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NickB79

(20,066 posts)

32. A friend of mine lost an arm to a PTO shaft a few years ago

Wed Aug 6, 2025, 10:16 AM

Aug 6

While working on his farm.

A neighbor died back in the 90's because the anhydrous ammonia fertilizer tank popped it's seal and he inhaled a full breath of gas.

As a kid, every night in winter I'd come in from the barns coughing up black phlem from all the dust in the hog barns, because you close all the doors tight when it's -25F outside.

And the pesticides and herbicides, my God. I still remember my dad elbows deep in a sprayer tank of atrazine mix. I'm amazed he's as healthy as he is.

Oh, and going through the old baby book my mom kept, I found a note she wrote when I was 3: "Nick got kicked by a cow today." Like, WTF Mom!

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kcoates

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Highlight:

Trump's agriculture secretary doubles down on suggestion people should work on farms to avoid losing Medicaid [View all] BumRushDaShow Aug 6 OP

"with limited exceptions for parents and caretakers with young children," In other words, it seems Repugs riversedge Aug 6 #1

They have plans for those kids... BumRushDaShow Aug 6 #2

No, you read it the opposite, people with little kids are exempt from work req's AZJonnie Aug 6 #3

LIMITED exemptions. LIMITED is the key word here. Irish_Dem Aug 6 #5

It's worded poorly. Igel Aug 6 #12

Everything they write is a lie anyway. Irish_Dem Aug 6 #13

It means the 'right' people will be exempted...not your or my family, but theirs. pecosbob Aug 6 #16

I took 'limited' to refer to the size of the class of people it applies to, as opposed the scale of the exemption AZJonnie Aug 6 #36

We are looking at psychopath language. Irish_Dem Aug 6 #37

I assumed the assertion was the authors language, and it was imprecise wrt what the law says AZJonnie Aug 6 #38

Yes money is no object when it comes to destroying Irish_Dem Aug 6 #40

Well, I think just about everyone on DU called this one. Dem2theMax Aug 6 #4

We need to make a requirement that secretaries of agriculture have to work on farms Walleye Aug 6 #6

I'd love to see Trump, Noem, Bondi, etc work on a farm for one day. Irish_Dem Aug 6 #14

Chop some wood, it'll do you good. multigraincracker Aug 6 #7

Doubleplusungood (r) BoRaGard Aug 6 #8

I grew up on a farm. Hundreds of beef cattle, corn, oats, hay grown to feed them over winter. twodogsbarking Aug 6 #9

farm work is also some of the most dangerous work. uncle ray Aug 6 #17

Yes you have been there. At least the manure in the barn generated some heat. Steaming ya know. twodogsbarking Aug 6 #19

I was a family farm slave while growing up. I remember clearly throwing those bales travelingthrulife Aug 6 #27

A friend of mine lost an arm to a PTO shaft a few years ago NickB79 Aug 6 #32

PTo shafts were the worst! uncle ray Aug 6 #39

I helped bale hay over a couple of summers when I was young. Alice B. Aug 6 #18

Itchy, very itchy. Hay splinters hurt. twodogsbarking Aug 6 #20

OMG yes. One of the guys said to just let the splinters work their way out on their own. Alice B. Aug 6 #21

Good times, eh. twodogsbarking Aug 6 #22

Good life lessons, I'll say that Alice B. Aug 6 #23

Some days we made 1,000 bales. All stacked in the barn too. Slept well. twodogsbarking Aug 6 #24

I don't think we did that many but I certainly remember having to stack them just so in the barn! Alice B. Aug 6 #25

Sounds like we had very similar childhoods NickB79 Aug 6 #31

You did the right thing. As I said, not like TV. Spraying maggots on cow flesh right before lunch can spoil your appetit twodogsbarking Aug 6 #34

and for those who already work? (which is the majority of recipients?) SOL? Javaman Aug 6 #10

Handouts for working people - bad MrsCheaplaugh Aug 6 #11

The Trump Crime Syndicate stealing billions of tax dollars. Irish_Dem Aug 6 #15

Lazy ass Republicans want you to work Historic NY Aug 6 #26

H ow do they get to the farm? Where do they stay? Srkdqltr Aug 6 #28

Chain gang duty, 2 weeks a month bucolic_frolic Aug 6 #29

"These are able-bodied Americans who are taking government handouts." This describes billionaires does it not? Ol Janx Spirit Aug 6 #30

The logistics alone would be a nightmare! SusieCreamcheese Aug 6 #33

If they don't, where are you going to get republianmushroom Aug 6 #35

There are a lot of people on Medicaid Luciferous Aug 6 #41

bastards literally want Matthew28 Aug 6 #42

This message was self-deleted by its author AllaN01Bear Aug 6 #43

If farms paid a decent wage, the workers wouldn't need to go on medicaid. (n/t) thesquanderer Aug 6 #44