The nominations are now set! I am keeping the previous nominees and adding an additional fan favorite. I also now realize that I failed to exclude comedies. I will set up a seperate award for those.
Considerations for who to vote for should consider that these shows should be more melodramatic than the average show. They should have a strong plot line, and interesting characters. Another consideration as to what qualifies as Ripping Good Yarn are continuity elements. I feel the more the stories and characters cross over into each episode, the better. This diminishes for consideration, but doesn't eliminate, shows that primarily focus on single, done-in-one stories, such as the Law and Order programs.
These are your nominees:
Castle : The strengths of this show center around the marvelous relationship between Castle and Beckett. Nathan Fillion is a marvelous actor, and combines humor, charm and pathos. Beckett is very attractive, but for all her sophistication, also emanates a kind of goofy nerdiness. You honestly believe that these two are attracted to each other. The dialogue in the show is superior to the plotting, and the supporting characters, especially those in the police department, are significantly weaker than the the leads. Continuity elements include our interest in the development in the Castle/Beckett relationship, and the ongoing mystery of Beckett's mother's death and the conspiracy behind it.
Fringe: Probably the best alternate universe story ever devised for television. Outstanding characters in Peter, Walter and Astrid. Some also have counterparts in the alternative universe. Walter may be one of the best characters on television ever. Alison does not care for Olivia, the female lead, and I admit that she is tolerable but not great. Strong continuity elements, but also with criminal cases that have a weird science bent. My second favorite of J.J. Abram's shows (Lost is my runaway favorite).
The Mentalist: Alison and I call this the "Cho Show". The secondary character of Cho is that good! He takes stoicism to a whole new level. The rest of the characters are pretty good, the supporting cast much stronger than Castle's. The Mentalist himself, Jane, is a bit obnoxious, but he can be intriguing. Continuity elements center around his quest to find Red John, the person that killed his wife and daughter. My guess is that Red John will ultimately be revealed to be somebody he knows very well, but we may have to wait awhile for that one.
Once Upon A Time: There are two shows that were close for consideration here. Grimm, a similar show, was in contention for this slot. But I have to bow to the superiority of Once Upon A Time's stories and sense of continuity. It's similar to Lost in that they are fleshing out the current story with selected reveals from the past. Grimm is mostly case of the week procedural, although the continuity did sharpen as the season went on. Alison finds the characters on Once Upon A Time not compelling, but I disagree. At this point, the villains are more interesting than the heroes.
Revenge: Again, two shows in consideration here. The one I actually watched was Ringer, which we enjoyed, but whose ratings were never very good. I am bowing to general consensus that Revenge is a superior show. I hope to see it in summer repeats. Everything that I've heard about it indicates that it deserves to be considered.
Person of Interest: This is another JJ Abrams show. It centers on two men who use technology to anticpate crimes and try to prevent before they occur. I saw the first two episodes and was not impressed enough to follow, BUT since this is a JJ Abrams, I may have jumped the gun too sson. It contains some very good actors, and I would be very interested in comments from people who have seen this program.
Voting is now open, and I will close sometime Sunday, probably early afternoon. Vote here or on facebook. You can just name your choice, and you can advocate for it - your call. I would prefer that you not denigrate the choices other people make. I look forward to your participation.
Let the selection procedure begin!
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Driving it Through the Goal Posts!
The end of the month is fast approaching. I have set a goal to try to achieve, and I see myself within whiffing distance, but probably still to far away. But I strive on!
My goal is to achieve 1,000 page views by the end of May. The last I looked I was at 904. This is not bad as my previous high was 649. The way I see traffic flow most recently, my best guess, everything being equal, I'll probably top out around 950.
Why hit 1,000? Well, to help prove to myself that I can continue to get this blog to grow and become more viable. At some point, I might be able to make it slightly remunerative. I don't know what that point is. It might have to be 10,000 page views a month, or maybe even 100,000. I have no idea. The point is to make the effort.
It also is fun for me, and hopefully giving occasional enjoyment to those who visit, on purpose or by accident. This blog is at a disadvantage because it is thematically diffuse, but what the heck - so am I! Having spent so much time in a career that is of marginal interest to me, it's a great blast to be doing this.
So please forgive me, those who receive these from Facebook, if I'm posting a bit to much over the next 21 hours. I promise that after the month of May, my posting pattern will be a little bit intense.
At least, that is, until the end of April when I try to break the 2,000 barrier!
Strait Liners Assemble!
My goal is to achieve 1,000 page views by the end of May. The last I looked I was at 904. This is not bad as my previous high was 649. The way I see traffic flow most recently, my best guess, everything being equal, I'll probably top out around 950.
Why hit 1,000? Well, to help prove to myself that I can continue to get this blog to grow and become more viable. At some point, I might be able to make it slightly remunerative. I don't know what that point is. It might have to be 10,000 page views a month, or maybe even 100,000. I have no idea. The point is to make the effort.
It also is fun for me, and hopefully giving occasional enjoyment to those who visit, on purpose or by accident. This blog is at a disadvantage because it is thematically diffuse, but what the heck - so am I! Having spent so much time in a career that is of marginal interest to me, it's a great blast to be doing this.
So please forgive me, those who receive these from Facebook, if I'm posting a bit to much over the next 21 hours. I promise that after the month of May, my posting pattern will be a little bit intense.
At least, that is, until the end of April when I try to break the 2,000 barrier!
Strait Liners Assemble!
Why Don't You Run For Something?
Occasionally, I will get people who hear me talk, or see some of my writings, and they wonder why don't I run for something. Many times it's people who agree with me, but other times it's somebody who see my passionate commitment and thinks I would be good at it even if they don't agree with me on everything.
I would love to do it. I've been thinking about it since Junior High. I used to run for things in school, and I did fairly well. I even did a chart in Eighth grade that showed my goal of rising in office until I became President of the United States in 2000. Right now, I would have had completed my first two terms and be a United Nations Ambassador.
These great plans were not completely secret. When I went to my 20th year reunion, I had a classmate come up to me and scoff, "So, you're not President of the United States, are you?" Hard to live up to those expectations.
I would still love to run for Congress. I would advocate a complete overhaul of our tax system, including the elimination of the individual federal income tax. I would also dedicate myself to single-payer, universal health care. I would go after wasteful spending in defense, corporate and agricultural subsidies, and regulations that only benefit the wealthy. I would want to dramatically increase targeted spending in infrastructure, education, research and space exploration.
If I ran for the Georgia state legislature, my primary goal would be the preservation and strengthening of the Hope Scholarship, and of public education in general. I would advocate flipping what the lottery is for. Make educational support a regular part of the budget, and let the lottery be for politician's pork barrel projects.
As you can see, these are not all popular positions to hold in this area, particularly Pierce County, one of the most conservative counties in the country, that voted 81% for McCain in 2008. This is one of the toughest places on Earth to run while embracing the terms liberal and progressive.
But my incompatible politics isn't the only problem. As mentioned in other stories, I am bone deep shy. I hesitate tremendously in meeting new people. I really hate making phone calls. I also have a huge lazy streak. I value my job, and fear I would lose it if I ran. Sometimes I think it would be cool to run just so people can hear a different opinion. But I know without tons of money, I'm likely to get one or two lines in The Blackshear Times, and that's about it.
So my classmate is right. I'm not going to be President of the United States. I don't even think I could become County Commissioner. It's taken me a long time to realize that that doesn't mean I'm a failure. I have a great family whom I love dearly, my sons are all wonderful, contributing people. I'm healthy, fat and happy. I get to read, and think, and act, and say weird things on my blog and facebook. So it ain't all bad.
But who's to say I'll never get a wild hair, throw caution to the wind and just go for it?
They can't stop me from dreaming, can they?
I would love to do it. I've been thinking about it since Junior High. I used to run for things in school, and I did fairly well. I even did a chart in Eighth grade that showed my goal of rising in office until I became President of the United States in 2000. Right now, I would have had completed my first two terms and be a United Nations Ambassador.
These great plans were not completely secret. When I went to my 20th year reunion, I had a classmate come up to me and scoff, "So, you're not President of the United States, are you?" Hard to live up to those expectations.
I would still love to run for Congress. I would advocate a complete overhaul of our tax system, including the elimination of the individual federal income tax. I would also dedicate myself to single-payer, universal health care. I would go after wasteful spending in defense, corporate and agricultural subsidies, and regulations that only benefit the wealthy. I would want to dramatically increase targeted spending in infrastructure, education, research and space exploration.
If I ran for the Georgia state legislature, my primary goal would be the preservation and strengthening of the Hope Scholarship, and of public education in general. I would advocate flipping what the lottery is for. Make educational support a regular part of the budget, and let the lottery be for politician's pork barrel projects.
As you can see, these are not all popular positions to hold in this area, particularly Pierce County, one of the most conservative counties in the country, that voted 81% for McCain in 2008. This is one of the toughest places on Earth to run while embracing the terms liberal and progressive.
But my incompatible politics isn't the only problem. As mentioned in other stories, I am bone deep shy. I hesitate tremendously in meeting new people. I really hate making phone calls. I also have a huge lazy streak. I value my job, and fear I would lose it if I ran. Sometimes I think it would be cool to run just so people can hear a different opinion. But I know without tons of money, I'm likely to get one or two lines in The Blackshear Times, and that's about it.
So my classmate is right. I'm not going to be President of the United States. I don't even think I could become County Commissioner. It's taken me a long time to realize that that doesn't mean I'm a failure. I have a great family whom I love dearly, my sons are all wonderful, contributing people. I'm healthy, fat and happy. I get to read, and think, and act, and say weird things on my blog and facebook. So it ain't all bad.
But who's to say I'll never get a wild hair, throw caution to the wind and just go for it?
They can't stop me from dreaming, can they?
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Sumer is Icumen
In the wonderfully awesome book series A Game of Thrones, each family not only has their banner and decorated shield, they also have their own totem animal and a saying that represents them. For the Lannister's it is the lion and their saying is, "A Lannister pays his debt". For the Starks it is the wolf and the saying is, "Winter is coming".
For the Straits, we are adopting the doxie (Dachshund mix), and after some consideration are adopting the slogan, "Summer is coming".
