pantoum's Diaryland Diary

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THE COMMON GOOD

So I sent an email to the guys (and they are all guys) who moved into my division from printing and distribution a few weeks ago, basically saying their retiring boss's advice was that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I have been pretty hands off after our initial meeting because the proverbial train is running on time, I said, but it's time to meet again to discuss expectations, review what they would like from their boss, if my hands-off style meets their needs and expectations, and so on.

So here's what the print-shop supervisor wrote back:

From what I have experienced so far, your style is right up my alley. It gives me a feeling that you trust that, in a pinch, I'm gonna do what I have to do to get the job done. All of the decisions that you've made that pertain to the print shop are exactly what I would have done. My problem is, I hate handwork, doing things wrong, reruns, and letting jobs sit around to print later. It makes me ill to receive rush jobs consistently from the same person, but we all know that seems to be a standard for the printing industry. So I vent and adjust. I'm a little slow to change sometimes and have to work into it gradually, so sometimes I need a little prodding, like what you did with the digital storefront. That was just right. And I can't believe it, but I actually like my job and 98% of the people that go along with it. Thanks a bunch!

Nice.

•

Got word today that the funding for the university has been cut by $29 million.

This statement from the provost sums it up:

We're in an era now when taxpayers don't want to pay for the common good.

That means we'll keep looking for funding from private donors and corporations. We already have a Nike swoop all over the gym and our basketball jerseys and, last year, a major donor actually tried to change the curriculum as a stipulation of our receiving the funding.

At some point, I'm just not going to be able to do this without laying someone off.

READING: campus newspaper and a bid from a photocopier company

LISTENING TO; Th new Ferron CD Turning Into Beautiful

SINGING IN SHOWER: Wasted Days and Wasted Nights—did Freddie Fender sing this?

BEST OF SPAM: Don't let high cost keep you from your Louis Vuitton!

10:05 a.m. - 2005-04-20

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