I got my booster on Wednesday and felt lousy yesterday. It was different from the bad experience after shot #2. That time my legs were like rubber bands. This time I was mobile, but tired with stomach pain. No appetite. Today I am recovered but wishing to not have to take shot #4 in six months.

 We watched two movies recently, one on Netflix and one on Amazon prime. The Netflix movie was "Don't Look Up," and it probably was not the best choice for Christmas Eve viewing. The cast was stellar, but it was a very dark comedy that spoke many painful truths, and it left disturbing thoughts that linger. Allegedly it was intended to be a wake-up call on climate change, but I think it could be equally applied to the anti-vax, anti-mask, pandemic deniers, or to anti-intellectual ignorance and shallow aspects of our culture generally. The Amazon movie was "Being the Ricardos." Unlike so many biopics, it did not bash the main characters much, but then it was not exclusively a biopic. Overall it was good, although it focused partially on a tiresome subject that Hollywood loves (the 1950s communist witch hunt).  

Alex Jones is a dangerous nut. Just sayin'. And Fauci gently suggests a vaccine mandate on domestic planes would be good, and the media goes crazy. I say, grow a pair Dr. and tell the airlines, the administration and all the ignorant to get over it.

Recently, in response to media blabbing about "the big resignation" (which is incredibly stupid), Bob has been talking about "the big purge." This is the ignorant voluntarily flushing themselves by succumbing to COVID-19. I am beyond tired of the tyranny of the ignorant. I'm tired of the expectation of PC toleration of their ignorant, self-righteous behavior. F the anti-mask, anti-vax, anti-distancing, virus=hoax idiots.

 Grades for Fall almost done! Yay, almost.

 Ignorance & Want. Thinking about this today; there is a bigger reason that I won't detail (has to do with anti-vax, anti-mask loud-mouths who in some cases have given it to others who are naive and vulnerable - and they died recently), but the mask mandate went into effect (glad the governor finally grew a pair) and the cretins are agitating again...and businesses are apologizing. Really? I am tired of being controlled by morons. The clip resonates -- we should not stay silent but it is so hard to do otherwise during these scary times.

The Chancellor resigned. In the memo, the part about being a SUNY alumnus really spoke to me. I don't blame him for exiting even though I hate that the talent is caving into the ignorant, opportunistic, and unethical while we are still in a pandemic - the biggest challenge of our lifetime. We are in scary times. I am sick over what media and politics have done to Andrew Cuomo, Chris Cuomo and now the Chancellor. I've no doubt all three could be jerks to work for but this witch hunt to cancel everything associated with the former governor is ridiculous.Someone (who?) must have perceived him as a major threat. Also disturbing is that many elected officials who join the media-initiated stone throwing are in the same party as the chosen target. But, one piece of good news late today: The AG is not going to run for governor. Yay! Now she has to prosecute all these dud cases. LOL. I hope Cuomo's defense team rips her to shreds.

Harry & Bailey are "0" on the cat-reactive scale, but Bindi is > 0. Despite this, Noah is making slow progress. This week he has appeared in the living room for a few minutes each evening with all of us present, and today he has ventured up to my office and is sleeping on a plush futon that once was Edna's and then Teddy's. Bindi has come in twice with a wrinkled forehead to investigate, hoping for a sniff, but Noah hid behind my desk. So Bindi left and he went back to the heirloom futon.

I had heard the Chancellor was on the way out -- and today the news confirms it. The only thing that surprises me is that so far the AG hasn't located someone willing to manufacture a sex charge against him so she can continue her crusade of innocent until accused.

 Omicron -- the media idiots confusion about how to pronounce it. "Dr. Jen" said "omicon" (all that botox must have reduced her mental capacity) and David Muir stumbled around trying to explain.

Bob noticed a new season of Bluebloods had started, so the past week or so we have been
streaming episodes. I know months ago I wrote about the first episode of season 11 -- that I thought the
show should have gracefully vanished after season 10 as planned and that the way COVID-19 was
handled was outrageous. I've had some issues with the show over time, but in recent years it has
become almost a parody. If season 11 was bad, the episode we watched last night, number 6 I think of
season 12, stooped to a new low in terms of offensiveness. Every story was negative, and of course
the main characters are so smug.

 I know I post this sentiment almost every year, but I so miss this machine. There was such a feeling of power when yanking the big lever to open the curtain and hearing the sound of simultaneous clicks as the vote was recorded. I also miss that little display of the ballot in the cute blue/green mini machine. I early voted this year and got a sticker, but filling in the Scantron ballot in a cardboard folder with a Sharpie doesn't elicit the same emotion.

 

I shared this on Facebook but didn't include this part. The bad feeling about voting isn't helped by the abundance of races that are not contested locally, or by the contested elections where the race is to the bottom in terms of the toxic tone. I cannot comprehend the awful mailers.
 

