This chills me to my bones.

I had a series of dreams last night. The first included my father. It was more about other things (specifically a song, "Stuck in the Middle" by Stealers Wheel), but it featured a large group (a dozen or more) sitting around a table having a big dinner, and my father was one of them. It may have been a restaurant, and there were other family members there as well as people I can't identify. I also can't specifically identify any other family although "the feeling" was that they were present. If it wasn't for satellite radio and a Facebook meme, I would not know who sang that song.

I am going to make a few posts before the end of the month because I want to exceed the number of entries I made in 2021 (52). I have nothing much to write, except that I miss my father! I don't share memes on Facebook about it because I don't want to get responses like "he's always with you." People mean well of course but I dislike sappy, trite remarks. I know he's in my heart and memory. I know he's got a spiritual life. But I want him in Samsonville, in his chair watching food programs on television. I want him in his garage soldering something. I want him riding his lawn tractor. I want him sitting on the porch with his dogs. I want him at the dinner table devouring linguini. A meme I especially cannot stand has to do with "no more tomorrows." I don't want to think of him having no more tomorrows. Bob dismisses my attitude about the "no more tomorrows" meme by joking that it's like the ridiculous "thank a soldier" Reader's Digest poem that's always read on Memorial Day. He makes up hilarious lines like "if you didn't get sick, don't thank your mask, thank a soldier." (His are better.)

I am overhearing the news playing downstairs and there is an anchor I detest. Her irritating voice is like nails on a chalkboard. I hope she finds a job somewhere else and moves away. (Like that obnoxious, conceited nut Kari Lake did.)

This is not a very cheery post!

On Facebook today, a friend shared a post "Written by the mom of [name deleted by me] one of the Uvalde victims." It didn't pass the sniff test because of this: "Was she practicing writing GIRAFFE the moment he walked in her classroom, barricaded the door and opened fire? She keeps forgetting the silent “e” at the end.  We studied this past weekend, and now she doesn’t need to take the spelling test on Friday." I remember it was reported that Thursday of the week of the Tuesday shooting would have been the last day of school. So either the lengthy copied and pasted post is mis-attributed and has nothing to do with Uvalde, or news reports were wrong, and Thursday was not the last day of school. 

I googled, and I was correct; the post was not written by the mom of one of the Uvalde victims. I did not bother to comment on my friend's post, because I perceive her to be a person who would be pissed at the correction. I suspect this Facebook "friend" is in the "fake but true" camp. She'd think the correction means I'm a gun nut, which I am not. She got 23 thank yous and how powerfuls and hearbreakings and someone should send this to congress comments. That was the intent of the original writer, to go viral, even if it meant taking advantage of victims of tragedy. This type of meme is known as "glurge."

It really irritates me that people don't discern fake posts and resist sharing when it is something seductive that agrees with their POV. That is why elected officials want to regulate social media, or at least it gives them justification to stifle dissent and the voice of the common person.

 Added: Snopes link 

Booking Through Thursday: Comfort Food

Okay . . . picture this (really) worst-case scenario: It’s cold and raining, your boyfriend/girlfriend has just dumped you, you’ve just been fired, the pile of unpaid bills is sky-high, your beloved pet has recently died, and you think you’re coming down with a cold. All you want to do (other than hiding under the covers) is to curl up with a good book, something warm and comforting that will make you feel better.

What do you read?

(Any bets on how quickly somebody says the Bible or some other religious text? A good choice, to be sure, but to be honest, I was thinking more along the lines of fiction…. Unless I laid it on a little strong in the string of catastrophes? Maybe I should have just stuck to catching a cold on a rainy day….)

Well, to be honest after all those bad things happening, I probably would not feel like reading, I'd feel like drinking several glasses of a cordial such as Frangelico (which works much better than most cold remedies). I'm a miserable patient and when I have a cold reading isn't all that appealing to me. When a beloved pet has recently died, I don't do much besides cry; even Frangelico isn't a salve. Stacks of unpaid bills make me too nervous to concentrate on reading. If I lost my job, I'd probably be frantically looking for another rather than reading. And I've been married a long time, so I can't remember the dumping thing enough to connect.

But in terms of what I read as a comfort book, it isn't generally fiction (although if I was reading a fiction book during a crisis, I could easily see using it as an escape mechanism). My favorite comfort book is one I have read many times: Mark Twain's Autobiography. It is funny, touching, timeless and true to life, all at the same time. (If I could have quickly thought of a substitute word for funny that would have fit with the alliteration...I would have.)

