Friday, January 27, 2012
Rejection
You would think I would be used to it by now. It's not like I haven't been rejected before. College admissions, grad school programs, and perhaps it's best if I avoid discussing my luck, or lack thereof, with members of the opposite sex. And indeed, as I started to compile job applications over the past few months, I did so knowing that in all likelihood the vast majority would be rejected. It's simply par for the course given the job market for academics.
Why? Well, for one thing there simply aren't that many positions available. In addition, the positions that are available are often advertised using very generic language, even when a department is seeking to fill a very specific niche. For example, a job posting might claim they were looking for a historian of technology, when what they really want is someone to teach a survey course on the Industrial Revolution. Broader categories permit departments to cast a wide net, ensuring that they have a pool of sufficiently qualified applicants from which to choose. Yet they also lead people who are unaware of departmental preferences to apply for jobs that they have absolutely no chance of getting. Compounding these problems is the fact that there are a lot of very smart people applying for a relatively small number of posts.
These are the things I told myself at the outset and I repeat them like a mantra over and over as I hear about the colleague who has two interviews in a week or the myriad of sample job talks being given by friends up at Old Ivy. Or, as is so often the case, when I don't hear anything, not even a simple e-mail informing me that I didn't make the short-list for a job. Failure is simply part of the game.
And yet even bearing these things in mind, this week has been particularly frustrating. Bookended by a pair of equal yet opposite rejections, it has once again given me pause about my long-term prospects. The rejections were equal in the sense that in both cases I was turned down for a position--one was a fellowship and one was a faculty job. Neither was a perfect match for my research, but they were close enough that I felt as though I had a strong shot. It would seem that I was incorrect in that assessment.
Actually, that isn't quite true, but to explain why requires some elaboration upon the "opposite" aspect alluded to above. Because despite their similarity in outcome, the two rejections in question were polar opposites in terms of professionalism. In the case of rejection #1, the rejection was delivered via telephone by the fellowship director, who expressed admiration for my credentials but explained that administrative policies precluded my acceptance at this time. Though I was disappointed with the outcome, I figured that so far as job rejections go, this was about as good as things could get. The rejection was handled in a courteous, personal manner and I left feeling as though I was merely unlucky rather than outright unqualified.
Contrast this with the rejection I received this afternoon. This was one of the first positions to which I applied. I submitted my application in mid-September and with the exception of a single e-mail indicating that they had obtained my documentation, I heard nothing. For four months. Nothing. I assumed, rightly as it turned out, that I had not made the short list and that I would, as was so often the case, receive no additional news about the job. Oh, how wrong I was. Instead, today I received a generic e-mail informing me that I had not received the position. Not surprising in and of itself, but the committee chair then proceeded to congratulate the one person who did receive the position. There was also a link to the successful candidate's website, just in case one wanted to learn more about their research and credentials.
Here was the complete antithesis of my Monday rejection--impersonal, impolite, and downright disheartening. Believe me, the last thing someone wants when they get rejected from a job is hear about how great the person was who beat them to the punch. I also imagine it must be weird for the chosen candidate, who most likely did not expect for his personal website to be circulated to a bunch of disgruntled grad students and postdocs. All in all, it demonstrated a severe lack of class, leading me to suspect I'm better off in some ways not getting the position. Or at least, that's the latest addition to my list of rationalizations.
The combination of these two rejections has led me to dwell more and more on the future. Since my job responsibilities as a historian involve the past, you can imagine how this might lead to some distraction at work. Nevertheless, I have to be practical. In a few short months, this fellowship will end and I will be in a real bind unless I get my act together and figure out a backup plan. It seems that the only solution is to keep applying, rejection be damned, and hope that somehow things will work out for the best.
(3) comments
You would think I would be used to it by now. It's not like I haven't been rejected before. College admissions, grad school programs, and perhaps it's best if I avoid discussing my luck, or lack thereof, with members of the opposite sex. And indeed, as I started to compile job applications over the past few months, I did so knowing that in all likelihood the vast majority would be rejected. It's simply par for the course given the job market for academics.
