http://thinkprogress.org/health/2015/11/25/3725716/cervical-cancer-obamacare/
Thursday, November 26, 2015
The Impact Of Obamacare On Cancer Outcomes Is Becoming Clearer | ThinkProgress
About 4 million young adults have gained insurance benefits through Obamacare, according to the latest federal data. There have been several other pieces of evidence that the law is linked to improved health outcomes among this group.
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2015/11/25/3725716/cervical-cancer-obamacare/
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2015/11/25/3725716/cervical-cancer-obamacare/
The Christian Right Does Not Want Us to Celebrate this Day | Political Research Associates
This seemingly obscure piece of Revolutionary-era legislation is so integral to our history that Thomas Jefferson asked that his tombstone recognize that he was the author of the bill, along with the Declaration of Independence and the founding of the University of Virginia as one of the three things for which he wished to be remembered...
http://www.politicalresearch.org/2015/11/24/the-christian-right-does-not-want-us-to-celebrate-this-day/#sthash.KW5btQpH.kyF4Kbav.dpbs
http://www.politicalresearch.org/2015/11/24/the-christian-right-does-not-want-us-to-celebrate-this-day/#sthash.KW5btQpH.kyF4Kbav.dpbs
Mark Twain's turkey tale – perhaps the funniest in American literature - CSMonitor.com
In 1906, just four years before his death, Twain began to focus more closely on dictating reminiscences for his autobiography. He decided to publish some fragments of his work-in-progress in North American Review, and also allowed Harper’s to print an excerpt, “Hunting the Deceitful Turkey.”...
http://m.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2015/1125/Mark-Twain-s-turkey-tale-perhaps-the-funniest-in-American-literature
http://m.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2015/1125/Mark-Twain-s-turkey-tale-perhaps-the-funniest-in-American-literature
Tom Tomorrow on How Ass-Kicking American Jesus Would Deal With ‘Refugee Terrorists’ | Alternet
John Kasich even proposed a propaganda bureau to spread 'Judeo-Christian values.'
http://www.alternet.org/comics/alternet-comics-tom-tomorrow-how-ass-kicking-american-jesus-would-deal-refugee-terrorists
http://www.alternet.org/comics/alternet-comics-tom-tomorrow-how-ass-kicking-american-jesus-would-deal-refugee-terrorists
Ben Carson's End Times Beliefs Are Out There...
You can view the related playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnuU...
"Ben Carson’s church believes the United States government will bring about the End Times.
According to mainstream Seventh-day Adventist doctrine, the Second Coming of Christ will occur after the U.S. government teams up with the Catholic Church—which Adventists believe is the “Babylon” of the Book of Revelation, with the pope being the Antichrist—to compel Adventists and others to worship on Sunday, rather than Saturday.
That may seem like a small hook on which to hang the fate of the world, but for Adventists, it is a core belief, taught at “prophecy seminars” and elaborated in excruciating geopolitical detail by key Adventist leaders.
Is it awkward for Ben Carson to run for president, if his faith believes the U.S. government will team up with the Antichrist? Will it matter to his evangelical base if he, like his denomination, believes that the government will join forces with the Whore of Babylon, to persecute religious minorities and compel Sunday worship?
So far, no.
We don’t know, though, what Carson personally believes—only what his denomination teaches.
In fact, the one time Carson was asked about the End Times, the media blew it. In an interview with conservative journalist Sharyl Atkisson, Carson first focused on the universal aspects of Adventist theology.”
http://youtu.be/IEGuzHVdAO4
"Ben Carson’s church believes the United States government will bring about the End Times.
According to mainstream Seventh-day Adventist doctrine, the Second Coming of Christ will occur after the U.S. government teams up with the Catholic Church—which Adventists believe is the “Babylon” of the Book of Revelation, with the pope being the Antichrist—to compel Adventists and others to worship on Sunday, rather than Saturday.
That may seem like a small hook on which to hang the fate of the world, but for Adventists, it is a core belief, taught at “prophecy seminars” and elaborated in excruciating geopolitical detail by key Adventist leaders.
Is it awkward for Ben Carson to run for president, if his faith believes the U.S. government will team up with the Antichrist? Will it matter to his evangelical base if he, like his denomination, believes that the government will join forces with the Whore of Babylon, to persecute religious minorities and compel Sunday worship?
So far, no.
We don’t know, though, what Carson personally believes—only what his denomination teaches.
In fact, the one time Carson was asked about the End Times, the media blew it. In an interview with conservative journalist Sharyl Atkisson, Carson first focused on the universal aspects of Adventist theology.”
http://youtu.be/IEGuzHVdAO4
Politifact.com Truth-O-Meter rulings from National: Bernie Sanders: "Instead of fighting ISIS, (the Saudis) have focused more on a campaign to oust Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen."
"Saudi Arabia, turns out, has the third-largest defense budget in the world," Sanders said on Nov. 19. "Yet instead of fighting ISIS they have focused more on a campaign to oust Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen."
