MAD thread: Daniel Peterson Agrees That Church Presents...

[_KimberlyAnn]

Ok, come on, Guy, let Wade have his small moment of victory. They are so hard won.

...particularly since, unlike for some, victory and winning are not things I care about nor do I find it useful to direct my energies thereto.

On the other hand, like Dennis Prager, I like to pursue clarity and those things which will heal, uplift, and edify humanity, though not at all for the purpose of self-aggrandizement.

To each their own.

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

Not only are you an unremitting asshole, you're a hypocrite as well.

Don't tip your kayak while patting yourself on the back.

KA

[_beastie]

On the other hand, like Dennis Prager, I like to pursue clarity and those things which will heal, uplift, and edify humanity, though not at all for the purpose of self-aggrandizement.

Of course you do, Wade.

[_wenglund]

Not only are you an unremitting asshole, you're a hypocrite as well.

I am not sure where you picked up your crassness and vulgarity, but I trust you will, as usual, find some way to blame the Church for it. ;-)

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

[_guy sajer]

Guy Sajer, I feel no obligation to justify or explain my academic performance to you, and couldn't care less about your opinion of it -- even if I thought that you knew enough about it to judge it (which I don't).

My superiors appear to be satisfied (no no, not you; I mean my bosses at the University); I have good friends at universities throughout North America, in Europe, and the Near East who don't seem to giggle at me, at least when I'm there; my projects are currently being funded by, among others, the Library of Congress -- if you're really interested, somewhere on the LoC site there's still videotape of a conference hosted there in honor of one of my publication series (listen, especially, to the opening comments of Prosser Gifford, the Library's deputy director) -- and the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Science; I've got several personal projects underway; and, although there are plenty of other things that I want to get to, I'm pretty satisfied.

In the meantime, I have a book manuscript to finish before I leave for Europe on 6 September. Feel free to denigrate what I do. Your opinion carries no weight with me.

Then why do you feel so compelled to respond to me, if you care so little for what I say?

Let me ask you this, in your Publication Series, to how much of it have you actually contributed original scholarly work?

I thought not.

There's a huge difference between publishing other person's original academic work (or translating it), and publishing your own. Surely you have some original ideas in your head worth putting up to the scrutiny of your peers, by which I don't mean the incestuous self-congratulatory good ol' boy FARMS clique.

No doubt your bosses at the Y like you; as they appear not to care that you spend countless hours during working time chit chatting on internet discussion boards, when you could be, oh let's say, writing articles for peer review. You've got very indulgent superiors; I'd thank your lucky stars, if I were you. I doubt many other research universities would be so indulgent.

Dan, you consistently miss the point. I am not denigrating what legitimate academic/scholarly work you do (apologetic garbage and Mormon fluff pieces aside), what I am saying is that according to the single most important standard of judging academic output in today's academic climate--publishing in peer-reviewed academic journals--you've done squat for over two decades now, for reasons you refuse to share.

All your claims to scholarly greatness should have this asterix attached to them, and your praise chorus at MADD and in the Mormon apologetic community should be so informed, lest they plant their lips to your backside under false pretenses.

[_Daniel Peterson]

you've done squat for over two decades now

I couldn't begin to rival the mediocrity of your job performance for the past several years. It's been pathetic.

[Guest]

Ah, but, Peterson, you're in no position to know much of anything about the illustrious Guy Sajer's job performance, and, anyhow, it's none of your concern. Surely it's between him and those for whom he works (either employer[s] or customers).

[_Daniel Peterson]

Good point.

[_asbestosman]

For a moment there, I thought I could redeem my Scratch v Dr. Peterson cage match tickets for the one about to go on between Dr. Peterson and guy sajer. Oh well. I confess that watching Dr. Peterson vicariously reason with others by reasoning with himself is quite entertaining too with the added benefit that I won't get any blood on my clothes.

I'll still miss the screams of terror, but I think a few moments in the comfy chair of the Spanish Inquisition could solve that too.

[Guest]

you've done squat for over two decades now

I couldn't begin to rival the mediocrity of your job performance for the past several years. It's been pathetic.

And that would be . . . what? You've been following my career? I'm flattered.

Tell me, what consulting projects have I worked on the last year? Who are my clients?

I'm no longer writing for publication in peer-reviewed journals, it's not part of my job description--my clients don't pay me to publish in journals, so I don't.

I do, however, have a number of publications all over the internet related to the work I'm doing.

Dan, I'm not claiming to be anything I'm not. I was a fairly productive academic over a 13 year career (1 spent ABD finishing my dissertation, 1 on sabbatical at a non-academic organization, so 11 years actually writing for publication). I published around 24 or so articles in peer-reviewed journals during that time; some A journals (including the top or near top journal in 4 separate fields), some A-, some B+, and 1 or 2 B journals. I published in Political Science, Public Administration, Economics, International Development, Non-Profit Management, Public Policy, and Health Policy journals. I published empirical papers, econometric papers, and theory/conceptual essays. Some of them I'm prouder of than others. Some of them make me cringe a bit on contemplating on how my thinking has changed in the interim.

I probably wouldn't be hired by Harvard, but I am confident I would be a strong candidate at a number of quality research schools. When I left academics, I did apply to one other university (in the PAC 10) and was offered a job, which I turned down.

I didn't set the world on fire, I won't make anyone's Who's Who list of great scholars.

But, with regards to the single most important metric on which academic achievement is measured, I managed to carve out a respectable record. I don't pretend to be anything different than what I am, which is one of the big things that distinguishes me from you.

[_KimberlyAnn]

you've done squat for over two decades now

I couldn't begin to rival the mediocrity of your job performance for the past several years. It's been pathetic.

And that would be . . . what? You've been following my career? Please do tell!

Guy, Dr. Peterson answers himself - twice.

And Asbestosman, that was funny. :)

KA