Thanks for the advice and suggestions..I've thought about this..and it would be nice to start my own channel. I just haven't really felt too much compulsion to join the video rat race..but perhaps I will take your advice and get my bronze star. I don't think I'll be able to compete with anyone here though for the latest and greatest..i'll probably have to content myself with cat videos.

>> ^shuac:
Regarding the selection of which videos to attempt to sift: I too find that the videos I'm most passionate about (which are usually scenes from my favorite movies) do just as abysmally, upvote-wise, as the ones you seem to feel passionate about. We all have our own passions and one man's treasure and all that...
In order to get your star level up (and more importantly, earn the right to downvote) you may need to do what the rest of us did in our early Videosift days: do the monkey dance. By that, I mean you may need to sift videos you might not otherwise have thought to sift. Cat/dog/animal videos are generally pretty popular and they're virtually a guaranteed sift. Any kind of comedic presentation by Cracked or College Humor and the like are also popular. The Daily Show/Colbert Report are quite siftable too.
More subtly, unusual / comedic titles can be used to pique curiosity or emphasize the comedy. Here's a great example: http://videosift.com/video/Ernie-and-Bert-go-BALLISTIC
In short: play the percentages. Once you get your bronze star, it's all downhill from there.

Regarding the selection of which videos to attempt to sift: I too find that the videos I'm most passionate about (which are usually scenes from my favorite movies) do just as abysmally, upvote-wise, as the ones you seem to feel passionate about. We all have our own passions and one man's treasure and all that...

In order to get your star level up (and more importantly, earn the right to downvote) you may need to do what the rest of us did in our early Videosift days: do the monkey dance. By that, I mean you may need to sift videos you might not otherwise have thought to sift. Cat/dog/animal videos are generally pretty popular and they're virtually a guaranteed sift. Any kind of comedic presentation by Cracked or College Humor and the like are also popular. The Daily Show/Colbert Report are quite siftable too.

More subtly, unusual / comedic titles can be used to pique curiosity or emphasize the comedy. Here's a great example: http://videosift.com/video/Ernie-and-Bert-go-BALLISTIC

In short: play the percentages. Once you get your bronze star, it's all downhill from there.

>> ^Sarzy:

I'm sorry, I thought I was debating with a vaguely rational person. "Death squad"??
I'm done.>> ^marbles:
>> ^Sarzy:
>> ^marbles:
>> ^Sarzy:
Yep, it's perfectly reasonable to respond to an argument that the discussion is going overboard with Nazi comparisons with a claim that we're in a POLICE STATE, MAN!!!11!!
/bizarro world

You're the one giving the cops a pass. Just doing what they were told right? That's no overboard comparison, so grow up. If you can't defend your statement then don't make it. The fact is there were plenty of apathetic and negligent people in Nazi Germany that sat idly by while people were rounded up and executed.
You would've fit right in. How's that for Nazi comparisons?

I can agree that American drug laws are ridiculous and in serious need of reform. But to make the statement that American drug policy is in any way analogous to what the Nazis were doing in the 1930s and '40s is asinine, and a little bit offensive, quite frankly.
As for whether these officers should have been there? No, probably not. But it's not exactly the murder of millions of people in terms of moral unambiguity. I'm sure someone could make the argument that drug laws need to be enforced with such vigilance (I won't make that argument, because I don't agree with it, but I'm sure someone could). I'm sure many of the cops in question have families to support. Are they supposed to quit their jobs because they disagree with American drug policy?
They identified themselves as best as they could, they went in, and they found themselves with an assault rifle pointed at them. Of course they shot the guy. There's nothing else they could have done, other than wait for the guy to start firing, and hope their kevlar protects them (which it probably wouldn't have against a gun like that).

Nice straw-man. The only thing offensive is your shameless pardon of the death squad. You can make all the excuses you want, it doesn't change the fact they busted his front door, stood outside behind a ballistic shield, and unloaded 70+ rounds. Guerena had probable cause to grab his gun. The death squad didn't follow their own rules of engagement and had no reason to fire. That is straight up criminal homicide.



You're done? what, apologizing for murderous thugs?
Good call!

I'm sorry, I thought I was debating with a vaguely rational person. "Death squad"??

