The Venting Thread

[downer]

If you go to the trouble of making a nice image with your announcement in it, then why wouldn't you also include the text with the info in your email? Because I'm not gonna click to open your stupid image before I click delete.

[ergative]

Carpets are a terrible invention. Even in their prime they attract moths and make every spill 100 times worse, and in their old age they lack the dignity of a scuffed hardwood floor and the cleanability of chipped tile or peeling linoleum.

[Cheerful]

Carpets are a terrible invention. Even in their prime they attract moths and make every spill 100 times worse, and in their old age they lack the dignity of a scuffed hardwood floor and the cleanability of chipped tile or peeling linoleum.

Sorry about whatever prompted the carpet vent.

On the flip side, carpeting absorbs noise.

[ergative]

Carpets are a terrible invention. Even in their prime they attract moths and make every spill 100 times worse, and in their old age they lack the dignity of a scuffed hardwood floor and the cleanability of chipped tile or peeling linoleum.

Sorry about whatever prompted the carpet vent.

On the flip side, carpeting absorbs noise.

That only matters if you have neighbors. Neighbors are a terrible inventions. Even when upstairs neighbors who enjoy frequent, exuberant coitus, seem to have either moved our or else hit a dry spot in their relationship, the side neighbors have decided that they like to smoke pot in the middle of the day, and no kind RA ever taught them the wet-towel-under-the-door trick. My neighbors-who-are-in-a-band think that the appropriate place to play a harmonica is in the hallway, and my laundry-doing neighbors are constantly competing with me for prime spot in the sun on the drying line.

[the_geneticist]

Cats do appreciate the softness of carpet under their toes on cold mornings or if they need to vomit on something.

[apl68]

Carpets are a terrible invention. Even in their prime they attract moths and make every spill 100 times worse, and in their old age they lack the dignity of a scuffed hardwood floor and the cleanability of chipped tile or peeling linoleum.

And bloodstains are hard to get up.  Having a real problem with that right now at home.

[Puget]

No students on the waitlist, I can't over-enroll the class because we are at the listed occupancy limit of the room. No, it doesn't matter that there are extra chairs in the room. I don't know why there are more chairs than people allowed in the room, but it does not change how many people are allowed in the room. If you don't like it you can take it up with the fire marshal. I'm sorry, I really am, but I'm not going to violate fire code for you.

[the_geneticist]

No students on the waitlist, I can't over-enroll the class because we are at the listed occupancy limit of the room. No, it doesn't matter that there are extra chairs in the room. I don't know why there are more chairs than people allowed in the room, but it does not change how many people are allowed in the room. If you don't like it you can take it up with the fire marshal. I'm sorry, I really am, but I'm not going to violate fire code for you.

Time to take the extra chairs out of the room!
I get this question all the time about labs.  No, we cannot have more students than spaces at benches.  No, you cannot sit in the chair at the instructor computer, that is for the instructor.  I've even had to tell the INSTRUCTORS that they can't just let one more student "sit in" if the student promises to not sit in a chair. 
I just have to keep telling myself that dealing with fire code limits for in-person teaching is so much better than teaching online.

[EdnaMode]

I was just in lab for two hours with my freshmen. In the lab across the hall, the entire time I was in class, was a group of half a dozen students and not a single one of them was wearing a mask. I am having the records of card access to that lab pulled and will be reporting that to the lab supervisor since we have a mask mandate on campus and none of their students see fit to follow it. If I can be in a hot lab for two hours breathing in my own hot recycled air, then they can too. I feel like I should add a "get off my lawn!" to this rant. Ugh. No, I'm not the mask police, and I'm not their supervisor, but it's just frustrating to see students flout the rules and have my freshmen ask why they have to wear masks when the people across the hall don't.

[clean]

Hell
I wouldn't mind being the mask police but my state would discipline ME for daring to bring up the topic of masks!

[FishProf]

Let the Ventapalooza begin!

