The beginning of a sunny Labor Day weekend.

A Labor Day when unions are weaker than ever; when more Americans are out of work than in decades.

Feeling very lucky to have work, to not have to worry about the benefits of a regular paycheck, of regular health and retirement benefits. Very fortunate, indeed. In fact, receiving notice of my eligibility to apply for phased retirement at work, to begin fall 2021. Not entirely sure I’ll make that application, as there’s some counseling I need to seek regarding the fine print…but as was the case last year, when i was informed that this eligibility was on the horizon, it’s got me and Pattie thinking.

Joe, Cristin, and Jackson were set to leave their spot in Michigan and head west to S Dakota to visit Cristin’s sis (Erin) & family...

What a long week.

Good to know that Joe/Cristin/Jackson are making the most of their time off, on a bit of a road trip to visit Joe’s step-sis & family (they live in Chicago, vacation an hour east, on great lake in Michigan), and Cristin’s sis & family (S. Dakota). As the drives are long (12 hrs NY-Mich and Mich-SDak), they’re breaking them up with single nights camping, which is great. We’ve only heard a tad from them since they’ve arrived in Michigan–all are having a great time–and did get this pic of Jackson with one of his cousins. Looking like a real little boy, no?

School? After today, in this term 12 classes down, 8 remaining. Students who’re falling behind are now really digging in, which is great...

A bro’s birthday yesterday brought a nice conversation with him. He was in a particularly good mood, as he’d just heard the Portland mayor tell off POTUS. Good to know he’s in good spirits.

Busy correcting piles of papers this morning, and need to get back to it…almost 50% done with the term today.

Stephen contacted me last wk with news of a bike trade-in at his dealership in VA, so we made a trip up to VA for a quick visit. Only possible in these remote times, of course, as i’ll teach this morning, then go test-drive, then come back to their house to teach an afternoon class…then back to Gvl.

Joe/Cristin/Jackson on another road-trip, which is great...

This article, (also here) from the Chronicle of Higher Education, serves as a good portrait of the issues, attitudes, and atmosphere on campuses right now. I’m very impressed by the many angles it covers. This is one to be included on the “2020/COVID-19 History” course to be taught to leadership folks in decades to come.

This is such a horrible experiment, but will absolutely teach so many of us so many valuable lessons about untenable situations, no-win decision-making, etc.

And surely there will be one about the compressing of 15-wk terms and the cost to students in learning effectiveness.  I never understood the idea of “being nimble” because we could “pivot” more easily with shorter terms...

It’s officially been nominated, and now accepted that nomination, for POTUS candidacy. The endless lies, the “law and order” stance that sounds no different than the Southern strategy used by Nixon–“we’re white, keep them others down.”

The news reports are all about “fact checking.” And it makes me laugh, as a lifetime of its lies have gotten it here, making shit up left and right, echoed by those who want to assure whatever sort of bizarre idea of ‘governing’ this represents. And that lifetime of lies was no secret. And the years of lies while in this office have been no secret. And it took the media years to find the spine to actually use the word “lie.”

And even now there’s little use of the word lie...

With classes suspended yesterday and today, it hasn’t stopped the reporting of new cases in/around campus. Pattie and I rode our bicycles around campus a bit; a ghost town, as you might imagine, and a healthy number of parents loading up their kids to get ’em home. Have received emails from some students who are so very disappointed, of course.

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But, this came in last night; clearly Jackson’s stair-climbing skills have developed quickly over the previous 24 hours!

Sure do love the morning video calls that often come in from Joe/Jackson. The call yesterday morning (in addition to watching Jackson enjoy his peanut butter & banana breakfast) was a particular treat, as he took on a flight of stairs successfully for the first time.

And that was the best news of the day.

Shortly after that call, received official notice that ECU will go all-remote (for undergrad classes) beginning Wednesday. No classes today/Monday and Tuesday, allowing students to begin clearing out of dorms–although they have until Aug 30 to do so. Don’t know what all the people who’ve signed lengthy leases will do, of course.

Am glad to hear that...

A week of long days. Teaching feels more manageable, though I and several others experienced a major technical glitch on Friday (unable to connect to Webex for a class). This was my first big tech issue. I think the good news is that even with outbreaks on campus, students seem to be doing ok.

As the students are really in a kind of anti-social restriction (not necessarily a full lockdown, but definitely not ‘normal’ college), some are doing work at all hours. I see homework submissions coming in from more than one student between midnight and 4am. I am trying to get them very fast feedback while the iron’s hot; if they submit, i get back to them so that they can make adjustments and resubmit. During these first two weeks (we’re 30% done with this 7...

76 days until Nov. 3.

Growing up outside Boston, we took pride in the “Don’t blame me, I’m from Massachusetts” bumper stickers generated by the results of the 1972 presidential election. That year, George McGovern won a single state, the crook took the other 49. Of course I was just 11, really had no clue about anything, but I learned pretty quickly what it meant to have a lying cheat in the White House.

I know it won’t happen, but gosh I’d love to see this election prove even more of a landslide than ’72.