skepticlysm

To A Certain Degree

Written by

Skeptifist

in

  • And we’re back …
  • We’re going to run through some updates from yesterday, and then I’m tackling something serious.
  • Head’s up, peeps.
  • Let me say how annoyed I am Facebook won’t let me use italics.
  • Style guide: Book, movie, and album titles should be italicized.
  • Song titles and poems get quotes.
  • This morning, I woke up early and laid there for an hour planning.
  • Lots of things.
  • One of them …
  • I’m not supposed to climb stairs, but Kaia’s room is upstairs.
  • I queued up “A Pocket Full of Sunshine,” climbed the stairs.
  • Turned the volume up loud on my phone and stuck it in her door.
  • She did not recognize those opening notes and said, “What’re you …”
  • Then the lyrics kicked in.
  • She shut the door in my face.
  • Mission: Accomplished.
  • Then I sent it to a friend, ‘cause screw him.
  • SitRep: Mostly, my head does not hurt.
  • Now, I have had literally agonizing pain in my head since 2020.
  • My pain calibration is … skewed.
  • This isn’t awful.
  • However, I am exhausted.
  • Prone to passing out at any moment.
  • And I sleep like poop because 1) 45 staples in my dome; 2) the goddamn dogs; 3) the PICC IV in my right arm.
  • None of these things make bedding easy.
  • When I’m awake, as long as I’m sitting, I kinda do okay.
  • Walking comes a bit challenging.
  • Random dizziness happens.
  • I have the doc appts coming up in another couple of weeks.
  • And then treatment.
  • We’re not out of the woods.
  • But fuck it, I will prevail.
  • Okay, let’s be serious for a moment.
  • I put up that pic about degrees the other day.
  • I have worked in higher ed for all but four of the last 25 years.
  • My job has been to sell it.
  • I know the data.
  • And when I don’t, I know both Librarians and IR.
  • Short version: Degrees make communities more successful.
  • The more bachelor’s degrees a city has, the more financially successful it will be.
  • Full stop.
  • What we’re running into, however, is the death of the American Dream.
  • Personally, I do not believe in it.
  • Companies no longer treat us as people.
  • You’re just a number to check a box to do something.
  • And they’re trying to kill even that with AI.
  • Let me ask you a question: What’re you worth?
  • I don’t mean net worth.
  • I’ll answer for you: your hourly wage.
  • Companies will get away with paying you as little as possible.
  • And they’ll get away with devaluing your position as much as they can.
  • At our college, there’s an initiative to promote those degrees that provide the most life-sustaining wages.
  • Not things you’re aligned with from a personality standpoint, mind you.
  • But things that pay you and generate revenue for companies.
  • You know, the ones that get away with paying you as little as possible and get away with providing as few benefits as they can.
  • Because their responsibility is to the stakeholders, not you.
  • Enjoy that few weeks of leave, and paying part of your health ins (which is tied to your job, mind you).
  • Enjoy that lack of pension.
  • You ever want to know how free you really are?
  • Who can you say no to?
  • You have a choice of when to arrive at work?
  • When you can leave?
  • What about your dress code?
  • Or what you’re allowed to say to your manager, based on who they are and what their leadership philosophy is?
  • And work from home has largely been stomped on my employers because they want to control you.
  • The data supports working from home.
  • Hell, the data supports a four-day work week.
  • America has always flown the banner of freedom.
  • Are you?
  • Back to that degree thing.
  • Degrees, all of them, make our lives better.
  • Let’s say “you” don’t want to fund a theatre degree.
  • How is it so easy for you to dismiss the contributions of a creative to your life?
  • They are responsible for all the books you read.
  • (Sorry, the books you listen to.)
  • The shows you watch.
  • The concerts you attend.
  • The art on your walls.
  • The design of all the marketing materials.
  • The gardens and parks you visit.
  • Creatives make your life livable.
  • But hey, don’t help them get started, right?
  • (Before running your mouths, go research how scholarships are funded for every degree that exists.)
  • They’re all paid poorly because fucking companies are in it for profit.
  • The whole fucking country is about profit.
  • For the few, not the many.
  • Do you ever stop and think about why so many cities are based around roads?
  • It’s because the government has funded so many companies that make cars and oil.
  • I don’t want my taxes going there.
  • I want my taxes making mass transit a thing.
  • Making it easier to cycle and walk.
  • Making everything greener.
  • Because literally ALL of that is better for people and the environment.
  • You know what I don’t want my taxes doing?
  • Bailing out the rich.
  • Bailing out corporations that have more freedom and resources than any of us.
  • That greener thing.
  • Is it better for profit?
  • Not right now it isn’t.
  • Okay, so let’s talk about why you think some degrees are “less than.”
  • What do you watch?
  • I know you don’t read.
  • (Go check out the stats on functional illiteracy.)
  • Now, before we start this conversation, let’s discuss my credentials.
  • I have a bachelor’s in Journalism (news/editorial) with a minor in Creative Writing.
  • I have a Master’s degree in Mass Communications/Media Management.
  • Before you want to argue with me about media, just know what you’re getting into.
  • Right now, our mass media (newspapers and television stations) are largely owned by billionaires.
  • Those assholes are in it for … profit.
  • The content on those stations, particularly the broadcast stuff, is chosen to maximize profit.
  • What’re you watching?
  • Have you checked the bias chart?
  • Have you looked up the research on the shit you’re spouting?
  • (And before you go running your mouth on me, just know, I know an Army of Librarian Ninjas and I swear to the Lort I’ll sick them on you.)
  • I’ve heard a ton of you say stuff to me that is 100 percent bullshit.
  • You didn’t look it up to verify.
  • You just repeated it.
  • Cut that shit out.
  • You are being manipulated.
  • And don’t tell me what I think because you’re making assumptions based on the fact you know I disagree with you, but you don’t know why.
  • If you are friends with me, you know (or are going to over the next few months) I care about you.
  • I’m disinterested in fighting.
  • I’m interested in better relationships and a better reality.
  • And we can make it together.
  • But it requires you to let go of the bullshit.
  • To avoid it.
  • To free your mind.
  • To work toward freedom.
  • Because unless you work for yourself, you are not free.
  • So let’s leave off there because I did not make a bunch of jokes or talk music today.
  • Our freedom is being taken from us.
  • Don’t be distracted by the shit you can afford to distract you from that fact.
  • Love you all.
  • More words tomorrow.

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