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Quarantine Tuesday Reading Kaffeeklatsch 5/26/2020
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message 51:
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Johanne
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May 28, 2020 10:54PM
Oh Robin that's awful. That news has travelled worldwide.
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I mean, the whole thing is awful. I sincerely hope this powerabuse mixed with racism will come to an end very soon.
@Amy, with all the life-stressers right now, this is the last thing you needed. Like Johanne, hoping my white lightening is not to late
@ Robin, I too was impressed by the young Mayor-it is so terribly sad to see a community ripped apart. I understand the frustration of people of color, everywhere-not just in Minn. However, violence answering to violence is not the answer. It is unfathomable, to me, how 1 police officer can out right kill a man while 3 others just stand there and watch-I am ashamed to call myself American.
@Amy so many positive thoughts and white lightning coming your way. Family are tough.
Ok- it took me 6 hours of refreshing every ten seconds, with tears wetting my computer, but by 3AM, I was able to sign him up for August 29th and September 26th! He has worked so hard and desperately needs to pull out a good score in order to make up for poorer grades, and prove to colleges that he is worthy. I have spent 93% of the last three years to launch this kid, so I haven’t been able to breathe when the six tests were cancelled. My only hope was getting a seat for August. Now I need all of your white light and best energy that he should pull it out and do well. This late bloomer is working beyond hard to prove himself. It’s been a trying 24 hours, for unbelievably stressful reasons, but now we five (plus the dog) are going for a hike at Tippling Rock after my 45 minutes of sleep.
But far more importantly, my heart hurts for the George Floyd situation. And the fact that the aggression and violence is increasing is so sad. But my heart is hurting just as much for the Pennsylvania State House Situation. I am devastated and disappointed. I hope those folks are arrested for reckless endangerment. If you share in the shock and outrage, vote! Let’s get our values and civil discourse back, respect, critical thinking, and progress and liberty. Vote!
It is with a lot of sadness that I am watching the riots in Minnesota and around the country. I am old enough to remember the riots of in 1968 after Martin Luther King was assassinated. And I watched on TV the riots in Watts in LA after the Rodney King decision. We haven't made any progress in over 50 years. If anyone is interested in the African-American perspective, L Z Granderson wrote a good column for the LA Times yesterday, and followed it up with an emotional interview on CNN today.
Great article for those feeling lost about what to do help Re: #BlackLivesMatter movement75 Things White People can do to for Racial Injustice
https://medium.com/equality-includes-...
I found this article very illuminating when it was first posted, this was back in the Michael Brown era I think after the Freddie Gray's murder in Baltimore. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2...
I keep sharing this with all the "what does rioting solve!?" people on Twitter, which is basically the equivalent of yelling into a well, or an echo chamber, but I bet the good people of PBT would get something out of it.
Joanne wrote: "An article written by Mitch Albom about C-19https://www.freep.com/story/sports/co......"
Ugh, that's heartbreaking, but impactful.
I was feeling pretty positive and now, with just...everything, I am back to my please-let-a-meteor-hit-earth-and-take-us-all-out... FUCK!
Meli wrote: I am back to my please-let-a-meteor-hit-earth-and-take-us-all-out... FUCK!"Can we build a space ship first and discover a new planet? Or Maybe Pluto will let us settle there, if we tell it we had nothing to do with it "not being a planet anymore".
Meli wrote: "I found this article very illuminating when it was first posted, this was back in the Michael Brown era I think after the Freddie Gray's murder in Baltimore. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2..."
I am going to print this off for my dense husband....
Joanne wrote: "Meli wrote: I am back to my please-let-a-meteor-hit-earth-and-take-us-all-out... FUCK!"Can we build a space ship first and discover a new planet? Or Maybe Pluto will let us settle there, if we te..."
OK, maybe we have other options :P
No matter what I still have PBT friends 😊
I'll hide here!
NancyJ wrote: "LibraryCin wrote: "Well, apparently our premier said today that if there is a 2nd wave, we will not be shutting down again. Lovely... lovely... So, I suppose it can just go ahead and run rampant. G..."Now, I may have spoken too soon. I didn't see a clip of him saying it, but one of the reporters or news anchors had said he said it. I do find it odd that I haven't seen a clip of it, but it wouldn't surprise me if he said it, either.
My heart has been breaking for Minneapolis. This murder was on the heels of an incident on the UWS of Manhattan that has led to a huge discussion in NYC about entrenched racism and the fear and risk that black men feel every day walking the street or bird watching in Central Park. Then this news hit and the dialogue became more intense.
In case you all haven't not heard - latest is that the PO has been charged with 3rd degree murder and manslaughter and is in custody. Glad to see action taken.
Some good news today: NYC will be entering Phase 1 of reopening in the next week as most of NYS enters Phase 2. AND, the numbers have not increased in the regions which have reopened! That can't be said elsewhere. Shows NY plan is working so far.
