February 26, 2006
shadows in Albany
shadows in Albany
Originally uploaded by Raymond Yee.
Even though I was sick with a cold, I was so happy to get out in the sun and see shadows such as these yesterday afternoon.
February 25, 2006
Down with a cold
On Thursday evening, I realized that I had a cold. My throat started to hurt, and I felt unusually tired. I took off yesterday from work as a sick day (though I did make an important hard-to-set-up meeting at 9am.) I slept a fair amount and tried sleeping even more. I suspect that I'll need to nap throughout today and tomorrow to make sure that I get well ASAP.
My mind continued to race while lying in bed. My body was saying, "You must rest." My brain says, "You must work." I hadn't counted on being so drained by the code4lib conference, followed almost immediately by Mashup Camp, combined by the rigorous demands of teaching a new course plus a whole lot of other circumstances. Even as I write this paragraph, my eyes and legs feel droopy and draggy. Time to nap a bit.
February 15, 2006
What mountain is this?
What mountain is this?
Originally uploaded by Raymond Yee.
I took this picture on the flight from Oakland to Portland. Is this Mount Hood or Mount Shasta or something else altogether?
February 09, 2006
UC Compensation and Drucker: Take One
At a party late last fall, someone asked me what I thought about the stories that were breaking in the San Francisco Chronicle about how the perks that senior administration at the UC system were getting. I expressed my natural outrage at the situation but didn't think a lot more about the matter since I didn't think anything would ever change. (I've gotten sufficiently cynical to expect bad behavior from the people at the very top. Isn't that sad?) Recently, I started to follow more closely the ongoing coverage in the Chronicle (including the latest article SENATORS DEMAND ANSWERS ON UC PAY / Unreported compensation raises ire at panel's hearing ), as well as the PR responses of UC Berkeley and the system as a whole. The more I learn, the more I'm longing for some deep wisdom in this matter. How much I get paid or you get paid or anyone gets paid -- or should get paid -- is a hot-button issue. I've been fascinated by the types of arguments that have been marshalled to justify various positions. At the risk of incorrectly characterizing the debate, it seems that those who are justifying the high pay of senior people argue that we need horizontal parity; UC leaders should be paid at comparable levels to leaders at peer institutions. Those who express outrage at the compensation of senior leaders draw our attention to the lack of vertical fairness; is it right for the pay at the highest levels to be going up, while the rank-and-file (who could really use the money!) are not similarly benefiting?
I know that it's more complicated that what I set out here -- and that's what I'm trying to get at as I sort through the arguments. More fundamentally, I've been searching my own heart on how I currently feel and how I would feel should I ever going higher (or fall lower) down the hierarchy. I keep asking myself to what extent are my views -- and those of everyone involved -- more self-serving than reflective of a concern for others. There's a lot more to say. I will close with bemusement the following quote from the Wikipedia entry on Peter Drucker: Peter Drucker - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
- His most controversial work was on compensation
schemes, in which he said that senior management should not be
compensated more than twenty times the lowest paid employees. This
attracted criticism from some of the same people who had previously
praised him.
(I'm looking for the source for the 20:1 figure and plan to follow up once I find it.)
February 07, 2006
Mud-outs
Last night, some former housemates of mine went with Laura and me to hear people recount their experiences with relief efforts in Mississippi and Louisiana. At first, I did not want to look at still more pictures of the disaster area but found myself emotionally immersed in the muck and destruction. (I plan to take a look at Flickr: Photos tagged with katrina for further local coverage of the recovery efforts.) I learned that a major part of the volunteer effort has gone to "mud-outs" the stomach-wrenching and labor-intensive process of removing the furnishings from houses damaged by flood waters. Seeing pictures and videos of workers wearing respirators, boots, and gloves and standing beside walls covered with the biggest mold spots I had ever seen brought home how hard the work was. There are more students heading down to New Orleans in March.
I've been pondering things Laura and I can do to help in the relief efforts. We can certainly give money to the American Red Cross. We can also support the students who are going on the trip directly. I need to remind myself not to forget prayer, which is often the last thing in which I engage, alas. Finally, I'm part of a community of folks who care about issues such as the ongoing relief efforts around the hurricanes. I can do my part to keep them informed and motivated to work together.
