tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33660252024-03-15T21:10:53.059-04:00Gully Brook Pressthe ejournal -- founded 2002howzerdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006962611508474821noreply@blogger.comBlogger2508125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366025.post-88361434307697505842024-03-15T16:28:00.001-04:002024-03-15T16:28:10.873-04:00<p> I guess because of my prior post, last night I had a dream with my father in it. He was talking fluently, and I was thrilled. He was eating ice cream. My mother was briefly in the dream too.<br /></p>howzerdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006962611508474821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366025.post-56925386404375723772024-03-13T17:37:00.003-04:002024-03-13T17:37:49.847-04:00<p>Today is March 13. In one month, it will be April 13, my father's birthday. He would be 97 this year. I miss him enormously every day, but his birthday and the approach of spring are incredibly hard. He loved the number 13 and his birthday.ðŸ˜<br /></p>howzerdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006962611508474821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366025.post-22261127526719731622024-03-08T15:44:00.005-05:002024-03-13T17:38:05.455-04:00<p>I was feeling sort of unmotivated and "blue" yesterday (Thursday is my long teaching day). I didn't have a good attitude and negatively assumed my afternoon class would not be prepared (a team of four was presenting). What actually happened...they were amazing and did a really good job! 😊</p><p>Spring forward tomorrow. <b><u>I hate it!</u></b> 😟</p><p>Why can't we stay on Standard time year round?<br /></p>howzerdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006962611508474821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366025.post-47836214379408293462024-03-04T16:55:00.001-05:002024-03-04T16:55:06.623-05:00<p> <a href="https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/rensselaer-county-executive-attacks-former-18666829.php" target="_blank">What an a-hole</a>! Full disclosure, I don't know her at all, nor did she ever represent me, but I have met him and I live in the county. <br /></p>howzerdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006962611508474821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366025.post-38391626439536549452024-02-26T16:32:00.001-05:002024-02-26T16:32:06.554-05:00<p> Approaching the 22nd anniversary on Friday of this blog. Usually I forget to post something. Friday is also the sixth anniversary of Uncle Buddy's death. :-(<br /></p>howzerdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006962611508474821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366025.post-59494804793790723202024-02-13T17:27:00.005-05:002024-02-26T16:28:36.830-05:00<p> Four weeks into the semester...my class today was brain dead. Absolutely disengaged.<br /></p>howzerdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006962611508474821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366025.post-59199840508216506962024-02-06T17:46:00.000-05:002024-02-06T17:46:11.124-05:00<p> I watched the Grammies for the first time -- maybe ever. I dislike awards shows. I'm turned off by the hype. But I enjoyed most of the 3.5 hours! The next day I was surprised to learn that others said 1) that they watch it often and thought it was the best one in years; or haven't watched in years but did this year and enjoyed it.<br /></p>howzerdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006962611508474821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366025.post-55680952896239160812024-02-01T15:40:00.001-05:002024-02-02T18:50:07.118-05:00<p>New buzzwords currently in fashion: Weaponize, Existential, Guardrails. Wheelhouse seems to have disappeared. </p>howzerdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006962611508474821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366025.post-5249380354156278742024-01-31T15:07:00.001-05:002024-01-31T15:07:10.598-05:00<p>I have two thoughts that are apropos today: <span class="ILfuVd" lang="en"><span class="hgKElc">"Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!" (Sir Walter Scott, 1808) and "No good deed goes unpunished." (Various attributions; similar sentiment dates to 12th C.).<br /></span></span></p>howzerdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006962611508474821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366025.post-89495870702122316562024-01-28T16:51:00.004-05:002024-01-28T16:51:45.341-05:00<p> After being annoyed by the awful revised mascot image, I'm very pleased that the athletics department has stepped up to help with<a href="https://www.timesunion.com/hudsonvalley/news/article/22-great-danes-rescued-in-dutchess-county-18604576.php" target="_blank"> this horrible situation</a>.<br /></p>howzerdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006962611508474821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366025.post-79679612045932802522024-01-23T17:44:00.001-05:002024-01-23T17:44:17.139-05:00<p>Each of my three classes has met once at this point. It's gratifying that so many students every semester who have taken a class with me in the past sign up for another. I guess I am still an engaging teacher. It's easy to fall into self doubt.