Rant #3,794: Minding My P's and Q's

I simply cannot stand up for falling down.

I have a dark cloud over me no matter what I do.

The latest instance of this came yesterday afternoon, when I was doing my work.

I was typing, and then I noticed that a couple of the keyboard keys were simply not working:

"P"

")"

";"

And I think one or two others

I rebooted the computer, took the USB wire of the keyboard out of the USB plug in the back of the computer--

But alas, those keys are dead.

I do have another keyboard, but it is a generic one.

I can use it, but Apple iMac computer keyboards, at least in the 2010s or so, were kind of unique, because they came with USB ports on each side of the keyboard--

And I use the one on the left, where I use an extender, and I am able to plug in thumb drives and most importantly, my printer.

There are only so many ports at the back of the computer, so this feature gives me a lot of flexibility.

So, convinced that the keyboard was done for, I looked around for a replacement keyboard.

I called the Apple store, and they do not carry any wired keyboards anymore.

I went to Staples, and while they had wired keyboards, none came with the USB ports that I need.

So, I went on eBay, and lo and behold, I found a suitable replacement, so I ordered it--

The problem is, the unit might not be delivered for two weeks!

What am i going to do in the meantime?

I could hook up the spare keyboard, but that would mean I would have to disattach/reattach everything.

Do modern, non-wired Apple iMac keyboards have those two USB ports? I have no idea.

So, currently in panic mode, I decided to continue on with the old keyboard.

It adds another layer onto my work, because every "p" and the other symbols that don't work anymore have to be copied from other work I have done when the keyboard was fully operational.

This situation kind of makes it annoying; I can't even type my last name without copying over the "p."

What else can I do?

I will simply have to wait until the keyboard gets delivered, hopefully sooner than later.

I guess you can say that in the meantime, I will have to mind my "p's" and q's.

(Just so you know, i typed this Rant out on my phone, so no problems with the keyboard there.)

Rant #3,793: Only the Strong Survive

Another very busy week ahead of me.

My son has two evaluations to continue with, he has work, I have work--I have a meeting to attend on Thursday--my wife has work, and the Yankees go into the playoffs.

No doctors appointments, at least right now.

I almost can't catch my breath.

But things are looking up--

More about that later this week.

I managed to square away two hours on Sunday morning so I could watch the first episode of season 49 of "Survivor."

I must be a masochist or an addict, but I still watch the show, even though it has lost a lot of its spark from its heyday in the early 2000s.

Last season was actually the best season they had in many years, and while it is hard to tell if this season will continue the resurgence, I still tune in each week to find out what's happening.

It is pretty much the same old, same old with the show, a different cast, but basically the same show over and over and over and over again.

It continues to take place in Fiji, so as to maximize the ogling aspect of the show--both male and female--and Jeff Probst remains the exuberant host.

They have tried to make the challenges more interesting, made the ins and outs more interesting, expanded the show from an hour to 90 minutes, but the cast still runs the show.

Last season, the cast was among the most interesting they had in years, including an autistic woman who was one of the finalists.

Yes, there was the usual bunch of participants, but it just worked better last season than it had in years.

And the politics were downplayed, which made the show even better.

"Survivor" had been drowning in politics for several seasons, but while I am sure it did come up last season, the editing of the show didn't allow it to be shown very much.

And that is another thing--

"Survivor" remains the best edited and most beautifully shot shot show on television, through the good seasons and the bad ones.

I know there are people who participate in 'Survivor" pools, putting money on who they think will win, but I have never done this.

I just watch it for fun.

And in my mind, while it isn't what it used to be, "Survivor" remains one of television' all-tine-great successes, and there is still lots to like about it.

I know plenty of you have bailed out on the show over the years, but maybe, it might be time to revisit it.

"Outwit. Outplay. Outlast."

Sounds like how my own life has gone the past couple of years.

Rant #3,792: Only In America

Today, I have to cover a meeting for work, which kills my whole day right then and there.

With everything revolving around my son and his job(s) and everything else I have to do during the day, I feel like the vise is clamping down on me--

I just need some air, a little space to breathe.

First today, I have to go to the Social Security office with proof that my son's last day at his secondary job is next Thursday.

