dagblog - Comments for "In Defense of The Generalist Columnist"

It is hard to defend not

Verified Atheist — Fri, 11 May 2012 10:54:16 +0000

In reply to Just kidding about abolishing

It is hard to defend not reading any of the dissertations prior to writing a post about how reading the dissertations should tell one why black studies should be eliminated. I mean, if she had said, "Read the abstracts!", she would have at least been on firmer ground.

Just kidding about abolishing

rmrd0000 — Thu, 10 May 2012 21:12:26 +0000

In reply to You're probably kidding but

Just kidding about abolishing the Humanities. I think getting a job has more to do with college activities, class position and the interview. A college degree of any type makes it less likely that you will be unemployed compared to those with only a high school diploma.

It does seem amazing that Riley who didn't read the dissertations she ridiculed can be said to have made some interesting points. She didn't. The more interesting points were made by those making an effort to come to her defense or as is the case with the original post, those defending the non- specialist blogger. Riley's post was just lazy.

You're probably kidding but

Michael Maiello — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:18:42 +0000

In reply to The unasked question is

You're probably kidding but whether or not the value of college is in career prep is a pretty open question. Also, there are a lot of employers out there who like hiring English and Theater majors. I assume I've not gotten called in for several interviews because of my Theater degree. But every job I've been offered has been offered by somebody who thought it was neat or cool that I studied that instead of business or journalism.

I have to admit that I only

rmrd0000 — Thu, 10 May 2012 19:55:28 +0000

In reply to Because, as we know,

I have to admit that I only began glancing at the show recently. I saw one episode with Parson's character, Sheldon, bragging to Hawkins about a ground breaking paper that he (Sheldon) had written. Sheldon fainted when Hawkins pointed out a glaring math error.

I have to get out of my cocoon more often.

Because, as we know,

Donal — Thu, 10 May 2012 19:30:28 +0000

In reply to The unasked question is

Because, as we know, scientists are never wrong about anything.

The unasked question is

rmrd0000 — Thu, 10 May 2012 19:10:08 +0000

In reply to In Defense of The Generalist Columnist

The unasked question is whether we need those history, journalism, English, political science graduate programs in the face of a world workplace that has no need for their skills. Riley took the coward's way out by only attacking Black Studies. If we selected graduate papers from other disciplines in the Humanites and Social Sciences, we could come up with a host of "ridiculous sounding" papers.

Does anyone really have the "time" to read those other ridiculous thesis submissions? Let's just shut down those ridiculous intellectual inquiries and focus on the sciences and engineering.

We would have been spared Riley's blog.

Thanks. I had forgotten

Elusive Trope — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:33:03 +0000

In reply to Thanks, Trope. Really loved

Thanks. I had forgotten about that particular professor. Since I have blogged about past professors, maybe I should blog about him. Not only was he younger than me (a consequence of dragging my feet and leaving the ivory tower), he was also pretty dang good looking. So a whole lot of the females and some of the guys in the English Department were swooning all over him when he came sauntering on to campus.

An amazing thing the ego. How it can make us behave and feel in such unflattering ways. If I was being honest, I would have to say in the beginning of the class I sat there really loathing him, wanting to find some evidence that he was just some pretty boy who didn't know a lost paradise from a mirror. But, alas, he was quite brilliant. And a really nice guy. And really tried to develop assignments that had students approach the material and articulate our understanding in non-traditional ways. Damn it.

I'm not defending her even a

Michael Maiello — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:01:43 +0000

In reply to The problem with what Riley

I'm not defending her even a little. Everybody should do their basic research.

Thanks, Trope. Really loved

Michael Maiello — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:00:46 +0000

In reply to My two cents on this

Thanks, Trope. Really loved reading this.

Being rigorous in one's study

Elusive Trope — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:55:13 +0000

In reply to If someone's been rigorous in

Being rigorous in one's study of the work of Anne Sexton doesn't really help one too much when attempting to delve into the paintings of Jan van Eyck. One might have the mental approach that facilitates rigor in whatever intellectual, cultural or academic endeavor one takes on, but it is just an approach which implies no inherent value to the content of the outcomes from that approach. Moreover, there are so many variables, some of which are quite personal, that the life experiences that makes one a brilliant expert on Sexton, causes one to be utterly worthless when it comes to delving into Plath - no matter how rigorous one is.

Now if one has shown a certain brilliance in one area, this sends up a flag that on an entirely different topic or matter, the person may show a similar brilliance. If we appreciate a particular mind, we are curious what that mind has to say about other things. If I see an interview with Wim Wenders about the 2012 elections, I will read this with great interest even though Wings of Desire makes him no expert on US politics.

The key is understanding that being really brilliant over here does not translate to being really brilliant over there, but it also does not exclude such a translation.