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Ad Hominem

An argument is an Ad Hominem argument when someone attacks the person instead of his argument. That is an oversimplified explanation but sums up the basis of this argument. Instead of attacking the contentions or points of someone’s argument, the person is attacked. This is a tactic to distract attention away from the propositions or points of the argument.

I have often wondered if people resort to this because they cannot handle the terms of the argument so they go for the throat of the one making the argument instead. This can be a good form or a bad form of argumentation depending on how it is used.

I am going to use a personal example of something I should have not done, I knew better, but fell for this fallacy anyway.

When I began writing about the Minuteman Project, I made some rather quick assumptions about them without knowing a great deal about any of them.

I did do some quick research on one of the co-founders of the movement, Chris Simcox. What I found out about the man was disturbing. The information I uncovered was more than three years old. It was from secondary sources. I did not verify these sources. I had a writing deadline so I went with three-year-old secondary sources.

I committed the classic error of Ad Hominem reasoning. What I did was let Simcox’s apparent three-year old biases distract me from what he was saying regarding his views on the Illegal Mexican migrant worker problem. Allow me to be clearer.

Simcox may have had some good arguments for the Mexican Immigration problem but I allowed my perception of his arguments to be affected by his apparent biases. I allowed myself to NOT LISTEN to what may have been a good and decent argument.

A person with dubious motives, and I was judging Simcox to have dubious motives, could be right in the argument he presents. He could also be wrong but you cannot figure that out if you attack the man’s character to the exclusion of listening to his arguments.

Let’s say that a known pathological liar comes running into your house screaming that someone just kidnapped his daughter. You know that this man is a practiced liar. Do you let his bias stop you from jumping up and looking into the matter? You could do that but that he is a known liar and pathologically so does not mean that he isn’t telling the truth in that circumstance.

It is not wrong to point out people’s biases. In the Minuteman’s Chris Simcox case, from the available evidence, it appeared strongly, and still does, that he has a bias concerning Mexicans in general and not just illegal Migrant workers.

(However, for the record I did not bother to check this out and let it cloud my judgment.)

However, for the sake of argument let’s say that his bias is indeed that he doesn’t want illegal or legal Mexicans in the United States. That is a bias worth mentioning because it could, but not necessarily, affect what he says about Immigration. His bias would be applicable but not necessarily make the propositions of his argument about Immigration wrong.

In every conceivable disputed issue there is going to be biases on both sides of the argument. Wrongly used, the Ad Hominem argument prevents you from listening to the propositions of the argument. Rightly used, it simply points out the one making the argument might have a stake in the issue and that his judgment “might” be skewed in the presentation of facts and stats to support his position.

Ad Hominem is misused if it prevents the hearer from properly evaluating the evidence presented by someone because of what we might think of them.

I failed in the use of Ad Hominem argument regarding Chris Simcox, co-leader of the Minuteman Project. It is something I intend to correct by attempting an interview with this man.

Recognize someone’s bias then get on with evaluating the speaker’s evidence. Be cautious that bias could affect the speaker’s judgment then move on to listen to the propositions of the arguments.

Mexican Living Print and eBooks - What You Need To Know When Traveling or Planning To Live in Mexico.

Many high school and college students these days are finding teen volunteer work to be interesting and satisfying, with more and more teens getting involved all the time. There are even some high schools that make volunteer work with children, and other types of volunteer work, part of their basic curriculum. Often you can catch some energetic teens engaged in charity work with a variety of charitable agencies that provide services for children and adults.

There are now many teen volunteer work programs that a young person can decide to get involved in. Some young people make themselves useful by helping to build new homes for the Habitat for Humanity organization. Others enjoy working in the US National Parks through the Conservation Corps program, and still others are gaining a great deal by being involved in various political, social, economic, and environmental causes and the volunteer work for teens programs that are available through such venues.

Many teens find themselves most drawn to participating in volunteer work with children. In many cases, children who are in a situation where they need the help of volunteers seem to respond better to teenagers, probably because they are nearer to their own age. When a kid is very shy around adults, often a teen who is participating in student volunteer work can get the child to open up.

Many students are very intuitive and have a positive impact on children, even if the work is something as simple as reading the child a story or helping them with their homework. These positive instances of student volunteer work help to make the teenagers feel better about themselves and more confident, in addition to helping the child with the situation they were facing.

