Saturday, April 4, 2015
Twitter Hilariously Mocks Conservative ‘Christians’ With #ThingsJesusNeverSaid (IMAGES)
Conservative "Christians" brought this on themselves. That's what happens when you don't actually read the Bible you hide ... Read more
Arnold Schwarzenegger wants fellow Republicans to terminate religious freedom laws
Following the national firestorm over Indiana's controversial religious freedom law, Arnold Schwarzenegger has a message for his fellow Republicans: s... Read more
Rachel Maddow - Powerful anti gun ad panics gun rights groups
Rachel Maddow reports on an anti-gun publicity stunt that is so powerful in making its point that gun rights groups are freaking out, voicing their objections and attacking States United to Prevent Gun Violence any way they can.
https://youtu.be/NwGO6X_ruwE
https://youtu.be/NwGO6X_ruwE
Iranian President: 'We Will Remain Loyal' To 'Cooperation With The World'
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's President Hassan Rouhani on Friday pledged that his nation will abide by its commitments in the nuclear agreement reached t... Read more
Newspaper Finds Perfect Way To Shame Anti-LGBT Lawmakers: Print Every Last One Of Their Faces
More newspapers should begin a policy of "outing" politicians who vote in favor of bigotry. Shame is a powerful force. Read more
Here's A Racist Ferguson Email Showing Reagan 'Babysitting Barack Obama'
Emails published by the Washington Post on Friday show the racist jokes and email chains that Ferguson, Missouri police and city officers exchanged ov... Read more
Obama Is About To Announce A Big Job Creation Move For The Solar Industry
The President will announce plans to train 75,000 solar workers by 2020 in a push for clean energy. ... Read more
Leading Israeli Paper Says Agreement With Iran Is ‘Not A Bad Deal’
The Israeli paper Haaretz thinks Israel will have a hard time fighting the new agreement. Netanyahu wasted no time in trying. Read more
These Corporations That Raise Money For Schools Keep 48 Percent For Themselves
Boosterthon, FundRunners, and Apex Fun Runs will do the in-school fundraising for you, for a price. ... Read more
Top Bush Administration Official Says There’s No Alternative To Diplomacy With Iran
"In terms of what it is we think we know, I have not yet found anything in the contract, so to speak, that I find ... Read more
The Senate’s Biggest Climate Deniers Are Demanding The EPA Explain Climate Models To Them
Republicans from the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee are asking the EPA for more details on the climate models ... Read more
This is an astonishingly good Iran deal
When Aaron Stein was studying nuclear non-proliferation at Middlebury College's Monterey graduate program, the students would sometimes construct what... Read more
Friday Talking Points -- Obama Earning His Nobel
President Barack Obama is finally earning his Nobel Peace Prize, it seems. A few months back, he announced a major shift in U.S. policy towards Cuba, ... Read more
What The Iran/U.S. Nuclear Framework Deal Means
Regardless of the predictable right-wing outrage over the deal with Iran, as The Young Turks' Cenk Uygur discusses here, it's sounds like the Obama ad... Read more
---
"Cenk Uygur (http://www.twitter.com/cenkuygur) host of The Young Turks discusses the new nuclear deal between the United States and Iran.
Nuclear negotiations have finally been outlined by Iran and the United States and its allies. President Barack Obama went as far as to say 'if Iran cheats, the world will know'. Iran has agreed not to stockpile weapons grade nuclear materials that could be used to make nuclear weapons and in exchange the U.S. and others have agreed to lift sanctions. Secretary of State John Kerry went on to add that the international community would need proof from Iran that it would uphold its end of the deal or sanctions would not be lifted. While nothing is official until the deal is signed the framework is a major step forward in the nuclear talks.
The final draft of the deal is due with a deadline of June 30th."
https://youtu.be/PrFwy4qhr98
---
"Cenk Uygur (http://www.twitter.com/cenkuygur) host of The Young Turks discusses the new nuclear deal between the United States and Iran.