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/nov/24/bernie-s/bernie-sanders-right-saudi-arabia-more-focused-con/
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/nov/24/bernie-s/bernie-sanders-right-saudi-arabia-more-focused-con/
Why the Media Refuses to Call the White Supremacists Who Shot Black Lives Matter Protesters 'Terrorists'
"What are the consequences of this unconscious semantic decision we’ve made? For people who aren’t media scholars or in the news media, they see that when people on the left do something bad, they’re terrorists. When people of Middle Eastern descent, or radical Islamists, do something bad, it’s terrorism. When people on the right do something dangerous or insane, it’s either a crime involving a “shooter” or a “gunman”… What does this do to people watching?"
http://www.alternet.org/media/why-media-refuses-call-white-supremacists-who-shot-black-lives-matter-protesters-terrorists
http://www.alternet.org/media/why-media-refuses-call-white-supremacists-who-shot-black-lives-matter-protesters-terrorists
Why Aren't Conservatives Crying 'Police State'?
Thom Hartmann says U.S. Cops Shoot More Knife-Wielding Suspects than cops in the U.K. and wonders why conservatives in this country aren't decrying the police state?
https://youtu.be/WpSsVx9VjNw
https://youtu.be/WpSsVx9VjNw
Koch Brothers Building Their Own CIA To Spy On Progressives
Politico has recently published a piece detailing a new project of the Koch brothers. The political network has funded a private spy group to track their political opposition. This will allow them to focus their resources strategically in political races throughout the country. Cenk Uygur, hosts of the The Young Turks, breaks it down. Tell us what you think in the comment section below.
"The political network helmed by Charles and David Koch has quietly built a secretive operation that conducts surveillance and intelligence gathering on its liberal opponents, viewing it as a key strategic tool in its efforts to reshape American public life.
The operation, which is little-known even within the Koch network, gathers what Koch insiders refer to as “competitive intelligence” that is used to try to thwart liberal groups and activists, and to identify potential threats to the expansive network.
The competitive intelligence team has a staff of 25, including one former CIA analyst, and operates from one of the non-descript Koch network offices clustered near the Courthouse metro stop in suburban Arlington, Va."
https://youtu.be/dms8FKSuV5I
"The political network helmed by Charles and David Koch has quietly built a secretive operation that conducts surveillance and intelligence gathering on its liberal opponents, viewing it as a key strategic tool in its efforts to reshape American public life.
The operation, which is little-known even within the Koch network, gathers what Koch insiders refer to as “competitive intelligence” that is used to try to thwart liberal groups and activists, and to identify potential threats to the expansive network.
The competitive intelligence team has a staff of 25, including one former CIA analyst, and operates from one of the non-descript Koch network offices clustered near the Courthouse metro stop in suburban Arlington, Va."
https://youtu.be/dms8FKSuV5I
Laquan McDonald's Murder Covered Up
Chicago police tried to cover up Laquan McDonald's murder. Here's what happened.
https://youtu.be/ST6Zyc2DLaU
https://youtu.be/ST6Zyc2DLaU
America's Descent into a Third World-Style Kleptocracy
According to the Corruption Perception Index of Transparency International, our country comes in 17th in the least-corrupt sweepstakes.
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/americas-descent-third-world-style-kleptocracy
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/americas-descent-third-world-style-kleptocracy
Emails Reveal Racists Plotted Confrontation With Black Lives Matters Activists Days Before Shooting
The men, described by some witnesses as white supremacists, wounded five demonstrators in Minnesota.
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/emails-reveal-racists-plotted-confrontation-black-lives-matters-activists-days
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/emails-reveal-racists-plotted-confrontation-black-lives-matters-activists-days
One Nice Meal Won't Cut It - How You Can Really Help the Hungry This Thanksgiving
Dorothy Day, co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, was clear that soup lines weren’t the answer to poverty.
http://www.alternet.org/food/one-nice-meal-wont-cut-it-how-you-can-really-help-hungry-thanksgiving
http://www.alternet.org/food/one-nice-meal-wont-cut-it-how-you-can-really-help-hungry-thanksgiving
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Evangelicals (always) fear losing religious liberty & being called bigots: A look at 1950s evangelicalism
But such is evangelicalism. It is a tradition that wants to engage in public debates in which evangelical arguments are met with hostility. They long for the glory days when they could speak the truth of the gospel without being silenced or branded as bigots.
http://tobingrant.religionnews.com/2015/11/24/evangelicals-always-fear-losing-religious-liberty-being-called-bigots-a-look-at-1950s-evangelicalism/
http://tobingrant.religionnews.com/2015/11/24/evangelicals-always-fear-losing-religious-liberty-being-called-bigots-a-look-at-1950s-evangelicalism/
How America’s Demographic Revolution Reached The Church
Next America’s analysis of Pew data reveals that religious divergence characterizes today’s Republican and Democratic coalitions.
Miami’s quest to keep the mentally ill from falling through the cracks
A Miami-Dade County project helps the mentally ill get needed treatment and trains police to de-escalate encounters before they become deadly.
https://youtu.be/iGFTdhWMCww
https://youtu.be/iGFTdhWMCww
Middle-class Americans forced to live in cars
The U.S. government has no data on vehicular homeless, safe parking lots could offer a solution to hidden problem.
https://youtu.be/q85cVURGO60
https://youtu.be/q85cVURGO60
Carson names an evangelical millennial as faith advisor — the third GOP candidate to do so
With competition intense among GOP presidential candidates for the huge swath of evangelical primary voters, a second contender this month has brought on an adviser to do Christian outreach...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/11/25/why-gop-candidates-are-snatching-up-faith-advisers/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/11/25/why-gop-candidates-are-snatching-up-faith-advisers/
Interview with John Pilger: USA, UK and France gave birth to ISIS monster
Afshin Rattansi goes underground with John Pilger. Award winning journalist and author, John Pilger talks to us about how Washington, London and Paris gave birth to ISIS-Daesh.
https://youtu.be/Py_XwwMokHg
https://youtu.be/Py_XwwMokHg
Firearms Kill More Americans than Terrorists do!
