None of my officemates are here today, so I can't vent to them, which means I will vent to You, Dear Readers.

At the Faculty Council meeting today I was once again confronted with the horrific irresponsibility of our Faculty Leadership. A faculty committee was disbanded last month after a rather furious controversy regarding one of its decisions. It is a committee that is, in some ways, crucial to the conductance of research by scientists at this department. Between the time of its resignation and today, the Leaders of this department did NOTHING (not. a. thing.) to arrange for a new committee to be instituted (this has to be voted on by the Faculty Council, which meets once a month, so now it'll be late February AT BEST before this committee is formed). So, during the Fac Council meeting, the Leaders came to this point in the agenda, and said "We'd like someone to volunteer to do this, please." This statement was met by resounding silence. Needless to say. So then they proceeded to name (by name!) people in the room who were in the disbanded committee, including me, and ask individually if we would agree to be in the new committee. After two refusals this stupidity was interrupted by one of the saner members of the Council.

Two issues:

1. I hate that this Leadership is so reluctant to take action to solve the problems that confront us, as a community. They seem to simply hold out hope that if they do nothing, someone will do something, and all will be well.

2a. I am taking a stand. Having been at this department for 6 years, and pretty much continuously taken part in a number of administrative duties (some quite onerous), I am going to say no to every request that involves any kind of administrative work, at least until the people (see 2b.) who surround me seem to be doing as much for the community as I am.*

2b. I am sick of men being lauded at this department for their scientific achievements and their refusal to take on administrative tasks being respected and understood, while women are continually asked** to take on new administrative duties, because someone has to do them, and look, the men are busy. F*** THAT, COLLEAGUES.

EDIT: God, how very a propos!


* that'll be the day! ha!

** and when I say "asked" I mean "publicly pressured with guilt-riddled near-harassment"

*** UCK

Here's a translation. Forgive me if it's unclear (only partly my fault)!

Now I know what you do, thanks for your trust. So, does anyone study the discrimination, disrespect and humiliation of men, like you study sexism? Robbing fathers of their rights to care for their children? Does anyone investigate the methods women use: blackmail, emotional blackmail, fraud, extortion, slander? Has anyone ever noted the extraordinary privilege women have before the law? Bias in the courts? Does anyone mention out loud the women who castrate their partners and sons? What about legalized prostitution of wives? Raising other people's children as their own? I simply adore the stories in the press, things like "rape of a prostitute," or "rape of an employee who has been sleeping with her bosses for 2 years"! Wow! Is everyone in this country blind, or just stupid? Or maybe it's the taboo that shuts everyone up in this country, elevating the image of the near-holy Polish Mother above everything - hush over that coffin? The only things left are the Mother's purity, and the immaculate conception?

So if you are looking for equality, maybe it would be worth seeking equality on both sides?

I was just watching The African Queen. I watched this movie for the first time when I was a kid, maybe 12 years old. I like it a lot. When Bogart says to Hepburn: "You skinny, bony broad" I thought that maybe he took it too far, because she is a great little woman. Still, I like this film and am happy to come back to it from time to time. What I see in it, apart from heroism, attitudes and fortitude, is hope. By the way--if women were aware of the power they have... if they knew that guys can be meek as lambs, then instead of castrating their partners and sons they would try to be womanly women. But, it is also possible that guys deserve such treatment.

Regardless of everything that is written here: I believe that men only climbed down from the tree thanks to women.

Regards,

* in the English screenplay, the line is: You crazy, psalm-singin', skinny old maid.

I feel that this should be posted, because it depicts with more or less accuracy how people respond to the buzzword "sexism" in Poland. This is from a fellow I have been corresponding with for about 2 weeks on the interwebz, from a (Polish) dating site of course. Our messages had been quite pleasant up until I mentioned that I study sexism. This is the rant I received in return:

Już wiem, czym się zajmujesz, dzięki za zaufanie. A czy ktoś, jak ty seksizmem, zajmuje się dyskryminacją, lekceważeniem i poniżaniem mężczyzn? Okradaniem ojców z praw do opieki nad dziećmi? Czy ktoś porusza temat metod działania kobiet stosujących szantażu, szantaż emocjonalny, oszustwa, wyłudzenia, pomówienia? Czy ktokolwiek zwrócił uwagę na fakt nadzwyczajnego uprzywilejowania kobiet wobec prawa? A stronniczość sądów? Czy ktoś mówi na głos o kobietach które kastrują swoich partnerów i synów? A legalna prostytucja kobiet-mężatek? Wychowywanie cudzych dzieci jako swoje? Pasjami uwielbiam historie w prasie, jak np.: "gwałt na prostytutce", lub "gwałt na pracownicy współżyjącej z szefami firmy przez 2 lata"! Wow! Czy wszyscy są ociemniali w tym kraju, czy tyko głupi? A może to temat tabu zamyka usta wszystkim w tym kraju, wynosząc obraz niemal świętej Matki Polki ponad wszystko -- sza nad tą trumną? Pozostają tylko: czystość Matki i niepokalane poczęcie?

Jeżeli więc szukasz równości, może warto poszukiwać równość w 2 strony?

Oglądałem teraz AFRYKAŃSKĄ KRÓLOWĄ. Po raz pierwszy ten film oglądałem gdy byłem może 12 letnim dzieciakiem. Bardzo go lubię. Gdy Bogart mówi do Hepburn:"ty chuda, koścista babo", pomyślałem, że to jest przegięcie, bo to przecież świetna kobitka jest. Nadal lubię ten film i chętnie do niego wracam co jakiś czas. To co w nim znajduję, oprócz heroizmu, postawy i hartu ducha, to nadzieja. Swoją drogą gdyby kobiety były świadome tego jaką siłą dysponują ... gdyby wiedziały, że faceci potrafią być potulni jak baranki, to zamiast kastrować swoich partnerów i synów starały by się być kobiecymi kobietami. Ale, też jest możliwe, że faceci zasłużyli sobie na takie traktowanie.

Niezależnie od wszystkiego co tu napisałem: uważam, że to dzięki kobietom facet zlazł z drzewa.

Pozdrawiam,


I *love* _love_ LOVE that in conclusion he sends me regards!