What does that mean for us? A long stretch of unrelenting heat in which it is difficult to even be outside. Gnats and mosquitoes so thick you can't even see in front of you. Wasps and hornets so big they could have a passenger service. Global temperatures rising at a dramatic rate, and as climate change accelerates and the summer season lengthens, having to listen to people around here dismiss global warming as the reality of it sizzles all around them.
On the bright side, we often all have Fridays off at our household, so we have more long weekends. We take some vacations, particularly to Michigan, to see my father and sister. Often the weather is cooler up there, although that is no longer a gimme. For Alison, the summer means one of her favorite series, So You Think You Can Dance (easy question for me to answer). It also often features many blockbuster movies, some real good and some not so good. I am looking forward to Prometheus, The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider-Man, to name a few.
I also may get to do a bit more reading over the summer. I have a stack of books that exceeds my height. Which ones I will pick will be random and fun, but I have plenty that could be picked.
So, yes, indeedy, sumer is icumem! The good, the bad, and the hot-hot-hot! Just with my pheromones, don't expect me to stand outside and drink in the sunlight while swallowing the gnats.
For the Straits, we are adopting the doxie (Dachshund mix), and after some consideration are adopting the slogan, "Summer is coming".
What does that mean for us? A long stretch of unrelenting heat in which it is difficult to even be outside. Gnats and mosquitoes so thick you can't even see in front of you. Wasps and hornets so big they could have a passenger service. Global temperatures rising at a dramatic rate, and as climate change accelerates and the summer season lengthens, having to listen to people around here dismiss global warming as the reality of it sizzles all around them.
On the bright side, we often all have Fridays off at our household, so we have more long weekends. We take some vacations, particularly to Michigan, to see my father and sister. Often the weather is cooler up there, although that is no longer a gimme. For Alison, the summer means one of her favorite series, So You Think You Can Dance (easy question for me to answer). It also often features many blockbuster movies, some real good and some not so good. I am looking forward to Prometheus, The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider-Man, to name a few.
I also may get to do a bit more reading over the summer. I have a stack of books that exceeds my height. Which ones I will pick will be random and fun, but I have plenty that could be picked.
So, yes, indeedy, sumer is icumem! The good, the bad, and the hot-hot-hot! Just with my pheromones, don't expect me to stand outside and drink in the sunlight while swallowing the gnats.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Weekend to Remember: Saturday Political Soap Box 25
This is Memorial Day Weekend, a time to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of this country via their service in the military. We salute them and their immeasurable service that they have done for us, those whom in the end paid the ultimate price.
If you have stories or remembrances of those of your family and friends who served and lost their lives in that service, please share them with us, and we will share in that remembrance and honor their service. I have had family members and friends who have served, but I personally have not had losses in that regard.
In our most recent conflicts, we have had only a small percentage of Americans involved. I have heard reports indicating that it represents less than 1% of our population. One of the terrible consequences of this is that a good number of soldiers have served repeated tours in conflict hot zones, some as many as four or five tours. We seem to be asking more and more from a smaller and smaller group of people.
In order to help solve this problem, what do you all think of the re-institution of the draft, particularly in times of conflict? I think it would help increase the sense of shared sacrifice necessary to make it through a conflict. And yes, it would make the country think twice about our military endeavors. We would really have to feel like a military solution was necessary.
What about the financing of the extra resources used in a conflict? Shouldn't we be willing to impose a shared surtax to make sure it is fiscally covered, instead of increasing the country's deficit and cause problems further down the road?
Finally, I hope that we as a country do whatever we can to help the military families who have suffered these egregious losses. I hope we continue to provide financial support to the families, that they get to continue with VA or medical benefits, that the education of family members is taken care of, that religious and civic organizations provide love, comfort and support.
Those who have served and given their lives, we salute you, we remember you. God bless you and your families.
If you have stories or remembrances of those of your family and friends who served and lost their lives in that service, please share them with us, and we will share in that remembrance and honor their service. I have had family members and friends who have served, but I personally have not had losses in that regard.
In our most recent conflicts, we have had only a small percentage of Americans involved. I have heard reports indicating that it represents less than 1% of our population. One of the terrible consequences of this is that a good number of soldiers have served repeated tours in conflict hot zones, some as many as four or five tours. We seem to be asking more and more from a smaller and smaller group of people.
In order to help solve this problem, what do you all think of the re-institution of the draft, particularly in times of conflict? I think it would help increase the sense of shared sacrifice necessary to make it through a conflict. And yes, it would make the country think twice about our military endeavors. We would really have to feel like a military solution was necessary.
What about the financing of the extra resources used in a conflict? Shouldn't we be willing to impose a shared surtax to make sure it is fiscally covered, instead of increasing the country's deficit and cause problems further down the road?
Finally, I hope that we as a country do whatever we can to help the military families who have suffered these egregious losses. I hope we continue to provide financial support to the families, that they get to continue with VA or medical benefits, that the education of family members is taken care of, that religious and civic organizations provide love, comfort and support.
Those who have served and given their lives, we salute you, we remember you. God bless you and your families.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Ripping Good Yarns TV Nominees: Long Form Division
Although TV operates year round, this is traditionally considered the end of the television season that runs from September to May. Accordingly I would like take this opportunity to recognize the best with the Inaugural Ripping Good Yarns television awards. Yippee!
The first category will be Long Form programs. These are programs that run full seasons, producing 14 or more episodes that pretty much run the course of the season. There will be another award for short form programs, and will include many of the shows on cable or are cut short, that run 13 episodes or less.
Another consideration as to what qualifies as Ripping Good Yarn are continuity elements. I feel the more the stories and characters cross over into each episode, the better. This diminishes for consideration, but doesn't eliminate, shows that primarily focus on single, done-in-one stories, such as the Law and Order programs.
These preliminary nominees are subject to change and revision based upon your input, my fellow Ripping Good Yarn fans. They will be finalized next Thursday, May 31. So here goes:
Castle : The strengths of this show center around the marvelous relationship between Castle and Beckett. Nathan Fillion is a marvelous actor, and combines humor, charm and pathos. Beckett is very attractive, but for all her sophistication, also emanates a kind of goofy nerdiness. You honestly believe that these two are attracted to each other. The dialogue in the show is superior to the plotting, and the supporting characters, especially those in the police department, are significantly weaker than the the leads. Continuity elements include our interest in the development in the Castle/Beckett relationship, and the ongoing mystery of Beckett's mother's death and the conspiracy behind it.
Fringe: Probably the best alternate universe story ever devised for television. Outstanding characters in Peter, Walter and Astrid. Some also have counterparts in the alternative universe. Walter may be one of the best characters on television ever. Alison does not care for Olivia, the female lead, and I admit that she is tolerable but not great. Strong continuity elements, but also with criminal cases that have a weird science bent. My second favorite of J.J. Abram's shows (Lost is my runaway favorite).
The Mentalist: Alison and I call this the "Cho Show". The secondary character of Cho is that good! He takes stoicism to a whole new level. The rest of the characters are pretty good, the supporting cast much stronger than Castle's. The Mentalist himself, Jane, is a bit obnoxious, but he can be intriguing. Continuity elements center around his quest to find Red John, the person that killed his wife and daughter. My guess is that Red John will ultimately be revealed to be somebody he knows very well, but we may have to wait awhile for that one.
Once Upon A Time: There are two shows that were close for consideration here. Grimm, a similar show, was in contention for this slot. But I have to bow to the superiority of Once Upon A Time's stories and sense of continuity. It's similar to Lost in that they are fleshing out the current story with selected reveals from the past. Grimm is mostly case of the week procedural, although the continuity did sharpen as the season went on. Alison finds the characters on Once Upon A Time not compelling, but I disagree. At this point, the villains are more interesting than the heroes.
Revenge: Again, two shows in consideration here. The one I actually watched was Ringer, which we enjoyed, but whose ratings were never very good. I am bowing to general consensus that Revenge is a superior show. I hope to see it in summer repeats. Everything that I've heard about it indicates that it deserves to be considered.
These are my leading contenders, but I am open to comments on these shows, or any others you would like to see considered. Post here or on Facebook, whichever is easier for you. Don't worry about long form or short form - I'll clarify that as we proceed.
Let the nomination review procedure begin!
The first category will be Long Form programs. These are programs that run full seasons, producing 14 or more episodes that pretty much run the course of the season. There will be another award for short form programs, and will include many of the shows on cable or are cut short, that run 13 episodes or less.
Another consideration as to what qualifies as Ripping Good Yarn are continuity elements. I feel the more the stories and characters cross over into each episode, the better. This diminishes for consideration, but doesn't eliminate, shows that primarily focus on single, done-in-one stories, such as the Law and Order programs.
These preliminary nominees are subject to change and revision based upon your input, my fellow Ripping Good Yarn fans. They will be finalized next Thursday, May 31. So here goes:
Castle : The strengths of this show center around the marvelous relationship between Castle and Beckett. Nathan Fillion is a marvelous actor, and combines humor, charm and pathos. Beckett is very attractive, but for all her sophistication, also emanates a kind of goofy nerdiness. You honestly believe that these two are attracted to each other. The dialogue in the show is superior to the plotting, and the supporting characters, especially those in the police department, are significantly weaker than the the leads. Continuity elements include our interest in the development in the Castle/Beckett relationship, and the ongoing mystery of Beckett's mother's death and the conspiracy behind it.
Fringe: Probably the best alternate universe story ever devised for television. Outstanding characters in Peter, Walter and Astrid. Some also have counterparts in the alternative universe. Walter may be one of the best characters on television ever. Alison does not care for Olivia, the female lead, and I admit that she is tolerable but not great. Strong continuity elements, but also with criminal cases that have a weird science bent. My second favorite of J.J. Abram's shows (Lost is my runaway favorite).
The Mentalist: Alison and I call this the "Cho Show". The secondary character of Cho is that good! He takes stoicism to a whole new level. The rest of the characters are pretty good, the supporting cast much stronger than Castle's. The Mentalist himself, Jane, is a bit obnoxious, but he can be intriguing. Continuity elements center around his quest to find Red John, the person that killed his wife and daughter. My guess is that Red John will ultimately be revealed to be somebody he knows very well, but we may have to wait awhile for that one.
