A Superior Trip to The Pictured Rocks

The shores of mighty Lake Superior!  It's cold waters can make you hesitate, even in the summer - but not for these ducks.

I tested and can testify - it darn cold.

The weather was ideal....low 60s and breezy.  Just the way I love it.

Benjamin was ready for his almost three hour boat tour, when he found out that "Skipper" and his first mate "Gilligan" assured him that the trip was perfectly safe.

Luckily, we and others intervened and convinced him it was worth the trip.  Thank goodness he was convinced of its science worthiness by a Professor and a very friendly woman named Mary Ann.

The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore proved to be a breathtaking treat.  The picture above is considered the Indian chief rock, although what I saw seemed more like the Red Dragon from the Bone comics.

We could have chosen to go to the park instead of the boat ride, but I could just see myself walking too far out from the cliffs/.  That is not a specialty of mine - cliff diving.  Especially when in some sections the water is only about three feet deep. 

The boat went into a small cove so we could be surrounded by the rock walls.

One pile of ricks was topped by a tree whose root structure was actually anchored in the mainland.

I loved this underwater tunnel carved out from the rock.  I took a lot of pictures but many of them have parts of  people in them,  It was sometimes hard to get a clear shot.  I had particular trouble with a millionaire and his wife (at least they seemed rich and snooty to me).  There was a also a woman pretty enough to be movie star, but I didn't mind her so much, especially since I was married to her.

This is am old lighthouse on Grand Island, one of Michigan's larger islands.  It takes Mackinac Island a step further - not only no cars but little to no electricity - no TV or wifi.  I don't think we'll be going there.

The UP was nice, but not a place we would like to live.  Too rural and buggy.

But it was nice to explore for a day.

Traversing to Traverse City

I don't know.  Maybe the reasons aren't completely rational.  But we love Traverse City.  We haven't been to visit very often.  But it has seemed like the ideal mix of beautiful weather, great scenery, wonderful restaurants and shops.

If we could afford it, we would have a summer condo up here.  

We can't, but it's a nice dream.

A daytime view of Grand Traverse Bay from our hotel room.

Here is Benjamin, standing near the 45th parallel (halfway between the pole and the equator).  I would love to say we went up the part of Michigan called the little finger, but we didn't.  We went up instead a skin tag near it, the Old Mission Peninsula.

This is the Old Mission Lighthouse.  We went up to the top of it.  Not very high, but it was an odd shaped staircase to get up.  I was almost busted for coming down it backwards.  Sometimes I break the rules.  Luckily, I wasn't caught.

This is a night view from the balcony of our room, overlooking the Traverse Harbor.  Alison did amazing research, and got us just the right room with the ideal view.  If we ever did get a condo, I would love to have a view like this.

The days were around 70 and the evenings in the 50s.  Compared to home, it was so wonderful it almost made me weep.

A highlight of downtown Traverse City is this great restored theatre, the State, that shows quality movies and documentaries.  It is owned by my buddy, Michael Moore.  OK, he's not really my buddy, but I do like him, and we grew up in neighboring towns at about the same time.

Another beautiful sunset outside our hotel window.  Sunset was after 10 PM.  Longer days up north, eh?


Traverse City is on our frequent visit list.  Well, when we can afford it.

How Grand to Have A Grand Niece!

OK, it's true.

I had been on vacation, which is the primary reason I didn't post much.  I tend to save the pictures and blog posts for when I get back.  Just the way I roll.

So the first stop on our vacation was......

East Lansing!

Or maybe it was Lansing.  Or Waverly.  Or something.  I'm not sure.  My sister and brother-in-law sold their home and are living temporarily in an apartment while a condo unit is being built for then in Grand Rapids.

Why are they moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan?

Well.....

Please see the picture just below....

This is their grand-daughter.  She is their daughter Tiffany's child.  Tiffany and Derek live in Grand Rapids.  So why are my sister Carol and brother-in-law Mike moving to Grand Rapids?

To be closer to their grandchild, of course.  I would be tempted to do the same, if I had a grandchild, which I don't.

Her name is Bailey.  She is roughly ten months old.  She is very bright and curious.  I did not see her cry. She was very happy and engaged with us.  She loves food, and is trying new foods every day.  She crawls and can push along with a push stroller type toy.  She is not using words yet, but her non-verbals are bery expressive, and she makes it quite clear whan she wants more food.

Here I am holding her up for a picture with me and Alison.  I was so happy that I did not make her cry.  I'm not always sure how kids are going to react to me, so it meant a lot to me that she responded well to me.

