Attacked Ex-Bangladeshi Atheist Blogger Sharif Ahmed Speaks Out (by ThinkAgainCFI)

Published on Apr 23, 2013
Ex-Bangladeshi Blogger Sharif Ahmed suffered attack, torture, religious psychological training and was eventually nearly hung to death because of his atheism. He escaped to Canada as a refuge fearing for his life. He joins Justin Trottier for an exclusive interview on Think Again! TV to discuss his story and the plight of atheists in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has recently been at the center of a human rights crisis as authorities have detained several prominent bloggers for “hurting religious sentiments,” followed by the arrest of a newspaper editor who printed quotations from the targeted bloggers, and two more young people for making “derogatory remarks” about Islam on Facebook. Tens of thousands of people have rallied in the country’s capital to demand more arrests, tougher blasphemy laws, and have threatened violence if their demands are not met by April 25.

An international coalition of atheist and humanist organizations, led by the Center for Inquiry and our partners the International Humanist and Ethical Union and American Atheists, will protest the arrest and persecution of atheist bloggers and other dissenters in Bangladesh with demonstrations in New York, Washington, London, Ottawa, and other cities around the world on Thursday, April 25.

These global demonstrations will be unprecedented for the freethought movement, as secularists around the world express their solidarity with those jailed for speaking their minds about religion. Protesters will draw the world’s attention to the plight of those persecuted for exercising their rights to freedom of belief and expression, and attempt to spur the international community to take action and compel the government of Bangladesh to change course. Up-to-date information on protest events can be found at bit.ly/defenddissent.

Contact:
info@cficanada.ca
416-971-5676

The Con Academy, Volume 1 (by MichaelShermer)

Published on Apr 17, 2013
This is volume 1 of The Con Academy videos—another resource in the Skeptics Society’s arsenal of Skepticism 101 for teaching critical thinking and promoting science through the use of humor, wit, and satire. In this faux commercial for The Con Academy you’ll see how psychics count on the confirmation bias to convince people that their powers are real when, in fact, they are just remembering the hits and forgetting the misses. We also demonstrate how psychic “organizations” con people by taking their money for services that are not real.

HELP US MAKE MORE VIDEOS

If you would like to support The Con Academy Videos, please make a tax-deductible donation to the Skeptics Society (http://www.skeptic.com/donate/). With your support, we hope to produce these instructional, educational, and entertaining videos regularly throughout the year for free viewing and use by everyone everywhere to spread the message of the power of science and skepticism to make the world a saner, safer place.

CREDITS

Special thanks to David Cowan, Daniel Mendez, and Jim Robinson for their support in launching this new series of Skeptic videos.

Written and Produced by: Brian Keith Dalton, Pat Linse, Michael Shermer. Featuring: Michael Shermer, Brian Keith Dalton, John Rael, Jen Brown, Matt David, Eduard Pastor, Emery Emery, and Wendy Hughes. Production assistance: Eduard Pastor, Matt David, and John Rael. Shot, Edited, and Directed by: Brian Keith Dalton. Special thanks to: Russell Friedman and everyone at the Grief Recovery Institute in Sherman Oaks, CA. Music by: Videoblocks.com and Final Cut Production music. Shot on Panasonic AF100, Gh2, and Gh3 cameras.

The Con Academy is not, in any way, affiliated with The Khan Academy.

(via Second Child Death for Convicted Faith-Healing Couple | NBC 10 Philadelphia)

Climate Change: Glimmers of Hope from Winnipeg… and Beyond! | Humanists, Atheists & Agnostics of Manitoba

Saturday, May 11, 2013 - 5:30pm
Are you tired of hearing nothing but doom and gloom from environmentalists? So are we!

That’s why we’re thrilled to have Curt Hull from Manitoba’s Climate Change Connection come talk to us. There are some inspiring local projects that Curt is working on, along with glimmers of hope from the global stage… so come out and hear the GOOD news for once! And come hear what we, as humanists, can do to contribute to the solution.

Climate Change Connection is working to connect Manitobans to climate change facts and solutions. CCC is a non-profit, non-government project that is managed by the Manitoba Eco-Network in association with the University of Winnipeg. CCC’s Steering Committee has representatives from 10 different organizations from all over the province.

Allstate Mayhem Forbiden Apple 2013 Super Bowl Ad (by adpressive)

This 2013 Super Bowl commercial by Allstate shows their Mayhem character (played by actor Dean Winters) in an action-packed and exciting cinema-quality adventure commercial where a reign of terror in human history begins with a bite of a forbidden fruit (an apple) in the Garden of Eden.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle believed in fairies. In an age of pre-Photoshop innocence, Doyle was fooled by a pair of mischievous schoolgirls who fabricated cardboard cutouts and photographed them.

(via Richard Dawkins has lost: meet the new new atheists » The Spectator)

Evolution vs Creation Rap - Darwin schools Cameron (by txlee1)