No more contract work!!

On Friday, after some deliberation and negotiation, I accepted a full-time position at the university I have been working at for almost 2 years now (most of that time I was also a student). The position entails some really cool work, including assisting in creating and maintaining a virtual campus using WebCT and Blackboard, as well as researching education grants.

My instructional, research and technical abilities are being maximized and I'll be learning all kinds of cutting-edge apps.

I'm psyched.

And it's nice to have decent money coming in again!!!!

I want to thank everyone who has supported me through this wonderful, wacky adventure called my life. A big hug to each of you.

Astronomy is sooooooooooooooo cool

Today one of my co-workers called out to me to come into her office. She was online, watching the countdown to the New Horizons mission liftoff and knew I would like to watch it.

And she was right. We marveled at this huge piece of machinery (that I noted looked like a giant metal suppository--am I the only one who sees that?) that would be traveling for nine years to get data from Pluto and the Kuiper Belt.

With about 2 1/2 minutes left, today's launch was aborted. We'll be back tomorrow (this time with munchies) to watch the next launch attempt.

This is so incredibly cool. I still love this stuff and marvel at the engineering that goes into creating the spacecraft.

I live in a great age.

Say a prayer for those with no home tonight

Or send good thoughts to the Universe.

The temperature here outside of Philadelphia has been dropping steadily all day. It was downright balmy last week (people wearing tee shirts and shorts in January), and now it's snowing and the winds are blasting away (up to 50 m.p.h.). The wind chill is single digits.

I'm thankful I have a warm, well-insulated home and have gas for making a pot of hot tea and have plenty of blankets to keep warm snuggled next to my toasty husband. I am blessed.

But many live outside or in substandard housing and are suffering tonight. Keep them in your thoughts.

Mme Tussaud's museum is missing a wax figure

Tennessee's recently-elected senator, Ophelia Ford, is one scary-looking woman. I had no idea that recent article from The Tenessean caught my eye for the obvious spooky visage of this woman whose election is being hotly contested (she won by only 13 votes and it appears as if several deceased persons somehow reached out from the great beyond to vote for her). Replacing her brother who was removed after being indicted on bribery charges, she might just be following a family tradition of malfeasance.

While not as fun, here's a photo that gives her some life.

Blogging about work

Blogging about work, especially if it can be connoted as negative, is not a wise thing to do. An April 2005 New York Times article cites examples of people who were fired from their jobs for their entries which were considered in a negative light by their employers.

Are blogs protected speech? Sure. Can you get away with saying anything you want and not have to worry about consequences from what is said? No. In other words, you can write what you want, but you had better be ready for the consequences of your actions.

Many companies have their employees sign confidentiality agreements, and others are now specifically forbidding their employees from writing about their work, under penalty of firing or legal action.

Writing negative comments about your work can get you fired. Most jobs are not protected. And if you write about specific people, you could be sued for libel.
And think about this scenario: you're looking for a new job. You have contacts in the new company who are aware of your blog. If you have vitriolic content in it (e.g., calling a boss or co-worker "stupid"), you have just entered into the negative brownie point arena.

Electronic Frontier Foundation has written an excellent article on the subject, "How to Blog Safely (about Work or Anything Else) ." Read it before blogging about your job.

If you need to gripe about work, blogging is not the best place to write about it. Talk to your friends. Write a really bad poem. Go out bowling. Garden; I've found that weed-pulling is quite therapeutic. Walk your dog. Walk someone else's dog.

Just be careful what you say.

Gilligan's Island Trivia

And now for something completely different...

In the opening credits of the show, before the S.S. Minnow sets off on its doomed three-hour tour, look for a flag. It's at half-mast because J.F.K. had just been assassinated.

More trivia at: http://www.sitcomsonline.com/gilligansisland.html.

You never know what's going to be posted on this blog, do ya?

It's good to be wanted

I'm in a bit of a quandary right now; a positive quandary, but a quandary nonetheless.

The management of a department I really want to work in asked me to submit my resume for a job that is right up my alley (combining my education and technological skills). They seemed very interested, but I haven't heard from them yet concerning an interview. I'm sure I'll get one, as they approached me, but there's a problem (as I said before): other people are asking if I can work contract work for them. I cannot say yes or no, and time is running short. These projects are fascinating and long-term and I don't want to lose out on them if the other job falls through.

So, next week I'm going to ask the management of the full-time job if and when I could interview and see if I can hold off on a response to the others. I don't know how long that can last, but I don't want to screw myself or anyone else. I'll stay above board with everyone.

I really want to come out on the winning end of this. And I want everyone else to be on the winning end. So, wish me luck.