Finally got the last act of the murder mystery script ("Fatal Family Reunion") finished and e-mailed to those going to the meeting tonight. I was pleased to hear from Frank that he'll go, too, so we'll travel together.
Early in the day, I was able to get over to Hamilton Mall and buy birthday presents for the sweet Singapore sisters. Even wrapped and sent Violet's. Vivian's can wait awhile, as her birthday is at the end of July. Stopped at Santori's on the way home and stocked up on veggies.
There's a first meeting for Hedda Gabbler at 8 pm tomorrow night. Considering I'll be out late tonight, too, I'll tell Susan I may not get up in time to walk either day.
Next weekend, I get my "respite holiday," and boy, am I looking forward to that. I'll be back Sunday in time for Joelly's seventh birthday. It's June, so things are heating up after the long winter drag--good!
Wider: It seems there's no end to the insidious intrusion of militarism into what used to be civilian affairs. In "Obama's Classroom Spies" (Counterpunch), David Price writes about the continuation of this horror:
"The latest manifestation of this continuity came last week when Dennis C. Blair, Director of National Intelligence, announced plans to transform the Pat Roberts Intelligence Scholars Program (PRISP) from a pilot project into a permanent budget item. Blair also announced plans to establish a “Reserve Officers' Training Corps” to train unidentified future intelligence officers in US college classrooms. Like students receiving PRISP funds, the identities of students participating in these programs would not be known to professors, university administrators or fellow students—in effect, these future intelligence analysts and agents would conduct their first covert missions in our university classrooms."
This may be a stretch, but I think it's related: I worked on a college campus for 27 years. When I started, I remember that identification of students (and employees) was by name and address only. That's right, social security numbers were not used. I add emphasis to make a point: It was assumed there was no reason to invade privacy to the extent of using a government-issued number for the convenience of a non-government entity (Rider is an independent university). For that matter, I recall when issuing SS numbers to newborns was unknown. It's still voluntary (dollars to doughnuts, it won't be for long), but of course, you can't claim a child as a tax dependent without one, nor can he or she later open a bank account (or get a Macy's charge, as I happen to know), without this eerily 1984-type I.D.
Hmm...I seem to be ruminating. I also seem like a mean old conservative, rather than the flaming liberal I strive to be. But really--when you think that computers can track you to hell and gone because your number is out there--isn't it scary?
And even scarier is the idea that colleges and universities have or will embrace the spy in the classroom thing because they need the money. So much for academic integrity.
Damn.