Y2/D301 - Brrrr...
Jan. 11th, 2022 07:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatWorked remotely today, and it was cold. I had sweat joggers on (via LL Bean), pink t-shirt under a long purple sweater, and fluffy open toed hot pink house slippers. Drank hot coco, tea, and had a gluten free green tea muffin.
Tomorrow the painter comes - while I'm ensconced in my office - to paint portions of my apartment. Hopefully he'll finish tomorrow - if not, he'll finish on Friday. I'm also hoping he covers and protects my stuff. I was told that he would and not to worry about it. And he admittedly did last time.
Me: I'm worried about the painter.
Mother: I'm sure it will be fine, and he'll do the work -
Me: No, I worried about him messing up my stuff, specifically the television and wifi. I asked if I should move it. The bed is the worst. I can't move that out of the bedroom - but they told me that he'll cover everything up and not to worry.
Mother: They are professionals, I'm certain it will be fine.
Me: Maybe he'll kill the mice, that's what happened last time.
Since it was bitter cold outside - suffice it to say, I took advantage of the opportunity to stay inside and not move from my apartment. By bitter cold - below zero. And in the teens during the day. Supposed to be warmer tomorrow.
Covid and the Anti-Vaxer
On the news this morning, a city council member from Staten Island, Paladino, was reported as being barred from the City Council Chambers for failure to produce proof of vaccination. She refused to state whether or not she'd been vaccinated, but insisted that she did not pose a danger to anyone in the chambers.
Palladino: Whether I've been vaccinated or not is no one's business but my own. It is my right to withhold this information. We don't live in Nazi, Germany and have to produce papers. I am standing up for my rights. I have a voice. If everyone stood up - we could change this.
Me: Uhm, it's a pandemic, shit-for-brains. This is about public health and public safety. It's not about people hunting you down and gassing you for being Jewish or a Gypsey or Gay, you dingbat. Although at this point, I kind of wish we'd refuse you hospital privileges or at the very least put a yellow star on your chest and throw your ass into a time machine and send you directly to Nazi Germany.
I need to not watch the news in the morning. I thought I was safe it was NY1. But alas, no.
Then later today, when I called clueless project manager about a change order, I found out she was going to Mexico tomorrow. She'd been sick with Covid over the holidays - had it from December 16 - New Year's. And was told not to take another test for about 90s days. She's fine now and was in the office. Had everything but loss of taste. She thinks she's had it three times now.
No, she's not been vaccinated. We were discussing ailments and it came up.
Me: You're not vaccinated?
PM: I refuse.
ME: Okay..
PM: Do you know how many people have died from the vaccine?
ME: A miniscule amount, or hardly any at all - because it is safe.
PM: On one of the big pharmacy's websites it says that the NRN4 is not for human consumption.
ME: That means you aren't supposed to eat it. [ Also as an aside, I've no clue where she found that information, I went to Pfizer's website - which is the vaccine we were all offered - and I can't find it anywhere on that Pfizer's web site.)
PM: No it means it shouldn't be in the human body.
Me: I've taken, everyone in my family, all my friends - we're FINE. None of us got COVID.
PM: Well, good for you - but you can still get it. Vaccinated can still transmit.
Me: Not as likely and we don't get it severely. I have my information from virulogists and epimeologists - through our own agency! We have accurate information -
PM: Want to know who you sound like? You sound like my mother. She's upset with me for not getting it and keeps bugging me. She's not going to Mexico with us because she's immune compromised and doesn't want to risk it.
ME: Oh, sorry to hear that. If your mother can't talk you into it - I won't be able too.
PM: I've been told not to have these conversations with people.
Me: Yes, let's move on to the subject I actually called about.
[I kind of remembered half way through that - that this is the clueless PM, we all complain about. She's clueless. I've worked with her on various projects, tried to train her, and got nowhere. I have to re-explain everything. I told this all to mother.
Me: I have to explain change orders to her, and what is needed over and over and over again.
Mother: I can't wrap my mind around that - I understand what is needed in a change order and what one is, why doesn't she?
Me: I don't know. She's says she understands, but nope. I've commiserated with colleagues about her - she's dumb. I have no idea how she's gotten as far as she has in life.
So, trying to convince her to a vaccine is kind of a losing proposition. She travels all the time. Doesn't think anything of it. And he assistant is out because his father-in-law just died of COVID.]
Meanwhile per Twitter, crazy folks are drinking pee to fend off COVID.
Mother: Pee?
Me: Yes, urine.
Twitter also enraged me - when NBCNEWS posted that school libraries were removing books written by Black authors from the shelves for fear of Critical Race Theory being taught to the progeny of shit-for-brains parents who should have been neutered at birth.
