Archive for the ‘Show notes’ Category

RFT Ep 215 – Bad Big Data Edition

Posted by Don McLenaghen on June 18, 2013

This week:
- CFI Female Troubles,
- CFI Canada is NOT CFI Transnational, and
- Bad Big Data

Download the episode here!

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CFI Female Troubles

In sad but apparently unavoidable break has occurred in the skeptic community as leading women skeptics public abandon CFI Transnational over comments made by its leader at the Women in Secularism 2 convention.

Things came to a head when the CFI Transnational board met and expressed “unhappiness” at the reaction ‘some people’ had to their stance, but they are willing to forgive. Show yet again that the CFI Transnational leadership just don’t get it.

Find out more:

CFI Canada is NOT CFI Transnational

Although originally founded by CFI Transnational, the current incarnation of CFI Canada has no formal ties with CFI Transnational. Separate mandate, board of directors…separate institution.

CFI Canada has had nothing to do with the comments of Ron Lindsay, CEO of Center for Inquiry (Transnational) , and have not defended these views, however they have yet to come out and take a firm stand…either way..

Find out more:

BAD BIG DATA

Part 2 of our look at Big Data.

This week we look at three sphere of Big Data – Personal, Corporate and Governmental and what danger lurk when data becomes big.

We discuss the whistle-blower Edward Snowden and the NSA surveillance scandal.

We also see the state of Big Government Data in Canada and why you should be worried.

Find out more:

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Skeptic Highlights

CFI Family Barbecue

Join CFI for a CFI Family Barbecue and picnic at Memorial South Park. Socializing, barbecue (vegetarian and meat lovers) in a family friendly environment. There are wide open fields and playgrounds nearby.

Please bring: food to share, your family, good weather.

CFI will provide plates and cutlery etc.

Please do not bring alcohol.

When: saturday, June 22, 6pm

Where: Memorial South Park, Vancouver

Cost: Free (BYOF/BYOD)

Link: CFI

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Quick Picks!

(New feature, where we point our listeners to something interesting to see, read or watch)

Be the surveillance state – cruise the internet anonymously –>Tor Project - Anonymity Online.

A-Thesist not Anti-Thesist –>Atheist Frontier

Posted in Show notes | Tagged: Boundless Informant, bubblefication, bubblefy, Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Cenk Uygur, CFI Canada, CFI Transnational, Church Committee, cloud computing, Communications Security Establishment Canada, Corporate Big Data, CSEC, CSIS, data shadow, digital exhaust, Edward Snowden, General Keith Alexander, Google Analytics, Google Trends, Government Big Data, Greta Christina, Home Land Security, James Clapper, meta-data, Nation Security Agency, National Intelligence, NSA, Personal Big Data, Prism, Rebecca Watson, RoboCall scandal, Senator Jeff Merkley, Senator Ron Wyden, Small Data, Stuxnet virus, surveillance state, The Young Turks, tor project, Total Information Awareness, Wall Street | Leave a Comment »

Radio Freethinker Episode 214 – The Good of Big Data Edition

Posted by Don McLenaghen on June 11, 2013

This week:
- The Red Wedding,
- Gay around the world,
- Faith in science, and
- The Good side of Big Data

Download the episode here!

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The Red Wedding

In the aftermath and meltdown of Game Of Thrones fans at the killing off of one of the main…i day say pivotal character. Without Rob, there is no war, no war then the game is over?

We climactic scene was the red wedding, where under the promise of hospitality, Rob Stark et al are killed by their host.

Well, this was not an original plot twist, we explore how such dishonorable killings have happen in the past.

Find out more:

Gay around the world

The Pew Research Global Attitudes Project released data from its 2013 global survey on the question “Should society accept homosexuality?”.

We discus the historical trend for greater acceptance of homosexuality, some outliers and what the root cause of anti-homosexual societies.

Find out more:

Faith in science

Religious people have often lament about us Atheists…that without a belief in god, we are somehow diminished. One area that religious faith seems to have no secular equivalent is in times of stress or in confronting our mortality, we have no source of comfort.

Some have suggested that, in the absence of religious belief, secular beliefs such as Humanism and various political ideologies can replace religion as a source of comfort and meaning.

