Ripping Good Yarns: Tom's Top Ten Summer Movies 2014

BELIEVE IT OR NOT!!!!.....

I have made an effort to include a diverse range of movies, leaving some off of my list (The Amazing Spider-Man 2, The Giver, Edge of Tomorrow) in order to present a wider variety of movies.  They are still all within the realm of Ripping Good Yarns - no documentaries, no biopics, no froufrou tearoom dramas, no intellectual darlings.

As usual, I will probably only get to half or less in the theaters, and see the others via streaming services when they are available.  

#10)  Blended looks to me to be the comedy of the summer.  Although Adam Sandler has grown to be mostly unwatchable on his own, he has retained his magic when teamed with the sweet and goofy Drew Barrymore.  Get ready for some Brady style blended family laughs! Premieres May 23rd.

#9)  Lucy, starring Scarlett Johansson, has had some strongly entertaining previews.  A young woman involuntarily ingests some drugs that enable to use that 90% of the brain that people never use.  And it's got Morgan Freeman. Premieres August 8th.

8) A deliciously wicked step forward in Disney's princess sagas.  Maleficent is a live action extension of the evil witch that has been integral of the Disney universe, played by the wickedly talented Angelina Jolie. Filled with amazing special effects, not the least of which is how well they cover up her myriad tattoos. Premiers May 30th.

#7)  A great slice of life movie, The Fault In Our Stars, is based on the hugely popular Young Adult book by John Green.  It centers on two teens who meet in a cancer support group.  Certainly a change of pace of the usual adaption of a Young Adult novel filled with monsters or dystopia. Premieres June 6th.

#6)  What list of summer movies would be complete without the most anticipated animated film of the season?  How To Train Your Dragon 2, if it's only half as good as it's predecessor, will still be awesome.

Premieres June 13th,

#5)  Jupiter Ascending looks to be a first rate science fiction film, written and directed by the Wachowski brothers (The Matrix).  Premieres July 18th.

#4)  GODZILLA!  I am not a huge fan of Godzilla movies, but this one looks like it was done right.  Plus...Walter White!!! (Bryan Cranston has a starring role) Premiers May 16th.

#3)  How could I not include The Dawn of the Planet of the Apes?  The previous movie was one of the great cinematic surprises of a couple years ago.  If it keeps up the first's quality, this has to be worthwhile. Premieres July 11th.

#2)  X-Men: Days of Future Past.  How much more can I say.  The poster, based on the famous comic cover, indicates what SHOULD be the case (but may not be), and that is my favorite Marvel hero, Kitty Pryde,  should have a super central role in the story.  Can't wait! Premieres May 23rd.

#1) Number with a bullet (or should I say Gunn?...James Gunn) is Guardians of the Galaxy! This movies looks fun and entertaining to the max!  And it's writer/director, James Gunn, is a personal favorite of Alison and myself (Slither was a great horror comedy).  Chris Pratt, Parks and Rec star, and voice featured in The Lego Movie, is a gifted actor who certainly deserves this star turn.  There is some fear that it can't match the box office of The Avengers, Iron Man, Captain America, etc....but that is an unfair comparison.  Take it from me...it gets the Tom Strait Seal of Ripping Good Yarn Approval!  Premieres August 1st!

Drive Yourself to Miss Daisy This Weekend!!!

Be sure to come out to see this great play starting Thursday.  It is a very human, touching show, with great moments of comedy and drama.  It's the growth of a beautiful friendship you just won't want to miss.

It's second big weekend is coming up fast, so you should reserve your tickets at 283-2161 right away!  Alison and I saw the show on opening night, and we hope to go again this weekend.  Benjamin missed it and we want him to be able to see it.  

The acting was superb, making this special story a real jewel, as you could see the friendship of these two marvelous people grow.  The set was excellent, particularly the car that was used.  Community theater is such a wonderful combination of talents, not just the actors onstage, but all the different contributions that are made by so many to make such a wonderful production.

Anita Lynn is Miss Daisy.  She is a good friend of mine, and I am looking forward very much to seeing her in this part.  She has told me about her participating in theater before I came to this area, so I've been waiting a long time to see what I have been missing!  

Ms. Anita is perfection as Miss Daisy.  She conveys her character, and times her lines to maximum effect, as well as any one I've seen onstage.  She will have you smiling, laughing and crying - and caring deeply about the characters and the story.

Eric Redmond plays Hoke, Miss Daisy's chauffeur, and it was my great pleasure to see him perform this part years ago, where he was extraordinary.  Alison has known him since high school, and I have been in many productions with him.  They could not have picked a better person to play this part.

This is a our second go round seeing Eric in this part, and he simply OWNS it!  I cannot imagine anyone better playing this role.  He is more believable in it to me than even Morgan Freeman.  

Matt Knox is a high schooler playing the part of Boolie, Miss Daisy's son.  He is following in my footsteps, in playing a part that is older than he is.  The word I hear is that he is doing most excellent, and putting a real zip into the part of Boolie.

And the word is true!  Matt Knox is great in this part, playing the reluctant foil to both Miss Daisy and Hoke.  He ages visibly and accurately throughout the play, both through makeup and mannerisms.  Expect great things from this talented young thespian in the future!


Be sure to make your reservations to see this great show! Show dates are May 8, 9, 10 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 and reservations can be made by calling the box office at 283-2161! Don't miss it!

Captain 3-0! 3-0! Captain 3-0! 3-0!

My son, Douglas Redwine Strait, turned 30 yesterday!  Here you can see him with us, playing the game of....Life.

Our fine young vegetarian is demonstrating his skill at chopsticks. A level of sophistication his father has failed to obtain. 

Here he is with his first co-owned dog, Snowy.  The dog now lives with his co-owner, and Doug is looking forward to the time when he can have a dog of his own.

Doug dressed in Indian garb.