Thom Hartmann says since 2004, the number of Americans who have died from terrorism is 313, compared to 316,545 who died from firearms on American soil.
https://youtu.be/vPJfnQcxg7U
https://youtu.be/vPJfnQcxg7U
The All-Seeing NostraDonald
Donald Trump has the world’s greatest memory AND he can see the future… the classiest, most beautiful future ever.
https://youtu.be/79NNnK0kZoc
https://youtu.be/79NNnK0kZoc
More Evidence of Electronic Vote Tampering in Ohio...
Thom Hartmann shares congressional testimony from computer programmer Clinton Curtis regarding tampering with electronic voting machines.
https://youtu.be/IPLtzoTs8ok
https://youtu.be/IPLtzoTs8ok
Supercomputer spots Antarctic waters taking a mile-deep plunge
Imagery showed dense water falling more than a mile off the Antarctic Continental Shelf, resulting in ocean storms and underwater waves that can influence ocean currents and climate change.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/1124/Supercomputer-spots-Antarctic-waters-taking-a-mile-deep-plunge
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/1124/Supercomputer-spots-Antarctic-waters-taking-a-mile-deep-plunge
Donald Trump's False Claims: A Closer Look - Late Night with Seth Meyers
Seth on Trump's claim that he saw New Jersey Muslims cheering on 9/11 and more.
https://youtu.be/d70OuefjY70
https://youtu.be/d70OuefjY70
Is Earth surrounded by 'hairy' dark matter? - CSMonitor.com
When streams of dark matter interact with planets like Earth, dense hairlike filaments form, according to new research.
http://m.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/1124/Is-Earth-surrounded-by-hairy-dark-matter
http://m.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/1124/Is-Earth-surrounded-by-hairy-dark-matter
Seven financial steps to take once you're on your own - CSMonitor.com
You’ve got your first real job and your own apartment. Now it’s time to ensure your financial well-being.
http://m.csmonitor.com/Business/Saving-Money/2015/1124/Seven-financial-steps-to-take-once-you-re-on-your-own
http://m.csmonitor.com/Business/Saving-Money/2015/1124/Seven-financial-steps-to-take-once-you-re-on-your-own
Write your passwords down to improve safety | Macworld
A counter-intuitive notion leaves you less vulnerable to remote attack, not more.
http://www.macworld.com/article/3006939/security/write-your-passwords-down-to-improve-safety.html#jump
http://www.macworld.com/article/3006939/security/write-your-passwords-down-to-improve-safety.html#jump
3 men in custody, 1 released in 4th Precinct protest shooting
Hundreds marched peacefully to City Hall after bloodshed. Three are in custody after attack on Black Lives Matter protesters.
http://www.startribune.com/police-searching-for-suspects-who-fired-into-crowd-at-blm-protest-outside-4th-precinct/353154811/
http://www.startribune.com/police-searching-for-suspects-who-fired-into-crowd-at-blm-protest-outside-4th-precinct/353154811/
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Bigotry? Hatred? Christians say they’re tired of being made into the bad guys
“It’s not that we want to force our truth onto others,” Boss explained. “We want to be able to tell our truth to others without being chastised for it.”
http://www.religionnews.com/2015/11/23/bigotry-hatred-christians-say-theyre-tired-of-being-made-into-the-bad-guys/
http://www.religionnews.com/2015/11/23/bigotry-hatred-christians-say-theyre-tired-of-being-made-into-the-bad-guys/
John Oliver breaks down the Syrian refugees' tough vetting process to fear-mongering GOP
https://youtu.be/Mtc5trma1NQ
On this year’s last episode of Last Week Tonight, John Oliver conducted an extensive segment on the week’s debates over the Paris attacks and Syrian refugees. France has begun to heal, and President Hollande has asked the people of Paris to go back to their cafes and museums, because those institutions are what makes France the cultural juggernaut it has always been. “To me, that is the best sign that France is going to be okay. It’s sort of like how New Yorkers knew this city was going to bounce back after 9/11. the first time a heavy set man in a jets visor stole a cab from them and told them to go f— themselves. That is what healing looks like.”
Here in the US, a debate has arisen over Obama’s pledge to accept 10,000 refugees from Syria. After it was discovered that one of the Paris attackers may have used the Syrian refugee program to immigrate to France, many US officials have had second thoughts, and 31 governors have announced that they would not accept refugees, despite their inability to legally make such a ban. “Even if they could,” says Oliver, “Syrians could just walk between states like anyone else. The lines on maps are not crocodile-filled moats.”
The American reaction to the refugees has garnered comparisons to Japanese internment camps, “one of this nation’s greatest sources of shame,” and a 1939 decision by US authorities to turn away a ship full of Jewish refugees from Germany. Oliver wants to make sure we’re aware that every generation has had a similar reaction to refugees, but their fears have been largely unfounded. “In fact,” he says, “there was only one time in American history when the fear of refugees wiping everyone out did actually come true, and we’ll all be sitting around a table celebrating it on Thursday.”
It is fair to be concerned about safety, Oliver reasons, but many of the officials voicing concerns have shown little knowledge of the refugee process. Most are quick to express concern over the vetting process, saying there is no way to track these individuals. I quote Oliver’s full response below.
