DN Speak

Sunday, January 11, 2015

The Right Tries (and Fails) To Justify Its Assault On Social Security

How does the right justify the kind of action Congress took this week, when it moved to cut disability benefits for millions of people by 20 percent? ... Read more

As Seen On TV Nutrition Advice (on Dr. Oz)

The new year is a chance for new beginnings, an opportunity to eat better and to take better care of ourselves; many look to popular media for ideas o... Read more

Bird uses bread as bait

UN: Muslims ethnically cleansed in CAR

UN report says Christian militias engaged in ethnic cleansing of Muslims in ongoing Central African Republic civil war. Read more

As Extremist ‘Constitutional Sheriffs’ Meet With Senators, Their Supporters Call For Obama’s Lynching

Cross-posted at Hatewatch. In one of the spacious meeting rooms of the Russell Senate Building in Washington, D.C., last month, three conservative me... Read more

Harry Reid Mocks McConnell For Taking Credit For The Economy

On Friday, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) laughed at his Republican counterpart's attempt to link the improving economy to the GOP takeover ... Read more

Even Hezbollah says Muslims should worry more about ISIS than cartoons

Hezbollah is a Lebanese militant group and political party with a long history of conducting terrorist attacks against Israeli — and a few American — ... Read more

The End Of Fracking? Scotland Reached Almost 100% Wind Power In 2014

If America is so exceptional, why is Scotland kicking our ass in renewable energy? Read more

Renewable Energy Investment Surges, Nearly Surpassing 2011 High-Water Mark

Clean energy investment rose for the first time in three years in 2014, totaling $310 billion.The post Renewable Energy ... Read more

10 Insane Right-Wing Reactions to the Charlie Hebdo Massacre

Fox's Eric Bolling urges return of police state asap.
... Read more

Invocation: "We Need Not Look Above For Answers"

Invocation - George Gold, President, Atheists of Butte County
http://youtu.be/MHipDknwgwQ

Infographic: The Anti-Science Climate Denier Caucus, 114th Congress Edition

Climate change is happening. But you wouldn't know that by looking at the members of the 114th Congress.The post Infographic: ... Read more

10 Cities Where an Appalling Number of Americans Don't Have Enough Food

It'll get worse if the Republicans continue their attacks on anti-hunger programs.
... Read more

Hezbollah Leader Says Islamic Extremists Have Hurt Islam More Than Cartoonists

He said the violent actions by some Muslim militants have hurt Islam more than the people they attack.The post Hezbollah Leader ... Read more

America's Most Wealthy Believe The Poors Have It Easy

A new Pew Poll has given us some more conclusive evidence that the very wealthy in this country have no clue what goes on in most of America household... Read more

Three Georgia Men Charged With Domestic Terrorism

2015 is beginning with a bang, as the indictments roll in and more home-grown terrorist plots are revealed. Here's one from Rome, Georgia, a pictures... Read more

Obama wants community college to be free

"No one with drive and discipline should be denied a college education simply because they can't pay for it," Obama said Friday. "A college degree is the surest ticket to the middle class."
Read more

9 secrets I've uncovered about depression

"My relationship with depression is a complicated one. I have, clinically speaking, been grappling with it since I was a teenager; I was diagnosed for ..." Read more

90% of Bibi Netanyahu’s Campaign Funds From U.S.

More than 90 percent of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s $250,000 in campaign funds has come from donors in the United States—and just three families contributed more than half of that amount.
Read more

LPT: Night Mode on Apple Devices

Apple's mobile devices have a very useful, and not very well known night mode. It is difficult to activate the first time, but easy to activate with a triple click of the home button.
Read more

Fox Host Actually Does Her Job, Hammers Catholic League Bigot On The First Amendment (VIDEO)

Catholic League president Bill Donohue thought he would get a softball interview on Fox News to push his anti-First Amendment ... Read more
http://youtu.be/1O8xx1XkWQ0

Saturday, January 10, 2015

After Surprising Defeat, House GOP Vows To Make A Second Run At Relaxing Wall Street Reform

WASHINGTON -- House Republicans, dealt a surprising defeat Wednesday evening in their effort to roll back Wall Street reform, decided Thursday to make... Read more

Yes, It’s Cold. Global Warming Is Still Real.

