The university administration proposed to address the budget cuts by raising the instructors’ work load from 4 to 5 courses per semester without raising their pay in any way.

One of the instructors responded that a greater amount of money could be saved by docking the pay of everybody who makes over $120,000 per year by 5%. For those who are not familiar with public education in the US, these are people who do absolutely nothing of any value at a university.

Of course, I’m in complete agreement with the instructor. I hope the instructors (and their union) stand strong and united in this fight.

In other news, I’m being invited to Oxford (to speak at a conference) but we are in anew round of the eternal budget cuts and the Dean’s Office told us we should not broach the subject of scholarly travel while it isn’t clear what is going to happen with the budget. I have no hope that it will ever be clear what is going to happen with the budget but I really want to go to Oxford. I’m going to win $700 in a “Good Driver” contest (have I mentioned the contest?) in June, so that money can go towards paying for the trip. 

I hope Oxford doesn’t disappoint like London did in 2012.

The Russian government is calling on the country’s citizens to eat less in support of Putin. 

But that’s not the saddest part.

The saddest part is that the Russians are happy to oblige. 

I’m really embarrassed that I share a language and a culture with these sad fucks.

I read two articles in a row with the eternal wailing of “Why, oh why are we friends with the nasty Saudis?” and then went and filled up the tank for half of what I used to pay back in the Fall. Strangely, there are no bloggers bemoaning the cheapness of gas. But what’s even more bizarre than the idiocy of these moaners is that I’d be in a position to notice the price of  gas.

Still, let’s not exaggerate the extent of my sophistication. Gas stations still cause me a lot if confusion. First, the pump I chose ran out of gas. At 11 am. Has anybody heard anything like that? I never considered this possibility, so I kept trying to milk the poor empty pump with relentless dedication until the attendant interfered and wrestled the hose out of my hands.

In the end, I got out of there reeking of gas even though I have finally learned to treat the pump with the care of a person diffusing a bomb.

Isn’t it curious that people who find it easy to see the connection between the Saudis and the price of gas, as well as among a million other things, are usually the ones who see a mundane task like filling up the tank as a serious challenge.