JUST FOR FUN: OFFICE IN A CAN

 As I sit at my home desk darkly ruminating over and methodically deleting the myriad of useless emails I receive in a day, I got to thinking about all the folks who cannot get up and walk-away from their 7th online meeting of the day whenever they get bored. Although even I know the trick of covering my camera and doing a few quick stretches or making a necessary "john" run from the several Zoomies in which I have been involved. I think the other attendees know however, but as long as one doesn't "flush" too loudly no one says anything. 

In my first couple of Zoom-by-yas, I forgot the Grandfather clock sings out every 15 minutes and bongs out the time on the hour. I curse that clock, that often runs a minute or two slow, as it sounds at the very crux of a show I am watching. I stupidly yell at the clock as if it's going to stop half-way through nine bongs to accomodate my ire. I always, illogically turn up the volume as the clock is sounding but still have to go back (thank goodness for DVR) to replay the part I missed. Then I realize the volume is too high and have to turn it down. The whole scenerio of course plays out an hour later.

Anyway I was thinking about all those empty offices and what may or may not be happening to those items we left behind in the mad rush to evacuate. Office plants lying in brown smoking piles from lack of water; coffee machines growing cobwebs or possibly gossamer pools of penicillin happily glowing in the depths of forgotten left-over liquid (or is that only possible in bread); copier machines jamming helpessly on their own as the ink slowly dehydrates to the point of death; staplers and scissors, once vibrant contributors, now in despair over lack of human contact. 

On the flip side quite possibly the mice have finally taken the opportunity to set up cheese Import/Export businesses they've been wanting undisturbed by squeamish people. Though I suppose the auditors would notice the phone activity. No doubt any left-over food (candy, crackers, pot) has most certainly been demolished by the afore-mentioned rodents. I also would not want to be the first one to open the refrigerator in the break room, if and when, these offices are ever occupied again. In truth any office area occupied by more than one person results in a lottery of who can hold out the longest in cleaning up the "shared" spaces. I can't imagine cleaning was high on the list of "must dos" when the mass exodus occurred. 

Life is and will continue to be different. Wearing "real clothes" to the office will be a shock to the system and within days workers will be longing for the freedom of working from home....right, well some will. As usual we will forget the unpleasantness and awkwardness as we fire up the economic machine. Or perhaps employers will get a clue about traditional work spaces and realize a blend of work environments may be exactly the tonic to preserve efficiency, productivity and surprisingly, morale. Nine+ months at home should have taught us something.

THANKSGIVING FOR THE MEMORIES

 Apropos of nothing..."What do ya' need? A gilded invitation from a sparkly unicorn?" Idle thought as I was waiting for someone to realize the light was green at what has to be shortest traffic light in the kingdom.  Anyway....

Holidays have a way of crystallizing moments. Time flies or creeps slowly depending on your point of view (old vs young). Each day is slow, but the years go by in a flash. Things I never thought I would forget pass silently into one of those little folds in the brain to come up at inopportune moments but they never stay in the forefront for long. Too much gets piled on top.  However holidays seem to punctuate the years like slivers of light creeping under a closed door in a darkened hallway.

Thanksgiving when we were children reminds me of my Father's Mother, Grandma Hackley. Never a great cook but there was variety. She was known for her paper thin pie crusts as she reasoned no one wants to eat the crust anyway. Might as well have fruit in a bowl. She had a lot of ideas that my Mom really didn't agree with but so be it. 

As young marrieds, we alternated between families but usually at my Mother's house. My older sister would usually do the cooking so Mom could be free to visit or, more likely, engage in the cutthroat eucre games we would get into. I loved it when Mom was on my team playing games. She was smart, funny and absolutely ruthless. We had a marathon session once playing Monopoly. Between Mother and myself we had cornered the rich side of the Board and destroyed all the other players except one. My brother had barely skated through the pricey rental district when he got a card that sent him back 3 spaces. Drop the Mic and put a fork in it! No mercy.

After my daughter entered the picture, we tended to travel North to the other side of the family. They started making the Florida sojourn earlier and earlier so it just became easier to hold Christmas at Thanksgiving. For awhile as the only local grandchild, she basically cleaned up as both the center of attention and gifting.

 I used to pray for good weather on Thanksgiving week as 250 miles north creates a whole new weather pattern to anticipate. The OH never had any qualms about the drive though I was quietly white-knuckling it in the passenger seat. One Christmas we decided to go at 2 in the morning in a blinding snowstorm. To assure you were on the road one looked for the little reflective lights that mark each mile. Considering all the driving I did for work around the State (even did a February trip to Marquette in the UP) I never did get over the apprehension that total mayhem was nastily lurking just over the next hill. 

