Politics

March 29, 2020 By Phillip Retuta

COVID-19 and Racism.

Currently, in New York, it’s been Day 12 since self-quarantining. My fears about the economy are definitely becoming a reality, but I want to write about another thing that’s been bothering me regarding this whole situation: racism towards Asians.

Before the unprecedented lockdown of the city that never sleeps, news coming from “a disease from Wuhan” never really fazed any New Yorker. The average person here never considered the virus coming to New York. However, when COVID-19 hit New Rochelle outside NYC, the fear and paranoia started afflicting the average ignorant asshole.

I read many articles and saw a handful videos of a New Yorker verbally assaulting, punching, and even spraying Asians — and not just Chinese — on the subways and on the streets. Even if you look Asian, you’re a potential target to dumbfucks. Even most New Yorkers avoided Flushing and Chinatown in fear of contracting the virus — despite the fact that, at the time, no Asian-American in NYC was confirmed with the virus. Ignorance and prejudice, it seems, had inflicted one of the most socially and culturally progressive cities in America.

As an Asian-American, I had an encounter with such (albeit mild) racism.

I remember walking to the subway to work from my apartment, just as news of COVID-19 had reached the US. Minding my own business, I noticed a guy — your typical hipster millennial — walking towards me. A few feet before we crossed paths, he decides to put his shirt over his mouth and nose. I took a shower and I wasn’t smoking, so what was the problem? Before he approached, I noticed him turn the corner from a busy Franklin Avenue (pedestrians all just walking to the subway), and he didn’t do that to anybody who was white or black.

I stared him down hard as we passed, his nose still shielded by his shirt, and he looked away.

I was talking to my friend Alex about this long before the lockdown, and she’s also Asian. Alex is currently pregnant, so her immune system is down and she had developed a scratchy throat. When she went to work, she was afraid to even let out a little cough on the subway for fear that people would accuse her of having COVID-19. She kept in her purse a bag of cough drops, just in case — just to avoid the ignorant stares or being confronted.

I can’t stand the ignorance of people — and it doesn’t help when our president calls it “the China virus.” I really expected so much more from my fellow New Yorkers, to be better educated and well-informed and more open-minded. Sure, not everyone in this city is the fuckface who shields his face around Asians or sprays a guy on the subway or punches an Asian woman on a busy street — but they sadly still exist here.

The state of this world and society as whole depresses the hell out of me, but when there’s pockets of hate and ignorance in a city I feel generally safe in, it makes me even more bummed out.

March 17, 2020 By Phillip Retuta

COVID-19.

Via Brett. Me Facetiming Gino while Brett picks up some medical masks from me.

Today’s the second day of working from home/self-quarantining because of the COVID-19 Virus (I hate using the general term, coronavirus; MANY viruses are coronaviruses).

With the onset of the virus affecting the US a few weeks ago, I had two initial fears: my elderly, medically-fragile parents contracting it and me spreading the virus to other people. It’s my nature to never harm a person (emotionally or physically), and I care too much about people over my own well-being. If I got COVID-19 — and sure, I might recover or even fall gravely ill with my medical history — my greatest fear is to give it to someone else, and their condition worsens to the point of hospitalization. Self-quarantining and isolation has never been a problem for me, because it’s also been my nature as an introverted artist/designer to find the greatest comfort in being by myself.

Now with New York virtually shut down, I’ve developed a third fear: economic hardship and collapse of others. I’m so fortunate to be able to work from home, maintain a salary (albeit not so much as some of my fellow designers and art directors), and health insurance, but I have friends who aren’t so lucky. Talking to some of my friends who are bartenders, baristas, restaurant workers, movie theater operators, and hairstylists — they are now left unemployed and without benefits for God knows how fucking long.

I worry about those who have small businesses, those who solely rely on tips, those who are an integral part of the service industry, the immigrant worker who has a cart or small restaurant, those who don’t have a salary — what will become of them during this time? How will they pay rent, especially in such a shitty-expensive city like New York? How will they buy groceries? How will they, God forbid, they get sick and need to go to the doctor? And let’s not forget about school kids who are now at home, whose parents are healthcare workers or live paycheck to paycheck in a job that requires them to be present. What happens to the kids who rely on a hot meal at school? Yes, public places and schools, should be closed, but what in the meantime and what of the future?

All of it is so fucking complicated and so fucked up.

What this virus has taught me is the huge social and economic disparity between the haves and the have-nots, those who can survive this financially and to those who struggle to live in this stupid city. It depresses the fuck out of me, and I want to do something about it. The day before all restaurants and cafes were closed, I tipped 200% to the acquaintances that work behind the counter. I’ve donated money to a few causes to help those who are now left without work. I definitely don’t have much and I struggle to maintain a life in New York too, but it pains me to see someone who’s in a worse situation.

