Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in Mister Goat's LiveJournal:

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Monday, July 13th, 2009
11:08 am	Ask Dr. LJ--advice on carbon offsets? So I've done a good bit of traveling this summer. I put 2000 miles on my car since about the end of April, I've had a few round trips by air, and I'm planning some more flying soon. This is awesome, but I know that it does involve burning fossil fuels. I'd like to try to reduce or counter the negative impact of that. So I know that there are all kinds of places that sell carbon offsets and credits. I'm honestly somewhat skeptical of the whole thing--it feels a bit like buying indulgences, like a conscience-salving luxury with questionable impact on the problem. But at the same time, if there are ways to buy offsets that reduce overall carbon emissions and/or contribute to carbon reduction (through reforestation, for instance), then that does seem positive. I also know (or at least get the impression) that some offset-selling schemes are far more legit than others. So I'm wondering: have you purchased carbon offsets? Do you know much about the different options? Do you suggest any in particular? Thanks, everyone! (9 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, February 6th, 2009
9:30 pm	Are you fucking KIDDING me? So it sounds like there's a compromise stimulus bill. And the Republicans, with the full cooperation of centrist Democrats and praise from Harry Reid, have stripped billions from it. What have they cut, you ask? Perhaps some crazy pork-barrel bridge to nowhere? Or a lab studying the effect of constant exposure to Gilligan's Island on dolphins? Well, almost. They've cut from that most wasteful area, schools: One Republican-proposed document that circulated earlier called for cuts of $60 billion from money Democrats want to send to the states. That money is targeted to avoid budget cuts for schools as well as law enforcement and other programs. Sure, that makes a hell of a lot of sense! Municipalities are at risk of laying off teachers. So let's cut money to allow them to keep teachers in their jobs! After all, what does KEEPING PEOPLE IN THEIR JOBS have to do with stimulating the economy and getting people back to work? And those kids who'll now be crammed into even more poorly-resourced schools? They'll still behave, right? And if they skip or drop out, there's no reason to worry that they'll get in trouble with the law, right? Especially since there are so many jobs available in the middle of a FUCKING RECESSION!... Sorry...deep breaths. It honestly takes a lot to impress me with political stupidity these days. But this still does it. Congrats, Senators. (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, December 30th, 2008
10:23 pm	Hear the voices of homeless bloggers The voices of poor and homeless people are almost always missing from public debates on the policies that impact them. One may hear that those voices are hard to find, or that homeless people aren't speaking for themselves. Trouble is, that's not true, and it silences people. Michaelann Bewsee, amazing organizer and activist in Western MA, recently posted links to the work of 22 homeless bloggers. You can find the compilation at here. Please check it out, and read some of the blogs. Even consider bookmarking them. As the economy gets worse, we could all probably benefit from what these folks have to say. And a note on Michaelann--she's awesome. I've had the opportunity to work with her a bit, especially when I was at Working Massachusetts back between 2001 and 2004. Her blog is worth reading too. (Comment on this)
Monday, December 22nd, 2008
3:15 pm	Now, this pisses me off 'Tis the season for funding solicitations. I know this. And I got one today from a foundation I'm relatively fond of. And in the first paragraph, the Director/CEO wrote, "I understand the challenges you face with your tzedakah; I am confronting them as well."* You are, I thought? Interesting. I wonder how much you make. And since the foundation is a 501(c)3, that information is public record through the organization's 990 form. So I look it up: $153,000 in '2007. Not counting a $5,000 contribution to your retirement fund. The most I've ever made in a year while doing the organizing work your foundation supports? About $30,000. So I'm afraid you don't confront the same challenges I do, as I try to figure out what I can give this year, if anything, to organizations I love. You may not even understand what your employees face, as there's about a $60,000 gap between your pay and that of your next-highest paid employee. I know that you make less than many of your counterparts in the foundation world. But you're still in the top few percentiles of the US income distribution. So don't pretend you're not. Otherwise, you're talking down to me. And that doesn't really put me in a giving mood. * FYI, "tzedakah" is a Hebrew word loosely translated here as charity, though it has more justice-oriented leanings than the English term. "Tzedek," the root word, means "justice." And while I'm not revealing its name, I guess it's obvious that it's a Jewish foundation. (9 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, December 19th, 2008
