Episode 90 – Marathon Recording Session – Part Un

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Randy

Another week, another episode… Welcome to the Legion of Reason. Last night’s recording session was a marathon that spanned over three hours, so once again it will be a split episode. In the second half, we discuss the first case of H5N1 bird flu in North America (http://www NULL.cbc NULL.ca/news/health/alberta-woman-who-died-of-h5n1-was-in-her-20s-1 NULL.2490018), giving Red Deer a dubious distinction, the recent depletion of influenza vaccine in Alberta (http://www NULL.edmontonjournal NULL.com/health/Province+expects+vaccines+Friday/9365227/story NULL.html) along with a terrible report from CTV News Calgary on what you can do to limit your chances of contracting influenza (http://calgary NULL.ctvnews NULL.ca/more/medical-watch) if you missed out, and an article in Slate that entreats us atheists to be more assertive (http://www NULL.salon NULL.com/2014/01/11/15_ways_atheists_can_stand_up_for_rationality/). In the first half, Twylla gives us her feisty take on a recent CBC item on pesticides found on organic foods (http://www NULL.cbc NULL.ca/news/canada/manitoba/pesticide-residue-found-on-nearly-half-of-organic-produce-1 NULL.2487712). But first, a controversial decision by York University to commit gender segregation all in the name of religious accommodation (http://news NULL.nationalpost NULL.com/2014/01/08/york-university-professor-who-refused-students-request-to-be-separated-from-female-classmates-broke-obligation-to-accommodate-officials/).

Don’t forget! Peter Boghossian will be in Calgary Sunday, January 19 at 3 pm (https://www NULL.eventbrite NULL.ca/e/lecture-by-peter-boghossian-author-of-a-manual-for-creating-atheists-tickets-9913754306)!

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Episode 90 – Marathon Recording Session – Part Deux

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Randy

Welcome to the Legion of Reason and part 2 of our marathon episode where Twylla, Kris, Haysn and I discuss an article in Slate that entreats us atheists to be more assertive. But before that, we talk about the recent depletion of influenza vaccine in Alberta (http://www NULL.edmontonjournal NULL.com/health/Province+expects+vaccines+Friday/9365227/story NULL.html), the first case of H5N1 bird flu in North America (http://www NULL.cbc NULL.ca/news/health/alberta-woman-who-died-of-h5n1-was-in-her-20s-1 NULL.2490018), which gives Red Deer a dubious distinction, and a CTV News Calgary report on how to protect yourself from contracting the flu if you missed out on the vaccine (http://calgary NULL.ctvnews NULL.ca/more/medical-watch). It ain’t pretty.

Don’t forget! Peter Boghossian will be in Calgary Sunday, January 19 at 3 pm (https://www NULL.eventbrite NULL.ca/e/lecture-by-peter-boghossian-author-of-a-manual-for-creating-atheists-tickets-9913754306)!

Podcast: Play in new window (http://media NULL.blubrry NULL.com/legionofreason/p/www NULL.legionofreason NULL.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/LoR-090a NULL.mp3) | Download (http://media NULL.blubrry NULL.com/legionofreason/p/www NULL.legionofreason NULL.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/LoR-090a NULL.mp3)

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Episode 89 – New Year’s Extravaganza!

Posted on January 10, 2014 by Randy

In this is the first release of the year we look back to the world of 2013 as it might have been if psychics could accurately predict anything (http://www NULL.relativelyinteresting NULL.com/2013-failed-forgotten-psychic-predictions/) and look forward to 2014 (http://www NULL.torontosun NULL.com/2013/12/25/psychics-predict-mayor-rob-fords-2014) and the things that we can be pretty sure won’t happen. And since we can make stuff up too, we give our own predictions for the coming year. But first, some news about the three of us on the big screen in February and Pope Frank entreats us all to join him in desiring world peace. We give our own take on the matter.