It is interesting to observe that while many teenagers these days seem to be more self-centered and materialistic than any previous generation, the level of teen volunteer work has increased. One reason for this is that there are more voluntary charity organizations who understand how valuable the efforts of teens can be and have gone to great lengths to create volunteer work for teens within their volunteer programs.

When teens get involved in summer volunteer work programs or various student volunteer programs in their communities, it seems that many of the materialistic and self-centered attitudes fade away, as the students set aside their designer clothes, their fancy iPods and cell phones, and other high-tech goodies for the time being. In many cases, when these social trappings are set aside, it gives teenagers their first real opportunity to look outside themselves and focus on the needs of the person or the community that they are rendering service to through their teen volunteer work.

It really does not matter what sort of volunteer activity a teen is participating in, from doing volunteer work with children, to being an orphanage volunteer or doing hospital volunteer work; these endeavors bring benefits to everyone at every stage. Certainly, the people receiving the service work benefit from the efforts of teen volunteers, the charitable agency benefits from the energy and enthusiasm of their youthful participants, and the teens themselves feel great about doing their part.

Visit Mike Selvon portal to learn more about volunteer work with children. Your feedback is much appreciated at our charity events blog where a free gift awaits you.

Most people start an exercise program to lose weight. Of course, this isn’t the objective during pregnancy exercise but there are lots of other reasons to get started on or continue on a regular exercise routine when you’re pregnant.

When you think of exercise, cardiovascular exercise is what usually comes to mind. Walking, jogging, swimming and many other activities that get your heart rate up are all part of this category. And, it’s an important piece to the puzzle.

But - The other half of the formula for a well rounded pre-natal exercise routine is strength training. This is the one people often forget about. The running (i.e. cardio) craze of the 1970’s is still in the forefront of people’s mind when they think about good exercise, burning calories and a healthy, lean body.

The truth is, while cardio is great for your heart, it is strength training that will prepare you for the physical demands of being a mom. In addition, it is strength training that will play a bigger role in getting your pre-pregnancy body back, or making it even better than before!

All of the lifting, bending and carrying you have to look forward to in the upcoming months will be much easier with a functionally strong body. In the mean time, gaining or maintaining strength during pregnancy is the key to reducing aches and pains as your body continues to change.

Pregnancy strength training will help:

• Reduce back pain

• Increase your energy levels

• Make labor and delivery easier

• Keep you strong and injury free

• Combat postural changes during pregnancy

• Make post-partum weight loss MUCH easier and faster

• Flatten your tummy after delivery

Studies now show that strength training during pregnancy is not only safe and beneficial, but a must for an overall healthy strong body. If you were a regular exerciser before your pregnancy, it is usually safe to continue your routine, although some modifications may be necessary.

If you didn’t have a consistent program in place, the general rule of thumb is to wait until your 2nd trimester (when you’ll be feeling much better) to ease yourself into a routine. Either way, checks in with your doctor first to be sure you don’t have any complications that could be affected by a pregnancy exercise routine.

Michelle Ladd is a Holistic Lifestyle Coach and Expert Pre-Natal Personal Trainer. She is the Co-Author of The Fit and Healthy Pregnancy Guide. Visit http://www.FitandHealthyPregnancy.com for Free Special Reports on how to look and feel your best - before, during and after - AND have a healthy and happy baby.

While jamming out to AC/DC or 50 Cent with the volume cranked, a driver may cruise for miles before taking a glimpse in the rearview mirror and seeing a police car with its sirens blaring. Fed up with the increase in driver delays, police departments are hoping to shake drivers to more immediate attention with a new invention called the Rumbler™.

Referred to as an “intersection clearing system”, the Rumbler produces low-frequency tones that duplicate the sounds of a siren. But rather than just make a loud noise, these tones actually shake solid material - making drivers feel the sound waves from a police car’s siren. The effects of the Rumbler can be felt up to 200 feet ahead of a police car, and inattentive drivers suddenly may notice their vehicles quaking or see their rearview mirrors quivering. Even if a driver can’t hear a siren due to loud music, hearing impairment or general distraction, he or she will be quickly alerted to its presence. The Rumbler also gives drivers and pedestrians a better sense of where a siren is coming from, which they don’t always get from their ears.

