Shadow of the End

A relative is near the end in the maternal line. I may opt out of that funeral as matters I left behind are there.
There comes a time a man walks and keeps going. The person is not my mother but a relative on her side. I will have to shelve a longstanding issue and remain silent.

I walked out on that group twenty years ago and kept going. Years later whatever was owed to me was offered. I told the relatives to keep it and never foul my presence with contact.

I likely will no show. I have kept my daughter away from this family and they are unaware of my life as Officer and father of the Sprite.

It is better to be your own man than to be a vassal.

The New Office is dreadful

I spent six years in the suite known as the sky palace. For the most part it was a great run except when a dingbat who likes to party non stop moved in. She brought a bad element into the area and I asked her to tone it down. When she refused out came the music to erase her noise. My music bothered her and unilaterally I gave the CD player to the girlfriend and the dingbat kept talking and talking.

The pit is a dreadful place with a lousy view. I am in an area of low class imbeciles. The view stinks and you need a cab ride to get to the bathroom or fridge.

A six year run in the sky palace is a long time.

I do not expect to stay very long as the team will be reforming in six months and where I sit will be altered again. Window not in this lifetime but the sky palace was more important than a window anyway.

Not a fan of the Pomeranian

I do love the Maltese and he follows me everywhere. He even follows me about the house and into the yard as I change into my shoes.

The Pomeranian views the space under the bed as his turf. Away from that area I typically ignore him and play with the Maltese. I had one confrontation and there will be no round three. As soon as I reach for a hockey stick the Pomeranian clears out fast. I am not letting him near my feet again..

Can't Explain this One

Theoretically, I am mortified by public speaking and can't do it. Oddly, apparently I do it very well and am considered a natural. I would only do this at a funeral for a peer or other emergency. This particular phobia can be tricked by lack of sleep. In this case a phobia requires excess energy to panic. Mild fatigue mutes this problem and I perform naturally.

I went to the funeral for my coworker. I did not expect to address the crowd. However, the bosses told me it would be better for a person who knew the departed well to make the agency statement. Oddly, the adult children loved hearing about how funny their father was. He laughed with you, but never at you.

Apparently, the top managers have noted that I am very at ease with crowds and can perform quite well. I can expect this to be added to my duties.

The last yard

Those of you who know me in private correspondence know I am terrified of public speaking. I will do it at a fallen officers ceremony. I left a copy of the speech with the flag for the family. I was caught off guard when a family member asked years ago. I was not aware that the family might ask and the previous time the speech was written in pen by hand. Had I been aware the family would want the speech I would have provided a clean type written version.

RIP my brother officer.

Stupid Protest Stupid Pot Head Mayor

If you don't want to get killed by the police there is a very simple method of prevention. Do what the police order you to do and do not resist arrest. Even if you are fleeing on a murder rap you will likely be back at home in after a short stint in jail. Even if you are guilty you will be treated better than Republicans in Lois Lerner's IRS.

Mayor Pothead disrupted all transportation to North Staten Island my commute home took almost four hours. This is what happens when NYC elects a pothead.

Has anyone asked the Mayor when is the last time he smoked a joint. How about the same drug tests administered to the Police as a prerequisite for elected office.

RIP To a Great Officer

I want to wish my sincerest wishes to the family of my fallen peer and frequent teacher. There were those who shouted from the rooftops they were geniuses and stars while my fallen colleague and other fixed their gross errors. Those who should about their own abilities are usually the most incompetent. My fallen peer was a top notch officer who could do anything.

In his last years his skills had eroded and sometimes he wasn't stable enough to do in person work, One would hope that the agency would work with a fallen star as it fades but that is not my agency.

The atmosphere of fear and retaliation for breaking the chain of command sometimes has dire effects. I know this first hand and there have been serious life threatening implications. There was one episode where issues with heat at the office reduced my behavior into a loop. I purchased the same item eight times without realizing it. My blood pressure was at dangerous levels and the nurse ordered me to remove my tie and rest.
I refused the order out of fear of being suspended or written up. The nurse had to call my boss and tell him
to loosen the tie and stop working. I also had the direction of my fan changed from the public to my direction.

I was fortunate to work with him while he was at his peak. He was always a friend and an inspiration even as his ailments diminished his skills.  He was always more concerned about others. We had a peer who had to retire early due to a severe condition. He would always ask if I saw her and was concerned about her health even as his own went South.

One can not say enough about the man behind the badge.............

