That's the thing, to me it looks like the supposedly humorous shows are way better at giving you the facts.
They claim they are entertainment, but do a pretty good job at educating their viewers.
Mass Media however, claims they have the news, but only focus on easily digestible stuff and talking points.
No wonder, a lot of people are ignorant - staying informed is hard work! You have to look at different sources and you can't even trust the candidate you favor - they are all lying :(
But "the governments and villages in Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan" are not put on a war criminal trial.
If Bush had followed the Constitution, none of this Iraq mess would have happened.
From the Yahoo article:
Even if they find him innocent, Hamdan may not be released. The military retains the right to hold "enemy combatants" considered a threat to the United States — even those cleared of charges by the tribunals.
So yes, if the outcome doesn't matter, this trial is a joke.
A lot of people just don't care. They don't want to download a Browser, if their computer shipped with an Operating System that already had one.
So unless Microsoft no longer bundles IE with Windows and Windows with hardware, IE is here to stay and in the lead no less.
A vast number of people claims they believe in a talking snake and you tell us that we can't believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster???
a) seems like a no on McCain....
Vote Republican, if you favor explicit entertainment! (see link below)
McCain seems to be a bit senile already. The only way he could still get elected is, if people really like his running mate. Never did any VP have such a great chance to the office ;)
I don't think the stigma will change before it is legalized.
.
If it was, everybody could see that is is less dangerous than alcohol for sure.
Wow, was that your first serious argument? Sorry, if you had read the other side of this debate, you would know that I do have kids.
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Locking a child in a room alone does not encourage a kid to think at all. They will sit lonely in a corner.
You have to tell your kid, what it did wrong and why you didn't want this to be done.
A short spank on the bottom is surely no more cruel then locking a kid in their room for who knows how long.
BS. There is no law against it in the US
I don't see a big difference between locking in a room and spanking.
If spanking encourages violence, what does locking into a room encourage?
So what do you do, if your kid does not stay in its designated timeout spot?
I will try everything I can to never hit my kids.
But on the other hand, I know how aggravating kids can be (from when I was a kid) and would not judge parents that do smack their kids too hard, if I don't know the full story.
It should be a last resort, but reasoning will sometimes only get you so far. By the way, verbal abuse can be at least as damaging to a child's ego as an occasional slap on the bottom.
Face it, there is almost no way to stop a person from committing suicide - if the person is really committed!
What gives us the right to tell a person, what to do with their live? (I'm talking about a sane and mature person here)
If we had suicide facilities, paired with counseling, I doubt that suicide rates would go up.
Even illegal immigrants pay sales tax. Often times they have a fake SSN, so they pay taxes like everybody else.
I'm an immigrant as well, albeit a legal one, and I pay a shitload of taxes in the US (most of which are not used the way I like).
Instead of subsidies I favor mandatory emission standards. If the only way to reach them are electric cars, the industry will have to build them.
Also, make gas really expensive and invest the money into research.
Wait, but we have about 3 metric tons of wood from his cross!?! ;)
The picture says it all.
Er, no the topic of the debate is that porno degrades - so you have to say how.
Also, why do you have to be married to have sex? I say: Find out if your compatible in bed first!
There is almost no way around indoctrinating your child. You are trying to give your kid values - your values. Since it will take quite a while until your kids are old enough to evaluate your values, you are indoctrinating.
The only thing you can do is to encourage critical thinking, teach logical reasoning and healthy distrust of authority and in the end your "kid" will be able to shed the parts of the unwanted parts of the indoctrination.
The only problem is when you don't do the critical thinking part, which doesn't seem to be high on the list of values for the ultra-religious types. So they are stuck with the ideology and have no way out.
No really - I mean it :)
That's how it is in Germany and many other EU countries - drinking (beer & wine, no liquor) at 16 and Driver's License for the car at 18.
Women in general are not keen on showing their breasts. If it gets exposed for a second, while putting the child on, so what?
I don't understand how the site of a boob negatively affects anyone.
It's the most natural thing in the world to nurse your baby. Numerous benefits have been shown. Sometimes babies get hungry on the road, so you have to feed them.
If some people are too sensitive to a little breast, that is their problem (What did those grow up on?). You can't even see the nipple, because that is where the baby is latching, so it is no different from wearing a bikini!
No, I just declared you an enemy very calmly, after reading about the 20th argument from you that was supposed to be a joke.
No, because it is not Science.
The word science is derived from the Latin word scientia for knowledge, the nominal form of the verb scire, "to know".
