Pancake Aversion Therapy

Today is Shrove Tuesday. It is also called Fat Tuesday.  It's the day before the beginning of Lent, a time of contemplation and sacrifice.  So the idea is to enjoy an indulgence of fatty foods before the "fasting" begins.  Yes, it's largely symbolic nowadays.  Although many Christians (those that observe Lent) do give up some things, such as chocolate or sodas, pizza or ice cream, and other sacrifices that may not involve food, I can't say there are many who give up fats altogether.

In our church, Grace Episcopal, Shrove Tuesday is recognized and celebrated with a pancake supper. I think this has been an event every year for a very long time, certainly in the almost two decades I have been going there.

I have never been to the Shrove Tuesday supper.  I probably will never go.

Why?  Am I too busy with tax season?  I could make time if it was a priority.  But I don't.  Why?

Because of that terrible night when I was in high school.

We went on a field trip, all the way to Detroit, us theater/choir students, to see Nanette Fabray in No No, Nanette.  It was a spectacular production, and when it was done, we made our way back home.  Before arriving back in Bridgeport, it was decided that we would have supper.  They picked a large, popular local restaurant near Flint.  It's specialty?  All you can eat pancakes.

My friend, Evans Bentley, challenged me to a pancake eating contest.  I took him on - we teenagers can do anything, remember?

Memory does not serve me who won or lost.  Even though I was fatter, it was probably him.  He had the metabolism gained from cross country running, and I doubt I could compete with that.  But I tried.  And I tried.  And I made myself as sick as a dog.  My stomach ached for the next few days. There were other results that I will not go into.

Ever since, the very thought of pancakes for supper makes me nauseous.

I don't actually hate the taste of pancakes.  On rare occasions, I have had one or two for breakfast. A couple of years ago, we ate pancakes in Nashville at their famous Pancake House. That's the last time I remember having them.

But pancakes for supper?

I'm sorry.  I just can't bring myself to do it.  Even though this year, Alison and Benjamin and MeeMaw will all be going.

Maybe I'll swing by Hardee's and get one of their Double Decker Ultimate Thick-burgers.

Actually, that doesn't sound very good, either.

Protesting Monday Musing

Our motley crew, protesting in front of the Trump "Make America Conned Again" rally.  I mean, Make America Great Again.  We're gathered here for a photo op, and then to get our checks from George Soros,

I participated in a protest Saturday!

It was a first for me, believe it or not. I had been part of a teacher's union picket, back in 1978, but this is the first purely political protest I've participated in.

We only had about fifteen protesters, but  it had only been announced at one meeting of the Team RJ group, named for organizer RJ Hadley.  Given that, I thought our turn out was pretty good!

Meanwhile, the pro Trump group had advertised heavily, across many medias, both traditional and social, throughout Southeast Georgia.  Given this, and the fact that most counties here voted heavily for Trump, their turnout was not all that impressive.  There were crowd estimates of 200 (as announced by the rally organizers), but more realistically about 125.  Regardless, it was certainly not the numbers they were hoping for.

The police that were there were extremely helpful, and were neutral in the disposition of their job of keeping the peace.  They told us where we could protest safely, and we stayed within that boundary. A few Trump supporters would wander over and say things to us, mostly mild, but some of it clearly designed to provoke us.  They were met with love and respect, and the police only had to say something once.  When the rally was over, the police shook our hands and thanked us for our respectful behavior.

As you can see from the picture above, we weren't a very gruff looking crowd.  We were just regular people fed up with the autocratic direction that Trump and his cronies were leading us in.  I had hoped we would get a show of support from MILLENNIALS.  Hopefully, as MILLENNIALS find out more about our group and our area protests, the MILLENNIALS will come out and support us.

We were near a street that had a good amount of traffic, and we received a variety of notice from people.  We did get some dirty looks, some birdies shot, and a rare heckle.  "Go Trump!" was a big one which I would translate into "GO, Trump!", as in yes, he definitely has to GO!  One younger man shouted to us "Get a f------ job!"  Of course, it was Saturday, and most of us had good jobs, thank you very much.  The woman next to me had two jobs, and was a dog rescuer in her spare time.  Too bad he wasn't worried about the job status of those attending the Trump rally.

I have a personal preference to carry positive signs.  So the two I held at different times were "I Support Public Education" and "Liberty and Justice for All". I have a feeling if this area does shift its politics, it will be because educators finally wake up to the reality that Trump and Betsey DeVos and Republicans in general, are not their friends,  They would just as soon eliminate public schools, and switch to privately run charters that will pay them only about half what they make now, and will cut or end most of their benefits.

The rally speakers mostly ignored us, although I think they did pray for our souls at one point.  In general, their rhetoric was somewhat hateful and intolerant, and also heavily wrapped in religion. It's so odd.  The least Christian political figure of my lifetime enjoyed the support of 80% of white evangelicals.  It boggles the mind.

It was a great experience, and it felt good to be  part of it.

And seriously, no, there is no check coming from George Soros.  I did it because I love this country, and I want to be steered back to a place where we once again pursue liberty and justice for all.

Join us!

Declaration of Beliefs: Saturday Political Soap Box 158

I think I'll skip the negativity for this week's Soap Box.  It's necessary, in the face of the greatest threat to democracy we've ever experienced, but that's not all we need to do.  We should also declare what we are for. And we should do at simply and declaratively as we can,  The sad fact is that Americans don't always listen to long, complex, nuanced solutions.  They prefer easy to grasp solutions to wonkish answers. And that is one place that Republicans are much better than Democrats.

