List # 17--Eight More of Sherlie Moriarty's Fave Fashion Finds for Fall (F^4 for short!)

It's been about a year, and I have even more fashion finds for fall!  I'm making this a tradition.

As someone who considers "I would steal the Crown Jewels for you," to be a romantic phrase and The Prince by Machiavelli to be the one of the best beach reads ever, it's only appropriate that this edition of F^4 includes a good amount of deep, royal red and gray, for those times in life when it really isn't black or white.  Also, purple. 

Let's get started:

1. Short-sleeved gray dress--Gray goes with nearly everything.  It's a nice base for any glittering jewelry, hats, or other accessories.  It's also very calm and neutral.  It isn't as mysterious and dramatic as black, nor is it as bright and overly pale as white.
2. Plaid scarf--I was on an adventure recently, which was quite exciting.  It involved London rooftops, a sprawling palace (or two), and Swiss waterfalls.  But I digress.  On the journey, I managed to pick up three plaid scarves--red, blue, and black.  They go perfectly with a trench coat, sweater, or really any sort of cozy cold-weather wear.
3. Stretchy underlayers--In the fall, when it's not super cold but a bit chilly, I can get away with wearing a sporty long-sleeved shirt in a neutral color like gray or black.  Perfect for blending into the background or climbing a skyscraper relatively unnoticed.  I may have mentioned these last year, but they're worth a repeat.
4. Fashionable shoes--During the spring and summer I wear outdoorsy walking shoes, and during the winter I wear snow boots.  Practicality is normally my goal.  But in the fall, when I'm not outside very often and there isn't snow (well, there generally isn't snow...) I like something a little cuter, at a time when I won't mess them up.
5. Colorful/patterned tights--If I'm going to be wearing a simple dress in gray or black, I like to add some excitement.  Burgundy, red, blue, and even a wallpaper pattern have always worked well.
6. Long red dress--I like full body coverage from time to time, so long sleeves plus a long skirt are perfect.  It also has a bit of a medieval princess aesthetic.
7. Purple knit hat--If I'm going to wear a hat, which I rarely do, because I hate hats, I'm okay with a purple one.  I also have one that looks like a chicken, but that's another story.
8. Lanyards--If you want to look official, wear a lanyard.  I have a ton of cute ones from conferences and conventions I've been to.

Logical Fallacy #1--Appeal to _, Part II

Well, after a long, busy time, I finally found two important things:
1. The book Logically Fallacious by Bo Bennett, which I had accidentally put in the Technology section of my bookcase instead of the Deduction section.
2. Enough time to write this post!

Keeping with the still-irrelevant rainbow order of last time...

Appeal to Desperation
Defending your solution to a problem because "something must be done, and this is something," without giving any valid reasons.


Example:  I'm having trouble thinking of a topic for my next blog post, so therefore I write a full junior novelization of "The Emoji Movie," because it is a topic.

Sorry, even extreme writer's block does not justify writing about something completely random and pointless just to have "something."

Appeal to Emotion
Using emotion instead of reason to win an argument.

Example: This blog is the best blog ever.  My cute, adorable little dog, who was once homeless, said it was the best blog ever; how could you not believe her?

I personally feel that "appealing to dog lovers" should be its own fallacy at this point.

Appeal to Extremes
Trying to make a logical argument seem illogical by using extremes.

Example: Because people have died from drinking water, you should never drink water because it is toxic and unhealthy.

This example ignores the fact that most, if not all, people who die from drinking water have drunk far more water than what is healthy.

Appeal to Faith
Stating that one must have faith in order to understand the argument.

Example: Dragons rule the world.  I know this because I have faith that they do.

As I've said before, my pet dragons would be all too happy to accept this idea because they'd get more dragon treats, but I have no evidence for the claim.  Make no mistake, though; dragons are awesome.  But that's an opinion, not a fact.

Appeal to Fear
Attempting to persuade people of an idea by making them afraid of an alternative idea.

Example:  We all must eat kale.  Foods that are not kale, such as french fries and chocolate, are unhealthy and you can die if you eat to much.  Kale is the only way!

Although kale is healthy, it is not the only healthy food ever.  Kale can be part of a varied, balanced diet, as can nutritious vegetables that are not kale.
 
Appeal to Flattery
Flattering the audience to make them like you more or feel better about your idea.

Example:  You, as a smart person, will want the best dog experience ever, so therefore you should pet my dog in order to have the best.

