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mkjanssen1103
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read my profile
sign my guestbook
Birthday: 3/23/1985
Interests: In no particular order, my interests marching (PR), music (trombone), mathematics, physics, computers (Linux!), God, "Seinfeld"...I dunno....
Expertise: I'm a math/physics major...so, math/physics? Yeah, probably not quite yet.
Occupation: Computer related
Industry: Computers (Internet)
Message: message meEmail: email me
AIM:  mkjanssen1103
MSN: mikeyj_23@hotmail.com
Member Since:
11/23/2004
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| The blog has moved!
Update your bookmarks. My weblog is now located at http://www.mkjanssen.com.
The "About me" is here. It's going to be an interesting transition, but I'm just too excited to
wait to show the finished product. Honestly, I may not even use the WordPress software that is currently installed, though it seems to have the features I'm looking for (I'm not too picky, Barry).
Anyway, that's it for me. I'm off.
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| Happy New Year!
Well this New Year's Eve Day was rather lame.
I guess that's not entirely true. I had an absolutely splendid time in
Sioux Falls with Casey and Shelly today. I used up a $20 gift card at
Barnes and Noble and purchased a couple of classic DVDs at Best Buy
("Office Space" and "O Brother, Where Art Thou?") to add to my (slowly)
growing collection.
Tonight was the lame part. Casey and I should have just gone to
Vermillion to hang out with Shelly, but instead we came back and spent
some time at the church New Year's Eve gathering. I have no problem
with our church except that no one at the party (or in the
congregation, really) is our age. No one. We just felt dumb. After two
incredibly boring hours there, we escaped to Casey's. We intended to
watch "Napoleon Dynamite", but we opted to save it for tomorrow in
favor of the "Seinfeld" and "South Park" marathons on TBS and Comedy
Central, respectively. Good times, generally, though we thought it a
bit lame to be sitting arond, just the two of us, watching TV on New
Year's. At least we didn't have to work, eh Mike? 
Well, I'm off to bed (sorta). Happy New Year!
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| Tsunami Satellite Images
I found some interesting images that really put the damage into perspective. It also includes pdf analyses of the damage in Banda Aceh and Sri Lanka.
Here's one example:
Before
After
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| Celebrating 100 years of Einstein
An interesting, well-written, easy-to-understand article about all of the contributions made by the greatest scientist of all-time.
http://www.economist.com/printedition/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=3518580
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| Drama in the U.'s physics department...
The following article appears in today's Sioux Falls Argus Leader, that shining beacon of journalism. I have to say that, knowing the following professors as I do (3 semesters with Dr. Keller -- she's also my advisor; I know Dr. Keating's reputation, as well...) I'm inclined to not go with Keating's side of the story. It will be interesting to see how this pans out, though.
I really hope they don't give Keating tenure....
USD prof sues in release of e-mail
Denise D. Tucker
dtucker@argusleader.com
published: 12/30/2004
Comments led to his dismissal
A University of South Dakota professor filed a federal lawsuit last
week against the school and several others, saying his First Amendment
rights were violated by the release of e-mails that led to his contract
not being renewed.
Assistant physics professor Christopher Keating said his tenure-track
contract was cut because several of his private e-mails in regard to
his direct supervisor Christina Keller were considered by some
university officials to be uncivil and in violation of the Council of
Higher Education collective bargaining agreement.
Keating, 47, has been an instructor at the university for six years. He
presently is working under a one-year contract at the school.
He wants to be reinstated, have his personnel record expunged, and be
granted tenure and a promotion to associate professor. He also is
asking for $300,000 in real and punitive damages from the defendants,
as well as court and legal expenses.
Defendants listed in the lawsuit include: the University of South
Dakota; James Abbott, USD president; Royce Engstrom, USD's vice
president for Academic Affairs; Donald Dahlin, former USD vice
president for Academic Affairs; Matthew Moen, dean of USD's College of
Arts and Sciences; Timothy Heaton, chairman of USD's Department of
Earth Sciences and Physics; Christina Keller, director of USD's physics
program; the South Dakota Board of Regents and Gov. Mike Rounds.
In the course of nine months, several e-mail exchanges reportedly took place between Keating, Heaton and Keller.
According to the lawsuit, in September 2003, Keating made a complaint
to Heaton that Keller was creating a hostile work environment.
"Heaton's actions in the investigation led to a considerably more
hostile environment and led plaintiff (Keating) to file a formal
grievance on Feb. 17, 2004, with the Office of Affirmative Action at
USD." The affirmative action representative ruled the issue was not
within her jurisdiction, the lawsuit says.
On April 24, Keating sent an
e-mail to Heaton, according to the lawsuit, which in part stated, "I
cannot communicate with Dr. Keller because she is a lieing (sic),
backstabbing sneak. I ask her questions and she will not answer. She
learns important information and she withholds it. She keeps a secret
file on me that she pulls out to use against me. She then talks badly
about me around campus."
Heaton and Keller were not available for comment.
Keating said he was informed at a June 22 meeting that he was being
considered for nonrenewal because of his comments concerning Keller in
the e-mail. He said his statements were protected free speech and
should not have been shared with others.
Abbott, USD president, said he wouldn't comment on the lawsuit until he sees it.
"I can confirm that the university chose not to renew Dr. Keating's
contract," Abbott said. "This is a personnel matter, and it would not
be appropriate for me to comment on the reasons the university chose
not to renew Professor Keating's contract."
Board of Regents general counsel James Shekleton said: "I have not been
advised by any board members, board officers, executive director, the
attorney general or governor's office that they have received service.
It's not unusual to not know anything at this juncture."
Abbott said he is not surprised Keating has filed a lawsuit in federal
court because he has filed several actions about the failure to renew
his contract.
"I have filed a number of grievances," Keating said. "I've gone to the
Board of Regents (and) to the South Dakota Department of Labor (saying)
that USD engaged in unfair labor practices. I have filed a complaint
with the U.S. Department of Labor that USD violated the Uniformed
Services Employment and Reemployment Relief Act, which protects
reservists and guardsmen."
Keating is in the Navy Reserve.
He has filed a criminal complaint with the Clay County State's
Attorney's office and plans to file at least two more lawsuits, he said.
No court dates have been set.
Reach reporter Denise D. Tucker at 331-2335.
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