Expiring on Netflix 1/15/2014: Evil

Adapted from a best-selling novel, this Swedish drama follows rebellious teenager Erik (Andreas Wilson) as he's expelled from high school for fighting and sent to the prestigious Stjärsnberg Academy. Having endured many beatings from his father, Erik is dismayed to face a similar threat from the academy's senior students, who bully the younger ones mercilessly. But this time, Erik is determined not to crack and lash out in violence.

http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Evil/60034814?trkid=13641790

"Bridgeghazi" by Old Fart Rants

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH62-9tBOJo

Overtime Rules Long Overdue for a Reality Check

Obama should raise out-of-date threshold, says op-ed writer...

http://www.newser.com/story/180536/overtime-rules-long-overdue-for-a-reality-check.html

825 Free Online Courses from Top Universities | Open Culture

Get free online courses from the world’s leading universities. This collection includes over 800 free courses in the liberal arts and sciences. Download these audio & video courses straight to your computer or mp3 player. Note: you can find a new collection of certificate-bearing courses here.


http://www.openculture.com/freeonlinecourses

Slumdogs versus Millionaires (The Daily Show)

Conservatives argue that income inequality isn't systemic enough.

How to prevent strangers on Google+ from flooding your Gmail inbox | Macworld

If you use Google+ and Gmail, Google is about to open your email account to a whole new level of spam. A new feature rolling out over the next couple of days makes it possible for any Google+ user to email you, as long as they follow you on Google+—they don’t need to know your actual email address, and you don't even have to follow them back. And to make it even worse, Google took the Facebook approach by turning on the new feature by default. 

http://www.macworld.com/article/2086722/how-to-prevent-strangers-on-google-from-flooding-your-gmail-inbox.html#tk.rss_all?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pulsenews

The War on Christmas (Point of Inquiry)

"... As the War on Christmas wages on, our host Josh Zepps interviews Rob Boston, Senior Policy Analyst for Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, editor of Church & State magazine, and author of Close Encounters with the Religious Right: Journeys into the Twilight Zone of Religion and Politics and the upcoming Taking Liberties: Why Religious Freedom Doesn't Give You the Right to Tell Other People What to Do.

Together they get to the bottom of the War on Christmas. They explain how saying "Happy Holidays" is a violation of Christian liberty and explore the vast number of schools banning red, green, and jolly old men.

Is the War on Christmas a fact or is it fear-mongering and imagined persecution among the Christian media elite? This week, an amusing year-end episode of Point of Inquiry which actually delves into some serious Church-State, First Amendment issues along with some festive humor..."

Interview:  http://www.pointofinquiry.org/the_war_on_christmas/

Kathryn Joyce - The Child Catchers: Rescue, Trafficking, and the New Gospel of Adoption (Point of Inquiry)

"...Joining Lindsay Bernstein this week is Kathryn Joyce, one of the foremost reporters chronicling the Religious Right today. She made “Quiverfull” a household name with her first book, Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement.Her new book is called The Child Catchers: Rescue, Trafficking, and the New Gospel of Adoption. The book is the product of four years of reporting from four different countries.

Joyce found that adoption has become the hot new spiritual fad among U.S. evangelicals, often with devastating consequences for children and families at home and abroad..."

Interview:
http://www.pointofinquiry.org/kathryn_joyce_-_the_child_catchers_rescue_trafficking_and_the_new_gospel_of/ 

Leonard Mlodinow: Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior (Point of Inquiry)

"...Our unconscious minds offer us something of a paradox. On the one hand, we'd be lost without it, as it processes information without us ever being aware of it — it's how we deal with the real world in real time. But on the other hand, we don't always have a complete picture, so the unconscious mind can often draw mistaken conclusions, even though they may feel right at a "gut level..."

