Latest outrage(s) from CSU Chancellor demand action

LONG BEACH, Calif., USA - The chancellor of the California State University has made it clear for years that he doesn't have much respect for faculty and staff, or hold students in very high regard.

At least that what his actions - and most of the actions of the CSU Board of Trustees - lead any rational person to believe.

Charles Reed

In recent weeks, Chancellor Charles Reed proposed a labor contract that would in two years give him the opportunity to start pushing for (and probably getting) reductions in the salaries of faculty, if he thought it was a good idea. And he probably does think it is a good idea now, but knows he can't get away with it.

 Not yet.

This same chancellor battled hard to make sure the newest of his campus presidents (at San Diego State) would get an extra $100,000 per year bump on top of the salary his predecessor made. Apparently, there are campuses all over the nation (And the world! The world!) fiercely competiting for these presidents, whose  jobs, thanks to Charles Reed, gives them all the authority of a second tier manager of a Rite Aid pharmacy. A small Rite Aid pharmacy.

But today he managed to give yet another metaphorical digit to students, faculty and staff, when he convinced the CSU Trustees to approve a new policy which keeps potential campus presidents from  having to visit the campus over which they will lord, should he choose them to, well, lord.


It really does sound more and more like Rite Aid management, doesn't it?

According to the San Francisco Chronicle: "The trustees eliminated the visits after Chancellor Charles Reed said some potential candidates would refuse to be considered without a guarantee of privacy."

The link to the story is here: Presidents can remain anonymous - until they show up for 'work'

It seems pretty bizarre to select a person to be the big kahuna of a CSU campus - most of which have a history of democracy and openness - by bringing them in in the dead of night and springing them on the students, faculty and staff. And the tradition of having candidates for campus president showing up to meet with campus folks goes back to the 1960s. It seems to have worked pretty well for over 50 years.

The arrogance is appalling, but that word has seemed, well, insufficient in recent years to describe the tenure of Reed and most of the trustees, who seem to consider students and faculty and staff more annoying than anything.

There is no mechanism for recalling the trustees, nor for getting Reed out of his overly compensated position - $421,500 with a $30,000-per-year retirement bonus and a mansion in a tony section of Long Beach.

But perhaps students and faculty might start doing some picketing down south, wherever the chancellor happens to be roosting at the moment, just like faculty students are doing at Humboldt. Good for you Humboldt State - maybe Long Beach State can rustle up some signs and bullhorns to get the chancellor's attention.

Make it a loud bullhorn though, he seems quite tone deaf.

"Charlie Watch" at Humboldt State

Fracking film offers a peek at g-normous traffic

PINE CREEK VALLEY, PA, USA - All of the reports about the gas company-imposed disaster that is known as hydrofracking talk about traffic, but most seem more worried about potential water pollution.

And we should be worried about water pollution. If we don't have clean water, well, it's game over amigos.

The video below shows the impact of traffic in a small town. And, as noted by the narrator, this is just the beginning of a huge gas company push to put in thousands (maybe hundreds of thousands) of gas wells.

Fracking is going to create an industrial nightmare that made the Mad Max movies look like Disney productions.

Here's the video:

Rick Perry prays for the nation - and to be president

HOUSTON, Texas, USA - That soon-to-announce GOP presidential candidate Texas Gov. Rick Perry hopes to fill a Texas stadium for a prayer-in isn't surprising, just somewhat outrageous.

If he were a minister who got lucky and scored $500,000 from the whack-job American Family Association (founded by Donald Wildmon), it would be one thing.

But this guy is within days of throwing his 10-gallon hat into the ring for the GOP nomination, joining Mitt Romney and Michele Bachmann, among others.

Rick Perry

Shameless politics, no matter how much he protests.

So what's political about praying for a "nation in crisis" as he says the prayer rally is all about?

Well, the nation is in a crisis of sorts. First, the GOP manufactured a crisis out of raising the debt ceiling then used it to cudgel Democrats and the President into accepting completely unacceptable budget cuts. And there's little doubt that we should say a few prayers that politicians start thinking about what's best for the people of America and not their future political careers.

But look at Perry's stated goal:

"We're going to pray for the president of the United States, to have God's wisdom poured out over him, to have his eyes opened," Perry said.

Opened to what? Perry should be careful what he wishes for.

If he opens his eyes, maybe, just maybe, he will stop caving in to the Tea Party wing nuts who are intent on dismantling all government.

That's my prayer anyway. But I am not going to Texas to offer it up.

LINK: Rick Perry preys

'Doc Martin' TV series offers comedy and drama

PORTWENN, Cornwall, England - The television series, Doc Martin, took place in this village (really Port Isaac) and after watching four seasons worth of it, I think I am ready to move there.

Move again? Madre mia!

Doc Martin

The village reminds me faintly of our place in Arroyo Seco, Jalisco, Mexico, except it's populated by, obviously, English-speaking people. The people in both places are both kind and occasionally not-so-kind in their interactions with everyone. But always interesting to watch.

Always.

And in the middle of all of it is Doc Martin, actually Dr. Martin Effingham, actually actor Martin Clunes who gives a tour-de-force performance as a former big-time surgeon, reduced to being a small town general practitioner when he suddenly couldn't stand the sight of blood.

Carolyn Catz

The people of the town like the Doc, who is about the rudest person - but still charming - I have seen as a major chararacter in a teleplay. Still, he is a great doctor, manages to fall in love, and is heading toward an escape from the small town toward the end of the series.

Doc Martin has a, well, interesting past that is revealed over the episodes. He proves to be a much more complex character that what you see in first few shows.

He even ends up with a girlfriend, sort of (actress Carolyn Catz). But you need to see those episodes to understand and what that situation evolve.

Doc Martin is highly recommended - but watch it from the very first episode.

Doc Martin on the scene of an emergency