Yes, it's true.  Even though many my age have grandchildren, I do not.  But now I have a grand niece!  And it was a joy to get to see her this trip.

Oh, I also saw Carol and Mike, and Bailey's parents, Tiffany and Derek.  I guess I should have taken some pictures of them.  But I forgot.  I was to busy taking pictures of Bailey.

Here's another picture of Bailey.  Why?  Because I can.  And for that first day of vacation, that's basically what's on my phone camera.

Imagine what it will be like if I ever do get a grandchild.

I may have to re-name my blog.

History of the Trap is In!!!

I have received my first copies! 

I will have these copies available in the following venues -

1

At the Okefenokee Heritage gift shop, beginning Tuesday, June 28th.  The price for these copies will be $17 plus sales tax, with $4.25 of each sale going to the support the OHC. Each copy will be signed by the author.

2

At the monthly Way Green event for $15.  The first of these is this Saturday, July 2nd.  These copies will be personally signed by the author after your purchase.  Way Green is held the first Saturday morning of each month at the Okefenokee Heritage Center.

3

By mail order.  Please send me a check or money order to 

T. M. Strait

202 Glenwood Drive

Blackshear, Ga 31516

The check should be for $18, to help cover shipping and handling.  Please include any requests for personal messages to include with autograph.  If anyone would like more information about this option, please leave me a Facebook message or e-mail me at tmstrait@hotmail.com.

4

There soon should be a copy at the Pierce County Library, thanks to my friend, David Rollison.

5

I hope to announce a series of cons I will be attending in conjunction with Michael and April Lee, at a shared table for Swamp's Edge Publishing.

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And don't forget....all are available at Amazon, both kindle and paperback version.  There are even other online vendors where the book is available.  Any locals who buy the book online, I will glad sign them if you see me.

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Yes, this is a self publishing effort.  Swamp's Edge Publishing is ME.  Consequently, please be aware that there are almost certainly still typos in the book.  The truth is, I will probably be still adjusting and refining the book for the rest of my life.  I wish it wasn't so, but such is life for the imperfect independent author.

If an of my early readers find a glaring mistake, please let me know so I can fix it in subsequent editions.

I can assure you, though, the problems are minor, and should not interfere with your enjoyment of the story.

Please remember, Amazon places my book on its lists based on its sales and number of reviews.  Online purchases help in that regard, and also posting a positive review (you are free to post any kind of review you want - I'm just letting you know what will help the book the most).

Those who frequent my blog and facebook feed may get tired of my constant shilling of my writings.  I apologize and hope you can bear with me - but the importance of this is outweighing my desire to not be annoying.

Thanks for your support!

And there will be more paperbacks and Kindle books to come!

Your favorite amateur author*

T, M. Strait

*well, hopefully at least in your Top 100

Late Monday Ramblings

Well, here I am, blogging at the time that I can.  It may be a few days before I can get my morning writing time back, so I will do the best I can when I can.

I was impressed by the success of Senator Chris Murphy's filibuster in getting votes on two important gun regulation measures.  I was crushed by the heartbreaking loss of these measures.  What's it gonna take, America?  Every time I think we're coming to our senses, I find my hopes dashed.

I had thought a terrorist incident might play into Trump's hands, as people respond in instinctive fear.  But he was nasty, and overplayed it grotesquely, and it actually caused him to decline in the polls.  Maybe people are finally waking up.  I hope.

I have launched my paperback on Amazon.  That's the good news.  The bad news is it's coming at a time where I really won't be able to promote for about a week.  So I'm watching it being ignored, with only one sale in three days as I write this.  It plays into my worst fears that when I finally get something in print it will bomb horribly.  I keep saying that the problem that slows me is formatting, and it is a challenge, but the real fear is that I'm not good enough to succeed.

That's probably too honest, but what the heck.  There's no picture with this which will probably minimize the numbers that review or read this anyways.

I will do everything I can to promote this book, and get the next one, Crowley Stories:Swamp's Edge, ready for publication.  So please know that even though I fear rejection or failure, I'm still going to try to put myself out there.  I will do everything within the confines of available time and my personality to give my writings a chance.

And as I have said, I will continue to write regardless.  I enjoy it, and it is in my blood now.  Like someone addicted to an exercise routine, I don't feel comfortable when I don't get to do it.

As I approach retirement, I am concerned how writing can play into the mix.  I'm not going to make enough in retirement to allow me to completely quit - I'm going to have to bring in at least some money doing something else.  I would rather it be in self-employed creative endeavors, but that might not pan out.  Even if I'm great at acting, and above average in writing, I'm LOUSY at self-promotion.  So it's a struggle.

