I support Ron Paul: How Satire Works

In this song I say I am voting for Ron Paul. Even though I spend the song talking about how bad Ron Paul is, since people are actually voting for Ron Paul, it’s not a joke, but will be used as moral justification for those who do. Just like the Chick-fil-A song is not a joke because people actually eat at Chick-fil-A and all the parts of the song that are talking about how bad Chick-fil-A is don’t count because people will use it as moral justification to eat there.

Sorry, it turns out I’m a big Ron Paul supporter and I didn’t even know it.  I think PZ’s going to kick me off FreethoughtBlogs now.

I support Ron Paul: How Satire Works
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Senate to Nikki Haley: Get off Facebook and do your fucking job

SC Senate votes to override Gov. Haley’s veto of rape crisis center funding. Bright, Bryant vote no

If you’d like to contact the two assholes who voted to hurt rape victims, here is their contact information, taken from the senate website:

Senator Lee Bright

Senator Lee Bright

Business Phone (803) 212-6108

Home Phone (864) 576-6742

Business Phone (864) 587-1800

Send message to Senator Bright

Senator Kevin L. Bryant

Senator Kevin L. Bryant

Business Phone (803) 212-6024

Cell Phone (864) 202-8394

Send message to Senator Bryant

And here’s Nikki Haley’s Facebook message that earned her such censure:
veto of SC Coalition of Domestic Violence $453,680. Special interests made their way into the DHEC budget. This is not about the merit of their fights but the back door way of getting the money. It’s wrong and another loophole for legislators and special interests to use.
If there’s a veto message that needs to be overridden, it is THIS one! ~Senator Knotts

If there are people in this state that need assistance, it’s the victims of rape and sexual assault. It’s money well spent. ~Senator Knotts

You need to spend a little less time on Facebook, and a little more time being a stateswoman.” – Senator Lourie

“Governor Haley had the audacity to call victims a special interest group. I am embarassed.” Senator Joel Lourie

How do you go about getting a recall process created?

Joel Lourie kicking Nikki Haley’s ass

Senate to Nikki Haley: Get off Facebook and do your fucking job

I get e-mail! Noboma fo fou mo yrs

The following is an e-mail I received from family. Feel free to go nuts in the comments.  Everything presented as it was, with names removed.

These are all govt stats & are only the tip of the iceberg.  What did you expect from a couple disbarred lawyers whose only “job” had been a inner city community worker?   Sure will be interesting to see if anyone but non caucasians vote for oboma husain for four more years of these stats.

He is the most inexperience President in our history.  He is the most corrupt President in our history.  He is the most destructive to our Constitution in our history.  Noboma fo fou mo yrs.

Subject: Stats

 

You decide – 4 more years????

CHECK ON THE DIFFERENCE IN YOUR INHERITANCE TAX OBAMA WANTS?

I get e-mail! Noboma fo fou mo yrs

Arts Commission Veto Overridden by House and Senate

29-10

Thank you all for calling, e-mailing, and sharing the post! I seem to have gotten something in my eyes, immensely grateful to all of you.

Will update on further arts votes and the rape crisis center votes as well, but I don’t have time to liveblog today.

UPDATE:

29-12

Art grant money survives as well.

Arts Commission Veto Overridden by House and Senate

Liveblog: Haley vetoes in the house

The house is voting today on the Haley vetoes.  The senate will vote tomorrow.  You can watch here: http://www.scstatehouse.gov/video/videopage.php?chamber=H

List of vetoes here: http://www.thestate.com/2012/07/07/2344499/haley-issues-budget-vetoes.html#storylink=misearch

Veto 1: Destroy the Arts Commission – Override 110-5 (FUCK YEAH)

Veto 2: Destroy EPSCOR Funding (Research at Universities) – Sustain 70-45

Veto 3: Destroy Sea Grant Consortium (Research at Universities) – Override 110-10

Veto 4: Remove Funding Writing Improvement Network (Education Funding) – Override 93-22