I have two topics in mind, one COVID-19 related (in a strange way) and one not. On October 15, while I was in my graduate class on Zoom, I got a text message from a friend from K-12 days. It said her brother had died of COVID-19 (not vaxxed) that morning after 22 days on a vent. He had a bonded pair of female Beagles, and the plan was to take them to a shelter. She lives in another state and did not want that to happen. I think it is likely they would have found homes, but she did not want them separated. So I told Bob, and we adopted them. We picked them up an hour north of where we live, in the same town where the shelter is that Rosie and Harry came from! They are darling, and Harry is happy. Several weeks ago I tried to adopt a nine year old Beagle mix that I saw on Petfinder, and the rescue denied me! I told myself that day that my next sweetheart would find me -- and I was right X2!

 

This is the other subject I wanted to write about for a while. We watched the Netflix limited original series "Maid" recently. The book Nickel & Dimes was better, but the series was binge-worthy, interesting, provocative. Not to minimize the domestic abuse issue or gloss over the struggles of the poor, but a couple of things irritated me. First, the actress who played the lead did not seem like a hard-working but impoverished single mom. She seemed like a Vassar co-ed. Second, the character struck me as manipulative with a big entitled attitude. She so reminded me of Donna that I felt angry. Donna was alcoholic, bulimic, a victim of various types of abuse but also a master of manipulation with a huge chip on her shoulder. I guess it is finally okay to mention Donna, another friend from K-12 times, since she has been dead for over six years. She caused me a lot of heartache for over 40 years and she socially ruined high school for me. She was mean to a lot of other kids. I think the character in the series would have many more serious flaws than shown, along the lines of Donna (plus smoking cigarettes).

I am an early adopter of online teaching and learning and have been experimenting with remote delivery and alternative approaches since the 1990s, so when everyone everywhere "flipped" in March 2020, it wasn't that traumatic for me or for students who were taking my classes. Content ranged from 50-75% web-based before COVID-19. Since then it's 100%. I don't plan to go back to the physical classroom even post-pandemic (assuming that time ever comes ). I'll tell you a secret. My classes are *better* now. Radical redesign has been cathartic for me and students. Converting some classroom activities is challenging trial and error. Every semester since Spring 2020 I've been trying to figure out how to effectively play the game Set in small groups over Zoom. I use it to teach qualitative analysis and it was always a fun day in the classroom but I haven't been satisfied with the online approach. Yesterday I think I figured it out!! It's the plan for Thursday's class so stay tuned.

 I had to un-follow a couple more people on Facebook. Not due to anything specifically political or COVID related, just because their MOA is constant sharing of whiny, complaining, kvetching, patronizing memes. One today was about not correcting people's spelling or grammar because it reinforces hierarchy. WTF. I don't correct people's spelling or grammar because I am nice and don't sweat the small stuff. However I do correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, word choice, faulty logic on student papers because that's my job, I teach and yes I am a better writer and also have more education.

 Today I am 60 years old. Happy birthday to me.

 This week I am uneasy. Two of my "friends" (I always use scare quotes when I am referring to the Facebook variety) have COVID-19. One is from high school. We were not "best" friends, but my hometown is not a big place, and we attended the same elementary school that fed into a larger centralized high school, so I have known this woman since Kindergarten. She has been married for many years, and this summer took a vacation to Florida to celebrate the milestone. She shared many pictures of their trip, then yesterday, she resurfaced after a couple of weeks' silence to report that she has had COVID for over two weeks. When I saw her beach sunset pictures, I thought it was unwise to take a holiday in the coronavirus capital of the nation, but since I don't engage in that sort of dialogue, I un-followed her. I had not done that before, because although I am aware she has views that conflict with mine, she is not in the habit of writing controversial, argumentative, or political posts. But, the post about being very sick generated many comments from others, some of whom are also my "friends." There was a variety of perspectives, and no one got into a fight, but someone asked if she was vaccinated, and another asked how she got it. She said she is not vaccinated, and that she thought she got it from her husband, who got it from the plane ride home. Then she was asked if she wore a mask on the plane, and she said, yes, except when they ate and drank, and also the plane was packed. Someone responded, I guess masks don't work. The original "friend" has always been a lovely person inside and out, and she did not engage, but that commenter, my "friend," and two other mutual "friends," all of whom attended school with me, make up what I call the idiot quartet. They have become quite conservative (and have married extremely right-wing men), have always been physically gorgeous, are mostly nice (some more than others), and they are hard-line true believers in their POV (religious, political, social). So, no vaccine under any circumstances, virus is overblown, conspiracy theorists make valid points, and I suspect if they succumbed they would say it was God's will, they are living true to their beliefs. Last night, bothered by the situation, I wondered if they would change if their child or grandchild was dangerously ill. Going back to getting it on the plane, that is the likely place, although depending on what they did on that celebratory vacation, given that it was in Florida and they were there for 2-3 weeks...but she would not go there. No doubt she & her husband will be first in line to endorse governor cretin should he manage to mount a campaign.