Once Upon A Time: There are two shows that were close for consideration here. Grimm, a similar show, was in contention for this slot. But I have to bow to the superiority of Once Upon A Time's stories and sense of continuity. It's similar to Lost in that they are fleshing out the current story with selected reveals from the past. Grimm is mostly case of the week procedural, although the continuity did sharpen as the season went on. Alison finds the characters on Once Upon A Time not compelling, but I disagree. At this point, the villains are more interesting than the heroes.
Revenge: Again, two shows in consideration here. The one I actually watched was Ringer, which we enjoyed, but whose ratings were never very good. I am bowing to general consensus that Revenge is a superior show. I hope to see it in summer repeats. Everything that I've heard about it indicates that it deserves to be considered.
These are my leading contenders, but I am open to comments on these shows, or any others you would like to see considered. Post here or on Facebook, whichever is easier for you. Don't worry about long form or short form - I'll clarify that as we proceed.
Let the nomination review procedure begin!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Ripping Good Yarns!
Tired of the artsy-fartsy films and TV shows winning all the big awards? Remember when ET was beaten out by Gandhi, and now everyone still watches ET but virtually no one watches Gandhi? When Shakespeare In Love beat out Saving Private Ryan? The only two movies I've ever fallen asleep in at the theater were both Best Picture winners - Out of Africa and The Last Emperor.
No body's saying these are bad movies. They probably, for the most part, are deserving of accolades. But it gets tiring that for every Return of the King (final part of The Lord of the Rings), they,re twenty winners that you go. well, that was a fine movie, but it wasn't very....ripping.
A ripping good yarn should have an exciting story. A ripping good yarn should have colorful characters that you care about. A ripping good yarn should be melodramatic and big.They're large scale, with action and romance, emotion and heart, adventure and thrills.
In future posts, I will detail this concept more. Right now, I would like to introduce the first Ripping Good Yarn awards. We have just finished the main television season, and it would be a good time to look back and nominate our favorites. Broadly speaking, we are looking at scripted shows (no reality shows, no news programs, no sporting events) that have exciting, melodramatic plots and compelling characters. They can be science fiction, crime procedurals, romance, medical dramas, the whole gamut. Please post shows you would like considered here or on Facebook. I will post some that I would like to be considered tomorrow.
Here's to Ripping Good Yarns! Saludo!
No body's saying these are bad movies. They probably, for the most part, are deserving of accolades. But it gets tiring that for every Return of the King (final part of The Lord of the Rings), they,re twenty winners that you go. well, that was a fine movie, but it wasn't very....ripping.
A ripping good yarn should have an exciting story. A ripping good yarn should have colorful characters that you care about. A ripping good yarn should be melodramatic and big.They're large scale, with action and romance, emotion and heart, adventure and thrills.
In future posts, I will detail this concept more. Right now, I would like to introduce the first Ripping Good Yarn awards. We have just finished the main television season, and it would be a good time to look back and nominate our favorites. Broadly speaking, we are looking at scripted shows (no reality shows, no news programs, no sporting events) that have exciting, melodramatic plots and compelling characters. They can be science fiction, crime procedurals, romance, medical dramas, the whole gamut. Please post shows you would like considered here or on Facebook. I will post some that I would like to be considered tomorrow.
Here's to Ripping Good Yarns! Saludo!
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Subject to Recall
I have to be consistent. When California recalled Governor Gray Davis and replaced him with a movie star, I though it was one of the stupidest things I'd seen in politics. It's true that the Gov. Davis was not the most charismatic politician, and that California had suffered some crippling electricity blackouts, and were dealing with increasing energy costs. But Gov. Davis had done nothing criminal and had been duly elected by the residents of the state.
Setting aside the fact that the energy problems in his state had more to do with the unprincipled mega-corporation Enron, and that his corporatist replacement had held secret meetings with Enron before the election, I am queasy about the whole concept of recall. Elections should have consequences, and people need to know it matters who you vote for. The remedy would come at the next election.
Otherwise, in my opinion, chaos reigns. In many states, the threshold is sset so repeated objections could be made. Conservative and don't like the direction of the liberal Governor? Recall 'em! Liberal with a conservative Governor? Recall 'em! A moderate who found themselves accidentally (or uninformedly) voting for an extremist? Recall 'em!
Which brings us to Scott Walker. Like much of the Midwest, voters failed to absorb the extreme element of the Republican platform. Wisconsin, the birthplace of progressivism, is losing public unions. Indiana is becoming a right-to-work (an Orwellian phrase for the elimination of worker's rights and a lowering of their pay). Michigan is taking over local governments and replacing with state-controlled dictators (Look, Ma! - It's the tsars that Glenn Beck was always going on about!). All the Republican controlled states are taking massive cuts in poverty programs, in education, in state jobs.
This is all horrible, but the solution is not recalls. Wisconsin has spent considerable energy in trying to recall Scott Walker. It is the most massive, publicly supported movement in modern times. I sympathize greatly with their sentiments. Gov. Walker is an out of control extremist who is dismantling the state of Wisconsin to benefit his corporatist buddies and the very wealthy. But Wisconsin, YOU ELECTED HIM. If you recall him, and are successful in getting him out, what is to stop the other side from attacking a progressive Governor? When will it end?
Now that they are in a recall, we are seeing one of the oldest battles in politics played out. And a battle that has been completely unshackled by Citizens United. What is more powerful in politics? Unlimited money form corporate interests and billionaire buddies? Or the boots on the ground and local retail politics that the other side is bringing to bear? So far, polling indicates the answer is...MONEY, MONEY, MONEY!!! Good lord, the man has said he's trying to divide and conquer the Wisconsin people, eventually destroying ALL unions in Wisconsin, and the majority of Wisconsinites are not absorbing it. All this effort may be for naught, and a destructive buffoon will be replaced by a right wing hero and new media darling.
Elections have consequences. Vote on a regular basis, and pay attention. Every progressive in the country should concentrate their message on this - "See, I told you what was going to happen. And you didn't listen to me. And now, they're coming for you."
Setting aside the fact that the energy problems in his state had more to do with the unprincipled mega-corporation Enron, and that his corporatist replacement had held secret meetings with Enron before the election, I am queasy about the whole concept of recall. Elections should have consequences, and people need to know it matters who you vote for. The remedy would come at the next election.
Otherwise, in my opinion, chaos reigns. In many states, the threshold is sset so repeated objections could be made. Conservative and don't like the direction of the liberal Governor? Recall 'em! Liberal with a conservative Governor? Recall 'em! A moderate who found themselves accidentally (or uninformedly) voting for an extremist? Recall 'em!
Which brings us to Scott Walker. Like much of the Midwest, voters failed to absorb the extreme element of the Republican platform. Wisconsin, the birthplace of progressivism, is losing public unions. Indiana is becoming a right-to-work (an Orwellian phrase for the elimination of worker's rights and a lowering of their pay). Michigan is taking over local governments and replacing with state-controlled dictators (Look, Ma! - It's the tsars that Glenn Beck was always going on about!). All the Republican controlled states are taking massive cuts in poverty programs, in education, in state jobs.
This is all horrible, but the solution is not recalls. Wisconsin has spent considerable energy in trying to recall Scott Walker. It is the most massive, publicly supported movement in modern times. I sympathize greatly with their sentiments. Gov. Walker is an out of control extremist who is dismantling the state of Wisconsin to benefit his corporatist buddies and the very wealthy. But Wisconsin, YOU ELECTED HIM. If you recall him, and are successful in getting him out, what is to stop the other side from attacking a progressive Governor? When will it end?
Now that they are in a recall, we are seeing one of the oldest battles in politics played out. And a battle that has been completely unshackled by Citizens United. What is more powerful in politics? Unlimited money form corporate interests and billionaire buddies? Or the boots on the ground and local retail politics that the other side is bringing to bear? So far, polling indicates the answer is...MONEY, MONEY, MONEY!!! Good lord, the man has said he's trying to divide and conquer the Wisconsin people, eventually destroying ALL unions in Wisconsin, and the majority of Wisconsinites are not absorbing it. All this effort may be for naught, and a destructive buffoon will be replaced by a right wing hero and new media darling.
Elections have consequences. Vote on a regular basis, and pay attention. Every progressive in the country should concentrate their message on this - "See, I told you what was going to happen. And you didn't listen to me. And now, they're coming for you."
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Dog and Cat Post!
Ellie Mae can't find anything good on TV.
Cocoa Bear excitedly awaits her favorite part of the day - Dog-Karate.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Putting on the Nerd Hat
Yes, it's true. I like many things that most adults scoff at. Comics books, science fiction, fantasy, politics - just to name a few. But most of the time with these interests I fail to reach true nerd status. My level of obsession with them only reaches so far, and I most often fail to truly jump off the cliff. I don't wear costumes of beloved characters, I don't often read or watch more than once or twice, I don't write fan fiction, I generally don't talk to fellow fans or go to conventions.
An example would be Star Trek. I really like Star Trek, but I really couldn't be considered a Trekkie. I've seen most episodes once, and some twice. That's over a forty plus year span. I could answer more trivia questions than the non-viewer, but not nearly as much as a truly obsessed fan. I can't remember what the different color uniforms and insignias mean. I don't remember all the characters that only lasted a few episodes. I can't remember what set design flaws or inconsistencies there might be.
I love Star Wars. Seeing the first movie in 1977 made my jaw drop, and almost weep because it had been the movie I had waited all my life to see. Since then, I have seen Star Wars more often than I have most movies, but that probably is still only three or four times. And this is from what I consider the number one movie of my life.
Buffy, Firefly, Lost, The Prisoner, Alien, The Terminator, I could go on and on. All loved, all seen no more than twice. I love Wizard of Oz, I helped direct at Flying Dragon a few months ago, I used to watch it every year as a kid; but now, I haven't watched it in years.
I love to read, but there are very few books I have read more than once. Some Stephen King books I have read twice, and The Stand at least three times.
With all these, I've enjoyed them, thought about them, participated in my imagination in their worlds to a small degree. But I have not reached an untoward lever of obsession with them. At least until recently.
I am in danger of drifting onto the nerd train over a series I discovered in the mid to late nineties. And now that that series has an extremely well crafted television show, I find myself becoming increasingly engaged in it's world. I have read it's books multiple times, repeatedly viewed the TV show, find myself thinking about the characters constantly, imagining it's maps and the richness of it's fantasy world, trying to work out where the author is headed, reading the new comic book that has come out, wanting calendars and trading card and cups and cookbooks and whatever else I can find. I love it so much that I try to get others started on the series, This is, of course, The Song of Fire and Ice, more popularly known as A Game of Thrones, written by George R. R, Martin. The books have come out slowly over the last decade and a half - he's a very gifted writer but does not have Stephen King's gift for output.
