Extra Extra

Have you ever noticed that when you make a purchase, the salespeople try to talk you into buying all sorts of extras you really don’t need? They waste our time with a whole spiel (and yes, they are required to do it, and you could feel sorry for them, in some small way) and then seem personally affronted when you politely say no. They often try to talk you into it, even when you have said no. In my freelance work, I don’t try to sell more than what the customers want or need. They tell me what the project is and I give them prices and delivery dates. End of story. Why can’t it be that way when you make purchases in other situations?

--Curly

You Haven’t Come a Long Way, Baby

This may turn into an annual rant, but I am getting really tired of the baby stuff. I work in academia, and you’d think that the relatively career-focused and relatively liberal people there would be a bit more thoughtful. Instead, they continue to talk up the joys of parenthood and they encourage me to try it out, too. And in the meantime, they give childless me plenty of work they don’t want to do or can’t do due to their childcare commitments.

Enough with the baby nonsense already! Don’t punish me for not having kids and don’t assume I ought to or want to have them myself.

--Curly

Work Doesn’t Do a Body Good

This is such a boring rant, but my work is stressing me out beyond belief. I have one particularly difficult colleague who doesn’t seem to like me and who makes things difficult for me. And I also have an awful lot of work to do. Some days I wish things were different at work, even though ultimately I know I’m lucky to have the job I do.

--Curly

Ranting about Students: Part 6

I thought I would take a break from ranting about students, but as the summer is getting on and students are looking for jobs and/or are applying for the next level of education, I have more to rant about.

Some students tell you they’ve used you as a reference after the fact; i.e., they casually mention that they’ve put you down as a reference after they’ve already submitted their applications. Some don’t even tell you that much, so that sometimes you end up getting asked questions about a student or asked for a reference and you aren’t prepared for it at all.

If you are going to use someone as a reference, I think you should ask for permission first. Then, with the person’s approval, list his/her contact details, not before.

--Curly