Paxton Et Moi

Well, Paxie, I just finished your "Lost Passages," and they are indeed lost, if you get my drift. I'll be brief(er) than I have been heretofore (ha-ha) because all the goodwill I was feeling has evaporated thanks to your coarseness masquerading as civility.

So let's go to the videotext...

"As I said in my original comment, these studies aren't conclusive. They need to be duplicated."

(Spit-take) That's like that definition of "insanity." You know the one I mean, I'm sure, what with your continuing to pay Mensa dues!?!

"Yet, I think they are enough to indicate that you shouldn't assume all liberals are 'stupid.'"

The error is yours in assuming that "stupid" is the opposite of "intelligent." It goes like this:

All liberals are Stupid.

All Mensa members are stupid.

You're both.

Therefore -

Jesus GOD!

" it is at least likely that they were conducted under proper scientific conditions to remove the affect of researcher bias."

Assumes facts not in evidence.

"the researchers who published these articles might be conservatives."

Wanna bet?

"Since they seem quite intelligent, they are probably liberals, based on the results of their own studies."

Have you ever considered doing stand-up? The only thing in question there is who got the grant?

"The president does... Anyone who still doesn't believe in global warming just has their head in the sand, but that's a different topic"

Man, what I would give to be around when you discover how wrong you are.

And that would be a whole lot of heads - even more than those whose heads would remain in th hot air if the latest tabulation of scientists is to be believed. But this reminds me of how people like to compare this to flat-earthers. It's more akin to the time when people actually believed the Earth was flat. Pity those enlightened souls who didn't, eh?

And that's now the second time you've made a reference to Bush. It's almost as if you think he carries some weight with me?.

"Catholic schools do tend to perform better than public schools, which is not surprising since they also tend to have lower student-to-teacher ratios."

In fact, it was exactly the opposite, and uh, you also have to pass an SAT-like test to get in. But I'm more interested in that fact that I was right about your public schooling.

"However, it does not necessarily follow that your Catholic high school was one of the ones that performed higher than the average public school."

Irrelevant. it's not about how any entire school performs.

"Therefore, it also doesn't necessarily follow that being an honors student at your particular high school means that you are exceptionally smart."

Utterly and totally illogical. You've engaged in flawed reasoning (and you didn't know it) to arrive at a possibly valid point.

And now let's look at this as one:

"it also doesn't necessarily follow that being an honors student at your particular high school means that you are exceptionally smart... I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. I believe you're intelligent"

Then the latter renders the former irrelevant - and worse, superfluous.

"I simply don't believe that you have much in the way of critical thinking skills."

I assure you, I do nothing but think critically... especially where liberals... and now Mensans are concerned, which had been previously off the radar since all of you were somewhere out there...

"You approach every topic with bias and prejudice,"

What a biased and prejudiced thing to say. And completely irrelevant since you do the same, you just frame yours differently.

"discount any opposing evidence out of hand,"

Do not. I merely discount irrelevant and nonsensical "evidence." There is no one more open-minded than I, and if anyone claims otherwise, I'll punch his face in.

"and readily engage in ad hominim attacks,"

Illogical in what you assume that demonstrates. For example, Al Gore does the same thing, and you wouldn't accuse that fat con man of being biased and prejudiced, would you?

Kidding, I'm sure you would.

"all signs of a person with an undisciplined mind,"

Another terribly biased comment, and it assumes facts not in evidence. I'll have you know I've done extensive self-examinations (I won't say where), and I can state conclusively that my entire demeanor is due to extreme prejudice against idiots of the sort who engage in, among other things, amateur psychology. I mean even the pros aren't competent to engage in it.

"despite your assertion that the "Brothers" taught you such discipline."

You're engaging in substitution. The brothers did teach discipline, and I did learn it, but that doesn't mean I always employ it. but either way, it's always conscious, so... you see, I'm disciplined either way!?!

"I didn't presume anything. The phrase to which your responding is a quote from the article to which I linked. That's why there are quotation marks around it."

Oh how I pray that "your" was a typo, because it's like one of the biggest factors in guaging stupidity that currently exists.