We have the proof that we need to ascertain that, so it should be just a matter of handing it in to them, and then they do what they have to do so my son can continue to get his disability payments into the foreseeable future.

It sounds like an easy thing to do, but in the bizarro world we live in, there is no such thing as easy.

More bizarro world stuff ...

Yesterday, my electric razor decided to take a hike after maybe three months of use, so I had to get another one.

I went into Target to get one, and I couldn't even find the section--it might have been moved--so I asked one of the few workers on the floor for help.

"It's all the way down there," she said, pointing me east in the store. "In the men's section."

I had just been there before asking her, so I went back to the same area, and found it to be positioned a bit more east than she had let on. 

I went to the section, and just about every razor was behind glass, which was certainly different than it was three months ago when I bought my now-dead razor.

There was an associate in the aisle unloading boxes, so I asked her if she could open the cabinet for me.

"I ... no ...," she said, obviously not speaking English (and explain to me why it took eight months for my son to find a job ... these stores will hire someone who does not speak a word of English, but they won't hire a special needs person).

"Can you get someone to open the cabinet," I asked her again (sorry, I did not have my Spanish dictionary handy to translate my inquiry into sonething she could understand).

She walked away, not saying anything to me in English or Spanish.

So there I was, right where I should be, but without any assistance.

I looked for someone else, but no one was on the floor.

About five minutes later, the associate came back and she had her phone out, said something in Spanish to someone who replied in Spanish, and then she said something to the effect that--

I could not understand a word that she said.

In the meantime, I found that there was a small button on the side of the cabinet for "HELP ," and I pushed it four or five times.

Whether it was that button pushing or the associate actually did something to help me is something I will never know, but within a few moments, another associate came over to me and asked me what I wanted.

I told her that I wanted to look at the razors.

She asked me what side of the cabinet I needed opened.

I told her that I didn't know, because all sorts of razors were behind both sides of the glass.

As we both crouched down as she opened one side of the cabinet and then the other to view the contents, her dreadlocks-real or extensions?--fell over me, and happily, after about a  minute or two, I found what I wanted.

I thanked her, and the other associate was still unpacking things in the aisle, and I thanked her, too--but in English, not thinking that she would not understand me.

So i then said, "Gracias"--

And got absolutely no response.

I paid for the razor and got the heck out of there.

Yes, this is the state of retail today.

My son has to struggle to find employment and they hire people who don't even speak English over him.

"Only In America ... ."

On to the Social Security office ...

Have a good weekend, and I will speak to you again on Monday. 

Rant #3,791: Here, There and Everywhere

My son has decided to leave his one-day, four-hours-week position, and he will be giving his two weeks' notice later today.

He enjoys this job, but it is a dollars-and-cents move; by dropping this job, he will fall slightly below the salary threshold, and will be able to continue to get his monthly disability payment through Social Security Disability.

He has had this job for more than five years--interrupted by the pandemic, when he was put on furlough--and the job was a good one while it lasted.

But after the company cut his days and hours by 75 percent in January, we just knew he needed something else, and he kept this job while he looked for something better.

It took eight months, but he now has something better, but the amount of hours and pay, coupled with the lesser job, put him just over the threshold, so he had to make a decision, and my wife and I think he made the right one.

We need some type of written proof that his resignation has been tendered and okayed, and then we can go back to the Social Security office with proof of him leaving this job.

Then they can do the calculations, and Voila!, they will see he is making the right amount to continue getting his monthly payments.

Sounds easy, but you just know it won't be.

Stay tuned.

Otherwise, another thing I have to do today is to go to the skin doctor to get thslat lesion fully removed from my ear, before it becomes cancerous.

The doctor sprays this freeze fluid on it, and while it is slightly painful--especially if he has to dig what remains out of my ear--the procedure doesn't last too long, and it is certainly well worth it.

In between all of this, i have a work meeting later this morning that i have to attend, followed by another, separate meeting that I have to cover on Friday, which completely kills the day.

I just want to rest, and have a free day once in a while.

That goal isn't happening anytime soon, whether I am here, there, or everywhere.

More about that another time.

Rant #3,790: Laugh (?)

I went to the Social Security office yesterday, with all my paperwork I was asked to fill out regarding my son's work history.

