Pat Buchanan's Response to Barack Obama's Acceptance Speech
Joe Biden Accepts the Nomination for VP
With a Spoonful of Salt...
Jerry Day offers his insight regarding mainstream media's influence on public opinion and politics.
A crowd at the Democratic National Convention shows their sentiment for Fox News.
Fox News gives their spin on the crowds' reaction towards their reporting.
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Bonus Video:
Alisa Miller shares how the U.S. views the news. With eye-opening comparisons, Miller shows why we know less than ever.
I.O.U.S.A. Movie Trailer
I highly recommend watching this movie. It is a documentary about the state of the U.S. economy and the national debt. Sometimes it's important to be informed, rather than always merely entertained.
How To Win Arguments
You can read books on how to win friends and influence people, but there are times when winning an argument reigns in importance. Not everyone is easily charmed. And quite honestly, most of us are not that charming. Getting people googly eyed over you is a gift. Winning an important argument is a trained skill.
Check to see if there's water in the pool before you jump in.
The key to winning an argument is to listen first. Take mental notes of what the person is saying. Don't make any assumptions, and don't make any inferences about what is being said. Feign ignorance and look for inconsistencies. It doesn't matter how smart a person is, our brains don't always cooperate with our mouths exactly the way we intended it to. Wait until you've collected a decent amount of their mistakes before you pounce because nothing feels better than crushing another person's argument with their own words.
Arguing is not fighting, it's a game of wits. It's not about who can throw the most punches. Arguing is all about waiting for that perfect pitch, and then smashing it with everything you've got. Listen carefully to what is being said to you. When you find a talking point within your range, knock it out of the park and drive that point home.
Most people fail to realize that arguing is a deconstructive process whereby at least two people take turns fragmenting ideas into their most truthful components. It is not simple fighting; you know, the type of shouting matches that typically have your girlfriend bring up every past mistake you have ever made that she was supposed to have forgiven you for but EVERY single time you happen to do something even remotely inconsiderate, she won't let go of the fact that you accidentally slept with her sister on the night of your anniversary because you were highly intoxicated and under the drunken impression that her sister was her.
Be great at what you know, and know what you don't.
Citing evidence while in an argument is critical to success. But be aware of your area of expertise. People that often get frustrated and lose arguments do so because they refuse to acknowledge topics and fields that they are not very familiar with. Show that you can't invalidate their claims, but only because you don't know enough about the subject. The inability to prove a claim false does not logically make it true. There is no "I'm right because you don't know" victory when it comes to arguing with adults.
Take command of the conversation by citing from your circle of competence. If someone else counters with evidence from their area of expertise, don't be a jackass and pretend like you know better than the expert. Saying that you don't know is perfectly fine. Heck, even former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales slimed away from a world of hurt with the "I can't recall" excuse. Stick with what you know because sometimes avoiding a loss is the same as winning.
All rise for the sultan of spin!
The spin is a pure art form and not to be attempted by newbies. Proper spinning of an argument requires a well-balanced mix of communicative density and mildly skewed perception. The best way to get a grasp of what I'm talking about is to watch the movie "Thank You for Smoking." Some may call the main character a slimebag, I call him a hero. He's a master of logic and an artisan of argument.
Successful and effective spinning takes advantage of common logical fallacies. It's the conclusions drawn that sound true, but are actually logically incorrect. Exploiting these logical fallacies that most people make is a dangerous weapon, and the effective execution of such an exploit can take a lifetime to master. Like the saying goes, the master artist must first learn all of the techniques and then forget them. Just know that you don't always have to attack the argument directly. Making someone else look wrong is often enough to make yourself look right.
It's true...less is more.
Once again, the biggest point about winning arguments is to speak as little as possible. If you only had 10 seconds to respond and then forever hold your peace, I bet that you'd be more mindful of your words and response. A secret about communication is that it's nearly impossible for a speaker to accurately recall their own words. Humans simply can't talk and listen to ourselves at the same time. That's why everyone is always telling you that you said something you can't remember. We gain power when we listen, and then we exercise power when we speak. Too often, people try to exercise power that they haven't earned and so they fail in winning friends and arguments, and influencing people. This is why you hate your boss. We give respect when we feel like we've been heard. And those worth respecting are but dwarfs standing on the shoulder of giants.
Because it's Friday and Conan Kicks Ass!
Conan O'Brien delivers a hilarious commencement speech for a graduating class at Harvard University. As a fellow alum, he gives the new grads the inside scoop about life post-Harvard.