New research shows that non-believes show greater faith in science under stress or existential anxiety. That belief in the value of science as an institution and in its superiority as a source of knowledge can offer reassurance to secular individuals in threatening contexts.

Find out more:

The Good side of Big Data

Big Data is BIG and its growing and becoming an ever more important part of our every day life. In the first part of a 2 part series on Big Data, we look at the good Big Data has brought to the world.

the internet over an average 24 hours in 2012—higher usage in yellows and reds; lower in greens and blues

Find out more:

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Skeptic Highlights

Video-Game Orgy

Try your hand at a selection of vintage video-game systems and games and view media art based on video-game culture and early computer-graphic systems. Proceeds go to VIVO Media Arts, Vancouver’s oldest media-arts access centre and its commitment in supporting independent media artists, activists, and community-based makers.

When: Friday, June 14, 6pm

Where: VIVO Media Arts, 1965 Main, Vancouver

Cost: $20 @ the door/$15 in advance

Link: VIVO

Comics and the Multimodal World

Workshops and forums with international scholars on how comics intersect with digital culture, multimodal narrative, internationalism, information design, and alternative literacies. Includes screenings of George Clipp’s The Comic King of Guatemala and Shaun Huston’s Comic Book City, Portland, Oregon, USA.

For conference program click here.

When: Thursday, June 13, 8:30 am to Sunday, June 16, noon

Where: Douglas College, New Westminster

Cost: $5-55

Link: Digital Cultures Lab

Napoleon III’s Intervention in Mexico, 1862-1867

Lecture about the French emperor who sent an expeditionary force to Mexico in 1862 and what impact it had on Mexican society.

When: Wednes, June 12, 6pm

Where: Alliance Française, 6161 Cambie, Vancouver

Cost: Free

Link: Alliance Française

CFI Family Barbecue

Please bring: food to share, your family, good weather.

CFI will provide plates and cutlery etc.

Please do not bring alcohol.

When: saturday, June 22, 6pm

Where: Memorial South Park, Vancouver

Cost: Free (BYOF/BYOD)

Link: CFI

Posted in Show notes | Tagged: Game Of Thrones, global attitudes, homosexuality, honor, Honour, Pew Research Global Attitudes Project, Red Wedding | Leave a Comment »

Radio Freethinker Episode 213 – Drone Strike Edition

Posted by Don McLenaghen on June 4, 2013

This week:
- Micheal Douglas blames oral sex for his cancer…was he right?,
- Humanist report – In praise of Morgentaler,
- Super-computers discover HIV’s protein secrets, and
- A skeptical look at drones

Download the episode here!

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Michael Douglas blames oral sex for his cancer…was he right?

Michael Douglas made headlines this week when he claimed that oral sex caused his throat cancer. Well, as it turns out he may be right. One cause of cancer is HPV or Human papillomavirus. It is widely know to cause cervical cancer. What is less well known is that is 90% of Anal cancers are HPV caused and 2-2 % of oral cancers can be traced back to HPV.

Douglas praised oral sex and vows to continue the practice. This has a secondary important because many religious conservatives are attempting to block the use of a vaccine that could wipe out HPV because they are worried such a vaccine could promote promiscuity…and TEENS HAVE SEX!!!! Risking your child’s life over a religious conviction…if there was a vaccine for such lunacy!

Find out more:

HPV causes of cancer

Humanist report – In praise of Morgentaler

Ian Bushfield joins us again for another Humanist Report.

In the wake of the death of Henry Morgentaler last week, we discuss his role in improving the health and safety of women in Canada, his fight against the legal and political systems of Canada and how Morgentaler is at the heart of the Humanist movement in Canada.

Find out more:

Super-computers discover HIV’s protein secrets

Scientists are focusing on attacking HIV via targeting its viral casing or capsid. The capsid is critically important for HIV replication, so knowing its structure in detail could lead us to new drugs that can treat or prevent the infection. The precise structure—how the thousands of copies of a protein (p24) actually meshed together to form the capsid—remained a mystery

Enter, Blue Waters…a $108 million supercomputer at the University of Illinois. The computer has 49,000 AMD CPUs and can handle one quadrillion floating point operations every second.

Blue Waters solved the problem and the results were publish this week in Nature.

This discovery could lead to an entirely new suite of treatment alternatives and could finally outpace HIV’s ability to rapidly evolve resistance to current enzyme-based medications.

