Over all, salaries for this academic year are 1.2 percent higher than last year, the smallest increase recorded in the survey’s 50 years — and well below the 2.7 percent inflation rate from December 2008 to December 2009.
…
“A lot of faculty are losing ground, and the data probably underestimate the seriousness of the problems with faculty salary this year, because we’re only looking at full-time faculty and, as we’ve seen for several years, there’s an increasing number of part-time faculty, who are not included,” Mr. Curtis said. “Also, the survey doesn’t capture the effect of the unpaid furloughs a lot of faculty were forced to take this year, because the numbers we have are the base salaries agreed on at the beginning of the year, not the actual payroll results.”
Over all, the average salary for a full professor was $109,843, compared with $76,566 for an associate professor, $64,433 for an assistant professor, $47,592 for an instructor and $53,112 for a lecturer. At every type of institution in almost every class of faculty, men were paid substantially more, on average, than women.
Generally, administrative salaries at colleges and universities have been increasing far more quickly than pay for faculty members.
…
Ms. Wellman pointed out that because the costs of benefits, especially health care, are rising so rapidly, total compensation is not slowing as much as salary growth. “Unless we get control over the growth in spending on benefits,” she said, “we’re going to continue to crowd out the resources necessary to get faculty in the classroom.”
There is a distinction between salaries and total compensation. Additionally, I am a bit confused as to what’s going on with administrative costs. You can find the original report online, along with a lot of tables. Tables aren’t so informative at first glance, so I took table 9B and turned it into a line graph. The horizontal axis represents the academic rank, the vertical the average total compenstation within the rank. Each line represents the percentile that the institution is at in terms of average compensation. So that the top line represents the institutions at the 95th percentile in average compensation, and the bottom line the institutions at the 10th percentile. Finally, I added the values for the top and bottom percentiles so you could compare those more easily.
It looks like you’re seeing “winner-take-all” dynamics more at the elite institutions where the pay is high, as the dispersion across institutions increases at the level of full professors (the effect disappears if I do a log-transformation).
This attempted offensive strategy is just the latest from animal rights groups like PETA and the so-called “Humane Society” of the United States (HSUS) against the circus. Like most groups pursuing an animals-first, people-last ideology, they want to shut the circus down entirely and “liberate” the elephants. But do their campaigns deserve to be taken seriously?
Ringling notes that the USDA has already inspected its circus five times this year. So much for PETA’s accusation of animal “abuse.” And a cadre of animal rights groups including the Fund for Animals (now part of HSUS) pursued a federal lawsuit against the circus operator for almost a decade. How’d that turn out?
A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit in December, writing that the animal-rights plaintiffs had a collective pay-to-play arrangement with a key witness in the case. That witness’s testimony was so full of holes that the judge actually used the word “demolished” to describe his credibility. Now these circus-haters are facing a federal lawsuit for their scheme. And it was filed under the mobster-oriented Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law.
Today, PETA is left calling for the USDA to revoke Ringling’s permit and wiping the egg-substitute off its face. Our guess is the USDA isn’t going to throw PETA a bone (or a peanut, for that matter). Maybe they—and the organized racket going after the circus—should just hang it up. Before they get trampled in the court of public opinion, that is.
If you thought all the obnoxious comments found on the internet came from all sorts of various misanthropic and socially maladjusted people, you were wrong. It was the government. [FunnyorDie.uk via StuntMandrew] More »
If you want a Porsche to beat all other Porsches, Switzer Performance is a good place to start. The Ohio-based aftermarket tuner continues to crank out 800-horsepower 911s that would make even 9ff sweat. But what if you don’t want to beat a Porsche with your Porsche? What if you want to beat a Porsche with, say… a Nissan GT-R? Not an uncommon pursuit, and Switzer is glad to help there, too.
One GT-R owner turned to the tuning house with a simple mandate: increase the power-to-weight ratio. Switzer answered by reducing the weight while increasing the power at the same time. The P800 package includes new intercoolers, air intakes, turbochargers and exhaust – the latter a ceramic-coated titanium system – plus a new spoiler and sport seats. The result? 200 pounds off the scale and 300 more horsepower, for a total of 800 horses and 700 pound-feet of torque. Yeah, that ought to do the trick. Check out the photos in the gallery below.
From the Ancient Olympic games in 776 BC to the Winter Olympic games this year, we’ve been captivated by the limits of the human body and athleticism demonstrated by (almost all) Olympians. Sometimes the games are worth watching (figure skating), while others are not (curling). What we want to see though, are some sexy sports that are often ignored (as some say they should be). Here are 10 incredibly sexy “sports” that should be in the Olympics.
