Tomorrow the sun rises on a new school year at my university. I'm going to take the night off to gather my wits (and get a decent night's sleep). I'll see you tomorrow. [Photo by Buddy Poland.]
Sleep well knowing that you are helping me and so many people understand the chaos of today and how it relates to our history. I appreciate your perspective and insight.
Thank you for your assistance in helping so many of us maintain some semblance of sanity. My friends and I have no idea how you are able to balance so many tasks simultaneously and continue to write so brilliantly. My mantra during my working days was I could eventually accomplish most things; just not at the same time! You've raised that bar considerably and are definitely one of a kind!! Your students are a lucky bunch as are we!!
And, to all the teachers returning to school, here is to a much more normal year for you and your students. You all have done a herculean task during this pandemic and are our unsung heroes!!
We picked up a traveling relative at SFO today, and took a long and very pleasant return trip through Ghirardelli Square, and up along the water headed toward the Golden Gate Bridge. When we reached the bridge, there was a jeering, cheering mob of anti-vaxxers holding up signs. Its size was exaggerated somewhat by the very constrained quarters: they were on the bridge itself, right next to the toll stations, and then trailed out into ones and twos further along the bridge.
Their right to demonstrate, I suppose. I exercised my right to express my opinion by pressing my hand against the window (I was a passenger in the back seat) in a big "thumbs down" sign. I did resist the urge to give them all the "middle-finger up" sign. There were a few honking horns: not many.
All of the restaurants in Ghirardelli, and many other restaurants, are now requiring both masks on entry AND evidence of vaccination to eat inside. I haven't been carrying my vaccination card with me, but that apparently is going to have to change. I'm sure this idiotic standoff is going to result in violence at some point, and these monstrous politicians like de Santis and Abbot should end up in jail for their contribution to civil disorder.
I’m simply in awe of all that you do in a day’s time. Your students may not have a clue of how important you are to so many but they will soon learn they are being taught by one of the greatest. I never knew how much I didn’t know about our history and politics. It’s comforting to know you are likely opening the eyes of so many younger citizens to the threat of our democracy. We need them to be more aware than my generation was in order to save it. Thank you for your time, energy and shared knowledge. ❤️
Thank Buddy for the beautiful photo. And thank you for helping all of us to understand our history and our present. We are certainly experiencing some challenging times and your historical knowledge and ability to break down what is happening now is so helpful. With our hospitals full of Covid patients again and my fellow healthcare providers stretched to the breaking point, It’s hard to focus on anything else. Especially when so many people feel more comfortable taking a horse dewormer rather than an FDA approved vaccine. Yet there is so much more going on that is also important. The withdrawal from Afghanistan, the infrastructure bills and most importantly our voting rights. It just seems almost unreal that we should still have to be fighting for everyone’s right to vote. And equally unreal that we are up to our eyeballs with Covid when there is a safe and effective vaccine.
Rest well & deeply. Thank you for your ongoing thoughtful analysis of chaotic current need; and thank you for Buddy’s beautiful photos. Very nutritious, both.
We are so thankful for your keeping us sane while we still have the remnants of Trump et. al. all around, plus all the other crises. I do hope we can pass the Voting Rights Bills. if not, our democracy will be weakened with all the states passing voter suppression laws.
HCR deserves whatever time off she can find. But that doesn't excuse us from staying with the challenges confronting us. The King, in Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The King and I," confronted the problems of the world in his rudimentary English and found them to be "a puzzlement" and sang about it. Here's an excerpt from Oscar Hammerstein's lyric. (The full lyric can be found at https://genius.com/Richard-rodgers-a-puzzlement-lyrics).
"There are times I almost think
Nobody sure of what he absolutely know
Everybody find confusion
In conclusion he concluded long ago
And it puzzle me to learn
That tho' a man may be in doubt of what he know
Very quickly he will fight
He'll fight to prove that what he does not know is so!
Oh-h-h-h-h-h! Sometimes I think that people going mad!
Ah-h-h-h-h-h! Sometimes I think that people not so bad!"
Have a great school year. May your students appreciate you as much as so many of us do.
Sleep well knowing that you are helping me and so many people understand the chaos of today and how it relates to our history. I appreciate your perspective and insight.