Evidence what is that NON PC Rant

Riots really have zero to do with the alleged events that cause them. They are desperate acts by people with nothing left to lose. Riots are the criminal acts of unemployed desperate people. This wasn't about evidence as much as frustration with the Obama economy.

Repeating Nazi Crap

There is a clown who should stick to producing music and leave politics to those with a brain. A certain Pink Floyd clown has made a claim since his father died in WW2 he can't be anti semitic. Last we checked only Nazis advanced the cllaim that WW2 was a "Jewish War". Last we checked  the war between Nazi Germany and the UK  was a declared war.

Sorry , your fathers death does not provide cover for decades of baboonery.

Of course sticking with music never occurs to ego maniacs like Waters.

Here we go again with boorish far left arrogance

The far left likes to promote publicity nuts that confirm their stupidity. Classic examples of this are the Jersey Girls who claim ownership of 9-11. While we respect the sacrifice of their loved ones they weren't even there on 9-11. They don't speak for me and I had a front row seat. I don't claim to speak for anyone other than myself.

Our latest example is an outraged righteous gentile who has returned his medal for saving Jews from the Holocaust. While this man was once heroic, he fails to grasp that not all Nazis run around with Swastikas and idiotic salutes. It is quite obvious what Hamas has in store for Jews and one need not look any further than the videos of what this type do to non Muslims in Syria and Iraq. The medal recipient is all worked up about Israel as "Jewish State". Obviously he hasn't bothered to read demographics of every Arab State all with some type of theological law.

His niece married into a Gazan family. The family has suffered casualties. Has this person asked why these tragedies occurred. Hamas hides weapons and militants among civilians. Has this person asked about the child slave labor used to build the tunnels. Why weren't civilians using the tunnels as bomb shelters.

While we salute your act of courage seventy years ago it is obvious that you can not recognize genocidal lunatics when you see them. How many Judenfrei ethnically cleansed states are enough.

This is more moral rot from Europeans who think they are moral beacons, but are seriously deluded.  

Rioting and Justice

There are plenty of wrongs ordinary citizens suffer each and every day. The answer to these wrongs is not to trash your locale and loot businesses. 

The riots have little to do with any specific act. They are caused by long term unemployment and criminal culture. Working people do not riot. The Obama administration has done everything in its power to exacerbate the unemployment problem. 

Of course when one gets a job it is usually part time with varying shifts courtesy of Obamacare. 

If there is desperation and hopelessness in the inner city it is caused by the clueless Obama administration not police brutality. 

RIP Robin Williams

RIP Robin Williams and thanks for all of the laughs. One could read, in between the lines in the comedy,  a deeply troubled soul. Substance abuse and mental health issues do strike at those who would appear successful. Maybe one day we will treat substance abuse more decisively.

Thor's Hammer

I think of the lessons I inadvertently teach to my child and wonder if any of my message gets through. Much like a blacksmith forging a tool these lessons good and bad come from my example. How much these examples mean I don't know.

I took the time to spend with a lost old lady. I tried to explain the importance of kindness to the elderly and just spending some time with the lonely and the lost. Maybe it means nothing maybe my example sinks in. Maybe my appearance like the cavalry has meaning.

There comes a time where the lessons end and I contemplate. Did I set a good example for my daughter?
I could have done this or that better.

If my world ended tomorrow it is my days as dad that are my happiest thoughts.

A long life

I used to want to live a long life but to live when all of your  friends and peers are gone is no bargain. As my parents circle grows narrower each year I recall my grandmothers last years. Slowly the friends stopped calling as they were gone and the world narrowed. Going earlier at least some of your friends are there to memorialize you and talk about you from another perspective.

I think about my own life and how little my daughter knows because it only comes up in passing. She just found out what my middle initial stands for. My daughter will remember shared moments that will be priceless. Yet in many ways she knows little about me other than fleeting references to my summers in the mountain with Rusty the wonder dog who adored children and my time in VT. Her favorite story was when a crowd in Vermont talked me into wrestling at Franklin County Field days. I think the misadventures  of my friend Saul the ethically challenged pothead are up there. How I changed a thoroughly despicable friend into an icon of comedy is unknown. Yet the substance is largely true.

I still want my bones to rest in Guyana among my beloved adopted people in the forest.

Being a father and grandfather has been the best part of a full life. However, to see the world shrink is a pain worse than going and being just a foot note. I wonder if these words will read 200 years from now and viewed as the progression or retrogression in an ordinary life. In many ways this blog is a diary. How it is read is up to the reader.