Things changed again when Kristen started dating her "now" husband. She of course wanted to introduce him to the family dynamic (get it over all at once I say). As Burt (Other Half) always wanted us to dress nicely (you can never be overdressed), Matt purchased a sport coat for the dinner. At that point restaurants were the cook of choice. Although Grandpa and Grandma always dressed in Sunday best we clashed or contrasted nicely with the sweat shirt motif preferred by some of the younger set. Matt charmed all with his bon vivant attitude and upbeat personality.

Things changed again with the birth of my grandson and at six months he charmed the multitudes, as a pint-sized version of his Father, at the restaurant and later at his Great-Aunt's house in his snappy plaid shirt as long as Dad and Mom are right there. As the first great-grandchild he of course commandeered massive attention and gifting. As he is charming and unselfish he is more inclined to share his good fortune with others.

Now in the Age of Pandemic, the scene shifts again. Our Moms and Dads are long gone and Burt has  taken over the role of Chief Cook (I am the chief bottle washer as I hate to cook). But this year due to circumstances beyond our control it is just the two of us. Though the messaging that is going back and forth with the locked up family members makes it feel like we're all together anyway, but much quieter  

Thankful for what we have and hoping for better times ahead.  BTW We're having ham and wine and saving the massive turkey for Christmas, fingers crossed. 

                                             

WHAT ME WORRY? (YES!)

 A nod to my youthful obsession with MAD Magazine in the title. Warning in advance for the vehemence displayed in the following which is strictly the opinion of yours truly. Just realized it's November 22; fifty seven years since John Kennedy's assassination...

I hesitate to address the mayhem, chaos and lunacy being perpetrated by the "soon to be" ex-President as we are all just so tired of the constant negativity. But his obscene behavior is having and will continue to have a detrimental effect on our country, our security, our belief in free elections and democracy itself. Our founding fathers never envisioned such an egotistical monster (yes, there were other egoists in the White House) who had absolutely no regard for the country, other people or frankly, reality.

As he contemplates starting a nuclear war with Iran and fires any knowledgeable and competent member of  National Security or DOD, the threat of burning the place down as a bonfire to his ego makes life tense to say the least. One saving grace is his lack of intelligence, absolute inability to be subtle and lacking the patience to play the "long game". "Slash and Burn". He has surrounded himself with equally clueless sycophants who, though just as evil and cunning, cannot control his more infantile impulses. He publicly advertises his military strategies and acts surprised and angry when our enemies treat it as a victory of forcing us out. 

There is no excuse for those in power (through elections, oddly enough) to fail to tell the emperor he's risking a nasty sunburn with his birthday suit behavior. We knew he was a snake and they did too. Trying to keep faith with his faithless base is their excuse. However there are 80,000,000 of us who fail to see this as anything less than a personal attack on our country and the machinations of a madman.

This is typical behavior from the baby-in-chief. He wins by manipulating the system, hiring scores of lawyers to do his dirty work (obviously they were paid in advance) and leveraging one deal to pay for the next (pyramid tactics). Then when confronted he cries foul and sues.  Sleazy though apparently acceptable in business, the fact that he is inflicting this behavior on the United States of America, while his allies say nothing, is criminal. There are so many examples -- his charity charged with fraud and ordered to cease and desist (ripping off kids); his apparently bogus business school; allegedly paying family members working for the company "consulting" fees diminishing taxable profits and possibly manipulation of the tax system (2 sets of books?) to name a few. 

 One example of his tactics as a businessman is the story (allegedly) of a small piano manufacturer who provided the pianos for T's  failed casinos in Atlantic City. Upon presenting the bill, the vendor was told he could take half or go to court. On a larger scale, another widely reported story indicates that after American banks grew leery of lending he was granted a multi-million dollar loan through Deutsche Bank. When payments became due, he charged the bank with predatory lending practices. Wonder who he owes 400 million to?  Everybody.

We need to take the gloves off and hold this whole crooked Administration and its enablers accountable for their absolute dereliction of duty, honor and patriotism.  Fortunately this "would-be" dictator does not actually have the military in his pocket like all good little despots. He may have his gun-toting far right agitators but a few trained and truly patriotic troops can take care of that. "Watch 'em run".      

  I don't have enough "saliva" in my mouth to fully register my disgust for this ongoing farce.

UPDATE: Since this was published some good news. Michigan certified its elections giving its 16 electoral votes to Biden and the GSA Director granted the Biden transition team office space and funding.

