Principia Discordia

Principia Discordia => Apple Talk => Topic started by: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on January 19, 2015, 05:18:30 PM

Title: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on January 19, 2015, 05:18:30 PM
This actually makes the admins of that anarchist cat group look like geniuses. Watch this, and despair for the future of humanity, for all is lost.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBXOUCP518g#t=437
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on January 19, 2015, 05:19:34 PM
These people make more money in a week than the entire population of this board will make in the span of our entire lives.
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Bruno on January 19, 2015, 06:09:37 PM
I have friends who are teachers who, on occasion, post images such as this on Facebook:

(http://i.imgur.com/EDJCh.jpg)

When the sad truth is, "swag" is arguably more valuable than a degree in our society. How many people are there out there with Master's degrees making $12/hr or less with student loan debts at or near the six digits range?
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on January 19, 2015, 06:18:26 PM
Quote from: Emo Howard on January 19, 2015, 06:09:37 PM
I have friends who are teachers who, on occasion, post images such as this on Facebook:

(http://i.imgur.com/EDJCh.jpg)

When the sad truth is, "swag" is arguably more valuable than a degree in our society. How many people are there out there with Master's degrees making $12/hr or less with student loan debts at or near the six digits range?

It's not the swag that's valuable. It's being born into a family with money that's valuable. The main determinant of your economic status is still the economic status of your parents, no matter how you slice it.

No matter how well you do in school, you're unlikely to move too far from where your parents landed, economically speaking. The  primary exception to this is downward mobility; people are now more likely to slide into an economic status below their parents, especially people in the middle and upper-middle class.

But none of this really has much to do with the fact that there are at least two people in America who have no fucking idea what a moon is.
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Bruno on January 19, 2015, 06:43:05 PM
Confusing the difference between "moon" and "planet" is bad, but not quite throwing-up-in-my-mouth-a-little bad. Someone not understanding the difference between a moon and a star just makes me want to drink bleach.   :ahhh: :punchballs: :hanging: , etc...

The relative success of people who couldn't tell the difference between a proton and a quadratic equation is something that gives me a more or less permanent eye twitch.
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: roy howard on January 19, 2015, 08:18:34 PM
This is without a doubt the most ridiculous thing(well,one of them),that I've ever heard or seen.It's just re-goddamn diculous.Seriously,it's stupid.
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Cain on January 19, 2015, 09:40:56 PM
To be fair, these presenters are paid to essentially fill the vacuum of programming with their vapours of bullshit.  Often they're locked in a studio for 6 plus hours, forced to fill what is essentially half an hours worth of actual programming.  And so they going fucking nuts, seizing on any possible way to lengthen out some kind of conversation, no matter how inane.

It's kinda like party political broadcasts for consumerism
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Reginald Ret on January 19, 2015, 09:48:06 PM
Ugh, they think the moon may be a star?!

At least there is an argument for saying that the moon is a planet: The strongest attractive force that acts on the moon is the sun, not the earth. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tug_of_war_%28astronomy%29)

Though the consensus is that the moon is a natural satellite because the common centre of gravity is inside the primary. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barycentric_coordinates_%28astronomy%29)
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Bruno on January 19, 2015, 10:00:14 PM
Making the customer feel smart has got to have some positive influence on sales.

Maybe even the act of acting stupid, whether they are faking it or not, convinces some people that they, by way of their obvious intellectual superiority, are getting a better deal.

Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on January 19, 2015, 11:28:19 PM
Quote from: Cain on January 19, 2015, 09:40:56 PM
To be fair, these presenters are paid to essentially fill the vacuum of programming with their vapours of bullshit.  Often they're locked in a studio for 6 plus hours, forced to fill what is essentially half an hours worth of actual programming.  And so they going fucking nuts, seizing on any possible way to lengthen out some kind of conversation, no matter how inane.

It's kinda like party political broadcasts for consumerism

Isaac Mizrahi is not just a presenter, he's a wildly successful fashion designer. Which makes me wonder what the fuck he's doing on QVC.

But other than that, yeah, you have a point. I am just boggling my ass off over here at the concept of ADULTS not understanding the difference between a moon, a star, and a planet.

Also those are the ugliest fucking sweaters.
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Cain on January 19, 2015, 11:41:40 PM
Hey now, all he has to do is know whether the moon is in or out this season, not what it actually is.  It's not like there is even a Moon Fashion Week.

Also QVC does seem to bring on some quite well known designers, nowadays.  It does also seem to be a pre-requisite that their stuff is ugly as sin, however
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on January 20, 2015, 12:26:31 AM
Quote from: Cain on January 19, 2015, 11:41:40 PM
Hey now, all he has to do is know whether the moon is in or out this season, not what it actually is.  It's not like there is even a Moon Fashion Week.

