DN Speak: 8/25/13

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Transgender In America (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2013/08/28/transgender

The story of Private then-Bradley Manning and his massive leak of classified documents to Wikileaks was big enough. The day after Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison for that leak, it got bigger. Manning’s attorney announced that the Army private self-identified as a woman. That her name was now Chelsea.

And with that, millions of Americans were pointed again to the world of transgender fellow citizens. To the complexity of gender identity and to often complex feelings in response.

This hour, On Point: we talk with transgender Americans about their lives, their reality.

- Tom Ashbrook

America’s Foster Care System (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2013/08/29/foster-care

In her new book, “To The End of June,” author Cris Beam casts a searing eye on the labyrinth that is the American foster care system. Her exploration was a daunting task, but Beam had a personal investment – she’s a foster mother and she wanted to make sense of the world she was part of.

It’s a world that manages about 400,000 children a year. That costs nearly 20 billion dollars annually. “And yet nobody,” she writes, “not the kids, not the foster or biological parents, not the social workers, the administrators, the politicians, the policy experts – thinks the system is working.”

This hour, On Point: confronting America’s foster care system.

The conservative crackup: How the Republican Party lost its mind - Salon.com

http://pulse.me/s/pPKE1

Humanist course -- online, free

Learn more
 
Free registration required.

Sample quotes from the course content:

...[Humanism seeks] not merely scientific progress, but the wise and compassionate application of technology to conquer such problems as environmental pollution, resource depletion, overpopulation, public health, and poverty. In short, the mission of humanism [is] no less than providing for the realization and fulfillment of human potential worldwide, and for shaping a desirable future for humankind.

... Humanists seek to positively influence the progress of humanity in all spheres of life; to do so, we must emphasize the positive aspects of this lifestance.

Among children 5 years old, according to the latest research, those drinking more sugar-sweetened sodas showed increased aggression, withdrawal and difficulty paying attention than those drinking fewer or none of the beverages.

... although the study has not determined if the behavioral issues are due to sugar or caffeine...

when you ignore the propaganda and look at the facts its pretty simple

The greatest mystery of the Inca Empire was its strange economy

http://io9.com/the-greatest-mystery-of-the-inca-empire-was-its-strange-1198541254?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pulsenews

Friday, August 30, 2013

Grimms’ Fairy Tales (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2012/10/17/grimm-brothers-fairy-tales

Once upon a time – 200 years ago, to be exact – across a great sea, near a deep woods, there were two brothers named Grimm who collected stories. They were hearth and fireplace tales, kitchen and lamplight tales, of swans and wolves, of magic spells and little men in the woods, of a frog prince, a sleeping beauty, a brave little tailor.

And lots and lots of chopping and killing and ravaging and rebirth. Gripping, gruesome, deep-rooted folk stories called fairy tales. With very few fairies.

This hour, On Point: looking again at the Brothers Grimm and the tales they shared. Fairy tales.

-Tom Ashbrook

Light Pollution And ‘The End Of Night’ (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2013/08/16/end-of-night

Evening falls, and then night, and we look up into that nighttime sky, in all its glory, and see… well, there was a time when we all saw a slew of stars and planets and galaxies.

These days, many, most, are likely to look up and see reflected man-made light from street lights and gas stations, shopping centers and parking lots. Blazing away. Banishing the dark.

We’ve lost the dark – the true dark – says my guest today, Paul Bogard. And with it, true night. And, he says, there are consequences.

This hour, On Point: our vanishing darkness and the end of night.

- Tom Ashbrook

Renewed Debate Over Assisted Suicide (Diane Rehm Show)

Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2013-08-13/renewed-debate-over-assisted-suicide

The arrest of a Pennsylvania woman for allegedly helping her elderly father die is calling attention to assisted suicide. Diane and her guests discuss the new debate over the right to die.

Week In The News: Syria Horror, Manning Sentence, NSA (Tome Ashbrook, On Point)

Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/files/2013/08/APREFUGEES1000-500x333.jpg

Hideous images out of Syria this week. Nerve gas charges. And once again, the question of what the world should do. It’s done little.

In Egypt, Hosni Mubarak flies out of prison. In the US, Bradley Manning heads into a 35 year sentence and says he’s a woman. Chelsea. She. With everybody heading back to school, Barack Obama says he’ll use government leverage to beat tuition down.
The NSA, in more trouble on surveillance. Wall Street’s in a tizzy. Fukushima is leaking large. Elmore Leonard has died. Up next On Point: our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines.

