If your opponents get tired and go home it doesn't mean you've won.

So I stumbled onto this. It angers me in ways that are hard to express. I'm not going to argue his points because he doesn't read my blog so I'd more or less be jacking off. But I am going to critique his style.

1. He sites authority constantly. If an argument is bullshit saying it's a famous person's bullshit doesn't improve the smell. Also I'm no expert in the field but it looks like most of his authorities are of the 'person who wrote a book that agrees with me' variety.
2. It's true because it's true. He characterizes his opponents with six points. His counters range from "It is by universal definition" to "it can't." If you want to take something as given your opponents have to agree not your handpicked third parties.
3. Words don't work that way. While I support making up new words as appropriate (I quite like bioinformatics which he or his people made up) but his "Mathematical theory of communication" (which has no numbers) is a real wallbanger.

Some time I should write up my arguments against the existance of god and see if I can avoid a similar catastrifuck of fallacies.

Ok, now it's time for a fucking riot.

BYU yanks diploma for ex-Mormon calendar-maker.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-10-20-byu-diploma_N.htm?csp=34

"If in the future you are reinstated as a member of the church in good standing, you are invited to contact my office regarding your possible eligibility for the awarding of a degree," Finlinson wrote.

I also appreciate the line from the Church official in Las Vegas saying the main reason for Hardy's excommunication was "failure to pay tithing." I generally take an ignore and move on attitude toward the dumber actions of the church, but some one really needs to lose their job and then be dragged from their home and beaten for this.