Also QVC does seem to bring on some quite well known designers, nowadays.  It does also seem to be a pre-requisite that their stuff is ugly as sin, however

:lulz:
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: The Wizard Joseph on January 20, 2015, 03:52:28 AM
I tried to watch and realized that it was eating up my data. I didn't get to amateur astronomy lulz, but these are what I retained of the first couple minutes.


It's not a totally floral floral.

The new key lime one is so amahzing, it's amahzing.

Only 3 easy payments of 18 and 1/2 dollars... for a dye sublimated pallette swapped p.o.s.

The emerald one is actually more of a sea foam...

I can't stand the dude on the left (the designer I think that was mentioned) searching for words like he's participating in a philosophical salon... I'm out, fuck the cardigans and possible lulz.


I did see an add, on FB I think, a couple days ago about 'is the moon actually a star or a planet, the answer could change your life" or something. I just can't justify trying to figure it out.
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on January 20, 2015, 05:49:10 AM
Quote from: The Wizard Joseph on January 20, 2015, 03:52:28 AM
I tried to watch and realized that it was eating up my data. I didn't get to amateur astronomy lulz, but these are what I retained of the first couple minutes.


It's not a totally floral floral.

The new key lime one is so amahzing, it's amahzing.

Only 3 easy payments of 18 and 1/2 dollars... for a dye sublimated pallette swapped p.o.s.

The emerald one is actually more of a sea foam...

I can't stand the dude on the left (the designer I think that was mentioned) searching for words like he's participating in a philosophical salon... I'm out, fuck the cardigans and possible lulz.


I did see an add, on FB I think, a couple days ago about 'is the moon actually a star or a planet, the answer could change your life" or something. I just can't justify trying to figure it out.

Sounds like it didn't jump to the time, like it was supposed to. The hilarity begins at 7:20.
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on January 20, 2015, 05:52:17 AM
The best part about listening to this is that these people sound like what it would be like if dogs could talk. I'm sorry, I'm an asshole, I swear, but if you listen to them they seriously sound like a different, stupider species.
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: The Wizard Joseph on January 20, 2015, 06:07:28 AM
Ok. Jumped to a bit before the time and the "sea foam" one was  just described as what the Earth would look like from a bazillion miles away.... this should be good!  :lulz:
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: The Wizard Joseph on January 20, 2015, 06:27:37 AM
Everything I could hope for and more!

I think the stupid is technically a form of psychic toxin reaction from how profoundly unnatural much of the human environment has become. They are not of the reasonable and horrifically pragmatic creatures of Earth, but an invasion from the planet Stupider! Here to take up space. 

It makes perfect sense! Don't those models seem a bit... plastic? Is the dialog forced because the talent truly is bored and uninteresting to each other? Could it not be because they forgot the script back on Stupider and didn't realize until they passed Andromeda, or whatever,  on the way?

Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: hooplala on January 20, 2015, 01:22:46 PM
"No, I don't like that at all, I don't even know what that means."

That sentence says everything.
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Eater of Clowns on January 20, 2015, 01:37:31 PM
Quote from: Hoopla on January 20, 2015, 01:22:46 PM
"No, I don't like that at all, I don't even know what that means."

That sentence says everything.

:aaa:

It's perfect.
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: LMNO on January 20, 2015, 01:38:16 PM
While we're talking about stupid arguments...

Two Body Builders Argue About How Many Days Are In A Week. (http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/233107/two-body-builders-argue-on-the-internet-about-how-many-days-are-in-the-week/)

A small sampling:

QuoteYou don't start counting on sunday, it hasn't been a day yet, you don't start counting til monday. You can't count the day that it is, did you never take basic elementrary math?

Ok I counted it on my fingers.

What do you mean you don't start counting on Sunday? IT's a fuking DAY!

It's like math, if you have 4, and you add 3, that gives you 7, not 6. If you start counting at 4, and add 3, you start counting at 5, so it would be 5,6,7, NOTTTTTT 4,5,6 by your count.

Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: hooplala on January 20, 2015, 01:46:09 PM
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on January 20, 2015, 01:38:16 PM
While we're talking about stupid arguments...

Two Body Builders Argue About How Many Days Are In A Week. (http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/233107/two-body-builders-argue-on-the-internet-about-how-many-days-are-in-the-week/)

A small sampling:

QuoteYou don't start counting on sunday, it hasn't been a day yet, you don't start counting til monday. You can't count the day that it is, did you never take basic elementrary math?

