Friday, October 31, 2008

Radio Silence Again

I don't want to write about politics because we're all sick of it (and just vote for Obama, it's like taking your vitamins, it's good for you). And I don't want to write about education policy because it reminds me of all the schoolwork I'm not doing. And I don't want to write about work because right now it just feels like I'm suffering through each day. I guess I could write about wedding planning....

I'm sure you'd all be thrilled with that. But I did find some awesome bluegrass musicians for the ceremony/cocktail hour and a blues band for the reception. So that's fun!

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

but OBAMA SCARES ME

Ugh. I'm so sick of hearing that. And could the people saying it stop being so Southern? It doesn't sound any better when you say he "scares the bejeezus out of me." What is the bejeezus anyway?

You know what scares me? Not being able to buy a house and I'm almost 30. Losing my job because the state I work for is about to announce major budget cuts, and the University System is dependent on state funding... as well as the corporate donors who don't have any more dollars to donate. The amount of student loan debt my fiance and I have combined. Michelle Obama talks about how they took a long time to pay off their debt, how they had children and student loan debt. I could care less about taxes. If a few more bucks here and there meant that students' loan debt was lessened, then maybe it's worth it. Besides, I'm in that solid middle class tax bracket that pays at least 30% in taxes - and my taxes haven't gone down under Bush. The amount I'm paying for just about everything has gone up, so even though I'm doing well financially, I feel poor. And unless we do something about the economy, there won't be an opportunity for me to get a job that puts me in some other tax bracket. Why shouldn't those who get golden parachutes pay more in taxes? Why should it be only me?

What scares me is four more years of a president who could care less about how hard it is for those of us who are under 30 right now, because he probably can't remember what it was like to be 25, and certainly never had to worry about paying off student loans.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Doesn't Anybody Get a C Anymore? - The Boston Globe

Amen to this article. Not going to get personal, but this happens all the time. And how can we counteract it?

Doesn't Anybody Get a C Anymore? - The Boston Globe: "THE STUDENT DESERVED A B-MINUS. MAYBE EVEN A C-PLUS, I HAD decided. One paper was especially weak; another was late. But then I began to rationalize. The student had been generally prepared and contributed to class discussion, so I relented and gave what I thought was a very generous B. At least I wouldn't get a complaint about this grade, I figured. Then came the e-mail.

Why such a 'low grade,' the indignant student wrote."