And yes, the counselor there reiterated to me that my son might lose his financial benefits if he works too many hours, and gets paid too much, each month.

It is truly a mess, because the government wants you to work, but the more you work, the greater the chance that you will lose your financial benefits, even if you are disabled.

Let's see whst happens in the coming weeks.

And that isn't funny.

And then, in a segueway that is very thin, Jimmy Kimmel is back working, with his "indefinite" suspension being little more than a couple of shows.

I assume he has promised to be a "good boy" for now on, toning down his rhetoric against the president and all Republicans.

We will see how long all of this lasts, because his show is not going to be broadcast on many ABC-affiliate stations--Sinclair and Nexstar--and with his contract up by the end of the year, perhaps ABC is simply going to squeeze whatever else they can from him, and then not re-sign him.

Who knows, but he evidently demonstrated no remorse over his initial dimwitted response to the Kirk murder.

His show hasn't been funny in years, but let's be honest about it: comedy does not exist today, because the basic tenets of comedy--making fun of human foibles--is not allowed or permissable anymore.

People are too sensitive, have forgotten how to laugh at themselves, and what "comedy" there is is not funny, it is vicious, negative, and often, filthy.

Being able to say what you want in a society that believes in free speech does not mean you can say whatever you want without consequences, and say what you want about it, but Kimmel learned this first hand, even though what he got was pretty much a slap on the wrist for his completely ridiculous comments.

And that isn't funny.

Nor are all of thise countries who have now proclaimed that they support a Palestinian state.

What these countries simply don't understand is:

1) By showing such support, you are granting an acknowledged terrorist organization a feather in their cap, giving a thumb's up to their activities, in particular on October 7, 2023, when they raped, pillaged, and murdered 1,200 innocent people, both Israelis and non-Israelis.

2) The Palestinians have been offered their own state several times during at least the past 100 years, and they have rejected the offer each and every time--they do not want their own state, they want the entire land, including the land that Israel sits on.

So the countries, which are showing their own anti-Semitism with their twisted actions, somehow claim the two-state solution will also benefit Israel, but how can that be when you are granting kudos to terrorists for their sub-human actions against the Jewish state?

And to liken what the Palestinians are going through with what the Jews went through prior to 1948 is, well, at the very least, bewildering.

All of these things I have described in this Rant are not funny--

And it is difficult to put a smile on your face with the world seemingly off its axis, where right is wrong, and where subhuman actions are being rewarded.

Laugh ...

Not right now. 

Rant #3,789: Honesty

Later this week, one of those lesions I had taken off by the dermatologist was found to be pre-cancerous, so I have to go there for further treatment to make sure it never cones back.

It takes just a few minutes, but it is disconcerting.

I am prone to these things, so I have to watch out for them.

At least the lesions hadn't reached the cancer stage yet.

So yes, I consider myself to be pretty lucky.

But this coming weekend is going to be a pain in the neck.

Today, after I drop my son off at work, I have to go back to the Social Security office in the next chapter getting my son's work history right with that office.

As I told you several Rants ago, I reported my son's new job to the office, and this set off an endless abyss of problems--

Namely, that the office did not have his work history for a number of years, even though I reported the changes to them.

This information was not updated due to the pandemic, our family moving from Nassau to Suffolk counties, and complete and total ineptitude.

We received a long and involved letter in the mail yesterday due to this--

And this is extremely important to get straight, because as a disabled person, it greatly impacts my son's Social Security disability benefits.

Later in the week, I have to attend an online work meeting, and then on Friday, i have an actual meeting that I have to cover, which kills my day and keeps me chained to the computer for hours.

I have so many other things to do during the week that by the weekend, I will be pooped.

These are all things that are important and must be done, and to save time, I was forced to go to Staples last night--on the first night of Rosh Hashanah--to pick up some supplies I need for work.

The thing with Social Security is particularly annoying, because i have been honest about my son's work history to them, but now, even though i was diligent, the onus is on me to prove what I told them years ago.

If I kept my mouth shut, I believe there would never be a problem here, but sometimes, based on that office's stupidity, maybe you have to just let them find their own errors and not worry about it.

And you just know that if it happened to us, it has happened to millions of others--

And you wonder why Social Security is teetering.

Honesty ...

What a concept!