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Episode 88 – Faisal Al-Mutar

Posted on December 23, 2013 by Randy

Welcome to episode 88 of the Legion of Reason podcast, and Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, whatever your preference. The podcast will have a one-week hiatus as I will be away after Christmas, but I will be providing an interview Haysn did with Stephanie Zvan and Pharyngula’s PZ Myers at the American Atheists conference earlier this year. Later on we talk with Faisal Al-Mutar, Iraqi-born founder of the Global Secular Humanist Movement (https://www NULL.facebook NULL.com/GSHMP). Faisal is a life-long nonbelieving émigré to the United States, and Haysn, Twylla, Kris and I discuss Middle Eastern sectarian strife and the secular movement on a global scale. But first, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall has a less-than-secular Christmas message (https://www NULL.youtube NULL.com/watch?v=BawVAAJJhzY&fb_source=message) for the citizens of the province. Way to preach from political office, jerk!

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Episode 87 – The Atheist Census with Spencer Lucas

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Randy

We have with us (Twylla, Christine and Randy) this week on the Legion of Reason Spencer Lucas, coordinator of the Atheist Census (http://atheistcensus NULL.com/) sponsored by Atheist Alliance International (http://www NULL.atheistalliance NULL.org/). We take a look at some of the interesting and surprising demographics of those making themselves known to the world, if anonymously. We invited Spencer to stick around to listen to Pat Robertson divulge the nefarious plan of atheist club to destroy Christmas (http://www NULL.youtube NULL.com/watch?v=cxj1NJ8nh-8) and make everyone feel as miserable as we feel. Which is true, actually, since I would love it if everyone felt as miserable as we do, which is to say we don’t! And William Lane Craig gives us atheists a Christmas gift (http://www NULL.foxnews NULL.com/opinion/2013/12/13/christmas-gift-for-atheists-five-reasons-why-god-exists/) through the medium of Faux News. Thanks for the laugh, Craig! That was a great gift! Well, get a gift, give a gift…

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Episode 86 Part 2 – No Billboard For You!

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Randy

Part 2 of this week’s Legion of Reason!

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Episode 86 Part 1 – No Billboard For You!

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Randy

It’s December 8 and welcome to the Legion of Reason. We have an extra long one this week and so I’ve split it in two to keep your eyes from glazing over. In this episode, Twylla, Christine, Haysn and I discuss the refusal by the Vatican to submit to a request from the United Nations for information regarding the worldwide epidemic of sexual abuse of children by clergy (http://www NULL.bbc NULL.co NULL.uk/news/world-europe-25204805). How about a little transparency for once without having to pry it out of the Holy See’s dead fingers? In New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan has engaged the services of a PR agency in an attempt to better sell banning same-sex marriage (http://www NULL.newslo NULL.com/catholic-church-outsourcing-same-sex-marriage-fight-to-top-ad-agency/). I guess the pope’s infallibility isn’t enough anymore. Kenyan sufferers of AIDS are going to Pentecostal pastors to ‘treat’ their affliction (http://www NULL.queerty NULL.com/pentecostal-pastors-in-kenya-burn-hiv-drugs-in-favor-of-prayer-20131207/) while they watch their medications go up in flames. In a Time magazine article we atheists are yet again denigrated (http://science NULL.time NULL.com/2013/11/27/why-there-are-no-atheists-at-the-grand-canyon/). Apparently, no one who goes to the Grand Canyon and sees it in all its splendor and remain a non-believer and must submit to “God did it” as they are over-awed. For a science columnist, he completely gets the science wrong. How many times do we have to say it? The ability to find wonder and awe at nature does not equal god belief! The journal that published an anti-GMO paper by Gilles-Eric Séralini has retracted the work (http://www NULL.cbsnews NULL.com/news/journal-retracts-genetically-modified-corn-tumor-rats-study/) citing methodological flaws and conflicts of interest that peer review somehow missed. We’ve been Andrew Wakefielded again! And we discuss why some of us – not yours truly! – feel that having a life-size statue of Ronald McDonald in the basement or Xmas nutcrackers is creepy. But first, I talk with CFI Canada’s Chief Spokesperson Justin Trottier about yet another secular humanist-positive ad campaign rejection in Vancouver (http://www NULL.calgaryherald NULL.com/news/Atheist+advertising+rejected+Vancouver/9253641/story NULL.html) without explanation.

