1922-2010

The People’s historian has passed on. Humanist Howard Zinn has died at 87, while swimming in California. Zinn changed our Historical conscience by giving us one.

Howard Zinn Dead At 87

Howard ZInn Historian Who Challenged Status Quo Dead at 87

Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, and Alice Walker remember Howard Zinn

J.D. Salinger Dead at 91

J.D. Salinger Dead at 91

GUILTY!

Scott Roeder Convicted of Murdering George Tiller

CBS Superbowl Ad Controversy

Abortionists Yes! Gays a No Go!

Fundamentalists to Play Anti-Abortion Ad During Super Bowl

CBS Rejects Gay-Dating Site Superbowl Ad

Several years ago the United Church of Christ unsuccessfully attempted to feature a Superbowl advertisement for their churches, illustrating their church’s welcoming of homosexual congregants. Since that time, CBS has stated their policy to not show issue ads. Enter 2010, Superbowl XLIV. James Dobson’s Focus on the Family has recruited Gators’ Quarterback Tim Tebow to star in an anti-abortion spot. Though breaking its CBS has decidedly stayed true to its tradition of no-gay friendly ads. CBS cites insecurity of the credit-line of successful Canadian gay-dating firm “Mancrunch”, in their decision to reject a proposed ad. The ad (seen below), features two fans, finding love over the game and popcorn. For a touchy subject such as abortion, why prevent the advertisement of gay-love… If there was one group of people who are least likely to get an abortion, it is most definitely gay men. But, if gays don’t go over well in football; at least they will still have their skin tight pants, their communal showers, and grab ass.

Haggard No Longer Gay

According to a new book by Gayle Haggard, her husband Ted, was cured of homosexuality through therapy. Now isn’t that fabulous?

Apple Unveils iPad

LANGUAGE ARTs

Virginia County School Board Pulls Diary of Anne Frank over vagina passage

Anne Frank Diary Banned By School District

Dictionary Banned over “oral sex”

Voice of Scientology wants his money back

Larry Anderson, the “voice of Scientology,” upon resignation from the Church of Scientology has asked for his money back; $120,000 to be precise. Scientology spokesman Tommy Davis has said that reimbursement is mute, due to Anderson’s lack of following procedure. In the 1996 Scientology-recruitment video, Anderson announced, ”If you leave this room after seeing this film and walk out and never mention Scientology again, you are perfectly free to do so. It would be stupid. But you can do it. You can also dive off a bridge or blow your brains out. That is your choice.”

Separation of Church & State

Zandari Slaughters Goats to Ward off Evil Spirits

US Grants Home-Schooling German Family Politcal Assylum

Youth Pastor Elected to NV Sex Ed Committee

AZ Bill Fires Up Church State Fight

Judge: Prayer Before NC Meeting: Unconstitutional

OHIO Judge Has No Right to Promote Religion in Court Room

German Homeschoolers Granted Political Assylum

Forsyth County Must Stop Sectarian Prayer At Public Meetings

Panel To Favor Partial Veil-Ban in France

117 In Hospital After Drinking Holy Water

Space & Science News

Would Space Aliens Need Redemption?

How Eating Grass-Fed Beef Could fight Climate Change

Channeling your inner Alien? Maybe, Scientists Say

NASA Accepts Mars-Rover Stuck for Good

Lead may be the culprit in ADHD

Whiff of Mystery in Planetary Science

Venus Flytrap for Nuclear Waste

Can men be trusted to take Contraceptive Pill?

New Compound Could Be Alternative Strategy to HIV Prevention

Light Extinguishes Dark-Matter Claims

Water-Vapor Could be Behind Global Warming Slow-Down

Monarch Butterflies reveal in a novel way how animals sense earth’s magnetic field

Dinosaur Had Ginger Colored Feathers

Plans for Alien-Contact Found Wanting

Italy May Dig up Da Vinci

Gates Foundation Pledges $10B for Vaccines

John Paul II: Self-Flagellator

What is your papal-safeword?

