cultural observation
grrlscientist | September 8, 2009tags: Obama, education, school, public school, politics, streaming video
Nearly 24 hours ago, President Obama delivered a national address to students across the country to encourage them to work hard on their education. This speech, which ignited controversy among this nation's political conservatives and racists, was delivered to a group of students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, VA.
grrlscientist | September 7, 2009
Who: Eric Maisel, PhD
What: free public presentation, "Living Well Without Gods"
Where: University Settlement, 184 Eldridge Street (and Rivington St.) [map] 273 Bowery (Bowery & Houston) [map]
When: 730pm, Thursday, 17 September
Eric Maisel, PhD, is the author of more than thirty works of fiction and nonfiction. His latest book is The Atheist's Way: Living Well Without Gods, in which he discusses how to find rich personal meaning in life despite the absence of beneficent gods and the indifference of the universe to human concerns.
In his book, Maisel addresses atheists who don't always…
grrlscientist | September 7, 2009Today is Labor Day in the United States. This holiday is designed to honor those of us who are lucky enough to have employment -- you know, a job that actually pays a living wage. Today, we honor work by ... not working.
Most people in America view Labor Day weekend as the last weekend of summer, so those of us who can afford it usually indulge in a mini-vacation intended for rest, relaxation and partying. To help us along in this endeavor are many clothing store discount sales, new movie releases, college football games (often the first official game of the season), parades and fireworks…
grrlscientist | September 6, 2009tags: religion, violence, genocide, fundamentalism, MtlRedAtheist, streaming video
This is the second in a series of videos that address some of the violent, absurd and atrocious Bible stories being taught to children in Sunday School around the world today. This video discusses the Sunday School Bible story Joshua and the Battle of Jericho. This story describes how God ordained the extermination of the people of Jericho, a disgusting and unethical practice known as genocide.
Teaching this to children is designed to teach them to have faith in God. However, it is an excellent example of how…
grrlscientist | September 5, 2009tags: religion, miracle, watermelon, satire, humor, Mitchell and Webb, streaming video
The religious respond to the discovery of a watermelon whose seeds spell out: "There is no god!"
grrlscientist | September 4, 2009tags: parrots, Kakapo, Strigops habroptilus, BBC Two, Last Chance to See, endangered species, BBC Two, Mark Carwardine, Stephen Fry, streaming video
Following in the footsteps of Douglas Adams, Stephen Fry joins Mark Carwardine to travel to some of the most remote places on earth in search of endangered animals. In this clip, Stephen Fry jokes about some of the names given to birds in New Zealand.
You might also be searching for this video: Shagged by a Rare Parrot.
I am very jealous of all you peeps who live in the UK: BBC Two is starting this series, Last Chance to See tomorrow! Alas, I…
grrlscientist | September 1, 2009tags: facebook, twitter, internet, technology, cyber stalking, Onion News Network, ONN, humor, satire, fucking hilarious, streaming video
There are times when I am grateful for having been shunned by my family since the age of fifteen: Christmas being the most notable among them. But the Onion News Network reminded me of yet another reason to be happy I don't have to deal with them: Facebook and Twitter! In this streaming video, 'E-Mom' Gloria Bianco shows Jim and Tracy how geographical distance is no longer a roadblock to shamelessly interfering with the lives of your children.
grrlscientist | August 31, 2009tags: dance, evolution of dance, humor, satire, fucking hilarious, streaming video
I've shown this video to you before, but I think it's worth a repeat. This video features comedian, Judson Laipply, demonstrating the evolution of dance (along with the appropriate music). If you can, watch this video full screen.
grrlscientist | August 30, 2009tags: religion, violence, mental illness, fundamentalism, MtlRedAtheist, streaming video
This is the first in a series of videos that address some of the violent, absurd and atrocious Bible stories being taught to children in Sunday School around the world today. This video discusses how Abraham almost murdered his son because he heard god telling him to do so. And people wonder why fundamentalists of all Abrahamic religions are so violent?
