2016 has turned out to be a deadly season in Saratoga so far.Yet still people think this "sport" is glamourous -- rather than what it is, animal cruelty.

Unrelated: I made the CFA deadline with nearly 3 hours to spare!!

Another story that didn't pass the sniff test for me. Initially when she didn't remember anything I was suspicious. Then when the sketch of Santa came out, I was sure.

Unrelated: caught another plagiarizer yesterday. Essay copied almost verbatim from a cheating site on the web.

According to Kari Spencer, “often... visible outdoor areas are homogeneous, cookie-cutter spaces, where neatly-trimmed grass or a few well-placed flower pots are admired and appreciated by the neighbors. But for some revolutionary gardeners, a feast for the eyes is not enough. They want something edible in return for the hard work, the water and the expense of tending a landscape. These food revolutionaries are maximizing their cultivation area by converting their landscapes, patios, and nearby vacant lots into productive edible gardens. In the quest for more space to grow food, even conventional front lawns are being transformed into maverick, and highly visible, vegetable plots.... the rise of modern vegetable gardeners who are cutting against the grain of current landscape fashion to grow food out in the open once again.”

Are vegetable plants beautiful?  Philosophers have discussed the nature of beauty for centuries, and most come down on the side of subjectivity – that there are no objective standards and it is, as the cliche says, in the eye of the beholder. That said, the connection of beauty to pleasure is something upon which many agree. “Beauty is such an order and construction of parts as, either by the primary constitution of our nature, by custom, or by caprice, is fitted to give a pleasure and satisfaction to the soul” (Hume, 1740). It almost goes without saying that gardens and gardening are good for the soul. Community gardens are known to have some unique benefits for members of the garden. Teig et al. (2009)  found  that  participants  in  community  gardens  chose  to  remain  in  the  garden  because  of  the  social opportunities  they  offered. Vegetable  gardening  also  has  the  potential  to  increase  the  frequency  of  social  interaction.  Lewis  (1990)  argues  that  gardening  provides  gardeners  with an  opportunity  to  socialize  with  others,  since  the action is taking place in publicly visible locations. “Community  gardens  can  increase  the  sense  of community of nearby neighborhoods due to the creation of a mixed - use land, and therefore increase their social capital” (Ozawa, 2010).

 “Creating your own urban farm is as simple as planting your flowerbeds with edibles.  No matter where you are you can grow something to eat. Shift your thinking and you'd be surprised at the places your food can be grown! I believe that virtually everyone has the ability to either grow some food at home, or to find an appropriate location to start a garden. I may sound like a kook who plants my landscape with cucumbers instead of carnations, peppers instead of petunias, and fruit trees rather than ficus, but I am convinced that wherever you go, you can grow food! Now is the time for us to join together and plant the seeds that will transform the places in which we live.  I envision a day when every city and town has front and back yards, community gardens and growing spaces, nurtured into life by neighbors who are no longer strangers, but friends who delight in the edible rewards offered from a garden they discovered together. Imagine small strips of land between apartment buildings that have been turned into vegetable gardens, and urban orchards planted at schools and churches to grow food for our communities. The seeds of the urban farming movement already are growing within our reality” (Peterson, 2009).

 Last night's board meeting really highlighted why the mayor and trustee jobs aren't fun. We immediately started to implement a Community Garden after we were sworn in. Due to the efforts of volunteers and donors (& Bob), the garden is almost finished, and is already producing. The garden chair delivered greens & squash to the food pantry last night. She said the folks there couldn't have been happier. Meanwhile Bob & I were taking heat from four planning and zoning board members, two of whom live across from the garden.

 The garden looks like crap (said by all of them, more than once), like a stockyard, like a gulag, why would we want that as you enter the village, what permits did you get, why didn't we get a letter in the mail (although it was discussed at every board meeting & there are minutes, is on the website, on facebook, and in the village newsletter). It ruins our view when we sit on our porch sipping champagne. "That's your opinion" in response to my protesting that the garden is beautiful. No, it isn't just my opinion. There is scholarly literature supporting my position. Where are their citations? Something from the Journal of Ugly, Mean-Spirited, Elitist, Selfish Commentary perhaps?