Why? Well, for one thing there simply aren't that many positions available. In addition, the positions that are available are often advertised using very generic language, even when a department is seeking to fill a very specific niche. For example, a job posting might claim they were looking for a historian of technology, when what they really want is someone to teach a survey course on the Industrial Revolution. Broader categories permit departments to cast a wide net, ensuring that they have a pool of sufficiently qualified applicants from which to choose. Yet they also lead people who are unaware of departmental preferences to apply for jobs that they have absolutely no chance of getting. Compounding these problems is the fact that there are a lot of very smart people applying for a relatively small number of posts.
These are the things I told myself at the outset and I repeat them like a mantra over and over as I hear about the colleague who has two interviews in a week or the myriad of sample job talks being given by friends up at Old Ivy. Or, as is so often the case, when I don't hear anything, not even a simple e-mail informing me that I didn't make the short-list for a job. Failure is simply part of the game.
And yet even bearing these things in mind, this week has been particularly frustrating. Bookended by a pair of equal yet opposite rejections, it has once again given me pause about my long-term prospects. The rejections were equal in the sense that in both cases I was turned down for a position--one was a fellowship and one was a faculty job. Neither was a perfect match for my research, but they were close enough that I felt as though I had a strong shot. It would seem that I was incorrect in that assessment.
Actually, that isn't quite true, but to explain why requires some elaboration upon the "opposite" aspect alluded to above. Because despite their similarity in outcome, the two rejections in question were polar opposites in terms of professionalism. In the case of rejection #1, the rejection was delivered via telephone by the fellowship director, who expressed admiration for my credentials but explained that administrative policies precluded my acceptance at this time. Though I was disappointed with the outcome, I figured that so far as job rejections go, this was about as good as things could get. The rejection was handled in a courteous, personal manner and I left feeling as though I was merely unlucky rather than outright unqualified.
Contrast this with the rejection I received this afternoon. This was one of the first positions to which I applied. I submitted my application in mid-September and with the exception of a single e-mail indicating that they had obtained my documentation, I heard nothing. For four months. Nothing. I assumed, rightly as it turned out, that I had not made the short list and that I would, as was so often the case, receive no additional news about the job. Oh, how wrong I was. Instead, today I received a generic e-mail informing me that I had not received the position. Not surprising in and of itself, but the committee chair then proceeded to congratulate the one person who did receive the position. There was also a link to the successful candidate's website, just in case one wanted to learn more about their research and credentials.
Here was the complete antithesis of my Monday rejection--impersonal, impolite, and downright disheartening. Believe me, the last thing someone wants when they get rejected from a job is hear about how great the person was who beat them to the punch. I also imagine it must be weird for the chosen candidate, who most likely did not expect for his personal website to be circulated to a bunch of disgruntled grad students and postdocs. All in all, it demonstrated a severe lack of class, leading me to suspect I'm better off in some ways not getting the position. Or at least, that's the latest addition to my list of rationalizations.
The combination of these two rejections has led me to dwell more and more on the future. Since my job responsibilities as a historian involve the past, you can imagine how this might lead to some distraction at work. Nevertheless, I have to be practical. In a few short months, this fellowship will end and I will be in a real bind unless I get my act together and figure out a backup plan. It seems that the only solution is to keep applying, rejection be damned, and hope that somehow things will work out for the best.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
How Few Remain
When I started blogging in 2003, I considered myself a relative latecomer. Several of my friends had established online journals during college, but during that time I was content to comment on their thoughts rather than post any of my own. That changed when I started teaching and found myself, more than ever before, yearning for a place to record my thoughts and share them with my family and friends. And so I staked out this little patch of Internet real estate and the rest, as they say, is history.
One fun part of blogging, and arguably something that kept me writing with somewhat greater regularity during those early years, was being part of a larger community of people who read and commented on each other's work. Some of these were high school or college friends, others were people with a shared interest in teaching, and a few were just well-intentioned readers who had stumbled upon this site and enjoyed what they found. Over time, however, these numbers dwindled. People who had once been regular contributors, both to their own blogs and this one, started to find other ways to pass the time. Some got married or had children, others simply moved on to bigger and better things. Even after I implemented comments in an attempt to muster up some participation, it seemed like another case of "too little, too late." The blogging wave had passed, eclipsed by other forms of social media that were less time-consuming.