I am trying hard not to go over the edge. But if you hear talking obsessively about it, or dressed up as Tyrion or Lord Mormont or Eddard Stark, please forgive. I will do my best to momentarily leave Westeros and try to deal with the more mundane happening on Planet Earth. I am afraid the nerd hat is finally coming on. Winter is coming, indeed!
Saturday, May 19, 2012
You've Got Mail...for Now! Saturday Political Soap Box 24
I get a package each month from a comic retailer in Wisconsin. I do this because there is no local comic retailer, and over the years, this Wisconsin company has served me well. They virtually never miss sending me what I order, and never send me items by mistake. They have been very reliable. They send the package out sometime Wednesday. They have used FedEx most frequently in the past, and I've gotten the package on Saturday. One time, a few months ago, they used the United States Post office, and I got that packages on Friday. I repeat. They sent out Wednesday, and I got it Friday.
This last month, they decided to start using UPS. Do you know when I got my package shipped out Wednesday? Tuesday. That's right. A full three days later than FedEx, four days later then the vilified USPS. Not only that, when the package finally got to Blackshear on Monday, UPS didn't sent it to me. They sent it to the post office. Yes, in Blackshear, where UPS and USPS are not that far way from each other. That huge corporate entity, in the end, had to baled out by the little ol' post office.
So what do you think is going to happen when conservative reactionaries receive their dream, and abolish the constitutionally mandated United States Postal Service? My rural friends, either be prepared not to served, or to pay up the wazoo. Is that what you intended? Many of you reading this live in rural areas that would be tremendously hard hit if the USPS was to disappear.
Is it true that the business model of the post office will need some tweaking as times change? Yes, no doubt. Should the pension structure of postal and other civil service workers be changed? I think that is negotiable - I would like to see them participate more in Social Security, and have their other pension investment perhaps be more privatized or market based (shocking, I know, coming from this old liberal), Saturdays, staffing, a small amount of post office location consolidation - they all should be looked at.
The post office in recent years has lost considerable money. Despite all the talk of email, texts. and alternate information systems, the primary driver of this loss has been the draconian funding standards that a Republican Congress has imposed on the post office. They are required to fund their system more quickly and aggressively than any other part of the government.
If you are for the elimination of the post office, tell me your reasons and what you think is going to happen after it is gone. If you think the post office should be saved but reformed, tell me what reforms you favor. If you think everything is fine the was it is, tell me why you feel that way.
This last month, they decided to start using UPS. Do you know when I got my package shipped out Wednesday? Tuesday. That's right. A full three days later than FedEx, four days later then the vilified USPS. Not only that, when the package finally got to Blackshear on Monday, UPS didn't sent it to me. They sent it to the post office. Yes, in Blackshear, where UPS and USPS are not that far way from each other. That huge corporate entity, in the end, had to baled out by the little ol' post office.
So what do you think is going to happen when conservative reactionaries receive their dream, and abolish the constitutionally mandated United States Postal Service? My rural friends, either be prepared not to served, or to pay up the wazoo. Is that what you intended? Many of you reading this live in rural areas that would be tremendously hard hit if the USPS was to disappear.
Is it true that the business model of the post office will need some tweaking as times change? Yes, no doubt. Should the pension structure of postal and other civil service workers be changed? I think that is negotiable - I would like to see them participate more in Social Security, and have their other pension investment perhaps be more privatized or market based (shocking, I know, coming from this old liberal), Saturdays, staffing, a small amount of post office location consolidation - they all should be looked at.
The post office in recent years has lost considerable money. Despite all the talk of email, texts. and alternate information systems, the primary driver of this loss has been the draconian funding standards that a Republican Congress has imposed on the post office. They are required to fund their system more quickly and aggressively than any other part of the government.
If you are for the elimination of the post office, tell me your reasons and what you think is going to happen after it is gone. If you think the post office should be saved but reformed, tell me what reforms you favor. If you think everything is fine the was it is, tell me why you feel that way.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Benjamin Plays Captain Clean-Up!
Captain Clean-Up! Seven certificates, three medals and a trophy. Includes all As and exceeding all parts of the CRCT. His favorite? Master of the Rubik's Cube!
Yeah, Daddy though he had his iPhone camera in camera mode when it was actually in video mode. Sigh! Daddy will learn over time.
So this wraps up Benjamin's Fifth grade experience, and next year he will start middle school. We will have to keep him focused, since middle school is more intense, with more frequent classroom changes. He is going to try out for band, so I'm hoping his mother and brother Doug's musical abilities and eye/hand coordination shine through, instead of Daddy's slowed timing between brain and physical movement.
We had looked forward to him working in drama with his godmother Angela Manders, but alas, that is not to be, as she has chosen to leave teaching. Hopefully, there will still be a drama program, and there is Flying Dragon and Waycross Area Community Theatre (WACT).
Benjamin, your parents, family and friends salute you!!!
Thursday, May 17, 2012
The Most Precious Thing We Have
The older I get, the more clearly I see it. The most precious thing, outside of love, is the health of yourself and the ones you love. Money means little without it. I have done the tax returns of people that are rolling in it, thinking they're on top of the world, only to find out that they;re going through some terrible health crisis. Fame, success, pursuit of hobby and happiness, can all be overshadowed by health.
My mother had many health crises, so many that we became almost inured to them. When she was taken, it came so quickly that it took us by surprise. My father is almost 90, and we have watched him slowly decline, as he has lost most of his mobility. Earlier this week, he had an accident trying to get through a doorway on his Hoverround, and wound up scraping off a large portion of his middle finger. That finger was amputated yesterday to the first knuckle. He can barely speak or eat because of the deterioration of his esophagus. Yet he moves forward with as much grace. strength, humor and kindness as he can muster.
It is true that Americans, as a whole, don't take as good a care of themselves as they should. Nevertheless. illnesses will still occur. We all still have our genetic crosses to bear. And no one has figured out yet how to keep cells regenerating forever.
We can only pray that when anyone goes through these crises, that they have the love and support of those around them. It means so much to them. I am very shy, but I need to do more to reach out when these things happen.
But still, there is something missing in America. It breaks my heart to so people go bankrupt over medical bills. It upsets me that our efforts as friends and supporters has to go so much just to help provide the ill and their family with basic medical support, so they can have a needed surgery or cope with the mounting pile of bills. It tears me up to see so many not be able to afford insurance, or even be denied coverage if they do, or be unable to get it because they changed jobs or lost a job and have a pre-existing condition. Some of these problems are addressed by the Affordable Care Act, which some call Obamacare. Not a perfect piece of legislation by any means, but an opening point to make health care more affordable and accessible.
So hold on to to those you love. Live to the fullest and to the healthiest way you can. Give time and care to those who are facing their health issues. And stop bad-mouthing Obamacare. Please. I'm begging you.
My mother had many health crises, so many that we became almost inured to them. When she was taken, it came so quickly that it took us by surprise. My father is almost 90, and we have watched him slowly decline, as he has lost most of his mobility. Earlier this week, he had an accident trying to get through a doorway on his Hoverround, and wound up scraping off a large portion of his middle finger. That finger was amputated yesterday to the first knuckle. He can barely speak or eat because of the deterioration of his esophagus. Yet he moves forward with as much grace. strength, humor and kindness as he can muster.
It is true that Americans, as a whole, don't take as good a care of themselves as they should. Nevertheless. illnesses will still occur. We all still have our genetic crosses to bear. And no one has figured out yet how to keep cells regenerating forever.
We can only pray that when anyone goes through these crises, that they have the love and support of those around them. It means so much to them. I am very shy, but I need to do more to reach out when these things happen.
But still, there is something missing in America. It breaks my heart to so people go bankrupt over medical bills. It upsets me that our efforts as friends and supporters has to go so much just to help provide the ill and their family with basic medical support, so they can have a needed surgery or cope with the mounting pile of bills. It tears me up to see so many not be able to afford insurance, or even be denied coverage if they do, or be unable to get it because they changed jobs or lost a job and have a pre-existing condition. Some of these problems are addressed by the Affordable Care Act, which some call Obamacare. Not a perfect piece of legislation by any means, but an opening point to make health care more affordable and accessible.
So hold on to to those you love. Live to the fullest and to the healthiest way you can. Give time and care to those who are facing their health issues. And stop bad-mouthing Obamacare. Please. I'm begging you.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Avengers Assemble! Joss Rules!
There are bad movies. There are good movies. There are great movies. And
then there are earth-shatteringly awesome OMG I've been waiting for that all my
life movies. Guess which category The Avengers fall in?
The Avengers is the perfect storm movie that demonstrates what everything else has been leading up to. All the advances of special effects, almost fifty years of comic stories, the individual movies leading up to it, the ideal actors found to portray these roles, everything the the amazing Joss Whedon did in his career bringing him to this extraordinary work. I as a fan am exceptionally grateful.
The movie builds carefully, so that when the action sequences do occur, they are that much more awesome. The dialogue often has the same bite and clever humor that Joss Whedon has demonstrated in past work such as Buffy and Firefly.
Every one has a different favorite character. Alison is partial toIron Man. America
I looked up on imdb the height of the different characters, and was interested to see that this was not a very tall cast, Thor being the tallest at 6'2 1/2". The shortest male was Mark Ruffalo, the actor portraying the Hulk at 5'8", with Robert Downey, Jr. beating him by only half an inch.
Joss Whedon is a director/writer that I've been following for quite some time, and am overjoyed that he is getting this success. The Avengers will probably sit somewhere in the top three box office draws of all time. Hopefully, this will empower him to do some other things. Maybe, just maybe, return to the world of Firefly. Maybe a movie like Serenity will finally get the attention and box office it deserves.
Finally, i am begging you, if you enjoyed The Avengers, and you want to see more movies like it in the future, here is the most important thing that you can do - READ A COMIC BOOK!!!! The comic book and graphic novel is the source for much of what you enjoy in the media today, but the monthly comic book is ironically a dying art form. Help save it! Read a comic book today! Tell me your tastes and interests and I guarantee you I will have a comic in mind that you will like.
