New Rant Thread X

[iris]

Re: The Rant Thread (v1.3)

It's the coldest days of the coldest winter we've had in years. So naturally today is the day they turn my heating off for an 8 hour maintenance session. I am freezing. And there's another 5 hours to go. Urgh.

[Corvus]

Re: The Rant Thread (v1.3)

My classics professor is going to drive me feral. She's going for a very heavy "psychoanalytic" and gender dynamic approach to the Iliad. This manages to offend both my classics loving half and the half of my with a psychology degree. All my will power is going into not asking for a source on whatever she thinks an "Achilles complex" is since "psychologists discuss it" but neither I, nor google scholar, know what that is. It looks like only one person has published anything on it and urban dictionary is on the front page of normal google results. I know not if I want to weep or snarl, I paid money for this class.

[iris]

Re: The Rant Thread (v1.3)

My classics professor is going to drive me feral. She's going for a very heavy "psychoanalytic" and gender dynamic approach to the Iliad. This manages to offend both my classics loving half and the half of my with a psychology degree. All my will power is going into not asking for a source on whatever she thinks an "Achilles complex" is since "psychologists discuss it" but neither I, nor google scholar, know what that is. It looks like only one person has published anything on it and urban dictionary is on the front page of normal google results. I know not if I want to weep or snarl, I paid money for this class.

can't say anything about her teaching. But my very first search hit was a PubMed publication on "Preoedipal Trauma, Rage and Repetition", so maybe give the search another shot if you wanna know what she's on about.

[Corvus]

Re: The Rant Thread (v1.3)

can't say anything about her teaching. But my very first search hit was a PubMed publication on "Preoedipal Trauma, Rage and Repetition", so maybe give the search another shot if you wanna know what she's on about.

Yeah thats the one article I was talking about and I just need to emphasize that the second hit is Urban Dictionary. One paper is fringe not an established part of psychology. The author is Demetria E Delia and that paper is the first result when searching for her. She has a private practice in NJ as a social worker and psychoanalysist. As far as I can tell this is the only paper she's published, which is weird given she's been in practice 30 years. The extent of her business practice online is a single one star review with no comment and while she has a medical license registered in NJ, I couldn't figure out what institution issued it. I read the introduction, since it's only available through guildford press and behind a paywall, and it's dated to say the least. The paper was cited 4 times, of those four they in turn were cited 14, 5, 1, and 0 times respectively. This is unknown, this is the definition of fringe, and this is the only source I was able to find that even used the term "Achilles complex"

I'm welcome to anyone that can find more, but I'm fairly convinced this is just not a thing beyond this one paper and apparently my classics classroom.

[MaskedOne]

Re: The Rant Thread (v1.3)

So does your classics professor have any background in psych worth talking about or are they a lay person who has read one or two articles without having the skill set to judge what they read? A professor falling victim to Dunning-Kruger would be hilarious if you weren't currently taking their class.

[iris]

Re: The Rant Thread (v1.3)

Yeah thats the one article I was talking about and I just need to emphasize that the second hit is Urban Dictionary. One paper is fringe not an established part of psychology. The author is Demetria E Delia and that paper is the first result when searching for her. She has a private practice in NJ as a social worker and psychoanalysist. As far as I can tell this is the only paper she's published, which is weird given she's been in practice 30 years. The extent of her business practice online is a single one star review with no comment and while she has a medical license registered in NJ, I couldn't figure out what institution issued it. I read the introduction, since it's only available through guildford press and behind a paywall, and it's dated to say the least. The paper was cited 4 times, of those four they in turn were cited 14, 5, 1, and 0 times respectively. This is unknown, this is the definition of fringe, and this is the only source I was able to find that even used the term "Achilles complex"

I'm welcome to anyone that can find more, but I'm fairly convinced this is just not a thing beyond this one paper and apparently my classics classroom.

i got a few more hits on valid sources. But upon further inspection you're right, they all lead back to that same article. Kinda annoyed I don't have my paid access anymore. I'm curious.
That's a very long, rambling urban dictionary entry though.

