FRIDAY OPEN FORUM: What's on your mind?

Post comments below on any issue you want. The only limitations: the ground rules listed at the left and your own imagination. I'll reply when appropriate. Have fun. dc

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Comments

[Richard L. Wolfe]

Being a mere moron and being trapped in the " twilight zone " and residing in the " The city of the living dead, " I am often confused. With the recent tidal wave of intelligence that has overwhelmed the blog lately perhaps someone can answer a question or two for me.

I think higher education is a wonderful thing. Heck, I think any education is a wonderful thing. Since, I never graduated from college there are many things that I do not know, but I have a million questions.

When a person gets a PHD does the certificate say, FILL IN THE BLANK, has obtained a God-like Knowledge in FILL IN THE BLANK ? Does it also say, FILL IN THE BLANK is the only person on earth that has this God-like Knowledge ?

[prefab sprout]

Maybe you ought to enroll, get your PHD, have your "million questions" answered and when they hand you your diploma you can look and see what it says!

[beachguy(original)]

I haven't seen much on here about the "little River Ad Hoc Committee"

Could it be that most of them don't own any real estate in Little River ? Could it be they realized their petition only counts if they have the "correct names" on it ? NC gamblers won't count

[Denney Clements]

Confession: I once dropped out of a Ph.D. program in boredom and disgust and am better off for it. Earning such a research degree measures persistence, as it takes years to get one, but such degrees (in and of themselves) are not a measure of smarts. Like the rest of us, some folks who have doctorates are really smart and some are not.

Cheers, dc

[policywonk]

Well the beat goes on for bad economic news. The latest, as expected, is that the RV Industry is in a major downward earnings spiral.

As I recall, Fleetwood's earnings are off 66% in the first quarter. I never gravitated toward an RV, but those who have seemed to enjoy their cross-country travels.

Richard: I have a Masters of Science from a legitimate major university. I say legitimate in that a lot of folks are buying their degrees,including their PhDs, off the internet for $200 or so. In fact, as I recall, a Congressional Committee even discovered some senior federal employees had bogus degrees.

My advice to prospective employers, check out whether the College or University actually exists (not a PO Box or overseas location) and determine if it is currently accredited by one of the Regional Accreditation Organizations (can be done online). Phony educational degrees are increasing!!!

[Dr. James E. Dunn]

Academic doctoral degrees don't mean that the person holding one of them is anymore than simply rather intelligent.

Wisdom may or may not be the individual's mental charactoristic, however.

Another person may have a great deal of wisdom with a high degree of intelligence, but they did not put up with all of the b.s. required to get his or her doctorate degree.

Take each person and critically judge their wisdom, as well as that of yourself.

I respect the wisdom and intelligence of dc more than that of most individuals holding a doctoral degree.

DrJED

[Richard L. Wolfe]

The reason I asked the question is the debate over global warming, evolution, etc. I read and watch intellectual discussions from all sides, right, left, center and none of the above. I have never read or heard a concensus on any of the subjects that are "settled facts." Even when there is agreement on general discussion there is fierce debate on the details.

I do this because I want the whole story. However, in today's " enlightened age " there seems to be little tolerance for dissenting voices. I smoke and I see very little harm in first or second hand smoke. I have provided evidence from the CDC that states only 3% of the population gets lung cancer and only 1% get it before the age of 70. Yet, there is a crusade against smoking that would make you think that it is the Bubonic Plague. My grandfather smoked and died at 86. My grandmother wouldn't allow him to smoke around her so there was no second hand smoke. She died from stomach cancer at the age of 60. I have an aunt who still smokes at the age of 94. I e-mailed this information to the CDC for an explanation and they said they didn't have one. These are easily verifiable facts. Therefore, I am extremely skeptical of so called experts.

[policywonk]

I should have added that in addition to the growing number of people with phony educational credentials, there are also an increasing number of pseudo-intellectuals.

[Brett]

So, I haven't posted in a while, but I felt compelled to provide some insight on this issue.

Richard, you're extremely fortunate to come from such healthy stock. Unfortunately, one family's seeming resistance to cancer is not indicative of a diminished risk in the general populous. The CDC says that men who smoke are 22 times more likely to die from lung cancer than never-smokers and women are 12 times more likely to succumb. If those were low single digit statistics, I might be willing to chalk it up to random consequence, but that is clearly not the case.

Unfortunately, carcinogens are abundant, though, statistically, some are quite a bit more potent than others. It's not feasible to eliminate all exposure (we just bought a new house, for instance, and I can't imagine that the lingering carpet-glue fumes are a health benefit), but if its within your power to keep yourself and your family away from a proven threat, why wouldn't you take that step?