A new fire has broken out here in the LA area. This one is up by Castaic lake. My business warehouse is now in an evacuation warning zone. We just told the folks working there to get the heck out.

Oh geez ND. I’m so sorry. Fingers back in crossed position.

Yay for benignity!

the pin prick shotgun holes in the picture window

Is there a good story to go with that?

I expect it involves beer and dumbassery in roughly equal quantities, but sadly it was before my time.

We’re at the gate ready to board!

We all had what is apparently a really intense (online) active shooter training dropped on us without warning today.

Like, maybe a little heads up so we can prepare our teams? I gave everyone a bit of a warning that it might be a lot and shared some crisis hotline numbers for this or any other purposes. But not before one of my team members alerted me that she was left shaky and had to take a break after watching it.

Yay for getting clear of this place for a while!

Woo-hoo, almost boarding time!

Oh, man, brenda, that's rough.

{{{ND}}} I hope it's under control soon and everyone's ok

Woo boarding!

Safe and fun travels, Hec and Matilda!!!

We just got this email from the new acting director of OPM:

Dear OPM Employees,

We are taking steps to close all agency DEIA offices and end all DEIA-related contracts in accordance with President Trump’s executive orders titled Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing and Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions.

These programs divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars, and resulted in shameful discrimination.

We are aware of efforts by some in government to disguise these programs by using coded or imprecise language. If you are aware of a change in any contract description or personnel position description since November 5, 2024, to obscure the connection between the contract and DEIA or similar ideologies, please report all facts and circumstances to DEIAtruth@opm.gov within 10 days.

There will be no adverse consequences for timely reporting this information. However, failure to report this information within 10 days may result in adverse consequences.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. Chuck Ezell Acting Director U.S. Office of Personnel Management

flea, fingers crossed that you DH's meeting was nbd.

Even the last time, I didn't feel this personally attacked. Like, people LIKE our agency! We do good work! And yet we now have someone in charge who wants me, personally, to go away, and all my team too. Doesn't care if hazardous waste contaminates the Bay or the salmon fishery is destroyed. Doesn't care if historic houses fall into ruin, or children are exposed to lead paint. Some of them actively want me to be miserable and upset so that I will quit.

It's really unsettling, and yet leadership expects us to just... keep doing the job. It's hard. I don't think the uniformed personnel get it, they're not under threat the same way (except for the trans members, anyway).

lisah, I continue to be surprised that I can be surprised.

That anyone is willing to distribute notices with such unprofessional and partisan language, within the agency. I'd forgotten what it was like.

Funny thing: I was coming up on my three-year cycle to retake the agency Civil Rights training. I wonder if it will be cancelled. Probably, because the folks who give it will be suspended.

Christ, these people are assholes.