Derren Brown Infamous 2014

The Bafta winning illusionist’s sell out stage show recorded at the Grand Theatre in Leeds during his Olivier nominated tour. The evening features an inventive mix of traditional magic, mind-reading, memory games and thought provoking entertainment that leaves his audience enthralled and enlightened in equal measure.
http://youtu.be/eiGfZQU4im4

A Toy's Story - Derren Brown: The Events - How To Control The Nation

http://youtu.be/EchfO2pjOrM

Eisenhower Farewell Address (Full)

How have attitudes of Republicans changed since this address by outgoing Republican President Eisenhower?

http://youtu.be/CWiIYW_fBfY

Backpacks for the Homeless

How do backpacks for the homeless help? Well besides giving them essential items they can utilize, I am breaking the stigma of atheism. The backpack is given in exchange for an interview, in which I invite you to get to know a homeless person in my community. How does that help? Well, studies have shown that simply by knowing an atheist or a homosexual, your favorability of atheists and homosexuals rises higher than the average (which is pretty low). Homelessness is frowned upon and has been stigmatized as well. These interviews will help put a face on homelessness. Some cities in the United States have actually made it illegal to be homeless. Here in my city, the mayor continues to bulldoze homeless encampments. This is truly sad because most homeless people prefer their communities over the shelters. 3.5 million people are at risk of being homeless every year and between 25-40% of this number are children under the age of 18. This is a serious problem and I believe that we can change it.
http://youtu.be/hkmLJXovGZI

Paul Krugman: 4 Surprising Reasons to be Cheerful at the Close of 2014

Don't believe the propaganda that good governance can't deal with big problems.
...Read more

Right-Wingers on Twitter Blow Up After Neil DeGrasse Tyson Tells a Few Harmless Xmas Jokes

Tyson's jokes didn't denounce the holiday, but don't tell that to the right-wing fanatics that trolled him.
...  Read more

80 Percent Of U.S. Adults Face Near-Poverty, Unemployment: Survey

WASHINGTON — Four out of 5 U.S. adults struggle with joblessness, near-poverty or reliance on welfare for at least parts of their lives, a sign of deteriorating economic security and an elusive American dream.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/28/poverty-unemployment-rates_n_3666594.html

Christmas Eve Document Dump Reveals US Spy Agencies Broke The Law And Violated Privacy

 The heavily-redacted report shows agents broke the law both intentionally and through human error.The post Christmas Eve ...  Read more

So much time off. Coincidence?

 Read more

Politico Is Very Concerned About President Obama's Church Attendance

Politico writer Jennifer Epstein is quite concerned about how often the President and First Lady attend church. "The president's Christian faith is n...  Read more

Yosemite tunnel view - tried to click good pic but I'm still a beginner 2112X1408

Read more

House GOP Leadership Would Require Dynamic Scoring of Some Tax Bills. Will It Matter?

Last night, the House Republican leadership proposed new rules that would require the Joint Committee on Taxation and the Congressional Budget Office ...  Read more

Lawrence Krauss on Climate Change

http://youtu.be/zQ7ppxvW_5k

As Usual, It’s Welfare on the Block

Congress loves to be Scroogey when it comes to helping the poor at Christmastime. Last year, it let an unemployment extension for the long-term jobles...  Read more

Tyson Trolls Christians on Christmas

If there is actually a war on Christmas, famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson seems ready to lead the fight. On Christmas morning, Tyson, the dir...  Read more...

Scammers and Skeptics with Brian Brushwood (The Humanist Hour #128)

Interview:

http://thehumanist.com/multimedia/podcast/the-humanist-hour-128-scammers-and-skeptics-with-brian-brushwood

In this episode, Bo Bennett interviews entertainer and career skeptic Brian Brushwood. Brian is an American magician, podcaster, author, lecturer and comedian. He is known for the series Scam School, a show where he teaches the audience entertaining tricks at bars so they can “scam” a free drink from their friends. In addition to Scam School Brushwood co-hosts the podcasts Weird Things, Too Long Didn’t Listen, Cordkillers and Night Attack. Brushwood is also a regular guest on the This Week in Tech podcast. Brushwood performs his Bizarre Magic stage show across the United States and is the author of six books. Brushwood has appeared on national television numerous times including on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, CNN and Food Network.

