1) Don't forget that we're starting our reading of The Joy Luck Club for Cool Bloggers Book Club (CBBC) on Monday! For the full schedule, check out this post.
2) Has anyone else found themselves befuddled by the recent changes to Libby? Basically, you can no longer defer your loan if it becomes available when you won't be able to read it. You have to suspend the hold until you're ready to read the book. You don't lose your place in line or anything, but you have to remember to reactivate the loan when you're ready. I am endlessly frustrated by the fact that I forget to do this. I mean, we had a system that automatically did it - why is it now a manual process?!
3) My sister has done something terrible again. I won't go into details, but rest assured that I have only one more thing to do with her at the end of October/beginning of November and then I'll never have to deal with her again.
4) At the beginning of the semester, I was excited because it seemed like blue jeans were making a comeback and that horrible athleisure trend was behind us. But then I realized that 2025 fashion on my campus is TRAGIC. Girls wearing crop tops with baggy pants, all the boys wearing baseball caps and khaki pants/shorts. Why can people not dress in a manner that is flattering?! I mean, one half of me is relieved that the athleisure phase is over - this seems like a sign that the COVID hangover is lessening - but the other half of me just wishes we could, as a species, realize that there are certain silhouettes that are flattering on some shapes and use this knowledge to our advantage.
#getoffmylawn #kidsthesedays
5) There's a thing happening here in Wisconsin. It's terrible. It's government dictating curriculum at the state universities. It should be illegal. Alas, it is not. Alas, it's going to be bad things for me and I'm over here dusting off my resume just in case. What this means is that liberal arts is being gutted in Wisconsin.
I'm not here to preach, but this whole post is preachy, so why am I going to stop myself on this bullet point? Liberal arts provide the foundation of critical thinking, communication, and problem solving that are crucial to everyone on this planet. We're not training our students for a particular job path or career. We're training them to be able to do ANY job. They learn how to go quickly from task to task, doing different things on a regular basis. We teach them how to work with people from diverse backgrounds - not just ethnically or racially diverse, but SES, disability, and sexual orientation. We teach people the soft skills employers say they want.
And they're just over here gutting general education like it's not the future of our students at stake. (And the jobs of many people in our college, if not the entire university.)
I probably shouldn't really talk about my work like this, but here we are. I feel like what I'm talking about is public knowledge and I'm not calling anyone out by name, but if you live in this state and don't know who is behind this, you're not paying attention.
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6) I can't leave it all with doom and gloom. Last weekend we went to a tourist place in Wisconsin with my sister-in-law (of podcast fame) and her family. We went to a waterpark and did an escape room - we finished with 20 minutes left! TWENTY MINUTES. We felt like geniuses.
And then my niece and I got matching permanent jewelry. BECAUSE I AM THE COOL AUNT.
(I also managed to get a serious burn on both my elbows thanks to the most terrifying water slide I've ever been on. When a small child says, "don't worry, Aunt NGS, it's fine," DO NOT BELIEVE THEM. Also, they think I am brave and cool. Maybe?)
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Who else is frustrated by the new Libby process? Do you think fashion is tragic right now? Have you even been to a waterpark?
Kids fashion depresses me - why do you need to wear crop tops to school? Let alone the ripped Jean trend lives on. I'll take shorts and hairy legs over bare midriff and body parts that are not supposed to be seen in public. And those tiny shorts- they are sitting on chairs that other people have sweated on- Yuck!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you are the cool and brave aunt- you're doing it right!
Yeah, the fashion is not awesome. I'm glad I don't have to navigate it with children of my own.
DeleteI don't use Libby so at least this issue is one thing I don't have to worry about. Yes, fashion is tragic and it's extra-fun having a teenage girl! As for the state of education... I have an elderly client who summed up his college experience perfectly: "College didn't teach me a career. College made me into the person I am." I feel really bad for kids now- they're pressured to go choose a college major based on the earning potential, and then a lot of them still can't find jobs, or are losing their jobs to AI. And what will our country be like when no one values art, literature or music? I'm sorry to hear this is impacting your job- I hope you don't have to look elsewhere because you seem happy there.
ReplyDeleteI've been to many, many waterparks... and some of those slides are seriously scary!!!
I do NOT envy the parents of teenagers. It must be a literal minefield of emotions to talk about fashion.
