DN Speak

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Abortion Rates Have Dropped, And Everyone Is Pretty Sure They’re Responsible For It

A new AP report finds that abortions have declined by 12 percent nationwide. But why? ... Read more

Whistleblower: 'It's pretty much same old, same old' at the St. Paul archdiocese

The whistleblower who revealed how her superiors at the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis were handling clergy sexual misconduct said the recent criminal charges and civil petition are a step in the right direction to stop future abuse...
http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/06/08/bcst-archdiocese-whistleblower

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

The Apple June 2015 Keynote Event

http://www.apple.com/live/2015-june-event/

Who Created ISIS?

With the fall of Ramadi in Iraq and Palmyra in Syria, fingers are pointing faster than you can say “Preemptive War.” John McCain thinks the crazy Islamic extremists of ISIS wouldn’t be causing the world all this trouble if only Obama hadn’t spent so much time worrying about global warming. Jeb Bush says Al Qaeda in Iraq was wiped out and ISIS didn’t exist when his dear ol’ brother was president. You can read more at http://www.MarkFiore.com.
http://youtu.be/viYDVKtFeEY

Fox News Now Just Reads RNC Talking Points On Air (VIDEO)

Fox News is the propaganda arm of the Republican National Committee and they've stopped pretending otherwise. Read more

If We’re At War With ISIS, Why Are We Supplying Their Weapons? (VIDEO)

We've accidentally furnished ISIS with at least $219.7 million in weapons, vehicles and other military supplies and gear...So ... Read more

How Many Americans Get Government Assistance? All Of Us

The other day, the Census Bureau put out a new report that concluded about one-in-five Americans received government benefits in 2012. But the study, ... Read more

Poll: 97% Of Violent Right Wingers Want All American Mosques Burned To The Ground (SCREENSHOTS)

It isn't Muslims who are preaching violence here. It's these Christians who want to burn places of worship that they don't like ... Read more

NRA Begins Vicious Attack On Survivors And Victims Of 2007 Virginia Tech Massacre

The NRA is going after the survivors and victims of the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre, in an attempt to further their "moar gunz ... Read more

Glenn Beck Out Of His Becking Mind - Prayer Floods? Huh?

"Glenn Beck says former Texas Gov. Rick Perry is responsible for flooding that has killed 27 people in the state – but he apparently thinks that’s a good thing.

The conservative broadcaster said the devastating floods were God’s answer to Perry’s 2011 prayer proclamation to end a prolonged drought in Texas, reported Right Wing Watch.

“We started digging our way out of that drought about three years ago, but that’s definitely over,” Beck said, agreeing with co-host Stu Burguiere that climate change could not have caused both the drought and the floods."
http://youtu.be/iTlQkLxhFDk

This governor has a message for businesses about the minimum wage

The governor of Kentucky is calling on fellow politicians and business leaders to follow his lead and give low-wage workers a raise.
Read more

Cats, Toxoplasmosis & Serious Mental Illness

“Cat ownership in childhood has now been reported in three studies to be significantly more common in families in which the child is later diagnosed with schizophrenia or another serious mental illness,” explains study authors E. Fuller Torrey, Robert H. Yolken and Wendy Simmons...
http://www.piercepioneer.com/cats-toxoplasmosis-serious-mental-illness/41556

Science, Sex, and Social Justice in the Bible Belt: One Dad’s Letter to His Daughters

Raising daughters in the American South can be difficult regarding which worldview to pass on. Humanist Neil Carter addresses these issues with clarity and compassion. - See more at:
http://goodmenproject.com/families/science-sex-and-social-justice-in-the-bible-belt-one-fathers-heartfelt-letter-to-his-daughters-jrmk/#sthash.7yo3paax.dpuf

Best of Nonbelievers Arguments And Comebacks Part 1

http://youtu.be/GQQDkuAhYOs

What happened to Brian Culkin in one year in Scientology Inc

Brian Culkin story is Beyond Belief. From the moment he arrives at Tampa Airport pretty women descend on him like vultures to donate. In one incident he gives $35,000 as a "donation" before he arrives at the "Church" in Clearwater.