We’ll get through this, physically. I’m fully aware of the precarious and dangerous situation of the immediate now, but my mindset has always been to be anxious of the future. I’m always thinking of the bigger picture, and right now the bigger picture looks very scary. People are going to be needing help once the curve of infection (and, yes, fatalities) eventually flattens, so do what you can to help your fellow human being to prepare for the future. Love one another, videochat with your family and friends and keep them sane and happy, donate to those who are struggling or will most likely going to struggle.

Oh, and wash your hands.

January 30, 2020 By Phillip Retuta

Get Him Outta Here.

I think I’ve sort of reached the part of Maslow’s Hierarchy where I know who I am and what I want — self-actualization. I know that, intrinsically, I’m the type of person who needs to continuously consume knowledge and current events; it’s my nature to be a fucking know-it-all and (idealistically) have a pseudo-intellectual conversation about politics, ethics, creativity, and philosophy with other pseudo-intellectuals. Needless to say, I’m just awkward in social situations, but I know how to write and express my thoughts through words. I also know that I worry too much — not just about myself (though that’s debatable) but about those I care about and society as a whole.

Now that I’ve explained a tiny bit of my human nature, I can confidently declare this: Trump needs to fucking go.

I watch and read the news everyday (occasionally going on Twitter and comment sections to get a small dose of hate-reads to not feel like a robot), and though I would declare myself a progressive liberal, I get this pang of existential dread each time Trump pisses off a country or ally, revokes an economical or environmental or humanitarian policy, or just plain goddamn lies for the benefit of himself.

What scares me more are those rallies of supporters who think it’s okay for a leader to act immorally in the face of the moral status quo. I’ve always lived by the golden rule and the standard to respect and to help and be a generally good person (despite the differences, and despite how shitty some may treat you). I’m not one to ever seek retribution or that I deserve this or that. To me it was never “America First,” and quite frankly I don’t see the need to “Make America Great Again” when I thought it was sufficient enough to just be “America Is And Still Is Okay” (we should tone down the unabashed patriotism after the shittiness of slavery, prejudices, American imperialism, or unrelenting capitalism). Yet after consuming the news as much as much as I do — everything from the left to the right to the moderate to the unbiased — all I see are MAGA hats: a unilaterally uninformed cult of personality feeding a narcissistic opportunist. Kid cages, “shithole” countries and cities, insulting a 16-year-old activist, the Kurds, Charlottesville, almost starting WWIII with Iran… the list never fucking ends. Knowing everything he did and does, how can people look into their hearts and still believe in Trump? We are seriously heading towards the plot line of “Idiocracy” where only the loudest and ignorant will rule the planet (as someone who works in academia, there’s a national poll that, each year, the number of Americans who think higher education is unnecessary becomes larger and larger). I feel I removed myself from that echo chamber of 2016, and standing outside that bubble, I am fearful.

I am fearful for our democracy. Watching the impeachment trials, I know that the Republican-controlled senate will acquit Trump. I’ve known it from the beginning (hey, maybe I’ll be proven wrong after this is posted). As I said, I’m too much of a worrier, but I’m also a realist. What’s sad is that despite all the facts, we have leaders who put their own interests and politics first before our laws, our democracy, our moral high ground. I have no faith in our elected officials.

Sure, there is an election coming in November. However, I feel that the average American is apathetic to our country’s current state and doesn’t really pay attention to the news. Hell — of everybody in my life, and as left-leaning as they are — I can only truly talk about the news to two or three of them. Everyone else trashes Trump in passing, free of genuine anxiety over what I see is the downfall of law, culture, and civility. Right or left, America is too polarized, and each side is beginning to become so far extreme, compromise and healthy debates seem to be off the table; it’s all black and white with no shades of gray. Even within the liberal spectrum, there are all-or-nothing people who – if their candidate doesn’t win the Democratic primary – are willing to sit out and protest the election as they did in 2016. One friend, in particular, consumes as much news as me, and is experiencing the same existential dread that Trump may very well get re-elected. (Side note: I remember in 2016 telling my some of my friends that I was worried Trump would get elected, and they tried to assure me he won’t. Well, fuck you guys.)

I have one particular Democratic candidate that I’m rooting for, but if they don’t win the primary, I’ll vote for whoever can oppose that jackass in the Oval Office (or Mar-a-Lago). I will volunteer. If I had a car, I’d drive down to swing states and drive voters to their polling place to ensure a fair election. I don’t think this country (hell, even the world) can withstand another Trump term. A lot of damage to our Constitution, our global relationships, and our globe itself has already been done… and for once, I’d like the news cycle to revolve around puppies and pizza than politics.

May 18, 2018 By Phillip Retuta

The Eighth Avenue Aches: WTF MTA?

Since January, I’ve collected data on my commute from my apartment in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn to my work in Columbus Circle, Manhattan: I log the time I leave my home, and I log the time when I enter the door to my office.