“Let me walk you through what our screening process actually is. If you are a refugee, first, you apply through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which collects documents and performs interviews. Incidentally, less than one percent of refugees worldwide end up being recommended for resettlement. But if you’re one of them, you might then be referred to the State Department to begin the vetting process.
At this point, more information is collected. You’ll be put through security screenings by the National Counterterrorism Center, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security. And if you’re a Syrian refugee, you’ll get an additional layer of screening called the ‘Syrian Enhanced Review,’ which may include a further check by a special part of Homeland Security, the USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate. And don’t relax yet, cause we’ve barely even started.
Then, you finally get an interview with USCIS officers, and you’ll also be fingerprinted so your prints can be run through the biometric databases of the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Defense. And if you make it through all that, you’ll then have health screenings, which, let’s face it, may not go too well for you, because you may have given yourself a stroke getting through this process so far. But if everything comes back clear, you’ll be enrolled in cultural orientation classes, all while your information continues to be checked recurrently against terrorist databases to make sure that no new information comes in that wasn’t caught before.
All of that has to happen before you get near a plane. This process typically takes 18 to 24 months once you’ve been referred by the UN to the United States. This is the most rigorous vetting anyone has to face before entering this country. No terrorist in their right mind would choose this path, when the visa process requires far less effort. But nevertheless, the House still voted on Thursday to add a few more steps,” including a step that would require the Head of the FBI to sign off on every refugee. “At this point,” says Oliver, “why don’t we include a pie eating contest, a spelling bee, and an evening wear portion?”
Watch the video to see Oliver further expose the fallacies in the anti-refugee argument, and then reveal what France has decided to do about their promise to take in 30,000 refugees.
On this year’s last episode of Last Week Tonight, John Oliver conducted an extensive segment on the week’s debates over the Paris attacks and Syrian refugees. France has begun to heal, and President Hollande has asked the people of Paris to go back to their cafes and museums, because those institutions are what makes France the cultural juggernaut it has always been. “To me, that is the best sign that France is going to be okay. It’s sort of like how New Yorkers knew this city was going to bounce back after 9/11. the first time a heavy set man in a jets visor stole a cab from them and told them to go f— themselves. That is what healing looks like.”
Here in the US, a debate has arisen over Obama’s pledge to accept 10,000 refugees from Syria. After it was discovered that one of the Paris attackers may have used the Syrian refugee program to immigrate to France, many US officials have had second thoughts, and 31 governors have announced that they would not accept refugees, despite their inability to legally make such a ban. “Even if they could,” says Oliver, “Syrians could just walk between states like anyone else. The lines on maps are not crocodile-filled moats.”
The American reaction to the refugees has garnered comparisons to Japanese internment camps, “one of this nation’s greatest sources of shame,” and a 1939 decision by US authorities to turn away a ship full of Jewish refugees from Germany. Oliver wants to make sure we’re aware that every generation has had a similar reaction to refugees, but their fears have been largely unfounded. “In fact,” he says, “there was only one time in American history when the fear of refugees wiping everyone out did actually come true, and we’ll all be sitting around a table celebrating it on Thursday.”
It is fair to be concerned about safety, Oliver reasons, but many of the officials voicing concerns have shown little knowledge of the refugee process. Most are quick to express concern over the vetting process, saying there is no way to track these individuals. I quote Oliver’s full response below.
“Let me walk you through what our screening process actually is. If you are a refugee, first, you apply through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which collects documents and performs interviews. Incidentally, less than one percent of refugees worldwide end up being recommended for resettlement. But if you’re one of them, you might then be referred to the State Department to begin the vetting process.
At this point, more information is collected. You’ll be put through security screenings by the National Counterterrorism Center, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security. And if you’re a Syrian refugee, you’ll get an additional layer of screening called the ‘Syrian Enhanced Review,’ which may include a further check by a special part of Homeland Security, the USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate. And don’t relax yet, cause we’ve barely even started.
Then, you finally get an interview with USCIS officers, and you’ll also be fingerprinted so your prints can be run through the biometric databases of the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Defense. And if you make it through all that, you’ll then have health screenings, which, let’s face it, may not go too well for you, because you may have given yourself a stroke getting through this process so far. But if everything comes back clear, you’ll be enrolled in cultural orientation classes, all while your information continues to be checked recurrently against terrorist databases to make sure that no new information comes in that wasn’t caught before.
All of that has to happen before you get near a plane. This process typically takes 18 to 24 months once you’ve been referred by the UN to the United States. This is the most rigorous vetting anyone has to face before entering this country. No terrorist in their right mind would choose this path, when the visa process requires far less effort. But nevertheless, the House still voted on Thursday to add a few more steps,” including a step that would require the Head of the FBI to sign off on every refugee. “At this point,” says Oliver, “why don’t we include a pie eating contest, a spelling bee, and an evening wear portion?”
Watch the video to see Oliver further expose the fallacies in the anti-refugee argument, and then reveal what France has decided to do about their promise to take in 30,000 refugees.
#ExMuslimBecause: Thousands of Former Muslims Are Speaking Out After Paris -- and It's Amazing
Where are all the secular liberals in the Muslim world?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ali-a-rizvi/post_10571_b_8615610.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ali-a-rizvi/post_10571_b_8615610.html
At Religious Right Event in Iowa, Carly Fiorina Claims “People of Faith Make Better Leaders”
At the “Presidential Family Forum” in Iowa Friday night, Carly Fiorina pandered to the Republican base by throwing non-religious Americans under the bus, claiming that faith was a necessary quality in a President...