Rant #3,788: Happy Holiday

The Jewish New Year period begins later today, the holiest period on the Jewish calendar.

First, at sunset, we have Rosh Hashanah, and that is followed up by Yom Kippur, the holiest period on the Jewish calendar, which comes next week.

Wasn't it very nice that those countries gave a head's up just before the most holy and sacred period on the Jewish calendar to Israel and Jews around the world that it was recognizing a Palestinian state?

I mean, they could have done it right on Rosh Hashanah ... nice of them, wasn't it?

Anti-Semites, each and every one of them.

Let's educate these morons a little bit.

Here is an edited version of Rant #2,982, September 26, 2022.

"Happy Rosh Hashanah to those who celebrate this holiday.

It is the beginning of the Jewish New Year, and it time to atone for one’s sins during the previous year.

You hope that God treats you kindly, and that he turns over the page in the book devoted to you, and that you go on to live another year.

But the High Holy Days are just that, days, so we still have to get through the entire holiday, which culminates with the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur.

That is the biggie, and one atones for his sins by fasting for an entire day, to demonstrate to God that you are worthy.

It is much tougher to get through these holidays if you attend services at your synagogue than it is to do it at home.

Synagogues are packed during the High Holy Days, with most people there only attending their local shul for services during this time of year.

I can tell you from past experience that the dovening during these holidays, and particular on Yom Kippur, is difficult while attending services, as the constant up and down of the service—when the Ark is opened, everyone stands, when it closes, everyone sits—makes it tough.

Those days are apparently over for me.

Since my son had his bar mitzvah 17 years ago, and we were not treated well by our fellow Jews when our synagogue merged with another temple, we have not joined a temple as a family, so we don’t go to services.

It does not mean that we renounced our religion—in fact, I feel that my faith is stronger than ever—but we do not attend services anymore.

We reflect on the holidays at home, and I continue to fast during Yom Kippur, at home.

Funny, being away from the synagogue all of these years has made my faith that much stronger, inwardly if not outwardly.

I am Jewish, my wife and son are, too, and we know who we are and what we are, with our without synagogue attendance being in the mix.

I have learned that you can make your own synagogue without actually being in one, and that is what I do during the High Holy Days.

Sure, some people will say it is a copout, but that is not the point; this is the way I have decided to handle my religious life, and it is my personal choice to do so.

It is better than being there while not being there, which happened when I was a kid, attending the services with my father and friends, and we spent more time outside the shul than inside of it as the services went on.

 Sure, I suffered with everyone else when I was inside the shul, but we used to spend so much time outside that it almost gave us a break to our suffering.

So I almost believe that we are on equal plain now with those days past.

And when I fast for Yom Kippur, I know why I am still doing it and will continue to do it for as long as my body will allow.

I do it for myself, for my family, and for God, and it will suffice—and yes, I do feel so much better after the fast is over, as if the time I have not eaten or had anything to drink has given me new energy to begin the new year on the right foot.

There are similarities between the Jewish New Year and the New Year we all celebrate on January 1.

Both are times for renewal, both are times to look back at the past year and try to do better during the dawning of the new year.

The similarities pretty much end at that, but the self reflection part of the two equations is really essential as we move into the respective New Years.

How can I be better this new year than I was last year?

That is a question for the ages no matter what New Year you are talking about, and it is up to the individual to come up with an answer to that weighty question.

Right now, I personally do not have an answer to that question, but none of us are perfect, and we can all improve our beings from one day to the next, from one week to the next, and from one year to the next.

Jews are contemplating this question right now, so maybe it gives us something of a leg’s up on the rest of the world.

So when you wish “Happy New Year” “L'Shana Tovah” to both your Jewish friends and your non-Jewish friends alike, it is really a direct greeting for your Jewish friends, but for your non-Jewish friends, it is really a head’s up on what they may be contemplating for the future, three months ahead of time.

Everyone have a good holiday!"

Right now, i will keep fasting, and i do it in memory of my parents, and my wife's parents too.

i do it for my son's grandparents, and yes, i also do it in memory of my own grandparents, but let's get through Rosh Hashanah first.

And let's remember Israel, and let's remember the hostages, and let's hope the new year will bring an end to the terrorists and this infernal war that they started.

That would make this new year an extra special one.