Update on Norma Rae

So the Conciliator came up with an agreement that the Union is recommending. It basically sounds like UN Resolution 242--worded vaguely on purpose.

"All assigned duties of the Teaching Assistant are part of the Teaching
Assistant’s work, including any revision of objectives as provided for in
11.02.03 and nothing in this Workload Form detracts from the Course
Supervisor’s pedagogical autonomy in the exercise of her academic duties."

Thanks for clearing that up!

Porkins: Hero of the Red Squadron

Perhaps I should make a note of something. I did not compare myself to Jek Porkins in a previous post as a way of insulting myself. Porkins was a great hero who died trying to destroy the first Death Star. (How strange that his last name was such a self-fulfilling prophecy, though.)

My friends Gilby and Alfonse have a group of guy friends who for years did a holiday gift exchange. The rule was to bring one gift, and people chose them randomly (including girlfriends/wives) but if you went after someone else, you could steal their gift and give them your lousy one.

Alfonse, who clearly has excellent taste, one year brought the Porkins action figure. I was terribly jealous! I forget who won him, but not someone very excited by him, because they regifted poor Porkins the next year! And then someone's wife got him, who also had no interest in him. When I heard of this, I was shocked. I begged Gilby to reclaim Porkins for me, should he be regifted again. He was of course, and Gilby snatched him up for me.

When we went to see the final Star Wars movie as part of Gilby's Bachelor Party Day I stuck Porkins into my jacket breast pocket (I think I also had a sign that said "Porkins: Regifted No More") and wore him to the movie theatre where all G's friends could see him and feel shame.

Hard-won Porkins is the pride of my Star Wars collection.

If it's Sunday it Must Be Vancouver

Sleepy day in Chilly Vancouver. Watched tv with the Madre, did some microwave cooking. Now I'm tootling around on the internets, reading randomness.

So here's one of my randomnesses. I like Robert Downey Jr. But I can never remember what I've seen him in, that has led me to like him so much. He did some silly romantic comedies that weren't very good--couldn't be for those. So I had to google him.


The first big film I loved him in was Chaplin. Great acting, and looked the part. (Ever seen Chaplin without his Tramp makeup? Very cute.)


He had a funny part in Wonder Boys which reminded me how great he is; and the only time I watched Ally MacBeal was when he was on. Also has a nice singing voice.

But it must have been Restoration that made the biggest impact on me, after Chaplin. I love both the movie and the novel, which is about a young man in Restoration England, who has a natural gift for healing people, but is partying his life away. And it's only after various highs and lows that he grows up and awakens to this gift (he is restored, get it? Huh huh?)

Downey has had about 9 lives, thanks to all the people who've given him chances in Hollywood, over and over again. I hope he's out of the drugs for good this time, but it won't surprise me if he backslides. Hopefully he'll backslide after an Iron Man II, but before a III, because the 3rd movie of most trilogies sucks.