And Wales texted that Djokovich is an ass.
Me: You mean the tennis player? Yeah, mother told me about that.
[He's been booted out of the Australian open, and refused entry into Australia because he refuses to get vaccinated or wear a mask.
I kind of told mother all of this.
Mother: You are raging again.
Me: It's been that sort of day, and I'm worried about the painter, and crap.
Mother: Tom Davies died recently. (She reads me his death notice from his wife. They've been friends for about 50 years now, long distance. She's half in tears. Yesterday she told me about two of my father's former colleagues passing. All were younger than my Dad.)
Too many dead. Every Day, I hear about someone else who died. Celebrity, friend of my parents, someone at work - I don't personally know them, but I'm loosely connected. Today it was two people. Yesterday three. I'm almost deadened to it now. And I find myself staring more and more often blankly into space.
I mentioned that to BYT.
BYT: Oh I do that too. It just started over the last two years. I wonder why...
Me: I think it's my brain wanting a vacation. It is tired and just wants to feel and think nothing for a bit.
And it does, more and more. I thought it was because of meditation, but I am thinking back - and it started in 2020 or towards the tail end, and became more frequent in 2021. Just not thinking about anything really.
Anyhow, when I think of all of this constant death...it makes me think of this song by the Jim Carroll Band.. Those Are People Who Died.
***
Bits from the NY Times Evening Briefing:
* Positivity rates are rising across Asia, a warning sign as countries brace for Omicron to take hold, Bloomberg reports.
* A study suggested that a popular at-home test — the Abbott BinaxNOW — detected most infectious Omicron cases.
* Quebec introduced a financial penalty for the unvaccinated.
* Australia is investigating whether Novak Djokovic could be charged with making a false statement on his visa form.
* The World Bank said that the pandemic would slow global economic growth in 2022.
So, no Spiderman this weekend, I guess.
Mother: You can always see it on streaming.
****
Meanwhile, a touch of good news, Wales rapid test came back negative for COVID. Bro is recovering from his skiing accident and seems to be perfectly fine. Also mother had a good visit with my Dad. She told him my comments about his book, and that I was enjoying it, also read him some passages from the Glacier Trailways magazines.
Eh, I don't know about you, but I take the good news where I can.
***
Random Photo of the Day..
Tomorrow the painter comes - while I'm ensconced in my office - to paint portions of my apartment. Hopefully he'll finish tomorrow - if not, he'll finish on Friday. I'm also hoping he covers and protects my stuff. I was told that he would and not to worry about it. And he admittedly did last time.
Me: I'm worried about the painter.
Mother: I'm sure it will be fine, and he'll do the work -
Me: No, I worried about him messing up my stuff, specifically the television and wifi. I asked if I should move it. The bed is the worst. I can't move that out of the bedroom - but they told me that he'll cover everything up and not to worry.
Mother: They are professionals, I'm certain it will be fine.
Me: Maybe he'll kill the mice, that's what happened last time.
Since it was bitter cold outside - suffice it to say, I took advantage of the opportunity to stay inside and not move from my apartment. By bitter cold - below zero. And in the teens during the day. Supposed to be warmer tomorrow.
Covid and the Anti-Vaxer
On the news this morning, a city council member from Staten Island, Paladino, was reported as being barred from the City Council Chambers for failure to produce proof of vaccination. She refused to state whether or not she'd been vaccinated, but insisted that she did not pose a danger to anyone in the chambers.
Palladino: Whether I've been vaccinated or not is no one's business but my own. It is my right to withhold this information. We don't live in Nazi, Germany and have to produce papers. I am standing up for my rights. I have a voice. If everyone stood up - we could change this.
Me: Uhm, it's a pandemic, shit-for-brains. This is about public health and public safety. It's not about people hunting you down and gassing you for being Jewish or a Gypsey or Gay, you dingbat. Although at this point, I kind of wish we'd refuse you hospital privileges or at the very least put a yellow star on your chest and throw your ass into a time machine and send you directly to Nazi Germany.
I need to not watch the news in the morning. I thought I was safe it was NY1. But alas, no.
Then later today, when I called clueless project manager about a change order, I found out she was going to Mexico tomorrow. She'd been sick with Covid over the holidays - had it from December 16 - New Year's. And was told not to take another test for about 90s days. She's fine now and was in the office. Had everything but loss of taste. She thinks she's had it three times now.
No, she's not been vaccinated. We were discussing ailments and it came up.
Me: You're not vaccinated?
PM: I refuse.
ME: Okay..
PM: Do you know how many people have died from the vaccine?
