Alaskan Artist - Elise Tomlinson
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Home » Archives » September 2005 » Nah nah na nah nah...you (almost) can't fire me without cause!

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09/15/2005: "Nah nah na nah nah...you (almost) can't fire me without cause!"


There was beautiful light on the wetlands tonight as I was driving home from work.

godlight2 (28k image)


    It pretty much sums up how I was feeling, after just having turned in my tenure file to the Provost's office.

    In Google you can put in the search term: define (and any given word) and it will pull up a list of "unofficial" definitions from the web. I tried: define tenure

    Here was my favorite definition: "A status accorded members of University faculty who have demonstrated high ability and achievement in their dedication to the growth of human knowledge."

    Well, that's how I'd *like* to think of it, but here's the more honest definition:

    "Tenure commonly refers to academic tenure systems, in which professors (at the university level) are granted the right not to be fired without cause..."

    The other bit about tenure is that if they don't give it to you, you're fired. You can't just keep working for the university without it, it's all or nothing. So, needless to say I've been working on it non-stop the past couple of days. I actually stink (sink in this instance means malodorous), my car is below empty, I haven’t eaten in 24 hours, I haven’t slept in 48 hours, and I have a strong urge to tie one on (to "tie one on", here means to get shitty drunk).



Replies: 20 Comments

on Friday, September 16th, pyromike650@aol.com">mick said

Sounds like time for a bit of yoga then go out and tie one on !!

on Friday, September 16th, Kasia said

Does turning in your tenure file mean you will get it for 100%? I hope it does. That would be so nice to be able to work ant not to worry about being fired. When will you know? I keep my fingers crossed!!!

on Friday, September 16th, Kasia said

P.S. The picture is totally amazing! Such views make me believe in the Supernatural...

on Friday, September 16th, Elise said

Yoga is more healthy, that's for sure. I actually haven't had anything alcoholic to drink since my trip to Baltimore/DC (a month and a half ago)...so though I felt like it last night, I made a nice cup of green tea instead.

And Kasia, it's not 100% certain that I'll get it, not everyone who applies for it has gotten it...but I would be very suprised if I don't because people like me and I work hard.

As for the pictures, those rays of sun shining down are what a local photographer likes to call "god light".

Check out his website if you want to see some photos from where I live (Juneau and Douglas) that will blow your mind

http://www.juneauphotos.com

on Friday, September 16th, holly said

We used to have an amazing graphic design prof here briefly who was such a disturber of people's shit. He was this insane (and insanely talented) black guy named Amos who specialized in doing really reactionary stuff with old wood type. Right before he left (he hated the administration, but loved the kids, the administration hated him and the kids loved him) he printed up tons of postcards with nasty academic sentiments like "Indiana University: We can guarantee you a degree, but not an education" and "Tenure: For folks who aren't into slavery or housewifery." For some reason, every time I think about the day I'll have to put my dossier together, I think about that. Good luck-- when do you find out?

on Friday, September 16th, mick said

Loved your pic - if you cut out most of the beautiful clouds (about 75% of the pic) you get another beautiful pic which emphasises the God Light.

I used to go through something like tenure - so glad I took early retirement at 49 - I see life from a whole new perspective now.

Fingers crossed that yours goes well so you can get back to the issues that really matter LOL.

on Friday, September 16th, Elise said

I know of a similar situation that happened at the school I attended. Our printmaking instructor (who was my mentor and a freakin genius) was uniformly adored by his students and hated by the dean of the art department and those in his camp (mostly men with sticks up their arses!).

It doesn't matter if you have wonderful student evaluations, or how talented you are, ultimately if you don't kiss a little admin ass you'll be out on your own ass. Very sad but true!

And Mick, I took several shots of that picture, I do have some that focus more on the light, I'll post one of those if you like. I didn't use the filter for back lighting on this one, so the mountains and foreground are in silhouette and the clouds have more drama, the others have more emphasis on the light and the colors of the wetlands.

I'll post one for contrast.

BTW, retired at 49! How cool is that!!!

on Friday, September 16th, holly said

Are you drunk yet? ;)

on Friday, September 16th, Markus Barca said

Congrats, Elise. I bet this will make your year.

on Friday, September 16th, Markus Barca said

Nah nah na nah nah...you (almost) can't fire me without cause!


What if they find out about your schizophrenia?