The other "friend" is someone I met more recently. She is a neighbor and acquaintance. I un-followed her a while ago because of political posts. She is as lefty as the idiot quartet is righty, one of those blue no matter who types, which to me is an equally ignorant perspective to the idiot quartet's. She got a breakthrough case, and was not as sick as my other "friend," but it wasn't fun for a few days. She blamed it on the waning effectiveness of the vaccine and her comorbidity (obesity), but then admits she had gotten lax in her behaviors (mask-wearing, distancing, gatherings). If you are wondering how I know either story, to pull off un-follow (not un-friend), one has to occasionally drop in and see what's up. That's what I did yesterday with the anti-vaxxer. The lefty neighbor I heard about through regular gossip, so I checked her page to confirm.

 

 I don't engage in anything controversial on Facebook - aside from sharing an occasional anti-horse racing post. Nothing political otherwise, and I hide 90% of such posts whether I endorse the sentiment or not. I have unfollowed all news sources, and some friends as well. Lately I've had to hide a lot of duplicate posts generated by the Texas abortion law. One of the arguments being shared on various memes is that men have no right to make laws that involve vaginas. I just hid one in my feed that was along these lines, specifically describing menstruation, although using graphic language. I'd love to engage because the logic annoys me, but of course I can't. However, if I could I'd comment that such statements are not convincing, because they are too easy to defeat. If the crude meme is true, then men also shouldn't make pro-choice laws because they involve women. Are women allowed to make pro-life laws? Or is the assumption that men and women are two opposing forces that move in lock-step when it comes to POV? Are we going to break into tribes when it comes to legislation, so you can only have an opinion about specific things having to do with issues that directly involve you based on gender or identity or race or disability or sex or religion or class or age? So, for instance, when I was a village trustee and had to vote on purple heart day and a lymphoma run, I'd have to abstain because I never served in the military and don't have cancer? Where do we draw the line and who decides?

As a member of college faculty -- I am appalled at how my university is handling return to in-person instruction this fall. They are issuing directives, hiding information -- including data, patronizing, threatening and talking down to us. Across the country, in a-hole places like Florida, the ignorant policies are killing people; appalling is too kind a word for the governor of that pathetic state. The Third Wave was published 41 years ago...yet in the 21st Century we can't figure out how to work and learn remotely? Leadership is a disgrace and some people are clueless idiots. Bob has gone back to in-person work 50% this week. If he gets me sick...

Unrelated, kind of: my classes (all remote) are going great!!

So as I already mentioned, Noah is a "spirit cat." The only time I've had one was for several months in 1984 when Bob & I sublet an apartment in NYC from an actress. Part of the deal was fostering her two cats, Showtime and Mehitable. Mehitable was social, Showtime was not. So we turned off the air ionizer and started calling them "Kitty" and "Litty" and Showtime warmed up. Anyway, last Wednesday was a milestone for Noah. He came out of hiding when I sang the "Noah Kitty is so good" song! (Of course it helped that I was filling his bowl with a can of Wellness, LOL.) He's appeared five times since then, and twice I've petted him. Progress!

 Two unrelated subjects. First, on August 10, we adopted a cat. He's 11 years old, male, grey & white DSH. We have named him Noah. Both of us wanted another Maine Coon Cat, but it has been 18 months since Teddy died and animal adoption isn't easy ever, but less so in pandemic times, plus our personal schedule is complicated, to say the least. We could have adopted a pair of MC Cats if we were willing to get them from Florida, but that was too much even for us. So we've had Noah for 11 days. He's a nice cat, not aggressive, can be petted or picked up, doesn't mind Harry -- but he is also a spirit cat. He hides all the time. When he comes out, he does not run, he just is on a mission to get from one place to another and does not interact. We could not find him for two days. He wasn't hiding where he has been (behind the washer). Harry was crying near the filing cabinet in the office. Bob moved it and Noah must have jumped down into the corner of the room behind it, and had been trapped, not able to get out. He didn't meow to let us know. Harry was so happy to see him, but Noah just left the room and started hiding downstairs again. I feel bad for Harry. He's the reason I wanted a cat, so he'd have a companion. Hopefully Noah warms up eventually.

Second topic: I am so happy that I will not be going to campus in AY 2021-22. Look at the below picture that was proudly posted to Facebook! OMG. Newsflash: This is a VERY BAD idea. The students don't know any better. They look to administration to lead. What a terrible example the "leaders" are setting.

