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This is a clip from Pledge of Allegiance Blues, brought to you by Alive Mind. Purchase Pledge of Allegiance Blues on DVD at www.alivemindmedia.com.

The worldâs leading paranormal investigator, Joe Nickell is a regular contributor to Skeptical Inquirer science magazine. He is the author or editor of more than twenty books, including Looking for a Miracle, Inquest on the Shroud of Turin, and most recently The Relics of the Christ. In this discussion with D.J. Grothe, Joe Nickell expounds on his unique kind of paranormal investigating, which is neither mystery mongering, nor debunking. He emphasizes how his humanist values carry over into his skeptical work, and how his notion of doing good is applied to skepticism as a movement. He criticizes many in the skeptical movement who seem not to care to honor claimants with on-the-ground investigations, instead dismissing from the armchair that a supernatural claim is impossible. He also challenges those with the ghost hunter mentality, who lack effective training in investigation and instead just promote belief in unsupportable paranormal claims, even while engaging in important field investigations. Nickell ends discussing the future of the skeptical movement and the odds he thinks it has to adopt the kind of humanistic skepticism he promotes.

Guantanamo Bay Detainees, Torturing, America's Policy Toward Detainees and The Invasion of Iraq

Maggie Jackson is an award-winning author and journalist who writes the popular âBalancing Actsâ column in the Boston Globe. Her work also has appeared in the New York Times and on National Public Radio, among other national publications. Her acclaimed first book, Whatâs Happening to Home? Balancing Work, Life and Refuge in the Information Age, examined the loss of home as a refuge. Her newest book is Distracted: The Erosion of Attention and the Coming Dark Age. In this interview with D.J. Grothe, Maggie Jackson discusses her controversial thesis about the downsides of the information age, and how the distractions from modern technologies lead to less critical thinking and less fulfilled lives. She explores the causes and effects of the erosion of attention, including media culture, the internet and personal communication devices, and even our fast-food culture, and how these impact relationships, work and personal identity. She details some advances in "attention science," a field in cognitive neuroscience, and what they tell us about how people can overcome their distractions. And she shares what listeners can do to stop the erosion of attention in their lives.

The spiritual is celebrated in American culture and beyond. It is the source from which gospel, jazz, blues and hip-hop evolved. It was born in the American South, created by slaves, bards whose names history never recorded. The organizing concept of this music is not the melody of Europe, but the rhythm of Africa. And the theology conveyed in these songs is a potent mix of African spirituality, Hebrew narrative, Christian doctrine, and an extreme experience of human suffering.

A ceasefire agreement is due to take effect in Somalia between the interim government and the militant groups who are fighting them. However, not everyone has signed the deal. Among those not ready to put down their weapons are the al-Shabaab fighters, the Muslim youth movement. They have control of large parts of central and southern Somalia. Al Jazeera's Mohamed Adow filed this exclusive report. Author: AlJazeeraEnglish Keywords: mohammed adow al jazeera english somalia djibouti UN peace talks islamists secular government Added: July 7, 2008

Music catch-up podcast -- Will and Jason discuss new music by Fleet Foxes, The Futureheads, The Weepies, My Morning Jacket, She & Him, and It Hugs Back.

Ben Radford is is one of the world's few science-based paranormal investigators, and has done first-hand research into psychics, ghosts and haunted houses, exorcisms, Bigfoot, lake monsters, UFO sightings, crop circles, and other topics. He is managing editors of Skeptical Inquirer magazine, and editor-in-chief of the Spanish-language magazine Pensar, published in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The author of many books, including Media Mythmakers: How Journalists, Activists, and Advertisers Mislead Us, and Lake Monster Mysteries: Investigating the World's Most Elusive Creatures (with Joe Nickell), he also writes online at LiveScience.com and MediaMythmakers.com. In this interview with D.J. Grothe, Radford recounts some of his experiences as a paranormal investigator, drawing a contrast between his work and that of the ghost hunters. He talks about his attempts at steath skepticism and also about his new board-game, Playing Gods. Also in this episode, philosopher and Center for Inquiry founder Paul Kurtz shares a special message for rationalists on Independence Day, about the Influence of the Enlightenment on America.