STORIES FROM THE FRONT: CHAPTER 1

 

With so much emphasis on an invisible microscopic virus wrecking havoc it reminded me of instances when I had to deal with both the fear of, and disdain for, health hazards in my years as a Safety and Health professional.  In my world hazards were usually identified by my expanding education and  constant perusal of applicable safety standards. Other issues were "thrust upon me" so to speak. 

The Industrial Hygiene credo as I understood it was "everyone has a sensitivity to everything, it's just a matter of exposure and dose. As we do not know each person's level of sensitivity we strive to protect employees from ANY exposure." Tall objective I know but it does offer incentive for proper mitigation; unless you are dealing with crazy situations and perceptions. Believing "folk lore" has always been more comfortable than actually listening to science. Of course, when one operates as the employer we have the ability to levy and enforce the rules.  A little different scenerio with the general public. But I believe it is still more important to educate and convince rather than forcing compliance.

One major introduction to a health hazard came about when I had a visit from MIOSHA based on an employee complaining their work area was too dirty to enjoy their lunch (eaten outside the break room). Aahh they worked in a coal-fired power plant so obviously the magical puffy flyash landed on everything and everyone in the form of a fine black dust. Blowing one's nose after a long shift was startling and gross if one is the type to examine their  hankie after utilization. I only made that mistake once. 

DIGRESS: That's what OSHA/MIOSHA did when they had a formal complaint - they visited and investigated. However in Trump world a different dynamic became the norm with the appointment of  Eugene Scalia, son of Supreme Court Justice Scalia, as head of OSHA.When complaints came from employees that there were eight deaths from Covid in a meat packing plant, OSHA's and the President's response was to make them "essential workers". Keep the meat coming regardless of the human cost.

Although we came through our clean visit fine, the inspector noticed just before leaving some white stuff around a container. He asked what it was of course and my maintenance supervisor quickly claimed it was innocent old insulation.  Big boilers, lots of fireproofing and insulation.

 "Is it asbestos?" he asked which my supervisor vigorously denied. "How do you know" he persisted. "Oh I can tell just by looking!" my person proudly proclaimed.  RUH RO as Scoobie Doo would say. I knew that was not a great answer...Six months later we all knew where each piece of asbestos insulation was located, sported a whole bunch of spiffy tyvek suits for maintenance work and some of us (me) went to school to learn everything you wanted to know about asbestos monitoring but definitely sorry that we never asked. 

As there were three power plants under my responsibility I got to see a lot of guys in their underwear as I had to affix monitoring devices to them and check results as they stripped down for their breaks. Just one of the guys. Of course the first thing they would do was "light up" on break so whatever measures I was attempting to keep their lungs safe from asbestos was probably a wash after they smoked a few. 

A few employees and supervision of course thought it was overkill, but someone has to halt the madness. I stopped short of showing them diseased lungs in safety training. One can only take so much fainting from the students. Not to get too technical but basically asbestosis slowly or quickly depending on one's sensitivity, causes scarring to the alevoli or air sacs. Get enough blocked air sacs and breathing becomes a function you used to do.  Mesothelioma is another wonderful by-product of asbestos exposure which causes cancer in the linings of vital organs causing an incurable situation. So get those lawsuits going early.

Asbestos is everywhere and has been since Roman times as it's a great insulator and fireproofing substance. The fact that it is also unhealthy even lethal has also been known since forever, hence the massive payouts from Johns-Manville and others. For us older students, remember those old school gymnasiums wth the fluffy ceilings? Used to be a contest to determine who could hit the ceiling with the ball? Yep the floaters were tiny little cancer makers. The darn stuff is also happily present in asphalt tile and roof shingles. Isn't science wonderful? Though air monitoring a roofing job presented some logistical problems for yours truly. Fortunately I am not particularly thrown by heights. (ok I admit bad pun)

I lived and breathed asbestos (well maybe not breathed) forever more and carried my hard-earned knowledge to my next employer which promptly set off a firestorm with my insistence on following the law. Attorneys were involved and panic ensued. I know where the bodies are buried so we will leave it at that. Though there was a memorable night when I got a 2:30 am call as maintenenace punctured a wall in City Hall and exposed "that darn white stuff". Fortunately I knew who to call at 3:00 am for mitigation. Helps to leave a former employer on good terms.

This is running long so I am calling it Chapter 1 with more stories to follow.

 I will relate one more story that reminds me of the intransigence of folks. When working for the power company a transformer blowup caused a deluge of oil to be dumped over a few private properties. Now there are little manmade substances called PCBs added to transformer oil that are resistant to heat and pressure. Not a lot in comparison to the oil, but it led to a major PR headache and replacements of siding, driveways and dirt. Though it is true PCBs can cause harm to humans that would require massive amounts of prolonged and repeated exposure. As I tried to explain this to my office mates I literally was told "we know you and would like to believe you, but we are just very worried". Like I said what "we perceive as the truth" is much harder to overcome.  

