For example, Is it possible that the planets can effect our characters and development? Stuff like that.

Same here, actually. It's more fun when you don't need to research. ^^

Now, by the means of the planets, do you mean horoscopes, and whatnot?

I debate.

I debate with NCFCA. I'm in high school, aswell. And I don't know what "ncfca" stands for, just fyi. I do know that I'm part of Region 10 of it though. =P

I did quite well in the Virginia High School League for debate and forensics in high school. For debate I did LD (Lincoln-Douglass) Debate and Student Congress. For forensics I did impromptu. I wanted to do poetry and read Beowulf, but my coach wouldn't let me. :(

I also made the mistake of getting involved in the student mess that is Student Government Association in college, lol.

hahaha, nice. I did some impromptu speaking events last year at one of our tournaments...I didn't do very well. I also do LD. this year our resolution is "that copmetition is superior to cooperation as a means of achieving excellence". I'm running a Resolutional Critique as the Neg and it's looking like the Aff side might have a tough time of it this year.

@jman

Do you have set side (aff or neg) for all the competitions? When I competed every event all competitors competed as aff twice and neg twice. I only ask because your wording makes it sound like you might only be doing neg, but not necessarily that way...just checking, lol.

Oh, and I majored in philosophy in college...so yeah...lol.

yeah I did word that post weird. We do both Aff and Neg. I just think that having to do the Aff side is going to be alot tougher.

Very nice major. haha I think it might drive me crazy after a while because there's no right answer to any question.

There are right answers in philosophy, dude <_<

Unfortunately some professors don't want to admit a right answer when they see it and/or are logical positivists...bleh...lol.

didn't those dudes get smacked down by Gödel

I like to debate politics. Nothing formal, but I debate with some of my politically-orientated friends.

I debate in university. I didn't do it in high school because I saw it as only a few steps above chess club. But now its pretty much awesome.

What country are you debaters from? I've never debated or judged an American team that wasn't god awful. I don't understand why they are so bad. And they focus on research and stuff which is tres lame.

Wait, there is a method of debate that doesn't center on research? I want to debate wherever you are from!

a few steps ABOVE chess club? how awesome can things get?

Heh, for the record I was also on the chess team (we sucked, it was just a bunch of geeks who enjoyed playing together). I also played (and play) D&D - just recently ordered the three core books for 2ed...still waiting for my MM well after it's supposed scheduled delivery date, grrrr...

ConSim all the way! Combatting with painted miniature tanks or warships was SO f-ing kewl! I also played D&D, Gammaworld (D&D with mutants and tech in a post-apocalyptic world from TSR, the D&D folks), and all of Avalon Hill's strategy games like Panzerblitz (still have a copy in my collection), Squad Leader (and Advanced Squad Leader in college), Victory in the Pacific, Wooden Ships and Iron Men, Panzer Leader, and Feudal (one of my favs) as well as Axis & Allies and, of course, Diplomacy.

I so want to get into the new A&A miniatures if I can find a group to play with here in Northern KY.

It's called Lincoln Douglass style dbate. It's much more of a logic/values debate than anythign based heavily on Resaerch. Here we call the rearch-based debates Team Policy, because you are trying to argue a specific political policy that your team thinks should be implemented.

I have the A&A from about 10 years ago. I've heard that they changed up the board alot with the new editions.

@Acomist, I always appreciate your sarcastic quips, but I'm quite serious. Now we celebrate tournaments by doing keg stands.

@Onar, I'm from Canada. We aren't told the topics before hand and we debate topics that don't require specific knowledge, so its not about reciting facts, its about actual debate and public speaking ability. But you are sort of expected to have general knowledge about most things.

Try Wombat (when he's around)... Very active as a debater and is in this year's HK team for the World Schools Debating Championship (to be held is stinky rich Doha this year - well, Feb 2010, all expenses paid the US & Canada will be there too, as always, and so will all the big guns in debating). It is simply the most difficult of all the tournaments to win. The training is quite scary - you need so much background knowledge, and half the debates will be impromptu (45 mins prep).


Declared interest: proud dad...

Well, I've had 3 years of policy debate, this being my third.
And I don't think the 10-11 topic has been announced yet.