Nuclear negotiations have finally been outlined by Iran and the United States and its allies. President Barack Obama went as far as to say 'if Iran cheats, the world will know'. Iran has agreed not to stockpile weapons grade nuclear materials that could be used to make nuclear weapons and in exchange the U.S. and others have agreed to lift sanctions. Secretary of State John Kerry went on to add that the international community would need proof from Iran that it would uphold its end of the deal or sanctions would not be lifted. While nothing is official until the deal is signed the framework is a major step forward in the nuclear talks.
The final draft of the deal is due with a deadline of June 30th."
https://youtu.be/PrFwy4qhr98
Paranoid Anti-Obama Ad Keeps Calling Alarm On Ammo Proposal Even After It’s Withdrawn
Beneath ominous music, the voice of the narrator strikes a strident chord, feverishly warning viewers: "Attention! President Obama is exercising anoth... Read more
https://youtu.be/Wiu223j7h-Y
https://youtu.be/Wiu223j7h-Y
Friday, April 3, 2015
GOP Steadfast On Passing Iran Bill Despite Obama's Plea To Stand Down
WASHINGTON -- Appearing in the Rose Garden on Thursday to announce the framework of a historic deal on Iran's nuclear program, President Barack Obama ... Read more
False Freedoms: Legislators Propose ‘Fixes’ To Discriminatory Bills
Legislators in Indiana have proposed a fix to their controversial "religious freedom" bill (RFRA), ... Read more
Week In The News: Indiana's Religious Freedom Law, Hazy Iran Deal, Thirsty California (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)
After all that, an Iran deal this week. A good deal, says the president, that will cut off every path to nuclear arms. Now comes the nitty-gritty negotiation, and a big debate at home and abroad. In Indiana, Arkansas, fireworks and reworking of religious freedom laws after a fiery uproar over gay rights. In Kenya, an unbelievable massacre. In dry California, deep, mandatory water restrictions for the first time in history. We’ve got would-be woman bombers, alleged, in New York. Racketeering teachers in Atlanta. This hour On Point: our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines. / Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/04/03/iran-talks-indiana-religious-freedom-california-drought
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/04/03/iran-talks-indiana-religious-freedom-california-drought
Friday News Roundup – Domestic (Diane Rehm Show)
The U.S. adds just 126,000 jobs in March, the smallest gain since the end of 2013. Republican governors in Indiana and Arkansas sign revised religious liberty laws. Sen. Robert Menendez says his career won’t end over federal corruption charges. President Barack Obama uses the dedication of an institute honoring Ted Kennedy to call for more collegiality in American politics. A new group backing Jeb Bush is not required to disclose its donors, something that could prompt other supporters of presidential hopefuls to do the same. McDonald’s announces wage hikes for thousands of its employees. And California passes strict new water restrictions. A panel of journalists joins Diane for analysis of the week’s top national news stories.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-04-03/friday-news-roundup-domestic
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-04-03/friday-news-roundup-domestic
Friday News Roundup – International (Diane Rehm Show)
Iran agrees to a framework for an historic nuclear deal, but questions over details remain. Al-Shabaab militants gun down 147 people at a university in Kenya. Rebels in Yemen advance on the port city of Aden despite airstrikes from a Saudi-led coalition. New evidence suggests the pilot of the Germanwings plane accelerated during descent. The Iraqi government declares victory over ISIS in its battle to take back Tikrit. And in Nigeria, a former general is elected president in the country’s first peaceful transfer of power. A panel of journalists joins Diane for analysis of the week’s top international news stories.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-04-03/friday-news-roundup-international
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-04-03/friday-news-roundup-international
Should We Legalize Assisted Suicide? (Intelligence Squared Debates, NPR)
In 1994, Oregon voters passed the Death with Dignity Act, which legalized physician-assisted suicide for the terminally ill. Since then, it has become legal in 4 more states, including New Mexico, where the state court ruling that it is constitutional is under appeal. Is it, in the words of the American Medical Association’s code of ethics, “fundamentally incompatible with the physician’s role as healer”? Will these laws lead to a slippery slope, where the vulnerable are pressured to choose death and human life is devalued? Or do we need to recognize everyone’s basic right to autonomy, the right to end pain and suffering, and the right to choose to die with dignity?