From Brian’s website:

Ever wonder how those guys on TV seem to talk to the dead? What about ESP and psychic surgery? How do street scams and cons work? Want to know how YOU can trick your friends into believing you have psychic powers?

As a magician, Brian’s wise to all the tricks used by frauds, tricksters, and scam artists …and now he’s ready to take YOU to scam school. This is no ordinary lecture: we’re talking hands-on experiments, a live performance of psychic surgery, free giveaways of cash and prizes, and all the secrets TV psychics DON’T want you to know.

Sye Ten Bruggencate: Apologetics For The Bewildered

http://youtu.be/zc5H7RUjkjM

ADHD As A Difference In Cognition, Not A Disorder: Stephen Tonti at TEDxCMU

Stephen is a Senior Directing major at Carnegie Mellon. He is also the current President of Carnegie Mellon's Film Club. He recently completed his Thesis Project within the School of Drama: a production of Mac Wellman's "A Murder of Crows." He is currently working on creating a collective of Film Enthusiasts across Carnegie's Campus as well as other colleges and universities around Pittsburgh. You can find out more about Stephen and his talk on his website: www.stephentonti.com or follow his blog "Caffeine, Nicotine, and ADHD: a guide to maintaining sanity."

http://youtu.be/uU6o2_UFSEY

How I Gave Up Religion

http://youtu.be/C10k2c2h44c

Ian Juby: Feed The Bird Brains

http://youtu.be/NZwX1yFj4rs

The Power of belief -- mindset and success | Eduardo Briceno | TEDxManhattanBeach

The way we understand our intelligence and abilities deeply impacts our success. Based on social science research and real life examples, Eduardo Briceño articulates how mindset, or the understanding of intelligence and abilities, is key. When students or adults see their abilities as fixed, whether they think they're naturals or just not built for a certain domain, they avoid challenge and lose interest when things get hard. Conversely, when they understand that abilities are developed, they more readily adopt learning-oriented behaviors such as deliberate practice and grit that enable them to achieve their goals. But this belief is itself malleable, and there are clear actions we can all take to establish a growth mindset and enable success for our children, our peers and ourselves. 

Eduardo Briceño is the Co-Founder and CEO of Mindset Works (http://www.mindsetworks.com), an organization that helps schools and other organizations cultivate a growth mindset culture. The growth mindset was discovered by Stanford professor and Mindset Works co-founder Carol Dweck, Ph.D., and is described in her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (http://www.mindsetonline.com). Mindset Works offers Brainology, an innovative blended learning program to teach a growth mindset to students, teachers and schools, as well as teacher professional development and tools (http://www.mindsetworks.com/brainology/).

Interview: http://youtu.be/pN34FNbOKXc

Ronald A. Lindsay: Why God Can’t Tell Us What to Do (Point of Inquiry)

Despite the fact that the United States was founded as a secular state, government neutrality toward religion remains a tumultuous and controversial issue -- a conversation-stopper in most public policy discussions. This week on the show, Lindsay Beyerstein welcomes Ronald A. Lindsay, president and CEO of the Center for Inquiry, the organization responsible for Point of Inquiry. Ron joins us to discuss his just-released book, The Necessity of Secularism: Why God Can’t Tell Us What to Do, in which he explains how the language of secularism is the most ethical and productive language for believers and nonbelievers alike, the missing puzzle piece to fair public policy.

Ron Lindsay is both a lawyer and philosopher, as well as a veteran freethought activist, with several books and articles on ethics, philosophy, and secularism to his name. His particular background provides him with a unique understanding of how crucial the separation of church and state is for equality and stability, as well as how people can be persuaded that a society built on secularism is in everyone’s best interests.

