[The Sixth Street Dam in Grand Rapids, Michigan, viewed from the east bank, just south of the dam.]

This past week was the first in several months in which I worked less than 45 hours. But I had many other tasks outside of work, which kept me quite busy. I have the next week off from work, and have no plans, other than the plan to not plan anything for the week.

Reading

I am slowly reading through Get ’em Young, Treat ’em Tough, Tell ’em Nothing, a collection of short stories by Robin McLean. They’re pretty good.

Writing

Nothing to report on this front.

Weekly Writing Prompt

Subject: Aliens, Language
Setting: Border Town
Genre: Solarpunk

Listening

Billy Idol‘s “The Dead Next Door,” from his superb 1983 album Rebel Yell. I have had a snippet of an earworm stuck in my head for a few days, and while it is not this song, “The Dead Next Door” came up while I was searching.

Interesting Links

• “A Gutted Education Department’s New Agenda: Roll Back Civil Rights Cases, Target Transgender Students” (Jennifer Smith Richards and Jodi S. Cohen, ProPublica) – Because MAGA is a hate group which views education as a threat, and views anyone who isn’t a straight white man as less than human.
• “China Leapfrogging the U.S. in Tech Innovation” (Yves Smith, Naked Capitalism)