Lies My Talking Head Told Me Part One: "The Founding Fathers Said..." (My History Can Beat Up Your Politics)

There were many many Founders and they didn't agree on much. Yet listening to the media today, you may not know it. A look at the Founders you know, and the disagreements they had. And a look at the Founders you may not know, who nonetheless had an influence on American politics today.

Interview:
http://www.myhistorycanbeatupyourpolitics.com/foundingfathers.mp3

Evolution: Pre-School to High School (Skepticality #233)

Interviews: Jonathan Tweet and Allen J. Woppert

 

This episode Derek sits down with two guests. First is Jonathan Tweet, game designer, and science advocate. Tweet comes on Skepticality to discuss his latest writing project which will be coming to Kickstarter quite soon. It is a fun science book aimed at pre-school level children teaching the basic facts behind evolution and how living things came to be. Next, Derek talks with Allen J. Woppert about his latest book, 'The War On Science Goes Batshit', a Young Adult book about when a biology teacher in the small town of Batshit, Illinois attempts to slip Intelligent Design into the High School classroom. Derek talks with Allen about how the book came to be, and the challenges in writing a book geared toward a Young Adult audience which has the teaching of evolution as its main topic.

 

Interview:

http://www.skepticality.com/evolution-reading-pre-school-high-school/

Week In The News: Kerry To Israel, Mixed Messages On Obamacare, MH 17 Investigation (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

The civil war in Ukraine – and no sign that Russia is backing away yet. The mounting death toll in Gaza, even as U.S. efforts to arrange a cease-fire intensify. Conflicting appeals court rulings on Obamacare, leaving the Supreme Court with another huge decision. Texas plans to send National Guard troops to the  border, but Congress still hasn’t acted. President Obama moves to extend workplace protections to gay and transgender federal workers. And we say goodbye to James Garner. This hour, On Point: Our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines. / John Harwood

Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2014/07/25/isarel-palestine-obamacare-ukraine-malaysia-airlines

Friday News Roundup - Domestic (Diane Rehm Show)

President Barack Obama meets with Central American leaders today on strategies to stem the flow of migrant children to the border. Prospects for immigration legislation grow dim, with congress down to one week before recess. Two federal appeals courts issue conflicting rulings on the affordable care act, setting the stage for further challenges. David Perdue wins the GOP’s senate runoff in Georgia, pitting him against democrat Michelle Nunn in November. The midterm contest could decide control of the senate. And a botched execution in Arizona takes two hours, one of the longest deaths by lethal injection in U.S. history.
 

Interview:

http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2014-07-25/friday-news-roundup-domestic

 

 

Friday News Roundup - International (Diane Rehm Show)

A panel of journalists joins Diane for analysis of the week's top international news stories: A blast kills at least sixteen at a UN school used as a civilian shelter in Gaza. The source of the bombing is unclear and Israelis and Palestinians blame each other. Secretary Kerry proposes a weeklong truce. Pro-Russian separatists hamper the international investigation on the downed Malaysian plane in eastern Ukraine. Pro-Russian rebels shoot down two Ukrainian military jets. President Obama meets with Central American presidents on the child migrant crisis. And the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram is suspected in bombings in Nigeria that kill at least seventy-five people.

Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2014-07-25/friday-news-roundup-international

Why Am I Moving Left? - Thomas E. Ricks - POLITICO Magazine

If so, we can hope that our new Gilded Age will lead, as the last one did, to a new era of Progressivism when reform and reinvention take hold to restore a democracy gone complacent. But maybe that is asking too much for the new leftie I now seem to have become. At the very least, I hope we will cease to be a nation at ease with torture and inequality, a country that once again steers by its ideals.

