Oh America...certainly a shining beacon of something.

>> ^MarineGunrock:
>> ^gwiz665:
I get to show people something they might not have seen otherwise. I also get a direct reward in the form of star points and power points.
The Art of Sifting is that you get to "create" the framing of the video, you make the title, the tags and so on, this all has a direct influence on how a given thing sifts. Something can be hilarious, but if the title is bad, our nano-second attention spans flicker over it and miss the gem.
I suppose there is an underlying theme to what is sifted, but I don't think it's a persona as such. For some I presume the avatar is completely different than themselves, but my avatar is just a thin coat of veneer on myself. I'm pretty close to what I represent myself as here, and I think it's intellectually dishonest (not to mention douchebaggely) to do otherwise.
I do enjoy calling attention to obscure videos, but only if I like them. There are plenty of obscure stuff that I don't give two shits about.
CP420 and the rest of the conservative beacons call this place a liberal haven of atheists, but I don't see it that way. I think the IQ on this website exceeds most any other website, and that is the reason we are liberal and atheists; it's what smart people think. Stick that in your gun and shoot it.

So conservative Christians are just stupid huh?
So much for the "love everyone" policies that liberals claim to have.


Oh, she was pretty proud of what she posted...may as well let her be.

>> ^gwiz665:
I get to show people something they might not have seen otherwise. I also get a direct reward in the form of star points and power points.
The Art of Sifting is that you get to "create" the framing of the video, you make the title, the tags and so on, this all has a direct influence on how a given thing sifts. Something can be hilarious, but if the title is bad, our nano-second attention spans flicker over it and miss the gem.
I suppose there is an underlying theme to what is sifted, but I don't think it's a persona as such. For some I presume the avatar is completely different than themselves, but my avatar is just a thin coat of veneer on myself. I'm pretty close to what I represent myself as here, and I think it's intellectually dishonest (not to mention douchebaggely) to do otherwise.
I do enjoy calling attention to obscure videos, but only if I like them. There are plenty of obscure stuff that I don't give two shits about.
CP420 and the rest of the conservative beacons call this place a liberal haven of atheists, but I don't see it that way. I think the IQ on this website exceeds most any other website, and that is the reason we are liberal and atheists; it's what smart people think. Stick that in your gun and shoot it.


So conservative Christians are just stupid huh?
So much for the "love everyone" policies that liberals claim to have.

I get to show people something they might not have seen otherwise. I also get a direct reward in the form of star points and power points.

The Art of Sifting is that you get to "create" the framing of the video, you make the title, the tags and so on, this all has a direct influence on how a given thing sifts. Something can be hilarious, but if the title is bad, our nano-second attention spans flicker over it and miss the gem.

I suppose there is an underlying theme to what is sifted, but I don't think it's a persona as such. For some I presume the avatar is completely different than themselves, but my avatar is just a thin coat of veneer on myself. I'm pretty close to what I represent myself as here, and I think it's intellectually dishonest (not to mention douchebaggely) to do otherwise.

I do enjoy calling attention to obscure videos, but only if I like them. There are plenty of obscure stuff that I don't give two shits about.

CP420 and the rest of the conservative beacons call this place a liberal haven of atheists, but I don't see it that way. I think the IQ on this website exceeds most any other website, and that is the reason we are liberal and atheists; it's what smart people think. Stick that in your gun and shoot it.

It's pretty much pointless to submit conservative videos of any kind. Videosift is a microcosm of the liberal media, they all have their own favorites, and you're screwed if you're not one of the popular people. You could say community participation is frowned upon; the majority roves around like a gang that needs strength in numbers, because on their own they can't handle themselves. Thankfully, like in real life, there are a couple of beacons to take on Videosift sheep.

Whenever ya hear the piece of the track, peace to the black
peeps on the streets with the beats in the jeeps
Comin back in '94 with the raw that's against the law
It's the G-O-D, my delivery is C-O-D
Word is bond and bond is life
We got it goin on tonight, don't nobody wanna fight
they wanna see a tight show where some brothers might go for broke
Utilisin the effects of the smoke
More cash to smash to make the blunt last
Fill it with hash til it pass, don't even ask in the Flat'
Put ass in a grip, flags is half-mast
Somebody must've passed, we're makin your ass drip into the stands
Fold my cash at last, my task to teach the class
and receive somethin more than brass is a blast
Make a brother work hard, long and fast......