Show 233 Michael Medved talks to author of The Devil s Delusion, David Berlinski. 37 minutes 8MB Book Description: Militant atheism is on the rise. Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, and Christopher Hitchens have dominated bestseller lists with books denigrating religious belief as dangerous foolishness. And these authors are merely the leading edge of a far larger movement-one that now includes much of the scientific community. The attack on traditional religious thought,â writes David Berlinski in The Devil's Delusion, marks the consolidation in our time of science as the single system of belief in which rational men and women might place their faith, and if not their faith, then certainly their devotion.â A secular Jew, Berlinski nonetheless delivers a biting defense of religious thought. An acclaimed author who has spent his career writing about mathematics and the sciences, he turns the scientific community s cherished skepticism back on itself, daring to ask and answer some rather embarrassing questions: Has anyone provided a proof of God's inexistence? Not even close. Has quantum cosmology explained the emergence of the universe or why it is here? Not even close. Have the sciences explained why our universe seems to be fine-tuned to allow for the existence of life? Not even close. Are physicists and biologists willing to believe in anything so long as it is not religious thought? Close enough. Has rationalism in moral thought provided us with an understanding of what is good, what is right, and what is moral? Not close enough. Has secularism in the terrible twentieth century been a force for good? Not even close to being close. Is there a narrow and oppressive orthodoxy of thought and opinion within the sciences? Close enough. Does anything in the sciences or in their philosophy justify the claim that religious belief is irrational? Not even ballpark. Is scientific atheism a frivolous exercise in intellectual contempt? Dead on. Berlinski does not dismiss the achievements of western science. The great physical theories, he observes, are among the treasures of the human race. But they do nothing to answer the questions that religion asks, and they fail to offer a coherent description of the cosmos or the methods by which it might be investigated. This brilliant, incisive, and funny book explores the limits of science and the pretensions of those who insist it can be-indeed must be-the ultimate touchstone for understanding our world and ourselves. For all of Michael Medveds shows go to https://www.michaelmedved.com/site to listen live for free or $4.95 per month to download all of his podcasts.-

Russert, McKay, Carlin, election, knee surgery, floods, and music by Death Cab For Cutie, Coldplay, and The Lodger.

P.Z. Myers PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris and the author of Pharyngula, the most heavily-trafficked science blog online. In this discussion with D.J. Grothe, P.Z. Myers details his expulsion from a screening of Expelled, Ben Stein's documentary which claims that the scientific community is limiting academic freedom by not allowing Intelligent Design to be taught or discussed in the schools. He explains the background of how he and other scientists were invited to appear in the film under false pretenses, and what his response has been. He addresses focus groups and other marketing methods for finding the best way to communicate science to the public. Calling himself part of the radical fringe, he elaborates on his view that leading science organizations such as the American Association for the Advancement for Science and the National Academies of Science are playing a shell game on the public when it comes to teaching the compatibility of science with religion, arguing that there is a direct link between science education and religious skepticism. And he also shares his thoughts about the future of the atheist and rationalist movement in the United States.

We owe it to our children. Assault on free speech in the Netherlands http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/region/netherlands/080620-dutch-censorship Islam can no longer be criticised at the UN Human Rights Council http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008619story_19-6-2008_pg7_6 Novelist could face hate crime charge for despising Islamism http://www.townhall.com/Columnists/MattPurple/2008/06/25/british_novelist_who_despises_islamism_may_face_hate_crime_charges You can download an audio version of this video at http://patcondell.libsyn.com/ Author: patcondell Keywords: atheist atheism religion faith Christianity Islam secular secularism Added: June 27, 2008

We owe it to our children. Assault on free speech in the Netherlands http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/region/netherlands/080620-dutch-censorship Islam can no longer be criticised at the UN Human Rights Council http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008619story_19-6-2008_pg7_6 Novelist could face hate crime charge for despising Islamism http://www.townhall.com/Columnists/MattPurple/2008/06/25/british_novelist_who_despises_islamism_may_face_hate_crime_charges You can download an audio version of this video at http://patcondell.libsyn.com/

We owe it to our children.

