Posts Tagged ‘harvard’

Question: How Do You Know People From MIT are Smarter than People From Harvard and Penn?

Posted: January 5, 2024 by datechguy in culture, education, Israel vs Hamas, middle east
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Answer: Because their president knew when to shut up.

It’s been a month or so since the presidents of Penn, Harvard and MIT made fools of themselves in their congressional testimony. The President of Penn resigned that week, the President of Harvard, being a woman of color, needed a month and massive evidence of plagiarism to get her out the door. 

Now as we near the end of the Christmas Season only Sally Kornbluth the President of MIT remains and although Bill Ackman has turned his attention to her and a lecturer has resigned this week over their response to antisemitism on campus Kornbluth still stands.

Why because after her disastrous performance before congress she did the one thing that neither Gay of Harvard nor Magill of Penn did, she managed to keep her mouth shut and her head down.

Both Gay and Magill put out videos declaring loudly once they were not under oath what they should have said under oath. Kornbluth remained silent. In fact if you do a google search for news stories with the word “Kornbluth” and sort by date you will note very few stories concerning her during the period from the time between Magill’s resignation and Gay’s. In fact the most significant story in play was this from the Times of Israel:

Massachusetts Institute of Technology president Sally Kornbluth, who came under fire after her testimony on the university’s response to antisemitism, attended a screening of a compilation film showing Hamas atrocities carried out on October 7, Prof. Retsef Levi says on X, formerly Twitter.

Levi, a critic of Kornbluth, says he also attended the screening, as did chairman of the MIT board Mark Gorenberg and other faculty.

The screening of the tightly controlled film, which was put together by the IDF, was hosted by the MIT Chabad house

This silence clearly paid dividends. A full month has passed since the base hearing, she can point to her attendance of the screening above while still staying married to the narrativeTM as demonstrated by this memo which came out yesterday:

We will soon announce a new Vice President for Equity and Inclusion (VPEI). With this new role, we have an important opportunity to reflect on and comprehensively assess the structures and programs intended to support our community and create a welcoming environment.

While we address the pressing challenge of how best to combat antisemitism, Islamophobia and hatred based on national origin or ethnicity in our community, we need to talk candidly about practical ways to make our community a place where we all feel that we belong.

While she doesn’t have the advantages of Gay’s racial bona fides she also doesn’t apparently have any of the plagiarism issues to worry about.  Combine that with her pushing of DEI along with repeating the canard that “Islamaphobia” as an issue that needs to be combated on campus and she has put the left on notice that she is on board and no amount of Hamas atrocities are going to derail her from the cause.

Given her history at Duke university this is no surprise.

So while the focus might turn to MIT and some may put some effort in bringing heat toward MIT in general and Kornbluth in particular I’m predicting that Kornbluth will still be president of MIT when this year’s class graduates and the next semester’s class enters.

After all there is nothing that draws those arab billions to a US college like a Jewish president willing to play ball and smart enough to dodge the consequences of same.

Unexpectedly of course.

Bonus Thought: Harvard and Penn are both known for their Law Schools, You would think people who run law schools would know the first rule of law, particularly if you know you’re guilty is to SHUT UP! MIT may not do law but as a school known for more practical skills and thus figured this out.

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Harvard and Claudette Gay Highlight the Reason for the Christmas Season

Posted: January 3, 2024 by datechguy in catholic, education
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Henry Gondorff (Posing as Mr. Shaw) : If any of you guys want to make a little book in Chicago I’m the guy to see

Mr. Clements: The game is straight poker $100 minimum, table stakes. [Gondorf/Shaw reaches for his wallet in his coat] Ah Mr. Shaw this is a gentleman’s game, we all assume you’re good for your debts.

The Sting 1973

As we are at the home stretch for the Christmas season (10th day of Christmas) I’d like to thank Harvard University in general ad Claudette Gay in particular of highlighting the reason for this season.

