Abbott being Abbott

[atomheartbevo 90544]

6 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

it doesn't take much to be a better human being than abbott

Especially when he’s not doing this to “share the burden” but to try and one-up DeSantis.

[DigglerontheHoof 21516]

7 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

it doesn't take much to be a better human being than abbott

even less than being a better walker

[Nice Guy Eddie 13706]

18 hours ago, High Plains Drifter said:

 

I would really like a breakdown of the socio-economic status of those benefiting from their abbott phones.

 

 

Just look at the red-blue breakdown of any of these rural counties and you have all of the information that you need.

Don't get me wrong, I'm ok with the state helping out a group of people that are under-served by the free market system. However I think we know that some think that rural residents=good, inner city residents=bad.

Regardless it seems like Abbott, for some reason, didn't want to support for the rural satellite phones any longer. Or perhaps more precisely didn't want to pay for the cost increase. You could argue that was being a good steward of govt funds. However a judge didn't agree that he was following the Texas law, and now we have to pay up for Abbott's screwup.

[Nice Guy Eddie 13706]

18 hours ago, High Plains Drifter said:

 

I would really like a breakdown of the socio-economic status of those benefiting from their abbott phones.

 

 

Just look at the red-blue breakdown of any of these rural counties and you have all of the information that you need.

Don't get me wrong, I'm ok with the state helping out a group of Texans that are under-served by the free market system. However I think we know that some believe that rural residents=good, inner city residents=bad.

Regardless it seems like Abbott, for some reason, didn't want to support for the rural satellite phones any longer. Or perhaps more precisely didn't want to pay for the cost increase. You could argue that was being a good steward of govt funds. However a judge didn't agree that he was following the Texas law, and now we have to pay up for Abbott's screwup.

[Biff Tannen 46060]

11 hours ago, Satchel said:

NYC taxi workers showing Abbott what being Christian in the public sphere looks like:

 

NEW YORK (PIX11) — A bus carrying 14 migrants from Texas arrived in New York City Sunday morning, the second in three days, officials said. On Friday, about 54 migrants came to the city. 

“Our goal is to immediately find out every family’s needs and give them the assistance they want,” Mayor Eric Adams said Sunday.

Texas governor now sending migrants to New York City

Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas sent the buses to Manhattan because other cities need to do more to help with the crisis at the border, he said. Abbott said President Joe Biden’s border policies are exasperating at the border and overwhelming Texas communities.

The governor is also sending the migrants to other cities. Texas has already sent thousands of people to Washington, D.C., and more migrants are on the way, Abbott said. 

New York City will do what it can to help the migrants but officials said Abbott is not handling the situation properly. Officials believe several migrants were dropped off in other locations on the way to the city.

“We’re concerned about that because we don’t want people dropped off anywhere. you can only imagine you’re in a country you don’t know much about,” Adams said. “We were led to believe 40 people would be on that bus. Only 14 got off.”

 

“They’re not letting us know what time the buses are leaving or the needs of the people on the bus.,” Adams added. “They’re not giving us any information so we’re unable to provide services for people en route.”

On Sunday, New York City taxi workers show up to welcome the migrants and offered them free rides. They said immigrants and migrants contribute to the economic well-being of the county and deserve support.

Ibrahima Gory, a local cab driver, said, “We are proud to be here to welcome them.”

“You leave your country to come to the U.S., it’s for a better life,” he added. “It’s a dream and we hope that dream will come true.”

 

Meantime, the mayor said any of the migrants who choose to stay in the city will be provided with shelter, but noted the shelters are overwhelmed. Adams is now calling on the federal government to step in and help with resources.

Abbott and Immigration and Customs Enforcement could not be reached for comment

[Chad Fuck 18088]

Give me your tired, your hungry, your poor
I’ll piss on ‘em
That’s what the Statue of Bigotry says

[UpperWestside 6262]

Of everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, that Hot Wheels has done, this is the lowest. I realize the guy isn’t a Christian (please don’t associate actual Christians or Christianity with these people), but turning your back on these folks, especially children, is cruelty on a level that there is not a good word for. 
 

I don’t get to send anyone to Heaven or hell, but when you turn your back on children you absolutely deserve whatever unfortunate things occur due to that. 

[jimmyjazz 46968]

43 minutes ago, Chad Fuck said:

Give me your tired, your hungry, your poor
I’ll piss on ‘em
That’s what the Statue of Bigotry says

+ rep for one of Lou's greatest songs

[safe sex 11913]

26 minutes ago, UpperWestside said:

 (please don’t associate actual Christians or Christianity with these people)

Too late, my guy. That bell cannot be unrung

 

[Chad Fuck 18088]

12 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

+ rep for one of Lou's greatest songs

Sitting in a bedroom in East Texas making model airplanes and listening to the latest by this dude I'd never heard from named Lou Reed.  What's that you say?  He had a band before this?:

You're poor huddled masses?  Let's club 'em to death and get it over with

And just dump 'em on the Boulevard

Mind blowing for an East Texas 8th grader taking American history. 

