“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.

1. Attack the message, not the person.

Listen douchebag, you’re wrong about Barry Bonds being on steroids, and your fucking cock is 3 inches long.

Barry Bonds is not on steroids. The only evidence out there is hearsay and this society was founded on the concept of ‘innocent until proven guilty;’ not the other way around.

Which message more effectively conveys the user’s point? Once this first rule is mastered, the rest of the rules will fall into place. When personal insults are left out of the equation, one must back up their statements with facts and rational thought!

2. State your purpose.

In order to begin, your audience must know exactly where you stand on a particular issue. Aside from letting the audience/opponent know what you’re about, this purpose statement will help drive your argument and prevent you from veering off course. It is good practice to spell out exactly what you believe and how you will go about proving/supporting it.

3. Stick to the facts.

Support your argument (you did take a position didn’t you?) with facts. This means personal experience and opinion should be used sparingly; unless, however, you personally injected Barry Bonds with steroids. If it cannot be backed up with logic and various sources easily found on the intarweb, don’t bring it up. If someone said it, it is not evidence. Use facts, not people, opinion, or the bible!

That brings me to my second point; use the internet! Although easily accessible, the information on the internet can be incorrect. Try to screen your sources. What that means? Second and third your sources. Try to cite only legitimate publications. It helps if the website you are citing is backed by a reputable company. Again, do not cite people, cite facts; proven scientific facts and possibly theory.

4. Organize your argument using proper sentence structure, grammar, and paragraphs.

This rule is important for two reasons. One, if you post a remarkable statement disguised as a huge run on sentence, your audience will not receive the full message. Most will stop reading and this leads to my second reason. The grammar nazis, some of whom are your opponents, will point out the flaws in your spelling, sentence structure, etc., completely diverging from of the actual debate. Although you may have the winning side, it must be presented in a winning fashion!

5. Know when to hold em and when to fold em.

So you’re backed into a corner and your argument has more holes than 50 cent. This is when you break out the big guns; CAPS LOCK, exclamations!, epithets, poor eBay sales, anything. Or you can embrace reality.

It is ok to be wrong. It is not ok to launch a barrage of ad hominem attacks and raise a straw man argumentonce you realize you’ve been defeated. The best part of a well-played debate is the shared knowledge, and raised consciousness of the group. Rarely does the defeated assess what it is they have learned and what techniques they need to work on. On the same hand, after congratulating oneself on a job well done, the victor would do well to evaluate what he/she learned in the process.

There is nothing more surprising than seeing someone say, “Hey, I think you’re right. Thanks for pointing that out.” This completely throws off the opponent and also lets the audience know that one is not only skilled in debating, but dignified in defeat.

• 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.

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 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.

• 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.

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.

• 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.

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.

Recovery: The body is not a machine that can just keep churning. The mind and body both need time to rejuvenate and, like a machine, re-lubricate.

Just like food digests, so too do muscles grow and poisons get filtered. I include nutrition in this section as well. One must feed their body in order to grow muscle and maintain brain and nervous system function. Physically, one should not be doing the same workouts in the weight room everyday. The muscles need time to adapt, grow, and get rid of toxins. Starving oneself or going on a low carb diet is doing a disservice to both your brain and body. Carbohydrates are the key to life and aid in important cellular processes so they should not be “marginalized” by Atkins, Southbeach, or whatever the newest deprivation craze is.

Adequate recovery also is contingent upon sleep. Are you getting enough sleep each day to allow for cell repair and rejuvenation? Naps are healthy but they are no substitute for approx. 8 hrs. of continuous sleep. This is the time when your body secretes Growth and other hormones that will aid in your recovery.

Take a vacation! Working continuously can lead to high stress and lowered performance. Humans were not designed to sit behind a keyboard and crane their necks 16 inches away from a computer monitor. It is ok if you use those vacation days that you’ve accrued. Your family and your body and mind will thank you!

Intensity: I have put intensity as the last (and least important) Y, as I believe it will closely follow the first two. The hardest part of most things is to show up, to get started. Whether in the office working on a presentation or on the couch contemplating a workout. Once moving is the time to focus on intensity and put forth as much effort as possible. Intensity does not mean that one should expect the same amazing results every time. One cannot ace every exam, win every girl, or lift world record weight. One can, however, make sure that each time they do something, it is to the fullest of their ability on that day and at that moment.

Consistency, Recovery, and Intensity are the three Ys. Love much and treat your body well, for it is the vessel that will carry you to new heights.

Keep showing up and good things will happen.

“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!!

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.