This story is about Abraham and Isaac. In the Bible, God wanted to test Abraham's faith by commanding him to murder his son as a sacrifice. Abraham was…
grrlscientist | August 28, 2009tags: coming out, sex advice, homosexuality, evangelical families, Dan Savage, streaming video
Dan Savage moved to Seattle while I lived there and began writing a sex advice column for The Stranger. I never missed reading his column because he was honest and accurate and entertaining. Regardless of where in the world I've been since, I have followed his career. This video clip features Dan at University of Maryland, speaking on the tough subject of coming out to a very Christian family. It gives you a little perspective when you hear the story he tells of the abuse that a boyfriend of his…
grrlscientist | August 26, 2009tags: Barack Obama Town Meeting, Jon Stewart, health care reform, comedy, humor, funny, streaming video
In this video, The Daily Show host, Jon Stewart muses "Mr. President, I can't tell if you're a Jedi -- 10 steps ahead of everything or if this whole health care thing is kickin' your ass just a little bit. Why is this so hard?" He rants. "Why can't you guys just stay on message? Remember the Bush team? Little bit of discipline, little bit of repetition. They sold us a war nobody wanted and nobody needed."
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Heal or No Heal - Medicine…
grrlscientist | August 25, 2009tags: iPhone, technology, Apple, comedy, humor, funny, streaming video
Apple's iPhone ads tell you that whatever you want to do, "there's an app for that." But what if you're trying to solve problems with the iPhone itself? Here's a ad spoof that addresses this, too.
grrlscientist | August 25, 2009tags: cultural observations, Sam Harris, atheism, human behavior, humor, funny, streaming video
This video is an interesting interview with Sam Harris, author of The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason and Letter to a Christian Nation.
grrlscientist | August 24, 2009tags: cultural observations, Bill Maher, atheism, human behavior, humor, funny, streaming video
Yet another brilliant series of cultural observations from Bill Maher. Why doesn't this guy run for president?
grrlscientist | August 24, 2009tags: cultural observations, Lewis Black, travel, health insurance, humor, funny, fucking hilarious, streaming video
Lewis Black has a bunch of colorful opinions on a bunch of topics, from world travel to health insurance and the different sorts of milk in the average supermarket. May not be safe for work (language).
grrlscientist | August 24, 2009tags: cultural observations, email, pets, humor, funny, fucking hilarious, streaming video
This short video gives you a fly-on-the-wall view of why email was invented: pets!
grrlscientist | August 23, 2009tags: cultural observations, Lewis Black, travel, health insurance, humor, funny, fucking hilarious, streaming video
Bill Maher talks about the relationship between religion and political office, noting that most Americans would not vote for a political candidate who does not believe in a god of some sort.
grrlscientist | August 22, 2009I've struggled with being introverted all of my life. I am not exactly shy (although I tend to be in many circumstances), but I am reserved. Many people find this intimidating, and I have been told many many times that I need to change my personality so other people will like me. Of course, this advice made me feel more uncomfortable rather than less, since I was constantly trying to ascertain what other people's expectations were and then attempting to fit in while simultaneously feeling like a complete fraud. So I avoided social situations whenever possible, spending most of my life by…
grrlscientist | August 21, 2009tags: health care crisis, American Health Care, Jonathan Cohn, social commentary, streaming video
In this video, Jonathan Cohn, Senior Editor of The New Republic and author of Sick: The Untold Story of America's Health Care Crisis -- and the People Who Pay the Price, discusses the history of America's health care crisis.
In his book, the author convincingly argues that Medicare and universal health care in such countries as France, though not perfect, are far superior to the system most Americans face. And, as you are well aware, Americans are provided health care by for-profit insurance…
grrlscientist | August 21, 2009tags: socialized health care, Bill Maher, humor, funny, satire, fucking hilarious, social commentary, streaming video
I am one of more than 40 million Americans who cannot afford health care -- and I think America SHOULD have government-funded health care, as Bill Maher points out so eloquently in less than two minutes.
When I had surgery (to place a titanium plate into my badly fractured wrist) in Finland, my hospital gown covered everything, and it was made from real fabric, not that see-through tissue paper that is used in American hospitals. So Maher's observation has more merit than…