Well, if the salary posted in the ad is for 180-day and not reduced by 1/4, I would be happy working more than 180 days for that amount of money (it's good). If they reduce it by 1/4, I'd probably resent working more than 180 days.

The kids knew this was a job interview, and they're all, "We don't want you to get a job." Argh.

flea,

so is this an "academic" position where Sophia is right, most faculty have 9 or 10-month contracts.

I have a 10 month contract right now, but I work all the time and never get all of my work done. My salary though is something I can't complain about and I am paid the 10 month salary across 12 months.

For faculty, it is a "benefit" to have a 9- or 10- month contract because we can get grants to pay for "summer salary" up to 3 months a year. Are you able to work extra during the summer (e.g. teach, etc.) to add to your salary?

I'm also on a 9-month contract, which I have paid out over 12 months.

No, I would not be able to teach. I'd actually welcome the time off, if I were able to tweak it to work with my kids' school breaks, for example. But I don't know how realistic that is in the context of adequately supporting the academic mission of the library - to take off 45 days DURING the semesters (this is a community college, so summers are very active.) 180 days is only 36 work weeks a year! I am used to working 49-50 weeks a year. (There are only 2 faculty librarians out of a staff of 10-12, and I think the non-faculty are on 12-month contracts, so actually opening the library would be able to continue, but I would be the only full-time reference librarian able to visit classes, for example.)

flea,

sounds like they want you to work 4 days a week, 15 weeks, 3 terms.

Cashmere,

lot's of 'ma coming your way.

Huh, that might work, actually.

Aww, Cash, family~ma.

Go you on the good interview, flea! Hope it works out to be something good for you, schedule-wise.

Oy, Cash! Good luck to your fam.

Good luck with the job, flea!

I am resisting going downstairs to punch someone in the head right now.

Remember back in 1913, when radium was the hot new thing? Yes, back in the day when radium suppositories could cure any disease, there was conjecture it could also be used to make... giant frogs. For people to eat.

Our Radium-Raised Giant Frog Dinners

Professor Dawson Turner, at the recent meeting of the British Association in Birmingham, England, made the astonishing announcement that by treating a frog's egg with radium he had bred a frog three times the normal size of the species.

The application of this discovery may have several very important results for humanity. Perhaps its first, or at least the most obvious, value is that it will furnish us with a means of increasing the food supply and thereby keeping down the ever-increasing cost of living.

Even at its present stage of development the experiment is capable of greatly reducing living expenses. Frog's legs are delicious, succulent food similar in taste to fine chicken, and in many ways superior to the choicest quality beef. Frogs are very easily raised, and when they are bred to a large size one leg will yield a dinner for a large family at very small cost, probably not more than ten cents a pound. Frogs are now quite cheap, and when increased in size they will become relatively cheaper.

It seems reasonably certain, however, that the process can be applied to all the food animals, including beef creatures.

A steer three times the normal size will certainly represent a very great economy in the production of beef. In fact, it has already been calculated by the scientists of the British Association that such an animal would cost one-third less than the present type, owing to the economy of feeding one animal instead of three and the great saving of time.

...

In theory it appears possible that this discovery may be applied to man. There would, of course, be little advantage to be gained from producing an enormous man, who would help gobble up the available food supply. The desirable object would be to breed a man of increased brain power.

The stimulation of the body cells of the frog would be replaced by a stimulation of the brain cells of the man.

People were crazy back then.