The most meaningful thing that this U.S. cold snap proves is that it is winter.The post Yes, It's Cold. Global Warming Is ... Read more

George Will Gets It Exactly Backward On Climate Change

There are two types of George Will columns. The first are simply wrong. The second manage to get things exactly backwards. ... Read more

Less Than 2 Percent Of Terrorist Attacks In The E.U. Are Religiously Motivated

Despite the fact that religiously motivated attacks are a tiny fraction of all the terrorist attacks carried out, they are ... Read more

Two Infants Too Young For Vaccinations Contract Measles From Unvaccinated People At Disneyland

Nine cases of the highly contagious virus have been confirmed so far in people who recently visited the tourist destination -- ... Read more

Marco Rubio Slams Florida Court For Permitting Marriage Equality

According to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), the court's job is to agree with him.The post Marco Rubio Slams Florida Court For ... Read more

The many superpowers of Apple's Preview app, part 2

Last week's Creaticity column revealed several superpowers of Apple's free Preview app, such as removing an image's ... Read more

Elizabeth Warren: "America's Middle Class Is In Deep Trouble."

Elizabeth Warren gave a barnstormer of a speech this morning at the AFL-CIO's National Summit on Raising Wages, and brought the crowd to their feet: ... Read more

How Jesus Became God, with guest Bart D. Ehrman (Reasonable Doubts)

How did Jesus, an apocalyptic prophet from Galilee, come to be regarded as a God by his followers? Bart D. Ehrman (Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill) joins us on the show to discuss his new book How Jesus Became God, which traces the historical evolution of early Christian thought about the nature and identity of Jesus.
Interview:
http://freethoughtblogs.com/reasonabledoubts/2014/07/25/episode-130-how-jesus-became-god-with-guest-bart-d-ehrman/

New GOP Congress Launches First Missile At Social Security

Here we go, folks! First stop, gutting Social Security. You knew it was coming, and Republicans just set out the carving knives. TPM: The incoming G... Read more

Why many Americans hold false beliefs about WMDs in Iraq and Obama's birth place

Some 61 percent of American voters surveyed believe in at least one political conspiracy theory, according to a Fairleigh Dickinson University poll. W... Read more

An iceberg off the coast of Kulusuk, Greenland

Penn and Teller - "Bullshit - Holier than Thou"

Penn and Teller take on the lives of folks such as Gandhi, Dalai Lama, and Mother Teresa.
Interview:
http://youtu.be/o6voAW_Go5Y

Mother Teresa: Hell's Angel [1994] (Christopher Hitchens)

In 1994, three years before her death, journalist Christopher Hitchens made this documentary asking if Mother Teresa's reputation was deserved. Interview:
http://youtu.be/76_qL6fiyDw

A foggy morning during our hike of The Long Trail in Vermont [OC] [3107x1864]

Inside The GOP's Long Game To Ignite A New Battle Over Social Security

"Our follow up inside look at the GOP's new long game to manufacture a funding crisis over Social Security. A big, big deal..." Read more

The Birth Control Evangelists Who Want To Talk To You About Their IUDs

Why more people are having public conversations about one of the most effective forms of contraception out there.The post The ... Read more

Anonymous declares war over Charlie Hebdo attack

In a video posted on YouTube, the group of hackers said they would track down websites and social media networks linked to terrorists, and take them down...
Read more

Record Number Of Americans Identified As Liberal In 2014

Twenty-four percent of Americans now consider themselves liberal, although that number still lags behind conservatives. The ... Read more

Friday, January 9, 2015

Week In The News: French Terror Attack, A New Congress, Extreme Winter (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

The agony of France, above all in the news this week. Massacre in the heart of Paris. Of cartoonists and more. Alleged roots in al Qaeda. Manhunt, fear and defiance. In Washington, a Republican majority holds all of Congress now, House and Senate. John Boehner crushes a challenge. Mitch McConnell looks at the Keystone pipeline, immigration, spending, and presidential veto threats. In New York, police turn their backs on a mayor and arrest numbers plummet. And it is cold all over. Big chill. This hour On Point: our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines. / Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/01/09/charlie-hebdo-winter-weather-gop-congress

