How to Win a Debate on the Internet

“Attack the message, not the person”

The most important tenet of a winning debate, and one most users cannot understand. A visit to any forum/message board will quickly verify this most basic of concepts. Too often, debates devolve into name calling and worthless banter, “flaming,” if you will. He who is able to stick to the facts and address the original issue will always fare better. Trust me, asshole, ad hominem attacks are not needed.

There are 5 basic rules to follow in any e-bate.

1. Attack the message, not the person.
2. State your purpose.
3. Stick to the facts.
   1. Support those facts using tEh internet.
4. Organize your argument using proper sentence structure, grammar, and paragraphs.
5. Know when to hold em and when to bold em.

Decoding a Potential Blind Date

Blind dates can be the worst dates ever. Much like the ‘Rule of 3′ in American Pie, one must apply their own filter to blind date material. Below is a short primer. If your family friend or grandmother is setting you up with someone, keep this in mind. Note that this only applies when females are doing the matchmaking. I suspect that this inability to tell the truth about appearance has to do with a general lack of confidence females have in their physical selves. Thanks Maxim!

• She is so sweet-Ugly and slightly overweight.
• She is tiny/petite-short, troll-like.
• Great girl, really good personality-Ugly and slightly overweight with bubbly personality. Chance of troll-like features.
• Athletic-played goalie in any high school sport and can kick the shit out of you.
• Jappy-has a fake Fendi. Still fat and troll-like
• Beautiful-average
• Just broke up with her BF of 2 years-Gained 45 Lbs. during that time. Will never look good again.

High Fructose Corn Syrup – Evil Lurks in Your Soft Drink

Any nutritionist worth his/her weight in bullion will advise clients to eliminate soft drinks from their diet. Why? Sugar, and maybe more important, High Fructose Corn Syrup. The key to well being is efficiency in both consumption and excretion. Taking in empty calories from sugar and high fructose corn syrup is not only wasteful, but can be harmful to the digestive system.

Insulin is a hormone necessary for the digestion and metabolism of Carbohydrates. When one consumes a sugary soft drink, the body secretes insulin, in effect telling the cells to gobble up this sugar. The problem arises when cells do not respond to the insulin secreted and thus the body begins to secrete more and more insulin until the person is offically diabetic. Every time sugar is consumed, insulin is secreted telling the cells to eat up this energy source. Too much sugar intake lowers the cells’ sensitivity to insulin resulting in sugar staying in the blood; high blood sugar. The patient then needs insulin injections to coax the cells into “opening up” to consume some of the sugar in the blood.

Although the science is inconclusive, there is a large contingent who think that High Fructose Corn Syrup is even worse than sugar; that it creates an even higher insulin spike. The confections/food and beverage industry utilizes High Fructose Corn Syrup because it is cheaper, longer lasting and tastes the same as natural sugar. It is found in condiments (ketchup), drinks (cranberry juice, Capri-Sun), and food (muffins, cookies, health bars, etc.). Anecdotal evidence says that this syrup leads to Diabetes, High Cholesterol, Obesity and a host of other problems including kidney and liver ailments. This has to do with the fact that High Fructose is more “refined” than sugar, meaning it enters the body and is immediately available to be metabolized. There is no gradual breakdown as there would be with more complex carbohydrates including natural sugar. This instant surge (of sugar) leads to a surge of insulin which eventually lowers the cells’ insulin response.

Conclusions

Eliminate soft drinks, condiments, and most store bought baked goods from your diet. This does include salad dressings and many items labeled as low fat, low calorie, and now extra nutritious! Replace that Gatorade with a drink of water. The temporary cravings will eventually be replaced with a feeling of well being. Start off small and eliminate one product at a time. See if you lose any weight or notice any other changes.

Check the label. If it says High Fructose Corn Syrup, dump it. Natural Juices with real sugar, like Tropicana Orange Juice, are not nearly as bad.

Wikipedia has a list of products containing High Fructose Corn Syrup.

The Choking Game – For Your Pleasure

In an act that mirrors the sexual fetishes of mature women (and some men), children are choking themselves to get off. The choking game, as it is called, occurs in groups and sometimes alone. Kids get together and choke each other until just before they pass out. If alone, children are using ropes and extricating themselves from the noose just before they pass out. When that fails, they extricate themselves from 6 feet under. That too, often fails.

The high stems from the blood rushing back into the brain after being choked. The low stems from the brain damage and knowledge that you’re a moron that just choked yourself.

In some darwinian fatalities, the deaths have been mis-labelled as suicides. Usually it is the rope that tips off the detective. Some bodies have been found with ejaculate in the vicinity meaning that the recently deceased was really choking himself.

