People Worth Your Attention / BibleName Foto's Camera Needs Your Help

The atheist movement is jam packed with hidden heroes.  JT Eberhard's talk at Skepticon 6 was about this not well enough known fact.  One of those hidden heroes was a friend, someone who I've mentioned here before.  He's someone I've been meaning to do a People Worth Your Attention post on for a long time, so this post will double as that.

Photo credit:  @aparticularA

He tries to stay relatively hidden but cannot because his talent is on display in some notable places.  Although, it's still not what I think he deserves.  The way JT put was spot on.  He puts a face on atheism.

The thing that makes him worth your attention isn't that Keith Lowell Jensen has used his photos.

It's not that both Keith & Shelley Segal are currently using them as their profile pictures.  The magic of Biblename Foto is that his Facebook page & Flickr (for higher resolution pictures) are a constant example of the fact that atheists are real people with real personalities and real emotions.  He does photograph theists too, but him being at an atheist conference is the single best way to get a great picture of everyone there not wearing that conference's code for "do not photograph me".

My post about Apostacon being done was only a fraction of the pictures that came from that weekend.  I ended up doing another post, with more pictures, and it was still not even close to all of them.  Just for Apostacon, he had to separate it out into 5 albums.

Apostacon, Day 1! (Friday evening)

Photo credit:  Biblename Foto

Apostacon Saturday, Part I

Photo credit:  Biblename Foto

Apostacon, Sat (part II)

Photo credit:  Biblename Foto

The Meat Ball!!! (And Dueling Pianos)

Photo credit:  Biblename Foto

Sunday Is Apostaday

Photo credit:  Biblename Foto

He worked his magic at Skepticon 6 too.

Photo credit:  Biblename Foto

Photo credit:  Biblename Foto

Photo credit:  Biblename Foto

Photo credit:  Biblename Foto

Photo credit:  Biblename Foto

Photo credit:  Biblename Foto

Photo credit:  Biblename Foto

Photo credit:  Biblename Foto

Photo credit:  Biblename Foto

Photo credit:  Biblename Foto

Photo credit:  Biblename Foto

Photo credit:  Biblename Foto

Photo credit:  Biblename Foto

It's ridiculous how much longer I could go with this string of pictures, but I've got to cut it off somewhere and finally get to the reason this post is happening tonight instead of later down the road.

This weekend, Biblename's camera got broken.  Not only does did it give us all of the above photos (except for the first one, which I took and intentionally put first to show the clear difference in quality a good camera provides), but it's also his primary means of income.

With the help of a friend who works at a camera store, we can get the camera repaired for roughly $500.  An effort to raise this money has been started, with a variety of ways to donate.  If you're able and willing, the primary method is to use PayPal to send money to jcrouch702@yahoo.com.  Anything beyond what it takes to get him camera capable again will also go to him, as a "thank you" for all the work he puts into this, most often for free.

However, I do not make this request without bias.  He is one of my favorite people, after all.  But would it not be a tragedy if these photos were to end?

As mentioned above, his work can found on Facebook & Flickr.

Silverman's Meme Face Is A Necklace

If you're at Skepticon 6^[1], you should stop by the American Atheists^[2] table to see some of the Surly-Ramics^[3] that were made special for them.

For instance, this one honoring the tides^[4].

Photo Credit:  @mzdameanor^[5]

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.  http://skepticon.org/
2.  http://atheists.org/
3.  http://surlyramics.com/
4.  http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/are-you-serious-face-seriously
5.  http://twitter.com/mzdameanor/status/401401568802533376

Greece v Galloway Plaintiff Joins Secular Coalition For America Weekly Conference Call

The Secular Coalition For America^[1] does a weekly conference call each Thursday at noon (Eastern time).  This week, they were joined by Linda Stephens,^[2] one of the plaintiffs for Greece v. Galloway^[3], a case challenging prayer in public meetings which has been taken all way to the Supreme Court^[4].

Stephens talked about how prayer, and Christianity has apparently been used in the town of Greece by a town official to increase his own political power, including how a mega church in town passes out biased voter guides.  I only have her word to go on here, but it's definitely something worth investigating further for anyone in the area who cares about Church, State Separation.

