*dupeof=http://videosift.com/video/Ultimate-Batting-Practice

Shuac, you can do this yourself -- when you isdupe your own video, it doesn't take two. @Sagemind can't dupe to his own video. Confusing, but there is a logic to it....

>> ^Fletch:

I didn't need any more reasons to hate cops. They are nothing but militarized, above-the-law goons nowadays. They are under-trained, shoot/tase/spray-first, hyper-testosteroned thugs whose primary purpose is to raise revenue for the city/county/state they work for. Police forces everywhere are rife with power-trip blowhards who simply can't function without a daily dose of "yes sir", "no sir", "anything you say sir". People who desire to become cops are often the very people who shouldn't be allowed to become cops because their reasons have little to do with "public service", and more to do with desiring power and longing for the respect they couldn't earn as a civilian.
Remember when a college degree was required to become a cop? They'll take anybody nowadays, as long as they can write tickets. They are nothing but paid witnesses, and absolutely worthless when it comes to "protect and serve".
O'Donnell is spot on.

(good book, btw)



"If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself."

In Germany, it's mostly like this: Whenever you are doing math yourself, you use commas before decimal digits (or whatever they are called) and the point every thousand- step is optional, but make it easier to quickly see how big a number is: 1.234.567,89 is one million twohundredthirtyfourthousand fivehundretsixtyseven point(comma) eightynine; and so is 1234567,89. Up and coming is the version with spaces between the thousands: 1 234 567,89

Some companies have started to use a decimal point in their advertisments: http://www.rewe.de/ , but this would be wrong if used by mathematicians/pupils. And I have just checked on a receipt, the prices on there are with comma again.
On menus, you would most likely encounter commas as separators, and I don't think we have any roadsigns on which there is a decimal number... if there are, it would be with comma (I think). In publications there are almost always the periods for thousands, some few times the spaces between the thousands (1 234 567,89).

If you look here: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutschland versus here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany at the population numbers etc, you can see the difference, until now I had never really thought about it.


In reply to this comment by oritteropo:
I have an American/UK studies question for you, if you have a minute to spare.

In the Patriotic-Millionaires-TAX-ME video, your countryman luxury_pie put in a comment using the period as a thousands separator and the comma as the decimal radix... which I would expect as I have always been taught that much of continental Europe uses this convention. Then in later discussion an Englishman who has traveled widely in continental Europe and lived in Spain pointed out that in his travels, he has never seen this.

So, my question is how widely is each convention used in Germany in the parts an English speaking visitor would encounter? Should he have come across the period thousands separator and/or the comma decimal radix at all? Road signs? Menus?

The on-line (American!!!!) information just says that in Germany this is how it is, and never says "oh, but in shops the price might use a period".

It is more akin to the idea of WHICH good thing you wish to practice, or the thing being done that is said to be good not being good in your own moral judgement. One might say feeding the poor isn't done properly unless accompanied by a health dose of soul food. I am no one to tell them they are wrong. The hard part of doing good with other peoples money is we don't have the same idea of what good is, so any attempt is muddled in personal bias and dogma. Which is why I support more community based charity than national.

>> ^NetRunner:

>> ^GeeSussFreeK:
>> ^Mikus_Aurelius:
Actually I'm pretty sure that's exactly what Jesus had in mind when he tells us to give up our earthly possessions and follow God, trusting in him to take care of us.
>> ^GeeSussFreeK:
Is it Christian to let other people do good deeds for you instead of doing them yourself? Social services undercut many peoples ability to practice their own moral choices.


Trusting government is trusting God? That is a stretch I don't think that is what you meant, but it is what you seem to of said.

I'm no theologian, but nobody's ever cited to me the part of the Bible where Jesus makes a distinction between people helping others through an institution (like churches, non-profits, or government), or on their own as an individual.

>> ^GeeSussFreeK:

>> ^Mikus_Aurelius:
Actually I'm pretty sure that's exactly what Jesus had in mind when he tells us to give up our earthly possessions and follow God, trusting in him to take care of us.
>> ^GeeSussFreeK:
Is it Christian to let other people do good deeds for you instead of doing them yourself? Social services undercut many peoples ability to practice their own moral choices.


Trusting government is trusting God? That is a stretch I don't think that is what you meant, but it is what you seem to of said.


I'm no theologian, but nobody's ever cited to me the part of the Bible where Jesus makes a distinction between people helping others through an institution (like churches, non-profits, or government), or on their own as an individual.

