From Eagletalk Message board - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Apr 20, 2005

From Eagletalk Message board

Date: Apr 20, 2005

This guy's post explains exactly why:

My wife & I dropped our membership in the USM Alumni Association.
We no longer contributed financially to any USM fundraising activities.
I no longer display my three USM diplomas in my office.
We no longer attend USM sporting events.
I no longer post to EagleTalk & only seldom skim the myopic messages posted here.
We are delighted that our daughter has decided to attend the University of Mississippi, even though there would probably have been more financial aid "opportunities" for her at USM.

We do not wish to associate ourselves with people who have this benighted attitude, even if all that association entails is a contribution to the same fundraising organization.

Date: Apr 20, 2005

From the Eagle Club Membership:

Inverness Assett Management – Robert McLaughlin - Birmingham, AL

Date: Apr 20, 2005

In the 5th bullet point above, "here" should be "there." @#$% laptop.

Date: Apr 20, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Angeline
"From the Eagle Club Membership:
Inverness Assett Management – Robert McLaughlin - Birmingham, AL "

Thank you, CoB, for you continued production of graduates with incisive higher order thinking skills & a deep-seated appreciation of universities as places where learning occurs. </SARCASM>

Date: Apr 20, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Invictus
"

Thank you, CoB, for you continued production of graduates with incisive higher order thinking skills & a deep-seated appreciation of universities as places where learning occurs. </SARCASM>"

It occurs to me, Invictus, that this guy probably didn't spend his whole life in Greene Hall. He probably had to take humanities courses, sciences, etc., as part of the university core curriculum. As such, the blame lies with the university community for producing this a$$hole. We may have taught him debits and credits, but he apparently never got any of that liberal arts "old-time religiion" that some of us hope they get a little of.

Date: Apr 20, 2005

I am so angry and upset by this that I don't know whether to scream or cry. If this is what the PRESIDENT OF OUR FOUNDATION is saying about the faculty of this university, then I'm not sure getting rid of Thames will do very much for us.

You know, in opinion pieces in the newspaper when Thames was first coronated, much was made over the division between him and the faculty that became apparent during the presidential search. Writers of those pieces said that the most important thing that Thames had to do was to unite all parts of the university community. Well, if there's one thing that he hasn't done, it's unite. We are the most divided and "fractured" university I have ever seen and that's a HUGE part of the problem we have with him in the dome.

Date: Apr 20, 2005

How do we know who that poster is?

Date: Apr 20, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: CoB Faculty
"

It occurs to me, Invictus, that this guy probably didn't spend his whole life in Greene Hall. He probably had to take humanities courses, sciences, etc., as part of the university core curriculum. As such, the blame lies with the university community for producing this a$$hole. We may have taught him debits and credits, but he apparently never got any of that liberal arts "old-time religiion" that some of us hope they get a little of."

My apologies, of course. You are correct.

And yes, I am assuming he was a biz major, but for all we really know he majored in PE or polymer science .

Date: Apr 20, 2005

Has it been confirmed that this poster and president of foundation is one in the same?

If it is indeed the same person, my donations to the foundation are done.

I deal with enough jerks in my life. I am not about to donate to an organization that sees the value of having an idiot as a leader.

Date: Apr 20, 2005

Insomniac Eagle

User Profile

Member Since: 10/1/2001
Level: EagleTalk Hall of Fame
No. of Posts on the Rivals.com Network: 6,093
Real Name: Robert McLaughlin
Hometown: Dublin, Mississippi
Alma Mater: USM
Favorite College Team: Southern Miss.
Favorite NFL Team: Green Bay Packers
Favorite NBA Team: New York Knicks
Favorite MLB Team: New York Yankees
Favorite NHL Team: Detroit Red Wings

More About Me: Graduate of USM, BS/ Business Administration, 1962. Kappa Sigma Resident of Birmingham, AL. High School - Clarksdale, MS Hometown - Dublin, MS

Date: Apr 20, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: tapdance
"How do we know who that poster is?"

EagleTalk is a registration-only board. Everyone must provide a valid email address to get a "membership" to post there. Many of them pay extra for "Gold Membership" that gives them access to private message boards & Rivals sports "value-added" features, as well as little icons by their posts. Not everyone puts their full contact info in their profiles but a fair number of the folks fill them out. (The ones who do then lord it over the ones who don't.) Further, every post to EagleTalk has a logged IP address displayed at the end. I've always assumed that's why many of our trolls are so obsessed with IP logging.