Creationism is based on Faith, not knowledge.
Location: Arlington, Virginia.
And which God are you talking about?
Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Hera, Hermes, Hestia, Poseidon, Zeus, ...?
I'm not sensitive to the truth.
'Happy Holidays' is not what upsets me, it's that people think they have to be PC and can't say 'Christmas'.
Just because she is a women? No way.
If she is elderly, pregnant, has a kid with her, etc. sure, but just being female does not earn you my seat.
I thought women want to be treated as equals?
There were no WMDs. The intel was false and the CIA and other experts knew it.
Generations of Americans will have to pay the bill, 100,000s are dead and pretty much everything your president told you about the war was a lie. And you can justify that still? Just wow!
With which of all your blunders can we most successfully impeach you?
I'm not sure which answer is which, but I don't have any believes anyway. So I just didn't know.
If my son is going to steal the hearts of pretty boys, so be it.
These days, that doesn't even mean I won't have grand kids ;)
I really thought gay-hating was so last century, but judging by all the debates on that topic, there is still a lot of tolerance missing.
No, Hillary sucks.
Do I really have to back it up with facts? ;)
This has gotten way out of hand.
Even as a non-religious person, I get angry if somebody wishes me a 'Happy Holidays'. WTF is wrong with you?
The best part: The people that are supposedly 'protected' don't care. For example, a major Muslim organization said last year they are completely fine, if we celebrate Christmas.
Last October our neighborhood was plastered with banners for a 'Harvest Festival' with costume competition! Either you are doing Halloween and get to dress up, or you are not. Get over it!
Bring 'em on!
So far it seems like the Reality-based community is winning most debates.
And it's always funny to watch how "blind faith" tries to reason with logic.
PS: Spellings doesn't pays your bills either ;)
I'm with you on that one. I do play the guitar - just campfire style, I can accompany a song with chords. But practicing is demanding.
Guitar Hero is something totally different. It is just for fun, nothing artistic about it. The only thing it trains might be your rhythmic abilities.
I love both :)
At least 80% of the time, the driver in front of me drives like an idiot, it's someone on a cell phone.
If you think you are any better: YOU ARE NOT!
Hang up and drive!
Kids know when they are lied to.
Especially kids that had a long illness.
And being lied to won't make them feel better.
Any proof for your self worth claim?
I appreciate my friends by taking their calls - not by turning of VM and telling them to send an email.
And how exactly is communicating via email any better than on a cell phone?
While I agree with your 'talking while driving' point, what are the phone-radiation health hazards you are talking about?
Don't even honor it by calling it "alternative Medicine" - it is not Medicine at all!
I think it's fine for people that have too much money to spend it on the "alternative feel-good crap".
The more responsible Witchdoctors will at least send people to a real doctor, when they are seriously ill. But there are also charlatans that exploit the people that have gone through everything medicine had to offer and extort them for their last penny, selling them false hope. That is criminal!
Homeopathy - the most expensive water you can buy.
Acupuncture - no double blind study has ever demonstrated any positive effect.
Chiropractic - .... oh I'm getting tired of this. Read for yourself at Science-Based Medicine.
I admit it, I don't care at all about other people performing sports. It just doesn't interest me at all.
I'm not talking about playing a sport yourself and supporting your team to the max - totally understandable. But why on earth do millions watch total strangers run after a ball? (it wouldn't be so hard to come up with a different excuse to get drunk and eat food that clogs up your arteries).
And the ridiculous amounts of money the "players" make - that all comes out of our pockets: Expensive Tickets and expensive consumables that finance advertisement. And even worse, my tax money also supports this billion dollar enterprise :(
And in the end it turns out those guys are not really that good - they had to take performance-enhancing, illegal drugs that might kill them, to perform, what they did. Supporting this in any way seems immoral to me.
I don't know where to begin on how broken the lobbyist system is.
How can a system, where the parties in power have the sole goal of maximizing profit lead to any positive results for the citizens?
Most of the time, what would benefit the voters is the opposite of what the corporate lobbyists want. In my opinion that is the reason for incredibly expansive wars, useless subsidies and a health system in crisis.
While you're at it, do away with earmarks as well ;)
Let me start by pointing out the obvious: I grew up in Germany, where we have compulsory education.
I am in favor of that model for the following reasons:
- Give kids a chance to escape their parent's ideology, by being exposed to a more neutral point of view in school
- Ensure a minimum level of education and socialization across the board
- Parents can still teach their kids anything else they deem important at home
Of course, I have many issues with the school systems in Germany as well as the USA, but generally the curriculum is defined by a democratically elected government.
