Only $40.
The number of people I actually know on Bluesky has increased significantly in the last week.
How the Ivy League Broke America. Incredibly thought provoking article about education, society and the concept of merit.
When income level is the most important division in a society, politics is a struggle over how to redistribute money. When a society is more divided by education, politics becomes a war over values and culture.
I haven’t been active on Twitter in a very long time, but I deactivated my account this morning. Now I have to find all of the links to Twitter on my blogs and other profiles and delete them. Going to take a while.
Really, really don’t understand how people are still on Twitter. Communities will reform elsewhere. So many people have left, your follower count is an illusion at this point. There are other options. I just don’t understand.
Then: Reflections from 11.10.24
Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.
I skipped last week’s post. Sunday, I was busy with schoolwork and didn’t have time. I planned to post something later, but the election happened and I just didn’t feel like posting at all.
Favorite Picture of Last Week
Our oldest, Norah, joined us at the polls to cast her first vote in a presidential election. And while most of the races didn’t go the way we hoped, I love that I was able to share this experience with her.
Feels
- Nervous. I’m worried for the future of our country and the future of democracy in general.
- Optimistic. I had advisement this week and feel like I have a strong path forward toward finishing my Ph.D. I’m planning on taking two courses in the fall, one in the summer, and then, I’m pretty much just writing from there to the end of my dissertation.
- Reclusive. I don’t really feel like being around anyone right now. It’s don’t feel like sharing on social media. I kinda just want to be a recuse for a little while.
Health
- Fine. This week wasn’t the best week for my health.
Projects
- School work. I’ve got to talk about my research on Wednesday. And then finish up my project for class. Very doable.
Entertainment
- Not much. I’ll be honest. Pretty much avoiding all media right now. Just not feeling it.
Today, everything in my life seems small. My job feels inconsequential. My career choices, misguided. My research, misdirected. My dissertation, pointless. The world is so broken. I feel like I could have — should have — committed to making more of a difference… somehow…
I have grad school advisement this afternoon and class this evening. I have decisions to make about my next step in my Ph.D. process. I’m not at all in a mental state to think about next semester.
Sometimes, being a goalie is lonely.
According to Facebook, 15 years ago today, I got a Google Wave invite.
Then: Reflections from 10.27.24
Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.
This week was busy like the last couple, but felt much more manageable for some reason. I have an insanely busy week ahead of me and as the semester wraps up, I have a lot of school work to do. But emotionally, I feel a little more focused.
Favorite Picture of Last Week
My son, Ryan, is a lacrosse goalie. He played four games this weekend and did amazing. Probably his best week in goal ever. I also try to capture the action and yesterday, a kid made a great move a slipped the ball past Ryan. Great shot, and a fun picture.
Feels
- Motivated. I have a lot to do this week. And I’m feeling good about getting it done.
- Deep in thought. I need to make some decisions on my dissertation that I’ve been putting off. I think I’m starting to figure out what I want to do — and it’s a little more ambitious than I originally planned. But if I’m staring off into the distance, that’s what I’m thinking about.
- Frazzled. Less than two weeks to the election. I know I should vote early, but it’s my oldest’s first presidential election and I want her to get the full experience of going to the polls.
- Tired. We dropped off Jillian very early this morning to go on a school trip to DC. I should be trying to get some sleep right now, but the cat woke me up and I so figured I’d be productive and knock this out. Honestly though, I should be asleep right now.
Health
- Still stable. Not much progress this week. At some point, I’ll kick back into high gear soon, but this week is not the week.
Projects
- School work. I’ve got some projects to finish up for the class I’m taking this semester.
Entertainment
- Welcome back, Lower Decks. Star Trek Lower Decks is back for it’s fifth and final season. Loved the first two episodes of Season 5 and excited to see where it goes. Sad that it’s wrapping up, though. It’s been a wonderful addition to Star Trek.
- Formula 1. In the middle of a three week stretch of F1. Mexico City Grand Prix is today.
Just a reminder that aggressive tariffs and the resulting trade war were one of the causes of the Great Depression.
School trip. Early morning departure.
I got a really great score in Quartiles this morning. I wondered if I could easy share my score on social media like I could on Wordle. While Apple has a share button, it’s just a link to the puzzle in Apple News+ that few can access. Missed marketing opportunity.
I thought it was interesting that during the start of the Scout Motors unveiling, they promised to never sell their customers’ data. Privacy matters.
Scout Motors is unveiling their new vehicle designs later this afternoon. I’m excited because I want to see how they interpreted the old design into a new EV. But also, they are going to be built right here in Columbia, South Carolina.
I know I should probably vote early, but it’s my daughter’s first presidential election and I want her to have the full experience of going to the polls.
At Jillâs Research Reveal for her AP Research class at Chapin. Whatâs AP Research? Basically grad school, but in high school. Fun to see all the interesting projects.
Then: Reflections from 10.20.24
Posts in the “Then” category were originally shared on my “Now” page.
Another busy week. I feel like a broken record at this point. The kids’ schedules are busy. We went to the South Carolina State Fair. I was thankful that I didn’t have class this week for Fall Break, but I’ve still got a bunch of grad school deadlines to handle. We are actively looking to buy a car — which is a process I do not enjoy. It’s all quite overwhelming, but we manage to figure out how to fit it all in.
Favorite Picture of Last Week
I’ve decided to add this weekly feature to my Now page to encourage me to take and share more pictures. We went to the State Fair to see my daughter’s papier-mâché giraffe. While I was there, I caught this Ferris wheel against an impossibly blue sky.
Feels
- Overwhelmed. October has been a little bit of a whirlwind. Ryan is doing lacrosse. Jill has hit peak homework. We’ve got school events and volunteer events. It seems like we never have free time.
- Grace. Recognizing that I need to give myself some grace. I’ve been too hard on myself, and realize that I’ve been a bad model in that regard for my kiddos and Liz. There isn’t enough time in the day to do all the things I need to do. And I need to be okay with that.
- Frazzled. Still nervous about the state of the nation, but encouraged that I see more and more people standing up and expressing their support for Harris Walz. Several friends in Georgia recently shared their stance on Facebook challenging their conservative family members. My neighbors have Harris Walz signs in their yard in a corner of conservative Lexington, South Carolina.
Health
- Stable. October has been a holding pattern. I realize how much a busy schedule works against my efforts to be healthier. I’m choosing to give myself some grace…
Projects
- Accepted. My journal article was accepted for publication. A couple more editing hurdles and it’ll be ready to go. I’ll share more here when it’s out.
Entertainment
- SEC football. Big win for my Gamecocks over Oklahoma. Georgia beating Texas. Tennessee beating Alabama. There really isn’t a more exciting conference in college football.
- F1 is back. Watched some of the sprint race yesterday and qualifying. Watching the United States Grand Prix this afternoon.
- Quartiles. I’m really enjoying the Apple News+ game Quartiles. It’s pretty much replaced The NY Times games like Wordle and Strands that I had been playing daily.