Culture change is very, very difficult in this village. But I will not let the naysayers dissuade me.

I have many, many things to write, but I'm razor focused on getting proposals ready for the NYS CFA grants deadline of July 29. Lots of things happening in the Village, some of which can't be public yet.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" kind of summs it all up at present!

I have been so busy, more so than I have been in years. It's all good, though. I am on a mission to make change. I may fail, of course. But without trying, there is no doubt of failure -- and so, the flip side is that I just might succeed.

Classes ended on Wednesday, and grades are due on May 17. I have been doing my best to juggle the village stuff with my end of semester demands. One thing about the semester that (unfortunately) is memorable is this. About a month ago, the student I knew (who had dropped the class of mine she was in, to my great relief) emailed me to ask whether she could re-enroll. Mind you she'd done no work when she was registered and had missed many classes. As is sometimes the case, the situation wasn't well-handled in terms of the support I needed for dealing with the situation. Oh well. I said no, and thankfully she went away. And now the university has taken action, and the criminal justice system is in process. Eventually this too will be another urban legend on campus.

Something that has annoyed me about both the media coverage and the memos we have gotten at work about the case: The two victims are barely mentioned. I would be so upset if I was a victim of crime, or if my 19-year-old kid was, and the focus was only on the perpetrators.

Ugly Sweater

The woman with the weak chin

The woman in beige

The tall man with the crew cut

The crowded bar

The guitarist playing Christmas songs

The Church woman impatient with it all

Busy & tired!

I have not written about this story before here (or anywhere) but the detective in me thought it didn't pass the sniff test on day one. As it happens I know one of the students involved and I am beyond disappointed in her. I think what annoys me the most about this situation (besides the president's clumsy reaction) is that because of the three women who cried wolf, our student body was once again exposed as a bunch of binge drinking spoiled brats. That video shows a bus full of students on the verge of puking and passing out. The men they were slapping and punching were hardly capable of standing up, much less throwing a punch. If the three had not concocted a story on social media and called 911 afterwars, everyone would have just gone home and passed out, been hung over the next day and barely remembered. Now it is our new brand, just when kegs n eggs had faded. Idiots.

We got a great story in today's Troy Record about our campaign!

Busy, busy, busy...Bob & I have decided to dive into politics, and we are running for mayor and trustee of the village, respectively. Visit our campaign website!

Classes start tomorrow!

My department's new musical logo & tagline! Also, the link to the new youtube channel:

From 12/22 to 1/8, my internet download speed was reminiscent of dial-up. Two several-hours-long tech support chats, three several-hours-long tech support phone calls, two technician visits, three new modems, new exterior wiring, new jack later...the central office took my service down for a whole day and finally fixed it (the problem was somewhere distant). I negotiated free internet service for a month. Eighteen days with 1990s-level access severely impacted not just entertainment, but bill-paying, work (& clock was ticking on new semester prep), communication, shopping. We have all become so dependent on the 'net, and so quickly (which shouldn't be surprising; the same thing happened to a prior generation with the telephone.) I'm SO grateful to have high speed internet back, I'm grateful for a free month, I'm grateful to have finally connected with an extremely competent tech guy in the central office.

At 54 posts, 2015 was my lightest powting year so far. This is unrelated, but I'm having some annoying internet problems -- involving speed. The connection is stable, but SLOW.

In faith formation class this week, we made evergreen sprays with clothespin ornaments for decorations.

We also presented our giving tree to the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society.

I have had some troublesome students in a semester that has been good overall. I was thinking today that in the past, a plagiarism case would always trigger me to write here. Now it barely warrants mention. But -- I've found another, first time in two years. I also know another student was trying (unsuccessfully) to cheat. Yawn. Three weeks to go.