[UpperWestside 6262]

2 minutes ago, trauma babe said:

Too late, my guy. That bell cannot be unrung

 

Hot Wheels and the gang can profess following Jesus. I can also say I’m the starting shooting guard for the Lakers. Neither would be accurate. 
 

I also won’t insult cretins by referring to them as that. There will eventually be a reckoning for willingly doing evil things to people who cannot fight back. 

[atomheartbevo 90544]

35 minutes ago, UpperWestside said:

Of everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, that Hot Wheels has done, this is the lowest. I realize the guy isn’t a Christian (please don’t associate actual Christians or Christianity with these people), but turning your back on these folks, especially children, is cruelty on a level that there is not a good word for. 

I don’t get to send anyone to Heaven or hell, but when you turn your back on children you absolutely deserve whatever unfortunate things occur due to that. 

In Abbott's eyes, it's just business.  Even if he considers himself a Christian, he gives no fucks about fellow Christians who are immigrants (illegal or otherwise), because the only use they have in his eyes, is helping him to try to stand out somehow in the 2024 field of Presidential candidates.  In fact, if being cruel gets him a few dozen more converts from DeSantis or Cruz or whoever, he'll figure out how to be extremely cruel.  Ignore the fact that Abbott hasn't hit 5% in a single CPAC poll (or other poll) of potential 2024 candidates.  He's desperately trying to get noticed.  He's hit his ceiling here in Texas and he knows it.

A forward-thinking leader, Christian or not, who wanted to truly fix the situation, wouldn't be playing fucking games with bussing people around, or fucking over the Texas National Guard 7 different ways till Sunday or wasting Texas taxpayer money.  He'd be looking at why people are crossing the border, and trying to remove the reasons for them to cross the border.  Still stunning that Texas A&M Animal Sciences graduate Rick Fucking Perry (or his speech writers) were more intelligent about this matter 20 years ago.

This is where we need an independent like Ross Perot to come in and say "you know what, we can get a lot of these people to stay on their side of the border AND reduce our dependence on China, AND reduce the cost of goods by getting more manufacturing out of China and into Mexico and Central/South America, where many nations are friendlier to the US, where shipping/rail/transit costs would be lower for us (and environmentally better) and where things like a single ship getting stuck in the Suez Canal aren't going to fuck us over."

[Nice Guy Eddie 13706]

We've had a splintering of Christians over the past few decades. You have people that follow the teachings of Christ and do their best to live up to those ideals. Then you have many Christians who use the term solely to identify with other hateful Christians.

[royiv 9678]

1 hour ago, UpperWestside said:

Of everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, that Hot Wheels has done, this is the lowest. I realize the guy isn’t a Christian (please don’t associate actual Christians or Christianity with these people), but turning your back on these folks, especially children, is cruelty on a level that there is not a good word for. 

On the surface, I tend to agree with you. On another hand, it may end up being a blessing in disguise for some of these folks. They're getting the hell out of Texas which has crap for social services and landing in a state that is more welcoming to immigrants.

[atomheartbevo 90544]

24 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

We've had a splintering of Christians over the past few decades. You have people that follow the teachings of Christ and do their best to live up to those ideals.

Absolutely agree, and they are pretty easy to figure out who is who.  These are uncomfortable with Trump and his followers, and you see them splitting off congregations in some churches (Methodists, Lutherans, etc.).

24 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Then you have many Christians who use the term solely to identify with other hateful Christians.

Like these Christians who put on an anti-gay version of Hamilton.

https://www.onstageblog.com/editorials/2022/8/6/texas-church-illegally-performs-hamilton-with-anti-lgbtq-messaging

 

[CTC2 2858]

I’m sorry, but Abbott deserves to be spinning on two wheels. I know plenty of people who don’t, but he sure does. 

[Longhorn_Fan68 34079]

6 minutes ago, CTC2 said:

I’m sorry, but Abbott deserves to be spinning on two wheels. I know plenty of people who don’t, but he sure does. 

honestly he deserves to be 6 feet under. there's a reason I don't get to make these decisions

[safe sex 11913]

I hope Lin-Manuel sues the shit out of that church

[safe sex 11913]

1 hour ago, UpperWestside said:

Hot Wheels and the gang can profess following Jesus. I can also say I’m the starting shooting guard for the Lakers. Neither would be accurate. 
 