Find out more:

A skeptical look at drones

Ethan takes a look at drones and the ethical, technical and philosophic arguments why we should be afraid…very afraid. Turns out, its not the drones that are the worry but the governments that use them.

Find out more:

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Skeptic Highlights

Celebrate World Oceans Day

Join the Vancouver Aquarium and WWF-Canada on June 8 for fun activities and to learn how you can make a difference for the health of our oceans. Rumors are there will be cake!

Full scheduled of the days events here.

When: Saturday, June 8, 10am – 5pm

Where: Vancouver Aquarium

Cost: Included with purchase of Aquarium entry

Posted in Show notes | Tagged: Abortion, BC Humanist, Cancer, Henry Morgentaler, HIV, HPV, Human papillomavirus, Humanist Report, Michael Douglas, oral sex, supercomputer | Leave a Comment »

Radio Freethinker Episode 212 – Election Fraud Edition

Posted by Don McLenaghen on May 28, 2013

This week:
- Volkswagen – Hitlers one good thing?,
- Anti-Fluoridation Rot,
- Anti-Vaxers Expelled,
- Ant-GMO fallacies, and
- Anti-Democratic Fraud

Download the episode here!

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Volkswagen – Hitlers one good thing?

In an effort to create an affordable car for the working Germans, Hitler created the Volkswagen. Listen and find out the full story.

Find out more:

Anti-Fluoridation Rot

In 2011, the anti-fluoridation movement had a victory in Calgary. Now the rot has come home to roost as cavity rates are hitting historic highs. We discuss why Calgary did it…personal rights or cutting funding…listen to hear where we land on the issue.

Anti-Vaxers Expelled

Ottawa Public Health Officials expelled students who were not vaccinated. We discuss the law that enable it, the reason it important this was done and what impact it will have.

Ant-GMO fallacies

teosinte vs. corn after 9,000 years of human selection

In the light of recent protest, we look at some of claims of the anti-GMO movement and some better reasons to hate Monsanto.

Find out more:

Anti-Democratic Fraud

Don reviews the ruling by Justice Richard Mosley who ruled that the robocalls scandal constituted election fraud but failed to blame anyone and thus did not nullify those elections.

However, in the ruling Mosley singled out the Conservative party and members for their attempts to thwart, derail and generally be uncooperative with the investigation.

We discuss the threat to democracy this event causes as well as the disdain and hyper-partisanship of the Harper and the Conservative party shows towards a fair political system.

Find out more:

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Skeptic Highlights

SlutWalk

Third annual march against victim-blaming and sexual violence also includes a series of guest speakers

When: Saturday June 1St, Noon

Where: Vancouver Art Gallery

Cost: Free

Life, Liberty and the Right to Die

CFI Vancouver presents a lecture by Rebecca Coad

Rebecca Coad obtained a Bachelors of Arts in Philosophy and a Juris Doctorate from the University of British Columbia. She was first introduced to the legal issues surrounding choice in death as an intern for the BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) in 2011

The focus of the discussion will be on the legal arguments made both in favour and in opposition to legalizing a limited form of assisted dying. And an examination of the decision by Justice Lynn Smith of the BC Supreme Court.

When: Thursday, May 31st at 7pm
Where: Room 1700, SFU Harbour Centrer
Cost: Donations Welcome
Link: Event Link Here

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Quick Picks!

(New feature, where we point our listeners to something interesting to see, read or watch)

A good read –>Intuition Pumps And Other Tools for Thinking by Daniel Dennett.

Radio Active attire –>Online fashion retailer Asos recalls radioactive belts shipped to U.S.

Atheist are okay–> Pope Francis says atheists can be good

But their still going to hell –>Vatican spokesman says pope is wrong, atheists still going to hell

Posted in Show notes | Tagged: Anti-Democratic, Anti-Fluoridation, anti-GMO movement, Anti-Vaxers, Calgary, Conservative Party of Canada, election fraud, genetically modified food, Genetically Modified organism, Genetically Modified seed, Harper, Hitler, Justice Richard Mosley, Monsanto, Nazi, Ottawa Public Health Official, tooth decay, Volkswagen | Leave a Comment »

Radio Freethinker Episode 211 – Election Autopsy Edition

Posted by Don McLenaghen on May 21, 2013

This week:
- A salute to Chris Hadfield,
- Post-Election Autopsy,
- Senate Shenanigans, and
- Imagine No Religion 3

Download the episode here!

