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[RedKing]

Somewhat educated party: "There is absolutely a God, because I've read (some of) the Bible!"
--or--
"There is absolutely no such thing as God, because I've read Richard Dawkins!"

That's not a weighted comparison by any measure...

I don't see where you accounted for:

"There isn't a God because there isn't a Flying Unicorn of a FSM and there's no point in worshiping any of them until one or more of those comes forth."

Unless you consider me an educated scientist type.

Honestly? It sounds like you're on the upslope of the atheist bell curve. Somewhere between apathy and rational disbelief. I don't consider that the same as well-considered agnosticism. Agnosticism != "I don't know if there's a God, and I don't care."

[GlyphGryph]

So Arizona has decided that their students "need some skin in the game", and have passed a law stating that every student in the state must contribute at least $2000 to their education that can't be met with financial aide dollars.

Well, every student except for the ones who play football, of course. Sportsball players are specifically exempt, with the limitation that the school may only allow its MOST IMPORTANT sportsball players to be exempt - football players? Exempt. Fencers? Hah, no way. Basketball players? Exempt? Women basketball players? Probably not.

So, yeah... What the fuck is wrong with Arizona? I mean, this is a terribly law out of hand, and the exemption rules make it clear these politicians are nothing but god damned assholes.

[Frumple]

Man, you know what would be great (and probably really damn smart)? If one of Arizona's surrounding states said, "Hey! Guess what?! You come over here, scholarships and reduced cost housing! All you have to do is not go back to Arizona for a few years post graduation. Idiots back home don't want you, but we'd love some trained professionals! No one exempt in your state allowed, though. notSorry."

I'd love to see that.

Anyway, marking Arizona off my list of places somewhat colder than Florida to conceivably move to. Check ♪

What the hell reasoning are they using for the exemption, anyway, and how the blazes did they get that law through? Was that actually publicly voted on?

[GlyphGryph]

Details:
http://ulife.com/az-house-pushes-through-tuition-bill/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=az-house-pushes-through-tuition-bill

Even veterans aren't exempt from the increase of $2000 per year.

Only athletes.

Choice quotes:

State Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, said $2,000 wasn't really that much and insisted students could graduate with $14,000 debt after four years, "less than the cost of a Chevy Sonic. And I personally believe that degrees from our universities are worth far more than Chevy Sonics"

When students testified that they have more to pay for than just tuition, state Rep. Michelle Ugenti, R-Scottsdale, told them, "Welcome to life."

Ugenti said she paid for her own apartment, her car and her food, worked full time "and still having enough time in all of that, and with all of that responsibility, to play rugby for ASU."

Obviously this is the sort of student ethic they are trying to promote here. Work, sports, cars, that's clearly the most important bits of a college education!

[Bauglir]

That is... just... what.

EDIT: To elaborate. This bill defies understanding. I can't see how it could possibly appear defensible.  For starters, comparing the lives of students to "a game" is not going to sound good when they campaign for reelection. Beyond that, the actual policy is political suicide - asking middle class families to fork over an extra 2000 bucks in a way you can't bury is not going to make them appreciative, and for everyone else it amounts to a blatant endorsement of class warfare.

[kaenneth]

So Arizona has decided that their students "need some skin in the game", and have passed a law stating that every student in the state must contribute at least $2000 to their education that can't be met with financial aide dollars.

Well, every student except for the ones who play football, of course. Sportsball players are specifically exempt, with the limitation that the school may only allow its MOST IMPORTANT sportsball players to be exempt - football players? Exempt. Fencers? Hah, no way. Basketball players? Exempt? Women basketball players? Probably not.

So, yeah... What the fuck is wrong with Arizona? I mean, this is a terribly law out of hand, and the exemption rules make it clear these politicians are nothing but god damned assholes.

This belongs in the Rage thread.

[GlyphGryph]

House Democrats  introduced their own reproductive rights plan: No more vasectomies that leave "thousands of children ... deprived of birth."

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/21/georgia-democrats-to-propose-limitations-on-vasectomies-for-men/

The bill reads:

"It is patently unfair that men avoid the rewards of unwanted fatherhood by presuming that their judgment over such matters is more valid than the judgment of the General Assembly. ... It is the purpose of the General Assembly to assert an invasive state interest in the reproductive habits of men in this state and substitute the will of the government over the will of adult men."

It's as a response to a piece of Republican legislation targeting women.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

inb4 the Republicans pick up the anti-vasectomy bill as an example of how bipartisan they are.

[Leafsnail]

Honestly? It sounds like you're on the upslope of the atheist bell curve. Somewhere between apathy and rational disbelief. I don't consider that the same as well-considered agnosticism. Agnosticism != "I don't know if there's a God, and I don't care."

That's where Dawkins lies, so you'd have to be doing something pretty dramatically wrong to read him and end up further on than that.

[MonkeyHead]

House Democrats  introduced their own reproductive rights plan: No more vasectomies that leave "thousands of children ... deprived of birth."

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/21/georgia-democrats-to-propose-limitations-on-vasectomies-for-men/

The bill reads:

"It is patently unfair that men avoid the rewards of unwanted fatherhood by presuming that their judgment over such matters is more valid than the judgment of the General Assembly. ... It is the purpose of the General Assembly to assert an invasive state interest in the reproductive habits of men in this state and substitute the will of the government over the will of adult men."

It's as a response to a piece of Republican legislation targeting women.

So how long before masturbation is considered in the same light as vasectomies, by applying the same flawed logic?

[ChairmanPoo]

It's supposed to be sarcasm, I think

[Max White]

"It is patently unfair that men avoid the rewards of unwanted fatherhood by presuming that their judgment over such matters is more valid than the judgment of the General Assembly. ... It is the purpose of the General Assembly to assert an invasive state interest in the reproductive habits of men in this state and substitute the will of the government over the will of adult men."

My god are they serious? Like, are they fucking serious? They can't be serious. It is irony, or sarcasm or something. My mind is just blown beyond... No words can ever, ever describe this feeling of rage, bemusement, confusion and lulamerica. It is like somebody coming up to you and saying they have the right to rape you in the name of the General Assembly, on the basis that the General Assembly's interest in your reproduction is more important that your own.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

No Max, they aren't serious. It's a satirical joke bill meant to insult a recent anti-abortion bill introduced in that state.

[Leafsnail]

A very clear piece of satire aimed to parody the Republican's recent bill.  I mean comon.

[Max White]

Ah, irony. Well done then, good gentlemen!