When I first moved to my new place in August 2017, I was amazed that it took 30 to 35 minutes to get to work; back at my old apartment in Crown Heights, it took almost an hour to get to Columbus Circle via the 2/3 express trains and transferring to the 1. Riding the A or C train from Bed-Stuy without transferring (and with the subway stations less than a 5-minute walk away), I was finally happy to see that my commute would now be much simpler.

Sometime during the winter, though, I noticed a combination of delayed arrivals and packed trains. If the A train arrived on time, all the subway cars would be so packed, passengers would have to wait for the next train (and in frequent cases, the train after that or even a fourth train). The C train — which runs locally — has a bad habit of arriving 10 minutes apart even during the morning rush hour (I find it acceptable to wait a maximum of 6 minutes for a train on a weekday morning, during the peak hours of 7:30 to 9:30).

It was during one January morning that it took me 2 hours (and transferring between 4 trains) to get to work that I decided to start documenting my commute times. As of writing this post, the express A train (in conjunction with delayed times and packed trains) has been running every 14 minutes during rush hour every morning. If I’m lucky to catch an arriving train, it still takes me almost an hour to get to work as opposed to 35 minutes. On the other hand, if I miss a train, I’m now waiting anywhere from 6 minutes to even 17 minutes for the next train to arrive. Just imagine that, as people who miss a train or simply can’t fit into a subway car, will have to wait for the next train for a long-ass time — only to have more people enter the station and clog up the waiting areas. The congestion that builds up in each of the stations has been unforgivable, and I can tell that my fellow passengers in Brooklyn are getting testy.

Here’s the data I’ve collected so far, bolded times were the typical commute for me back in the summer of 2017:

2018.01.10: 1 Hour, 53 Minutes — A to C to 2 to 1
2018.01.11: 55 Minutes — A
2018.01.12: 35 Minutes — A
2018.01.16: 55 Minutes — C
2018.01.17: 55 Minutes — A
2018.01.18: 53 Minutes — C to A
2018.01.22: 52 Minutes — A to F to B
2018.01.23: 1 Hour, 17 Minutes — A
2018.01.24: 34 Minutes — A
2018.01.25: 54 Minutes — C
2018.01.26: 51 Minutes — C to A
2018.01.29: 55 Minutes — C
2018.01.31: 52 Minutes — A
2018.02.01: 56 Minutes — A
2018.02.02: 50 Minutes — C
2018.02.05: 51 Minutes — A
2018.02.06: 46 Minutes — A
2018.02.07: 58 Minutes — A
2018.02.08: 55 Minutes — C to A
2018.02.12: 56 Minutes — A
2018.02.13: 43 Minutes — A
2018.02.14: 44 Minutes — C
2018.02.15: 50 Minutes — A
2018.02.16: 44 Minutes — A
2018.02.20: 47 Minutes — A
2018.02.21: 43 Minutes — A
2018.02.22: 50 Minutes — A
2018.02.23: 55 Minutes — C
2018.02.26: 1 Hour, 2 Minutes — A
2018.02.27: 46 Minutes — A
2018.02.28: 52 Minutes — A
2018.03.01: 38 Minutes — A
2018.03.02: 50 Minutes — A
2018.03.05: 1 Hour — A
2018.03.06: 42 Minutes — A
2018.03.08: 47 Minutes — A
2018.03.09: 47 Minutes — C
2018.03.12: 50 Minutes — A
2018.03.13: 51 Minutes — A
2018.04.17: 59 Minutes — A
2018.04.18: 1 Hour, 20 Minutes — A
2018.04.19: 52 Minutes — C
2018.04.20: 39 Minutes — A
2018.04.23: 1 Hour, 2 Minutes — A
2018.04.24: 59 Minutes — A
2018.04.25: 54 Minutes — C
2018.04.26: 55 Minutes — A to C
2018.04.27: 32 Minutes — C
2018.04.30: 49 Minutes — A
2018.05.01: 59 Minutes — A
2018.05.02: 27 Minutes — C
2018.05.03: 40 Minutes — A
2018.05.04: 30 Minutes — A
2018.05.07: 53 Minutes — A
2018.05.08: 47 Minutes — A
2018.05.09: 45 Minutes — A
2018.05.10: 50 Minutes — A
2018.05.14: 50 Minutes — A
2018.05.15: 52 Minutes — A
2018.05.16: 50 Minutes — A
2018.05.18: 50 Minutes — A

I find that these delayed times and packed trains are a combination of a lot of things. First of all, the MTA (and the New York Governor who controls MTA funding) has reduced the number of trains. Top that with the increased number of people moving to the outer boroughs (I’ll save the rant of new high rises, urban displacement, and gentrification for later), there are simply not enough trains and money to accommodate suitable transportation in Brooklyn. God knows I don’t enjoy the yearly subway fare hikes, but that money seems misused if they decide to reduce the number of trains running throughout New York.