In that spirit, I am stating my beliefs, and the best solutions to implement those beliefs, stated as briefly and succinctly as possible.

I support universal health care, as a basic right that everyone is entitled to.  No one should be left out. The best way to achieve this is is by expanding Medicare, a Medicare for All.  It is the moral and fiscally responsible choice.

I support Social Security, and benefits should be increased and expanded, not cut back and the age of eligibility raised. Think it may grow insolvent in a few decades?  This one is the easiest to solve. Raise the cap.  BAM! Problem solved.

I support green solutions to global warming.  We need to become the leader on this front, not the foot-dragger.  If climate change is to be mitigated, it will be by the countries smart enough to be a leader in this regard.  Those who don't will fall by the economic wayside.

I support a minimum wage that is a living wage.  Everyone who works deserves to be able to support themselves and contribute to their family.  Service jobs deserve the same respect as manufacturing jobs, or any other job. Paying a living wage will fuel the economy more powerfully than any tax break to the wealthy.

I support a complete restructuring of the tax code, one that is streamlined and automatic, but still progressive.  I realize that this is a gross oversimplification, but it should have the following elements; 1) elimination of the individual and corporate income tax 2) a national sales tax that is progressive, increasing for luxury items 3) a financial transaction tax for when money is moved 4) the only taxes coming out of earned income would be Social Security and Medicare For All 5) a gross income tax on businesses, possibly adjusted to the type of business and typical margin of profit, with the only deduction or adjustment coming from the amount above living wage you pay to US citizens.

I support civil rights.  That includes protection and support for the LGBT community, including same-sex marriage,  That includes focusing on increasing voter participation, not suppressing it.  That includes not targeting and persecuting our Muslim citizens.

I support public education.  All solutions should be focused on making public schools better, not by states grabbing control of local schools, and turning them over to private interests whose major goal is not the education of students, but to enhance and increase profits.

I support background checks.  The solution to the rampant gun violence in this country is more complex than gun control measures, but we can at least do those things that a majority support.

I support education and birth control access as a way to reduce abortions in the country.  I don't like abortions, but I have no interest in criminalizing the decisions of women and their doctors. Terror and criminalization, intimidation and ignorance, will not reduce abortions, and in some places it will just drive it underground, making it more unsafe and dangerous.  The abortion rate has gone down most dramatically in states that offer sex education, greater access to birth control, better support to mothers and their infant.  Sunshine is better than the storm.

I support a foreign policy that enhances American strength and position in the world, and does so by taking the humanitarian high ground.  Foreign policy is complicated and fraught with peril, and sometimes harsh choices have to be made, but as in abortion we need to remember, sunshine is better than the storm.  Love and improving lives is better a foundation than torture and acting in anger.

I have not highlighted immigration as a problem.  That seems a silly thing to do for a nation of immigrants.  If you provide a living wage for ALL jobs, then if Americans still won't fill them, who else is going to do that labor?  If businesses find their only tax deduction paying US citizens above a living wage, it completely changes their motivation.  First, they find no advantage to hiring immigrants (illegal or otherwise) because they have to pay them the same wage as an American citizen. Second, they are motivated to pay US citizens better than a living wage as the only way to reduce their tax obligation.


Are the solutions to these problems over-simplified?  You bet your arse they are!  But if Progressives don't find a way to quickly and compellingly voice their beliefs and solutions, they will be constantly drowned out by the single minded Republicans (reduce taxes on the rich, cut spending to the poor and middle class, build walls, deregulate).

Break through the Corporate Democratic wonk.  Talk directly to the American people.

You can do it, Obi-Wan Progressive!

It's our only hope.

OHC Writer's Guild Poetry Winner: Booze by Linda Sullivan

We have a champion!

The first place winner of our 3rd Annual poetry contet (adult division) is....

Linda Sullivan!

This is her second win, as in last year's contest she finished second!

Booze

by Linda Sullivan

One Saturday night when the house was shaking

     and the kitchen dishes were near to breaking

I settled down with a good home brew

     determined to see the rainstorm through.

When a bolt of lightning ripped the sky

    I took a drink and shut one eye

I timidly watched from where I sat

    as it kindly killed my old, sick cat.

Well, the thunder crashed and the rain was pouring

     The wind was fierce and my head was roaring

So I took a drink and by and by

     I lifted that jug and drank it dry.

'Twas then I saw.....I'll call it 'That'.

     It was downright thin, but kind of fat.

I knew it was green but it sure looked brown,

     It wasn't up and it wasn't down.

Then it snarled a curse that made me moan.

     "Why me?  Why me?" but 'That' was gone.

With a strangled cry and a vague hiccough

     I watched my left leg shrivel up.

Shaking my head, I tried to think.

    I was plainly in need of a good, stiff drink

So, fearful that my mind I'd lose

    I crawled to the cellar and drank more booze.

I fell to the floor then staggered back up

     and mournfully noted my arm had dried up.

I bowed my head and vowed to repent

     then cynically watched as the rest of me went.

I thought of a toast to my dried up state

     and resigned myself to my shriveled fate.

Up, up I rose into the air

     and then I was and I wasn't there.

