I came out to some of my extended family and found out that another one of my uncles is gay and my parents had just kept that a secret for 20 years. And that my parents have been spreading some shitty rumors about me. All in all not really regretting not talking to them right now. University is looking at perhaps a 25% budget cut which is going to be a mess. The chancellor wants to spend money on the landscaping though because that's what attracts new students. At least right now my funding comes from the DOE, but it's evaporated overnight before so who knows what happens in the fall. I don't see this whole situation ending well for universities and it just increases my resolve to get out of academia when I'm done. Putting slides together for a conference presentation that I'm excited about as it finally reveals some stuff I did in undergrad! Breadski, please rate my challah: 
It's gotten to the point where not a day goes by that I don't thank my lucky stars for being a straight white male. It's also gotten to the point where not a day goes by that I don't inwardly shudder at the level of contempt a stunning amount of straight white male-dom feels for all outgroups, and the lengths to which they will go to act as if this prejudice and bias are something other than prejudice and bias. I forget that the "pulling together" instinct is something we do within our tribe, which means the sociopaths among us do their level best to make the tribe as small as possible. Good luck with your continued employment. One of my friends just survived a 40% layoff (shale oil) and another just survived a 50% layoff (cruise industry) so with my anecdata of two I seem to associate with winners. I sincerely hope you are three.