Obviously, this has not stopped me from continuing to post, albeit at a somewhat diminished rate, my thoughts about life as an academic. But I can't force anyone else to do the same. To reflect the changing contours of my personal blogosphere, I have therefore taken it upon myself to winnow down the Invisible Blogroll. Among the sites removed this time around are some run by my closest friends and some by people I have never met. I've never been too keen on change, and I confess that it saddens me to see how few links remain on this list. Still, it is possible that some of those removed might revive their websites and begin posting more regularly, in which case it will be my pleasure to restore their presence on this site. Until then, however, time marches on and so does the Invisible Ben...
(1) comments
When I started blogging in 2003, I considered myself a relative latecomer. Several of my friends had established online journals during college, but during that time I was content to comment on their thoughts rather than post any of my own. That changed when I started teaching and found myself, more than ever before, yearning for a place to record my thoughts and share them with my family and friends. And so I staked out this little patch of Internet real estate and the rest, as they say, is history.
One fun part of blogging, and arguably something that kept me writing with somewhat greater regularity during those early years, was being part of a larger community of people who read and commented on each other's work. Some of these were high school or college friends, others were people with a shared interest in teaching, and a few were just well-intentioned readers who had stumbled upon this site and enjoyed what they found. Over time, however, these numbers dwindled. People who had once been regular contributors, both to their own blogs and this one, started to find other ways to pass the time. Some got married or had children, others simply moved on to bigger and better things. Even after I implemented comments in an attempt to muster up some participation, it seemed like another case of "too little, too late." The blogging wave had passed, eclipsed by other forms of social media that were less time-consuming.
Obviously, this has not stopped me from continuing to post, albeit at a somewhat diminished rate, my thoughts about life as an academic. But I can't force anyone else to do the same. To reflect the changing contours of my personal blogosphere, I have therefore taken it upon myself to winnow down the Invisible Blogroll. Among the sites removed this time around are some run by my closest friends and some by people I have never met. I've never been too keen on change, and I confess that it saddens me to see how few links remain on this list. Still, it is possible that some of those removed might revive their websites and begin posting more regularly, in which case it will be my pleasure to restore their presence on this site. Until then, however, time marches on and so does the Invisible Ben...
Monday, January 16, 2012
Contest Answers, At Your Service
Happy Martin Luther King Day, Invisible Readership! Because of the federal holiday, my office was closed so I spent much of the day catching up on long overdue errands and straightening the apartment. Admittedly, such activities are far removed from the ideal of public service that has come to be associated with Dr. King's birthday, but they needed to get done. Perhaps next year, I'll have an opportunity to be more civic-minded, assuming I'm not bogged down with work. Of course, that assumes that my so far dismal job hunt can turn around in the not too distant future, but so does pretty much every other aspect of my life these days. It's hard to focus on the here and now when the there and then remain, for all intents and purposes, inscrutable.
Fortunately, this blog is one area of my life over which I am likely to retain at least a modicum of control, no matter what new grenades the future lobs my way. Which is perhaps an appropriate metaphor for this year's movie quote contest because in retrospect it turned out to be a bit of a bomb. Whether due to overly steep question difficulty or a general lack of interest, I received only a single set of answers to this year's quiz from Analecta, making her the winner by default. By earning the 2011 Invisible Medal for Undisputed Knowledge of Cinematic Minutiae, Analecta distinguishes herself by becoming the second person to win this blog's annual movie quote contest twice. Definitely something worth adding to her already crowded curriculum vitae!
Anyhow, just in case anyone else is interested, here are all the answers. Maybe next year, we'll have a slightly more competitive field:
1. “Earn this.”
Saving Private Ryan
2. “This is Chad Bradford. He's the most undervalued pitcher in baseball. His only flaw is that he throws funny. This guy should be worth millions. We can get him for $237,000.”
Moneyball
3. “That's very funny. Ho, ho, ho. The crooner is now becoming the comic.”