There's a moral that's tried and true:

     don't drink in a storm, but if you do

could be that 'That'

     will come for you!

    

    

Peak Season Wednesday Wanderings

It's not quite half-way yet, but it will be soon.  Tomorrow will be Day 54 of a 108 day tax season.  It has been a long and wearing season, mostly because I have hopes of further cutting back on accounting profession hours after the season is over.  I don't like to think of it as retirement as much as opening hours up to pursue the kinds of things I have wanted to do all my life.  Some will be remunerative.  Some will not.

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Out local Congressman, Buddy Carter, is having a town hall meeting today.  Unfortunately, it's at 2:30, and this is very problematic given that it is tax season.  I'm not sure I have any coherent questions anyways.  It takes a lot of preparation for me to speak extemporaneously in public, and I haven't had much time to prepare for that. It would be real nice to see - it would be fun to see a liberal version of my Crowley story, Winston's Last Town Hall.

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The most upsetting thing about this area is that people like Buddy Carter wind up running unopposed. Many of them don't have a primary opponent, much less a Democratic opponent.  People should not just be able to waltz into power.  The fact that this gulag style of politics doesn't bother people here is very disturbing to me.

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Public schools are the core of Democracy.  Their major purpose is to help create an informed citizenry.  Maybe the importance of competitive elections would be more valued if Civics was restored to the center of the public school curriculum.

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I am going to be The Diary of Anne Frank again!  Much of the cast from last year is back, including the young and talented Emily Beck as Anne Frank.  This year I am pleased to announce that my son, Benjamin, will play Peter!  I am so proud and happy to be in a play with him again!

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This isn't much today, is it?  I want to thank all of those who have regularly read The Strait Line, and/or my columns, Amazon ebooks, and the novel History of the Trap.  I know it's not easy, because I am thematically all over the map, but I appreciate your interest and enthusiasm.  It's what helps keep me going.

Wanderingly Yours,

T. M. Strait

A Face in the Crowd's Ultimate Failing

Andy Griffith, in his first movie role, playing the charismatic demagogue, Lonesome Rhodes.

Now that football season has come and gone (fantastic to see our favorites in the playoffs - Lions, Falcons - heartbreaking to see them lose that way), Alison and I have taken up a new tradition of seeing a classic movie on Sunday afternoon.  In previous weeks we have seen the Hitchcock thriller Northwest by Northwest starring Cary Grant, and then the screwball comedy Monkey Business with Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers, and then the incredible dance duo of Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire in Swing Time.  And last Sunday, we watched the prescient drama, A Face in the Crowd, a classic starring Andy Griffith and Patricia Neal, and directed by the gifted Elia Kazan.

A Face in the Crowd is a brilliant movie, eerily predicting the reality TV culture of our present.  Larry "Lonesome" Rhodes is a criminal con-man who, while in jail, is plucked out at random to participate in a radio interview.  He is so fascinating that he soon as n opportunity to be a morning radio personality in rural Arkansas.  His commanding charisma is noted, and he gets a larger audience in Memphis, and that is parlayed into a national audience.

Rhodes begins to dabble in politics, using his folksy charm to benefit a right wing politician, helping him connect to the same people that his policies would take advantage of.  Over time, Rhodes becomes louder and more dangerous.

Yes, the movie is very predictive of the type of phenomenon we now suffer from, from Rush Limbaugh, to our reality star President, Donald Trump.

As realistic as the movie is in facing what was to come, it does fail in an important aspect.

It's not because Lonesome Rhodes starts a poor criminal as opposed to Trump's silver spoon.  Once on TV, they follow similar paths.

It's not in their incredible influence over people they consider rubes or marks.  They share that similarity completely. 

It's true that Rhodes seems more charming and talented than Trump.  But some must find Trump appealing - he received 62 million some votes.

Their megalomania and lack of personal morals both come screaming through. Both treat women like objects and adornments.

No, the movie fails in another important aspect.

CAUTION: SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!

It fails because of the way Lonesome Rhodes meets his career demise.

At the end of his show, he is caught on tape, broadcast live, admitting that the people he is conning are sheep he can fool into anything.

This is what he is caught saying:

Devastating!

So why is this a failure?

BECAUSE TRUMP HAS BEEN CAUGHT SAYING THIS AND WORSE AND MANY OF YOU

JUST DON'T CARE!

He calls Mexicans rapists and murderers!

He mocks the disabled!

He attacks war heroes and Gold Star families!

AND YOU JUST DON'T CARE

He says he could shoot someone on Times Square and his fans would still support him.

AND HE'S RIGHT!

He was caught on tape saying that because he was a rich celebrity he could get away with what ever he wanted, including grabbing women by the pussy

AND YOU STILL JUST DON'T CARE!

He even tell his Mar-A-Lago friends, his rich buddies and visitors, that they are his real people, that they are who he is representing, and that they that can enjoy the ultimate access.

AND NOTHING MOVES YOU FROM THIS DESPICABLE DEMAGOGUE!

The movie failed because it overestimated what it took to wake up the American people, how deeply we were willing to fall for the con, no matter what.

I am sick at heart and discouraged.

I won't stop trying to wake up the Trumpeteers, but I am so sorely disappointed.

So very disappointed.

What Do We Know: Saturday Political Soap Box 157

As society collapses all around you, isn't it comforting to know that you voted against Hillary Clinton because of her damn  e-mails?