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A salute to Chris Hadfield

Canada’s own Chris Hadfield returned to Earth after being the first Canadian to command the International Space Station. While up there he became an international international sensation for his great efforts to popularize science, communicate with students and celebrities (including Captain Kirk aka Canadian William Shatner) via Twitter and live remote-talks, performing student inspired experiments and just generally being the best PR person NASA has had…maybe ever.

Find out more:

Post-Election Autopsy

A look at the past election and how the pollsters and pundits could get it so wrong. We look at polling and the role polls play in elections

Senate Shenanigans

In the light of the current flood of senate scandals, we ask and answer the question – can you fire a senator?

Find out more:

Imagine No Religion 3

What are the issues and what do the two main parties have to say about them? We cover Education, the Economy, Healthcare and the Environment.
Find out more:

Imagine No Religion

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Skeptic Highlights

How Physics Works – a History of the Development of Quantum Mechanics

Quantum mechanics is at the root of essentially all aspects of contemporary life. It contains many non-intuitive features, but these are exploited in, for example, all microchip electronic devices.

Dr. Malcolm Longair will explain at a non-technical level the struggles made by experimenters and theorists to develop a fully self-consistent quantum physics. It turns out to provide a splendid example of how physics works in practice, based on the genius of experiment and theory.

When: Monday 27, 4 PM

Where: Hebb Theatre, UBC main campus

Cost: Free

CFI Public Forum Meeting

We get together for drinks and dinner and then discuss strategies and goals that CFI Vancouver can pursue. With the recent INR3 conference, we’ll be discussing some of the ideas and suggestions we got there.

When: Wednesday May 22nd at 7pm
Where: the Tipper Resturant, 2066 Kingsway, Vancouver
Cost: Donations Welcome
Link: Event Link Here

Life, Liberty and the Right to Die

CFI Vancouver presents a lecture by Rebecca Coad

When: Thursday, May 31st at 7pm
Where: Room 1700, SFU Harbour Centrer
Cost: Donations Welcome
Link: Event Link Here

Posted in Show notes | Tagged: BC Election, Canadian Senate, Chris Hadfield, Imagine No Religion 3 Conference, ISS, Liberal, NASA, NDP, Polling, scrutineer, Senate Scandal | Leave a Comment »

Radio Freethinker Episode 210 – Election Issues Edition

Posted by Don McLenaghen on May 7, 2013

This week:
- Masturbate-a-thon,
- Quitting Skepticism,
- The mother of all languages, and
- BC Election 2013 – the issues,

Download the episode here!

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Masturbate-a-thon

Who’d a thunk it, but May is (Inter)National Masturbation Month. A whole month dedicated to the one love you can always count on.

Find out more:

Quitting Skepticism

More inter-skeptic warfare has created another rift in the movement. Isn’t this old news? Old fights?

Find out more:

The mother of all languages

New language modeling point a super-mother tongue for us all.

Find out more:

BC Election 2013 – the issues

What are the issues and what do the two main parties have to say about them? We cover Education, the Economy, Healthcare and the Environment.
Find out more:

Vote Compass
Healthcare premiums Then and Now
New Democrats – Health Care
Therapeutic Initiative
BC NDP Platform
BC Liberals Platform
CBC - The Economy
CBC - Government Spending
CBC - Education
CBC - Health care
CBC - The Environment
5 key issues in the B.C. election campaign
Reality Check – B.C.’s carbon tax
Reality Check -Who’s driving B.C.’s economy?
Reality Check - The LNG boom?
Reality Check - How much is the B.C. NDP promising to spend?
Reality Check - Is B.C.’s carbon tax green or not?
Reality Check - What does Moody’s really say about B.C.’s budget

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Skeptic Highlights

Women in Science

H.R. MacMillan Space Centre

Thursday, May 9, 7:00 pm

Finding Your Path to Engineering and Science: From Taxidermy to Robots – Maxime Chin

Maxime will share how she achieved an Animal Biology degree and a Mechanical Engineering degree and how they helped shape both her career and personal endeavours. Drawing on experiences from high school, university, co-op work placements, and as a recent UBC graduate, she will discuss how a passion for these fields can be a springboard into academics, leadership and community involvement.

