At the end of last year, my lab manager went into extended, part-time maternity leave for all of 2023 so that I needed to find a temporary replacement for her for the afternoons. The historical, first step in such cases was always to ask around the department to see if there was someone else whoContinue reading “Going through the motions: conspiring while hiring”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
BCD 31.01.2023
When I first came up with the acronym BCD (bonehead comment of the day), I never realized that it would be so versatile. Or at least the C in it. Today, it again revolves not so much around a comment as it does a command. Yesterday evening, the University of Not-Bielefeld followed the provincial decreeContinue reading “BCD 31.01.2023”
BCD 23.01.2023
Not so much of a bonehead comment this time around as of a bonehead contraction … I’ve written a couple of times about how the Germans like their laws and about how they like referring to their overly long names with sometimes rather cryptic abbreviations. Today, I discovered perhaps one of the most unfortunate abbreviationsContinue reading “BCD 23.01.2023”
Spitting tacks
Last year was a year to remember. The war in the Ukraine. The death of Queen Elizabeth II. Deadly human-rights protests in Iran. Corona finally beginning to loosen its grasp. And earth-shaking tax reform in Germany. Well, maybe not earth-shaking, but at least earthy insofar as it had to do with property … The backstoryContinue reading “Spitting tacks”
Passing the b*ck
With Northern Germany’s annual attempt at winter being upon us again (dark, drizzly, not really cold, definitely not snowy), my thoughts at this time of year always turn not to Christmas (which to this Canadian requires snow), but to how the chain of responsibility inevitably seems to be tied to the ankle of the averageContinue reading “Passing the b*ck”
Excusez moi?
Ever wonder why so many semi-official signs on cars and trucks, at least in Europe, are in French? Ok. Not really that many, but still. CD (corps diplomatique) for embassy cars, convoi exceptionnel or the misspélled vehicule long for long vehicles, and, most recently, the rather macabre angles mort for vehicles with a large blind spot.Continue reading “Excusez moi?”
Oh Canada …
Although I spend a good amount of time in this blog taking potshots at German admin, admin remains a universal constant like death or taxes. (Just more painful and permanent than either. That being said, German admin has found a way to bureaucratize death too …) And a recent trip to Canada proved just thatContinue reading “Oh Canada …”
BCD 15.09.2022
Another mercifully slow summer as admin seems to be serially estivating until the autumn. However, there is always the watchful eye of the Office of Dataprotection and Informationsafetymanagement here at the University of Not-Bielefeld, ready to leap selflessly into the void … … only to fill it with a vacuum. Their latest missive warns usContinue reading “BCD 15.09.2022”
BCD 01.09.2022
The latest bonehead comment of the day comes to you from Ryanair, with whom I flew with a couple times in the past few weeks. For those fortunate few not familiar with Ryanair, it’s basically an infomercial at 30.000 feet. The tickets tend to be dirt cheap, but then you have to pay for everythingContinue reading “BCD 01.09.2022”
Return to sender
I learned a new word in German the other day … In and of itself, that’s probably not too surprising. After all, I’ve only been learning German for about half my life and, like any language, there are lots of words to learn. Even when you get past the swear words. And, depending on whoContinue reading “Return to sender”
The Blog About Fog 