Seeing two taut, young, sweaty, scantily-clad women have at it in a wrestling match isn’t always a fun experience — let’s face it, not all professional women fighters are hot. Throw some Jell-O and bikinis into the mix, make sure the girls are hot, and things can get quite entertaining. Imagine Jell-O wrestling as an Olympic sport; there’s already wrestling for medals, but this would be ten times better. Mud wrestling was initially considered here, but Jell-O is far more slippery — and tasty.
Surfing is one of those sports that actually is pretty hardcore, but still isn’t considered an Olympic sport. There’s curling, but no surfing, seriously? Either way, there are serious competitions in the sport, and if you ever get the chance to watch any of the women compete — we highly recommend it. If you somehow don’t find the sport watchable, at least check out the tight surf tops and micro bikini bottoms the chicks wear. It’s not difficult, there are literally hundreds of calendars dedicated to it. Maybe if you’re lucky, someone will lose a piece of swimwear in the crashing waves — live on camera.
Roller Derby is an American-invented contact sport, with a definite female predominance — and we don’t mind it one bit. Most circuits are amateur unpaid gigs, but we believe it should be considered an Olympic sport. Anyone who thinks these roller girls aren’t athletes should take a closer look: these girls could kick your ass — and then take your lunch money. They come out of bouts with some wicked battle wounds at times, and their uniforms usually consist of fishnets in some form, underwear, and a bra.
Ok, it may seem ridiculous, but think about it for a second. These women strutting the catwalk are there for a reason, and it’s because they’re not unattractive — in fact, they’re hot. These female specimens are meant to model clothes, and even if the wraithlike type of model isn’t your thing, well, there are all shapes and colors to enjoy. Imagine how challenging it is putting on such a serious face, and having to walk flawlessly in towering heels with thousands of eyes gazing at you, watching your every move. Still not convinced? Get Bowie to judge it, like in Zoolander.
There have been debates on whether or not poker should be included as an Olympic sport, and many shun it simply because it’s not “athletic enough.” Again, we’ll drop curling in here as the perfect example of Olympian non-athleticism. That aside, we think that not only should poker be included as an Olympic sport, but that it should be spiced up — as strip poker. Watching a group of dudes around a table can get dry, but throw in some women removing articles of clothing? Count us in.
Bikini Tug O War
We realize that tug of war might not seem like a real sport, but it is — they even have world championships. It can be fun watching a bunch of guys fall onto each other when losing at tug of war, but it would be even better with a bunch of bikini-clad women. We couldn’t really find any pictures to do this example justice, so we turned to this amazing video of Asian hotties playing tug o war and getting messy to fairly ridiculous proportions.
While cheerleaders started off — and often stay — at the sidelines, the sport has become widely competitive. Those little tarts cheering for the Dallas Cowboys aren’t the only cheerleaders we’re talking about here, though they are pretty hot. The tumbling, stunting, toe-touching, and microscopically “mini” uniforms should be more than enough to get your engine revving. For now we will have to settle with the cheerleaders on the sidelines at the Olympic volleyball games — yummy.
Pool is technically recognized by the IOC as an Olympic sport, it has still NOT been in the Olympic games — though it did come close to being in the 2004 Summer Olympics. Maybe next time around in 2012 the committee will select pool, and allow all female participants to wear super miniskirts like the ones shown above. It would make viewers more than happy.
Yes, the Lingerie Football League is real, and it comes in the form seven-on-seven tackle football. The origins of this kinky sport lie in the halftime Lingerie Bowl of the Super Bowl — it was so popular that it was created into a league. It’s full-contact, so the girls do have to wear some protective gear, like shoulder pads, elbow pads, knee pads, and ice hockey-style helmets. A few more teams have been announced for next season, but we so wish this would spread internationally.
Pole dancing is often associated with strippers, but it can be a legitimate performing art that requires extreme body discipline. There is a movement worldwide attempting to get it recognized as an actual sport — it does include a bit of gymnastics after all. While we don’t see this becoming an Olympic sport any time soon — despite the push for it — we can only hope to see it in 2012. For now, the Miss Pole Dance World competition will have to suffice.
With the new body scanning machines showing up at more and more airports, there still are lots of concerns over privacy and what might happen to the images of the scans. The TSA insists that the images are quickly discarded, but Michael Scott points us to the news that the TSA has now admitted that the devices can store and record images, but insists that’s only done for “testing, training, and evaluation purposes.” However, the TSA also admitted that there’s nothing preventing this “test mode” from being turned on while in regular use. How long until there’s some sort of “terrorist” incident that leads to a new requirement that all scans be recorded?
An infrared image of the Rosette molecular cloud, obtained by the Herschel space telescope, highlights cosmic cocoons of dust that contain massive protostars.
The European Space Agency’s Herschel space telescope is designed to delve into the old, cold and dusty frontiers of the universe – but there’s nothing old, cold or dusty about the infrared images that the spacecraft is sending back.
Today’s spectacular view of the Rosette molecular cloud is one of the newest, hottest and brightest additions to ESA’s growing album of Herschel highlights.
