California students find Palin contract in trash

By GottaLaff


FlexStraw McEvian sure is picky. First she demands 100 grand for an entree of word salad, and now we find out that she will stomp her four-inch heeled foot and pout if she doesn't get water bottles, bendy straws, multiple luxury hotel rooms, and... well, dare I assume that she insists on a moosehead on every wall?

Sarah Palin will get first-class airfare for two and three rooms at a luxury hotel when she gives a speech in June for a university foundation.

And organizers better not forget to stock her lectern with two water bottles and bendable straws.

If you recall, there's been a little controversy over her screech, er, speech at CSU Stanislaus. Who knew it would involve something she sucks?

Nobody, that's who... until some CSU Stanislaus students dug into some CSU Stanislaus campus trash and discovered the CSU Stanislaus Foundation documents.... the very same documents that were rumored to have been shredded while the campus staff was on furlough (A special thank you to Ahnold for the unpaid time off).

Among other perks, Palin will fly first class — if she flies commercial. If not, "the private aircraft MUST BE a Lear 60 or larger ...," the contract specifies.

Pfft, and they say size doesn't matter. Apparently it does to Wordy McLongJet.

There was nothing in the document that specified the amount of her screeching fee.

The foundation previously denied a request to release details of the contract made by The Associated Press under the California Public Records Act.

Well! Finally that makes sense! Who'd want all those pesky details about D'mandy McDiva to get out? Isn't she just so like one of us, though?

If you recall, Stanislaus U said they had no documents. And by "had no" they meant "Why hasn't trash removal guy been here yet?"

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to my motor home to get a foot massage while my entourage handles the riffraff.

Palin Probe- "Smoking gun" proof that university hiding documents re: speaking fee

By GottaLaff


RunOn McMoneyTalks has another Big Speech coming up. You know how she loves to talk... and talk.. and talk.

But you know what she loves more? Money. And you know what they say about money: It's the root of all word salad:

A state lawmaker claimed Wednesday that he has “smoking gun” proof that educators at CSU Stanislaus are deliberately hiding public documents that reveal how much they agreed to pay Palin for a speech at an upcoming gala fundraiser.

Their alleged stonewalling is so egregious, said state Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, that he has asked Attorney General Jerry Brown “to investigate this violation of the public trust.”

Imagine that. RunOn's in the middle of another scandal. Who could have seen that coming?

[C]ampus compliance officer Gina Leguria told Californians Aware, “The University has no documents that are responsive to your request.”

That's preposterous. You can quote me.

That’s preposterous, Yee said.

You're welcome.

The lawmaker said he had independently obtained a copy of one university document on the subject – an email sent to everybody on campus to “clear up any confusion and extinguish rumors” about Palin’s speech, as its author, University Vice President Susana Gajic-Bruyea, put it.

Gajic-Bruyea, who is also executive officer of the foundation, wrote that “no tax dollars” would be used to pay Palin.

That's an awfully suspicious claim.

Yee is deeply suspicious about that claim. But in the event, he says that e-mails should obviously have been disclosed in response to the records request.

Wait, didn't they say the university had "no documents"?

“The university’s claim of no documentation was inconceivable, and now there is a smoking gun,” he said in a statement. “What other documents and correspondence are they hiding?”

Gay student & developmentally disabled sent to fake prom

By GottaLaff

So many words come to mind after reading this: Cowards. Discrimination. Hate. Ignorance. Pain. Shame. Wrong. Segregation. Tears. Reprehensible. Deception. Sneaky. Bullies. And several others that are unprintable....

To avoid Constance McMillen bringing a female date to her prom, the teen was sent to a "fake prom" while the rest of her class partied at a secret location at an event organized by parents.

What must this be doing to Constance? I can't even imagine, even though I can actually relate somewhat, because I went through a lot of bullying when I was a teeny, skinny, shy teen. But she seems to be one strong kid, stronger than most:

McMillen tells The Advocate that a parent-organized prom happened behind her back — she and her date were sent to a Friday night event at a country club in Fulton, Miss., that attracted only five other students. Her school principal and teachers served as chaperones, but clearly there wasn't much to keep an eye on.

This next part will add to your current nausea:

Two students with learning difficulties were among the seven people at the country club event, McMillen recalls.

I work with special ed kids all the time. They are wonderful, sweet, and do nobody any harm. These are people, with feelings, who are being treated as if they have none, who are being looked on as less important, as something so offensive, so contemptible, that they have to be hidden away.

I can't imagine how "branded" these seven students must feel, and what an indelible imprint this has made, regardless of how courageous they may seem to us, or how big her smile is in that photo (go read the whole piece; Constance is an amazing, positive teen).

They hurt.

And I hurt for them.