Avengers and Joss Whedon, I salute thee!
The Avengers is the perfect storm movie that demonstrates what everything else has been leading up to. All the advances of special effects, almost fifty years of comic stories, the individual movies leading up to it, the ideal actors found to portray these roles, everything the the amazing Joss Whedon did in his career bringing him to this extraordinary work. I as a fan am exceptionally grateful.
The movie builds carefully, so that when the action sequences do occur, they are that much more awesome. The dialogue often has the same bite and clever humor that Joss Whedon has demonstrated in past work such as Buffy and Firefly.
Every one has a different favorite character. Alison is partial to
I looked up on imdb the height of the different characters, and was interested to see that this was not a very tall cast, Thor being the tallest at 6'2 1/2". The shortest male was Mark Ruffalo, the actor portraying the Hulk at 5'8", with Robert Downey, Jr. beating him by only half an inch.
Joss Whedon is a director/writer that I've been following for quite some time, and am overjoyed that he is getting this success. The Avengers will probably sit somewhere in the top three box office draws of all time. Hopefully, this will empower him to do some other things. Maybe, just maybe, return to the world of Firefly. Maybe a movie like Serenity will finally get the attention and box office it deserves.
Finally, i am begging you, if you enjoyed The Avengers, and you want to see more movies like it in the future, here is the most important thing that you can do - READ A COMIC BOOK!!!! The comic book and graphic novel is the source for much of what you enjoy in the media today, but the monthly comic book is ironically a dying art form. Help save it! Read a comic book today! Tell me your tastes and interests and I guarantee you I will have a comic in mind that you will like.
Avengers and Joss Whedon, I salute thee!
Monday, May 14, 2012
Workaholic Fever: Catch It!
My fifth-grade son, Benjamin, is om course to get all A's for the entire year. He only has one week of school left. I asked Alison what was coming up this week at school that could change that. Well, today is Field Day - a whole day of outside play activities and competitions. Thursday is Honors day, so grades should be set in stone at that point, and Friday would be a class party that would last until the end of the school day, a day in which many of the kids are picked up early by their parents.
So, I asked her, that just leaves Tuesday and Wednesday as days that could effect his academic performance. Alison scoffed at the notion - whatever they were doing those days wouldn't involve anything that effected grades. So, in essence, school has already ended, and this was just an extended goodbye.
This sort of thing, with other days like it throughout the year, plus frequent school breaks such as Christmas and Spring break, the long Summer break, and other assorted days off, ill prepares our students for what's really out there. Americans take the least amount of vacation out of any developed nation in the world. We have fewer vacation days. Our mothers do not get paid maternity leave (except for a small handful of truly exceptional companies). Many families are two income, if not three or four. There is little time for child care, proper meals, or general participation in society.
Our productivity in this country is going through the roof. But these gains are not showing up in increased wages. Relative to inflation and cost of living, wages for 90% plus of us have remained stagnant, and for many that actual buying power has declined. But for anyone in this society dare to suggest that they need more time for themselves and their families is considered a sin. For anyone to try to organize themselves and their co-workers for better wages and working conditions is considered criminal.
I worked for a Japanese plastics manufacture in the early to mid 90s. The Japanese were considered the greatest workaholics on the planet. And they did often work six days a week, with a pretty strong work ethic and intensity. BUT they also took more vacation than their American counterparts. We had fewer holidays and vacation days than they did. The Japanese even had a week long holiday that roughly translated into Stop and Smell the Roses Week, They got it off. We did not.
I've had workaholic streaks in my life. It got me nowhere except exhausted, tired, and feeling used. I have an inner lazy streak, and I always wanted to not let people see it, so often I over-compensated the other way. I would strive to be one of the first ones in and one of the last ones to leave. I have gradually fought off those feelings, but it has taken years to get to that point.
Maybe we don't need to have as much downtime as our schoolchildren do. But I'm not sure if we all took time out to smell the roses just a little bit more, it wouldn't just make life a tiny bit better.
So, I asked her, that just leaves Tuesday and Wednesday as days that could effect his academic performance. Alison scoffed at the notion - whatever they were doing those days wouldn't involve anything that effected grades. So, in essence, school has already ended, and this was just an extended goodbye.
This sort of thing, with other days like it throughout the year, plus frequent school breaks such as Christmas and Spring break, the long Summer break, and other assorted days off, ill prepares our students for what's really out there. Americans take the least amount of vacation out of any developed nation in the world. We have fewer vacation days. Our mothers do not get paid maternity leave (except for a small handful of truly exceptional companies). Many families are two income, if not three or four. There is little time for child care, proper meals, or general participation in society.
Our productivity in this country is going through the roof. But these gains are not showing up in increased wages. Relative to inflation and cost of living, wages for 90% plus of us have remained stagnant, and for many that actual buying power has declined. But for anyone in this society dare to suggest that they need more time for themselves and their families is considered a sin. For anyone to try to organize themselves and their co-workers for better wages and working conditions is considered criminal.
I worked for a Japanese plastics manufacture in the early to mid 90s. The Japanese were considered the greatest workaholics on the planet. And they did often work six days a week, with a pretty strong work ethic and intensity. BUT they also took more vacation than their American counterparts. We had fewer holidays and vacation days than they did. The Japanese even had a week long holiday that roughly translated into Stop and Smell the Roses Week, They got it off. We did not.
I've had workaholic streaks in my life. It got me nowhere except exhausted, tired, and feeling used. I have an inner lazy streak, and I always wanted to not let people see it, so often I over-compensated the other way. I would strive to be one of the first ones in and one of the last ones to leave. I have gradually fought off those feelings, but it has taken years to get to that point.
Maybe we don't need to have as much downtime as our schoolchildren do. But I'm not sure if we all took time out to smell the roses just a little bit more, it wouldn't just make life a tiny bit better.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Continuing to Beat the Music Theme Like A Drum
One last music rant, and then I will go on to other things, I promise.
I not only rebelled against my peers, I rebelled against whatever my sister was listening to. She fell for The Beatles before I did. I thought the lyrics of She Loves You Yeah Yeah Yeah and I Wanna Hold Your Hans were inane and repetitive. I would run around the house singing over and over again "She Loves you Yeah Yeah YEAH!" just to annoy her. But I wasn't a complete musical imbecile. By a couple of years I came around like everybody else.
I tried to be in the band at school. They administered a musical ability test in 6th grade, a test that I failed. But I still wanted to be in the band, so they relented and let me in anyways. I used the trombone my Dad had in school that he bought used. It must have been seventy or more years old. Hard as I tried, I couldn't get the hang of it. So after a few weeks my parents rented a trumpet. While the other band members were playing more sophisticated songs, I couldn't get past Mary Had A Little Lamb. I would play a note, then several seconds later I would finally position myself to play the next note. Try as I might, my brain/motor movement coordination was never going to work fast enough to play anything in any rhythmic reasonableness.
In Junior High I joined the school choir, and did better because I didn't have to worry about the whole delay from brain to hands thing. My bizarre sense of humor was beginning to give a kind of bizarre popularity, and although I didn't get any solos in the choir, I did get to be an emcee of the talent show. I decided to do the Battle Hymn of the R3epublic. My voice was pretty good at it1 Unfortunately, you also had to learn the lyrics, something I failed to completely do. so I turned it into a comedy bit. I started singing the song in impressive, full-throated glory, got to the part where I couldn't remember the lyrics, looked out at the audience as if I'd seen them for the first time, and then squeaked in a frightened voice, "Christ! Look at all the people!", and then ran off. The kids thought it was hysterical, but the Principal Louise Stottlymere (who, like Jiminy Cricket, lived to be 103) was not amused, and I was banished from the stage for the rest of Junior High.
I left the choir until I was a Junior in high school, when I rejoined because I had discovered plays as a Freshman, and always wanted to be in a musical. And my Junior year they were going to do It's a Bird, It's A Plane, It's Superman. Well, lifelong Superman fan as I was, there was no way I was going to sit on the sideline for that bad boy. But they only let people from the music department be in the musicals. There was no way I could play an instrument so I rejoined the choir. In tryouts for Superman, I sang the only song I could remember the words from, Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Only I didn't know anything about pitch and key, and sang it in a range higher than Judy Garlands. The big band teachers running the auditions were stunned. They took me to the band directors home and had me do scales. They told I had one of the rarest voices there was, and that I could be a countertenor, make a lot of money singing opera or whatnot. I never took that up, being as how I couldn't figure out how singing higher than a soprano would work in impressing the ladies. I got the part of the mad scientist and had a blast, thankfully singing the songs I had in a somewhat lower range. I had always hoped that one of the theater groups I performed with would take this great musical on, but, sigh, so far there have been no takers.
In college I joined the University of Men's Glee Club, a group that had recently won the International award for best men's glee club in the world. My high tenor voice paid off, because you were supposed to be able to sight read, but they were so desperate for high tenors that they waived that requirement. We toured the country twice, sang on television at the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony. There are many stories of this time that I will share at a later date. I'll just mention that it included the musical highlight of my life, where I got to sing a small solo when we preformed at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Since then, I have been in a number of community theatre musicals, sometimes with not much to sing, and sometimes with a lot. I mostly play comedic roles, and when I do have a song, it was in a lower range that was hard for me to project volume. I was very envious of Hairspray done here a year ago, because all the main singers were miked. god, I could have used that when trying to croak out baritone or bass. I did have one musical lead with six songs, Shenandoah. That was a lot of work. I worked as hard to come up to standards in that play as I had in anything I had ever done. The worst part is that most of the practices were in tax season, and I could only kick in to high gear the last two weeks or so. I stayed at the Academy by myself rehearsing the songs for hours and hours. It wasn't my most perfect performance, but I poured as much passion and commitment into it as I ever had in anything I had done.
So there you go. I can't play an instrument, but I can sing if I work hard at it. And now my son is getting ready to try out for the band. Benjamin is not a great athlete, but he does have more eye/hand coordination than I do. I have high hopes that he'll take after my Dad and his mother, and be good enough that he can experience the joys of music, and the camaraderie that comes from being in those groups.