The company behind the Rumbler is Federal Signal, a leading supplier of audible and visual warning devices for police, fire, ambulance and other emergency vehicles. Compatible with most 100/200-watt emergency siren amplifiers, a complete Rumbler system consists of an amplifier, a timer, two subwoofers and vehicle-specific mounting hardware. When connected to a police car, the Rumbler senses the tone signal of the car’s siren, produces a tone that is 75-percent lower in frequency and amplifies that tone through the pair of high-output woofers.

Federal Signal is quick to note that the system is meant to be an effective emergency backup and not simply used for routine traffic stops (unless necessary, of course). The device is ideal for use in urban areas that are crowded with traffic and/or pedestrian activity - like busy intersections (which is why they call it an “intersection clearing system”). It is also not meant to be used for long periods of time. The Rumbler automatically shuts off after 10 seconds, which Federal Signal claims should be more than enough time for a police car to clear out a congested area.

Currently, the Rumbler is being adopted by agencies on the East coast, particularly in larger cities with dense urban areas. Washington, D.C., now has 49 cars equipped with Rumblers, and expects all of their cars to incorporate the technology in the next four years. But smaller areas like Lower Allen Township in Pennsylvania (just outside of Harrisburg) are also trying out the new technology. With reasonable costs (around $350 to equip each police car), it’s possible drivers could feel the rumble of a lot more sirens in the near future.

Shad Connelly,
Executive Editor -
Invention & Technology News (http://news.inventhelp.com)

No one can stop old age. It catches up with everyone sooner or later. But old age can be a blessing rather than a curse if you know how to look young. Here are some tips to push back the hands of time and avoid wrinkles.

Drink enough liquids. Skin becomes dry and wrinkled if you lack fluids. However, not all fluids are good for you. Experts say the best one is water since it flushes out harmful toxins from the body and keeps skin beautiful inside and out.

“Dry skin can make wrinkles appear deeper and you a little older. But knocking back a beer or sipping on soup isn’t the best way to keep cells hydrated and skin plumper and smoother-looking, some experts say. Water is the clear, refreshing beverage of choice. Helping to usher nutrients in and toxins out, six to eight glasses of water daily not only keep skin hydrated, they even encourage you to sweat more efficiently - helping skin stay cleaner and clearer,” according to WebMD.

Take shorter baths. A long hot bath may sound like relaxing way to kill time. True, it may soothe the soul but it can harm the skin in the long run. Hot water strips the skin of its natural oils and leaves it dry and wrinkled. You’re better off spending quality time elsewhere.

“Take five to 10 minute showers or baths with warm water, pat skin dry afterward, then smooth on moisturizer,’ said WebMD.

Don’t forget to moisturize. Oily skin may protect you from old age but you still need to moisturize. Do this after washing your face with plain soap and water. Don’t let scent or price be your guide in picking the right moisturizer. Instead choose one that won’t clog your pores and give you a bad case of acne. You might also consider buying a moisturizer that protects you from the sun as well. That way, you’ll be doing your skin a favor.

Get enough fat in your diet. You’ve all heard that fat is bad for you and can lead to all sorts of diseases. Fat-rich diets are also mistakenly blamed for greasy skin and outbreaks of acne. But there is such a thing as healthy fat and it should be part of a balanced diet. Incorporating fat in your diet is good for your skin.

“A healthy, skin-friendly diet includes proteins, carbs, and good-for-you fats like omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. These powerhouse fats not only help produce the skin’s natural oil barrier (helping to keep skin hydrated, plumper, and younger-looking), they may also reduce the inflammation associated with acne. Most of us get plenty of omega-6s (found in baked goods, grains, and other sources), but are short on omega-3s, found in salmon, flax, walnuts, soy, fortified eggs and other foods,” revealed WebMD.

Use the right wrinkle fighter. Not all anti-aging products are created equal. And when it comes to fighting wrinkles, some products simply can’t deliver because they don’t have the right active ingredients. With Dermaxin, you get powerful age-repairing nutrients that eliminate wrinkles and other signs of aging. For more information, check out http://www.dermaxin.com

Janet Martin is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premiere online news magazine http://www.thearticleinsiders.com

I had the opportunity to attend the NBBAN National Conference not to long ago. This stands for National Black Bail Agent Network. The keynote speaker was Chief Justice Ernest A. Finney, Jr. from South Carolina, who was the state’s first black elected to the position of Chief Justice of the State Supreme Courts, since Reconstruction. Finney, who retired from the state Supreme Court in 2000, is certainly from the old school started his speak about what it was like back in the days after graduating from law school in 1954. He later covered issue about the responsibility of the black bail agent dealing with today’s youth and how many can avoid being a repeat offender with a little more guidance.

