Direct Download In this episode we cover more of Trump's cabinet picks. This time we take a look at his nominations for Attorney General, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Education, and Secretary of Energy. This isn't funny anymore. 10 things to know about Sen. Jeff Sessions- Washington Post Will Rick Perry Promote Science at the Department of Energy? -The Atlantic Betsy Devos and the Plan to Break Public Schools- The New Yorker Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/seriouspod Follow us on Twi...
Jan 02, 2017•44 min
Direct Download In this episode, we start taking a look Trump's picks for his cabinet members; beginning with his choices for Secretary of State and Secretary of the Treasury. Just to be sure we have some perspective, we go over the job descriptions and look at some of the individuals that held these positions during the Obama and G.W. Bush administrations. You might say we have some concerns... Will ‘drain the swamp’ be Trump’s first broken promise?- Politco Rex Tillerson, an Aggressive Dealmak...
Dec 29, 2016•47 min
The podcast name change is officially underway!! It's going to take a little while for everything to filter through, but as you should already be noticing, things are different. Joining me for episode 1 of Serious Inquiries Only is multi-time guest and everyone's favorite ex-Scientologist Chris Shelton! Check out his website here. Chris was recently the target of a Scientology hate-page , which is something of a badge of honor, but is also a very odd thing to go through. We find out just what Ch...
Dec 26, 2016•52 min
A few weeks ago, Eli and I had a conversation with two people who may or may not be characterized as trolls. This can be found on AS298. In the beginning of that recording, Eli made a bit of a speech on empathy which contained a lot of insight but also wasn’t quite perfect. We … Continue reading AS304: Clarifying Empathy, with Eli Bosnick → The post AS304: Clarifying Empathy, with Eli Bosnick appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Dec 22, 2016•1 hr 30 min
Joining me for today is Noelle George, Executive Director of Foundation Beyond Belief! Since the holidays have rolled around again and you’ve likely started to hear the annoying, holier than thou jangle of constant Salvation Army bells outside of every grocery store and mall, I thought it might be a good idea to talk with someone … Continue reading AS303: Doing Charity Better, with Foundation Beyond Belief → The post AS303: Doing Charity Better, with Foundation Beyond Belief appeared first on At...
Dec 19, 2016•45 min
Here’s the 3rd and final part of my episode 300 spectacular! Joining me first is Andrew Torrez from the little known fledgling podcast Opening Arguments! First we do a little reminiscing, then a segment where I try to play the lawyer and he plays the questioner! Finally, we discuss the hate speech law that Jake … Continue reading AS302: Andrew Torrez and Cognitive Dissonance! → The post AS302: Andrew Torrez and Cognitive Dissonance! appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Dec 15, 2016•1 hr 18 min
Two more great guests for part 2 of the 3 part episode 300 spectacular! First up is Ishmael Brown of the Angry Black Rant podcast. Ishmael is someone I really enjoy speaking to because he’s thoughtful, provocative, and hilarious all in one. We talk about whitelash, Colin Kaepernick, and other post-Trump victory issues facing our … Continue reading AS301: Angry Black Rant and Jake Farr-Wharton! → The post AS301: Angry Black Rant and Jake Farr-Wharton! appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Dec 12, 2016•1 hr 7 min
Joining me first to kick off my extra special 300th episode, 3 part, 3+ hour extravaganza are none other than Noah, Heath, and Eli of the Scathing Atheist and God Awful Movies! Oh right, and the Skepticrat… I interview the guys on a few different topics related to their particular approach to atheist activism and … Continue reading AS300: The Scathing Atheist, Plus a Personal Message and Announcement! → The post AS300: The Scathing Atheist, Plus a Personal Message and Announcement! appeared firs...