Imagine no Religion 3

The annual atheist skeptic conference in Kamloops is happening this May. It features a line up of speakers including Dan Dennett, Richard Carrier, Chris DiCarlo, Taslima Nasreen and more. I encourage you to register now.

When: May 17 to 19
Where: Kamloops Coast Hotel and Convention Centre, Kamloops
Cost: $349.00
Link: Event Link Here

Posted in Show notes | Tagged: BC Liberal, BC NDP, economy, education, Election 2013, Election Issues, Environment, Health Care, Jamy Ian Swiss, masturbate-a-thon, masturbation, proto-language, PZ Myers, Skeptic schism | Leave a Comment »

Radio Freethinker Episode 209 – BC Beliefs Edition

Posted by Don McLenaghen on April 30, 2013

This week:
- Zipper hits 100,
- Rubber Ducking Fluoridation,
- Are state religions good for atheism, and
- The Humanist Report – Polling BC’s Beliefs,

Download the episode here!

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Zipper hits 100

Look between your legs and give a salute, the Zipper has its 100th birthday. We talk about its history, trivia and how it may be the most dangerous piece of clothing ever invented!

Find out more:

Rubber Ducking Fluoridation

Fluoridation is being attacked in Portland. We discuss the science and the fear-mongering around the issue. Is anti-fluoridation proponents using the same rubber duck tactics as the anti-vax movement?

Find out more:

Are state religions good for atheism

Its a paradox that nations like Norway have some of the highest church membership while simultaneously also have the highest number of atheist. One article proposed that atheist should not fight state religion but promote it, it worked in Norway…or did it?

We discuss the article and the paradox.

Find out more:

The Humanist Report – Polling BC’s Beliefs

Ian Bushfield from the BC Humanist Association drops by again to tell us the result the association got from polling it sponsored about the beliefs of BCers.

Find

BC Religious and Secular Attitudes Poll

BC Humanist Info Graphics

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Skeptic Highlights

Tubes and Exchanges: Discovering the Real Places of the Internet

Journalist Andrew Blum explores the Internet’s physical evolution over time and how centralized hubs called Internet Exchanges are making it faster and more affordable for everyone in the cities where they operate.

The talk is based upon his book “Tubes: A Journey to the Center of the Internet” and he’s done a TED talk.

When: Thursday, MAY 02, 2013, 7 PM
Where: SFU Harbour Centre, Vancouver
Cost: Free
Link: Register here

2013 B.C. Election: The Missing News

With the mainstream press increasingly preoccupied with the election horserace, it’s often left up to independent and alternative media organizations to tell the real stories and cover the real issues. This is especially true in BC, where our corporate media landscape is one of the most highly concentrated in the country. What can our province’s independent media outlets offer and what role will they play once the writ drops on April 16?

Panel discussion featuring the Wilderness Committee’s Gwen Barlee, Newswatch Canada’s Bob Hackett, Gender-Focus.com’s Jarrah Hodge, and Rabble.ca’s Derrick O’Keefe.

When: Friday, MAY 03, 2013, 7pm
Where: SFU Harbour Centre, Vancouver, Vancouver
Cost: Free
Link: Register here

BC Humanist Association

Donate and join

Link: here

Imagine no Religion 3

When: May 17 to 19
Where: Kamloops Coast Hotel and Convention Centre, Kamloops
Cost: $349.00
Link: Event Link Here

Posted in Show notes | Tagged: Anti-vax, atheist, BC, belief, faith, fluoridation, Humanist Association, state religion, zipper | Leave a Comment »

Radio Freethinker Episode 208 – Boston Bombing Edition

Posted by Don McLenaghen on April 23, 2013

This week:
- Reid and Religion,
- The Scottish Atheist, and
- The Boston Bombing,

Download the episode here!

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Reid and Religion

We talk about a speech given in parliament by MP. Reid. He was speaking against blasphemy laws but in his defense of blasphemy in the name of freedom of religion, he got a number of things wrong.

Find out more:

41st PARLIAMENT, 1st SESSION – EDITED HANSARD • NUMBER 237

The Scottish Atheist

Don defends the position that there is a difference between being an atheist and a ‘good’ atheist. Without applying the scientific skeptical tool kit, you are not really a skeptic/atheist.

