The Off Topic Topic

[Admiral Yi]

But I disagree with your equation of centrism = thinking.

I never equated centrism with thinking.  I said that what Ide was calling centrism I call thinking.

[Admiral Yi]

Although, that being said, I would expect self-proclaimed centrists to have fewer dogmas they are unwilling or unable to evaluate critically.

[DGuller]

I think about 4 or 5 of them are very debateable.  Although I don't see what perfect information, etc., etc., has anything to do with it.

Perfect information has to do with the assumption that any voluntary deal is mutually beneficial.  I assume the correct answer was "yes" to that question.  However, people make voluntary deals with scam artists all the time, for example.

What's less debateable is your, Ide's and Shelf's "ugh, centrism" response.

I think the confusion lay in your response to Ide's "ugh, centrism".  It made it sound like you equate centrism with being a thinking person, which of course is the kind of thinking that should get every truly thinking person riled up.  In your later posts, it sounds like it may not have been what you meant.

[sbr]

This wasn't a quiz that was graded, it was an opinion poll.  Why do people think that any of the questions have a right or wrong answer?

[Admiral Yi]

Perfect information has to do with the assumption that any voluntary deal is mutually beneficial.  I assume the correct answer was "yes" to that question.  However, people make voluntary deals with scam artists all the time, for example.

The correct answer to that question is disagree.

I think the confusion lay in your response to Ide's "ugh, centrism".  It made it sound like you equate centrism with being a thinking person, which of course is the kind of thinking that should get every truly thinking person riled up.  In your later posts, it sounds like it may not have been what you meant.

That doesn't get Ide off the hook, and it doesn't really get Shelf off the hook either, since he elaborated by saying that what the author of the article did was an example of being in the middle for the middle's sake, or however you put it.

You, maybe.  After I post I'll reread your old post.

[Admiral Yi]

OK, you're off the hook Guller.

[Admiral Yi]

This wasn't a quiz that was graded, it was an opinion poll.  Why do people think that any of the questions have a right or wrong answer?

To take the simplest one, a monopoly is definitional.  If someone has the opinion that a monopoly is having the largest market share among several competitors, that's an inocorrect opinion.

[DGuller]

OK, you're off the hook Guller.

[DGuller]

This wasn't a quiz that was graded, it was an opinion poll.  Why do people think that any of the questions have a right or wrong answer?

To take the simplest one, a monopoly is definitional.  If someone has the opinion that a monopoly is having the largest market share among several competitors, that's an inocorrect opinion.

Even the definition of the word monopoly is debatable, IMO, although the actual question is structured in a way that it cannot possible be agreed with. 

The most basic feature of having a monopoly power is that you have pricing power.  That is, you're free to set a price on your product to some extent, rather than just go with the market price or go bust.  In practice, that makes monopoly a very sliding scale, because almost every brand maker has some pricing power.  The whole point of developing a brand name is so that your products would be unique and not easily substitutable, and thus you would have 100% market share over that product.

[Razgovory]

Yi: I've probably jumped the gun a bit on that article, as I say I've not read it.  Sorry.  But I disagree with your equation of centrism = thinking.

I'm over halfway through my wordcount on this essay.  It's on the three certainties.  I've not even finished one yet

Still I think cutting an essay down is always easier than expanding a bare one.

Post a new thread.

[Ideologue]

Man, I am just not breaking the ~180,000 barrier in Pacman.  Once the power pellets become completely inert it's a whole different, much harder game.

[Ed Anger]

Man, I am just not breaking the ~180,000 barrier in Pacman.  Once the power pellets become completely inert it's a whole different, much harder game.

Hanging out at the landromat playing the ratty old machine they have in the corner that is covered in 30 years of phlegm, cum and spilled soda?

[Ed Anger]

Also, I should have done this in my class:

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/11/12/4048922/sacramento-state-psychology-professor.html#ixzz1dXBhZ3iE

[Grey Fox]

There is always next year.

[Ed Anger]

There is always next year.

Next quarter. 

I demand oatmeal cream pies and ho-ho's.