Recent Comments

1. about 4 hours ago on Calvin and Hobbes

   “You are correct. I cannot prove that any of your misleading statements were intentionally misleading.”

   Then stop trying to imply something you can’t prove. You can’t prove I said anything misleading, let alone intentionally misleading.

   “None of my statements were intended to mislead.”

   The fact remains that you stated something you knew to be untrue, and no amount of claiming by you that your “intent” was “innocent” can change that fact.

   “I do not think that Calvin would or could imagine many of the things that Hobbes does.”

   You’ve admitted that Calvin CAN imagine Hobbes being alone. Your claim that Calvin “can’t” or “wouldn’t” imagine Hobbes doing things has no FACTUAL basis whatsoever. Hobbes isn’t smarter than Calvin, he doesn’t have a larger vocabulary, and he’s no better at math than Calvin. The fight that Calvin ENJOYED with Hobbes DISPROVES the claim that Calvin wouldn’t make up someone to argue with. And the fact that he IMAGINED (your silly claim that Calvin has the “real” power to create duplicates makes no sense at ALL) himself being more mature proves that he can EASILY imagine Hobbes being more mature than he is. Calvin’s imagination is immensely powerful, detailed, and creative. He is a lonely little boy with no real friends who imagines one.

2. about 4 hours ago on Calvin and Hobbes

   Second, there is ONLY two thirds of the tub left for Hobbes’ body. It’s easily seen that the REST of Hobbes’ body occupies FOUR TIMES as much space as his head. Four times one third is FOUR thirds, which is TWICE two thirds. IT IS PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE REST OF HOBBES TO FIT IN THE REMAINING SPACE. IT OCCUPIES TWICE AS MUCH SPACE AS THAT WHICH IS AVAILABLE. The ONLY way to explain Calvin seeing an IMPOSSIBILITY is that he IMAGINES it. He FREQUENTLY imagines impossibilities. Even YOU admit this.

   And yet again, Hobbes as seen by Calvin is LARGER than KNOWN humans whom NO one would rationally say could fit in the machine. The ONLY way to explain Hobbes fitting in the tub is to acknowledge that Hobbes must OBJECTIVELY (the machine is INCAPABLE of subjective perception) be the size of a DOLL, NOT the large (You have AGREED this means five foot) solid living animal YOU claim he “really” is. This proves beyond ALL doubt that Calvin MUST be IMAGINING the size of Hobbes, JUST as he IMAGINES himself being the size of a bug or a galaxy. NO other conclusion is logically or physically possible. Watterson HIMSELF knew the washing machine strips were a contradiction of the “Hobbes is really large and living” claim (contradicting YOUR claim that they aren’t), since he was compelled to attempt to explain them by saying they’re a “blurring” of what Hobbes “is”, an acknowledgement that Hobbes has no definite reality. If it was the non-problem you claim, Watterson would NOT have bothered with the explanation. BUT HE DID.

3. about 4 hours ago on Calvin and Hobbes

   “Calvin lifts up the lid and he and Hobbes speak to one another. We see that Hobbes’s head is the same size that Calvin usually sees it as…Therefore the Hobbes that Calvin sees – and that we see when Hobbes is alone – is just able to fit inside the tub of the washing machine.”

   Logic, math, physical reality, what the strip shows, and Watterson himself all say you’re wrong. What Calvin sees is a physical absurdity and impossibility. First, Hobbes’ head as shown and as Calvin sees it is so large that not only does it occupy fully ONE THIRD of the volume of the tub, it’s occupying the space where the agitator is. Two real, solid objects can’t occupy the same space at the same time. Since we KNOW the machine has a real agitator, we KNOW that Calvin can’t be seeing something real.

4. about 10 hours ago on Calvin and Hobbes

   You keep pointing out that the washing machine cannot imagine anything. I know that a washing machine cannot imagine anything. What I cannot imagine is why you should imagine that I would imagine a washing machine imagining anything!”

   First of all, I talk about the machine’s lack of PERCEPTION, not “imagination”, so stop with another one of your misquoting attempts. You exhibit a remarkable ability to be obtuse. It’s apparent that you pretend to be so in the face of arguments that you know you can’t refute. The point of the washing machine strips is that they DISPROVE the claim by you and Watterson that Hobbes being really “both” a doll and a large living animal (being “both” is a logical absurdity) is “merely” a matter of “subjective perception.” The washing machine can’t have a subjective perception of anything. It can only hold what is OBJECTIVELY small enough to fit in it. THAT’S the point which you desperately try to ignore.

5. about 11 hours ago on Calvin and Hobbes

   “You have pointed out to me that Calvin could easily have imagined Hobbes up the tree with the empty pillowcase. I agree that he could.”

   In fact, you’ve admitted that you have NO proof that Hobbes is real. The washing machine strips, OTOH, prove beyond all doubt that Hobbes CANNOT be the objectively real large living YOU claim he is.

   “Watterson’s statement, “I suspect he’s more real than any kid would make up.”

