views of sociology from beyond this world

So, the recent Pacific Sociological Association meetings hosted a panel entitled "Pirate Professors, Deviant Departments, and Disappeared Programs." Via Jeff, here are the titles listed in the program for four of the five papers:

"Views of Education from Beyond this World" - Emails and Conversations with my Dearly Departed Mentor 'Boz'

Educating Astrosociologists: The Need to Bring Outer Space Into Social Science Classrooms

The Denial of Educational & Employment Opportunity Due to the Discovery of Evidence Contradictory to the Axiomatic Assumption of Harmlessness of High Demand Religious Movements: A Case Study of the Normative Negation of Conflict of Interest from Australia.

[!!] The Fascist Trend in American Academe: "Disappearing" Sociology at Niagara University, New York

Jeff apparently found these titles not exactly inspiring. Imagine that! Comments on his post include Jeff reposting a couple of e-mails received from participants on the panel, one of whom thought it appropriate to cc: various faculty in Jeff's department and close with:

Well, in a few years, when this angst-driven 30-something comes to us for some sort of connection, we'll be sure to remember. In addition, the realities of the sociological job market ought to throw him off that high horse he is riding when he isn't riding a barstool in Berkeley coffeeshops. Right now, I'd just love to get put on his thesis committee to help straighten him out.

I think the foregoing probably speaks for itself with no need for additional commentary from me. So instead I'll just pine for the idea of changing International Talk Like A Pirate Day to International Talk Like A Pirate Professor Day. "Today I will lecture ye on astrosociology! Argh! How do I advance me Powerpoint slides with just a hook for me hand!"