Since I haven't been able to post for the past few Thursdays, I thought I'd catch up today. Not sure if this will be my last BTT for a while - classes start next week, and Thursdays are always difficult during the semester.

Booking Through Thursday: Indoctrination

When growing up did your family share your love of books?

The only other avid reader in my immediate family is my sister.

If so, did one person get you into reading?

Besides my sister, there were two others: my maternal grandmother Mimmie and my paternal Aunt Jean. Mimmie didn't have a lot of education - formally it ended after eighth grade at the West Hurley one room school. But she loved to read and we shared many books with each other. Often I, or my sister, or my mother would go to the library to check out books for her since she didn't like to leave home very much. Aunt Jean worked at the library and at a vintage book seller and she also was a voracious reader. Some of my most precious books were gifts from her.

And, do you have any family-oriented memories with books and reading? (Family trips to bookstore, reading the same book as a sibling or parent, etc.)

My father read me a chapter from Pinocchio every night for a while when I was a kid. We read it over and over. He also acted out the story with Pinocchio and Geppetto marionnettes. Sometimes his performances drifted quite far from the Collodi story line!

Booking Through Thursday: Monogamy (from 8/16)

One book at a time? Or more than one? If more, are they different types/genres? Or similar? (We’re talking recreational reading, here—books for work or school don’t really count since they’re not optional.)

I generally read one book at a time and don't start another until I finish it. However, right now I am reading two books at once: Uncle Tom's Cabin and a book about Terri Schiavo. The Stowe book is very heavy reading. The Schiavo one is quite upsetting too, but it is a much faster read.

Booking Through Thursday: Multiples (from 8/9)

Do you have multiple copies of any of your books?

Yes, I have quite a few multiples.

If so, why? Absent-mindedness? You love them that much? First Editions for the shelf, but paperbacks to read?

I collect Mark Twain books, and have numerous copies of a few titles, including Life on the Mississippi, Huck Finn, Roughing It and his autobiography. I got the Complete Works of Mark Twain when it came out again a few years ago, after I already had some of his other books, so probably about a quarter of the complete works made me have duplicates. I also have some very old editions that are sort of investments (as if I could ever part with them)! I may have one or two first editions of the more obscure books, but most of the antique ones are second editions. Sometimes someone gives me a Mark Twain book as a gift, and of course I already have it. Finally, if I see a Mark Twain book at a yard sale, I have to buy it - even if it is a paperback in pathetic condition. I have an entire bookcase devoted to Mark Twain, both paperbacks and hardcovers, some pristine and some battered.

Finally, I bought books I liked as gifts for my grandmother, and after she died, they were given back to me. So that made me have two copies of some things.

If not, why not? Not enough space? Not enough money? Too sensible to do something so foolish?

N/A

Booking Through Thursday: Letters! We Get Letters...

Have you ever written an author a fan letter?

No, I can't remember ever writing a fan letter to an author. I considered writing to Gore Vidal over twenty years ago when he was my favorite author, but never did.

Did you get an answer?

Well, since I haven't written to any author - I guess the only answer possible is "no."

Did it spark a conversation? A meeting?

Again, the only possibility here is no.

I have gone to a couple of book readings, but nothing recently. They weren't superstar-level writers, and I don't remember ever waiting to shake the author's hand or get a book signed. Authors often visit my campus, but I rarely go to the events. And William Kennedy teaches there.

Now, if Mark Twain was still alive...I definitely would write to him! And go to see one or more of his lectures. Does seeing Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain count? I also saw an actor perform as Robert Frost. (Can't remember who that was.)

Semi-related note: I did email the researcher and webpage master of some of the i.t.a. material that I wrote about yesterday, he responded, and it did spark a conversation, mostly him promoting how great simplified spelling is an approach, regardless of the individual's experience with the method.

Booking Through Thursday: Best Moustache Twirling

Who’s the worst fictional villain you can think of? As in, the one you hate the most, find the most evil, are happiest to see defeated? Not the cardboard, two-dimensional variety, but the most deliciously-written, most entertaining, best villain? Not necessarily the most “evil,” so much as the best-conceived on the part of the author…oh, you know what I mean!