Here’s a little smidgen of info that escaped the announcements and hands-on today. The specs page at kin.com is a bit… non-literal, so there’s not a lot of information on what model of CPU it’s running, what amount of RAM, and so on. But we do now know that they’re Tegra-based and likely share a fair amount of hardware DNA with the Zune HD. That doesn’t mean you can expect Zune apps and games on there — but it does mean decent graphics acceleration. And it also means they know the hardware and can tune it however they like — to enhance battery life, for instance.
S. David Freeman, the octogenarian anti-nuclear apostle of renewable
energy, sent out a farewell message Monday to the Department of Water
and Power’s 8,000 employees urging them to “Keep the Faith” despite the
controversies that have engulfed the utility. Freeman’s first term as DWP General Manager ended badly when then Mayor RIchard Riordan fired him. He didn’t fare much better in his second as interim GM when controversy swirled around his veracity and the lack of planning.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa moved Freeman from his role as deputy mayor the for environment to interim GM of DWP and the Council approved him for a six-month term that ends this week.
Critics of the DWP say DWP’s problems got dramatically worse when Villaraigosa fired the unpopular David Nahai as GM and put the “green cowboy” in charge.
Lies, attempts to blackmail the City Council over withholding $73.5 million in general fund transfers, fiscal mismanagement, an overly generous union contract, a demoralized executive tem, failure to provide timely and accurate information were among the accusations laid at Freeman’s feet.
His credibility had fallen to the point that the mayor’s staff told him to stay on vacation overseas when they attempted unsuccessfully to ramrod through power rate increases of 20 to 30 percent.
Insiders said the mayor has been unable to find a top manager to take over the reigns of the DWP despite the services of an executive recruiting firm in great part because of the likelihood Freeman would either become head of the oversight board which has a vacancy that must be filled this week or would return to the mayor’s office.
Austin Beutner, the mayor’s jobs czar, has been floated as a possible interim successor but he has no experience running a utility although he is a wealthy equity fund manager. Raman Raj, the DWP’s chief operating officer, also has been mentioned but he was fired by both the MTA and DWP previously and has close ties to IBEW union boss Brian D’Arcy which would make his confirmation by the Council unlikely in the current political climate.
It is obvious that our Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is out of control, a rogue department which believes it is above scrutiny and oversight, under the control of our manipulative and destructive $25 Billion Mayor who has no respect for commercial and residential Rate Payers.
A group of 30 leading Earth and Environmental scientists is proposing “nine planetary boundaries”, or safety zones, that must not be crossed in order to preserve the planetary and environmental balance that human civilizations (and much of the rest of the biosphere) require. Crossing these boundaries–and three of them may have already been crossed–could “generate unacceptable environmental change for humanity.”
Yamaha, one of the best-known names in motorcycles, is finally entering the electric bike fray. The company has announced that it will be selling shares in order to raise $812 million to go towards developing low-cost, all-electric motorcycles and “motor-assisted” bicycles.
So far, electric bikes haven’t really taken off — they’re expensive and haven’t had that “it’ factor — but not many of the big players have been designing them, until now. With Yamaha’s presence in the market, electric motorcycles may make a name for themselves.
Yamaha won’t be spending all of that money just on all-electric motorcycles, though it will all go to cleaning up the business. The company’s R&D team will also be working on more efficient engines for its bikes and boats.
Courtesy of Candyman Music Inc., Photographer: Derek Blanks
There’s a plethora of talent in Chicago, but it’s not a secret that Chicago artists tend to go on the East Coast or West Coast to further their careers. R&B singer Donell Jones, who is most popular for songs like “Shorty Got Her Eyes on Me” and “U Know What’s Up” featuring the late TLC member Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, has cut ties with La Face record label after four CDs and gone independent with his label, Candyman Music Inc.
On December 9, 2009, Donell Jones released “The Lost Files,” which were unreleased tracks made during the making of his first four CDs–“My Heart” (1996), “Where I Wanna Be” (1999), “Life Goes On” (2002) and “Journey of a Gemini” (2006). Now he’s back in the studio working on his untitled 2010 CD. Although in his beginning years he had to travel to Washington D.C. for a radio conference to get his career going because “if you wasn’t making music like R. Kelly, nobody was really checking for you” and loves his current home in Atlanta, which he’s nicknamed “The Baby New York,” when asked if he’s from Chicago, he proudly boasts “Oh, no doubt!”
From the tilted hat, crease in his pants on his Twitter page, laid-back and sultry performances to his friendly demeanor during the interview with Shamontiel, Donell Jones is so Chicago.
Excerpt from interview:
Shamontiel: What is your favorite part of being a singer?
Donell Jones: I enjoy writing the songs and going out and performing them. I love writing for myself because the stories I tell are personal experiences so for me it’s almost like getting something off your chest.