Good news for NYC and state which have borne a lot of the brunt without ever hiding statistics (like Florida is doing). Still would be scary to get on the subway though. Social distancing in NYC is an oxymoron.
Robin wrote: "Good news for NYC and state which have borne a lot of the brunt without ever hiding statistics (like Florida is doing). Still would be scary to get on the subway though. Social distancing in NYC is..."Well if you rarely leave your apartment...
I too am deeply saddened by the level of aggression that has come out. Again, as sad as I am for the George Floyd and Minneapolis situation, I am equally rivaled in horror about the Pennsylvania state house travesty. I hope those legislators land in jail for reckless endangerment. What on earth has this world come to?
Amy wrote: "I too am deeply saddened by the level of aggression that has come out. Again, as sad as I am for the George Floyd and Minneapolis situation, I am equally rivaled in horror about the Pennsylvania st..."My thoughts too.
Amy wrote: "Ok- it took me 6 hours of refreshing every ten seconds, with tears wetting my computer, but by 3AM, I was able to sign him up for August 29th and September 26th! He has worked so hard and desperate..."I'm glad you got him signed up. Is this for both the SAT and the ACT, or both SAT? I ask because many colleges/universities that require these will superscore by taking the best score in each category (well, they did when you had to take 3 categories). So if you are able, without too many more tears, to get him into a second SAT and haven't already, I recommend it.
Also, if a school makes SAT scores optional, do NOT automatically send them to that school. Feel free to PM me if you like, because I have not only guided all three of my kids (guidance counsellors don't always know as much as it seems about all of this--they do so many things :) ) but I did a lot of research, checked many schools, etc, and one of my kids was NOT a good SAT/ACT test taker at all.
He's taking both, because he needs a lot of tries, and because we have no idea which he will do better on. Its because of the superscoring that I am putting him through this. I figured if he took six tests, three of each, he would be done by June, ACT and SAT in both first weekends of June, and we would take the best of whatever those six tests showed. He had one ACT (tanked), and the next five were cancelled. They just cancelled the June 13th ACT Friday, (thank god I got a few for fall). There is another ACT July 18th, though the rumor is cancelled for that too. He is now signed up for SAT Aug 29th and Sept 26th, and is applying by November. He really needs to pull this out to show the colleges (and himself) that he can do it and self-prove. We are just looking for the best English and the Best Math on either. One good score on each of those dimensions and we will stop.
When I was helping my kids with all the pre-college stuff, I thought "How do families manage when the parents never went to college and/or don't have the time and resources to assist?" Those are usually the families in schools with overworked counselors as well. I hope your son appreciates all you are doing for him, at least someday!I don't know what kind of schools your son is looking at, but many smaller schools are more flexible and might look at the whole picture, not just grades and/or test scores. Actually, you may be in luck this year because "gap years" are looking popular with the uncertainty about next school year. So admissions may be easier for students without perfect resumes.
Robin, all this is true! The Pandemic has thrown the entire college admissions process into a tizzy! I have had to let go and trust he will find the right place. In fact we have nine schools that are on the list, and eight of them I think are great for him. The ninth is an impossible reach. But I have a feeling he’s going to get into quite a few of these, and I think almost any one of those eight he would be really happy at. I have had faith this entire time, and I just have to stay with that. For so many other people their positions are so much worse in so many ways. I really do feel quite grateful. It is indeed phenomenal perspective. This just happens to be my slice and our slice of the pandemic and it’s repercussions. But I thank you guys for all of your support.
Amy wrote: "He's taking both, because he needs a lot of tries, and because we have no idea which he will do better on. Its because of the superscoring that I am putting him through this. I figured if he took s..."FYI--some kids do better and some worse the second time, but as I recall doing it twice in the same semester tends to work better. My eldest did the 3 part one and definitely benefited from superscoring, but she is a good test taker. My middle one refused and my youngest isn't a good test taker.
BUT two thoughts.
1. Many say that kids do about the same on both the ACT and the SAT which was true for my son. However, this is not always true, and on my former homeschool forum some teens did markedly better in one format than the other.
2. Even without the grades and test scores, he can still get a great education at some of the state schools (depends on the right combination of major and state school), and save the other stuff for grad school if he goes that route.
What I told my kids is that the right door would open for them and not to worry about the pressure to go to a big name school (this doesn't mean I suggested they slack off ;) ). I know very successful people who went to excellent programs in schools most people haven't heard from :)
Robin wrote: "When I was helping my kids with all the pre-college stuff, I thought "How do families manage when the parents never went to college and/or don't have the time and resources to assist?" Those are us..."We don't have income, but thankfully my kids were able to cash in on meritocracy (but one would NEVER ever get anything for academics since he didn't take honours classes or do well on tests), which I realize we were fortunate to have, and I am amazed that none of my kids followed in my high school footsteps (skipping classes, being more social than studious--hard to believe now, but I had a very busy social life in high school plus I did a lot of theater.)