H/t: BetseyB, Greg Ostravich

$chool group'$ rea$on for Palin $peech: It need$ the money

By GottaLaff

Selfy McPayMe wants money, Stanislaus State wants money. Everyone wants money:

Tax records show leaner times for the college foundation now drawing fire for paying Sarah Palin an undisclosed sum to speak at Stanislaus State.

Overall collections by the California State University Stanislaus Foundation fell by more than half over the past decade, tax records show. Fewer contributions, in turn, crimp the foundation's ability to help students and the Turlock-based university. [...]

Now, the non-profit foundation hopes to regain momentum with Palin's June 25 appearance.

I suppose that must mean they think they'll sell out:

One university official said Friday that the $500 -a-head event in the school's 300-seat cafeteria was sold out but that names were being taken for a waiting list...

See? What'd I tell you?

Although, I have my doubts:

[U]niversity spokeswoman Eve Hightower later indicated the event wasn't sold out.

See? What'd I tell you?

I bet there are even a few people who aren't so thrilled Selfy's making an appearance:

Not all buzz, though, is positive. Some, in particular, question the speaking fees Palin has commanded since she quit her job as Alaska governor 18 months before her term expired.

See? What'd I tell you?

The Stanislaus State foundation is not obligated to reveal Selfy's speaking fee, but we're all well aware that she's been getting right around $100,000 for providing an endless supply of nonsensical run-on sentences enhanced by visual aids (read: hand notes).

But hey, it's all worth it if they can add to their coffers. Especially the non-profit ones.

For foundation officials, the controversy could be a price worth paying if it boosts their non-profit coffers.

See? What'd I tell you?

Texas Approves Curriculum Revised by Conservatives

By GottaLaff

Now children, let's go back and review what we've been missing:

Men rode dinosaurs so that they could hunt better. And besides, they made great companions when the wife was busy birthing cavedwellerettes.

There is no such thing as separation of church and state. That's a crazy myth that some Marxist commie made up.

Always use your position to exploit and indoctrinate children, and then accuse the first African American president of doing the same when he's encouraging good work habits and responsibility:

After three days of turbulent meetings, the Texas Board of Education on Friday voted to approve a social studies curriculum that will put a conservative stamp on history and economics textbooks, stressing the role of Christianity in American history and presenting Republican political philosophies in a more positive light.

The vote was 11 to 4, with 10 Republicans and one Democrat voting for the curriculum, and four Democrats voting against.

And children, above all else, be fair and balanced:

The board, whose members are elected, has influence beyond Texas because the state is one of the largest purchasers of textbooks.

Remember children: The whole church and state thing? Pffft!

The conservative members maintain that they are trying to correct what they see as a liberal bias among the teachers who proposed the curriculum. To that end, they made dozens of minor changes aimed at calling into question, among other things, concepts like the separation of church and state and the secular nature of the American Revolution.

“I reject the notion by the left of a constitutional separation of church and state,” said David Bradley, a conservative from Beaumont who works in real estate. “I have $1,000 for the charity of your choice if you can find it in the Constitution.”

Bias? What bias?

They also included a plank to ensure that students learn about “the conservative resurgence of the 1980s and 1990s, including Phyllis Schalfly, the Contract With America, the Heritage Foundation, the Moral Majority and the National Rifle Association.”

To be fair, the Black Panthers and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s "nonviolent approach" will get some print space, too. That's some concession, huh?

Today's lesson: Little children asked, and received, their own little raptors for their birthdays. And if they were extra special good, pet nanshiungosauruseseseses... eseses...es.

Sunday's lesson: Jesus had dinosaur stables back when saddling up a brontosaurus was in vogue. He loaned his herd out to anyone who needed a ride to the nearest crucifixion. He was socialistic that way.

A Teen's Reaction to the Fort Hood Memorial Service

By GottaLaff

Image via Fort Hood Sentinel

I've previously posted the observations of a remarkable high school student regarding the Ft. Hood shootings. Her insights were unique and poignant. Please read them here and here.

She just IMed me the link to her own blog post on the same subject, and I strongly recommend going over here to read it. Just to tantalize you, here is an excerpt or three:

The United States has been at war in Afghanistan since the fall of my second grade year, and in Iraq for half of the years I have been in school. [...]

My brother wears the same uniform as the grieving soldiers, and he has served at Fort Hood. I lived with him at Fort Hood during one of his trainings for his career as an army truck mechanic. The buildings in the background of the live shots were familiar to me, and I imagined that afternoon what it would be like to attend a memorial for my own brother. [...]

We have not seen military funerals for any of the 5000 military service members killed in combat in Iraq or Afghanistan since I learned to write my name in cursive. Our morning announcements don’t indicate the number of those forever wounded in body or soul in that time. And we have certainly seen no mention of Afghan or Iraqi civilians killed by our military since my adult teeth started coming in.