Interview:
http://intelligencesquaredus.org/debates/past-debates/item/1160-legalize-assisted-suicide
Interview:
http://intelligencesquaredus.org/debates/past-debates/item/1160-legalize-assisted-suicide
How “God” Works, with Marshall Brain (The Humanist Hour #134)
In this episode, Bo Bennett interviews author Marshall Brain about his book, How “God” Works: A Logical Inquiry on Faith.
From the book description:
Does God exist? Using an intellectually rigorous, scientific approach, Marshall Brain—the founder of HowStuffWorks.com and author of the How Stuff Works series—sets out to resolve the eternal debate once and for all. With a compelling sense of curiosity, he breaks down mankind’s search for a higher power, tackling such quandaries as: Who is God? What are his attributes? What is God doing and why? How does God interact with humanity? And ultimately, how can humans know with certainty whether God is real or imaginary? How God Works is an enlightening journey in critical thinking that challenges readers to boldly approach the subject of personal faith and put aside intuition in favor of objectivity and logic.
Marshall Brain is best known as the founder of HowStuffWorks.com, and is the bestselling author of the How Stuff Works book series. He has appeared on Oprah, Dr. Oz, Good Morning America, CNN, Modern Marvels, and in many other media outlets to apply his signature approach to unraveling the mysteries of life. He is also the host of the National Geographic Channel’s Factory Floor with Marshall Brain. He lives in Cary, North Carolina.
Interview:
http://thehumanist.com/multimedia/podcast/the-humanist-hour-134-how-god-works-with-marshall-brain
From the book description:
Does God exist? Using an intellectually rigorous, scientific approach, Marshall Brain—the founder of HowStuffWorks.com and author of the How Stuff Works series—sets out to resolve the eternal debate once and for all. With a compelling sense of curiosity, he breaks down mankind’s search for a higher power, tackling such quandaries as: Who is God? What are his attributes? What is God doing and why? How does God interact with humanity? And ultimately, how can humans know with certainty whether God is real or imaginary? How God Works is an enlightening journey in critical thinking that challenges readers to boldly approach the subject of personal faith and put aside intuition in favor of objectivity and logic.
Marshall Brain is best known as the founder of HowStuffWorks.com, and is the bestselling author of the How Stuff Works book series. He has appeared on Oprah, Dr. Oz, Good Morning America, CNN, Modern Marvels, and in many other media outlets to apply his signature approach to unraveling the mysteries of life. He is also the host of the National Geographic Channel’s Factory Floor with Marshall Brain. He lives in Cary, North Carolina.
Interview:
http://thehumanist.com/multimedia/podcast/the-humanist-hour-134-how-god-works-with-marshall-brain
Scammers and Skeptics with Brian Brushwood (The Humanist Hour #128)
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.
Interview:
http://thehumanist.com/multimedia/podcast/the-humanist-hour-128-scammers-and-skeptics-with-brian-brushwood
Interview:
http://thehumanist.com/multimedia/podcast/the-humanist-hour-128-scammers-and-skeptics-with-brian-brushwood
Sign the Petition to Repeal RFRA
"...But did you know that there are an additional twenty states with RFRA laws, all very similar to Indiana’s? Worse yet, all of these laws are based off the federal RFRA, passed in 1993, which was used as the legal basis for the Hobby Lobby decision, which extended the right to discriminate for religious reasons to for-profit corporations..."
http://cqrcengage.com/secular/app/sign-petition?5&engagementId=89787
http://cqrcengage.com/secular/app/sign-petition?5&engagementId=89787
Indiana's modification of 'religious freedom' law seen as setback for Christian conservatives
How the Catholic Church organized, rallied, and pressured to get an Indiana law that permits discrimination, rejoiced at its signing, and are now trying to dodge responsibility.
http://www.cleveland.com/nation/index.ssf/2015/04/indianas_modification_of_relig.html
http://www.cleveland.com/nation/index.ssf/2015/04/indianas_modification_of_relig.html
James Randi - Secrets of the Psychics Documentary (Full)
James "The Amazing" Randi is the perfect mix of Science and Magic, a true conjurer of visual machinations that can fool our senses while, at the same time, explaining to us how our senses are fooled.