Doug is a remarkably intelligent and kind young man.  He is an environmental scientist, living in the Atlanta area.  He has been a wonderful big brother and mentor to my youngest son, Benjamin.  I am very proud to be his father.

We will be together next weekend, as we head to Michigan for the wedding of my one and only niece, Tiffany.  Doug and I are the only Georgia family members going, so it will be good to have some time with him.  

So it is great to have you in our lives, old man!

All our love,

Tom, Alison & Benjamin

History of the Trap: September Rains Part 1

Chapter 8

September Rains

1

Into every life, a little rain must fall.  And although we certainly felt "rained" on, there actually had been no rainfall since the trap fell.  The weather hadn't actually varied much.  It remained around the high 60s to low 70s.  Yes, the weather was comfortable, but the constancy was almost depressing.  We were Michiganders after all, used to wild climate swings.

The sky was mostly cloudy, with very little direct sunlight.  Some did what they could to lay outside and catch what sun they could, but most of us just gave up.  I was mostly an indoors person, so it probably affected me less than some.  My Dad, who had grown up on a large family farm, and loved gardening and yard work, was irritated by it, in a way that probably showed more to me than others.

We still met in a group in the mornings, but our group was slightly reconfigured.  The losses of Tom Bodell, Sue Boschman and Jim Kurrash weighed heavily on us.  Randy Sherman was back in our group as a regular, having completely finished his 'flirting with cheerleaders' stage.  We also were seeing more of Larry Wiseman, the very intelligent freshman, and one of the only Jews at our school.  Jerry Mack was feeling better and hanging with us more often, quiet but polite.  Robert Bond was still with us, Artie's oldest and dearest friend.

Ginny and her sister, Mary, were still with us. Ginny was often at Artie's side.  Mary seemed a little lost, having gone back more into a shell after the loss of her boyfriend, Jim.  Arletta Mierkey, the short attractive girl whom I had last seen at the first day's pep rally, had gravitated towards our group.  But we were bereft of other females, including Lisa Carlton.

Lisa and I were seeing less and less of each other.  She took the death of her friend, Sue, very hard.  Why that made her want to disassociate from us, I'm not sure.  Maybe we reminded her too much of it.  She was not rude to me, but I couldn't help but notice that she was wearing a pin on her shirt, one that Ginny told me that her boyfriend from Huron University had given to her.  Being an unobservant male, I had not noticed if she was wearing it before, if she had it on and then took it off as we got more serious.  All I knew was that it was there now.

"Wouldn't it be better for the garden if it would rain?  Wouldn't it grow better?" asked Arletta.  She still had the same hair style, her pretty dark hair cut short in a shag.  I wondered if she had to get cut often, if she had someone styling it for her.  Myself, I had only had one haircut in the five moths of the Trap, but it didn't seem to be growing as fast as I thought it would.  My facial hair hardly grew at all, but maybe I was just young.  Come to think of it, I had noticed some guys with occasional five o'clock shadow, but I hadn't really noticed any new out and out beards.  We had a handful of guys who had a beard when the Trap fell, but no new ones that I could recall.  Oh, well.  Maybe we did.  Another failure of my powers of observation.

Larry Wiseman answered Arletta.  "We have a very good irrigation system, designed by Mr. Bruchow, with David Yankovich's help."  David, for all his obnoxious arrogance, was another huge loss.  Nobody seemed to have had a better handle on what we were confronted with and how to deal with it than David.  His theoretical genius combine with Tom's practical genius was our best chance for finding a way out, but now they were both gone.  It didn't matter whose fault the tunnel collapse was.  They were no longer able to help us now, and we would have to find our own way.  "But it is filtered water, coming inexplicably from the Loren water system, which I don't really understand how that's possible, but there it is."

"Well," interrupted Artie.  "At least, Lance, I bet your Dad is enjoying the water bill!"  Everyone laughed.  There was, of course, no water bill.    And if somehow we were freed, and the city presented the school the mammoth water bill we must be accumulating, well, paying that up would be worth it, considering everything else.

"Nevertheless," Larry continued, "it would still be better, I think, if we could get some rain.  First, there may be nutrients in the rain water that is missing from the city water system, things to help the plants grow into larger and more nutritionally sound fruits, vegetables and nuts.

"Second, there are many parts of this uh, area we are confined in, that don't get the water that the garden is getting.  Why other grass is not turning brown and withering, I don't know.  Maybe the latent moisture in the area.  I just don't know.  I can't help but feel that rain would be good for it.

"Finally," Larry said, as if he were summing debate points.  Which is natural, I guess, as he was part of a state 3rd place Debate team last fall.  Pretty neat trick for a freshman.  He was skinny, of modest height, big nose and thick glasses, moderately shaggy black hair.  "...I think the psychological effect of rain would be a positive for us.  It would make us feel like outside forces could come into play, that we weren't so isolated.  Without the influence of external weather events, it just makes us feel more trapped, as if we were indeed caught up in some kind of bubble."

"A bubble? asked Robert.  "You mean like a dome?"

"I don't think we're in a dome," Arletta answered.  "If we were in a dome, wouldn't we go like, bump or splat when we hit it, instead getting like, you know...fried?"

"Yes, it's not a dome, I agree," said Larry.  "I mean, god, if it were Plexiglas or something impermeable, we'd all be suffocated by now!"

"That's one good bit of news thing, then," chided in Artie.  "I've always been fond of breathing."  Ginny giggled and gave Artie a quick side hug.

Jerry cleared his throat and spoke for the first time that morning.  "So, you're saying it would be better if it rained?"

Larry seemed a little surprised where the question was coming from.  He'd had little interaction with Jerry yet, and may have forgotten that he was there.  "Yes, I think it would.  I wouldn't want it to rain like, forty days and nights or anything, but I do think a modest amount of rain would do both us and our garden a lot of good."

Artie couldn't resist.  "Well, if it does rain that long, somebody will need to make a really, really big boat!"

