BLOG ENTRY #17: WHERE ARE THE LAWYERS?

Apparently, the latest Executive Order, which focuses on the Smithsonian , has a coupler of interesting points.  One, the Order looks to eliminate "improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology" from the museums, and to work with Congress to keep from funding exhibits or programs that "divide Americans by race."  So, to ME, the Order looks to dumb down depictions of slavery and America's history with it.

At the same time the Order looks to restore markers, statues and other memorials that were "improperly removed or changed in the last five years to perpetuate a false revision of history or improperly minimize or disparage certain historical figures or events."  I am no historian or political science major, but while putting a ridiculous spin on slavery, the Order apparently wants the confederate flag and statues of confederate heroes that were taken down, to be restored.

https://www.npr.org/2025/03/28/nx-s1-5343524/smithsonian-trump-executive-order

Historians and civil rights groups should have their attorneys all over this mess.  Stating historical facts about sensitive issues should not divide the country.  Restoring statues of people who actually divided the country does divide the country  Those are the easy points an average person can see.  A history or political science scholar can  pick apart the rest of this foolishness.

I understand these are Executive Orders, but when Joe Biden issued Executive Orders regarding student loans, he was taken to Court and blocked.

They need to do something before false facts are displayed regarding Black history.

BLOG ENTRY #16: RACISTS AND TRUMP SUPPORTERS (VERY SHORT)

 I have learned that every supporter of Donald Trump is not a racist and every racist is not a supporter of Donald Trump.

I know Trump supporters who are genuinely good friends.  I am as dark as they come so there can be no mistaking my race.  They voted for Donald Trump, for reasons I won't get into yet.

I am not an expert on racists, but I am quite sure that the Democratic party had voters who don't like Blacks or minorities.

I know African-Americans and Caribbeans who voted for Donald Trump 

I know Caucasians who people have (quietly) expressed are racists, but have been cordial and very helpful to me.

I know African-Americans who have treated me worse than how I would expect a racist to treat me.

I know more Blacks who have been disrespectful to me than whites have.

In recent years, I have learned more from Republicans than I have from Democrats.  I am not going to join the Republican Party (but I may not stay with the Democrats).  

People are people.

BLOG ENTRY # 15 JUDGE ORDER TO REINSTATE FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

 According to an article by the Public Broadcasting Service, a judge ordered President Trump to reinstate probationary employees.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/judge-orders-trump-to-reinstate-probationary-workers-fired-across-multiple-agencies

Even though I want to see them not lose their jobs, and I am not a legal expert, I am pessimistic.  I was always told that the term "probation" meant that within the time the employee is on probation, he or she had better be on guard because Management doesn't need an actual reason to fire you.   I know an attorney who was terminated with about a month to go in her probationary status.  I am really more concerned about the so-called "career" employees.   These are the employees who passed probation and performed well on their performance.  If they are allowed to lose their jobs with employees ignoring their contract, what does it say about any job?

BLOG ENTRY #14 MULTITASKING MYTH

After years of thinking that I was multitasking, I now know that I was task switching.  According to my research, constant task shifting tires the brain.   This explains a lot about me over the past several years.  I thought I was just juggling work, family, parents, writing projects and a personal life and I was simply burning myself out.

BLOG ENTRY #13

 I hate that I forget a word, phrase or idea, just as I am about to say it or work on it

BLOG ENTRY #12: MY NEW LIFE part 2

 I have learned a few things about retirement and myself.  I have learned that retirement is a huge deal and that I have to learn to be flexible.  It's okay to have a blueprint, but I have to be flexible.

I retired from the federal government (voluntarily) on January 28.  My original plans were to give it a few weeks, then clean up my apartment and spend three or four days a week going to the library.  It hasn't quite worked out like that.  Today is March 14th, and while I have spent on average, two days a week at the library, that is all I have done.  I now get up somewhere between 9:00 and 10:00.  I was waking up at 6 to get ready for work and during the days immediately after retiring, I would still wake up between 5-6, then go back to bed after a bathroom run.  Today,  I tend to sleep from 1-8 or 9.    I was never a morning person and I don't fully awaken until close to noon.  I had to wing it when I was working, but now I can drag on until 12.  I find though that I must leave the apartment .  If I don't , I feel  sluggish.  Once I get out, I feel re-freshened.  So far, I have only ventured to the library and on a train to Connecticut.   I have train travel planned for April, so this means I am going to rework my retirement plans.

I still plan to hit the library at least three days out of a seven day week.
Two days a week I will relax in my apartment.
Between now and July I will clean the apartment and storage area, making no hard deadlines.  I am shooting to do most of this work during May.

I think it is important to have free time.  I am retired.  There is no reason to have to validate every hour of my life.  There is nothing wrong with watching television or reading a book all day.  I'm not going to make that a daily activity.  And be rest assured, once my annuity kicks in, I will fit in physical activity like bicycle riding and walking.

BLOG ENTRY #11: THE 2025 checklist

 Years ago, I would post my New Year's resolutions.  I am 60 years old now.  And I am a retiree.  F**k a resolution.  The following is my 2025 checklist:

1.  Make it to 61

2.  Retire

3.  Learn to drive ( in the process, again.)

4.  Reactivate my blog

5.  Attend more conventions

6.  Prepare my list (living will, etc.).  Doctor already had instructions.  I have two designated people

7.  Move out of the Bronx

8.  Genealogy (I've been doing family tree, but it steps up in April)

9.  Increase my photography

10.  Travel (going to Baltimore, Cleveland, Albany, Charleston and Boston, in April.  Hopefully, Cali, Detroit and Canada during the summer)

11.  Decrease the waste in my apartment by 30%

12.  Decrease the waste in my storage unit by 30%

13.  Ride a bike

BLOG ENTRY #10: FIRED FEDS

I have a feeling some of the federal employees fired by the Trump Administration may get some degree of satisfaction.