Ok I counted it on my fingers.

What do you mean you don't start counting on Sunday? IT's a fuking DAY!

It's like math, if you have 4, and you add 3, that gives you 7, not 6. If you start counting at 4, and add 3, you start counting at 5, so it would be 5,6,7, NOTTTTTT 4,5,6 by your count.

Maybe I'm not as dumb as I thought.
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on January 20, 2015, 05:08:52 PM
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on January 20, 2015, 01:38:16 PM
While we're talking about stupid arguments...

Two Body Builders Argue About How Many Days Are In A Week. (http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/233107/two-body-builders-argue-on-the-internet-about-how-many-days-are-in-the-week/)

A small sampling:

QuoteYou don't start counting on sunday, it hasn't been a day yet, you don't start counting til monday. You can't count the day that it is, did you never take basic elementrary math?

Ok I counted it on my fingers.

What do you mean you don't start counting on Sunday? IT's a fuking DAY!

It's like math, if you have 4, and you add 3, that gives you 7, not 6. If you start counting at 4, and add 3, you start counting at 5, so it would be 5,6,7, NOTTTTTT 4,5,6 by your count.

Oh yeah, that one! Is amazing. :lol:
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on January 20, 2015, 05:09:45 PM
Quote from: Hoopla on January 20, 2015, 01:46:09 PM
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on January 20, 2015, 01:38:16 PM
While we're talking about stupid arguments...

Two Body Builders Argue About How Many Days Are In A Week. (http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/233107/two-body-builders-argue-on-the-internet-about-how-many-days-are-in-the-week/)

A small sampling:

QuoteYou don't start counting on sunday, it hasn't been a day yet, you don't start counting til monday. You can't count the day that it is, did you never take basic elementrary math?

Ok I counted it on my fingers.

What do you mean you don't start counting on Sunday? IT's a fuking DAY!

It's like math, if you have 4, and you add 3, that gives you 7, not 6. If you start counting at 4, and add 3, you start counting at 5, so it would be 5,6,7, NOTTTTTT 4,5,6 by your count.

Maybe I'm not as dumb as I thought.

Ya think??
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Cuddlefish on January 24, 2015, 03:49:50 AM
Assessment:
The woman (hereby referred to as the "QVC lady") in the video in the OP offers an argument that, while lacking truth-factor, is nonetheless a valid syllogism when interpreted charitably in it's best possible form.

All planets are on planetary maps.
No moons are on planetary maps.
Therefore, no moons are planets.

In symbols:
PaM
SeM
SeP

Mood AEE in the second figure is always a valid form. The problem, of course, is that the argument lacks soundness. Both the major and minor premise could likely turn out false, in which case, the conclusion does not follow. However, a similar argument approached inductively might fare a little better.

Further, her argument is equally successful when using a procedural sentential calculus, as opposed to the above categorical approach:

If the moon were a planet, then it would have been on the planetary maps in school.
It was not on the planetary maps at school,
Therefore, it is not the case that the moon is a planet.

Symbolically:

p > q
-q
-p

This argument would pass a truth-table test and would offer itself to a formal proof with relative ease. In this case, the argument takes the form of a modus tolens, which is always formally valid. Again, the problem merely lies in the lack of truth-factor among its premises. And again, an inductive approach might be a little more convincing for those that are a bit more empirically minded.

The gentleman in the video, well... he didn't really even try...

Verdict: QVC Lady, by TKO
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Cuddlefish on January 24, 2015, 03:50:37 AM
And BTW: I'm not even touching that body-builder argument with anything other than a bar-stool.

Also, hi doods.
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Eater of Clowns on January 24, 2015, 04:21:41 AM
 :lulz:

This is why I love philosophy logic. Someone invented a way of saying that even when they're disgustingly wrong, they are still wrong in a smart way. It's like the ultimate self aggrandizement.
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Cuddlefish on January 24, 2015, 04:27:59 AM
Quote from: Eater of Clowns on January 24, 2015, 04:21:41 AM
:lulz:

This is why I love philosophy logic. Someone invented a way of saying that even when they're disgustingly wrong, they are still wrong in a smart way. It's like the ultimate self aggrandizement.

Well, there's tons of ways to be wrong, but they aren't all created equal.
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Cuddlefish on January 24, 2015, 04:31:36 AM
It's like this: you have a base-ball player that attempts to steal home even though he's not very fast, and you have a base-ball player who hits the ball, then runs to third instead of first. They're both "wrong," but in very different ways. So it's not like either interlocutor in that argument was "right," it's just that one was less wrong. The QVC lady tried to steal home, and the designer guy, well, he just doesn't understand how the game is played...
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on January 24, 2015, 09:11:14 AM
Quote from: Cuddlefish on January 24, 2015, 03:50:37 AM
And BTW: I'm not even touching that body-builder argument with anything other than a bar-stool.

