runner,

I loved the way Tony Abbott bit into that raw unpeeled onion.

The thing I didn't take to was the fact that he didn't offer to share it with any of the members in his entourage. Greedy bastard!

I'm sure you runner would have shared your onion with others because runner you're just that sort of guy.

BTW Tony Abbott is neither an academic nor a man of great knowledge. I think he's just another village idiot but if you took all the village idiots in the world and put them into one village I think Tony Abbott would still be the village idiot.

'BTW Tony Abbott is neither an academic nor a man of great knowledge. I think he's just another village idiot but if you took all the village idiots in the world and put them into one village I think Tony Abbott would still be the village idiot.'

as I thought Mr O

you don't respect academics, just those who agree with you. I suspect your achievements on most levels fall far short of Tony.

mhaze,

So, you're one of the "Golden Oldies"of the forum?
Congratulations!

Also glad to learn that you do recognise other views and
find data useful.

I agree that one of the many pluses of
this forum is the fact that it forces some of us to do
further research, and as a result we learn more and
hopefully broaden our knowledge intake.

The cohort of this forum may well be quite aged as you
point out but old is not necessarily bad, as we both
acknowledge.

I also hope that this forum shall continue for a long time,
at least until I am able to agree with you on much, much,
more. :-)

Mr O,

Academics are no strangers to criticism. When scientists,
historians, philosophers and scholars of all kinds
publish their research part of what they are doing is
setting their ideas up to be criticized.

Of course, for better or worse, however, most academics
are also familiar with another sort of criticism that is not
so clearly essential to what they do, or useful at all.
Criticism of academia as such.

The critics and
their cheer leaders often have two things in common:
They are politically and culturally conservative. And they
themselves are not academics.

However, that does not mean that some of their criticisms
are not valid. Academics can be too specialised,
too obscure, impractical, and too disconnected from
real life. Criticisms are part and parcel of
academic life. It goes with the territory. And on this
forum - that's something that's not about to change
any time soon.

runner,

Your admiration for former PM Tony Abbott is
fully understandable.

Individual,

Tony Abbott was an excellent Opposition leader.
As a PM? Somewhat out of his depth.

runner,

You are absolutely wrong.

I have great respect for academics in the Arts and Sciences.

I was actually encouraged to pursue that path but it didn't interest me. I have always been happy to earn a livelihood as just an engineer.

But I did like the idea of being a polymath so instead of pursuing a PhD in one field I chose to do two MAs in different fields. So instead of knowing a lot about a little I know a little about a lot.

Your raw unpeeled onion munching hero Tony Abbott is just a lawyer who did a BA because he thought he needed to look educated instead of being just a dumb ass lawyer.

I hope that explains things. Now get yourself back to that box of onions and MUNCH AWAY.

Mr O,

You've got Multiple Master's Degrees?

Correct me if I'm wrong. In related fields?

Spending a couple of years learning stuff you
already are familiar with doesn't make sense.

Also it could be interpreted as lack of focus or
passion for one of the topics in which Masters
was earned.

A more logical option would have been a PhD from a
related field. The PhD would have actually added to your
CV and broadened your knowledge.

Usually it is not advisable to have multiple Masters
degrees. Unless you wanted to change your career path
drastically or learn a subject out of passion.

I gather this was not the case for you.

Foxy,

I have four degrees 1xBE, 1xBA & 2xMAs in four fields: engineering, anthropology, sociology, and history.

The BE I did to make a living.

The BA and MAs I did purely out of interest, not as a career. I'm a generalist who likes knowing about everything and I guess my background puts me in the most educated category, which makes me happy. And isn't happiness what we all seek as humans?