You know, as JC has said many times, one of the best things about leaving academe, whatever your reasons, whether you're a type 1 or type 2 leaver, is that when you leave your office in the evening and go home for the weekend, no matter how bad things have been (!!!), you are FREE, at least for a little while, to take a break and clear your head.
Y'all know CRAAAAZY doesn't even begin to describe how this week has been on many levels. But it's Friday evening. I'm going home. And I'm going to forget about all the madness for two days. Granted, last weekend, there were a few phone calls and I did say I'd be "reachable" by email but I still got to do more or less what I wanted to with most of my time. And, if you've figured out what I've been blogging about, you know that last weekend was TRULY an exception to anything resembling normal life.
Anyway, as I said, after all the drama this week, I'm heading out of the office to go enjoy my weekend. I'm going to do some yoga. Tidy up my house. Play with my cats. Go out to dinner with Peaches. Read a book. Watch a move.
And. Not. Think. About. Work.
Why? Because I don't have to. It will be waiting for me here on Monday, sure. But I don't need to think about it for now. The world is not going to end if I take a break and go live my own life for a few days.
And how many of you still running on academe's hamster wheel can say that?
Friday, May 11, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
"My life is not an experiment."
One of the saddest things about this whole mess I've been writing about these past few days is the degree to which Delusional Lunatic's actions have impacted Think Tank employees who had NOTHING whatsoever to do with DL's abominably stupid action, people who do not share the views that prompted it, whose work itself has nothing to do with the subject of Abominably Stupid Action, and yet who are nonetheless suffering the consequences not only in terms of their jobs being in jeopardy but in terms of their reputation. After all who would want to hire you after you worked for Delusional Lunatic? You must be a little crazy yourself. Why should we trust you?
While I think my team, ultimately, after a few tough transitional weeks/months, will land on its feet (and probably be better off in the long-run for making the break), nearly everybody in Think Tank's main office is boiling mad -- and rightfully so. DL acted (as I may or may not have mentioned before) without consulting either senior management, including my boss, or the Board of Directors. Rumor has it that ze did not do this because ze KNEW every single one of these people would have told hir NOT to do Abominably Stupid Thing. In other words, ze knew ze was playing with fire and that hir actions could have potentially far-reaching consequences, and yet ze chose not to consult the very people who would stopped hir from doing it. Those people would have recognized the risk to themselves and the rest of Think Tank's staff. Yet, it also seems fairly clear that DL recognized this risk, too, on some level. After the fallout started, DL went around saying Abominably Stupid Action was merely "an experiment" in getting the public to pay more attention to Crackpot Idea DL is committed to.
"My life is not an experiment."
That is what one of the senior managers said at a meeting DL organized earlier this week for the entire staff except my team which, of course, works in a different city (a few were participating via conference phone but not me). Apparently, afraid to criticize DL, nobody would speak up. It was uncomfortable, apparently, because everybody had been talking behind DL's back. Everybody was offended and incensed by what DL did, both because of its abominable stupidity and because it was done with so little thought for the consequences it would have for other people.
"My life is not an experiment."
Once Senior Manager said that, apparently, people opened up and let loose, When you're in a position of leadership within an organization, you don't fuck around with people's lives like that just to promote your Great Cause, whatever-the-fuck that happens to be. You don't pull stunts like this just so that you can be "controversial" or "provocative" or "outspoken." You don't put other people's reputations and livelihoods on the line for the sake of your own delusional self-aggrandizement. DLdid not apologize.
No amount of apologizing would do any good at this point, but nonetheless, in my opinion, DL personally owes an apology to the public and to the entire staff and soon-to-be former staff of Think Tank. You fucked up, dude, and delusional lunacy is NOT an excuse.
My. Life. Is. Not. An. Experiment.
In better news, we've worked out the severance agreement. Think Tank will pay us through May 31, plus whatever vacation is owed. In my case, that's 2 full weeks, so, in essence, another paycheck. We're also planning the launch of New Think Tank for June 1, and we should have all the payroll stuff worked out by early June, too, so that, ideally, no one will miss a paycheck (and mine will be significantly larger). By the terms of the agreement, we're under something of a gag rule until then, but the stories will get told in time ...
While I think my team, ultimately, after a few tough transitional weeks/months, will land on its feet (and probably be better off in the long-run for making the break), nearly everybody in Think Tank's main office is boiling mad -- and rightfully so. DL acted (as I may or may not have mentioned before) without consulting either senior management, including my boss, or the Board of Directors. Rumor has it that ze did not do this because ze KNEW every single one of these people would have told hir NOT to do Abominably Stupid Thing. In other words, ze knew ze was playing with fire and that hir actions could have potentially far-reaching consequences, and yet ze chose not to consult the very people who would stopped hir from doing it. Those people would have recognized the risk to themselves and the rest of Think Tank's staff. Yet, it also seems fairly clear that DL recognized this risk, too, on some level. After the fallout started, DL went around saying Abominably Stupid Action was merely "an experiment" in getting the public to pay more attention to Crackpot Idea DL is committed to.
