Friday 21 June 2013

Escape Pod, episode 400: "Rescue Party" by Arthur C. Clarke

Wow. I just listened to something truly awesome. Check out the 400th episode of Escape Pod, the science fiction podcast magazine. For this landmark episode the Escape Artists crew serve up a full-cast performance of a classic SF short story — the very first story sold by my all-time favourite SF author, Arthur C. Clarke. "Rescue Party" was written in 1946, and bears the hallmarks that identify Clarke as the visionary he was later to be acknowledged as.

http://escapepod.org/2013/06/18/ep400-rescue-party/


Clarke is a hero of mine. See this article at HumanistLife to find out why:

http://www.humanistlife.org.uk/2010/06/humanist-hero-arthur-c-clarke-by-paul-s-jenkins/

Disclosure: I've narrated stories for Escape Pod myself in the past. Here's one of my favourites, done for an earlier milestone in the podcast's illustrious history:

http://escapepod.org/2006/04/20/ep050-the-malcontent/

Saturday 1 June 2013

The doom of rational interchange between believers and non-believers

This short thread illustrates why the Unbelievably Distilled Facebook group as a forum for rational discussion between believers and unbelievers is, in my opinion, pretty much doomed:


From another thread: "I'd be pissed about all of the unnecessary suffering he watched happen and did nothing..." My personal take on the problem of evil as an imaginative exercise. God's answer: "Did nothing? I endowed the entirety of Western Civilization with advanced medical technology, incredible excess wealth, leisure time in abundance and logistical ability to deliver any and all aid - food, shelter, clothing and medical to all parts of the world within 24 hours and the free will of everyone of my creations to choose to relentlessly and sacrificially do good as a lifestyle choice. What do you mean I did nothing? By the way, that hungry homeless guy with Hep C you ignored yesterday and the 'junk mail' you shredded asking for donations to build a well in an African village was my way of asking YOU what your answer was to the same question you asked me. Motes and beams, my son, motes and beams."
Like · · Unfollow Post · Thursday at 03:46 near Lawrence, KS