Thank you for your assistance in helping so many of us maintain some semblance of sanity. My friends and I have no idea how you are able to balance so many tasks simultaneously and continue to write so brilliantly. My mantra during my working days was I could eventually accomplish most things; just not at the same time! You've raised that bar considerably and are definitely one of a kind!! Your students are a lucky bunch as are we!!
And, to all the teachers returning to school, here is to a much more normal year for you and your students. You all have done a herculean task during this pandemic and are our unsung heroes!!
We picked up a traveling relative at SFO today, and took a long and very pleasant return trip through Ghirardelli Square, and up along the water headed toward the Golden Gate Bridge. When we reached the bridge, there was a jeering, cheering mob of anti-vaxxers holding up signs. Its size was exaggerated somewhat by the very constrained quarters: they were on the bridge itself, right next to the toll stations, and then trailed out into ones and twos further along the bridge.
Their right to demonstrate, I suppose. I exercised my right to express my opinion by pressing my hand against the window (I was a passenger in the back seat) in a big "thumbs down" sign. I did resist the urge to give them all the "middle-finger up" sign. There were a few honking horns: not many.
All of the restaurants in Ghirardelli, and many other restaurants, are now requiring both masks on entry AND evidence of vaccination to eat inside. I haven't been carrying my vaccination card with me, but that apparently is going to have to change. I'm sure this idiotic standoff is going to result in violence at some point, and these monstrous politicians like de Santis and Abbot should end up in jail for their contribution to civil disorder.
Thank you for educating us non-matriculated students…it is most appreciated! 😻
I’m simply in awe of all that you do in a day’s time. Your students may not have a clue of how important you are to so many but they will soon learn they are being taught by one of the greatest. I never knew how much I didn’t know about our history and politics. It’s comforting to know you are likely opening the eyes of so many younger citizens to the threat of our democracy. We need them to be more aware than my generation was in order to save it. Thank you for your time, energy and shared knowledge. ❤️
I so envy your students! Wait, I am one of your students, sorta!
Thank Buddy for the beautiful photo. And thank you for helping all of us to understand our history and our present. We are certainly experiencing some challenging times and your historical knowledge and ability to break down what is happening now is so helpful. With our hospitals full of Covid patients again and my fellow healthcare providers stretched to the breaking point, It’s hard to focus on anything else. Especially when so many people feel more comfortable taking a horse dewormer rather than an FDA approved vaccine. Yet there is so much more going on that is also important. The withdrawal from Afghanistan, the infrastructure bills and most importantly our voting rights. It just seems almost unreal that we should still have to be fighting for everyone’s right to vote. And equally unreal that we are up to our eyeballs with Covid when there is a safe and effective vaccine.
Best wished for the new school year…don’t stretch yourself too thin. But don’t leave us either!
“Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.”
Einstein
I’m sure your students will never forget how you make them feel, Professor Richardson. You certainly demonstrate that to your readers.
Salud on this first day!
Goodnight dear Heather. Please, rest, rejuvenate, and know you are loved.
Rest well & deeply. Thank you for your ongoing thoughtful analysis of chaotic current need; and thank you for Buddy’s beautiful photos. Very nutritious, both.
We are so thankful for your keeping us sane while we still have the remnants of Trump et. al. all around, plus all the other crises. I do hope we can pass the Voting Rights Bills. if not, our democracy will be weakened with all the states passing voter suppression laws.
Have a great new year bringing history alive to your students. Hope they appreciate you as much as we do
HCR deserves whatever time off she can find. But that doesn't excuse us from staying with the challenges confronting us. The King, in Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The King and I," confronted the problems of the world in his rudimentary English and found them to be "a puzzlement" and sang about it. Here's an excerpt from Oscar Hammerstein's lyric. (The full lyric can be found at https://genius.com/Richard-rodgers-a-puzzlement-lyrics).
"There are times I almost think
Nobody sure of what he absolutely know
Everybody find confusion
In conclusion he concluded long ago
And it puzzle me to learn
That tho' a man may be in doubt of what he know
Very quickly he will fight
He'll fight to prove that what he does not know is so!
Oh-h-h-h-h-h! Sometimes I think that people going mad!
Ah-h-h-h-h-h! Sometimes I think that people not so bad!"
Thank you Heather for all you do for us.
Cheers to a great school year 🍷
Be safe, be well and enjoy all of the possibilities the new school years brings.