Remember, the author just turned 18. The "professional" punditiots could take lessons.

Fellow Soldiers, family and guests take a moment of silence during a memorial service for 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Soldiers: Spcs. Jake Velloza, Jeremiah McCleery, and Shawn Sykes, June 18, at Fort Hood’s 1st Cavalry Division Memorial Chapel. Sgt. Karl Williams, 3rd BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs

"Why didn’t my school show ... memorials for... the 100+ Ft. Hood soldiers that ... committed suicide this year?"

By GottaLaff

Yesterday I posted something I hope you already read, or will read. It was about a Texas school district that thought President Obama's education speech should be off limits, but didn't blink when kids watched him talk about mass murder. I described the point of view of one of the students.

That teen and her brother recently called Fort Hood home, and now the 25-year-old brother is in the Army, stationed in Afghanistan.

I have now been given permission to link you to the 18-year-old's blog site. She goes by the name freckles cassie and, she shows up here too.

Here's a comment she left on one of the blog posts that was well worth quoting:

Why didn’t my school show us the memorials for all if the 100+ Fort Hood soldiers that have committed suicide this year? Or all of the homeless vets who die from lack of VA health care? Or even all of the memorials for all of the soldiers & marines killed in Iraq & Afghanistan?

From the Department of Sad Irony: Freckles Cassie, a teenager who writes blog entries and comments, is already heads and shoulders better at analysis and is more astute than anyone on ClusterFox and most punditiots in general.

Go get 'em, Freckles Cassie.

David Shuster's Twitter fight with anti-gay church that picketed Obama kids’ school

By GottaLaff

Earlier today I posted about David Shuster's disgust at a group of picketers from Westboro Baptist Church outside of the Obama girls' school. Tomorrow they plan on protesting again.

David Shuster said all the right things, so I guess the truth hurt these revolting bunch of vulgar maniacs' widdle feelings:

But Shuster's Tweet set off an argument between the MSNBC reporter and Phelps-Roper.

"Don't forget our Tuesday Sidwell picket," Phelps-Roper Tweeted at Shuster, in reference to the group's plans to picket the school again. "Put away your idols and obey God!"

"Go ahead," Shuster Tweeted back at Phelps-Roper. "Show the entire world the vile, crude, and disgusting protest you put on this [morning] at the Obama kids' school."

Thank you, David. They are targeting children with their hate. Un. Ac. Ceptable.

As Terkel notes, this isn't the first time that an activist group has used the Obama girls' school as a setting for political exposition. In September, the group Operation Rescue held a protest outside Sidwell Friends where they reportedly displayed pictures of fetuses.

"Showing pictures of fetuses to young children will surely convince Malia and Sasha to be anti-choice, and warm hearts everywhere," liberal Fox News commentator Alan Colmes quipped at the time.

Two of my favorite Twitter pals nailed it, David Shuster for directly calling out this despicable group of zealots, and Alan for his snarky truth-telling.

This so-called "church" is shameless. Maybe someone should start picketing them.

H/t: Novenator

David Shuster: Tea baggers protest outside of Obama girls' school

By GottaLaff

Every time I think the tea tantrumers have gone too far, they go even too farther. This is despicable and completely unacceptable:

(click on image to enlarge)

David said it all. This was beyond the pale. The Obama girls are just kids--with feelings-- for goodness sake, and they are also not the only students who would be negatively affected by such hateful behavior.

Love the fetus, disdain the children.

H/t: muttlikemeblog

UPDATE:

Turns out they're from the Westboro Baptist Church, a hate group that travels around the country holding anti-gay rallies:

H/t: GreeneMeansGo

School: Obama speech too political, film of Muslim beheading infidels dandy

By GottaLaff

Mom, is Obama bad? At school today, they said I couldn't watch a Commiecrat talk about good study habits.

Mom, are beheadings good? At school today, they let me watch a movie about Muslims doing that:

A 17-year-old student is seeking counseling after her class at Pulaski County High School watched a short film that showed beheadings and other violence allegedly committed by Muslims, her father said Tuesday.

"Fitna", Rated G. Fun for the whole family!

Dad, Mom, please pass the popcorn? This is the good part! Oh em gee! That guy's head actually bounced! Aw man, there was hardly any blood!

Bill Cruey said his daughter Amber was horrified by images of children being injured and dead bodies interspersed with readings from the Quran while watching the film "Fitna," made by the anti-Islam and anti-immigration Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders. The film was shown to the class on Sept. 11.

Maybe Prez O should have wielded a machete while he discussed good study habits.

Eaton said the film was shown to about 10 students in the leadership class.

Because nothing says leadership like violent head removal.

Since the controversy arose, he said his daughter has been ridiculed and feels like an outcast at the school.

