watching a debate

Just yesterday I went to watch a debate. While I was the I decided that I'm not going to do policy, but stop trying to see what happens next. You'll see when I get to it.

First, I had to get up at 6:15 am. AM!! Can you believe that? Then once I was ready we (me and my mom) had to go to pick up a friend. After we had picked him up we arrived a HALF HOUR EARLY!!!! Can't believe that. Fortunately I brought my little brother's DS.

When we got on the bus me and my buddy...for security reasons and because some people don't like other people to give out their names on the internet I'll refer to him as Freddy joe...sat together and played the DS and talked. I had brought, for lunch a big bag of doritoes, two sodas, a lunchable, pears, and some granola bars.

When we arrived at the school (am I moving too fast for you? well that's because I can't remember all the little details and don't talk as much as my big sister) we all were split into groups and assigned a varsity member to follow around. After every round we would switch varsity members.

The debates were not at all how I imagined them to be. I imagined them to be with two or three adult judges, a crowd of people, and in an auditorium. Instead they had one judge who was our age, in little classrooms, and the only people who were watching were any novice. Parents could go and watch if they wanted to, but I didn't see any.

The first debate that I watched was LD, Lincoln-Douglas. It wasn't an intense round or anything. It was actually kind of boring. But I still liked it. The round just went back and forth. One person talking, then next asking questions then responding, etc. The judges also aren't supposed to tell you who won, or how you did. You find that out from your coach on the way home.

In between rounds there's about ten, twenty minutes before the next one starts. We ate and stuff during that time.

The second debate I went to was PF, Public Forum. It was better than the first round. This one I found out that during cross-examintation you are not allowed to explain things unless you have been asked a question. This one girl from my school kept asking her opponent "are you asking a question?" and then he;'d be like, "oh yeah, sorry." it was kind of funny. :D

In between this round and the third I ate most of my food.

The third round was a policy debate. I couldn't stand the judge. When he entered the room and the debater asked his paradime (sp?) he said something along the lines of, "I don't give a *beep* about that kind of *beep* You guys can just *beep* do whatever you *beep* want to. and I also don't *beep* care if you curse." Then he seemed to be flirting with the two girls on the opposite team. And at the end of that debate he said that the two girls won. In my oppinion they had some pretty weak arguments. They were talking all about the internet. "we need to give people in poverty free internet and free computers." What?! how will that help them get out of poverty? And my side proved them wrong.

That was the last debate I watched because I was late to the last one. That was how my day went. I'm having a debate that I will actually compete in on Saturday, so I'll post about how it went.

Debates

Quick post and update on my debate class. We have started in class debates and have finished only two of them. Each debate takes about two days and maybe half of another. Both times the negative side has won. I hope that when it's my turn to do it I win.

Also, my first debate is on the 31st. I'm so nervous. I'm going to go and watch the varsity debate on the 24th though. I have to be at the school around 6:30 am for the debates though. :P How horrible, especially since they're on saturday's. Well, time for bed. Good night peoples.

video games

I've decided that starting monday I will not play any video games on school days. I'm starting to get too addicted...again. short post, I know. I'll try and make another one later on, today or tomorrow.

~the skater

school

On monday we're going to start having in class debates to prepare for our first debate on the 31st. I'm so nervous and excited. We're debating poverty at the moment, and I have almost completed mine. I'm about half way finished. My teacher says that one debate will probably take up the whole class period. I'll put my debate up after monday.

I'd also like you guys to pray for my friends that I sit with at lunch time. They've got some really bad lives and none of them are Christians. So, if you'd pray for them that would be great. Thanks

kill the good reward the bad

Alright sis, you can stop whining like a little girl. I'm posting now. :P

recently I read an article in the paper, in the opinion page. You can read the whole thing for yourself if you want. I won't be posting the whole thing here, it's just easier that way. The name of the article is "POCATELLO'S DOG POLICIES SHOULD BE REVIEWED" The article is talking about how dogs are being put down because of "aggressive" behavior. What is this aggressive behavior? It's not biting, it's growling and barking. You're probably thinking the same thing I was when I read the article. That's not aggressive behavior, every dog does that. Here's one story of a dog with the so called aggressive behavior.

"One so-called vicious dog, a St. Bernard-collie mix named Balou, is due to be euthanized in the near future. He's been in a cage since May 17. Balou's offense: He growled at an animal control officer and then was spotted in his owners backyard without a muzzle."

(insert sarcasm) Oh my goodness! the dog didn't have a muzzle after growling! can you believe that?! The next story is even more crazy.

"Another story is that of Rosco, a Newfoundlan-Labrador mix. He got into trouble when a Rottweiler bit his owner's daughter. Rosco bit the attacking dog in defense of the daughter. after an investigation, rosco was put in a tarp covered cage, where he's been since July 6. The Rottweiler that bit the daughter of Rosco's owner was not cited for any violation...animal control cited the daughter for allowing a vicious dog to run at large for Rosco's run-in with the Rottweiler."

WHAT?! the dog that attacked is allowed to live, gets no punishment, and is not cited while the other dog that was just defending it's master's daughter gets all of that? If I were there I would give Rosco a lot of treats and praise him. The Rottweiler should be the one to die, it attacked the daughter, it's the vicious one. Rosco was just protecting his family. People are really stupid if they do things like that.

When I first read this article I was about to try and compare it to humans, when I realized it wouldn't change a thing. This is what I was thinking. What if it were some guy that attacked someone's daughter? Then what if the father punched, maybe even shot the attacker? That's what I was thinking, but then I realized they'd probably put the father in jail. We live in a world where the government is just stupid.

This allows criminals to start suing officers if their drug sniffing dogs, search dogs, or just normal police dogs growl, bark, or attack someone. This probably will happen sometime. and then the courts will allow it. My brother said that he heard that this guy who was robbing a house, fell onto some forks and knives, and then sued because they left silverware out where someone could get hurt. He won the case. That man shouldn't have been in the house in the first place.