Audiovisual INDEX


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Atheism:
Atheism in Canada :
Atheist Call to Arms :
A War on Science : BBC Horizon examines 'intelligent design'.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali at the AAIC :
Creationist Distortions : the faked video that so delighted science-ignorant creationists
Creationist Hoax Exposed : how the Australian creationists faked a video in an attempt to discredit Richard Dawkins
Dawkins: The Root of All Evil
Glad, glad, glad
Hitchens refutes McGrath
Hitchens vs McGrath
IDiocy on Trial : intelligent design creationism on trial; PBS, Nova, Nov. 13, 07
Jonathan Miller – The Atheism Tapes – Richard Dawkins
Jonathan Miller – Brief History of Disbelief
Jonathan Miller – Brief History of Disbelief II
Jonathan Miller – Brief History of Disbelief III
Julia Sweeney Sees the Light : An amusing reaction to a visitation by youthful Mormon "elders".
The Nonexistent cannot be Great
Ode on an American Turd
Of Blogrolls and Banners
Operation Spread Eagle
Pat Condell
Pray to Elvis : at least Elvis did exist.
Small Town, Small Minds, Big Problem : unChristian intolerance in rural America

Humor:

BritCom
Beyond Washoe – meet Gerald

Frasier :
Funniest Silent 5 Minutes
High Crane Drifter
Hoisted on his Own Sword
How do you say 'Fiasco' in German?
I Spy
Niles' influence?
Psycobabble Theme

People!
I don't know . . .

Religious Satire
These men died for us . . .

Vicar of Dibley
Alice in Everwonder Land

Miscellany
Hitler Rap
Pat Condell on Mitt mitt die üntergärmënts
You might have to be one . . .

Morality:
Dawkins on Scripture :


Miscellaneous:
deviantART animation of stick figure doing battle with Flash
Manikin Moonwalk a bird with da moves.

Music:
Allegri Miserere
Aranjuez
Laura Branigan Self Control
Kate Bush
Celine Dion & Barbra Streisand - Tell Him
Haris Alexiou Apopse Thelo Na Pio
Kitka Wintersongs
KD Lang, Lorretta Lynn, Kitty Wells, and Brenda Lee Honky Tonk Angels
Cindi Lauper, Celine Dion, Roy Orbison I Drove All Night
Lascia Ch'io Pianga
Loreena McKennitt & Leahy
Master Soundtrack
Sarah McLachlan Angel
October Song
Orinoco Flow
Beth Orton
Pokarekare Ana
Spem in Alium
Survivors' Songs
Tango
Wayfaring Stranger

Science:
A War on Science : BBC Horizon examines 'intelligent design'.
IDiocy on Trial : intelligent design creationism on trial; PBS, Nova, Nov. 13, 07
Kevin Padian on evolution

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Atheist Call to Arms



Richard Dawkins: An atheist's call to arms:

Dawkins has become controversial because he has spoken up against nonsensical religiopolitical propagandism. Religionists and Creationists have become accustomed to having the stage to themselves (with the too quiet exception of most who are in possession of a good education in science). Dawkin contends that it is no longer sufficient merely to reiterate scientific truths about the universe and biological evolution, but also to throw a critical light onto religious mythology.

Dawkins' pithy comments are too accurate not to have elicited an emotional backlash from religionists. This timely 2002 lecture was Dawkins' invitation to the intelligentsia in TED's American audience to join the OUT Campaign. As Dawkins' points out, atheism is on the rise in the US and is positively correlated with IQ and educational level.

"Let's all stop being so damned respectful!"
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Atheism in Canada

These three videos summate to 20 minutes devoted to the topic of atheism in Canada. I particularly appreciated seeing a gathering of atheists from the Abrahamic religions, showing that commonalities can break down imposed barriers.







Ayaan Hirsi Ali at the AAIC

Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who escaped the oppressive world of Islam, wrote the bestseller Infidel. She has been the target of death threats from angry Muslims. (Help Ayaan Hirsi Ali) Hirsi Ali speaks at the Atheist Alliance International convention in September, '07. This is the fascinating story of her journey from "faith toward reason".



"Every time I try to become politically correct, I stutter."

Q&A session following speech




Ayaan : Dutch Treat? : AAIC 'o7 Dan Dennett at AAIC '07 :

Atheism 101, part 1 of 6



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A Matter of Faith

This segment on atheism was aired on the "CBS Sunday Morning" news program (8/19/07). Interviewees include atheists Christopher Hitchens and Julia Sweeney, and a theist, Stephen Prothero (who pulls out the ridiculous Stalinist-atheist argument).