>> ^Mikus_Aurelius:

Actually I'm pretty sure that's exactly what Jesus had in mind when he tells us to give up our earthly possessions and follow God, trusting in him to take care of us.
>> ^GeeSussFreeK:
Is it Christian to let other people do good deeds for you instead of doing them yourself? Social services undercut many peoples ability to practice their own moral choices.



Trusting government is trusting God? That is a stretch I don't think that is what you meant, but it is what you seem to of said.

Actually I'm pretty sure that's exactly what Jesus had in mind when he tells us to give up our earthly possessions and follow God, trusting in him to take care of us.

>> ^GeeSussFreeK:

Is it Christian to let other people do good deeds for you instead of doing them yourself? Social services undercut many peoples ability to practice their own moral choices.

Is it Christian to let other people do good deeds for you instead of doing them yourself? Social services undercut many peoples ability to practice their own moral choices.

>> ^handmethekeysyou:

You're right, still not a single study or report devoted to statistics.
Lots moe sensationalist stories, though.>> ^Opus_Moderandi:
>> ^handmethekeysyou:
I tried googling this. Not a single report or study devoted to "
how many traffic stops per year result in shootings" on the first page. Unsurprisingly, many sensationalist news stories.>> ^MrFisk:
How many cars are pulled over in the U.S., in a year? How many result in a fatality to the officer? I'm trying to figure out if it's more likely they'll be shot, hit by lightning, or bitten by a shark.


Try googling "cop killed during traffic stop"



Weird... I guess you'll have to do it yourself.

>> ^shinyblurry:

lol..off the top of your head..now you're just full of shit..those are popular atheist talking points. pathetic.

The fact that they came readily to mind is suspect because...and I love this part...they are sited so often.

>> ^shinyblurry:

You utterly failed to prove your case; apparently the bible is historically accurate, and you admit this but only for the things you want to prove.


My case: there is such a dearth of archeological evidence for events portrayed in the bible, that the bible can be assumed to be false.

Your Response: Here are a few links that, if you don't read them might look like they contain the evidence that does not appear to exist.

My counter: So you really have no evidence do you?

Your counter: I'm right by default, you loose HAHA!

>> ^shinyblurry:

like your contention about the freed slaves.


You have already admitted that Josephus constitutes an extra biblical source for this.

>> ^shinyblurry:

It's obvious im arguing with a search engine, a dishonest, disingenuous search engine at that. you don't actually know anything about the bible, or history..what's been discredited here is your testimony.

Is this one of those situation where you think by accusing me of doing what you are doing people will assume that you just can't be so hypocritical as to do it yourself? It's a classic christian apologist move, but it's pretty weak, I honestly expected better.

Oh I guess when you do it yourself as a mom, heroin would be nice for the kid, wouldn't it?
edit:
This "critic" is A LITTLE BIT horrified? What the fuck????

This has to be some kind of joke right?

@messenger, @Sketch

I don't disagree with your sentiment at all; I find it quite frustrating at times as well, but I stand by my assertion that it won't help to be confrontational. I expect this shift will literally take generations to come about. Arguing with individuals in an effort to "convert" (perhaps de-convert) them rarely works, regardless of how sound your reasoning is.(as you have both noted) Everyone wants to win. Everyone wants to make up their own mind. For a lot of adults, it's quite simply too late to make such a radical change in their concept of existence. The young aren't as rigid, however, and this belief structure can diluted from one generation to the next. I assert the most effective way to change minds over time is to change our culture, and we're well on our way. The beacon of truth shines brightly on its own, while lies take significant maintenance. The more (effectively) open our society becomes the more difficult it will be to spread the influence of obvious lies. This will require work on our part, however, to call out specific, organized and systemic deception efforts over the course of our lives. We've got a long road ahead of us, but it should be interesting if nothing else.

That ad campaign is interesting; that's the sort of effort that we can aspire to in our daily lives. Not confrontational, but when the situation arises, let others know they're not alone with their doubts. Movements need leaders, and we're all capable of that role if we can be disciplined and patient enough.

I don't normally do quotes because it's easy to take someone out of context for your own purposes, but I especially like this one as I interpret it to pertain to this situation:

"It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle." -Sun Tzu

Edit: Example of more constructive, (in terms of construction and delivery) yet just as scathing (in terms of content) criticism. Starts @ 8:07... man I envy the Hitchslap ability...

