Comments for Radio Freethinker

Comment on It’s a Bad Time to be a Scientist in Canada by Mark White

Mark White — Wed, 30 May 2012 14:10:03 +0000

Step 2: “Canadian government concludes there’s no evidence available to support global climate change, mass extinction, glacial shrinkage, etc.”

Comment on Come Again? Jargon in Scientific Communication by news

news — Tue, 29 May 2012 12:12:17 +0000

Wanted to drop a remark and let you know your Feed isnt functioning today. I tried adding it to my Google reader account but got nothing.

Comment on The Fare-ness of SkyTrain by Brian

Brian — Tue, 29 May 2012 04:06:35 +0000

Guess you didn’t hear that the Port Mann Rapid Bus has likely been cancelled due to funding shortfalls.
http://www.news1130.com/news/local/article/351474–rapid-bus-and-b-line-in-question-south-of-the-fraser

Comment on Do We Need to Blacklist Speakers? by Cathy (@godless_cat)

Cathy (@godless_cat) — Sat, 26 May 2012 20:47:43 +0000

I wish there was a way to turn back the clock, there is not though. I had a “creep” stare at me below my belly button as he spoke to me this past weekend. I excused myself and he did not bother me again. Had he kept trying to be in my presence and bothered me, I would have said something. The problem here has been the secrecy surrounding it. If there are women that are willing to talk, maybe what needs to be done is to ask them to step forward to the event promoters and it be quietly documented. Then speak to the speaker/s of individuals and discuss it with them.mediation of the past events is the only way that will put the past to rest. We can not pretend there is no elephant in the room when there clearly is one, and the same time we can not damn people by hearsay alone.

Comment on Do We Need to Blacklist Speakers? by Ethan Clow

Ethan Clow — Fri, 25 May 2012 22:27:15 +0000

I think the anti-harassment policies will help going forward, but what about those speakers out there who already have a history of creepy behavior? Not a public history, obviously, but clearly there was enough past instances that some speakers felt the need to warn others to avoid them.

Comment on Do We Need to Blacklist Speakers? by Cathy (@godless_cat)

Cathy (@godless_cat) — Fri, 25 May 2012 21:29:05 +0000

^mediation

Comment on Do We Need to Blacklist Speakers? by Cathy (@godless_cat)

Cathy (@godless_cat) — Fri, 25 May 2012 16:56:48 +0000

No! Blacklisting should be a last resort, not the first. Unless of course there a physical assault. Setting boundaries is important, there are so many factors that come into play. There are personality types, there are past issues of abuse to where someone may feel uncomfortable, and misconstrued the intent of the other person. A better solution would be having meditation on site to asses the situation as it occurs. It will not be easy. One of the worst things within our society is the fact that when a woman is sexually harassed she is put on trail herself. There is a huge difference between wanted attention and unwanted attention. There are some people I am comfortable being a bit silly and flirtatious with, it’s about who you feel safe with. I had someone staring me up and down and did not look at me as he spoke to me. I decided to excuse myself from his presence and left it at that and stayed away from him the rest of the time. This is an issue we have to deal with regardless of where we are. Having the anti-harassment policy in place is a great start it will clearly state what is and is not acceptable. At the same time, it does not mean that people should be walking on pins and needles. We all have a sense of responsibility to ourselves a. s I said I deal with the situation when it happens and refuse to allow someone else to take away my personal power or have it effect me in negative way. Once the line has been crossed with threats of bodily harm then blacklisting is not enough and police need to become involved.

Comment on Do We Need to Blacklist Speakers? by Carl Baker

Carl Baker — Fri, 25 May 2012 01:56:50 +0000

In answer to your questions at the end, my position is that our priorities should be to do the right thing and to build a community that doesn’t tolerate douchebaggery. If we do that, I think we’ll end up “getting lots of people to conferences”. And if we don’t, at least the people who do show up will be decent to hang out with.

Comment on Radio Freethinker Episode 167 – Global Austerity Edition by Zara

Zara — Thu, 24 May 2012 17:26:59 +0000

I was intrigued with the results of the Best Illusion Contest entry with the faces. We seemed to pick up on the negative aspects of the faces and not the positive facial features leaving us seeing ugly instead of beauty, curious. It was the common impression so it doesn’t appear to be a personality thing ( pessimist/optimist). Hmm

Comment on Starving CBC to death by ebrandonx

ebrandonx — Wed, 23 May 2012 02:15:51 +0000

Hi Don
Enjoyed your interview with Seth Klein, I found it quite enlightening and straight forward. Having read the comment from Clint Johnson re: Austerity, I do believe your interview nullifies his position…every budget that has trimmed jobs, social programs etc. is an exercise in austerity. To say “The primary reason that “austerity” isn’t working is that it hasn’t actually been tried” is ludicrous. As you posted in your blog the repetition is insane. These measures serve only the top 10% and further denigrate the power of the working class. As well to compare CBC to Sun Media is equally uninformed. Were it not for the CBC, in my case radio, I would not know half of what is going on, I dare say the reason the CBC ( and again I clarify radio, as radio seems still,to bare a resemblance to its former glory)is under such attack from the Harper conservatives is primarily because of the unbiased airing of the state of affairs in this country and on a broader scale the world! CBC television has been showing signs of unconstrained onslaughts by this and previous governments “austerity measures “sometimes better known as ” leave not one standing” budgets. CBC radio rallies on as best it can, without compromising it’s obligation to Canadians. Fight on CBC, Fight on!
Great show…RFT
Zara