I not only rebelled against my peers, I rebelled against whatever my sister was listening to. She fell for The Beatles before I did. I thought the lyrics of She Loves You Yeah Yeah Yeah and I Wanna Hold Your Hans were inane and repetitive. I would run around the house singing over and over again "She Loves you Yeah Yeah YEAH!" just to annoy her. But I wasn't a complete musical imbecile. By a couple of years I came around like everybody else.
I tried to be in the band at school. They administered a musical ability test in 6th grade, a test that I failed. But I still wanted to be in the band, so they relented and let me in anyways. I used the trombone my Dad had in school that he bought used. It must have been seventy or more years old. Hard as I tried, I couldn't get the hang of it. So after a few weeks my parents rented a trumpet. While the other band members were playing more sophisticated songs, I couldn't get past Mary Had A Little Lamb. I would play a note, then several seconds later I would finally position myself to play the next note. Try as I might, my brain/motor movement coordination was never going to work fast enough to play anything in any rhythmic reasonableness.
In Junior High I joined the school choir, and did better because I didn't have to worry about the whole delay from brain to hands thing. My bizarre sense of humor was beginning to give a kind of bizarre popularity, and although I didn't get any solos in the choir, I did get to be an emcee of the talent show. I decided to do the Battle Hymn of the R3epublic. My voice was pretty good at it1 Unfortunately, you also had to learn the lyrics, something I failed to completely do. so I turned it into a comedy bit. I started singing the song in impressive, full-throated glory, got to the part where I couldn't remember the lyrics, looked out at the audience as if I'd seen them for the first time, and then squeaked in a frightened voice, "Christ! Look at all the people!", and then ran off. The kids thought it was hysterical, but the Principal Louise Stottlymere (who, like Jiminy Cricket, lived to be 103) was not amused, and I was banished from the stage for the rest of Junior High.
I left the choir until I was a Junior in high school, when I rejoined because I had discovered plays as a Freshman, and always wanted to be in a musical. And my Junior year they were going to do It's a Bird, It's A Plane, It's Superman. Well, lifelong Superman fan as I was, there was no way I was going to sit on the sideline for that bad boy. But they only let people from the music department be in the musicals. There was no way I could play an instrument so I rejoined the choir. In tryouts for Superman, I sang the only song I could remember the words from, Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Only I didn't know anything about pitch and key, and sang it in a range higher than Judy Garlands. The big band teachers running the auditions were stunned. They took me to the band directors home and had me do scales. They told I had one of the rarest voices there was, and that I could be a countertenor, make a lot of money singing opera or whatnot. I never took that up, being as how I couldn't figure out how singing higher than a soprano would work in impressing the ladies. I got the part of the mad scientist and had a blast, thankfully singing the songs I had in a somewhat lower range. I had always hoped that one of the theater groups I performed with would take this great musical on, but, sigh, so far there have been no takers.
In college I joined the University of Men's Glee Club, a group that had recently won the International award for best men's glee club in the world. My high tenor voice paid off, because you were supposed to be able to sight read, but they were so desperate for high tenors that they waived that requirement. We toured the country twice, sang on television at the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony. There are many stories of this time that I will share at a later date. I'll just mention that it included the musical highlight of my life, where I got to sing a small solo when we preformed at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Since then, I have been in a number of community theatre musicals, sometimes with not much to sing, and sometimes with a lot. I mostly play comedic roles, and when I do have a song, it was in a lower range that was hard for me to project volume. I was very envious of Hairspray done here a year ago, because all the main singers were miked. god, I could have used that when trying to croak out baritone or bass. I did have one musical lead with six songs, Shenandoah. That was a lot of work. I worked as hard to come up to standards in that play as I had in anything I had ever done. The worst part is that most of the practices were in tax season, and I could only kick in to high gear the last two weeks or so. I stayed at the Academy by myself rehearsing the songs for hours and hours. It wasn't my most perfect performance, but I poured as much passion and commitment into it as I ever had in anything I had done.
So there you go. I can't play an instrument, but I can sing if I work hard at it. And now my son is getting ready to try out for the band. Benjamin is not a great athlete, but he does have more eye/hand coordination than I do. I have high hopes that he'll take after my Dad and his mother, and be good enough that he can experience the joys of music, and the camaraderie that comes from being in those groups.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Musical High Notes
Yesterday's blog about music and Gram Parsons had excellent responses! Unfortunately for my blog-only readers (Bueller? Bueller? Anyone? Anyone?), all the discussion was on the facebook machine, but it was really a very interesting set of comments where people talked about their musical roots, and the varied types of music they were interested in. I enjoyed it a great deal, and so I've decided to return to the musical theme and this time, instead of writing about what I don't like, describe some of my "musical high notes".
Again,there was not a lot of music playing in the house, and I don't recall my parents singing other than Happy Birthday. My Dad did, when he was younger, play the piano and was in the school band. By the time I was growing up, all that was gone. He did have an older record player in the basement with some older records from the 30s and 40s. I would play them on occasion and learned to appreciate some of the early crooners. I remember Slow Boat to China and also some Andrews Sisters. Then we got a big stereo unit upstairs, one of those huge box consoles that took up half a wall. Mt Dad was partial to those Reader's Digest collections that, as cheesy as they were, covered diverse era and types of music. One had ten LPs each covering a different decade of music, starting with the 1890s. I loved that set.
Like it or not, my musical tastes were heavily influenced by....the movies. although they didn't play a lot of music, my parents did take us to the movies quite regularly, several times a month. So my interest in music was quite heavily influenced by the movies I saw. I loved the James Bond theme songs. My love of classical music grew in part from Kubrick films like A Clockwork Orange and Barry Lyndon. American Graffiti inspired an interest in early rock. I grew to have a really strong affection for Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison. Roy to me is The Voice, musical perfection, starting low and then soaring to the mountaintops, no one had a range like he did.
I came to like Motown, especially the Supremes. I have always had a stronger affinity for female singers and groups. I liked much of the British Invasion, including The Beatles and even Herman's Hermits. The Monkees were fun, and probably the first group whose records I sought out. I loved comedic singers, particularly Alan Sherman (Hello Mudder, Hello Fadder , Here we are at Camp Granada).
Even with the disdain for the music of my peers, there were some singers or individual songs that I liked. Elton John (Crocodile Rock), Barry Manilow, Linda Rondstadt, Winchester Cathedral, Popcorn, Kansas (Dust in the Wind), Black Sabbath's I Am Iron Man.
For the most part music headed into a dark age in the 70s, and was led out by Modern Rock, which I really liked, led out of the wilderness by artists such as David Bowie and Blondie.
Well, work time is marching heavily towards me, so I must continue this at another time. Until then, my blog army!
Again,there was not a lot of music playing in the house, and I don't recall my parents singing other than Happy Birthday. My Dad did, when he was younger, play the piano and was in the school band. By the time I was growing up, all that was gone. He did have an older record player in the basement with some older records from the 30s and 40s. I would play them on occasion and learned to appreciate some of the early crooners. I remember Slow Boat to China and also some Andrews Sisters. Then we got a big stereo unit upstairs, one of those huge box consoles that took up half a wall. Mt Dad was partial to those Reader's Digest collections that, as cheesy as they were, covered diverse era and types of music. One had ten LPs each covering a different decade of music, starting with the 1890s. I loved that set.
Like it or not, my musical tastes were heavily influenced by....the movies. although they didn't play a lot of music, my parents did take us to the movies quite regularly, several times a month. So my interest in music was quite heavily influenced by the movies I saw. I loved the James Bond theme songs. My love of classical music grew in part from Kubrick films like A Clockwork Orange and Barry Lyndon. American Graffiti inspired an interest in early rock. I grew to have a really strong affection for Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison. Roy to me is The Voice, musical perfection, starting low and then soaring to the mountaintops, no one had a range like he did.
I came to like Motown, especially the Supremes. I have always had a stronger affinity for female singers and groups. I liked much of the British Invasion, including The Beatles and even Herman's Hermits. The Monkees were fun, and probably the first group whose records I sought out. I loved comedic singers, particularly Alan Sherman (Hello Mudder, Hello Fadder , Here we are at Camp Granada).
Even with the disdain for the music of my peers, there were some singers or individual songs that I liked. Elton John (Crocodile Rock), Barry Manilow, Linda Rondstadt, Winchester Cathedral, Popcorn, Kansas (Dust in the Wind), Black Sabbath's I Am Iron Man.
For the most part music headed into a dark age in the 70s, and was led out by Modern Rock, which I really liked, led out of the wilderness by artists such as David Bowie and Blondie.
Well, work time is marching heavily towards me, so I must continue this at another time. Until then, my blog army!
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Musical Misfires
I have very eclectic music tastes, that crosses many genres and eras. This is a lot because, unlike many, I did not become particularly attached to the music of my youth, the music that was popular when I was in high school or college. Listening to music from that time does not make me nostalgic for my youth.
One of the two big reasons for this was my mother and her lack of interest in music. We didn't have a lot of music playing in the house. It wasn't religious fervor on her part, or a hatred of modern culture. She just liked to talk, and music might interfere with that. We had radios in our room we would listen to sometimes. We also had a Reader's Digest collection of 10 LPs, each having hit songs from a different decade of American music, which I would occasionally get to play.
The second big reason had to do with my peers. Growing up, I was rebelling against them as much or more than my parents. So I tended to be skeptical of any music they liked.
The third and final reason, is that it just didn't click with me. I found the dominant forms of rock - country rock, mellow rock, jazz rock - to bland and uninteresting. Three dog Night, Chicago, Lynyrd Skynrd, Allman Brothers, the Eagles (with the exception of Hotel California), Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Creedance Clearwater Revival - all left me stone cold Steve Austin.
And now I find out that the largest influencer on the trend of music that I couldn't stand the most is...none other than Gram Parsons, someone who is greatly revered by the people in this area, and by many of the people that I love, respect and admire. He grew up in Waycross, was even a member of my parish, Grace Episcopal. From what I have been told, he was a very decent fellow. I'd heard the name, but didn't realize until recently what a large impact he actually had. I feel like a traitor to the area.
So I go back and listen to those songs I didn't like in my youth and see if I could perceive them differently now that I'm older and wiser.
Nahh, sorry. Still can't stand them.
Nevertheless, I salute you, Gram Parsons. You made an impact, changed the course of music history, and created a type of music beloved by many. Even if I'm not one of them.