ME: A miniscule amount, or hardly any at all - because it is safe.
PM: On one of the big pharmacy's websites it says that the NRN4 is not for human consumption.
ME: That means you aren't supposed to eat it. [ Also as an aside, I've no clue where she found that information, I went to Pfizer's website - which is the vaccine we were all offered - and I can't find it anywhere on that Pfizer's web site.)
PM: No it means it shouldn't be in the human body.
Me: I've taken, everyone in my family, all my friends - we're FINE. None of us got COVID.
PM: Well, good for you - but you can still get it. Vaccinated can still transmit.
Me: Not as likely and we don't get it severely. I have my information from virulogists and epimeologists - through our own agency! We have accurate information -
PM: Want to know who you sound like? You sound like my mother. She's upset with me for not getting it and keeps bugging me. She's not going to Mexico with us because she's immune compromised and doesn't want to risk it.
ME: Oh, sorry to hear that. If your mother can't talk you into it - I won't be able too.
PM: I've been told not to have these conversations with people.
Me: Yes, let's move on to the subject I actually called about.
[I kind of remembered half way through that - that this is the clueless PM, we all complain about. She's clueless. I've worked with her on various projects, tried to train her, and got nowhere. I have to re-explain everything. I told this all to mother.
Me: I have to explain change orders to her, and what is needed over and over and over again.
Mother: I can't wrap my mind around that - I understand what is needed in a change order and what one is, why doesn't she?
Me: I don't know. She's says she understands, but nope. I've commiserated with colleagues about her - she's dumb. I have no idea how she's gotten as far as she has in life.
So, trying to convince her to a vaccine is kind of a losing proposition. She travels all the time. Doesn't think anything of it. And he assistant is out because his father-in-law just died of COVID.]
Meanwhile per Twitter, crazy folks are drinking pee to fend off COVID.
Mother: Pee?
Me: Yes, urine.
Twitter also enraged me - when NBCNEWS posted that school libraries were removing books written by Black authors from the shelves for fear of Critical Race Theory being taught to the progeny of shit-for-brains parents who should have been neutered at birth.
And Wales texted that Djokovich is an ass.
Me: You mean the tennis player? Yeah, mother told me about that.
[He's been booted out of the Australian open, and refused entry into Australia because he refuses to get vaccinated or wear a mask.
I kind of told mother all of this.
Mother: You are raging again.
Me: It's been that sort of day, and I'm worried about the painter, and crap.
Mother: Tom Davies died recently. (She reads me his death notice from his wife. They've been friends for about 50 years now, long distance. She's half in tears. Yesterday she told me about two of my father's former colleagues passing. All were younger than my Dad.)
Too many dead. Every Day, I hear about someone else who died. Celebrity, friend of my parents, someone at work - I don't personally know them, but I'm loosely connected. Today it was two people. Yesterday three. I'm almost deadened to it now. And I find myself staring more and more often blankly into space.
I mentioned that to BYT.
BYT: Oh I do that too. It just started over the last two years. I wonder why...
Me: I think it's my brain wanting a vacation. It is tired and just wants to feel and think nothing for a bit.
And it does, more and more. I thought it was because of meditation, but I am thinking back - and it started in 2020 or towards the tail end, and became more frequent in 2021. Just not thinking about anything really.
Anyhow, when I think of all of this constant death...it makes me think of this song by the Jim Carroll Band.. Those Are People Who Died.
***
Bits from the NY Times Evening Briefing:
* Positivity rates are rising across Asia, a warning sign as countries brace for Omicron to take hold, Bloomberg reports.
* A study suggested that a popular at-home test — the Abbott BinaxNOW — detected most infectious Omicron cases.
* Quebec introduced a financial penalty for the unvaccinated.
* Australia is investigating whether Novak Djokovic could be charged with making a false statement on his visa form.
* The World Bank said that the pandemic would slow global economic growth in 2022.
So, no Spiderman this weekend, I guess.
Mother: You can always see it on streaming.
****
Meanwhile, a touch of good news, Wales rapid test came back negative for COVID. Bro is recovering from his skiing accident and seems to be perfectly fine. Also mother had a good visit with my Dad. She told him my comments about his book, and that I was enjoying it, also read him some passages from the Glacier Trailways magazines.
Eh, I don't know about you, but I take the good news where I can.
***
Random Photo of the Day..
no subject
Date: 2022-01-12 02:25 am (UTC)Your mention of yellow stars reminds me of how surprised I was that it's the yellow-capped coca colas that are kosher. I mean, really?
