`VLORBIK`

Zines, Math Ed, and Labor Unions; since the middle of 2003.

July 9, 2004

The Philly Zine Fest is this Sunday (July 11).

This recent blog entry about Dylan (by Jimmy, guesting at Old Hag), leads to good stuff.

July 7, 2004

Not since Metrical Feet . . .
Mark Liberman's outstanding discussion of scansion appeared yesterday in Language Log, and cites Rob't Service, Lewis Carroll ... and even a math limerick new to me.

July 3, 2004

One of yesterday's entries in Number 2 Pencil cites this piece on "Math Wars" (by Andrew Wolf in the NY Sun [June 25]) -- which in its turn quotes (the great) Tom Lehrer's "New Math".

Also mediageek has a new issue (hardcopy still unseen by me; thanks to Aj for the pointer). And furthermore, the new Zine World came yesterday. Stand by for updates to my zines list. That is all.

No, wait. Here's "Are Labor Unions Evil?" in American Joblog. That is all.

July 2, 2004

Tomorrow is free comic book day (see also: Comics Worth Reading).

... until morale improves
So now I'm urged to endure trainning (sic; see title bar) in "Colleague" (by Datatel).

". . . Colleague�s foundation is engineered with workflow tools and ease-of-use features that leverage the applications . . ."

-- the object of the game being: outsource adminstrative tasks to faculty so the bosses have more time to count their money. It's obviously not going to work; guess who'll get blamed.

July 1, 2004

The Ohio NWU has launched a new website. I'm not a pro writer but I'm a member anyhow. Long story.

June 29, 2004

My summer classes at Colstate start in an hour.

The ULA credits edrants.com for this reprint of a piece by Yinishye Nasdijj: "PEN Award Winner Lashes Out!".

June 21, 2004

Back in Columbus with the cats. All is well.

"Offensive Language" (at Critical Mass): much to agree with here . . .

June 18, 2004

The Allied Media Con in Bowling Green OH starts today. I've been to all of 'em so far but'll be missing this one. I'm in Minnesota of all things. People really talk like characters in Fargo.

Meanwhile over in alt.zines, one "Ranger West" of High Plains Writers (& formerly of jollyroger.com) has weighed in on the endless -- and almost entirely pointless -- squabble about the ULA (see also: Patrick King's ULA blog).

Oh, and speaking of Clamor (I was, you know -- they sponsor the AMC show): Jessamyn of librarian.net sez (June 17) she's just finished a piece for 'em about "librarian activism and the PATRIOT act".

June 16, 2004

Lazy idle little schemers.
I found this amazing NYU Adjunct Fan Club via Zach (of Problems of Leisure)'s old Education in the Streets pages -- representin str8 outta New Haven.

June 15, 2004

Okay, so my readings on contingent academic labor bookmarks are almost all over a year old. It took me the better part of two hours just to clean out the cruft and I'm darn well taking credit for it. Did I really used to do this kind of thing all the time?

June 14, 2004

Columbus activist Yoshie Furuhashi is blogging at Critical Montages.

June 12, 2004

I've just posted Spring Quarter grades & so am officially on break. I'm doing a road trip next week and so had better not claim to be back to blogging.

Meanwhile, you could do worse than check out John Martin's stuff. I showed him how to do basic HTML & FTP several months ago & he's been pretty busy since then.

Bugmenot: bypass "registration".

April 6, 2004

Well, I skipped out on Saturday's SPACE show because my bank balance was looking sorta low and I'm due to miss a payperiod on account of the break that ended last week. But I was feeling pretty guilty about it until yesterday when my car wouldn't start and I discovered that the alternator's shot. If I'd've spent anything on comics over the weekend ... well, it doesn't bear thinking about, that's all. I suppose I have to count myself lucky: this month's utility checks were ready to mail (but are now safely back in the sorting hat). Barring any further such big financial hassles, I oughta be able to limp through to the 25th OK from here.

March 24, 2004

The Invisible Adjunct announced her retirement yesterday. Dammit. I might never have even started blogging if not for this site. Since over 100 people have already posted their reactions, I'm obviously not the only one to take this as a personal loss ... indeed, a couple of other bloggers cite IA as their direct inspiration.

So the academy chews up and spits out another of its most interesting and dedicated.

Added much later -- is this even allowed? -- Ralph Luker covered this story really well.

March 16, 2004

The quarter's over at CSCC (other than grading) as of right now.

March 15, 2004

The APBU (affiliate of CAUT) went on strike today at Bishop's University (Lennoxville, Quebec).

Updating my Feb. 25th entry -- AUFA (Wolfville, Nova Scotia) has a tentative agreement; classes started up again last week.

March 12, 2004

A thread on academic unions began a few days back at IA.

March 9, 2004

So today I testified at a hearing of the Ohio House Commerce and Labor Committee. I wasn't on the agenda (actually a press release from OFT) because I wasn't sure I'd be able to make it until the last minute.

Anyhow, here's what I said about HB 249 a few months ago.

September 11, 2003
Ohio House Bill No. 249 will (if passed) amend the vile 4117.01 by deleting "Part-time faculty members of an institution of higher education" from the list of those ineligible to petition the State Employment Relations Board for collective bargaining rights. More info at Gongwer and the Ohio Laws pages.