snowed in...

Once again, we are "cold" in, not exactly snowed in.  But a snow day nonetheless...

Well, a no travel to Gallup day on Monday afternoon turned in to a snow day for me on Tuesday.

Here is how I kept myself busy between writing papers:

The more things change, the more they stay the same: LA cops and the occupiers.



This is exactly the kind of thing that makes me use YELP only to find the location of various restaurants. I have never felt like reviews on this site could be useful.  I didn't think about how they could be malicious...

I was going to write a whole post about how as a society we have put so much stock in stranger danger that we neglect the need for all of us to be more vigilant, observant and willing to get involved.  Children (of any age) will give us signals that they are being hurt.  We have to be willing to SEE those signs, and to risk being judged as metiches, and investigate AND report.  We are all connected, and every time we turn the blind eye because we are scared to get involved, then we are complicit in the abuse of these children.  Too often we *don't* see whatever we don't *want* to see...

A friend sent me this and asked how one of her niece should read this article with regards to her own admissions prospects.  For me it highlights the discussions we don't have about underlying assumptions in this country...the myths of meritocracy and American Dream.  But, then again, I am a downer like that: bursting bubbles with my little reality pin.

While we are on sad subjects, I will share this story because I think it has a silver lining.  I think it is always worth celebrating successes and when people rise above challenges. But I will refrain from sharing the story about the embalmers who had to work on a child.  It was gut-wrenching.