As the country spins into it's gravest political crisis since Watergate, and perhaps the worst in American History, it is a good time to take stock of the inverse of the Great Watergate question - What did the President Know, and When Did He Know IT?

Let's ask of ourselves the first part of that question - what do WE know?

Cutting through the wall of B.S. surrounding the thoroughly abused term of "fake news", what is apparent from base factual observation?

First, we clearly don't know everything that motivates Trump to slavishly praise Putin and tout the Russian line.  We can only speculate as to whether he has been blackmailed into it, or motivated by personal greed, or if he is doing it of his own free will.

But we do know this -

HE IS DOING IT.  HE IS UTTERLY DEVOTED TO PUTIN AND RUSSIA.

We know -

1)  He follows the Russian line in every political utterance.

2) He has surrounded himself with advisers and campaign managers who have consulted with, advised, and profited from Russian interests.

3) The only part of the Republican platform that he took a personal interest in was to side with Russia in the Ukrainian invasion.

4) Putin is about the only person that he praises unconditionally.  He's ripped into many Americans and foreign leaders without hesitation and care, including Republicans and military leaders.  But Putin?  Nothing but sweet talk.

5)  Many of his advisers were in constant contact with Russia throughout the campaign.  What were they saying?  We don't know .... yet.

6)  Multiple US intelligence agencies believe that Russia interfered with and hacked into our election, and they did so to benefit one side.  You can believe them, or you can believe the Orange One shouting "Fake News!" and "Pay no attention to that Putin guy behind the curtain!"

7)  The condemning dossier accumulated by a British MI6 agent has passed every credibility test. Not all particulars have been proved to a tee, but nothing in it has been proven false..

8)  The day that ex-NSA head Flynn called the Russian Ambassador several times, was right after President Obama put sanctions in place.

9)  Trump has refused to release his tax returns, which could clarify his foreign involvement.  He is willing to put everything on the line to never release them.  SHAME ON US for not insisting he release them.

10)  There is no proof that Russia hacked into our voting machines.  So trying to argue that this is meaningless, because the Russians didn't do that, is meaningless.  They did it by hacking the DNC and through the selective release of e-mails and other information.

What we don't know is how much direct collusion the Russians did with Trump and his team.

And this we must find out.

Senators McCain and Senator Graham are making noises that they will put country before party and work with Democrats and others to get to the bottom of it.

I encourage you, regardless of who you voted for, to support their efforts.

We cannot bury this under the rug,  For the sake of our democracy and its future viability, we have to know more.

We have to know if we have a traitor in the White House.

OHC Writer's Guild Poetry Contest Winner: Signs of the Times by Terry Pinder

Terry Pinder receiving his certificate for second place.

Our second place Poetry winner in our 3rd Annual Okefenokee Writer's Guild Writer Awards was Terry Pinder. This is Terry's second win, having placed first in last year's contest!

Signs of the Times

by Terry Pinder

No riding on the sidewalk.

No walking on the grass.

No smoking in the bathroom.

No chewing gum in class.

No wading in the fountain.

No swimming after dark.

No parking without permit.

No skating in the park.

No shoes, no shirt, no service

No posting on the walls.

No talking on your cellphone.

No running in the halls.

            

Maybe we can make new rules

And maybe change the tone.

And maybe do together

What one can't do alone.

Maybe we can make new signs

And hang them on the wall.

Maybe we can make this world 

A better place for all.

Yes giving to the homeless.

Yes making sad folks smile.

Yes talking to the lonely.

Yes listening for awhile.

Yes reading books to children

Yes learning someone's name.

Yes helping out the helpless.

Yes treating all the same.

Yes helping hurt with comfort.

Yes caring with each breath.

Yes soothing with kindness.

Yes loving hate to death.

Armed With a Smith-Corona

The first typewriter I tried to use was this old.  A used Smith & Wesson.

Sorry.  I mean Smith-Corona.

Some of the keys stuck, and the key identifier was worn out or missing, so on some of the letters you just had to guess.

Luckily, I could write, using paper and pencil.  My penmanship was horrible.  My third grade teacher warned my parents that I need a tutor, and that if my writing did not improve, I would not graduate from elementary school, much less college.

I took a typing class as a Freshman in high school.  Half your grade came from a written test, and the other half from your typing speed.  I got an A on the written test, and a C in the class.  You can figure what my typing speed was from that.  I never really mastered the full hands ten-finger typing style, and to this day only use one or two fingers from each hand to type.

I got a fancier model for college.  I don't think it was electric, but it moved better, and had an automated return somehow.  I still made lots of mistakes, which you had to fix with correction fluid. My papers looked like a real mess.  The saving grace was that I used a lot of humor in my college papers, and that caused the professors to laugh and cut me some slack in grading my blotchy mess.

My writing really got fired up when, as an adult, I got a home computer called an Apple II GS.  It allowed to write with more confidence.  I wrote a number of short stories, including a novel novel that I got 350 pages into.  Unfortunately when I got newer computers, the word programs were not compatible and much of that stuff was lost.  I do have a copy of the novel, if any one's interested.  I would take it up again, but I'm too lazy to retype in that many pages.

Later, clouds and stuff made it easier to maintain my works.  And when they change the Word program, they have the good graces to make compatible with earlier editions. I can cut, copy and paste to my heart's delight.  It can spell check and grammar check (not that I always pay attention).