I also won’t insult cretins by referring to them as that. There will eventually be a reckoning for willingly doing evil things to people who cannot fight back. 

People like you have been telling me that people like that aren't real Christians my whole life. But the only thing that's really changed in those 30+years is that I'm uneasy and suspicious around people who publicly declare their faith. Maybe that's not fair of me, but it's a survival instinct at this point, and until enough of y'all "do something" about it, it's going to stay that way

[Ghost of LL 15664]

26 minutes ago, trauma babe said:

People like you have been telling me that people like that aren't real Christians my whole life. But the only thing that's really changed in those 30+years is that I'm uneasy and suspicious around people who publicly declare their faith. Maybe that's not fair of me, but it's a survival instinct at this point, and until enough of y'all "do something" about it, it's going to stay that way

You remember how we lectured Muslims after 9/11 about how the moderates needed to reclaim their religion from the extremists, otherwise they'd all me equated with terrorists?

Yeah, um @UpperWestside.

['stache 22115]

6 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

You remember how we lectured Muslims after 9/11 about how the moderates needed to reclaim their religion from the extremists, otherwise they'd all me equated with terrorists?

Yeah, um @UpperWestside.

It's unfair to equate them all with violent terrorists, but it's okay to equate them with intolerance and bigotry, same as christianity.

Edited August 8, 2022 by 'stache

[Dbeasy 15526]

You all probably already know this, but the bus stunts are playing very very well with a lot of voters in Texas. 

[Longhorn_Fan68 34079]

1 minute ago, Dbeasy said:

You all probably already know this, but the bus stunts are playing very very well with a lot of voters in Texas. 

can't tell if serious

[RDCanecutter 26852]

1 hour ago, atomheartbevo said:

Like these Christians who put on an anti-gay version of Hamilton.

https://www.onstageblog.com/editorials/2022/8/6/texas-church-illegally-performs-hamilton-with-anti-lgbtq-messaging

So, lemme get this straight: some theatrically-inclined church kids, and their youth minister, met and rehearsed anti-gay songs for probably a couple of months. Just singing singing singing about that bad ol' gay.

[atomheartbevo 90544]

4 minutes ago, RDCanecutter said:

So, lemme get this straight: some theatrically-inclined church kids, and their youth minister, met and rehearsed anti-gay songs for probably a couple of months. Just singing singing singing about that bad ol' gay.

[F250 29171]

2 minutes ago, RDCanecutter said:

So, lemme get this straight: some theatrically-inclined church kids, and their youth minister, met and rehearsed anti-gay songs for probably a couple of months. Just singing singing singing about that bad ol' gay.

I knew a couple of these guys that were very active church thespians. They were very kind people and sadly very repressed.

[Fudge Nuggets 19407]

He's sent a grand total of 68 immigrants to NYC.  Hopefully the Big Apple can handle the huge influx.

[RDCanecutter 26852]

Just now, F250 said:

I knew a couple of these guys that were very active church thespians. They were very kind people and sadly very repressed.

Still FB friends with people I knew in HS who were flaming but nobody dared call gay. One guy seems well-adjusted, the other has a big fat church lady wife, looks like he's blinking SOS with his eyes, and is probably producing this play.

[Satchel 6982]

1 hour ago, trauma babe said:

People like you have been telling me that people like that aren't real Christians my whole life. But the only thing that's really changed in those 30+years is that I'm uneasy and suspicious around people who publicly declare their faith. Maybe that's not fair of me, but it's a survival instinct at this point, and until enough of y'all "do something" about it, it's going to stay that way

I’m with you. When I see one these humorless, self proclaimed “Christians” with a big ole Bible satchel, I walk the other way. (and I say that as one who tries not to practice his faith casually)

Edited August 8, 2022 by Satchel

[UpperWestside 6262]

39 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

You remember how we lectured Muslims after 9/11 about how the moderates needed to reclaim their religion from the extremists, otherwise they'd all me equated with terrorists?

Yeah, um @UpperWestside.

Anyone who said that back then should be embarrassed to have said it.   Same as someone now lumping people claiming to be a Christian with people who actually are. It was lazy to do it then just as it is now.

I am not real loud about my own walk with Christ because that is not my personality. I do though gladly call out folks who claim to be Christians. These howler monkeys parading around as followers of Christ are going to get quite the shock if they ever see Him face-to-face. Seeing brown Jesus is going to be an amazing moment for them.

[Bozo_Casanova 26773]

12 minutes ago, F250 said:

I knew a couple of these guys that were very active church thespians. They were very kind people and sadly very repressed.

