Note: the video contains the same information as the article, but in a more conversational form.
Now that we have established why it is important to be skeptical, and what sort of situations should prompt you to be extra careful, we can dive into the methods used to be skeptical.
Being a skeptic doesn’t mean you disbelieve everything and everyone, it means that you demand proof of claims before you commit them to belief or take action. In future articles, we will delve into what constitutes good and bad sources of evidence, and how to tell if evidence is used properly. For now, let us discuss an important logical concept: truth.
I. What makes something true?
The concept of truth is as old as philosophy. For the purposes of this article, which deals with claims, true means that something really exists, and can be proven. This concept can be defined quite briefly:
A statement is true if it is a positive claim and there is credible evidence to affirm it, while there is no credible contrary evidence that makes the statement untrue.
Like all brief statements, this one can be somewhat complex, so let’s take a closer look at the three conditions contained in the statement:
Please note: The video below contains the same information as the article, but in a more conversational form. Choose which format you prefer!
I. Series Introduction: Information and Expertise
Everyday life is filled with decisions. Many of these decisions are made without knowing what the outcome will be. We rely on many things to help us make these decisions, including our own experience, intuition, assumptions how other people will act, and, the subject of this article, information from other people.
Everybody is an expert in something, but nobody, not even the super intelligent, can be an expert in everything. Each person trades the knowledge and skills he has in his own area for the knowledge and skills of other people’s areas. This is the division of labor that makes economies work, but also represents an information exchange. We trust our doctor to give us information about our health, and the doctor in turn trusts us to give him the benefits of our expertise – plumbing, teaching, even food service is an expertise – to meet his needs. Sometimes, money is involved in the trade, but often the information exchange is free and part of our friendships and social interactions. Advice about which wine tastes good or which plumber does the best job, are examples of this.
The members of the media are sort of information specialists, telling us about events that we cannot witness for ourselves. Often, however, media outlets do more than report events. They can move into areas that are well beyond news description, discussing scientific findings, political motivations, or promoting various prescriptions for action. On the internet, many such claims are made and distributed through a variety of networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, but just because something is published or claims to speak from authority, does not make it the truth. There is no media police to enforce honesty and integrity.
The purpose of this article, and the ones that will follow, is to assist the everyday person in figuring out which claims are likely to be true or likely to be false, without having to become an expert in the field. This way, we can spend our time on what matters – our own passions, expertise, and personal lives – and not on determining if a news story is true or not.
I haven't tried to review anything in years, but this rather unknown doom band I came across recently compelled me to write one. Looking back at my Amazon reviews from 2005, I think I've improved quite a bit! I've included some videos and links at the bottom so you can preview their material or possibly support them by buying the album.
My overall score: 9 out of 10
Shores of Null is a band from Rome that combines a diverse
set of influences and styles, including doom, death, and black metal. Sounds reminiscent
of November’s Doom, Woods of Ypres, ICS Vortex’s solo debut “Stormbringer,” and
American band Nevermore, in addition to classic black metal influences cleverly
mixed in, can be heard throughout the ten track endeavor. The result is not
something eclectic, but rather a coherent, unified sound that penetrates the
album from start to finish despite great variety within and between tracks.
The sound of Shores of Null consists primarily of vertically
large repeated chords in the guitar and bass that are shaped into melodic
phrases and punctuated by memorable riffs. Throughout, dissonance is highly controlled,
giving the listener a need for release that is never quite matriculated.
Beneath the churning soundscape of the strings, creative drum work serves as
its own point of interest while driving the tempo of the songs, which varies
from black metal fast to sludgy slow. On top of these harsher elements sits the
highly melodic voice, which is at times frantic and at times soothing, creating
a tonal contrast that compels the listener to further explore the darkness the
band presents in varying shades of grey. Growls used on several tracks heighten
this contrast between harsh and beautiful.
The production on the album is fairly maximized and typical
of a modern sound, however in the case of Shores of Null the production serves
the music and doesn’t detract from it. All the instruments are clearly audible,
including the bass which is often buried in metal recordings, and the tone
employed on the rhythm guitars, bass, and vocals was excellent. The drums sound
slightly compressed, but this is typical of metal and doesn’t distract too
much. The voice is clear and sits at the right level in the mix, and nothing
sounds over-processed.
As a criticism, while there is a great amount of tempo,
texture, and tonal variety within and between the pieces on the album, the
experience was overall lacking in dynamic variation, sounding consistently “loud.”
