Some things

The new year started with my plan to boycott all news because it made me so ill. Politics, fires, dismantling of the government by unelected and unqualified unknowns, climate change effects in real time, and the return to the highest office in the land of an orange man who claims to be the king.

Much as I try to steer clear of the news in service to maintaining my mental health, the volume of unconstitutional declarations has become unavoidable. One of the things I keep thinking about is that Trump doesn’t have to worry about the next election. Either he’ll figure out a sick way to pervert our democracy into his desired autocracy or the constitution will hold in the face of our greatest threat since the Civil War nearly 200 years ago.

Presidential approval ratings are dropping but will Trump choose power or popularity? Currently, he’s running amok with revenge and aggressive power, drunk as he guzzles it in like Diet Coke. Consequences be damned. As his favorability numbers sink and unfavorability floats like a balloon, will he be able to stand the criticism and abandonment? The emperor has no clothes. Will anyone dare stand up to him and tell the truth or will naked power swing its dick, randomly ejaculating seeds across the world? Will some seeds take root and others die away?

One issue that brings a smile to my face is Musk. Hear me out. Although I abhor his thinking, actions, and personality, he seems to have Trump by the balls in a way I’m not sure the orange blowhard has ever known. The image of the president in the Oval Office at the Resolute desk on its own is nauseating; add Elon standing beside him hijacking the presser while Trump tries to ignore Musk’s little booger wiper until Musk wears his child like a hat and it feels likely to induce projectile vomiting. If I must live through four terrifying years, watching Trump kowtowing to Musk provides enjoying bits of schadenfreude along the way. And Musk clearly paid for it.

A very different topic entertaining my brain lately is whether or not people understand the phrase “work ethic.” To start, perhaps the word “ethic” is not clear to them.

Miriam Webster –

• ethics plural in form but singular or plural in construction : the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation
• a consciousness of moral importance

Regardless of a corporation’s politics, there is a positive personal consequence to performing at a high level, showing up on time, and only calling out when actually ill and sick enough to inhibit fulfilling work duties. Choosing to develop strong character traits gives one a sense of purpose and, hopefully, accomplishment. When seeking to move to a new position or section, or even a new company, the background of a strong work ethic puts an applicant ahead of others.

Even if starting one’s own small business, confidence in one’s self and abilities establishes a positive foundation. Maintaining strong standards for one’s self keeps business on track.

The work from home vs return to office debate is addressed by corporations as needing people to come in to offices so as to ensure employees aren’t shirking their responsibilities. On the other hand, many remote workers urge management to look at results. Is productivity consistent and reliable? Are individual performances evaluated or is it a blanket policy? Those effectively participating from a home office feel they should be rewarded for their strong work ethic.

Does the cost of maintaining office space justify the need to see faces? Where Musk declares everyone must return to physical settings at X and across the government, it’s worth studying the cost analysis instead of basing it on the feeling that workers are trying to rip off their employees wholesale. Yes, there are bad apples, but those folks won’t perform well in office either typically. They’re the ones who hang out at the watercooler or copy machine to catch and spread rumors, sit in their cubicle texting on phones, and fudge start/end times as well as “appointments.”

I’ll end with being horrified by Musk taking on a top position in the current administration without background check or senate confirmation, not to mention all his underlings scuttling around agencies making uneducated cuts. When he attended Trump’s first cabinet meeting, I felt sick – again. This flippant disregard for our constitutional guarantees causes my head to nearly explode. I literally felt like pulling my hair out one inglorious day.

I haven’t missed many presidential addresses to the Congress at the beginning of each calendar year, but I’m not sure I can tune in to the shitshow tonight while simultaneously protecting my mental health. Are you going to watch?