Some people attempt to inject a little sense into the world by writing a letter to the editor, others by commenting on the comments commenting on the comments on a comment thread, and others still by preaching from a soapbox at a public discussion forum or from a soapbox on a street corner (location, location, location!). Academics have special soapboxes for this purpose, podiums from which they flash the patches on the elbows of their tweed jackets. And, academics have creds, like a PhD, to lend weight to the opinions they expound from this platform. Dr. Twiddlehopper is presenting tonight. Dr. Twiddlehopper is an expert. Mind you, academics don’t have creds with everyone.  Dr. Twiddlehopper is NOT an expert at hitting the toilet bowl when he pees, thinks Mrs. Laura Lee Twiddlehopper as she applauds his walk to the podium. Laura Lee is an expert on Dr. Twiddlehopper. She’s the one who sewed the patches on his tweed jacket.