There is a state school here that has an average degree time of six years because many students work and go part time (Bridgewater State University which is a top notch state school if you want to become a teacher, but I am not sure if it is top notch for anything else). None of my kids have gone there.
Such a hard weekend. A friend last night watched terrifird from her NYC apartment near Union Square as protesters set a police van on fire and beat on other police vehicles, set other fires, damaged other property. Today/Tonight seems to have been mostly peaceful, thank goodness. But I am very nervous about leaving my apartment for my office tomorrow. I must go as I have a time sensitive closing. While my office area is a few blocks from any protest centers, I have to go through one of them to get there...Times Square. It is early enough in the day, we should be done with all heading home before the late afternoon protesters gather...which tend to escalate past peaceful.But I am still nervous. Although as this article so perfectly captures, I am feeling a little cramped there.
https://www.brickunderground.com/live...
Theresa wrote: "Such a hard weekend. A friend last night watched terrifird from her NYC apartment near Union Square as protesters set a police van on fire and beat on other police vehicles, set other fires, damage..."Oh, how scary! Good luck tomorrow, Theresa...
Good luck tomorrow Theresa. I hope it will be OK during the day. I would contact the other people you're meeting to make sure they're still planning to be there. We've been trying to avoid the news lately, especially this weekend with birthday and anniversary celebrations. But I am really glad to hear that the officer was charged.
Theresa wrote: "Such a hard weekend. A friend last night watched terrifird from her NYC apartment near Union Square as protesters set a police van on fire and beat on other police vehicles, set other fires, damage..."I have been thinking about the commuters trying to get back and forth to their jobs in my own city, which has been affected too. I wish you a safe commute, Theresa!
My daughter goes back to work this week, commuting from Oakland to San Francisco. She'll drive in rather than take BART, but her work will involve additional exposure. I was relieved that she did get out of Oakland over the weekend, but she has friends who are doubly vulnerable for the neighborhood they live in and the color of their skin. You're right, Teresa. Such a hard weekend. I'm sending a thought shield of protection for your commute across the city.
This book list was in the New York Times this morning. An anti-racist reading list.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/29/bo...
You are in my thoughts Theresa. Detroit has also exploded, but we are about 50 miles North of there. However, I am Detroit born and bred, and this breaks my heart. It takes me back to the Riots of 1968 that literally destroyed my city. This is heartbreaking to watch.
@ Nancy-Happy birthday and anniversary! Just so you know, I decided that we who had birthdays while in lockdown do not age this year! Life took a pause, so we get to too!
It breaks my heart that there is so much fear. Scared to walk through our own cities where we previously felt safe. The big cities where I live and the cities were I grew up were not immune and I was in tears as I watched the news this morning... I almost want to get rid of FB for now, since I have so many friends spreading false rumors about who was inciting the violence. I think every city was different. Here it was gangs taking advantage of an opportunity to loot high end stores in Bellevue while law enforcement was focused on Seattle. Even the St. Paul mayor said that he didn't know who started the violence but they were investigating it before they start making accusations of one group or another. That doesn't start a lot of people though.
I have never been so grateful to live so rural and away from all the craziness that is happening but it just makes me so sad. I like what the Atlanta mayor said about how everyone who participated in the rallies or protests this past weekend need to go get a Covid test this week.
@ Charlotte-I saw the Atalanta Mayor's press conference. I have never seen her before-Wow! I love her. Here is a link to what she said, if anyone missed it and interested https://www.ajc.com/news/full-text-re...
Happy Birthday and Anniversary Nancy!The World has gone to hell in a handbasket. Let us pray that together, love and compassion, and decency and values win the day over hatred and divisiveness. Highlight of the weekend? Well many things, but let me put first - my (almost) ten year old interviewing my parents for cultural traditions and family history. I loved hearing about the New York melting pot experience where all the cultures lived together as immigrants, and everyone was the same - going through similar immigrant experiences. Where civil rights was a beautiful things, where ultimately we are one. Where my parents talk about how in this country we go through crises and become stronger for it. That was really lovely.
The news just keeps making me angry and depressed so I'm turning it off for the rest of the night. The good news is that since Covid cases in Michigan continue to decline libraries will be allowed to reopen next week. My library has already said they'll do contactless pick up which I'm happy for.
I got home safely and all went well. I figured out a way home avoiding protest areas. But truly happy and relieved to be in and off the street. Got a curfew alert on my phone, a first!Very dark night after a dark day. A president announcing something that sounds a lot like military law -- disturbing.
Theresa, so glad you made it back, without a problem.I am deeply disturbed by what I am seeing happening.
I was going to highschool in 1968 and I remember the deep sadness and outrage in which a many classmates marched from their classes in protest.
I no longer live in an area with a large number of African Americans, and I am deeply saddened that so little has changed when I expected it to.
