Debate // Current

Update: Sorry we have not got going. I have been a lazy boy!!

I just wanted to take a minute and apologize for not getting things fired up in the... more

slarabee
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10 days ago
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6 comments

Video - Texas Gubernatorial Debate Happens

The Republican candidates for Texas Governor — Kay Bailey Hutchison, Debra... more

quitedandy
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11 days ago
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0 comments

2012...

This is a open invitation to anyone with a sharp mind.The topic at hand is 2012 and... more

iamfree
added this
22 days ago
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1 comment

“MILF” Sarah Palin Debuts on Fox New’s O’Reilly Factor…Liberals Lose Minds…

When the former Governor of Alaska made her debut appearance as a ‘news... more

ctpatriot1970
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28 days ago
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78 comments

Skype Debates - Project Status and Information

Hello everyone :) For those interested in the status of the Skype Debates (beta)... more

slarabee
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1 month ago
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2 comments

Format: Draft 1

Time: We will shoot for 60 minutes but we are not really under any time constraints so... more

slarabee
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1 month ago
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2 comments

Participant Rights and Responsibilities - Draft 1

Participants shall ensure that they have all the proper hardware and software to enable them to participate in a debate, before challenging another member or accepting a challenge to debate.

All challenges must be submitted in writing (email, current messaging or on a new post in the Skype Debates (Beta) Group) to the challenged and to the moderators of the Skype Debates (beta) group at least 7 days before any debate shall commence to allow for research, coordination and acceptance of said challenge. Those accepting a challenge to debate shall adhere to this same rule.

If a member challenges or accepts a challenge and then has technical difficulties that would prevent them from participation in the debate, we request that you inform the moderators of the Skype-Debates (Beta) Group with as much advanced notice as possible so that we may arrange an alternate participant that shares your viewpoint (as closely as is possible). Of course your preference of an alternate will be considered first, and unless the opposition provides valid objection to the alternate, your preference will be offered first opportunity to fill in for you during the debate. A lot of work will be going into coordinating and researching these debates so please by all means do everything you can to make sure that you are ready before deciding to participate. That said technological failure is a reality of life so please let us know if we can help. Many of us are quite computer savvy (for example I am a network engineer) and we may be able to help resolve your issue(s).

Moderators’ questions for the participants during the Question and Answer period of the debate shall be provided to the participants no less than, but no sooner than 24 hours prior to the debate. This should provide participants with ample time prepare for the debate. If the moderator should fail to provide the questions within the time frame specified by these participant rights, we will change them so that the moderator is within “their” rights ~ just kidding but remember we need to all work together to see that these debates continue on time, as all of us are volunteering our time and taking time from our busy lives to make this happen. If there is a particularly contentious question and you are down to the wire finding information let us know. We are great at finding needles in a haystack!!!Participants shall ensure that they have all the proper hardware and software to... more

slarabee
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1 month ago
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0 comments

The Rules Draft 1

The Rules: No threatening of members with physical violence or extremist... more

slarabee
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1 month ago
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3 comments

Audio vs. Video - What that means to spectators and participants.

Here is what I have in mind. If people have other ideas lets get them out there and give them a try, but here is what I am proposing.

For our initial debates we will use Skype to coordinate a free VOIP (internet) conference phone call between the participants, the moderator(s) and any support volunteers that need to be on the call.

We will then record the call using MP3 Skype Recorder v.1.9.0 http://voipcallrecording.com/ and save it in mp3 format.

We will then upload that file to an FTP server (I will set one up for us on my servers and then we (I will help but I am also looking for volunteers to help with this) will import that audio into a video editing program such as Sony Vegas or Adobe Premier or whatever video editing program some of the more experience users here feel will work the best, then we can create a video using news footage from around the net to support the conversation.

For example we are discussing maybe making the topic of the first debate Animal Rights vs. Hunters rights, corporate animal harvests etc…
There is quite a bit of footage out there on both sides of the issue that we can produce a video that will support the audio of the debate and if done correctly will keep it interesting without detracting from the points being made.

Once completed we simply upload the video to a new Current Post for members to view.
Simple huh?

I know that it is complicated but by using Skype and Audio only in the beginning we are keeping the process as simple as possible for the participants and the moderators and producers of the debates will deal with the technical complexity. This will encourage as wide a range of participants as possible.

If there are participants that wish to be on webcam during their debate we will be working towards supporting that as well. However I have found over long experience that keeping things as simple as possible for the end user encourage more participation and a happy over all experience.

So I think you can see that this will be a bit of work so we really could use some help from members with video editing experience. I have some but I would not call myself an expert. If we work on this I think it really has the potential to be one more thing that makes Current different than the other news sites out there and in my opinion “we” are what makes Current better than the other sites out there.

So please share your ideas and thoughts and if you can help out in anyway let me know.

Thanks,
slarabeeHere is what I have in mind. If people have other ideas lets get them out there and... more

slarabee
added this
1 month ago
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4 comments

Current Skype Debates Rules, Terms, etc...

