"After another digital journalism outfit announced another round of furloughs, Christina Long dashed off a text to a group of friends — all women, all up-and-comers in the close-knit but intensely competitive world of sports media.
“WHY ARE NONE OF MY INTERESTS WORTH ANYTHING IN DOLLARS,” the University of Missouri junior lamented in April after Vox Media furloughed more than 100 people, many from its trendsetting sports blog SB Nation."
I find it interesting that people don't seem to clock that the reason some professions make so much money is because they basically suck. You don't have to pay sportswriters a lot of money because there are many more people who think that sounds like a great way to spend their lives, so if you won't work for that someone else will. Unless you are very very fortunate, you don't get to make good money for doing something you love.
There's also a huge difference between fan blogging and the work it has historically taken to get to being a paid member of the media. It was hard to break into reporting 30 years ago, much less today - but fan blogs make it seem easy.
People make good money (not outrageous Masters of the Universe money) doing what they love all the time - but typically it takes a lot more time, dedication, networking and luck to get to that point than people on the outside think. Actual top tier reporters (like Cal alum Mike Silver) for example make good money - but it starts with doing stuff like taking multiple internships and working a ton of crappy jobs to get there (and even then has an element of chance).
Should Hagia Sophia be turned into a mosque again? If one follows historical precedent it should be a cathedral, as it was for 900 years. Visited it a few years ago - quite impressive place.
UC Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara and Davis (offered at Merced when I didn't get into SB, though I didn't apply), Chico State, SDSU, Humboldt State, Lewis & Clark.
Cal, Davis, UCLA, UCSB, Cal Poly, UCSD, and Cornell (for some reason but wasn't super serious about it). I think that's all I applied to. Got into each one, except for Cornell, deferred until the spring at Cal and ended up going to Cal.
Cal. Just Cal. Why just Cal? That's a good question. I'm not sure I knew what I was doing, back in the 70s. But it is where my dad went, as did many other relatives.
Princeton, Cal, USC, Washington, Yale. My Dad went to UW so I had it as a fallback if I didn't get into Cal, which I did. USC offered an academic scholarship to study engineering, which I didn't accept. Didn't apply to Stanford or Harvard. Got into Yale but decided it was too expensive and far away.
Vandy: staggered arrivals into the dorms. I don't think they've stated how the classes will work yet. No fall break. Prefer students not to go away from Nashville. They'll go home at Thanksgiving and stay home until the spring. The week of instruction after Thanksgiving will be online and then finals will be online.
Benicia: I think half the students will be M-W and the other half T-Th. half the classes in the fall and half the classes in the spring I think. Not sure if this is finalized but I think it's the current plan.
It seems to me that almost no one in our government has put any thought into how it will affect working families to have only part-time school, especially how it's going to happen, with little-to-no chance to plan for it. This seems like it's going to be a disaster.
My local school district just issued the plan: choose in 2 weeks whether we will go a) 100% online or b) one week in person, two weeks online. No reduction in class size. Just signs on the floor encourage social distancing, wiping classrooms at the end of the day, mandatory masks except for those who claim religious exemption, and a daily signed affidavit handed to the bus driver that you don't have any symptoms. No switching mid-semester.
Seems like a plan to protect the school district's butts, not parents & teachers' lives. Wife is pushing for plan b with kid isolated in one room because kid misses friends. I want 100% online because I don't feel like getting the 'rona.
Most schools, at all levels, do not have the space to provide spacing without rotating attendance, in at least some of their infrastructure. And there is not enough time or money to do anything about that.
I wouldn't want to take the PR heat or the likely lawsuit that will result from blocking a move from part-time attendance to 100% online at some point, probably shortly after a spike in positive tests or someone gets sick.
Hmm...interesting. I'll have to check if Vandy is requiring negative tests. I don't remember reading it in the emails I've received. Does make sense though. I think about 2 weeks into the semester we'll see positive tests and they'll send everyone home, even though they're supposed to have quarantine dorms.
I think that part of what's driving this is that the president of Vassar is on the NY State re-opening committee of the "great and the good," so there's some external pressure. The alumnae / alumni are less likely to tolerate tomfoolery that other schools I've been associated with. And frankly, I think they're smart enough to realize that the potential costs of *not* doing it this way - whether from liability or students choosing to withdraw or faculty quitting - are higher than setting a plausible standard.
