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Featured: Interviews for the Well-Informed

Featured: Interviews for the Well-Informed

Did you know? After the last post on this page is a link to "Older posts".

Thursday, July 31, 2014

My Night At The Heritage Foundation Watching Rick Santorum’s New ‘Religious Liberty’ Movie

"...Santorum had to take a little bit more time to explain that religious liberty really is under attack and that we have to restore the church’s influence in culture. He highlighted a quote from Chicago Cardinal Francis George, who said in 2010, “I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison, and his successor will die a martyr in the public square.” ...

"...Santorum did acknowledge during the discussion that he would welcome attacks or pickets from liberal churches, who are invisible in the film. “I’m a dog whistle to the left,” he admitted, taking a no-such-thing-as-bad-press approach to the film’s church-only release later this summer. He even said at one point that he’d wished conservatives had lost the Hobby Lobby Supreme Court case if only because it would have forced them to redouble their efforts more passionately. According to Santorum, anything that might fire up local pastors and ministers to speak out more would help advance their “religious liberty” effort and bring the church back to the center of culture where he believes it belongs. “The sooner the fight,” Santorum concluded, “the better.”...
 Read more




U.N. Spokesman Breaks Down Sobbing On Live TV Over Palestinian Children Killed In Shelling

Watch the emotional moment.The post U.N. Spokesman Breaks Down Sobbing On Live TV Over Palestinian Children Killed In Shelling ...
"Working in strife-torn Gaza has exposed United Nations official Christopher Gunness to the terror of a life lived in the constant shadow of war.

But on Wednesday, when artillery shells rained down on a UN school in a refugee camp sheltering evacuees, killing children as they slept next to their parents on the floor, the insurmountable horror of the situation suddenly overwhelmed him.
Christopher Gunness.

Mr Gunness, a senior director for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, broke down sobbing during a live television interview with Al-Jazeera, as he described how shells had struck the Jabalia Elementary Girls School in the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza, killing about 20 people and wounding at least 100.

The shelling came despite 17 warnings about the position of the shelter to the Israel Defence Force (IDF) to ensure it would be spared, Mr Gunness, from Britain, claimed.

"The rights of Palestinians, even their children, are wholesale denied, and it's appalling," Mr Gunness said during the interview, barely keeping his composure.

As the interviewer thanked him for his time, Mr Gunness coughed, rapidly blinked, and his chin quivered. He managed to say "My pleasure", before putting his hands over his face and completely breaking down in tears at his desk.

Another person then emerged from behind the camera to comfort Mr Gunness, before the camera panned away.

"It's OK," the person could be heard saying, trying to console him.

Mr Gunness, a former BBC reporter who has also worked as a spokesman for the UN in the former Yugoslavia, has given many interviews during the latest conflict, and has managed to keep his composure until now.
http://youtu.be/gi8Rt3m08NQ




Michael Steele: "The GOP is Done Forever" - July 30, 2014

Former Chair of the GOP recommends the Republicans in Congress shape up.

http://youtu.be/8Qr6vuGipes

Stephen Colbert Announces He Owns 'TheSarahPalinChannel.com'

This is just hilarious. Following the announcement that Sarah Palin was going to launch her own online subscription channel, and after quite a bit of ... Read more

Is Netanyahu Coordinating With American Right Wingers To Prolong Gaza War?

Did you hear the one about the Israeli press just making up a conversation that didn't take place between Obama and Netanyahu? That's a page right out... Read more

Republicans Stall On Pope Francis Recognition Because He "Sounds Like Obama"

"The source noted that Francis last year denounced “trickle-down economics.”"
... Read more



House GOP Unilaterally Votes To Advance Boehner's Lawsuit

Coming as a surprise to no one ever, John Boehner's Republican majority voted to advance their lawsuit against President Obama for not implementing a ... Read more

Bachmann: Obama Wants To Bring In Migrant Children For Medical Research

Right Wing Watch has the whole story, but the top level overview is that Bachmann has twisted the Justina Pelletier story into s... Read more




Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Not Just the Adults – Secular Kids’ IQs also Higher

"Not one major news outlet has brought attention to the fact that peer-reviewed studies have been ongoing and consistently show the IQs of Atheist to be higher than those of Christians...."