It's not far fetched to think what Stephens said is happening could be true.  It's not like churches aren't doing shady things in regards to elections^[5].

She also spoke briefly about some of the harassment she and Susan Galloway received as a result of the case, including mentioning that the harassment made one of the other plaintiffs back out.  This also isn't unsurprising, considering what happens to atheists who don't want to pray even without suing^[6].  And we all know Jessica Ahlquist's story^[7].

For more on the case, see Americans United^[8].  For updates, follow SCOTUS Blog^[9].  Or just pay attention, because once the decision is announced, it'll be hard to miss.  Especially if they actually do the right thing, which would cause Fox News, and the rest of the right wing media, to lose their minds.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.  http://secular.org/
2.  http://secular.org/event/national-secular-movement-update-call-48
3.  http://www.pewforum.org/2013/11/04/in-brief-supreme-court-revisits-legislative-prayer-in-town-of-greece-v-galloway/
4.  http://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/12-696_6j37.pdf
5.  http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wwjtd/2013/11/i-suspect-theres-no-way-this-is-legal-theres-certainly-no-way-its-ethical/
6.  http://youtu.be/sTRDRP2n4Sk
7.  http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/05/09/atheist-student-who-sued-school-you-cant-imagine-the-things-ive-heard/
8.  https://www.au.org/our-work/legal/lawsuits/galloway-v-town-of-greece
9.  http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/town-of-greece-v-galloway/

Skepticism And Local News

I'm not a fan out how media in Omaha promotes woo^[1].  And, of course, all local news stations used Halloween as an excuse to do stories on ghosts.

KMTV, our CBS affiliate featured Omaha's ghost hunter team PRISM, investigating the supposedly haunted Hummel Park^[2].  Fortunately, they Omaha historian Howard Hamilton, who debunked the claims.  Although, they didn't air the actual debunking and left it open for people to believe anyway, despite having just reported that it had been debunked.

KPTM Fox 42 did a better job of it^[3].

Although, I'm probably biased since the 2 skeptics speaking in this video are friends, and the 3rd one is me.

Both of these aired on Halloween night.  It was a fun excuse for them to talk about ghosts, and I commend them for actually giving skeptics some air time.  I wish they'd do it more often.  I wish they'd stick to it

It only took them one day until one of the channels went back to promoting woo, with no correction^[4].  Given the amount of people on KETV's Facebook^[5] who believe this guy enough to give him money, they completely failed in their duty to inform the public.

Unfortunately, I fear being responsible reporters was merely a Halloween costume.  My only consolation was the interest KPTM's Laura Berry showed in potentially doing more debunking reporting.  Only time will tell if she follows through on it and if her lets her do it.

Past experience has me skeptical^[6].

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.  http://aparticularblogbyaparticularatheist.blogspot.com/2013/10/radio-host-gives-psychic-his-due-while.html
2.  http://www.jrn.com/kmtv/news/230152121.html
3.  http://youtu.be/f9UrKVCjtoI
4.  http://www.ketv.com/news/local-news/omaha-man-says-he-can-talk-to-the-dead/-/9674510/22748378/-/n09dtnz/-/index.html
5.  https://www.facebook.com/ketv7/posts/10151721523916977
6.  Pun intented

Christian Bigot, Kevin Swanson Wants You To Buy Girl Scout Cookies

Right Wing Watch has posted clips of Christian Radio hosts Kevin Swanson & Dave Buehner saying some stupid shit^[1] about the Girl Scouts, "lesbianism" [sic], and singer Sara Bareilles^[2].  In the clips, Kevin Swanson begs their listeners to not buy Girl Scout cookies.

The individualism of feminism has been devastating to this country. I’d say you ought to say no the Girl Scout cookies too. I don’t want to support lesbianism, I don’t want to support Planned Parenthood and I don’t want to support abortion, and if that be the case I’m not buying Girl Scout cookies.

He hates women being equal to men (feminism), lesbians, Planned Parenthood, and women having control over their own bodies (abortion).  So he's not buying the cookies.  But I love all those things.  So I'll be buying plenty of them this year.

He's also got a problem with the Girl Scout's stated vision:

It does and I don’t want to promote a wicked organization that according to its own website doesn’t promote godly womanhood, it just doesn’t, I don’t see anything that promotes godly womanhood. The vision of the Girl Scouts of America is antithetical to a biblical vision for womanhood, it’s antithetical to it.