   Yet AGAIN, the ENTIRE basis for Watterson’s “suspicion” was his claim that “when you make up a friend for yourself, you would have somebody to agree with you, not to argue with you.” But Watterson INVALIDATED that claim and therefore his “suspicion” by showing Calvin ENJOYING the fight with Hobbes. So you keep citing something that’s proven to be false.

6. about 11 hours ago on Calvin and Hobbes

   “I am NOT using sneaky tactics. We both agree that the Hobbes that Calvin sees is not large enough to swallow Calvin and that Calvin only imagined that happening.”

   You implied that I agree that Hobbes is “normally” large enough to swallow Calvin’s head. I made no such agreement.

   “He also imagines things about his parents but that does not make his parents imaginary.”

   You admit that Calvin imagined the size of Hobbes, therefore you admit that the size of Hobbes as seen by Calvin doesn’t have to be reality. Comparing Hobbes to Calvin’s parents is apples and oranges, since we know they’re objectively real. Hobbes is not objectively real (which is YOUR claim). He can’t be sensed by, interact with, or affect anyone but Calvin.

   “Watterson has explained that Hobbes is NOT meant to be part of Calvin’s imagination but an example of how different people have conflicting views of reality.”

   That claim doesn’t hold up at all. Hobbes must be either real or imaginary. He can’t be “both”, or “neither” (your obliviousness to fundamental logic is astounding). The washing machine strips show that Hobbes must objectively be the size of a doll. The machine can’t have a “conflicting view of reality”. It can’t have ANY view, since it’s an inanimate object. It can only hold what is objectively small enough to fit in it. It is physically impossible for the large living animal that YOU claim Hobbes objectively is to fit in the machine. Your silly claim that it’s possible solely because Calvin sees it doesn’t wash at ALL, since we KNOW he IMAGINES physical impossibilities. But, of course, you ignore simple logic, and resort to citing Watterson catechism.

7. about 14 hours ago on The Born Loser

   Now tell Brutus to start on the odd jobs around the house, Gladys.

8. 1 day ago on Calvin and Hobbes

   “Watterson has never actually claimed that Hobbes is real but an example of different views of reality.”

   First of all, you’ve contradicted YOUR claim that Hobbes IS real, an objectively real, large living tiger that ONLY Calvin among ALL the beings in the entire UNIVERSE of C&H has the “special ability” to “correctly” perceive.

   Second, the washing machine strips DESTROY the claim that the nature of Hobbes is “subjective”. The machine CAN’T have a “different view of reality”. It can’t have ANY view. It’s an inanimate object. It can only hold what is OBJECTIVELY small enough to fit in it. Hobbes must OBJECTIVELY be the size of a doll. Therefore, contrary to YOUR claim, Calvin does NOT correctly perceive Hobbes. You ADMITTED that Calvin imagined Hobbes being large enough to put Calvin in his mouth.

9. 1 day ago on Calvin and Hobbes

   “I often feel that you are dishonest with me and I have pointed out examples of this in the past”

   “feelings” are not the basis for a factual claim. Correct observation and reason are. You can’t cite a single example of me stating something I know to be untrue. YOU, OTOH, HAVE stated something you KNOW to be untrue, such as quoting Watterson saying “COULD make up” instead of “WOULD make up” even after you were given the source for the correct quote and you had acknowledged that you had gotten it wrong. That is FACT.

   “I keep explaining to you that I am NOT trying to prove that Hobbes is real”

   As you often do, you’re trying very hard to evade the point, which is that you have often cited Watterson saying “Hobbes is more real than I suspect any kid would dream up” as “confirmation” of something. Yet AGAIN, Watterson based his “suspicion” on his claim that “when you make up a friend for yourself, you would have somebody to agree with you, not to argue with you.” But Watterson INVALIDATED that claim and therefore his “suspicion” by showing Calvin ENJOYING the fight with Hobbes. So the thing YOU cite as “confirmation” has NO basis.

   “I started to suspect Hobbes has a life away from Calvin when I noticed that he is shown as a real living character – and often speaks directly to us through the Fourth Wall – when Calvin is elsewhere and he is on his own.”

   Proof of nothing, of course, since you’ve admitted that Calvin can imagine that.

10. 1 day ago on Calvin and Hobbes

    “I have admitted that Calvin must have been imagining things when he was almost completely swallowed by Hobbes.”

    Then you ADMIT that Calvin’s perception of Hobbes does NOT have to be reality, just as it was NOT reality for Calvin to see the PHYSICAL IMPOSSIBILITY of being the size of a bug, being the size of a galaxy, being 2D, traveling to Mars in a toy wagon with no protection from the vacuum of space, etc etc. Therefore, your claim that a five foot Hobbes fits in the machine solely because Calvin sees it is FALSE.

    “As we both agree, Hobbes – as we see him when he is either alone with Calvin or completely alone – is not big enough to swallow Calvin’s torso but he is large enough to swallow Calvin’s head”

    God, you love to use sneaky tactics. I don’t agree to that at ALL. Hobbes can’t swallow anything because he is a DOLL.