Playing Wackamo & There But for the Grace of God, Go I

Every once awhile I want to play wackamo with humanity. Let's face it, people can be annoying.

I'm admittedly irritable due to a lack of sleep. An itchy diabetic sensor attached to my right arm. And the commute was annoyingly long today - they had to replace a door on one of the R trains, so it was delayed going home, resulting in my thirty-five minute commute becoming roughly fifty minutes. On the way too work, the F was delayed, and the R sat in the tunnel for ten minutes (it's technically a two minute ride). As a result of the lack of sleep? I fell asleep during FTA training - not surprising considering they just read their power point presentation and most of it wasn't relevant to what I do for a living. When it became relevant, I jerked awake.

Mother: What does FTA stand for?
Me: Federal Transportation Authority - it's the agency that funds infrastructure projects. (Well, did. It may not now. I have a feeling not a heck of a lot is going to be funded by the Federal Government now. But hey, we have Congestion Pricing - so perhaps that will help?)

There's two of them. The FTA - that's the funding agency. And the FRA (Federal Railroad Administration - which is specific to rail.) See? You can't say you don't ever learn anything from this journal - granted it may not necessarily be memorable or useful information.

They apologized for the boredom. Apparently the FTA requires them to read a powerpoint presentation to us word for word via Teams. Since just sending it to us is...well too easy? I don't know. People aren't only annoying? They are illogical.

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Then it hits me, again and again, like a fist in the face - There But For The Grace of God, Go I. It's an old saying that a Criminal Procedural Prof used to state at the start of each of his lectures in law school, and during Defender Project (my legal internship one summer - where I counseled inmates at a major Federal Penitentiary, sometimes I wish I could make every human being do that for one summer. Do that, and learn how to build a wall in a Juarez, Mexico Ghetto outside a church.). ( Read more... )

And...why I really shouldn't envy other people? [More on that later.]

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As an aside? The reports keep coming in about LA Fires. Altadena California Devastated by the Blaze (A friendly acquaintance from Church moved there - and is now living in an airbnb in San Diego until he can safely return, praying his home isn't destroyed. It's apparently a beautiful area.)

And, alas, Dochawk (Alan) from the ATPOBTVS Board is packed and ready to evacuate as we speak - the fire just reached the houses across the street from his condo. ( Read more... )

The friend from Church related on FB that he was overcome with stress. And his anxiety was through the roof. Has anyone heard from wendelah1 ? She hasn't posted since November, and I know she lives in LA or the surrounding area?

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At work, Art History Major came back - and informed me that she had to travel to California for her Aunt's funeral - her Aunt had recently died. ( Read more... )

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A co-worker and friend that I'd not talked to forever - stopped by for a long chat and gave me the inside scoop on Bright Young Thing. Bright Young Thing is not a happy camper. ( Read more... )

It strikes me as so odd. Since about ten years back - I was envious of her. ( Read more... )

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The Neil Gaiman thing has gone viral now, and everyone and their dog is yammering about it somewhere - specifically in the writing community. It's discombobulating to a lot of them - mainly because they knew him, they were close friends, associates, maybe even fans - and had met him in person. Some had even loved him. Many had introduced him to others.

I mean it's one thing for me to be discombobulated by it and horrified (I didn't know him, never met him, and wasn't really a fan - I just read his books and watched his shows) - but quite another for someone who was actually close to him and knew him. Yet we all kind share that...cognitive dissonance. That's what they call it in psychology - cognitive dissonance, where we're confronted with two contradictory things at the same time, and being principally binary thinkers - can't wrap our heads around it. (Living things, including humans are not binary, even though we've been taught to think that way.)

Popular Science Fiction Novelist John Scalzi who was a friend of Neil Gaiman's writes about it in his blog, Whatever, finally

( excerpt from Taking Leave )

Amanda Palmer states rather simply - "Replying to NME’s request for comment, a representative for Palmer said: “While Ms. Palmer is profoundly disturbed by the allegations that Mr. Gaiman has abused several women, at this time her primary concern is, and must remain, the well-being of her son and therefore, to guard his privacy, she has no comment on these allegations.”

Taking to Instagram soon after, Palmer added: “As there are ongoing custody and divorce proceedings, I am not able to offer public comment. Please understand that I am first and foremost a parent. I ask for privacy at this time.”

Palmer is being vilified on social media at the moment. But I'm reluctant to do so. ( my reasons for the remotely curious )

It's hard to understand I think that people have more than one side to them, and we all see a different side? ( Read more... )

Enuf rambling pondering. Off to bed.