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There are no superheroes. We need to do it ourselves.

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When I was in grade school, we had to learn all the --isms and other words that were associated with them. I know that it was training us to "spot" Communism-- I am a child of the cold war era. That said, the word "oligarchy" had been associated with corruption in Soviet Russia, and we all knew that it was a bad thing for a select group of powerful people to run the show behind closed doors. An oligarchy was a bad thing. At least, I thought we all knew that. From the looks of things, some people took it as a challenge, as a way to run a country like their own private supply of money. In fact, I would have thought that most of the people who are my age or a little older-- even 20 years older or so-- would not want to be associated with those manipulative policies that we were all taught were evil. Unfortunately, it looks like I was wrong. The oligarchs of the social studies lessons were cruel, heartless, and abusive to the common worker. We also learned that the Robb...
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Good stuff, and a little suggestion about buying things...

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It seems I've somewhat broken my promise to not get flustered (at least in print) about the national issues that are engulfing the media, and by extension, all of us. Sorry about that. Sort of. I am, however, so pleased that the Hamas/Israel ceasefire plan came before January 20th. The credit-claiming has already begun, and that makes me furious. It doesn't surprise me, given the "who" but still-- not cool. Not cool at all. Respect should be given to the people who have tirelessly worked at this negotiation for over a year, not the ones who were invited to participate much more recently, who should be helping keep this agreement on track.  That happens in our own lives, too, doesn't it? I mean yes, as long as the job gets done, it should be all okay-- but still, when someone has done something really well, they ought to be given the nod of thanks.  So, enough said about that group of icky sticky humans.  It's cold out.  It's dark out. And that's both l...
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Resumes not required? It's a mess...

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I'm following the confirmation hearings, and I can't say I feel like things are going to be okay if/when these nominees are confirmed. Bickering back  and shouting over Senators, sidestepping questions, and out-and-out not being able to answer basic questions that directly relate to the positions... yeah, it appears that being at all qualified for a job is no longer a concern. Just... loyalty to a demagogue. And we can't even hope that the people around them who actually know their business will cover for them, since there is a promised "purge" of all employees-- they are being asked such things as to whom and how much they donated in the last election. It's scary. There's been times I've been passed over for positions that I was qualified for; it hurts like hell, honestly. And when you see who they do hire, and that person does not work out, it hurts again and again. That said, I've never been in charge of, say, an 800+ billion dollar budget. Nor ...
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Yesterday was a real Monday--c'mon, Tuesday!

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Yesterday was one of those "pecked to death by chickens" days with a thick layer of Monday all over it. Students were okay, except the couple that totally disappointed me (did not turn in work that was already given an extension). Then we had a union meeting to discuss the new proposed contract, and though I won't and can't discuss the terms, let's just leave it at I, for the first time in my professional career, lost my cool. Not a good thing, but I did email an apology to the president, who was very understanding. The issue won't likely get better, and me being the only part-time employee, I get hit harder than others due to my "benefits" being pro-rated. And so it goes, right? Sucktastic. But I have a job, and I'll be paid for it. So, I'll behave. Then I went and got groceries at 4pm-- whipped in and out, and then checked the mail. I got my temporary handicap placard, which will come in handy when I'm out and about and the walking is n...
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Monday, and it's gonna be crazy...

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I am feeling a little bleary-eyed this morning, mainly because I was sleeping very soundly and I didn't want to get out of the warm bed. I suspect most folks feel the same way, especially on the first day of the work week. Alas, it's Monday, and it's time to caffeinate and get moving.  It was a really nice weekend in a lot of ways, though. A true weekend, in that I didn't grade papers. I have a mountain of laundry that needs to be folded, and it's all still sitting in baskets. I didn't even get my groceries yet. I took-- gasp -- time off. Saturday, I was in a wonderful writing class all day-- I have three new drafts, and ideas for a couple more, and those will build a connected series of persona poems. That was great fun. And then yesterday, Meg and I took off after I got home from church and we went to Tilton. It was not a huge shopping excursion, but it was nice to get out of town, I did find a couple of things here and there (okay, a chunky cream-colored card...
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"Blackbird"-- what are you telling me?

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"Blackbird singing in the dead of night/ Take these broken wings and learn to fly/ All your life/ You were only waiting for this moment to arise..." Paul McCartney, acoustic version, " Blackbird " I've written before about how I often (okay almost always) wake up with music already running through my head. Today, it's this song, this version. I have no clue what my subconscious mind is up to, but it feels like I should pay attention.  Have a good day, C
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The Beige Life

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It's so strange when you take down the Christmas tree and all the decorations. I didn't even decorate a lot, but the cavernous quality of the space, and the somewhat bland look to the rooms, is almost palpable. My living room walls are solid wood paneling, quite nice, actually, but they are wood. And the thermal curtains over the big window are mushroom grey. My furniture is an odd collection of equally muted tones. It all happened that way-- the boring palette was not intentionally chosen-- and for the most part, it's both comfortable and restful. But the predominant tone feels (and looks) pretty beige. Like my closet in winter, actually.  Beige Grey Brown Black  I've been making a concerted effort to include some pops of color in my wardrobe, but the house remains, for a nice term, neutral. I don't think I'd be happy in a color-chaos; I've seen other homes with startling shades on the walls and a plethora of busy wall art-decorations-ephemera clustered all...
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