6:20 pm	Looking East..looking at you? (Or, it's break and I would like to see you.) Hey, everyone! It's mid-to-late December, and the semester is winding down. I'm just about done--would be finishing up right about now if I hadn't been hit by a stomach flu on Wednesday. I'd taken my last final, but had one more paper to do--and then I was miserably sick. Fortunately, the professor has been very flexible, and he seemed fine with it when I said that I would try to get him the paper by early next week. And early next week, I should be on the east coast! I'm scheduled to fly to CT (where my parents live, and where I went to middle school and high school) on Sunday. I'm supposed to go back to Michigan two weeks later, on January 4th. I will probably spend the first few days I'm on the East Coast finishing this paper, but then my schedule should be pretty open. And I'd love to see you! I'm planning to head to Boston, and may also do another trip somewhere--New York, or perhaps even Albany? I'd been thinking of DC, but given the distance, I'm not sure that's likely to happen on this trip. But I haven't ruled it out, either. Let me know what your schedule is like if you'd like to meet up. Write here, or e-mail or call me. Or post it elsewhere on the interweb, though if you do that, you may have to give me some kind of a hint (i.e., "Check eggplant.com for a coded message on my whereabouts"). Happy holidays to those who are celebrating them around now! (14 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, October 7th, 2008
5:14 pm	Is it a device, or a garment? Random question: Are you more likely to say "wear a condom" or "use a condom"?  Or are you just as likely to say either?  (Or do you use some other hip euphemistic phrase?) Just to be clear, I am currently sans sex life.  (But talking about sex is almost as fun as having it, right?  Right?)  I ask because someone used one of the two phrases in a conversation, and it sounded a bit weird to me.  I won't say which, though, until I've heard from others. Feel free to comment anonymously if it makes you more comfortable.  I'd make this a poll, but I don't have a paid account, so I can't. (16 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, September 30th, 2008
5:48 pm	Reality check--is this okay? Hi, everyone! Shanah Tovah! I've been bad about posting lately, I know. I'm back in the US and in classes and have much to say about all that. But for the moment, I wanted to get a bit of a reality check on something that really upset me today. Could you read on and let me know how you'd respond to this? Today is Rosh Hashanah, as is tomorrow. The School of Social Work got an e-mail today that said, Hi all-- Professor A and I are holding informal conversations and presentations tomorrow (Wednesday) in the Commons at noon about the current economic crisis. Neither of us is a macroeconomic expert, but we both have a much better idea of what is going on that most people do. We also bring will references to information sites. Until then, check out: http://thislife.org/radio_episode.aspx?sched=1242. See you tomorrow. Professor B Now, Professor A had actually e-mailed the school a weeks or two ago about doing a talk on this, and asking for interest. I was one of many who wrote back, and he'd sent out a group message telling us all to stay tuned. But tomorrow is the second day of Rosh Hashanah. And at noon, services are still going on--even though something at still would exclude people. (What's more, it's Eid al Fitr, though being Muslim, I'm not sure if that would impact one's choices on whether to attend an event like this.) So I wrote back, Hello, Professors A and B. I had replied to Professor A when he first proposed the idea of an event like this, and I had really hoped to attend. But tomorrow is the second day of Rosh Hashanah, one of the Jewish high holidays. This means that I and other Jews observing the holiday will be in services or otherwise observing the holiday, and thus won't be able to attend. I also know that Eid al Fitr takes place today or tomorrow, depending on where one is in the world. But not being Muslim, I don't know exactly whether this will prevent them from coming to the talk, and I don't want to misrepresent. I'm very disappointed that the event is scheduled for an important holiday, and honestly a bit offended. I hope that you will consider rescheduling the event for a time when particular groups will not be excluded. Thanks, Matt Borus MSW/MPP student Later this afternoon, I got a response from Professor A. He wrote: Hello Matt: I don't believe what you say is a good reason to reschedule this discussion (by the way, I did not schedule it). If tomorrow classes are being held in the school, why is not a good day (as good as any other) to have a discussion? Your assertion that you are "very disappointed" and "a bit offended" really seems to me quite surprising. Do you believe it is OK that classes are going on in the school but other activities cannot be held? All the best, -- Professor A, MBBCh, MPH, Ph.D.(Econ) Assistant Research Scientist, The University of Michigan Address etc Am I the only one to have a wtf reaction to this? Maybe he was taken aback that I said I was a bit offended--but I didn't say "you're a jerk," and I was trying to be diplomatic. I've already written back to him, and I can share my reply, but I just wanted to share, vent, and get a reality check, as I said. (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, May 24th, 2008
