In case it wasn’t clear from the title of this post, I’m going to use the word Hell a lot. Mom, you might want to turn back now. “Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch’intrate.*“
I left work today to go to my monthly massage appointment. I can tell you right now that the massage was absolutely not what inspired this post. The massage was divine and I feel SO much better.
It was the walk from the Chiropractic Office back to Kendall Sq to catch the shuttle that got me thinking. What the Hell is up?
I have a post percolating in my brain about Game of Thrones. Geoff and I have both been working crazy schedules between his school schedule and interviewing for work and my endless work schedule.
Then Jay died on Saturday.
Jay was really Carron’s friend, but he was a larger than life person who made the world a happier, better, and funnier place for being in it. I knew Jay through Carron but both Geoff and I had met him and like him immensely. He was Carron’s brother from another mother and circumstances in life had left him in a position to always make sure that Carron had what she needed if there wasn’t enough work that month. He was generous, giving, hilariously funny, and kind. Everything you’d want in a best friend and separated at birth brother.
Jay was violently murdered on Saturday in Mexico. No, I won’t link to the article or any photos. We don’t want or need to remember him that way. I choose to remember him as the kind man who made Carron so happy and and who was so good to so many people. I choose to remember the man who loved animals and always had a dog nearby. The man who contributed to animal charities and animal rescue.
So we’ll probably be a little sporadic in posting around here for a while. Between our schedules and the fact that a giant hole has been torn in Carron’s world, Game of Thrones posts can wait. We have funeral preparations to make, emails to send, and people to contact.
Requiem in aeternam, Jay.
~Kelly
I’m not writing this because I don’t think kids in school don’t work hard enough, because teachers have too much time off, or because I have some other ideas about school/teacher/union reform. I’m writing this because 1) I grew up without a vacation in February and since moving to New England and finding out about it I’ve decided it’s an absurd practice, 2) I work with the public day in and day out and the very worst times of year to deal with people are school vacation weeks, and 3) Climate Change.
If I lost you on that last one, let me go into a little more detail.
Continue reading “It’s time to end February School Vacation week, for good”
Science is important. It is something that both Kelly and I take quite seriously. It’s one if the reasons Kelly has worked as a science educator for a decade, and one of the reasons why even some of our hobbies involve a lot of science. We feel quite passionately about it.
And it’s also why we both get so frustrated about the problems with scientific literacy in America – demonstrated by things like this survey that shows the gaps between scientists and the public when it comes to views of science. And if you want to see scientific ignorance displayed in all its factually-challenged glory, and I mean some truly godawful stuff, just turn on a television.
Anyone who’s spent any time in the job market will tell you that networking will get you everywhere. Knowing people and being willing to talk to them about what they do and who they know is the fastest way to land interviews and jobs. I recently landed a new part-time gig that I’m really excited about for precisely that reason: I had the skills and experience and I knew someone who was able to hook me up with the people who were looking for someone like me.
Today I happened upon a lesson in exactly how NOT to network. Someone failed in spectacular fashion at Networking 101. Let the following be a lesson to us all.
Continue reading “How to fail at Networking without really trying”
To most of us, most of the world even, this week is the festive week between Christmas and the New Year. Most Universities are in Intercession, some non-profits are closed, and many people choose to go on vacation. To those of us who work in education, this is School Vacation Week. To those of us who work in the Service Industry, this is Hell Week.
To those of us who do both, this is a tsunami of bad behavior, worse parenting, and unbelievable entitlement.
Continue reading “School Vacation Week: notes from the front”
Good people make mistakes. It happens. No one is perfect. How we acknowledge those mistakes, and how we try to make amends, that is what’s critical to getting along with everyone, especially those who are harmed by our mistakes. It makes a world of difference whether we recognize the harm we sometimes do as individuals, as organizations, and even as nations.
And that is why it truly pains me to see groups that I believe in make bad, even horrible mistakes, and then fail to do the right thing afterward. It is just heartbreaking. And lately it seems like it is one after another.
December is upon us, we’ve survived Thanksgiving weekend and the Black Friday-Cyber Monday mayhem that ensued. I didn’t hear any stories about people getting trampled to death at Wal-Marts this year, but that just might be because I was working Fri-Sun and not watching the news.
To do my part to keep this month as harmonious and happy as possible, I’ve collected some tips and tricks from my own experience and from various individuals and places around the internet. Read these, learn them, and you’ll find that your shopping, dining, and general interactions with people will go better for the rest of the year and possibly into the next one.
Continue reading “The Holidays and Tips from your Friendly Local Service Industry Professionals”
Neil & Amanda sit down and have a drink. George says OW.
Ok, bad joke. But it was inspired by this tweet from Goodreads this afternoon.
Continue reading “@amandapalmer, @neilhimself, & @GeorgeWBush walk into a bar…”
What gives? Oh, right, internet security and common sense do.
This is where you ask, what on earth is she talking about? I’ll tell you.
Continue reading “2 Husbands, 3 Children in 2 Countries and no Reality TV Show, Yet”
The Books are Taking Over... 