Wednesday, April 29, 2009

ready to go

The CFA Budget summit is, as of now, prepared.

'tweren't easy. It seemed that, at every turn, one snafu or other emerged. For instance, there have been oodles of delicious bureaucratic madness, topped with whipped cream (okay, actually, it was CoolWhip TM - this is a bureaucracy, after all). There have also been overworked colleagues unable to participate in deliberative processes, essentially leaving me - a mere lecturer - in the uncomfortable position of deciding how my union will put on this function. There have also been the usual thousands of doubts, misplaced anxieties, and so forth, that make events like this, and my life in general, always a little uncomfortable.

But the planning is as done as it can get. After 1:30 tomorrow, by the time the dust has settled, for good or ill, no matter who I've pissed off or how much, the thing will be well and completely done.

Then the question will be whether it did any goddamn good at all. The answer to that won't come for at least a couple weeks, I surmise. Which means I'm not really done, because I can't really afford to stop organizing in whatever way I can. People's livelihoods, students' educations, and the university's future seem, to me, to be very much at stake, in how the budget crisis is handled.

I enjoy reading Marc Bousquet's blog about academic politics. I think, in the main, his analyses are spot on. Somehow, though, his post today didn't help.

2 comments:

Marc Bousquet said...

Hey, I stopped by to say how much I LOVED your hard-hitting reply to Katz. I've been trying to get that guy to think twice about most of that for a while 'cause he seemed to have his heart in mostly the right place. Despite lots of retail making nice--no go.

Just read yr post linking to my blog--is the piece depressing or did you feel I said something off base? No biggie, just wondering.

Doc Nagel said...

Neither, really: the situation we're in is depressing. I was a little overwhelmed when I read your re-post, and in that context, that perspective on it re-affirmed many of my most uncharitable and powerless inclinations.

I can't wait to see the shinola hit the Victrola on ye olde Brainstorm.