DeleteA lot of what you said about kids worrying about the future (jobs that don't exist, homes that are too expensive, no one values anything except making money) is what I'm finding is a huge problem for my students. They are not motivated to do anything because why should they when their futures are so uncertain? It's a really scary time to be a young adult.
If people cover up their butt cracks, belly buttons, and don't show too much clevage, I'm good. I don't want to see any of that stuff! That really stinks about your university. I think liberal arts are the most wonderful things to learn, and they taught me how to be a decent, open-minded human with a life-long love of learning. You ARE the cool aunt! I went to several water parks when I was in my 20s and 30s, and then was done with them. I got a bloody nose on one, and got bruised and cut up on another. Ouch!
ReplyDeleteWell, friend, my students are basically 0/3 on those things you listed, so I don't think you'd have a good time if you visited our campus.
DeleteI have a lot of bruises (STILL) from that water park. I don't know if I'm going to be as gung ho to go next time.
I live in Ohio (sometimes I think that says enough, but allow me to elaborate), and what the legislature here has done--and is doing--to education at every level is a travesty. It is Puritanical and archaic. Wisconsin looks liberal and practically Californian compared to Ohio. I can't even.
ReplyDeleteRe: "fashion"--I don't even notice what people are wearing anymore, mainly because I'm usually in places where younger people are not, like the grocery store. I do miss being around teenagers quite a bit. I did see an article in the NYT this morning that "Smutty Dressing Is Back." Oh good.
I'm sorry about your water park injury. That sort of place has never been my thing. Would I consider it now if my grandson really wanted to go? Sigh...probably. How do they get us to do such things?
I think the water park is fun, Nance! For real! I just know that I'm going to get a little bit beat up when I go. LOL. It's my own problem. Although now that injuries are taking longer and longer to heal, maybe I'll have to reevaluate my stance.
DeleteI don’t know what Libby is although I know I could find out easily. I just don’t wanna. 😀
ReplyDeleteI just wear what I like, which is I guess a joy of old age.
Libby is a library app that allows you to borrow audibooks and ebooks. It's a great service, especially if you have an ereader.
DeleteI use Libby but didn't realize they had made those changes. Bummer! I defer loans all the time; that was one of the best features of the app. I guess I'll have to either become a speed reader now or, like you, try my best to remember to reactivate the hold.
ReplyDeleteNow that Hoopla is going away, I'm going to have to get my Libby act together. I can't be struggling to figure out what I'm going to read right before I go to bed because I haven't dealt with Libby!
DeleteI just had to deactivate a hold for the first time. I think this will be less stressful for me, actually, because it stressed me out to have books keep popping up. I know I wasn’t the problem they were trying to solve, because every time one would pop up, I would immediately defer it again, but I think a book languishing for a couple of days multiple times while other people waited for it was the issue. Whether this solves the problem and is not too unpopular is as yet unknown.
ReplyDeleteDon’t kill me, but I kind of like the crop top / big pants look. I mean, not on an overweight 59 year old (me) but on a 20 year old? Sure.
Regarding your sister, I had a similar thought with a particularly loathsome relative when my Great Aunt died, which was I WILL NEVER HAVE TO SEE HER AGAIN. Sometimes that is the best relationship one can hope for, and I am truly sorry that in your case it is a sibling.
Education - I agree that liberal arts are where it’s at for critical thinking and using ones brain, and it makes me extra sad to see that going by the wayside. It’s dangerous.
I almost drowned at a water park when I was in the 8th grade…too many kids on an inner tube ride, and mine flipped as it entered a congested area and I was trapped underneath. I probably could have just forced my way up, it’s not like it was deep, so saying I almost drowned is likely overkill…but my friend saw it happen and just reached in and pulled me out, calm as could be, so I don’t know. Have I gone on them since? Oh yeah, many times. There used to be an amazing one a couple of hours from here (which is where the incident occurred) but it’s no longer there, and I have zero interest anyway. Sorry you were injured, but glad you had fun being the cool aunt (which, natch).
Okay, I won't kill you, but I will have to disagree with you. *sigh*
DeleteI almost died at a water park in ninth grade, so I feel you, J. You can die in INCHES OF WATER if you can't get up!
Trying to buy clothes for (or with) my tweenage daughter is ruins me. Everything is either cropped or so low cut or wildly oversized… That doesn’t even count the rollercoaster of feelings she goes through trying on clothes and me trying not to say something that might ruin her. Not my favorite.