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2015/11/23/at-religious-right-event-in-iowa-carly-fiorina-claims-people-of-faith-make-better-leaders/
CFI and Dawkins Foundation Urge FTC to Stop Homeopathy’s False Advertising
“Homeopathy does not work, has never been proven to work, and based on universally accepted, fundamental scientific principles, it cannot work,” said Michael De Dora, director of public policy for the Center for Inquiry. “Nonetheless, the homeopathy industry enriches itself by deceiving consumers by falsely promising to cure all manner of conditions, wasting Americans’ money and putting their health at risk.
http://www.centerforinquiry.net/newsroom/cfi_dawkins_ftc/
http://www.centerforinquiry.net/newsroom/cfi_dawkins_ftc/
Shooters Fired At Jamar Clark Protesters
Three white males are suspected of shooting a Black Lives Matter protest in Minneapolis. Five people were injured.
https://youtu.be/3DlzD-1PUkk
https://youtu.be/3DlzD-1PUkk
Florida HS football coach boasts about using job to ‘share Christ with kids’
“I’m in the business of earning crowns and not ring,” A. Crawford Mosley head football coach Jeremy Brown said in an interview aired on WJHG-TV. “If every kid on our football team is saved then I’ve been successful as a coach.
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/11/florida-hs-football-coach-boasts-about-using-job-to-share-christ-with-kids/
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/11/florida-hs-football-coach-boasts-about-using-job-to-share-christ-with-kids/
Evolution Is Finally Winning Out Over Creationism
A majority of young people endorse the scientific explanation of how humans evolved...
There are many reasons for this shift. One is improving science education (more on that later). But another is that, in some ways, they don’t have a choice, argues Daniel Dennett, co-director of the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University and co-author of Caught in the Pulpit: Leaving Belief Behind. He credits the rise of the Internet and the fact that today’s young people are more interconnected than ever before. “What is particularly corrosive to religion isn’t just the newly available information that can be unearthed by the curious,” Dennett wrote in April, in an op-ed entitled “Why the Future of Religion is Bleak” in the Wall Street Journal, “but the ambient knowledge that is shared by the general populace.”
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2015/11/polls_americans_believe_in_evolution_less_in_creationism.2.html
There are many reasons for this shift. One is improving science education (more on that later). But another is that, in some ways, they don’t have a choice, argues Daniel Dennett, co-director of the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University and co-author of Caught in the Pulpit: Leaving Belief Behind. He credits the rise of the Internet and the fact that today’s young people are more interconnected than ever before. “What is particularly corrosive to religion isn’t just the newly available information that can be unearthed by the curious,” Dennett wrote in April, in an op-ed entitled “Why the Future of Religion is Bleak” in the Wall Street Journal, “but the ambient knowledge that is shared by the general populace.”
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2015/11/polls_americans_believe_in_evolution_less_in_creationism.2.html
At the center of the Cruz strategy: A play for Christian voters
“If 10 million more evangelical Christians show up in November 2016, we’re not going to be staying up until 3 in the morning wondering what happened in Ohio or Florida,” he said. “They’ll call the election at 8:35 p.m. That’s what 10 million more evangelical Christians at the polls will do.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/at-the-center-of-the-cruz-strategy-a-play-for-christian-voters/2015/11/22/3df800ac-8fa6-11e5-acff-673ae92ddd2b_story.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/at-the-center-of-the-cruz-strategy-a-play-for-christian-voters/2015/11/22/3df800ac-8fa6-11e5-acff-673ae92ddd2b_story.html
Two Cruel, Stupid GOP Ideas About Drug Addiction
What causes drug addiction? Ben Carson has one theory, Tom Cotton has another, and it's tough to say which one is loonier.
http://www.alternet.org/drugs/two-bizarre-cruel-gop-theories-drug-addiction-month
http://www.alternet.org/drugs/two-bizarre-cruel-gop-theories-drug-addiction-month
Politifact.com Truth-O-Meter rulings from National: Donald Trump: Says crime statistics show blacks kill 81 percent of white homicide victims.
A day after a black activist was kicked and punched by voters at a Donald Trump rally in Alabama, Trump tweeted an image packed with racially loaded and incorrect murder statistics.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/nov/23/donald-trump/trump-tweet-blacks-white-homicide-victims/
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/nov/23/donald-trump/trump-tweet-blacks-white-homicide-victims/
Politifact.com Truth-O-Meter rulings from National: Donald Trump: "I watched in Jersey City, N.J., where thousands and thousands of people were cheering" as the World Trade Center collapsed.
We conducted an exhaustive search of newspaper and television transcripts on LexisNexis, looking for reports from September 2001 through December 2001 that made any mention of Muslims in New Jersey celebrating the 9/11 attacks.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/nov/22/donald-trump/fact-checking-trumps-claim-thousands-new-jersey-ch/
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/nov/22/donald-trump/fact-checking-trumps-claim-thousands-new-jersey-ch/
Monday, November 23, 2015
Bullshitting For Jesus - William Lane Craig on Miracles
Miracles appear to be a thing of the past. As our ability to document miracles reliably has increased so the miracles appear to have dried up.
https://youtu.be/kk-dmgF2VQs
https://youtu.be/kk-dmgF2VQs
Evolution Is Finally Winning Out Over Creationism
A majority of young people endorse the scientific explanation of how humans evolved.