But I will try to make the commitment to give it a chance to work.  We'll see.


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I normally like underdogs in sports (unless it Michigan or Georgia teams), but it was rather disappointing to see a team win as many games as the Golden State Warriors and still fall short of the championship.  But I do take my hat off to the single-minded drive of LeBron James.  And it has been  a long wait for Cleveland.


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I saw the movie Now You See Me 2.  I am not a big caper movie fan, but I did enjoy it.  Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman were  a pleasure to watch.  I am the type that when "magic" happens I'm not trying to figure out "how they did it".  I accept that it's real magic and move on.  So the revealing of how they did it was not the most interesting part of the movie for me.  I give it a 7 out of ten Rippers.

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That's it for now.

Until I can write again,

T. M. Strait

The Books Are on Their Way!

Big news!

History of the Trap Paperback Edition has been finalized!

It should be available to purchase online for $14.99 in three to five days!  Super important update!!!!  The book is available to buy NOW on Amazon!

It should be available at the Okefenokee Heritage Center gift shop around June 29th! Those copies will be signed by ME!

It should be at the next Way Green on July 2nd, where I can personally sign with a note to YOU!

Mail order signed copies, direct from me, will be available to order by June 30th.  Price may be slightly higher to cover shipping.

I will provide more details as these dates get closer!

Please, if you are so inclined, how highly they place my book in searches is dependent on sales AND reviews.  I encourage you to post reviews to Amazon if you can.  You, of course, can review it any way you want, but positive reviews will help the most.

If you like Kindle books, the Kindle edition is available now, and already ranking as high as #229,112 in the Kindle Store.  (Ranking estimated - although you would think if I was estimating, I would do a more Trump-like inflated number - it's YUUGE!)

The Terrible Rage

It's not what you think it is.

These are not huge, conspiratorial organizations carrying out political and social agendas.  Oh, those things exist.  The Paris attack was coordinated by a group.  Not a huge group, but a group nonetheless.

But what we've had in the United States is almost entirely lone wolfs.

Oh, sure.  They get excuses for their darkness by things they find on the Internet, or other material/propaganda that enhances their delusions.  But it's mostly to give them an excuse for their dark tangents.

The attack on a Planned Parenthood clinic?  The man was using abortion as an excuse to exercise his anger at women, at his inability to control them or hold their interest. The intensity about abortion was just a focal point for his anger.  Do violent men who want to control women really care about the unborn?  I doubt it.

Murdering African-American parishioners in their own church?  One loner, young and confused, not fitting in, concludes there must be an external cause for his failure.  He finds propaganda that justifies his feelings - the government is interfering with his ability to succeed by giving others a leg up over him by the virtue of the color of their skin.  So he tries to start a race war for which he is the lone soldier.  But he actually does the opposite, as the forces of love and forgiveness prove to be stronger than hate, and the negatively-charged Confederate flag finally comes down.

In San Bernardino, a man looking for targets settles for the co-workers that have pissed him off, and not given him the recognition he is due.  His allegiances to radical Middles Eastern political movements, his twisting of a basically peaceful faith, are merely used to justify going "postal".  He is a loner, with the exception of a complicit spouse.  They live in a bubble of their own anger.

In Orlando, humanity's Pulse is attacked and slaughtered in an horrific fashion, leaving dozens of beautiful lives cut short, and dozens more wounded, and millions traumatized.  He uses ISIS style allegiance at the last minute, almost as an afterthought.  His motives have not yet become clear, but it is obvious that he was angry and conflicted, perhaps battling feelings within himself that his family and culture were not able to handle.  His wife, either by terror and devotion, may have assisted in some way.  We;ll see over time.  But it is clear that his choice of target was not happenstance.  It was an attack on the LGBT community, without question.

Yes, the voices that encourage violence and hatred must be quieted.  But these men are often using that as a cover to justify their own insecurities, a deep seated anger that goes beyond politics and religion.  It is an inner rage to reassert masculine dominance, a primal cry to subjugate.

You can see the the same thing in less headline grabbing situations throughout the world.  Domestic abuse, workplace sexual harassment, unequal pay, anger at minorities and the LGBT community, even the horrors of rape - these are reflections of the ugly side of  the struggle of male supremacy.

These are made worse in the United States by the ease of access to guns, and magnified by our inability to ban or restrict access to brutal weapons that accelerate our killing incidents to rapid mass slaughter.

