Do I have a deep passion for my job? 👨‍💼 💰

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No, but my primary focus is on consistently delivering high-quality results for my clients. I don’t work for ideological reasons, for the sake of a higher calling, or out of patriotism. Instead, my commitment lies in fulfilling my role to the best of my abilities within my position.

In the early stages of my career, I used to give an honest, albeit self-centered, response when assessing whether a project was something I wanted to undertake or if a particular position would benefit my personal career goals. At that time, I was more preoccupied with my own interests and less attentive to the needs of my team and the company I represent. Politics used to feel intimately tied to my work, making it a place for personal opinions. However, as I’ve matured, I’ve come to a profound realization: my personal opinion holds little sway and doesn’t significantly impact outcomes. What truly matters is wholeheartedly supporting my team and the success of my business.

I’ve learned to keep my personal life choices, such as my voting preferences, separate from my professional endeavors. My clients depend on the delivery of top-notch services, and when they succeed and their interests advance, it’s a victory for both of us. This satisfaction arises not only from knowing that I consistently produce quality work but also from recognizing that I’m advancing my own career by acquiring new professional skills, expanding my resume, gaining valuable experience, and ultimately securing higher pay and better job titles.

I’ve wholeheartedly embraced a “can-do” attitude towards my work. Regardless of my clients’ diverse opinions, my mission is clear: to effectively convey their message and serve their interests, irrespective of their ideological beliefs.

Work boils down to its fundamental purpose—earning a living—where success is mutually beneficial: when my clients win, so do I.

Wayne County, Apple Country

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A nice day driving through Apple Country in rural Wayne County on my way up to Chimney Bluffs State Park outside of Wolcott, NY.

Interstate 86 and 390 Interchange

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This is a somewhat unusual interchange due to the constraints of the land, and because very little traffic goes from Interstate 86 East to Interstate 390 North, so the loop ramp despite being tight is only lightly used. A false color image.

Why weren’t mental health resources offered to September 11th hijackers?

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I was listening to the BBC News last night and they were discussing the pandemic and it’s impact on suicides across the globe. The conclusion that the depressive nature of pandemic actually caused a reduction of suicides globally, because depressed people lack the energy to kill themselves. And they had then offered the standard boilerplate language about how help is available for anybody with thoughts of self-injury.

However, after the September 11th attacks, I can’t remember a single news report suggesting that mental health services are available, before hijacking an airplane, blowing up a building or killing people. I also can’t think of a crime story, be a murder or shooting, where they suggest to anyone thinking of engaging in murder or terrorism think again — that there are alternatives and that there are people out there willing to listen.

Why don’t they suggest that murders and terrorists step back and think about their actions before committing crime? It is is denialism upon the news media that we are no different from the terrorists, murders and criminals? Is it a belief that suicidal people are like ourselves while criminals are different? I think it would be good if news media would remind perspective terrorists and murders that there is alternative for their lives — to step back from the ledge and look forward to how they could improve their own lives and  the world too.

Tuesday, Tuesday, Pots Boiling Down on the Stove 🍲

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I was thinking this was going to be the start of the cool weather so I soaked 15 bean soup and dried peas last night, and kneaded whole wheat dough. But it’s not going to cool down to tomorrow. I’ll guess I’ll take Blackie to work today, it looks like a fairly nice day though maybe not real sunny.

Good morning! Happy Tuesday. Mostly cloudy and 65 degrees in Delmar, NY. ☁ Calm wind. The dew point is 63 degrees. Still a bit sticky out. The skies will clear around 1 pm. Rain tomorrow and low humidity and sun from Thursday through the weekend.

Out walking for this morning 🏃 a little bit after 6:20 PM when it was starting to get light out. I started cooking at around 4:50 AM after I woke up and ran to the bathroom. 🚽 I figured I was up, and it would be a good time to start the bread rising in the oven and get the pot with the 15 bean – pea soup boiling down, and also a pot full of brown rice and lentils going. I was expecting tonight to be cold, but regardless, it will be good. The soup is good to eat cold too, plus I’ll freeze a lot and have it throughout the week. I made two loaves of whole-heat bread baguette style, as it cooks faster and better for dipping into soup. 🍲 One loaf is in the fridge, I had some of it for breakfast, the rest is for dinner. 🥖

Today will be mostly cloudy with more sun later ⛅ 👉 ☀ , with a high of 80 degrees at 3pm. Four degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical day around August 31st. Maximum dew point of 66 at 1pm. Calm wind. A year ago, we had cloudy skies in the morning with more sun in the afternoon. It was sticky. The high last year was 80 degrees. The record high of 94 was set in 1947. Should be a nice day, especially by afternoon.