Me wanting you to pet my dog has more to do with me wanting my dog to be happy than you being smart.

Logical Fallacy #1--Appeal to _, Part I

So, since I've been reading Logically Fallacious, the book I just reviewed, I decided to feature some of the related information on this site.  Naturally, I can't copy from this book or any other source, but I thought I would cite it because that's where I've learned a lot of these concepts, not to mention the author kind of, uh, defined a few of them for the first time ever.

So one big logic-related mistake is appealing.  It isn't necessarily bad in persuasive situations in which you are trying to get some very emotion-based, easily-impressed-by-flashy-lights-and-faulty-metaphors sort of person to buy your latest product from the Home Shopping Channel, but when being logical, it really is.

Here are my sources before we start, in case you'd like to learn more:
http://www.logicalfallacies.info/
Logically...Fallacious: The Ultimate Collection of Over 300 Logical Fallacies by Bo Bennett

The Appeals:
(All examples I give involve myself, because I don't want to bring up any controversial topics or blame anybody else.  Also, the rainbow colors are irrelevant and are merely there to make the whole thing a bit more readable.)

Appeal to Accomplishment
An accomplished person says that people should believe something they say because of their accomplishments, whether or not said accomplishments are relevant.

Example:  Because I have experience writing a deduction blog, I can tell you that operating a particle accelerator is quite an easy thing to do, as is understanding all of quantum physics.

Clearly, the fact that I write a blog has nothing to do with whether or not I know anything about a particle accelerator or quantum physics.  If my blog were actually about quantum physics, this may be a slightly different matter, but questionable nonetheless.
 
Appeal to Anger
People assume that because the person making a claim is outraged, or they themselves are outraged by someone's claim, that the claim is somehow true or false because of the outrage.

Example:  Aren't you angry that there are so few blogs about frogs?  Look at my blog today!

Unless my blog is actually about frogs, us both being angry about the lack of high-quality amphibious online content isn't a good reason for you to look at my blog.
 
Appeal to Authority
Referencing somebody who is supposedly an authority on a topic, as a credible source when talking about a different topic.

Example:  Sherlie Moriarty says that volcanoes are a completely useless topic, and she's an expert on something or another, so I guess that means the entire subject of vulcanology is meaningless to the field of earth science as a whole and nobody else realized it before.

I, an amateur deductionist, have no place deciding anything about volcanoes, because I find earth science to be one of the most boring and overdone topics on, well, Earth.  Me stating that they are completely useless is, at best, a somewhat facetious statement and/or an attempt at humor.

Appeal to Celebrity
A celebrity says that a product is the best there is, and we want to be like them somehow so we buy it.

Example:  Sherlie Moriarty said that red velvet cake-scented shampoo is the best shampoo ever made.  She has an online blog that has over 100 views so therefore she's probably right.

I may personally like red velvet cake-scented shampoo, and/or I may be being paid lots of money to endorse it, but neither of these are relevant to whether the actual ingredients of the shampoo are good for cleaning your hair, nourishing your body, waking you up in the morning, or any other things that shampoos are supposed to do these days.

Appeal to Coincidence
Stating that strong evidence of something was just a string of random events.

Example:  I'm not actually interested in deduction, I just read those ten books on the subject because they happened to be there on my bookcase.

Completely ignoring, of course, in true irrational style, that there's a reason they're on my bookcase: I bought them because I'm interested in the subject.

Appeal to Common Belief
Because a lot of people believe something, it is considered to be true.

Example:  According to most people on the Internet, Sherlie Moriarty knows more about deduction than anybody else, so I guess she must.

Even if people did believe this, which they don't, the fact that a lot of people think something doesn't make it more likely to be true.  Now, if they could somehow offer empirical evidence of my knowledge, such as some weird security camera tapes of me making deductions and being proven right, maybe this argument would hold up a little better, if one could overlook the blatant abuse of the purpose of CCTV's.

Appeal to Common Folk
Connecting to the audience by trying to seem like just another "regular person" like them.

Example:  Citizens of the Internet, I am just a normal person like you, because despite the fact that I live in a mansion full of dragons and cake and wear the Crown Jewels to work every day, I like videos of cute kittens and dancing babies.  Believe me when I say that the average Internet citizen needs at least one cute hamster with advanced deduction abilities in their life.

If I related to them by saying that I like videos of cute hamsters, this may be almost valid.
But alas, no.  I am far from an ordinary Internet citizen, so therefore my opinion on what sort of genetically-engineered pet is best for them is merely hypothetical.