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2015/11/polls_americans_believe_in_evolution_less_in_creationism.html
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2015/11/polls_americans_believe_in_evolution_less_in_creationism.html
If You're Not White It's Harder To Get Mental Health Care
Here are five barriers that make it harder for people of color to access mental health care.
https://youtu.be/FgNaqfGTysU
https://youtu.be/FgNaqfGTysU
Them PC Islamophile Blues - The Off-Monday Ramble Episode 48
"What I'm gonna say might not be politically correct" is the new "I'm not a racist, but . . ."
https://youtu.be/uYYzciTLz0s
https://youtu.be/uYYzciTLz0s
RWW News: Carly Fiorina Says That ''People Of Faith Make Better Leaders'
Carly Fiorina declares that it is important for America to elect a godly president because "people of faith make better leaders."
https://youtu.be/VdOy5JANLLE
https://youtu.be/VdOy5JANLLE
ObamaCare's Health At The Start Of Year Three (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)
The Affordable Care Act – ObamaCare if you prefer – is headed into its active year three. Sign-up for the next year started Sunday. Two days after Republicans in the House voted for the 61st time to take it apart. On the campaign trail, GOP contenders are still talking about the repeal of ObamaCare. In communities across the country, millions of people are using it. In this hour we want to hear what that is like. The sign-up now. The service. The cost. And we’ll look at problems that remain, and how to fix them. This hour On Point, getting health insurance through Obamacare. — Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/11/03/obamacare-affordable-care-act-enrollment
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/11/03/obamacare-affordable-care-act-enrollment
Vanishing Cod, Climate Change And Our Warming Oceans (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)
Warm the planet and you warm the oceans. Warm the oceans, and things change. First of all for sea life. Sometimes so fast it’s hard for humans to keep up. Last week a report in the journal Science looked at the collapse of cod and cod fishing in the Gulf of Maine. It fell so quickly and did not recover, we learn, because the Gulf of Maine was on a huge warming spike. Cod didn’t like it, and they were fished out. There are versions of this story – with different species, different addresses – all over the world. This hou On Point, a fish story out of Maine, and the global ocean impact of climate change. — Tom Ashbrook
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/11/03/climate-change-warming-oceans-cod-fishery
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/11/03/climate-change-warming-oceans-cod-fishery
Chris Christie Tiptoes Around Donald Trump’s 9/11 Lie
...When Christie was finally asked by a reporter about Trump’s 9/11 claim while campaigning in New Hampshire on Sunday evening, he responded, “I don’t recall that. I don’t. I mean, listen, I can’t say, Matt, I can’t say that I have—it was a pretty emotional time for me because, as I’ve mentioned before, there’s family involved, there’s friends involved, and so it was a pretty harrowing time. I do not remember that. And so, it’s not something that was part of my recollection. I think if it had happened, I would remember it. But, you know, there could be things I forget, too. I don’t remember that. No.”...
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/23/chris-christie-tiptoes-around-donald-trump-s-9-11-lie.html
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/23/chris-christie-tiptoes-around-donald-trump-s-9-11-lie.html
RAISE THE FEDERAL GAS TAX TO FUND INFRASTRUCTURE (Intelligence Squared Debates)
The Highway Trust Fund provides funding for road, bridge, and mass transit projects across the country – and it’s running out of money. Its revenue source, the federal gas tax, at 18.4 cents a gallon, has not been raised in over two decades. Congress has been kicking this can down the road for years. There are many arguments for a leaner fund, among them, the idea that scaling back the program would force government to prioritize projects and eliminate waste. But proponents of the tax say that it still plays a vital role in supporting infrastructure, and that perpetual shortfalls have led to construction delays and uncertainty. Should Congress raise the federal gas tax?
Interview:
http://intelligencesquaredus.org/debates/past-debates/item/1404-raise-the-federal-gas-tax-to-fund-infrastructure
Interview:
http://intelligencesquaredus.org/debates/past-debates/item/1404-raise-the-federal-gas-tax-to-fund-infrastructure
The “Regressive Left” and Safe Spaces, with Dr. Peter Boghossian (The Humanist Hour #175)
In this episode, Bo Bennett and Kim Ellington speak with Dr. Peter Boghossian about the “Regressive Left,” safe spaces, trigger warnings, and what appears to be an alarming change in American university culture.
Dr. Peter Boghossian’s main focus is bringing the tools of professional philosophers to people in a wide variety of contexts. Peter has a teaching pedigree spanning more than 20 years and 30 thousand students – in prisons, hospitals, public and private schools, seminaries, colleges and universities, Fortune 100 companies, and small businesses. His fundamental objective is to teach people how to think through what often seem to be intractable problems.
Dr. Boghossian’s primary research areas are critical thinking and moral reasoning. His doctoral research studies, funded by the State of Oregon and supported by the Oregon Department of Corrections, consisted of using the Socratic method to help prison inmates to increase their critical thinking and moral reasoning abilities and to increase their desistance to criminal behavior.
Interview:
http://thehumanist.com/multimedia/podcast/the-humanist-hour-175-the-regressive-left-and-safe-spaces-with-dr-peter-boghossian
Dr. Peter Boghossian’s main focus is bringing the tools of professional philosophers to people in a wide variety of contexts. Peter has a teaching pedigree spanning more than 20 years and 30 thousand students – in prisons, hospitals, public and private schools, seminaries, colleges and universities, Fortune 100 companies, and small businesses. His fundamental objective is to teach people how to think through what often seem to be intractable problems.
