I read an article online last night about more cuts at the university. In this case, it took the form of faculty members that did not get their contacts renewed. Not because they weren’t excellent teachers. Just… because. It sounds like they are being offered adjunct positions – with fewer benefits and a cut in salary so extreme as to be insulting.
Also heard that the dining services has taken another hit – but since those folks were ones that had been transitioned to an outside company, it doesn’t ‘quite’ count.
Cutting faculty – or however this is being spun – is pretty dangerous for a university. If you are fighting a drop in enrollment, getting rid of faculty looks – and is – bad for the students.
I’m sad and disappointed. And, once again, I’m afraid for my job.
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I was in a hurry today and went to Wendy’s for lunch.
And I got carded.
I had paid with my debit card and the cashier needed to see my ID. Apparently, this location has had a lot of problems with fraudulent cards and this was the remedy.
I handed her my ID and she scrutienized it, then handed it back. My food came out shortly there-after and I checked it to see if the sandwich was right – it was – and I was on my way.
Feeling a bit like a criminal.
This is like paying with a $20 and having the clerk check it with special anti-counterfeit marker.
Or having to remove your shoes at the airport. Or sit through that Anti-priacy FBI message on every FREAKING DVD EVER.
The most law abiding of us are being treated like criminals left and right. Not by other people – exactly – but by systems that are then run by people. There may have been some good idea behind these things at one time, but now they are so ingrained that the idea of getting rid of them causes some kind of collective panic.
Instead of making things safer, we just end up with more clever criminals. And everyone else is just a little bit guilty all the time by association.
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My de-clutter and de-crapification is continuing. I’ve been doing some yard work when it’s light out and then working on boxes and crates of “stuff” in the evening.
Progress is slow, but adding just a bit of order to the day has been good for me. My place is kind of a mess while I go through things, but I’m creating an underlying order that is strangely reassuring.
It’s also a lot of personal honesty. Will I wear that again? No. Can I use that bit of junk for something else? No. Do I really need 2 back-up keyboards. Seriously, no.
One back-up is enough.
It’s an exercise in concentrating on what matters. And I think that’s important. So easy to get distracted by so much all the time… a little mindfulness and attention can made a difference.
Or at least it does for me. I’m not really de-stressed or suddenly giddy at work, but I’m maybe finding a little perspective.