I just found out my uncle is a real nutjob...

[cynatnite]

He and his wife were visiting for the Thanksgiving holiday. As I understand it he wanted to have a 'dialogue' with me because he was unsure of where I stood with a variety of issues. I figured my mother and grandmother probably said something.

He just recently got his masters and is now working on his PhD which I thought was great, but now I'm wondering what sort of cracker jack box he's getting it from.

He said he was currently working on a paper where he is supposed to answer five questions. It's about global warming. His focus is on Al Gore and An Inconvenient Truth. He called Al Gore a mouthpiece for the IPCC and said he's only doing it for the money. He called the entire slideshow presentation into question because Al Gore was not mentioning his sources for the science in the documentary. I told my uncle there are credits at the end of the documentary and there is a book of the same name. He also continually mentioned a Dutch guy (I can't recall the name) and another one by the name of Christy who dispute the findings. My uncle does not appear to have any interest in reading the book or looking into any other data. It seems to me his main focus is all about discrediting Al Gore.

He said he's getting his PhD out of some school in Prescott, AZ and he's doing it online.

There were a lot of other little things he said as well. NYT hates republicans, Dems think Obama is a savior, victims of NOLA didn't want to leave, and so on. He's five years older than me and we grew up more like brother and sister than uncle and niece. In some ways his arguments and how he presents them is very intimidating. I spent most of the time questioning him rather than challenging him. It was a family event and I was trying to be low key. Keep in mind most everyone in my family are the Faux Noise watching Christians.

[dtotire]

1. Probably A Diploma Mill n/t

[Midlodemocrat]

2. Northcentral University online learning.

I've heard of it, but I don't know much else about it.

I got my degree the old fashioned way...I earned it. :evilgrin:

Take off on the Old Smith Barney commercials.

[sharp_stick]

3. Interesting...

what is the PhD in, I mean the field not the school? That by itself can often give you the information you need.

on edit: I don't put a lot of faith in online advanced degrees at all. I don't know how you could ever earn a real PhD without the interaction of a department?

My first instinct on hearing what the guy was spouting off is that it's likely a diploma mill of the kind used to confer "degrees" on whackjob ministers at fundie churces.

[cynatnite]

4. I'm not really sure, to be honest...

I think it has something to do with distributing or business. It was really confusing when I asked him.

[Orsino]

6. But perhaps Uncle thinks it empowers him to pontificate on unrelated matters?

And that he could use it to intimidate you, particularly?

[bbernardini]

5. Let's not start equating nutjobiness with online degrees, now...

I got my masters in Music Education through an online program from Boston University, and it was quite good. Plenty of interaction with other students and faculty.

[Birthmark]

7. The "Dutch Guy"

...is an economist. Christy is a nutjob who misses no opportunity to be wrong, or at least misleading.

Al Gore is as necesary to Climate Change as sneakers are to breakfast. (IOW, no relation.) Gore is a layman doing his best to report the actual science. That science is the IPCC, so I guess Gore is their mouthpiece...in the same way that most science reporters are mouthpieces for what they report on.

And I think you're right to wonder what kind of school gives out a PhD in ignorance, deception, and sheer stupidity.

[Cleita]

8. He's getting his PhD from a diploma mill so you shouldn't be intimidated by

him. Just tell him that he has no credibility as long as he won't read the book and do other research before forming an opinion. I'll bet if you look up bios on those guys he's quoting, you'll find out that they have no credibility either and are probably connected to some right wing think tanks.

[hisownpetard]

9. U. of Phoenix, probably.

[Javaman]

10. that was my first thought as well.

I get their spam almost daily.

[Ilsa]

12. I wonder how much he had to pay for that degree. nt

[ksimons]

11. lovely. sounds like a script ready to be written - get started!!

the hard part will be finding a name. :)

[MasonJar]

13. Al Gore is not taking any money for Inconvenient Truth past expenses.

I do NOT believe your uncle will be receiving a PhD...unless it is from some podunk place.

[wuushew]

14. are you sure the Dutch guy isn't Danish?

Might be Bjorn Lomborg, a real piece of work who was brought for Al Gore's Congressional testimony in March 2007.

[yodoobo]

15. Every family has a minimum of one nutjob.

If you can't find the nutjob in your family, then that means that YOU are the nutjob.