Veto 5: Remove Funding SC Geographic Alliance at USC – Override 87-24

Veto 6: Remove Certificate of Need (Healthcare program) – Override 106-6

Veto 7: Don’t Increase Teacher Salary – Override 113-1

Veto 8: Remove Funding Governor’s School for Math & Science – Override 109-3

Veto 9: Remove Mental Health Maintenance Funding – Sustain 34-76 (the department actually requested they sustain this)

Veto 10: Remove Fund Senate Committee on Children – Sustain 58-53

Veto 11: Remove Fund Education Oversight Committee – Override 80-34

Veto 12: Remove Funding to Electronically File Judicial Department stuff – Override 108-6

Veto 13: Prevent stimulus funding spending – Sustain 9-105 (All the money’s been spent anyway lol)

Veto 14: Something about ETC that was meant to be deleted anyway – Sustain 0-109

Veto 15: Something already taken care of – Sustain 105-0

Veto 16: Prevent competitive bidding for school bus repair – Sustain 60-54

Veto 17: Remove funding from two bus maintenance facilities – Sustain 61-51

Veto 18: Prevent Expanded Education Committee Power – Sustain 74-39

Veto 19: Prevent Admissions Taxes Funds to go to State Museum – Sustain 54-57

Veto 20: Prevent Spreading of Unemployment over Previous Employers – Sustain 32-75

Veto 21: Prevent Funding New Arts Commission Grants – Override 89-25

Veto 22: Prevent Funding of County Vital Records – Override 88-26

Veto 23: Prevent Change in Lake Authority (?) – Sustain 0-102 (it’s already in law or something)

Veto 24: Prevent Funding Equipment – Sustain 0-111 (Department says they don’t need it)

Veto 25: Prevent Funding DMV Training – Sustain 8-93 (Department says they don’t need it)

Veto 26: Prevent Funding Irmo Veteran Park – Sustain 26-74

Veto 27: Prevent Funding Patriot Park – Sustain 43-68

Veto 28: Prevent Funding Advertising Southeastern Wildlife Expo – Override 89-23

Veto 29: Prevent Local DoT Funding – Sustain  0-109 (Found different source of funding)

Veto 30: Fund Anderson Firestation – Sustain 45-67

Veto 31: Prevent Funding North Myrtle Beach Museum – Sustain 34-77

Veto 32: Prevent Funding Charleston African-American Historical Sites Preservation – Sustain 63-50

Veto 33: Prevent Hilton Head Land Buying Funding – Sustain 49-62

Veto 34: Prevent Funding Watershed Project (Flooding in Darlington) – Override 79-32

Veto 35: Prevent Funding Lake Maintenance on State Lake – Override 78-32

Veto 36: Prevent Funding Center for Fathers and Families (Program prevents sending men to prison over child support, saves massive money for the state, Nikki Haley is an idiot) – Sustain 64-50 (Everyone is an idiot)

Veto 37: Prevent Funding Department of Disabilities – Override 105-0

Veto 38: Prevent Funding Housing for Humanity – Sustain (Don’t have count)

Veto 39: Prevent Funding DSS Women in Unity – Override 70-34

Veto 40: Prevent Funding DSS Tri-City Outreach – Sustain 52-52

Veto 41: Prevent Funding DSS Center for Children – Sustain 45-55

Veto 42: Prevent Funding DSS Center for Community Care – Sustain 33-74

Veto 43: Prevent Funding DSS After School Care – Sustain 37-72

Veto 44: Prevent Funding for Tech Colleges – Override 81-24

Veto 45: Prevent Funding for University of Greenville Technology Center – Sustain 20-89 (Univ said it was fine to sustain)

Veto 46: Prevent Funding Clemson Plant Tech Lab – Override 96-11

Veto 47: Prevent Funding Clemson Operating – Override 89-14

Veto 48: Prevent Funding University of Charleston Tech Project – Override 77-28

Veto 49: Prevent Funding Increase SC Manufacturers Extension Program – Sustain 45-64

Veto 50: Prevent Funding AIDS Drug Assistance – Override 88-22

Veto 51: Prevent Funding SC Coalition against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault – Override 111-0 (FUCK YOU NIKKI HALEY)