Dreadlock, I send a rock from my block
Clock wax like crack, samplin from old stacks
That's where the soul's at, in this whole rap universe
We kick the funky tunes with a burst
Sun, moon and star, *?Sunbumba?* Jamar
To get me in the flow, now I'm read' to go
Set to show, everybody in the party that we're nice
wit out sippin on Bacardi and ice
The southpaw, ask your ma, I be the shinin star
No matter who you are, no matter who you are
I'll rape the tape, drop along in interstate
wit weight, wipe the slate and, mob the gate
And by fakin I'll avoid the court date, no legal aid
Everything's paid, while courts are tyraid
If the money ain't made, talkin millions
but spendin penny's and gettin cheap shoes from Kenny's

Now let's take time out to say peace to the GODs (PEACE)
Bust how I release cos this beat is hard
We be the squad from raw-taught to rule
Take a thought to the top now I drop the jewel
I push the Cadillac DeVille and still we real
I drive a garbage truck and not give a ........
I need to earn a buck four-a-year
I'm thru with buyin wild gear
Just somethin I can wear, somethin fly when I'm there
Well now we're here to take the gold and the cash 'fore the bill fold
I told their ass to chill and they're still cold
Frozen cos they're not amongst the chosen one
Sun shines like a beacon, similar to Howard Speake
As I receive the mic for the last time, I clear up your past crime
All felonies can go, as long as you know
Brand Nubian will stand, without the use of a band
We always work with a plan

This sort of advertising, while not directly from McCain's camp (at least 'officially'), is just disgusting.

Too Radical? Give me a f*cking break.

Yeah, let's keep doing the SAME OLD SH*T over and over, because that's working out great.

I'd like Obama TO BE radical, I'd like him TO BE a bit more Socialist, I'd like him TO MAKE the US a bit of a beacon of good in the world.

We'll just have to see.

Yes... and I always suspected my toaster is sending a distress beacon to Aliens since I overheat it all the time...

Along with the stockmarket crash - we could use a Hollywood crash.

Agree. Speaking of videogames, I'm also of the opinion that a repeat of the 1983 videogame crash would do everyone some good, too. The amount of thrown-together, big-budget garbage out there is astounding. Not to mention other issues like DRM (piracy scapegoating) and the overall state of PC gaming. The only 3 beacons of light left are id, Valve, and Blizzard.

For a film that aims to ridicule Americans in general and succeeds on nearly every level, this guy is like your beacon of hope. Such a sweetheart, bless. *british

Ah religion...

In all fairness, the woman's questioning is fairly hostile and not that inventive... yeah, the trinity doesn't make sense. Not really new in terms of criticism and her tone is pretty angry from the start.

The preacher? Typical ultra-christian non-educated bigot... that said, I'm not sure the woman is the beacon of tolerance people are assuming her to be either.

Religion, the opium of the masses. O Brother Where Art Thou had it right comparing them to the lotus eaters.

I don't think this applies to ME at all. I've always been a beacon of light in this dank video pit, I'm like jesus, but good... MEeee!

I think alot of Americans misunderstand the roots of the criticism.

I am not American, but I believe in the idea and ideals that lie behind America as a nation expressed through the Bill of rights, the Constitution and in the countless writings of the founding fathers who have tried to address almost every possible problem that might befall the nation, if only all their words were taught more thoroughly in schools rather in universities.

It's the fusion of many ideas of liberty and democracy, starting with perhaps with Rome, the Magna Carta in Britain right up to the French revolution and so on.

I criticize the US not from a blind hatred towards its foreign policy or corporate hegemony but because it is perhaps the strongest beacon of individualism and democracy that remains in our world, almost every nation regardless of its personal views strives to achieve what America allows for it's people, the idea that any man or woman can achieve progress through hard work, that they can influence the course of government, that they essentially have a voice. A fundamental idea that still has to take stronger roots elsewhere in the world, especially now with a rise of a new neo-despotic capitalism taking place in Russia and China.

This is not to say that America has perfected the idea or it's execution, no not at all but is has come close, but it has hit obstacles, corporate control has replaced population control and the vote of the people only because the people have slowly forgotten their civil liberties over the liberties of the dollar and the corporate sector.

In this way America sets the standard for the rest of the world, this is why seeing the War on terror, Iraq and Afghanistan was so heart breaking because the thinking goes if America can do it... so can any one else, the moral high ground of being against torture has been lost. That's why the criticism is so harsh, the world wants America to be better, in fact it wants it to be the best. I think its like that perhaps to the wide spread of it's culture, the fact that its in reality the representation of many populations of the world coming together.

This is my personal belief. I think developed from reading these words for the first time when I was younger.

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Emma Lazarus, 1883

"The New Colossus" is a sonnet by Emma Lazarus (1849-1887), written in 1883 and, in 1903, engraved on a bronze plaque and mounted inside the Statue of Liberty.

These words, that essential idea is something all Americans need to remember. There is such richness of ideas in American political and constitutional history with regards to liberity, that really makes me happy inside. Like reading about liberty for someone who has known only the shackles of jail all their life.

>> ^iloseatlife:
It's trendy right now to "dislike" America and Religion. At one time maybe it was independent thought,

Oh, really, we're just doing it to be trendy?

