Christmas Letter 2007 Snek [sic] Preview

[6_bleen_7]

This evening I tapped out my contribution to our thirteenth annual Holiday Letter™. The usual disclaimers apply. I didn't get too impassioned this year: I made only one political jab, and even then it was both a paraphrased quote and parenthetical. Curiously, I always start in on these things expecting that I'll run out of things to say with

Comments

[6_bleen_7]

Thanks! The most accurate description of my position is "Research Associate Who Teaches a Class Now and Then." I've been very careful to make it plain that I don't want a tenure-track position. The only problem is that I'm only guaranteed employment for two years-I'll just have to make myself that much more indispensable by then.

Oh yes, our having to move in two years would spell disaster, emotionally and financially. Buying in this market carries one huge disadvantage: we wouldn't have a snowball's chance of reselling without taking a major loss, after commissions and all.

It's hard to discern whether the university is actively discouraging us from parking on campus, or whether the land is just so expensive. I find the latter difficult to accept, but in fact the school offers no incentives whatsoever not to drive, other than not paying through the nose (not to mention other orifices that shall remain nameless) for parking. Now the price quoted is for a decent parking lot, i.e., one within half a mile from my building. In actuality I would probably wait on a list for a couple of years for such a treasured commodity. In the meantime, I'd park in an uncovered lot at half the price but with a 15-min or longer walk skirting the most dangerous neighborhood in the entire metro area (and for this town that's saying quite a lot).

I can buy city bus passes with pre-tax money, equivalent to a 30% discount, but the flat rate on those is some $60/month. Even at the U. of Utah we were outright given free bus passes, and that was at a public school in one of the most car-happy states in the Union. What's wrong with this picture?

Wow, your experience with custodians perfectly mirrors mine in grad school. The first often spoke about a dog she either did or did not have, which would sometimes change breeds in mid-sentence. The other, who was not quite mentally handicapped but definitely situated far out in the lower tail of the "normal" curve continually recited a mantra: "I'm so tired. I just want to go home." What it was that fatigued her escaped us; she sure as hell didn't do anything resembling work except under extreme duress.

[samwibatt]

Goodness - why on Earth wouldn't you want a tenure-track position? Tenure sounds like the magic key to getting away with nearly anything. But I admit I'd abuse it only as far as harmless eccentricity would allow, no grossly unethical or actually illegal stuff like sexual harassment (which, in any case, I imagine aren't allowed even for tenured profs). But forcing the class to say "Good moooooorning, Dr. Bleen" in unison every day would be very amusing.

We're lucky with janitors in my building here. They're all a hard-working and cheerful bunch, with the biggest oddity being one guy whose dedication to a positive attitude has led him to coach me on reciting the days of the week with their proper alliterative modifiers: "Marvelous Monday, Terrific Tuesday, Wonderful Wednesday, Tremendous Thursday, Fabulous Friday" IIRC.

I think I saw a flyer for a double feature at the Union building - Dennice the Menance and Sooby-Doo.

[6_bleen_7]

That's easy: in my field, tenure-track professors are obliged to pay their own salary in grant money. This can create vast quantities of stress, especially in the present political climate. In addition, I can skirt some of the less savoury professorial duties, like sitting on committees. In short, I don't want to wind up exclusively doing management crap when I'd rather be scrutinizing those genes (at the sound of the bell).

At my postdoc in Seattle the custodial staff were all one large family from SE Asia somewhere. They were all friendly-they'd all say howdy as they buzzed through the labs like some entropy-reversing tornado. We had something similar in the office I worked in during second grad school, except they were Russian. They worked hard but at first often left our door unlocked, prompting my boss to write a sign, in Russian, saying "Please lock the door on your way out."

What? No Lilo & Stich? Or is that next week?

[samwibatt]

in my field, tenure-track professors are obliged to pay their own salary in grant money.

That does take a lot of bloom off the rose, it is true.

Lilo and Stich is next week - how did you know?!?!?!

[samwibatt]

Oh - and Happy Birthday! I will be sending you a present RSN but it still hasn't arrived. With luck, I'll get it today.

[6_bleen_7]

Thank ye! Our celebrations have been modest, what with the 40-knot (relative) icy winds keeping us inside, and more work than at which I can shake a stich forever looming.

[samwibatt]

Well, I hoap my present will be an item of cheer. It's a very small thing but one which (I think) you don't have but have been looking for.

[6_bleen_7]

Heh-heh, one word in your comment reminded me of this kick-ass dill dip we had among the appetizers at the in-laws' Chirstmas gathering last weekend. It looked like dill, smelled like dill....