Veto 52: Prevent Funding Kidney Evacuation Program – Override 92-13

Veto 53: Prevent Funding Hemophilia Assistance – Override 107-1

Veto 54: Prevent Funding Rural Benefit Bank – Sustain 41-67

Veto 55: Prevent Funding Sickle Cell Foundation – Override 107-0

Veto 56: Prevent Funding Head Lice Program – Sustain 28-78 (Apparently DHEC wants it sustained)

Veto 57: Prevent Funding Secretary of State Tech Update – Sustain 42-66

Veto 58: Prevent Funding Dept of Natural Resources Tech Updates – Override 93-16

Veto 59: Prevent Funding Indigent Defense Tech Updates – Override 77-29

Veto 60: Prevent Funding School Tech Updates – Override 82-24

Veto 61: Prevent Funding Rural Infrastructure – Sustain 70-37 (this is apparently a surprise)

Veto 62: Prevent Funding Vocational Rehab – Override 108-0

Veto 63: Prevent Funding Window Replacement – Override 86-24

Veto 64: Prevent Funding Audit – Override 78-32

Veto 65: Prevent Funding Dept of Agriculture Marketing – Override 93-17

Veto 66: Prevent Funding Dept of Agriculture Marketing – Override 76-33

Veto 67: Prevent National Mortgage Settlement  – Override 75-34 (spent like 9 million years arguing about this UGH)

Veto 68: Prevent School Improvement Council – Override 93-12

Veto 69: Prevent Funding School Improvement Council – Sustain 66-46

Veto 70: Prevent Funding Governor’s School of Arts & Humanities – Override 97-8

Veto 71: Prevent EOC Efficiency Review – Override 76-33

Veto 72: Prevent Review of Pilot Project – Override 77-32

Veto 73: Something about ports that Haley thinks will hurt Jasper – Override 110-0

Veto 74: Something about ports that Haley thinks will hurt Jasper – Override 110-1

Liveblog: Haley vetoes in the house

Watch me argue with a bunch of punks: with drinking game

FtB did another video podcast, if that’s what they’re called, in which we talked about education.  If you’d like to see me all huffy about education being a social justice issue (WHICH IT IS) feel free to skip forward to 1:04:45.

Drink every time Chris Rodda says David Barton
Drink every time PZ mocks JT for video games
Drink every time JT and I start laughing apparently unrelated to anything happening in the conversation
Drink every time Nikki Haley is a horrible person

PS: EDUCATION IS A SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUE

Watch me argue with a bunch of punks: with drinking game

Nikki Haley also vetoed funding to help rape victims

Nikki Haley looks like Human Ursula, enough said

I know, you’re all probably sick of hearing about how horrible my governor is.  In defense of my homestate, we didn’t *all* vote for her and her approval rating is not great, though depressingly high all things considered.

I wrote about the Arts Commission and many of you wrote on my behalf, for which I am immensely grateful.  This other issue, the one of defunding rape crisis centers is less personal to me, but even crueler to people of South Carolina.  Of course, Nikki Haley is the same woman who said, “Women don’t care about contraception”, so perhaps it is unreasonable to be surprised that she is saying that helping victims of sexual assault and domestic abuse is a distraction from *real* health issues.

The good news is that we’re only seventh in the country for women being killed by men!  There are states worse than us!

The SCCADVASA has a statement that’s worth reading, which includes the following info:

The $453,956 that the Governor vetoed will result in a 37% decrease in funding for rape crisis centers.  In FY 11-12, the total amount distributed to rape crisis centers was $648,114, which included both recurring and non-recurring funds.  If the veto stands, the total amount available for programs serving the entire state will be only he recurring $403,956.

They also have a letter from a survivor, one that I cannot read without crying:

The man has yet to be caught, but when he is caught, I KNOW I can call the rape crisis center and they will be with me as I identify him. They will be with me as they prosecute him. That gives me COMFORT. Comfort KNOWING that these individuals witness the pain of women EVERYDAY who are raped. The comfort that they are out there HELPING individuals gain back SOME of their normal life. They help women become survivor, not victims as best they can.