I love my daughter, but will she even call me when I am doting along in plaid shorts about days past. I love the Maltese, but will likely outlive him. His heart is truly a wonder. I retreated to a strange part of the house to get some sleep. I woke up and he was cuddled next to me. He is the best friend a man ever had and I am lucky to have him in my life. I wanted a more functional dog and didn't play with him as a puppy. One day he was all over me playing and we are inseparable. Even his buddy Prince used to fight to spend time with me.

The new Pomeranian hates me and I don't put up with much. He growls and I ignore him until I am annoyed
then I assert my dominance by walking where I want. Usually the girlfriend gets involved and rescues him
and puts him in the corner. He has tried the cute bit but I walk away. I am not fooled by this act and spend my time with the Maltese.

An overdue post about a former pal who passed away

About a year and a half ago a blog friend passed away. Jams was a leftist, but the rare type who understood
that sometimes lefties go way overboard. He was not favorably disposed to Chavez and saw the obsession
with Israel and Jews as at times over the top.

This post is not about Jams the political person. This post is about the human face behind the words and things all of us go through. The subject does not have to be a decent lovable chap like Jams it could be anyone.

Jams found himself out of work through austerity. He was laid off from a government job through no fault of his own. He was middle age and it is very hard to find work at that age or reinvent yourself. I know the feeling because I had to do it in my 30's at or nearing 50 must be frightening. I recognized the depression and the inward doubts as only one who has been there could.

I want to direct this at younger readers. Being out of work is the most frightening humiliation known to us. The older you are when it happens the more frightening. When times are tough this is why seniority rules stink but are necessary.

Jams was a wonderful man who loved his cats and the not wife. His love of life, history and art show in his every word. Sometimes we would disagree sharply, but it was the respect of his humanity and basic decency that was at the center of our friendship. If he could send a message today it would likely be a humble reminder his modesty.

Please don't forget those around you that have fallen on hard times. Spend an afternoon with someone and bring the meal with you. Spend a few moments with that senior who lives in a changed area with no family or human contact. It might be a little bit of time but to those who are lost or depressed it could be a ray of warmth on a cold day.

I miss Jams, but his words are there for those to see.

RIP Jams ODonnel

Recovery what recovery

Things are pretty bleak at the girlfriends house. In spite of the tough times I pitched in and bought them a luxury item or two. I know how rough the economy is and a  good batch of shrimp goes a long way in that style of cooking as it is almost all rice and curry. I took my CD Player from the office and now there is music in the house.

Small things like buying food that is allegedly for me but I know I will never see make the day go by.

My dying city

One of the things one doesn't get until they are 40 is noticing how the world changes around them. Places that were part of your life for years vanish. Things from the past are gone and forgotten. I miss the big Hotel of the Catskills era, local stores and family friends that pass on.

I fell asleep so tired that I didn't make it to bed. I woke up next to the little Maltese. The girlfriend locked him in the large cage because friends were over. I said it was not needed and the dog would follow me. I went to sleep and he did follow me.

NYC needs new direction and De Blassio only has united everyone in saying he stinks.

Good Natured Jokes about crime

While working some files I came across a suspected gang member. What is this the gang has a better employment record than we do. They have a female CEO and multiple key members old enough to get social security. If they weren't criminal you might want to work there.

I asked the subject matter expert. What is with all of these people over 60. Doesn't this ruin the famous TV detective line when you join a gang there are two ways out jail or a bullet. Crime is bad enough but messing
with  our actuarial tables is unforgivable.

The subject matter expert says look at the degrees. Wow this guy is more educated than the lawyer who represents him. He probably does administration.

Actually the Jerry Jones jokes are not good nurtured.

Now you know how the head coach kept his job.
Not everything in Texas is big
Jerry Jones scores more than his team.
The things people will do for a parking pass are amazing.

A Shop Vac

Every home owner should own a shop vac. I arrived home somewhat upset because my pet looks like he is nearing the end. 35 years is not a bad run for a pet. I arrived home to find the basement flooded. Apparently the boiler broke and I closed the valve and shut it down. I didn't make much progress mopping so I purchased a shop vac. Once or twice a year the tree outside blocks the drain and it is a chore. I powered up the shop vac and eliminated the water fast three huge buckets worth.

Obama weakening Jewish support of Democrats

While Jewish people including myself are socially liberal the hostility towards Israel, Jews and boneheaded economic policies become a tad much. Obama and the Democratic Party cater to the University, Media elite and do not grasp the damage being done. There is just so much damage control  Schumer can perform daily as Clueless Obama  and Gomer Kerry draw legitimate concerns.