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/07/27/1317179/-Not-Just-the-Adults-Secular-Kids-IQs-also-Higher

Religious Bigotry is a Big Problem in the Military

"...For generations, our Armed Forces have been saddled by problems with proselytization. More or less, the matter boils down to superiors forcing their religious beliefs on subordinates. This comes in a multitude of ways; sometimes soldiers are subject to "witnessing" by fundamentalists, and in other cases, the display of theistic symbols in unsuitable places..."

http://www.caglecartoons.com/column.asp?columnID={1386BA93-6DE5-416D-A5C2-E634BEDF77EF}

 

I Want My Christianity Back – Without the Ugly Baggage

"...I don’t want to be that kind of Christian. So, if that’s the only option, I’m opting out. And, I’m not alone. A whole slue of Christians is opting out as well..."

http://time.com/3048971/i-want-my-christianity-back/

Why Bill O’Reilly Fears ‘The Machines’ - Especially The Evil Ones

"Bill O’Reilly is very fond of talking about “the machines.” And he did it again tonight, telling Megyn Kelly that “the machines” are why President Obama got elected and reelected. Kelly admitted she used to think O’Reilly’s musings on “the machines” were just the ramblings of an old “fuddy-duddy,” but she had to admit that she’s come around more to seeing his point of view.

Kelly said having all these machines infiltrating our lives (ATMs, online groceries, texting) has led to an “erosion of our culture, of our family values.” And even the traditional family dinner is no more. O’Reilly said it’s because of “young people addicted to the machines.”

http://youtu.be/UFUV267Cxm8

US Politicians Agree: Israel Is The Real Victim

"NBC host David Gregory was forced to issue a correction at the end of his weekly Meet the Press program on Sunday after a United Nations official confronted him for using a unconfirmed Israeli video that allegedly showed Hamas shooting rockets from a UN school.

Following an interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, Gregory brought on UN Relief & Works Agency spokesperson Chris Gunness.

“The Israeli government has released videotape within the past hour, it was posted on YouTube, NBC News hasn’t independently verified,” Gregory explained to Gunness. “The Israelis say — and I realize that you cannot see this video, our audience can, and I’m going to describe it to you — that purports to show rockets being fired from a UN school.”"

http://youtu.be/GM__GfSeCbI

Tiny Gaza Visualized Shows There’s Nowhere To Run

“Make sure and tell everyone. Because in five minutes we will strike the target,” says the voice on the line.

Israel’s military has been calling and texting residents of the Gaza Strip for weeks, warning civilians of impending military strikes against Hamas targets. There have been leaflets, too, dropped by the thousands, urging residents of certain neighborhoods to flee.

“It is the intention of the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] to carry out aerial strikes against terror sites and operatives in Shuja’iya and Zeitoun ... For your own safety, you are requested to vacate your residence immediately and head towards Gaza City,” read one recent example, provided by the IDF. "

http://youtu.be/615IuEdGoeM

Armed Militias Massing at Border to 'Protect' America From Small Children

Armed with semi-automatic weapons, 10 vigilante groups are prowling the Texas-Mexico border.
 ... Read more




Ayn Rand's Fever Dream: Texas GOP Platform Crazier Than You Can Imagine

"Imagine the official presentation of a worldview concocted by conspiracy theorists and an assortment of cranks and grumpy people. Conjure a document written by scribes possessed of poison pens soaked in the inkpots of Ayn Rand and the Brothers Grimm, caught in the grip of a dark dystopian fantasy of dragons and specters, in which everyone’s wrong but thee and me and we’re not sure of thee.

In the spirit of the Alamo, this is a work straight out of the 19th century with no option for surrender.