1) Smolt is sick, and has a Doc appt. today for a Covid test.  She can't go back to school until she is negative.
2) That shot my entire day to bits b/c I could not do the field work/library research/time management I had planned.
3) She'll be out of school tomorrow, and therefore So Will I. 
4) Not physically at school?  Not a problem.  I'll meet my class remotely! We have the technology.  'What's that Dean?  No?!'  So, I am not allowed to meet with my class remotely, even though I listed the class back in April as F2F (which means <25% online at FishProfU) and one day doesn't even come close to violation that def'n.  OK, Sick day for me!
5) That means that in week 3, I've met this class 3 times.  No, we're not behind, why do you ask?

That's enough for now...

[clean]

4) Not physically at school?  Not a problem.  I'll meet my class remotely! We have the technology.  'What's that Dean?  No?!'  So, I am not allowed to meet with my class remotely, even though I listed the class back in April as F2F (which means <25% online at FishProfU) and one day doesn't even come close to violation that def'n.  OK, Sick day for me!

Be sure to fill out all of the required paperwork.  Make sure that your department chair is aware of the situation and then ask them who will be substitute teaching your class so that you can deliver some guidelines/helpful information.  (Keep the replies! - build a Cover Your Anal Fins file)

As you will be using your sick days, you will certainly NOT be online or responding to email for the duration of the illness. 

(Keep the I OFFERED to teach Remotely email in the file showing that it was denied!) 

[FishProf]

4) Not physically at school? 

Be sure to fill out all of the required paperwork.  Make sure that your department chair is aware of the situation and then ask them who will be substitute teaching your class so that you can deliver some guidelines/helpful information.  (Keep the replies! - build a Cover Your Anal Fins file)

As you will be using your sick days, you will certainly NOT be online or responding to email for the duration of the illness. 

(Keep the I OFFERED to teach Remotely email in the file showing that it was denied!)

All good suggestions gladly accepted.

[mamselle]

This may belong on a lower-level thread of complaint, but here it is.

I haven't lived anywhere near my high school for several decades. I don't go to alumni stuff because, frankly, there were several bullies, rude guys, and inane idiots that just made it not-so-much-fun, and I don't have those "fond memories" we're supposed to have of "our little high-school."

The teachers were great, I'm still in touch with a couple of friends, but otherwise, I don't want to know about it!

I don't wish anyone ill, but I don't really need to hear about this person-this and that person-that, with all the reply-all's that follow.

I've had my name taken off the list several times, it keeps coming back. (no, you're not doing me a favor!)

I just had to ask again for this to be done, politely and with many thanks for all the work it (admittedly) takes to keep up with a peripatetic bunch like that.

But I don't want my email box to keep blowing up with updates, etc. all the time!

I just don't! Stop it!

Thanks, that felt better...

M.

[clean]

I am a curmudgeon.  A faculty in Reading has hung posters in a classroom in the Business Building.   I know that the 'classrooms' are not our exclusive domain, but I m annoyed that they are there. I reported these to the Assoc. Dean and my Chair.  When I reported it, I indicated that the first time this occurred, long ago, the then chair had the posters removed, and the dean emailed the faculty and their dean that hanging posters in a classroom was not acceptable and that they could retrieve their posters from the Dean's office.

As everyone is busy, I volunteered to bring them to the Dean's office myself!  The associate dean replied right away that it would not be right to take down someone elses posters without talking to them first.  She indicated that she would discuss it with the dean.

It has been a week now.  No reply. The Posters remain. 

So are we ALL permitted to put up posters in whatever classrooms we are teaching in, and leave them up for however long we think we can get away with it? 

Can I go to the Education Building and post some FUN with FINANCE posters? 

AND why doesnt the Assoc. Dean have the Balls to Take a stand and deal with this?

(the dean is new - only on the job for 5 weeks now--, so I wonder IF they are afraid to step on the new toes?) 

I know that these SHOULD be SMall order of Small issues, and that I should not spend one second's worth of thought for it.  BUT, clearly that hasnt happened!! 

I have checked my Retirement Count Down Timer and I am at 1202 days left!!  It is not that I would quit over THIS, but it is a sign at how little respect I feel that I am getting.