As you all know the now ex president of Harvard University got into hot water for her response to the horrible antisemitism on Campus since the Hamas Terror attacks of October seventh. It got so bad on campus that the Hanukkah Menorah on campus had to be hidden away each day after being lighted to prevent it from being vandalized which would cause further bad publicity for the school already rocked by open and proud Jew hatred on campus.

Things were so bad that Gay along with the presidents of MIT and Penn were called before congress to address the issue and in the most incredible public spectacle equivocated when asked if calling for the extermination of Jews was against the school codes both for the group in general

and for Gay in particular

The president of Penn resigned within days but Gay hung on and the Board at Harvard defended her. Even when revelations that Gay had a plagiarism problem and that Harvard had taken aggressive steps to keep said problem quiet she was defended. As recently as four days ago the Harvard Crimson ran an editorial saying that Gay should NOT be made to resign.

A sober-minded assessment of the plagiarism charges indicates that Gay’s behavior constitutes plagiarism, but since the errors do not appear intentional, they do not warrant her resignation.

Because we still have faith in our president as a scholar, because we regard her plagiarism as limited and unintentional, and because we recognize that a stopgap interim president would bring chaos instead of needed stability, we do not believe President Gay should resign.

Harvard Crimson: President Gay Plagiarized, but She Should Stay. For Now.

Note that there is not a word in that piece about her handling of campus antisemitism.

Well Gay has now tendered her resignation and the question remains will the board clean house or will it find an anti-Semite who hasn’t committed plagiarism to take her place? For that we will wait and see (I’m betting on the 2nd choice myself).

But the title of this post is : Harvard and Claudette Gay Highlight the Reason for the Christmas Season so the obvious question is: How do these antisemitism and plagiarism scandals highlight the reason for the Christmas Season?

That’s actually very easy.

James Madison nailed it when he wrote: If men were angels we would need no government, If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary.

Harvard is one of the elite universities. It’s pedigree goes back to before the founding of the nation, many of the most powerful people in the history of the American Republic have tread it’s hallowed halls. Even now Senators, congressmen, governors and members of our Supreme Court have attended or been faculty of that fabled university.

Yet it has an honor code, a written honor code because it’s known and understood that mankind is by it’s nature fallen.

And because mankind is fallen and can’t get up on its own, it was necessary for a redeemer, a savior, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The one who would save mankind bringing salvation through the forgiveness of their sins

And thus Christ came into the world to die for the sins of the world. It’s was a tough task, so tough that Christ himself asked his father to excuse him from it, yet he did as this father willed.

Harvard’s antisemitism, Gay’s reaction to it along with her plagiarism, and the rush to defend what people knew was wrong highlights the nature of sin, of how ethics go out the window when self interest and agendas are at risk. And while this was a big issue on a grand scale with national implications it’s no different that the man who rationalizes what he knows is wrong at the dinner table or at work.

All of them need a savior and as Linus Van Pelt reminded us:

Linus Van Pelt: And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'” That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Many of us on the right are pleased that Justice has been at least started at Harvard, that this is a blow to DEI and the ills that have come of it. That the vile venom of antisemitism might be checked at the campus, but in this season let us be more grateful that we know a savior has been born to take away those sins and our own.

Merry 10th Day of Christmas to all.

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Pushback Under the Fedora: Weak Horses, Weak Parishes Strong Bishop, Strong Home Owners, Strong Investments, Weak Harvard

Posted: January 2, 2024 by datechguy in catholic, crime, culture, education, entertainment, Israel, Israel vs Hamas, under the fedora
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Yarneck: You are the survivors. The others have run off. It would seem that evil retreats when forcibly confronted

Star Trek The Savage Curtain 1969

Elder of Ziyon is one of the must goes for news of Israel’s war with Hamas. A few days ago they had a post of an interview with a man named Dr. Harold Rhode who holds a doctorate in Islamic history, lived in Muslim lands for a very long time and has been an advisor on the middle east for more than a quarter of a century. His perspective on what’s going on is the type of info people need if they want to understand Hamas et/al:

And the peace we are looking for is that you will stop fighting, and we will stop fighting, and everyone will live together in peace. But the Muslims do not have a concept like that. They won’t stop until the whole world will be Muslim. They follow what their prophet Muhammad did. He signed a 10-year ceasefire with Quraysh. After 2 years, Muhammad realized Quraysh had weakened — so he attacked them, and won. There is a classic Latin phrase “Bellum omnium contra omnes, pace inter omnes interpellatur,” that war is the natural state of man, interrupted by periods of peace.