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2008/05/07/Larry_Diamond_on_The_Spirit_of_Democracy Stanford political science professor Larry Diamond discusses the Bush Administration's approach to democracy promotion in the Middle East, and examines barriers to further democratic reforms in the region. ----- Larry Diamond discusses the recession of democracy and its role in developing countries. Diamond contends that although more than half of all countries are now democracies, recent efforts to promote democracy around the world have faltered. These stumbles have constituted, Diamond maintains, a very serious threat to freedom. In a bold vision for the future, Diamond explains that the desire for democracy runs deep, even in very poor countries, and proposes that entrenched regimes like Iran and China could become democracies within a generation - The Commonwealth Club of California Larry Diamond is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and a professor by courtesy of political science and sociology at Stanford University. He is also co-editor of the Journal of Democracy and co-director of the International Forum for Democratic Studies of the National Endowment for Democracy. He has written and edited numerous articles and books on democracy in developing countries and the problems of development and corruption, particularly in Africa and Asia. Dr. Diamond has also served as a consultant to the U.S. Agency for International Development and co-authored its recent report, Foreign Aid in the National Interest. FORA.tv podcasts are sponsored by Pfizer. Visit our Pfizer "Health and Wellness" channel at http://fora.tv/wellness.

PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris and the author of i Pharyngula /i , the most heavily-trafficked science blog online. In this conversation with D.J. Grothe, P.Z. Myers explains the purpose and impact of his blog, and whether his priority is to advance science education or atheism. He talks about what he sees as his roles in the scientific community and the atheist movement, and how related these roles are. He explores the relationship between science and atheism, and argues that the more a public learns science, the likelier it is that they will become atheistic. And he talks about where a science educator's atheism fits in the classroom. He also addresses the position of leading scientific organizations such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the National Academies of Science regarding evolution being compatible with religious belief, and their use of religious scientists as spokespeople, and he assesses their motivations and strategies to advance science to a largely religious American public.

Susan Jacoby is the author of Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism. A prominent public intellectual she is frequently appears in publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Free Inquiry. Her latest best selling book is The Age of American Unreason. In this conversation with D.J. Grothe, Susan Jacoby explores recent trends that she argues have led to the "Age of American Unreason," including religious fundamentalism, mass media consumption and "video culture," and multiculturalism. She addresses how fundamentalism feeds anti-intellectualism in America, and how not only fundamentalism can be blamed for it. She details both the upside and the downside of the internet, the perils of too much TV viewing, and the effect of such over-consumtion on the cultural literacy of average Americans. She addresses criticism that she is merely "elitist" or a "luddite," and ends with specifics on how people can work to challenge the Age of American Unreason.

(Global Pulse: June 12, 2008) To ban or not to ban, that is the issue in Turkey. The pro-Islamic government tried to overturn a ban on women wearing headscarves in the universities. But the Supreme Court says no, lifting the ban would violate Turkey's strict constitution that separates church and state. For violating the constitution the ruling party could be banned from politics - a controversial move as the party has been elected twice by the people.nSOURCES: BBC, U.K; Al Alam, Iran; Al Jazeera, Qatar; TRT International, Turkey; Deutsch Welle, Germany.

Taner Edis, born and raised in Turkey, is associate professor of physics at Truman State University and the author of The Ghost in the Universe: God in Light of Modern Science and Science and Non-belief, among other publications. His latest book is An Illusion of Harmony: Science and Religion in Islam. In this conversation with D.J. Grothe, Taner Edis explains reasons he thinks religion persists, and explores the complex relationship between science and nonbelief, detailing how the institutional interests of science may prevent some in the science community from working to diminish religion, the New Atheists excepted. He talks about how scientific theories are often misused by paranormalists or supernaturalists to advance their cultural position, focusing on the New Age movement's use of quantum physics and on the intelligent design movement. He examines differences between science and pseudoscience, arguing that often it is not possible to demarcate what is uniquely science. And he surveys various scientific approaches of examining religion, such as rational choice theory, the secularization hypothesis, and various evolutionary approaches, such as group selection theory, the byproduct theory of religion, and memetic approaches (that religion is a virus of the mind ).