Pope John Paul II has been outed as a self-flagellator this week in a new biography. The previous pontiff engaged in the Opus-Dei practice of self-flegellation to feel closer to Christ.

STATE OF THE UNION

State of the Union Transcript

Obama-Alito Tensions Surface at State of the Union

OBAMA scolds SCOTUS

Pentagon Plan on DADT ready for Congress

HUMANIST CHARITIES

Haiti’s Developments: 16-days-later

Haiti Earthquake Relief: How You Can Help

UPDATE 01/15 4:12pm: Thanks to the generosity of over 300 members, Humanist Charities is sending $23,450 from the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund to purchase food and supplies for the people of Haiti. The AHA sent the donation via wire transfer to a secure credit union in the Dominican Republic, where the money will be used by Sebastian Velez to secure food and supplies to deliver to the people in Jacmel, a city near Port-au-Prince devastated by the earthquake. A gift of this size had made it possible to provide the largest truck filled with supplies. The trucks and Dominican NGO teams will travel Saturday evening to begin distributing the food.

In an email sent to the AHA at 5:00pm today, Sebastian Velez writes: “I cannot begin to express how much good this will do, and how important it is that the help came so fast. I’m off to a meeting and feel elated that we Humanists have such a big presence. I also need to break the news that instead of $5,000, we have $23,000!” A full report and photos will be posted on Tuesday.

Humanist Charities of the American Humanist Association is proud to has supported Sebastian Velez’s brave efforts to secure food and supplies for the people of Haiti after this devastating attack. Your donations were quickly put to work and directly contributed to the purchasing of food and supplies that will quickly aid the people in Jacmel. From all of us at the American Humanist Association, thank you for responding quickly and giving generously in a time of great need.

Humanist Charities will continue to accept donations to the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund throughout the weekend.

UPDATE 01/15 at 10:45am: Sebastian Velez, with the help of several Dominican NGOs, are organizing a trip with food and supplies to Jacmel, a city near Port-au-Prince, that was also severely destroyed but has not yet received supplies nor attention. The teams and trucks are planning to leave Saturday night and have secured an armed escort to bring them to Haiti. Mr. Velez reports that “this is our best chance to send food immediately.” Humanist Charities has so far donated $5,000 to this effort, resulting in the largest truck with the most supplies. Mr. Velez is coordinating the distribution and will continue to keep us updated.

A devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck the impoverished Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince yesterday afternoon, causing the destruction of thousands of buildings and a death toll that could reach many thousands. Officials report tens of thousands of people were left homeless.

Humanist Charities of the American Humanist Association (AHA) expresses its deep sorrow for the people affected by the massive devastation caused by the earthquake. To ensure rapid and effective response to this tragedy, Humanist Charities has established the Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund to support the relief efforts going on right now.

Humanist Charities is working with Sebastian Velez, evolutionary biologist at Harvard University and director of the Children of the Border project, which works to protect the rights and expand access to medical care and education for Haitian immigrants. Humanist Charities has previously supported Mr. Velez and the Children of the Border project when AHA members helped raise over $2,500 to expand emergency medical service for expectant mothers living in the Haitian border region of the Dominican Republic in 2008.

Mr. Velez is currently in Haiti assessing the situation and will report back to us a humanist or secular organization that can receive funds directly to help with relief efforts. If none is found, Humanist Charities will make a donation to the American Red Cross’ International Response Fund on your behalf.

We urge all members of the humanist and freethought community to join us in the relief effort. You can make a donation to the Humanist Charities’ Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund online atwww.humanistcharities.org or calling 800-837-3792.

We also encourage members to support international nonsectarian relief organizations such as the American Red Cross, Direct Relief International, Doctors Without Borders, Operation USA, and Partners In Health.

OTHER NEWS

World’s Oldest Dog is put to sleep

Former al Qaeda member alleges US abuse in Afghanistan-BBC

Bin Ladin Age Progressed Photos-ABC

Doomsday Clock moved one minute further away from midnite

Weight Watchers Floor Collapses Under Dieters-Telegraph