The Venting Thread

[apl68]

Laying off cleaning crews sounds like a bad idea if there are plans to reopen the physical campus this fall.

[permanent imposter]

I've been informed that I should no longer wear Hawaiian shirts as "they are the unofficial uniform of the alt-right."

Wait what?

[Parasaurolophus]

I've been informed that I should no longer wear Hawaiian shirts as "they are the unofficial uniform of the alt-right."

...but in Hawai'i, Aloha shirts are part of actual uniforms! Like at KTA and stuff. Plus, they're dress shirts there.

[RatGuy]

I've been informed that I should no longer wear Hawaiian shirts as "they are the unofficial uniform of the alt-right."

Wait what?

Yeah, I dunno. A colleague told me that, and that its part and parcel of the whole "tiki torch" phenomenon in recent white supremacist protests. This was part of the overall discussion of the Minneapolis riots, and claims that white dudes in floral shirts are acting as provocateurs in the situation. Then it became a pointed "You should stop wearing those shirts, Ratty. Unless you want people to think you're a white supremacist."

[marshwiggle]

I've been informed that I should no longer wear Hawaiian shirts as "they are the unofficial uniform of the alt-right."

Wait what?

Yeah, I dunno. A colleague told me that, and that its part and parcel of the whole "tiki torch" phenomenon in recent white supremacist protests. This was part of the overall discussion of the Minneapolis riots, and claims that white dudes in floral shirts are acting as provocateurs in the situation. Then it became a pointed "You should stop wearing those shirts, Ratty. Unless you want people to think you're a white supremacist."

And let's face it; white supremacists breathe; we should all stop doing that so people don't think we're white supremacists.

[permanent imposter]

I've been informed that I should no longer wear Hawaiian shirts as "they are the unofficial uniform of the alt-right."

Wait what?

Yeah, I dunno. A colleague told me that, and that its part and parcel of the whole "tiki torch" phenomenon in recent white supremacist protests. This was part of the overall discussion of the Minneapolis riots, and claims that white dudes in floral shirts are acting as provocateurs in the situation. Then it became a pointed "You should stop wearing those shirts, Ratty. Unless you want people to think you're a white supremacist."

You should point out that Hawaiian shirts mean that you are a great person and an excellent baker. (Any other GBBO fans here?)

[archaeo42]

I've been informed that I should no longer wear Hawaiian shirts as "they are the unofficial uniform of the alt-right."

Wait what?

Yeah, I dunno. A colleague told me that, and that its part and parcel of the whole "tiki torch" phenomenon in recent white supremacist protests. This was part of the overall discussion of the Minneapolis riots, and claims that white dudes in floral shirts are acting as provocateurs in the situation. Then it became a pointed "You should stop wearing those shirts, Ratty. Unless you want people to think you're a white supremacist."

You should point out that Hawaiian shirts mean that you are a great person and an excellent baker. (Any other GBBO fans here?)

It's on heavy rotation here in Archaeohouse. I like that his daughters picked out which ones he wears each day.

[ab_grp]

Daughter has not been home with us for several months.  Husband has been keeping a noisy server he brought home for remote work in her room with the door shut.  I went in to look for a movie I thought she had and realized that... oops... we all forgot about her fish tank.  Now, all the fish had been gone for a while, so it was just the (fake) plants and etc.  But I can't even describe the scene.  She had left her blinds partially open, which seemed to help the algae and who knows what to flourish and flourish.  So, we spent some of the weekend trying to take care of that horror.  Ugh.  I could really kick myself for that oversight, but things have been so busy, distracting, and stressful, and I guess we all just forgot about it.  Out of sight, out of mind.

[mamselle]

I used to keep an aquarium as a kid; came home from campus one time after I'd moved out to find that my brothers had re-appropriated it for keeping crayfish in for fishing bait.

However, this was in December, and they'd stopped going fishing once the quarry pond froze over.

Much smelly cleaning occurred.

M.

[Puget]

Had the first session of a training on online teaching today and it was a total sh*t show— perfect example of how NOT to teach online. No one knows what the hell is going on, links don't work, info is not gathered in one place, instructor couldn't get break out rooms to work,  etc. etc. Oy. Hopefully the next sessions will be better. But seriously folks, you are supposed to be the experts, and you've in theory been preparing for this for a month. If I taught a class like this there would be a student riot.

And please, do not do a training for a bunch of folks in the psychology department and start by talking about the effects of stress as if we are unfamiliar with the topic-- Several of us in attendance are experts on this, all of us are familiar with the research.  Especially don't do this if you are an English professor.

I emailed to ask as tactfully as I could if they could practice what they are asking us to do by putting everything in an organized way in the LMS instead of sending random google docs links that don't work. No response so far.

At least we are getting a small stipend for participating. Otherwise I'd probably bail now.

We all shared some version of this rant among us by email afterward, started by senior colleague, who's subject line was "Yikes!".

[Parasaurolophus]

Did some weird sitting and hurt my coccyx. Sigh.

[mamselle]

Head over to the hypochondriac thread.

You probably broke it.

M.

[clean]

Today marks that 10% mark in my summer class. They had their first exam late last week. Today I get an email from a student apologizing for missing the exam, but that as the exam was not in the calendar, he missed it.  He does say that he should have paid more attention to the syllabus, but asks if I can let him take a make up. 
I would have a lot more sympathy for his predicament if I had not sent at least FIVE emails to the class reminding them to schedule a time to take the exam through Examity.  Not seeing the exam in the calendar is one thing, ignoring a plethora of emails alerting him to take the register for the upcoming exam is quite another. 
I also pointed out that he has also missed 2 other assignments, and that I had already emailed him about those assignments as well! 

Of course, today is the first time he has emailed me!  Their next assignments are due in about 90 minutes and I have no indication that he has even started them yet either! 

[Parasaurolophus]

Head over to the hypochondriac thread.

You probably broke it.

M.

=p

[the_geneticist]

Argh!!  I have had it with the "the virus could be seasonal and will go away when the weather gets warm" stories in the news. 
There is ZERO DATA to support that wishful idea.
Yes, higher temperatures do inactivate viruses on surfaces.  But the main mode of transmission is by droplets.  Someone sneezes or coughs, you inhale the droplets.  Show me the data and I'll be happy to spread the word that hot weather decreases transmission.  But wishful thinking is not helping and can be downright dangerous (e.g. folks dying from taking "preventative" hydroxychloroquine).

I get it, people are bored and tired of being scared.  They want things to be "back to normal".  It's going to be a long process.  We are not done.

Viruses. Don't. Get. Bored.