We have very many open, out gays in the Episcopal church. They are just as uninspired by our dreary hymnal as everyone else. 

Edited August 8, 2022 by Bozo_Casanova

[DigglerontheHoof 21516]

2 hours ago, UpperWestside said:

Hot Wheels and the gang can profess following Jesus. I can also say I’m the starting shooting guard for the Lakers. Neither would be accurate. 
 

I also won’t insult cretins by referring to them as that. There will eventually be a reckoning for willingly doing evil things to people who cannot fight back. 

The problem for Christians is "Hot Wheels and the gang" are the face of American Christianity.   No other group of Christians comes close to publicly defining American Christians. 

[safe sex 11913]

3 minutes ago, UpperWestside said:

Anyone who said that back then should be embarrassed to have said it.   Same as someone now lumping people claiming to be a Christian with people who actually are. It was lazy to do it then just as it is now.

I am not real loud about my own walk with Christ because that is not my personality. I do though gladly call out folks who claim to be Christians. These howler monkeys parading around as followers of Christ are going to get quite the shock if they ever see Him face-to-face. Seeing brown Jesus is going to be an amazing moment for them.

Well, back then we didn't have half of Congress populated by Muslims who were actively stripping away the rights of non-believers, so not quite the same. 🤷‍♀️

[Walser 1125]

1 hour ago, trauma babe said:

People like you have been telling me that people like that aren't real Christians my whole life. But the only thing that's really changed in those 30+years is that I'm uneasy and suspicious around people who publicly declare their faith. Maybe that's not fair of me, but it's a survival instinct at this point, and until enough of y'all "do something" about it, it's going to stay that way

And that's fair...and overwhelmingly true. 

I was born and raised into a "Christian" family. My parents were far from perfect but they did actually do good works. They are good people and did not get radicalized.  I went to private school for many years but have forgotten a lot about the Bible due to alcohol and bong resin. It's my only vice.

Jesus spelled it out pretty fucking clear. You don't need to memorize Psalms. Treat your fellow man with dignity/compassion and without judgment. It's really just that. Break it down into one thing and that's what I aspire to.

[elfenix 34658]

17 minutes ago, Fudge Nuggets said:

He's sent a grand total of 68 immigrants to NYC.  Hopefully the Big Apple can handle the huge influx.

didn't i see somewhere that the bus fare for each was something ridiculous like $1,500?

Edited August 8, 2022 by elfenix

[RDCanecutter 26852]

18 minutes ago, elfenix said:

didn't i see somewhere that the bus fare for each was something ridiculous like $1,500?

$100 to Greyhound and $1400 consulting fee to a college buddy.

[mchookem 16728]

1 hour ago, F250 said:

I knew a couple of these guys that were very active church thespians. They were very kind people and sadly very repressed.

 

[troph 25089]

5 hours ago, UpperWestside said:

Of everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, that Hot Wheels has done, this is the lowest. I realize the guy isn’t a Christian (please don’t associate actual Christians or Christianity with these people), but turning your back on these folks, especially children, is cruelty on a level that there is not a good word for. 
 

I don’t get to send anyone to Heaven or hell, but when you turn your back on children you absolutely deserve whatever unfortunate things occur due to that. 

You can’t say that. It’s super unfair. The obligation to disassociate is on you and other *real* Christians. You need to be LOUD. It’s not our obligation to differentiate, it’s your job to call out those bearing false witness and using the lord’s name in vain (which as a side not isn’t saying god dammit but is doing exactly what the politicians and whacky evangelicals are doing). Call them out don’t ask non-Christians to differentiate.

[Biff Tannen 46060]

4 hours ago, Dbeasy said:

You all probably already know this, but the bus stunts are playing very very well with a lot of voters in Texas. 

Car pranks?

[F250 29171]

2 hours ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

We have very many open, out gays in the Episcopal church. They are just as uninspired by our dreary hymnal as everyone else. 

Need to put them in charge of the music.

[Sawbonz 28081]

4 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

We've had a splintering of Christians over the past few decades. You have people that follow the teachings of Christ and do their best to live up to those ideals. Then you have many Christians who use the term solely to identify with other hateful Christians.

Same as it ever was

[UpperWestside 6262]

17 hours ago, troph said:

You can’t say that. It’s super unfair. The obligation to disassociate is on you and other *real* Christians. You need to be LOUD. It’s not our obligation to differentiate, it’s your job to call out those bearing false witness and using the lord’s name in vain (which as a side not isn’t saying god dammit but is doing exactly what the politicians and whacky evangelicals are doing). Call them out don’t ask non-Christians to differentiate.