I do see the separation of church and state as an important part of this model. Religion should be taught at home or in church. By the way, Germany does have "Religion" classes, however, one can easily opt out and take a secular substitute course, but I still would like to see that gone.
Schooling kids at home to protect them from dangerous knowledge they would gain at school stands against everything I hold dear.
I am not condoning to take the stupid people out.
But unfortunately, stupidity is not a trait that influences reproduction. On the contrary.
NB: The video does not give extra credibility, but extra entertainment value.
I have not seen a conclusive study that showed any real damage done by cell phones, used in a normal fashion.
Radiation is all around us, in various wavelengths, both natural and artificial - even before the boom of the mobile phone.
With regards to the linked article: They do not give the absolute numbers to which the 54% increase relates (always a sign for a quality concern). I think the alternative explanation that the cell phone moms don't have as much time for their kids is at least equally plausible as any physical influence of their phone use.
I would say no. I would add that I don't believe there is, yet other people seem to think there is.
But just because a child is dying doesn't mean the kid needs to be lied to.
By the way, as Richard Dawkins point out repeatedly on the God Delusion: There are no "Catholic Children", they are just "Children to Catholic parents". If the kid asks about heaven religious indoctrination has already commenced.
I heard about this on the SGU podcast, and scientists do say that a tiny black hole could be created, yet it would collapse right away.
By the way, when the last collider came online, the same people went around and yelled about the end of the world - nothing happened.
Please reply, if you remember the source for this - couldn't find it....
I agree. And by the same line of arguing we also shouldn't be in the business of torturing people.
By the way, check out the "trolley problem" a thought experiment related to this debate topic.
I'd like to point out that in the very near future scientists will be able to generate stem cells without embryos from regular cells.
Stem Cells have such a broad potential for curing many (to date incurable) diseases that we cannot afford to idle on this research.
That's a nice theory, but parents can already tell their kids everything they want.
And the kids with the highest risk of early pregnancies are the ones where that parent-kid talk will never happen.
Looking back: I never payed that much attention in biology class, as when we talked about sex ;)
Just so a certain individual can't reply to his own comment twice (see link).
Of course you should still be able to rebut multiple arguments.
I agree with you that it's the parent's decision. But don't justify it with remotely possible medical reasons. It is pure peer pressure.
I read on wikipedia that a lot of circumcisions are still done without anesthesia. Those are the cases, where trauma is suspected, even for newborns.
To me that seems, like your are proud of your country (and most countries deserve that).
But are you also proud of being born in NZ, a fact to which you contributed nothing?
Haha, great story :)
I remember in forth grade one guy from my class had put on a condom and walked around with it all day, waiting for something to happen (fully clothed of course).
I had learned everything important about sex from a magazine column, by the time my parents got around to talk the talk.
It would be great, if future generations had it better.
The word organic has different meanings in different contexts.
The definition of Organic chemistry has nothing to do with the topic at hand.
What everybody else is talking about is this meaning of Organic:
"Organic foods are produced according to certain production standards, meaning they are grown without the use of conventional pesticides, artificial fertilizers, human waste, or sewage sludge, and that they were processed without ionizing radiation or food additives. Livestock are reared without the routine use of antibiotics and without the use of growth hormones. In most countries, organic produce must not be genetically modified."
You seem to have trouble understanding, what everybody else is talking about.
Why don't you read the Wikipedia introduction on organic food provided in the debate topic.
And enjoy your inorganic breakfast tomorrow.
OK, I get to be the party pooper.
I don't believe in UFOs.
I will believe in them, when somebody presents at least some shred of credible evidence.
I don't say it is impossible that there is life on another planet, but it is so highly unlikely that I can't, even if I want to believe.
Or you could be realistic and look at all the random things it took to start live on this planet and the fact that no UFOs have been found despite centuries of searching and that we never were contacted, despite all the signals we are sending out constantly.
Sure. If there were a god he had at least indirectly created me, so he wouldn't mind a little constructive criticism.
Of course he would be quite bored, because of this whole omniscience thing, but I'm sure he would be understanding.
For my criticism, may I quote from New Model Army:
Dear God - what is this evil that we've done?
Is it that we wanted more than you gave
why did you put us then in this smalltown grave
humility - is that what you want?
why did you make us then the way you did??
yes, we have pride
is this our sin?
