tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post6160073819036571038..comments2023-09-25T04:26:51.568-06:00Comments on The Barefoot Bum: How to sniff out bullshitLarry Hamelinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08788697573946266404noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-44320222721660665512008-05-16T00:51:00.000-06:002008-05-16T00:51:00.000-06:00Having spent six years listening to elitist libera...Having spent six years listening to elitist liberal professors drone utter philosophical nonsense within a wide variety of graduate school history courses, I've become extraordinarily adept at scenting "bullshit" early on in any argument; and I've similarly learned from reading the daily rantings on the Ann Coulter webpage that Brian63 easily ranks among the best of them when it comes to soliciting party-line run-of-the-mill atheistic clap-trap very thinly disguised as 'high reason.' Indeed the final paragraph of barefoot's 1/22/08 10:27am entry all-too-concisely sums Brian's daily regurgitations on that site, and I've often wondered if in fact Brian has ever served within the graduate history faculty at a certain state university based at Boulder, Colorado. Brian?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-50726907149043722132008-01-22T17:47:00.000-07:002008-01-22T17:47:00.000-07:00I admit to being disturbed when someone is attempt...I admit to being disturbed when someone is attempting to refute a statement made by someone else, and in the process of stating that argument made, also *distorts the voice* used by the person making it. Rush Limbaugh is a very frequent offender on this. He will state his own opinion in a normal, relaxed, calm voice and then impersonate his opponent but give him/her a completely obnoxious, loud, screeching, whining voice instead. Of course it is easy to make that person's statement sound stupid if you impersonate them with a stupid voice. Just give them an accurate or even charitable voice-impersonation instead, asshole. I swear he could still learn a few things about maturity from some 3rd graders.<BR/><BR/>BrianAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-72321449414678373782008-01-22T15:00:00.000-07:002008-01-22T15:00:00.000-07:00When you read something, and it looks complicated ...<I>When you read something, and it looks complicated and hard to figure out what the author is actually saying, you should immediately suspect bullshit.</I><BR/><BR/>I couldn't agree with you more. Obfuscation, to me, is the first sign of elitist bullshit. If you want to be taken seriously, inserting your ego into (adequate or lacking) content and then adding jargon is not a mark of intelligence, nor does it hide insecurity). I've met too many people who want to be thought of as experts and use obfuscation as a means to "baffle others with bullshit." Most people when they hear this type of talk or read this type of writing acquiesce to perceived "authority," and while that may give the "expert's" ego a handjob, that and $2 will buy you a cup of coffee. <BR/><BR/>However, I, myself, have been called on this more than once. It also depends on the reader's knowledge. For example, yesterday I was told, "If I have to pull a dictionary out to read your extended [sic] vocabulary, then don't expect me to delve deeper." An author puts writing "out there," and the author has to set aside ego to determine which criticism is constructive and which is... well... bullshit.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-2295601872574114632008-01-22T11:27:00.000-07:002008-01-22T11:27:00.000-07:00I cannot resist a good quip (and, as I'm not funny...I cannot resist a good quip (and, as I'm not funny by nature, they are few and far between) even at my own expense.<BR/><BR/>Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, and the claim that an entire field of study is complete bullshit is extraordinary. <BR/><BR/>I do believe, however, that the evidence supporting the proposition that religion is complete bullshit and its proponents are at best very deeply deluded does indeed rise to the level required.Larry Hamelinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08788697573946266404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-80770266286392421372008-01-22T09:36:00.000-07:002008-01-22T09:36:00.000-07:00An interesting list. I'll try to look around and s...An interesting list. I'll try to look around and see if I notice any others using arguments with these attibutes. I'll also see if any of my arguments have any of these attributes. Useful.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-82100002173918230342008-01-22T09:30:00.000-07:002008-01-22T09:30:00.000-07:00*The irony has not escaped me.That's good; because...<I>*The irony has not escaped me.</I><BR/><BR/>That's good; because it's really quite funny.James F. Elliotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16747033407956667363noreply@blogger.com