The Human Calculator

Thanks to Mike Rowe and Chuck Klausmeyer for having me on the podcast. Got to tell a quick @realjonlovitz story about helping me out when i got to LA in 88, and talked about the @TheCountingBee, @TheHerkimer9 and the @HerkimerOGs. #basketball #history #Herkimer #LambertWill

Do you believe in ghosts? 👻 Before I tell you my story, you need to know a little about Aunt Harriet. Harriet Douglas Cruger was a wealthy, fiercely independent New York woman who fell in love with Gelston Castle in Scotland as a young woman. After marrying New York attorney Henry Nicholas Cruger in 1833, she fulfilled a dream she had carried for years: building her own stone castle on her family’s property near Jordanville in Herkimer County, New York. Stone was hauled all the way from Little Falls to build it. Harriet and Henry had a stormy marriage, eventually separated, and had no children. But Harriet’s attachment to the castle never faded. She reportedly had a massive granite sarcophagus brought from Scotland and instructed that she be buried on the estate when she died. When Harriet died in 1872 at the age of 82, her family ignored those wishes and buried her in New York City instead. And according to the legend… Aunt Harriet never really left Gelston Castle. In November 1973, my mother, Kay Flansburg, wrote about our experiences in an article published in FATE Magazine called “The Ghost of Gelston Castle.” And she wasn’t writing about somebody else’s ghost story. We lived it. Our family was living at the gatehouse at Gelston Castle when I was nine years old, and as kids we experienced plenty of things that were difficult to explain. My favorite—and probably the one that still freaks me out the most—happened one night while we were all in the kiln room making ceramics. The owner asked us: “Would you like to meet the ghost, Aunt Harriet?” Of course, I said yes. She looked at me and said: “Good…because she’s sitting right next to you.” I can still remember that feeling. Then came Thanksgiving morning. Our hot water heater blew up and started a fire in the cellar. My dad stayed behind trying to put out the fire while my mom drove us kids up the long, winding road from the gatehouse toward the castle. It was very early in the morning. As we came around one of those winding turns, we had a head-on collision with the castle caretaker, who was racing down the hill because he had seen what was happening from up at the castle. Thankfully, we made it through all of that, but afterward we ended up staying inside Gelston Castle for a while. And that’s when things got even stranger. Glasses and dishes would mysteriously fall out of cabinets. There were noises and occurrences we couldn’t explain. And then one night, sometime around midnight, the organ in the foyer suddenly started playing. Nobody was sitting at it. Imagine being nine years old, inside an old stone castle in the middle of the night, hearing an organ playing by itself. You don’t forget that. There were plenty of other strange experiences too. When my mother found a buyer for Gelston Castle, the owner told us that Aunt Harriet wasn’t happy about it. Why? Because apparently Harriet loved having us kids at the castle. She hadn’t had children around her home in a very long time. So… Do I believe in ghosts? After growing up around Gelston Castle, I’ll just say this: There are some things I still can’t explain. And nearly 53 years after my mom wrote “The Ghost of Gelston Castle,” I can still hear those words: “She’s sitting right next to you.” Soon you’ll be able to camp at Gelston Castle Campground. Just remember, if someone sits down next to your fire and you didn’t invite them, it might be Aunt Harriet. 👻 Happy Halloween from The Human Calculator. 🎃

NBA + Elam = Xciting @NBA @thetournament @ElamEnding #basketball

🏀 67 POINTS = $67 FOR A STUDENT! We’re kicking off a new season of Herkimer Originals basketball at our new home, DNA Evolution in Herkimer, and we’ve got something special for the kids. When the @HerkimerOGs reach 67 points, one student at the game wins $67. And there’s a bonus: Our longtime friend and major supporter Joe Norelli will be suiting up with the Originals. If Joe scores, another student wins another $67! Joe and Judy Norelli and the Norelli Family Foundation have supported the Herkimer Originals for years, and we’re proud to have them as part of the OGs family. Bring the kids, get their free student raffle ticket, and come cheer on Joe and the Originals! 📍 DNA Evolution — 170 Gros Boulevard, Herkimer #HerkimerOriginals #JoeNorelli #Herkimer #ABABasketball

🏀 YOUR BUSINESS. OUR HOME COURT. The Herkimer Originals @HerkimerOGs are looking for businesses and community partners to join us for the 2026–27 ABA season at our new home, DNA Evolution! Build your brand while supporting hometown basketball. Sponsorships include game-day visibility, social media exposure, and tickets to EVERY home game: 🔴 $250 — 2 tickets per home game 🔴 $500 — 4 tickets per home game 🔴 $1,000 — 8 tickets per home game Bring your family, reward your employees, or treat your customers to a night of basketball! 📍 DNA Evolution 170 Gros Boulevard, Herkimer, NY 13350 📧 [email protected] Share this post and tag a business you’d love to see supporting the Originals! #HerkimerOriginals #Herkimer #MohawkValley #SupportLocal #ABABasketball

Today is 10/10/2026. 2 + 0 + 2 + 6 = 10 10/10/10 → 101010 101010 in binary = 42 The answer to life, the universe, and everything. Don’t panic. 🚀 #42 #HitchhikersGuide #DontPanic #DouglasAdams #Binary #Math #Towel #LifeTheUniverseAndEverything Thanks @grok + @elonmusk

As The Human Calculator, I’ve always had a special appreciation for the patterns numbers reveal, and 9 has more personality than most. Today lines up in a pretty fun way: September 9th is the most common birthday. It’s the 9th day of the 9th month. It’s the 252nd day of the year, and 2 + 5 + 2 = 9. September has 9 letters. Wednesday has 9 letters. Maybe now you can see why 9 has always been my favorite number. What else can you add about the number 9? #numbers #digits #math #mentalmath #numeracy #patterns #STEM #STEAM