Author Archives: Tata

Words Are Meaningless And Forgettable

Posted by Tata on

I hesitate to quote from the New York Times, the jealous-boyfriend-who-hates-your-besties of newspapers. Ignore it and the Times sends you email about taking it back. Quote it on your blog and the Times threatens you. Well, New York Times: two can play that game. Ead-re the rticle-ay.

Note the tentative language. We’re not talking about egregious labor violations, unsafe working conditions, paycheck theft and extortion; we’re talking about student complaints. Isn’t it charming the State Department took the time to listen? Yes, it’s so charming. As we know, students get riled and have complaints about nothing all the time.

Please hold and our next available representative will be with you shortly.

Complaints Department. How can I help you?

In America, this crap happens all the time, mostly to the working poor. The mistake these companies made was in assuming educated, middle class people would tolerate the same treatment. That the State Department stepped in may be the best reason for hope – about anything – in a long time. I’m shocked it happened. And even though we’re suffering through disgusting finals – the week I call When Freshmen Forget How To Flush – I’m hoping students complain some more.

Ten Nine Eight I’m Always Counting

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The thing about vacations – even the ones taken at home – is that each day fills with more things to do than there are hours in which to do those things. There should be a formula:

V = What the hell, it’s dinnertime and I just ate brunch!

Yes, that’s true. You should also know my cousin the hairdresser and I decided our tiny town needs nothing with a greater urgency than a tiki bar.

If I Should Call You Up Invest

Posted by Tata on

I seldom know what day it is, but this morning, I saw my neighbor putting out his recycling and knew that guy was a little lost. This week, I’m off work, but having trouble relaxing. On Monday, I made my cousin the yoga teacher nervous, which was funny but made me wonder if I’d lost my subtle touch. Tomorrow, I have an appointment with my cousin the hairdresser and I hope to be delightfully chill, because Gin & Tonic Season opens in just a few weeks and I know those two are tighter than Oprah’s Spanx. They will talk about me!

After all this time, I am thinking about finishing an undergraduate degree. It would take years. Maybe none of my many credits from years ago would still be any good. So much has changed in Hebraic Studies, Art History and English Literature that I might have to start from scratch. That would be too much for me, if I’m realistic about it. Still, it would be amusing to spend the rest of my working life collecting credits and degrees like they would somehow matter while memory loss busily wipes the chalkboard clean.

The first step would be asking the university what I would have to do. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to ask.