So it appear that there is plenty of interest in using Skype as a means to allow... more

slarabee
added this
1 month ago
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48 comments

DeliaTheArtist vs IHateThemAll

This a debate between DeliaTheArtist and ihatethemall The subject will be The Glenn... more

ibrake4rappers13
added this
1 month ago
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231 comments

Religion Has Had Its Day [video]

This amusing video is from the television show, Argumental. In this third season... more

GrrlScientist
added this
1 month ago
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2 comments

J_Jammer bites the dust

For all of you people who got caught up in frustrating arguments with J_Jammer, it... more

versasrev
added this
1 month ago
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191 comments

'Complementarity' & 'Circularity': New Words Fuel Immigration Debate

'Complementarity' & 'Circularity': New Words Fuel Immigration... more

YouthOutlookMultimedia
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1 month ago
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0 comments

Future of Integrated Health Care Ecosystem

Trying to forecast the future of global healthcare is an ambitious undertaking, to say... more

RepressThis
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1 month ago
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1 comment

Battle of words- Iran vs Israel

Debate between iranian university professor and an israeli former pilot over the... more

bushama
added this
1 month ago
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2 comments

McCain on Healthcare

WASHINGTON -- Health care for everyone is like a giant Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme. At... more

bushama
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1 month ago
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0 comments

Debating Medical Marijuana Causes More Kids to Smoke Pot

New data on youth drug use was released today and, as we've come to expect, the drug warriors would rather lie about it than learn from it. Instead of focusing on the fact that more high school seniors are smoking marijuana than cigarettes (proving what a perfect failure our marijuana laws truly are), the drug czar and his minions tried to claim that debating drug policies causes more young people to do drugs:

The increase of teens smoking pot is partly because the national debate over medical use of marijuana can make the drug's use seem safer to teenagers, researchers said. In addition to marijuana, fewer teens also view prescription drugs and Ecstasy as dangerous, which often means more could use those drugs in the future, said White House drug czar Gil Kerlikowske.

The "continued erosion in youth attitudes and behavior toward substance abuse should give pause to all parents and policy-makers," Kerlikowske said. [AP]

Wait, what was that about the medical marijuana debate causing an increase in teen pot-smoking? According to The Associated Press, that's what the "researchers said," but the only reference to medical marijuana in the whole study tells a more interesting story:

Marijuana use began to decline in 1997 among 8th graders and then did the same in 1998 among 10th and 12th graders. The rate of decline was rather modest, however, perhaps due in part to effects of the public debates over medical use of marijuana during that period.

So they never said marijuana use "increased" because of the medical marijuana debate. Not even close. All they did was speculate that a decrease -- which took place 12 years ago – would "perhaps" have been steeper if it weren't for the debate over medical marijuana. I'll give you one guess where I'm about to go with this…

Teen marijuana use declined following the emergence of a national debate over medical marijuana. That's what actually happened and the suggestion that such declines would have been greater if it weren't for marijuana activism is about as logical as arguing that Sgt. Pepper would have been an even better record if The Beatles weren't on acid.

Rates of high school marijuana use had been climbing rapidly until 1996, when California voters legalized medical marijuana, after which point they declined for 10 years straight. Now I'm not saying that the debate over medical marijuana caused a reduction in teen marijuana use, but even if I did, it would still make a lot more sense than what we read yesterday from The Associated Press.

Of course, I completely understand that journalists can’t possibly read and digest a 700+ page report. That's understandable, as is some reliance on press releases when piecing a story together. But if you're getting all your information from the drug czar, you should be awfully careful not to get taken advantage of. A really good sign that you've been completely worked over is if you end up reporting that the legalization debate causes kids to do drugs.

http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle_blog/2009/dec/15/latest_drug_war_lie_debating_med
http://www.opposingviews.com/article_attachments/0000/2158/question_mark.jpgNew data on youth drug use was released today and, as we've come to expect, the... more

copperdragon
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1 month ago
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1 comment

Was Jesus a Buddhist?

Merlyn_Seeley
added this
1 month ago
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29 comments

Talib Kweli performing a poem called, "Hell" on HBO Def Poetry

I'd rather remain forlorn, than submit blindly.

wilkinebrutus
added this
1 month ago
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0 comments

TAGS

tagged w/ Debate

Update: Sorry we have not got going. I have been a lazy boy!!

Video - Texas Gubernatorial Debate Happens

2012...

“MILF” Sarah Palin Debuts on Fox New’s O’Reilly Factor…Liberals Lose Minds…

Skype Debates - Project Status and Information

Format: Draft 1

Participant Rights and Responsibilities - Draft 1

The Rules Draft 1

Audio vs. Video - What that means to spectators and participants.

Current Skype Debates Rules, Terms, etc...

DeliaTheArtist vs IHateThemAll

Religion Has Had Its Day [video]

J_Jammer bites the dust

'Complementarity' & 'Circularity': New Words Fuel Immigration Debate

Future of Integrated Health Care Ecosystem

Battle of words- Iran vs Israel

McCain on Healthcare

Debating Medical Marijuana Causes More Kids to Smoke Pot

Was Jesus a Buddhist?

Talib Kweli performing a poem called, "Hell" on HBO Def Poetry

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