Today's blog is not really to present solutions, although I hope to address that, and if one looks at other postings I have done, they may be able to glean what I feel may help.  But I did want to stress this -

It's not completely about politics and religion.  Those are often used as cover for other problems.  So it does no good to demonize Muslims or minorities or Conservative Christians or any group.

We have to get to the terrible rage and start dealing with that.

We Will Not Lose Our Pulse

Someone tried to take our Pulse away.

They thought they could send us a message about what was acceptable.  They thought they could divide us and leave us weaker.  They thought that hate was stronger than love.

Is it?

What we decide to do in this moment of crisis may determine the fate of us all.

Do we react in hate or in love?

It is so easy to use the holy books, be it the Bible or the Koran or any others, to justify hate, intolerance and revenge.  All you have to do is ignore the forest of the true faith, and cherry pick the trees that support the evil you are trying to perpetuate.  Want to hate and discriminate against the LGBT community?  You can find verses to convolute to do that.  Want to justify male dominance and keeping women and children as chattel, even to the point of beating them into submission?  It's in there.  Want to make a case for slavery?  It's in there.  Want to genocide your foes?  It's in there.

These books were written over long periods of time, and then rewritten by diverse scribes and many rulers, all with their own purpose and intent.

You can carry off the trees you want to bolster your fortress of hate if you want to.  But you have to ignore the forest of the true faith to do that.  All great religions are not a fixed point.  They are a journey to true understanding.  Love God, love your neighbor, make the world a better place.  That is what you see when you look at the forest as a whole.

Don't let them take the trees away that justify the destruction of humanity's Pulse.  Let's not let them build their wooden intolerant kingdom made from the disparate poisonous branches, while burning down the spirit of the forest of faith, love, hope and tolerance that could save us all.

I weep for the lost souls of the Pulse.  I cry for their friends and families, and I pray for Orlando and this whole nation.  I grieve for the world where such evil still thrives.

I try not to despair.  I look about and I see many who seek the forest, who strive for its guidance. They give blood.  They help rebuild.  They reach out in love.  They embrace their fellow man. There is still comfort even in the heart of chaos.

Someone tried to burn the forest of true faith away.

Someone tried to take the Pulse of humanity away.

We won't let them.

Will we?

Summer Sadness Speculatron: Saturday Political Soap Box 135

One of the few bright spots of this summer political season is the continuing emergence of Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren as a major political figure.  No one has battled the dark side of the most dangerous politician of modern times, Donald Trump.  No, Bernie fans, she is not  a traitor.  She is the bridge to the future.  Bernie showed us the way.  She will lead us across.

I'm a Christian.  I'm not saying this to brag.  I'm saying this as a point of explanation.  As a Christian, one of my most deeply held beliefs is that our purpose is to be the hands and feet of Christ, and that is to do what we can to live the clarion call of the Lord's prayer, to bring the Kingdom of Heaven closer to Earth.  And that is accomplished not by the anger of forced conversion, proselytizing fear, or setting up walls and barriers to keep people out.  It is done through love, understanding, tolerance - by reaching to help your fellow man, and make this a more decent world for all.  Christians are not the only ones who believe versions of this -  many other faiths and secularists believe in working towards a better world as well. 

It's hard to look out at the present political landscape and see that on the horizon.  The summer looks like a bleak contest, between two candidates with high unfavorables, and the promise of the most negative tone in the history of our elections (which is saying A LOT!).  Clinton may break faith with progressive and run the country with corporations and the wealthy still tightly in control, and she is far too militaristic for my tastes.  This scares me a bit as my youngest son will become of draft age during her first term.  On the other hand, putting the nation in the hands of the impulsive fascist con man is the death knell of the American vision.  Everything that I love about America will be lost.  Is Trump a NAZI?  No, he's too erratic to be called that, but he is an authoritarian who has no respect for anybody but himself, and is willing to use rhetoric that does match up closely with NAZI tendencies.  Calling people based on nationality rapists and murderers?  Building a mammoth wall that will cost a fortune and have no practical effect except to denote America as a selfish, bigoted force?  Desiring to deport millions?  Endorsing the murder of terrorist families?  Encouraging the most vile forms of torture?  Wanting to ban people on the basis of religion, desiring to identify them and surveil their places of worship?  What else am I supposed to call all that but fascistic NAZI like appeals?

The great political movement of our time, Bernie Sander's run, has been presumably been squashed.  Hillary and her people may decide to make only the most vague appeals to Bernie, while actually tromping off merrily to the Corporate right.

But I have faith.