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/07/why-am-i-moving-left-109241.html#.U9ONbmK9KSP

RWW News: Dinesh D'Souza Psychoanalyzes The Left

Dinesh D'Souza cogently explains that the Left is driven entirely by envy and the desire to destroy those who have succeeded.

http://youtu.be/eWoAyrLtYK0

A frozen iceberg wave in the Antarctic Peninsula by Tim McCullough [1200x797]

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Ice Cream Shop Hit With ‘Scary’ Anti-Abortion Harassment

Even frozen dessert isn't safe from the culture wars.The post Ice Cream Shop Hit With 'Scary' Anti-Abortion ... Read more

Billionaire Blasts Companies That Jump Overseas To Duck Taxes: ‘I’m Selling Your Stock’

Mark Cuban would rather see corporate America reinvest at home than pretend that shrinking tax liability by moving overseas is ... Read more

If You Can Make Solar Power Better, Google Will Give You $1 Million

"Smaller is baller," says the Google-sponsored competition to invent a tiny household power inverter.The post If You Can Make ... Read more

Michele Bachmann: LGBT Movement Has A Pro-Pedophilia Agenda

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) thinks the LGBT community wants to make it easier for adults to "freely prey on little children ... Read more

Proof That Feminism Hasn’t Ruined Marriage

While it used to be that women who were better educated than their husbands were more likely to divorce, that's reversed.The ... Read more

Most Female Voters Say They Won’t Support Politicians Who Back Hobby Lobby

And most of them feel strongly about it.The post Most Female Voters Say They Won't Support Politicians Who Back Hobby ... Read more

Florida Lawmaker Drafts Bill To Require Every Student To Watch Documentary Explaining Why Liberals Hate America

All 1,700 Florida high schools and middle schools to show the movie to their students.The post Florida Lawmaker Drafts Bill To ... Read more

In West Virginia Congressional Race, Both Candidates Think Climate Change Is ‘Not Our Problem’

“It’s not our problem,” Casey reportedly said, adding that it was an international issue. “These other people think we’ve got a global problem, let’s see them step up.” ... Read more

Obamacare Architect Says He Made A Mistake In 2012 Video That Wingnuts Are Freaking On

"I never heard any of them suggest subsidies would not be available in states where officials decided not to operate their own marketplaces." --Jonathan Gruber
... Read more

One couple found a creative way to counter-protest pro-lifers

"...While some pro-life advocates will continue to resort to violence and hate to get their message across, other protesters have more subtle techniques. One Raleigh, N.C., couple—Grayson Haver Currin, a writer for Pitchfork and music editor at Indy Week, and his wife Tina, a copywriter and creative strategist—has been protesting alongside pro-lifers at a clinic in Cary, N.C., every Saturday morning since March. But their signs take a different approach..."

http://www.dailydot.com/lifestyle/saturday-chores-tumblr-tina-grayson-currin/

'Modern Family' Star On Anti-Gay Politician Rick Santorum

Modern Family' Star Eric Stonestreet: "Rick Santorum wanted a picture with me. It was at a time when he was publicly saying, 'Gay marriage, gay marriage [is wrong],' and I'm like, 'You know, I can't do it,'" he said. "It was with him and his kids or something like that, and I said, 'I'd be happy to take a picture with the kids, but I can't just be in a picture with [Santorum.]'"

http://youtu.be/e5h6dLPlD28

Rising HIV Rates Among Gay & Bisexual Men In America

"A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found annual diagnoses of HIV among men ages 13-24 who have sex with men rose by 132.5 percent between 2001 and 2011 — a much higher increase than the trend among older gay and bisexual men, and quite stark from the one-third drop in diagnoses among the general population. Previous CDC studies also found a 22 percent increase in new HIV infections among these men between 2008 and 2010, and youth aged 13 to 24 accounted for more than one in four new HIV infections in the US in 2010."

http://youtu.be/Rnx1W87p4No

Colbert Mocks Conservative Freakout Over True Blood Episode At Ted Cruz Fundraiser | Crooks and Liars

Colbert had some fun with the right and Fox for their criticism of the recent True Blood episode mocking Republicans at a Ted Cruz fundraiser.

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/07/colbert-mocks-conservative-freakout-over

Comcast’s Worst Nightmare: How Tennessee Could Save America’s Internet

In a rare twist, the private telecom companies are seeking government intervention to clamp down on competition.

 ... Read more

Palestinians Have a Right to Defend Themselves -- Why Is This Obvious Truth Suppressed?

Amid the dire crisis in Gaza, the failure of the international community to respond has left the Palestinians with no choice.