>> ^Morganth:

>> ^MaxWilder:
>> ^shinyblurry:

... Like any other slack jawed yokel idiot ... All those who delight in wickedness will be punished for it ... People with no scruples or charity, characterized mainly by their lack of tolerance and narrow mindedness ... it's an ugly thing you do, to yourself and to others. It's a shittier world that you create. So don't be surprised when you get shit in return.

Projecting much? It is you who think you know it all. It is you who judge others. It is you who defines wickedness and sin to match what you wish to be true.
And most importantly, it is you who lack tolerance. I will keep my beliefs to myself just as soon as all you nutjob faithers stop judging my life and stop telling me that you are better than me because you know all the rules.
Faith. The belief in something without any evidence. No proof, no truth! Yet you people throw the word "truth" around like you own it. Go read that ancient, human-penned book you cherry pick quotes from. I did. And that's why I'm no longer a believer. Thank god.


What you're describing has nothing to do with faith. Faith is not "belief in something without any evidence." Faith is trust, the act of being true to something, loyalty. You have faith in a chair when you choose to sit on it - faith that it will hold you. You are faithful to your spouse when you remain true to your marriage vows. Furthermore, faith is built on experience, not blindness. You have faith in the stability of a chair because of your past experience with chairs - they have proven themselves to have the capability of holding you. You have faith in your spouse that he/she will remain true to you because of the history of your relationship together. You do not put your faith in a stranger.

And you think you have tolerance?? Tolerance applies to those who have beliefs different from your own, not the same(Here's a hint: how you treat people like shinyblurry shows how tolerant or intolerant you are).

"I will keep my believes to myself just as soon as all you nutjob faithers stop judging my life..." Do you see what you don't here? Judging someone as being a nutjob for believing in God and expressing an opposing opinion here on the sift, as opposed to all the sane, rational, non-nutjobs who are people that don't believe in God. Would you care to be the pot or the kettle this time?


Augh! It drives me crazy when you people do that. Stop conflating the different definitions of the word "faith"!

Look it up in the dictionary. The two primary definitions are something along these lines:
1. confidence or trust in a person or thing
2. belief that is not based on proof

These are two separate concepts! If I have sat on a chair in the past, I might have faith that it will hold me the next time I sit on it, or the next time I sit on something similar. If I have become close with a person, I might have faith that their behavior would remain consistent toward me.

But if I have faith in a religion, that is the SECOND definition. Religions, specifically the Judeo-Christian varieties, are based on texts. There is absolutely NO reason to accept those as proof of anything. I can write something down on paper, that does not make what I have written true. Therefor faith in this type of religion is a belief that is not based on proof!

You may stay "faithful" to your religion when pressed by others to convert. That is a use of the word based on the first definition. You may have faith that your church will be there to support you when you have life challenges. Again, that is related to the first definition. But when you say that you have faith that the Lord Jesus Christ will grant you eternal paradise, that is the second definition. There is no proof that you will go somewhere when you die, and there is no proof that Jesus even was a real person to begin with. All of that is belief without proof. If you were somehow able to witness a person living a virtuous and pious life being rewarded with paradise after death, then yes, you might be able to say you have a reasonable expectation of receiving the same treatment. But that is not available to us mortals.

And as far as tolerance goes, let me ask you a couple questions. Have you ever had someone show up at your door specifically to try to convince you that religion is a lie? No. But there are plenty of people who will come around and tell me that I am on the path to hell if I don't join their cult. Have you ever heard of someone passing legislation to teach school children that religions are lies? No. But plenty of religious organizations are trying to inject their religion into public schools, if it wasn't already there! The closest you get is the total absence of any religious discussion at all, which is NOT the same as teaching atheism. It is a neutral position, allowing for everybody to keep their beliefs to themselves.

I am only intolerant of religion insomuch as it is shoved in my face by faithers. Keep your ancient desert blood cult fantasies to yourself, and you will hear no more from me. THAT IS TOLERANCE. Do NOT expect me to hold my tongue as religion is forced upon me or anybody else. That is the entire point of the video above. The man is dying, and they feel perfectly justified in shoving their beliefs in his face again and again. You know what would happen if nobody did that to him? He would say "Actually everybody has been very respectful and held their opinions to themselves. It's been quite nice and I appreciate it." When religions *give* tolerance, they will *get* tolerance.