This week, Jim flaunts it while Dale tries to keep his head above water. Stories: * Jesus saves pilots * Jesus kills vampires * Non-Jesus Camp * Keeping up at 1st Communion * Beyonce: more famous than Jesus

Al Jazeera's Mohammed Adow reports from a refugee camp in Djibouti on the UN sponsored talks aimed at starting a reconciliation process between Somalia's secular government and Islamist-led rivals. In the next 24 hours, Somalia's transitional government will resume peace talks with the opposition in neighbouring Djibouti. Many are praying the meeting will help resolve one of Africa's most entrenched conflicts - but previous talks earlier this month yielded almost nothing. Thousands of Somalis have died and even more have left their homes, amid fierce battles between Islamist fighters and government troops, backed by Ethiopia. Author: AlJazeeraEnglish Keywords: mohammed adow al jazeera english somalia djibouti UN peace talks islamists secular government Added: May 31, 2008

Robert M. Price is professor of theology and scriptural studies at Coleman Theological Seminary and professor of Biblical Criticism at the Center for Inquiry Institute. Heâs a fellow of the Committee for the Scientific Examination of Religion and the Jesus Seminar. Dr. Price is the author of a number of books such as The Reason Driven Life, Deconstructing Jesus, Incredible Shrinking Son of Man, and The Da Vinci Fraud. He has appeared widely in the media, and was featured prominently in the movie The God Who Wasnât There. His latest book is Top Secret: The Truth Behind Today's Pop Mysticisms. In this conversation with D.J. Grothe, Robert Price explores the origins, doctrines and dangers of various strands of contemporary "pop mysticism," including Rhonda Byrne's The Secret and other "New Thought" proponents, the movie What the Bleep Do We Know?, Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, Eckhart Tolle, Marianne Williamson, and The Course in Miracles. He contends that there is some truth to many of these mystical worldviews, especially the emphasis on introspection and self-improvement, and details how to take what is of value while rejecting the unsupportable claims. He also addresses the popularity and influence of Christian televangelist Joel Olsteen, whom he argues is in fact a promoter of New Thought in Christian trappings. He also explores what the secular humanist and skeptic movements might learn from both the Christian Mega-churches and the New Age movements, and how they can work together as freethinkers against fundamentalist dogmatic religious-political movements.

Jamy Ian Swiss is universally considered one of the worldâs top sleight of hand performers, famous to magicians for his subtlety, skill and depth of understanding of magicâs history. He has appeared on a number of television programs in the United States, Europe, and Japan, including on The Today Show, CBSâs 48 Hours, Comedy Central, CNN, PBS Nova and the PBS documentary, The Art of Magic. Heâs performed internationally for corporate clients, lectured to magicians in over a dozen countries, and is a co-producer of New York Cityâs longest-running Off-Broadway magic show, Monday Night Magic. He is also a co-founder of the National Capital Area Skeptics and the New York City Skeptics, and a long-time contributor to the skeptical movement and its magazines. In this conversation with D.J. Grothe, Jamy Ian Swiss talks about his skeptical beginnings, and argues that magic done well is an "entertaining form of skepticism, rather than a debased form of mysticism" (as described by Adam Gopnik in the recent profile of Jamy in "The New Yorker"). He explores some of the philosophy of why and how magic works, and examines ethical and artistic issues related to the performance of contemporary magic and mentalism, as reflected n the work of a spectrum of performers ranging from Derren Brown to Marc Salem to Uri Geller. He also wonders about the effectiveness of the skeptical movement overall, and the value of getting involved in the skeptical community.

A clip from The Atheism Tapes, brought to you by Alive Mind. Buy The Atheism Tapes DVD at http://alivemindmedia.com/

A clip from The Atheism Tapes, brought to you by Alive Mind. Buy The Atheism Tapes DVD at http://alivemindmedia.com/

A clip from The Atheism Tapes, brought to you by Alive Mind. Buy The Atheism Tapes DVD at http://alivemindmedia.com/

A clip from The Atheism Tapes, brought to you by Alive Mind. Buy The Atheism Tapes DVD at http://alivemindmedia.com/

A clip from The Atheism Tapes, brought to you by Alive Mind. Buy The Atheism Tapes DVD at http://alivemindmedia.com/

A clip from The Atheism Tapes, brought to you by Alive Mind. Buy The Atheism Tapes DVD at http://alivemindmedia.com/