1 + 1 = 2, therefore you are an idiot

Facts are stubborn things, said John Adams.  But being stubborn does not always win you an argument.  We have all been in “discussions” in which we were correct and the simpleton on the other side of the table was not.  We laid out the facts as plainly as anyone could.  And they remained unconvinced.

Maybe they found comfort in character assassination, or muddied the waters with irrelevant information.  Maybe they just threw up their hands and left the room.  Maybe they even took a swing at you.  What they didn’t do, though, is change their mind.  Facts had nothing to do with their position, either before or after the discussion.

Football

After spending five football seasons in the heart of SEC country, I have a few suggestions for my brethren.  I think they will give you a great deal of peace — and I guarantee they will give your brethren a great deal of peace.  And let me beat you to the punch by saying I have been accused of being “as bad as anyone,” so these points are as much for me as for you.