On the local level even tired deranged lefties like De Blassio grasp that there are limits to Jewish support.

The Protocols of Poultry

We have a rather inane Jooo obsessed Duck. He seems to be more invested in Israel than I am. For the record I am a Jew. Yes, I went to a Yeshiva and have an often clueless younger brother who is an Orthodox Pulpit Rabbi. I am non practicing and have Guyanese Hindu and Christian family.

I support the State of Israel but have never visited, nor intend to. My interests are elsewhere like the untamed Jungles of Guyana or the forest of Northern Maine. My closest relatives are second cousins who probably have never heard of me. They call my parents a few times a year. 

Unlike the rest of my siblings I never accepted a trip from my parents. I preferred to work in the Mountains in long forgotten Hotels. This was a lucky turn of events. Every time I go for a security clearance the subject of Israel and my religious practices comes up. I explain my religious views are private and ask why I am being questioned about a country I never set foot in.

The Duck is intent upon talking about Gaza. It is fairly simple and straight forward. A group of genocidal religious fanatics intent on massacring Jews provoked a response. Rather than let its civilians die in assorted attacks it protected its civilians. These tunnels were strictly military in use and their construction was aided and abetted by criminal left types. How many cries did the left make about building supplies. Funny Hamas found enough to build scores of tunnels.

Hamas loves to create photo ops with its dead civilians. It places munitions and key personnel in areas designed to keep the body count high. The tunnel network could have been used by civilians as bomb shelters. Hamas kept the civilians away from the shelter.

Egypt and Saudi Arabia are not fans of Hamas. In fact Hamas only seems to have Turkey and Qatar and the deranged far left including Obama as supporters. 

The truth is the residents of Gaza are Egyptian and the area needs to be annexed. Whatever Egypt does to 

pacify the area is justified. No doubt there will be a huge body count but the residents of Gaza will have Muslim rule. 

 

Palestine and Leftist Boorishness

I want to point out that in my personal life I seldom talk about Israel. The topic usually comes up when a poorly mannered lefty insists on discussing it. We have workers who have immigrated from other lands, but my family emigrated from various points in Europe. 

In my personal life I am more apt to speak with pride about my Guyanese family and events. This usually upsets those on the left who say "you are not Guyanese". The conversation with my fellow Jews is more quaint. The Eastern European contingent was upset because I identified myself as Guyanese on the basis of familial ties. Guyanese themselves view my fondness with a smile and enjoy the comedic aspects of the persona. When I joke about Guyana the jokes are sometimes more about the USA than Guyana. Guyanese ask each other what village are you from. My response was the one with the Village People and the YMCA. My boss who is gay laughed so hard he dropped his soda. The Guyanese person who asked me also laughed. I can converse in the local accent and often do so naturally. Another joke was someone asked me about the political parties. I described the PPP and the PNC and went on to describe a party of the youth called OPP. OPP even has its own party song, everyone was laughing. The jokes are not really making fun of Guyana as much as popular culture.

When I talk to my coworkers it is seldom about politics. There is a coworker from Naples and we were discussing whole grain Pasta vs more commonly seen varieties. I discussed Haitian produce with another. Apparently, she can discern a Haitian mango from other types. Even my coworker who returned from Iraq was subjected to some humor about the civil war starting when he left. There is a basic civility in the office and I would not lecture people about their own country.

Lefties are not bound by manners and will launch into tirades. I still think it is wrong for people to bring up this subject. The reason they are doing so is because I am Jewish. Mostly the points are classic far left talking points. I really don't appreciate my patriotism being questioned, because of my support for Israel. I certainly never heard such idiocy said to a Greek or Pole.

Yes I am a Jew and I support Israel. I really could care less what lefties think. Sometimes, I am uncertain that there is though behind the slogans. 

I want to reiterate that at work I do not discuss politics. This is because lefties will twist anything I say into something approaching a scandal. The closest we get to political talk at work is debating laws we deal with

and whining about prices. 

I find it amazing that attorneys who represent the groups lefties talk about know my temperament better than lefties. We had an issue with a burka at work. I was okay doing the interview but a supervisor had issues. 

After the issues were solved I offered to reassign the case to a female or Muslim officer. The attorney said they prefer to remain with me because of my respect for the traditions. It was my typical interview with a couple of jokes tossed out and new ones tossed in. At the time I had a Pakul on my coat tree. I joked it made my head flat. 

It is okay to laugh together at common experiences. Singling out coworkers for political lectures is not okay.