I really had to think about this one. Maybe because I don't often read the type of novels that have villians? Now in true crime stories, there would be so many to choose from! But I came up with one: Tom Ripley in Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley. Wow, was he creepy! And charming at the same time. I know there are several other books in the series, although I haven't read the others. The movie adaptation of the first book was decent, too; it raised my appreciation for Matt Damon's skill at playing the bad guy.

Booking Through Thursday: Just Wild About Harry

1. Okay, love him or loathe him, you’d have to live under a rock not to know that J.K. Rowling’s final Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, comes out on Saturday… Are you going to read it?

No.

2. If so, right away? Or just, you know, eventually, when you get around to it? Are you attending any of the midnight parties?

No, no, and no.

3. If you’re not going to read it, why not?

Because I haven't read any of the other Harry Potter books (nor have I seen any of the movies). They aren't the type of stories I enjoy. Even as a kid I didn't care for magic, wizards, or that sort of foolishness (borrowing the term from my grandmother). I also almost always avoid anything that is surrounded by so much hype. (The alliteration in that sentence was unintentional.) However, I do think it is good that these books have encouraged kids to read.

4. And, for the record… what do you think? Will Harry survive the series? What are you most looking forward to?

I have no idea, but if I had to guess I'd say why would she kill him off? I know it is supposed to be the the last book, but why would she ruin her gravy train when she could just keep cranking them out, raking it in and the series fans will eat it up? It would probably be much easier to continue after taking a break, than coming up with new ideas and facing the risk that reviewers will compare them unfavorably to her past work. On the other hand, you'd think she'd have pretty much run out of new material at about book two. Of course, having read none of the books, my opinion on the subject isn't worth a lot!

Booking Through Thursday: Celluloid

1. In your opinion, what is the best translation of a book to a movie?

I don't know about "best;" I suspect if I thought about this long enough I'd come up with a lot of possibilities. So I'll go with the first thing that popped into my mind, the recent War of the Worlds. Now I know a lot of people hated that movie (I liked it), and there were some important differences between it and H.G. Wells' wonderful story, but I think the spirit of the book was captured in the movie, as well as in the amazing technology.

Another recent example that I remembered: The Freedom Writers Diary. I thought the movie The Freedom Writers did a good job at capturing the book. (And Hilary Swank even resembles Erin Gruwell.)

2. The worst?

Again, I'm not sure about the "worst;" and since I almost always think the book is way better than the movie, there would be even more possibilities for an answer to this one than there are for the "best" if I thought about it for a while. So - the first thing that popped into my mind: The Firm. Oddly, that is also a Tom Cruise movie!! Not that it's a classic novel or anything, but the changed ending in the movie irritated me so much! Why can't Hollywood leave such things alone? Or is it that movie audiences couldn't handle how the book ended?

In the interest of having two and two - another example of "the worst" adaptation that I am thinking of is not books and movies, but plays and movies. I just have to mention it because I think it really was "the worst." I thought Phantom of the Opera as a movie was so bad they should snap every DVD of it in half, and erase the master. What an abomination.

3. Had you read the book before seeing the movie, and did that make a difference? (Personally, all other things being equal, I usually prefer whichever I was introduced to first.)

Yes, in all three cases I'd read the book first, and I saw Phantom on the stage before seeing the movie. I agree that whatever you are exposed to first probably seems best, although I'm trying to think of an example where I saw the movie first and liked it more, and I can't! Maybe because I almost always read the book first, and in most cases, may or may not see the movie. Even in the case of the two movies I listed as "best," I didn't like them more than the books - I simply thought the movie versions were respectable adaptations.

Added 1: OK, I came up with one. I didn't see the movie first, but I think I enjoyed it more than the book: Last of the Mohicans. James Fenimore Cooper's books are great - but they are also kind of difficult reads.

Added 2: Here's another great book to movie adaptation: The Scarlet Pimpernel. Though I still liked the book more, and so much had to be left out, the 1934 movie was very good (the 1982 TV movie wasn't bad, either).

Added 3: For a hilarious take on James Fenimore Cooper's writing, read "Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offences" in How to Tell a Story and Other Essays by Mark Twain (1897).

Booking Through Thursday: Great _____ Novel

What, in your opinion, is the (mythical) Great American Novel?

Since he is my favorite author, it just has to be one of Mark Twain's. I know the standard answer is Huck Finn, and that is a great novel for sure, but my vote would be for An Innoncent Abroad. It is laugh out loud funny ("but is he dead?"), and so American.

Tell us where in the world you are!

New York, USA.

