This one in northeast Philadelphia. A medical plane crashed. That's two this week. (?)
Friday, January 31, 2025
Another plane crash (?)
Ew Esse Em Elle Ee
My daughter-in-law and I worked our sixth day straight today, a new record. We worked six and one-half hours. That's exclusive of breaks. Six and a half work only. I'm beat.
Ana is an elite, high-performance racing sail boat with an enormous sail. I learned studying with her months ago that the slightest breath from me sends her racing off at high speed. I don't know anything about medicine, but I know the first rule of medicine: Do no harm. I study Ana in addition to the subject and watch what I say.
I do know American test-taking. Ana had been studying by herself for months before I got involved. When I first sat down with her I studied whatever she studied. The Sketchys, the video lectures, I thought they were great and really enjoyed them.
Over the months though, I didn't think the videos were causing us to get the answers right to the actual USMLE questions, which seemed the whole point! I mentioned this to her. "No, the videos really help me." Okay, what the fuck do I know.
Over the holidays Ana got a long-distance tutor. "You learn from the questions", Dani told her. That same day I noted in my notebook, "Two videos??? When are we doing questions???" I didn't tell Ana what I had written when we got done. She called me that night and told me what Dani had said and then I told her, read her my notes verbatim.
But the videos have a hold on Ana that has persisted and they blow her off course. We watched two one day this week, and were going to watch a third when I said no. Today, after four hours, we took a Starbucks break and before we left my place Ana said she wanted to watch a video on the subject of the week, the gastrointestinal system. I was already tired. "We're not watching a video," I said. So we didn't. We did more questions and she did really well. As we got up to leave, Ana said, "Thank you for saying no to a video."
I haven't leared much medicine in these months, but I have learned when and where to increase my wind speed.
Thursday, January 30, 2025
Florida "Panthers" play-by-play caster supplements his "Score!" calls when the "Panthers" get a goal in a unique way. Have a listen.
Movie lines! Every caster tries to have a signature call. Hockey announcers don't even say "Goal!" For some reason, it's the anodyne, boring "Score!" The Moeller Appendum is brilliant, creative and captivating. It's going to land him in the Hockey Hall of Fame when he's through. 👏
Lizards 15L, 6-40
Who likes a team stuck in Middlesbrough in perpetuity? 45-37 every damn year. Who likes gray? Never black nor white? This is the worst season. 23-23.
Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Whoa, Adam!
NBA commissioner Adam Silver 'a fan' of 10-minute quarters
"As we get more involved in global basketball, the NBA is the only league that plays 48 minutes. And I would be -- I am -- a fan of four 10-minute quarters," Silver said during an afternoon appearance on "The Dan Patrick Show." "I'm not sure that many others are. Putting aside what it means for records and things like that, yeah, I think that a two-hour format for a game is more consistent with modern television habits."
I NEVER thought of that. That's a great idea. It would also lessen wear and tear on players.
God, I plumb forgot 🎡🚢 plays the Cavalry in 💥🚐
I'll be very interested to see our starters and especially Spo's rotation tonight.
My House is Being Taken Over by Females😡
Ana today: "You can plug your computer into mine and use the big screen if you want."
"Dad, you can use the bathroom if you want."
Answer is!
Cle. -7.5. Like Cavalry in battle, this Calvalry is vulnerable to sharp-shooting snipers. I expect Erik Spoelstra to wage this asymmetric hoops warfare with a re-jiggered rotation that will include K-Love for the first time in forever, with bigs like Kevin sometimes guarding Cavalrymen Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell; with extended minutes for hyperactive, annoyer 3J, and with Spo's usual mix of unusual, hybrid D's. To have any realistic chance at the dub all hands--Kevin, ScaryTerry, D-ro, Hi-Ho, of course Herr-o, and Ke'el--must hit the mark with withering fire from long-range. I expect the Cavalry to win.
Portlandia beat Male Deer last night in Starbucks
Ports have won 5 of 6. Beer had won 9 of 11 but this was their third game in four night. Deer get tired running, they do.
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
ESPN Front Page. Only because they televised it.
From Axios.
Office of Personnel Management memo
Fork in the Road
Below is the email that was sent to federal employees on January 28, 2025 presenting a deferred resignation offer. If you did not respond to that email and wish to accept the deferred resignation offer, you may do so by following these steps.
| 1) | Send an email to hr@opm.gov from your government account. Only an email from your .gov or .mil account will be accepted. |
| 2) | Type the word "Resign" into the "Subject" line of the email. Hit "Send". |
Deferred Resignation Email to Federal Employees
January 28, 2025
During the first week of his administration, President Trump
issued a number of directives concerning the federal workforce. Among
those directives, the President required that employees return to
in-person work, restored accountability for employees who have
policy-making authority, restored accountability for senior career
executives, and reformed the federal hiring process to focus on merit.
