LD Sept. - Oct. 2008 Topic: Woot!

Resolved: It is morally permissible to kill one innocent person to save the lives of more innocent people.

Yeah. Freaking awesome topic, and I don't get to do it. Beh. This is perhaps one of the most distilled 'value' topics I've ever seen. Why the NFL didn't use it for NatQuals or Nationals is completely beyond me. There is no crack for policy or statistics to enter. There is no odd loophole such as "Justice" to frame it oddly. It is just "morally permissible".

Even though I don't actually compete with this topic, I'll post various bits about it to help any new or seasoned LDers to victory.

First of all is a breakdown of the topic and some first-look musings as to potential problems or ideas.

1. "Morally permissible": This is the big frame which the entire round hangs upon. Key things to remember is that this is not justice, or legal, or constitutional. This is 'permissible'. Is it allowed within your moral framework, and why is your framework best?

2. Utilitarianism: There's more to it, but that's effectively what it is. It ought to be straightforward, but there'll always be some ex-CXer with a bone to pick who will attempt to screw this topic up by defining everything to hell and back.
Remember, definitions are like salt. Use them wisely and to taste. Don't let your opponent define your case for you. You don't need a strict definition of what and how the killing will be. LD is about abstractions and values. Don't muddle a topic this good with statistics and plans.


Ideas:

Aff: Pretty much, you have the default easy ground. It isn't the high ground, but it's going to be many debaters' strongest cases. I'm not going to give away some secret case idea, (that goes to my team), but pretty standard and pretty strong cases will come off of utility and practicality. Don't use hypothetical examples. Judges are like tigers. Poke them with knives, and you'll get your arm mauled off by an angry tiger.
As an Aff, answer me this: Why is murder morally acceptable because you feel you have a good reason? Murder is the killing of an innocent person. Why is it acceptable?

Neg: You've got the fun part. You're going to have to delve deeply into Deontological systems to figure this one out. Remember, don't let your opponent use flashy examples. Latch onto the inherent value of a person. If the Aff tries to bring up the dirty bomb scenerio or some sort, ask where the bright line is. If they bring up the value of a certain person (family, politicians, and the like) figure out the subjectivity of human value.


Anyways, I'll post more later. I'm tired.

Nationals Results

The results are in, and I got 34 points in 5 speeches, and we were on base 4.
Da Goose got 35, but he was in a different chamber. It's nice to know that we were virtually tied, given his godliness in public speaking.

I think the barrier was about 40-41, as that's where some people who broke were at. It was top 8, so it wasn't a strict point scale.

Oh well. That's how life goes I guess.

Fireworks, on the Fourth of July

Fireworks, on the Fourth of July

Every year, the birth of our nation is celebrated:

In barbeques and cookouts,

In parties and gatherings,

In professional sports and amateur war.

By day we feast and play in the sun,

By night we talk and watch false suns rise.

Time to watch fireworks

On the Fourth of July.

Friends and family

Old and new

Gather round the flames.

Games are played, and stories are told,

All in subtle order.

Clockwork soldiers long past,

drum an ethereal tattoo.

Pounding beats thump, thump, thumping

On the horizon.

War’s refrain rattles listener’s skulls,

Stirring withered moral fibres for one glorious night.

Thump, thump, thump go fireworks

On the Fourth of July.

But something else stirs this eternal night:

A friend’s return

The tugging of emotions long buried.

Smoldering lust and flickering affection

Once thought extinguished,

Now roar into life once more.

Time, however, has damped this flame

Keeping it contained

Before it could erupt.

There shall be no harsh words tonight,

No fireworks on the Fourth of July.

A glimmer,

A jiggle,

A squeal of glee,

And a shared memory.

Nothing happens

When friends are only friends,

And love is only temporary.

Always the nice guy,

Never her nice guy.

Late nights of talking,

Memories of impaired judgment

Produce hope that perhaps potential still lies within.

Drawing closer,

Bodices warming more than each other,

A furtive pet,

Quick moments,

And slow embraces

All combine to kindle hope

That one day there will be

Real fireworks

On the Fourth of July.

An Intro to Python

I guess some of you (although I'm not entirely sure who "you" are/is..." were wondering: "This blog's called Forensic Python, and we've seen a little about forensics (I graduated, so there will be a bit of a delay on that) and a lot about poems; but where's the Pythonic goodness?"

I promise, there will be more pythonic charm, starting now.

Here's a brief intro/manual for what Python is, and where to get started.

Python is a programming language. This means a formal language which you can learn and can use to translate what you want your computer to do into phrases that the computer can understand. Now that that's out of the way, on to something less patronizing.

Some advantages of Python include its high level of readability, the complete portability of its interpreter, the combination of power and simplicity it provides, and the ease of learning it. Some disadvantages include the fact that it is an interpreted language, which results in slower runtimes compared to most compiled languages.

Probably the first two places to start for anybody interested in learning Python are here:
Official Python Site
Thinking like a Computer Scientist: Python Edition
Dive into Python
The first link is to where to get Python and where the documentation is.
The second is probably the best guidebook I've seen for someone who is looking at Python as their first language. It teaches good coding habits as well as useful concepts.
If you know a language or two, the third link will probably be better for you.

A great thing about Python is that there are many great resources available for free online. I suggest finding a forum or a chatroom in case you have questions.

Back from Nationals

Well, I'm back from Nationals. I spent 1 week in Las Vegas with Da Goose, King Combover, and Madmouth. We visited Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon, and partook of the strip all week. The competition was fierce (as one could expect from Nationals Senate), and nobody ended up breaking. The disappointment of failure was greatly offset by the fact that A: We were in Las Vegas, and B: We got to see the Grand Canyon.

I felt that we all got much closer over the course of the trip, and that it was a fitting 'last hurrah' for us graduating seniors. It was all former seniors, and there was an air of frivolity and trust that was great.

Aah. I'll post with exactly how I did, as soon as I find out myself. (accursed slow NFL people)