Friday, April 11, 2008

Bad Writing II

When you say someone is a "certified nutcase," you better have the actual certificate ready. Certified means attested to by an authority, as in the case of Miriam Santiago, who has had nervous breakdowns. Raul Gonzales, sadly, isn't certified, but is just plain loopy (or stupid).

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A "theory" is not a step below "fact." Strictly speaking, a theory is "a coherent group of general propositions used as principles of explanation for a class of phenomena." They are not levels of a hierarchy, but two different things.

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Stating that something is "your opinion" doesn't prevent it from being stupid.

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Bald assertion is not equal to refutation. Just because you state something emphatically doesn't mean it's factual or correct.

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