I’ve also noticed that the MTA relies on a century-old transit system. The express A train merges with the local C train after three stations and continues to be on one track for about 40% of my commute (I don’t get how the A train from Nostrand Avenue to 59th Street-Columbus Circle is “express” if it’s only 5 less stops than the C train). Once I get past 42 Street in Manhattan, the A then merges with the same track as the D train. Usually, I’ve noticed, it takes me 15 minutes to get from 42nd Street to Columbus Circle; the A train just stops between the 17 blocks between 42nd and 59th, and I see two to three local trains whiz by on the adjacent track. The way I see it: the A train shares the same track as the C train (and the C train later shares the same track as the E train and B train). The D train shares the same set of tracks as the F, B, and M trains. If there’s one problem (say a signal malfunction, stalled train, or sick passenger) on any of these trains, my commute is affected. It’s train traffic at its worst.

Lastly, and I think this is the bane of every New Yorker’s existence: signal problems. All of the MTA’s train traffic runs on a signal system implemented in the 90’s, as a result of this train crash. Although it’s meant to protect the safety of commuters, the signal system has been plagued with numerous problems lately. It’s a system almost 3o years old now, and if there’s a minor problem with a signal (which nowadays is prone to malfunctions), then all train traffic along the affected line stands to a halt.

I’m not too certain if there’s an immediate solution to these problems, but if the New York State is going to annually increase my subway fare and extend my commute to double its time, I’d like the MTA to be less vague about subway delays and more transparent with what they’re doing with our money. Otherwise, I’ll just be continue to be habitually stressed out and rant about it.

April 18, 2017 By Phillip Retuta

Taxes, IRS, and Social Security: Talk About Bureaucracy!

Because of a clerical error where my social security number and birthdate didn’t match, I wasn’t able to e-file my taxes this year. You’d think that this would be an easy fix, but when you go through government channels, it’s obvious that a simple office typo of a “25” looking like a “26” is a bureaucratic nightmare:

After attempting several times to e-file, I get an email from H&R Block that the IRS has rejected my federal taxes (but not my state return). As I mentioned, on a federal level my SSN and/or birthdate were filed incorrectly. Normally, I’d be happy with sending my state return online, and my federal return by mail; I’d get my state refund sooner, and I’d pay my federal taxes by check. Unfortunately, New York State is saying I had to e-file both my federal and state returns conjointly.
H&R tells me to contact the IRS.
I search through 5 years of emails looking for the pin number the IRS gave me to log into their site.
The IRS website says they can’t fix my SSN/birthday online.
I call the IRS during work. After being on hold for one hour, the IRS tells me to call the Social Security Office.
I call the Social Security Office during work the next day. After 45 minutes on hold, the Social Security Office won’t confirm or fix my birthdate or Social Security Number. They tell me that I need to bring my physical birth certificate to a Social Security Office in person.
I call my dad who I would think has my birth certificate. He does not. I have to get a replacement birth certificate.
I wanted to get my birth certificate from my hospital in Chicago, but they closed it down and turned it into condos.
I pay 50 dollars to the Cook County Clerk’s office to send me my birth certificate to New York City.
One week later, 4 days before my taxes are due, I receive my birth certificate.
Yesterday, I use my lunch break to go to the Social Security Office closest to my office. I have my birth certificate, original social security card, W2’s, a passport, and a driver’s license — anything and everything I would need. However, the front desk tells me I need to go to the Brooklyn branch in order to correct my SSN/birthday. They don’t do corrections in this Social Security Office. Unfortunately, I learn, all of New York City’s Social Security Office hours are from 7am to 4pm (during weekday work hours).
I leave work early to go back home to Brooklyn, to that particular Social Security Office. I get a waiting-line number and remain seated for two hours to be called.
Everyone is waiting, and I notice one agent arguing with a French woman since I arrived. People’s numbers are called and they come and go, and I’m starting to think I’m next with this particular agent.
My number is never called, and the entire social security office clears out after 4:45pm. The French woman leaves. Completely alone in the waiting room, I go to the agent’s window and I exclaim that my number was never called. She says come back in the morning, “We’re closed.”

Holy fuck.

I didn’t explode or yell or anything. Instead, I immediately bought a pack of cigarettes and smoked furiously. Luckily, I planned this would happen and sent my taxes out by the mail; I just won’t expect my state return for a few months, and I know my bank account will take an immediate hit for my federal taxes. Still, the sheer idea that I can’t get my tax return sooner because of a clerical error is frustrating, but nonetheless a minor inconvenience till next tax season. What’s more frustrating, however, is this goddamn bureaucracy to fix this error and the time and money I’ve wasted.