White Christmas
4. “They'll talk to ya and talk to ya and talk to ya about individual freedom. But they see a free individual, it's gonna scare 'em.”
Easy Rider
5. “A man... a statesman... is to be killed... assassinated in London. Soon... very soon. Tell them in London... tell them to try Ambrose Chapel...”
The Man Who Knew Too Much
6. “You stupid, ignorant, son of a bitch, dumb bastard! Jesus Christ, I met some dumb bastards in time, but you outdo them all! Get over there!”
Silver Streak
7. “Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?”
Rush Hour
8. “I just saw the most amazing thing in my entire life!”
“First you gotta do the truffle shuffle.”
The Goonies
9. “This simple feeling is beyond V'ger's comprehension.”
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
10. “Head cocked to the left, partial deafness in ear: first point of attack. Two: throat; paralyze vocal chords, stop scream. Three: got to be a heavy drinker, floating rib to the liver. Four: finally, drag in left leg, fist to patella.”
Sherlock Holmes
11. “What have you done? Thousands of years of building and rebuilding, creating and recreating so you can let it crumble to dust. A million years of sensitive men dying for their dreams...FOR WHAT? So you can swim and dance and play.”
The Time Machine
12. Here's a tragedy for you. Jessica's Girl has bronchitis and can't possibly last the night. Jessica's Girl is a horse. Poor Jessica's Girl.
Dark Victory
13. “You don't like her. My mother don't like her. She's a dog, and I'm a fat, ugly man! Well, all I know is I had a good time last night. I'm gonna have a good time tonight. If we have enough good times together, I'm gonna get down on my knees. I'm gonna beg that girl to marry me.”
Marty
14. “They drummed you out of Hollywood, so you come crawling back to Broadway. But Broadway doesn't go for booze and dope. Now get out of my way, I've got a man waiting for me.”
Valley of the Dolls
15. “You are the twelfth in a long line of governesses who have come here to look after my children since their mother died. I trust you will be an improvement on the last one. She stayed only two hours.”
The Sound of Music
16. “You know there's a drunk sitting at the first table who looks exactly like you? And one who looks exactly like me. Dull, isn't it?”
Go West
17. “I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”
When Harry Met Sally
18. “When someone says 'We've got people everywhere,' you expect it to be hyperbole! Lots of people say that. Florists use that expression. It doesn't mean that they've got somebody working for them inside the bloody room!”
Quantum of Solace
19. “If I have been feeling worried or sad during the day, I have a habit of recalling scenes from childhood to calm me. So it was this evening.”
Wild Strawberries
20. “We will shoot some arrows into the white man. If he truly has medicine, he will not be hurt. If he has no medicine, he will be dead.”
Dances With Wolves
21.”When your wondering what to say or how you look just remember she is already out with you. That means, she said yes, when she could've said no. That means she made a plan when she could've just blown you off. So that means it is no longer you job to make her like you. It's your job not to mess it up.”
Hitch
22. “'He's three years old, gentle as a kitten, and likes dogs.' I wonder whether Mark means that he eats dogs or is fond of them?”
Bringing Up Baby
23. “But one thing's sure. Inspector Clay is dead! Murdered! And somebody's responsible!”
Plan 9 From Outer Space
24. “I'm going to sit in the car and whistle Rule Britannia.”
Get Carter
25. “I'd like to make her look a little more attractive. How far can you pull back?”
“How do you feel about Cleveland?”
Tootsie
26. “Basically, there's three grabbers, three taggers, five twig runners, and a player at Whackbat. Center tagger lights a pine cone and chucks it over the basket and the whack-batter tries to hit the cedar stick off the cross rock. Then the twig runners dash back and forth until the pine cone burns out and the umpire calls hotbox.”
Fantastic Mr. Fox
27. “We know that you know, Mr. Caul. For your own sake, don't get involved any further. We'll be listening to you.”
The Conversation
28. “Know this, son of Coul. You and I, we fight for the same cause: the protection of this world. From this day forward, you can count me in as your ally, if you return the items you have taken from Jane.”
Thor
29. “Man, you come right out of a comic book!”