Frustrating but not surprising that people are believing "their own truth" when it comes to coronvirus regardless of the evidence all around them....

TRUTH IS NOT TRUTH

 

In perusing an article on the ongoing lawsuits being filed in defense of the prez citing voter fraud (their words not mine) it rather facetiously, I thought, suggested that lawyers are realizing they may only want to go so far in pursuing these claims. Possibly they are realizing the consequences of actually lying or providing false information before a judge could have an impact on their licenses. It is my understanding that attorneys as "officers of the court", although having a duty to represent their client, can also be charged with commiting a fraud upon the court if they knowingly present false information. Hmm so they will go so far but not further perhaps.

Reading some of the affadavits filed by poll watchers included compaints such as "they were wearing BLM shirts"; "they looked at or talked mean to me"; "I saw a bunch of military ballots marked for Biden and I thought they were supposed to be conservative";"they wouldn't let me look over their shoulder and breathe on them"; "they were huddled plotting mayhem", etc.  I, perhaps, embellished the last two, but in the age of pandemic the six foot rule had to be enforced. In other words no one saw people changing ballots, counting illegal ballots or creating ghost ballots. but they could have, they cried in their statements. Unwritten but clear they would rather say and "they were black". Oddly enough the President fared better in inner cities than in 2016. It was the suburbs that sunk him as they loathe him.

Meanwhile, back at the farm (Wash. D.C.) the cyber unit of Homeland Security announced in a Senate hearing that they have no evidence that votes were compromised or altered in last week's presidential election. Further, they stated that it was the most secure election in American history. Oh darn.  

The whole situation reminded me of an episode of my own in court representing my employer. Many employee safety officers are also responsible for workers' compensation administration. I had the pleasure at one employer of covering both disciplines, which literally meant I had no time for preventative safety as WC takes up 90% of the time. As a Personnel Director for another company I had both safety and workers comp employees so at least I could direct the activities rather than be a daily active participant. However at a certain point I had to be involved, such as negotiating contracts or working with the attorneys for court appearances. 

DIGRESS:  In my experience only, let me be clear, the attorneys told me they could handle any legal issue thrown at them - any speciality. Wrong. Consequently every time I was assigned a new attorney I had the distinct honor of training them in the nuances of Work Comp court. Not overtly mind you, the "I can do anything syndrome". Things like how they set all the hearings at 9 am so you can sit in little rooms and negotiate settlements or how the AJ (Judge) acts as the employee advocate and how if you would get off your high horse and play golf with other attorneys negotiations would go much better.  The first attorney I worked with basically opened a checkbook and asked how much. That kind of "behind the eight balled" us right away. I had the same attitude about unemployment scams. To be honest I did not dispute 95% of the claims for either one. But when it was wrong I went to the wall!

Anyway one of the "scam" workers' comp claims finally had a shot at being resolved in our favor. However we had to appear in Circuit Court in Kalamazoo before the Judge. We prepped all the way over so I was ready as the "Star" witness negotiating for the employer.  At one point the Judge called me up to his desk and said point blank "Do you have the authority to accept this settlement?" Now I knew I could make this all go away with the right answer.  So without hesitation I proudly said "Hell no!"  Well I actually said "no, our Honor". So we were dismissed. Then it got humorous.

On the way back the attorney was saying. Thank goodness. I was behind you freaking out and thinking "Please Don't Lie, Please Don't Lie, Please Don't Lie". Like I was going to do that and we had a good laugh. Makes you wonder what world these people live in.....

                                                          

A BRAND NEW DAY?

 

The best representation for me of the announcement Saturday, November 7, 2020, was a meme that depicted three African American females. The caption reads "Rosa sat so Ruby could walk and Kamala could run".

 It of course, references the courage of Rosa Parks who in 1955, after a long day refused to give up her seat to a white man in the "Colored section" of the bus as the white section was full. She is called the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement. Ruby Bridges was that little girl, escorted by federal marshalls, who become the first African American child to desegretate a Louisville school in 1960 and remains an activist for civil rights.  230 years after becoming a country, and 100 years after granting the vote to African American men and women, in 2020 Kamala Harris was named Vice-President elect of the United States. 

It should be commonplace and routine by now that any gender or color can ascend to the highest offices in the nation on an equal playing field and yet it took until 2020. Well this is not Horatio Alger world and the racism and sexism that has prevailed for so long has been answered with a resounding click of Kamala's 3-inch heels. Of course it's only a start and I am the first to say one has to perform and deliver. This is not a "token" assignment. This was hard-fought, hard won and we expect results, as this is only a beginning, I hope, of equal rights for all.