The Internet brought me the opportunity to create a blog that I can share with anyone interested enough to struggle through it.  Self-publishing has become easier than ever, thanks to things like Amazon's Create Space and ebooks.  Getting anyone to pay attention to them is a struggle, but they sure are easy enough to get on.

Now my son, Benjamin, has a program where he just talks into the computer, and it's put into written form. That may be a step too far for me.

In future generations, you may be able to just think it, and have it translated into print.  now, that a scary thought, especially as scattered PIE! as my thought process SQUIRREL! is.


Thoughts to stories.  Pen to paper.  Typing to express.

The means change, but the desire to express and communicate does not.

If only I could type with more fingers.  But soon, that may be irrelevant.  If I can stand the transition.

Valentine Scented Monday Musings

Grace Episcopal held its annual Valentine's Day Dinner, and for the the first time in several years, it was not put on by the Youth Sunday School classes. It was a wonderful spread put on by a group of adults, coordinated by Tanya Nall, Donna Robinson, Margie Minchew, Katie Richards, Audrey Jernigan, Sara Rollison and Rev. Kit (and others I may have left out).  Mike Taylor played beautiful ballads and romantic music throughout.  And as you can see from the picture of the table, the whole Parish Hall was et with atmosphere.

The only downside was that I learned what Rotel is (diced tomatoes with green chilies and/or other spicy papers)  and that I do not like it.


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Alison and I watched an old romantic movie on Sunday, as part of our own Valentine;s.  It was Swing Time, starring the America's greatest movie dancing duo, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.   I had never seen it before, as I tend to favor movies with monsters and robots, but nevertheless I enjoyed it a great deal.  There was marvelous dancing, which I did expect, but also plenty of comedy and definite charismatic connection between Astaire and Rogers.  It was a bit of a jarring surprise to see Astaire perform one number in black face, but I tried to remember the time that the movie was done.

We enjoyed it so much that we're thinking of making an older movie a Sunday afternoon routine.

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We had a foster leave us unexpectedly.  I sent Jerry J to the vet to be fixed, thinking we would pick him up from the Okefenokee Humane Society on Saturday.  Instead, Jerry J had been designated for rescue, which meant he was going to be transported by another group to potentially adopted someplace else.  We really didn't get to say goodbye to Jerry J.  I'm not sure why smaller dogs that are easier to adopt would be moved out instead of the larger dogs that are harder to adopt and take more space and eat more food, but there it is.


My blog does not feature pictures and/or a story about Jerry J because I was waiting until he was fixed and fully healed from an accident that occurred prior to us fostering him.

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Recent public polling indicates that already some 46% believe that Trump should be impeached. That is an incredibly high number for a Presidency that is only three weeks old.

Am I in the 46%?  Of course, absolutely!  He entered the gate committing impeachable offenses, and time has only increased that.

Will he be impeached?  Not until at least half of Republicans want him to be.  Remember - we have a Republican Congress.

Will this happen?  Yes, I think it will.  Just give more Republicans a chance to absorb what a tremendous, horrible mistake they have made.

Not that Pence is any kind of prize.  But at least he's not a mentally unstable toddler Twitler.

Until next time,

T. M. Strait

CALLING ELLIOT NESS! Saturday Political Soapbox 156

Elliot Ness, famous G-Man who stopped mobsters in the 20s, including challenging Al Capone.

I hate the government!  I want it out of my life and as limited as possible!

I hate big business and the wealthy!  I want them as limited as possible, and to demolish the income gap!

There is much discussion about the real gap between urban and rural that is dividing this country. San Francisco and Chicago, and even Atlanta and Birmingham, vote for Hillary in large numbers, whereas even rural countries in liberal California may go for Trump.

But there is another brutal, albeit possibly related, impulse that is destroying our ability to solve problems.  And that is that we have a large group of people who think government is the enemy, that it's bureaucratic dictates always makes things worse, that it's major goal is take from people who work hard and give to people who don't do squat on a tuna bunwich.  And then we have another large group of people who think that private solutions are rot, that the greed of those on top consolidate power and wealth, and then leave the rest of us exploited and impoverished,struggling just to survive while the privileged few sit at the country club, clinking glasses in celebration of their manipulation at keeping the rest of us so much at each other's throats that we pay no attention to who is really ruining our lives.

Both of these viewpoints have elements of truth.  But they also are wrong, in and of themselves.  You have to remember two very, very important things -

1)  The best economy is a mixed economy.

The greatest economies are not purely capitalist, or communist, or socialist, or any other pure economic system.  Any society you've seen that tries to only adopt one or the other has fallen short and collapsed over time.  Russia and China have only survived because they modified or adopted communism to coordinate with private market forces (granted, they have tilted way too far to cronyism, particularly Russia).  Virtually all capitalist societies are modifications of that idea, including our own.  No one wants to return to the days of  Scrooge and Dickensian era capitalism. No significant numbers wants to truly advocate Ayn Rand and a bloodless Libertarianism.  Most Libertarians are not pure - they have exceptions and modifications, ranging from abortion to defense spending.

We need to recognize this and stop advocating for purist solutions.  Public and private solutions need to work in coordination with each other.

And the second thing is -

2) We need Elliot Ness!