Since you write songs about yourself personally, what is the most memorable experience you’ve had with someone who knew the song was about them?
“Where I Wanna Be” was a song about a lady I was with for a lot of years, and we turned out to be the best of friends. I don’t have any horror stories.
Palm, Inc. will be featured as a special presenter at MDB Capital Group’s Bright Lights Conference on May 11, 2010 at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. Bright Lights will feature more than 40 of the “Best and Brightest” IP leaders identified by MDB’s PatentVest IP intelligence platform as possessing technology leadership and potentially disruptive innovation. Palm’s Software CTO, Mitch Allen, will share his insights on Palm’s IP leadership and path of innovation where he has worked for the past decade. Mr. Allen has led the development of Palm webOS from conception to implementation.
Pete Conley, Managing Director of MDB Capital, will also present his analysis of Palm’s IP portfolio and the value of its technology pipeline, using MDB Capital’s proprietary PatentVest IP intelligence platform. “Palm’s IP is ranked in the 99.5th percentile of over 4,000 companies rated by PatentVest,” said Mr. Conley. “Based on PatentVest’s comparative valuation analysis, we believe the value of Palm’s IP alone is worth between $8 -$9 per share.”
Two men were arrested after authorities found hundreds of marijuana plants and seeds in a remote section of Malibu Creek State Park in the Santa Monica Mountains, authorities said.
Arturo Molina, 37, of Van Nuys and Victor Magana, 23, a Mexican national, were booked Sunday on suspicion of marijuana possession, possession of a concealed firearm, and destruction of plants and geological features, said Darrell Readyhoff, a peace officers supervisor with the California Department of Parks and Recreation.
Park authorities were conducting a routine search for possible pot cultivation sites in the park about 8 a.m. Sunday when they found the marijuana near Malibu Canyon and Piuma roads.
Molina and Magana, who had been tending to the operation, fled the scene, Readyhoff said. Sheriff’s deputies helped California State Park rangers track down the pair, authorities said.
One of the men was treated for unspecified injuries after falling off a 15-foot rock face.
Officials recovered approximately 900 marijuana plants and 3,000 seeds, Readyhoff said.
Green Calgary takes on unneccsary idling – Click above to watch the video after the jump
Flannel, Mounties, hockey, public urination – all these things that come to mind when we think of Canada. Okay, maybe not all of them. But the latter comes courtesy of a new spot developed by Joe Media Group for Green Calgary. The ad urges the city’s drivers to stop all unnecessary idling as it’s not doing the planet any favors. How do you turn that into a striking visual? By comparing it to taking a leak on Mother Earth.
We’ve never exactly drawn a link between relieving ourselves and sitting in traffic, but hey, we aren’t exactly ad execs, either. One thing’s for sure – we won’t be able to look at our neighbors to the north in quite the same way ever again. Hit the jump to see the spot for yourself.
Ventura County Sheriff Bob Brooks had tears in his eyes Monday afternoon as he announced the arrest of a 20-year-old Ventura man in the stabbing deaths of a Faria Beach couple last year.
Joshua Graham Packer was arrested Sunday and has been charged with three counts of murder in the deaths of Brock and Davina Husted last May. The third count is because Davina was six months pregnant at the time of her death.
Brooks said the Sheriff’s Department identified Packer through a DNA match after he was arrested on felony charges in Santa Barbara and his DNA was entered into a federally funded identification system.
The match was made about two weeks ago, said Gary Pentis, a chief deputy for the Sheriff’s Department. Deputies arrested Packer on another, unspecified charge, then released him and kept him under surveillance in order to obtain more evidence in the slayings of the Husteds.
Packer also was charged with two counts of robbery. He is to be arraigned Tuesday in Ventura County Superior Court.
Authorities would not say what was taken from the Husteds’ home in the gated community. There was no indication, however, that the suspect knew the Husteds, said Pentis.
The Husteds, both 42, died of multiple stab wounds. Their two children, ages 9 and 11, were in the house when the killings occurred.
"This is a very huge milestone," said Scott Husted, Brock’s brother, who spoke at the news conference. He described Packer as "a sick individual who came to rob them. Something went wrong and he killed them."
Sheriff’s officials said they had found no connection between the slaying of the Husteds and the subsequent stabbing death of Wendy DiRodio in the Ventura Keys community two weeks later.
Gotta say, you guys are getting weirder and weirder. And no women want a Nexus One? C’mon! Anyhoo, second batch of contest entries (here’s the first batch) is after the break for your viewing pleasure. Reminder: Comment all you want, but we’re going to officially vote at a later date. And there’s still time to enter. Here’s what you need to know.
In case you didn’t know, tomorrow sees the release of the highly delayed Grand Theft Auto IV downloadable contents for the PS3 and PC. So to hype up the upcoming expansion pack, Rockstar has released the launch