Bonus: Steve Jobs gives Stanford University graduates a rare and personal look at his life. He discusses his successes as well as his failures as he reminds the class to stay foolish and hungry. It's definitely an inspiring speech worth repeat viewing.
Randy Pausch on Time Management
Randy Pausch (October 23, 1960 – July 25, 2008) was an American professor of computer science, human-computer interaction, and design at Carnegie Mellon University. While knowing that his time was severely limited due to terminal pancreatic cancer, he successfully captivated the world with his popular "The Last Lecture" video. Here, Randy Pausch gives tips and suggestions on effectively managing time and people.
The L.A. Flake
There's a practice here in California's most populated locale that always disgruntles the earnest newcomer. In the area most well-known for the glits and glam, talk is cheaper than you realize.
If you've got some chisel in your build or an hourglass to your figure, chances are you'll spend time in Los Angeles' exciting social circuit. It's the places where pairs of silicon roam, the cool guys spend a fortune to look like they just woke up, and who you're doing outweighes what you're doing. You'll never talk to the same person for more than 15 minutes. And no matter how great of a connection you think you've made, "we should hang out some time" means much to nothing.
The L.A. flake is the broken promise of meeting again. It doesn't matter if you believe you've made a connection. It doesn't even matter if you were once old friends. Everyone says that they will call you the next day. It's just an LA euphemism for "if nothing better comes up..." (i.e. let's be friends if I'm not busy washing my cat or folding socks).
I hope you're not believing that L.A. is shallow and superficial. The primped and pimped patrons of silicon chesticles are simply too busy with the hustle and bustle to discover a person's morals and values. Time is money. That's why everyone here looks at each other's outside to find what's inside.
You're a nobody if you don't look like a somebody. You can be a bible study teacher or a devout champion of social injustices, but life will be lonely if you don't look like a million bucks. Seriously, what do you expect? L.A. is a city where a missed opportunity to score with a hottie on a Saturday night at the bar can still lead to a chance of meeting each other again during Sunday afternoon worship at church.
Just don't get your hopes up. Everyone here is too cool for school. Live in L.A. long enough and you'll start caring about not caring. Max out your credit cards to dress like you just don't give a shit...just make sure your sunglasses cover half your face. The best and brightest of L.A. walk around looking as if they had the wildest night of no-strings-attached threesomes that would make Charlie Sheen look like a catholic school virgin.
If offering empty promises and backing out of pre-arranged appointments doesn't sound like your cup of tea, here's the secret to getting Los Angelians to keep to their word. Money (or at least the assurance of more). Make sure that there's a sweet incentive for someone to hold their promise for meeting again. Don't be afraid to wheel and deal in this town. Some say that a guarantee is only as good as the person that makes it, but the truth is that you're only worth your last pay. You've gotta give to get. So a second date has gotta come with a bigger pay-off than the first.
...I just call it as I see it. I dare you to live here for a few years and believe otherwise.
Just Thinking...
What is this world that we live in? It's not society. The world is as our own eyes perceive it.
The quality of a man should be based on who he's willing to become for the woman he loves. It "should be," but it seems like it's hardly ever. Sometimes I feel like women would rather be in the shadows of a tall man, rather than the light in the life of a grateful man. It's strange how some would rather be forgotten by greatness.
Is it any wonder why I stray from the women that judge my earnings instead of support them? There used to be a belief that behind every great man is a great woman.
When you're around your mid-twenties, the popular question is "what do you do for a living?" And I can't express enough my dislike for the question. I try to do things that create happiness, and that's how I choose to define my living. Yet, my answers always seem unacceptable because the purpose behind such inquiry is to get the most polite estimate of a person's pocketbook.
The wealthiest person on the planet drives a $44,000 Cadillac. He lives in a modest home and started his first company at 26 years of age. A simple lunch with him can cost over $2 million in charitable donations. The most spectacular thing about him is that there's nothing very spectacular about his lifestyle. Despite being able to afford anything, he eats cheeseburgers. And his wife spent her whole life loving a man whose principles account for more than history's largest receipt.
Too many people ask questions to find out the things we can take from each other. It's the palms down approach to life. When our reach is only for the things we want, we squeeze out all of the value of a relationship and then scavenge on for the next. We waste each other as if our lives can only be fruitful once.
The world isn't rotten...the perspective is. You don't find goodness...you grow it. Approach everyone with your palms up and a giving attitude. But be careful. There are people that will take everything and leave you starving. Other people will be skeptical of your intentions. Just know that you have the power to shape your society.
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