Surgery~ma for D, smonster.

My office is closing at 3 today. I'm working from home, but I expect my sofa office will close along with them.

Edit: I almost forgot, smonster, surgery~ma for D!

And, leftovers:

Someone in Gaza in the most favorable possible situation is worse off than someone in Israel in the worst.

I honestly doubt it. I doubt it that the most favorable possible situation in Gaza is better than being poor and disabled and without family/support in the areas that are near Gaza that got hit few times per week for the last several years. I doubt it that the most favorable possible situation in Gaza is better than being a transgender who belongs to a minority group in prostitution in south Tel Aviv (there are at least ~150 I know of). But most of all, I doubt it that the Oppression Olympics will get us anywhere. Yes, most of Gaza Strip folks suffer more than Israelis. Yes, a lot of it is Israel's responsibility. But turning it into black and white reality is exactly what's not gonna work here. That's the same mechanism that's working so well in turning Israel's inner groups against each other, in which you only see the person's social group, and not the person himself/herself. (if you think that we were oh so united in mutual hate to Gazans, you can't be more wrong. People were happily willing to see other Israelis who disagree with them die, just because they disagree with them).

Surgery -ma for D! Coping and peace-ma for Shir and everyone in the Middle East.

I doubt it that the Oppression Olympics will get us anywhere.

I think this is definitely true.

Damn, Shir. Glad you're safe, grieving for those who aren't.

On phone at lunch, so can't really meara well.

Dana, thanks for sharing.

omnis, that would have been smart, but he has a "dumb phone" and I wasn't with him.

The ~ma is working so far! He was out of surgery and lucid enough to text me just after 10 am, and is now home in bed. I may suggest forearm crutches if he has much longer to go on them.

Sounds like fun, sj.

Xpost - thanks for elucidating, Shir.

I do need to brush up on my Middle East history. I hate not knowing more about the roots of the conflict, just the thumb scratch version of it, which clearly isn't enough. But that might be the academic in me.

ION- the thing that was pissing me off yesterday is doing much better today. We had our weekly dept area meeting. And, for once, faculty didn't throw me under the bus and back up again. Woot for progress. What it boils down to is, too many cooks in the kitchen. As the head of the program pointed out, we all have ideas that are good, but we don't always see the short comings of the ideas. And to implement an idea without approval just because you think it's a good idea doesn't justify you doing it.

I do need to brush up on my Middle East history. I hate not knowing more about the roots of the conflict, just the thumb scratch version of it, which clearly isn't enough. But that might be the academic in me.

I feel the same way.

Omnis, I'm glad you're having a better day today.

We're at Mom's and have made the butternut squash soup and the brownies. The only other thing we're in charge of is the butter sage sauce for the pumpkin ravioli, which will be made right before it is served. My mother is running around frazzled as usual, but she doesn't want any help.

Today went much better. Both from the group meeting, and then an after meeting discussion with the head faculty member. And then the tech side, finishing the load in for the show. A much better note to end the week on. I love it when a good day comes along. Now, time to plough through traffic, and hope to get an apple pie from the store before they are all grabbed! Eeep!

Victor's review of the book launch last night: link.