Also seems to be a band name xD

[Corvus]

Re: The Rant Thread (v1.3)

So does your classics professor have any background in psych worth talking about or are they a lay person who has read one or two articles without having the skill set to judge what they read? A professor falling victim to Dunning-Kruger would be hilarious if you weren't currently taking their class.

Supposedly she's married to a psychologist, but she also tends to say "I'm not a psychologist though" at least once a class. She's written a few books and her teacher profiles all call her "interdisciplinary" and mentions modernism, psychoanalysis, and film. Psychoanalytic and gender based readings of classics are well trodden and valid, and I don't necessarily have any problem with how she's interpreting the work. Achilles definitely has a complex, but an Achilles Complex isn't a well trodden psychoanalytic theory. I have a problem with misrepresentation of my field and this wishy washy approach to scholarship.

Class one started with "the greeks were originally a matriarchy, don't you know?" and I didn't feel the need to spend my time shooting down great goddess theory of history in mycenaean greece.

...

Achilles Complex would be an excellent band name.

[MaskedOne]

Re: The Rant Thread (v1.3)

Supposedly she's married to a psychologist, but she also tends to say "I'm not a psychologist though" at least once a class. She's written a few books and her teacher profiles all call her "interdisciplinary" and mentions modernism, psychoanalysis, and film. Psychoanalytic and gender based readings of classics are well trodden and valid, and I don't necessarily have any problem with how she's interpreting the work. Achilles definitely has a complex, but an Achilles Complex isn't a well trodden psychoanalytic theory. I have a problem with misrepresentation of my field and this wishy washy approach to scholarship.

Crappy scholarship is generally offensive to anyone who recognizes it as such and isn't making money off it.

Class one started with "the greeks were originally a matriarchy, don't you know?" and I didn't feel the need to spend my time shooting down great goddess theory of history in mycenaean greece.

...

Achilles Complex would be an excellent band name.

Better you than me, I would have had an overwhelming desire to drop a course on the first day.

Yes, Achilles Complex could make for an interesting band name.

[B. de Corbin]

Re: The Rant Thread (v1.3)

Applications of psychology by those who have an acquaintance with theory but lack carefully conducted training inevitably results in projection (the "theorist describes it's own psychological state while simultaneously believing it is describing the psychological state of another).

A question I would ask n this class when given psych out sort followed by the disclaimer " but I'm not a psychologist" is:

"Considering the high probability of projection when amateurs practice psychology, how do you know that what you are teaching me is an objective description of the subject matter currently in discussion, and not your personal inner life laid bare in public?"

A coherent response devoid of extensive qualifiers would be the ideal response, no response = I've never considered that before and I'm not sure I want to now, and the postmodernist answer (the one you will most likely get) is: "It doesn't matter, all responses are equally valid."

A good response to the postmodernist declaration might be: "So when we are graded, any thought I had, any response I made to questions, any idea I express verbally and in writing is as valid as what you are teaching, and the same is true for the entire class, so the entire class gets A?"

IMHO, the best way to deal with what appears to be pretentious teaching is to ask honest and reasonable questions, and observe the trajectory waste matter makes on its journey from source to ventilator and beyond.

[Bartmanhomer]

Re: The Rant Thread (v1.3)

One of my favorite tarot Youtuber and closest friend The KnightReader Tarot was terminated on Youtube for no apparent reason. He was doing very well on Youtube and he hasn't violated any rules at all. YouTube punished smaller Youtubers for no apparent reason and they always give larger Youtubers a free pass for violating their rules and guidelines. YouTube is completely unfair for being unjust and incompetent to do their jobs.