 I am beyond upset that the governor resigned last week. His arrogance, powerful enemies and a penchant for witch hunts among the media, legislatures and public led to this outrage. I don't believe the accusation of groping, which was the only serious charge. The woman is the divorcing wife of a powerful connected political guy. Still, I was shocked that he caved, because by doing so it makes him seem guilty. With the delta covid spike, state fair looming and scary news about need for third shots, I am wondering who will get the message out? I felt safer due to his briefings and now I am unsettled.

The asshole triplets (governors of AZ, FL, TX) and their fascist anti-mask mandates for businesses and schools make me sick! Also I know an anti-vax couple who got covid - she died, he is in hospital. All I can say is that they lived and died according to their beliefs, I guess. Speaking of beliefs, I don't care what the president says, I think it is wrong for us in the west to suck up third doses when poor countries can't get any vax at all! Not only is it a question of equity, it is stupid policy -- we will never overtake this menace with so few people vaccinated word wide! All it does is breed variants.

Fall semester starts next week!

 

I am so irritated by the media -- once again. I always knew the pandemic was not over and will not be for a while. Maybe idiots thought it was, maybe politicians pretended it was for their own personal gain (or because they are idiots too), but the media's current talking point, that it was over and now isn't and people are mad -- is shameful. They are at fault for pushing a misleading message. Perhaps they believe their own garbage, because they are definitely idiots.

 I am writing today primarily to vent. I'm teaching a six week summer session undergraduate class right now and the contrast between this same class in the spring, when it was outstanding, to this summer, when it is appalling...astounds me. Are they stressed out? Too busy? Just don't care? They do not read assignment guidelines -- and even when I provide an OER book -- they do not read assigned material. They just do not read.

The delta variant, the increase in numbers, the relaxing of restrictions...recently I have encountered two cases of people who are un-vaccinated, out in public, not distancing, not wearing a mask. I am very afraid that the loosening of mandates means that such people are out there in large numbers, spreading the virus. Like my students and reading, they do not care. History is repeating itself.

 

In the Capital District of NYS, the opening of the Saratoga Race Track every summer makes people go into spasms of joy. Unless it's a horse - or an animal advocate. Horse racing is cruel and barbaric, and people who support it are scum or ignorant or both. By their disgusting coverage, the media normalizes abuse and pretends it is classy. One good thing about the pandemic - being spared last year of the nonstop gushing stories.

 I have received so many scam telephone calls today! I mean, seriously several more than the usual car warranty expiring (and yes, I did get one of those). What is going on? The last one was claiming to be Spectrum selling something extra for my account and the guy couldn't even tell me my zip code.

Messaging is that things are returning to normal -- whatever that is now -- and indeed our numbers are good, but I am apprehensive. Only semi-related, I have not been consuming news as I have explained in past entries, but Bob often wants to watch at least the weather. Last night I agreed, and the program opened with 1) how local police chiefs retiring makes it hard for the community to trust them 2) that his approval rating is high but still the governor sucks and 3) a woman tried to decapitate her dog. I yelled turn it off! Why did I say yes to watching? So he did. OMG.

 

 A couple of weeks ago, my Samsonville desktop computer would not turn on. After frantically trying the usual, I managed to get to Amazon on my phone and happily learned that I only bought it 11 months ago. So I called Dell technical support and it was a great experience. I was not on hold very long, they were extremely helpful, and I learned through some miracle that it is under warranty until 2023! 

So I brought it back to Castleton, and it took two visits by two different technicians...but I am happy to report that it is fixed! I am stunned.

 This was my Facebook post just now: Today there was a post in my Facebook feed that reminded me: June 6 is Animal Advocacy Day in NYS. (In 2021 there will be no in-person event, due to COVID-19.) The post was a reminder only because it made clear to me, once again, that a convicted abuser is celebrated by misguided people, and so cruelty is condoned and normalized.

It's cryptic, but here I don't have to be. The post was from my local library, about a local organization I support financially. They are partnering on a walk that starts at a building owned by a man who serv ed jail time for starving and freezing to death a dog -- he chained it to a tree. This scum landed in my community and is more than tolerated. Makes me want to puke.

See here.

I am really happy our numbers in New York are better. I'm sure the vaccine has something to do with it, but I think the season is more influential. We're outside more. When the Fall hits and we return inside, with no masks and less distancing, what will happen? I doubt lots more people will get vaccinated. In fact, if I was a young person, I probably wouldn't take the risk of a vaccine only approved under emergency authorization. 

We went out for our anniversary on Monday. We sat outside. I wasn't expecting it to be busy, but it was insane. There was only one waitress on, and service was terrible. The food was okay, but I felt a little under the weather afterwards from drinking two glasses of wine combined with a greasy appetizer. Pre-pandemic, that much drinking was nothing, but now I rarely have alcohol. We used to love eating out; a little sad to see it be a casualty of COVID, but I think it might be. (That doesn't translate to cooking, though. Take-Out rules.)