 ... Read more

Texas Gun Nuts’ Scary Ritual: How Hatred of a President Turned Profane

"The "open carry" crew is now spouting right-wing conspiracy theories and waving guns in the worst place imaginable."
... Read more

What Hobby Lobby Shows Us About the Supreme Court and Civil Rights Laws: Winners and Losers in the Roberts Court

"...it is important to recognize the current 5-4 majority's pattern of favoring corporations and harming workers in its decisions interpreting federal civil rights laws, and to recognize and act on the ability to reverse these harmful rulings."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elliot-mincberg/what-hobby-lobby-shows-us_b_5618415.html

Open Letter by 50 Israeli Army Reservists on Why They Refuse to Fight in Gaza

Fifty reservists express opposition to the Israeli military apparatus, the war in Gaza and the conscription law. ... Read more

Scientists Discover the Fascinating Psychological Reason Why Conservatives Are…Conservative

Right-wing ideology is tailored to a particular psychological profile.

... Read more

The Koch Brothers' Agenda and the Real War at Home

Two of the richest men in the entire world are plotting to dominate our elections this fall, from congressional races to school board seats. Their sch... Read more

Swedish Pitfall: Private School Voucher Program Failing Overseas

Thanks to vouchers, more Swedish children attend private, (mostly) for-profit schools than any other developed nation on the planet, but as Slate reported those students have performed abysmally on standardized tests.
... Read more

Paul Ryan’s New Poverty Proposal Would Have Government Micromanage Poor People’s Lives

Rather than giving poor people the ability to decide what's best for their lives, Paul Ryan's poverty proposal calls for strict ... Read more

How Religious Groups Are Their Own Worst Enemy

http://youtu.be/crW_6gpMxZo

Nutrition Experts Fight To Prevent GOP From Rolling Back Healthy School Lunches

A new survey finds that most kids like their new, healthier lunches.The post Nutrition Experts Fight To Prevent GOP From ... Read more

Fringe Furor: Extremists Denounce Executive Order Banning Anti-Gay Discrimination

The result is a compromise that managed to please the majority of LGBT and faith groups, including several of the leaders who originally requested religious exemptions from the order. But some aren’t so mollified by the administration’s balancing act.
... Read more

Listen, People: Paul Ryan Explains How To Be Poor The Right Way

It's just not Republican if it's not punitive!

 

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/07/listen-people-paul-ryan-explains-how-be

 

 

The Progressive Proposal Buried In Paul Ryan’s Poverty Plan

One of the few bipartisan issues in Washington just got a little more bipartisan.The post The Progressive Proposal Buried In ... Read more

Israel Offers Students Grants If They Tweet Favorable Propaganda

Israel is trying to fight back against the power of social media.

 ... Read more

Marco Rubio: Those Who Oppose Same-Sex Marriage Face 'Intolerance' From Supporters

"Even before this speech is over, I will be attacked as someone who is a hater or a bigot or someone who is anti-gay," Rubio said.

 http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2014/07/24/marco-rubio-those-who-oppose-same-sex-marriage-face-intolerance-from-supporters/

Glenn Beck Takes His Campaign Against Common Core To The Big Screen

Conservative commentator Glenn Beck hosted a live, interactive "night of action" against the Common Core State Standards. He has long fought against the learning benchmarks in reading and math now being used in 43 states. Events such as these, and the Common Core itself, could continue to play a role in the 2014 midterm campaigns.

http://www.npr.org/2014/07/23/334494687/glenn-beck-takes-his-campaign-against-common-core-to-the-big-screen

Heart-Wrenching 911 Calls Of Immigrants Dying

"The hosts of Fox & Friends on Wednesday were shocked to learn that emergency responders were “forced” to serve non-English speakers in life-threatening situations even if the callers were suspected of entering the country illegally.

“They stumbled across the border illegally and now they need your help!” Fox News host Steve Doocy complained, pointing to a 911 call in Brooks County, Texas where a man who could only speak Spanish asked for a helicopter rescue because his cousin was “turning purple.”

