Making Succession Succeed When the Times Su...
Heart of Dumbness
Kurtz did not die in Africa. Conrad's Polish was mistranslated. His draft read, "Mistah Kurtz, he fled."
According to Ford Maddox Ford, Conrad wrote another paragraph, since lost, in which Kurtz traveled to America. He opened a sandwich shop in Stockton. Riding the popularity of his balconey, he became a part-time lobbyist and part-time fortune teller.
Of Moose and Men: Where We Are and How We Got There
If the California dream was a nuclear family (husband and meek wife, please) in every Mchouse, two SUVs in every garage, and flash-frozen free-range moose in every microwave, then we have gone bust. I blame the vegans.
Bridge to Nowhere
To the Division of Academic Affairs,
I have spent the last few days in Cincinnati. Twice, I walked across the Roebling Bridge to the Ohio side from the hotel in Kentucky. The bridge seems to arc up to the Underground Railroad museum. And there you have America at its best and worst.
Day of the Locusts
Today kindergarten kop and girly men signed a budget. Meanwhile the flames rose, licking away at the future. Re-regulators chased the deregulated who sheepishly tried to blend in with the mob that wanted to know how all this could happen.
Read the entire message (.pdf)
Fees, Killer Rabbits, and Clickers
Remember Jimmy Carter? The man was the Edsel of his day. He wore a cardigan on TV to show how we could stay warm with less Middle East oil. He saw too far ahead of his time. On the other hand, his homespun style was too far behind the disco beat of the 1970s. Of course, those pesky killer rabbits and truculent Iranians caused him even more harm. (You must be over forty-five to get any of these references.
Reflections in a Bloodshot Eye: Budget, CSU, CSUN
This essay is in two parts. The first part describes the budget proposals that have been on the table for the CSU. The second part, you will be shocked to hear, is my opinion on the state of the state and on its mirror image, the state of the CSU.
Groundhog Meets Feezilla
Fees have gone up steeply for 20 years because demands on the state’s general fund have increased. At the same time, technology, benefits, and mandates have increased costs within the CSU.
Culture, Change and Kale
I ended last term with a report on enrollment, and I began January with overviews of the budget. On enrollment we are doing well, perhaps too well since the state effectively penalizes us for granting access to qualified students above target
Governor
The Governor released his proposed budget on January 11th. Months will pass before all is settled. I advise that we all invest in Southwest Airlines and other air carriers to Sacramento. Lobbyists will jam the A, B, and C lines from now until September.
Well, there you go again
“Well, there you go again,” said Ronald Reagan to Jimmy Carter in a famous quip in a debate years ago. We all can say, “There you go again,” as California finds itself in a deficit.
Humpty-Dumpty and CS-You
The CSU faculty contract should make us think about finances broadly. The issue is not that the settlement is undeserved; to the contrary. However, the contract exceeds the funding in the Compact with the Governor. That is not unusual, and that is the point.