- Tom Ashbrook

Friday News Roundup - Domestic (Diane Rehm Show)

Interview:

A bipartisan group of nearly 200 lawmakers are asking President Barack Obama for congressional approval for military action in Syria. The White House says the president has authority to make his own decision. A secret budget obtained by NSA leaker Edward Snowden and released to The Washington Post reveals new details about operations within the U.S. intelligence community. The president marks the 50th anniversary of the March On Washington. And the budget wars resume after a summer ceasefire. A panel of experts joins guest host Steve Roberts for the domestic hour of the Friday news roundup.

Friday News Roundup - International (Diane Rehm Show)

Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2013-08-30/friday-news-roundup-international

A panel of journalists joins guest host Steve Roberts for our Friday News Roundup of the week's top international stories, including: Syrian President Bashar Assad's reaction to the threat of Western action, rising militancy in Egypt's Sinai and U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's meeting with Asian leaders over South China Sea tensions.

Celebrate, America! The 'Grand Bargain' Is Still Dead!

In this time of tension and trouble, it's rare to have good news to bring you, but today I'm happy to say I have ... Read more

Tea Party Preps For Battle With GOP Gov

Lieutenant governor isn't normally a highly-contested elected position in Michigan. But Gov. Rick Snyder's support of ... Read more

This Is Probably The Funniest, Most Effective Way To Deal With People Who Ignore Science Facts Ever

Consumer Spending Slumps And Wages Fall Because Of Sequestration

Mandatory federal furloughs and salary cuts made consumers cut back in July.The post Consumer Spending Slumps And Wages Fall ... Read more

Half Of America’s Scientists Have Laid People Off Thanks To Budget Cuts

Science research is experiencing a huge impact from sequestration and past budget cuts.The post Half Of America's ... Read more

Four Ways Immigrants Are Crucial To The Modern American Workforce

Immigrants are often a scapegoat for disappointing economic outcomes. In reality, they fill key gaps in the workforce and ... Read more

In Effort To Woo Female Voters, Mitch McConnell Touts Women’s Law He Voted Against

A press release distributed by Sen. Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) campaign at a "Women for Team Mitch" event on Friday brags about ... Read more

Time Warner, CBS Are Daring Us to Cut the Cord - These days we have tons of cable alternatives, J. Max Robins points out

http://www.newser.com/story/173427/time-warner-cbs-are-daring-us-to-cut-the-cord.html

It's True! Gays Transmit AIDS With Infected Rings, Says Pat Robertson

Syria Chemical Weapons Attack Was Launched By...

Shoot The N****ER Obama Post - Secret Service Investigates

*** Explicit Language***

13 quotes from George Orwell's 1984 that resonate more than ever

An unfortunate slip of the tongue by Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, saw him screw up the iconic biblical reference by multiplying loaves and "pe... Read more

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Bill O'Reilly Makes Major Mistake

Bill O'Reilly got a few things wrong about the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington on ... Read more

School That Gave Controversial Creationist Quiz Is Closing

Blue Ridge Christian Academy, the school that made headlines after one of its creationist "science" quizzes was ... Read more

Democrats Rewrite Bush Library's Version Of History

WASHINGTON -- The George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum opened May 1 on the campus of Southern Methodist University in ... Read more

Heritage's Fun With 'Defund Obamacare' Polling Numbers

The Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank that has been a leader in the Defund Obamacare movement, appeared to go ... Read more

Why It’s Easier To Buy An Assault Weapon Than To Vote, In One Graphic

A ThinkProgress analysis found that anyone can obtain assault rifles from unlicensed dealers at gun shows or online without a ... Read more

Banks Make Record Profits In Second Quarter

The financial industry's post-recession resurgence continues.The post Banks Make Record Profits In Second Quarter appeared ... Read more

As Scientists Leave GOP, Utah State Climatologist Warns, ‘Ignoring Science Comes With Risk’

The Republican party's hostility toward science is forcing scientists out.The post As Scientists Leave GOP, Utah State ... Read more

Poor people aren't stupid; bad decisions are from being overwhelmed, study finds

Being poor affects your ability to think, a new study shows. Those coping with severe financial stress don't have the mental bandwidth to deal with al... Read more

How hackers can hijack your car

With AAA predicting the biggest Labor Day travel weekend since the recession hit, many Americans will be stealing away for that final summer trip. Unf... Read more

Married gay couples win U.S. marriage tax benefits nationwide | Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/29/us-usa-gaymarriage-tax-idUSBRE97S11N20130829

Solomon: White People A Target, Gays Sick And Diseased

Solomon: Dan Savage, Trayvon Martin Deserve To Die

Four ways to understand the Earth's age - Joshua M. Sneideman

Science Vs Religion: Which Makes You Moral?