Bernie has planted the seed.  He has begun the dream.  Millennials, if they're smart, will keep the flame alive, and we will see a whole fleet of young progressive politicians becoming more and more prominent. Gaven Newsome, Tulsi Gabbard, Nina Turner and dozens more will flood the American stage.  Some will prove not worthy.  Some will surpass Bernie in impact.  And one or more WILL become President of the Untied States.

Bernie is our movement's Moses.  He has shown us the way, even though he will not make it to the promised land of the White House himself.  Bernie is our John the Baptist, opening the process up to future progressives.

So what will happen this election?  I don't know.  I pray Hillary wins. She may be my fifteenth choice, but Trump is my nine billionth.  I pray she picks a progressive to be her running mate, instead of the Corporate Center or even Right figure that I fear she will.  She will most likely pick Virginia Senator Tim Kaine.

I cannot rationally pick Donald Trump's running mate, because there is no rationality to him.  If I  was forced to a wall to guess, I would say New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.  Why not?  Christie's career lies in tattered ruins anyway.  Trump would be better off picking a Great Lakes region Senator or Governor, but I'm not sure there's any one suicidal enough to run with him.

Barring the unforeseen, Hillary should win decisively, by the largest margin of any Democrat since LBJ.

I also think there is a very real possibility that at least one of the presumptive nominees will not be the candidate on the ballot in the Fall.  The reasons I feel this could happen would fill another blog post, and if I may make these posts too long, people stop reading.

A quick message to Hillary supporters:  STOP IT!  You won!  Quit berating Bernie and his supporters. You're going to need us to win the general, and calling us immature is not helping your cause.

A quick message to Bernie supporters:  Don't be immature.  We don't have a multi-party system yet. Vote for Hillary to stop Trump, and to build a foundation to a progressive future - she will respond to you better than any Republican.  Writing in Bernie or Green will not help.  And trust me - Bernie will soon be telling you not to do it.  Pressure the platform, advocate for a Progressive running mate. and most importantly, find and fight for down ticket progressives.  Turning over the state and federal legislatures is as important, if not more so, than winning the Presidency.

A quick message to Trump supporters:  What the hell are you thinking?  You're letting an irrational mad-on that has been fueled by years of Fox News, right wing radio, and Conservative Christian preachers,take control of your better judgment.  Research Trump.  See what Trump is really leading us to.  Examine what Christianity really means, and how this frightening man is working in the opposite direction.  Can you be a Christian and vote for Trump? Yes.  Can you vote for Trump and claim you are doing so BECAUSE you are a Christian? No, you can't.

The political summer looks sad and dim.  But there is a brighter horizon, I promise you.  The future does not have to result in a better world, but the seeds have been planted.

Now it's up to us nurture, grow and harvest those planted seeds.

Millennials, I believe in you.  I'm counting on you.  I'm praying for you.

Bernie has shown us the path.

Now it's up to you.

I Got Hair, The Pictureless Newspaper Column Edition

I got hair.

I may not have a lot going for me, being chubby and short, and with a  face that is, uh, somewhat less than classic.

But I do got hair.  A full head of it, with no receding hairline.   The space between my eyebrows and the beginning of my hairline is pretty small.  And that's been true virtually from the time I was hatched.  I was born sporting a crop.

I wish I had something to do with it.  But it was a genetic gift from my Dad.  He never went bald, his hairline never receded, all the way up to when he passed at 91.

My hair style has been fairly consistent over the years.  There were a couple of times that I had a crewcut. When I was twelve and got one, I think it was my Dad worrying about the hippies, and for me not to look like one, as if my hair length alone would disbar me from the counterculture.  It did not stick, because even my Dad could see that I was not built to look adequately human with a crewcut, what with my craggy skull, with it's odd bumps and dips, and that I would sunburn terribly. If I stayed outside even a short time,  my head would look like it was on fire, a nuclear glow that looked like it could explode at any moment.

The biggest variations in my hairstyle were courtesy of the theatre, and my many different roles I have played over the years.  The most bizarre came in high school, when I played a young man whom the script identified as blonde.  Well, my hair at the time was fairly dark, but that did not deter the director.  They decided to dye my hair blonde.  It did not work, and my hair came out a ghastly orange. I looked like a cross between a teenage Joker, and the very first punk rocker.  Yes, that was me.  I was the first.  I started the trend towards wild punk rock hair.  You're welcome, America.

Another high school play, a musical about Superman, I played the mad scientist villain, and my hair was piled beehive high and turned white.  Turning my hair white has been less and less of a problem over the years, actually starting in my mid-thirties.  I remember a few years ago playing Santa Claus in Miracle on 34th Street and asking if they needed to turn my hair whiter.  "No," they said.  "you're good."