We do not look at life like that, but historically most people do. From a Muslim point of view, they can agree to have relations with their enemies — whether they be Muslims, Jews, or anybody else. They can make temporary agreements just like their prophet did. Those agreements can be renewed, renewed, and renewed. But to think that the Saudis see peace the way we Jews see it is a pipe dream. 

In 1949, after Israel’s War of Independence, there was a peace conference in Rhodes. The Arabs insisted the borders be called “ceasefire lines” and not borders. The situation was not set in stone. Arabs do not have the concept that when the fighting is over, we can be friends

To them the war never ends which is why you must never show weakness. That’s also why the “protestors are shoving western cities around. As long as their response if weak they will assert themselves, once you respond with strength and it cost them something, then it will change.

The left is the same way, as long as you don’t stand up to them they will constantly assert themselves, but when you stand up to them like the Archbishop of Milwaukee did when two liberal parishes in Keoshia decided to ally with a radical leftist group CUSH. The Keoshia county eye reports: Milwaukee Archbishop Denounces Extremist Kenosha Group CUSH – Instructs Rogue Priests, Deacons To Sever Ties

For theses reasons none of our parishes, clergy, parish leadership, and staff as official, public representatives of the Catholic Church, can support, or publically [sic] be affiliated with CUSH.”

Father Reesman said the following to KCE Monday evening:

” [The letter] was shared first with the pastors of Saint Mark and Saint Mary’s Parishes before it was made public, and after I had first discussed the issue with them. If there are any ongoing questions from the parishes or their leadership about the contents of this letter, we will handle them on a case by case basis.”

It seems when you push back against gay porn in schools and drag queen story hours, good things happen which is what happened when the folks at Mass Resistance got involved.

Speaking of Push back some armed home invaders got some pushback last week that left one dead, two arrested and the family safe. A sheriff evaluated what they family did and gave it a thumbs up

I like the way Dave and Susie handled this attack. It appears that they must have discussed home invasions and developed a plan. Not responding verbally to the home invaders kept the crooks wondering where their victims might actually be located. And blocking the door with the couch caused their attacker to focus on that chore instead of keeping his full attention focused on looking for victims. Susie gets points for maintaining an open line of communications with the 9-1-1 dispatcher. And Dave was also very smart to put his gun down and meet the police officer with empty hands. Latest reports are that police investigators see no legal problems for Dave & Susie and, in addition, a series of other home invasions may be cleared by this shooting and the subsequent arrests.

It’s a great: ”How to” piece on self defense.

The pushback on Disney continues as well:

Loftis announced that South Carolina will divest $105 million worth of Disney debt securities due to concerns over the company’s leadership and its embrace of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) principles.

Loftis said Disney has abandoned its fiduciary duty to shareholders in favor of ESG, which he defined as a “speech and behavior code that was … created by the left and delivered to everybody else.”

“The sane, sober, talented, mature people are gone, and now you have the gender studies crowd running Disney,” Loftis said, “That’s why their movies are flops and their market cap, I think, is about half what it used to be. It’s a tremendous loss to America — we all grew up on Disney,” he added.

Note the argument made, not because Disney is woke but because “woke” costs them cash. That’s the type of pushback shareholder listen to.

Finally the Harvard Crimson published a dissenting opinion calling for President Gay to go.