Dec 08, 2016•46 min
Alright the response for part 2 of the discussion that went bad was actually pretty overwhelming. Eyeballing it, I’d say it was at least 4 to 1 in favor. However, the people who didn’t want to hear part 2 had really good reasons… So I’ve sort of split the difference. I’m going to talk a … Continue reading AS299: Let’s Get Into the Arguments → The post AS299: Let’s Get Into the Arguments appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Dec 05, 2016•1 hr 8 min
Well, this is the recording you may have heard or seen me allude to. Joining me is Eli Bosnick, Mike, and Dustin. WARNING: This episode contains a lot of profanity. This is an attempt at a really difficult conversation between two sides coming from way different perspectives. It will be up to you to judge … Continue reading AS298: The Best Podcast Ever, Part 1 → The post AS298: The Best Podcast Ever, Part 1 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Dec 01, 2016•50 min
In today’s episode I talk about several very striking examples of misleading headlines that have been created and shared in furtherance of the narrative that the PC police are ruining our lives. When I investigated these news stories though, I found that the truth was somewhat more complex and in many cases the stories were … Continue reading AS297: Are the PC Police Out to Get Us? → The post AS297: Are the PC Police Out to Get Us? appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Nov 28, 2016•44 min
I’m joined once again by James Lindsay! James has a new book out with some very useful insights on death. Find it here. The first 20 minutes we talk a bit about the election and the fact that many of James’s listeners are likely Trump supporters, despite James himself not being one. Then from there we … Continue reading AS296: Life in the Light of Death, with James Lindsay → The post AS296: Life in the Light of Death, with James Lindsay appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Nov 24, 2016•1 hr
Time for part 2 with Michael A. Wood Jr! Michael is a retired Baltimore police officer and veteran of the USMC. He originally went viral in 2015 for publicly speaking out against police brutality and has become an advocate for police reform. Part 2 focused on problems in policing and his proposed solutions to them, among other topics! … Continue reading AS295: Michael A. Wood Jr, Part 2 → The post AS295: Michael A. Wood Jr, Part 2 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Nov 21, 2016•44 min
Today’s guest is Michael A. Wood Jr! Michael is a retired Baltimore police officer and veteran of the USMC. He originally went viral in 2015 for publicly speaking out against police brutality and has become an advocate for police reform. We had a wide ranging discussion, with part 1 focused more on his background and how he … Continue reading AS294: Michael A. Wood Jr, Part 1 → The post AS294: Michael A. Wood Jr, Part 1 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Nov 17, 2016•46 min
Here is part 2 of my truly excellent recording with Andrew and Eli. We commiserate, we give our answers to a lot of the common questions, we laughed, we feared and I feel slightly better knowing I’ll still have these two amazing people and more to get me through this. I hope everyone else is as … Continue reading AS293: President Trump’s Second Term, with Eli Bosnick and Andrew Torrez → The post AS293: President Trump’s Second Term, with Eli Bosnick and Andrew Torrez appeared first on Atheistica...
Nov 14, 2016•58 min
It f*cking happened. President Trump. We elected President Trump. The first 12 minutes of this episode are my live reaction from Tuesday night when it happened. It may make you uncomfortable. It’s raw and emotional but it’s how I was feeling. I left it in in case it helps anyone feel less alone in this. … Continue reading AS292: President Trump, with Eli Bosnick and Andrew Torrez → The post AS292: President Trump, with Eli Bosnick and Andrew Torrez appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Nov 10, 2016•58 min
On October 25th, the SPLC released this report identifying 15 individuals who they view as anti-Muslim extremists. Some inclusions make total sense, but 2 stood out: Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Maajid Nawaz. Do their claims about Maajid and Ayaan survive scrutiny? Find out. Here are some links I reference: Great Atlantic article Guardian article on Quilliam … Continue reading AS291: What In the World Is The SPLC Thinking? → The post AS291: What In the World Is The SPLC Thinking? appeared first on Atheis...
Nov 07, 2016•47 min
Got a nice long action packed episode for you today. In what was originally going to be a two parter, Phil Torres and I talk about the simulation argument made popular by Nick Bostrom. I highly recommend you read the original paper and some of the other resources found here. In the second half, I make … Continue reading AS290: Are We Living In A Simulation? With Phil Torres → The post AS290: Are We Living In A Simulation? With Phil Torres appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Nov 03, 2016•1 hr 10 min
Today we are joined by Michelle. Michelle works with a group that defends abortion rights by volunteering as safe escorts for patients through protestors. Recently some of the tactics the protestors have used are against local laws and local police have not been responsive. We talk to her about the experiences of her and the … Continue reading AS289: Abortion Clinic Escort, Michelle → The post AS289: Abortion Clinic Escort, Michelle appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Oct 31, 2016•38 min
I’ve got plenty of interviews loaded up for the coming weeks, so I wanted to get in one final commentary on this election before we vote Trump out of relevance. I’ve got several new thoughts that I haven’t yet expressed in Tommentary form, so don’t worry it’s fresh stuff! I talk about my final verdict … Continue reading AS288: A Final Election 2016 Episode (VOTE!!!) → The post AS288: A Final Election 2016 Episode (VOTE!!!) appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Oct 27, 2016•47 min
Joining me today is Alonzo Fyfe, who publishes the blog “Atheist Ethicist.” We talk about some really interesting topics including implicit biases and how they’re affecting this election. Alonzo has a theory that, though they might not be aware of it, most people who are anti-Hillary are actually victims of their own implicit biases. We … Continue reading AS287: Atheist Ethics and Implicit Biases, with Alonzo Fyfe → The post AS287: Atheist Ethics and Implicit Biases, with Alonzo Fyfe appeared fi...