Let's take a look at their website to see what it says.  From their Advocacy page^[3]:

Girl Scouts of the USA's advocacy efforts help demonstrate to lawmakers that Girl Scouts is a resource and an authority on issues affecting girls. Based on almost 100 years of experience and developed from extensive research, the Girl Scout Public Policy and Advocacy Office:

• Encourages girls' healthy living through combating Relational Aggression and promoting girl-positive media images;
• Ensures girls feel emotionally and physically safe;
• Promotes girls' involvement in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM);
• Develops financial literacy skills; and
• Gives a voice to girls in underserved communities.

I wonder if it's anything from in that getting Swanson all upset.

Or maybe it's something from their page on Diversity^[4]:

Diversity has been a core value of Girl Scouts since its founding in 1912. At a time of segregation and before laws promoting civil rights were passed, our founder, Juliette Gordon Low, ensured that African-American, American Indian and Hispanic girls were able to become Girl Scouts. She led efforts to make Girl Scouting available to girls who lived in rural and urban areas, to girls who were rich, middle class and poor, and to girls who were born in this country as well as immigrants.

Since his complaint is a lack of Biblical womanhood, let's take a look at womanhood in the Bible.

1 Timothy 2:11-12^[5]

11 A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.

There's also Ephesians 5^[6], which I recently wrote about in more detail^[7].

22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that Kevin Swanson is a sexist who has a problem with women being independent, without a man in charge of them.  What else could he mean by "Biblical Womanhood"?^[8]  He's an asshole for that and probably many more reasons.

I hope you'll join me in buying Girl Scout Cookies this year, and then tweeting pictures of the purchase to Kevin Swanson^[9].  I want him to know just how much his hate has backfired.  I want this asshole to know he's helped the Girl Scouts, not hurt.

Personally, I'll be sending him pictures^[10] of my future Sara Bareilles purchases as well.

If you can't support any of them financially, following them on social media supports them in its way.

Girl Scouts^[11]: Twitter^[12] & Facebook^[13].

Sara Bareilles^[14]:  Twitter^[15] & Facebook^[16].

National Planned Parenthood^[17]: Twitter^[18] & Facebook^[19]

Planned Parenthood of the Heartland^[20], where I send donations directly:  Twitter^[21] & Facebook^[22]

However you choose to support any of these, please let Kevin Swanson know you've done so.  Maybe even thank him pointing you toward them to let him know how much he's helped them.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.  http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/kevin-swanson-begs-you-not-buy-communist-lesbian-girl-scout-cookies
2.  href="http://www.amazon.com/Sara-Bareilles/e/B0017PAUAM/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&qid=1382410558&sr=8-1&tag=omahathe-20
3.  http://www.girlscouts.org/who_we_are/advocacy/
4.  http://www.girlscouts.org/who_we_are/diversity/
5.  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Timothy+2%3A11-12&version=NIV
6.  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+5&version=NIV
7.  http://aparticularblogbyaparticularatheist.blogspot.com/2013/09/gender-equality-in-bible.html
8.  http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/eccl/women.htm
9.  https://twitter.com/kevinpswanson
10.  https://twitter.com/aparticularA/status/392495018772271104
11.  http://www.girlscouts.org/
12.  https://twitter.com/girlscouts
13.  http://www.facebook.com/GirlScoutsUSA
14.  http://www.sarabmusic.com/
15.  https://twitter.com/SaraBareilles
16.  https://www.facebook.com/sarabareilles
17.  http://www.plannedparenthood.org/
18.  https://twitter.com/PPact
19.  https://www.facebook.com/PlannedParenthood
20.  http://www.plannedparenthood.org/heartland/
21.  https://twitter.com/PPHeartland
22.  https://www.facebook.com/PPHeartland

Radio Host Gives "Psychic" His Due While Others Promote Them

Morning radio in Omaha could use a dose of skepticism.  I wish we had more hosts like Minnesota's Cory Cove.  A "psychic" was in his studio, and Cory let the guy have it^[1].