Appeal to Consequences
Getting people to believe things with the promise of a consequence of their belief.

Example:  If you believe that my pet dragon Sebastian Watson is the supreme ruler of the universe, he will be very happy, so therefore he is actually a god.
If you don't believe that Sebastian is the supreme ruler of the universe, then he will be really unhappy, and he'd only be unhappy about it if he actually was the ruler of the universe, so therefore he is actually a god.

Although Sebby would certainly be delighted to be worshiped, preferably through the liberal offering of dragon treats, whether or not he would be happy if you believed in that has little to no bearing on whether that's true.  If he was a god, he would be unhappy if not worshiped, but that's an effect, not a cause.

Appeal to Definition
Assuming that the dictionary definition of something encompasses all aspects of that thing, however complex, controversial, or changing.

Example:  According to the dictionary definition of "dragon," a dragon is "a fire-breathing lizard creature."  Since Sherlie Moriarty's so-called "dragon" John Moran does not breathe fire, he is therefore not a dragon.

A dictionary definition takes into account general circumstances and commonly accepted ideas of what something is, not considering the possibilities of genetic engineering in order to protect one's designer dresses from a blazing inferno.

I hope this was a fairly informative and entertaining journey through the world of bad logic so far!  Stay tuned for Part II, coming soon.

Signing off,
SM

Book Review: Logically...Fallacious: The Ultimate Collection of Over 300 Logical Fallacies by Bo Bennett

I'm back with another book review, of something significantly more controversial than I Spy.  Please note that I am not advocating any particular political, social, or religious agenda with this blog, unless you count "Treat other people with respect," as a super-controversial agenda, in which case I really don't know what to say.  This book is interesting and informative, but also, well...prone to causing arguments.
Here are the facts:
Title: Logically...Fallacious: The Ultimate Collection of Over 300 Logical Fallacies by Bo Bennett
Genre: Adult nonfiction, rational thinking, philosophy
Content Rating: 5, for many politically and religiously controversial topics discussed, as well as some references to sexual topics that may be considered tasteless

For an academic book about formal logic, complete with Latin phrases, Logically Fallacious is oddly humorous.  Commonly known fallacies, such as Ad Hominem, the Strawman Fallacy, and Appealing to Emotion are thoroughly defined and discussed, as are other common logical slip-ups that few before Bennett even identified as fallacies.  These include such errors as Appeal to Definition, the God Wildcard Fallacy, and the Just Because Fallacy.  All of the explanations are fairly self-sufficient and entertaining.

Now, to the somewhat controversial bits.

Personally, I appreciated that Bennett avoided the common pitfall of trying to defend social injustice, as many so-called experts in logic and reason do.  He defines things such as Stereotyping and Tokenism as fallacies.  There are some arguments referenced as illogical regarding extreme religious sensitivity (such as defending violent practices) as a form of so-called "political correctness" but Bennett doesn't otherwise label any sort of sensitivity as wholly irrational.  He also mentions that different arguments can be made for sensitivity being rational or irrational.

The only true element of controversy involves religion, generally Christianity.  I am not sure of Bennett's religious affiliation or lack thereof, as he does criticize athiests from time to time.

He doesn't have a problem with pointing fingers and naming names, often citing examples related to
-religion as a whole
-Scientology
-Mormonism
-believing in ghosts
-athiests

The list also includes totally non-religious things, such as:
-wealthy people
-Americans
-anyone against same-gender marriage
-hippies
-racists
-Windows Vista, for some reason

And the list goes on. 
To his credit, Bennett never explicitly says that any of these things are outright bad, he simply points out common irrational arguments used to defend them.  Except maybe Windows Vista, which apparently a lot of people didn't like.

The bottom line here is, if you dislike anything you say possibly being proven illogical, if not outright wrong, don't read this book.  If you want to improve your logical argument skills, I think this is an interesting book.  I don't appreciate some of the more potentially offensive bits, but other than that the reasoning is pretty solid. 
Last notes:  Although the author recommends that the book be read cover to cover, it doesn't have to be.  That's not how I've read it; I have used it as more of an encyclopedia, since that is how it is written.
I will also be referencing this book in later blog posts about logical fallacies, as it's kind of sparked an interest.