Oct 24, 2016•46 min
Today we are talking to Dr. Robert Price about the historicity of Jesus. Dr. Price is a former Baptist minister and current Professor of Biblical Criticism at the Center for Inquiry Institute. He has written and spoken extensively on this topic. In this part 2 we cover the references to Jesus found in Josephus. Find … Continue reading AS286: Dr. Robert Price on Jesus Mythicism, Part 2 → The post AS286: Dr. Robert Price on Jesus Mythicism, Part 2 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Oct 20, 2016•43 min
Today we are talking to Dr. Robert Price about the historicity of Jesus. Dr. Price is a former Baptist minister and current Professor of Biblical Criticism at the Center for Inquiry Institute. He has written and spoken extensively on this topic. In this episode we talk about Jesus as the Mythic Hero Archetype and combination … Continue reading AS285: Dr. Robert Price on Jesus Mythicism, Part 1 → The post AS285: Dr. Robert Price on Jesus Mythicism, Part 1 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ...
Oct 17, 2016•41 min
My guest today is Dr. Ken Camargo. We discuss the anti-vaccination movement, the facts about vaccination, and what is behind all the misinformation out there. Ken is an MD with a Master’s and a PhD in public health, a professor and researcher of the graduate program in public health at the Institute of Social Medicine, … Continue reading AS284: Vaccines Are Not Killing Us! with Ken Camargo → The post AS284: Vaccines Are Not Killing Us! with Ken Camargo appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Oct 13, 2016•1 hr 11 min
Today’s episode is a Tommentary on… Trump. Look I can’t help it, he’s the news right now. I’ve got a few thoughts on Trump’s taxes and his comments on PTSD that may run counter to what you’ve been hearing. Also I speculate on what a liberal version of Trump might look like. Hey come see … Continue reading AS283: The Liberal Version of Trump → The post AS283: The Liberal Version of Trump appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Oct 10, 2016•51 min
Today’s episode might be a bit of a departure but this is a very important topic to me. No matter what your views on the whole social justice divide might be, I am hoping that Tracey’s story of online harassment might make an impact. Tracey is not at all sensitive to male attention online. It’s … Continue reading AS282: How Not To Hit On Tracey Moody → The post AS282: How Not To Hit On Tracey Moody appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Oct 06, 2016•1 hr 7 min
My guest today is Leigh Schmidt. Leigh has a Ph.D. in religion from Princeton and his latest area of study is the irreligious. He has written a book called Village Atheists in which he discuses the history of atheism and looks at specific examples of atheists in US history. His book was the subject of an … Continue reading AS281: Village Atheists with Leigh Schmidt → The post AS281: Village Atheists with Leigh Schmidt appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Oct 03, 2016•56 min
Dr. Richard Carrier has launched a lawsuit against several parties, including prominent atheists that the listeners will likely be familiar with. You can find the details spelled out pretty well here. I wanted to learn more about these cases in general so I invited legal expert Andrew Torrez on the show to teach us! Stay … Continue reading AS280: Richard Carrier’s Lawsuit, with Andrew Torrez → The post AS280: Richard Carrier’s Lawsuit, with Andrew Torrez appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ...
Sep 29, 2016•1 hr 8 min
Today we delve even further into the study found here. We talk more about the implications and possible explanations for the ultimate finding, which of course was a strong effect of people evaluating the danger of a situation not based on actual risk but on moral judgment. The post AS279: No Child Left Alone, Part 2 appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Sep 26, 2016•45 min
For the next two episodes I bring you a fascinating discussion with two of the three researchers who conducted the study described here. This is the perfect topic for this show because it illustrates how badly our intuitions track the data sometimes. It’s also a critical issue that could affect any of us! I hope you … Continue reading AS278: No Child Left Alone → The post AS278: No Child Left Alone appeared first on Atheistically Speaking ....
Sep 22, 2016•48 min