ReplyDeleteI just want to say my heart is with you and your colleagues and your students with the work situation. As someone who has liberal arts undergrad and grad degrees and has made a 20+ year career out of transferable skills, it’s just awful to see this happening.
Permanent jewelry?! You so are the cool aunt!!
I cannot imagine shopping with a teen girl at this fashion moment. My thoughts are with you.
DeleteI was super confused and maybe a little panicked the first time a Libby Hold came in and I couldn't find the "deliver later" button, and only saw the "suspend" button.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I just did some googling and according to Reddit, the hope is that the new system gets people to borrow their holds in a more timely manner. Like before, when a hold came in, people wouldn't click "deliver later" or "borrow" right away, which meant that while someone was trying to decide if they wanted to to borrow the book or not, the book was unavailable to other readers. I guess this way, one can unsuspend their hold when one is truly ready to read a book and the books move through the system faster. I guess that makes sense, but I feel like it makes my Holds list more like a TBR list now. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing. There are so many books to read in the world; there will always be something to read.
Oh, I understand that it's supposed to make wait times less, but there has to be a way for them to do that AUTOMATICALLY that doesn't involve me having to go into my Libby all the damn time to do manual things. I want to set it and forget it. I already have multiple tags and multiple library cards and there's a lot to juggle in the app as it is and now I have to do a lot more algebra about my time and I don't want to do it. That's all. I'll get used to it, I suppose. But I'll probably also complain about it a lot.
DeleteI've seen the new Libby feature but figured it was because I pushed that book so many times that I unlocked that somehow. I'll keep an eye out and try to understand it. I can only put five books on hold.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry you and your sister are in such a relationship but glad this will be over soon.
Also I am having a hard time with everything political going on these days. There is no hope and we are heading into dark times.
It is hard to hear people saying we're heading into dark times. We need to push back on those thoughts and be the light the world needs! (I say until I get to work and realize just how dark those times truly are.)
DeleteI've not been to a water park in at least a decade, but burnt elbows aren't fun!
ReplyDeletePermanent jewelry? Like you can't remove? How cute is that? More adorable than burnt elbows, for sure!
We just traveled quite a bit, and I saw so many people wearing things that should not have left their homes. And yes, the belly shirts aren't flattering on most people, but it's generally the ones who shouldn't be wearing them at all, who are.
It's so sad about your relationship with your sister. I can't imagine not speaking to anyone in my family.
Annonymous? It's me, Suz!
Yeah, permanent jewelry is welded on, so it doesn't have a clasp. It's not truly permanent - I've heard it generally lasts for 18-24 months. We'll see how long my niece deals with it before she asks for it to be taken off!
DeleteI agree on liberal arts and it sucks that it could affect you directly as well as how hideous it is that this is happening in the larger sense. I have sometimes been the cool aunt and it is awesome. I'm sorry your sister is so terrible that you're not going to have anything to do with her, but glad that you can not have anything to do with her if she's terrible. I disagree about what people wear - I don't care, I don't see that many people day to day that I feel are wearing unflattering clothing and I don't care if they do. I think my daughter and her friends look super cute in crop tops and I'm happy I don't have to wear them.
ReplyDeleteI have currently paused all my Libby holds because I have a million paper books to read, so I was unaware of that feature, and I hate it already.
It's okay, we can agree to disagree on fashion. I mean, I'm sure my parents hated my baggy jeans and flannels in the 90s! But I got to wear them because being young means making fashion choices you wouldn't as you get older.
DeleteThank you, Allison. I hate the new "feature," too. It's just more things for me to remember to do!
We went to a water park in the summer of '21 when we had the two little boys living with us. It was scary and I find your remark about small children saying it'll be fine totally relatable. I heard a comedian refer to college kids dressing like they have the flu all the time on the Good Hang podcast and I found that hilarious. Yes, I think dressing today is tragic. Blah! I'm so so sorry about your sister. I can only imagine. My sisters are thoughtless and judgie but I don't think they'd ever do anything 'bad' - just mean. Sorry you're dealing with that.
ReplyDeleteYes. Just, yes. All of this. Except you would not have gotten me within a mile of the water park. Erk. You are braver than I.
ReplyDelete