No, this is not some “Game of Thrones” spinoff. Ladies and gentlemen, we give you the official 2014 platform of the Republican Party of Texas, 40 pages of unrestrained, right-wing bluster against you name it — women, minorities, immigrants, Muslims, gays, Obamacare, the Internal Revenue Service, red light cameras, the EPA, the World Bank, vaccinations — well, you get the picture. In the spirit of the Alamo, this is a work straight out of the 19th century with no option for surrender..." ... Read more




Time Scanners: A really fantastic science show on TV (PBS)

"...II recently stumbled across Time Scanners, a tech-heavy, pop-science reality show. And, get this you guys, I learned things. I know. From TV. It's crazy. ... Read more


A Global Movement: State Department Report Reveals Religious Right On The Rise

The report documents the extensive consequences of such policies--and the rising influence of America's Religious Right is easily discernible.
... Read more

AT&T might fix Netflix problems for its customers before Verizon does

Netflix pays AT&T for connections that will be turned on "in the coming days."
Read more


Obama Mulls Massive Move on Immigration

WASHINGTON (AP) — Even as they grapple with an immigration crisis at the border, White House officials are making plans to act before November's mid- ... Read more

Congress Throws Full Support Behind Israel As Gaza Death Toll Passes 1,000

WASHINGTON (AP) — As the war in Gaza escalates, U.S. lawmakers are pressing the Obama administration to take no action that puts pressure on Israel to... Read more


Israelis in Tel Aviv 26.7.2014: "There's no school tomorrow,there's no children left in Gaza! Oleh!" - YouTube

Israelis in Tel Aviv, on 26.7.2014, the 19th day of Israel's massacres in Gaza, cheer the genocide on: "There's no school tomorrow, there's no children left there [in Gaza]! Oleh!"

OCHA reports from the same date (http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha... Over a 1000 Palestinians have been bombed to death, over 200 of them children. Over 6200 have been injured, 2000 of them children. Over 215,000 displaced people- schools have turned into refugee camps. 130 schools have been bombed.

Turn on Closed Captions (CC) to see what they are chanting.)

http://youtu.be/h7qFACSfd_k

White House To Boehner: We Did NOT Start Impeachment 'Scam'

The White House fired back at Speaker John Boehner on Tuesday after the Republican told reporters that talk of impeachment is a "scam" by Democrats to... Read more


Midnight sun over the Senja hands, Norway [1300×798] Photo by Daniel Korzhonov

Read more



LPT: when you're really mad at someone for something they did, always start the conversation by asking "what happened?"

And avoid criticism. You never know what really happened unless you ask.
Read more

In 2014, Colorado Oil And Gas Spills Are Happening Twice A Day

They are happening twice a day "and usually without anyone telling residents."The post In 2014, Colorado Oil And Gas Spills Are ... Read more



How One Agency Could Threaten Obama’s Climate Goals

If the BLM gives final approval for a plan to authorize sales of 10 billion tons of coal from the Powder River Basin it would ... Read more





More Than 90 Percent Of Child Migrants With Lawyers Show Up In Immigration Court

"These statistics not only refute unsubstantiated claims by Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) that 90 percent of child migrants don’t show up for their immigration hearings. They also suggest another reason why these children need legal representation — to increase the likelihood that they will return for their court date. ... Read more




Senator Denies Climate Change On Senate Floor And Gets A Science Lesson From His Colleague

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) rips into Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) for blocking a resolution that would have acknowledged the reality of climate change.
... Read more

http://youtu.be/YDL4Bs3NbB0

I Got Your Reform Republicanism Right Here

"... my counter-proposal to Ryan is that we all go back to Eisenhower-level tax rates on the rich. If you would like your tax rates lowered to Reagan-level rates then you have to work with a life coach and meet the commitments of a contract you create together. A lower tax rate will be granted based on: 1. The amount of people you create jobs for that pay a living wage, 2. The amount of earnings you keep in the country and pay taxes on, 3. That you don't take any other subsidies or tax breaks from the government (state or federal), 4. Your personal and business endeavors maintain an environmental impact below an agreed-upon limit..." Read more




Stop It!