The only other change as I reached my forties was to add a short beard.  It's major function is to hide the fact that I virtually have no chin - my face just kind of blubbers down into my neck.

All three of my boys have healthy heads of hair.  The two older boys, now that they are in their thirties, are starting to experience the joys of premature graying.

Yep.

I got hair.

Thank you, Dad, for this wonderful genetic gift.  I and my boys feel blessed.

An Unfortunate Delay

What?  I've already done a blog story with this picture?  What can I say?  The repetition has only just BEGUN!  I AM THE SHILLMASTER!


I have some unfortunate news for those blessed few who are waiting for a trade paperback version of my book.
There will be a slight delay in publication.
Why, Tom, why?

Well, thanks for asking.
I have decided to get my book identified  with a special number/code, the LCCN, that will allow it to be placed in the Library of Congress and more easily with libraries and maybe with retail booksellers.
That's good, right?
Well, yes it is, BUT, the process takes up to ten days and it must be included in the book.  That means I can't finalize my proof until that number is entered.
That means I won't have any books available before I leave for Michigan.  That means I won't have any copies to hand deliver to my Michigan friends.  And it may make it difficult to have copies at the next Way Green - I'm still hopeful that I could get some by then, but I can't guarantee it.
I'm so sorry, but I hope you understand that I can't pass up this opportunity for increased distribution.  Who wouldn't want to be among the millions of books at the Library of Congress?
Given this, I still promise to get the book out as quickly as the process allows.
Hang in there!
The Trap paperback is coming soon!

Maybe not as soon as I hoped, but still....coming soon! 












 

Bernie Busted

Ah, the power of the self-fulfilling prophecy.  Thank you, Rachel Maddow.  Thank you, DNC.  Thank you, voters who gave up or didn't try hard enough to fight their way through an admittedly rigged system.

Every Presidential election people whine and complain about their choices, not realizing that they have the heaviest hand in determining who is nominated.  Each time, I scoff at them and say - buck up!  Make a choice!  This isn't like carefully crafting your own personal dinner at Wong's.  The American political system is designed to only offer you two viable choices.  That means you are not very likely to get the most perfect candidate tailored to your own individual idiosyncrasies.  In my voting lifetime, the only match between my choice for Democratic nominee and actual selection chosen has only been Barack Obama.   All other times I've had to settle for second, third, even fifth choice.  That's just the way it is.

This time, however, I sympathize.  The choices are horrible.  Clinton is bad, yes, but Trump is mind-numbingly unprecedentedly awful.  I am not now, nor have I ever been, nor will I ever be, a Clintonista. Sorry.  Even though their general positions are slightly better than Republicans, I can't stand their personal style and conduct.  Nevertheless, all thinking Americans need to agree on one thing - Trump can't be President of the United States.  He will destroy every shred that's left of what makes America a great and special place.  Make America great?  Ha!  Make America authoritarian fascist!

The most important thing to come out of this election, its only saving grace, is the new progressive movement around Bernie Sanders.  He is our Moses, leading us out of the wilderness, even if he doesn't get to become President.  He is our John the Baptist, hopefully handing us over to the next generation of progressive leaders.

The Presidential election of 2016 is a lost cause.  The only thing we can do is stop our descent into total hatred and madness by stopping Trump at the polls.  But we can hold the progressive movement together, begin the fight for the undercard, challenging corporate Democrats and extremist Republicans throughout the country, in every race we can, from federal to local, electing as many progressives as we can, and then take the Presidency in 2020, and create a new progressive majority that will last a generation.

Let's make this election the last hurrah of the corporate dinosaurs, and the spoiled billionaires.

Let's make the next election about us!

Warren/Gabbard 2020!

Justifying Monday and Other Monday Musings

What can I say?

It's my first book and I didn't know any better?

I've read thousands of fiction books and it didn't occur to me until church Sunday that maybe the typeset should be justified.  I frantically looked at the Bible in the pew and saw that it was justified.  Then I looked at The Book of Common Prayer and saw that it was not justified.  Then I looked at the hymnal and realized that was like music and notes and stuff.  I needed a larger sample.

After church, I looked at many books and concluded that only a few self-published books were not justified. It was clear that, although not required, that it would give my book a better feel and look.

Ugh.

Back to formatting hell, and putting at risk my goal to have copies of the book to distribute on our upcoming trip to Michigan.  The problem is that my Word file has to be translated into pdf again, and who knows what the result of that will be.

