Doctor of Philosophy

[Uncle Al]

After many years of reading Carl's thoughts, which provoke deep thoughts of my own,
I would like to offer the following comment - to wit,

The views expressed, providing many items which speak to each of us, guiding us
in various ways to complete a competent 'look' and 'how-to' in adopting skirts(and
kilts) into our daily lives - to go forward with confidence (no matter how we feel on
the inside) - to look a stranger in the eye, smile, and ending with a new friend - to
help us understand things from computers to global warming - the knowledgeable
Carl R. Friend has many facets that we are unaware. His use of the written word
is outstanding and surpasses us all.

Therefore; I propose the following -

As of August 1, 2011 Carl R. Friend is to be known as Dr. Carl R. Friend - PhD.
This honorary degree is given by the members of Skirt Cafe'.

All members who agree with this, please express your thoughts below......

Thanks!

Uncle Al

[klaatu]

here here!!!

[crfriend]

Ah, the vaunted PhD (pronounced, "phud", being an acronym for "Piled Higher and Deeper"). I cannot countenance such a thing in my name, for I am just a bit of a simpleton who really wishes that my lower schooling had touched on such concepts as philosophy and how they relate to daily life. I made a hash of things in my period of "service to the state", partially by my own doing and partially because altogether too many teachers never linked the subject matter to reality -- and I desperately needed the linkage.

So, it came to pass that upon the date of my supposed "graduation" from secondary school in a moderately small town in New England, and having quite deliberately cut an entire quarter of "physical education" (eight semesters of which are a requirement for said graduation) and had been duly marked "absent", I was granted my parole anyway. It shall be left to the reader's imagination what actually happened behind the scenes that the concrete requirement was "overlooked".

Now, do not get me wrong; I know more "lettered types" than I can shake a stick at, and I remain the "black sheep" of the family who never went on to add letters as a suffix to my name. I have large amounts of respect for those who toil for years to gain said letters, and I do not (for the most part) disparage those (save post-'70s MBAs). Knowing that I could not gain acceptance to any sort of real college due to my pitiful performance on standardised maths tests (what's that about connecting the concept to the real world?) I went to a trade school to pick up a piece of paper that said I knew something about computers -- and so it started. It paid off.

Since then I have been accumulating ideas, and formulating my own, for a good many years. I've gotten knocked around a few times, been a disgrace to my family, and just otherwise tried to find my way in the world. Free thinking is important to me, as is critical thinking -- the identification of "why". If one understands "why" formulating a "how" to deal with a situation is trivial. I suppose this is the "search for truth"; bare facts are easy, as can be found in any NTSB (or more recently BEA) report.

Thanks you very much, but, no, I do not qualify.

[DALederle]

Dr. Carl:
Your education sounds a lot like mine. Except I had no trouble with PE (did school sports for a few years in face,9-11) but failed Intermediate Algerbra. End one credit short. So I went out and got a job, working in a welding shop in a factory (those jobs have all be disappeared now). Two years later I went and took a college level, correspondence course in psychology (certified by our local junior college, I had a grade average for the course of 96.3) and so finally got my high school diploma. I am listed in school records as being in both the graduating classes of 1962 and 1965. I think I'm the only one who did that.
I didn't really like high school. Most of what I wanted to know I was learning on my own and in some subjects (like US history, which is not being taught anymore) I was way ahead of the classes I took. I had three years of art with all B+A+A. My favorite "class" was the Science Fiction book club. I got more out of the Sci-Fi literature of the time then I did out of the classes we were taking.
I was talking about and trying to learn about computers LONG before the subject was on anybody's mind in a high school.
But I also know now, in 20-20 hindsight, that I blew all sorts of chances back then by NOT paying more attention.
Sports in baseball and basketball (for scholarships alone) would have worth a lot. I failed to get a scholarship to the Art Institue of Chicago, which an art teacher had set up for me if I could have graduated on time and pulled my grades up higher. I didn't get involved in journalism, which is my big regret now. Having worked for 4 newspapers over a four year period in the 1970s.
My life was never like Happy Days though. Why doesn't neat stuff like that ever happen to people in real life.

Dennis A. Lederle
Live Long and Perspire!
Grok?

[sapphire]

But I've been calling Dr. Hardware for years!

Some of the best phuds are those that are honorary rather than strictly academic. (And some are crap and some "officially" academic phuds are crap)

But you are excellent at what you do, so get over yourself, be gracious and accept the praise. Geesh.
Your loving Sapphire

[skirted_in_SF]

Some of the best phuds are those that are honorary . . .

I work for a company where the owner's father (who bankrolls the company) has an honorary phud purchased with company money from a Canadian university (C$ 1million) While some of the more brown nose employees may call him Dr., I sure won't. Especially since we stopped paying legitimate vendors for a week or two to make the "contribution"

[Since1982]

I've not known many men in my life who's last name didn't better describe his attitude and mentality than Carl FRIEND. Who I consider to be one of my very few online/phone friends only. An excellent person and man!

[Milfmog]

Carl,

But you are excellent at what you do, so get over yourself, be gracious and accept the praise. Geesh.

...Once again it is the person closest to you who you should listen to.

Plaudits are all too often unearned or undeserved; in this case the suggestion is neither. Stand up, take a bow and say thanks. If you want to feel a little embarrassed, that's fine; but recognise that the compliment was sincerely offered and that many others here will absolutely agree with Uncle Al’s original post.

Have fun,


Ian.

[Jack Williams]

Hi Carl,
You are all much more educated than I am.
I got my school cert, but then did an apprenticeship in electronics, (blue collar us lot!) so I am a registered radio serviceman. A rare breed.
English however, I was always top in, and the English languish is a big interest of mine. I try to get all my apostophies right. Never was any good at spelling or math. I try to ignore the horrible American version so infecting the net.
Sorry, I forgot what we were supposed to be talking about!

[sapphire]

Hi Jack,
If you haven't already read it, I suggest a charming book titled "Eats, Shoots and Leaves". It is an hilarious look at English punctuation.
Sapphire

[Since1982]

After many years of reading Carl's thoughts, which provoke deep thoughts of my own,
I would like to offer the following comment - to wit,

Wow Uncle, you can read Carl's mind?? I wish I could do that with anyone.

[Kirbstone]

If this forum were an academic institution capable of actually conferring PhuDs I'd vote Carl in for one. Richly deserved.

I got in conversation at a party in England once with an American business colleague of the party thrower. He worked in Silicon Valley and the topic of academic degrees came up. I asked him if he had ever considered doing a PhD in his chosen subject, which was some sort of Computer Science. His reply was:
Man If I ever want a PhD I'll HIRE one! A learned colleague once said to me that in general the academics end up being employed by the 'dunces'.... who generally have better business acumen.

Tom K.

[ethelthefrog]

But you are excellent at what you do, so get over yourself, be gracious and accept the praise. Geesh.

I couldn't have put it better myself. Hoorah for Carl and all the amazing phud-worthy stuff you do here, from keeping the site up, pruning the occasional spam-flood and, as Uncle Al said originally, for sharing your invariably well-considered and thought-provoking thoughts with us.


Paul.