US Government Says: Mermaids Don't Exist

[Del Murder]

The Joint Task Force is still investigating Santa, however.

[Madame Adequate]

Absence of proof is not proof of absence.

I'm surprised Raistlin didn't call you out on this

[KentaRawr!]

They should interview Little Bear. He's seen them.

[Jiro]

Absence of proof is not proof of absence.

I'm surprised Raistlin didn't call you out on this

Can't we have one thread where I act like I know what I'm talking about and nobody calls me out on it?

[Raistlin]

Absence of proof is not proof of absence.

I'm surprised Raistlin didn't call you out on this

I assumed he was joking/parodying such nutjobs.

Then again, maybe I was giving him too much credit.

[Jiro]

You're always giving me too much credit. The statement is true, though. It doesn't account for the inherent fact that mermaids are unlikely to exist. But the statement itself is true. GET OFF MY smurfING BACK YOU JACKASSES

[Raistlin]

You can't prove a negative, only the lack of a positive. Put another way, the absence of evidence of a little pink elephant dancing on your desk is evidence of the absence of such a little pink elephant. But I'm sure he'll come back if you keep drinking.

[Jiro]

I've been sober for a month. Wait, no, not true; I had a drink last...Tuesday night. So I've been sober for a week. Anyway, that's not the point. The point is that you know stuff more than most of us so I use these experiences to learn without paying anybody any money.

EDIT: of course there's no dancing pink elephant on my desk. I don't have a desk. And if I did, I would look for him and if he wasn't there then clearly he isn't there. Seeing is believing ? (Now I'm just smurfing with you )

[Tigmafuzz]

You can't prove a negative, only the lack of a positive. Put another way, the absence of evidence of a little pink elephant dancing on your desk is evidence of the absence of such a little pink elephant. But I'm sure he'll come back if you keep drinking.

Just because you can't see it doesn't mean he isn't there. Especially if there are parts of your desk you aren't able to observe.