9:15 pm	A South African Saturday in late May Okay, I think I needed that. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do today. I’ve had this quandary on other weekends, as well; I’ve wanted to take advantage of the time and go some place exciting or generally explore, but my lack of a car (and the general lack of public transit here) makes it harder. I know and hang out with some folks who have cars, but they’ve been here for some time and have been to some of the places I want to go. And there’s the fear of crime, which makes me somewhat reluctant to go places in the city that I don’t know at all. Today, I was hoping that there would be some kind of Africa Day events in town, but I couldn’t find any listings (Africa Day is actually tomorrow, but my impression is that there have been events here and there since Thursday). I did see something in the paper about a tour of City Hall, which sounded promising, though when I called the number listed and the person answered in Afrikaans, I wondered if I would even be able to understand it! (And I got the not-so-comfortable image of myself hanging out with a group of 60-something Afrikaners.) But I decided to go out nonetheless. I knocked on a friend’s door (someone staying at the same guest house), and when she didn’t answer, I headed off alone. City Hall is near Church Square, which I’d visited once (but had gone by cab). Both are in the Central Business District, which I’d been warned was not the safest. But it was daytime, and when I’d been in Church Square I was fine. So I decided to head out on foot. Someone had told me that it would be about an hour’s walk, much of it a straight shot down Church Street, a major road here. I decided that if I could make it to City Hall in time for the tour, great, but if not, that would be fine too. I didn’t make it to City Hall in time. In fact, I didn’t get all the way to City Hall, and that’s fine. On my way down Church Street, I found myself in Sammy Marks Square, where there was a big open-air market. Most of what was sold there was basic goods—clothes, backpacks, a few cell phones, one stand with vegetables, etc. So I didn’t buy much, but it was good both to find a place that I’d heard of but never been to, and simply to be able to stroll around an area where everyday folks gather. I also went to Church Square, where a youth dance troupe was performing. I watched them for a bit, and I also went to the Palace of Justice—this is the building where Nelson Mandela was tried for treason. I had hoped that they gave tours, but the security guards at the front desk said they didn’t. I’m planning to try a few more channels to see if there’s NO way to see a building with so much history, but even if not, there was something powerful about just being in the entryway. On my way back, I stopped by the Union Buildings, where Parliament sits. Again, they don’t give tours (which I find really odd—even from a cynical perspective, isn’t it an ideal propaganda opportunity for any state to have citizens tour the seat of government and hear how great it is?). But I walked around the grounds which have lots of beautiful gardens (including beautiful orange birds of paradise and nice purple flowers whose names I’m not sure of), looked at war memorials, and admired both the architecture of the Union Building and the amazing view of the city (the Union Building is up on a hill). I also looked at some statues of former prime ministers who appear to have been lovely fellows: Louis Botha, shown on horseback likely subduing some rowdy natives, and JB Hertzog, who stepped down as prime minister when South Africa declared war on Nazi Germany. I suppose it speaks to the ANC’s commitment to reconciliation that they didn’t dynamite both in ’94. Or earlier. And I also just walked around. I went down a side street to look at a mosque (a gorgeous building that was just in the midst of everything—I think it was next to a gas station). I bought some tchatchkes and an ice cream from vendors. In the end, I walked several miles through a city I’ve been told to be scared of, and I came away perfectly fine and glad for what I’d explored. I think I’ll be a lot more confident walking around unknown parts of town during the day now. Like I said, I think needed that. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, May 18th, 2008
10:18 pm	Photo sharing sites? I want to post some photos! I know that there are several sites on which one can do so, like Flickr, Photobucket, and Picasa (and probably many more). Which, if any, do you use? Which do you recommend? is there some other technology to show people photos that all the hip kids are now using? Do tell! (12 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, May 10th, 2008