Originally read in this New York Times Article.

But the exact number remains uncertain because there has been little real research, health professionals say, and because medical examiners have been quick in the past to rule suicide. Some adults might also dismiss the game as the slumber party goof it was in years past, when constriction to the point of death was virtually unheard of.

They’re just being kids!

“He’s smelling perfume and gasoline,” Mr. Draher said with a smile.

Next up, huffing.

So You’re Fat and Summer is Coming?

You’re also in luck! Because here is a list of unintentional ways to lose weight. These steps might not seem like much, but taken together they add up to significant caloric expenditure. The best part is that they are free and relatively effortless.

• Park the car far away from your destination and walk.
• Take the stairs… UP!
• Eliminate soda, coffee, iced tea (Nestea and Lipton crap) and juice.
• Drink water.
• Eat an apple. The energy it takes to digest said apple is more than actually consumed!
• Stop eating fast food. If you eat that stuff you are pretty much retarded, so I would highly doubt you read this sophisticated blog. And Chipotle is fast food. One Chicken Burrito is upwards of 1,000 calories!
• Don’t eat chinese.

Finally, if you just cannot seem to kill those cravings, take Sugarest. Containing Gymnema Sylvestre, Sugarest is a tablet that, as it dissolves in your mouth also dissolves your ability to taste sweets. Pop one right before eating ice cream and you won’t want any after the first spoonful. Because it affects the taste buds, it also affects the taste of cigarettes, which makes it helpful for smoking cessation as well.

Running Shoes – What to Know Before you Buy

When buying a running shoe, it is important to look for functionality first. Too often we fall into the trap of purchasing based upon who has the latest and greatest advertisements. That would be Nike. While they make a quality product, it is not right for all foot types. There are three main types of shoes; Cushioning, Stability, and Motion Control. Choosing the right shoe depends upon one’s gait and pronation.

Gait- The way a person moves. That is, the positioning of his/her body as they walk or run. Some descriptive words include pigeon-toed, hunchbacked, wobbly, etc.
Pronation- The movement of a foot as it hits the ground. Incorrect pronation can lead to several types of injuries, from shin splints to back and knee problems. Even if one’s foot is slightly mis-aligned this can be multiplied over several miles to create overuse injuries. The correct pair of running shoes will support the foot through its correct motion. There are three main types of pronation, all of which begin with a heel strike.

• Neutral/Normal – In neutral pronation, the heel of the foot comes down and then the foot rolls slightly outward, then inward and then finishes with an outward push-off. Runners with normal pronation can use almost any running shoe as they don’t need much pronation correction. They would most benefit from shoes in the Cushioning category, many of which Nike makes. The only shoe this runner should stay away from is a strict Motion Control shoe as this would affect their already correct motion.
• Over-Pronation – In over-pronation, the heel of the foot comes down and then the foot rolls slightly outward, then inwards where it remains until toe-off.  Over-pronators tend to have a low to medium arch. The best shoe is a Stability shoe which will prevent the foot from rolling too far inward. This shoe will have more arch support than a Cushioned shoe and is more rigid on the inner portion of the midsole. Severe over-pronators should look into a Motion Control shoe which features even more support than the stability models.
• Supination – In supination, the heel of the foot comes down and then rolls slightly outward. Instead of rolling inwards, the foot remains on its outside edge. This results in part from a high, stiff arch. This shoe, should be even softer/more cushioned than a neutral trainer so as to encourage foot roll.

Beyond Pronation, one needs to look at their weight to determine how much support is necessary. A heavier person with only a slight over-pronation problem still may need a Motion Control shoe to support the extra weight.

Running Warehouse has further reading.

Magazine Titles and What They Really Mean

Following is a list of magazine titles and what they are really trying to say:

• Maxim – Because Gamepro was taken
• Us Magazine – Not you
• Sports Illustrated – By white men, about black men
• Golf – Not a sport
• GQ – Unattainable lifestyle
• Cat Fancy – Needs therapy
• Popular Science – Unpopular Nerd was taken
• Men’s Fitness – You’re a virgin
• Playboy – You’re willing to admit to being a virgin
• Money – We write because we enjoy it, not because we need the…
• Ski – Coke
• Field & Stream – We’re completely irrelevant, yet we managed to elect the last president

Any more? Let me know in the comments.

3 Ys to Success

In my exposure to the field of health and well-being, I have seen numerous fad diets, miracle pills, and exercise regimens that all purport to do the same thing; enhance your physical and mental health. While some of them are bunk, some do touch on certain key concepts. Ultimately, in order to make a lifestyle change or to maintain an already positive lifestyle, one must follow the three Ys to Success; Consistency, Recovery, and Intensity.