Since I have more time this summer, I thought I might try a new meme. But when I Googled to find some to sample, I wound up spending a lot of time reading this at Wikipedia. I finally did get around to checking out a few memes, but never chose one. Instead, via Sya, I'll try this one, at least for today:

Booking Through Thursday: Desperation

What’s the most desperate thing you’ve read because it was the only available reading material?

That would have to be magazines in the waiting room at the dentist's office, or the hair stylist's.

If it was longer than a cereal box or an advertisement, did it turn out to be worth your while?

Any of the popular women's magazines that I've read in those circumstances: Absolutely not. But sometimes Hudson Valley is available, and that is great (I just subscribed yesterday, in fact).

Thursday Threesome
::No California Oranges this Year!::

Onesome: No California-- drivers allowed! Do you drive and talk on the cell phone? Come on, fess up...

Well, since I don't drive, and I don't have a cell phone - the answer would have to be no.

Twosome: Oranges-- and Apples and Pears, oh my! Do you have a favorite fruit?

I like most fruit, though especially apples, pears, peaches, strawberries, pineapple, and bananas.

Threesome: this Year-- I'm going to _______ (go ahead; fill in the blank. No, it's not a resolution !)

Hmm. Not sure! Let's see what 2007 brings.

Thursday Threesome
::College Bowl Games::

Onesome: College-- playoffs? Yes or no? ...or 'who cares?' Is the current BCS system something you think works or would prefer things a bit more 'tidy'?

If I am restricted to those choices, I guess "who cares?" I don't even know what is BCS. I am not a sports person at all. Now Sam, on the other hand, is completely a sports dog. I don't know how that happened, but he's my first truly athletic dog.

Twosome: Bowl-- of cherries? Chips? Tofu? What's on your snack list during a game. ...or a favorite show?

Gee, is this a TV oriented question, or what? See Onesome, above. I think my TV would stop working if I put on a sports program. Favorite show, hmmm. I try not to eat while watching television, and I don't have a lot of favorite shows. But I guess cookies and milk are favorite snacks of mine. Both dogs (Sophie especially) love them too (my cat Edna loves milk), and sometimes their demands are what sparks me to get the snacks. I also like Polar Old Fashioned Golden Ginger Ale. That's the only kind of soda I enjoy at all. I like Culligan water a lot too, and usually that's what I drink when I watch television or a movie.

Threesome: Games-- within games: if you're a sports fan is there any sort of 'inner game' you like to watch during the contest? I'm thinking in terms of line work in football or post play in basket ball. ...and if you're not into sports, how about something similar in your favorite pastime?

I don't have any clue what this question means. And since I don't know what is line work or post play (aside from the generic meaning of the words), I have no idea what to compare it to in my favorite pastimes. Reading? Maybe examining the dust jacket or reading the chapter notes at the end? Gardening? Digging up the soil in preparation? Watering afterwards? Browsing in a garden center or buying seeds? Really, I haven't a clue!

**********

I haven't made much progress on anything work-related during the break. Which means I have to update syllabi, my online class, my WebCT pages, write new assignments, and send emails to all students in my last semester's classes with a breakdown of their grades. I thought I might have done all of this already, but instead I have been cooking, sleeping, surfing, and reading. I am about 1/3 of the way into A Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin. I got it for Christmas (2005!) and it has been waiting for a year. She writes well and it is a fascinating book, especially for a history buff like me.

Yesterday the phone was dead. (It may have been out before yesterday, but we weren't here.) The DSL continued to work until yesterday afternoon, but then it went out too. I did everything possible in the house, disconnecting and reconnecting phones, and Bob checked the box outside, but we had no luck. So Verizon arrived today at 9 am and they restored the service at about 12:30. There was a problem in the wire a few streets away. After the phone was working, I had to spend another hour talking to a representative from Verizon DSL to get that running again, and then about another half hour on my own, getting the router figured out (although I didn't have to call Netgear). But now I am back in business.

What to do without the Internet? Yesterday I made a pot of homemade tomato sauce, and eggplant parmesan. I suppose I used to accomplish a lot more things like that in the pre-wired days. Speaking of wires, my nephew's roommate is throwing out a perfectly good computer - so my nephew has taken it for my mother. It will be a big improvement over what she has now, and I am hoping that it will help me to get the wireless working there. Goodbye Windows ME!