Anyway, well then, I presumed that you presumed it because most people submit quotes when they agree with them

"As for "societal coarseness," you are the best example of that that I've seen."

Thank you, it took practice... and discipline. I was once very shy, but I finally realized, enough is enough.

However, there's is a small problem with your observation... it assumes that I was one who either caused the problem (which you seem to agree exists) or advanced it, when mine is simply a reaction to it. I just want to use language young people today can understand. My mother brought me up right, I assure you.

" STDs are a huge problem in society, but their spread is not caused by liberal thinking."

(Spit-take) Although in a sense, that's true... it's people acting on liberal thinking who spread them.

"It's caused by promiscuity and a lack of prophylactic precaution"

Oh I LOVE that! Prophylactic Precaution. There must be something to Mensa after all.

And.. this arose spontaneously? You know, like evolution? And matter?

"which is in turn promoted by ignorance."

Aka, liberal thinking.

"As it happens, I have been married and monogamous for fifteen years,"

Forgive me for asking, but do both involve the same woman?

"and yet the some of the most conservative people I know are also the most promiscuous."

Anecdotal and self-serving. Assumes facts not in evidence... and possibly that you're a voyeur.

"You are making wild leaps in logic"

Please see your comment immediately above - you should be doing logic leaps in the Olympics.

"by linking liberal thinking with STDs, which only adds credance to my original comment."

Shows and abrupt termination in reasoning and a lack of spell checking. STDs are not a result of liberal thinking, they are due to ignorance? Yet they correlate with the rise in permissiveness? And were people less ignorant 50 years ago? If so, why? If they were just as ignorant, why were there so many less STDs. Plus you're adding your own extra credence which isn't allowed here.

This seems to indicate that you're biased, closed-minded, short-sighted and fearful of basic facts and truths... which lends credence to the conclusion I have reached about liberals

"Smart people sometimes do dumb things,"

They often do dumb things, You're proving that by the moment here...

"Mensa... there are a lot of strange people in it."

If it's not, that should be their slogan!

"They are all intelligent"

Proving my point.... dumb strange, you say potato...

"but they don't all know how to use their intelligence"

My God, I just felt a tingle up my leg.

"Many Mensans have Formula One race cars for brains,"

I'd use a somewhat more basic characterization involving bodily functions.

"There is not a one-to-one correlation between IQ and political orientation, which is what your post implies."

Huh? How did I imply that? In fact who even brought up IQ? You're still assuming that stupidity is the absence of intelligence. In fact, in the study I referenced elsewhere, the authors didn't reference IQ. They measured knowledge levels. You aren't implying that people with high IQs automatically know more about any subject that less intelligent people, are you?

"I joined Mensa because my wife wanted me to"

Oh that's just too good. The little woman made you do it, did she? You don't want me to expand on that, I'm sure.

"and I humored her."

Save this. Soon you'll look back and realize how pathetic that reads. I actually felt a little sorry for you for a second.

Then I remembered, being a liberal, you have no shame...

"I stay in Mensa because...

Stop it, you're killin' me!

"I enjoy the company"

LOL!

"I don't know if you have friends, but if you do, you'll understand."

And even if I don't!?!

"I personally think Mensa is a silly organization"

ROFL. So it's really inertia that keeps you in it!

"they stand for nothing other than getting people of like intelligence together. On the other hand, I've had rather amazing discussions with my fellow Mensans"

So I guess you'd call it all a happy accident? And may I ask, what is the IQ differential that causes you to regard someone else's input in a discussion as inconsequential? And do people submit their scores at the conclusion of each comment so others will know how seriously to regard them?

And I would love to hear the subject of one of those amazing discussions, not to mention sit in on one. I bet I;d come away wishing I watched My Dinner With Andre again instead.

"I mentioned my affiliation with Mensa only to disprove your implication that all liberals were stupid."

Then the prosecution rests, Your Honor.

"You have turned that around to mean that since Mensans are stupid, I am, in fact, stupid."

