How bad things get at Harvard

An e-mail from the assistant to an incredibly distinguished Harvard colleague (names deleted to protect the innocent):

X [very distinguished Harvard professor] asked me to see if he can get on your calendar to have a lunch with him and Y [another distinguished professor] in the near future. I say that of course, knowing that X's calendar is incredibly complicated, but I am happy to try to offer times if you give me some of your calendar constraints.

Now wait a minute.  Let me see if I get this straight.  X would like to have lunch with me, but X, you see, is so-oo busy that it will be really tough to find room in his calendar for me, and even though maybe, just maybe, something will be possible, I shouldn't get my hopes too high...?

Comments

[Gabriel]

This is good because if talking with each other is difficult for the inhabitants of mount Olympus then they might spend some time talking to mere mortals and that might be a good thing.

[Dan]

Will you go to lunch then? I look forward to hearing what your lunch partner thought about blogging their superbusyness.

I think perhaps the mail's from the point of view of an harrassed assistant who has to juggle academic diaries all day, rather than reflecting the 'soooo busy' egoism of the professor in question. I know, I've done jobs like that, it's no fun!

[David]

I agree with Dan. I could see myself slipping something like that in there not as an ego-thing, but rather as a, man, why is he asking me to do this even though he (or she) has no time.

[Anonymous]

Again, I don't understand why you guys get so upset over such minor problems like busy schedules and mis-spelled names. So the guy's got a busy schedule...big deal. So do you. And his assistant probably used poor language in asking for your schedule. Why are you using it as an excuse to get peeved? Why are such great minds so darn petty sometimes?

[Dominic]

If the worst that happens at Harvard is 2 busy people have some trouble coordinating their schedules, it sounds like a nice place.

[LFC]

This is (mildly) amusing, but also probably the sort of thing that goes on all the time in certain environments. Blame it on e-mail; in the olden days someone would have had to pick up the phone and call you. More civilized etc.

[StevenT]

This clearly reminded me once where this intern i worked with almost got fired because he called the Professor 'Doctor'.

[pgl]

X is just like the average partner at a Big 4 accounting firm.

[pgl]

X is just like the average partner at a Big 4 accounting firm.

[gabriel]

Except at a big 4 accounting firm...i can look at their schedule and find out when they have free time..or if they are lying..

[gabriel]

Except at a big 4 accounting firm...i can look at their schedule and find out when they have free time..or if they are lying..

[save_the_rustbelt]

pgl -what's the beef with accountants?

I suggest all Harvard faculty spend a month in Iraq, then when they come home they might stop bitching about how rough life.

[save_the_rustbelt]

pgl -what's the beef with accountants?

I suggest all Harvard faculty spend a month in Iraq, then when they come home they might stop bitching about how rough life.

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save_the_rustbelt, a member of the faculty (Ec. Department at Harvard) has spent much more than a month in Iraq.

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