The new “Meetup” button will take you directly to the most up to date and active expressions of HASD.

Jason will be hosting on the holiday weekend. Come by and wrap up the summer with a chance blow off some steam. He will certainly be entertaining with some audio/video content.

Announcing a new Meetup for Humanism San Diego: Humanist Association of San Diego Meetup!

What: Join SDARI’s meetup this Sunday: Benjamin Radford on Paranormal.
When: Sunday, June 19, 2011 7:00 PM

Where: Joyce Beers Uptown Community Center
1220 Cleveland Ave. 3900 Vermont Street
San Diego, CA 92103
619-646-2191

Reflections on a Decade of PARANORMAL INVESTIGATION

featuring Benjamin Radford

Sunday, June 19th, 7 PM

Join writer and scientific paranormal investigator Benjamin Radford as he discusses the nature of “ unexplained mysteries” such as ghosts, Bigfoot, crop circles , and psychic powers. What does science say about the evidence for these topics? What is the nature of the “unexplained”? And why is there still debate about these issues? Radford will draw from case studies over a decade of personal investigations into these and dozens of other topics. Skeptics and believers alike will enjoy this interesting and informative talk. There will be plenty of time for audience Q&A.

Benjamin Radford is a research fellow for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, managing editor of Skeptical Inquirer science magazine and author of five books. He has written over 500 articles on various topics, including urban legends, mass hysteria, mysterious creatures, and media criticism.

Radford is a columnist for Discover News, Livescience.com and Skeptical Inquirer. He has appeared on The Discovery Channel, CNN, National Geographic Television, the Learning Channel, and the Discovery Science Channel as well as MTV. The meeting will be held at the Joyce Beers Community Center (across the street from Trader Joe’s in the Uptown Shopping Center off Washington in Hillcrest). The address is 1230 Cleveland Avenue (92103), although the Joyce Beers Community Center faces Vermont Street. It is next door to the Aladdin Restaurant.

Donation requested to help defray expenses ($5 to $10)

Here is a map link: http://maps.google.co….

C’mon by and let off some steam. If you haven’t been screaming at your TV, computer or iPod because of all the insane news of the week, Jason will fill you in on what you’ve been missing. If you think he might not be up to speed on what’s grinding your gears, print it out or jot it down and bring to the TDeli Saturday night and we’ll all hash it over with you.

He’s also going to get us up to speed on what’s going on with the American Humanist Association and his exciting involvement.

If you love these remixes as much as I do, go to their website, The Symphony of Science, and check them all out. They’re absolutely fantastic.

Ode to the Brain

A Wave of Reason

THE DVD IS OUT! Please support us and help to support Bruce who was kind enough to give his time and energy to professionally recording and editing our conference! Plus get a copy of the most awesome event ever, hosted by yours truly, The Humanist Association of San Diego!

The “SoCal Secular Humanist Conference, 2011″ DVD set is edited and ready to be enjoyed by the Humanist/Atheist/Agnostic/Freethinker/Skeptic community. Listen to entertaining speakers, engaging insights and thought-provoking lectures.

Enjoy over 8 hours of insightful lectures on a 2-DVD set with:

• Dan Barker – Freedom From Religion Foundation Co-President
• August Berkshire – Long time Atheist Activist workhorse and tireless Humanist Activist
• Tom Flynn – CSH Director
• David G. McAfee – Author of “Disproving Christianity”
• “Mr. Deity” Brian Keith Dalton
• Bobbie Kirkhart, – Atheist United President
• Sean Faircloth – Secular Coalition for America Director
• Roy Speckhardt – American Humanist Association Executive Director
• Maggie Ardiente – American Humanist Association Development Director
• Jason Frye – LGBT Humanist Council Coordinator and President of the Humanist Association of San Diego
• Michael Newdow – Lawyer, spearheading the removal of the In God We Trust motto

and many more!
Only $45 plus $5 shipping at http://freethoughtalliance.org/DVDs/sdhc2011.html

Someone sent this to me via email . I thought it was worthy of sharing…

Here is an added Chinese version with subtitles:

A couple of nights ago, after an evening of  unsuccessful sleep attempts, I decided to take a drive to my local 7 Eleven to pick up some milk and hot cocoa mix. As I grabbed my items, I noticed an older black man behind the counter waiting to ring me up. He struck up a conversation with me as I approached the register:

“Hi there! You find everything OK?”
“Yep, thank you.”
“Kinda late. What brings you here at this hour?”
“Just having some trouble sleeping. Thought some hot chocolate would help.”
“Ohhhh, I know how that goes. Just trust in the Lord and everything will come into perspective.”

Wait… What? What did the lord have to do with my inability to sleep? But I wasn’t in the mood to get into a debate with the 7 Eleven guy at 2:30 AM so I politely thanked him and pursed my lips.

While I was at the counter, another girl came in and also mentioned she was having trouble sleeping. The clerk pointed her to some “sleepy time” drink in the back and swore by it. I decided to try it myself so I went to the back of the store to grab it and overheard the clerk reiterating the same lord spiel he gave me. By the time I returned to the counter, he was telling the girl that he was going to send Jesus her way. He pointed at me and said, “And you too!” to which I replied, “I appreciate it but I think I’ll pass.”

He looked SHOCKED – like I had just murdered his first born. “Wha.. what does that mean?”, he stuttered.
“I’m an Atheist. I don’t believe in god.”
The girl next to me – “I’m Agnostic”
The clerk was flabbergasted. “When you’re sick and dying, who will you pray to?”
“I won’t. When it’s my turn to go, I’ll just go.”
The girl next to me – “Yeah, pretty much.”

He politely thanked me and the other girl for our patronage and said goodnight but he had the look of a child who had just been told that Santa wasn’t real.

Should I be offended that there are those that insist on sharing god with me without caring to know whether I’m a believer or not? – or do I view it as someone simply saying “hello” in a language I don’t understand? I’m torn between the two. What do YOU think?

The U.S. House of Representatives has just voted to bar Planned Parenthood health centers from all federal funding for birth control, cancer screenings, HIV testing, and other lifesaving care.

Please sign this letter to congress to help stop this insanity.

I’ve never been a big fan of Criss Angel but I have a whole new respect for him after this…