True Dough
True Dough's Journal
America may have way more atheists than previously thought
Well, god damn! (So to speak.)
"The authors of the study, published earlier this year, adopted a novel way to measure atheist identity. Instead of asking about belief in God directly, they provided a list of seemingly innocuous statements and then asked: “How many of these statements are true of you?” Respondents in a control group were given a list of nine statements, such as “I own a dog” and “I am a vegetarian.” The test group received all the same statements plus one that read, “I do not believe in God.” The totals from the test group were then compared to those from the control group, allowing researchers to estimate the number of people who identify as atheists without requiring any of the respondents to directly state that they don’t believe in God.1 The study concludes that roughly one-quarter (26 percent) of Americans likely do not believe in God.2
While this result is fairly stunning and not consistent with any published survey results, there is good reason to suspect that more direct measures significantly underestimate the number of atheists.
The American religious tapestry is continually being re-stitched as new religious groups slowly gain acceptance. Atheists have been on the fringe for quite some time. They remain one of the country’s most disliked “religious” groups: Only 30 percent of Americans have a “warm” view of atheists.3 Research has also shown that even as America has grown increasingly accepting of religious diversity, atheists have been the exception.
Americans express a considerable degree of intolerance toward atheists. More than half of Americans believe atheists should not be allowed to put up public displays that celebrate their beliefs (for example, a banner highlighting Americans’ freedom from religion under the Bill of Rights). More than one-third believe atheists should be banned from becoming president, and similar numbers believe they should be denied the opportunity to teach in public schools or the right to hold a rally."
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/way-more-americans-may-be-atheists-than-we-thought/
Police officer Betty Shelby found not guilty in fatal shooting of unarmed black man
Source: CBS News
TULSA, Okla. -- A white Oklahoma police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black man last year has been found not guilty of first-degree manslaughter after nine hours of jury deliberations.
Tulsa officer Betty Jo Shelby killed 40-year-old Terence Crutcher Sept. 16 on a city street where his SUV had stalled. The video taken of Crutcher's shooting by a dashboard camera and helicopter shows Crutcher walking away from Shelby toward his SUV with hands above his head.
The family of Terence Crutcher burst into tears and reacted with outrage after jurors found Tulsa officer Betty Jo Shelby not guilty in the Sept. 16 shooting.
"Let it be known that I believe in my heart that Betty Shelby got away with murder," Crutcher's father, Rev. Joey Crutcher said after the verdict was announced.
Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/betty-shelby-not-guilty-first-degree-manslaughter//
Here's footage from the incident:
The cover of the Hollywood Reporter is a WINNER!!!
https://twitter.com/THR/status/864057899517173760GO SNL!!!
LaGarrette Blount signs one-year deal with the Eagles
A source told ESPN's Josina Anderson that the deal is worth up to $2.8 million, with a base value of $1.25 million and incentives worth upward of $1.55 million.
The Patriots had issued an unrestricted free-agent tender potentially worth $2.1 million to Blount last week before the May 9 deadline that ensured the running back will count toward the 2018 compensatory pick formula. Blount was the only player in the NFL to receive the UFA tender this year.
A source told ESPN last week that clubs expressing interest in signing Blount had been vetting a deal structure that can navigate the compensatory pick calculation. It is unclear whether the Eagles structured Blount's deal in such a way as to avoid it counting toward the 2018 compensatory pick formula.
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/19402631/philadelphia-eagles-sign-rb-legarrette-blount
Pastor attempts to walk on water, gets eaten by crocodiles
That's unfortunate...
Jonathan Mthethwa of the Saint of the Last Days church brought his congregation to the area known locally as Crocodile River before attempting his biblical recreation.
According to witnesses, the pastor entered the water and waded out approximately 30 metres before attempting to make his way to the surface. Unfortunately for the pastor, three crocodiles pounced and devoured him.
Only his sandals and underwear were recovered, according to a report in the Daily Post.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4505420/Pastor-eaten-crocodiles-demonstrating-Jesus-water-walk.html
SNL hits 7-year ratings high with Melissa McCarthy return as Sean Spicer
This week’s episode, which featured host Melissa McCarthy’s return as White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, averaged a 2.7 rating in adults 18-49 and 10.3 million viewers, according to Nielsen overnight data. The previous best May episode aired in 2011, with host Justin Timberlake and musical guest Lady Gaga drawing a 3.7 rating.
It’s also the number two episode of the season in total viewers, behind only the Feb. 11 edition, which drew 10.8 million and featured host Alec Baldwin, and the number three episode of the season in the key demo, behind only the Feb. 11 episode and the Nov. 12 episode with host Dave Chappelle.
In addition, the demo rating is good enough to tie with the CBS sitcom “The Big Bang Theory” as the highest-rated broadcast show of the week.
http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/snl-ratings-melissa-mccarthy-return-sean-spicer-1202426457/
Former MLB umpire Steve Palermo dead at age 67
RIP Steve.
"Steve Palermo was a great umpire, a gifted communicator and a widely respected baseball official, known in our sport for his leadership and courage. He had an exceptional impact on both his fellow Major League Umpires and baseball fans, who benefited from his ability to explain the rules of our game," MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.
Palermo, who lived in the Kansas City area, had been in poor health.
He worked the 1983 World Series, several playoff series and the All-Star Game. He consistently drew praise from players, managers and fellow umpires for his work.
http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/19383354/former-mlb-umpire-steve-palermo-passes-away-67
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