Pshyeah! Cuz, like, all the kewl kids are into beheadings.

Aly A. Farag, imam at a Louisville mosque, criticized the school for exposing students to a "very tilted and utterly hateful message about a religion."

"They are blatantly and willingly participating in smearing a religion in front of kids who do not have the full picture," said Farag, a University of Louisville engineering professor.

Presenting such a message can turn children into "haters, not peacemakers," he said. Farag said almost all Muslims "never showed any pride in Sept. 11, never associated with it, never wanted it to happen."

Stay tuned for coming attractions of "Barack Hussein Obama: Muslim Indoctrinator or Marxist Baby Killer ?"

H/t: Gr8RDH, mparent77772

Quote-O'-The Day: NBA Indoctrinating Our Kids! edition

By GottaLaff

If President Obama is advocating staying in school, then will the Rushpublic rebuttal be to drop out?

Gibbs noted that Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush delivered addresses to schoolchildren.

Gibbs dismissed any idea that the president's remarks were political, noting that the National Basketball Association has a similar message for students.

"If staying in school is a political message, then somebody should tell the NBA," he said.

The Rushpublics would never dare stand up to a powerful group of players who are bigger and stronger than they are.

And yes, that was an intentional jab at the Dems.

Florida high school students sent home for wearing ‘Islam is of the devil’ t-shirts

By GottaLaff

Via Think Progress, once again we witness the ugliness of the rejection of anyone different... in this case, Not Christian:

High school students in Gainesville, FL were sent home recently for wearing t-shirts emblazoned with the phrase “Islam is of the devil.” The children wearing the shirts belong to the Dove World congregation, an evangelical “New Testament Church” which urges followers to “bring Godly changes to our entire society.” Tom Wittmer, an attorney for the Gainesville school district, said the clothing was inappropriate and a violation of the dress code because it disrupts the learning process.

No wonder this family's last name is Sapp.

Watch the video of the Sapp children's comments about "saving" Muslims. Yes, children... and then grab a couple of Advil for your head, and some Pepto for your stomach.

Birthers debunked by their own evidence

By GottaLaff

(click on image to enlarge)

What an interesting find this is. My gorgeous British pal and fellow blogger/Tweeter has posted the above document with this explanation:

I recently found this image of Barack Obama's Indonesian school files on a comment posted by a "Birther" on the Houston Chronicle's website.

The commenter claimed that "Bangsa" means "Citizenship", I cannot confirm or deny that Bangsa does in fact mean Citizenship in Indonesian, however what the "Birthers" have failed to notice is that written on line 2 is the word, HONOLULU, followed by his date of birth.

Hoisted by their own birthtards.

Run-down SC school featured by Obama gets facelift

Here's a heartwarming story to scrub Bachmann and Scarborough out of your brain.

DILLON, S.C.—Students who had grown resigned to old, "nasty" furnishings at their dilapidated middle school in rural South Carolina were elated Monday to find new furniture and a freshly painted cafeteria, thanks to a student's plea, a president's speech and a businessman's response.

"I was amazed. They changed the whole thing," said J.V. Martin Junior High eighth-grader Jessica Manning, 13. "It let me know somebody cares about us."

(snip)

President Barack Obama brought national attention to the school Feb. 24 in his first address to Congress when he read a letter from eighth-grader Ty'Sheoma Bethea asking for help replacing her run-down school.

Bethea had addressed her letter to Congress, so her principal sent it to the White House and South Carolina's congressional delegation.

Darryl Rosser, CEO of classroom furniture supplier Sagus International, called Principal Amanda Burnette the day after Obama read Bethea's plea. After visiting the campus four weeks ago, Rosser said he knew he had to do what he could.

Over the weekend, Sagus sent nearly 2,000 pieces of furniture on four tractor-trailer loads. Volunteers worked throughout the weekend to put the surprise together, including a final coat of paint about 8 p.m. Sunday.

The furniture, plus setup and shipping by Sagus partners, was worth an estimated $250,000, Rosser said.

On Monday, Rosser said students' reactions made it all worthwhile.

"It was heartwarming," he said, smiling widely.

VIDEO: First lady greeted by shrieks, tears at school

By GottaLaff

Tears:



Nobody comes close. Nobody:

Mrs. Obama's visit to the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Language School, which is located in an impoverished part of London but has become one of the top schools in the area, was a surprise for the students. Many of the girls — who had been told to expect a special guest, but not that guest's identity — wiped away tears while the first lady spoke. [...]

Before leaving the school, Mrs. Obama spent several minutes trying to hug as many students as she could, including each of the 24 members of the choir who shared the stage with her.

In other news, Michelle Obama is criticized because she has great arms, is beloved, and touched the Queen.