Update

 My interview with the Social Security Administration for disability benefits was yesterday. It was a phone interview. I thought it went well. I believe I qualify because of my health issues (eye and so on). Working in an office will be a problem especially because I will need time off for appointments. I await their decision. As I write this post I am enjoying a cup of green tea. I can't believe my eye became this much of a problem. I am not certain why I have to deal with so many health issues. I am not complaining though. So be it.

Layoffs

 I ran across a site that tracks layoffs in the tech industry. I saw the number of jobs lost and wondered what the hell is happening in tech. I saw that some companies reduced jobs at specific locations, reduced specific categories of jobs, and so on. Automation is clearly affecting jobs. It got me thinking about salaries in the tech industry. People may be forced to accept lower salaries and benefits. I wish this could be added to my current research.

The website: https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/29/tech-layoffs-2025-list/?utm_campaign=social&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=organic

New labels

 There is a lot of information in my blogs. I not only post about papers I am working on. I blog about jobs, childhood memories, and significant activities. I added two new tags/labels recently. Use the new tags/labels to view PastJobHighlights and favorites.

https://fahmeenaodetta.blogspot.com/search/label/PastJobHighlights

https://fahmeenaodetta.blogspot.com/search/label/favorites

Please let me know what you think. As usual, I am looking for feedback on this blog.

Out

 Out again with my father.

Work on paper continues

The paper I am improving is a quantitative paper that tests a minor theory that higher compensation leads to higher work performance. I am in the process of looking into other theories on compensation and work performance. I started looking at the available research. I remember there was a lot of research in this area. To publish a paper, I will need to come up with new ideas. I would like to publish a qualitative paper that builds on the ideas in my quantitative paper - that staff that contribute significantly to some important activity in the work environment should be highly compensated so they are very motivated and perform well on the job. Compensation is important to work performance. 

I remember my paper on baseball salaries (compensation). That paper will be very useful. Sections from my baseball paper are included below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Work on paper

In my last post, I thought of working on a new paper for publishing. Many, many months ago, I was working on improving school papers so that they could be published in academic journals. I will continue this work. I selected a paper on compensation and employee performance to improve. It is a topic I am interested in and I will work on improving that paper for publishing.

I prepared the paper for a Research Methods course I completed many years ago. It was one of several papers focused on the hand hygiene area. It was the paper just before the signature assignment - an earlier paper that led up to the signature assignment. I started the process. I read the paper, pulled up information on the paper from the blog for the course (https://fmooresignatureassignment3.blogspot.com/2016/08/assignment-9-submitted.html), and so on.

I already improved the signature assignment for this Research Methods course. I am very pleased with how it turned out. It is available as a preprint in ResearchGate.

(Links in the course blog no longer work. This means the paper is no longer available for viewing)

 

Update

 I can't believe it is Sunday already. The week went by in a jiffy. I had a cup of tea. It is one of those days. I have body aches. I feel a little weird. I feel like listening to music. It will assist in my recovery. Sometimes I am bored and have the urge to work on papers. Maybe I will start again soon. It will be at a slower pace though. My eye is better but I have issues.

Admirable Professions

 Today's Wordpress writing prompt: What profession do you admire most and why?

My response:

I thought of professors right away. I admire the work professors do. I hope to be a professor one day. The motivation project I prepared for my PhD program provided examples of professors that do good work and similar positions I would like to fill.

I do admire other professions such as doctors, police officers, and people in international affairs. Doctors are in the healing business. They help people to live better lives. Police officers help people to live more law-abiding lives. They maintain order in society. Both of these professions are needed and important. 

Professions are admirable but the more I think about it, the people in the positions also have something to do with it. When the right person is in a job, the job he/she does rises to another level. For example, the person may interact better with individuals.

People should enter professions that are a good match for them.

Day Out

 Today, I was at Golden Corral again. Just like last time, I was there with my father for a father-daughter day out. Again, I enjoyed my time at the restaurant.

I wanted to enjoy the food there but didn't want to eat too much. There were a lot of food options/offerings - fish, chicken, meatloaf, vegetables, cakes, pies, ice cream, and a lot more. I selected a small fraction of the options from the buffet.

My first plate of food had chicken and a few more items. After finishing my first plate and putting it aside, I moved on to plate 2 - a plate half-filled with macaroni and cheese and 4 other small items (shown below).

I had some delicious steak from my father.

I will complete the customer experience survey on the bill. It is essentially a customer review of the restaurant.

In The News

 The economy may be taking a turn. News reports indicate that applications for unemployment benefits are higher than normal. Tough times may be ahead.

