23 May 2008

A funny job posting

Allegedly, around 1990, the Southeast Missouri State Universiry, posted an announcement for a faculty position in philosophy, which is extremely funny (and sincere).

Some excerpts:

We are more interested in [...] cansidates with real teaching experience than in newly minted PhD's who might have unrealistic expectations for academic growth at an institution such as ours.

Our students tend to be poorly prepared [...], intellectually passive, interested primarily in partying, and culturally provincial [...]

[Our] academic enviroment is distinctly non-intellectual [...]


What an honest advertisement! I know many departments who are just like that. But would they ever dare to advertise a job thus?

5 comments:

  1. Funny and practical. They would get what they want, avoiding possible complaints which they may have experienced a lot in the past.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Just curious here (on a different subject): what is your take on the current economic meltdown?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Not only different subject, but, also, irrelevant.

    Why should I reply to an ANONYMOUS posting, why should it be me who gives a reply (I have nothing to do with financial matters), and why should I reply here?

    ReplyDelete
  4. I cannot agree more. And I sincerely apologize for the question on an irrelevent subject. Also for my anonymity.

    Your posts just seem very insightful-which triggered my curiosity.

    Keep up the good writing! :)

    ReplyDelete




T H E B O T T O M L I N E

What measure theory is about

It's about counting, but when things get too large.
Put otherwise, it's about addition of positive numbers, but when these numbers are far too many.

The principle of dynamic programming

max_{x,y} [f(x) + g(x,y)] = max_x [f(x) + max_y g(x,y)]

The bottom line

Nuestras horas son minutos cuando esperamos saber y siglos cuando sabemos lo que se puede aprender.
(Our hours are minutes when we wait to learn and centuries when we know what is to be learnt.) --António Machado

Αγεωμέτρητος μηδείς εισίτω.
(Those who do not know geometry may not enter.) --Plato

Sapere Aude! Habe Muth, dich deines eigenen Verstandes zu bedienen!
(Dare to know! Have courage to use your own reason!) --Kant