That said, I've suggested to my daughter that she pack light for fast exits because I'm betting they'll have to shut it down before Thanksgiving.
When Vandy shut things down the week after spring break they said they would supply boxes and store stuff for free. So that was good. He just packed up two suitcases with summer clothes and stuff to bring back. Most of his sheets, towels, school stuff, winter clothes stayed there. He said some of the students are betting they'll be back a week or two after school starts.
"After another digital journalism outfit announced another round of furloughs, Christina Long dashed off a text to a group of friends — all women, all up-and-comers in the close-knit but intensely competitive world of sports media.
“WHY ARE NONE OF MY INTERESTS WORTH ANYTHING IN DOLLARS,” the University of Missouri junior lamented in April after Vox Media furloughed more than 100 people, many from its trendsetting sports blog SB Nation."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/07/02/summer-internships-journalists-coronavirus/
I find it interesting that people don't seem to clock that the reason some professions make so much money is because they basically suck. You don't have to pay sportswriters a lot of money because there are many more people who think that sounds like a great way to spend their lives, so if you won't work for that someone else will. Unless you are very very fortunate, you don't get to make good money for doing something you love.
There's also a huge difference between fan blogging and the work it has historically taken to get to being a paid member of the media. It was hard to break into reporting 30 years ago, much less today - but fan blogs make it seem easy.
People make good money (not outrageous Masters of the Universe money) doing what they love all the time - but typically it takes a lot more time, dedication, networking and luck to get to that point than people on the outside think. Actual top tier reporters (like Cal alum Mike Silver) for example make good money - but it starts with doing stuff like taking multiple internships and working a ton of crappy jobs to get there (and even then has an element of chance).
I think the DBD photo is FAKE!
It's real and it is in Utah
https://youtu.be/W8_HFO2iWX4
Man made, not natural.
someone is shifting goal posts
Should Hagia Sophia be turned into a mosque again? If one follows historical precedent it should be a cathedral, as it was for 900 years. Visited it a few years ago - quite impressive place.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53232110
Francis Crick?
TODAY IN THE 'RONA
Boris Johnson's dad fucks off to Greece and BoJo won't even respond to a friendly interview question on the subject:
https://twitter.com/Haggis_UK/status/1278971405825179650
tweet suggesting that the best predictor of corona spikes is credit card transactions for in-person dining: https://twitter.com/carlquintanilla/status/1278766321610735620?s=20
Name all the universities you APPLIED to
UC Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara and Davis (offered at Merced when I didn't get into SB, though I didn't apply), Chico State, SDSU, Humboldt State, Lewis & Clark.
interestingly i did not apply to Cal because i was taking classes there as a senior in HS.
Princeton, Stanford, MIT, Harvard. didnt get into any of them ...
Cal, Davis, UCLA, UCSB, Cal Poly, UCSD, and Cornell (for some reason but wasn't super serious about it). I think that's all I applied to. Got into each one, except for Cornell, deferred until the spring at Cal and ended up going to Cal.
Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD, UCSB, UC Irvine, UC Merced, 5 Cal States I don't remember and the local community college, just in case.
Cal, UC Santa Cruz, UC Santa Barbara
Cal, Stanford, USC.
Cal, John Hopkins and some liberal arts college.
Cal, UC Davis, Santa Clara
UCSB, UC Riverside, UCD, Oregon, UW, Cal Poly, Central Iowa
One of these things is very much not like the others. WTH?
Baseball...I didn't head to Pella, IA tho...burr...
Cal
Cal. Just Cal. Why just Cal? That's a good question. I'm not sure I knew what I was doing, back in the 70s. But it is where my dad went, as did many other relatives.
Cal, UC Los Angeles, UC Davis, UC Irvine. Safety school: UC Riverside.
Princeton, Cal, USC, Washington, Yale. My Dad went to UW so I had it as a fallback if I didn't get into Cal, which I did. USC offered an academic scholarship to study engineering, which I didn't accept. Didn't apply to Stanford or Harvard. Got into Yale but decided it was too expensive and far away.
USC, Stanford, Cal, Pomona, UC Santa Cruz
Elsewhere in college
Oregon State troopers refuse to wear mask in store, despite governor mandate & request by manager
https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2020/07/oregon-state-police-dont-wear-coronavirus-masks-as-they-patronize-corvallis-coffee-shop-despite-governors-order.html
I can't think of a community of people less interested in disproving stereotypes about themselves. What a bunch of bastards.