When I worked for the federal government, one of the few things I enjoyed was job protection.  It wasn't impossible for me to lose my job, but I knew that I wouldn't get some random termination notice.  As long as I got a decent performance appraisal and didn't have a misconduct, I was basically safe.  From my understanding, that was how the federal government worked.  Each department had a Union and a contract that had to be followed.  We had a right to grieve adverse decisions, so we didn't just get a bad evaluation today and get fired tomorrow.  So I think some of the employees randomly terminated may get their job back or get some type of compensation

Unless they are probationary employees.

I also learned that probationary employees (people hired less than a year or two, depending on the agency) have very little leverage.  Normally, their employment is secure if they follow instructions, show up to work on time and have a decent evaluation.  But nothing is guaranteed until the probation period is over.

For the career employees (federal employees working past the probation period), I wouldn't be surprised if a settlement is made or they are offered their job back or a position in a different agency.

Just my opinion.

An interesting article on the subject

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/are-trumps-mass-firings-federal-workers-legal-2025-02-13/

😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

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BLOG ENTRY #9: WHY ARE MORE BLACKS HOMELESS IN NEW YORK THAN WHITES (rhetorical question)

 Because they are.

Black people make up less than 30% of the population in New York City, according to statistics, but they appear to make up the majority of the homeless population?  

One  source had African-Americans making up 24% of the city population, but also make up 56% of the homeless.

Why?

The question came up when I realized that I don't see many whites sleeping on the subway.

https://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/NYCHomelessnessFactSheet_7-2017_citations.pdf

https://www.washingtoninformer.com/blacks-hit-hardest-as-nycs-homeless-population-grows-amid-mental-health-crisis/

It's cold outside

This is one reason I don't trust millennials or Gen Z kids.   At the time of the photo it was 43 degrees with blustery conditions. 

PHOTO FLASHBACK: Philadelphia 2016

These are some of the first pictures I took for  blogging purposes.  I personally like Philadelphia.  The different place you can get a different type of cheese-steak is one reason.  I like historic cities.  I highly recommend the Revolutionary War Museum.   These are from my phone and for some reason I cannot rotate them.

 

BLOG ENRTY #8: ABOUT MY PROFILE

I am still getting used to some parts of Blogger, so I am still adding links, etc.  So somewhere within the blog I will have favorite links and other links to sites I think are helpful or informative.  I briefly added my profile so readers will have some idea of who is writing this.  I am not photogenic, so I will not be adding a personal picture to my handy work.  At a later time, I will explain what I wrote in the profile.  This way, once again, you will connect the views with the profile.

JUST AN AVERAGE FAN'S POINT OF VIEW: Watching again

 I tuned into Monday Night RAW on Netflix this past Monday.  It wasn't what I used to watch 20 years ago but I wasn't disappointed.

Gone are the McMahons.  No more regular appearances of the Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin.

I like  CM Punk promos.

I can watch Rhea Ripley every night.

I get to see the Rock and a weird looking John Cena as heels and I get to see Cody Rhodes as the babyface champ.

What's even better about RAW is that it is on Netflix and I can watch past episodes along with other WWE gems.  I can watch an episode of RAW from 1997.

I am an old school wrestling fan.  I like the way the product used to be sold where it was mostly about in ring talent, so I love matches that involve Eddie Guerrero, Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, Steve Austin and the Undertaker (Deadman).

I'm going to keep up my Netflix account and watch.  For now.

JUST AN AVERAGE FAN'S POINT OF VIEW: The return of wrestling

 I am going to tune into Monday Night RAW tonight. 

This is significant, especially since I haven't watched pro-wrestling in years.  I haven't seen a full episode of RAW since the early to mid 2000s.

I used to write a pro-wrestling column years ago and I was a huge fan of The Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin.  After Austin was phased out I lost interest and when the Undertaker lost the streak to Brock Lesnar, I never tuned in again.

To be clear, none of the current "superstars" really capture my interest except maybe CM Punk.  Bobby Lashley left the company and Brock Lesnar is now apparently a dirty word.

Vince McMahon is gone and has been for over a year, so that is there is definitely intrigue.

PHOTO FLASHBACK: MET GALA 2024 Dwyane Wade

 

PHOTO FLASHBACK: MET GALA 2024-2 KeKe Palmer

   A couple of years ago, a friend introduced me to the MET GALA, an event in New York City I never hears about since I am not into social media or celebrities.  In fact, I m not even into taking pictures of humans.   I prefer landscape photos.  Anyway, 2023 was a disaster as I was trying to take pictures from across the street from the museum.  My friend is a lot more friendly than I am and a lot more patient, so he was able to wait the nine hours for the event to start plus deal with the crowd.  I am not the social butterfly and I have limited patience.  I just want to get good shots.  I don't wanna meet anyone, including the stars.  I see these more as journalism shots, so I really don't want them to even pose.

This is KeKe Palmer, an actress.  I have to say that with the nine hours that I put into MET GALA 2024, Ms. Palmer was worth every minute.  For an event where the fans are a huge part, she was extremely warm and  gracious.  KeKe Palmer felt the crowd and the crowd loved her back.  She made sure that everybody got to see her and she acknowledged everyone there.  And she was as photogenic as she was friendly.

PHOTO FLASHBACK: MET GALA 2024 camera (1) Chris Hemsworth

MORE CHICAGO 2024 (CAMERA) random pictures

        

 

BLOG ENTRY# 7 Write now

The more I write , the more I want to write

CHICAGO 2024 (P)

For some reason I cannot rotate the pictures from my phone