Monthly Archives: July 2009

Local legend in the NY Times

Posted on July 19, 2009 by jbj

George Vecsey’s column this Sunday is about Steve Dalkowski, the fireballing pitcher who struck Maris out on three pitches, convinced Ted Williams to bow out of trying to hit him, and served, in part, as the inspiration for Nuke LaLoosh. … Continue reading →

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Professor-funny

Posted on July 18, 2009 by jbj

In his mailbag yesterday, ESPN’s Bill Simmons offers up a taxonomy of the different ways athletes can be–or, painfully, not be–funny.  For example: 5.0 — Learned Funny Humorless people who learn how to be adequately sports-funny in the right situations … Continue reading →

Posted in academe, higher education, humor, teaching | 1 Comment

I may have watched too much Friends

Posted on July 15, 2009 by jbj

People who follow me on Twitter know that this week has been contractor week at chez Salt-Box, with the focus of most efforts being the upstairs bathroom.  (You can see evidence on Flickr: “Things That Are Busted in Our Bathroom“; … Continue reading →

Posted in connecticut, family, silliness | 3 Comments

As goes California . . .

Posted on July 14, 2009 by jbj

The California budget crisis, and its impact on the state’s higher ed system, merit close attention, as well as support where possible. Right now, one of the best resources is Remaking the University (via Barbara Hui on Twitter), which aggregates … Continue reading →

Posted in AAUP, academe, higher education | 1 Comment

I guess the website upgrade didn’t come with a spellcheck

Posted on July 14, 2009 by jbj

[Again, bitchy grammar scold posts brought to you by “contractor week” at the house] Today the local credit union unveiled their new website, which nicely brings the aesthetic up to the mid-2000s.  And what do you do when you upgrade … Continue reading →

Posted in usage | 2 Comments

Why we need to think about PhDs & the job pseudo-market

Posted on July 13, 2009 by jbj

This article about Fort Hays State University’s decision to outsource gen ed courses is frustrating an harbinger of doom.  According to the reporter, “the school will accept credits from a private company that runs introductory courses in subjects such as … Continue reading →

Posted in AAUP, academe, academic freedom, higher education, things that should stop | Comments Off on Why we need to think about PhDs & the job pseudo-market

Known-new contract FAIL

Posted on July 13, 2009 by jbj

From the AAUP’s “Things to Know Before You Go” page for this summer’s institute:  There is also a public wireless network available in any building on campus for those with laptops. Please remember to bring your cables. [emphasis added] Either … Continue reading →

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Working the bureaucracy

Posted on July 12, 2009 by jbj

Seth Godin (via BoingBoing) offers some cogent reflections on “the art and skill of working with bureaucrats,” pointing out that the reason you tend to see the same companies in all the airports is that they’ve optimized for tolerating municipal … Continue reading →

Posted in academe, productivity | Comments Off on Working the bureaucracy

Happy birthday . . .

Posted on July 7, 2009 by jbj

. . . to her: Promoted and tenured a year early . . . not too shabby for [redacted].

Posted in family | 2 Comments

The zoo!

Posted on July 6, 2009 by jbj

Yesterday we went to the Bronx Zoo for the first time.  A good time was had by all–as you can see here, we got a pretty up-close visit from a polar bear, plus close encounters with red pandas, baboons, giraffes, … Continue reading →

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