<br /></p>howzerdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006962611508474821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366025.post-18118699758120300072024-01-22T17:51:00.002-05:002024-01-22T17:51:57.646-05:00<p> In the last post I wrote about wanting to draw or write this idea. On Saturday, after two years of no drawing, I picked up my pencils.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNVKwImFO92qWqoRFHY7shWFDbVxhapKSKrptaYEkOpIQairxwWKl1xODAzfddLu9RWYmm30NkxQYzI8FeFJbAPg0tgCL0irdTYqR6nqbLbnj4iz_t2mhwC5ZECNBUJS3gCsH033ZiuieovCbZeZTVJ8At8rYK02t_p3ZtvDUoMqqHVzN7TJCT/s3329/nileston01.22.23.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2533" data-original-width="3329" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNVKwImFO92qWqoRFHY7shWFDbVxhapKSKrptaYEkOpIQairxwWKl1xODAzfddLu9RWYmm30NkxQYzI8FeFJbAPg0tgCL0irdTYqR6nqbLbnj4iz_t2mhwC5ZECNBUJS3gCsH033ZiuieovCbZeZTVJ8At8rYK02t_p3ZtvDUoMqqHVzN7TJCT/s320/nileston01.22.23.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>howzerdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006962611508474821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366025.post-86929848881441667172024-01-15T16:37:00.003-05:002024-01-15T16:37:46.873-05:00<p>I have an idea for a satire cartoon or short story <a href="https://www.timesunion.com/business/article/colonie-resident-wonders-rats-invaded-property-18600145.php" target="_blank">based on this article</a> and pending village elections. Revitalize Main Street! Like Castleton's cats, how about Castleton's rats? Oh I am itching to write and draw. This is why I am excited to not teach this summer.<br /></p>howzerdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006962611508474821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366025.post-59002552308614671392024-01-15T15:04:00.003-05:002024-01-15T15:04:38.555-05:00<p> Classes start this week. My first class is Thursday. Boo hoo. Winter break over. Not that it was much of a break, but not teaching for a few weeks is good, and I did get to do a few thing, such as read. Unfortunatly, I have gradually returned to my preferred mode of staying up late and sleeping in, so now I have to mend my ways.</p><p>We watched another hyped movie on Saturday: Maestro. Neither of us liked this one much either! Again, acting was fine, but it felt too long, confusing, difficult to hear, with a story line that focused too much on his sex life and too little on other more interesting aspects of his biography. Recently friends have been recommending "Killers of the Flower Moon," but after Oppenheimer and Maestro, I'm reluctant to invest <i>over three hours</i>...</p><p>I joined No Labels. Wonky snarky self-important pundits who diss the idea can go F themselves.<br /></p>howzerdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006962611508474821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366025.post-85342010455293583542024-01-11T17:43:00.000-05:002024-01-11T17:43:01.004-05:00<p>I didn't note here yesterday that it was the two-year anniversary of Daddy's death. Not that I didn't think about him all day. I did. I think about him all the time, every day. Two years, two weeks, two months, two minutes -- or many more years than two, it hardly matters. I am not an unrealistic person, but two words I never wanted to type...Daddy's death.<br /></p>howzerdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006962611508474821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366025.post-43804485681433141842024-01-09T16:56:00.001-05:002024-01-09T16:56:13.923-05:00<p> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jV066A_XrSg">What an impressive speech</a>! Go Liz!<br /></p>howzerdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006962611508474821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366025.post-77433600604578366722024-01-08T16:39:00.000-05:002024-01-08T16:39:11.075-05:00<p>I'm trying hard to be optimistic and to have faith that good always wins. It's hard to not be infuriated by Sinclair media (owner of our local CBS news station). It's always been my favorite local station because of the anchors and especially due to the weather, but over time Sinclair has insidiously inserted more and more of their national coverage, slipping in blatant bias and featuring election deniers like that nut Jordan. Last night there was a promotion for an offensive story where a woman said something like "it's crazy that you get a ticket for parking in a handicap parking spot but not for being caught with fentanyl." Putting aside the veracity of that statement (which is a false equivalency), parking in a spot intended for a person with disabilities is not something to be dismissed. What an ignorant, disrespectful b*tch. F you Sinclair. And speaking of election denying nuts, the member of congress who was gerrymandered to be my representative calls the criminals who attacked the Capitol "hostages," just like her cult master. <br /></p>howzerdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006962611508474821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366025.post-39023908333545404042024-01-07T15:20:00.000-05:002024-01-07T15:20:04.042-05:00<p>Last night Daddy made a brief appearance in my dreams (he was young, and wearing a striped sweater - uncharacteristic) and the night before I dreamed of Uncle Buddy, who had two unknown ~10-year-old kids with him, a boy and a girl.