Christmas was good, if tiring. We went to Samsonville on Saturday, made a round trip to Long Island on Christmas Eve, got back just in time to go to midnight mass, had dinner at my sister's on Christmas, and came back to Castleton on Tuesday evening.

Anyway, the computer glitches prevented me from posting what I wanted yesterday; so they appear on the post above this one.

Thursday Threesome
::Happy New Year!::

Onesome: Happy--New Year to you and yours! ...any plans for this weekend? Dick Clark? Guy Lombardo? Early to bed?

Going to Samsonville Saturday/Sunday (more computer tinkering); then coming back to Castleton. New Year's Eve will be spent at my nephew's.

Twosome: New--year, old year. Is this the year you take up skiing? ...or knitting? ...or vacuuming every other day ? Do you have any major project you'd like to tackle? (Sure, 'resolutions' count...)

Hoeing out the third floor and working on my Mimmie book top the list. Maybe taking up the treadmill, again! We'll see how far I get.

Threesome: Year--end chores? Do the lights and decorations come down this weekend? ...or are you already "done with Christmas"?

What? No way. The tree goes up shortly before Christmas (much later than most people's), and stays up until it is just a stick with no needles.

Thursday Threesome
::Plenty of time::

Onesome: Plenty-- of time, take a deep breath. Overnight/Saturday delivery could work for you... So could a trip a few hundred miles away if you're into shopping on Sunday! How are you doing? Do you have it together?

As far as the holidays go, yes, I have it together. But my focus is really on 12/26 at 11:59 pm...that's the deadline for grades.

Twosome: of-- all the states, I'm hearing the worst reports from Ohio! It has no snow! No snow, no Christmas! What's to be done? Is it looking like the normal Christmas weather there for you?

It is colder than it was a few days ago, but it isn't normal Christmas weather. No snow (though what's normal is a real question; some years there is a lot, some a little, some none at all) and it is warmer than usual. I wish it would get cold! Not sub-zero, but colder than it is. Some snow would be nice too, but not on the days when I have to travel.

Threesome: Time--Time? Good grief, the 24th is days away, and most men haven't even awakened a sense of urgency as yet . Is anyone done, finished, wrapped and resting?

Done and finished: pretty much, but not completely. The joy of online shopping! I have to go to a little gift shop and pick up a few things on Friday or Saturday. Wrapped: no, aside from the things that were wrapped by the store employees. Resting: yeah, right! See the grading deadline. I have made good progress, and with five days to go that should be plenty of time, but since two of them are Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, I am a little nervous. Then, there is the wireless dilemma competing for attention. Decorating is done in Castleton, and another waiting project in Samsonville. Baking is out of the question again this year. Now, remind me again why it is I like to live my life on the academic schedule?

Thursday Threesome
::Holly Jolly Christmas::

Onesome: Holly-- Hmmm... Do you have holly where you are? Is it used for decorating? ...and if not, what types of greenery are used to show off the season? Inquiring minds and all that...

Yes, it grows here and I have a holly bush in my yard. I don't use it for decorating, though. Evergreen is the most common greenery used. I think we will put up our tree here in Castleton tonight, and one in Samsonville this weekend. Both will be real. We already have wreaths on the doors of both houses.

Twosome: Jolly-- Jolly Elf or The Grinch? How is your Christmas experience going so far?

It's OK. The end of semester complicates things. But I have the majority of shopping done, the Internet is a lifesaver. I even sent five Christmas cards out today. That is a real accomplishment for me - for the past couple of years I just haven't had time to send any. I would love to decorate and bake more, but the grading deadline is looming.

Threesome: Christmas-- Hey, I miss ol' Burl Ives singing the song in this header: who does your favorite Christmas song? ...and which song is that? Yes, yes, you're allowed more than one ...

I like Christmas music. I have quite a few CDs by various artists. My favorites are Bare Naked Ladies and Willie Nelson. I also love the religious music that we sing in church. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer always makes me smile, and remember the past.

I am busy grading midterms. I am about one-third of the way done, and although I know students would love to have them back tomorrow, I am burnt out on reading at the moment, so they may have to wait a few more days.

I couldn't be home for Halloween, so we put an "honor" bowl of candy on the porch. I don't think any kids came while we were gone, though. Bob said four trick-or-treaters came while he was here. That is the fewest ever, some years we get 100 kids, more recently we get at least 35, but I think darkened houses are not very inviting, and I am not sure the neighbors were home either. So trudging up the Green Avenue hill didn't seem worth the effort. There were a lot of kids out, and when I got home, I heard teenagers making a racket in the cemetery. Hopefully they didn't do any vandalism, and were just having fun scaring each other.