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Episode 85 – Justin Schieber

Posted on December 8, 2013 by Randy

This week on the Legion of Reason, special guest Justin Schieber from the Reasonable Doubts (http://freethoughtblogs NULL.com/reasonabledoubts/) podcast joins Haysn, Kris and me to share with us his personal journey to atheism and some counter-apologetics. Enjoy the discussion!

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Episode 84 – Ding, Dong! The Witch Is Dead!

Posted on December 6, 2013 by Randy

Still catching up on the backlog… One more to go after this one. Episode 84 was recorded November 24, 2013. Christine, Twylla, Haysn and I present another potpourri episode. Later, Twylla’s head hurts over trying to figure out the thinking process of those who rely on alternative-to-medicine to cure what ails them. Case in point is the recent tragedy of a child who died of strep throat. Let me say that again – STREP THROAT! an infection easily treated. The mother was treating her son with herbal remedies (not homeopathy as we were led to believe prior to the podcast recording, but nary a difference…) and following an eight-month investigation, she was charged with criminal negligence causing death and failing to provide the necessities of life (http://globalnews NULL.ca/news/985030/calgary-mother-arrested-in-connection-to-7-year-old-sons-death/). The Illinois bishop who wanted to exorcise the state’s same-sex marriage law (http://www NULL.queerty NULL.com/illinois-bishop-to-same-sex-marriage-law-i-exorcize-you-20131122/#ixzz2lUY4IKRC) carries out his threat, but did the law’s head do a full turn on its neck? Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey warns that Christianity is at risk of dying out in a generation (http://www NULL.telegraph NULL.co NULL.uk/news/religion/10458380/Christianity-at-risk-of-dying-out-in-a-generation-warns-Lord-Carey NULL.html). But Carey, I can’t wait that long! And we have found the Evil Empire, and it is Walmart. But first, we lament the demise of self-styled psychic Sylvia Browne (http://www NULL.nytimes NULL.com/2013/11/22/arts/television/sylvia-browne-dies-at-77-self-proclaimed-psychic NULL.html?_r=2&). Why am I reminded of a song from the Wizard of Oz?

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Episode 83 – Skepticon Report

Posted on November 30, 2013 by Randy

I have to preface this episode with an apology to our listeners. I know I haven’t released a new episode in a few weeks, despite recording a few. Sometimes life just gets in the way of editing. We’ve had family over helping with basement renos, which I’m still doing, and an intolerable situation arose at work that has stressed and preoccupied me the last few weeks. Seriously, we were talking “Mutiny on the Bounty” threat level. But we had a meeting yesterday that hopefully has resolved things and I can get back to putting out podcast episodes, and I have a short backlog to clear. Anyway, in this episode, recorded November 16, 2013, Haysn and Kris join Twylla and I from Skepticon for another potpourri episode. Topics include opposition to a BC company introducing genetically-modified apples which do not brown (http://www NULL.ctvnews NULL.ca/health/groups-against-non-browning-gm-apples-fear-u-s-approval-1 NULL.1539832). Why would anyone oppose eating something that isn’t the color as going in as going out? An Alberta school district debates the existence of prayer in public schools (http://calgary NULL.ctvnews NULL.ca/alberta-school-board-mulling-decision-to-drop-lord-s-prayer-1 NULL.1541754) – in the 21st century, no less! Maybe this is the secret behind why Taber corn is so sweet. In typhoon-ravaged Philippines (http://m NULL.now NULL.msn NULL.com/jesus-statue-survives-typhoon-in-the-philippines), Jesus shows he loves statues of himself more than those that worship him. USA Today publishes a wonderfully critical exposé on Stanislow Burzynski (http://www NULL.usatoday NULL.com/story/news/nation/2013/11/15/stanislaw-burzynski-cancer-controversy/2994561/) and his claims of a cancer cure, the clinical trial for which has been going on for a quarter of a century without result! An Illinois bishop plans to exorcise “teh gay” (http://religion NULL.blogs NULL.cnn NULL.com/2013/11/15/illinois-bishop-plans-gay-marriage-exorcism/) out of his state. What a maroon. But first, we get a Skepticon report from Haysn and Kris…

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