The three Ys model can be applied to almost any situation, be it work, play, health or love.

Consistency: The most important Y, consistency tells us right away that there are no shortcuts to success, no losing 10 pounds in one week. Consistency is about being committed to something, whether that is an idea, a task, or a career.

To sculpt a body of work, literally, one must show up to the gym at least 4 times a week. Those weekend warriors who come to the gym Saturday and Sunday are doing nothing except slowing their decline… and paying for a membership. Furthermore, showing up to the gym 6 times one week and 2 times the next will not yield positive results. Although the total number of gym days is the same, the more evenly and CONSISTENTLY spaced intervals will prevent breakdown and yield better results.

In the workplace, just get to the office. Your performance will happen, but the first step is to always be in attendance. Employers want to see that you’re there and “committed”.

The attendance factor goes even further in academics. If you’re in college, most professors reward effort. The professor sees that you’re in class every session and thinks you’re willing and motivated to learn. By showing up you’re listening to the material so half your studying is done. When preparing for exams, you will be experiencing the material for the second time.

Taxes to Fund War on Terror?

Sen. Joseph Leiberman has proposed a “war on terrorism tax“. Asking citizens to support a war effort that is filled with impeachable offenses 1, 2, 3 is one thing; asking them to directly fund it is arrogant and rude. How far will neo-cons reach before the public puts a halt to their increasingly brazen policies.

“I think we have to start thinking about a war on terrorism tax,” the independent Connecticut lawmaker said. “I mean people keep saying we’re not asking a sacrifice of anybody but our military in this war and some civilians who are working on it.”

Would this tax money be used to secure the U.S. or hijacked to further U.S. interests in Israel.

The Foreign Ministry convened a group of external experts, including former Israeli ambassadors to the U.S. Zalman Shoval and David Ivri, a few weeks ago to discuss some of the issues related to bilateral relations. The participants agreed that the Bush administration has been one of the friendliest to Israel and that there is an advantage to making agreements with U.S. President George W. Bush before he is replaced by someone else.

 And what if the “surge” fails? Policymakers are already preparing for this inevitability.

The profoundly pessimistic thinking that permeates the senior military and the intelligence community, however, is forbidden in the sanitized atmosphere of mind-cure boosterism that surrounds Bush. “He’s tried this two times — it’s failed twice,” Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said on Jan. 24 about the “surge” tactic. “I asked him at the White House, ‘Mr. President, why do you think this time it’s going to work?’ And he said, ‘Because I told them it had to.’”

Lots of questions folks. The most important one being, when do we stand up and take this country back?

That’s why these devious bastards who have taken over our country are getting away with it! They love it when the lemmings out there can’t remember one sentence in their own Constitution or Declaration of Independence. They love it that the vast majority of numb-nuts don’t know that their leaders are breaking every law in the books to steal everything that isn’t theirs.

Maybe instead of focusing on the failure in Iraq and Afghanistan, we should begin new “surges” in Iran, Libya, and Syria. America, fuck yeah!!

NJ School to Violate Civil Liberties

In legislation that attempts to extend the reach of school administration beyond the hallways, the Pequannock Township High School will begin random testing for alcohol. The fact that a school needs to legislate what students do on their own time says a lot about the parenting skills of Generation Z (does that mean Generation Armageddon is next?). Although benign on the surface, the move is also a roundabout way of CYA or CTAOPTHS; Covering the Ass of Pequannock Tonwship High School. If a student were to perish in an alcohol related incident, the school, having taken steps to educate and test students, would likely be absolved of any blame and potential lawsuits.

Much like the government, the school has given in to fear and tightened the strings. Instead of the burden of responsible parenting remaining in the home, the school has assumed this role. Thus begins the inevitable slide towards a day when the school must legislate what children can eat and pay for their students’ cell phone minutes. Because the school has assumed this responsibility, the moment any incident occurs, public outcry will lead them to legislate when students can breathe and mandate breathalyzer testing before lunch periods. The current testing, which is accurate up to 80 hrs. after imbibing, and done on Mondays will become an everyday occurence. Such is the slippery slope of over-legislation.  In a meek attempt to link this to the erosion of civil liberties nationwide, I quote Benjamin Franklin:

Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

Make sure not to eat any salad over the weekend (from AP Article):

Urine screenings look for ethyl glucuronide, produced by the body after it metabolizes alcohol. School officials acknowledge the test is sensitive, and false positive readings can be the result of using products containing ethanol, including mouthwash and Balsamic vinegar.