He described his 7 months at Flag "TORTURE" and the months spent there trying to undo the torture created. "An incessant and non-stop demand for money". The Chief registrar Dave Foster calls him a "Fucking Asshole" for not handing over money. Dave Foster is part of their so called "Clergy". How very *Ecclesiastical"...
http://youtu.be/lli5lOaLKNA

A 17 year old girl who is the boss of a 50 year old man pick up Brian at Tampa airport. They hit on him for $35,000 out of him before arriving at the "Flag Land Base" on Fort Harrison Avenue. Brian continues his revelations of 7 months at Flag. $350,000 was extorted from him in one year. Brian did go for refund. But that is another tale, another day.
https://youtu.be/BH-bOYuiCiE

In Part 3 in this sit down with Mark Bunker, Brian Culkin explains his Scientology Inc experience. They did extort $350,000 from him in one year. His experience is echoed by those that visit the Flag Land Base, the money extortion MECCA of the "church."
https://youtu.be/xYDnO_YgMp4

Brian Culkin is a recent Scientology Inc experience. Brian's experience is not unique. The length and breath of their DOMINATION and ABUSE while masquerading as a *Religion.*
Brian explains why he has no fear whatsoever of the "Church".
https://youtu.be/ONk4JIOUzE4

Did Jim Bob Duggar Admit That Fundamentalist Families Have a Sibling Molestation Problem?

“It was a very difficult situation,” Jim Bob explained. “But as we talked to other parents and different ones since then, a lot of families have said that they have had similar things that happened in their families.”
... Read more

Fracking Pollutes Drinking Water, Says Long-Awaited EPA Study

Refuting its own 2004 study, the EPA found that toxic fracking fluids that leak into the water table can contaminate drinking water.
... Read more

Military's transgender ban based on bad medical science, say medical scientists

1. The American Medical Association on Monday passed a resolution that said "there is no medically valid reason to exclude transgender individuals" ... Read more

Vladimir Putin: “I invite you to publish a world map and mark all the U.S. military bases on it.

...You will see the difference (between Russia and the U.S.).”
Read more

G7 leaders agree to phase out fossil fuel use by end of century

German chancellor Angela Merkel announces commitment to ‘decarbonise global economy’ and end extreme poverty and hunger.
Read more

Labor Dept. Set To Raise Overtime Standards, Big Biz Clutches Pearls

We all know the drill. An employer names someone an assistant manager (or even a bank VP) without any real authority or salary bump as a way of avoidi... Read more

Lousiana Pols Ask Grover Norquist's Permission To Hike Taxes

I don't think we even need to specifically sell red state voters on the Democrats -- just tell people to vote for the candidates who do what needs to ... Read more

Rumsfeld Begins Iraq War Rewrite To Help 2016 GOP Contenders

Let the rewrites begin! And who better to lead the charge into revisionism than Donald Rumsfeld himself. President George W. Bush was wrong to try to... Read more

Walker Would Support Constitutional Amendment Allowing Gay Marriage Bans

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), who is exploring a presidential run in 2016, on Sunday said that a Supreme Court ruling in favor of same-sex marriage... Read more

Plaintiffs In 'Gay Conversion' Case Told Their Mothers To Blame For Sexuality

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — One of four plaintiffs who sued a nonprofit that promised to turn them from gay to heterosexual wept on the witness stand Wednesday as he described cutting off contact with his mother after being told she was the cause of his homosexuality.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/gay-conversion-therapy-trial

Iowa Radio Host: I Will Make Huckabee Answer Qs About The Duggars (AUDIO)

“There’s something wrong here,” Conway said. “And it’s not good enough to turn around and say, ‘They’re being picked on because they’re conservative and they’re Christian.’ There’s something wrong and it’s disturbing.”
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/mike-huckabee-simon-conway-duggars

Opponents Of Obama’s Carbon Pollution Rule Are Trying Nearly Everything To Take It Down

The fight to solve the climate crisis is itself a race against time, and the Clean Power Plan is no less than that same race ... Read more

The U.S.’s Biggest Coal Company Can’t Pay To Clean Up Its Own Mines

The world's largest private-sector coal company does not have adequate funds or insurance to clean up its own mining ... Read more

FEC Members Take ‘Desperate Measure’ And Petition Their Own Agency To Rein In Election Spending

Two commissioners filed a petition against their own agency, which one has called "worse than dysfunctional." ... Read more

Monday, June 8, 2015

How The Nonreligious 'Nones' Are Driving LGBT Equality in the U.S.