</p><p>This weekend we got a real snow storm! As Bob said, "it's good to see the Earth is still working."</p><p>Friday was Bob's 64th birthday. He wanted to go to Red Lobster. It's kind of a hard place to go for a vegetarian, but they have wonderful Brussels sprouts, and I got a salad. He got an unlimited feast.<br /></p><p><a href="https://www.pbs.org/video/the-unseen-faces-of-jan-6-2uks32/" target="_blank">This is chilling</a>. It's obvious from current times, but I noticed hints and was disturbed by it among young people 15 years ago in toleration class.<br /></p>howzerdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006962611508474821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366025.post-28452640867701148182024-01-02T14:56:00.002-05:002024-01-02T14:56:31.017-05:00<p>I just heard the president of Harvard resigned. It's about time. The headline said it was due to plagiarism claims and her congressional hearing performance. I agree her responses at the hearing were appalling (and interlocutor Stefanik's behavior was also appalling), but what outraged me is that she is a plagiarist with no shame -- and somehow landed a prestigious academic job. <br /></p>howzerdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006962611508474821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366025.post-53902559640555169142024-01-01T17:26:00.003-05:002024-01-01T17:26:24.369-05:00<p> Happy New Year!</p><p>I've been thinking about writing. I have some ideas and I want to start seriously writing again, but I'm not sure winter break will afford me enough time. I am not teaching this summer (for the first time in over 20 years) and that is when I plan to take a deep dive.<br /></p>howzerdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006962611508474821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366025.post-22871536039657142022023-12-28T16:26:00.001-05:002023-12-28T16:26:41.269-05:00<p>I saw quite a few people on Christmas day - the most since the start of the pandemic. So yesterday when the sinus attack lingered, I started to be afraid I'd caught a cold. Well, I didn't! That was the fourth time in the past few years that I've had a sudden quite bad sinus attack that lasted less than a day and did not turn into a cold, flu or covid.</p><p>Today I finished up a complicated, time-consuming, twice a year task for my department -- finally "winter break" for me. Whatever that means! I get to surf the web for fun, I guess.</p><p>Today would be Millie's 91st birthday.<br /></p>howzerdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006962611508474821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366025.post-10457406470798118542023-12-27T17:05:00.003-05:002023-12-27T17:05:38.470-05:00<p> I am having a sinus attack. Ugh. I am a bad patient.<br /></p>howzerdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006962611508474821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366025.post-36643688521320755222023-12-26T15:48:00.002-05:002023-12-26T15:48:51.331-05:00<p> I have a few things to write. First, Merry Christmas! Bob put up a tree about ten days ago. It's the first tree we've had since 2019. We couldn't get a fresh cut one because the tree farm we always patronize closed on December 10 for the season. It's a fundraiser for the boy scouts and I hypothesize that there were not enough kids willing to spend their free time at the tree farm. The tree he bought is nice, but I can tell that it is already becoming crispy. That's an exaggeration, but it's clear it won't last like a fresh cut one does. </p><p>Next, I had a dream with Donna in it a few nights ago. That's strange because in th 8.5 years since she died, I can't remember ever dreaming of her. The dream seemed to take place in the elevator lobby of a dorm, high rise apartment complex, office building, hospital or some other institutional setting. There were festivities of some kind going on. Donna wasn't drinking and I was apprehensive because Bob was having wine.</p><p>Finally, we watched Oppenheimer. We were both disappointed. We'd seem a documentary on the subject months ago, and I think if I had not seen that first, I would have been completely confused by the movie. The only praise I have is that the acting was good and I expect it will win some acting awards. The movie itself was too long, the sound was a struggle, and the timeline seemed inappropriate for non-fiction. Then, there was so much of that tedious subject Hollywood loves...McCarthyism. We were both happy we had not gone to a theatre for this movie.<br /></p>howzerdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006962611508474821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366025.post-85204903943605622662023-12-23T15:27:00.004-05:002023-12-23T15:27:31.228-05:00<p>One thing about putting some time into working when everyone else is shopping for or celebrating the holidays is that a lot gets done because there are no interruptions!<br /></p>howzerdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006962611508474821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3366025.post-48855857009103240172023-12-22T18:48:00.003-05:002023-12-22T18:48:59.109-05:00<p> I feel like I am finally sort of caught up on work tasks I needed to do. What a relief!<br /></p>howzerdohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18006962611508474821noreply@blogger.com0