Episode 1 of my new web series Unscripted, Uncut, and Uncensored. Will work on the lighting situation for future episodes, perhaps right in front of a north facing window wasn't the best option even with my "natural green screen" behind me as a back drop. LANGUAGE WARNING

Fact vs Opinion

Everybody has an opinion. Much like a certain orifice I won't name using film school English here. Now, I live in a country where free speech is not only a constitutionally protected right, but also a revered part of our culture.

That said, some people really do abuse their right to free speech.

I have found this out from a lifetime of holding certain views many find to be controversial - especially if they disagree with me.

The really interesting thing is that people seem to confuse personal opinions for facts.

Fact is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as "something that is indisputably the case," such as:

• Cats are carnivores (1)
• Trees produce oxygen (2)
• The speed limit on freeways in Ohio is 70 miles per hour. (3)

Opinion is defined by the same dictionary as a "view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge." Some examples of opinion might include:

• Cats are better pets than dogs.
• We need to plant more trees.
• The speed limit ought to be 80 miles per hour.

If you ever pick a side on any controversial viewpoint, you may find that one side tends to gravitate more toward verifiable facts and the other toward anecdotes, opinions, and maybe even take the self-righteous attitude of making the argument about them rather than the topic. Anyone who has ever been faced with "I turned out okay" in a debate knows what I'm talking about.

The more someone says "I think" or "in my opinion" the less I'm personally inclined to take them seriously. Especially if they emphasize the "I" or "my" in those phrases. Yes, technically that was an opinion and not verifiable by fact.

Nobody's Property book website

Nobody's Property now has a website for the book. It is http://www.nobodysproperty.com.