Tuesday, March 31, 2009

A Good Way To Wreck Your Career

Revolt Against Outsourcing (Jaschik; IHE).

6 comments:

Vanessa Vaile said...

In the words of StraighterLine exec Smith, "it's the birth of 'new course formats,' employing academics in new ways."

Inevitable, not in the least unexpected.

r. r. vlorbik said...

that's for sure.

i was a pro briefly in the 90's.
resisting the new formats was
probably the single thing i did there
that ticked off the powers the most.

Vanessa Vaile said...

I consistently manage to tick off powers that be without even trying to, even if trying not to - not sure whether blessing or curse or what kind of fairy godmothers stood over my cradle wishing it on me

r. r. vlorbik said...

it's a mystery. the rest of my class
for the most part *also* had liberal parents
and obviously we were all inspired by
the revolutionaries of the generation
above ours. i graduated in 75... and so,
while i still had to *register* for the draft,
they'd stopped *taking* anyone...
because the people had by god
taken to the street and made the government
fear them. it'll be happening again soon at last
but meanwhile the rest of those silly SOBs
have become the enemy and are, in effect,
locking up my *real* co-equals for imaginary
threats to their children (the "drug war")
and sending a new generation to death or worse
in another (real) war over an imaginary threat
to the country; both really--obviously!--to make
billionaires richer and the population at large
easier to push around. why me? g-d knows.
allegedly g-d has a sense of humor... maybe
i was chosen as the last child of the revolution
for miles around as far as the eye can see
because i'm so *unsuited* to the task emotionally...

Vanessa Vaile said...

last child... I have that feeling from time to time too. earlier than yours, at the time more observer than participant but done from interesting vantage points - East Village in the mid 60s, Germany in 68 - before disappearing into responsibilities (the of bad decisions), underpaid workforce, exhaustion. Took my mind off such - perhaps a form of stasis or even a coma - until I returned to finish, almost by accident, the long unfinished degree, apparently with pre-stasis mindset intact.

Last standing gets drafted by default. Suitability not a consideration.

r. r. vlorbik said...

sort of like dodgeball, then.
i was just about as good at that.