There have been many moments when i question whether i earn my paycheck.
This has NOT been that week. But as ugly as it is for me to fire someone, it is far uglier for the guy i am firing. So i will not whine.
Trying to salvage the human, as well as the work effort, in a difficult situation, i was at a table with four scientists. Brainstorming options. Ivan, my senior physicist who was born, raised and trained in Russia, is rather emotionally engaged in the issue at hand. The success of his project is tied to our efforts to keep his post-doctoral research assistant engaged on the job.
As the Management-Like-Object at the table, i threw out a very blunt, painful, and realistic assessment of our options. Explaining that this is not an ideal circumstance. Explaining that it was going to smell. Explaining that we were going to have to “Nut up or shut up” to make it happen.
Ivan: Look. We are all on the same page. There are no women at this table…
To my left was Taylor. He is my “young ‘un”. Masters degree in Physics, and new to the team. Oh, and he happens to be an ethnic minority in the field of science and engineering… And we’ve had several discussions regarding achieving “equality” – through the insidious tactic of “infiltrate and excel”.
i felt him flinch at Ivan’s comment.
daisyfae: Yes. We are on the same page. And thank you for your comment. If i’ve checked my ovaries at the door then i have succeeded. Gender irrelevance is the goal… Now… Back to the post doc position….
With the current state of affairs in the United States where conservative lawmakers are crawling inside the vaginas * of citizens, it was extraordinarily refreshing to experience a moment of gender-neutrailty. And we moved on…
Gender. When it matters? i know it.
Unfortunately, that is not universal. There are elected officials in the United States of America who believe that it is their responsibility to inspect our uteruses to make sure that we can make informed decisions about our reproductive health care.
WHY THE FUCK ARE WE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS IN THE YEAR 2012?
Trailer Park Refugee 