So, Shaquille O'Neal, proud recipient of an EdD from Barry U in Florida, has declared that the earth is flat. Here's a quote from Dr. O'Neal as reported in Yahoo News (yes, I admit I succumbed to click bait on this one!): "It’s true. The Earth is flat. The Earth is flat. Yes, it is. Listen, there are three ways to manipulate the mind — what you read, what you see and what you hear. In school, first thing they teach us is, ‘Oh, Columbus discovered America,’ but when he got there, there were some fair-skinned people with the long hair smoking on the peace pipes. So, what does that tell you? Columbus didn’t discover America. So, listen, I drive from coast to coast, and this s*** is flat to me. I’m just saying. I drive from Florida to California all the time, and it’s flat to me. I do not go up and down at a 360-degree angle, and all that stuff about gravity, have you looked outside Atlanta lately and seen all these buildings? You mean to tell me that China is under us? China is under us? It’s not. The world is flat."I am not surprised that Shaquille O'Neal is a big tall idiot. But I am surprised, even though I shouldn't be, that someone could earn a doctorate-level degree from any accredited institution of learning and be able to rate this low on the intelligence/common sense/basic-human-survival-needs scale.
It puts a whole new sense of urgency on the need to fight grade inflation.
Happy trails!
Bella
We're just missing the joke. After all, as we learn from one of the linked articles, Shaq "wrote his thesis on the value of humor in leadership..." Clearly, his humor is the best, and only the most refined, most sophisticated people can see it. Ah, yes, I see it now: the Ed.D.'s new joke!
ReplyDeleteAlso from that article: "'Only the children can call me Shaq, the adults have to address me as Dr. O'Neal,' he said."
Another good one, Shaq! Keep those leadership jokes coming!
Perhaps it's lucky that he didn't play American football, or other sports with head-related injuries.
ReplyDeleteAnd wouldn't a 360 degree angle be flat?
Oh, God, the creeping idiocy of our culture. I confess I've long been a conspiracy theorist - my favorite is Area 51 - but it's a small pleasure I save for Mrs. Cal and myself and a few friends, and it's just a diversion from the hope-sucking rest of daily life. But, when these insane theories get mishandled or spread broadly as "fact," well, then, we're done for.
ReplyDeleteAnd when anyone in the public eye (from a retired NBA player to a reality show host / businessman / Twitterphile) starts tshouting what is real and what is fake - and always being wrong about it - well, then the speed with which we drown increases.
Yes, and then they write their essay about some inanities and you have to spend all your time trying to teach them logic before you even deal with thesis statements. GUESS WHO'S GRADING FRESHMEN PAPERS?!?
ReplyDeleteHe must be joking, right? That's what I thought when I attended a meeting of the Flat Earth Society in London. The joke turned out to be on me: I do believe some of those people were serious...
ReplyDeleteShaq is huge. Truly, an enormous person. I've stood by him before (a few feet away from him). It's quite different from watching him on a screen.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was an undergrad, I had an interesting proffie who had an EdD from Harvard. She didn't teach in the education department (or whatever they called it). I didn't know the difference between the EdD and the PhD back then (and maybe I still don't), but she was well-regarded. And then I went and got a PhD, so it's probably easier sometimes to think less of the EdD people. At the end of the day, I judge each individual by what they say and what they've written. There are batshit crazy fucktards in both camps. I'm not feeling particularly optimistic about the world right now.