There is also a clip of the late Madalyn Murray-O'Hair, who so upset religious fundamentalists by her successful legal appeal to have the US Constitution upheld by removing prayer from schools. Madalyn founded American Atheists and, in a case reminiscent of Selena's, she was murdered at age 76 (1995) by David Roland Waters, an employee of American Atheists.

This program was aired on a conservative USian TV network, so it is no surprise that the producers attempt to monopolize on the recency effect by ending on the "faith" note and cutting Julia Sweeney's response short.



The video is available on YouTube and Richard Dawkins' website.

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Atheism: Debunking Sociopolitical and Biblical Misrepresentation



This documentary celebrates those atheists whose examples put the lie to anti-atheist comments in the Bible.

More on YouTube World Famous Atheists and Deists (part 2)



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Creationist Deceptions




Only a creationist would not want to understand that the video was altered in any way. Only a creationist would fool himself that a hesitation signified the defeat of their arch enemy, the evolutionary truth crusader. The actual question to which Dawkins responded was asked by a male who was edited out, and not by the female whose voice was edited in to appear earlier in the tape.

The question deliberately appeared quite simple and there are an enormous number of concrete examples—as many, and more, as there are species. The individuals of most species exhibit some variation within the genome. The question was so worded as to imply that the foundations of biological evolution are in doubt. Speciation requires considerable accumulated genetic change. Detectable speciation is that which has already occurred in the past. Biological complexity, whether creationists accept the reality or not, comprises evidence of increase in biological 'information'.

This was a ridiculous question to ask of an evolutionary biologist, and as Dawkins explains of the situation, so irritated Dawkins that he was tempted to immediately terminate the interview and insist that the Australian creationist team leave his house.

This stupid question could have been posed because creationists are so science-ignorant as not to know that the question was ridiculous. However, the deliberate alteration of the video footage (dubbing a different interviewer into the footage) indicates that the actual question was posed in a creationist attempt to catch Dawkins out.

Dawkins' response was completely acceptable in that it accurately addresses the contained creationist misconception of evolutionary biology. Only a science-ignorant person would be so unaware that Dawkins' response was indeed accurate and then to post Dawkins' good answer on a creationist website. No worry to the creationist-poster, the audience knows no science either. Creationist hype-spinners know that emotionally-gratifying deceptions are far more important than understanding to Biblical literalists. Many of these people seem to be morally deficient in that they care only for appearances and will employ deliberate deceit to manipulate situations.

What they fail to comprehend is that even had their question stumped Richard Dawkins, any hesitation on the part of one evolutionary biologist would not be equivalent to demonstrating their hoped-for error in a competing explanation. Even if Darwin was incorrect about natural selection (he wasn't), this would not demonstrate that creationism had any validity. But to recognize that would require logic and intellectual honesty–and no brain-washed individual could simultaneously be a creationist and possess these qualities.

Sites Creationist Deception Exposed, the Skeptic, Vol 18 No 3, by Barry Williams

Blogs Creationist crankery flashback: Richard Dawkins stumped?


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, creationism, Richard Dawkins

Creationist Hoax Exposed



The actual question was posed much later in the footage than the fake creationist overvoice suggests: The question was, "Can you give an example of a genetic mutation of an evolutionary process which can be seen to increase the information in the genome?"

This is a question that requests predictions from now to later. The genome has changed through evolutionary time, and we can see the traces of that change in accumulated differences, for example, in the genes coding for identically functioning but structurally modified proteins. We can see the traces, for example, in gene duplications that are present in organism higher up the evolutionary scale but absent in more primitive organisms.

The problem with the question is that we cannot know whether genetic variation that we observe now can be expected to lead to species diversification. Organisms display a range of genetic differences between individuals of the same species, yet only time will tell which of those genetic endowments might confer survival advantage to its bearer and hence persist and prosper in the future. That would be like looking at a newborn infant and speculating on the appearance of his or her great-great-great-grandchildren.



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Dawkins: The Root of All Evil

Richard Dawkins' television series The Root of All Evil is available on Google videos:

Part 1:



Dawkins examines the history of Christian myths. He interviews hypocritical televangelist Ted Haggard. (I don't object to the fact that Haggard paid for services from a male prostitute, it is the fact that hypocrite Haggard preached against homosexuality. Haggard was forced to resign because of his activities, evoking some truly idiotic comments of support from religious conservatives, "Where did this strange idea that hypocrisy is not a moral virtue come from?" Note the 'not'!) Haggard turns offensive, accusing mild-mannered Dawkins and scientists of intellectual arrogance in lieu of Christian apologetics. Dawkins moves on to Israeli Zionism and Palestinian Muslims, including an utterly illogical and hate-filled New York Jew who converted to fundamentalist Islam after emigrating to Israel. It is types such as this fellow who demonstrate Dawkins' point while flattering themselves that they are arguing against it.