As a result of the above orders, the reform of the federal workforce
will be significant.
The reformed federal workforce will be built around four pillars:
w
| 1) | Return to Office: The substantial majority of federal employees who have been working remotely since Covid will be required to return to their physical offices five days a week. Going forward, we also expect our physical offices to undergo meaningful consolidation and divestitures, potentially resulting in physical office relocations for a number of federal workers. |
| 2) | Performance culture: The federal workforce should be comprised of the best America has to offer. We will insist on excellence at every level — our performance standards will be updated to reward and promote those that exceed expectations and address in a fair and open way those who do not meet the high standards which the taxpayers of this country have a right to demand. |
| 3) | More streamlined and flexible workforce: While a few agencies and even branches of the military are likely to see increases in the size of their workforce, the majority of federal agencies are likely to be downsized through restructurings, realignments, and reductions in force. These actions are likely to include the use of furloughs and the reclassification to at-will status for a substantial number of federal employees. |
| 4) | Enhanced standards of conduct: The federal workforce should be comprised of employees who are reliable, loyal, trustworthy, and who strive for excellence in their daily work. Employees will be subject to enhanced standards of suitability and conduct as we move forward. Employees who engage in unlawful behavior or other misconduct will be prioritized for appropriate investigation and discipline, including termination. |
Each of the pillars outlined above will be pursued in accordance
with applicable law, consistent with your agency's policies, and to the
extent permitted under relevant collective-bargaining agreements.
If
you choose to remain in your current position, we thank you for your
renewed focus on serving the American people to the best of your
abilities and look forward to working together as part of an improved
federal workforce. At this time, we cannot give you full assurance
regarding the certainty of your position or agency but should your
position be eliminated you will be treated with dignity and will be
afforded the protections in place for such positions.
If you
choose not to continue in your current role in the federal workforce, we
thank you for your service to your country and you will be provided
with a dignified, fair departure from the federal government utilizing a
deferred resignation program. This program begins effective January 28
and is available to all federal employees until February 6. If you
resign under this program, you will retain all pay and benefits
regardless of your daily workload and will be exempted from all
applicable in-person work requirements until September 30, 2025 (or
earlier if you choose to accelerate your resignation for any reason).
The details of this separation plan can be found below.
Whichever path you choose, we thank you for your service to The United States of America.
*********************************************************************
Upon review of the below deferred resignation letter, if you wish to resign:
| 1) | Select “Reply” to this email. You must reply from your government account. A reply from an account other than your .gov or .mil account will not be accepted. |
| 2) | Type the word “Resign” into the body of this reply email. Hit “Send”. |
THE LAST DAY TO ACCEPT THE DEFERRED RESIGNATION PROGRAM IS FEBRUARY 6, 2025.
Deferred
resignation is available to all full-time federal employees except for
military personnel of the armed forces, employees of the U.S. Postal
Service, those in positions related to immigration enforcement and
national security, and those in any other positions specifically
excluded by your employing agency.
*********************************************************************
| DEFERRED RESIGNATION LETTER January 28, 2025 |
| Please accept this letter as my formal resignation from employment with my employing agency, effective September 30, 2025. I understand that I have the right to accelerate, but not extend, my resignation date if I wish to take advantage of the deferred resignation program. I also understand that if I am (or become) eligible for early or normal retirement before my resignation date, that I retain the right to elect early or normal retirement (once eligible) at any point prior to my resignation date. |
| Given my impending resignation, I understand I will be exempt from any “Return to Office” requirements pursuant to recent directives and that I will maintain my current compensation and retain all existing benefits (including but not limited to retirement accruals) until my final resignation date. |
| I am certain of my decision to resign and my choice to resign is fully voluntary. I understand my employing agency will likely make adjustments in response to my resignation including moving, eliminating, consolidating, reassigning my position and tasks, reducing my official duties, and/or placing me on paid administrative leave until my resignation date. |
| I am committed to ensuring a smooth transition during my remaining time at my employing agency. Accordingly, I will assist my employing agency with completing reasonable and customary tasks and processes to facilitate my departure. |
| I understand that my acceptance of this offer will be sent to the Office of Personnel Management (“OPM”) which will then share it with my agency employer. I hereby consent to OPM receiving, reviewing, and forwarding my acceptance. |
| Upon submission of your resignation, you will receive a confirmation email acknowledging receipt of your email. Any replies to this email shall be for the exclusive use of accepting the deferred resignation letter. Any other replies to this email will not be reviewed, forwarded, or retained other than as required by applicable federal records laws. |
| Once your resignation is validly sent and received, the human resources department of your employing agency will contact you to complete additional documentation, if any. |
| OPM is authorized to send this email under Executive Order 9830 and 5 U.S.C. §§ 301, 1103, 1104, 2951, 3301, 6504, 8347, and 8461. OPM intends to use your response to assist in federal workforce reorganization efforts in conjunction with employing agencies. See 88 Fed. Reg. 56058; 80 Fed. Reg. 72455 (listing routine uses). Response to this email is voluntary. Although you must respond to take advantage of the deferred resignation offer, there is no penalty for nonresponse. |
Windhorst: Heat 'Baited' Jimmy Butler and
Have 'Been Setting Traps' for Suspension
It seems that way to me, but then there is this polar opposite take from Stephen Noh of the Sporting News:
Jimmy Butler is losing the PR battle but
winning the war against Heat president Pat
Riley in trade saga
No, I don't know Stephen Noh. I do know Windy, and his take aligns with mine.
