to win the motion; it’s to delay the arguments.

Delay has always been Trump’s primary strategy when someone wants to call him to account.

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Letters of Apology 0

Empty words.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

These are persons who tried to steal an election and got caught.

Frankly, it would not surprise me if they or their cohorts tried again.

We live in parlous times.

H/T to Job’s Anger.

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Lies and Lying Liars 0

Seth takes a closer look at Donald Trump’s poisonous, hate-full rhetoric and perfidious plans and at the right-wing news machine’s attempts to pretend they aren’t.

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Still Rising Again after All These Years 0

It looks like old times there may not be forgotten.

Shawn and Monica Williams, like many others, retired in the Grand Strand (a beachfront area in South Carolina–ed.), but a scary encounter has them questioning if it’s safe to stay.

The Black couple said they walked outside to a burning cross facing their home over Thanksgiving weekend.

“There was a cross burning about eight feet from our fence,” Monica said. “We were speechless because we’ve never experienced something like that.”

More at the link.

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The Lump of Coal 0

Republican Elephant sits on Santa's lap saying,

Click to view the original image.

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Courting Disaster 0

The hustling hustler.

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Fly the Fiendly Skies . . . 0

. . . and meet some oxymoronic “responsible gun owners.”

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QOTD 0

Brigitte Bardot:

Only idiots refuse to change their minds.

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A Tune for the Times 0

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The Christmas List 0

Santa:  Ho Ho Ho!  Well, now, aren't you an adorable little tyke.  What would you like for your Christmas this year, my young friend?  Sparky:  Well, I've been giving it some thought.  I'd really like a resolution to the Israel-Gaza war that respects the humanity of the civilians caught in the current slaughter and provides a viable path to peaceful co-existence.   I'd like America to recognize the existential threat to democracy posed by Trump and to unambiguously consign him and his entire movement to the dustbin of history.  And I'd like the imminent and undeniable threat of climate change to be addressed with real and substantive policies before it is literally too late for life on this planet as we know it.  (Pause)  Santa:

Click for the original image.

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Chickened Noodle 0

Florida Man.

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Russian Impulses 0

Putin their money where their allegiance mouth is.

Bell-ringing Santa with a pot labeled

Click to view the original image.

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No There There 0

David dissects the doubletalk.

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

Another child is offered to the NRA’s leaden idol.

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Still Rising Again after All These Years 0

Charles B. Dew reminds us that, despite the words in the song, today’s planter class wants old times there to be forgotten. (Methinks that may be why they want to ban the teaching of factual history.)

And he offers evidence of why they want those times forgotten.

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Dis Coarse Discourse 0

At the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Denis Knock wonders, “What’s in a name-calling?”

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QOTD 0

Hermann Hess:

Those who cannot think or take responsibility for themselves need, and clamor for, a leader.

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