"My life is not an experiment."
That is what one of the senior managers said at a meeting DL organized earlier this week for the entire staff except my team which, of course, works in a different city (a few were participating via conference phone but not me). Apparently, afraid to criticize DL, nobody would speak up. It was uncomfortable, apparently, because everybody had been talking behind DL's back. Everybody was offended and incensed by what DL did, both because of its abominable stupidity and because it was done with so little thought for the consequences it would have for other people.
"My life is not an experiment."
Once Senior Manager said that, apparently, people opened up and let loose, When you're in a position of leadership within an organization, you don't fuck around with people's lives like that just to promote your Great Cause, whatever-the-fuck that happens to be. You don't pull stunts like this just so that you can be "controversial" or "provocative" or "outspoken." You don't put other people's reputations and livelihoods on the line for the sake of your own delusional self-aggrandizement. DLdid not apologize.
No amount of apologizing would do any good at this point, but nonetheless, in my opinion, DL personally owes an apology to the public and to the entire staff and soon-to-be former staff of Think Tank. You fucked up, dude, and delusional lunacy is NOT an excuse.
My. Life. Is. Not. An. Experiment.
In better news, we've worked out the severance agreement. Think Tank will pay us through May 31, plus whatever vacation is owed. In my case, that's 2 full weeks, so, in essence, another paycheck. We're also planning the launch of New Think Tank for June 1, and we should have all the payroll stuff worked out by early June, too, so that, ideally, no one will miss a paycheck (and mine will be significantly larger). By the terms of the agreement, we're under something of a gag rule until then, but the stories will get told in time ...
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Crash Course in Accounting and Payroll
So, no real news on the severance agreement yet. Delusional Lunatic's attorney reviewed our proposal and sent a counter proposal. Then we sent back a counter proposal to the counter proposal. It's not fully or officially resolved yet, but at least we are talking and there will be some amount of severance pay (roughly a month).
In the meantime, I've been working on figuring out what it is exactly I will be doing at New Think Tank. Seems to be pretty much EVERYTHING an entire "support" staff would do. In addition to all the lesser things I've been doing all along, I will be in charge of accounting, payroll, expense tracking and reimbursement, invoicing ... it's possible we will contract payroll out to ADP or some other such service but I'd be the point of contact and responsible for tracking it in Quick Books ... We haven't worked out benefits administration yet ...
I have never done any of this stuff before.
Learning how it all works is, I suppose, worthwhile, if a bit tedious. There's also the issue of time. None of this is rocket science, but time is of the essence. We need to be up and running SOON. People get mad if they don't get paid for work or reimbursed for expenses (including me!). And if there's a fuck-up in tracking incoming and outgoing funds, that's a problem, too.
So, it's difficult and tenuous. But if everything goes according to plan, I get a big raise once the severance is complete and we're a completely new entity. And we are free of our ties to Delusional Lunatic and Toxic Brand and free to continue doing what we did before under a new name with all of the support of previous donors.
There is also the possibility that Other Possibility I alluded to in comments to the Fallout post will become reality, but that and its back story are the subject of another post. Even if it does, it wouldn't start until July, so I'd stll be doing this transition stuff while possibly looking for and training a replacement ...
In the meantime, I've been working on figuring out what it is exactly I will be doing at New Think Tank. Seems to be pretty much EVERYTHING an entire "support" staff would do. In addition to all the lesser things I've been doing all along, I will be in charge of accounting, payroll, expense tracking and reimbursement, invoicing ... it's possible we will contract payroll out to ADP or some other such service but I'd be the point of contact and responsible for tracking it in Quick Books ... We haven't worked out benefits administration yet ...
I have never done any of this stuff before.
Learning how it all works is, I suppose, worthwhile, if a bit tedious. There's also the issue of time. None of this is rocket science, but time is of the essence. We need to be up and running SOON. People get mad if they don't get paid for work or reimbursed for expenses (including me!). And if there's a fuck-up in tracking incoming and outgoing funds, that's a problem, too.
So, it's difficult and tenuous. But if everything goes according to plan, I get a big raise once the severance is complete and we're a completely new entity. And we are free of our ties to Delusional Lunatic and Toxic Brand and free to continue doing what we did before under a new name with all of the support of previous donors.
There is also the possibility that Other Possibility I alluded to in comments to the Fallout post will become reality, but that and its back story are the subject of another post. Even if it does, it wouldn't start until July, so I'd stll be doing this transition stuff while possibly looking for and training a replacement ...
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
The Silence Is Deafening
We have been waiting all day to find out whether the lawyers have reached a severance agreement.
No word yet. In fact, no communications at all from Delusional Lunatic's office.