Find out more:

The Boston Bombing

The new WMD

In the wake of the Boston Marathon Bombing, Don contemplates a number of issues that came to mind. What is transforms a criminal attack to a terrorist attack. Why do Americans accept 30,000+ gun deaths a year as just the cost of freedom while putting no limits on its efforts to prevent even 1 terrorist death.

The bomber is being charged with using a weapon of mass destruction Does the term WMD have any real meaning anymore?

In the wake of conspiracy theories being inspired by this event, we discuss how the standards of ethics of the state security forces has changed over the last 20 years.

Find

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Skeptic Highlights

All Candidates Debate—West End Community

The theme of the debate will focus on the West End’s affordability, housing, food, and seniors’ issues

When: Wednesday, April 25, 2013, 7–9 pm
Where: Central Presbyterian Church, 1155 Thurlow, Vancouver
Cost: Free

Vancouver Strategic Studies Conference

Panel discussions on Canada’s role in the Middle East. Panellists include British Middle East correspondent Robert Fisk, former army commander Ed Fitch, Afghan-Canadian journalist and director Nelofer Pazira, and various other diplomats, journalists, and historians.

When: April 26, 2013, 6:30 pm till April 27, 2013, 4pm
Where: Royal United Services Institute, Vancouver
Cost: Reg: $35 / Student: $20
Link: Register here

Drinking with Portals

Geekenders have a monthly club night which features a burlesque and variety show, costume and trivia contests, and geeky dancing. Costumes are strongly encouraged at the club nights and each show has a costume theme with off-theme costumes always welcome

When: April 26, 2013, 6:00 pm
Where: The Roxy Cabaret, Vancouver
Cost: Cover: $10
Link: Register here

CFI Presents

The Science of Vaccines: A Panel Discussion

The panel will discuss the reasons why vaccines are one of the foundations of public health and take questions on the creation of vaccines, how they work, and more. The panel features Dr. Jamie Scott: Professor in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and the Faculty of Health Sciences at SFU, Dr. David Scheifele: Director, Vaccine Evaluation Center (VEC) at BC Children’s Hospital and Professor of Pediatrics (Infectious Diseases) UBC, and Dr. Monika Naus: Medical Director, Immunization Programs & Vaccine Preventable Diseases, BCCDC.

When: Friday, April 26, 2013, 7:00 pm
Where: SFU Harbour Centre, Barrick Gold Lecture Room (Room #1700), Vancouver
Cost: Free but donation are welcome and joining CFI encouraged
Link: Event Link Here

George Hrab at the Railway Club

In addition to the two hour set George is performing on stage at the Railway Club, there will be limited tickets available for a private reception in the back bar where you can meet and socialize with George and fellow attendees and even hear an acoustic set from George. You can purchase tickets at

When: Sunday, April 28^th 2013, 6:00 pm
Where: The Railway Club, 579 Dunsmuir St, Vancouver
Cost: Free but donation are welcome and joining CFI encouraged
Link: Event Link Here

Imagine no Religion 3

When: May 17 to 19
Where: Kamloops Coast Hotel and Convention Centre, Kamloops
Cost: $349.00
Link: Event Link Here

Posted in Show notes | Tagged: atheist, blasphemy laws, Boston Marathon Bombing, Crime, scientific skeptical tool kit, Skepticism, Terrorism, torture, Weapons of mass destruction, WMD | Leave a Comment »

Radio Freethinker Episode 207 – Digital Rights Edition

Posted by Don McLenaghen on April 16, 2013

This week:
- Crazy Polling,
- The Parliamentary Budget Office – pillar of democracy, and
- Digital Media Rights and Wrongs,

Download the episode here!

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Crazy Polling

We talk about a spectacularly bizarre and time disturbing poll from the USA showing, for example, how many people voted Obama believe he WAS the Antichrist. Don makes a case that the poll proves Shape-shifting Reptilian overlords may really exist!

Find out more:

The Parliamentary Budget Office – pillar of democracy

Canada’s first Parliamentary Budget Officer has recently stepped down. It is likely that his office will be “wound down” because it proved to be too embarrassing for the Harper Government even though it was the Conservative Governments own creation. We discuss what it did, why it did it and why you should care.