        Yes.  We wouldn't want to get washed away.

Memories of the Court

The revitalized Court Theater, in Saginaw, Michigan.

A Michigan friend, Benita Vierke Collins, was kind enough to send me this current photograph showing the current revitalization efforts surrounding the old Court Theater in Saginaw, Michigan.

This brought back a flood of memories, of their grand Saturday matinees.  Two features, cartoons and a serial, all for chump change.  I don't believe admission was much more than a quarter, and just a few quarters more would get you a huge soft drink, popcorn and candy.

The place was packed with kids....wriggling, squirmy happy kids....all ready for a full afternoon's entertainment!  

I would try to go each and every week, and I'm sure my parents were often glad of it, giving them time to do other things (wait...it just occurred to me after all these years what that might mean...okay, I'm going to try not to think about that).  Many times the movies would be great action movies, science fiction or westerns or mysteries).  I even went when it wasn't my cup of tea - I mean, somebody had to go with my sister when she wanted to see the Elvis Presley doubleheader!

The biggest treat of all was the serial.  A chapter from one of the serial movies of the forties, it was pirates and spacemen, spies and cowboys.  It made you just HAVE TO come back!   chapter would end with the hero walking the plank, falling off  a building, about to get shot, with the damsel kidnapped by the villain.  You just HAD TO come back the next week and see what happened, even if you had to beg and plead with your parental units.  You just HAD TO!

Even evening movies were only around 75 cents.  They would turn around quickly, sometimes two a week.  I do remember seeing The Godfather there, with my Evans Bentley and his brother, Wayne. 

People went to the movie theaters much more often back then.  My parents would go very often, and many times they would take us.  One of the first movies I remember seeing was One Hundred and One Dalmatians at the huge Temple Theater in downtown Saginaw.  It had multiple balconies, and was the largest movie screen I remember.  I took some of my first dates there, including Barbara Bloomfield to see Barefoot In the Park, which was a play we were doing together in high school. I remember seeing Robin Hood there with Carol Dierich.  

This may amaze some people, who might expect to see things only through a happy nostalgic lens, but I do remember people talking more in the theater back then, more than they do now.  Nowadays, that conversation has been replaced by an electronic smart phone glow.

Another great downtown Saginaw theater was The Franklin.  It also had balconies, and I remember being in that balcony to see such movies as Gone With the Wind and Hawaii (my first exposure to certain parts of the adult female anatomy).  I also remember going there to see The Food of the Gods, a cheesy movie spun abstractly from the H. G. Wells story, but I remember as special because I saw it with just my Dad.  For that reason, it was a very special movie.

My quick research shows that the Temple is still there, but used for "special events", whatever that means.  The Franklin is long gone....it may have been lost in a fire even before I left Michigan.  I am glad to see the old Court still there.  Sometime I'll have to go back, but the prices won't be the same, and the good ol' serial won't be there.  And the squallering kids will all be texting away.

Waycross has an old downtown theater, called the Ritz.  I hear Alison's Mom wax nostalgic about it.  It's still there, but it's not used for movies anymore.

It's a community theater. WACT...Waycross Area Community Theatre. And I have strode it's stage many a time.

A different kind of memory, and one where I and my family are still making new ones.  So...stay on the edge of your Duane Caswell/Hugh Williams designed seats!  The next exciting chapter is about to begin!

Song of the Day!

Harry Belafonte!

For over a year now I have been posting a Song of the Day feature on Facebook.  One featured song per day.  The response to this has been underwhelming, but I persevere.  I think the most likes any one song has gotten is five.  Most often, the number of likes range from zero to two.  I would say that zero is by far the most common response.

There also has been little to no curiosity as to why or how I pick the songs that I do.  I have told two people (well, three, including Alison) what the methodology was, but no one else has even asked.

Much of what goes on Facebook goes unanswered or un-responded to.  Conservatives have stopped trying to respond to anything I post.  Which is understandable, because for the most part, I have stopped commenting on anything that represents the far right of the political spectrum.

Most of my constant The Strait Line posts gets little direct response, and very few likes.  Yet I know they are at least pulled up, because I can see the page counts, and although not read by hordes, they are being viewed, anywhere from a couple dozen to a hundred page views.

Family stuff still gets a lot of likes and responses.  That's cool.

I think Facebook is getting more selective in what it shows you or doesn't.  There are things that Alison posts about our earlier foster dog, Angel, that for some reason I never see.  By the way, she told me last night that Angel has been adopted - yay!  There are other close friends whom I virtually never see what they post anymore.  Others I see constantly.  I have no idea how all that works.

Anyways, there is no grand point here.  Just  some random observations.

As for Song of the Day...yeah, I will keep it up.  I'm nothing if not persistent.

As for those hearty few who may be curious as to the method behind the madness in the selection of the Song of the Day?  Well, I'll save that for another day!

Ripping Good Yarns: Put On the Telly to the BBC!

We have recently rediscovered the BBC at the Strait household!

I started Orphan Black two weeks ago, having only seen the premiere episode months ago off of Amazon Prime.  It is an amazing show.  Alison is now watching the episodes so that we can watch the premiere of the second season together.  The lead actress, Tatiana Maslany, does multiple roles the best I've ever seen them done, and clearly should have won the Emmy for her performances.  That is Tatiana pictured above, in three of her many personas.

We are stream watching the great Doctor Who series, and are  in the second season of the revival.  David Tennant and Billie Piper (as Rose Tyler) make a great combination.  Benjamin is enthralled by this show, and it is always his first choice when we watch something together.

Alison and I were streaming Downton Abbey (technically this may not strictly be a BBC show, but you know, close enough for a post featuring British television)), and hope to get back to it now that some of the regular network series are ending.  We're somewhere in Season 3, I think, and it's been difficult keeping all the spoilers I've found out about from Alison, but I'm doing the best I can.  The servant/master relationship is sometimes difficult for me to handle, and I wish the show was a little more socially conscious, but all in all, it is very well written and draws you into its world.

