autumnal omelette

of braised fennel and cheese, with a topping of some delicious smoked paprika brought back by a friend from Australia.

I should, really, have posted a picture of dinner (delicata squash salad) eaten while watching the Dodgers (yay Freddie!), and labeled "on not going to watch USC vs Rutgers."  Every year I get an invitation for myself and a guest to go to a game in the President's suite.  This year we'd especially been looking forward to our chosen game: USC vs Rutgers (for obvious reasons).  But ... SC has so depressed and disgusted me this week with its decisions around fund cutting in relation to graduate education (in a nutshell: if our students get an outside fellowship to do research in their fifth year, they've always been able to take it and then get their final year of funding from the university in their sixth year.  But SC has just pulled the plug on this - with no warning - leaving some students effectively stranded). And there are other rumored cuts of all kinds affecting our benefits, and other things.  And there is just a steady drip drip drip of this stuff, with no clarity (transparency would be far too much to ask for).  So in all conscience, we didn't feel that we could accept the university's glitzy hospitality - and effectively endorse them having given what turns out to be a far from brilliant football coach a 110 million $$$ 10-year contract - and cheer on the Cardinal and Gold.  I cannot imagine for a moment that anyone will register this protest, but it's a symbolic act of solidarity with our students ...