9:44 pm	Awwww... Well, doesn't this article just warm your heart? None other than Wal-Mart is donating $1.5 million to hunger relief programs. So nice that after pioneering a business model that breaks new ground in corporate greed, they're giving a little back. I wonder how many beneficiaries will be their employees and family members thereof? I wonder how many will be former employees of local businesses destroyed by Wal-Mart. And they also "will encourage Americans who receive a government-issued economic stimulus check to contribute a portion of the check to help the nation's hungry." I have no problem with that, but I'd also suggest that people donate another part to a group that organizes for decent jobs and a non-Wal-Mart economy. And I must ask, at risk of repetition--how many Wal-Mart workers made enough to get stimulus checks. (My student-debt-accumulating ass didn't.) </ rant for the moment> (1 Comment |Comment on this)
6:41 pm	Updates Hey, all. I need to post several updates, not least about the fact that I'm currently in South Africa! Like one update I posted a few minutes ago, most will probably be friends-locked for a variety of reasons. I'm not moving to a friends-locked journal, but again, much that I post here in the next however-long will probably be locked. So if you read this and I know you somehow and you'd like to get those posts, please drop me a line or comment here. Thanks! And in the meantime, bear with me as I try to catch up. (Comment on this)
Monday, April 28th, 2008
1:09 pm	It may be time I've pretty consistently worn my hair in a pony tail since I was, well...a freshman in college. That is, when I was 18. Prior to that, it was still long, but I wore it poofed out instead of tying it back. The last time I had it cut so short that it didn't go past my ears was probably when I was 16. (Remarkably, a few folks on here knew me then: wilfer, stormcloud, veng, cad_red_ducati, fence007. Wow. I'm really glad I'm in touch with you all--for reasons not related to hair.) So now, I'm 31. And while I do NOT think that it's necessary to cut my hair in order to "grow up" or some such thing, I do think that it might be time for a change. I've just looked like this for a while. And I do fear that 12 years of pulling my hair back has caused it to get thinner. For all those reasons, I've been thinking about cutting it for a few years now. More immediately, I'm planning to be out of the country this summer (more on that in a future post!) in the global south, where looking like a white hippie can mean that you get read as a rich kid who's pretending to be poor while bumming around and not giving back to the communities through which you're traveling. I'd rather not make that impression. But that's more of an impetus than a driving factor; if I weren't already thinking about a haircut, this wouldn't be much of a factor. So, yes. I may cut it. Any thoughts? (Not that it's open to a popular vote, but I'm interested what people think.) (38 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, April 19th, 2008
11:26 am	Bostonians: Support homeless youth and enjoy some great art! Hey, all. Youth on Fire is having a member talent and art show on April 23, and you should go! --Youth on Fire Spring Talent and Art Show (come prepared to bid on some fantastic artwork!) --Harvard-Epworth Church (where YOF is located) 1555 Mass Ave, just north of Harvard Square --Wednesday, April 23rd, 6 - 8pm But Matt, you ask, what is Youth on Fire? Who are these youth, and what has caused their conflagration? Youth on Fire is a drop-in center for homeless and street-involved youth, ages 14-24, located just outside of Harvard Square. It's a project of Cambridge Cares About AIDS, and so a big part of its focus is on reducing youths' risk of contracting HIV. But it approaches this goal in a good, holistic way that recognizes that people's lives are complicated, and that folks dealing with the stresses and risks of homelessness don't just need to hear lectures about using condoms. So while they provide all the latex one can possibly use, they also provide basic survival resources like food and medical care and showers and laundry, as well as references to employment and educational and housing programs, and arts-based programming, and trauma-informed counseling services. Arts-based programming, did you say? Does this have something to do with this talent show? In fact, it does! There are some really talented folks there who create some excellent visual art, poetry, music, and more. This event should be a really good time, and a chance to take in (and buy!) some amazing art. And you'll both be letting a lot of young people--who are normally ignored, pushed out of sight, and generally shit on by society--know that people are actually interested in what they have to say. So check it out next Wednesday. There's a cool youth-designed flier that I can't post here (silly LJ), but I'm happy to send it to you. (Comment on this)
Wednesday, April 9th, 2008