A new one we discovered is A Real History of Science Fiction, the first episode focusing on robots and artificial intelligence.  Most of it was about movies, but there was some interview footage with Isaac Asimov and Arthur C Clarke, which I appreciated.  Alison saw Nathan Fillion in the promotion footage and said, "I'm in!"


And that is just the barely scratched surface of what the BBC has to offer!  There are many great comedies we need to get to, and countless other shows.  All hail the BBC!

The post title is pretty much a direct steal from the fabulous Austin Powers/Ming Tea hit, The BBC Song!  Yeah! Groovy, baby!

Indoor Easter Egg Pool Hunt and Other Monday Musings

Benjamin helps young Caroline Easter Egg Hung at our church Saturday.  We had the hunt on the 3rd floor of the church as the outside weather was rather messy.  As you can see, some of he eggs were easy to find.

It was a nice mini-break.  May I please have another?

Well, maybe I can, as my Fridays off begin!

It was a beautiful weekend, filled with church services and events.  We had church service Maundy Thursday, Good Friday (we missed that one), Holy Saturday (a very beautiful, unique service that is Alison's favorite of the year, and this time included a lovely Baptism), and Easter Sunday.  We also had a church cleanup, followed by an Easter Egg Hunt.

With all that, we didn't really get out of town to do much of anything.  We did not see a movie, either at the theater or at home.  I only went out to eat once; Friday lunch with Alison at the Garden Cafe.

I did not get as much writing done as I hoped, although I did organize my space, and I got another story submitted.  

I did watch way too much TV, including binge watching Orphan Black.  Alison got interested after I had seen it, and so she started it over again.  We have not seen the premiere episode of the new season but we hope to do that soon.  I had heard that the lead actress, Tatiana Maslany, should have been nominated for an Emmy.  I don't think so.  She should have not just been nominated - she should have won.

God Is Not Dead continues to weigh heavily on my mind.  It is encamped at the local bijou in a way that makes me wonder if it will ever leave (today is it's one month anniversary).  Church groups and even some local businesses have paid for tickets and brought in large groups, perpetuating it's existence here.  It's popularity reinforces the wide cultural gap between myself and many others here.  How such a  film could be so popular worries me.  

Anyways, I must once again plunge into Accounting World.  This  gig has been running longer than Cats.  Oh well.  At least it's a steady gig.

Time to get into my Rum Tum Tigger CPA costume.

Until next time,

T. M. Strait

Mark's Easter

The original last verse of Mark, 16: 1- 8, as found in the earliest copies of that Gospel -

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.  And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb.  They had been saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?"  When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back.  As they entered the tomb,they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.  But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here.  Look, there is the place they laid him.  But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you." So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.


From  The Access Bible, NRSV.

And thus ends the earliest telling of the resurrection,

Spring Speculatron Fun Time: Saturday Political Soap Box 82

Like it or not, The Soap Box is back, baby!

And we'll just start by bringing back one of the many great but unheralded features of the Saturday Soap Box - another dip into the Speculatron to divine where our nation's politics is headed.

To sum up:

The Affordable Care Act, after a rocky initial launch (only because of website problems), has been very successful, exceeding even my expectations.  Eight million registered through the private exchanges, and millions more added through Medicaid, or put onto their parent's plan.  CBO projections are very positive, and the plan will save even more money than initially predicted.  Like any major piece of legislation, there are flaws and imperfections that will need to be fixed and adjusted for, and this can be done, if only Republicans can put the interests of the country first.  Don't hold your breath.

The economy is improving, with private job growth continuing to rise.  Many of the  very wealthy  have greatly increased their wealth, some like the Koch Brothers, more than doubling it since President Obama came to office  The Stock Market has doubled in the Obama administration.  The economy has not improved as much as it could, because unlike any other recovery in our history, including those in Republican administrations, the public sector has shrunk and been under constant attack and derision.  The flow of targeted money to infrastructure, education, proven economic stimulants such as unemployment insurance payments and SNAP, virtually anything that helps the poor and middle class, has been stemmed and reduced.  The economy will improve even more when the Republicans put interest of the country first, and open up the spigot of  targeted stimulus.  Don't hold your breath.

The President got Bin Laden.  He uses drones in an aggressive way that has hampered the ability of terrorists to organize and launch attacks.  He has handled foreign crises, including Libya, Syria and the Ukraine in ways that may not be perfect, but have, in my opinion, made the situations better, and have kept us from having more boots on the ground.  All these problems are ongoing, and is like playing Star Trek multi-dimensional chess. They require constant diplomacy and vigilance.  And, if in a bi-partisan spirit, the country acts united in the times it needs to, support each other instead of sabotaging our progress, we should increase our chances of seeing things through.  Don't hold your breath,

The President rescued the car industry,  He helped pass Lilly Ledbetter, and stands at the forefront of women's equal pay.  He wants an increase in minimum wage and background checks on guns, both things that a majority of Americans want.

So all these positive things can only mean one thing for the next election, right?

Yes, that's right.

The Republicans will hold the house (maybe a loss of a few seats, but still hold) and win back the Senate.

Why?  Is there some great conservative, reactionary tide sweeping the nation?

No, not really.  The country is slowly growing more progressive.  So why?

Because conservatives come out for midterm elections and the new progressive voters do not.  If you don't show up, you can't win.

And thanks to the Supreme Court, the airwaves and Internet will be swamped by a deluge of cash, coming from some of the same wealthy businessman that have profited so much in the last few years, convincing you that voting for a Democrat is equivalent to voting for Satan.

My advice to my progressive friends who only vote part time - you want to change this country and ensure that it continues to move forward rather than backwards?  Then become full time voters.  Do not miss an election.  YOUR VOTE MATTERS!!!

Whew!

