Wooly Hats and Wooly Heads

A friend from the Banjohangout.com (BHO) invited me to join a Yahoo group for banjo players - one without the pesky BHO rules structure. Me being in trouble a lot over there, I figured, why not give it a shot.

The discussion was interesting if a little technical.

Then it started. We had two guys get into it about how "old-time" bands dressed. One argued for a less formal dress style while another argued that old time bands wore their best clothes. The whole thing went rapidly downhill from there (for me), especially when they got into hats. Evidently there were certain hats that were more authentic than other and that some banjo players and fiddlers wore wool hats which tended to show their age more rapidly than some (i.e. get hairy as they get more worn).

The argument had been going on with increasing heat for more than a week and then - a revelation. These two guys are COLLEGE PROFESSORS! I promply went out and got myself a wool hat and bailed out of the discussion till they get it out of their system. I figure I'll check back sometime in 2009.

I graduated college in 1976 and vowed never to associate with college professors willingly as long as I lived. I went back to grad school in 1991, was asked to leave in 1993 and vowed never to place myself in subjugation to another college professor as long as I lived. I went back to another grad school in 1994 and ran out of money (I'm still paying student loans). I decided that I didn't want anything to do with college anymore.

I had forgotten just what arguing with a college professor was like till this last week. I just decided not to go back to school for my PhD after all. Thanks guys!

Please understand that there are some lovely folks who are college professors and I have friends who are college professors. I just don't argue with 'em.