Kirstin Wilcox

Chekov's...vat of acid.

You. Are. Amazing.

I am old enough to remember a time when giving long underwear as a gift would have been profoundly uncool. But apparently if you call it "base layers" and buy it from Smartwool, it becomes The Best Present. So my daughter tells me, about the Xmas present she suggested for my future son-in-law.

But here's my thesis, lots of that "writing" really doesn't need to exist and the desire or need to outsource it to something that does not have the capacity to communicate with intention is a good sign that it didn't need to exist in the first place. It's a useful lens of what is and isn't bullshit

Your steady, unrelenting disdain for genAI is giving me life. Thank you.

Feed a series of prompts into the chat bar, read and revise the output, then feed in back in for a final edit or...just write the thing myself?

Comply with the steady undermining of everything that matters to me or...not?

This doesn't seem complicated.

Quoting so I can find this again easily. Truest words I've read to characterize this moment and the social media choices I'm making these days.

Note that UCLA is a Big 10 school. Academic Senates or Faculty Councils are 14 of the 18 Big 10 schools have endorsed the creation of a mutual academic defense compact (MADC), which, if enacted, would certainly be a great way to fight this sort of this together. ✊✏️✊

I needed to hear this. Thank you.

So this is happening.

wtaf

Yeah, it's weird that you don't know this one. I didn't recognize it from the descriptors in your post, but as soon as I heard the opening bars, I knew it -- one of the many, many songs that lives in the auditory mulch of my brain with no clear provenance.

Yes, he was. He was a camper in '81, '82, and '83 and then worked on staff in '84, possibly in '85 as well. That's how I got to know him.

Here's what I'm thinking about this 4th of July. (I'm older.)

Dear colleagues: For the fiscal year that is about to begin we will have a 1% salary program across the University of Illinois System. We deeply value the dedication and contributions of our faculty and staff. Now more than ever, you are the engine that drives the excellence that we promise and deliver to our students, their families and the people of our state. A 1% increase does not begin to fully reflect the immense impact of your work, but it does represent our acknowledgment of your efforts within the constraints of our current budget. We want to emphasize that fiscal uncertainty - both at the state and federal levels — has impacted this year's salary program. These concerns necessitate cautious stewardship of our resources to maintain the long-term strength and stability across the U of I System.

Effective August 16, 2025, bargaining unit members shall participate in a 2.5% merit-based salary program or the FY 2026 campus-wide general salary program as may be announced by the Chancellor and Provost in the campus "FY 2026 Budget Guidelines" (in the event a general salary program is implemented), whichever is greater. The employees who receive a merit-based increase shall receive a minimum increase of one percent (1%).

In case you need another argument for academic/faculty unions. The 2025-26 salary program announced for the University of Illinois system is 1% across the board. Unionized NTTs at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign get (on average) 2.5%. Love my union, NTFC Local #6546! ✊✏️✊

Explanation of how the symbolism of today’s military parade is even more f*cked up than the mere fact of a military parade conveys.

Appreciate the heads-up. How very disappointing.

It’s a difficult proposition for undergrads to work through, but choosing a major isn’t really about what kind of jobs you want to do so much as what sorts of questions you want to think about or *how* you want to think about questions throughout your life.

This explains a lot.

f) RS.25.01, Resolution to Join a Mutual Academic Defense Compact (MADC) for the Universities of the Big Ten Academic Alliance Presented by Shawn Gilmore, LAS faculty senator

This resolution (the UIUC version of the “Rutgers Resolution” “Big Ten NATO Compact”) just passed the Faculty Senate with a vote of 141 Y, 4 N, and 10 abstain 🙌😄

Underrated burger bun option: the English muffin. Maintains its integrity while soaking up burger juice, not too sweet, adds some texture.

Lynne. I think you found some words there. 💔 Thinking of you and Michael today.

New office art! Can’t wait to get this mounted on the wall — a celebration of early C19 US history created right here on campus by @skeuomorphpress.org and my colleague @ryancordell.org.

University of Illinois confirms some international students' visas have been revoked - IPM Newsroom A U of I spokesperson said that multiple foreign students on campus have had their visas revoked by the Trump administration but declined to share the number of students who were impacted.

ipmnewsroom.org/university-o...

When the scroll of woe here yields up an invitation like this, who am I to resist? The bar is in walking distance and serves local beer. The closing rendition of “Sons & Daughters,” with some additional musicians from the audience joining in on stage, was unexpectedly healing.

Excerpt from Rutgers University Senate resolution calling for a Mutual Academic Defense Compact. The excerpt reads: "BE IT RESOLVED THAT, the Rutgers University Senate urges the President of Rutgers University to formally propose and help establish a Mutual Academic Defense Compact (MADC) among all members of the Big Ten Academic Alliance; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, under this compact, all participating institutions shall commit meaningful funding to a shared or distributed defense fund. This fund shall be used to provide immediate and strategic support to any member institution under direct political or legal infringement;"

This exciting resolution from Rutgers University Senate is exactly the kind of model I think higher ed needs: a mutual defense pact of, in this case, Big 10 schools. They call for member institutions to create a joint defense fund and make resources available to any member institution under attack.

THEY DELIVER?!?!?

“Besotted” is a tall order but over the weekend I watched The Descendants (2011). The movie was meh, but I was drawn to the music (having never listened to Hawaiian music before). Been listening to the soundtrack while I work this week, and it’s soothing something deep inside me.

Where??? This information is relevant to my interests…

The Department of English at UIUC is hiring full-time Lecturers to teach composition: $58k to start, a 3/3 load, no service requirement, health insurance and other benefits! Positions are covered by a CBA (www.local6546.org), and come with support and notice rights. illinois.csod.com/ux/ats/caree...