However the reverberations of the disappointed losers are continuing to resonate. The cries of "cheating and fraud" are disingenuous to say the least. In their fear that Freedom might actually ring after all, the Repubs hi-jacked the Post Office to slow delivery (that may end up in jail time for the Trump appointee); only allowed one ballot box per county in Texas; disenfranchised folks in Florida who had paid their debt to society; brought multiple lawsuits to stop absentee ballots; threatened both voters and poll workers; and closed so many polling places throughout the South (since the Supremes struck down the Fair Voting Act) it forced folks to wait in line for hours to vote. But they were committed to having their voices heard. Finally for this massive scheme to work the 100's and 1000's of Secretarys of State, poll workers, vote counters, observers (of both parties) would all have to "be in on the scam". Amazing logistics to pull that one off.  

2020 has not been particularly genteel and there have been a lot of issues to protest. But at least when it comes to protesting the results of an election, in 2016 protesters sported pink pussy hats not pistols and long guns while whining "it's not fair boo hoo" in a cowardly attempt to intimidate. Don't tread on me indeed.

VOTE FOR THE FUTURE

Nov 3, 2020 - a day that will live in  infamy. (sorry FDR, seemed appropriate).  Many of us have been waiting for this day for, I'm guessing, four long years. A chance to remove this monstrosity, this blight on our hearts and souls. He is not the entire reason for the country losing its collective mind four years ago; he is merely the result of the continuing upsurge and panic of white conservatism that feared it had lost its grip on the thoat of this country. To pretend that some Americans are not racist or sexist or hate-filled of anything or anyone different is living in "Din-ney Land". 

The Repubs have been working on this premise for a long time. One can say it goes back to Newt Gingrich's insistence of party over country and never cooperating or compromising with the other side. But it goes back further. When a terrorist shot Abraham Lincoln the rebellious southern states were welcomed back, but were never held accountable or required to deal with the slavery issue. Or further when the constitution only considered a person of color 3/5s of a man and women were not even mentioned. The founding fathers who believed only those with property and standing should be able to vote and that education was a privilege of the well-connected and powerful.  When police forces were created from the ever-popular "slave catcher" forces that existed before the war resulting in a mentality that exists even unto today. If it's not white, it's not human.

The good-meaning people of the country, the majority, have systematically had their voice, their opinions stripped away under the guise of nationalism, law and order, abortion rights, socialism, etc. Programs like the Affordable Health Act, Social Security, Medicare, Consumer Protection Agency, EPA, Wage and Hour and OSHA are condemned as liberal (read socialist) acts that, by golly, benefit the majority of Americans and are supported by our taxes (beneficial return on our money). However many either believe the lies or they are powerless to protect these beneficial programs due to the control exerted by those in control. Government is not created to make a profit (why do we think businessmen make a good politician). They exist to take care of the many in ways an individual cannot.

 The Repubs have successfully managed a long-term game of securing strategic legislative seats to control gerrymandering which allows them an electoral victory against the popular will and vote of the people. (Repubs have not won the popular vote since 1988) Stacking and influencing the Supreme Court destroyed and eliminated the Voting Rights Act leading immediately and directly to no federal oversight of the process. This in turn assured the minority right to vote was destroyed in the South. Ever wonder why poorer (read black) districts have to wait hours or travel miles to vote? Because the Repubs shut down the polling stations in their districts regardless of the number of eligible voters preserving what? Again that insane fear of people of color and any educated, well-traveled or sophisticated person having an influence.

 What is especially diabolical is the use of "religion" to keep the masses down. That old chestnut has proven successful throughout the ages by the ancient civilizations and their "gods", by the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Reformation and war after war. Meanwhile those in power were and are merrily commiting every sin of which they accuse others. Suppressing education and allowing literacy to a chosen few kept their "truth" protected. (Truth is not truth) A tactic successfully deployed during the slave times as well. Of course I will admit the Internet is rather dumbing down the masses as we become a bit lazy in tracking down the truth.

I have faith that the majority of us do "love our neighbor" and perhaps we will prove it this week. Do I think the Democrats have all the answers or can achieve long-term positive change with one election. Of course not. But we have to start somewhere to create decency and cooperation where someone can state an opposing viewpoint without holding a gun in their hand and enduring the mindless vitriol  of grammar school attacks. I was disappointed on my 65th birthday when I cast my vote for the first woman seeking the office of President. Hopefully "We the People" can start taking back our power and it can start today. I pray that it will. 

Blue and pearls for RBG!