I am in disbelief of this..

[horns666]

Thanks Bill! I really do appreciate that!

I will say that I had VERY little common sense at all until I had to leave school and deal with the real world. We humans are much less evolved in our actual environments than is believed in the artificial environment of academia. Even in America which is a protected enclave this is true.

Rich, I hear you..My father was "connected" and never punched a clock in his life..but he instilled in me a lot of street and people smarts. I applied what he gave me along with my training and experience as a "ghetto" cop...and I excelled in my duties and gained much respect amoung my peers, who are top brass officials now !!

I thought my dad was just plain nuts when I was a kid..but in hindsight he was spot on when it came to people smarts..which revealed that people are not very smart..

[Tashtego]

I don't believe you. It's 100% against my lived experience. Frankly, given the tenor of right-wing attacks on academics in this country, I think it's all made up. As a matter of fact, I know it is. Horowitz is PAID big time mone for his attacks. My bro's friend is PAID. That's the bottom line.



I can cite you any number of kids with computer science, accounting/business, degrees who do a lot worse. As for intellectual rigor, I'd say your point of view is very slanted, as evidenced by your whole tone from first post to the last.





I was talking about English courses. A course in New Black Politics is obviously political. But it's NOT an English course. It belongs in history or PoliSci. Get it? And if you're going to complaint hat people in the humanities are examining cultural topics like identity, race, gender and sexuality, then you should complain that the zookeeper takes care of animals as well. This is what we get paid to do. It's been the whole point of the humanities in the United States for over a century. Otherwise, you might as well argue that the fireman's job isn't to put out fires, it's to look good in his rubber boots.

So, let me get this straight, you have a bug up your ass because professors in English teach/study literary texts according to the particular viewpoints on race, gender, identity espoused in those texts. Is that right? And you're not talking about professors who openly take political sides, as sa you see on CNN or any blah-blah American political show. Is that right?

Hey, call me a liar all you want, it doesn't strengthen your argument and doesn't change reality. I have no "bug up my ass" I have a different opinion from yours. I have described how I came to form this opinion and provided some evidence. I think you are wandering off the point. My point was that the hiring and tenuring of professors is greatly effected by the percieved politics of the candidate which are often easily discernable from their published work. You asserted "The story that published work tells us anything about political persuasion is ludicrous." I countered with an example to the contrary.
You have responded with insults and straw man arguments. I know nothing of Horowitcz or your brother's buddy's finances. The criticisms are either valid or not and finding out is not helped by attacking the character of the critic. I never complained that 'cultural topics' as you choose to call them or political topics as I choose to, are covered in the humanities, that would of course be ridiculous. No, the argument is that humanities are totally dominated by leftist thought; that this dominance is perpetuated by politically discriminatory hiring practices; and that the disciplines themselves are harmed by the lack of intellectual diversity and vigor that this state of affairs has engendered.

I was talking about English courses. A course in New Black Politics is obviously political. But it's NOT an English course. It belongs in history or PoliSci. Get it?

It isn't me that needs to 'Get it.' Perhaps you should take up your argument with the editors of the Oxford Review of American Literature. For my part I think it is fine to cover the topic and the author can't help but cover it with a lens colored by their world view. What isn't fine is that the lens brought to bear on the topics is always red.

[danastas]

I don't have time right now to get into it cause I have to run along and teach, but show me your idea of a Right-wing course in English.

Left-wing I guess means what? Why is it left-wing?

Explain.

I hate discussing or arguing in generalities.

Give me some meat to consider.

By the way, I didn't call you a liar. I said I don't believe you. There's a difference.

[SEAN RAF]

What does 'book smart' mean? What is common sense?

[monk]

Aaaah. Life is much easier on a technical university/institute. Nature doesnt care if you are left- or right-wing

[horns666]

I can't see the debate here really..

Some people teach about shit, some learn about shit, some read about shit, some write about shit, and some people eat a daily diet of shit..and this is my shit eatin' grin..

I guess I didn't hit the books hard enough..I'm just a "flunky" retired cop..

No college or degrees for me..So, I had to roll up my sleeves and wade neck deep in peoples' shit..what a wonderful bouquette..:ROTF:

I got an idea..how about taking off ALL the lenses.. be it "rose colored" or "shit stained"..and just LOOK at what is right front of you.."as is".

Accept individuals for exactly who they are..because they're not changing...Then decide if they are a asshole or not...