There are also a  couple of  typos to correct, so wish me luck.  I'll update y'all as to how it goes.

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Way Green, our local farm and arts show, had another pretty big crowd.  The OHC Writer's booth did okay, with both me and Grace Lee selling some of our chapbooks (homemade pamphlet-like books).  Michael and April Lee were very helpful in managing the booth, adding a whole array of book-related crafts.  It was terribly hot, and my Mackinac Island Fudge threatened to melt into hot fudge sauce.

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Game of Thrones is rollicking far past the books.  I still like the books as much as the series, and I am disappointed that the show is moving faster.  Yes, it's George R R Martin's story and he can basically tell it at what ever pace he wants, but I would've like to have read the books first.  I have little ground to complain.  It took me forty-five some years to complete History of the Trap.  But I promise you this - if somebody picks up the movie/TV rights to History of the Trap and I'm paid beau coup money - you better believe I'm gonna churn out books ahead of the movie/TV series.

Yeah.  Can't wait for that.

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So that's about it.  My weekend was mostly book related, starting the exciting journey from becoming book author to turning into market shiller.

Did I mention that the Kindle ebook version is available for sale on Amazon for only $3.99?

Until next shill,

T. m. Strait

The Proof is in My Hands! Pre-Order Today!

The proof is in my hands!

Yes, I finally have a proof copy of History of the Trap, all 360 pages of it!

It looks and feels like a real book!

History of the Trap is a young adult science fiction/fantasy book set at a Michigan high school in the mid-70s.

It is a proof, and I will need to make corrections, but I hope to have it finalized and published very soon.  I've already found minor mistakes in the afterword and on the back cover, but hopefully it will not be too difficult to fix.



Meanwhile.....

Those of you who are interested in pre-ordering my first effort in book publishing, please let me know by private Facebook message or by sending me an e-mail at tmstrait@hotmail,com.

I do not know the final cost yet, but my best guess will be in the $15 to $18 range.  Mailed copies may have additional charges to cover postage.

What I will need - 

                              Your name

                              The name you want me to sign the book to (for example - to Rosa Maria, my beautiful friend!)

                               Contact information (e-mail, facebook connection, phone number - whatever works for you).

                               Mailing address if the copy will need to be mailed

This can be commented here on the blog, sent through a Facebook or e-mail or text or smoke signal - however you want.

No payment is necessary at this time.  This will just help me determine how many copies I need to order.

I'm so excited!

I Got Hair

I got hair.

I may not have a lot going for me, being chubby and short, and a face that is, uh, somewhat less than classic.

But I do got hair.

You can see from the picture above, just a few days old, I was already sporting a crop.

Here I am, in my glorious toddler-hood, sitting with my little sister, with thicker and more substantial hair than she had.

I wish I had something to do with it.  But it was just a genetic gift from my Dad.  He never went bald,his hairline never receded.

Here I'm sitting with my sister, taking a breather during a family trip to California, sitting on a bench labeled Mexican. I am grateful Trump wasn't around.  We might have been deported.

This was one of only two times I had a crew cut.  My Dad would get worried that I would turn into a hippie and would get it cut short, as if hair length would disbar me from the counterculture.

I would show you a picture of what I looked at 12 during the few weeks he made me get a crew cut.  But this is a family blog, and I don't want to horrify people.  I think all copies of it have been torched.  Suffice to say, my craggy skull looked gruesome, and it reminded me too much of being in the Hitler Youth.  I got control of my hair length after that, and I have never ever had another crewcut.  Not even for theatre.

I might not have ever had another crew cut, but thanks to theatre, I did have some unusual hair experiments.

One of the weirdest was my experience playing the lead of David and Lisa.  The script mentioned the character was blonde, a hair color I most definitely was not.  But that did not deter the director. They decided to dye my hair blonde.

It turned my hair a ghastly orange.  I looked like a cross between a teenage Joker, and the very first punk rocker.  Yes, that was me.  I was the first.  I started the trends towards wild punk rock hair colors.  You're welcome, America.

It's just a shame that this picture is not in color.

Another high school play caused me to pile my hair straight up and color it white.  I look like the father of the bride of Frankenstein.  The play was It's a Bird, It's A Plane, It's Superman - and I played a mad scientist.

This is the best play I've been in that I've never had a chance to redo.

Turning my hair white was a task, mostly done through spray cans.  Nowadays, turning my hair white is no longer an issue.  I remember a few years ago, being Santa Claus in  Miracle on 34th Street and asking if they need to turn my whiter.  "No," they said, "you're good."