Dr. Boghossian’s primary research areas are critical thinking and moral reasoning. His doctoral research studies, funded by the State of Oregon and supported by the Oregon Department of Corrections, consisted of using the Socratic method to help prison inmates to increase their critical thinking and moral reasoning abilities and to increase their desistance to criminal behavior.
Interview:
http://thehumanist.com/multimedia/podcast/the-humanist-hour-175-the-regressive-left-and-safe-spaces-with-dr-peter-boghossian
Wal-Mart Vs. Amazon (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)
Quick, who’s bigger? Amazon or Wa-Mart? Well, it depends how you measure. Sheer stuff sold? Wal-Mart. Value of the company? Amazon. Worth billions more now. Stuff sold on line? Amazon, by a long shot. And there’s the battle. Wal-Mart conquered the retail world in the ’80s and ’90s, with its wave of superstores that put mom and pop out of business. Now, Amazon is the tsunami of online shopping. Everything’s flooding online. Wal-Mart is racing to get in, get on, catch up. Just as Amazon opens its first brick and mortar store. What? This hour On Point, battle of the retail titans. Amazon versus Wal-Mart. — Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/11/04/amazon-walmart-e-commerce-economy
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/11/04/amazon-walmart-e-commerce-economy
Secular Stand-Ups (Seth Andrews, The Thinking Atheist)
Steve Hill, Maryellen Hooper and Keith Lowell Jensen are professional comedians. They are also atheists. In this roundtable discussion, Seth Andrews asks them about life on the road (and the stage), how their non-belief in the supernatural influences their material, facing the hecklers, and their desires to make people laugh while, perhaps, also making them think. Steve Hill: http://www.stevehillcomic.com Maryellen Hooper: http://www.maryellenhooper.com Keith Lowell Jensen: http://www.rockass.net Video link to "Evolution: What the Fossils Say" from Seth's monologue: https://youtu.be/DjFgcOId-ZY- See more at: http://www.thethinkingatheist.com/podcast/secular-stand-ups#sthash.RDkIvWTn.dpuf
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Debunking Christianity (John W. Loftus, the Friendly Atheist)
"John W. Loftus should be a Christian. He attended and graduated from Great Lakes Christian College, Lincoln Christian University, and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School where he learned under apologist William Lane Craig.
But he’s spent the last several years debunking the faith.
His books include Why I Rejected Christianity, Why I Became an Atheist, and The Outsider Test for Faith. His latest book is strangely called How to Defend the Christian Faith.
I spoke with John about the worst argument Christian apologists use, how learning the Bible caused him to leave the faith, and whether rejecting Christianity is the same thing as becoming an atheist...."
Interview:
First-Amendment Success! (Forethought Radio, 2015-10-31)
Happy Halloween! Before hearing the song “Spooky Mormon Hell Dream” we announce state/church victories, lawsuits and complaints in Indiana, Arkansas, and Virginia, dealing with a nativity pageant, a city Facebook page, and praying coaches. We hear Anita Weier’s acceptance speech at the 38th annual convention for the “Freethought Heroine” award for getting atheism added as a protective class to city ordinances, and lead staff attorney Rebecca Markert recapping thousands of complaints and hundreds of victories by FFRF’s legal staff in 2015.
Interview:
http://ffrf.libsyn.com/first-amendment-success
Interview:
http://ffrf.libsyn.com/first-amendment-success
Journalist Robert Parry: America's Hidden History (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)
Investigative reporter Robert Parry is the kind of relentless digger that no small part of the American news media find too hot to handle. He went deep, back in the day, on American hostages, the “October surprise,” and the election of Ronald Reagan. He went deep on Iran-Contra and the adventures of the CIA in the cocaine trade. He’s still at it, writing and publishing unpopular truths. And talking about how too often we don’t know our own living history. And the news media’s not telling us. He just won the I.F. Stone Medal for Journalistic Independence. This hour On Point, tough reporter Robert Parry.— Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/10/26/robert-parry-iran-contra-investigative-journalism
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/10/26/robert-parry-iran-contra-investigative-journalism
At 81, Feminist Gloria Steinem Finds Herself Free Of The 'Demands Of Gender' (Terry Gross, Fresh Air)
"Eighty-one is an age that I think is someone else's age," Steinem tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross. "I stop people on the street and tell them how old I am, because I'm trying to make myself believe it."