We have decided to get high speed internet access for Samsonville. After years of struggling with dial-up, we are both fed up. I already know my preference (and what I have in Castleton), DSL won't be coming until the distant future - and even then, it may not come because digital will be a better option (Verizon says they may bring digital in a year, but it will probably be more). A cell phone provider is also not an option. There is currently no cell phone service there.

So I emailed Time Warner (a company I hate, but oh well) and the response was that there are no active customers on Jomar Lane. I had been under the impression that Jomar was wired, but that other nearby roads were not, and I had heard horror stories of TW offering to bring the cable - but the homeowner pays, to the tune of $1300. I was very disappointed - who knows how far away the cable is and how much it would cost to run it - so I asked if that meant I couldn't have Road Runner at all? The response gave me a number to call. Which resulted in a voice mail, and (of course) it wasn't returned.

So yesterday I called again. This time I spoke with a very helpful young man who explained that it may be that the problem is not that Jomar Lane isn't wired for cable, but that the house is more than 250 feet from the road. He wasn't sure, but he said they have to send a survey team out to assess it. I believe that is the limit they are willing to absorb the costs for, and that we would have to pay to have it brought from the road if it is too far. We already have a pole so I can't see why it would be a big deal even if we have to pay.

The woman responsible did call me back and a survey team is being sent, so I should know next week. She said, "is your driveway long?" I really didn't know how to respond. I said, "well, I don't think it is for a rural area - but compared to a suburban area or a city - yes!"

While I was waiting to hear from TW - anticipating a "no" or at least an answer that is cost prohibitive - I have been researching satellite. I did this once years ago, and the answer was disappointing in terms of speed and cost. Things have improved a lot. Satellite still is more expensive (at least assuming the connection charges to TW are not exhorbitant), and not as fast as either cable or DSL, but it is a lot better than dial-up. I have found 4 providers, so if TW doesn't work out, I will do some more legwork and go with one of them.

Either way, we are going to get Road Runner or satellite internet. I'm psyched. Once it is hooked up, I think I will install a wireless network there. Of course I will have to keep it a secret or I will have all of Samsonville driving up Jomar Lane to hitch a ride on the signal! Luckily my traffic to this site from the town is not all that high!!

As my sister says, "this is the 21st Century, it shouldn't take $1300 and and Act of Congress to get high speed internet." A cousin adds, "yes, I thought all the taxes and surcharges that us city folk have to pay were going toward rural access."

Now I am getting political spam in my university email. This isn't the first time; last time it was from the Albany County DA (odd, since I do not live in Albany County), and after receiving several messages, I reported it to IT Services and they stopped it. This time it is from some group calling themselves the "RFK Democrats." The message I received today said:

Are you as appalled as we are at the ongoing debates about Alan Hevesi’s "ethical lapse"? It almost makes us ashamed to be Democrats----not because of Mr. Hevesi, but because other Democrats including Mr. Spitzer have allowed the "wuss factor" to override their good judgment. We are not saying that Mr. Hevesi did no wrong. He did--and he deserves to be fined, sanctioned, or whatever is decided. An ethical lapse is a far cry from criminal behavior. Ask Bill Clinton. There is every reason to vote for Alan Hevesi this coming Tuesday. Consider the following:

Where were/are we in our moral outrage when we have had to spend hundreds of thousands of our tax dollars to provide "safety and security" on 3 (three!) houses (Garrison, Essex Co. and the Mansion) for a governor who has spent more time in Hungary, Iowa, New Hampshire and other states than he has here in the Capital of NY. He has never lived in the Mansion. We still have to pay to maintain and guard it. The Governor did not give a knee jerk reaction to all of this--and neither should we.

Where is our moral outrage on the fact that we cannot get legislation passed where mental illness is treated in the same way as physical illness by our insurance companies. Mr. Hevesi should be supported for trying to provide safety, security and privacy to his wife in very difficult circumstances and not abandoning her. If we did not have biased attitudes toward mental illness, maybe he could have been more open and dealt with the security issue in a more appropriate way. Where were his political friends then--especially those who are abandoning him now? And where are the mental health advocates weighing in on this?