[Bartmanhomer]

Re: The Rant Thread (v1.3)

One of my favorite tarot Youtuber and closest friend The KnightReader Tarot was terminated on Youtube for no apparent reason. He was doing very well on Youtube and he hasn't violated any rules at all. YouTube punished smaller Youtubers for no apparent reason and they always give larger Youtubers a free pass for violating their rules and guidelines. YouTube is completely unfair for being unjust and incompetent to do their jobs.

Update: Well I got great news. The KnightReader Tarot was reinstated on Youtube.

[Bartmanhomer]

Re: The Rant Thread (v1.3)

So anyway. I asked a random tarot reader from Biddy Tarot about tarot reading about what's can except in Easter. So the reader agrees and she gives a reading. I give my honest feedback and tell her the reading is decent. (She was way off with some of the answers in my reading). She said that my father was abusive to me and he was responsible for my childhood trauma and she gives me articles of childhood trauma. I told her that my father was abusive to me and he left the family. There was no childhood trauma. But then she was trying to make it even more difficult by giving her more articles on childhood trauma. I told her. Look you're not getting the message my father was never abusive to me and there was no childhood trauma and this has no relevance to this reading. I wasn't being mean. She was trying to be a therapist and doesn't want to listen to my message.

[Bartmanhomer]

Re: The Rant Thread (v1.3)

It's bad enough that my people (People of Color) get too much racism from bigots and now they're ganging up on Asians too?! Like WTF is going on with this planet anyway?!

[Hawkfeathers]

Re: The Rant Thread (v1.3)

The United States Postal Service. That's my rant. Twice in the past year I've mailed out things of great importance, certified, signature required, tracked, etc. and they've disappeared into the twilight zone for 2 weeks or more!!! Thankfully, both eventually resurfaced. The recent one was my tax stuff I sent to my accountant. They finally got it last night, but the tracking number still reads that it has to be scheduled for re-delivery. (It said there was a delivery attempt but no one was there to sign, which is nonsense.) It was missing for 2 1/2 weeks and my primary concern was that if some derelict got ahold of it, well, there's my SS #, bank statements, etc., etc. and the next thing I know there'd be some evil clone of me out there buying big ticket items from Amazon.

Mind you, my electric bill and all that stuff always seems to get to me without delay....

[monsno_leedra]

Re: The Rant Thread (v1.3)

Guess I'll do a rant here just to add something.

About a year ago, maybe a bit more, we replaced the engine in our truck. So our son comes home and say's there is a knocking in the engine. Yep, one of the rods and bearings is knocking and the engine is going. Who knows how long it would last. Warranty won't hold because we didn't have all the fluids and such done at special places and have exact receipts. Due to age of truck and price of a new engine or rebuild it's not even worth it to pursue either route. That's the beginning of the week.

Lay down because not feeling well, lovely side effect of seizures. Get up later and decide I need something from the refrigerator and notice the light is out. Granddaughter says "It blew out when she opened it a few hours ago!" Think ok, no big deal just change the bulb out. Open the freezer and happened to notice everything is sweating and think this is not ok. So begin the debug process. Finally arrive at the conclusion the fridge has died it's final death and begin the dance of the bumble bee as I try to get all the stuff either into the freezer or cooler. As I'm doing all this call the wife to tell her. She's on the road with our grandson. She's able to make arrangements to have a new one delivered the next day fortunately, find that out when she gets home. Remember I'm doing the flight of the bumble bee cleaning coolers, moving stuff, getting ice packs into the freezer so they are ready if things have to carry on.

Just for added bonus points when we go to unhook the water line to the refrigerator we cut the switch off. Thinking yes we turned it off. Only to discover the guts of the switch have broken off, yes our house was built in the 70's and the innards have come apart. So the kitchen floor is flooded when the line is pulled away and there is a healthy flow of water everywhere. Wife didn't tell me she was doing this I only discover this later. Had to cut the main water line off to stop the flow as when the line was hooked back to the refrigerator is continued to leak. How many towels does it take to clean up a flood? Every one we had used multiple times.

We were real stimulating this week, picked up two new bills.