Basically if the people can’t self medicate they make real trouble.
I know what I do after a bad day instead of making other ppl miserable.

There’s got to be volumes written about what a political mistake it is for the government to regulate alcohol.
Empires has rose and fallen….

My Dad (who was living in San Jose at the time) once went to the Gilroy Garlic Festival with my sister. When they came home they smelled so much that my Mom wouldn’t let the back in the house!

I’m not upset with any person here. I’m raging at a society and lower middle class who love their comforts too much to fight to keep from being slowly slid into the working poor.
“We’ll just get a different job” is their motto.

BTW, I’m back to work with a deal that is only marginally less crappy than what we were initially offered.

For some reason, no one in the union is asking me to sign a card today. 🤔
The Billy Joel lyric “and the union ppl crawled away” seems apropos.

Just to be crystal clear, the University of Illinois does not care at all about the people they employ.

Whether that makes the ppl in charge terrible ppl is left as an exercise for you dear reader.

Back at the salt mine this morning because too many of us didn’t have the stomach to go without pay longer.

The story today on NPR about peace talks the US is saying will be held in Islamabad ended with saying they could not confirm the Iranians will be there.
Freaking wild. It’s like our foreign policy is one big Percocet hallucination.

Other than personal stuff. I hand write thank you notes to students and donors.

Someone right now is probably selling “Hairy Pot Head” shirts to angry Boston fans. Capitalism!

Hand written now means more IMO. Like, I actually scraped my hand across this paper and left some of myself in this note.

What Are You Like YouTube video by Indigo Girls - Topic

The refrain of “you’re my open door” at the end of the 2009 song “What Are You Like” by the Indigo Girls sounds a lot like one of the popular ear worms from the 2013 movie Frozen.

youtu.be/HOjivRgl058?...

Straight up heresy.

I apologize. Should have looked at your bio.

I needed to turn the furnace back on today after having the AC on all week long. Welcome to climate changed April in Illinois.

A six panel grid from Action Comics #1. Superman stops a man from beating his wife with a belt. He throws the man against the wall; the man then tries to stab Superman. The knife breaks and the coward faints.

Happy Superman Day.

Golden Age Superman was a New Deal hero and a champion of the poor and oppressed.

Never forget that Superman’s earliest enemies included: slumlords, crooked businessmen, corrupt politicians, mining tycoons, gangsters, and abusers.

(Action Comics #1)

Once two police officers came to my door in the middle of the night and one of them couldn’t stop staring at the hostas in our front yard. When they turned to go he said, “those hostas are something else!”
Incredible plants.

I’m not a mountain climber but I am a sucker for stories about mountain climbing. I think I can identify with the code that all your actions are meant ensure the safety and survival of the people you are climbing with and they’ve got your back too.

There is a beautifully illustrated children’s book “Snow Party” by Harriet Ziefert and illustrated by Mark Jones that almost perfectly captures the magic.

Your regular reminder that good art has clear intentional choices behind it. Accidents can be successful but are not the norm. Art is a professional endeavor done by talented trained people who deserve a fair wage.

He will have to do it while losing his home state of Illinois. I can’t adequately express in words how much everyone hates him here.

Cover of report "Mission Aborted: how NASA illegally implemented the president's budget request without congressional approval. Minority staff report, prepared by members of the committee on science, space, and technology, us house of representatives, April 2026

This report came out today by minority staff of the House science committee on how three NASA missions were aborted due to NASA illegally following the FY26 president's budget request instead of congressionally approved budget. Very important reading. 🔭🧪 democrats-science.house.gov/staff-report...

Thanks.

Thanks. It’s taking more if a psychological toll than fiscal or physical at this point.
I haven’t been happy with the direction of the campus for years and it’s tough to feel like the ppl in charge just want you to quit.

Still on strike.
No progress. Still being offered less than 2% raises (effectively a pay cut in real dollars every year)
Seriously thinking of looking for a different job.

Where can I place a bet that Thomas embarks on civility initiative with Bill Cosby and OJ Simpson as his partners?

I’m still on strike with the other faculty. Day 13 today.
The university has not made any counter offers in two days. Starting to think the federal mediator is as useless as a door stop.

It’s like that South Park where Cartman slowly morphs into Hitler only it’s not funny.

Because they heard the cries and smelled the ovens yet had convinced themselves their government would never do something that terrible.

For “never again” to have meaning we can’t ignore what we hear and see.

BREAKING: The U.S. bishops’ Committee on Doctrine just issued a formal statement defending Pope Leo XIV's teaching authority on just war doctrine — less than twelve hours after JD Vance told a Turning Point USA crowd the pope should “be careful” talking theology.

This is a serious escalation.