I read the news today...oh my!
Aug. 12th, 2024 09:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkat1. Listened to this Podcast during work today, and it's wild.
The actor being interviewed, Bryan Craig, tells this story about being involved with a narcissist. He fell hard for this woman prior to the pandemic, so hard he moved with her to Mexico. And there were signs that he gotten himself into a bit of a mess. She did little things here and there that gave him pause, but he hand-waved it. Until he accidentally clicked on a file on her computer and discovered she was setting up sexual appointments with older men. And he discovered that not only was she a highly paid escort, but with the Mexican Cartel. It goes on from there.
Made me realize how truly fucked up our culture and world truly is, and how toxic it is. There's so many people struggling with mental illness to varying degrees.
He also talks about how he can't sleep more than four hours a night, is always exhausted, and wakes up about fifteen times each night. And has tried everything.
And how at one point, he'd had a head injury - and was unable to move his head at all or put it against a pillow. So he went without sleep for about three or four months - and it does things to you. He started to hallucinate. And thought he was losing his mind.
I'm learning how important sleep truly is. And getting enough of it. We need a period of deep sleep (for the body to repair things without the brain getting in the way with other requests). REM or Dreams (helps with memory and learning and figuring things out). Core (helps with cognitive ability and gives the brain a bit of rest - to figure things out.
Without sleep...our bodies deteriorate, there's memory loss, and it impairs our mental health.
My watch tells me that I get at least 6 -7 hours now. And I listen to co-workers, many of which get far less. They make it to bed around 11-12 pm and get to work around 6-7am, meaning they get up around 4 or 5. This is not healthy.
2. Wales was upset that Jordan Chiles got the bronze on the floor exercise instead of the Romanian who she felt was better. And is now happy that the medal got taken away from her.
I informed Wales that this is a far more complicated controversy than she realizes, and far from over.
Wales: It's not fair, Chiles got it. The Romanian was so much better.
Me: Except it's not about that. It has nothing to do with that. (Nor should it - that's subjective and she's no expert.)
This is kind of crazy. What happened? Chiles did an in the air split that hadn't been counted towards her total score. It's a matter of small points or the difference between 13.66 vs. 13.63.
Her coaches put in an inquiry.
The judges reviewed and agreed, and she got the gold, since the Romanian was 13.65. I mean it was THAT close on the Bronze. The Romanian's heel was determined out of bounds, and she got deductions on that - which her coaches didn't try to put an inquiry in regards to. You're only really allowed to put an inquiry in for degree of difficulty. And you have to do it within a minute of receiving the scores - before they are finalized. The judge receiving the inguiry puts in a time stamp that is video recorded.
They took away her medal - determining that they didn't put the inquiry in fast enough.
But the times stamp proves they put it in within seconds of the minute deadline, about 45 seconds or thereabouts.
IDK. I rest my case about competitive sports and medals. This stuff should just be done for the joy of it. Winning is kind pointless and a flaw in our evolution.
Here's the Article on it.
or...
What's Going on with Jordan Chiles and her Bronze Medal (Keep in mind she already has a gold and silver, she's hardly deprived.)
3. Meanwhile ...
MTA Employee Suspended After Moonlighting as a College Professor for Years While on the Clock
“For years, this employee had free rein to teach college classes during her workday without permission due to an alarming lack of supervision,” explained Cort, as reported by NewsDay. “All of the employees involved breached the public trust, and I commend the MTA for holding them accountable.”
Amid the investigation, the employee served a 30-day suspension beginning on June 25. The probe found that she had worked at a local college since Spring 2020. However, she did not have the approval from management to do so.
The employee finessed out of her shifts by not swiping out of the timekeeping system during her lunch breaks. Not only did she use work hours to teach her courses, but she also used her MTA-issued laptop to fulfill her professor duties.
Moreover, investigators confirmed reports by the whistleblower that the MTA employee received overtime pay while on vacation. However, the employee’s role did not grant remote work. Despite this, her supervisors allowed her to telework due to a lack of personnel able to complete her duties in person.
Upon the investigators’ findings, two of her supervisors, the Deputy Chief Officers of Technology and Information, respectively, were also fired in April for not noticing the breach in work responsibilities. Her other supervisor, who oversees timekeeping and payroll, received a written warning. "
4. New Commute due to... G Train Shutdown
"NEW YORK -- Heads up for New York City subway riders, the G train shutdown enters its third and final phase Monday.