Good to be back, folks!

Night Stocker

It was a dark, dreary December night.  If it was only a few degrees colder, the light rain that was drizzling would be snow. The forecast was for zero possibility of snow, but that didn't stop the Crowley area from an instinctual panic. 

The run on Yeltin's IGA had been pretty thorough that morning and afternoon.  But the crowd was smaller now that evening had set and the rains were here.  Yeltin's cupboards were almost bare, with most basic necessities, like milk and bread, completely depleted.

Barry used his box cutter to open up the pallet of cereal boxes.  That was the aisle he was designated to do next.  Why anyone would need to stock up on Frosted Flakes and Mini-Wheats to survive a mythical snowstorm was beyond him, but apparently they did.  Thank goodness the owner, Stevey Yeltin, was able to move Saturday's delivery to Thursday, or they might just have had to shut the doors.

Barry Mincher was part of a five person team there that night to restock the shelves.  They began when the shipment came in at 7.  Stevey was determined to keep the store open until 9, the usual closing time.  They got out the milk and bread first, and were now stocking other areas of the store.

He opened his box of cereals, a mix of Kellogg brands, and began putting them on the shelves, carefully facing and evening them.  Barry sometimes got in trouble with the stock manager for taking too much time, but he was determined to do the job right.  If all he could do was to take pride in the way an aisle looked when he was done with it, then by God that was what he was going to do.

It wasn't always easy taking orders from someone twenty years younger than you, but that was the way of the world down here.  The families that ran things in Crowley ran things.  The families that didn't, either do what those who ran things wanted, or they got out of town.  Barry was stubborn.  This is where his family is.  This was his town as much as it was theirs.  He liked living here, even in the Onion Patch (near Magnolia Street) part of town.

Barry made $7.50 per hour working at Yeltin's.  He would get his next raise whenever the federal government put a gun to the Yeltin's heads, and raised minimum raise.  Then eventually, if he kept performing well and gave them no grief, he might reach the lofty level of twenty-five cents above that.  Barry was 41, but even he wasn't the oldest of the crew.  Old Man Donny Stanson was 73, and needed the income to supplement his meager Social Security check.  The only one who made any real money was the stock manager, and he was, of course, related to the Yeltin family, Stevey's nephew, Ferris. 

Ferris was a whopping 21 years old, married and with a nice house on the Yeltin lands, and a proud college student of one full semester at Georgia Southern.  There was an incident at the college involving drugs and a car wreck, but his parents and uncle got him out of it.  Barry had not been so lucky when he was young.  He was arrested for marijuana possession when he was 18, having been the unfortunate loser in a game of Pass the Joint, and wound up serving five years in prison.  It took years after to get any kind of job at all (except under the table stuff), and he still had not restored his voting rights.

Barry finished with Kellogg's and started in on the Post cereals.  He thought the Post cereals tasted greasy and nasty, but to each his own.  It was after 8:30, and there were a few stragglers in the store, but not many.  He was surprised to see turning down his aisle that old hippie, Billy Heart.  He was wearing shorts and sandals, like it was the Fourth of July.  He seemed nervous and edgy.  God, he hoped he wasn't high on something.  Barry tried to stay as far away from that crap as possible.

"Barry!  Dude!" called out Billy.  "How is it hanging, Bro?"  Billy reached out his hand for a high five, which Barry quietly returned. Billy didn't wait for an answer, and just went on with what was obsessing him.  "Dude, have you or any of your people at Onion Patch seen Kayak Kelly lately?  He's been missing for weeks now, and I can't trace him at all.  Did he stop by for any product or anything?"

Barry was miffed.  "First, Billy, I don't have any connection with "product", nor do I try to involve myself with those who do.  When Kayak Kelly comes to our neighborhood, it's to teach our kids about science and the swamp.  They listen to him better than their school teachers.  And, no, I haven't seen him in a long time.  Last September, around Labor Day, is the last I remember."

Billy looked crestfallen.  "Damn, Barry.  That was rude of me.  I'm so sorry.  I'm just so stressed with him missing.  I've been trying to think of everything, even stuff that don't make no sense.  I'm just at a loss as what to do."

"Have you checked with his family up north?"  Barry knew Kayak Kelly's family was from someplace else, but he couldn't remember where.

"Oh, yeah!  I've called his Michigan peeps several times, and they don't know nothing.  Sometimes he goes on quests and crap, but he usually tells somebody.  And I got no luck with his buddies from the University of Florida."

Barry saw a couple turn down the aisle with a half filled buggy.  "Hey, maybe you should try him.  Maybe he could help."  Barry pointed to them.

"The Fuzz?" scorned Billy.  "I don't know.  I don't do much talking to them."

"Sheriff Steel is different.  Trust me.  I know the difference between good cops and bad cops.  He'll do you straight."  Sheriff Alan Steel was coming down the aisle with his wife, Vicki.  Steel had always treated the people of Onion Patch fairly, and had recently prevented Thandia French and her family form being evicted by that slumlord, Archie Crowley.

"Hey, Barry!" called out the Sheriff.  "You got any Grape Nuts in there?  I want to have one more box of the stuff before my teeth completely go out."

Okay, so the Sheriff wasn't perfect.  Liking that nasty Post stuff.  The Sheriff looked like he stepped from central casting, a solidly built tall man, graying, with unexpectedly kind, blue eyes.  His wife Vicki was heavy set, but with a beautiful face, wrinkle free even in her fifties.

Sheriff Alan looked over at Billy Heart.  "What the hell, Billy!  You just come from the beach in Miami or something?  You ain't high, are you?"

"No, Sheriff!  Of course not!  Why, I ain't had nothing but a, uh, occasional beer for years!"  Barry had to suppress a chortle.  Billy lying about his marijuana use was just second nature.  "But I do want to talk to you about Kayak Kelly."