In my opinion this is the best example of a "human mind debugger", he gets right into the machinations of analog tricks and sees how our brains mistakenly manifests them as a possible reality. Randi also teaches us that illusion and trickery may be comforting to the human mind, but truth is far much more wonderful as it shows us the machinations from the chaos, the sense as well as the awe in both the tricks and the real world.
For several decades, Randi has gone on to expose hundreds of psychics and teach millions across the globe about how they could be fooled into believing in a system which could potentially make them vulnerable to trickery and perhaps psychical harm.
Randi is not afraid to go against popular opinion, as shown in his battle against so-called psychic Uri Geller in the late 1970's and early 1980's.
Randi has also gone against the bizarre practice of faith "healing" and contacting the deceased, and has exposed the cruel, callous and cynical nature of the people who claim to be performing "God's will", such as Peter Popoff.
Randi has also warned us time and time again about the fraudulent practice that is homeopathic medicine and how it is essentially water solution, dished out as hocus-pocus medicine.
James Randi is the founder of The James Randi Educational Foundation, an organisation that attempts to bring reason to world by luring potential psychics into a trap, baited by a million dollar prize to prove their psychic "powers". "powers" here is a kind of vague term,as Randi knows, so the tests are usually on the so-called psychic's terms. No self-acclaimed psychic has ever won the prize.
Whether or not some form of psychic power exists is still an open question, however many psychics often do not properly gauge their so-called skills and instead brag about them, hence scepticism about such claims should not be so strange to their ears.
Unfortunately the vast amount of psychic powers they have seem to remove all self-esteem as many psychics are often uneasy about Randi's reasonable request and attractive million dollar reward.
http://youtu.be/2MFAvH8m8aI
In my opinion this is the best example of a "human mind debugger", he gets right into the machinations of analog tricks and sees how our brains mistakenly manifests them as a possible reality. Randi also teaches us that illusion and trickery may be comforting to the human mind, but truth is far much more wonderful as it shows us the machinations from the chaos, the sense as well as the awe in both the tricks and the real world.
For several decades, Randi has gone on to expose hundreds of psychics and teach millions across the globe about how they could be fooled into believing in a system which could potentially make them vulnerable to trickery and perhaps psychical harm.
Randi is not afraid to go against popular opinion, as shown in his battle against so-called psychic Uri Geller in the late 1970's and early 1980's.
Randi has also gone against the bizarre practice of faith "healing" and contacting the deceased, and has exposed the cruel, callous and cynical nature of the people who claim to be performing "God's will", such as Peter Popoff.
Randi has also warned us time and time again about the fraudulent practice that is homeopathic medicine and how it is essentially water solution, dished out as hocus-pocus medicine.
James Randi is the founder of The James Randi Educational Foundation, an organisation that attempts to bring reason to world by luring potential psychics into a trap, baited by a million dollar prize to prove their psychic "powers". "powers" here is a kind of vague term,as Randi knows, so the tests are usually on the so-called psychic's terms. No self-acclaimed psychic has ever won the prize.
Whether or not some form of psychic power exists is still an open question, however many psychics often do not properly gauge their so-called skills and instead brag about them, hence scepticism about such claims should not be so strange to their ears.