Is there a psychological term for projecting onto your perceived enemies the very qualities that impair your own judgment? Projection -- yes, perhaps that's it! And paranoia, too. Everyone, clearly, is out to get Delusional Lunatic. The Bubble Gum Shit Theory of Planet Earth experts, activists, and their sympathizers in the media. Oh, and wait, all your donors, supporters, and staff, too! What did you expect? Are you in touch with reality? No, it's everybody else that's out of touch with reality!!
At this point, we just want to be done with the whole mess and free to move forward. Seems like they're holding us hostage by holding up the negotiations process. If they don't like our proposal for severance, they should make a counter proposal. It's mind-boggling and maddening, but, then, we are dealing with a delusional lunatic ...
No word yet. In fact, no communications at all from Delusional Lunatic's office.
Is there a psychological term for projecting onto your perceived enemies the very qualities that impair your own judgment? Projection -- yes, perhaps that's it! And paranoia, too. Everyone, clearly, is out to get Delusional Lunatic. The Bubble Gum Shit Theory of Planet Earth experts, activists, and their sympathizers in the media. Oh, and wait, all your donors, supporters, and staff, too! What did you expect? Are you in touch with reality? No, it's everybody else that's out of touch with reality!!
At this point, we just want to be done with the whole mess and free to move forward. Seems like they're holding us hostage by holding up the negotiations process. If they don't like our proposal for severance, they should make a counter proposal. It's mind-boggling and maddening, but, then, we are dealing with a delusional lunatic ...
You know it's bad when ...
You know it's bad when Fox News describes something a conservative or conservative organization did as "shocking."
Yes, the thing referred to in the previous post that Delusional Lunatic did was "shocking." Only, Think Tank, collectively, has taken the blame because the public doesn't know that Delusional Lunatic was acting alone. And since Delusional Lunatic is also Think Tank's CEO (previously referred to here as Think Tank Boss's Boss), nobody is likely to find out anytime soon. People's jobs are already at risk because it's possible Think Tank will simply implode in the not too distant future. Nobody wants to get fired before that happens for pointing fingers without a solid contingency plan in place.
Hence Project Mutiny (see comments to previous post). Think Tank's "brand" has become irreparably damaged. It's not only toxic but radioactive. Donors have been pulling out en masse. Delusional Lunatic's action was what you could literally call, already, a million dollar mistake, but Delusional Lunatic isn't apologizing or acknowledging any wrong doing.
In other words, Delusional Lunatic has destroyed our capacity to raise money and do work. An apology probably wouldn't do any good anyway. The damage has already been done, and Project Mutiny is the only answer. The lawyers are still negotiating over a severance agreement, and today I will be taking care of getting tax ID numbers and other matters related to setting up New Think Tank. One major donor that withdrew from Think Tank has promised to provide New Think Tank with liquidity for the first few months while it gets on its feet.
Yes, the thing referred to in the previous post that Delusional Lunatic did was "shocking." Only, Think Tank, collectively, has taken the blame because the public doesn't know that Delusional Lunatic was acting alone. And since Delusional Lunatic is also Think Tank's CEO (previously referred to here as Think Tank Boss's Boss), nobody is likely to find out anytime soon. People's jobs are already at risk because it's possible Think Tank will simply implode in the not too distant future. Nobody wants to get fired before that happens for pointing fingers without a solid contingency plan in place.
Hence Project Mutiny (see comments to previous post). Think Tank's "brand" has become irreparably damaged. It's not only toxic but radioactive. Donors have been pulling out en masse. Delusional Lunatic's action was what you could literally call, already, a million dollar mistake, but Delusional Lunatic isn't apologizing or acknowledging any wrong doing.
In other words, Delusional Lunatic has destroyed our capacity to raise money and do work. An apology probably wouldn't do any good anyway. The damage has already been done, and Project Mutiny is the only answer. The lawyers are still negotiating over a severance agreement, and today I will be taking care of getting tax ID numbers and other matters related to setting up New Think Tank. One major donor that withdrew from Think Tank has promised to provide New Think Tank with liquidity for the first few months while it gets on its feet.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Fallout
Dear Delusional Lunatic,
You accomplished on your own everything I had hoped to and more. When I set my sights on sabotaging your project, I never imagined things could have possibly turned out so well.
Thanks for finishing what I started. I only wish I could take credit, but you hit the self-destruct button all by your lonesome, depraved, delusional self.
Good luck screwing over your entire staff. I'm sure they deeply appreciate what you've done.
Yours truly,
Unethical Asshole
You accomplished on your own everything I had hoped to and more. When I set my sights on sabotaging your project, I never imagined things could have possibly turned out so well.
Thanks for finishing what I started. I only wish I could take credit, but you hit the self-destruct button all by your lonesome, depraved, delusional self.
Good luck screwing over your entire staff. I'm sure they deeply appreciate what you've done.
Yours truly,
Unethical Asshole
Friday, May 4, 2012
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