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CHRISTMAS MIRACLES

Andrew West reveals his inner conservative. Or maybe it’s his outer conservative, considering the subject matter. And Anonymous Lefty continues his slow drift to the right:

Another person there was boasting about her apparently extremely generously funded fine arts PhD. She wasn’t boasting about how brilliant her PhD was: she was boasting about how little she had to do and how well she was remunerated by a grant for doing it.

Now, I’m all for the funding of the yarts as much as anyone, but if you’re being generously supported at the public teat for work that is extremely esoteric in nature and which you apparently only have to do a very little of whilst sunning yourself on the veranda - perhaps boasting about how much you’re screwing the system to everyone you meet might not be the best idea.

Lefty’s transformation is running ahead of schedule!

Posted by Tim B. on 12/24/2005 at 01:57 AM

  1. Tim - about that blogad ... ??

    Posted by blogstrop on 2005 12 24 at 03:42 AM • permalink

  2. When can productivity obligations be applied to academics? Do they submit time sheets?  Can a ‘work for the dole’ scheme be successfully applied to academic funding?

    Posted by stickit on 2005 12 24 at 03:53 AM • permalink

  3. I’m confused (and when did you first notice this condition, Mr. Wynn?). Is Anon Lefty Andrew West’s alter ego, or is it Andrew Bolt’s? I know West is a columnist who wrote a column that Tim linked to, then West removed the column only to reinstate it later. Are any of the other personalities Mr. West? Maybe it’s my Americanness - whoa, what’s that? - but I am struggling to keep the characters straight. Of course not if it’s against their lifestyle choices, but…oh, hell with it.

    Posted by ekw on 2005 12 24 at 04:22 AM • permalink

  4. “perhaps boasting about how much you’re screwing the system to everyone you meet might not be the best idea.”

    Not a drift just tactical advice.

    Posted by Gary on 2005 12 24 at 04:28 AM • permalink

  5. When can productivity obligations be applied to academics?

    Well, when in doubt, the porn definition applies: I’ll know it when I see it. And an academic boasting about how lazy they’re able to be is probably a pretty good indicator that they’re not exactly overworked.

    Posted by PW on 2005 12 24 at 05:29 AM • permalink

  6. AnonymousLefty’s (Boltwatch dude) anonymity would appear to have taken a big hit recently.

    Someone is claiming that the individual is a certain Melbourne barrister (any suprises?). He was challenged on his blog as to his identity and then cracked it and deleted the posts and has started moderating everything. Found this blog which appears to have recorded all the goings on, including the identity of the chap.

    Posted by HC44 on 2005 12 24 at 05:31 AM • permalink

  7. His identity is well known. You just have to ask.

    Posted by CB on 2005 12 24 at 07:03 AM • permalink

  8. Spotted in a Andrew West thread discussing dress codes.. a comment by Webdiary regular Michael de Angelos:

    “I agree but understand why dress standards have declined. It’s too bloody hot in this country. I adore cold weather because one can dress up better. Australians dress in rediculous fashions that are not suitable for the climate. If we adopted more sensible Arab style clothes we could solve 2 problems at once. Great clothes for the climate and we could stop dissing others for looking diferent.

    Posted by: Michael de Angelos at December 23, 2005 05:22 PM “

    All the logic, and twice the spelling mistakes!

    Posted by der FRED on 2005 12 24 at 07:55 AM • permalink

  9. “Deconstructing” Bolt is a rather silly pastime.  I’m sure even Bolta’s biggest fans don’t expect logical consistency or even-handedness of him.  He writes polemic; it should be enjoyed (or not) as such.

    Posted by slammer on 2005 12 24 at 08:21 AM • permalink

  10. Now we know what Margo’s up to.

    Posted by Mystery Meat on 2005 12 24 at 08:56 AM • permalink

  11. #10 Mystery Meat:

    Margo who?

    Posted by Stevo on 2005 12 24 at 10:46 AM • permalink

  12. I was among the Drones of Academe for 10 years—the people who haven’t got grants or tenure work like dogs, not labradors, actual working dogs.  The tenured, especially if they went from supported grad work right into professorship, did crap, but they talked big.  Lefty’s girl didn’t get the memo…

    Posted by ushie on 2005 12 24 at 01:30 PM • permalink

  13. And to be fair, some academics work pretty hard because of (or despite, whichever you prefer) their grants. But they’re usually the ones who aren’t talking big about it.

    Posted by PW on 2005 12 24 at 02:47 PM • permalink

  14. #2 Stickit

    Some academics do work really hard. They are expected to teach, research, write, study and bring money into the university (this is done through consultancy, research grants and writing). Trust me, some work really hard.

    I worked with one in particular who was driven. Others thought him rude and abrupt, but when you got to know him he was really, really into his speciality, which was Intigrated Pest Management (IPM), and he is a really nice bloke with a wicked sense of humour. Because of his work and bringing in so much money to the university he was able to employ several staff members as researchers etc, and also, I believe, paid 75% of his own wage as an Associate Professor. He has since retired, but I have the utmost respect for this man.

    Others…

    Posted by kae on 2005 12 28 at 06:55 PM • permalink

    15. Page 1 of 1 pages

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