Rest vs non-rest
One of the things I most love about the early morning is the bit of breathing room it provides for me. I have been saying to myself and Laura that I need to learn how to draw sharper boundaries between work and non-work part of my life. Isn't there something wrong when I resort to calling the rest of life "non-work"? Hmmm....part of my problem comes from not being able to properly conceptualize what I'm dividing my life between. Although I initially rejected the division as that between "work" and "rest", I now say, yes, that's a good way to put it, noting that by "work", I don't just mean the stuff I do professionally or for a paycheck but all forms of striving to be productive. By "rest," I do not mean the cessation of action but the richness of Sabbath. Maybe I should totally take the focus away from work by thinking of my life as "rest" vs "non-rest".February 04, 2006
cheese @ Berkeley Bowl
cheese @ Berkeley Bowl
Originally uploaded by Raymond Yee.
I used to live a block away from Berkeley Bowl. Now that I live in Albany with my lovely wife, I don't get to hang out at Berkeley Bowl so often. When I do get there once or twice a week now, I do make a point of sampling the cheese of the day -- both for old time's sake but also to live in the presence of tasting the darn good cheeses being hawked. It's really quite interesting to me how popular the cheese tasting is at Berkeley Bowl. One wouldn't think that people like me, who don't need any more food during the day, would be so into sampling the cheese. But that's not the point of the sampling, is it?
Writing is more important than being published
Two days ago, I submitted a letter to the editors of the San Francisco Chronicle to bring more attention to the "ambiguous genocide" in Darfur. Since I have yet to see the letter in press, I suspect that it won't be published. I am trying to keep myself from speculating too much on why my letter might not have make the cut. I hope that others will be able to write punchier, wittier, catchier letters that will make people pay attention to the dire situation in Sudan.
For me, writing the letter is naturally much more important than getting it published because it was the writing itself that forced me to decide and commit to some action. I'm pleased that one of my usual dear readers followed some of my links I posted, including the Darfur conflict - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Last night, by telling friends that I had submitted a letter to the editor, I was granted the opportunity to explain the Darfur conflict around a dinner table, prompting some thoughtful reflections on the efficacy of divestments. This morning, remembering my promise to pray for Darfur, I spent some time in quiet asking God to intervene, to bring peace and justice to the region, to grant those in power wisdom and courage. As I sit down to study the Wikipedia article so that I can do a continually better job at telling others what is happening in Sudan, I consulted the BBC New's "in depth" coverage on Sudan: A Nation Divided to corroborate the Wikipedia. I also need to answer an email from the Justice Task Force at my church on what actions we should take in the coming months. One baby step at a time for me as I try to be faithful.
February 02, 2006
Letter to the editor on Darfur
For a long time, I have wanted to write a letter to the editor of the San Francisco Chronicle to raise awareness on Darfur. I wanted to write a letter that was concise, moving, analytically flawless, and timely. I couldn't do it because I was too wrapped up in my own process rather than the very pressing issue at hand. Over the last few days, I have worked on a simple letter, which I include (with some minor editing) here:
- As an ordinary citizen
of this world, I have felt helpless and hopeless as the global
community has failed to stop the ongoing genocide in Darfur, in which
at least 180,000 have died and 1.8 million have been displaced from
their homes. The exact mechanisms by which we should use to stop the
violence are up for debate. Though I reflexively disagree with many of
Debra Saunders' columns, her call ("UC out of Sudan" -- Tues, Jan 24)
to the Regents of the University of California to divest from funds
tied to business in Sudan seems sensible to me. On the individual
level, I have resolved to continue praying for the people of Darfur, to
join in A Million Voices for Darfur (http://www.millionvoicesfordarfur.org/)
and other efforts to put pressure on our leaders, to keep myself
informed, and to tell friends about the situation. Let us work together
with hope and determination to bring peace to Darfur.
After I sent the letter, I realized that I neglected to mention the role to be played by church groups such as the Justice Task Force at my own church, which has been instrumental in my knowing what little I know about Darfur.
Let me add links that are mentioned above or which support the letter:
-
SF Gate: Chronicle: Feedback Submission Guidelines for those of you who want to write to the SF Chronicle yourself.
Let's see whether my letter gets published.
February 01, 2006
Dramatic clouds
Dramatic clouds
Originally uploaded by Raymond Yee.
On my afternoon walk, I saw these clouds overhead. The picture captures but a small part of the drama outside my office (and inside my mind).