I learned that 5% of people take care of biz, another 5% watch people take care of biz ..and the other 90% didn't even know any fuggin' biz is going on..

[monk]

The world needs all kind of people (well, almost). You worked on the street and needed to be "street smart". That is why you are still alive, I guess.

Being street smart wont help you building nuclear reactors and stuff, though.

[horns666]

The world needs all kind of people (well, almost). You worked on the street and needed to be "street smart". That is why you are still alive, I guess.

Being street smart wont help you building nuclear reactors and stuff, though.

Das Rite Monk ..the world NEEDS assholes..it's a huge buisness. Think how many is involved in dealing with a single asshole..Take a ONE DUI case for example..look how many hands get involved in that alone..one tiny case can sure make a big snowball..

Sometimes it makes national news..then it really snowballs..

[danastas]

Aaaah. Life is much easier on a technical university/institute. Nature doesnt care if you are left- or right-wing

Come to America. You ever hear of stem-cell research?

[danastas]

I can't see the debate here really..

Some people teach about shit, some learn about shit, some read about shit, some write about shit, and some people eat a daily diet of shit..and this is my shit eatin' grin..

I guess I didn't hit the books hard enough..I'm just a "flunky" retired cop..

No college or degrees for me..So, I had to roll up my sleeves and wade neck deep in peoples' shit..what a wonderful bouquette..:ROTF:

I got an idea..how about taking off ALL the lenses.. be it "rose colored" or "shit stained"..and just LOOK at what is right front of you.."as is".

Accept individuals for exactly who they are..because they're not changing...Then decide if they are a asshole or not...

I learned that 5% of people take care of biz, another 5% watch people take care of biz ..and the other 90% didn't even know any fuggin' biz is going on..

This would mean people staying out of my shit and leaving me alone to do my job, instead of getting paid to bother me and tell me I'm too liberal for them.

I'm all for it Bill.

[monk]

Das Rite Monk ..the world NEEDS assholes..it's a huge buisness. Think how many is involved in dealing with a single asshole..Take a ONE DUI case for example..look how many hands get involved in that alone..one tiny case can sure make a big snowball..

Sometimes it makes national news..then it really snowballs..

Hehe, you may have a point there. Anyway, if we were to remove all jobs created just to take care of the mess other people leave behind (it goes in circles, I guess) there would not be many jobs left

Come to America. You ever hear of stem-cell research?

Stem-cell research is actually not that controversial here in Sweden. Maybe 6 out of 7 major political parties favor it. I guess we have not come as far as you guys though, so the public opinion may very well change.

[horns666]

This would mean people staying out of my shit and leaving me alone to do my job, instead of getting paid to bother me and tell me I'm too liberal for them.

I'm all for it Bill.

Dude, ahh..just let it roll off your back and go about your biz..Heck, I was blamed many times for being a racist, nazi..because of my job..it just comes with the uniform...go figure.

Some cops were..but most wern't. Same thing goes with professors, judges, lawyers etc..one can certainly make the rest get a bad rap. I certainly know that tune!

My two old partners were on Geraldo at Large..I almost choked on my meatball..

I got on the job and was assigned to the ghetto during the Rodney King / LA PD riots..I was guilty of racism before I got out of the zone car..

Don't let the little things get ya down bro. There's some great people here and we all play geetar. I used to bump heads all the time..and with great people. It often made me regret what I said..at times..sometimes not.

You can't please everyone, and I certainly stopped trying..

I learned to pick my battles and not let them pick me. I save the real angst for those who really derserve it..like those dicks that put graffiti all over my garage..I went over there and peed on their door and I hit one in the head with my mag-lite..but my doctor said that was "positive anger"..
That's true!!

Bill Z

[danastas]

Good advice.

Just remember, they're banning Harry Potter because it teaches Satanism. If you see me taken away, it's because: "Professor converts students to Wicca."

By the way, when I dropped my corporate job coming out of college, I somehow landed in law enforcement in New Haven, Ct. I worked the jails as a deputy sheriff. Did that for two years before moving to academia.

[RacerX]

Tashtego gets the win.

[lerxstcat]

Good advice.

Just remember, they're banning Harry Potter because it teaches Satanism. If you see me taken away, it's because: "Professor converts students to Wicca."

By the way, when I dropped my corporate job coming out of college, I somehow landed in law enforcement in New Haven, Ct. I worked the jails as a deputy sheriff. Did that for two years before moving to academia.

So you're teaching a kids' book in college? Why is that?