Also somewhat distracting was the sound of the lead or melodic guitars, which
sounded dead and shapeless. This is partly a performance issue, as the parts
were played with little vibrato and failed to sustain or “sing.” It stands out
mostly because of the great phrasing and tone employed by the vocals near or
concurrent to the sections of single note lead guitar. The shortcomings of the
album should not be viewed as negatives by themselves, but rather represent lost
opportunities to make an already great album perfect.
If you are a fan of any of the bands mentioned, or enjoy doom metal in
general, Shores of Null will likely please and earn a place in the rotation
among the classics. http://shoresofnull.com/
-David Gold, from “To long life in the Limbo Union” Woods 4: The Green Album
The act of moving, and by that I mean changing your home from one location to another, is usually not looked back upon fondly. This is for good reason, as moving can involve hours of physical labor, tedious organizing, and frantic cleaning in an attempt to recover one’s security deposit. Having moved some five times in the last three years or so, I can say that I am thoroughly through with the experience. I’m ready to have a home and I hope this time I get to stick around it in it for a good long while.
However nostalgia, as I’ve made a point to clarify in the past, is not always a memory of something positive, it is just a powerful memory. The moving experience is always memorable for me. You take your things off the walls. You pack your knick knacks into boxes. Soon the clothes and the pots and the pans go, then your furniture and your toothbrush. You are left with empty rooms, no longer your home at all. For me it is a powerful experience. You enter limbo, where you get to contemplate all the places that were once home.
At the same time, there are numerous positive nostalgic feelings that I get when I move. I remember the past places I lived. I remember the joy I had there, and the promises that location made when I moved in. I also remember how I felt when I moved out. Here are a few of those places. I get take back there a lot.
Frank Court, Bakersfield, California
My parents rented a house in Bakersfield when I was young while my mother stayed home with myself and my sister. When I was five, they bought a house, and so the first real memory I have of a house being mine was on Frank Court. I remember the house being empty, and shouting to it, “goodbye!” as I walked out the door for the last time. I remember seeing the row of four bushy trees for the last time, as well as a thicket at the end of the street that I used to play in with my friends that lived down the street. I fell asleep at some point in the move and woke up in my new room.
North Park Apartments, Fresno California
My first apartment was across the street from Fresno State, where I was a graduate student at the time. They were really crappy, but I had a great time initially being independent. I moved in sort of one item at a time, and slowly the apartment became more like home. I’m nostalgic of lots of experiences from that little cave of a place, a few of which I address in my Berserk entry.
I’ve done many different things in my life. I’ve played concerts, written books, recorded albums, and written sonatas and symphonies, along with plenty of other things people mind find more than a wee bit daunting. Sometimes, people disparage themselves and say that such things are impossible for them; that they lack the skill, talent, time, or intelligence to do what they really wish they could do.
I am here to tell you that such impossibilities exist only in your mind. You can write a book if you choose. You can play a concert, solo or otherwise, if you choose. You can record an album, or paint a great picture, or make a movie, or put on a play, or do any of the big creative projects you dream about.
The only difference between you and the person who does these things is time. Time spent with your craft, developing talents and skills. Time spent getting experience on stage or on the page. Time spent staring at the word processor or the finale document. The mountain seems insurmountable only because you stand at the bottom, but those who stand at the pinnacle got there the same way you will: one step at a time.
Hard work, dedication, and time is all it takes to accomplish your goals in life. If you want to write a book, write every day. Write something. Write. Sooner than you realize, you will have a manuscript. If you want to build an incredible body, lift weights. Every day. Sooner than you realize, you will be strong. It is the same process with this as with everything else.
Often people lose sight of the simple truth of progressing a step at a time to achieve goals. We live in an on-demand world with boring, repetitive jobs that train people to not only ignore the march of progress with themselves, but declare that it doesn’t even exist. It does exist. Make it real, one note, one page, one word at a time. More than that:
Don’t Give Yourself an Excuse to Not Try
Telling yourself that you “Just don’t have what it takes,” also gives you one of the most convenient excuses to avoid failure: avoiding the effort. If you predetermine that you will fail, it is easy to avoid doing the work and taking the risk that is necessary to achieve your dreams. It is a cruel psychological trick we play on ourselves to deprive ourselves of happiness, even if we don’t realize it.
Work hard. Work every day. Achieve your dreams. You can do it. What are you willing to do to complete your work?
The video below has the same message in a more casual style, for those who care for it.