Date: Apr 20, 2005

quote:
We have more construction going on than ever and it's just starting.We have over 16,000 students on our campuses, and we're headed towards an enrollment of over 20,000 in the near future.We've won the battle to be the university of the gulf coast.Our honors college has quadrupled in size and the graduation rate has climbed to almost 100 per cent.Polymer Engineering is one of the tops in the world, and we are developing a world class medical facility on the coast.Our athletic facilities are rapidly becoming updated and attractive, and we are graduating athletes at a rate greater than the rate for students in general.We maintain our Carnegie rating as one of the top academic instituions in the country.Our fine arts programs are among the tops in the world and the USM Symphony is possibly the best College Symphony Orchestra in the country. The new dance and theatre building is a jewel and one of the best facilities in the country.I could go on an on, but it wouldn't do any good with negative little pip squeaks like you. Just don't come on these boards running down our school or its administration. We have a lot to be proud of, and you're not going to detract from it."

I think what saddens me most about this gentleman's perception of USM is the inaccuracy. Much of what he praises is certainly worth praising. But it isn't "world class" or "the best in the country." No one outside of Hattiesburg thinks USM is "one of the top academic institutions in the country," in fact, mostly outside the state of Mississippi, no one has even heard of it. The USM symphony is VERY VERY good, but that doesn't make it Julliard or Eastman. I really don't think Stephen Judd would agree that the TAD building, as nice as it is, is "one of the best facilities in the country." AT USM, I worked in a filthy, run down building. There was duct tape holding the stairs together, chipped and peeling paint everywhere, and bathroom floors that I didn't dare look at. I was not allowed to photocopy enough handouts for my students, because USM didn't have the money. I bought my own chalk. I wonder if this poster HAS been to campus other than to ball games.

You know folks, it is okay to be a good regional university. It is okay to serve the students of Mississippi well. What these delusions of grandeur do is prevent USM both from meeting this task and from aspiring to anything higher. We're great, so why improve? We're great, so we're not allowed to say anything negative which just happens to be true. I also wonder if this gentleman has ever been anywhere but Alabama or Mississippi in his entire life. If I were a millionaire, I'd subsidize a tour of numerous tier one universities for him. It would be an eye-opening experience. It is this kind of hubris that makes me glad my child will not grow up in Mississippi (and my apologies to all the fine people that live there, but this kind of attitude is way too pervasive).

Date: Apr 20, 2005

I've never understood the animus to faculty. I mean what is the net result of hating the faculty? At ESPN southern miss is a joke. Known to be the siberia of sports it plays in the gutter league Conference USA with no name teams and is seen as a fine backwater hell hole for felons and fools to go and get their act together. So, to the national sports press at any rate the place is a joke, understood to be a joke.

And for the rest? Bottom of the bottom in every academic ranking. Take your pick, US News, SACS, Kaplan, whatever either we no longer are worth even making the cut or we define the bottom.

So, what is the point of hating the faculty? Did the sports reputation improve in the last three years? Did the national respect of the school overall improve?

A lot of study has been done on self-hatred, my own guess is that the fact that we are now the buckle of the dumb belt in the fat sector of idiot land has led more than a few to this last desperate move: blame anyone but the one at fault.

Date: Apr 20, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: tapdance
"How do we know who that poster is?"

This poster is NOT, I don't think, the president of the Foundation, he is, as I posted above: Inverness Assett Management – Robert McLaughlin - Birmingham, AL. He lives in Birmingham, not Hattiesburg.

Date: Apr 20, 2005

Who is it that you think lives in Hattiesburg?

Robert McLaughlin AKA Insomnia Eagle lives in Birmingham according to his bio on EagleTalk.

Robert "Toy" McLaughlin, of Inverness Asset Management also lives in Birmingham, according to information provided by the USM Foundation.

Date: Apr 20, 2005

when it is determined if the poster is/is not the president of foundation would you please ask him to give us a list of "lazy faculty"?

i am sure the foundation does not want money from "lazy faculty" and the fundraisers can avoid presurring "lazy faculty" to contribute.....or maybe even better the foundation will return money previously donated from "lazy faculty"

my prayer today is that the president of the usm foundation did not author the comments in question

Date: Apr 20, 2005

Tim Ryan is director of the USM Foundation.