OOPS: Senator Who Advocates Arming Teachers Accidentally Shoots Teacher With Rubber Bullet

OOPS: Senator Who Advocates Arming Teachers Accidentally Shoots Teacher With Rubber Bullet
THINKPROGRESS | AUGUST 29, 2013
http://pulse.me/s/pLdY3

The experience, gave the senator "some pause" but failed to shake his confidence in the plan. The post OOPS: Senator Who ... Read more

POLL: Americans Oppose 20-Week Abortion Bans When They’re Given More Context About The Issue

POLL: Americans Oppose 20-Week Abortion Bans When They're Given More Context About The Issue
THINKPROGRESS | AUGUST 29, 2013
http://pulse.me/s/pLvGg

When Americans are asked whether women in desperate situations should be denied legal abortion access, they decide the answer ... Read more

NYPD: Mosques Are Terrorist Organizations

Martin Luther King Jr Was A Republican (Say Republicans)

Daniel Dennett - Religion is a virus

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

I'm proud to say my little brother made this. He had to make a political cartoon... Oh, and he goes to a catholic school.

REDDIT TOP NEWS | AUGUST 27, 2013http://pulse.me/s/pCJxz

"Aggression in childhood was shown to interfere with the development of intellectual functioning and to be predictive of poorer intellectual achievement as an adult... Differences between early IQ and intellectual achievement in middle adulthood were predictable from early aggressive behavior."

REDDIT TOP NEWS | AUGUST 28, 2013
Read more

Kucinich: Striking Syria Will Make U.S. Military 'Al-Qaeda's Air Force'

REDDIT TOP NEWS | AUGUST 27, 2013
http://pulse.me/s/pDren

A campaign has been launched to encourage the World Meteorological Organisation to begin naming hurricanes and other destructive storms after climate change deniers.

REDDIT TOP NEWS | AUGUST 27, 2013
http://pulse.me/s/pIFVT

TIL Teddy Roosevelt tried to remove "In God we trust" on newly minted coins

REDDIT TOP NEWS | AUGUST 27, 2013
http://pulse.me/s/pDakt

'Money decreases trust' in small groups, study shows "within small groups a team found that introducing an incentive makes people less likely to share than they did before. In essence, even an artificial currency reduced their natural generosity."

REDDIT TOP NEWS | AUGUST 28, 2013
http://pulse.me/s/pJhGp

New Zealand bans software patents “Today’s historic legislation will support our innovative technology industry, and sends a clear message to the rest of the world that New Zealand won’t tolerate the vexatious practice of ‘patent trolls’”

REDDIT TOP NEWS | AUGUST 28, 2013
http://pulse.me/s/pE6th

Ten Ways Criminal Justice Is One Of The Great Civil Rights Crises Of Our Time

Ten Ways Criminal Justice Is One Of The Great Civil Rights Crises Of Our Time
THINKPROGRESS | AUGUST 28, 2013
http://pulse.me/s/pJWvp

The United States imprisons a larger percentage of its black population than South Africa did at the height of apartheid.The ... Read more

Conservatives Have Twisted The Word ‘Freedom’ Into Something Martin Luther King Would Never Recognize

Conservatives Have Twisted The Word 'Freedom' Into Something Martin Luther King Would Never Recognize
THINKPROGRESS | AUGUST 28, 2013
http://pulse.me/s/pEnpM

Conservatives think "freedom" means "freedom from government." It's a vision that would roll back some of the civil rights ... Read more

Faced With Budget Cuts, 99.5 Percent Of Teachers Spend Their Own Money On Supplies

Faced With Budget Cuts, 99.5 Percent Of Teachers Spend Their Own Money On Supplies
THINKPROGRESS | AUGUST 28, 2013
http://pulse.me/s/pJKmX

Last year, virtually every teacher in America spent an average of $485 on school supplies like books, furniture, printer ink, ... Read more

Bill Clinton Explains The Real Way To Honor King’s Dream

Bill Clinton Explains The Real Way To Honor King's Dream
THINKPROGRESS | AUGUST 28, 2013
http://pulse.me/s/pEGGS

"I would respectfully suggest that Martin Luther King did not live and die to hear his heirs whine about political gridlock," ... Read more

Michigan Religious Conservatives Rely On Regnerus To Oppose Marriage Equality | ThinkProgress

Note: The Regnerus study used by certain churches and conservative social values groups has been discredited because it compares the well-being of kids that live in households with two straight parents with those who live in homes with a single parent who is gay. This apples-to-oranges comparison invalidates the findings of the study. Quoting it as scientific support for opposing same-sex marriage, is, therefore, a malicious falsehood. (I'm looking at you, Michigan Catholic Conference of Bishops.)

http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2013/08/28/2544981/michigan-conservatives-marriage/