Yes, the great Elliot Ness, the G-man civil servant who helped take down the mob!  Without someone to call out and battle corruption and crime, we can achieve nothing!  We must have the cop on the beat!

Of course, that is not always literally a cop.  But that is enforcement.  That is checks and balances (thank you, founding fathers, for this greatest of all your gifts to us).  That is transparency and civic attention.

Private interests need to be  checked.  Their major goal is the profit motive, not the public interest. That means legal enforcement.  Cops, IRS agents, food inspectors, Wall Street regulators - all this and more are needed in order to make the private sector work in the public interest.  This means laws,   This means regulations.  This means Congressional oversight. 

Public interests need to be checked.  If you're not careful, they can become corrupted, and start serving their own interests and cronies.  They need to be watched.  They need a free, unfettered, skeptical press to call them out.  They need the voters to be paying attention, and throw the bums out when they don't act in the public interest.  

And both sides needs an alert and impartial justice system, with judges able to act in the interests of the Constitution, legal principle, and the American people.

All of this can become corrupted.  Money and undue influence can horribly warp results.  When counterbalancing forces, like the press, are reviled and muzzled, it can only cause dis-balance and harm.

The most dangerous and insidious parts of the Trump administration is that it is trying to get us to vilify and demonize our free press, and they are calling into question the legitimacy of our judicial system. They are trying to unmoor our fundamental checks and balances so they can create a corrupt public sector whose major function will be to enrich their private cronies.

Are we going to let that happen?  I hope not.  Because we need both Thing 1 and Thing 2.

We need a strong, mixed economy that uses the best of both public and private solutions

AND

We need Elliot Ness!!!

Please try not to forget this.

The future kinda depends on it.

History of the Trap: Prologue Practice

History of the Trap by T. M. Strait.  Available as paperback and/or ebook on Amazon, at the Okefenokee Heritage Center, or directly from the author.

Well, as some of you may have heard, I entered a Writer's Digest Contest for Self-Published novels, and did not win a place.  An email received later, that was personally done by one of the judges, was very high on the book, except for the prologue, which they thought was slower than the rest of te book, and I needed to hook the readers faster.  I see the point, and I must say the prologue part of the book was written some twenty or more years from the rest of it.

I plan on keeping the three page or so Year 8, but I will change the rest of the prologue substantially for the next edition.  This rewrite will probably mostly happen after tax season is concluded.  But I did have an idea that I wanted to write down before I forgot it, so I might be able to use it later when I have more time.

2

Once, she ruled them all,  She was the Queen Bee, and everyone buzzed around her orbit.  She was the Princess of Loren High, and there was no one she could not charm or entice.  She was the Siren, and no boy could resist her call.  She was the Fashion Maven, always impeccably groomed and coiffed, and hundred of girls tried to emulate her style.  Every word she said, every breath she took, every gesture and nod, could change the very fabric of reality for everyone else around her.  She determined who was in or out, who was to be detested or tolerated.  No one questioned the ultimate superiority of  Morgan LaDona Tigh.

But that was then.  Before the Trap.  Now, everything was different. Now, she waited in a jailhouse hallway, plainly dressed and stripped of makeup, pacing like a jungle cat, waiting to meet with a prisoner, waiting for someone the old Morgan would have considered a nothing, but now was her whole world.  She was going to meet Lance Martin, and she was determined to do whatever she could to help him, no matter what the cost.

In her hands, she clutched a carefully wrapped package.  

That's all I've got right now, and I'm sure that will change a lot as I fit it in.  

Rest assured to old and current reader, that what ever changes I make will not change the plot or characters.  It will merely consolidate parts of the prologue into something that is quicker and more entertaining, without losing the essential information that it conveys.

Thanks for your understanding and support.

T. M. Strait

Warriors for a Great Cause

This is my father, Eugene Everett Strait.  Many of you who follow my blog, or are from Bridgeport, know how much I respect and admire him.  He passed away at 91 on September 22, 2013, but his influence, his love, his caring, will live with me forever.

My father dedicated much of his life to public education.  He was an excellent teacher, skilled in math, and teaching it not just to college prep students, but also to low achievers who had little interest or motivation to do well.  And yet, his techniques and caring turned many of those students around, achieving at levels no one thought possible.

He was a proponent of team teaching, and Bridgeport High School was built to accommodate that. Honestly, the technique didn't always work as well in real life as it did on paper.  But he wasn't so stubborn and full of himself that he kept advocating a flawed system.  He learned to adapt and adjust wherever needed.  Because he knew his ego wasn't as important as the successful education of his students.

He was Principal of  Bridgeport High School for many years, and was recognized as an education leader in the state.  He loved public schools and he helped make them work.

This is my sister, Carol Easlick, with her arm around her lifelong best friend, Peggy Kwater.


My sister wanted to be a teacher.  She graduated at a time when teaching jobs were difficult to come by.  She found positions with private companies first, and it seemed like public education would not be in her life.  Her husband was a brilliant teacher and coach, her father an outstanding school administrator, but she seemed destined to stand outside of her chosen profession.

But living near the state capitol, Lansing, she finally got an opportunity to participate in Education. She worked for the State Secretary of Education, and over time, became the legislative assistant, helping research and prepare laws and regulations, coordinating between the legislative and executive branch.  In other words, she got the kind of job that I can only dream about getting.

She worked on both sides of the aisles, and had both Republican and Democratic friends and allies. She struggled hard, under both Governor Granholm and Governor Snyder, to help make public education better.