More Info / Interview:  http://www.pointofinquiry.org/leonard_mlodinow_subliminal_how_your_unconscious_mind_rules_your_behavior1/

Neil deGrasse Tyson - Communicating Science to the Public (Point of Inquiry)

Neil deGrasse Tyson is one of America’s leading spokespersons for science. The research areas he focuses on are star formation, exploding stars, dwarf galaxies, and the structure of our own galaxy, the Milky Way. In addition to many scholarly publications, Dr Tyson is one of America’s most respected science writers, and he writes a monthly column for Natural History magazine simply titled the “Universe.” Among his eight books is his memoir The Sky is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist; and also Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution, co-written with Donald Goldsmith. His most recent book is Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries. He is the on-camera host of PBS-NOVA’s program ScienceNow, which explore the frontiers of all the science that shapes our understanding of our place in the universe. He is the first occupant of the Frederick P. Rose Directorship of the Hayden Planetarium in Manhattan, where he also teaches.

In this conversation with D.J. Grothe, Neil deGrasse Tyson examines various approaches to informal science education, his experiences teaching science through pop-culture media outlets, and controversies regarding science popularization. He explains his views on the implications of science for religious belief, questioning the strategy of science educators who seem to equate science and atheism. He also recounts the direct influence of Carl Sagan on his professional development.

Interview:  http://www.pointofinquiry.org/neil_degrasse_tyson_communicating_science_to_the_public2013/

Bill Nye - In Praise of Reason (and Skepticism) (Point of Inquiry)

Recently in New Orleans, the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry held the very first CSIcon—the conference dedicated to scientific inquiry and critical thinking.

The main honoree: Bill Nye the Science Guy, who was given CSI's premiere "In Praise of Reason" award.

The next day, Point of Inquiry caught up with Nye, a guest who really needs no introduction... at least not to the thousands upon thousands of kids who saw a little show called Bill Nye the Science Guy.

Since then, Nye has been involved in many other endeavors and television programs to improve science teaching and understanding in our country, including his latest show on Planet Green, "Stuff Happens".

Nye is an engineer, inventor, author, comedian—a supporter of clean energy, and above all a skeptic.

Interview:  http://www.pointofinquiry.org/bill_nye_in_praise_of_reason_and_skepticism_2013/

Week In The News: Polar Vortex, Christie’s ‘Bridge Gate’ And Al Qaeda In Iraq (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

Polar vortex to the max this week.  Al Qaeda flags in Iraq.  And a bridge full of traffic puts Chris Christie in a political jam.  We’ve had Arctic cold in much of the country.  Fallujah and Ramadi overrun with jihadis.  And New Jersey’s governor and his presidential aspirations on a tightrope.  Unemployment’s down to 6.7 percent, but the numbers aren’t so great.  Former defense secretary Bob Gates hits Obama and Biden on Afghanistan.  Dennis Rodman jumps the shark in North Korea.  Apologizes.  This hour On Point: our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines.

– Tom Ashbrook

Interview:  http://onpoint.wbur.org/2014/01/10/christie-bridgegate-polar-vortex-iraq

Friday News Roundup - Domestic (Diane Rehm Show)

The December jobs report is being called “weird” and “wacky.” While the U.S. economy added just 74,000 jobs last month, the unemployment rate fell as fewer people sought work. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats hit a snag in their plan to extend long-term unemployment benefits. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie apologizes for the actions of his staff who organized a traffic tie-up, apparently as political payback. The White House reacts to harsh criticism of the president and his staff by former Defense Secretary Robert Gates. And Liz Cheney abandons her U.S. Senate run in Wyoming. A panel of journalists joins Diane for analysis of the week's top national news stories.
 

Interview:  http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2014-01-10/friday-news-roundup-domestic

Friday News Roundup - International (Diane Rehm Show)

Al-Qaida takes control of two cities in Iraq. The first shipment of chemical weapons leaves Syria. And former NBA players make a controversial trip to North Korea. A panel of journalists joins Diane for analysis of the week's top international news stories.
 

Interview:

http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2014-01-10/friday-news-roundup-international

TIL there are still people who practice the old Norse religions and worship Odin, Thor, etc.

Read more

Why are or aren't you religious? [Serious] : AskReddit

http://i.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/1uvp3i/why_are_or_arent_you_religious_serious/

First confirmed record of a freshwater fish preying on birds in flight.