That means trains will not be running between the Bedford-Nostrand Avenue and Church Avenue stops in Brooklyn.
Riders can take B93 shuttle buses instead between the Bedford-Nostrand and Jay Street Metro Tech stations.
The MTA has started phase 3 of the signal modernization project on the G line. Work began at 4 a.m. Monday and will continue until Tuesday, Sept. 3.
MTA officials say the signal system dates back to the 1930s. It's being upgraded to Communications Based Train Control, or CBTC, to deliver faster and more reliable service for the 160,000 riders who take it every day.
With phases one and two complete, phase three begins with curved track replacement between Bergen and Hoyt streets, where trains make sharp turns and cause more wear and tear on the wheels."
Eh, forget that. I just walked to the Q. It took about 10-15 minutes, depending on traffic. I have to cross two major intersections, on is an 8 lane intersection (Ocean Parkway) with two stoplights. The other is a six lane intersection with one stop light. Plus six cross streets. It's basically ten to fifteen blocks. While the G is just five to six blocks, no intersections and three to four minor cross streets. And the Q has narrow sidewalks to it, while the G has broad ones. Plus more people walking from the Q. And the station is smaller, with a narrower platform and narrow stairs.
Good news? One train, not two train lines. Faster service. And only about ten to fifteen minutes as opposed to twenty-twenty five minutes. But no views, and in the old orange and yellow bucket seat trains (less seating), and harder to get off and on it. Also the platform at Atlantic Avenue - it's very narrow with more obstacles along it. Yet, on the bright side? It is inside Atlantic Avenue Terminal, and I just have to go up the steps - and voila, I'm on the platform to the Commuter Train. So it's about two to three minute walk between the Commuter Train and the Subway?
Yet, even though the Q shaves about fifteen minutes off my commute? I'd rather take the G. Why? Safer. I can write or read on it with ease. Less crowded. More comfortable ride. And I prefer the walk for the most part.
I know I don't make much sense. Wales honestly thought I'd prefer the Q.
Off to bed.
The actor being interviewed, Bryan Craig, tells this story about being involved with a narcissist. He fell hard for this woman prior to the pandemic, so hard he moved with her to Mexico. And there were signs that he gotten himself into a bit of a mess. She did little things here and there that gave him pause, but he hand-waved it. Until he accidentally clicked on a file on her computer and discovered she was setting up sexual appointments with older men. And he discovered that not only was she a highly paid escort, but with the Mexican Cartel. It goes on from there.
Made me realize how truly fucked up our culture and world truly is, and how toxic it is. There's so many people struggling with mental illness to varying degrees.
He also talks about how he can't sleep more than four hours a night, is always exhausted, and wakes up about fifteen times each night. And has tried everything.
And how at one point, he'd had a head injury - and was unable to move his head at all or put it against a pillow. So he went without sleep for about three or four months - and it does things to you. He started to hallucinate. And thought he was losing his mind.
I'm learning how important sleep truly is. And getting enough of it. We need a period of deep sleep (for the body to repair things without the brain getting in the way with other requests). REM or Dreams (helps with memory and learning and figuring things out). Core (helps with cognitive ability and gives the brain a bit of rest - to figure things out.
Without sleep...our bodies deteriorate, there's memory loss, and it impairs our mental health.
My watch tells me that I get at least 6 -7 hours now. And I listen to co-workers, many of which get far less. They make it to bed around 11-12 pm and get to work around 6-7am, meaning they get up around 4 or 5. This is not healthy.
2. Wales was upset that Jordan Chiles got the bronze on the floor exercise instead of the Romanian who she felt was better. And is now happy that the medal got taken away from her.
I informed Wales that this is a far more complicated controversy than she realizes, and far from over.
Wales: It's not fair, Chiles got it. The Romanian was so much better.
Me: Except it's not about that. It has nothing to do with that. (Nor should it - that's subjective and she's no expert.)
This is kind of crazy. What happened? Chiles did an in the air split that hadn't been counted towards her total score. It's a matter of small points or the difference between 13.66 vs. 13.63.