Enter the Dragon
30. “There's three things in this world that you need: Respect for all kinds of life, a nice bowel movement on a regular basis, and a navy blazer."
The Fisher King
31. “Looks like we got us a sow here, instead of a boar. I bet you can squeal. I bet you can squeal like a pig!”
Deliverance
32. “Why can't you scientists leave things alone? What about my bit of washing when there's no washing to do?”
The Man in the White Suit
33. “I get it. You're here to show me my past, and I'm supposed to get all dully-eyed and mushy. Well, forget it, pal, you got the wrong guy!”
Scrooged
34. “Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son.”
Animal House
35. “Well, our object collision budget's a million dollars. That allows us to track about 3% of the sky, and beggin' your pardon sir, but it's a big-ass sky!”
Armageddon
36. “Can I form a government? Can I levy a tax, declare a war? No! And yet I am the seat of all authority. Why? Because the nation believes that when I speak, I speak for them. But I can't speak.”
The King's Speech
37. “I am acting on Mr. Gilbert's instructions. Mr. Gilbert desires the Japanese appearance, and what Mr. Gilbert desires, Mr. Gilbert must have! Fait accompli!”
Topsy Turvy
38. “Elias was full of shit. Elias was a crusader. Now I got no problem with any man does what he's told, but when he don't, the machine breaks down. And when the machine breaks down, we break down. And I'm not gonna allow that, from any of you. Not one.”
Platoon
39. “Most women use more brains picking a horse in the third at Belmont than they do picking a husband.”
How to Marry a Millionaire
40. “Trench. Sylvia Trench. I admire your luck, Mister...?”
Dr. No
41. “How you served five years under her, I don't know. You deserve a medal, or a holiday or at least a cuddle from somebody.”
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
42. “We're gonna nurse you back to health. And you're strong, Cady. You're gonna live a long life... in a cage! That's where you belong and that's where you're going. And this time for life!”
Cape Fear
43. “I am Ahmad bin Ali. I am the caid of Assari. It was I that called out 'Yellow Rose of Texas.' Perhaps you would care to entertain at my worthless palace?”
Ishtar
44. “Excuse me, what are you guys doing here in the middle of the street?”
“Well, I'm putting these chickens in crates, and stacking them right here. Jim's job is to make sure we always have plenty of watermelons.”
Wayne's World 2
45. “It feels like we just mentioned a really important plot point.”
“I hope so, or we bored the audience half to death for nothing.”
The Muppets
46. “I'm sorry my sister turned you parents into pigs, but there's nothing I can do. Its just the way things are. You'll have to help your parents and Haku by yourself. Use what you remember about them.”
Spirited Away
47. “Lawyers should never marry other lawyers. This is called in-breeding; from this comes idiot children...and other lawyers.”
Adam's Rib
48. “Some days, you just can't get rid of a bomb!”
Batman [The Adam West film from 1966!]
49. “Now listen to me, my tough little friend. I don't know from under what stone you crawled, or where you get these ridiculous ideas about me, but it seems painfully obvious you haven't the slightest fucking idea who you're dealing with. Now, my advice to you is crawl back to your little stone in Detroit before you get squashed.”
Beverly Hills Cop
50. “Mr. Daniel?”
“I'm FINISHED!”
There Will Be Blood
(0) comments
Happy Martin Luther King Day, Invisible Readership! Because of the federal holiday, my office was closed so I spent much of the day catching up on long overdue errands and straightening the apartment. Admittedly, such activities are far removed from the ideal of public service that has come to be associated with Dr. King's birthday, but they needed to get done. Perhaps next year, I'll have an opportunity to be more civic-minded, assuming I'm not bogged down with work. Of course, that assumes that my so far dismal job hunt can turn around in the not too distant future, but so does pretty much every other aspect of my life these days. It's hard to focus on the here and now when the there and then remain, for all intents and purposes, inscrutable.