Find out more:

Digital Media Rights and Wrongs

EA used Digital Rights Management (DRM) to ensure no one pirated its new SimCity game resulting in a horrible PR disaster. HBO felt proud that Game of Thrones was the most pirated TV show in history. We discuss the issue of DRM, digital piracy and the impact of commerce. We also discuss the need to move beyond the “physical’ model and a ‘virtual or digital’ model of ownership…what does it mean when it cost nothing to produce another copy?

Find

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Skeptic Highlights

TV Show Recommendation

Plebs

This week Don introduces us to a British Comedy Plebs. Its very funny, but you might have to watch it more than once.

Plebs follows the lives of three desperate young men from the lower classes as they try to partake in sexual intercourse, hold down jobs and climb the social ladder in the big city. Two are free men: Marcus and Stylax, who work in a scriptorium; the third leading character, Grumio, is their lazy slave with an attitude problem.

Philosophers’ Café

The benefits of cooperation

Moderator Dr. Mano Daniel discusses…well the benefits of cooperation. Daniel received his BA from Dalhousie University and his Masters and PhD from Waterloo University in Ontario. He is a philosophy instructor at Douglas College and has been a moderator since 2006.

When: Wednesday, April 17, 2013, 7–9 pm
Where: The Heritage Grill, 447 Columbia Street, New Westminster
Cost: Free

About women love lyrics in Russia in the 20th and 21st centuries

Moderator Dr. Will Tesler discusses…well love lyrics in Russia. Tesler has a PhD in underwater acoustics and has worked with the Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo. Will has been organizing the Russian-language café at the Richmond Public Library since 2006. The cafes are extremely well attended and Will is pleased that they provide an opportunity for Russian speakers to engage in intellectual discussions on a broad variety of topics

When: Thursday, April 18, 2013, 7 pm
Where: Brighouse Public Library, 7700 Minoru Gate, Richmond
Cost: Free

What on Earth?

As we acknowledge Earth Day 2013, what are the possibilities for more urban agriculture? What are the possible effects? Ross Moster, a founder of Village Vancouver (Metro’s urban sustainability organization) will join the discussion.

When: Friday, April 19, 2013, 10:30 am–12 noon
Where: West Vancouver Memorial Library, Welsh Hall East, 1950 Marine Drive, West Vancouver
Cost: Free

CFI Presents

The Science of Vaccines: A Panel Discussion

George Hrab at the Railway Club

When: Sunday, April 28^th 2013, 6:00 pm
Where: The Railway Club, 579 Dunsmuir St, Vancouver
Cost: Free but donation are welcome and joining CFI encouraged
Link: Event Link Here

Café Inquiry

To Offend or Not to Offend, That is the Question.

Much has been written recently about whether criticism of religion or religious doctrine should be considered off limits in public discourse, some even refer to it as racism. How far should we be allowed to go in our criticism of religion, and at what point does it slip into bigotry, racism or even criminal acts? Is religion even something that deserves protection under our Charter of rights and Freedoms?

Our April Cafe will be moderated by Pat O’Brien. Pat is on the board of directors of CFI Canada and has been active in the Canadian freethought movement for many years.

When: Friday, Apr 12th, 2013 @ 7:00 PM
Where: SFU Harbour Center, Labatt Hall (Room #1520), Vancouver
Cost: Free
Link: Event Link Here

Imagine no Religion 3

When: May 17 to 19
Where: Kamloops Coast Hotel and Convention Centre, Kamloops
Cost: $349.00
Link: Event Link Here

Posted in Show notes | Tagged: conspiracy theories, Digital Media Rights, Digital Right Management, DMR, DRM, Keven Page, Parliamentary budget office | 1 Comment »

Radio Freethinker Episode 206 – Election Quiz Edition

Posted by Don McLenaghen on April 9, 2013

This week:
- Goodbye Roger,
- Suing for information, and
- The Humanist Report – Election Quiz,

Download the episode here!

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Goodbye Robert

Film critic Roger Ebert passed this past week, obviously Ebert will be remembered for his appreciation for films of all kinds, for his witty writing and thought provoking movie reviews. What I find interesting is how much one might consider Ebert a skeptic and humanist, even though, he didn’t really identify as one.

Find out more:

Suing for information.