“I cannot stand in a church and worship on Sunday alongside those who on the very next Monday co-sign every kind of legislation that devalues the lives of Black people, women, and gay people,” writes Cooper. “I am a firm believer that our theology implicates our politics. If your politics are rooted in the contemporary anti-Black, misogynist, homophobic conservatism, then we are not serving the same God. Period.”

http://www.advocate.com/politics/religion/2015/06/08/how-nonreligious-nones-are-driving-lgbt-equality-us

Group wants to force presidential candidates to debate about science issues

One of the most high-stakes issues facing elected leaders currently is climate change. Powerful lobbying efforts to obfuscate the science that shows what’s driving it have turned the issue into a messy partisan squabble, with many conservatives denying it as a hoax...
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/06/group-wants-to-force-presidential-candidates-to-debate-about-science-issues/

Some Evangelicals Take New Look at Bible’s Stance on Gays

LA MIRADA, Calif. — As a young, openly gay Christian activist, Matthew Vines considered it a victory just to get into a room at a conservative Christian university here with four influential evangelicals who disagreed with him over what the Bible says about homosexuality...
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/09/us/some-evangelicals-take-new-look-at-bibles-stance-on-gays.html

Former homeschooler on the Duggar family’s horrifying fundamentalist “education”: “It’s literal rape culture”

The founder of Homeschoolers Anonymous tells Salon about being indoctrinated with Bill Gothard's misogynist lessons...
http://www.salon.com/2015/06/08/a_former_homeschooler_on_the_duggar_familys_horrifying_fundamentalist_education_it’s_literal_rape_culture/

Federal Judges Throw Out Virginia GOP’s Totally-Not-Racist ‘Redistricting’ Map (VIDEO)

How can Republicans get elected when most of us won't vote for them? Redistricting! But here's one thing they can't get away ... Read more

This Dad’s Hilarious Response To Public School’s Religious Indoctrination Is A Must Read (IMAGES)

Religious indoctrination of children in public schools is illegal, but this school tried it anyway. This dad's response to it ... Read more

This is just a sample. There were many more messages back and forth...

"How to raise a black son in America" is one of the truest, saddest TED talks ever

It's been said again and again and again — more frequently and publicly since unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin was gunned down by a neighbor who perc... Read more

Alpenglow on Grand Teton [700 x 554] by Jack Brauer

Joke: A guy is doing 90 in a 75 and sees lights from a patrol car in the mirror...

http://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/38wusu/a_guy_is_doing_90_in_a_75_and_sees_lights_from_a/

Rick Perry Wants To Repeal Dodd-Frank Because He Doesn't Get It

Rick Perry, along with his new smart glasses, is in Iowa to discuss his ideas for the economy, because Texas did so well under his leadership. He left... Read more

Chris Wallace Smacks Rick Santorum On Flat Tax Myth That Helps The Rich

It's hard to try and pass yourself off as the true champion of the working class in America if your fiscal policies are pro-rich. And anyone who propo... Read more

Joni Ernst Beats The Drums For Another Iraq War: U.S. Troops Are 'Ready To Go Back'

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) said over the weekend that U.S. troops were "ready to go back" to Iraq to fight ISIS. In an interview with ABC's Jonathan Karl... Read more
https://youtu.be/eQDlGvEHVvM

Rick Santorum doubles down against Pope Francis on climate change

http://youtu.be/v6jWGWlAF50

Man Whose Son Was Killed In Afghanistan Surprises Pro-War Senator

Sen. Tom Cotton is one of the most hawkish members of Congress. ... Read more

https://youtu.be/TkZ_wAXjp-0

Thousands March In The Midwest’s Largest-Ever Anti-Tar Sands Rally

The main goal of the protest was to emphasize that the conversation about tar sands and fossil fuels is about more than just ... Read more

How Five Decades Of Legal Birth Control Have Changed Americans’ Lives

Contraception is one of the most important public health success stories of a generation. ... Read more

The GOP Is Losing Voters — Time to Celebrate!

The Republican Party as a whole has a demographic problem. In the 2012 election, the only demographic that the party was able to secure by huge margins in the general election was older, white, male voters. African Americans, women, Hispanics, and voters under the age of 30 all flocked to the Democratic Party.
http://youtu.be/0ZZ7T3jCaoA

Santorum: I’m More Qualified Than Pope Francis To Talk About Climate Change Because I’m A Politician

During a Fox News Sunday interview, former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum offered his opinion on where climate change ranks ... Read more

5 Reasons Pope Francis's Encyclical on the Environment Matters

The first encyclical on the environment in the history of the Catholic Church has its detractors, but it also has the power to inspire meaningful climate action.
... Read more

William F. Buckley and National Review’s vile race stance: Everything you need to know about conservatives and civil rights

Remembering the night William F. Buckley took his genteel racism to Cambridge--and left destroyed by James Baldwin With the challenges of the civil rights movement sparking worldwide discussion about the importance of individual rights and the limitations of tradition, the students of the Cambrid...

http://www.salon.com/2015/06/07/william_f_buckley_and_national_reviews_vile_race_stance_everything_you_need_to_know_about_conservatives_and_civil_rights/

The story of Bush and Blair's great lie

A film that reminds us exactly why Bush, Blair, and others in their administrations should stand trial. Tony Blair's not entirely unexpected resignation from his job as Middle East peace envoy last month - and the ensuing Twitter jokes about it - coincide with the UK release of a documentary film...