Fortunately, this blog is one area of my life over which I am likely to retain at least a modicum of control, no matter what new grenades the future lobs my way. Which is perhaps an appropriate metaphor for this year's movie quote contest because in retrospect it turned out to be a bit of a bomb. Whether due to overly steep question difficulty or a general lack of interest, I received only a single set of answers to this year's quiz from Analecta, making her the winner by default. By earning the 2011 Invisible Medal for Undisputed Knowledge of Cinematic Minutiae, Analecta distinguishes herself by becoming the second person to win this blog's annual movie quote contest twice. Definitely something worth adding to her already crowded curriculum vitae!
Anyhow, just in case anyone else is interested, here are all the answers. Maybe next year, we'll have a slightly more competitive field:
1. “Earn this.”
Saving Private Ryan
2. “This is Chad Bradford. He's the most undervalued pitcher in baseball. His only flaw is that he throws funny. This guy should be worth millions. We can get him for $237,000.”
Moneyball
3. “That's very funny. Ho, ho, ho. The crooner is now becoming the comic.”
White Christmas
4. “They'll talk to ya and talk to ya and talk to ya about individual freedom. But they see a free individual, it's gonna scare 'em.”
Easy Rider
5. “A man... a statesman... is to be killed... assassinated in London. Soon... very soon. Tell them in London... tell them to try Ambrose Chapel...”
The Man Who Knew Too Much
6. “You stupid, ignorant, son of a bitch, dumb bastard! Jesus Christ, I met some dumb bastards in time, but you outdo them all! Get over there!”
Silver Streak
7. “Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?”
Rush Hour
8. “I just saw the most amazing thing in my entire life!”
“First you gotta do the truffle shuffle.”
The Goonies
9. “This simple feeling is beyond V'ger's comprehension.”
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
10. “Head cocked to the left, partial deafness in ear: first point of attack. Two: throat; paralyze vocal chords, stop scream. Three: got to be a heavy drinker, floating rib to the liver. Four: finally, drag in left leg, fist to patella.”
Sherlock Holmes
11. “What have you done? Thousands of years of building and rebuilding, creating and recreating so you can let it crumble to dust. A million years of sensitive men dying for their dreams...FOR WHAT? So you can swim and dance and play.”
The Time Machine
12. Here's a tragedy for you. Jessica's Girl has bronchitis and can't possibly last the night. Jessica's Girl is a horse. Poor Jessica's Girl.
Dark Victory
13. “You don't like her. My mother don't like her. She's a dog, and I'm a fat, ugly man! Well, all I know is I had a good time last night. I'm gonna have a good time tonight. If we have enough good times together, I'm gonna get down on my knees. I'm gonna beg that girl to marry me.”
Marty
14. “They drummed you out of Hollywood, so you come crawling back to Broadway. But Broadway doesn't go for booze and dope. Now get out of my way, I've got a man waiting for me.”
Valley of the Dolls
15. “You are the twelfth in a long line of governesses who have come here to look after my children since their mother died. I trust you will be an improvement on the last one. She stayed only two hours.”
The Sound of Music
16. “You know there's a drunk sitting at the first table who looks exactly like you? And one who looks exactly like me. Dull, isn't it?”
Go West
17. “I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”
When Harry Met Sally
18. “When someone says 'We've got people everywhere,' you expect it to be hyperbole! Lots of people say that. Florists use that expression. It doesn't mean that they've got somebody working for them inside the bloody room!”
Quantum of Solace
19. “If I have been feeling worried or sad during the day, I have a habit of recalling scenes from childhood to calm me. So it was this evening.”
Wild Strawberries
20. “We will shoot some arrows into the white man. If he truly has medicine, he will not be hurt. If he has no medicine, he will be dead.”
Dances With Wolves
21.”When your wondering what to say or how you look just remember she is already out with you. That means, she said yes, when she could've said no. That means she made a plan when she could've just blown you off. So that means it is no longer you job to make her like you. It's your job not to mess it up.”
Hitch
22. “'He's three years old, gentle as a kitten, and likes dogs.' I wonder whether Mark means that he eats dogs or is fond of them?”
Bringing Up Baby
23. “But one thing's sure. Inspector Clay is dead! Murdered! And somebody's responsible!”
Plan 9 From Outer Space
24. “I'm going to sit in the car and whistle Rule Britannia.”
