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http://Cemolian.stumbleupon.com/review/3435691/

Fri, 15 May 2009 01:50:54 -0700

"If we can't think for ourselves, if we're unwilling to question authority, then we're just putty in the hands of those in power. But if the citizens are educated and form their own opinions, then those in power work for us. In every country, we should be teaching our children the scientific method and the reasons for a Bill of Rights. With it comes a certain decency, humility and community spirit. In the demon-haunted world that we inhabit by virtue of being human, this may be all that stands between us and the enveloping darkness." -Carl Sagan

Kafka for Dummies: the Absurd Debate over Torture!

Fri, 15 May 2009 01:50:15 -0700

From the page: "Here we go again. After eight horrific years of lies and deceit and war and death, the American public once again has fallen into the abyss of self delusion. Tragically, just as we near the brink of reversal, we are about to abdicate any claim whatsoever to respect or honor anywhere. "

Barack Obama for President & SEEDMAGAZINE.COM

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:56:26 -0700

From the page: "Science is a way of governing, not just something to be governed. Science offers a methodology and philosophy rooted in evidence, kept in check by persistent inquiry, and bounded by the constraints of a self-critical and rigorous method. Science is a lens through which we can and should visualize and solve complex problems, organize government and multilateral bodies, establish international alliances, inspire national pride, restore positive feelings about America around the globe, embolden democracy, and ultimately, lead the world. More than anything, what this lens offers the next administration is a limitless capacity to handle all that comes its way, no matter how complex or unanticipated."

Council for Secular Humanism

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 04:08:51 -0700

The Ethics of Secularism
by Paul Kurtz
..
From the page: "The secular humanist is often challenged thusly: "If you do not base your ethics on religious foundations, then in what sense can you be good?" The ethics of secularism has a long history in human culture. In the following, I wish to present four contemporary aspects of the ethics of secular humanism: liberation, enlightened self-interest, altruism, and goodwill. These principles are grounded in human experience and are thus natural. They are herein delineated in answer to the charge that the "new atheists," with whom secular humanists are often conflated by public opinion, lack an ethical outlook. On the contrary, one can be a secularist and also be a good person."

Democracy and deference—By Mark Slouka (Harpers Magazine)

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 23:00:56 -0700

From the page: "The real problem we face is not the Bush Administration's imperial pretensions, its quasi-cultish stress on loyalty, or its instinctive suspicion of debate and dissent but the extent to which the administration's modus operandi is representative of a society increasingly conversant with the protocols of subservience. In the long term, it is this tilt toward deference, this willingness to hold our tongues and sit on our principles, that truly threatens us, even more than the manifold abuses of this administration, because it makes them possible."

Technological Breakthrough In Fight To Cut Greenhouse Gases

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:36:34 -0700

From the page: "Scientists at Newcastle University have pioneered breakthrough technology in the fight to cut greenhouse gases. The Newcastle University team, led by Michael North, Professor of Organic Chemistry, has developed a highly energy-efficient method of converting waste carbon dioxide (CO2) into chemical compounds known as cyclic carbonates."

Rush to Pass This Bill

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 05:35:27 -0700

From the page: "Today, while Congress listens to the latest spin from the Bush Administration on "democracy building" in Iraq, an important pro-democracy effort continues to be waged at home by Representative Rush Holt. In January I wrote about his Emergency Assistance for Secure Elections Act of 2008 (HR-5036). Last week, the House of Representatives Committee on House Administration approved the bill without opposition. Now it's up to Leadership to bring it to the floor for a vote."

APOD: 2008 March 10 - Planets Align Over Australian Radio Telescope Array

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 12:07:26 -0700

Democracy Now! | Winter Soldier

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 11:18:42 -0700

From the page: "Iraq and Afghanistan veterans gathered in Maryland to testify at Winter Soldier, an eyewitness indictment of atrocities committed by US troops during the ongoing occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Organized by Iraq Veterans Against the War, the event was modeled after the historic 1971 Winter Soldier hearings held during the Vietnam War."

Home | Center for Inquiry

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 11:47:27 -0800

From the page: "The Center for Inquiry is a daring new concept. Although modern world civilization is based upon the achievements of science and technology, until this time there has been no authoritative and credible voice defending the scientific outlook in examining religion, human values, and the borderlands of science. If the naturalistic outlook is to supplant the ancient mythological narratives of the past, it needs a new institution devoted to its articulation and dramatization to the public. The Center for Inquiry is that institution."