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[whiteknight]

The Good

1. Washington, D.C., is a much better location for a conference. Historians and police seem to get along better; the hotels are better arranged and signed; and one can always do research at a number of places.

2. Historians this year are much better dressed. There are fewer ironic eyeglass frames and a more diverse color palette of wardrobes: greens and browns on men and reds on women.

3. Historians this year appear to be more attractive. I have seen a number of historians who look like normal, hot people, not academics.

4. Job candidates were very composed in the cattle call area. No one cried or passed out. There was a relaxed, even jovial atmosphere. Damn my competitors for not self-destructing!

The Bad

1. Men, you should not wear screenprint t-shirts with dress pants and sports jackets. It makes you look sloppy. Also, man purses are not cool; please dispose of them immediately.

2. Women, please make sure that your blouse is buttoned appropriately. One elderly matron had a blouse open below her breasts, and I'm pretty sure it was intentional. Not a good look. (Of course, I walked around for ten minutes with my fly down, so do as I say, not as I do.)

3. The book exhibits are disappointing to me. Maybe it is because of a lack of books in my field, but I was only able to do two rounds of the exhibits before I gave up.

4. The book exhibits area smelled bad yesterday.

5. If you are in a gaggle talking about which professor is sleeping with which graduate student, pelase have the decency to not block the hallway. I would also lower my voice if it were me. YMMV.

The Ugly

1. Politicians should not be on panels. Yesterday's panel on Robert Remini's book on the House of Representatives was embarrassing. I doubt that Congresswoman Schroeder has even read the book; she certainly did not act as if she has. Her "comments" were reflections on her own career and how tough women had/have it in Congress. It was very interesting, but the panel was not about her. The other panelist, whose name slips my mind, was not much better. At least they showed up, though, which Newt Gingrich could not deign to do.

2. One gentleman was wearing tight, black stretch pants, a tie, and a jacket. I am glad he did not interview me.

3. (I am having to stretch to come up with another "Ugly," so bear with of me.) Which AHA official had the bright idea of putting one's bade number on the front of the badges? All one needs to access the message center is a last name and a badge number. If one were an evil graduate student, one could sabotage one's competitors by casually memorizing their badge numbers, then accessing their messages and deleting notifications of interviews. If one were evil, that is. The only worse badge idea I can come up with color-coding them so that graduate students and faculty are easily identifiable. That way, faculty could make sure to avoid those pesky grad students who want to lavish them with false praises, and grad students could gravitate to the superstars who will help them get ahead.

4. Speaking of superstars, I think I met our AHA all-star. He thinks he is just as great in person as he did on the forums. I kicked him in the shin for all of us. You're welcome.

[hysterian]

2. One gentleman was wearing tight, black stretch pants, a tie, and a jacket. I am glad he did not interview me.

Um, was he wearing a shirt?  'Cause if not?  AWESOME.

[rosemarysbaby]

2. One gentleman was wearing tight, black stretch pants, a tie, and a jacket. I am glad he did not interview me.

Um, was he wearing a shirt?  'Cause if not?  AWESOME.

I also wonder if the guy had a shirt on. If he had a shirt on, "tight, black stretch pants, a tie, and a jacket" sounds OK.

[rosemarysbaby]

The Good

4. Job candidates were very composed in the cattle call area. No one cried or passed out.

The Bad

Did they occur before? I mean crying and passing out.

[historian]

The Good

4. Job candidates were very composed in the cattle call area. No one cried or passed out.

The Bad

Did they occur before? I mean crying and passing out.

My experience has been one segment either looking cool or faking it well, one segment looking near tears or near a stroke, a few "twitchy" ones and I mean "twitchy" (pacing, mumbling to self, shaking, all sorts of odd behavior) and at least one small group looking around at others like they are personally there today to take the job away!

Most just look pale and either bored or nervous.  My friend and I at the end of a Saturday afternoon each had one in the cattle call area and so met and compared notes---we had each been through more than a few interviews over two days and each had a tt job so we were tired and it wasn't as "life and death" for us.  If looks could kill we'd be dead. We were talking quietly but we were NOT sitting and focusing with laser-beam intensity on the upcoming interview!