Get Carter
25. “I'd like to make her look a little more attractive. How far can you pull back?”
“How do you feel about Cleveland?”
Tootsie
26. “Basically, there's three grabbers, three taggers, five twig runners, and a player at Whackbat. Center tagger lights a pine cone and chucks it over the basket and the whack-batter tries to hit the cedar stick off the cross rock. Then the twig runners dash back and forth until the pine cone burns out and the umpire calls hotbox.”
Fantastic Mr. Fox
27. “We know that you know, Mr. Caul. For your own sake, don't get involved any further. We'll be listening to you.”
The Conversation
28. “Know this, son of Coul. You and I, we fight for the same cause: the protection of this world. From this day forward, you can count me in as your ally, if you return the items you have taken from Jane.”
Thor
29. “Man, you come right out of a comic book!”
Enter the Dragon
30. “There's three things in this world that you need: Respect for all kinds of life, a nice bowel movement on a regular basis, and a navy blazer."
The Fisher King
31. “Looks like we got us a sow here, instead of a boar. I bet you can squeal. I bet you can squeal like a pig!”
Deliverance
32. “Why can't you scientists leave things alone? What about my bit of washing when there's no washing to do?”
The Man in the White Suit
33. “I get it. You're here to show me my past, and I'm supposed to get all dully-eyed and mushy. Well, forget it, pal, you got the wrong guy!”
Scrooged
34. “Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son.”
Animal House
35. “Well, our object collision budget's a million dollars. That allows us to track about 3% of the sky, and beggin' your pardon sir, but it's a big-ass sky!”
Armageddon
36. “Can I form a government? Can I levy a tax, declare a war? No! And yet I am the seat of all authority. Why? Because the nation believes that when I speak, I speak for them. But I can't speak.”
The King's Speech
37. “I am acting on Mr. Gilbert's instructions. Mr. Gilbert desires the Japanese appearance, and what Mr. Gilbert desires, Mr. Gilbert must have! Fait accompli!”
Topsy Turvy
38. “Elias was full of shit. Elias was a crusader. Now I got no problem with any man does what he's told, but when he don't, the machine breaks down. And when the machine breaks down, we break down. And I'm not gonna allow that, from any of you. Not one.”
Platoon
39. “Most women use more brains picking a horse in the third at Belmont than they do picking a husband.”
How to Marry a Millionaire
40. “Trench. Sylvia Trench. I admire your luck, Mister...?”
Dr. No
41. “How you served five years under her, I don't know. You deserve a medal, or a holiday or at least a cuddle from somebody.”
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
42. “We're gonna nurse you back to health. And you're strong, Cady. You're gonna live a long life... in a cage! That's where you belong and that's where you're going. And this time for life!”
Cape Fear
43. “I am Ahmad bin Ali. I am the caid of Assari. It was I that called out 'Yellow Rose of Texas.' Perhaps you would care to entertain at my worthless palace?”
Ishtar
44. “Excuse me, what are you guys doing here in the middle of the street?”
“Well, I'm putting these chickens in crates, and stacking them right here. Jim's job is to make sure we always have plenty of watermelons.”
Wayne's World 2
45. “It feels like we just mentioned a really important plot point.”
“I hope so, or we bored the audience half to death for nothing.”
The Muppets
46. “I'm sorry my sister turned you parents into pigs, but there's nothing I can do. Its just the way things are. You'll have to help your parents and Haku by yourself. Use what you remember about them.”
Spirited Away
47. “Lawyers should never marry other lawyers. This is called in-breeding; from this comes idiot children...and other lawyers.”
Adam's Rib
48. “Some days, you just can't get rid of a bomb!”
Batman [The Adam West film from 1966!]
49. “Now listen to me, my tough little friend. I don't know from under what stone you crawled, or where you get these ridiculous ideas about me, but it seems painfully obvious you haven't the slightest fucking idea who you're dealing with. Now, my advice to you is crawl back to your little stone in Detroit before you get squashed.”
Beverly Hills Cop
50. “Mr. Daniel?”
“I'm FINISHED!”