Interview:
http://www.pointofinquiry.org/ronald_a._lindsay_why_god_cant_tell_us_what_to_do/

Frank Schaeffer on Cynicism and Paranoia in the “War on Christmas” (Point of Inquiry)

Fox News’ "War on Christmas" is already in full swing, as Bill O’Reilly wasted no time jumping into battle this year to defend the holiday from the great secular menace. However, it looks like Bill might be able to leave the trenches a little early this year; according to a new Pew survey, just over 70 percent of Americans believe that Jesus was literally birthed from the womb of a virgin (a staggering percentage considering that only one third of Americans report interpreting the Bible as the literal word of god). The question is why are conservative Christians so afraid of losing a fight that in so many ways they’ve already won?

This week on Point of Inquiry, former Evangelical fundamentalist Frank Schaeffer joins us to bring first-hand insight into the irrational fear within fundamentalism, and what it says about their belief system. Schaeffer grew up in a strict Evangelical household in which he was expected to follow in the footsteps of his father, Francis August Schaeffer, a founder of what we know today as the Religious Right. Instead, he came to reject the beliefs of his father, but still maintains a place for “the divine.” He has sense spent his life talking about his journey away from the church and has written extensively about belief and religion as a New York Times bestselling author.

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

Does Religion Foster Generosity? (Freethought Radio, Freedom From Religion Foundation)

FFRF attorney Andrew Seidel tells us about FFRF's victory against Hobby Lobby, stopping a bible class in Mustang, Oklahoma public schools. Then we talk with author and researcher Roy Sablosky about his recent article in Social Science Journal, "Does Religion Foster Generosity?"
http://ffrf.libsyn.com/generosity

Interview:
FTradio_448_112914.mp3

What You Don't Know About Religion (but should) with Dr. Ryan Cragun (The Thinking Atheist)

Dr. Ryan Cragun is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Tampa, and he specializes in the sociology of religion.  A former Mormon (now atheist), Cragun has released his new book for which this show is titled.  Join us as we talk about religion around the world, its claims versus reality, and the stuff about religion which isn't known (or being taught), but should be. Link to Dr. Cragun's book:  http://www.amazon.com/What-Dont-About-Religion-Should/dp/0985281537

Dr. Cragun's website:  http://www.ryantcragun.comhttp://youtu.be/kenbgMjRvlY  

See more at: http://www.thethinkingatheist.com/podcast/what-you-dont-know-about-religion-but-should-with-dr-ryan-cragun#sthash.KKnkFSRe.dpuf

Interview:
http://www.thethinkingatheist.com/podcast/what-you-dont-know-about-religion-but-should-with-dr-ryan-cragun

Interview: Dale McGowan – Foundation Beyond Belief

Dale McGowan, executive director of the Foundation Beyond Belief talks about some of the exciting ways the organization plans to put humanist principles into action in 2015. Also, statistics on the public’s attitudes towards the Christmas holiday, the John Templeton Foundation donates millions of dollars to philosophers who study free will and the Norse god Oden might just be the world’s first Christmas ornament.

The Foundation Beyond Belief is attempting to raise 75,000 dollars for its years end fund drive. Executive director, Dale McGowan joins us on the show to share some of the exciting new projects (including the humanist service core and the disaster relief) the foundation is planning for 2015. Please consider donating to Foundation Beyond Belief. You can find out more about what they are doing to advance humanist at the links below.

Links:
Foundation Beyond Belief

Humanist Service Corps
Humanist Disaster Relief 

Listen to this segment, Listen to the entire episode or subscribe to reasonable doubts for free.

Listen to the Interview:
http://doubtcast.org/podcast/rd136_freedom_isnt_free.mp3 

Minimum Income: What You Should Know About The Idea That Could Revolutionize The 21st Century

There have been a number of guaranteed income experiments done over the years, primarily in the developing world by groups experimenting with new ideas for alleviating poverty. There was also a series of experiments carried out in the U.S. in the 1970s by the Nixon administration; those “income maintenance experiments’ took place in Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, New Jersey, North Carolina and Washington. There was one such experiment in Canada in the Trudeau era, in Dauphin, Manitoba.