Definitely with you on brain wanting a vacation, I'm sure that's why my television has tended rather more toward lighter, more fun, stuff in recent months.
no subject
Date: 2022-01-12 07:20 am (UTC)I have to explain change orders to her, and what is needed over and over and over again. (...) She's says she understands, but nope.
I believe there are people who simply lack certain abilities, their brains just don't work in that particular way. For example, in myself, I've posted before about always desiring to be be a musician, or a painter, etc. but... it's just not there. Practicing does not help. (A big reason why the photography thing is so satisfying-- my brain does work for that.)
But as a result, I'd never get a job where the above abilities I do not have would be important. I suspect, though, that some either persist where they shouldn't (I will learn to play the guitar! I WILL!!) or they just don't get that they aren't good at some things.
The person you mention might be good at something else, but for whatever reasons persists in her current job. The reasons could be valid (nothing she's truly good at pays decently) or.. some folks just really don't understand themselves, they rarely or never self-analyze.
no subject
Date: 2022-01-12 01:55 pm (UTC)As much as I tell myself the are just card-carrying nincompoops in the world, you are probably right. I am sure there are subjects on which I am as stubbornly stupid as this person. But hopefully those subjects for me aren't as risky to everyone's health.
I pretty much refused to work for large corporations or government entities, where working with people unfit for the jobs they were hired for is part your own job. (Yes, I worked for a university, which always do have some problems along those lines. But generally the people there do tend to be less rigid about things I can't stand.) Because of unions and other government rules to protect people from unreasonable situations, people unfit to do their jobs always get into positions where they create a nuisance that others have to work around. I suspect that I've lived considerably longer than my brother and father did because I didn't spend my working life directly dealing with people who either didn't know what they were doing or didn't care what they were doing as long as they felt important.
no subject
Date: 2022-01-12 02:52 pm (UTC)Eh, folks ill-suited for their jobs exist in all areas. I've worked in 13 different industries and my father was an organizational compensation consultant who worked with every organization known to human beings. (He also worked in academia and hated it. He warned me away from it. The worst industries to work for are: Academia, Publishing, Entertainment (Television/Film), and Video Game Development, also Fashion (why? Serial bullying, harassment of various sorts, etc.) Also have co-workers who worked in the administrative areas of academia. Academia is notorious for hiring ill-suited folks, with huge egos, and no zip. I can count on one hand the number of good professors I had, who actually could teach their subjects.
The Academic arena - from my friends who are in it right now - is struggling right now. There's a lot of incompetency, particularly in the humanities - history. Part of the problem with our country is our piss-poor educational system which doesn't value critical thinking. And that problem doesn't just lie with the professors, but other factors. (Example the school libraries pulling books to prevent critical race theory from being taught. Or the financial scam that various big name universities pulled to scam students out of their financial aid.)
I love talking to folks about what they do for a living, and have jumped around a lot myself - I can say with absolute certainty - you will run into incompetency everywhere.
no subject
Date: 2022-01-12 03:37 pm (UTC)Professors - of course the problem there is that professors are not hired to teach. Fortunately, many of them can and some are darn good at it. Professors are hired to do 'research' and keep their jobs through publishing. (The real value of research in the humanities is debatable and since I spent a good deal of time and effort trying to get into that business, I won't argue either side.) Two professors close to my heart kept their jobs by publishing articles on subjects that didn't have anything to do with their supposed fields. Did they betray what they were supposed to do, or just work the system to their advantage?
TAs are hired to teach and some of them are also quite bad at it!
I'm sure that the universities involved with the celebrities paying bribes to get their unqualified kids admitted knew what was going on. The dodge of admitting and giving scholarships to quite marginal students as athletes (real athletes or fake ones) is to blame as well.
no subject
Date: 2022-01-13 12:46 am (UTC)Colorado College had a graduating class of about 140 if that, and the whole school was about 600 if that. University of Kansas School of Law was equally small - with 340.
In stark contrast? My high school graduating class was close to 1,000 and there were about 5,000 or close in the school.
There's something else to take into account here - time. I went to college in 1985-1989 and law school 1991-1994.
The University system, outside of law school, I steered clear of, going to a small liberal arts college instead.
no subject
Date: 2022-01-13 02:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-01-13 01:32 am (UTC)It's like music - some folks can play any song by ear, but they can't sight read or write music, they can however play it from ear. Others can only sight read. Or some can say play a musical instrument but not sing. Or they can sing, but not write songs, or like Bob Dylan they excel at songwriting but sing horribly.
no subject
Date: 2022-01-12 03:35 pm (UTC)This was some helpful news: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/11/covid-loses-90-of-ability-to-infect-within-five-minutes-in-air-study
no subject
Date: 2022-01-13 01:17 am (UTC)