Nicole Sandler speaks with the founder of the Israeli peace movement Gush Shalom, Uri Avnery
... Read more

http://youtu.be/8ljwD4-h4IU

Watch: A Professor's Amazing Idea On Dealing With Open Carry Activists

A philosophy professor offers an amazing response to open carry activists who enter family-friendly establishments with guns strapped to their backs. He notes,"As many have pointed out, there is no way for bystanders to know whether the people with guns are "good guys" or "bad guys." It is rational to be afraid of someone with a weapon, especially if you know nothing about them."

... Read more

http://youtu.be/6DaAvDZqfpI

Impeachment Wars Rage On

If you haven't received an email asking for donations to one group or another because impeachment is on the table, you're one of those rare birds who ... Read more




Gohmert: Obama Is 'Extremely Prejudiced' For Deporting Mexicans Instead Of Child Refugees

Texas Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-TX) suggested on Tuesday that the president of the United States was "extremely prejudiced" because he was deportin... Read more



Tuesday, July 29, 2014

The Rise Of Europe’s Religious Right

“For too long a time in Europe, pro-life people did not really say clearly and directly what they believe.” After years on the margins of European politics, social conservatives are learning to fight back.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/lesterfeder/the-rise-of-europes-religious-right

Impeachment Speculation From… The White House?

"One of President Barack Obama's top advisers said on Friday that he expects House Republicans will ultimately file articles of impeachment against the president.

Dan Pfeiffer, a senior aide who has been with the administration since Obama first took office, told reporters that he anticipated that a lawsuit filed by House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) over executive actions taken by the president on health care would ultimately not be enough to satisfy some of the more vocal conservatives in Congress.

Pfeiffer added that coming executive actions surrounding immigration reform would only stoke the impeachment flames. "

http://youtu.be/k2ufcYk_Bi8

Proof Religion Makes Kids Dumb

"A study published in the July issue of Cognitive Science determined that children who are not exposed to religious stories are better able to tell that characters in “fantastical stories” are fictional — whereas children raised in a religious environment even “approach unfamiliar, fantastical stories flexibly.”

In “Judgments About Fact and Fiction by Children From Religious and Nonreligious Backgrounds,” Kathleen Corriveau, Eva Chen, and Paul Harris demonstrate that children typically have a “sensitivity to the implausible or magical elements in a narrative,” and can determine whether the characters in the narrative are real or fictional by references to fantastical elements within the narrative, such as “invisible sails” or “a sword that protects you from danger every time.”

However, children raised in households in which religious narratives are frequently encountered do not treat those narratives with the same skepticism.

http://youtu.be/DduS6p6UkHY

Fox News’ “War on Christianity”: How right-wing hacks created a sect of victims

There is a serious agenda behind the paranoia -- and a vision of reality that is truly scary

http://www.salon.com/2014/07/29/fox_news_war_on_christianity_how_right_wing_hacks_created_a_sect_of_victims/

Sarah Palin Channel All About Getting Money Out Of Wallets

"Sarah Palin has announced the formation of her own Internet television news channel.

In a Facebook post late Sunday, the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee announced the Sarah Palin Channel, an interactive, online network designed as an alternative to mainstream news media.

“This is a news channel that really is a lot more than news,” Palin said in a video introducing the network. “This is a community where we’re going to be able to share ideas and discuss the issues of the day. And we’re going to find solutions.”"

http://youtu.be/anZW3h8-034




Rise of the Christian left: Why the religious right’s moment may be ending

From Pope Francis to a generation with new priorities, the finest Christian traditions are being reinvigorated.

http://www.salon.com/2014/07/21/rise_of_the_christian_left_why_the_religious_rights_moment_may_be_ending/


How Did Israel Learn How to Spin Its Disastrous Deadly Policies? From a GOP Pollster, Naturally

The slickness of Israel's spokesmen is rooted in directions set down by pollster Frank Luntz.
 ... Read more