It became harder and more frustrating as one of the political parties became more ideological, and more and more invested into a dislike of public education, some actively trying to dismantle and weaken it.  It became particularly difficult when the legislature was awash with outside money influencing them to put in charter schools, run by private interests that would not be subject to the same regulations and rules as public schools.

My sister has retired from the fight, but I am as proud as I can be of the contributions she made.  Like my father, she dedicated much of her life to the betterment of public schools.

And now we have selected a US Secretary of Education who is dedicated to the destruction of public education, someone who was in large part responsible for the decline and collapse of the educational system that existed in the state I grew up in, Michigan.  She has bought her way in, just as she did with the Michigan legislature, and she plans wreaking the same destruction on the nation as she did in Michigan.

Betsy DeVos is a betrayal to my father and sister, and to everyone who has worked hard for public education -  the very backbone of American democracy.

But I promise you this.  It won't happen without  fight.  Dad and Carol, you have been warriors for a great cause.  And now it is time for me to take up the cause of public education.  It is time for me to do my part.

Because, like both of you, I believe that public education is worth the fight.  And I am ready to fight.

OHC Writer's Guild Poetry Contest Winner: Oh Him by Cristina Relyea

Cristina Relyea is our third place winner from our 3rd Annual Writer's Contest  held last November.  She is a dedicated member of the Writer's Guild, and her daughter, Myra, was a winner in our Student Poetry division.  

Oh Him

by Cristina Relyea

Bob and weave, bob and weave, why won't she look at me?

I puffed up my black and white feathers and showed her every angle of me

But not a sideways glance or a hint for she is a great tease.

After a long day of dancing furiously, I flew home to my favorite tree

Eating a  few bugs on the way and thought of all the ways to make her love me.

The next day I studied my reflection in the pond.  What I saw staring back at me was the same

great silky black and startling white as he.

I flew over to where I knew she'd be.

She was alone blinking in to the sun.  I bowed up my feathers and did my best mating 

dance.

When I looked her way, I saw to my great surprise she was looking right at me.

Dumbstruck I stood for a few minutes taking in her beauty.  She was giving me that come hither

stare and in my mind I saw the many great flights we would take, the bugs we would eat, the

cows we would perch on, the snuggles in each other's soft plumage, and the beautiful chicks

we would make.

Suddenly...

(Gasp)

Something stabbed me in my back, I lost my balance and fell over.

As I was righting myself, I looked up just in time to see her leave with the mighty half inch taller

than me.  He.

No Joy in Falconville

It's certainly not the ending we hoped for.  It would be one thing to lose the game decisively early on, and just have to admit, for this one game, you were simply out-classed.  And it would be something else if the Falcons had lost a close back and forth game.  But neither of those is what happened.

They lost by allowing the greatest come-from-behind win in Super Bowl history.  Heck, in playoff history.

It was heart-breaking to the max.

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

For those making clever remarks about the electoral college and the loss, you're off the mark.  The only strange thing about it was that the NFL's overtime rules favors who wins the coin toss.  That doesn't seem quite right.

I got nothing else to say about the football game.  It still hurts too bad.

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

Lady Gaga was as entertaining of a half-time show as I've ever seen.  Her messages of support for communities under pressure was subtle yet powerful, like a performance from Cabaret, trying to get away with what you can while under the hateful glaze of the Nazis.

I also enjoyed the positive theme of several of the commercials.  It is a sad day in America when speaking of equality and tolerance, of the strength of our immigrant nation and it's beautiful diversity, when those things are considered political and cause the alt-right extremists to mutter about boycotts.

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

And so we close up another football season.  My favorite teams, in both college and professional, flirted with greatness, but then fell short.  Like Icarus, they flew too close to the sun.

So I set it aside for another year.  And by early next Fall, maybe hope can bloom again.  Maybe the Michigan Wolverines will make the college playoffs.  Maybe the Falcons will win a Super Bowl. Maybe the Lions will finally be in one.

Or maybe my heart will just get stomped on all over again.


But I can't think about that right now.  My head is too clouded by what has just happened.

There is no joy in Falconville.

Dylann Roof Won: Saturday Political Soap Box 155

I hate to do this.  Nothing disgusts me more than to bring up this killer, who deserves no publicity and no recognition. He deserves to rot in prison, unknown and unloved, despised and reviled.  I do not favor the death penalty, but he is not where I would take my stand against it.

But I have to state the saddest truth that I can, one that it pains beyond measure to recognize -

Dylann Roof Won

No, he did not get his blood in the streets race war like he wanted.  But he won nonetheless.

At first, it seemed like the opposite may happen.  The outpouring of revulsion over what he had done came from all sides and divisions in the country, political and ethnic.  The forgiveness and love expressed by the Emanuel AME Church moved us all.  The South Carolina legislature removed the vile and racist Confederate flag from their state grounds.

But the moment slowly dissipated.  The defenders of the Confederate flag became louder and defiant. Racial attitudes resumed their terrible norm.  Once again, on social media, I found myself being assaulted by a barrage of hate.

But because everyone was not instantly transformed into a better person was not an immediate cause for despair.  It would have been beautiful if everyone was miraculously changed, but it was enough to think that those clinging to hate were in a dwindling minority, and that love would ultimately triumph.

And then came Trump.

