michrob87

[michrob87]

Doug Kaplan seemed to be doing about as well as one could hope. He had a beautiful and loving wife, three healthy boys, and a successful career. He also had a neighbor who seemed to exist for the very purpose of driving him crazy. Trudy Fleischmann was a force of nature, a presence to be reckoned with for sure. She didn't mean any harm, but if she had a thought, or an opinion, she was going to share it with whomever happened to be in her crosshairs, and lately that had been Doug. The problem was, nobody else seemed to mind Trudy, and this made Doug even crazier. With peaceful coexistence seemingly beginning to fail, it appeared as if an ugly conflict between Doug and his elderly German immigrant neighbor was going to be unavoidable, until the accident, the accident that changed everything. Now, in the aftermath of a moment of carelessness, everything Doug holds near and dear is at risk of being taken from him, and now the one individual whom he wished to see purged most of all from his life may hold the key to any chance of normalcy and happiness going forward in his life.

[michrob87]

Blind Spot

I just finished my first work of fiction, check it out here!  https://www.inkshares.com/books/blind-spot#

[michrob87]

The place where dreams come true

The place where dreams come true

*Editor’s note: If you want to continue following the thoughts and philosophy that has made “The Hoffman Files” one of the most beloved blog pages in the Capital Region according to people who don’t really get out much, you can now find my musings here: https://thehoffmanfiles.wixsite.com/website  “Well Rob, that’s kind of my job, making people’s dreams come true.”  And with that, Mike Huber, the…

[michrob87]

There's a lot to learn from "Hammerin'" Hank

There’s a lot to learn from “Hammerin'” Hank

I’m sometimes asked why when it comes to the “Big Man” upstairs why I’m not much of a believer.  I often say that I want to believe, because who wouldn’t?  It’s hard though to be a true believer in any deity who would see fit to take from us Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver, and Henry Aaron while leaving Curt Schilling and Tom Brady to walk the planet unscathed.  In fact, perhaps it would be more revealing…

[michrob87]

America gets a fresh start

America gets a fresh start

After he lost his election to Ronald Reagan in a landslide back in November of 1980, President Jimmy Carter remarked that in some ways it would have been less painful had he lost back in 1976 to Gerald Ford since all it would have meant was that the people liked the other guy better.  However losing a reelection campaign after being the president for four years meant that the people gave you a…

[michrob87]

I'm with stupid

I’m with stupid

When I was growing up and attending the Plainedge Public School system, there were a couple of different sets of identical twins in my grade.  There was one in particular though that stands out to me.  They were two girls who were fun and gregarious and while they looked very similar, and at times appeared to act in a very similar fashion, they also sported significant differences.  Still, when I…

[michrob87]

You broke it, you own it

You broke it, you own it

The United States’ Capitol Building was stormed and assaulted on the day that the Congress under the eye of the Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence were to ceremoniously certify the presidential election of 2020.  Despite no legally provided evidence, no legal victory in any court, no credible evidence, as well as guarantees by the Attorney General, Cybersecurity Chief for Homeland…

[michrob87]

Far too many dead to bring out

Far too many dead to bring out

“Stupid Covid!”  That’s become my wife’s mantra over the past 10 months.  Occasionally I will chime in with “Covid ruins everything.”  The words may vary, but the sentiments are the same.  Anytime you come up with an idea that sounds like fun, or an interesting place to go, or think you have found a safe way to break the quarantine, COVID-19 rears its ugly corona head and takes a sledgehammer to…

[michrob87]

Wanted, a "Social Assassin."

Wanted, a “Social Assassin.”

I don’t know exactly when, but approximately 25 years ago a movement began in this country that predates social media as well as President Donald Trump.  (Regular Donald Trump was alive and well, and was generally regarded as a fool, not to be believed or taken seriously by literally anybody who knew him or knew of him, but more on that later.) The movement didn’t have a name, so I’ll take the…

[michrob87]

A "coup" waged by cuckoos

A “coup” waged by cuckoos

Many people claim to have chutzpah, but the very notion of the word has to be reconsidered in light of the recent actions of convicted liar and disgraced former National Security Advisor Lt. General Michael Flynn.  Keep in mind that this is the man who lied to the FBI regarding his dealings with the Russians back in 2016, and needed a pardon by the outgoing president, and interference by the…

[michrob87]

The greatest rock 'n' roll intros....sort of.

The greatest rock ‘n’ roll intros….sort of.

“Let me please introduce myself I’m a man of wealth and taste,”  so sayeth Mick Jagger in one of the many great first lines in rock ‘n’ roll history.  Mick Jagger was a man who never needed an introduction, but that’s not to say he didn’t know how to introduce a song.  The Rolling Stones perhaps more than any other band in rock ‘n’ roll history understood how important a song’s opening riff, drum…

[michrob87]

Thanksgiving 2020: Brought to you by COVID-19

Thanksgiving 2020: Brought to you by COVID-19

It’s a Thanksgiving like no other, and why not?  After a St. Patrick’s Day like no other, and an Easter like no other, and a 4th of July like no other, and a Simchat Torah like no other, and a school year like no other, and a presidential election like no other, and a Halloween like no other, why should Thanksgiving be an exception to this depressing new normal?  Thanksgiving, the most American…

[michrob87]

The thing that wouldn't leave

The thing that wouldn’t leave

There was a great bit, almost a throwaway sketch on the old Saturday Night Livefeaturing John Belushi where he was starring in a proposed new television program called, “The Thing That Wouldn’t Leave.”  In this proposed horror show, Belushi plays a completely oblivious houseguest who has no idea that he has grossly overstayed his welcome.  He continues to drink and smoke, and watch his hosts’…

[michrob87]

I feel like I'm missing something about Trump's appeal.

I feel like I’m missing something about Trump’s appeal.

I guess I don’t get it.  I guess I’m out to lunch.  I guess I’m an “elite.”  I guess when it comes to elections, I should just stop guessing.  I may not have Nate Silver’s “geek cred,” or expertise, or mathematical skills, but we do have one thing in common;  neither one of us can predict an election to save our lives.  What did I miss?  Where did I go wrong?  What am I not understanding about…

[michrob87]

Things to think about

Things to think about

As I’ve now recovered from my recent stoning (Kidney stone, procedure for removal, stent placement, and removal), as well as the trauma of yet another stressful election night, I realize that there are many things worth thinking about.  When you’re not feeling well, or you’re feeling pangs of disappointment, you have a lot of time to ponder and reflect.  Thus, here are some thoughts that have…

[michrob87]

Election 2020: A pick and a prediction

Election 2020: A pick and a prediction

I’m not much of a prognosticator.  I wish I were.  I wish I could tell what was going to happen in the future, and then I’d bet on all kinds of sporting events, and then I’d clean up.  However, my misfortune as a gambler in regards to sports tells the story of a guy who’s better off discussing the past rather than the future.  As somebody who’s been teaching history for over 30 years, it can be…

[michrob87]

Dragged down by the stone...stone...stone...stone

Dragged down by the stone…stone…stone…stone

Pain, thy name is kidney stones.  This isn’t news to anybody who’s had one, in fact this is a fraternity I wish I’d never gotten to join, but to my brothers and sisters throughout the land who have known the pain of the pebble, my ureter goes out to you.  In my 56 plus years of existence, I’ve been fortunate in that I have not really known significant physical or emotional pain.  About the worst…