After 60 years of rumors, scientists film African tigerfish leaping out of the water to catch and consume birds in midair.
Read more

Doctors Slam Proposed Food Stamp Cuts: ‘The Dumbest Thing You Can Do Is Cut Nutrition’

Although slashing nutritional assistance might yield short-term budgetary savings, doctors warn that will come at the expense ... Read more

The 6 Most Terrifying Facts About The Chemical Spill Contaminating West Virginia’s Drinking Water

The water company still knows very little about the spill and the chemical involved. The post The 6 Most Terrifying Facts About ... Read more

Canadian Government Dismantles Ecological Libraries After Dismissing Thousands Of Scientists

Closing critical libraries and severely cutting scientific research are the latest moves by the Harper administration to ... Read more

Why The House Bill On Healthcare.Gov Security Wouldn’t Really Make Data Safer

In latest vote, the U.S. House of Representatives passes a bill that requires Healthcare.gov to tell consumers of a breach much ... Read more

The One Question You Need To Ask About The Future Of The GOP

If the Republican Party is going to change, there needs to be a movement full of people who want to change it. Where is it?The ... Read more

Movement on the Right - NYTimes.com

"If you just listened to Republican politicians, you’d have almost no sense that conservative thinking has changed much since Barack Obama beat Mitt Romney over a year ago. But if you hang around the conservative policy wonks, and read certain conservative magazines, the picture is quite different..."

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/10/opinion/brooks-movement-on-the-right.html?ref=opinion&_r=1

Contraceptives and Religious Freedom

"Legal challenges to the contraceptive mandate in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) raise important questions about religious freedom -- but not the ones the plaintiffs emphasize...."

Also see the comments below the article.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rick-lowery-phd/contraceptives-and-religious-freedom_b_4558387.html

Ex-chaplain's defamation suit closer to trial

"...Weinstein, an attorney, Air Force Academy graduate and former White House counsel who is Jewish, earned the enmity of the religious right, and galvanized it, with his crusade to end alleged undue influence by Christian fundamentalists in the military..."

http://www.stripes.com/news/us/ex-chaplain-s-defamation-suit-closer-to-trial-1.261235

Theology professor advises faiths on reaching ‘spiritual but not religious’

"...Wheat said she is among people of faith who believe that a church rebirth will stem the nonreligious trend. She said expectations are that change will come with the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, which started in 1517..."

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/faith_and_values/2014/01/10/faiths-advised-on-how-to-reach-the-spiritual-but-not-religious.html

Pastor: Obama is paving the way for the Antichrist

(RNS) Already no stranger to controversy, the Rev. Robert Jeffress, a Dallas megachurch pastor, is coming out with a book that claims President Barack Obama is clearing the way for the Antichrist....

http://www.christiancentury.org/article/2014-01/pastor-obama-paving-way-antichrist 

The below image is not from the article... but they are out there, believe it or not...

Ex-Calif. pastor tries atheism for 2014, gets dropped by 3 Christian employers

"...Prominent atheist blogger Hemant Mehta learned of the former pastor’s fate and decided to help. On Tuesday, Mehta, who has never spoken with the man, started a “Go Fund Me” website “For the Pastor Giving Atheism a Try…”

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/ex-pastor-loses-jobs-proclaiming-ll-atheism-article-1.1571520

Jon Stewart Embarrassed Bill O'Reilly - What Happened Next?

"Bill O'Reilly has been raising the alarms about pot and texting, so naturally he attracted the attention of Jon Stewart, who mocked O'Reilly's "old timey Americana restoration hour." O'Reilly fired back on Wednesday night, taking a shot at Stewart's audience of (as he's fond of saying) stoned slackers. But what really resonated with O'Reilly, for some reason, was Stewart rebutting his point that Chinese students are more studious and less bothered about texting than American students. Stewart showed a study that Chinese students text more than Americans do, and O'Reilly had to bring on Martha MacCallum to back him up...".* John Iadarola (host of TYT University and Common Room) breaks it down on The Young Turks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ8X9QisYqU

This Supreme Court Case Could Upend The Separation Of Powers

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on Monday in a case with potentially dramatic long-term implications for the balance of power be... Read more