Going to ride Blackie 🚵‍♀️ into work today, and it should be a good ride back. After the lubrication soaked in and some further adjustment using the fine adjustment on the handlebars, I have the shifting back to 90% where it should be, especially in the higher gears and low crawl gears I use more, riding well most of the time. I rode it to the doctor’s appointment yesterday and then down to the supermarket in the evening. ⚙

I can’t believe I spent $75 at the store yesterday, 😱 and that’s after a $3 coupon. But then again I bought a big package of salmon fillets, chia seed, Smoky Chipotle bouillon to add to the rice and lentils, pastry brush and some other more pricey ingredients that should last a few weeks.🛒 And the hell of it is I still need to get eggs, more whole wheat flour, carrots or celery and a few other things I forgot — plus a pizza crust cutter, blue jeans and maybe a food processor 👖 when I go Walmart later this week to get food for the weekend and other supplies.

Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:53 pm with sun having an altitude of 51.6° from the due south horizon (-19.2° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 4.8 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 6:36 pm with the sun in the west (270°). 📸 The sunset is in the west (277°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 7:13 pm after setting for 2 minutes and 55 seconds with dusk around 7:39 pm, which is one minute and 46 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 8:15 pm. At sunset, look for partly cloudy skies 🌃 and temperatures around 73 degrees. The dew point will be 65 degrees. There will be a calm wind. Tomorrow will have 12 hours and 39 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 51 seconds over today.

Yesterday, I left work early to get checked out by the doctor 👩‍⚕️ because I was concerned about my need to go the bathroom a lot, especially in the morning 🚽 after drinking a lot of coffee and eating lots of fresh fruit. ☕ 🍊 Mom thought I might have a bladder infection, I was concerned more with something even more serious like bladder cancer or a prostate issue. Doctor ran the number tests, drew blood 💉 but doesn’t wasn’t super concerned based on the urine sample. I’ll get the bloodwork back on Friday or maybe early next week 🩸 but it seems like after discussing my symptoms it’s more an issue that I’m dehydrating myself in the evening by not drinking enough water with dinner — used to drink a ton of milk 🥛 but cut back due to calories — and then come morning I’m making up for it with coffee which isn’t good, because coffee can dehydrate you, rather then hydrate you while irritating the bladder. She said no more then one cup of coffee most mornings, stay away from citrus and really spicy foods for breakfast, especially if I’m planning a long road trip. Having to take a pee once an hour, especially after a lot of coffee isn’t abnormal. 🚽 Your bladder fills up. All my other numbers are quite healthy, I’ve lost five pounds of the summer 🤰 but my blood pressure was up slightly but still healthy, probably as I’ve been using a bit more salt with my meals but also because I rode my bike to the doctor through rush hour traffic. 🚲 Maybe it was a waste of $50 but it’s good to know I’m not sick and all my numbers are good.

Tonight will have a chance of showers, mainly after 5am. Mostly cloudy 🌧, with a low of 62 degrees at 3am. Eight degrees above normal. Maximum dew point of 66 at 6pm. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. In 2022, we had light drizzle in the evening, which became light rain by the early hours of the morning. It was very sticky. It got down to 58 degrees. The record low of 37 occurred back in 1964.

Cool, basically perfect late summer – autumn weekend ahead. 🍂 Saturday, partly sunny, with a high near 73. Maximum dew point of 54 at 12pm. Sunday, mostly sunny, with a high near 76. Maximum dew point of 56 at 12pm. Typical average high for the weekend is 75 degrees.

Definitely heading out of town this weekend ⛺ though maybe not too far as mom wants me to go apple 🍏 picking with dad this weekend. Maybe just close to home and then I won’t have to take off Friday. I’d rather save time for when there is more color, especially up north.

Households Less Optimistic about their Financial Situations – FEDERAL RESERVE BANK of NEW YORK

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Households Less Optimistic about their Financial Situations – FEDERAL RESERVE BANK of NEW YORK

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Center for Microeconomic Data today released the August 2023 Survey of Consumer Expectations, which shows that inflation expectations were largely stable, rising slightly at the short- and longer-term horizons, and falling slightly at the medium-term horizon. Income growth perceptions declined in August, and job loss expectations rose sharply to its highest level since April 2021. Perceptions about current credit conditions and expectations about future conditions both deteriorated. Households’ perceptions about their current financial situations and expectations for the future also deteriorated.