11:55 am	Could this be (gasp) good policy? Any thoughts? This is particularly aimed at folks in MA and others who do community and economic development. The Boston Globe is reporting that Governor Patrick is proposing to put people to work with a large infrastructure project aimed at repairing old bridges across the state. It's an issue that's gotten more attention since the Minneapolis bridge disaster last year, and it may be particularly relevant to Massachusetts, an old state with a good bit of older infrastructure, and where "approximately 10 percent of the 5,500 bridges...are classified under federal standards as 'structurally deficient," according to a Globe report last August. The biggest concern with it seems to be the funding mechanism, which would be a public bond that would increase the state's debt. I'm not an expert on that, though I know that some economic theory says that you need to act counter-cyclically--i.e., when an economy is in an downturn, government should spend in order to get people working (and thus spending). Arguably, programs like this helped to end the Great Depression by getting people working and spending.While a liberal notion often associated with John Maynard Keynes, it's had a lot of influence--the Bush administration's tax credits are an example of it (albeit a timid one that's careful not to redistribute wealth away from the rich!). Of course, I also know that if a state is heavily in debt, that means that revenue is going to pay interest. And if a state gets a bad bond rating (not sure if that's a concern here), that can increase those interest payments. But it seems that the benefits may outweigh these costs if the proposal works. Any thoughts? (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 25th, 2008
5:57 pm	Grad Instructors on Strike here Hey, all. We're getting toward the end of the first day of a two-day strike here in Ann Arbor of AFT Local 3550, the Graduate Employees Organization, which represents Teaching Assistants (known here as Grad Student Instructors). I'm not a member, but I've been supporting it. The best source for info on it is the union website, but that's been mysteriously down for the last hour or so. You can try it, though--maybe it will go back soon. It's now back up at http://www.umgeo.org . In the meantime, I'll post something I wrote up the other night. Sorry that it reads a bit like a manifesto--it's the platform of a Facebook group I started for non-members to support the union. It had 181 people when I last checked, which is great--since I started it Sunday at 11:30 pm! Read on if you're interested. -m ------------- After the administration abruptly ended negotiations before the deadline Monday night, the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO), which represents 1,700 GSI’s, will be on strike Tuesday and Wednesday. We're students at U of M who are not GSIs. But we're supporting the strike, and we’ll be walking with my GEO members on the picket lines. We know that GEO's cause is just. And we know that if GEO wins, then all of us benefit, not just GEO members. There are many reasons we support the strike. Here are just a few: 1. HEALTH CARE FOR ALL. Currently, GSI’s who work under a certain number of hours don’t get health insurance. GEO wants every GSI to have it. Any student in a health-related field--heck, just about anyone at all—can tell you that it’s a lot harder to stay healthy if you don’t have insurance! There are also currently some departments that have "misclassified" GSIs as working fewer hours than they really do--a tricky way to avoid covering their health care! Health care is a right, regardless of the number of hours you work. 2. MENTAL HEALTH PARITY. The second item on GEO’s strike platform is mental health i.e., that insurance must cover mental as well as physical health needs. Mental health issues are on prevalent in the stressful environment of college campuses. And one of the biggest barriers to accessing care is lack of insurance coverage for mental health issues. 3. THE UNIVERSITY IS NOT RESPECTING ITS STUDENT-WORKERS. GEO has been in negotiations with the administration since November. GEO has even extended its contract past its expiration date—twice! But on most topics, the university has barely budged. In fact, GEO reported last Wednesday that in the last two bargaining sessions, the administration hadn’t delivered ANY new proposals. As students, we know what it is to be dissed by the administration. And we know it’s not fun. 4. ACCESSIBILITY. GEO is asking for guaranteed access for students with disabilities. Why should this be hard for the university? When the administration also needed to be sued to make its stadium renovations accessible, it seems like they're not taking access seriously. Props to GEO for pushing them on it. 5. GEO’S GAINS BENEFIT ME, EVEN AS A NON-MEMBER. Perhaps you’re asking what this has to do with you—you’re not a GSI, so you don’t get insurance or wage hikes! But here’s the thing—it effects you, even if you never hold a GSI job (though some of you will in future semesters). If the university can just blow off negotiations with GEO—a legally recognized union—then there’s nothing to stop them from blowing off other student groups. But when they take GEO seriously, it’s easier for other student groups to insist that they be taken seriously. When the university gives better pay to GSIs, it makes it harder for them to underpay other jobs that many of us hold. When they offer mental health parity to GSIs, it makes it harder for them to offer inadequate mental health resources to other students. So that’s why we support this strike, even though we're not union members. The way that the university treats GEO can impact how they treat the rest of the university community. If GEO comes out a winner, we all benefit. See you on the picket line! (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, March 8th, 2008