Also, hi doods.

HI DIMO!!!!
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on January 24, 2015, 09:13:44 AM
Although she lost some points with me for "I don't even know what that means, I don't like it", I confess that he lost many more for his absolute conviction.
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Cuddlefish on January 24, 2015, 07:00:42 PM
Quote from: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on January 24, 2015, 09:13:44 AM
Although she lost some points with me for "I don't even know what that means, I don't like it", I confess that he lost many more for his absolute conviction.

Yeah, in all reality the whole thing was a tragic display of bad reasoning. I just figured I'd do my best to give them some benefit of the doubt...
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: ñͤͣ̄ͦ̌̑͗͊͛͂͗ ̸̨̨̣̺̼̣̜͙͈͕̮̊̈́̈͂͛̽͊ͭ̓͆ͅé ̰̓̓́ͯ́́͞ on January 24, 2015, 09:47:05 PM
The body builders and counting reminds me of when I worked with adults with Down's syndrome. In math class much of the day focused on addition and subtraction using a number line.

A student asked me why 1 + 1 doesn't = 11 and I kind of just flailed around with words for several minutes before we moved on to something else. What sort of black magic had this woman tapped into?
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on January 24, 2015, 10:14:13 PM
Quote from: N E T on January 24, 2015, 09:47:05 PM
The body builders and counting reminds me of when I worked with adults with Down's syndrome. In math class much of the day focused on addition and subtraction using a number line.

A student asked me why 1 + 1 doesn't = 11 and I kind of just flailed around with words for several minutes before we moved on to something else. What sort of black magic had this woman tapped into?

Well, intelligence IS a spectrum, so...
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Cain on January 25, 2015, 05:27:12 PM
Logic trees are awesome.

And by awesome I mean "a terrible pain in the arse which made my first year undergrad philosophy classes the most painful experience since the dentist didn't dose me correctly with anaesthetic before giving me a filling".

Hi Dimo!
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Cuddlefish on January 25, 2015, 05:47:04 PM
Quote from: Cain on January 25, 2015, 05:27:12 PM
Logic trees are awesome.

And by awesome I mean "a terrible pain in the arse which made my first year undergrad philosophy classes the most painful experience since the dentist didn't dose me correctly with anaesthetic before giving me a filling".

Hi Dimo!

haha! I'm totally fucking immune to it now. I've been the TA for PHL 101 going on three semesters now, and I've actually given full lectures to classes with upwards of 90 students. As an undergrad. Which is a little out of the ordinary.

In all honesty, though, now I like it. It is really helpful to clearly identify bad arguments quickly, even if they appear to be good arguments at a glance, and my own ability to support my assertions has definitely improved my performance in other classes/life in general.

Plus, being able to identify peoples errors in reasoning really makes my friends hate me, and keeps women from ever wanting to talk to me...
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on January 25, 2015, 08:04:19 PM
The only philosophy classes I've had were the Philosophy of Science, and something something argument.
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Cuddlefish on January 25, 2015, 08:14:40 PM
Quote from: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on January 25, 2015, 08:04:19 PM
The only philosophy classes I've had were the Philosophy of Science, and something something argument.

Philosophy of science is really cool. In the same vein, my senior seminar was philosophy of technology, which had some overlap as you'd imagine. How did you like your philosophy of science class? Who did you read/what topics did you focus on, etc.?
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on January 25, 2015, 08:22:26 PM
Quote from: Cuddlefish on January 25, 2015, 08:14:40 PM
Quote from: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on January 25, 2015, 08:04:19 PM
The only philosophy classes I've had were the Philosophy of Science, and something something argument.

Philosophy of science is really cool. In the same vein, my senior seminar was philosophy of technology, which had some overlap as you'd imagine. How did you like your philosophy of science class? Who did you read/what topics did you focus on, etc.?

I liked it, it was super basic but fun; a basic overview of the scientific method and how to critically evaluate scientific claims. I no longer remember what we read, other than weekly readings and presentations on topics from "Skeptic" magazine. We also watched a documentary and then had to go research the topic and write a critical analysis of the way it was presented in the film. It was definitely a beneficial class for me to start off my first term of college with!
Title: Re: Possibly the stupidest argument I've ever seen
Post by: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on January 25, 2015, 08:27:13 PM
I periodically see an Ethics in Biomedical Research class that I'd like to take, but it's always conflicting with something else I'd like to take.