I know I haven't been around much, so I feel bad being needy when I do come to b.org, but I have a thing and I can't really post about it on FB because it is department politics. My boss is retiring and so the job of department director is opening up, and we are switching to a rotating faculty member in that position. (That's the norm btw but our dept has always had an administrator in that position because 'SC is a very top-down school.) Sooo... long story short, I was asked to run. And by some accounts I'm the frontrunner, except for the fact that the other person running for the job is closely tied into the administration and wants to jump ship at some point from our dept to some sort of deanlet position eventually. Basically I have the support of the faculty and the office staff, but he has the support of the deans.

I feel like I am being set up. I have felt this way from the get-go. I am trying not to get attached to the idea of running the department, but it is hard to play this part and actively "campaign" of sorts for why I should get the job while all the time thinking I'm just being set up to be the also-ran.

I guess I'm not really asking for advice. It's just hard to be investing so much work into this thing that is potentially a really big change, and to feel so uncertain, and to not be able to talk about those anxieties with most people.

That sounds like a difficult situation, Burrell. I wish you the best in getting through it ok.

Thanks -t

I think the trick at this point is to try and at least build social capital out of it, rather than end up losing social capital. Like if I don't get the appointment this time, maybe I can rotate in later.

Sounds like a smart strategy.

That sounds right, Burrell. Good luck.

I wouldn't wait much longer before blocking him.

I'm not even visibly reading the messages, so I figure it's the same difference.

So it looks like you are deliberately ignoring him? I ask because I know jack all about dating sites. I think as long as you are conveying the message that you are no longer engaging him, even reading his messages, that probably works

Pulled the ac unit (while other is running, so weird.) was easier than I thought, though I'm not happy with the box situation, it's kinda falling apart. Crappy packaging.

And I jut got jury duty, in December.

Burrell, sorry you are caught up in the usual bullshit university politics. Saw a lot of that throughout my dad's tenure. I have a clear memory of the one I knew only as 'that jackass Saunders.' That was a deans' pick (went on to be a good Dean later, but was not the department's preference.)

That sounds like a good strategy, Burrel, but I'm sorry you're stuck in that situation.

Forgive me, I have to vent about this here, because there is nowhere else I really can. Someone on Tumblr asked me if I'm still friends with StuntHusband.

The truthful answer is "He lost his mind, reverted back to unhealthy and dumb patterns, went nuclear on me for things that were in his own head, and then did his traditional scorch-and-salt-the-earth dramatic flounce-off". And as satisfactory as it would be to actually say that in public, I really shouldn't. I probably won't even answer the question. But I kinda want to.

Excuse me, The Universe, whyfor you give my Buffistas interpersonal bullshit to deal with? We already have enough large-scale bullshit. We are all full up on the bullshit front. We do not also need individual-level bullshit. In case you were not aware. Thanks.