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In an earlier post, I mentioned taking my dog for a walk in the wee hours of the morning. As the GMM was breaking up yesterday, Carol Sales asked me what kind of dog I had.
The therapeutic effect of writing this blog all at once took a back seat to my having opened the door to my personal life just the tiniest bit. My readings of Habermas and the public and private sphere had suddenly been reified in a very intimate way.
Let me introduce Zeus, a 9-year old Bichon Frisé. 
Lately, as we two walk the empty sidewalks in the early morning silence, I find myself smiling and my stomach doesn't ache for a little while. It's a nice change.
1 comment:
Good morning Barry,
It's been a few months since out paths crossed in the halls, but I've been 'keeping up' with how you've been faring via this blog.
Below is the bulk of a post I just made in reply to a query from John Lye to the ENGL1F95 class that I am in.
"It is my guess that the mandarins on the 12th floor and the overlords on the board have set up the dynamic that is now at work. I am certain that some of prerequisites the board were interested in when acquiring a new president was what their tolerance would be for a labour disruption. Make no mistake about it, if the university admin can hold the line against BUFA -- undoubtedly the preeminent union/organization on campus -- it will be further emboldened to take all other negotiations with other organizations/unions on campus in the exact same direction. This means that the TA and PT CUPE4207 union will be the next group to take a hit, then the support staff OSSTF, then the CUPE local that is responsible for keeping Brock up and running in all kinds of ways (maintenance, clean-up, physical plant, etc..).
I've been somewhat disappointed to not see this implication drawn-out in the public realm by any of the sides. To think that this situation is "just" about the faculty is to miss the broader strategic objectives of the Board and their minions on the 12th floor and in one office on the 13th.
Maybe my Oliver Stone sense of conspiracy is a little too tweaked at this point, but from my experience, I don't think that these speculations are far off the mark."
You know my own past involvement with this university admin and board (at least most of the players are the same), so maybe there is a grain or two of substance to this.
Best,
mike boland
ps. on the 'bright' (?) side, at least the rain is supposed to stop for next week!
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