Literally.
THE DAY
Title says it all. I did the taxes. I didn’t write. I didn’t do a cake. I barely stirred from my chair except to go swim, pick up a few groceries, grab a couple books from the library, make dinner.
But the taxes are done and they go off tomorrow, and I get to forget about this for another year. Well, until I have to contribute to my 401K and then we get the joy of paying estimated taxes.
Whatevuh…
I read a couple of interesting articles in between bouts with the calculator, though. Two deserve a touch more time than I have energy for right now, to be frank.
The other, though, is more of a follow-up to the whole Oberlin debacle. The story made The Washington Post today, with a bit more meat to it: to wit, that the Board of Trustees essentially said to the college president what I said needed to be done: show me the money, show me proof. They understand that procedures need to be followed in any investigation, and I am sure they want to avoid a lawsuit. In some ways, I see this prof coming out of this as a cause célèbre. She’ll become the darling of some extremist, anti-Semitic group, and she will be just fine. Oh, she’ll be fired, I’m sure–but land on her feet, and more’s the pity.
Add to that, a bunch of alums got together and submitted an open letter to the college administration. It was a long letter, quoted Michelle Obama about facing forward, urged working with people . . . my, it was toothless. I mean, yeah, it’s great that they did that, but get real. Reading it was like getting gummed to death. A friend looked it over and decided they could’ve quoted Austin Powers and sum up the whole thing in two words: Oh, behave.
Wanna bet that the college has gotten more letters with some actual teeth like mine and other alums I know who’ve been clear that we’re withholding support for the time being (as I did last year)? Oh, yeah.
I think what is really more concerning: this is only what we’ve finally heard about because it made the Times. I wrote to the college about the issue of hiding and soft-pedaling stuff like this when the whole “safe space” debate started last year. Ever notice that most alumni news and magazines are filled with uplifting pablum? How many of those stories have you actually read?
Yeah. Me neither.
These magazines tell you NOTHING about what’s really going on. I understand why: alumni magazines are marketing tools. I get that. But that doesn’t mean that I support it. I’ve actually stopped recommending my alma mater to folks who are looking for a liberal arts education, not because I didn’t get a fine one but because Oberlin is not a school I recognize at this point. Do you know they kicked the Kosher Food Co-op out of the dining coop association on campus two years ago and I only found out about it two days ago because of a mention in a news story about this professor? I was a member of that coop once upon a time; as far as I can tell, the only issues found were vague “safety” issues that have since been corrected (and I’m thinking, dude, you should have seen how grungy Harkness, the natural foods coop, was because I was part of that coop, too–and I’m sure it’s just as atrocious today). The point is that this 2013 letter about the issue mentions the growing anti-Semitism on campus THEN.
Anyway…it sounds as if they’re going to start “reviewing” this professor, which is what’s needed. That the Board had to meet with the president to get him to do it . . . is alarming. Much as I hate to say it, the guy needs to channel a little inner Trump, a little righteous indignation. Sure, be civil; but there is no reason you have to be so bloody measured. Until now, his response has been just short of cowardly appeasement.
I don’t want to see my college go under. OTOH, it needs to prove that it doesn’t deserve to.
WRITING OUT LOUD
Dark Side of the Moon
Day 1: 4326 Day 11: 2500 Day 21: 1800 Day 31: 745
Day 2: 2085 Day 12: 500 Day 22: 0 Day 32: 0
Day 3: 3011 Day 13: 1000 Day 23: 2700 Day 33: 4000
Day 4: 2652. Day 14: 3700 Day 24: 3500 Day 34: 2800
Day 5: 3210 Day 15: 5630 Day 25: 1500 Day 35: 4500
Day 6: 3450 Day 16: 1060 Day 26: 0 Day 36: 4800
Day 7: 0 Day 17: 130 Day 27: 0 Day 37: 0
Day 8: 2756 Day 18: 0 Day 28: 380 Day 38: 450
Day 9: 4580 Day 19: 3000 Day 29: 390 Day 39: 1000
Day 10: 2670 Day 20: 2600 Day 30: 380 Day 40: 2500
Day 41: 2600 Day 51: 1000 Day 63: 4800 Day 73: 1500 (edit)
*Day 42: 830 Day 52: 1600 Day 64: 3300 Day 74: 250 (sick)
Day 43: 3600 Day 53: 2600 Day 65: 2500 Day 75: 3000 (edit)
Day 44: 5000 Day 54: 3600 Day 66: 1200 (edit) Day 76: 2500 (edit)
Day 45: 2600 Day 55: 3200 Day 67: 1000 (edit) Day 77: 2500 (edit)
Day 46: 3000 Day 56: 4000 Day 68: 3000 (edit) Day 78: 2000 (edit)
Day 47: 2800 Day 57: 1200 Day 69: 1000 (edit) Day 79: 2000 (edit)
Day 48: 2500 Day 58-60: 0 Day 70: 1000 (edit) Day 80: 4300 (edit)
Day 49: 1000 Day 61: 3500 Day 71: 1500 (edit) Day 81: 1000 (edit)
Day 50: 4600 Day 62: 3000 Day 72: 2500 (edit) Day 82: 2000 (edit)
Day 83: 1500 (edit)
Day 84: 2700 (edit)
Day 85: 1500 (edit)
Day 86: 0 (travel)
Day 87: 0 (travel)
Day 88: 0 (travel)
Day 89: 2500 (edit)
Day 90: 2400
Day 91: 1300
Day 92: 2200
Day 93: 1300
Day 94: 0 (dang taxes)
Blog Post: 1000
***
What I’m Watching:
Bubbles and how so many people don’t kick but rely only on arm strength to drag them through the pool. Oh, and this one sorta creepy guy who always swims under me (and everyone else) as he crosses to a ladder. Like, dude, can you just wait? I always wonder just what he’s looking at.
***
What I’m Reading:
Probably nothing; it’s been a long day and the husband is all about studying the inside of his eyelids. But if I do, then I’ll go back to Rocketeers or maybe a bit of Evicted. Trouble is I have those other two, really interesting books I picked up today and I’d like to dive in. But one step by one step.
***
What I’m Listening to:
A bit of the Dems’ debate, but Sanders’s accent gets to me, and Clinton–while really smart and focused and knowledgeable–gets into the weeds too much. I get it; she’s a policy wonk. But if she would just make a few categorical and declamatory statements now and again…