There Will Be Blood
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
Cold Days Ahead
2012 has arrived and while it isn't the end of the world (at least not yet), the unseasonably warm weather of the past few weeks has faded away. All that remains now are the cold realities of the season. In my case, those realities revolve around the fact that I have absolutely no idea where I am going to be when 2013 rolls around.
My postdoctoral fellowship is proceeding relatively smoothly, though my official responsibilities keep getting interrupted by new job or postdoctoral applications that have begun to prove incredibly frustrating. Thanks to the magic of the Internet, I know that with two exceptions every job for which I applied has passed me by like I was yesterday's garbage. The remaining two have, respectively: 1.) Not given out any information to anyone. 2.) Not officially closed the application process. I anticipate hearing from both by the end of the month.
In the meanwhile, several of my friends and colleagues have at least received interview requests, some from multiple schools. One woman I spoke to at work today indicated that she had interviews scheduled with six separate institutions! It's hard not to be a little envious of such individuals (After all, they're pretty much in the same position I am, and it's not their fault that the dice landed in their favor...), but I have tried to reconcile myself to the facts that the academic job market is tough and ascertaining what search committees actually want is nearly impossible. All one can do is try and so I have, to the best of my ability. Whether my failure primarily reflects the vagaries of the job market or my own scholarly deficiencies is impossible to tell. I tend to presume the combination is responsible for the effect.
Regardless, it appears that my future is more in flux than ever, which makes both more difficult and more essential to concentrate on the here and now. First and foremost, that means my work, whether that means transforming my dissertation into a book, working on case studies, or participating in other side projects. After that, the pub quiz, which has become, for good or ill, my primary source of social interaction beyond the occasional happy hour at work. Otherwise...well, I just got a jury duty notice in the mail today. And that's it, really.
January is shaping up to be a cold and lonely month. I can only hope that the rest of 2012 doesn't follow suit.
N.B. Speaking of loneliness, I will likely be culling the Invisible Blogroll soon to reflect the growing inactivity of its membership. If you want your blog to be kept on the list, either post something in the next few days or let me know in the comments below.
(0) comments
2012 has arrived and while it isn't the end of the world (at least not yet), the unseasonably warm weather of the past few weeks has faded away. All that remains now are the cold realities of the season. In my case, those realities revolve around the fact that I have absolutely no idea where I am going to be when 2013 rolls around.
My postdoctoral fellowship is proceeding relatively smoothly, though my official responsibilities keep getting interrupted by new job or postdoctoral applications that have begun to prove incredibly frustrating. Thanks to the magic of the Internet, I know that with two exceptions every job for which I applied has passed me by like I was yesterday's garbage. The remaining two have, respectively: 1.) Not given out any information to anyone. 2.) Not officially closed the application process. I anticipate hearing from both by the end of the month.
In the meanwhile, several of my friends and colleagues have at least received interview requests, some from multiple schools. One woman I spoke to at work today indicated that she had interviews scheduled with six separate institutions! It's hard not to be a little envious of such individuals (After all, they're pretty much in the same position I am, and it's not their fault that the dice landed in their favor...), but I have tried to reconcile myself to the facts that the academic job market is tough and ascertaining what search committees actually want is nearly impossible. All one can do is try and so I have, to the best of my ability. Whether my failure primarily reflects the vagaries of the job market or my own scholarly deficiencies is impossible to tell. I tend to presume the combination is responsible for the effect.
Regardless, it appears that my future is more in flux than ever, which makes both more difficult and more essential to concentrate on the here and now. First and foremost, that means my work, whether that means transforming my dissertation into a book, working on case studies, or participating in other side projects. After that, the pub quiz, which has become, for good or ill, my primary source of social interaction beyond the occasional happy hour at work. Otherwise...well, I just got a jury duty notice in the mail today. And that's it, really.
January is shaping up to be a cold and lonely month. I can only hope that the rest of 2012 doesn't follow suit.
N.B. Speaking of loneliness, I will likely be culling the Invisible Blogroll soon to reflect the growing inactivity of its membership. If you want your blog to be kept on the list, either post something in the next few days or let me know in the comments below.