Barry let them talk as he tried to catch up with his stocking.  It wouldn't be long before Ferris Yeltin was going to wonder what the hell was taking him so long.  Maybe if Ferris would come out to try to help, even just talk to customers, instead of spending most of the time talking about fishing, hunting and college football in the office, things could get done quicker. 

By the time Barry started in on the granola bars their conversation was finishing up.  "All right, Billy," responded Sheriff Alan.  "You convinced me it's worth checking out.  I'll go over to his place with a couple others tomorrow morning, see what we can find out."

Billy thanked him profusely, and they moved out of his aisle.   Barry was about to wrap the cereal aisle up, when Jackie and Ramona Adams came down the aisle, waving and smiling at him.  They were like the African American power couple in Crowley.  She was a legal secretary at Cooper and Strickland, and he was the Assistant Principal at Reagan Middle School.  They were so well off, they didn't even live in Onion Patch anymore.  They lived in a virtually all white neighborhood near Lake Crowley (which was more of a glorified pond, really).

"How are you doing, Barry?  Looks like the panic stripped the store bare!" said Jackie.  Jackie was like a black version of Sheriff Alan.  Tall, solid, with a very commanding presence.  Kids of all groups gave him respect at the school.  He was by all measures excellent at his job.  You would think that would put him line to be Principal or even Superintendent someday, but this was Crowley after all.

"I'm fine!" Barry replied.  "Can't complain.  Could sure use the extra work! Hey, is it for real that they're closing school tomorrow?  Don't seem like the weather is gonna get bad enough to warrant that."

"Well, you know.  Roads could ice, parents are on edge, so why take a chance.  Best just to go with it."  Barry realized that it was not Jackie's call, but it seemed like a conversational thing to say.  He glanced at Ramona, who was smiling slyly, like she thought the school was being over cautious as well.  Ramona was gorgeous, no doubt about it.  About a half foot shorter than Jackie, her hair in an attractive weave, her body perfectly proportioned, with nice curves in front and in back.  Together, they could rival Beyonce and Jay Z in attractiveness and charisma.

"Let's let the man do his job, Jackie."  She put her arm around his arm, and gently got him moving again.  "You have a great night, Barry.  See you in church Sunday?"

"Absolutely, Miss Ramona!" he assured her.

They went out the aisle, and turned towards frozen foods.

Yep.  Ramona was a damn fine good-looking woman.  Things just didn't work out between them all those years ago.  Well, maybe that was for the best.  It certainly seemed to have worked out better for her.

Barry put the finishing touches on the cereal aisle, and then moved to canned goods.

Back to being a black (the most polite thing the Crowley whites called him) ex-con Onion Patch resident night stocker.

He released a heavy sigh.

The Acting Gig

One morning, I woke up and started to pull myself up to get ready for my next acting gig.  I dragged myself across my New York flat, sleepily trying to get around for a shoot that begins at 7 AM.  There was no one there to prod me along, and I had failed to set the alarm.  I had just enough time to drag a comb across my head, and get on my way.

My parents were not thrilled with me when I chose to go to Northwestern instead of the University of Michigan.  But it had one of the best Drama programs in the country, and I was determined to be an actor. So I went against their advice of having a backup plan, and went all in on acting.

It didn't look like it was going to pay off.  I connected better with audiences than with the professors, not getting the hang of whatever acting exercises they insist I do.  I was often criticized for over-acting, and my sense of stage directions were pretty poor.  My penchant for slapstick did not impress them.

I graduated, and there was nothing for awhile.  It looked my parents and professors were right.  But I managed to get an apprenticeship with The Second City comedy troupe in Chicago.  I worked and learned alongside John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Dan Akroyd, Bill Murray and others, and slowly became a better actor and improvisational talent.

I was part of the second wave of Second City actors to join the cast of Saturday Night Live.  I became famous for several character roles, including Senator Foghorn Leghorn, the Dungeon & Dragons nerd Maizey Adams, and Zaldar, Supreme Brother to the Supreme Ruler of the Coneheads.

It was only a few years before I got the big head, and decided I would parlay my success into a movie career.  Some of my movies did fair, but most were pretty poor.  My ability to command a movie as a lead proved to be non-existent.  The Howard the Duck fiasco, and a brief fling with Lea Thompson, proved to be a big film career ender.

I had tried drugs for a while, but what happened to my friend John Belushi straightened me out.  I went from one bad marriage to another, threatening to tie Larry King and Mickey Rooney in the number of marriages, never quite seeming to find the right person.

I went from a headliner to a character actor, where I probably belonged anyways.  I did a lot of guest roles on television, particularly crime dramas like Law and Order and Hill Street Blues.  I did have a six episode arc as a crazy judge on L.A. Law.

And now I had finally snagged a recurring role on America's number one new sitcom, I'll Take Manhattan, starring three sisters who were like younger versions of the Golden Girls, played by Taryn Spires, Marisa Williams and the funniest actress in America, superstar Chelsea Nelson.  All three competed for the attention of their rich father's attorney, played by Weston Manders.  And who played their father?  Well, not me.  I was the doorman at their apartment building.  I had basically one line that became a catch phrase - "It's a fine morning to raise hell in New York, ain't it, girls?"

Four of our leads all came from the same area of far off Georgia, near some swamp or something, as if that place was the 21st century version of Second City.  But they were all great kids, and it was an easy gig making good money.  I vaguely felt like I knew them from someplace else, but that was impossible.

That day we had a visitor on set, someone from their home swampland, someone named Alison something.  She was beautiful, and she unexpectedly took my breath away.  She had a boy with her, a fine young man in his early teens.  I had no children of my own, no permanent relationship.  The pangs of regret, that I had missed out on something important, ran through me so strongly that I kept botching my signature line, enough that the Director had to have a "talk" with me.

I worked up the nerve to ask her to dinner, but she said she had to fly back that night, back to the swampland and her husband.  Then she was gone from my life.