Your Honor, defendant has turned around my words to say something that the record shows I never said... In fact, defendant is stupid independent of Mensa. But let the record show that though Mensonians are decidedly not unintelligent, their synapses do seem to frequently misfire. It could be that with so many brains, thoughts don't know which route to take.

But yes, if all Menophytes are stupid, and you are one as you claim, then you are, de facto, stupid.

"You certainly have a right to that opinion"

Wow, thanks. Do I also have the right to an opinion that, for example, homosexuals are deviants?

"if you believe that high IQ, academic and professional success, financial security, and a stable, happy life are signs of low intelligence. I have all of these things. I am not bragging"

No, not at all. Just taking inventory?

Now, Straw Man Alert:

"I'm simply telling you that being a liberal doesn't preclude you from these things"

What has that got to do with anything whosoever in the entire history of this discussion" Other than to assuage your insecurity, that is?

"You're proud that you spend your time baiting people into arguments?"

Well, yes... and when it hooks someone like you, I often pose for pictures.

But see, no one made you come here. So you're telling me that you're weak, which is something I already knew. I mean, you don't see me hanging around your blog, do you?

You know, I should do that though. I bet I'm missing the boat. I bet I'd learn a lot about Mensa and success... and peer review.

"It seems a pretty sad way to spend your time, actually."

Writing that sentence is a pretty sad way to spend time. I mean, that's a "get a life" knockoff, and I feel the same way about Mensa, which probably saps a lot more time because your wife made you do it, and now you can't quit.

So really, your comment was merely an indirect way of building yourself up. making you feel better about your own choices. Was it conscious or subconscious. I'd guess the former.

Everyone is just trying to get through, and all of it, this, your amazing Mensaroom experiences, your PhD quest, it's all meaningless.

Besides, I have specifically said a number of times that I don't want to hear from people. I write, you read, it ends there. So you've brought all this on yourself because, as you indicate, you couldn't resist... just as I expect will happen with the next you.

"I don't really know why I felt like doing it today."

That doesn't sound very Mensa-like. Mensa-LITE, maybe?

Then by all means, let me tell you why you're here. You felt you had a killer point and you wanted to put me in my place. But you couldn't do that, so you rationalize that you did and that I just wouldn't hear you. That allows your psyche to get out unscathed... or does it? On the one hand, you know you'll never encounter the likes of me elsewhere, but you'll also be wondering how you could have committed such an amazing faux pas here being the genius that you are.

"People like you are too full of hate to think rationally,"

You wish. That's simply another rationalization constructed for your own internal needs. In fact, other than George Bush, Bob Melvin, and all liberals, I don't hate anybody. Besides, there's no reason why one can't be filled with hate and still think rationally. True they may have moments of severe irrationality, not unlike you have here, and hatred itself can be very rational.

And you call yourself a psychologist?

Although you just reminded me of Andy Griffith in No Time For Sergeants:

"Hey, I got a uncle I hate. He always wants to wrassle with the mule, and he gets all wore out, and the mule gets all wore out...... no, come to think of it, I don't hate him either."

"therefore any sort of discussion is pointless."

Well, I wouldn't say pointless, I mean at least one of us enjoyed this one!?! You're just unhappy that you didn't get the payoff you sought - but which you didn't define going in. Your mistake... and terribly undisciplined.

"I guess I felt I needed to vent, for which you have been very helpful."

That's what I'm here for. OK, so if I understand you, and there's absolutely no reason i should, you're not unhappy that you were suckered in?

"Go on baiting people into one-sided arguments based on fallacious premises."

LOL!!! Oh I will, and I love the qualifiers!!!

"If it allows you to believe you've done something useful during the day so that you can sleep at night, so be it."

Again assumes facts not in evidence. I have no interest in doing anything useful here. I mean, conservatives know what liberals are and they're too weak to be me. And I can't convert any liberals who frequent blogs and forums because they merely use them to reinforce their views. In fact, very few liberals in real life are capable of seeing the light. The only person I ever converted was my little mail order bride, and with her, all I said was, "STOP IT or I'm sending you back."

That said, if you know how to create a Vista boot CD, call me and all is forgiven.

Your possible new best friend,

Ted