This is as long as my hair got, the closest I came to being the dreaded hippie.  It's a senior year picture of me competing in Humorous Interpretation.  Either that was part of the character, or I was really stressed out.  Given my personality, it could have been either one.

Another play hair style from more recent years.  Yeah, I don't know what it is either.

And this has been my hair style most of my life.  Of course, it has gotten more and more gray over the years.  But I'm used to that - it started graying when I was in my mid-thirties.

I pretty much always have the beard.  I try to keep it relatively short.  It's major function is to hide the fact that I virtually have no chin - my face just kind of blubbers down into my neck.

All three of my boys have healthy heads of hair, and the two older boys, now that they are in their thirties, are starting to experience the joys of premature graying.

Yep.

I got hair.

Thank you, Dad, for this beautiful genetic gift.  I and my boys feel blessed.

History of the Weekend: Wednesday Wanderings

You were expecting me to lead my blog story with some other picture?  Not from Tom "Shameless Plug" Strait.

Five day weekend!

What to do?  What to do?

Being instinctively lazy, the thought of reading entire novels, eating chocolate bonbons, binging on television, and bonding with the dogs - they all seemed tempting and worthwhile activities.

But not this super extended weekend.

I had goals and dreams to pursue.

And, even though it took me hours more than I anticipated, I moved the goal line into the red zone.  I have a book.  Repeat.  Houston, I have a book.

Thursday was final edit day. Painstakingly going through the novel for the umpteenth time,  the neverending quest of catching typos and inconsistencies.  I also added a dedication and an afterword.  The dedication was like giving an Oscar speech - for as many people whom you thanked, you still had the nagging feeling you had left others out.

When I got to the ebook, I had to edit another four times (mostly formatting issues) to get the book to get into an acceptable condition.

On Friday evening, my son Doug came down to visit us.  I would drift off to my "project" now and again. but for the most part I enjoyed his company.  We saw X-Men: Apocalypse (8 Rips out of 10). and ate at a new restaurant in downtown Brunswick, The Farmer & the Larder.

If you remember my review of Captain America: Civil War, I commented how I was not fond of the Heroes vs. Heroes storylines, but that movie had pulled it off in a way that was far better than I was expecting?  Well X-Men Apocalypse did not pull it off.  I found the divide of heroes arbitrary and over the top.   They were pared up with a villain responsible for massacring what had to be millions.  How do you come back to being a hero after that?  Particularly egregious was the behavior of Magneto. His disturbance of the magnetic field is indicated to be worldwide, and you cannot convince me that it did not result in a horrendous loss of life.  Which brings up the other problem with the movie - the damage done is like Superman:Man of Steel times 100.  There were pluses, with entertaining characters and some good action sequences. A standout is Quicksilver, particularly in a wonderful rescue scene played out to the music of Eurythmics' song, Sweet Dreams.

The Farmer & the Larder was a wonderful place.  We had to make reservations, making them for when they opened at 6.  At first, we worried about the place because we were the only ones there.  But by 6:30 the place started to fill up, and by 7 it was packed.  I had the Double Oink, which was a pork chop wrapped in bacon.  It was very delicious, as was Alison's pecan and goat cheese salad, Benjamin's Farmhouse Burger and Doug's Veggie Fritter. It is a farm to table restaurant, with fresh, local and homemade ingredients, and I highly recommend it.

On Sunday night, we played Exploding Kittens, a new game played with cards,  It;'s a highly charged version of Old Maid, really.  To everyone's surprise, including my own, I was the family champion.

So back to the novel!  After successfully launching the ebook (now available from Amazon Kindle for only $3.99), the next step was the more difficult - prepare the book for hard copy production; an honest to gosh 'feel it in your hands' paperback book!  This was worse than the ebook.  I kept stumbling down blind alleys, doing all the wrong things.  But with the help of my fellow guild members, via the Internet, I was finally able to plough my way through the process.

We had other guests on Memorial Day (still not a holiday in the school system), inviting them to our home for grilled hamburgers and hot dogs.  The guests were a hard working mother and her five children, who had moved to Texas where she was getting a college degree and making a great life for herself and her family.  I identified with her struggles.  She moved to her find her own identity, as I did when I moved from Michigan to Georgia.

Back to the novel!  After step after stubborn step, plagued with problems and false steps that had to be backed up and tried again, I have a proof that will be arriving at my home tomorrow.  After reviewing, I can give the ok, and I will finally have a published book.  Self- published, yes, but published nonetheless.

If you would like a copy, let me know.  I will be glad to sign it for you!

T.M. "Shameless Plug" Strait