 

 

 

 

 

Health Benefits

 After my attempts to submit an online disability benefit application failed, I called the general number to set up an appointment. It is further away than I anticipated. 

I like that there are various benefits to assist people who find themselves in trouble in the US. Unemployment insurance and disability insurance are examples. People find themselves in all sorts of trouble. The benefits could be a lifeline. I do believe people prefer to be supporting themselves through gainful employment. But life happens.

I am still dealing with health issues - my eye and other issues. I have lots of appointments. I don't feel well sometimes. I hope I obtain disability benefits.

All Things Wise

I thought of this song today:

All things bright and beautiful

All creatures great and small

All things wise and wonderful

The Lord God made them all.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1MLu7ufQuV/?mibextid=oFDknk

Another Time

 I had a good time.

Update

 I had Popeyes chicken today. I enjoyed the chicken. My father brought it for me today. Maybe he knows that I am dealing with a lot and wanted me to feel better. I appreciate all he does.

My sister was here yesterday. She comes over from time to time to assist me. I appreciate their support during this time in my life. There is no doubt that family is important. I am dealing with health and other issues.

Tomorrow I will be going out to Golden Corral with my father. We go there from time to time. We sit and talk.

Fahmi Explained

 I am called "Fahmi" at home. Fahmi is short for Fahmeena. I don't use the name Fahmi at work. This happened because I always used Fahmeena at school. All my certificates and other records show Fahmeena. So that's it.

I feel better today. There has been so much sleeping recently maybe because of the heat or maybe because of the medication. All this sleeping will cause me to gain weight. I try to eat less but I still eat. I like to enjoy ice cream or other not-so-healthy foods from time to time. I had the big breakfast from McDonald's recently. Today I enjoyed a cup of tea with sugar. I need to be more active. I wish I had a treadmill. I am thinking of starting another blog to use life lessons for weight loss like I did last time. 

My glass mug broke. I don't believe it. I found my GW mug I bought over 20 years ago.

A Day Out

 I was out all day yesterday. I was at a bowling alley first. It was a nice place. There were nice comfy chairs for us to sit in while we compete at bowling. We ordered food. A friendly waitress came over to ask us what we wanted. I wanted a drink but decided on a milk shake. We had appetizers. About fifteen minutes after we entered the place we were bowling. My first stroke was shaky. The ball went left. I got better. I was ecstatic when I knocked over 6 pins. It was a good day for the others. After the bowling alley, we gathered at my sister's house for a family get-together. There was cake.

Resolved

 Plumbers came today to fix our plumbing issues. The work took a while. I had to clear a closet for them to fix an issue. I tried to stay out of the way. Major issues are now resolved. I no longer need to have big bottles of water delivered to the house. Thanks to family members for their solutions and for never letting me run out of water.

Thoughts This Morning

 I am having a cup of tea. I can hear the birds chirping outside. I can't believe it is Friday already. My birthday is coming up soon. My sister wants me to go over to her house. I believe staying in would be best. At one time, I thought of having a party. I don't think I want that anymore. It is not that I'm having the blues, there is just a lot going on. I did have a nice party in Guyana. Maybe Golden Corral is a good option. My father and I go there from time and time.

Storage

 Because of the heat, I had to change where my eye medication is stored. I placed it in the refrigerator. This reminds me of labs with medication or blood samples in the fridge.

It is hot

 It is hot here in Maryland. We are in the midst of a dangerous heat wave. I even saw a news story about it. I am trying to stay cool. I am staying in and drinking lots of water. I think this summer will be a hot one.

As Usual

 I just got dressed and ready for a doctor's appointment. As usual, I got up and did what was necessary to get my appointment on time. I am currently waiting for my father to pick me up. I am dealing with a lot these days but I try not to feel sorry for myself.

I also rode with my father to meet up with family and friends for a graduation party last Saturday. It was nice to meet with family and old friends. I had a good time. Going out is important.

Update

I was not working on revising and publishing my school papers for a while. There were papers being reviewed by journals but I stopped submitting new papers/articles. I was in Guyana doing other things. I accomplished some things in Guyana. I actually wrote a poem book for publishing! In May of 2024, I mentioned in this blog that my poem book was accepted for publishing. I expected the book to be published by the end of the year. It is taking longer than expected. A few weeks ago, I selected and signed off on a cover design for the book. Hopefully my poem book will be published by the end of this year.

While in Guyana, I heard back from two journals. However, I was unable to continue the process or complete what was requested because of resource constraints. I guess I missed out on publishing those papers.