While going over the “higher standard” bit the real meat of the argument is here:

We are tired of reading about Harvard’s failures every time we check the news. We are sick of reporters hassling us for interviews in the Yard. We don’t want to return home for break and get pestered by friends and family, asking what is happening on campus or how we’re holding up in this awful environment. Our classes and our studying should not be interrupted by noisemakers and megaphones. Signing an affirmation that we will follow the Harvard College Honor Code before we take our final exams should not feel like a farce.

Students are not the only ones frustrated. Faculty are concerned with her academic misconduct too, though many refuse to go on the record, perhaps for fear of the consequences (a fact the Board’s opinion notes but seems not to take to heart).

Donors are tripping over each other to sever ties with the University. A senator has written in the Wall Street Journal that he was accosted in Widener Library. Congress has launched — and now expanded — an investigation into Harvard. Early application numbers have dropped sharply compared with peer institutions, perhaps in response to the turmoil.

It’s that pushback that is the real driver here and is the only thing that drives leftists away.

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Four Reasons Why Nobody Should Be Surprised at Gay, Kornbluth and Magill Answers under Oath

Posted: December 7, 2023 by datechguy in culture, education, Israel
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Jedediah Tucker Ward: It’s not hypothetical to Dr. Pavel, he wrote it.

Michael Grazier: So he says.

Jedediah Tucker Ward: So he says under oath.

Class Action 1991

There are three reasons why we should not be surprised at either the testimony of these “ladies” who are running elite colleges concerning calling for the genocide of Jews

or the sudden volte face when no longer under oath from Penn

and Harvard

Let’s take them in Order

1. Under Oath

You see when under oath you are in a position that there are sanctions for lying so as long as they were under oath they didn’t want to assert something that would have been provably false. Particularly with GOP representatives ready to call them out on it.

But once they were no longer under oath, they could make any assertion they wanted without fear of the law.

2. Support for Antifa & BLM

The second reason is less legalistic. At colleges all over the country we have seen people support and even join in on the looting and torching of American cities since 2018. We have seen such actions defended and even promoted by groups on campus with facility and administration giving very public support to such things.

Given those facts how could they credibly claim that such statements are violations the policies of their universities.

3. He Who Pays the Piper Calls the Tune:

The third reason is a bit more mercenary and can be summarized in one word: CASH:

Over 200 US universities including elite institutions Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology have been accused of raking in $13 billion in “undocumented contributions from foreign governments,” according to a new report.

A sizable portion of the funds were said to be donated from authoritarian regimes around the globe including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, China and the UAE, the report from the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) claimed.

Furthermore consider this:

I’ll say this for these universities, when someone buys them they stay bought.

4. No Enemies on the Left

Finally let’s look at a simple reality.

If I walked onto the campus of Harvard, or MIT, or Penn or frankly almost any university in Massachusetts and sat down to pray my Rosary with a sign next to me that said:

  1. There are two genders
  2. Transgenderism is a form of mental illness
  3. Marriage is between a man and a woman

I would likely at best be escorted forcibly off campus and at worst surrounded and attacked by a raging mob of leftists with no consideration of my 1st Amendment rights. After all I’m a conservative Catholic who actually believes

But the reality is that those people who are screaming “From the River to the Sea” and calling for the death of Jews are reliable votes for Democrats and for all the failings of modern Universities they can do the Ghastly Tom Hagen Math:

Right now the left has the Gays and the Transgenders and the Hollywood elites & media in which they are overrepresented and they figure that’s the best things to have, but in America Islam is a thing of the future.  In 20 years the children of Muslims now being raised on the tenets of Sharia law in America will be old enough to vote and Democrats going to make sure they get those votes when the time come, not now but 10-20 years from now.

It’s only been seven years since I wrote those words but they are certainly coming true.

Frankly if they wanted to deflect the question all they would have had to say, is something like:

“While I and the university find such speech horrific as long as it’s just speech it’s not actionable under the Constitution. The first amendment doesn’t have an exception for ‘evil'”.

Alas for them, such a statement would be the source of many lawsuits for all those who have been cancelled, fired and harassed over the last few years for having mainstream conservative opinions.

The left never expels useful idiots until their usefulness is over.

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