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/05/story-bush-blair-great-lie-150531071814188.html

5 reasons George W. Bush is still one of the worst presidents ever

New poll data suggest a majority of Americans now hold a favorable opinion of W. Here's what they're forgetting George W. Bush is trending on the Internet for a surprising reason. A CNN/ORC Poll that recently hit the Web yielded some good news for the embattled former president: For the first tim...

http://www.salon.com/2015/06/07/5_reasons_george_w_bush_is_still_one_of_the_worst_presidents_ever_partner/

Rick Santorum Tries To Explain Why He Can Weigh In On Climate Change But Pope Shouldn't

WASHINGTON -- Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) attempted to argue Sunday that it's more appropriate for him to be weighing in on climate change than it is for Pope Francis, who is not only a religious leader but also a chemist. In the coming weeks, the pope is expected to release a groundbreakin...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/07/rick-santorum-pope_n_7529166.html

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Best of David Silverman Arguments And Comebacks Part 1

http://youtu.be/TMTGB2qrVgg

Investigation Of TSA Security Failures At U.S. Airports (Diane Rehm Show)

Undercover investigators tested security procedures at dozens of the nation’s airports and found major failures. They were able to get weapons, fake explosives and other potentially dangerous items through security checkpoints in 67 out of 70 tests. The revelations led to the ouster of the acting head of the Transportation Security Administration, a group run by the Department of Homeland Security. DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson announced immediate steps to address problems highlighted by the investigators. They include re-evaluating screening equipment and new training for front-line personnel. We look at these and other measures to address airport security.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-06-03/investigation-of-tsa-security-failures-at-u-s-airports

Environmental Outlook: New Efforts to Support the Ailing Bee Population (Diane Rehm Show)

Bees are responsible for pollinating a third of the food that appears on Americans’ plates. Yet a recent study found the health of the bee population continues to decline. Last year, beekeepers lost 42 percent of their hives, up from an average of 30 percent during the last eight years. Most scientists agree the problem is a combination of pests, disease, poor nutrition and toxins from pesticides, yet how big a role each of those plays is up for debate – as are the solutions. Now, President Barack Obama has weighed in with a plan to save the bees and other pollinators. But some say it doesn’t go far enough. We learn more about new efforts to support the ailing bee population.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-06-03/new-efforts-to-support-the-ailing-bee-population

The Push For Legal Rights And Social Acceptance For Transgender People (Diane Rehm Show)

A glamour shot of Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Bruce Jenner, graces the cover of this month’s Vanity Fair magazine. The photo leaves little doubt that Jenner has made the transition to a transgender female. To the more than one million new Twitter followers she gained after the image was released, she wrote that she was “so happy after such a long struggle to be living my true self.” Some say her high profile transition signals a new and more positive era in the transgender movement. But for the majority of transgender men and women, the struggle for social acceptance and civil rights is far from over. We talk about what it means to be a transgender person in America today.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-06-04/the-push-for-legal-rights-and-social-acceptance-for-transgender-people

New Treatments For Concussions Based On Recent Brain Research (Diane Rehm Show)

Clark Elliott’s world collapsed after his car was rear-ended 16 years ago. He suffered a concussion and often had severe cognitive problems, from seizures to short-term memory loss that sometimes left him unable to even name his children. Dozens of doctors told him there was nothing they could do. Then, the DePaul University professor began working with specialists who were using new treatments based on recent brain research. He worked on brain teasers and puzzles and was given special eye glasses. Within months, his symptoms were gone. We look at new treatments for concussions and what they could mean for patients.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-06-04/new-treatments-for-concussions

"How God Works" Marshall Brain on Atheists Talk #309, April 12, 2015

Marshall Brain is the founder of HowStuffWorks, a popular science and inquiry website that answers questions exploring everything from the applications of well-characterized science to our most innovative, wildest ideas. With his recently published book, How "God" Works, Marshall Brain uses the same logic and critical thought that skyrocketed the popularity of HowStuffWorks to explore the idea of God. From the How "God" Works Amazon page:

