Happy anniversary! Due to a glitch in the Matrix, we forgot to mark year number 6 since you first became a Sifter. The community wouldn't be the same without you. Thanks for your contributions!

Congratulations! Your comment has just received enough votes from the community to earn you 1 Power Point. Thank you for your quality contribution to VideoSift.

This achievement has earned you your "Silver Tongue" Level 1 Badge!

Happy anniversary! Today marks year number 5 since you first became a Sifter and the community is better for having you. Thanks for your contributions!

Congratulations! Your comment has just received enough votes from the community to earn you 1 Power Point. Thank you for your quality contribution to VideoSift.

Thank you for speaking my mind with much more eloquence and brevity than I ever could've!

In reply to this comment by AnimalsForCrackers:
>> ^xxovercastxx:

I don't support the idea that you have to respect every opinion but calling people idiots doesn't help either.
One of the things I've come to hate about debate is people are less interested in discussing, comparing and evaluating ideas than they are about thumping their chests and insulting people. Even women are apparently not immune to machismo.
Does anyone really think this is going to help? Will we (atheists) be more accepted/trusted/respected if we just call enough people idiots? Will theists see the errors of their ways if only we insult them enough?
There's a reason argumentum ad hominem is a logical fallacy; it's a failure to make any relevant argument and often a sign of incompetence.
The objective of debate is to sway people to your side (though not necessarily the people you're arguing against) and you don't do that by forcing them to shore up their defensive wall.


But...but... calling people idiots and addressing the argument aren't mutually exclusive propositions.

Simple insults aren't ad hominem unless they're used as a substitute for actual reasoning. Calling someone an idiot doesn't magically negate the relevant criticism that preceded it.

"Your argument is wrong because you're an idiot, liar, or some other negative human characteristic picked out of a grab bag to give the appearance of discrediting you and thus, your entire argument." = ad hom

Sure, I suppose you could make that argument that even a biting, rational critique interspersed with some choice derogatory flourishes can undermine any attempt at bringing the other person to reason, but I disagree that a definitive statement like yours can be made on whether it's ineffective on everyone; I like to think there's multiple paths of approach. Often the target of ridicule isn't the one you convert, but the people on the sidelines watching.

Congratulations! Your comment has just received enough votes from the community to earn you 1 Power Point. Thank you for your quality contribution to VideoSift.

Happy anniversary! Today marks year number 4 since you first became a Sifter and the community is better for having you. Thanks for your contributions!

Congratulations on reaching new heights on VideoSift. You have earned yourself 25 stars, earning you status of Bronze Star member. You have been awarded 1 Power Point for achieving this level. Thanks for all your contributions.

Congratulations! Your comment has just received enough votes from the community to earn you 1 Power Point. Thank you for your quality contribution to VideoSift.

Congratulations! Your comment has just received enough votes from the community to earn you 1 Power Point. Thank you for your quality contribution to VideoSift.

Congratulations on reaching new heights on VideoSift. You have earned yourself 20 stars, earning you status of Bronze Star member. You have been awarded 1 Power Point for achieving this level. Thanks for all your contributions.

User chtierna is now ranked #297 and quickly gaining on you. Watch your back or you might lose your rank to chtierna.

It is The Maxx from the comics by the same name.

In reply to this comment by AnimalsForCrackers:
Greetings, Deadgoon. Your avatar! I used to draw that character all the time as a kid....he was somehow pushed deep into my subconscious and now it's resurfaced, thanks to your avatar. I've forgotten his name. I want to say Max something or to that effect. Can ya help me here? Kthxbai!

No reason to beat yourself up on calling a PQ video dead... I have actually started talks on it (even though I was the example...) But the video is up so if you want to watch it, you can...

In reply to this comment by AnimalsForCrackers:
D'oh, I'm stupid.

Good. Some people take it personally when their dupes are discarded, so I always say "sorry" with the hopes that they'll understand that it's not personal.

Too bad it was a dupe, because otherwise it probably would have been hugely successful like it's predecessor.

In reply to this comment by AnimalsForCrackers:
Thanks for informing me, no problemo.

In reply to this comment by kronosposeidon:
Good news: You got it fixed.

Bad news: Now that I've had a chance to finally view it, I realize it is a dupe:

http://www.videosift.com/video/In-Japan-they-like-to-make-sure-their-trains-are-FULL

Sorry, I was hoping to * return this, but instead it must be *discarded. Sorry.