In Switzerland, there is a campaign currently running to hold a referendum on a universal basic income. The Swiss proposal would see each adult receive 30,000 Swiss francs, or about CAD$35,000, per year. That is a far more generous plan than most basic income proposals. That referendum, if it takes place, is still a year or two away.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/12/23/minimum-income-basic-income_n_6370458.html

Lake Superior Sunrise [2048x1365] Photo by Derek Griggs (xpost from r/UnitedStatesofAmerica)

http://ppcdn.500px.org/93392675/a9833c02c5bf472ee2ad65e01bc6f4daecebefcb/2048.jpg

Eating Fast Food Hurts Children’s Ability To Learn

"[W]e have to think broadly about lots of different ways to make families not be reliant on fast food," the lead researcher ...  Read more

NYC Sends $30M a Year to School With History of Giving Kids Electric Shocks

Students keep getting sent there despite repeated evidence of abuse.
...  Read more

America's Dangerous Turn to Anti-Intellectualism

The rise in academic book bannings and firings is compounded by a growing disregard for scholarship itself.
...  Read more

9 Signs the Kochs Have Created Their Own National Political Party

The Koch Party is what plutocracy, not democracy, looks like.
...  Read more

Best of Christopher Hitchens Arguments And Clever Comebacks Part Six

http://youtu.be/9cgOzsBUJTQ

Best of Sam Harris Amazing Arguments And Clever Comebacks Part 1

http://youtu.be/IWJfdRpHWuk

Freedom Follies: Ind. Catholic Diocese Learns That It Is Not Above The Law

It’s a shame that the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese still doesn’t get it. The First Amendment certainly offers powerful protections for religious freedom, but it doesn’t give houses of worship the right to act with near impunity. Had a court accepted the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese’s argument, it would have opened the door to the idea that religious organizations are immune from prosecution and most laws.
... Read more

Remember When Republicans Filibustered The Cybersecurity Bill?

One would think that the media would be mentioning this in light of the recent attacks on computers... Sony ... North Korea ... hackers ... NYT, Augu...  Read more

Pelosi: Boehner Needs To Demand Rep. Grimm's Resignation After Guilty Plea

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is calling on House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) to demand the immediate resignation of Rep. Michael Grimm (R... Read more

GOPer Issa's Probe Fails To Link IRS Scandal To White House

"It is revealing that the Republicans, yet again, are leaking cherry-picked excerpts of documents to support their preconceived political narrative without allowing committee members to even see their conclusions or vote on them first," Cummings said in a statement.
... Read more

WATCH: Protester Confronts Fox Station That Deceptively Edited 'Kill A Cop' Chant

A Baltimore Fox affiliate apologized Monday night for a report it ran over the weekend that deceptively edited protesters to look like they were chant... Read more

Here’s The State-Based Climate Solution That Doesn’t Need Congress

With no hope for national climate legislation, it may well fall to the states -- acting outside the aegis of the federal ...  Read more

All Happy Families Are Not Alike: Less Than Half Of American Kids Live In A ‘Traditional’ Home

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes.The post All Happy Families Are Not Alike: Less Than Half Of American Kids Live In A ... Read more

The Fossil Fuel Industry Spent More Than $721 Million During 2014’s Midterm Elections

Environmental organizations also spent a great deal of money on the 2014 midterm elections.The post The Fossil Fuel Industry ... Read more

Illness Is Caused By Unrepentant Sin? How Evangelical Christians See Mental Health

Readers share their own stories of how their churches deal with the topic of mental illness.
...  Read more

Happy Selfish Christmas! 21 Ayn Rand Holiday Cards

Some warm and festive cheer from the right-wing author.
...  Read more

Black Cops Fear Other Cops

Two dozen black NYPD cops tell Reuters that they've been treated similarly to Eric Garner. Read more

Let’s make Bill O’Reilly’s head explode: We desperately need a war on Christmas lies

O'Reilly's blather aside, there's no war on Xmas. There should be: From virgin birth to the date itself, it's a lie.
http://www.salon.com/2014/12/22/lets_make_bill_oreillys_fing_head_explode_we_desperately_need_a_war_on_christmas_lies/

This Is the Stupidest Anti-Science Bullshit of 2014

2014 had its fair share of landmark scientific accomplishments: dramatic cuts to the cost of sequencing a genome; sweeping investigations of climate change impacts in the US; advances in private-sector space travel, and plenty more. But there was also no shortage of high-profile figures eager to publicly and shamelessly denounce well-established science—sometimes with serious consequences for public policy. So without further ado, the most egregious science denial of 2014...
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/12/worst-science-denial-2014

