coldhearted scientist وداد

One more post about how professors are assholes…and also inexperienced, immature, and supercilious jerks

01/01/2015

“Take a job, any job. If you do not like it, that means you are not a serious scholar and not cut out to be a professor.” But one of my other friends said today, “Nothing negatively affects one’s life more than a job one does not like.” That is a commonly known fact but in academia … More One more post about how professors are assholes…and also inexperienced, immature, and supercilious jerks

What I appear to be trying to get over

01/01/2015

So today I was in Maringouin because I had a dentist’s appointment, although I wanted to be elsewhere. Duty to the appointment, duty. I was tired from driving and slept too long, almost to the time of the appointment, such that I went there without having had coffee and without having done some important errands … More What I appear to be trying to get over

2015 and books

31/12/2014

Once again I will say it and then it will be said: others say you should only go into academia if you are interested in research and the life of the mind but I say that you should not go into academia if you are interested in these things. You should go to graduate school … More 2015 and books

The snake-oil standard, and on giving

31/12/2014

Read this, which explains many things including Reeducation — it as snake oil, its anti-intellectualism — and also the current academia. Key in the piece is that snake oil is widely preferred over science, and people who would side with science are a minority. It is clear that I should stop believing I am insane … More The snake-oil standard, and on giving

Geopolitics

29/12/2014

First, more on professors who say we have to be professors, or that they are incapable of being anything else: I always thought this was just lack of imagination and information but is it low self esteem? When I was a child I thought school was my only safe bet as well. We will think … More Geopolitics

On open access

27/12/2014

Read and discuss. #OccupyHE Axé.

Mais comme c’était beau

26/12/2014

Mais comme c’était beau, le Noël. Ethereal, angelical, vraiment. Axé.

And it is about this, ultimately

25/12/2014

“We assume you must suffer and live a small life because we cannot believe you are capable of more, or could imagine more. We do not believe you could be serious about anything, or that any of your interests could be more than half-hearted hobbies or talk.” Yes, one should have been able to rise … More And it is about this, ultimately

Somehow related

25/12/2014

…is the time a woman colleague and I had to be our department’s MLA interviewing committee because only we had papers in the MLA, so only we had any funding or any reason other than hiring to go. I remember the department being scared and worried and I thought it was because this gave us … More Somehow related

Take a job, any job

24/12/2014

…or we will be derisive toward you and say you are not serious, or that you are a traitor to our cause. But I am not cut out to be a caretaker and I am more atmosphere sensitive than some. I think that teaching remedial courses to students who do not want to be in … More Take a job, any job

Writing in Memory of Paulo Freire