Ok, here are some reasons:

USA: I think what most of us can agree on is that we don't dislike the USA as such, just what the current government is doing, and the voting majority who brought the same moron back into power a second time. With some of the populous actually getting behind bullcrap like 'Freedom Fries' when the French refused to join in on the lie of a war that was/is Iraq. With the ridiculous 'you're either with us or you're against us' attitude towards your own populous by many... Your insane love of humoungous gas guzzling SUVs that has leached over to other countries (sadly Austrlaia is afflicted with this too), the general impression that you lot seem to think that the USA is the be all and end all of what a country should be. That is spends such an ungodly amount of money on war when just a fraction of that being spent on your failing education system would create a new generation of elightened kids who could help steer the US of A back on course.

These things and more are what annoys a lot of us about the US, and the fact that it is the largest, and the strongest country in the world and does these things affects ALL of us.

Religion: Oh this so isn't badnwagon jumping on the anti religion crowd, this is those of us who don't believe in religion getting to a point of deciding enough is enough and having to speak up. When religion starts forcing its way into politics, when schools start having their SCIENCE classes changed to teach 'INTELLIGENT DESIGN'... COME ON, how can we not get angry, you are creating children who think it's ok to believe in something jut because a book colaboratively written by a bunch of guys a long time ago and then altered inumerable times thereafter says so.

We have more than enough reason to be really shitty at religion and the US at present.

BUT.

I know a number of people in the states personally, and they're great people who also hate the direction the country is headed, I know there are millions more of the same mindset. If you can just get the country to start going in the right direction there is still hope and the US can become a beacon once again, rather than a demonstration of how NOT to do things.

And religion... in the right context can be great, when you don't try and force said beliefs on others, don't try to teach 'gospel' in our classrooms as scientific fact, don't persecute people because they don't believe in what you do... then it's fine. Live by those 10 commandments (actually live by them, especially 'do unto others') and we'd all be happier I think.

Don't try and belittle people who have valid concerns by trying to suggest we're just 'bandwagon' jumpers, that's just small minded and cheap.

Of course, we know this video is all about the cheap shots... doesn't mean we don't find it funny... Find me a similar one on Australia, and I'll upvote that too... we have a sense of humour about our country, we don't get all antsy at the smallest whiff on 'non patriotic' behavior.

edit: Actually, The Simpsons take on Australia I remember I got a bit shitty about this way back when, took it to heart a bit. But these days I find it piss funny. You have to know with these things that people don't think they're REAL, they know it's all a JOKE... Lighten up.

Good points all. I'll write more soon.

In reply to this comment by BicycleRepairMan:
Yes I do see a problem with that, I dont blame John McCain for the crusades and I dont blame Cat Stevens for 9/11, but that was not my point, I merely pointed out to you that being an atheist towards the christian god doesnt guarantee a reasonable viewpoint on any other subject. The problem with the "atheist communists" was not that they were too fond of skeptical and critical thinking, these regimes were not beacons of reasonableness, infact they were just the opposite, any critical voice was quelled and expelled or imprisoned or killed.

I am an atheist because I am skeptical by nature, and I want the same skepticism to apply to all ideas, whether its Islam, Christianity, communism or any ideas that I agree with. My biggest problem with religious "faith" is that people who profess it are getting away with outright idiotic statements and actions, simply because its faith. when McCain or Bush or some politician exclaims that "God talks to them" it is to me as absurd as saying that the tooth fairy is to blame for the high oil prices. Yet they get away with it as if it was a completely normal thing to say for a grown man.

They should be met with contempt and ridicule for such statements, not because of the crusades or 9/11, but simply because the statements themselves are ridiculous. There is enough bullshit as it is, and if we dont add an equal opportunity bullshit filter, bullshit is gonna sift through the holes, and we are raising the next generations of people lying to themselves and eachother. Right now there is a 6-lane highway tunnel through the bullshit filter, and that hole is called faith, where ridiculous ideas can march freely without questions, and when we allow that tunnel to be there, anything goes. That means you can have the means and knowhow it takes to design a nuclear bomb, and still believe you get the 72 virgins in paradise, because whatever else youve learned about the world, you've been taught from you were born not to question certain types of claims.

In reply to this comment by quantumushroom:
I understand what you're saying. Do you see anything wrong with lumping all religious peoples with fanatics and rapture nuts?


In reply to this comment by BicycleRepairMan:
Dont forget the atheist crusaders that killed thousands of true muslims, or the hundreds of unbaptised, un-christian suicide bomber atheists that kills true believers in iraq every day. Goddamn atheist scum!

In reply to this comment by quantumushroom:
No, Henning. Atheistic communists alone are responsible for 100 million murdered worldwide.