98.5's Pat & JT^[2] have an astrologer on regularly. 94.1 frequently has Rebecca Rosen^[3] on to pretend to talk to the dead relatives of the grieving.  Both stations have "Psychic Andy"^[4] on to spew his bullshit^[5].  Pat & JT are even promoting him and some other forms of nonsense during an event they're calling “Pat and JT: After Dark!”^[6].  They're somehow affiliated with the Twitter account @OmaHaunts^[7] that exists to promote nonsense.

This is the actual video they're saying is evidence of this bullshit^[8].

Media outlets are promoting this crap in my town.  While they're not journalists, they should still at least be held to the standard of basic reality.

By promoting frauds like Rosen & Andy, they're doing real harm.  They lend credibility to scams.  People spend hard earned money on this shit, while foregoing real help.  Especially dangerous is the "healing" Andy & his sister offer^[9].

Holistic Healings
This service is for those who have suffered long enough and are not seeing results from Western medicine.  Its for those who want to be proactive in enhancing their positive personal energy. Energy Transfer by Elizabeth is a hands-off approach to healing which means she does not touch you as she does the energy work. She is able to pull the negative energy causing aches, pains, emotional blockages and replace it with positive, healing energy that brings you back to your true potential.

Elizabeth Myers
$55 Pet Energy Sessions- House calls
*Discounted price for Cancer patients- Call The Center for more info

It's disturbing to think about how many people, with real cancer, have skipped real medicine and instead let this quack pretend to do "energy work", whatever the fuck that is.  People die because this fraud is allowed.

Contact information for Pat & JT & Q 98.5:
E-mail^[10]
Facebook^[11]
Twitter^[12]
Studio Hotline: 402-962-9898
Business Line: 402-342-2000

Channel 94.1:
Contact Page^[13]
Facebook^[14]
Twitter^[15]
Phone:  402-938-9400

These stations should be ashamed of themselves for promoting fraud.  Good thing for me, there's other radio stations for those rare times I'm actually listening to terrestrial radio.  Because I won't be listening to either of these while they still have this shit on their air.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.  http://www.kfan.com/media/podcast-the-power-trip-kfan-fm-1003-KFAN_PowerTrip/1014-cory-cove-gets-vicious-with-23835311/
2.  https://www.facebook.com/patandjtshow
3.  http://www.csicop.org/specialarticles/show/running_hot_and_cold_psychic_medium_rebecca_rosen/
4.  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Psychic-Medium-Andy-Myers/329626572722
5.  http://www.intuitiveomaha.com/
6.  https://www.facebook.com/patandjtshow/posts/67373332263728
7.  https://twitter.com/OmaHaunts
8.  http://youtu.be/tPBuHnW8trs
9.  http://www.intuitiveomaha.com/services
10.  patandjt@q985fm.com
11.  http://www.facebook.com/patandjtshow
12.  http://twitter.com/#!/patandjt
13.  http://www.channel941.com/contact/
14.  https://www.facebook.com/Channel94.1Omaha
15.  https://twitter.com/Channel941Omaha

Sometimes Companies Fix Errors With Class

Part of my morning routine involves checking a small Facebook list I have that includes Shirt.Woot's page^[1], so I can see what new t-shirt they have available.  This morning, they had an interesting new pair of shirts^[2].

Maybe you noticed the same limitation I did.  It leaves out homosexuals.  Other Woot members noticed the same thing, and spoke up about it on the comments section^[3].  So what did Woot do about it?

They fixed it^[4]  by adding 2 new options^[5], gave them the 1st day price for the first 24 hours, and will have all 4 available on the same page after that.

It makes me happy when a place where I spend money does something inclusive.  It's not that I'd have boycotted^[6] them if they hadn't fixed it.  To be honest, I likely wouldn't have even noticed.  But that just makes this that much better.

Well done, Shirt Woot peoples.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.  https://www.facebook.com/shirt.woot
2.  http://shirt.woot.com/offers/i-prefer-someone-with-brains
3.  http://shirt.woot.com/forums/viewpost.aspx?postid=5577761
4.  https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=661666427190476&set=a.485343014822819.120534.122039181153206&type=1
5.  http://shirt.woot.com/offers/i-prefer-someone-with-brains-1
6.  http://aparticularblogbyaparticularatheist.blogspot.com/2012/07/chick-fil-does-not-want-your-money.html