One of the two big reasons for this was my mother and her lack of interest in music. We didn't have a lot of music playing in the house. It wasn't religious fervor on her part, or a hatred of modern culture. She just liked to talk, and music might interfere with that. We had radios in our room we would listen to sometimes. We also had a Reader's Digest collection of 10 LPs, each having hit songs from a different decade of American music, which I would occasionally get to play.
The second big reason had to do with my peers. Growing up, I was rebelling against them as much or more than my parents. So I tended to be skeptical of any music they liked.
The third and final reason, is that it just didn't click with me. I found the dominant forms of rock - country rock, mellow rock, jazz rock - to bland and uninteresting. Three dog Night, Chicago, Lynyrd Skynrd, Allman Brothers, the Eagles (with the exception of Hotel California), Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Creedance Clearwater Revival - all left me stone cold Steve Austin.
And now I find out that the largest influencer on the trend of music that I couldn't stand the most is...none other than Gram Parsons, someone who is greatly revered by the people in this area, and by many of the people that I love, respect and admire. He grew up in Waycross, was even a member of my parish, Grace Episcopal. From what I have been told, he was a very decent fellow. I'd heard the name, but didn't realize until recently what a large impact he actually had. I feel like a traitor to the area.
So I go back and listen to those songs I didn't like in my youth and see if I could perceive them differently now that I'm older and wiser.
Nahh, sorry. Still can't stand them.
Nevertheless, I salute you, Gram Parsons. You made an impact, changed the course of music history, and created a type of music beloved by many. Even if I'm not one of them.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Benjamin's Confirmed!
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Sunday, May 6, 2012
DC 52 Pick Down
I have done a statistical analysis of the performance of DC's grand experiment of renumbering their titles to number 1 and rebooting continuity to ground zero, just so everyone could feel like they wasted their time the first seventy years. I used the sales order figures for the first six issues of each title from the only real wholesale supplier, Diamond Comic Distributors. This may not take into account newsstand sales, but I don't know how important that is, How many times in the last decade have you seen any significant numbers of comic books for sale outside of a comic shop?
The results? Not too good. Their most successful title, Justice League, started with sales orders of 239,128 copies, pretty high by modern standards (tragically), descending to 135,374 by issue 6, This represents a decline of 43%. This is not an exceptional number, but representative of the decline of all 52, declining a total of 51% from issues 1 to 6.
Over the first six issues the titles that have declined the least are Batman:The Dark Knight (34%), Detective Comics (36%), Aquaman (37%), Teen Titans (40%) and three titles at 41% - Batman, Batman & Robin, and Nightwing. Overall, the best performers seem to be the Batman titles. Suffering the greatest declines from issue to issue 6, were Blackhawks (75%), Mister Terrific (74%), Captain Atom (71%), followed by Fury of Firestorm and Static Shock at 70%. Many in this bottom group were cancelled at their sixth issue. wise decision.
Of the six months covered, the best selling was Justice League No. 1 with the sales order of 239,128. The lowest was Blackhawks No, 6 with 10,730. The first month there were ten titles that had sales orders over 100,000 copies; by the sixth month there were only two (Justice League and Batman).
Sometimes the large sales of the first issue can overshadow the rate of decline of subsequent issues. Looking at decline form issue 2 to issue 6 revealed little change.Batman:The Dark Knight and Detective Comics declined only 15% and Aquaman 16%. The only newcomer to the top five was third place Justice League at 25%. The largest rate of decline from 2 to 6 was Mister Terrific at 64% (not so terrific, I guess) with the only newcomer to the bottom five being Men at War (62%).
Looking at decline from 5 to 6 shows a slow stabilization, but at significantly less total sales. Batman:The Dark Knight was the only comic to actually increase from issue 5 to 6, a measly 0.41%. Others in the top 5 were Justice League (2.31%), Aquaman (2.53%), Teen Titans (2.72), and I Vampire (3.52%). The bottom five were Mister Terrific (15.95%), Men of War (14.39%), Omac (13.49%), Static Shock (13.11%) and Captain Atom (12.71%).
Outside of the Batman titles, the most relatively successful titles, based on both minimizing decline and exceeding expectations, have been Aquaman, Animal Man, Swamp Thing and Teen Titans. Aquaman is the only other comic besides Batman:The Dark Knight to have months where the numbers actually go up instead of down in one or two months, and has been a critical success. I have not gotten this title, but may have to check it out in graphic novel form.
The first month had combined sales orders of 4,119,073, declining to 2,029,419 by month 6. Do I think it will half again by issue 12? Probably not, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it decline to 1.5 million. Is this enough to sustain the continuation of monthly comics? I don't know, but it can't be what they hoped for.
The major rational for this change was to give a starting point for digital comic sales, trying to give them a better launch so as to not confuse the newcomer's minds. I have heard the digital sales are abysmal, but I have not researched this thoroughly yet. I hope to do that soon, and then explore it in another article.
Yes. I know this has been an article that only a true comic nerd and number cruncher could love. But I enjoyed the heck out of researching it and writing it. And who knows who may blindly waltz into my blog and be entranced? So there you go!
The results? Not too good. Their most successful title, Justice League, started with sales orders of 239,128 copies, pretty high by modern standards (tragically), descending to 135,374 by issue 6, This represents a decline of 43%. This is not an exceptional number, but representative of the decline of all 52, declining a total of 51% from issues 1 to 6.
Over the first six issues the titles that have declined the least are Batman:The Dark Knight (34%), Detective Comics (36%), Aquaman (37%), Teen Titans (40%) and three titles at 41% - Batman, Batman & Robin, and Nightwing. Overall, the best performers seem to be the Batman titles. Suffering the greatest declines from issue to issue 6, were Blackhawks (75%), Mister Terrific (74%), Captain Atom (71%), followed by Fury of Firestorm and Static Shock at 70%. Many in this bottom group were cancelled at their sixth issue. wise decision.
Of the six months covered, the best selling was Justice League No. 1 with the sales order of 239,128. The lowest was Blackhawks No, 6 with 10,730. The first month there were ten titles that had sales orders over 100,000 copies; by the sixth month there were only two (Justice League and Batman).
Sometimes the large sales of the first issue can overshadow the rate of decline of subsequent issues. Looking at decline form issue 2 to issue 6 revealed little change.Batman:The Dark Knight and Detective Comics declined only 15% and Aquaman 16%. The only newcomer to the top five was third place Justice League at 25%. The largest rate of decline from 2 to 6 was Mister Terrific at 64% (not so terrific, I guess) with the only newcomer to the bottom five being Men at War (62%).
Looking at decline from 5 to 6 shows a slow stabilization, but at significantly less total sales. Batman:The Dark Knight was the only comic to actually increase from issue 5 to 6, a measly 0.41%. Others in the top 5 were Justice League (2.31%), Aquaman (2.53%), Teen Titans (2.72), and I Vampire (3.52%). The bottom five were Mister Terrific (15.95%), Men of War (14.39%), Omac (13.49%), Static Shock (13.11%) and Captain Atom (12.71%).
Outside of the Batman titles, the most relatively successful titles, based on both minimizing decline and exceeding expectations, have been Aquaman, Animal Man, Swamp Thing and Teen Titans. Aquaman is the only other comic besides Batman:The Dark Knight to have months where the numbers actually go up instead of down in one or two months, and has been a critical success. I have not gotten this title, but may have to check it out in graphic novel form.
The first month had combined sales orders of 4,119,073, declining to 2,029,419 by month 6. Do I think it will half again by issue 12? Probably not, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it decline to 1.5 million. Is this enough to sustain the continuation of monthly comics? I don't know, but it can't be what they hoped for.
The major rational for this change was to give a starting point for digital comic sales, trying to give them a better launch so as to not confuse the newcomer's minds. I have heard the digital sales are abysmal, but I have not researched this thoroughly yet. I hope to do that soon, and then explore it in another article.
Yes. I know this has been an article that only a true comic nerd and number cruncher could love. But I enjoyed the heck out of researching it and writing it. And who knows who may blindly waltz into my blog and be entranced? So there you go!
Saturday, May 5, 2012
The New Advocates - Saturday Political Soap Box 23
Here's an idea.
One of the problems in American culture is that we talk at each other more than we talk to each other. There's many different ways to solve this, but hear me out on one idea that might be helpful.
I used to like an old PBS TV program called The Advocates. Each week they would present a topic of concern and debate it in a courtroom style setting. They had a judge, but I don't remember whether they had verdicts or not.
I think we should revive the germ of that, but have it be a whole evening with different phases to it. Two to four hours of programming that would most naturally fit CNN (who, God only knows, needs something to help save it), maybe a broadcast network if they would be so bold, or even PBS. Fox, MSNBC or Current could do it, but I think too many people perceive them as biased. And, yes, I know that there are those who believe all media are biased, but jeez-louise, ya gotta start somewhere!
Let's just take a general topic, say Energy Policy. The show would start with a half hour to an hour of centrist reporting describing current energy policy, the problems with that, and the different options that we are faced with. This should be done in an as unbiased way as possible, without resorting to the canard of false equivalencies. As best as possible, scientists and academics and other factual experts should be sought out before lobbyists, think tanks or shills for political parties.
The second part would be an advocacy trial/debate, presenting two proposals that ARE put together by political advocates. There should be a real jury composed of average Americans, representing the best cross-section that can be obtained. There should be a judge with opening statements and witnesses. In the energy policy example, one side might advocate a position that prioritizes alternative energy sources and the other side one heavier on traditional fuels.This should be the longest part, lasting an hour or more.
The third part would be watching the jury confer as to which option they are inclined towards. After discussion, they would take a brief, non-binding vote.
The final part would be a post-discussion, that might include all parties, and reflect, in some cases, an attempt at reconciliation and blending.
I really like this idea. But I like a lot of the stuff I come up with - that's how my ego survives. Feel free to tweak it or tell me why it's rotten. My forum is open to you!
One of the problems in American culture is that we talk at each other more than we talk to each other. There's many different ways to solve this, but hear me out on one idea that might be helpful.
I used to like an old PBS TV program called The Advocates. Each week they would present a topic of concern and debate it in a courtroom style setting. They had a judge, but I don't remember whether they had verdicts or not.