:laugh: :P

on Friday, September 16th, subi said

when do you find out? i wish you bucketloads of luck (but i say this with the confidence that you already have the job/tenure) :)

on Friday, September 16th, mick said

Would really love to see the other pics too - Always keen to learn anything to improve my feeble attempts at photography and art - I tried playing with your pic in photoshop and couldnt make it look even a tiny bit better.
BTW retiring at 49 was my long term plan (after seeing 3 kids through university) but perhaps I shouldnt have tried to sue a Secretary of State on my way out - that was a sign of pure madness LMAO. Even though we lost I still dont regret it though :)

on Saturday, September 17th, Elise said

Holly, YES!

Markus, we aren't worried about that...I mean, you won't tell right?

Subi, where the hell have you been? I miss you, I had fun tonight reflecting (at the bar) on old times...in the red barn crack house in Spenard and the swat team and all the crazy shit from back in the day, seems a long time ago that I worried one of our downstairs neighbors would shoot a gun in the air and kill me in my sleep.
sigh

And Mick, I will post a couple other shots of pretty much the same thing, but one is a long shot, and less back lighting etc.

eeeee

I feel really good right now. I had my first black Russian. I couldn't believe it was 8 bucks, but worth it.

on Saturday, September 17th, subi said

oh, i have been here...it is really hard to ever get ANYTHING accomplished anymore tho :blush: i continue to try and try tho... :confused: anyhoo--- i am always stopping by to see what's up with you...i really want to come and visit you some day...sigh...the good 'ol days, lol (ie, single and free...woohoo!) tho i do want to show Stella Alaska! I know she'll love it...perhaps not the 'it's not a barn it's a duplex!' but you know what i mean...definitely to see you! miss you too mama. Stella now says sharf gut (her version of schlaf gute (sleep good)...she is speaking more German than English...hmmm ...anyway, glad your chillin...have one of those black russians for me! ;)

on Saturday, September 17th, subi said

btw, amazing photo! i like the assymmetrical (?) affect the clouds give....beautiful!

on Saturday, September 17th, Elise said

I think it's great that Stella is speaking German! They must have some cool children's books in swiss german, if not, you should write one!

When I was a kid I loved those books where you send in your child's name and then they add that name into the text whereever they refer to the protagonist.

I used to think that the whole thing was written just for me...

Also, I get really nostalgic at times, for Anchorage...for walking around Spenard...the Java Joint, the Underground, even for the dorms and taking walks around University lake (oh, and the Capri Cinema and Thai Kitchen.)

I wonder if what I loved so much was Anchorage itself, or just being that age when everyone's still single and every night a possibility.

Everynight is still a possibility for me but different ones now.

Hey, what are your thoughts about the election in Germany? I'm conflicted because I think it would be interesting to have a woman Chancellor but she's a conservative Christian Democrat...

Hey, do they celebrate Octoberfest in Switzerland too?

have a veggie wienerschnitzel for me.
:laugh:

on Saturday, September 17th, subi said

did you know that i've been eating meat for the past 4 years? :blush: yup--- fell off that wagon a while ago, pretty much the same time that i went to grad school and many other things came apart....maybe shouldn't have ever started that...anyhoo, they do celebrate Oktober fest here but it's more cheesy and gimmicky...kind of like they try to celebrate Halloween here...but, Munich is not too far...wouldn't it be cool to go someday together...dare to dream! :rolleyes: with R.,-! I haven't been following the German election at all...tho saw a strange propoganda like variety show on the tv tonight for the election...picture this: really cheesy German man, middle aged, stout and balding...wearing a lame'? cowboy shirt and singing country in German...with two gogo sort of dancers/stage decorations on his sides...wearing dresses that were all short tacky and sparky German flags...this was one of those, so bad it's good sort of moments... oh yeah and the book thing...there must be some books in Swiss...but swiss is really only a dialect of which there are many...and so while some younger people write in the dialect of their Swiss many older people can't understand it... so there are many local signs in swiss words as well but mostly the words that aren't German also...it's weird...anyway, leave it up to me to learn German in the most difficult situation. oh and we REALLY should collaborate on a kids story! *when* you come to visit we can have a fun allnighter brainstorming and doing mockups!!!!

*= dtd :laugh:

on Saturday, September 17th, Elise said

I think it would be a great project to collaborate on. You can write it and I'll illustrate it. BTW, is your chapbook ready for purchase yet?

on Sunday, September 18th, subi said

no, but very very soon... and when it is we will definitely send you a few copies for yourself... as i wouldn't leave my fab cover artist out!!!

on Sunday, September 18th, Elise said

YEAH! Keep me posted....