Stereotypes exist for reasons, and aren't necessarily very inaccurate.
Its also true that decision making, including poor judgement, is often heavily driven by both culture and training.
Reopening schools
Vandy: staggered arrivals into the dorms. I don't think they've stated how the classes will work yet. No fall break. Prefer students not to go away from Nashville. They'll go home at Thanksgiving and stay home until the spring. The week of instruction after Thanksgiving will be online and then finals will be online.
Benicia: I think half the students will be M-W and the other half T-Th. half the classes in the fall and half the classes in the spring I think. Not sure if this is finalized but I think it's the current plan.
It seems to me that almost no one in our government has put any thought into how it will affect working families to have only part-time school, especially how it's going to happen, with little-to-no chance to plan for it. This seems like it's going to be a disaster.
My local school district just issued the plan: choose in 2 weeks whether we will go a) 100% online or b) one week in person, two weeks online. No reduction in class size. Just signs on the floor encourage social distancing, wiping classrooms at the end of the day, mandatory masks except for those who claim religious exemption, and a daily signed affidavit handed to the bus driver that you don't have any symptoms. No switching mid-semester.
Seems like a plan to protect the school district's butts, not parents & teachers' lives. Wife is pushing for plan b with kid isolated in one room because kid misses friends. I want 100% online because I don't feel like getting the 'rona.
Most schools, at all levels, do not have the space to provide spacing without rotating attendance, in at least some of their infrastructure. And there is not enough time or money to do anything about that.
I wouldn't want to take the PR heat or the likely lawsuit that will result from blocking a move from part-time attendance to 100% online at some point, probably shortly after a spike in positive tests or someone gets sick.
The latest from my daughter's destination:
* staggered arrivals (over the course of a number of days)
* must have proof of a recent negative COVID test in hand when you show up
* must get tested on arrival and again several days later
* must sign agreement to stay on campus; persistent departures from campus will get you "invited" to study remote
* faculty will have the ability to deliver remote
* classes will be available in-person and remote
* everyone leaves at Thanksgiving and will not return until late January
Our county schools are still trying to figure out what they're doing. That's going to be a shitshow.
Hmm...interesting. I'll have to check if Vandy is requiring negative tests. I don't remember reading it in the emails I've received. Does make sense though. I think about 2 weeks into the semester we'll see positive tests and they'll send everyone home, even though they're supposed to have quarantine dorms.
I think that part of what's driving this is that the president of Vassar is on the NY State re-opening committee of the "great and the good," so there's some external pressure. The alumnae / alumni are less likely to tolerate tomfoolery that other schools I've been associated with. And frankly, I think they're smart enough to realize that the potential costs of *not* doing it this way - whether from liability or students choosing to withdraw or faculty quitting - are higher than setting a plausible standard.
That said, I've suggested to my daughter that she pack light for fast exits because I'm betting they'll have to shut it down before Thanksgiving.
When Vandy shut things down the week after spring break they said they would supply boxes and store stuff for free. So that was good. He just packed up two suitcases with summer clothes and stuff to bring back. Most of his sheets, towels, school stuff, winter clothes stayed there. He said some of the students are betting they'll be back a week or two after school starts.
No 2 told me he does need to have a clear test before arriving. Not sure if they'll make him get tested again several days later.
OUR CRUMBLING DEMOCRACY
"D4"
"Miss"
https://twitter.com/Santucci/status/1279235533508657153?s=19
this is an excellent short essay by one of my favorite people to follow on Twitter:
https://medium.com/more-of-a-comment/the-meltdown-crisis-dda5c3ff51a5
this is more local but still: two Oklahoma police officers charged with murder for tasing a man more than 50 times. https://twitter.com/KTVU/status/1279030630693711878?s=20
PRO
The pressure ramps up for the local football team to change it name. I'll believe it when I see it because Snyder is a real jerk.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/07/02/fedex-redskins-name-change/
Sponsors withholding money could well do the trick.
https://twitter.com/theonion/status/1273644627317448704
I can't see him giving in on this... although maybe the threat of not being able to have a stadium in the district might do the trick.
Baby step.
https://www.si.com/nfl/redskins/news/washington-redskins-issue-statement-on-name
We'll review our name but ultimately not do anything...
Niners with grade-A public service announcement + trolling
https://twitter.com/49ers/status/1278785554927112192
that was well done
CAL
Go Bears!