I did NOT choose to be raped that night. I was ASLEEP in MY HOME, yet you are cutting a budget for people that did NOTHING WRONG!!!!! They did NOT choose this pain, they were forced upon with this pain. HOW CAN YOU TAKE WHAT HELP, COMFORT, SUPPORT they have????? How can you take that away from them, from me, for a mother and father’s daughter?????

Here are the contact links again if you want to tell the legislature to override:

All the Senators: http://www.scstatehouse.gov/email.php?T=M&C=SMEMBERS

All the House Members: http://www.scstatehouse.gov/email.php?T=M&C=HMEMBERS

The good news is that Nikki Haley is making lots of people hate her.  Ms. covered the story and we’ve gotten delightful articles, including one that names her TART of the year — TART being the “Taxes Are Rape Too” group.  Many of the people who have contacted the legislature have gotten positive responses, so there is hope.

Nikki Haley also vetoed funding to help rape victims

I get email: ALL White People

I have a great aunt who likes to send me e-mails and I got one today that I felt I had to share. Not because it’s good, but because I am sure many of you don’t have the un-privilege of being related to southern “poor white trash“. And so I present to you this e-mail which left me dumbstruck. It’s important to remember that the woman who sent this to me does not think that this is a racist e-mail. All original ridiculous font choices preserved.

Old White People And young white people ALL white people!
 
IF WE DON’T VOTE RED IN NOVEMBER, 2012, WE WILL LOSE EVERYTHING WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED IN 230 YEARS!

 

“Those who hide from current political reality will soon wonder where their American Liberty has gone.” DPM
HISPANIC LEADERS SPEAK OUT ——– “ALL You  white people, It is your duty to die.” 

Augustin Cebada
, Brown Berets; “Go back to Boston ! Go back to Plymouth Rock, Pilgrims! Get out! We are the future. You are old and tired. Go on. We have beaten you. Leave like beaten  rats. You oldwhite people. It is your duty to die. Through love of having children, we are going to take over.

Richard Alatorre
, Los Angeles City Council. “They’re afraid we’re going to take over the governmental institutions and other institutions. They’re right. We will take them over . . . We are here to stay.”

Excelsior
, the national newspaper of Mexico , “The American Southwest seems to be slowly returning to the jurisdiction of Mexico without firing a single shot.”

Professor Jose Angel Gutierrez
, University of Texas ; “We have an aging white America . They are not making babies. They are dying. The explosion is in our population . . . I love it. They are shitting in their pants with fear. I love it.”

Art Torres
, Chairman of the California Democratic Party, “Remember 187–proposition to deny taxpayer funds for services to non-citizens–was the last gasp of white America in California .”

Gloria Molina
, Los Angeles County Supervisor, “We are politicizing every single one of these new citizens that are becoming citizens of this country . . … I gotta tell you that a lot of people are saying, “I’m going to go out there and vote because I want to pay them back.”

Mario Obledo
, California Coalition of Hispanic Organizations and California State Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare under Governor Jerry Brown, also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton, ” California is going to be a Hispanic state. Anyone who doesn’t like it should leave.”

Jose Pescador Osuna
, Mexican Consul General, “We are practicing ‘La Reconquista’ in California ..”

Professor Fernando Guerra
, Loyola Marymount University ; “We need to avoid a white backlash by using codes understood by Latinos . . . ”

WHEN I WAS YOUNG
:
When I was young, I remember hearing about the immigrants that came through Ellis Island .. They wanted to learn English. They wanted to breathe free. They wanted to become Americans. Now too many immigrants come here with demands. They demand to be taught in their own language. They demand special privileges–affirmative action. They demand ethnic studies that glorify their culture.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?
:
Send copies of this letter to at least two other people, 100 would be even better. Help us get the word out.


R
emember when you vote this year that we need someone in the White House who will balance the budget and control illegal immigration. If we make all illegals, legal, then we have lost our country forever. Liberalism will have won and you will have a one party system forever. Redistribution of wealth will be the law. It is called socialism. Our country is heading in the wrong direction and we are doing it to ourselves without serious protest
 
ALL AMERICANS SHOULD BE DISTURBED, VERY DISTURBED BY THIS. WHAT A SHAME, THAT NOT ENOUGH AMERICANS HAVE THE BACK BONE TO STAND UP AND SAY, “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH”. IT IS TIME WE TOOK OUR COUNTRY BACK!