Do you really think that Mr. Callahan is a competent, credible state comptroller? We do not. His fiscal ideas are about as passe as his bowtie. As Saratoga County Comptroller, he was cited on issues. He made serious errors in his mortgage application? And he is going to run the state pension fund and audit others' books?
Keep in mind fellow Democrats--and others. Not voting for Hevesi is a vote for an extremely incompetent candidate: Callahan. Let the Legislature decide what his penalty should be. He is a good man. He is not a criminal. And he deserves better from us. He has done his job well; he has served the people of NY well. A vote for Alan Hevesi is a vote for the future fiscal health of New York State.

So I went to the unsubscribe link, and it appeared to be a place where you enter your email address for more information! So naturally, I didn't.

Instead, I hit respond, and wrote this: DO NOT SEND ME SPAM MAIL OF THIS NATURE - I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE YOU GOT MY EMAIL ADDRESS FROM BUT I REALLY DON'T APPRECIATE GETTING POLITICAL SPAM - ALTHOUGH SINCE YOU DON'T CONSIDER A SERIOUS ETHICAL VIOLATION TO DISQUALIFY SOMEONE FROM SERVING AS OUR TOP ACCOUNTANT WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR PUBLIC FUNDS, YOU PROBABLY ALSO HAVE NO CLUE THAT SPAMMING PEOPLE AT THEIR UNIVERSITY ACCOUNTS IS ALSO QUESTIONABLE. TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF HOW SERIOUS I CONSIDER ETHICAL BEHAVIOR, I CONSIDER PLAGIARISM TO BE A SERIOUS ETHICAL VIOLATION, ALTHOUGH NOT A CRIMINAL OFFENSE. BUT I HAVE ZERO TOLERANCE FOR CHEATING, AND I REPORT EVERY INSTANCE I DETECT - AND STUDENTS GET KICKED OUT OF SCHOOL.

Usually when I write a long post like this one, blogger freezes up, sends it off to the parallel universe, and I remind myself once more that I should have copied it elsewhere. (But of course I never do.) So here goes.

Thursday Threesome: Fall Harvest Festival

Onesome: Fall-- (ing) into "The Decorating Season"? How about it: do you have your Halloween Tree up and decorated yet? ...or maybe just a plastic pumpkin sitting on the table ? ...something in between? Inquiring minds and all that...

I do have some Halloween decorations that I put on the porch. I don't do it until Halloween, or no more than a few days before. I live in a village where we get quite a few trick or treaters so I like it to be festive for the little kids. But it is only a couple of things, I don't go crazy. I always get a pumpkin.

Twosome: Harvest-- time? What crops are grown in your area (call it fifty miles) that are coming out of the fields this Fall?

This is apple country! In fact, New York State is the second largest producer of apples in the country. (Washington is #1 and Michigan is #3). It is supposed to be a huge crop this year, and the trees are loaded. New York is the #3 producer of grapes, cauliflower, pumpkins, milk, cheese, and maple syrup, and #1 in cabbage and cottage cheese production.

Threesome: Festival-- Do you have a County Fair or Harvest Fest happening in Autumn? ...or do you wait until the sap flows?

The county fairs are in July and August. It has been a couple of years since I have gone, which is a shame, since I really like them. In October there are a lot of harvest festivals. This weekend will be the Goold Farm Apple Festival. It's a fun time, but I probably won't go this year.

On Tuesday, we're going to see The Wedding Singer on Broadway! I can hardly believe it. Adam Sandler movies are a guilty pleasure, and I have probably seen it 100 times. I knew it had been turned into a show, but since it is new, going to see it is not likely until far in the future, if ever. But then Bob's brother invited us! He isn't really into musicals, but he won four tickets in a raffle that was a fundraiser in honor of a 9/11 victim. He knows we love shows, and the movie! I tortured myself for about an hour after the invitation - what to do about my Tuesday classes. Be a martyr and decline the invitation? Try to find someone else to cover (no easy task)? Cancel? I decided on canceling. My students didn't mind a bit (no surprise there). Actually, the day class seemed happy - Monday is a holiday so for those with a light class schedule, this gives them an extra long weekend - but my evening class seemed neither thrilled, nor disturbed. Maybe because I told them about the raffle, and they found the 9/11 connection upsetting. The anniversary has been a topic of discussion in their online board. Anyway, we'll take the train down. Dinner out is included too. Bob bought the CD and we are learning the songs. I'm psyched!

PS The TU is going to print my letter. Not sure when.