11:37 am	JSpot post on Michigan primary Hey, all. Just a quick note that I have a new post up on JSpot about the Michigan primary. As you may have noticed, the media has been abuzz about the flawed Democratic primaries in Michigan and (to a lesser extent) Florida, and whether there should be new primaries there. If you want to read my ramblings on the subject, you can go here. As usual, I'd love to hear what you think. (Comment on this)
Wednesday, March 5th, 2008
1:24 pm	I was a health educator--I need to post this I'm reposting this from chilimuffin; I hadn't heard it before. But it's important info. If anyone knows anything related (either backing it up or contradicting it!), please comment. Public Service Announcement Despite what the internet and many books say, even if they're otherwise reputable sources, YOU CANNOT USE SARAN WRAP AS A DENTAL DAM [At least not a fully reliable one. From a harm reduction standpoint, it's probably better than nothing, no? -mg] And you most certainly cannot use "Cling wrap" as stated in a book I (chilimuffin) saw over the weekend (and whose author will be getting an e-mail from me soon). "But, but," you sputter in over-educated confusion, "I know I can't use regular old PVC clingwrap because it's totally porous and lets all sorts of nasty things through, but Saran Wrap is supposed to be safe because it's PVdC (polyvinylidene chloride) and as impermeable as latex!" Ah, but you see, in 2004, SC Johnson made a switch in their formulation of Saran Wrap, and it is now made from Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), which is, in fact, as porous as every other kind of plastic wrap. It might block some bugs, but Herpes? HIV? HPV? I doubt it. Do I know for sure? No. Do I want my future patients finding out the hard way? Definitely not. Moreover, no one ever did a randomized control study to show that Saran wrap actually kept viruses at bay. Why would they? It probably does, sure, because it's considered mostly gas-impermeable. But no one ever really examined it. We know all about viruses and latex. Why take the chance? Gloves are abundant, and scissors are cheap. You've been PSA'd. Thank you for your attention. And remember: Cling Wrap Saves your Vegetables not your Genitals. (19 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, February 27th, 2008
4:08 pm	Please say hi! Hi, all. I don't look at my LJ profile too often, but I recently saw that a few people had friended me who I hadn't friended back. I looked up most of you and figured out who you were and added you, but there were a few of you who I don't know. If you friended me and I haven't friended you back, could you send me a quick note to let me know who you are and how we know each other? Or if we don't know each other, could you tell me how you found my LJ? Thanks a lot. (8 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, February 23rd, 2008
4:00 pm	On board a Chicago coffeeship Actually, I'm in a coffeeshop, not ship. But that was a typo I made a bit earlier, and I liked it. May even try to bring it into use. The Chicago part, however, is not a typo! For the first time since she helped me move out to Ann Arbor in August 2006, I'm visitingtrinitysite! The fact that we hadn't seen each other in the past year and a half, despite now living a 5-hour train ride from each other, was kind of ridiculous. When we made our plans, trinitysite said that she wouldn't believe it until I woke up in her apartment the morning after arrival. I got in yesterday, so I interpreted her comment to mean that last night would be some kind of liminal space in which the rules of realite wouldn't apply. I love this concept! I tried to walk on the ceiling, though I had a bit of trouble with that (clearly due to my own lack of upside-down training, not any reassertion of gravity). Now that it's Saturday, and she appears to accept that I am indeed here, things are going well. At the moment, we're both working aboard this coffeeship, and then we should be seeing Too Much Light tonight. Field museum tomorrow. And throughout, much hanging out and talking. And on top of that, it is SO nice not to be at school right now. I was REALLY in need of a break--while writing a paper before leaving, I was really struggling to focus on it. I have plenty to do this weekend and next week (which is my quasi-Spring Break), but still--I'm hoping to get some rejuvenation in too. I may take a day to say that I will do NO work, besides maybe reading a book that's assigned but also very interesting. Okay, now to do something work-related... (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, January 14th, 2008
10:21 am	Meanwhile, back in Boston... Boston.com is predicting 5 to 10 inches of snow. And so more than 600 schools and colleges have closed in response. Looking more closely, I see that there have been some power outages from downed trees, and that the roads are supposed to be slick. And the snow sounds like it's coming pretty fast. So yes, that's a real issue. But still, as a Midwesterner who's back in the region where he was born, I have to say... Oh no! There's white stuff coming out of the sky in the winter--whatever can it be?! Lawsy, lawsy...Cancel school! Shut the roads! Load up on supplies and hide the children! The sky is falling! Snow in January--whatever shall we do?! Yeesh. (9 Comments |Comment on this)