Five Israeli Talking Points on Gaza Debunked

Why does the mainstream media keep repeating these false claims?
 ... Read more




North Carolina AG: It's Time To Stop Fighting Gay Marriage In Court

North Carolina AG says his office will stop defending the state's same-sex marriage ban in the Courts after today's Virginia ruling because, under cur... Read more


A Tale of Two Stores Fighting Hunger in America

One is a nationwide business, the other a small local farm. No matter the size, both are giants feeding those in need in their community. That's what ... Read more




As The Planet Warms, Scientists Say More People Will Go Without Food And Water

Crop yields are decreasing and more people are going hungry worldwide as climate change worsens, according to two new studies. ... Read more





Buy Low, Sell High: How Big Coal And The BLM Treat Taxpayers Like Chumps

An Interior Department agency that oversees sales of coal owned by all Americans is allowing big companies to buy it for just ... Read more




Satanists Demand Religious Exemption From Abortion Restrictions, Cite Hobby Lobby Ruling | ThinkProgress

"The Supreme Court’s recent Hobby Lobby decision, which allowed some for-profit companies to claim a religious exemption to Obamacare’s contraception mandate, has sparked a heated debate over the definition of religious liberty and its role in modern society. At this point, even a Satantic cult has decided to weigh in..."thinkprogress.org/health/2014/07/28/3464769/satanists-hobby-lobby-abortion/

The Median Family Is Worth One Third Less Than It Was A Decade Ago

Household wealth has rebounded at the top, but continues to slide for families in the middle and at the bottom of the economic ... Read more



Legislators, Corporations Gather For Secret Meeting Against Clean Energy And You’re Not Invited

It's time for the American Legislative Exchange Council's annual meeting. Good luck getting in on the action. The post ... Read more






Salmon Are Dying In The Salmon River Because The Water’s Too Warm

California's fisheries have faced challenges in the midst of a major drought.The post Salmon Are Dying In The Salmon River ... Read more




4 Things You Need To Know About The State Of Social Security

The latest figures on Social Security's finances are out and there is no reason to panic.The post 4 Things You Need To Know ... Read more




Tidal ‘Nuisance Flooding’ On The Rise In Coastal Cities As Sea Level Inches Upward

Climate change isn't always catastrophic, it can also be a nuisance. The post Tidal 'Nuisance Flooding' On The Rise ... Read more



Congressman Compares EPA’s New Climate Rule To Terrorism

"You talk about terrorism -- you can do it in a lot of different ways."The post Congressman Compares EPA's New Climate ... Read more




Fossil Fuel-Funded Groups Organizing Public Rallies Against New EPA Climate Rule

The EPA will hold a series of hearings starting tomorrow to garner public comments, and conservative and fossil fuel groups are ... Read more




Alan Grayson Represents Us. Let’s Stand With Him

When Blue America weighs the pros and cons of endorsing a candidate for Congress, we often find ourselves measuring them by how similar he or she appe... Read more




Philadelphia Tea Party Group Rebrands By Removing "Tea Party" From Name

So what is the new groups "no-longer-tea-Party" groups agenda? Preaching conservative views of religious liberty, defense and education spending, foreign affairs, and advocating for pro-life legislation.

... Read more



GOP Mayor Walks From North Carolina To Washington, DC To Fight For Medicaid

This week we're going to hear a lot about Paul Ryan's sudden conversion from shamer of the poors to pretend advocate for the poors. But he's just wind... Read more

http://youtu.be/g1LTrJP3tL4

Jeanine Goes After Pope Francis

Fox News has been obsessing on ISIS' purge of the few remaining Christians in Syria and Iraq for awhile now in order to ramp up audience fear of Musli... Read more

Stop The Presses, House Republicans Ready To Govern Now!