Signing off,
SM 

List #16--More Great Music

So, I'm back again with more good music:

• Bring Me to Life by Evanescence
• An emo classic loved by 12-year-olds everywhere.
• Actually very pretty if you ignore the vampire/werewolf/Twilight/special-snowflake/zombie/anime subtext that the whole Internet put on top of it.
• For those days when you feel like an emo teenage girl who needs a really good-looking werewolf to make her life complete.
• I'd prefer a good-looking detective if I were in that position myself, but that's just me.
• Warrior Concerto by the Glitch Mob
• Introducing violin dubstep.
• Making violin cool again.
• Taking over the world, going through your mind palace, and dancing all at once.
• Hungarian Dances No. 5 by Johannes Brahms
• Beautiful pretentious violin music.  
• My kind of thing. 
• Maybe your kind of thing. 
• This blog's kind of thing.

I didn't want to post too much more, because I covered nearly everything in the last music post.
Enjoy!

Signing off,
SM 

Book Review: I Spy by Jean Marzollo and Walter Wick

This is, no kidding, one of the first deduction books I ever read.  Or more exactly, observation book, because there weren't a whole lot of conclusions to be made.  Just finding things.

Here's the basic info:
Title: I Spy by Jean Marzollo and Walter Wick
Genre: Kids' puzzle/hidden object
Content Rating: 1

  You have one goal in I Spy: find all the things hidden in the images.  This is easier said than done, as the authors painstakingly created dioramas out of thousands of toys and objects just for this.  It's the visual equivalent of listening to a well-conducted orchestra or running your fingers through a bag of dry beans.
  There are multiple I Spy books, with themes such as fantasy, spooky night, island, etc.  Most of the time I spent "reading" them, if you could call it that, I didn't even look for the things in the pictures, I just stared at the pictures and took it all in.  I learned how to observe everything.  Deduction-wise, this is a 0% deduction book and a 100% observation book.  I highly recommend it for anybody working to develop a better eye for detail.  Other than that, there's little to say about these books other than...good luck searching!  That, and you will soon learn the feeling of "I found all the things but for some reason this one tennis ball is eluding me."  

List #15--Fun Summer Deduction Activities

It actually doesn't feel that long ago I put out Deduction #4: Summer Deductions, although it was about 11 months ago.  WoMD is, actually, a bit over a year old now!  I think I'm one of the few deduction blogs on this site that's made it this far.  (If you are a Blogspot deduction blogger and you have made it this far or farther and feel a need to correct me, please do so; I won't be offended.)

So, since it's summer where I am, here's a list of summer deduction activities:

1. Figuring out what different kinds of plants and animals are--Where I live, the weather is super sunny right now and all the plants are in full bloom, not to mention dozens of animals are running around.  Like, I saw a turtle in the middle of the street earlier today, not to mention squirrels everywhere. (The turtle was rescued from oncoming drivers by a friendly jogger.)  If you can obtain a field guide to your area, or even a printable .pdf (most American species), it's always fun to spend some time looking around at your natural surroundings, and it will increase your perception for detail.
2. People-watching during travel--Whether you're on vacation near or far, or even just in your hometown, it's always fun to watch people.  Observe beach activities, sports tournaments, or even just a community different from your own where you are traveling.
3. Family--If you're visiting family, look at their home decor a bit.  Maybe you never knew your aunt liked snails that much.  Naturally don't read their mail or anything like that, but take advantage of the opportunity to actually look at someone else's house, especially if you don't see them much.
4. Reading books--If you have a lot of free time on a plane or bus, try reading a book about deduction!  I will be reviewing a bunch soon and of course I also have that list (List #8).  Some people will probably look at you kind of funny for looking over "I Spy" puzzles on the bus, but hey, it's slightly less frustrating than Candy Crush Saga.
5. People-watching on the train/bus/plane--Anybody who's proposed that people should talk to people on the train is pretty much fighting a lost cause, because people have pretty much tried as hard as they can to not talk to each other on the train since trains were invented.  Currently, it's smartphones/Kindles/whatever but even before that people read books and newspapers and probably played with whatever the Industrial Revolution equivalent of a handheld Nintendo device was.  So if you're one of those 99% of people who doesn't want to talk to people in public but still wants to take a break from reading/smartphone/whatever, discreetly observe people.  I've seen quite a few good outfits on the Metro.
6. Going places that interest you--If you have any vacation time over summer, go to various places that you've always been curious about.  You know, like that museum in your town you've heard good things about or even some historic site a few miles out from a time period that interests you.  You can learn a lot about anything going to a new place, and who knows.  It could be useful one day.

That should be a good list to get you started.  Have a great summer!

Signing off,
SM