Trump offers all federal workers a buyout with 7
months’ pay in effort to shrink size of
government
A memo from the Office of Personnel Management, the government’s human resources agency, also said it would begin subjecting all federal employees to “enhanced standards of suitability and conduct” and ominously warned of future downsizing. The email sent to employees said those who leave their posts voluntarily will receive about seven months of salary, but they have to chose to do so by Feb 6.
...the repercussions of so many government workers being invited to leave their jobs were difficult to calculate.
The federal government employs more than 3 million people, which makes it roughly the nation’s 15th largest workforce. The average tenure for a federal employee is nearly 12 years, according to an analysis by the Pew Research Center of data from OPM.
Even a fraction of the workforce accepting buyouts could send shockwaves through the economy and trigger widespread disruptions throughout society as a whole, triggering wide-ranging — and as yet unknowable — implications for the delivery, timeliness and effectiveness of federal services across the nation.
Untold numbers of front-line health workers in the Veterans Affairs Department, officials who process loans for homebuyers or small businesses, and contractors who help procure the next generation of military weaponry could all head for the exits at once. It could also mean losing experienced food inspectors and scientists who test the water supply — while disrupting everything from air travel and consumer product protections.
...
In its emailed memo detailing its plan, OPM lists four directives that it says Trump is mandating for the federal workforce going forward — including that most workers return to their offices full-time.
“The substantial majority of federal employees who have been working remotely since Covid will be required to return to their physical offices five days a week."
The memo also says Trump “will insist on excellence at every level. ...“The majority of federal agencies are likely to be downsized.”
Finally, it says, the ”federal workforce should be comprised of employees who are reliable, loyal, trustworthy, and who strive for excellence in their daily work.”
“Employees will be subject to enhanced standards of suitability and conduct as we move forward,” the memo reads. “Employees who engage in unlawful behavior or other misconduct will be prioritized for appropriate investigation and discipline, including termination.”
The emailed message includes a “deferred resignation letter” for federal employees wishing to participate in the buyout program.
“If you resign under this program, you will retain all pay and benefits regardless of your daily workload and will be exempted from all applicable in-person work requirements until September 30,” it says.
The email even includes instructions on how to accept, stating: “If you wish to resign: Select ‘Reply’ to this email. You must reply from your government account.” It adds: “Type the word ‘Resign’ into the body of this email and hit ‘send.’”
...
...the Trump administration...swiftly moving to gut the federal workforce and leave employees with little recourse to protest firings or reassignments.
My beautiful, beloved daughter-in-law wearing sunglasses that her husband bought for her, as we left the library today.
Texted my son when I sent him the photo:
"She looks like a friggin movie star"
I have never seen the Miami sky look so Rocky Mountain cobalt blue as it was today. Here, when we arrived at the library:
Here when we left:
Monday, January 27, 2025
Stalinist-Trumpist Purge
Trump Justice Department fires officials who investigated Trump
CNN —
More than a dozen officials who worked on the criminal investigations into Donald Trump have been fired, according to sources familiar with the matter.
A letter from acting Attorney General James McHenry to the officials said they cannot be “trusted” to “faithfully” implement Trump’s agenda.
“You played a significant role in prosecuting President Trump. The proper functioning of government critically depends on the trust superior officials place in their subordinates,” McHenry wrote. “Given your significant role in prosecuting the President, I do not believe that the leadership of the Department can trust you to assist in implementing the President’s agenda faithfully.”
Break-ups as ugly or uglier than "Heat"-Jimmy: Philly-Ben Simmons
Only one I can think of off the top.
The key language to watch in the Miami Heat press release re: Butler
Failure to render services or;
Conduct detrimental to the team
Miami HEAT statement on Jimmy Butler
The Miami HEAT are suspending Jimmy Butler without pay effective immediately for an indefinite period to last no fewer than five games. (1/2)
(2/2) The suspension is due to a continued pattern of disregard of team rules, engaging in conduct detrimental to the team and intentionally withholding services. This includes walking out of practice earlier today.
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