Unfortunately the vast amount of psychic powers they have seem to remove all self-esteem as many psychics are often uneasy about Randi's reasonable request and attractive million dollar reward.
http://youtu.be/2MFAvH8m8aI
Jake Tapper Pushes AR Lawmaker To Explain How Anti-Gay Law Is Not Discriminatory
It continues to be a bad week for bigots on CNN. Another defender of this anti-gay "religious freedom" legislation can't answer a very simple question... Read more
What 'Religious Freedom' Really Means
And when the Catholic bishops urged support for Indiana's religious freedom law, whether they knew it or not, this kind of hate-mongering is also what they were supporting. Two days ago, they wrote a letter to distance themselves from discrimination; you can judge for yourself whether that is adequate to undo the damage. And you be the judge as to whether the Catholic bishops are the ones you should be listening to when they tell you how you should vote.
Quoting now from the article about religions of hate -- and do take note of the warning in the Editor's Note:
Editor's Note: The language quoted in this post is included as is because it is an integral part of the story. We believe it's important to the point ... Read more
David Fitzgerald Reasonfest 2013
If you think the Bible is the best source for teaching morality, you have not read the Bible.
http://youtu.be/FY6ZiUrEsk0
http://youtu.be/FY6ZiUrEsk0
Huckabee: Gay-Rights Movement 'Won't Stop Until There Are No Churches'
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) said on Wednesday that gay-rights activists wouldn't be satisfied until there are no more churches or Christian... Read more
GOP Group Warns Supporters And Police That Muslims Are 'Infiltrating' Idaho
A Republican newsletter in Bonneville County, Idaho warned that Muslims were "infiltrating" the state and urged readers to put pressure on law enforce... Read more
Salesforce Helping Employees Who Want To Transfer Out Of Indiana
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said on Wednesday that he has offered relocation packages to multiple employees who have requested to be transferred out o... Read more
Spain Got 47 Percent Of Its Electricity From Renewables In March
Spain is getting the vast majority of its electricity from carbon-free sources, the country's grid operator reported on ... Read more
Vermont Senate Passes Major Progressive Voting Reform
This one easy trick has been proven to boost voter participation rates by at least seven percentage points.... Read more
Watch Pat Buchanan School Hannity On Iran
Whatever you think of Pat Buchanan, he was spot on in this segment, smacking down right-wing fear mongering about Iran and nailing the Bush administra... Read more
Scott Walker Will Never Be Elected President After This
Scott Walker is banking on his "tough guy" bullying style to win the Republican nomination and the presidency. When it comes to foreign relations, cle... Read more
https://youtu.be/KU6L-9ERzAw
https://youtu.be/KU6L-9ERzAw
Cliven Bundy, Allies Rally Behind Bill To Reclaim Land From Federal Gov't
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, who garnered national attention a year ago when he and armed supporters engaged in a showdown wi... Read more
At Least Ten Religious Groups Have Come Out Against Anti-LGBT ‘Religious Liberty’ Laws
"Bigotry in the name of religion is bigotry." The post At Least Ten Religious Groups Have Come Out Against Anti-LGBT ... Read more
California Is Rationing Water Use For First Time Thanks To Climate Change
"We're in an historic drought, and that demands unprecedented action," Gov. Brown said, standing on dry grass in a meadow that ... Read more
Salesforce CEO: We're helping employees move out of Indiana
Benioff acknowledged that Salesforce (CRM, Tech30) won't be able to completely pull out of Indiana, given the size of the company's operations there. But the company is helping individual employees who feel oppressed to leave...
Read more
Read more
Comcast to give Atlanta fastest Internet in the country
Comcast (CMCSA) said its new Gigabit Pro service will reach speeds of up to 2 Gigabits per second, which is twice as fast as what Google, AT&T and a handful of other broadband companies offer.
