Arguments and Manners ...

1. From an old post at Brian Leiter's blog (this is just a teaser, Leiter's post has more):

   A young philosopher at a top research university writes: "The thing that always astonishes me is that they [bloggers, journalists etc.] put on this air of pained affront if an academic gets short with them - 'I don't expect this tone from an educator' and all that jazz. Jesus, they should have been in a room with Jerry 'I just have one question; was your paper a joke?' Fodor, or Kim 'but there's no fucking evidence for that!' Sterelny. Or most of the economists I know. Where do so many people get this idea that academic discourse is conducted by people wondering if they could regretfully venture to take issue with distinguished colleagues who are respectfully suggesting an emendation?"

   Where, indeed?

2. Dr. Isis at On Becoming a Domestic and Laboratory Goddess: How to argue

3. Drug Monkey at the Drug Monkey blog: How to argue ... and actually accomplish something

4. Paul Graham: How to disagree.

Now, go check out this funny poster about paranoia at Very Demotivational, a blog that specializes in demotivating posters.