macbeth.. lol. they have been known to come to houston sports.. maybe they wanted to post on clutchfans too! b-bob... I wouldn't want to go to a school that the profs didnt' do the teaching. I have been lucky and have had profs for my classes and it is great. The profs do research, but also have to teach so I don't have Ta's teaching me.. but from what I've been told that is a problem at some ivy league schools. You probably put up with a lot less nonsense too... I remember last semester one of my profs who used to teach at Rice and Ut.... after we harassed him to death during a night time session he finally said something like. "man UT is looking good about now"
Good points, T. _ Jorge, and I don't take them for granted. (I'll take your comment at face value as opposed to reading ominous undertones). Drawbacks: poor pay and many hours, including weekends, but they are obviously flexible hours and I enjoy the work (mostly). You would probably be shocked to know how much work I do for Uncle Sam (not Fisher).
Are you on a 3-3 schedule or is it even higher? I took a class once as an undergrad with the President's (of the university, not the US) daughter. She not only was not very smart, but she rarely showed up for class. She was, however, a straight A student and got all sorts of opportunities. In other words, pressure exists. There are certain "friendly" professors, just like for football players, that like to give good grades when politically advantageous. I would imagine that George, being a 3rd generation power, was not a normal student.
And the political element is, from what I understand, much more at play in Ivy League schools whose alumni are more influencial at large.
My take on George Walker Bush. He is sly. I think he is of average intelligence, not dumb or stupid, just average. He may have been a bit above that at one time, but I think his years of drinking and alleged (which I personally believe, having heard about it from people outside of the press) coke habit brought that brain down a peg or two. I think he was sly to use his father's friends and networking to start an oil company. He was sly, with help from same, to escape it's bankruptcy smelling good enough to stay out of jail for stock fraud. He was sly enough to use his father's connections to get a sweetheart deal with the Rangers and to cash out with a bundle. He was sly enough to use his dad's many political friends to run for and capture the governorship of Texas over the very popular Ann Richards, who ran the worst campaign of her life. He was sly enough to work with Democrats in the Texas Legislature to get enough done (even if it wasn't, in the main, good for the state) to have a record he could exaggerate to run for President. After his "election" as President, George bumped up real hard against the Peter Principal, listened to a terrible set of advisors, and his innate slyness failed him. Politically, 9/11 was a godsend. He could have used it (and make no mistake... he has been using it) to rescue a Presidency in disarray. He could be walking to a landslide this Fall. But he was over his head. He remains over his head. If money can fool the American people after this train wreck of an Administration, then he still has a chance. I wouldn't bet on it. And I wouldn't call him anything but what he is... the most intellectually mediocre President of modern times.
hey Macbeth, crossword question: Portuguese king, 1861-89. four letters. i have LAI_. i could google it, but then, i thought you just might know...
I think your second letter is incorrect. Luis is the only one that comes to mind, but I'm not 100%. Lai_ rings no bells at all, as far as Portugese monarchs.
Another way of looking at the intelligence issue: How many members of Bush's administration, even those much more despised than Bush by his opponents, and even those who are responsible for a good many screw ups, do you think wouldn't be considered significantly more intelligent than their boss? Powell, by a mile. Rummy, by a mile. Cheney, way more intelligent. Rice, way more intelligent. Rove, Woflowitz, etc. All in a different league than Bush. Some may be clouded by idealogy or ambition/greed as much or more than him, but not one of them has the intellectual limitations of our President. SO it's not a partisan issue, cause I like Bush a hell of a lot more than Rove, Wolfowitz,Rummy, etc. But with them, at least you get a sense that something is going on upstairs, as twisted as you might suspect it to be.
I stand corrected by Deckard. My present conclusion on Bush's intelligence. Slightly above average IQ, dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, had an excellent effort to overcome his disabilities. However, he has sustained additional tauma due to substance abuse which has left residual organic brain damage, which has futher limited his abilities. This could explain the ability to get "C's" at Yale, though as evidenced recently sadly that level of useful function is probably a thing of the past.
Actually I have to agree with those that are talking about him being intelligent, despite what I said earlier. I still think plenty of people in this forum would demolish Bush in an extemp debate, but it's not due to his lack of smarts. It's due to his lack of intellectual curiosity, his refusal to attempt to expand his knowledge despite having opportunities to do so, his priviledged upbringing making him a bit out of touch with reality, his learning disabilities, etc. I think he's probably pretty smart, and therefore able to BS his through so many situations that he never felt the need to really learn very much.
my theory about bush's "intelligence" is that he's probably much better one-on-one than in front of the cameras, and this is also where his "emotional intelligence" shines through. here's a nice story that illustrates the point: http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/05/06/loc_moment06.html -- Bush pauses to comfort teen 'This girl lost her mom in the World Trade Center on 9-11' By Kristina Goetz The Cincinnati Enquirer During his visit to the Golden Lamb Inn in Lebanon, President Bush stops to hug Ashley Faulkner, who lost her mom in the Sept. 11 attacks In a moment largely unnoticed by the throngs of people in Lebanon waiting for autographs from the president of the United States, George W. Bush stopped to hold a teenager's head close to his heart. Lynn Faulkner, his daughter, Ashley, and their neighbor, Linda Prince, eagerly waited to shake the president's hand Tuesday at the Golden Lamb Inn. He worked the line at a steady campaign pace, smiling, nodding and signing autographs until Prince spoke: "This girl lost her mom in the World Trade Center on 9-11." Bush stopped and turned back. "He changed from being the leader of the free world to being a father, a husband and a man," Faulkner said. "He looked right at her and said, 'How are you doing?' He reached out with his hand and pulled her into his chest." Faulkner snapped one frame with his camera. "I could hear her say, 'I'm OK,' " he said. "That's more emotion than she has shown in 21/2 years. Then he said, 'I can see you have a father who loves you very much.' " "And I said, 'I do, Mr. President, but I miss her mother every day.' It was a special moment." Special for Lynn Faulkner because the Golden Lamb was the place he and his wife, Wendy Faulkner, celebrated their anniversary every year until she died in the south tower of the World Trade Center, where she had traveled for business. The day was also special for Ashley, a 15-year-old Mason High School student, because the visit was reminiscent of a trip she took four years ago with her mother and Prince. They spent all afternoon in the rain waiting to see Bush on the campaign trail. Ashley remembers holding her mother's hand, eating Triscuits she packed and bringing along a book in case she got bored. But this time was different. She understood what the president was saying, and she got close enough to see him face to face. "The way he was holding me, with my head against his chest, it felt like he was trying to protect me," Ashley said. "I thought, 'Here is the most powerful guy in the world, and he wants to make sure I'm safe.' I definitely had a couple of tears in my eyes, which is pretty unusual for me." The photo has been circulating across the country, Faulkner said. Relatives have passed it on to friends, bosses and acquaintances. As they tell the story, they also share in Wendy Faulkner's legacy, which her family continues through the Wendy Faulkner Memorial Children's Foundation. "I'm a pretty cynical and jaded guy at this point in my life," Faulkner said of the moment with the president. "But this was the real deal. I was really impressed. It was genuine and from the heart."
You seem to be considering that he may be smarter than first appearances. I'm starting to have my doubts. But based on the level of debate i've seen here, i'm doubtful about your above statement.