We discuss the efforts of Canada’s Information Commissioner, Suzanne Legault to investigating whether the Harper government is living up to the law of the land. Legault is currently suing the DOD over a 1100 day extension on a 30 day Access to Information Request which she claims is deliberately obstructive and violating the principles of the Access to Information act.

We talk about how the Harper government has systematically restricted our access to information and the people who make it. As well as the push back by Legault as well as Democracy Watch and U of Vic’s Environmental Law Clinic.

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Humanist Report – Election Quiz & Atheist Church

Ian Bushfield drops by the RFT virtual studio to give us our semi-regular Humanist Report. We discussed the Atheist Church movement, Gideon Bible, upcoming Humanist polling project, science and teaching, the upcoming BC Election and the questionnaire being distributed by the BC Humanist Association to candidates.

Ian was acting both as the current Executive Director of the BC Humanist Association as well as just himself.

Find

Register to VOTE here!!!

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Skeptic Highlights

CFI Freethinkers Book Club: The Believing Brain – Saturday April 13th 2013 at 1pm at the Grind and Gallery Coffee Bar – Event Link on Facebook

CFI’s The Science of Vaccines: A Panel Discussion – Friday, April 26^th 2013 at 7:00 pm – The panel will discuss the reasons why vaccines are one of the foundations of public health and take questions on the creation of vaccines, how they work, and more. The panel features Dr. Jamie Scott: Professor in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and the Faculty of Health Sciences at SFU, Dr. David Scheifele: Director, Vaccine Evaluation Center (VEC) at BC Children’s Hospital and Professor of Pediatrics (Infectious Diseases) UBC, and Dr. Monika Naus: Medical Director, Immunization Programs & Vaccine Preventable Diseases, BCCDC. The Event will take place in Room 1700, SFU Harbour Centre. Event Link Here.

CFI Presents George Hrab at the Railway Club – Sunday, April 28^th 2013 at 6:00 pm at The Railway Club, 579 Dunsmuir St, Vancouver – In addition to the two hour set George is performing on stage at the Railway Club, there will be limited tickets available for a private reception in the back bar where you can meet and socialize with George and fellow attendees and even hear an acoustic set from George. You can purchase tickets at
http://hrabvancouver.eventbrite.ca/

Revolutionary Horizons: Debating the Democratic Potential of the Internet

The role of the Internet and social media in recent global uprisings has received much attention. Popular claims that the internet and social media are revolutionary tools for social change are frequently countered by charges of ‘slacktivism’. Jodi Dean and Andrew Feenberg are two critical theorists who have contributed much to developing highly enlightening but distinct perspectives on the relationship between networked technology and politics. This event will bring these two esteemed scholars together to debate how we can best understand the role of the internet in shaping the possibilities and limitations of collective action today.

Organized as a part of the CounterCulture Speaker Series run by the Media Democracy Project, School of Communication and the SFU Institute for the Humanities.

When: Friday, Apr 12th, 2013 @ 7:00 PM
Where: SFU Harbour Center, Fletcher Challenge Theatre (Room #1900), Vancouver
Cost: Free

Dark Secrets of the Universe

As part of the Space Centers Women in science, they present a talk by Dr. Stéphanie Côté. There is a lot more to the Universe than meets the eye. In fact astronomers have now determined that most of the content of the Universe is formed by dark matter and the even more mysterious dark energy. They are called ‘dark’ because these phenomena do not emit any light and are therefore invisible to our current methods of direct detection. This is one of the big mysteries that Dr. Côté will discuss.

When: Thursday, Apr 11th, 2013 @ 7:00 PM
Where: H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, Vancouver
Cost: By donation

International Workshop: Capitalism, Inequality and Democracy

For a very long time inequality, income and wealth disparity have been on the rise, not only in Canada but around the world. Join us as our invited experts discuss the causes behind this unfortunate reality as well as its implications for political democracy and the interplay between market and state.

When:
Starts - Friday, Apr 12th, 2013 @ 6:00 PM
Ends – Saturday , Apr 13th, 2013 @ 5:00 PM
Where: C.K. Choi Building, UBC, Vancouver er
Cost: Free (although an optional lunch costs $15)
RSVP HERE!

Posted in Show notes | Tagged: Access to Information, freedom of information, Information Commissioner, Roger Ebert, Suzanne Legault | Leave a Comment »

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