Showing posts with label Young. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Young. Show all posts

August 13, 2024

Starting Them Off Young

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)


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March 24, 2021

Dress To Express

What a cool cartoon dress!

I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone where something like this before. 

But I'd like to!

It seems colorful, bold, and exciting. 

The awesome cartoon makes it youthful and alive.

We need to be more expressive, unique, and alive.

There is only one life to live, and it passes too quickly. ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)


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April 24, 2016

To Little Jonah

So swimming in the pool, I meet little 7-year old Jonah. 

He sort of made himself known to me when he decided he wanted to race me on the swim board.

I was going just a little faster--and I reminded him that I had a key competitive advantage, fins. 

He said, "Darn I should have brought mine!'

He asked how old I was, and I said a little older than you. 

Not satisfied, he pressed the question, saying "I can tell you are an adult."

So I had to cave and admit that, and pointing to my heart, added that "I am young at heart."

Jonah's in 1st grade, and wanted to know what grade I was in. 

His guess was 4th grade, and I said "That's about right."

Jonah is from New Orleans visiting his grandmother for Passover. 

She was watching him in the pool and smiling with grandmotherly nachas, ear-to-ear.

I told Jonah to make sure to treat his grandmother nicely. 

But Jonah at this point had jumped into my swim lane and was in mock superhero fighting mode, and said "I want to punch you."

I thought to myself, hmm it's not only my wife that feels that way (LOL).

Anyway, it was clear that I had made a new friend with Jonah, who was off bobbing up and down in the water well over his head. 

Bye Jonah--have a good time visiting for Passover. 

(Source Photo: Dannielle Blumenthal)
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October 26, 2014

Between The Youngest And Oldest

My wife took this photo today.

We went to the Pastry Oven for some lunchtime chow. 

Three generations of Blumenthals--thank you G-d!

This is of me between my youngest and oldest in the family.

And of course, I am mid-life crisis! ;-)

(Source Photo: Dannielle Blumenthal)
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June 11, 2014

Govgeddon Is Not An Option

Interesting article in the Wall Street Journal about how the Federal government is falling to attract young people. 

"Employees under the age of 30 hit an eight-year low of 7% in 2013...[while back in 1975, more than 20% of the federal workforce was under 30."

Conversely, 45% of the federal workforce is older than 50.

Moreover by September 2016, a quarter of the all federal employees will be eligible to retire--that's the retirement wave we've been hearing about for years, but never seems to really come (because of the economy). 

Without "a pipeline of young talent, the government risks falling behind in an increasingly digital world."

It's not the older people can't learn the technology, but rather they aren't digital natives as those born in the later part of the 20th century.

To see just a glimpse of the digital divide, you need to go no further than when many of these folks snicker at us for even just sending emails--something so uncouth to the younger crowd.

With years of salary freezes, no awards, benefit cuts especially for new hires, and shutdowns, the federal government which used to be "an employee of choice," is "now an employee of last resort."

Further, "the reputation for bureaucracy and hierarchy is driving away many workers." People want to be productive and get things done, not spin their wheels. 

Yet, the government offers so many exciting jobs performing critical missions in everything from national security, diplomacy, law enforcement, and so much more, it is ironic that we cannot attract young people, who are often the most idealist. 

Diversity in the federal workforce means that people under 30 are not a rarity!

Everyone--no matter what age, sex, race, religion, and so on--provides an important contribution, so that the sum of the parts is greater than whole. 

We need people to clearly feel the honor in public service, to see the importance of the missions performed, and to be treated like valued workers and not political pawns in partisan showdowns and Washington shutdowns. 

Let's actively recruit with an attractive smorgasbord of enhanced salary and benefits, especially in critical fields like cyber security, information technology, biotechnology, aerospace engineering, and more.

It's time for the federal government to become attractive for young (and older) workers again, and not apologetic for providing important jobs in service of the nation. 

The federal government needs to compete for the best and brightest and not resign itself to second-tier, ever. 

Our young people are an important pipeline for fresh ideas and cutting-edge skills, and we need them to prevent a govgeddon where we can't perform or compete with the skills and diversity of workforce that we must have. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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May 3, 2014

Oh To Be Young Again

Me as a young adult. 

My kids came across this photo in some of the old albums. 

Yeah, we still have the paper kind with real pictures behind the clear plastic.  

Anyway, I think they couldn't believe firstly that pictures don't (or didn't) all get stored on the hard drive or in the cloud, and second that this was their dad many moons ago. ;-)

(Source Photo: Who the hell remembers!)
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August 25, 2013

PLS DNT STP


I first saw an advertisement for this music group near George Washington University. 

I was taken by their name: PLS DNT STP (i.e. Please Don't Stop).

Pretty smart!

I checked out one of their music videos online and asked my wife to listen as well. 

As it started, she goes, this is the type of thing that can give people with epilepsy a seizure.

Yes, she was joking, I think. 

But then she said she liked it and to post it to her Facebook, which I dutifully did. 

The music is a little young, but even we can appreciate the high energy and cool factor. 

I wrote on my wife's Facebook wall, "You're Bad!" ;-)
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