I can say that because I HAVE ZERO CONTROL over their behavior. None. I am not going to scream from the rooftops about them nor will I associate with them. I am not going to waste even a millisecond attempting to argue with these people. Life is far too short to join in on something so toxic and so inherently negative. I mean I even stopped attending the church I was going to over some negative attitudes that I was not going to allow to drag me down with them. I am fairly consistent on this whether they are actual Christians or o Ed just masquerading as such.
 

You live in Texas. You live around people who have hearts made of stone. It is not your responsibility to change those people either. One of the ways that human beings harm themselves mentally is getting dragged into arguments with people who are itching for one. If you want to attempt to deal with people who are going to take away your happiness that is up to you. I have learned over the years that all I can control is NOTHING. I just do the best I can with each day and spread positivity and kindness in how I communicate with people as well as what I do. 

[troph 25089]

10 minutes ago, UpperWestside said:

I can say that because I HAVE ZERO CONTROL over their behavior. None. I am not going to scream from the rooftops about them nor will I associate with them. I am not going to waste even a millisecond attempting to argue with these people. Life is far too short to join in on something so toxic and so inherently negative. I mean I even stopped attending the church I was going to over some negative attitudes that I was not going to allow to drag me down with them. I am fairly consistent on this whether they are actual Christians or o Ed just masquerading as such.
 

You live in Texas. You live around people who have hearts made of stone. It is not your responsibility to change those people either. One of the ways that human beings harm themselves mentally is getting dragged into arguments with people who are itching for one. If you want to attempt to deal with people who are going to take away your happiness that is up to you. I have learned over the years that all I can control is NOTHING. I just do the best I can with each day and spread positivity and kindness in how I communicate with people as well as what I do. 

Then understand Christianity is going to get the black eye it deserves. I don’t care to distinguish anymore. 

[NameAlreadyInUse 5163]

20 hours ago, UpperWestside said:

Anyone who said that back then should be embarrassed to have said it.   Same as someone now lumping people claiming to be a Christian with people who actually are. It was lazy to do it then just as it is now.

 

So what am I supposed to believe about Christians in this country when the Republicans I'm hearing from today aren't saying anything different than my First Baptist pastor talked to me about every Sunday for the first 18 years of my life?  To me, those are the Christians.  You can pretend they aren't, but the onus is on what you consider to be "real" Christians to make it untenable for these charlatans to maintain the title.  Until you as a body of real Christians are willing/able to do that, you are going to get total mistrust from people like me when you call yourself a Christian.  You are taking on all that baggage with the title Christian.  You can either change your title, or you can work on removing the baggage.  Those are really the only two choices you have. 

Plus, blaming me for believing my own eyes and ears for the last 50 years is some major bullshit, man.  I'm not a battered spouse, victim blaming is not going to work on me.  Also, it's just not a good look.

[chainsaw 10243]

7 minutes ago, NameAlreadyInUse said:

So what am I supposed to believe about Christians in this country when the Republicans I'm hearing from today aren't saying anything different than my First Baptist pastor talked to me about every Sunday for the first 18 years of my life?  To me, those are the Christians.  You can pretend they aren't, but the onus is on what you consider to be "real" Christians to make it untenable for these charlatans to maintain the title.  Until you as a body of real Christians are willing/able to do that, you are going to get total mistrust from people like me when you call yourself a Christian.  You are taking on all that baggage with the title Christian.  You can either change your title, or you can work on removing the baggage.  Those are really the only two choices you have. 

Plus, blaming me for believing my own eyes and ears for the last 50 years is some major bullshit, man.  I'm not a battered spouse, victim blaming is not going to work on me.  Also, it's just not a good look.

The brand is permanently poisoned.

[safe sex 11913]

He got weirdly aggrieved about the pushback he received. Like damn, my guy, I feel like it's not that hard to understand

[Horn Under a Bad Sign 20834]

20 hours ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

We have very many open, out gays in the Episcopal church. They are just as uninspired by our dreary hymnal as everyone else. 

That's why St. James Episcopal Church in Austin is so great. About 50 percent old dead white guy hymns and 50 percent raise the roof gospel tunes. 

[CTC2 2858]

1 minute ago, chainsaw said:

The brand is permanently poisoned.

Seems like there are more nutty ones than sane ones. 

[StassneyHorn 6755]

Abbott has agreed to one debate on September 30. A fucking Friday 

[chainsaw 10243]

6 minutes ago, CTC2 said:

Seems like there are more nutty ones than sane ones. 

Exactly. Even if we're wrong and the nutty ones are outnumbered 10:1, the fact that people mentally associate the brand with the nuts means it's time to shelve the brand.