Updates

All the news that's fit to print...

Research: I finished my 30th interview today, so I am halfway through! I'm not really sure whether to be happy or sad about that. It's an accomplishment, but I cannot believe I have to start all over again at a new school. The good news is that the new school is much newer, cleaner, and more spacious. I will no longer have an office across the street, but I will have a nearby starbucks!

Politics: I did not watch last night's debate (I get too tense), but apparently some guy named Joe made news. Too bad Joe the plumber is a bit of a fraud... Also, this morning I was at the starbucks near the new school where I am doing interviews, and I overheard two guys talking about the election. They got on the topic of health care, and the first guy seemed bothered by Obama's plans to nationalize health care (he was in a wheel chair--voting against his own self-interest, apparently). The second one said he was a social conservative and believed in "supply-side economics", but then launched into a very accurate description of Obama's plan, and how it would be better than McCain's. Almost made me like him. Then he ripped into Palin's decision to run while dealing with a pregnant teenager and baby. I was not as into that. There are many, many things to critique Palin for that have nothing to do with her work-family choices.

The "Great" Midwest: Get me out. Get me out. Yup, that sums it up.

Jobs: So much for academic jobs being buffered from the economy. A public university that shall not be named just dropped 24 of 28 job openings this year in an effort to scale back, and departments are being told to plan for either a 5% or 7% budget cut. In honor of that, here are my backup jobs, in order of least desparate to most:

1. Government/non-profit research
2. University administration (probably admissions)
3. Teacher (math, preferrably, history if I had to)
4. Bartender
5. Coffee house employee
6. Selling hot dogs on the street

What's your backup?