teaching
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Year-End Wind-Down
There is a period in the Central New York seasonal cycle between when the last of the fall foliage drops from the trees and when the first serious snow accumulation arrives. It’s a time of dreary landscapes filled with bare tree limbs silhouetted against drab skies, dampened by cold drizzle and fog. Generally, that is… Continue reading
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First Day of School
Yesterday was the first day of classes for the Fall ’23 semester at SUNY Oswego. When I was a student, from elementary school right on through grad school, starting a new academic year was always a bittersweet experience. There was a sadness over the end of summer mixed with the excitement of a fresh start.… Continue reading
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A Change in Cadence
According to WordPress, today marks the 77th consecutive day that content has been posted on this blog. Unfortunately, this post marks the end of a.k.a. V.J. as a daily enterprise — at least until next May. The Fall 2023 semester is just a week away at the time of this writing. I’ll be teaching two… Continue reading
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Course Prep
For most Americans, the unofficial end of summer is Labor Day weekend. For me, it comes a week prior to that when the fall semester starts. The first day of classes is less than a month from this writing, which is my cue to slip into Course-Prep Mode. It’s a bittersweet process. By this point… Continue reading
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I Won’t Quit Wearing Ties
I am not exactly what someone would call a “fashion plate.” For most of my life, I was positively indifferent toward clothes. My daily wardrobe ensembles were usually slovenly and uncoordinated. I was never the kind of guy you’d see on the cover of GQ. (Hell, I would have gotten laughed off the pages of… Continue reading
About Me
Researcher. Marketer. Teacher. Father of adult children and dogs. 20th Century holdover. Central New York native. Long-suffering Buffalo Bills fan. History nerd. Traveler. Vintage advertising enthusiast. Hat wearer.