Harvard team develops a new organic-based flow battery using quinone,

...a molecule nearly identical to one found in rhubarb. It can be found in green plants or synthesized from crude oil, and costs about $27 per kilowatt hour of storage capacity, compared with $700 for conventional metal batteries....
Read more

How A Group Of Parents Ended Radio Disney’s Oil-Funded Educational Tour

The program sought to get kids "exited about science" by teaching them about fossil fuels.The post How A Group Of Parents Ended ... Read more

The Most Absurd Attack On Rand Paul Comes From A Fellow Republican

"Appearing on Fox News Channel on Sunday, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) defended the National Security Agency from attacks on its intelligence gathering practices. He specifically said the charges made against the NSA by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) are "lies" and that he "doesn't deserve to be a U.S. Senator." "Rand Paul does not know what he's talking about," King said after being asked to respond to Paul's comments about the NSA..."   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBmeic6w7-k

Depressed Republican Pollster Hides In His Mansion

"According to a new profile piece in The Atlantic, GOP pollster and frequent Fox News contributor Frank Luntz sunk into a depression following the 2012 election in which President Obama won re-election over Republican candidate Mitt Romney.

Luntz described himself as "less healthy now than [he has] ever been in [his] life," sleeping two or three hours at a time and fretting over the future of his career in political consulting..."   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHBTGxwTqr0

Eric Green: Reading Cancer's Genetic Signature

"Cancer death rates in the United States continue to decline." Despite this conclusion, from the recent Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, we are still thought to be losing the war against cancer. Why is this? For one thing, cancer may soon overtake heart disease as the #1 cause of death....  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=polyc10NV9Q

How to build a fictional world - Kate Messner

Why is J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy so compelling? How about The Matrix or Harry Potter? What makes these disparate worlds come alive are clear, consistent rules for how people, societies -- and even the laws of physics -- function in these fictional universes. Author Kate Messner offers a few tricks for you, too, to create a world worth exploring in your own words.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQTQSbjecLg

ASTOUNDING: 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + ... = -1/12

The sum of all natural numbers (from 1 to infinity) produces an "astounding" result.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-I6XTVZXww&feature=youtu.be

Expiring on Netflix 1/15/2014: Ocean of Pearls

When young Sikh surgeon Amrit Singh (Omid Abtahi) senses that his outward appearance could cost him dearly when it comes to professional opportunities in America, he shuns his traditional family, takes off his turban and cuts his long, black hair. But shedding his religious convictions proves far more complicated in this penetrating tale about racism and self-realization. Heather McComb, Ron Canada and Navi Rawat also star.

http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Ocean_of_Pearls/70139285?trkid=13641790

Smart TVs, smart fridges, smart washing machines? Disaster waiting to happen

Op-ed: Hardware companies are generally bad at writing software—and bad at updating it. Read more

Welcome To Fantasy Island: U.S. House Majority Leader Fights For ‘School Choice’ With Dubious Data

" ... Studies and reports consistently show that vouchers don’t improve student academic performance. Nor do they offer families any meaningful choices – the best schools have the opportunity to pick which students they want to accept, and vouchers don’t do anything to change that..."

Read more

Congress Members Use Immigration Myths To Justify Reform Opposition

While some House Republicans are keen on maybe bringing immigration reform "to the floor over the next few months," others are ... Read more

Not An Isolated Incident: Christie Has Been Repeatedly Accused Of Political Retribution

Christie vetoed hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding for a New Jersey college professor who backed a re-districting map ... Read more

Women At Risk For Breast Cancer Will Get Free Preventive Medications Under Obamacare

Thanks to the health law, breast cancer prevention drugs like tamoxifen and raloxifene will be available without a co-pay.The ... Read more

New York Governor Announces $1 Billion For Solar Energy

New York governor Andrew Cuomo delivered his State of the State address on Wednesday and announced an even greater commitment ... Read more

How IRS drives taxpayers crazy

"... The agency's funding has been cut by about 8% since 2010, including an 87% drop in its training budget. Its full-time personnel have been reduced by nearly 8,000 people over the same period.

The government shutdown in October and the onset of automatic spending cuts known as sequestration haven't helped matters.

And all the while, Congress has greatly expanded the agency's responsibilities -- for instance, it plays a key role in the administration of Obamacare.