OK, fixed the slant for you (from 'No, I'm cheap' to 'No, I don't).
But I don't buy your argument.
Just because many Organic Producers are "the same corporations that grow regular food" that doesn't say anything about the quality.
If they grow the Organic stuff without chemicals that is preferable to me.
But of course, I'm buying locally from our Farmers Market as much as I can - but most of that stuff is also Organic.
I don't buy all organic, but we buy Organic Milk for our kids and Organic Fruit, Vegetables and Meat also seem worth the higher prices to me.
By the way, buying local is as important to me for these kinds of foods.
The main reason for buying Organic to me is to limit pesticide intake, to support sustainable food production and to get better quality produce.
But in comparison to other countries and to the US' vast GDP, it's not a lot that the US is giving to foreign aid. See "US and Foreign Aid Assistance".
This other site says
"80% of that aid itself actually goes to American companies in those foreign countries" [...] "According to Heater & Berridge, Israel has been receiving 12/13% of all American charitable foreign aid since 1979".
And that's a big part of that religious stuff I don't understand:
You can never know if you have really been good enough.
So once you die you will learn if you spend eternity in heaven or hell.
No wonder the religious people want to believe in an after-life, because its really hard to enjoy life, when every wrong decision might lead you to eternal damnation.
That's the best analogy :)
What people call a soul is a cultural element. I think it's all in our brains.
Life your life, because that's all you get.
My line of thinking exactly!
There was a first chicken... but that came in the first egg :)
Well said! Made-up shit should have no place in school.
If you absolutely need your kids to be abstinent, take them to an Abstinence Ball, where they pledge their virginity to you and Jesus.
It won't really work, but at least they will be too ashamed to talk to you about their first time and will have to go to Mexico for their abortion.
Sorry about the sarcasm.
The increased occasions of natural disasters should be apparent to anyone.
Soon countries will start to lose inhabited coastline to the rising sea-levels. Maybe that will convince the doubters of global warming that immediate action is required.
Do what you can right now, to conserve energy and reduce waste. It is the intelligent thing to do.
What?!? We should not reduce our emissions, because that would increase our emissions?
We are luckily working on cleaner technologies. They will save us money. This money can be re-invested into research and development and make our technology even greener and more energy-efficient.
Exactly - survival of the fittest is part of the theory of evolution
Here is the same link again, it has those details.
Sorry, but the origin of life is not part of the theory of evolution.
Look to the big bang theory and others for that.
And more importantly, predictions have been made, based on the theory of evolution that have been verified, e.g. intermediate species that scientists predicted, have actually been found.
Being curious is good :)
But as Derecola points out this is a bit too much info for school...
The more you know, the better your decision making process.
Forget abstinence only: Teenagers will hit it eventually. It is better they know about contraception and how to use it.
Sorry to hear you had sex with guys that didn't wash.
I still say that is not enough of an argument to circumcise every little boy.
You do not know that it doesn't harm the baby. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Have you seen a video? That hurts me inside. (see vid below)
Just because the kid won't remember doesn't mean it is ok to do such an operation.
And really:
"circumcised men are more resistant to STDs and therefore less likely to pass it on to the women they cheat on."
So your premise is that every boy will grow up to be a cheater, so he should be circumcised, because it _MIGHT_ prevent passing on an STD?
Teach kids how to use condoms in school - that will help, stop circumcision now!
Augustiner is my favorite beer.
As with many things, a beer is even better, if enjoyed in the right surrounding, like a beer garden or an old brewery.
You can link Twitter and Facebook, so when you Twit it will also update your FB status.
Blind allegiance is not patriotic.
Even soldiers have the duty to not carry out unlawful orders.
Therefor, I think a Vet turning against the Iraq war is not the least bit less patriotic.
Only the girls that have not given both experiences equal opportunities.
I don't understand, why so many people in the USA say they are proud of being American. I even see bumper stickers saying "The Power of Pride" - isn't Pride a deadly sin?
I totally get to be proud of your country - the USA has done many great things. But just because your parents where at a certain place, when they gave birth to you is not really a great deed of yours.
I'm German - I'm not proud to be German (too much patriotism is frowned up on my generation of Germans), but I do like my country and I think we are doing a lot of things to be proud of right now (Humanitarian, Environmental or Scientific things for example).
I don't think that hygienic reasons are enough to warrant this potentially traumatic operation at such a young age.
Following the same argument, people should all shave their hair off, because it more hygienic. Just take care off yourself and you need to do neither.
