uh oh

Ugh.

Anything I want to talk about I shouldn’t be putting up here today.

USELESS.

STOP ABUSING ANIMALS

The two links under “U.S.” on CNN’s front page:

U.S. »

143 tons of meat recalled

SI: PETA wants Eight Belles’ jockey out

I am

1. pretty much the worst person on the planet.
2. lazy.
3. pretty much the worst employee ever hired, anywhere.
4. not too smart.
5. a bastard.
6. a jerk.
7. unappreciative.
8. a little down on myself as you can see from #s 1 through 7.

Post 1: Basic Research Skills (re: Ryan Sorba and "The Born 'Gay' Hoax")

From: Page 1

Thoughts: I’m not sure I’ll make it all the way through this “book”.

What school did this kid go to? More specifically, who “taught” him to conduct original “research”?  This “book” is replete with basic logical fallacies, confusion of correlation and causation, and arguments based on unsubstantiated assumptions.  From the very first paragraph:

“Observers familiar with the high correlation between childhood sexual molestation and adult same‐sex attraction might conclude that this youthful experience [being molested] was the cause of Ulrichs’s fixation [belief that same-sex attraction is inborn/homosexuality].”

This is the concluding sentence in his first paragraph, an unsubstantiated correlation, being used as causation.  Specifically:

1. Correlation isn’t directional.
2. Just because you write the phrase “observers familiar with the high correlation between childhood sexual molestation and adult same-sex attraction”, doesn’t mean that it is a fact.  If I were him, I would cite at least one poorly conducted and easily refutable study that validates his point, especially as it seems to be the basis of his argument (whatever that may be, I’m not exactly sure at this point). 
3. Correlation isn’t the same as causation. Correlation isn’t the same as causation. Correlation isn’t the same as causation. (And is this supposed to be multi-directional causation? Does being molested cause you to be gay, or does being gay cause you to molest others, or is it just a vicious cycle?)

Look how much fun we’re having already, and I’m only on page one!

Other posts in the series

"The Born 'Gay' Hoax" by Ryan Sorba

I totally missed the boat on Ryan Sorba when he came to MSU (the apparent epicenter of college insanity) but after having seen his “research” several more times around the internet, I thought maybe I should read it.  After reading a page or two, I decided it would be incredibly fun to write about it,  perhaps at length.

(Please note the excessive use of scare quotes. Isn’t that how you make your point, “quote” everything you wish to “invalidate”?  I suppose it is easier than making an ”argument”.)

The posts:
Post 1: Basic Research Skills

The “book”:
“The Born ‘Gay’ Hoax” by Ryan Sorba

Plot of sexy vs. time

5 Things

danhacker:

sabine:

5 Things found in my bag: planner/calendar, GRE study guide, MIDDLESEX, (unused) Polish notecards, two notebooks, loose change. 

5 Favorite Things in my room: shower, washer/dryer, computer speakers, table, bed. 

5 Things I’ve always wanted to do: speak fluently another language, go to grad school, work/live in another country, be a writer, run a 5k in 17 minutes. 

5 Things I’m currently into: the viola, going barefoot/being anti-shoe, walking around when it’s nice out, thinking about grad school, T.

(Jessica Lindsey seems to have started this)