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?
Marshall Brain is the host of the National Geographic Channel's Factory Floor with Marshall Brain TV show, and is known for his essays and other writing. He has appeared as a speaker on many national media programs and is a consultant, teacher and mentor in various learning environments. Please join us this Sunday as we welcome Marshall Brain to Atheists Talk.
Interview:
http://mnatheists.org/news-and-media/podcast/1048-how-god-works-marshall-brain-on-atheists-talk-309-april-12-2015

Where Advertising Is Looking For You (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

Late night’s David Letterman takes his last bow tonight. He’s done. Leaving television. And there’s a bigger “end of an era” tingle in the air. A whole lot of advertisers are backing off television too. The long era of TV ad dominance that began in Mad Men times is definitely winding down. Television itself is fragmenting. People watch whatever, whenever, and blow past the ads. And digital, in its million forms, rises and rises. What’s it all mean for Don Draper-style selling and the way you’re stroked? This hour, On Point: after TV ads. And we’ll say goodbye to David Letterman.
Interview:
https://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/05/20/david-letterman-tv-advertising

What Is Polyamory All About? (The Humanist Hour #141)

In this episode, Bo Bennett and Kim Ellington interview Susan Porter and Rose McDonnell from PolyColumbus.org. Listen as they discuss polyamory – the practice of having multiple simultaneous sexual and/or romantic partners.

From the PolyColumbus.org website:

PolyColumbus empowers individuals that either self-identify as polyamorous, open, or ethically non-monogamous, or are exploring such possibilities. We build community to provide a safe and inclusive place to not only be ourselves, but also meet like-minded individuals from all backgrounds.

We advocate for the equal treatment of the ethically non-monogamous under law, and for broader societal acceptance of the same. We serve organizations with similar goals by documenting best practices and creating other resources for successfully running such an organization.

Finally, we educate each other, allied organizations, and the broader community on what it means to be ethically non-monogamous.
Interview:
http://thehumanist.com/multimedia/podcast/the-humanist-hour-141-what-is-polyamory-all-about

The Blistering Satire Of Jonathan Swift (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

Jonathan Swift could wield satire like maybe no one else in the history of the English language. He put Gulliver in the land of the Lilliputians in “Gulliver’s Travels” and sent up the mean, absurd smallness of so much human nature. He put the bones of children in stewpots in “A Modest Proposal” and skewered human immorality. That essay, nearly 300 years old, still hurts to read today. Still cuts. “I hate and detest the animal called man,” Swift wrote. And what made him? This hour On Point: a new biography shares the life and times and view of Jonathan Swift. / Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/05/11/biography-jonathan-swift-leo-damrosch

The Daily Show - Start Wars

Congress takes issue with President Obama's tentative nuclear deal with Iran despite their unwavering support of every violent and invasion-based executive action.
https://youtu.be/mlJmW3sFPEI

Jon Stewart: If ‘F*ckface von Clownstick’ Trump Runs in 2016, I Might Not Retire

Jon Stewart welcomes another slew of Republican candidates to the 2016 race Thursday night. And while George Pataki, Lindsey Graham and Rick Santorum can’t make him change his mind about leaving The Daily Show, a real-life Donald Trump candidacy might just make him scrap his retirement plans and put Trevor Noah out of a job.

While Santorum and Pataki might be showing early signs of promise, Stewart said they would have to work a bit harder to catch up to the “mid-season, mildly racist form” of someone like Carly Fiorina who said the “Chinese can take a test, but what they can’t do is innovate.” Or Lindsey Graham, who said he knows the Iranians are “lying” because he family ran a pool room.'
https://youtu.be/dwcSSo1Xm7I

A Skeptics Adventures in Narnia (Skepticality 4/7/2015)

This episode Derek interviews Laura Miller, one of the original co-founders of the popular online site Salon.com about her first book, 'The Magician's Book: A Skeptic's Adventures in Narnia.'. A personal story about her experience re-reading her favorite series of books, 'The Chronicles of Narnia', uncovering the meanings embedded into them by C.S. Lewis, then realized how one can still find immense joy in books, even when one does not agree with some of the messages contained within.
Interview:
http://www.skepticality.com/a-skeptics-adventures-in-narnia/

Sen. Bernie Sanders on taxes, trade agreements and Islamic State

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is the second candidate to seek the Democratic nomination for president in 2016. Judy Woodruff talks to the senator about rebuilding the middle class, the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the U.S. role in the Middle East.
Interview:
https://youtu.be/cqQ9MgGwuW4

The Daily Show - Mighty Morphin Position Changers

Fox News fails to provide coverage of the DOJ report that revealed widespread, systemic racism in the Ferguson, MO police department.
https://youtu.be/0i8-ZNLEeag