I'm done.>> ^marbles:

>> ^Sarzy:
>> ^marbles:
>> ^Sarzy:
Yep, it's perfectly reasonable to respond to an argument that the discussion is going overboard with Nazi comparisons with a claim that we're in a POLICE STATE, MAN!!!11!!
/bizarro world

You're the one giving the cops a pass. Just doing what they were told right? That's no overboard comparison, so grow up. If you can't defend your statement then don't make it. The fact is there were plenty of apathetic and negligent people in Nazi Germany that sat idly by while people were rounded up and executed.
You would've fit right in. How's that for Nazi comparisons?

I can agree that American drug laws are ridiculous and in serious need of reform. But to make the statement that American drug policy is in any way analogous to what the Nazis were doing in the 1930s and '40s is asinine, and a little bit offensive, quite frankly.
As for whether these officers should have been there? No, probably not. But it's not exactly the murder of millions of people in terms of moral unambiguity. I'm sure someone could make the argument that drug laws need to be enforced with such vigilance (I won't make that argument, because I don't agree with it, but I'm sure someone could). I'm sure many of the cops in question have families to support. Are they supposed to quit their jobs because they disagree with American drug policy?
They identified themselves as best as they could, they went in, and they found themselves with an assault rifle pointed at them. Of course they shot the guy. There's nothing else they could have done, other than wait for the guy to start firing, and hope their kevlar protects them (which it probably wouldn't have against a gun like that).

Nice straw-man. The only thing offensive is your shameless pardon of the death squad. You can make all the excuses you want, it doesn't change the fact they busted his front door, stood outside behind a ballistic shield, and unloaded 70+ rounds. Guerena had probable cause to grab his gun. The death squad didn't follow their own rules of engagement and had no reason to fire. That is straight up criminal homicide.

>> ^Sarzy:

>> ^marbles:
>> ^Sarzy:
Yep, it's perfectly reasonable to respond to an argument that the discussion is going overboard with Nazi comparisons with a claim that we're in a POLICE STATE, MAN!!!11!!
/bizarro world

You're the one giving the cops a pass. Just doing what they were told right? That's no overboard comparison, so grow up. If you can't defend your statement then don't make it. The fact is there were plenty of apathetic and negligent people in Nazi Germany that sat idly by while people were rounded up and executed.
You would've fit right in. How's that for Nazi comparisons?

I can agree that American drug laws are ridiculous and in serious need of reform. But to make the statement that American drug policy is in any way analogous to what the Nazis were doing in the 1930s and '40s is asinine, and a little bit offensive, quite frankly.
As for whether these officers should have been there? No, probably not. But it's not exactly the murder of millions of people in terms of moral unambiguity. I'm sure someone could make the argument that drug laws need to be enforced with such vigilance (I won't make that argument, because I don't agree with it, but I'm sure someone could). I'm sure many of the cops in question have families to support. Are they supposed to quit their jobs because they disagree with American drug policy?
They identified themselves as best as they could, they went in, and they found themselves with an assault rifle pointed at them. Of course they shot the guy. There's nothing else they could have done, other than wait for the guy to start firing, and hope their kevlar protects them (which it probably wouldn't have against a gun like that).


Nice straw-man. The only thing offensive is your shameless pardon of the death squad. You can make all the excuses you want, it doesn't change the fact they busted his front door, stood outside behind a ballistic shield, and unloaded 70+ rounds. Guerena had probable cause to grab his gun. The death squad didn't follow their own rules of engagement and had no reason to fire. That is straight up criminal homicide.

>> ^Sarzy:

>> ^JiggaJonson:
>> ^Sarzy:
Umm... I know we're supposed to automatically be outraged in cases like this, but if I have the story right, the man was pointing an AR-15 at the cops as they came through the door. Google that -- it's a pretty serious looking gun. Were the police supposed to wait until he started shooting at them and only then fire back? They had the siren going before they came in, they yelled something before they broke the door down, so what else were they supposed to do (other than not be there at all)?

What they were supposed to do, is try to get the man out of the house through some non-violent means.

So the fact that the man had an enormous assault rifle and was pointing it at the cops as they came in the door means nothing?
All I'm saying is that I don't think the cops who actually pulled the trigger are at fault here. Should they have even been there in the first place? Probably not. But that's not their call. Someone should be held accountable for this, but it's not those cops.


Sure they are. Why did they lie and say he fired at them first? Why did they seal the search warrant after the case starting getting publicity? Why were they ignorant to the fact of who lived at the house? Why wasn't Guerena's name on the search warrant if he was a suspect of criminal activity? Why is paramilitary police busting down his door and 4 or 5 others that day for marijuana? (Forget the fact they found NOTHING) Why did they have the urgency to bust down his door but then the "SWAT" team decides to clear the house with some sort of robot? Why did they deny paramedics access to Guerena for over an hour? Why did they change their story multiple times and now claim he was a suspect for home invasions?