Read more
Read more
The case for not paying off your mortgage by retirement - The Washington Post
Anderson, author of “The Value of Debt in Retirement,” says people should think more like corporations by balancing debt with the cash they have on hand. While some debt should be paid off as soon as possible, he says, not all debt is bad.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/get-there/wp/2015/03/26/the-case-for-not-paying-off-your-mortgage-by-retirement/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/get-there/wp/2015/03/26/the-case-for-not-paying-off-your-mortgage-by-retirement/
Sean Carroll on The Teleological Argument
Sean Carroll responds to The Teleological Argument presented by William Lane Craig.
http://youtu.be/MxQOsN046HQ
http://youtu.be/MxQOsN046HQ
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Matthew Vines: “God and the Gay Christian” (Diane Rehm Show)
Religious beliefs that marriage should only be between a man and a woman are behind some of the new religious freedom bills debated in Indiana and other states. While many protestant denominations allow gay weddings within their churches, most evangelical churches remain opposed to same-sex marriage. To many evangelicals, the debate is rooted in their belief that the bible says gay relationships are a sin. But a new national movement of young evangelicals is challenging this interpretation. Using theological arguments, they are starting to change church teachings on sexual orientation.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-04-02/matthew-vines-god-and-the-gay-christian
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-04-02/matthew-vines-god-and-the-gay-christian
Huckabee: Gay-Rights Movement 'Won't Stop Until There Are No Churches'
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) said on Wednesday that gay-rights activists wouldn't be satisfied until there are no more churches or Christian... Read more
Penn Jillette Clashes with CNN Guest over Indiana: You’re Not Being Forced to Have Gay Sex
Penn Jillette, both an atheist and a libertarian, acknowledged that, as a result of that mix, he’s been internally conflicted about the law. But, ultimately, there was one sticking point for him: “These people are not being asked to engage in gay sex… They’re being asked to sell flowers and cake to people.”
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/penn-jillette-clashes-with-cnn-guest-over-indiana-youre-not-being-forced-to-have-gay-sex/
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/penn-jillette-clashes-with-cnn-guest-over-indiana-youre-not-being-forced-to-have-gay-sex/
Streaming now on Netflix: To Be Takei
This documentary profiles the career of actor George Takei, who played Lieutenant Sulu on "Star Trek" and later became a gay-rights advocate.
Interview:
http://www.netflix.com/WiMovie/70299911
Interview:
http://www.netflix.com/WiMovie/70299911
Atheists head to Memphis for national convention
"...Convention leaders say the Bluff City was chosen to show people that it's OK to be an atheist. Approximately 1,000 atheists are expected to arrive in the city this weekend..."
http://www.wave3.com/story/28700268/atheists-head-to-memphis-for-national-convention
http://www.wave3.com/story/28700268/atheists-head-to-memphis-for-national-convention
Atheist churches gain popularity in Seattle
"...Many atheist churchgoers profess positive experiences in traditional church as a child. They lost any belief in God as adults, but still wanted the community..."
http://www.nwcn.com/story/news/local/seattle/2015/04/01/atheist-church-sunday-assebly-seattle/70787894/
http://www.nwcn.com/story/news/local/seattle/2015/04/01/atheist-church-sunday-assebly-seattle/70787894/
Cruz Backs Bishops on Religious Liberty Claims
"...The bishops claim the RHNDA would force faith-based organizations “to support activity they deem morally objectionable, such as funding elective abortions through their employee health plans,” despite the fact that the DC Council clarified in early March that the measure doesn’t apply to health insurance coverage, only to employment discrimination..."
"...What the bishops are insisting on isn’t so much religious freedom as its been traditionally construed—freedom of worship and the right to hire and fire like-minded co-religionists in actual ministerial positions—but the right to use institutions tangentially related to the church to make cultural pronouncements about the moral unacceptability of non-procreative sex..."
http://religiondispatches.org/cruz-backs-bishops-on-religious-liberty-claims/
"...What the bishops are insisting on isn’t so much religious freedom as its been traditionally construed—freedom of worship and the right to hire and fire like-minded co-religionists in actual ministerial positions—but the right to use institutions tangentially related to the church to make cultural pronouncements about the moral unacceptability of non-procreative sex..."
http://religiondispatches.org/cruz-backs-bishops-on-religious-liberty-claims/
The Funniest April Fools' Day Pranks Of 2015 From Around The Web
April Fools' Day has become synonymous with brands and companies lying to everyone on the Internet, but let's not forget what it's really all about: c... Read more
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