It's very appropriate that you would bring this point up in a Hitchens thread. I can't speak for the rest of the atheists here but, for myself, this isn't about tolerance. I don't tolerate religious faith, much like I don't any other number of things I find completely and utterly ridiculous. What I do tolerate is you (as an example, you, or shiny, or whoever represents those beliefs). I tolerate your right to believe that nonsense, I tolerate your right to live your life according to that nonsense and teach that nonsense to your children, but I will never tolerate the actual nonsense, I will never stop calling bullshit on that nonsense.

Much like you would probably never tolerate, say, I dunno, racism? (hopefully). The racist has every right to be racist and has every right to live his life in peace as a racist, that doesn't mean we shouldn't stomp our feet in rage at the garbage that pours through his mouth. That is the basis of the pursuit of knowledge, asking a forward thinking person to intellectually accept religious belief would be like asking a grown man to accept that sometimes babies come from storks.

>> ^Morganth:

>> ^MaxWilder:
>> ^shinyblurry:

... Like any other slack jawed yokel idiot ... All those who delight in wickedness will be punished for it ... People with no scruples or charity, characterized mainly by their lack of tolerance and narrow mindedness ... it's an ugly thing you do, to yourself and to others. It's a shittier world that you create. So don't be surprised when you get shit in return.

Projecting much? It is you who think you know it all. It is you who judge others. It is you who defines wickedness and sin to match what you wish to be true.
And most importantly, it is you who lack tolerance. I will keep my beliefs to myself just as soon as all you nutjob faithers stop judging my life and stop telling me that you are better than me because you know all the rules.
Faith. The belief in something without any evidence. No proof, no truth! Yet you people throw the word "truth" around like you own it. Go read that ancient, human-penned book you cherry pick quotes from. I did. And that's why I'm no longer a believer. Thank god.


What you're describing has nothing to do with faith. Faith is not "belief in something without any evidence." Faith is trust, the act of being true to something, loyalty. You have faith in a chair when you choose to sit on it - faith that it will hold you. You are faithful to your spouse when you remain true to your marriage vows. Furthermore, faith is built on experience, not blindness. You have faith in the stability of a chair because of your past experience with chairs - they have proven themselves to have the capability of holding you. You have faith in your spouse that he/she will remain true to you because of the history of your relationship together. You do not put your faith in a stranger.

And you think you have tolerance?? Tolerance applies to those who have beliefs different from your own, not the same(Here's a hint: how you treat people like shinyblurry shows how tolerant or intolerant you are).

"I will keep my believes to myself just as soon as all you nutjob faithers stop judging my life..." Do you see what you don't here? Judging someone as being a nutjob for believing in God and expressing an opposing opinion here on the sift, as opposed to all the sane, rational, non-nutjobs who are people that don't believe in God. Would you care to be the pot or the kettle this time?

>> ^MaxWilder:

>> ^shinyblurry:

... Like any other slack jawed yokel idiot ... All those who delight in wickedness will be punished for it ... People with no scruples or charity, characterized mainly by their lack of tolerance and narrow mindedness ... it's an ugly thing you do, to yourself and to others. It's a shittier world that you create. So don't be surprised when you get shit in return.

Projecting much? It is you who think you know it all. It is you who judge others. It is you who defines wickedness and sin to match what you wish to be true.
And most importantly, it is you who lack tolerance. I will keep my beliefs to myself just as soon as all you nutjob faithers stop judging my life and stop telling me that you are better than me because you know all the rules.
Faith. The belief in something without any evidence. No proof, no truth! Yet you people throw the word "truth" around like you own it. Go read that ancient, human-penned book you cherry pick quotes from. I did. And that's why I'm no longer a believer. Thank god.



What you're describing has nothing to do with faith. Faith is not "belief in something without any evidence." Faith is trust, the act of being true to something, loyalty. You have faith in a chair when you choose to sit on it - faith that it will hold you. You are faithful to your spouse when you remain true to your marriage vows. Furthermore, faith is built on experience, not blindness. You have faith in the stability of a chair because of your past experience with chairs - they have proven themselves to have the capability of holding you. You have faith in your spouse that he/she will remain true to you because of the history of your relationship together. You do not put your faith in a stranger.


And you think you have tolerance?? Tolerance applies to those who have beliefs different from your own, not the same(Here's a hint: how you treat people like shinyblurry shows how tolerant or intolerant you are).


"I will keep my believes to myself just as soon as all you nutjob faithers stop judging my life..." Do you see what you don't here? Judging someone as being a nutjob for believing in God and expressing an opposing opinion here on the sift, as opposed to all the sane, rational, non-nutjobs who are people that don't believe in God. Would you care to be the pot or the kettle this time?