Her coaches put in an inquiry.
The judges reviewed and agreed, and she got the gold, since the Romanian was 13.65. I mean it was THAT close on the Bronze. The Romanian's heel was determined out of bounds, and she got deductions on that - which her coaches didn't try to put an inquiry in regards to. You're only really allowed to put an inquiry in for degree of difficulty. And you have to do it within a minute of receiving the scores - before they are finalized. The judge receiving the inguiry puts in a time stamp that is video recorded.
They took away her medal - determining that they didn't put the inquiry in fast enough.
But the times stamp proves they put it in within seconds of the minute deadline, about 45 seconds or thereabouts.
IDK. I rest my case about competitive sports and medals. This stuff should just be done for the joy of it. Winning is kind pointless and a flaw in our evolution.
Here's the Article on it.
or...
What's Going on with Jordan Chiles and her Bronze Medal (Keep in mind she already has a gold and silver, she's hardly deprived.)
3. Meanwhile ...
MTA Employee Suspended After Moonlighting as a College Professor for Years While on the Clock
“For years, this employee had free rein to teach college classes during her workday without permission due to an alarming lack of supervision,” explained Cort, as reported by NewsDay. “All of the employees involved breached the public trust, and I commend the MTA for holding them accountable.”
Amid the investigation, the employee served a 30-day suspension beginning on June 25. The probe found that she had worked at a local college since Spring 2020. However, she did not have the approval from management to do so.
The employee finessed out of her shifts by not swiping out of the timekeeping system during her lunch breaks. Not only did she use work hours to teach her courses, but she also used her MTA-issued laptop to fulfill her professor duties.
Moreover, investigators confirmed reports by the whistleblower that the MTA employee received overtime pay while on vacation. However, the employee’s role did not grant remote work. Despite this, her supervisors allowed her to telework due to a lack of personnel able to complete her duties in person.
Upon the investigators’ findings, two of her supervisors, the Deputy Chief Officers of Technology and Information, respectively, were also fired in April for not noticing the breach in work responsibilities. Her other supervisor, who oversees timekeeping and payroll, received a written warning. "
4. New Commute due to... G Train Shutdown
"NEW YORK -- Heads up for New York City subway riders, the G train shutdown enters its third and final phase Monday.
That means trains will not be running between the Bedford-Nostrand Avenue and Church Avenue stops in Brooklyn.
Riders can take B93 shuttle buses instead between the Bedford-Nostrand and Jay Street Metro Tech stations.
The MTA has started phase 3 of the signal modernization project on the G line. Work began at 4 a.m. Monday and will continue until Tuesday, Sept. 3.
MTA officials say the signal system dates back to the 1930s. It's being upgraded to Communications Based Train Control, or CBTC, to deliver faster and more reliable service for the 160,000 riders who take it every day.
With phases one and two complete, phase three begins with curved track replacement between Bergen and Hoyt streets, where trains make sharp turns and cause more wear and tear on the wheels."
Eh, forget that. I just walked to the Q. It took about 10-15 minutes, depending on traffic. I have to cross two major intersections, on is an 8 lane intersection (Ocean Parkway) with two stoplights. The other is a six lane intersection with one stop light. Plus six cross streets. It's basically ten to fifteen blocks. While the G is just five to six blocks, no intersections and three to four minor cross streets. And the Q has narrow sidewalks to it, while the G has broad ones. Plus more people walking from the Q. And the station is smaller, with a narrower platform and narrow stairs.
Good news? One train, not two train lines. Faster service. And only about ten to fifteen minutes as opposed to twenty-twenty five minutes. But no views, and in the old orange and yellow bucket seat trains (less seating), and harder to get off and on it. Also the platform at Atlantic Avenue - it's very narrow with more obstacles along it. Yet, on the bright side? It is inside Atlantic Avenue Terminal, and I just have to go up the steps - and voila, I'm on the platform to the Commuter Train. So it's about two to three minute walk between the Commuter Train and the Subway?
Yet, even though the Q shaves about fifteen minutes off my commute? I'd rather take the G. Why? Safer. I can write or read on it with ease. Less crowded. More comfortable ride. And I prefer the walk for the most part.
I know I don't make much sense. Wales honestly thought I'd prefer the Q.
Off to bed.