Interview:
http://www.npr.org/2015/10/26/451862822/at-81-feminist-gloria-steinem-finds-herself-free-of-the-demands-of-gender
Interview:
http://www.npr.org/2015/10/26/451862822/at-81-feminist-gloria-steinem-finds-herself-free-of-the-demands-of-gender
U.S. Economy Faces Threats Of A Slow Down (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)
It’s been a kind of slow, no-fireworks recovery since the Great Recession. But real. And recovery beats recession. But now, in some quarters, the dark R-word is back. There’s talk of creeping recession again. Layoffs at Caterpillar, Wal-Mart, Monsanto. Markets, spooked and down. Industrial players, the oil patch, farmers, miners feeling a pinch. The US economy has been a relative bright spot. It may stay so. But China’s slowdown and its knock-on effects are biting. This hour On Point, growth, slowdown, and weighing the R-word again, on this side of the Great Recession. — Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/10/27/us-economy-slowdown-federal-reserve
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/10/27/us-economy-slowdown-federal-reserve
The Bad News On Your Bacon (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)
For a long, long time a whole lot of Americans’ diets were often built on beef and processed meat. Bacon or sausage at breakfast. A ham sandwich, hamburger, maybe a hot dog or turkey slice at lunch. And dinner? Well you know, they told us: “Beef — it’s what’s for dinner.” Yesterday, the World Health Organization threw a big plate of tofu into all that. Processed meats cause cancer, said the W.H.O. And red meat probably does, too. Even for Americans who have begun to move away from the old diet, this is a challenge. This hour On Point, what the new meat warning really means. — Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/10/27/who-cancer-meat-bacon-diet-advice
Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/10/27/who-cancer-meat-bacon-diet-advice
'Modern Girl' Carrie Brownstein Describes Finding (And Hiding) Herself In Music (Terry Gross, Fresh Air)
Guitarist and singer Carrie Brownstein is known for her defiant, kinetic performances in the band Sleater-Kinney. But she tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross that it was vulnerability that initially drew her to the music world...
Interview:
http://www.npr.org/2015/10/27/452204158/modern-girl-carrie-brownstein-describes-finding-and-hiding-herself-in-music
Interview:
http://www.npr.org/2015/10/27/452204158/modern-girl-carrie-brownstein-describes-finding-and-hiding-herself-in-music
New "Superbug" Gene Found in Animals and People in China
Scientists alarmed by potential spread of gene that makes bacteria highly resistant to last-resort antibiotics
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-superbug-gene-found-in-animals-and-people-in-china/
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-superbug-gene-found-in-animals-and-people-in-china/
'Beyond terrifying': Muslim Americans shocked by Trump and Carson quotes
Leaders fear worsening ‘climate of hostility’ as conservative candidates call for database to track Muslims and equate Syrian refugees to ‘rabid dogs’.
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/nov/20/muslim-americans-outrage-donald-trump-ben-carson
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/nov/20/muslim-americans-outrage-donald-trump-ben-carson
Lawmakers Hijack Criminal Justice Reform With Plan To Immunize CEOs From Many Laws | ThinkProgress
...Tucked within the bill, however, is a provision that could effectively immunize many high-ranking corporate executives from various laws prohibiting criminal conduct in areas ranging from pollution to consumer safety to financial fraud...
“Faith-Washing” Right-Wing Economics: How the Right is Marketing Medicare’s Demise | Political Research Associates
"Koch-funded theologians have developed a scripture-based argument to address populist anger over economic inequality, blending the Christian Right’s traditional Calvinist hierarchies with an economically Darwinist framework that says it is correct and just for wealth to accrue to those who manage it best." ...
...In a world where the Parable of the Talents justifies regressive economic policy, those who lack property are left to fend for themselves..."
...In a world where the Parable of the Talents justifies regressive economic policy, those who lack property are left to fend for themselves..."
Ben Carson On Racial Bias In Policing: 'I'm Still Waiting For The Evidence' | ThinkProgress
“I’m not aware of a lot of cases where a police officer comes up to someone like you and says ‘Hey, I don’t like you. I’m going to shoot you,’” he said to moderator Jeff Johnson from Black Entertainment Television. “I’m still waiting for the evidence.”
Johnson quickly responded: “I’ll show you the Tamir Rice tape,” to loud applause from the black audience.
Johnson quickly responded: “I’ll show you the Tamir Rice tape,” to loud applause from the black audience.
Fox's Bolling Wants Americans Wetting Their Beds Over Syrian 'Refu-Jihadis' | Crooks and Liars
BOLLING: Alright, time to wake up America, and this week, wake up America is so appropriate. President Obama, Sec. Kerry and most Democrats want to let in tens of thousands of Syrian refugees. The say, don't worry America, we'll vet them. Really? Because there are no records or databases to tap into to vet these Syrians. In fact, we have no idea who these people are.
Trump Yells 'Get Him The Hell Outta Here!', As Supporters Kick, Punch Black Protester
"Just another day on the campaign trail for Donald Trump."
Source: CNN
Several attendees at the rally punched and kicked a protester who tried to disrupt Trump's speech.At least a half-dozen attendees shoved and tackled the protester, a black man, to the ground as he refused to leave the event. At least one man punched the protester and a woman kicked him while he was on the ground.All of the attendees who were involved in the physical altercation with the protester were white.The protester appeared to be shouting "black lives matter" and later removed his sweatshirt to reveal a shirt with those words.Campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks told CNN that "the campaign does not condone this behavior."
Does God Exist? (Matt Slick vs Eddie Tabash)
"Matt Slick roasts atheist fundamentalist Eddie Tabash at Boise State University on the existence of God."
Interview:
https://youtu.be/55k7J2he4jM
Interview:
https://youtu.be/55k7J2he4jM
Richard Dawkins in conversation with Penn Jillette at Live Talks LA
Richard Dawkins in conversation with Penn Jillette at Live Talks Los Angeles, October 1, 2015, discussing his memoir, "Brief Candle in the Dark: My Life in Science." The talk was held at the Ann and Jerry Moss Theatre at New Roads School. For more information on Live Talks Los Angeles -- upcoming events, videos and podcasts -- visit www.livetalksla.org
Interview:
https://youtu.be/VNIRUigPxA8
Interview:
https://youtu.be/VNIRUigPxA8
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