Updates To Profiles

 I updated two of my research profiles today - my ORCID page (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7559-8068) and my Google Scholar page (https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=GPKVHLQAAAAJ). I miss working on papers for publishing. I should be back working on papers for classes at Northcentral University (now National University). I am unable to at this time.

Morning

 I'm up early taking a cup of tea. I am using a mug I've had for many years. I am taking the tea as a like it - just the tea bag with no milk. It is very quiet - good for reflecting while I take the tea. My neighborhood is generally quiet. I don't have appointments today. My eye feels better. I think the doctor will be very pleased when she sees my eye next time.

Exercise

 Just moving around the house made me tired. It could be a lack of exercise. I get breathless and feel very tired. It seems like I am headed in the wrong direction. I recall that I had issues with my lungs and legs in the past. I vividly recall lying in the hospital bed unable to slide my legs off the bed to stand. I did everything in that hospital bed - cleanup, eat, and so on. I recall I could not go to a closet to change clothes when requested to do so. I ended changing my clothes right there in the bed in front of that person. I don't want a repeat of any of this. I will get back to exercising regularly. I found the weights I used to exercise in the past.

Morning

 Good morning! I got up early this morning. I am currently enjoying tea with some small pastry bites my father brought. This is different from Guyanese pastry I grew up with but I like it. I enjoy the rich taste. I think it will be a good day. I don't have appointments today. I will be at home relaxing. My right eye feels much better.

June already

 I can't believe it is June already. The time has zipped by. During the past few weeks I was busy with appointments and dealing with my not-so-healthy eye. Sometimes I felt drowsy and just miserable. Sometimes I was just overwhelmed. I made it through the difficult times. This morning I went out for a short walk. It made me feel energized. I have several appointments coming up.

Update

I received good news at my last appointment. The doctor said my eye improved. It feels much better too. I wish I didn't have to deal with such issues.

Appointments

 I had several appointments over the last few weeks. A few days ago, I had an eye procedure that felt like surgery. I was lying under the light while the doctor added glue. The eye feels irritated. I can't wait for it to heal.

Adjusting

 I've been in the U.S. for a few weeks. I've adjusted very well. When I first got here, it was chilly for a few days and then it got warm. I had a lot of mail to go through and things to set up. I have been busy getting back to normal life in the U.S.

Travel Day

 I traveled to the United States yesterday. It was a hectic travel day. Two flights got me to where I wanted to go (from Guyana to Maryland). I left Guyana at 6am and arrived at my final destination at around 7pm. 

I actually enjoyed both flights. The flights were long but the time went by quickly. I didn't expect it, but I was served snacks on both flights. 

Driving around

 We had a good time driving around Linden today. We drove to Watooka and passed by my old primary school Watooka Day School. Oh my! A lot has changed.

Picking Cherries

 It is a bright, sunny day here in Linden. I was out picking cherries (from the tree) just like I did months ago. The trees now have cherries again. The cherries are not like the cherries back in Maryland. These cherries are a brighter red color and have a different taste. These cherries are a little more sour but still enjoyable to eat. They make really tasty and refreshing cherry drink. I like the cherry drink a lot! 

In addition to cherries, I had a lot of fruit recently - mangoes, oranges, sugarcane, guava.

Day of Relaxation

 It is a rainy day here in Linden, Guyana. It is a day of relaxation. I got up, had breakfast and now I am watching a lot of videos on YouTube. It is very entertaining! It is not what I expected but I am not going to complain. The day reminds me of those days after my surgery (years ago). Back then, I spent many days in bed watching YouTube videos for entertainment.

Milk in Tea

 Question: Milk in your tea?

I enjoyed a cup of tea just recently. There was no milk in the tea and I loved it. I believe there should be no milk in some types of teas such as green tea. You get the full natural taste of the tea.

When I was growing up I always drank tea with milk. Now I tend to skip the milk. I enjoy the tea more.

A Little Sick

 It is a quiet day. I am sitting outside enjoying the cool breeze. I will not be doing much today. I feel a little sick. I got up this morning and realized that something was not quite right. I was in pain. Hopefully I'll be better by the end of the day.

Life Lesson

 Question: What's the hardest lesson you've had to learn as an adult, and how has it shaped you?

One of the hardest things I've had to learn as an adult is that life isn't fair. I have seen many times that people don't always get what they deserve, horrible things happen to good people, and so on. It taught me that I had to fight for what I want. It also taught me I should trust in Almighty God.