Biden’s victory lap
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https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/the-history-of-doctor
Origin of "Doctor"
The English language history of doctor starts in the early 14th century, when the word was first applied to a select few who likely knew neither bloodwork nor basketwork. They were equipped for dealing with matters of the soul: they were eminent theologians who had a special seal of approval from the Roman Catholic Church as people able to talk about and explain the doctrines of the Church. They were teachers of a kind, and the word's origin makes this connection. The word doctor comes from the Latin word for "teacher," itself from docēre, meaning "to teach."
The 14th century was the birth of the Renaissance, and lots of teaching and learning was afoot. By the century's end, the word doctor was being applied not just to a select few theologians, but also to qualified and/or accomplished academics and medical practitioners.
In the centuries between then and now, doctor has had many other applications, including referencing a soldering tool, a tropical sea breeze, and a loaded die. It's almost exclusively used of people now, and both qualified academics and medical practitioners may rightfully claim it.Some people are too serious about being called 'Doctor' or not being called 'Doctor.' Some people are too serious about other people being called 'Doctor' or not being called 'Doctor.'
I've seen lawn service companies call themselves "lawn doctor", I've seen plumbers call themselves "Doctor drain," I've seen electronics repair people call themselves "phone doctor," etc.
Relax. Live and let live. The definition and usage of 'Doctor' will keep evolving long pass our lifetimes.
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@mik said in Biden’s victory lap:
I thought she was a physician of some sort. he has a very good point. I have three doctorates in my family and none of them use the honorific.
In the UK, 'Professor' really means something - basically you're head of a University department.
In America, it's a couple of steps above 'lab technician'.
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Ann Althouse blogs about this stuff.
But here's the funny part. Someone commented:
"A reader writes: "When I first started teaching at Stanford, someone remarked to me that he had never met a physicist who used 'Dr.,' and never met a Ph.D. from the Education school who did not. This has held true in my experience for decades now."
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@george-k said in Biden’s victory lap:
Ann Althouse blogs about this stuff.
But here's the funny part. Someone commented:
"A reader writes: "When I first started teaching at Stanford, someone remarked to me that he had never met a physicist who used 'Dr.,' and never met a Ph.D. from the Education school who did not. This has held true in my experience for decades now."
That’s true and also ‘exculpatory’ for Jill, IMO.
The Superintendent of our little district is “Dr Brady”
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I once lived in a shared house with a guy who regularly received mail from his family with "Darren Smith B.A. (Hons.)" on the address. To say he wasn't that bright would be an understatement. We overheard him on the phone when asked where he'd studied casually say "Oxford". He'd been an undergraduate at Oxford Polytechnic.
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How many "Doctors" of education could actually walk into a classroom and teach?
Precious few, I'm thinking...
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I watched the video with the sound off. It looked to me like his eyes hurt, nothing more.
I guess if you go in expecting to see dementia at play, that is what you are by god going to see. Oh well, turnabout's fair play, I guess; why should Biden escape his detractors anymore than Trump escaped his? After all, what's the welfare of the country compared to the rich, fulfilling satisfaction of sweet, sweet revenge?
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@jolly said in Biden’s victory lap:
How many "Doctors" of education could actually walk into a classroom and teach?
Precious few, I'm thinking...
I believe Jill Biden was still working as a teacher.
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@jon-nyc said in Biden’s victory lap:
The Superintendent of our little district is “Dr Brady”
My school district’s superintendent also uses the title “Dr.” in all school district communications.
It’s quite clear to me that that’s because he has a doctoral degree, not because he is a medical doctor, and no, I do not worry if he will ever volunteer in an airplane if the crew ever ask “is there a doctor on the plane?”
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@jolly said in Biden’s victory lap:
How many "Doctors" of education could actually walk into a classroom and teach?
Precious few, I'm thinking...
I trained as a teacher, and the training college was full of doctors. We initially all kind of wrote them off as ivory tower academics, but actually when we saw our tutors take a class they were really good teachers.
I think there's a danger of writing off people who have a lot of qualifications as a kind of inverted snobbery.
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Someone found Jill Biden's dissertation:
https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/20407226/bidens-dissertation.pdf
Ouch:
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I got to the first paragraph of the introduction and found this:
"The needs of the student population are often undeserved, resulting in a student drop-out rate of almost one third."
I don't think I need to read any further. Spellcheck is a cursory check, not editing.
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It always amazes me when you see someone submitting something important and there are basic mistakes like in the paper above by Mrs. Biden. Does not give me confident in the rest of the paper.
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@axtremus said in Biden’s victory lap:
@jon-nyc said in Biden’s victory lap:
I do not worry if he will ever volunteer in an airplane if the crew ever ask “is there a doctor on the plane?”I have a friend who said the main reason he did a PhD was in the hope that at some point in his life a large-breasted woman would pass out at a sporting event and he'd be able to unbutton her top, saying "It's OK, I'm a doctor!"
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@taiwan_girl said in Biden’s victory lap:
It always amazes me when you see someone submitting something important and there are basic mistakes like in the paper above by Mrs. Biden. Does not give me confident in the rest of the paper.
It doesn't get any better.