Jury awards ‘grave immoral sinner’ Catholic teacher $1.9 million for in vitro fertilization firing

"...when she notified school administrators of her third in vitro fertilization cycle in February 2011, it came to the attention of parish priest Rev. John Kuzmich who demanded she be terminated, calling her a “grave immoral sinner.”
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/12/jury-awards-grave-immoral-sinner-catholic-teacher-1-9-million-for-in-vitro-fertilization-firing/

8 Things People Are Hating on During the Holidays

What do some people wish would be forever banned, or at least toned down, during holiday seasons in the future? Let’s start with these.
http://time.com/money/3642708/holiday-hate-christmas-secret-santa/

Satanic Temple display comes to Florida Capitol

..."We don't want to be insulting, we just want our rights. Either the separation of church and state or our equal rights."...
http://www.wtsp.com/story/news/weird/2014/12/23/satanic-temple-florida-capitol/20800015/

How 2014 Became the Year of the Charter School Scandal

"... “Fraudulent charter operators in 15 states are responsible for losing, misusing, or wasting over $100 million in taxpayer money.”..."
http://www.alternet.org/education/how-2014-became-year-charter-school-scandals

Ricky Gervais on Atheism

http://youtu.be/nBdhnmnLnUc

Pastor Ryan Bell who gave up God for a year may be ready to leave the church for good

'I want to be for something good, but I don't want boundaries, and religion just feels like a very bounded thing.
'The question I am asking right now: Why do I need religion to love?'
http://www.africanseer.com/news/world/387705-pastor-ryan-bell-who-gave-up-god-for-a-year-may-be-ready-to-leave-the-church-for-good.html

Bishop's attack on Lennon's Imagine: Senior Catholic says song is 'heart-chilling vision' that has misled world over the causes of war

‘John Lennon would give voice to this ill-founded belief in the lyrics of his song Imagine. This becomes a heart-chilling vision in which Lennon imagines a world with no hope of heaven and no fear of hell. And, he adds, “no religion too”.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2884509/Bishop-s-attack-Lennon-s-Imagine-Senior-Catholic-says-song-heart-chilling-vision-misled-world-causes-war.html

How Screens Affect Sleep

The bed must be reserved as a place for sleep and sex only. That was the decree of psychologist Richard Bootzin in his influential 1972 proposal for a...  Read more


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The Kochs’ War on Unions, Phase II

Christmas came early for the less than a quarter of 1 percent of Americans who donate to political campaigns or committees. In a rare display of inter...  Read more

7 addictive podcasts that aren't Serial

Everything good — including the first season of Serial — must come to an end. The good news is there are hundreds of great, interesting podcasts out ...  Read more

Want to fall asleep faster? Don't use an iPad before bed.

Ninety percent of Americans frequently use electronic devices right before bed. And though it's a fun way to wind down, a new experiment shows that th...  Read more

New York Times calls for Cheney, Bush officials to be investigated and prosecuted for torture

"In a blistering editorial published in the Monday edition of the New York Times, the editorial page editors are calling upon the Justice Department to open an investigation into the torture practices committed during the administration of President George W. Bush with an eye towards prosecuting those who “committed torture and other serious crimes,” along with former Vice President Dick Cheney and other major administration officials..."
Read more

4 Financial Issues Millennials Need to Discuss Before Marriage

Many think of millennials as the carefree generation, but when it comes to marriage and money, they're anything but, says Richard Rosso, certified fin...  Read more

New York Attorney General Goes After Jimmy John's Over Noncompete Agreements

New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman plans to send letters to Jimmy John's sandwich shops on Tuesday asking them to hand over information re...  Read more

NYT To Obama: Prosecute The Torturers

A blistering new editorial from The New York Times on Monday calls for President Barack Obama to prosecute the people involved in the torture program ... Read more

Here Are The 15 'Ailments' The Pope Says Are Plaguing Vatican Officials

Pope Francis detailed 15 "ailments" he believes are affecting the Vatican Curia as part of his annual Christmas message, which he delivered on Monday ... Read more