Friday, 4 March 2011

Modo Paucae Minor Res Dialecticorum

Just a Few Minor Matters of Logic

Correlation does NOT equal causation = That nearly 50% of cancers of the mouth larynx and pharynx are associated with heavy drinking does not mean they are CAUSED by heavy drinking. You know what else heavy drinkers tend to do? Smoke. Now, I'm not saying there's not a possibility that if you drink Apple SourPuss by the case that there aren't any carcinogens. And I'm not saying that the peaty flavour of a good Scotch might not be actual peat and actually cancer-causing. What I'm saying is they haven't isolated the factors.

Utility is awfully underrated. It's so very overlooked when calculations are done for price comparison or "good value". A few Philosophers will even dismiss "'people like' sometimes means 'it's good'" type arguments. I do, often. Until I pay $1.00/100mL for mayonnaisse instead of $0.84/100mL because a squeeze jar means I'll NEVER get FAT all over my HANDS which results in having to WASH them!
Being neurotic means 16 cents per hundred mL (about two-three days less a month of mayonnaise for the cost) of savings is just NOT worth it! CONVENIENCE! Or, for philosophers and economists, UTILITY!

Parsing matters. I understand that I am sometimes, especially when writing an actual paper, hard to understand. I interestingly put words in order; sometimes, I order words interestingly; sometimes I even put words in an interesting order. And each time I do it means something different. Please, if you're reading my work and find it hard to parse...break it down to the symbols, parts of speech or phrases, the same way I do with Latin...because it MEANS something. I'll never not use a double negative just because the kids in my classes don't understand what emphasis means.

And finally,

Dear Punctuation,
I know you want to be inside of me; but sometimes, I'm just feeling we're not that connected.
Signed, Quotation Marks.

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