Finney stated, “one day a young black man came into my office with his pants hanging down to his waistline with underwear showing.” He ask the youth “where are you going?” the young man said he was on his way to court. Finney went on to tell the young man “you need to put on some decent clothing before attending court.” Finney’s speech at that time reminded me of a Bail Bondsman in Raleigh, North Carolina area by the name of George Latham. George, when having to deal with troubled youth take the time to give them a good tong lashing for doing stupid things that landed them within the county jail in the first place. He clearly understands it’s a critical problem with more than 9,400 prisoners serving life prison terms for crimes committed before the age of 18, of which more than 2,225 were serving life without parole. Of those, 16 percent were between 13 and 15 years old at the time they committed the crimes for which they were convicted.

I’m seeing more people that have a voice finally speak out on how today’s youth need to straighten up their act. I watched an episodes on TV ONE - Sharp Talk with Al Sharpton and viewed the Reverend Sharpton talking to young men in the music industry about how some singers in the past like James Brown use to write and sing songs with meaning for example “I’m Black and I’m Proud.”

In this generation, some Artist in the Hip-Hop/Rap industry tend to call each other the N word, glorify selling drugs, or hurting or else killing their fellow man. I also witness a proud moment when Diana Ross spoke out on the BET Awards in reference to - you don’t have to use the F word or sing about “Pop, Lock and Drop It” in orders to have a lasting music career. Finally the NAACP is embracing the same example.

This is no longer a private family matter. We as People must address the difficult problem in every aspect. Starting from business, churches, and schools to health care, government and the media. By dealing with this issue honestly, all of our US citizens will benefit.

Merle Adams, a person with a disability, is a freelance writer and photographer writing for a variety of newspapers and magazines. Her photographic vision has led her through advertising worlds, featuring her work internationally in exhibits and publications. Read more of her articles at http://www.handicapablemedia.org

Read more about resolving the problem… http://www.handicapablemedia.org/InTheNews.htm

This indy directed by Win Wenders and written and lead-acted by Sam Sheppard will stay with me for a long while.

For one thing, if the immortal Edward Hopper became a movie director instead of a painter, he’d probably end up shooting this beauty. The Montana town where the movie was shot is straight out of a Hopper painting, exploding with sharp lonely shadows and stark sunlight, creating an eerie space where human folly and loneliness is impossible to hide.

The story is a curious one, about an over the hill western star running away from a movie set to go see his mom, played by Eva Marie Saint of the unforgettable North by Northwest, still looking beautiful at her age and acting superbly.

Then the movie take a sharp turn towards a father-son drama, with a daughter also thrown in from an unexpected subplot.

This is the story of a selfish man who had been away for too long from a family that he did not even knew he had. His attempts to put the broken Humpty Dumpty back together again is heartbreaking but Sam Shepard’s acting is so good and his handsome cragged Marlboro Man face is so appropriate for the part that his acting almost redeems his character — almost.

See this one for a quality American drama that does not have a single stale bone in it.

Ugur Akinci, Ph.D. is a Creative Copywriter, Editor, an experienced and award-winning Senior Technical Communicator specializing in fundraising packages, direct sales copy, web content, press releases, movie reviews and hi-tech documentation. He has worked as a Technical Writer for Fortune 100 corporations since 1999. In addition to being an Ezine Articles Expert Author, he is also a Senior Member of the Society for Technical Communication (STC), Member of Bethesda / Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce of Maryland, and a Member of the American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI).

You are welcomed to visit his COPYWRITING WEB SITE http://www.writer111.com for more information on his multidisciplinary background, writing career, and client testimonials. Register at his web site to get your FREE Writing and Marketing Tips & Ideas.

He boils FREE movie plot ideas on a daily basis at http://scriptboiler.blogspot.com

He is also the editor of PRIVATE TUTOR FOR SAT MATH SUCCESS web site http://www.privatetutor.us