I am in the middle of possibly the dumbest job compensation negotiation ever with my administration. I am a program coordinator on a contract over and above my day teaching duties. I had to write up a job description and submit my expectation for stipend and release time.
The wrinkle - I had this job dumped on me four years ago and I really don't want it anymore, and I'm tenured so I don't have to do it anymore. Yet there is no one remotely qualified or able to assume the duties. So the negotiations have gone like this over the last several weeks:
Administration: "We've read your expectations for stipend and release time, but we think they are unreasonable."
Me: "That's fine, I understand completely. Here is my resignation. Good luck."
Administration: "Oh no..wait, don't resign! Let us take another look at it and we'll get back to you at the next of the week."
They come back each week a few baby steps closer to what I requested. It's really failing to impinge on their minds that there can only be one outcome to this process. It is simultaneously funny yet sad.
A man with nothing to lose, nothing more dangerous.
---------- Post added 11-21-17 at 12:02 AM ---------- Previous post was 11-20-17 at 10:48 PM ----------
I'm thinking of writing a pointless blog post or thread about magical technologies in sci fi movies and the various flavors they come in.
For example, flying cars.
In the Blade Runner universe, as well as the 2015 "future" Delorean of Back to the Future, flying cars seem to have some sort of antigravity technology. In Blade Runner, jet propulsion is used only in special circumstances as a backup.
No explanation is ever given as to whether this tech allows cars to fly into space. If it works on the local gravity field, it should work as well at very high altitudes as it does at treetop level. Perhaps it requires nearby matter, such as the Earth's surface, to repel against? In which case we would call it a "repulsor lift" to borrow Star Trek lingo.
Contrast this with the flying cars seen in the Jetsons. These vehicles apparently work quite well at high altitude. High enough that we never see the planet's surface, come to think of it.
Also, George Jetson's car folds into a brief case so he can carry it to his desk at work...
...okay, it's late, and I have to work in the morning. I'm wasting time on this. Right?
