"Whatever happens, KEEP FLYING THE PLANE."

Very similar to my friend's advice about what to do if I hit a jack rabbit at night driving down to her place in West Texas.

I thought it was strange until I got there and realized that they basically just seem to sit by the road with freaky glowing eyes waiting to fling themselves at your car.

And, yes, I did eventually hit one that week.

The only thing I'm scared about hitting with my car (other than a human or someone's pet) is a deer. I knew someone once who had hit one while driving through the local forest preserve on the way home from work and his old Corolla was completely totalled.

Ginsburg is sad judiciary news. Will be hoping for the best possible recovery because I <3 her so.

Happier judiciary news: 9th Circuit smackdown of DOMA over unequal benefits to fed employees W00t!

I knew someone once who had hit one while driving through the local forest preserve on the way home from work and his old Corolla was completely totalled.

At one of my accounts in Michigan a woman died shortly after I started there--her husband was driving and hit a deer. Its hind legs went through the windshield and it kicked her to death trying to escape.

I also look at the money they paid toward my degree over the last 2 and a half years as a nice "bonus," so no hard feelings here.

Yes, very much this (over all 4 years), plus the help with relocation from CA to CO. They didn't pay a lot, but every bit helps.

One of the departments I've worked in here has dealt with Justice Ginsburg's husband as an outside author. It was before my time there, but the editor I worked with said he's an overall really nice guy. I hope everything goes well with her for both of their sakes, as well as the rest of their family and friends.

Well, more "it could be a hell of a lot worse" news from work--they just announced that this year's raise pool is lowered from 3% to 2%, and if anyone deserves more than 2% raise this year, they'll have to go through a lot of hoops to get it.

Yeah, we've basically gone to a standard where you better have sunbeams coming out of your ass to even be eligible for a raise. (And if you make over 200k - not an issue for me - not even that.)

We had our quarterly earnings call yesterday and it was, yeah, not fun. Though we actually held steady with last year, and until Q4 were still showing pretty strong growth.

But yeah, anyone carping about raises right now in any position is really not grasping the real world, methinks.

Yeah, we have been told no raises now, no raises next FY, and we have a hiring freeze unless the position is safety related.

A mid-year budget cut of 9% and next year anywhere from 6-10% will do that for you.

I got a call this morning asking to re-negotiate my contracts for both my salaried position and my design fee/budget for an upcoming show. Not good.

But yeah, anyone carping about raises right now in any position is really not grasping the real world, methinks.

Pretty much this. I know I've grumbled to myself when people in for-profit land get 10% and/or bonuses (where our standard is more like 2 or 3%)... Right now? I'm fully expecting 0, and damned happy to be in higher ed.