I only miss AHA this year because of the CHE meet up. Otherwise, I'm happy not to be in the giant herd of climbers, networkers, the terrified and the heavy drinkers (not that I'm opposed to drinking, just the sort that certain people do "out of town")

BTW,  I didn't know we had a crisis in "looks" in the profession. Was this some big problem I was unaware of in the past?  I used to be an accountant, you want to talk about unattractive people, let me introduce you to a room full of IRS auditors....

[felix_unger]

The Good
4. Speaking of superstars, I think I met our AHA all-star. He thinks he is just as great in person as he did on the forums. I kicked him in the shin for all of us. You're welcome.

Oh, not fair....you don't get away with just that tantalizing little glimpse! We want details.

[pippin]

What exactly is it that makes eyeglasses frames ironic? How can I avoid it? Or is the fact that I don't know protection in itself?

[rosemarysbaby]

What exactly is it that makes eyeglasses frames ironic? H

I am curious too. I know some eyeglasses are ugly and others pretty, but I do not know how to decide some eyeglasses are ironic, and others sincere (sincere=not ironic).


How do we define a pair of ironic eyeglasses (or, sincere glasses)?

[trabb]

What exactly is it that makes eyeglasses frames ironic? H

I am curious too. I know some eyeglasses are ugly and others pretty, but I do not know how to decide some eyeglasses are ironic, and others sincere (sincere=not ironic).


How do we define a pair of ironic eyeglasses (or, sincere glasses)?

Ironic glasses: http://pictures.spacebar.org/images/ira-glass-feb2006/ira-glass-smile.jpg

Borrowed from another thread on this topic (the MLA version).

[historian]

What exactly is it that makes eyeglasses frames ironic? H

I am curious too. I know some eyeglasses are ugly and others pretty, but I do not know how to decide some eyeglasses are ironic, and others sincere (sincere=not ironic).


How do we define a pair of ironic eyeglasses (or, sincere glasses)?

Ironic glasses: http://pictures.spacebar.org/images/ira-glass-feb2006/ira-glass-smile.jpg

Borrowed from another thread on this topic (the MLA version).

Ah, I was going to suggest going to the "English Department" for a definition as MLA is the home of the famous yellow suit and other fascinating sartorial choices.  Literature and Language scholars have a bit of flair.

Historians tend more to the tweed, the black-suit-with-dandruff, and other horrors. Unfortunately, we don't get many younger guys with the giant nerd glasses signalling irony but we get lots o' old guys who have held on to their originals through fashion to hopelessly out to (now) ironic...

[dr_dre]

Historians tend more to the tweed, the black-suit-with-dandruff, and other horrors.

Yes, at one point I realized I was entirely surrounded by a sea of tweed sportjackets and khaki slacks. More candidates than I expected did not wear suits. Overall, I give the best dressed award to the female candidates, even though a few seemed to teeter on unfamiliar heels.

[whiteknight]

I was remiss in my description. The stretch pants distracted me so much that I did not note if said man was wearing a shirt, although I hope I would have noticed a bare-chested man wearing a tie.

By the way, to get an accurate picture of the pants, you have to think of something very close to a baggy leotard, not stretch pants with an elastic waistband.

I borrowed the ironic eyeglasses from an MLA colleague of mine. My sense of irony was shaped by Alanis, so I'll have to defer to my MLA friends.

And, yes, I have seen job candidates cry and faint.

[rosemarysbaby]

By the way, to get an accurate picture of the pants, you have to think of something very close to a baggy leotard, not stretch pants with an elastic waistband.

Oh, I really hope you could search the websites of Macys or JC Pennys and give us a link showing a sample picture.

[helpful]

I don;t see how that picture of ironic glasses explains why they are called ironic.

And who, pray tell, is Alanis?

[hollow_man]

And who, pray tell, is Alanis?

Morissette ("Isn't it ironic?")