Perhaps you refer to the ATHLETIC FOUNDATION? A very different animal from the USM FOUNDATION.

Date: Apr 20, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Angeline
"Tim Ryan is director of the USM Foundation. Perhaps you refer to the ATHLETIC FOUNDATION? A very different animal from the USM FOUNDATION. "

Angeline-

Tim is the Executive Director, yes. Robert "Toy" McLaughlin is the President of the USM Foundation and if the website worked, I'd link to it. Mr. McLaughlin's picture is in every issue of the Alumni News (or whatever it is called now) that they send out.

Please, call the Foundation at 601.266-5602 and ask them if you don't believe me.

Date: Apr 20, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Former donor and sports fan
"Dr. Thames ran a couple of professors off that probably deserved some jail time. Did you notice how quickly that situation died down once it went before the judge?"

Why does this myth persist? And where is this poster getting his misinformation?

It is my understanding that the charges prepared by the university attorneys made no reference whatever to any possible criminal behavior. In the university evidence packet presented at the hearing, there were no materials relative to the violation of any law. In their presentation at the hearing, the university attorneys never even suggested that there could have been criminal behavior. All of these documents and the hearing transcript are matters of public record. If criminal behavior is an issue, why did the IHL agree to a settlement which cost the taxpayer something in excess off $300,000?

If I'm in error on any of this, please advise by chapter and verse from the record. Otherwise, will someone please explain the outrageous mismatch between the poster's claims and actual reality?

Sigh.

Jameela

Date: Apr 20, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by: Jameela Lares
"Why does this myth persist? And where is this poster getting his misinformation?"

Haven't the posters on this thread indicated that it is coming from our Foundation President?

Date: Apr 20, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Jameela Lares
""

The myth persists because lies are also subject to Gresham's Law (bad money chases out good).

SFT has so completely poisoned the well of higher education in this state--a place where support for education is the weakest in the union--all for his self-aggrandizing, self-protection reflex.

Date: Apr 20, 2005

I think the agreement was not to sue the board. How about suing this fellow, Dr. Glamser?

Date: Apr 20, 2005

Jameela,

Unfortunately there's no doubt about the source of McLaughlin's misinformation.

He got it straight from Shelby Thames. Maybe Lisa Mader was in the loop, but there was no need for her to get involved.

Robert Campbell

Date: Apr 20, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by: President of the USM Foundation Toy McLaughlin
" I have talked with many professors on campus and you can easily tell the difference between the Thames supporters and the Thames detractors. The Thames detractors are consistenly lazy, gossipy, and self centered.The Thames supporters are consistently hard working, open minded, and dedicated to either their research or to educating the students."

Skewed sample? Fear? Or an out and out lie?

University-wide faculty no confidence, faculty senate no confidence, faculty senate call for the start of a search for a new president, high faculty/staff turnover, drop in tier rankings, academic probation, constant turmoil, lies and spin from the dome, inept management -- and he is a self-proclaimed fan of integrity and keeping staff motivated???

Date: Apr 20, 2005

Someone refresh us on this: of the current construction, how much was planned and implemented by Lucas, how much by Fleming, and how much by Thames?

Date: Apr 20, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: LVN
"Someone refresh us on this: of the current construction, how much was planned and implemented by Lucas, how much by Fleming, and how much by Thames?"

"Post hoc, ergo propter hoc" is the by-word of all administrators when it's something positive.

Note that Shelby's minions (and "Toy" is an appropriate nickname for that dude) love to give the gnome credit for anything good, but the moment that SACS probation hit, it was all because of things that happened "ten years ago.,"

They need to get their collective acts together.

Has anyone been monitoring ET to see just exactly how much ranting "Insom" is about how the "faculty" are bashing him?

BTW, do a little looking at his posts on ET. A lot of them are utterly beneath the dignity of somebody who purports to be President of the USM Foundation. Yesterday, he posted that "I once kicked <NAME OF OTHER POSTER DELETED> in the head, but he didn't die." Real appropriate stuff, even if he's defending that Raines kid.