You seem to be giving the cops a pass and blaming their superiors. I guess we should've applied that to those Third Reich officers that were only following orders too. The cops took an oath to uphold the constitution, so any abridgement of the 4th amendment rests squarely on their shoulders. And any law enforcement agency that makes excuses for it or tries to hide the truth about it is utterly corrupt. Honest and moral people are not going to carry out the orders of tyrants. If the people in charge are violating The Law, then the subordinates by default are going to be lawless thugs "just following orders".

The SWAT team had a ballistic shield, busted the door, and stood on the outside shooting in. Guerena may have a had a gun pointed at them but he never fired and still had the safety on. The SWAT team never clearly identified who they were, and just starting shooting. Even if this wasn't Guerena and it was a drug smuggler with a house full of drugs and money, what the SWAT team did is straight up murder and disregard for human rights.

Next month: Mini multi-warhead inter-continental ballistic nuclear missles.

I'd actually like to see how it would affect ballistic gel or perhaps a pig carcass.

Sure, it pops balloons, but how "deadly" is it if it can't penetrate skin effectively.

Perhaps I'm watching too much Mythbusters lately.

Yes, they know the ballistics of how far the bullets are traveling

I have been avoiding watching this, knowing that I would go ballistic. I lasted 37 seconds before I had to turn it off.

Every time she said "we mourn for the innocents", I kept picking up a vibe that not all who were attacked were innocent. Some got it who deserved it.

I know that can't possibly be true. Deadrisenmortal has it right, I think. "I have watched her and I have looked for a behavioral pattern that would help me to discern what motivates her. All that I can see is selfishness, zealotry, and mindless far right wing fundamentalism."

I also happen to know someone who went to high school in Palmer, the next town over, at the same time Palin was in high school. She knew her well enough to say hi, knew her reputation, and saw what she did to Wasilla and the surrounding area during her tenure as Mayor. My friend hates her. "She's mean" -- a direct quote. From someone who watched her before the cameras turned on her.

You can pass this off as vitriol. Or maybe it is just ... accurate.

What ?! Where's the footage of the cat going ballistic apesh*t and clawing the kids face to a bloody mess ?!

Internet comes up short again

>> ^ButterflyKisses:

It's plasma energy resulting in what tadd just said. It's a very intense buildup of electromagnetic energy onto the surface area of the bottom of the projectile. In the last clip on this video, the projectile lost structural integrity from the g-forces.
>> ^mtadd:
>> ^VoodooV:
ok...so I'm dumb, if it's electromagnetically propelled, what's with the explosion?

My guess would be its a result of the shockwave from the ballistic reaching supersonic velocity.


actually you are wrong. what you see is projectile's casing falling off. see http://media.defenseindustrydaily.com/images/ORD_EM_Rail_Gun_7MJ_Shot_lg.jpg and http://www.dstl.gov.uk/news_events/images/railgun.jpg

It's plasma energy resulting in what tadd just said. It's a very intense buildup of electromagnetic energy onto the surface area of the bottom of the projectile. In the last clip on this video, the projectile lost structural integrity from the g-forces.

>> ^mtadd:

>> ^VoodooV:
ok...so I'm dumb, if it's electromagnetically propelled, what's with the explosion?

My guess would be its a result of the shockwave from the ballistic reaching supersonic velocity.

>> ^VoodooV:

ok...so I'm dumb, if it's electromagnetically propelled, what's with the explosion?


My guess would be its a result of the shockwave from the ballistic reaching supersonic velocity.

>> ^Drachen_Jager:

When they get a process going that can make carbon nanotubes at industrial volumes it will be as significant (if not more) than the development of steel. This is THE materials science breakthrough of our generation.
A 1 mm thick nanotube wire could hold 6,000 KG of weight. It is thirty times stronger than Kevlar and nearly a hundred times stronger than the finest steel.


This is without even bringing to light their electrical properties. They have a chirality induced band gap, so they can be either semiconductive or metallic based on structure. They are absurdly thermally and (in the case of metallic tubes) electrically conductive, due to ballistic conductivity. Electrical current densities are theorized to be more than 1000 times greater than copper. They truly are a miracle material. Biggest problem is the safety issues and cost of production.