Until I woke up the next morning, and she was beside me.  And the handsome boy was mine and hers, and I had two other boys as well.  My career was not exciting, but I was loved and respected, and I still got onstage once in awhile.

It felt good to wake up where I belonged.

Tax Day Tuesday Tidbits

Woke up at 4:21 AM.  Couldn't get back to sleep.  Like it's frigging Christmas morning or something.  Expectations that build up over three and a half months tend to not be able to live up to the hype.

-----------------------

Ate at the new Blackshear restaurant, Locos Burrito on Saturday.  The food was good....the chicken in the burritos we had was very tender and delicioso.  It passed the ketchup test with flying colors, getting a whole bottle and not just a few packets, or scornful looks that Mexican food and ketchup do not go together, There were two other tables with ketchup bottles, so I wasn't the only one...so there!  

They did fail the Paul Tang test.  Paul Tang is the owner of Wong's Chinese Restaurant in Waycross, who will custom make any order as to how you want it.  I asked for a minor variation from their menu, a logical extension of what they were doing, and they couldn't do it.  They're new and maybe that will change in time.

--------------------

My lent restriction on a more limited use of social media has been very hard.  Some may feel that it is a condemnation of social media, or a way to improve my life or character, but it is not.  It was giving up something that was important to me, to help me become more contemplative and reflective.  It was interesting to see who remains in contact, and who faded out during this time.  I won't fully know what it means until after Lent.

----------------------

One of things I haven't been doing is reposting stuff on social media that related to politics and social issues.  Hold on to your hats, because that is just temporary.  It has been hard to remain silent while the Affordable Care Act has proven to be even more successful than even I expected, and to listen to it continue to be battered and vilified around here, often by the very people that it is helping.  

---------------------------

Whatever else you think of the "Bureau of Land Management/Cattle Rancher gets to trample federal lands use abuse and break it without paying the fee that everyone else has to pay" case, it can't be a good precedent that bullies with guns can get the government to back down and not enforce the law.  I'm afraid of what they will try to challenge next.

-------------------------------------

We are beginning a week of beautiful services at Grace Episcopal, something every day through Easter Sunday.  Noon services today and tomorrow, Maundy Thursday at 7 with an Agape meal at 5:30, Good Friday at noon and 7, Easter Egg Hunt Saturday afternoon, Holy Saturday at 7, and Easter Sunday at 10 AM.  I invite anyone interested to come.  We are an open church, and welcoming of all, including progressive Christians.

--------------------------

I have not taken the time to think much beyond the season.  That stuff should come flooding in as the day progresses, and a new light begins to shine,  

-----------------------

I continue to pray for my friend Coleen and her family.  God give them strength, hope and love.

Rainbow Tasting Edition: Monday Musings

I can almost taste the rainbow.

Tax season is 98.571428% through.

There still could be a few returns and the ominous possibility of redos, but for the most part, the big rush is over.  What I do just comes at the point of the process where it would be very difficult to get the return through the other parts, and the e-filing accepted by the IRS before the deadline.

I looked the other day to see what posts from prior tax season ends I could repost,  My time to write was fairly limited.  I found not much that are like this one, written near the conclusion of tax season, but I saw written just after,  And the theme was pretty much the same......

When or if will I get a spring break?  Waiting on the powers that be will decide if that will happen.

I have decided this not to stress, not to wait.  I am just going to "Create My Own Spring Break".  They can decide later what the time means, if it's just a bonus holiday, vacation, personal or unpaid.  I don't care. I just need the break,.  They can sort that out later.  I'm okay with however it's done.

Now that the cloud is lifting, I am getting things in better perspective,  I am blessed with a wonderful and loving family.  I live in a great neighborhood (well, except for the flying insects and area politics, but you can't have everything).  There are many things I would like to do, but mostly I cherish my time with them.  I am going to do my best to stop stressing about achieving more success and remuneration as an artist.

My writing?  It is what it is.  Either people like it or they don't. I will continue to write what I enjoy, and anyone else who wants to come along, that's fine.  If not, that's fine too.

I will continue with History of the Trap, because it's great fun, and it's a story that's been trapped in my head for decades.

I will complete the first arc of Crowley Stories, and then who knows?  I will package or sell them in some way.

I love politics and  issues and even though I can't run for anything, I will continue to express myself.  I know they are contrary to the beliefs of many around where I live, but expression of those thoughts is a vital part of who I am.  Expect the return of the Saturday political soap box.

I will continue with my Old Pat T collection of autobiographical stories, and publish stories from my father's genealogical research.  My father and mother may both be someplace else now, but I will do what I can in through the power of storytelling.  Memories and photographs, preserving the lives of those who meant so much to us.

And yes, I will attempt to publish.  Me and ol' Don Quixote, tilting at windmills.  It may be foolish and futile, but it helps fulfill the romantic streak in my character.


--------------------------

Benjamin is back in the...back in the....back in the CRCT.  A week of testing, because, you know, that's what our schools are all about right now.  He went to bed around 8:30 last night, about an hour earlier than normal, so we'll see if that helps.

--------------------

Palm Sunday was a great service.  We had a good crowd, and I'm happy to see our church growing and vibrant.  It's the start of an intense week of services and events, one that thanks to the this year's Holy Week calender, I get to experience much of it after tax season.  I am looking forward to it.


-------------------------

I have a good friend in Michigan, who is going through an intense time, with a serious family illness.  My heart goes out to you,  Coleen.  Bless you and Tim and your family.  May God give you all strength and guidance.


Love,

T. M. Strait

How did I Wind Up Here?

Really two major ways to look at that question.

How did I wind up in Blackshear, Georgia?

                            or

How did I wind up in accounting?

This blog post will focus on the latter question.

I love politics.  I love writing.  I love acting, and am pretty good at it, even relatively untrained.  So why am in accounting?