I think we should revive the germ of that, but have it be a whole evening with different phases to it. Two to four hours of programming that would most naturally fit CNN (who, God only knows, needs something to help save it), maybe a broadcast network if they would be so bold, or even PBS. Fox, MSNBC or Current could do it, but I think too many people perceive them as biased. And, yes, I know that there are those who believe all media are biased, but jeez-louise, ya gotta start somewhere!
Let's just take a general topic, say Energy Policy. The show would start with a half hour to an hour of centrist reporting describing current energy policy, the problems with that, and the different options that we are faced with. This should be done in an as unbiased way as possible, without resorting to the canard of false equivalencies. As best as possible, scientists and academics and other factual experts should be sought out before lobbyists, think tanks or shills for political parties.
The second part would be an advocacy trial/debate, presenting two proposals that ARE put together by political advocates. There should be a real jury composed of average Americans, representing the best cross-section that can be obtained. There should be a judge with opening statements and witnesses. In the energy policy example, one side might advocate a position that prioritizes alternative energy sources and the other side one heavier on traditional fuels.This should be the longest part, lasting an hour or more.
The third part would be watching the jury confer as to which option they are inclined towards. After discussion, they would take a brief, non-binding vote.
The final part would be a post-discussion, that might include all parties, and reflect, in some cases, an attempt at reconciliation and blending.
I really like this idea. But I like a lot of the stuff I come up with - that's how my ego survives. Feel free to tweak it or tell me why it's rotten. My forum is open to you!
Friday, May 4, 2012
The Gloriousness of Redundancy
How far will it go?
I know Seniors. I know Juniors, sometimes called the Second. There are Thirds, often with the nickname Trey. Only having heard it spoken, I used to think it referred to trays, like those cafeteria trays we used to use in college to go traying (a kind of sledding).
I have met a handful of Fourths, though if thirds are Trey, I don't know why Fourths aren't nicknamed Quad. Via the tax returns I do, I have seen Fifths (Quint?). I don't think I've ever run across a Sixth (Sext?).
I don't quite get the desire to have a whole line of male descendants with the same exact name. Nor do I understand of calling somebody by their middle name. If you wanted to do that, why didn't you just put their middle name first, and their first name second? But it takes many kinds and approaches to give the world it's zesty variety.
In my family, we did have a short streak of Thomas Jefferson Straits, but I don't think it got beyond four. I have three boys, and there ain't a Junior in the bunch. One tradition that I do carry is using maiden names within the mother's family as a middle name. Gregory Roundtree Strait is my oldest, Roundtree being his mother's surname. Douglas Redwine Strait has his mother's grandmother's middle. Benjamin Sloan Strait has a middle name form his grandmother's family. My name, Thomas Martin Strait use my mother's middle name. And so goes our family tradition.
So my question to all my army of followers is - do you know any Sixths or higher? Care to share? I invite your participation!
I know Seniors. I know Juniors, sometimes called the Second. There are Thirds, often with the nickname Trey. Only having heard it spoken, I used to think it referred to trays, like those cafeteria trays we used to use in college to go traying (a kind of sledding).
I have met a handful of Fourths, though if thirds are Trey, I don't know why Fourths aren't nicknamed Quad. Via the tax returns I do, I have seen Fifths (Quint?). I don't think I've ever run across a Sixth (Sext?).
I don't quite get the desire to have a whole line of male descendants with the same exact name. Nor do I understand of calling somebody by their middle name. If you wanted to do that, why didn't you just put their middle name first, and their first name second? But it takes many kinds and approaches to give the world it's zesty variety.
In my family, we did have a short streak of Thomas Jefferson Straits, but I don't think it got beyond four. I have three boys, and there ain't a Junior in the bunch. One tradition that I do carry is using maiden names within the mother's family as a middle name. Gregory Roundtree Strait is my oldest, Roundtree being his mother's surname. Douglas Redwine Strait has his mother's grandmother's middle. Benjamin Sloan Strait has a middle name form his grandmother's family. My name, Thomas Martin Strait use my mother's middle name. And so goes our family tradition.
So my question to all my army of followers is - do you know any Sixths or higher? Care to share? I invite your participation!
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Recalculating......
Those GPS devices sure get disappointed when you go in a different direction than they expect. It tells you "Turn right", and instead you turn left; it says, in an exhausted, frustrated voice, "Recalculating". Like people. sometimes technology is easily discouraged. But then it bucks up, trying to get you on the right path again.
Flying Dragon Arts Center recently is experiencing some bumps in the road, some unexpected moments of recalculation. That is in the nature of community theater. People come and go. Sometimes they move, sometimes they just get burnt out, sometimes they get mad at each other, sometimes there is a power struggle. In a children's theater particularly, some will grow up or out of the phase that theatre is what they want to do. And in a community Waycross's size with it's seeming inability to economically grow beyond a certain point, it is hard to retain the young adults who find more opportunity outside the area.
Flying Dragon, like all community theaters,, will have people come and go, but the heart of it's purpose will always be there. There will always be a corp group of people that care enough to help the group survive and continue. There will always be new people, excited and fresh to the theater, eager to grow and learn, who will constantly help revitalize things.
So don't lose faith in The Flying Dragon. Seasons will go on, recalculating will be done. As far as a building goes, I am sure whatever we find, people will follow. Because as The Wizard of Oz taught, home is where the heart is, home is where the people you love and who love you are.
Of course, really good air conditioning would be nice too.
Flying Dragon Arts Center recently is experiencing some bumps in the road, some unexpected moments of recalculation. That is in the nature of community theater. People come and go. Sometimes they move, sometimes they just get burnt out, sometimes they get mad at each other, sometimes there is a power struggle. In a children's theater particularly, some will grow up or out of the phase that theatre is what they want to do. And in a community Waycross's size with it's seeming inability to economically grow beyond a certain point, it is hard to retain the young adults who find more opportunity outside the area.
Flying Dragon, like all community theaters,, will have people come and go, but the heart of it's purpose will always be there. There will always be a corp group of people that care enough to help the group survive and continue. There will always be new people, excited and fresh to the theater, eager to grow and learn, who will constantly help revitalize things.
So don't lose faith in The Flying Dragon. Seasons will go on, recalculating will be done. As far as a building goes, I am sure whatever we find, people will follow. Because as The Wizard of Oz taught, home is where the heart is, home is where the people you love and who love you are.
Of course, really good air conditioning would be nice too.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Runnin' From the Mittbot
I'm so sorry. I got that title wrong. I meant Runnin' WITH the Mittbot. I mean, of course, who wouldn't want the opportunity to run with this attractive candidate. Well, I guess most of the candidates who are asked say they wouldn't do it, but what the hey! It's early yet, They are still hundreds of millions of dollars in anonymous donations to be given to run completely scurrilous and negative ads. Plenty of time to convince the American people that up is down and down is up.
I believe Mittbot will not make the same mistakes that John McCain did. His decision will not be off the cuff or rash. The primary concern will be who can most help win the election. If the person is qualified to actually be President someday, that would be an extra bonus, but not a deal breaker. As long as the majority of the public believes the vice presidential nominee is qualified should be sufficient.
The first rule is that the veep nominee should be able to bring you his home state. A marginal swing state with a healthy chunk of delegates would be best. In that regard, Governor Bob McDonnell of Virginia would fail the test, as recent polling shows his addition to the ticket does not help Mittbot win Virginia. Indiana is light in delegates, but Governor Mitch Daniels might help seal the state. Governor Chris Christie is someone the mainstream media won't shut up about. He has some popularity among conservatives across the country, although he just strikes me as a reprehensible bully. They're not likely to pick him as he would overshadow the Mittbot, both literally and figuratively. Frankly, right now, most of the Republican governors across the country are highly unpopular right now, and are more likely to become impeached or recalled than become Vice President.
Pulling from a Congress with a 9% approval rating don't seem like much of a winner either. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin may seem like a wonderful choice, but he is very conservative, a social Darwinist and Ayn Randophile whose vaunted budget will not bear public scrutiny. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, a very new Senator, a woman is not batcrap crazy like Palin and Bachmann might pass the test, but the idea it might help with women is naive. When a man wants to take away your birth control, that's pretty awful. When a woman wants to do it, that is monstrous. The problem that the Republicans have with women is their POLICIES, not the atmoshperics. Rob Portman of Ohio might help if he can demonstrate some positive polling in Ohio. He is relatively unknown, and has the Bush stink about him, but stranger things have happened.
So, good luck, Mittbot 2012 2.0! May the best man/woman that is available within the Republican party who won't shrink in horror at the prospect of the job be your nominee!
I believe Mittbot will not make the same mistakes that John McCain did. His decision will not be off the cuff or rash. The primary concern will be who can most help win the election. If the person is qualified to actually be President someday, that would be an extra bonus, but not a deal breaker. As long as the majority of the public believes the vice presidential nominee is qualified should be sufficient.
The first rule is that the veep nominee should be able to bring you his home state. A marginal swing state with a healthy chunk of delegates would be best. In that regard, Governor Bob McDonnell of Virginia would fail the test, as recent polling shows his addition to the ticket does not help Mittbot win Virginia. Indiana is light in delegates, but Governor Mitch Daniels might help seal the state. Governor Chris Christie is someone the mainstream media won't shut up about. He has some popularity among conservatives across the country, although he just strikes me as a reprehensible bully. They're not likely to pick him as he would overshadow the Mittbot, both literally and figuratively. Frankly, right now, most of the Republican governors across the country are highly unpopular right now, and are more likely to become impeached or recalled than become Vice President.
Pulling from a Congress with a 9% approval rating don't seem like much of a winner either. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin may seem like a wonderful choice, but he is very conservative, a social Darwinist and Ayn Randophile whose vaunted budget will not bear public scrutiny. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, a very new Senator, a woman is not batcrap crazy like Palin and Bachmann might pass the test, but the idea it might help with women is naive. When a man wants to take away your birth control, that's pretty awful. When a woman wants to do it, that is monstrous. The problem that the Republicans have with women is their POLICIES, not the atmoshperics. Rob Portman of Ohio might help if he can demonstrate some positive polling in Ohio. He is relatively unknown, and has the Bush stink about him, but stranger things have happened.
So, good luck, Mittbot 2012 2.0! May the best man/woman that is available within the Republican party who won't shrink in horror at the prospect of the job be your nominee!
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