On Tue, 28 Nov 2000, Laszlo Komuves wrote:

> oily surfaces, gears, black enamel, brass wheels, clicked etc. Anyway, I
> would like to buy an old microtome (hopefully in working conditions and in
> great shape.

You could have had one for the cost of transport last
summer. Our department threw out two perfectly good rotary
microtomes, a base sledge that was a little stiff but
otherwise fine, and several solid steel knives and equipment
for manual sharpening. I couldn't persuade the authorities that
these were worth keeping, but if I'd known in July of a good
home, these things would almost certainlly have been saved.

Is there a single word that summarizes the qualities of
people who acquire high administrative power in universities?
It would need to include both emetic and malignant, but with
due regard for cerebral constipation. As you'll gather, I am 
not gusted, and also feel far from gruntled about the wanton
throwing out of good old instruments. I'm not surprised and 
therefore not appointed, because the administrators frequently 
burse funds for purposes useful to scientists. Most senior 
administrators lead sollute lives (of almost continuous ippation).
They don't even enjoy the large salaries that they pay themselves 
for keeping necessary funds from those who do the real work, and
deserve to be greatly prived.

[I wish I could claim the credit for this sort of stuff but it
belongs to others, including the late P.G.Wodehouse.]

 John A. Kiernan,
 Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology,
 The University of Western Ontario,
 LONDON,  Canada  N6A 5C1
   Phone: (519) 661-2111
   FAX (Department): (519) 661-3936
   E-mail: kiernan@uwo.ca