I am not very good at math, particularly algebra and calculus.  I took few courses in school.  I only received two grades less than a B in about six plus years of college.  One was a C in European History, where I disagreed with the political bent of a graduate assistant (and no, my conservative friends, she wasn't a right winger - she was a socialist) and an outright flunking of calculus.  So why am I in accounting?


My feelings of religious thought have led me to believe that making the world a better place to live is of primary importance.  Accounting is a necessity, for sure, but not always soul satisfying as far as impulses to improve the world.  So why am I in accounting?


Here are the only foreshadowings I had that I might wind up here -


***  I loved baseball, but I couldn't play.  I found the numbers fascinating that baseball generated, and found a board game that let me play simulated baseball games, and generate my own player statistics.  I joined a play-by-mail league, and participated in games with nerds from around the country.  The league was run by an Hispanic kid who lived in San Francisco and was a supporter of George Wallace.  Later, I earned my varsity sports jacket in high school by being the statistician for the baseball team.

***  I've only been published once in a national magazine.  It was the house publication of the Holiday Rambler Travel Trailer Club.  We were attending a national rally, and I was fascinated by how many states were represented.  There was a members book, that listed everybody who had registered for the club, including names and addresses.  I went through the book and reorganized by who came from what state.  Remember this was in the days before computers, and being able to quickly process information.  I wrote it up into a little article, ranking each state by it's number of participants, and the magazine agreed to publish it.  So my only published writing achievement has been a statistical analysis.

*** The only career advice I ever got on the college level was from a college professor (or maybe it was another grad assistant - University of Michigan sure has a lot of those) who thought I should become a political pollster/statistician.  Later at Berry college, I excelled at Business Statistics.  Yes, I wasn't fond of math beyond statistics, but for some reason, that I could do.

***At Berry College, I took Accounting as part of trying to get a business program.  It wasn't exciting, but for whatever reason, it was easy for me.  Certainly easier than computer science or calculus (which, have I mentioned? - I flunked).  One of the classes had as a final a complicated tax return to do.  The professor there told me that I was the first student to ever do the problem completely right.  To this day, I feel it was more dumb luck than skill, but there you go.

****The biggest reason, unfortunately, might have been "THE TALK WITH MYSELF".  I was not doing well trying to be a teacher.  I was not going to be rehired where I worked.  I went out that June, into my yard, and did yardwork, my mind spinning as I tried to think what to do next.  I remember thinking - I am a great actor, maybe one in a hundred - unfortunately, only one in thousand got to make a living out of it.  I was a good teacher, but at that time teaching jobs were tight, particularly in Social Studies (they mostly wanted athletic coaches...the first question in interviews was always - whatdaya coach?).  But this was the height of the Reagan revolution - financial stuff, computers, business - that's where the future was.  And I as a young father and husband, I had to think of that first and foremost.  So I surrendered what I wanted to do for what I needed to do.  I started Berry College, and began the course that led to accounting.


And now I'm here.  Almost thirty years in.  Its had it's pluses and minuses.

But the clock is crashing against me this morning, and I have to plunge into the accounting world again.

Sigh.

More another time.

Ripping Good Yarns: A Marvel-lous Universe

We had the great pleasure recently of seeing the movie Captain America: The Winter Soldier.  It was an excellent addition to the Marvel canon of movies.  It had the best car chase sequences I had seen since Terminator 2 (and I am not a natural fan of car chases, so it takes a lot to impress me).  It had James Bond level spy action and intrigue.  There were political and social overtones to the movie, but not in a heavy-handed propagandist way (Michael Moore or God Is Not Dead, it ain't). The supporting cast of characters around Captain America were superb.  Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Samuel Jackson as Nick Fury had their best showings to date, really fleshing out and inhabiting their characters.   Robert Redford was a great get in a pivotal role, and I just absolutely loved The Falcon -  well acted, and soaring flight sequences.

The very best thing about a Marvel movie (the ones coming from the Disney Studios - unfortunately the rights to some other major characters are owned by other studios - Spider-Man, Fantastic Four and the X-Men) is how well tied in to the other movies they are, telling a grander, encompassing story, that helps clarify a whole universe of storytelling.  Even their amazing TV show, Agents of SHIELD (hint, fellow Rippers - you can always DVR it and still watch NCIS) is weaved in to the movies.

Thus, they could have movies about individual heroes and slowly entice us to The Avengers, helping to make it one of the biggest box office successes of all time, with excellent audience AND critical reviews (but still virtually completely ignored by the Oscars).

An example of a well-planted seed is this actress (Emily Van Camp, current star of the TV show Revenge), with a small part identified as "Agent 13".  For a minute, I though I had stumbled onto Get Smart and CONTROL.  Why was she the only one in the movie with a number and not a name?  Simple.  What should be revealed in the next movie is that she is Sharon Carter, granddaughter of Peggy Carter, Captain America's love interest from World War II.  For us older comic fans, it's a moment of shivering satisfaction.

Yes, one of the great joys of the Marvel movies is how well-coordinated and flowing their Marvel-ous universe is.

Nor so much their comics anymore.

This book, published just eight years ago, is already outdated and misleading.  Everything you know is wrong.

The comics are changing and constantly evolving.  They no longer flow into each other or tell the story of one coordinated universe.  They renumber and restart on a dime, constantly, even using odd numbers, like issue #27.1, or #NOW1.3.  They change origins and story-lines with each new writer and artist that work on them, gleefully altering or ignoring past story-lines.  Wolverine in one comic book may have nothing to do with Wolverine in another comic book.  For this older reader with limited dollars, they have become impossible to track and follow.

Comic fans complain a lot when super-hero movies deviate from the comic books.  Really?  How do they even know?  When the comic book versions change more often than Miley Cyrus or Cher at a concert?

The result is that for the first time in over fifty years, I am no longer longer following new issues of a Marvel comic.

But at least I still have those Marvel-ous movies.

Thank goodness for that.