As a result, Olson notes, the IRS last year was only able to respond to 61% of taxpayer calls received, and 47% of correspondence. It has also reduced or eliminated taxpayer services at walk-in sites around the country..."
Read more

Is Sugar Addiction Why So Many January Diets Fail?

 Indulge or resist? Sugar cravings can be a serious cha... Read more

Vermont Lawmakers Introduce A Bill To Protect Women’s Right To Choose

It represents the latest proactive piece of legislation to expand reproductive rights, rather than restrict them.The post ... Read more

Illinois Gubernatorial Candidate Calls For Minimum Wage Cut, Then Backs Down Under Pressure

Bruce Rauner made $7.36 per second last year but wanted to slash Illinois' minimum wage to $7.25 per hour.The post Illinois ... Read more

No, Marriage Is Not A Good Way To Fight Poverty

Sen. Marco Rubio claims marriage is the best tool for fighting poverty. Here's what the research says.The post No, Marriage Is ... Read more

Betty Bowers Explains Abortion to Everyone Else

Mrs. Betty Bowers, America's Best Christian, takes a moment out of her busybody day, to settle once and for all America's most contentious subject: abortion. This video may offend some. But, then again, the truth always does . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq3U09DeKpg

No Sympathy For The Devil?: Proposed Satanist Monument Enrages Okla. Lawmakers

"Members of a group called the Satanic Temple mistakenly released images of its proposed monument at the Oklahoma state capitol, igniting a predictable furor among supporters of the state’s controversial Ten Commandments display."

Read more

'Golden age' of antibiotics 'set to end'

"...: We cannot say we weren't warned. The growing threat of antibiotic resistant organisms is once again in the spotlight. Prof Jeremy Farrar, the new head of Britain's biggest medical research charity The Wellcome Trust said it was a 'truly global issue'"...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25654112

Senator Will Only Support Unemployment Benefits If Congress Stops Helping Children Of Immigrants

Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) is forcing a choice between extending a lifeline for unemployed Americans and taking one away from the ... Read more

5 things we just learned about Fox's Roger Ailes

"For the three years that Gabriel Sherman was reporting and writing "The Loudest Voice in the Room," a biography of the Fox News chairman Roger Ailes, friends and enemies of both men (and impartial observers) wondered what surprising information Sherman would dig up..."

Read more

Elizabeth Warren, Top Conservative Seek To Expose True Cost Of Legal Settlements With The Feds

Federal officials tend to exaggerate how good a deal they've gotten for the American people in legal settlements.The post ... Read more

Republicans Are Being Taught How To Look Compassionate While Denying Benefits To The Long-Term Unemployed

Republicans are learning how to message -- but their resistance to extending unemployment benefits isn't shifting. The post ... Read more

Introduing: Secular Safe House

"The Mission of Secular Safe House is to provide physical “secular safe houses” via a network of facilities and private homes as well as a virtual community of support for those coming out of religion, cults or as LGBT.  Here’s how you can become an ally of those coming out of the chaos..."
http://secularsafehouse.org/become-an-ally/

Report: House Of Representatives Voted 109 Times To Undermine Environmental Efforts In 2013

Votes include a bill that would have imposed a $5000 fee on environmental protesters.The post Report: House Of Representatives ... Read more

How sugar affects the brain - Nicole Avena

"When you eat something loaded with sugar, your taste buds, your gut and your brain all take notice. This activation of your reward system is not unlike how bodies process addictive substances such as alcohol or nicotine -- an overload of sugar spikes dopamine levels and leaves you craving more. Nicole Avena explains why sweets and treats should be enjoyed in moderation..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEXBxijQREo&feature=youtu.be

GOPer On Jobless Benefits: They Pay People 'Not To Work Forever'

An Illinois Republican congressional candidate who gained notoriety last month by comparing "Duck Dynasty" star Phil Robertson to Rosa Parks argued in... Read more

Boehner Angles to Kill Jobless Benefits As Senate Moves Forward

In a surprising move Tuesday, six Republicans joined Senate Democrats to break a filibuster and advance a three-month revival of unemployment insuranc... Read more