The Daughery Principle

In the realm of Conventional Wisdom, there are a number of truisms that have not been subjected to empirical testing. One of these is the Daughterty Principle, named after American football coach Duffy Daughery (1915-1987) of Michigan State University. This principle is sometimes also attributed to Darrell Royal (1924- ); hence is sometimes called the Daugherty-Royal Principle. This aphorism in question is: “A tie is like kissing your sister.” Interestingly enough, both evolutionary psychology theory and sociological theory would predict that this familial phenomenon would predict dissatisfaction with that activity. However, it has not been systematically tested; but informal tests of this principle have undoubtedly taken place from time to time primarily in Vermont and West Virginia.

Some intrepid researcher should conduct an empirical study of this type. A simple repeated measurements design might be employed; using familial osculation and extrafamilial osculation as independent variables. There should be appropriate use of counterbalancing to control for the warm-up effect. A serious researcher might look also into possible correlates of hedonic value: attractiveness, age similarity, and so forth.  A possible convention-ready title for this research could be "The Hedonic Value of Familial Osculation: A Test of the Daugherty Principle."

If the results are obtained in the expected direction; and is it consistently replicated, then we can begin to speak of Daugery's Law.

But there are other corrolaries of the Daugherty Principle:

If a tie is like kissing your sister, then what is losing like?

Lou Holtz suggested a comparison to put things in perspective: "They say a tie is like kissing your sister. I guess that is better than kissing your brother."

Finally, it might be helpful to look at things from a non-football perspective.  Historically, the Royal Navy exacted stringent performance standards on officers of flag rank.  For example, Admiral John Byng was executed by firing squad because he "failed to do everything to everything against the enemy" at the Battle of Minorca in 1756, the outcome of which should be regarded as a tie (no decision) rather than a loss.

As for losing, a generation earlier, an Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell managed to run his fleet aground.  They honored him with a dreadful sculpture in Westminister Abbey showing Sir Cloudesley in his birthday suit.

George Berkeley

William James

René Descartes

Water Spike

In Which I Sing for a Job

You might be wondering (if you manage any curiosity remaining after grad school) how I managed to get into this situation.  No, you're right: I haven't shown any singing talent, even in the light of the low standards that prevail currently.

Let me explain . . . .

I was a new almost-Ph.D.  And we know what Ph.D. stands for.  Anyway, I was at the Jung Hotel in New Orleans at the SEPA convention, doing job interviews.  And with such amazing places:  Sour Briar College, Northern Kentucky Beauty College and University, Sam Houston Institute of Technology, and so forth and so on.

In the evening, there were the impromptu parties, including the notorious and fabled bimbo party and the champagne breakfast at dawn: possibly more legend than fact.  Possibly the times have led academics to greater discretion nowadays than when I first went to SEPA; I don't know.  But back in 1969, things were loose away from the home campus!

Several of my compadres were halfway in the bag; as a matter of fact, some of the faculty were too!  Good times . . . .

Anyway, I was at a party for Psych Department for a major institution in North Carolina, and I was accosted by a middle-aged man who introduced me as the Department Chair, and he asked me whether I was job-seeking.

I felt that at last I had a connection; and would be a junior faculty member at a Ph.D.-granting institution.  Not bad for a Frenchie from New Orleans! 

Just then, one of his department members came up, and wanted to get him to sing.  He says, "Sure, if my good buddy Ed here and these two guys over here will be the chorus."

And so we did. 

The song was "Little Red Riding Hood," originally cut by Sam the Sham and The Pharoahs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBQciVXVmcE

The Department Chair claimed the wolf howls as his own.

Wolfgang Kohler