… but I like the immigrant version better. I am completely unable to grasp this. What are they afraid of?

I get email: ALL White People

Help me save South Carolina, the arts, and my mom

Over the weekend, the governor, Nikki Haley, destroyed the South Carolina Commission for the Arts — the cut was such that the 20 people who work there cannot show up to work today, can’t even go into their building, because of liability issues.  The arts in South Carolina brings in $9.2 billion and creates 78,000 jobs at a cost of 1.9 million to the Arts Commission.  It’s a phenomenally stupid cut — our state has one of the two best arts in education programs in the country!  We don’t do a lot well in South Carolina, but this is one of the few we really do.  And now we’re about to be the only state in the country without a public arts agency.

This is political, but I have to let you know it’s deeply personal as well.  I have worked for the Commission, I know everyone who works there, the arts and arts education are extremely important to me, and my mother is the president of the foundation board.  My mother has worked with them for over half of my life — for 15 years she has been on their board and this is her third year as president. Nikki Haley is messing with my mother — that is NOT COOL.

There is good news!  The SC legislature is returning next week to vote on it — the problem is that it is summer vacation and they may not all show.  They also may not get the 2/3rds majority needed to overturn the vetoes.  I need your help.  My mom needs your help.  My state, which is run by idiots but full of wonderful people, needs your help.

Please contact the SC Representatives and Senators and urge them to vote to override Vetoes #1 and #21 – to keep the doors open at the Arts Commission!  Also, let them know that the rest of the vetoes are pretty crappy too — taking money from teachers, schools, important scientific research, and programs to help victims of sexual violence.

Here’s a single contact form to get in touch with:

All the Senators: http://www.scstatehouse.gov/email.php?T=M&C=SMEMBERS

All the House Members: http://www.scstatehouse.gov/email.php?T=M&C=HMEMBERS

I know many of you aren’t from my state, but I think FtB has the power and this movement has the power to put some pressure on these people, and if you’re from South Carolina, you must do this!  Tell them to show up!  Tell them to override the vetoes!  Help my mom!

Ken May, Executive Director, “The state can’t wrest my cellphone from my grip”

EDIT: Passing the need on and sharing is something that you can do to help even if you don’t contact the politicians, please share. And it is on reddit.http://www.reddit.com/r/atheism/comments/w9og0/help_me_save_south_carolina_the_arts_and_my_mom/

Help me save South Carolina, the arts, and my mom

South Carolina Judge: I Sentence You to Read the Bible

Perhaps I should just start a regular feature called “My Dumb Home State”.  South Carolina is known basically for being an embarrassment, and we like to continue that tradition thoroughly and frequently.  You may or may not remember that the ACLU sued a prison in SC for only allowing the inmates access to one book, The Bible.

A woman was convicted of drunk driving and, among her other sentences, was also sentenced by the judge to read and write a book report on the Book of Job.  Aside from the arbitrariness of the sentence, it is also, at best, extremely borderline on that whole church/state separation issue.  According to the news report, the assignment was an attempt on the judge to be compassionate by showing that God could hurt people and then treat them well in the end — it was a way of communicating to the woman that, though her life had been difficult, it wouldn’t necessarily always be so.

I can see the compassion of the statement he was trying to convey, though I am not sure that Job is the best way to get that message across.  It is one of the stories that most demonstrates the capriciousness and chaotic neutral approach that God generally takes.  It is very easy to hate God in that story; it’s difficult not to.  I’m also sure that there are many other, better stories of people who were real who had difficult lives and went to jail but ended up being quite successful (Danny Trejo, Stephen Fry, etc.).

As compassionate as it is though, that is the job of her pastor, not of her judge.  He has no place trying to guide her spiritual life and certainly no place using the authority of the state to enforce it.  I don’t think he is a bad guy and, as mistakes go, I think this is one that doesn’t begin to measure up to not allowing prisoners to read anything but The Bible, but that doesn’t make it OK either.

South Carolina Judge: I Sentence You to Read the Bible