“A small Texas town forced to answer 911 from stranded illegals in Spanish!” Doocy exclaimed. "

http://youtu.be/93ZxKP515lk

I Always Thought The U.S. Was Christian/Jewish/Other. Nope. Check Out This Surprising Map.

http://www.upworthy.com/i-always-thought-the-us-was-christianjewishother-nope-check-out-this-surprising-map?c=ufb1

Right-Wing Christians Tell Others' Kids 'Convert or Go to Hell,' Then Accuse Liberals of Indoctrinating Christian Kids | Alternet

"...Accusing liberals of “indoctrination” of children does serve one very valuable purpose for conservatives: It gives them cover to launch initiatives to actually indoctrinate children into rigidly Christian or right-wing views..."

"...One mother said she was protesting the current state of public education because she opposed “deeper, rigorous thinking” for her kids and wanted them to learn “that there are absolutes, that there are right and wrong answers,” even though, in reality, there really is a lot of gray between the black and white. No matter how much conservatives wish otherwise, teaching people to think for themselves is not “indoctrination” and trying to foist a rigidly unthinking right-wing ideology on them is not protecting them..."

Read more...

Clueless Rich Kids on the Rise: How Millennial Aristocrats Will Destroy Our Future | Alternet

Today's wealthy are far more likely to have inherited their fortunes. Here's why that's going to doom our politics.Read more...

 

Israel in 2014 Is Like Germany in 1933—Can the Madness Be Stopped?

A Jewish settler and an exiled Israeli anti-war activist agree.

 ... Read more

Israel Bombs Gaza’s Only Power Plant as Toll Nears 650. Hospitals on the brink of collapse.

"...Israel continues to bombard the Gaza Strip amidst talks over a ceasefire. Israeli military attacks today include the bombing of Gaza’s sole power plant and the heavy shelling of Khan Younis, killing six people and leaving at least 20 wounded. The Palestinian death toll is near 650, including more than 160 children. More than 4,000 have been wounded. According to Gaza officials, 475 houses have been totally destroyed, and more than 2,600 homes have been partially damaged. Israel has also struck 46 schools, 56 mosques and seven hospitals. Meanwhile, two more Israeli soldiers have been killed, bringing the Israeli military death toll inside Gaza to 29. A farm worker from Thailand also died inside Israel after being hit by rocket fire from Gaza..."
Read more

Marco Rubio Accuses Gay Marriage Advocates Of ‘Intolerance’ And ‘Hypocrisy’

Rubio argued that "traditional marriage has such an extraordinary record of success at raising children" and must be ... Read more

Duality - Albuquerque, NM [OC] [1700x1134]

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Secrets to a (close to) perfect resume

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Abortion Protesters Interrupt Church Service, Tell Pro-Choice Worshippers To ‘Repent’

The Unitarian Universalist pastor who was leading the service that day is calling it "religious terrorism."The post Abortion ... Read more

The EU Wants To Get 30 Percent More Energy Efficient By 2030

The new goal will help the EU reduce its reliance on imported natural gas, according to the European Commission.The post The EU ... Read more

Israel Is Destroying West Bank Houses To Punish Hamas’ Family Members

After a nine year pause, Israel is demolishing houses to help prevent terrorism -- despite no evidence that it actually ... Read more

Change In Antarctic Sea Ice Trend Not So Extreme, Study Finds

Bottom line: Antarctic sea ice trends are an intriguing scientific puzzle worthy of academic interest, whereas Antarctic land ... Read more

Cruz Accuses Obama Of Secretly Plotting Against Israel, Aiding Hamas

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) believes that Obama is using the Federal Aviation Administration to lead to Israel's downfall.The post ... Read more

21 Protesters Arrested While Attempting To Block The First Tar Sands Mine In America

The activists were protesting a planned tar sands mine in Utah. The post 21 Protesters Arrested While Attempting To Block The ... Read more

CUFI Summit Shows Why Jewish Americans Vote For Democrats

"...If you’re looking for answers why, this week's Christians United for Israel (CUFI) summit in Washington is a good place to start. There, religious right extremists whose domestic policies Jewish Americans overwhelmingly oppose rallied in support of the proposition that God gave all of the land of Israel to the Jews, a position that a majority of Jewish Americans don't accept..." Read more

http://youtu.be/iRakjqtZ--8

What's the difference...?

... between Reagan amnesty for immigrants and Obama amnesty for immigrants?  One doesn't exist.

Via The Everlasting GOP Stoppers. Open thread below... ... Read more