Friday News Roundup – Domestic (Diane Rehm Show)

The jobless rate in the U.S. falls to the lowest level since June 2008 as the economy added 252,000 jobs last month. The White House threatens to veto top priority legislation of the new Republican controlled Congress, including the Keystone XL pipeline. The House passes a measure to change the Affordable Care Act. President Obama announces plans for tuition-free community college. Jeb Bush ramps up a political operation for a possible 2016 presidential run. And U.S. reaction to the Paris terror attack. A panel of journalists joins Diane for analysis of the week’s top national news stories.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-01-09/friday_news_roundup_domestic

Friday News Roundup – International (Diane Rehm Show)

France mourns the deaths of 12 people killed in a terrorist attack at a satirical weekly. French authorities seek to piece together what led to the killings and the extent, if any, of outside involvement. There are growing concerns over the economic health of the Eurozone nations. Mexico’s president makes an official call on the White House for talks on immigration, drug violence and trade. Iran’s supreme leader warns that the U.S. cannot be trusted to lift sanctions in a nuclear deal. And the FBI’s director says there’s little doubt North Korea was behind the hacking of Sony. A panel of journalists joins Diane for analysis of the week’s top international news stories.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-01-09/friday_news_roundup_international

No Shirt, No Shoes, No Gays: Virginia Law Would Allow Businesses to Discriminate

"...if a Virginia barber doesn’t want to cut a gay person’s hair, it would be totally fine. It would also be legal for a doctor to refuse to treat a lesbian patient because she’s in a same-sex relationship. Businesses could put up signs prohibiting gay customers, and college professors would be allowed to refuse to teach gay students, according to Greg Nevins, a lawyer for the LGBT rights organization Lambda Legal, who fought Virginia’s same-sex marriage ban last year..."
http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/01/08/no-gays-allowed-virginia-law-would-make-it-legal-almost-all-businesses

Religious Freedom Day event on hold in dispute over Satanic coloring book

"ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — In about a week, students in Orange County high schools could have been picking up Bibles or pamphlets about atheism on nationally recognized Religious Freedom Day, but it’s all on hold for now because of concerns fueled by a coloring book from the Satanic Temple..."
http://www.news965.com/news/news/local/religious-freedom-day-event-hold-orange-county-hig/njjpN/#__federated=1

Atheist parents take on Christian ‘Good News Club’ with ‘Better News Club’

"A group of atheists in Rochester, N.Y., has bad news for the Good News Club, a Christian after-school club for children.

The group, consisting of atheists, humanists and skeptics, announced its own after-school program: a Young Skeptics club featuring science, logic and learning activities..."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/atheist-parents-take-on-christian-good-news-club-with-better-news-club/2015/01/08/3487b884-9766-11e4-8385-866293322c2f_story.html

Republicans Introduce Five Anti-Abortion Bills In First Days Of New Congress

"The Republican Congress is like Groundhog's Day," said Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America. "Just as they did in 2010, anti-choice Republicans hid their agenda on the campaign trail by promising to work to address the economy or the numerous other issues. But the Republican leadership can only hide their true colors and real priorities for a nanosecond once Congress convenes."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/08/republicans-abortion_n_6438522.html

Catholic Cardinal: Feminism Ruined The Church, And Boys Need To Tell Priests Self-Pleasure Stories

This former St. Louis Archbishop wants women to know that their demand for "rights" is destroying the Catholic Church, and ... Read more

Thursday, January 8, 2015

The Damn Commandments

"Dennis Prager's "university" made another video wherein he says a whole lot of things that are just laughably wrong. It is bad enough that he thinks the ten commandments are real and significant, but then he said that no one could determine anything by evidence; we need 'authorities' instead. But when he started talking about what atheists acknowledged or needed to admit, I couldn't help myself anymore; I had to post a reply."
http://youtu.be/8u3z69YpLx0