Hey everyone, hold onto your hats! After years of obstructionism, a government shutdown, scores of votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act, a refusal ... Read more




Media Mogul Murdoch Is Buying A Conservative Alternate Universe

Pro-war, anti-humanity, pro-pollution is precisely the objective of the conservatives who are merely puppets of Rupert Murdoch. In addition to the und... Read more



Ammosexuals Furious Over Topless Women Disrupting Their Machismo March

What a creative way to protest those gun-totin' ammosexuals out walking around with their weapons in full view of children? Women flaunting what they'... Read more

GOPer Asks Secessionists To Rise For 'National Anthem,' And Then Sings 'Dixie' Instead

Video has surfaced of a Maryland Republican nominee for Anne Arundel County Council singing "Dixie" as the national anthem at a secession conference i... Read more


Monday, July 28, 2014

Learn From The Pros: 10 Tricks To Project Authority

... Read more



What Happened to Dinesh D'Souza? - Mark Stricherz - The Atlantic

At the peak of his powers, the conservative author's strength was engaging with his critics. Now he's content inside the right-wing bubble. Read more...

http://youtu.be/DWJ-6VCoRVg

A Cancer Vaccine Exists—Unused

The HPV vaccine could prevent thousands of people every year from getting cancer. But a new CDC report says most children still do not receive it.
... Read more




Florida Cop Shoots Drunk Man to Death After Forcing Him to Drive a Car [Video]

50 cameras captured the scene but the cop wasn't punished. Now the victim's family is suing.
... Read more

http://youtu.be/pnAlKR6PoQI


6 Despicable Right-Wing Moments This Week: Fox News' Anti-Immigrant Hysteria

Brian Kilmeade wonders why 911 calls from Spanish speakers have to be answered.... Read more




Texas Textbook Troubles: Lone Star State Grapples With Tome Review Process – Again

Worse yet, TFN learned that more than a dozen academics at Texas universities applied to be on the panels but were rejected. Among them are the chair of the History Department at Southern Methodist University and several faculty members at the University of Texas.
... Read more

Charlie Crist On Climate Change: I'm Not A Scientist Either But I Can 'Use My Brain' And 'Talk To One'

Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) recently deflected questions about climate change by saying, "I'm not a scientist." Read More -> ... Read more


Top Republicans Blame Obama For Violence In Libya As US Evacuates

Senior House Republicans cast blame on the Obama administration for escalating violence in Libya as the U.S. evacuated its embassy on Saturday and shu... Read more

North Carolina GOPer: Party Will Lose In 2014 Over Not Expanding Medicaid (VIDEO)

The Republican mayor of Bellhaven, N.C. has been pushing for his state to expand Medicaid under the health care law, and argues that failing to do so ... Read more

Mysterious signal from the center of the Perseus Cluster unexplained by known physics

Astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory to explore the Perseus Cluster, a swarm of galaxies approximately 250 million light years from Earth, have observed the spectral line that appears not to come from any known type of matter. The signal they received can not be explained by known physics but they say it shifts suspicion to the dark matter.
Read more



UN Official Calls Out David Gregory For Using Unconfirmed Israeli Propaganda Video

NBC host David Gregory was forced to issue a correction at the end of his weekly Meet the Press program on Sunday after a United Nations official conf... Read more



Fox News Contributor Calls On U.S. To Welcome Immigrant Children

Conservative columnist George Will wants to welcome the unaccompanied minors from Central America and help them become U.S. ... Read more




George Will Shocks Fox News Panel: Tell Child Refugees 'Welcome To America'

Fox News contributor George Will shocked his fellow panelists on Sunday by asserting that the United States should not deport child refugees who were ... Read more



David Gregory To Paul Ryan: Doesn't Sound Like You're Sympathetic To People Who Need Gov't Help

David Gregory confronted Paul Ryan's overall beliefs about "the poors" by making the correct observation that Rep. Ryan doesn't sound sympathetic to the people who actually do need government help.
... Read more

Sarah Palin's Oddball Speech In Denver Sounds Downright Inebriated

Judge for yourself: Did Sarah Palin get into Aunty Peggy Noonan's jar of Magic Dolphin Pills before her speech in Denver this week? We've edited down... Read more

Rafael Cruz: Obama Wants Your Guns, Because Stalin

Ted Cruz can never run for President. If you thought the Reverend Wright flap was nasty, what Rafael Cruz spews all over the nat... Read more












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