Part 2:



Richard Dawkins examines the divisive results of 'abusive' religious indoctrination of children. (I agree with Gray that the scaring of children by threats of hell are indeed egregious, yet they do not rank in severity with genuine childhood abuse–not Dawkins' example of a single incident of fondling, but severe and prolonged sexual, physical, and emotional abuse.) Dawkins moves on to the fact that religions do not provide good guides to morality.

"The God of the Old Testament has got to the be the most unpleasant character in all fiction."


Home

David Attenborough on Atheism

A gently expressed, logical rationale for believing that only natural forces have shaped life on this planet.

I have admired Attenborough since I first saw a very dated program called Life on Earth. He later went on to make and narrate some other wonderful documentaries on natural history.

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Dawkins: CNN interview



Note the rigid and illogical bigotry of the minister. Dawkins is calm and reasonable.

Search YouTube for Richard Dawkins .



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Dawkins: God Delusion and Beyond



The Big Question: Why are we here?: The truth, that we evolved here, is far more satisfying and immeasurably more accurate than the invented non-answers (creation myths and blind watchmakers).

Richard Dawkins: The God Delusion: Richard Dawkins' asserts that belief in god is irrational and inflicts great harm upon societies. Jeremy Paxman interviews Professor Dawkins as part of the Newsnight book club. BBC 9 min 35 sec - 26-Sep-06

Queerer Than We Suppose: The strangeness of science: An interesting examination of "Middle World" and our evolved limitations of perceptual comprehension. Recorded July 2005 in Oxford, UK. Duration: 22:42. From http://www.ted.com/

Dawkins on TED .



BBC Profile of Richard Dawkins

Jonathan Miller interviews Richard Dawkins.



BBC video profile of Richard Dawkins that deals with his books:

Dan Dennett at AAIC '07

Dan starts talking at around 17:20 into the first video, should you want to skip the introductions.
This video has Dan giving an interesting exposition on the fear of 'reflective' theists that atheism really could bring society to a crashing halt in a catastrophic collapse. Perhaps these paranoiacs ought to take a vacation in Norway (cartoon).




In the second video, Dennett discusses the likelihood of disbelief in self-proclaimed 'believers', the "Nancy Drew" conversion phenomenon, "brights" and "supers" and "murkys" (mysterians such as Tom Nagel), coming out of the atheist closet, Concorde fallacies, John Updike, Belief in Belief, weathering of the God concept and doctrinal tweaking towards deism, "they've been on the run for 1,000 years", the embarrassing New Apologetics tricks such as 'witnessing' and 'personal testimony' and how to respond to these con-artist tricks (give notice of being forced into a need to be rude=name the trick and embarass them ), David Sloan Wilson and factual versus practical realism, and optimism.





AAIC 'o7: Ayaan Hirsi Ali at the AAIC :

AAI conference, , , , , , , , , , , Dan Dennett

Doubting Jonathan

This video provides an introduction to Jonathan Miller's Brief History of Disbelief series on the BBC.



Enemies of Reason

Richard Dawkins discusses how superstition can arise in pattern-seeking behaviors and through accidental reinforcement:


Dawkins interviews astrologer Neil Spencer


Should be Expelled

First, take some Gravol or Dramamine, then sit back and watch Pro-ID Ben Stein and yet another cognitive-conservative congratulate one another on shared ignorance and prejudices. Expelled, in case you have managed to avoid knowing of this celluloid travesty, concerns self-designated victims-of-evolutionist-meanies whining about those 'nasty' scientists who refuse to pay heed to creationist pseudoscience.

I have to assume that admittedly science-ignorant Ben Stein actually believes the roborot that he parrots. Stein appears to be reading his lies from cue cards (no, I didn't omit an 'n').

Ben studied economics and law, so perhaps he knows too little science even to invent these more-stupid-than-usual straw man misrepresentations of science. IDiots are typically not only ignorant of the facts of science, but are utterly unaware of what actually constitutes science. One could excuse Ben for not knowing the difference between science and IDiocy, but Judge John Jones is also a lawyer, and he recognized the difference.



Here's the trailer for the movie that could only appeal to the already deluded. "My duty to get the word out, before it's too late . . ."

Clearly a new category is needed to rate movies such as this: "IDiocy Warning: not recommended for audiences with an IQ above 70."



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Exposé

For this exposé of Islamic maltreatment of women, a man was murdered and a woman forced to pay for physical protection, proving that Islam is even worse than depicted here. The murdered man was Theo Van Gogh, the woman Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the movie is entitled Submission.