It’s not on the official website, but KHOI has a temporary space at First Baptist Church in Ames. Don’t worry…they’re about as liberal as a bunch of Christians can get, and they’re totally cool with subversive community radio stations. We’ll be there for a while to set up our streaming and also using the time to raise funds, reach out to the community, and find a permanent home that’s amenable to having a 70-90 foot tall tower out back for a microwave link to the transmitter. Things like that just don’t work in Campustown very well.
Massive Kitteh Cuteness
And veterinary history.
Oscar is a 3-year-old cat in England who lost his hind paws due to an accident. Veterinarians there have given him new hope with a set of prosthetics:
What a sweetie! H/T to BoingBoing.
Bigots Have A New Poll
The anti-homosexual bigots have a new poll: Public Advocate of the United States’s 2010 American Morality Survey. It’s meant to show how Americans oppose the Radical Satanic Homosexual Agenda, or something. I’m creeped out just linking to that. Now that we’re going down that path, here’s the sponsoring organization: Public Advocate of the United States. Ewwww.
Posted in Use the tags, Luke! -->
Tagged morality, Religious WTFitude, right-wing wankers, scum
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Touchdown Jesus Rebuked
Remember Touchdown Jesus in Ohio? The one that looked like a giant, slowly drowning butter statue? It burned down last night. The last picture on that link looks almost like some post-apocalyptic movie set, which is what I think the real Jesus (if there was one) would have done to this monstrosity.
I read somewhere (can’t remember the link offhand) that this statue cost $250,000, and the church that built it plans to fucking rebuild it. The builders said they made it to help others. Really, now…you could have used the money to support, say, a homeless shelter or food pantry. To the evangelicals who can’t get enough of the show, your own Jesus hated this kind of thing, only in his time it involved Pharisees and overly pious prayer and fasting in public.
I Just Thought I’d Share My Thoughts
I may vote in the primary tomorrow, and I may vote for Krause. I’m also glad Branstad is leading the Repug polls. Never thought I would say that.
Health Care Reform — the Battle Is Not Over
Health care reform passed Congress last night and is on its way to the President for signing, which will no doubt happen. (So much out there to link to, so just Google it.) The resulting bill has some good stuff in it, like eliminating pre-existing conditions and removing lifetime caps on coverage, and requiring all citizens with a few exceptions to carry health insurance (which should drive premiums down) and helping small businesses to pool together their insurance. (Again, so many sources out there…just Google it.)
But the battle is not over. Listen to John Boehner’s response to the legislation if you get the chance. Check it out below:
Republicans will be fighting this one for years, and it will be just like when we got Social Security. The right never forgave the left for that, either, and has been trying to gut it ever since, and they will try to kneecap this legislation over the coming years as well.
Another Case of Scared Christian Rightwingers
“It scares me. I’m a Christian,” [shop teacher Dale Halferty] said. “This witchcraft stuff – it’s terrible for our kids. It takes kids away from what they know, and leads them to a dark and violent life. We spend millions of tax dollars trying to save kids from that.”
Peacefully respecting the Earth and our fellow creatures is a “dark and violent” path, at least in Outer Right Wingnuttia. Simply put, fundies hold that any path that is not the right type of “Christian” is automatically dark, Satanic and hell-bound, and many fundies firmly believe that the Bible trumps any secular law. Also, I don’t get the “away from what they know” stuff. Is that supposed to mean that it takes them away from what (fundies think) they *should* know?
According to the article, 70 of the school’s 185 students signed a petition saying they didn’t want witchcraft practiced at their school. I worry for this kid, and the crap he will most likely face from his peers. I hope they understand that the student has a fundamental right to practice his religion as he sees fit, without government interference, as do Christians of all stripes.
According to the story, Halferty also admits telling a Christian that he or she could not build a cross in shop class, completely misunderstanding the first amendment rights of the students.
Halferty uses his “belief” in church/state separation to play the martyrdom card well:
His viewpoint: “We as Christians don’t get to have our say during school time, so why should he?”
School officials say Christians actually do get to express themselves in the same way.
I think some education on Earth-centered religions and first amendment rights is in order.
UPDATE March 3rd: Halferty got an unpaid suspension. He still doesn’t get it:
Hafferty said Wednesday he still doesn’t understand why school officials are forcing him to act against his own beliefs as a Christian and allow the student to disrupt his class with a project based on a religion he believes is wrong and bad for youth.
“Personally, I think it’s offensive to worship rocks and trees,” Halferty said of Wicca, a religion based on ancient beliefs and a reverence for the Earth. “I am just trying to be moral. I don’t know how we can profess to be Christians and let this go on.”
I can see the fundies running with this one.
Posted in Use the tags, Luke! -->
Tagged First Amendment, Religious WTFitude, right-wing wankers
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I’m still here
I haven’t posted in a while, so I think an update is in order. First, I bought a house at 920 14th St. in Boone, Iowa! Kelly and I have named it Prairie Sage Cohousing Community, and we are looking for renters/members. Here’s the entry on the Intentional Communities directory. This is exciting, even though I don’t have the HF gear set up yet (or maybe ever). I’m thinking a 40m magnetic loop antenna would be a good addition given my lot size and the proximity to sources of electrical noise.
Kelly is looking for work, so if you have any leads please let me know and I will pass your message along to her. I’m also considering looking for a better job (or something to supplement my current income), so if you are looking for a techie who likes to learn new technology, email me and we’ll talk.
Also, for those who knew our orange tabby Scotty, he passed away Monday (January 25th). He wasn’t doing too well the last few weeks. We only got to know him since he adopted us last August when we lived on S. Hyland, but he was the sweetest kitty and we tried to give him the best life we could, and his last few months were spent with people who loved him and cared for him very much. We miss you, Scotty.