CAL MACDONALD RAISES OVER $5,000 FOR ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS
Cal Macdonald runs internationally renowned podcast: Trolling with Logic
24-hour charity marathon attracted internet glitterati
Scottish Secular Society member attracts international attention to Scotland
Cal Macdonald has today raised $3,630 from around the world for international secular organisation Engineers without Borders from his 24-hour charity marathon. Donations are still coming in! Macdonald, 35, runs his Trolling with Logic podcast from his one-bedroom at in Aberdeen which he shares with his two Bearded Dragon reptiles, Gorn and Grimlock. Macdonald, originally from Stornoway, became a secular freethinker after questioning the religious proselytising and pressure he witnessed growing up on his island home. He said this morning: “I was OK for three hours after the event while the mixture of elation and Monster (energy drink) started to wear off. There were a few technical hiccups but we made it. The money and texts are still coming in. I’ve just been contacted privately by a generous individual so impressed by our efforts he’s adding a further $2,000!”
Author and founder of the Scottish Secular Society Garry Otton who participated in the podcast said: “It’s like free, pirate radio when authorities raided broadcasting stations set up with an aerial strung across the top of a block of flats. Its raw and immediate programming that provides a voice for those on the fringe of the mainstream media. And who say atheists don’t do charity?”
The 24-hour marathon podcast kicked off on Saturday, 5 July at 17:00 BST and 12:00 EST from Scotland with the Scottish Secular Society. The hour-long podcast featured the SSS Chair, Spencer Fildes, author Garry Otton, author of ‘Religious Fascism’, and Mark Gordon; the parent who started a petition to opt-in to Religious Observance, joining the podcast from Switzerland.
Personalities from England and Ireland appeared before America awoke and more of their personalities started to appear on the show. The 24-hour marathon podcast was presented by Cal Macdonald and assisted by Sheila Blackadder, Alex Lundberg , Michael Kitching , Marty Mer (Sweden), Da Max Man, AngryPumpkin , Sarah Mee and Michael Diaz. The show featured DJ Steve; stand-up comic Dick Coghlan who, unbeknown to him had four viewers sponsoring the number of times he would say ‘f*ck’. (It was 79 times); Atheist Ireland President Michael Nugent; Doctor of Philosophy and Humanist Julian Baggini; mathematician and educator Katie Steckles; blogger and
virologist researcher specialising in nding an HIV vaccine Abbie Smith; Matt Dillahunty; Steve Shives; particle physicist and educator on the video series ‘60 symbols’ Phil Morarty; Science of Sarcasm; Baud2Bits; Darrel Ray; Science Babe; Venaloid; Logicked; Armoured Skeptic; Awesome Crew Show; Physics Girl; King Crocoduck; Travis Simmons; A-News; the Jinn & Tonic Show and the Anti-Matter Bandits. The marathon show wrapped up with an award for Idiot of the Year which went to New Age guru, Jordan of Spirit Science.
Trolling with Logic has been running for five years and started as a group of people making collaborative videos on YouTube. It now runs as weekly show starring skeptics, freethinkers, secularists, atheists, scientists, philosophers, comedians, geeks and internet personalities otherwise marginalised by the mainstream media.
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