A phony billionaire whose only claim to political fame was disputing the American birth of our first African-American President.  A man who began his campaign by disparaging Mexicans as rapists and murderers.  A man who wanted to build a wall, a wall that will serve no purpose other than to send a message of racial hatred and fear.  A man who proposed a Muslim Ban, and even a Muslim registry - whether or not Trump is a Nazi may be debatable, but it is undeniable that these are steps right out of the darkest pages of the Nazi playbook.

And now this narcissistic man-child, appealing to the very worst of us, is inexplicably the President of the United States.  And he is proving that his racist appeals were no fluke.

He has instituted his first step in a Muslim Ban.  Plans for a Muslim Registry are being drafted.  He has issued an executive order to build the wall.  He wants the FBI to step down from investigating white supremacist groups. He has threatened to invade Chicago and defund the University of California at Berkeley.  The only African-American in his cabinet is the head of HUD - a typical post assigned as the token position for Blacks

We have a President who talks about ravages in the street and American Carnage.  And all his supporters know exactly what he is talking about.

A white supremacist, Steve Bannon. sits at the right hand of power.

The most racist US Senator, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions,  is about to become Attorney General.  He believes that we should further dismantle voting rights and increase voting suppression.  And that is only the tip of his bigoted agenda.

I can't say that every Trump voter intended for this to happen.  But it's what they got.  Maybe they were blinded by other right-wing issues.  I don't know.  At best, they were low-information voters who did not think it through, or they were blinded by their irrational hatred of Clinton and/or Obama. At worst, they knew that Trump would do these things, and they simply didn't care enough about it to dissuade them from voting for him.  Either way, the results are the same.

Dylann Roof Won.

It wasn't a clean victory.  It took Comey and the FBI sending the wrong message at the wrong time.  It took Russian interference.  It took the narrowest of  Electoral College victories, by the thinnest of margins in several Rust Belt states, to negate a decisive almost three million vote margin in the popular vote.

But it ain't horseshoes, and close don't count.

And now they're large and in charge, and they don't give a darn about the rest of you losers.

Hate won.  Fear won.  Authoritarian fascism won.

Do not despair.  There are still many good people in this country - the majority in fact.  There is every hope and prayer that in our cyclical way, they are going too far and we will boomerang back to something better than we've had before - a true Progressive majority.

Meanwhile, for those who are horrified by this, make this not the whole war, but only a single battle. Mordor's Sauron was eventually defeated,  Love and sacrifice won in the end,

We must cling every day to our new watch word - 

RESIST!

OHC Writing Contest Poetry Winner: Storm of Life by Belinda Jo Adams

Belinda Jo Adams receiving her well-deserved Judge's Prize from somebody named me.


Belinda Jo Adams won our Judge's Prize in Poetry for her poem that received the highest score from our celebrity judge, but did not finish the top three overall.  Belinda is a dedicated member of the OHC Writer's Guild, and is the author of many distinguished works, including Satilla Secrets and My Precious Jewel, available form Amazon and local retailers.


Storm of Life
by Belinda Jo Adams


Life seems to be going great!
No worry clouds appear.
The sun shines overhead.
Everything is bright and clear

A small cloud on the horizon
I see blowing my way.
Maybe it will dissipate
Before it comes to stay.

But no, it's getting closer
And darkness starts to fall.
Now in a storm of life
On God's dear name I call.

It hurts so much, Dear Father,
But all things work for good.
You sort the weather in my life
And send what You know You should.

Help me to weather this storm, Lord.
And through the driving rain
Help me to remember
The sun will shine again!

Freeze Framing for Football Heroes

Tom Brady glancing  at Matt Ryan with a look that asks, "I wonder how he likes his balls."

It's that time of year again!  And this time, with a team we really care about!  Yes, The Atlanta Falcons have made the Super Bowl for only the second time!

Alison loves professional football, but mostly she loves her Atlanta Falcons.  It's the team she grew up with, and although many in this area are enamored with the Jacksonville Jaguars, she remains loyal to her GEORGIA team.  It's true that Jacksonville is technically closer, but she is acutely aware that the Jaguars are in a different STATE.

Some of us follow teams from other states, because we grew up in other places.  I grew up in Michigan and am a Detroit Lions fan.  This is not an easy thing.  Now that the Cubs have won a World Series, the Lions are the new never-wins.  Literally.  They have never won a Super Bowl. Heck, they have NEVER been IN a Super Bowl!  And yet, I remain loyal and true, knowing that someday, maybe, they will be in one.  I am not holding my breath.

Like many, we have our superstitions about how to watch the game.  What we wear, how we position ourselves on the sofa or chair, what we say or eat or drink, is vitally important as to the outcome of the game.  Once the Falcons do something good, we may have to hold the pose we're in for the rest of the game.  What makes this ability to supernaturally influence the game extra special, is the fact the we are often watching the game on the DVR on a time delay basis.  We are trying to influence events that have already happened!

Outside of our home state teams, our other favorite is the Green Bay Packers.  Why?  They are the only NFL team that is owned by the fans.  This makes it extremely loyal to the area, and their games sell out years in advance.  They are a rough and tough blue collar team, ready to play outdoors in any kind of weather.  I think that the NFL would be so much better if all teams were owned that way. But, of course, the billionaire owners of the other teams have ruled that no other team can be owned that way.  That is a shame and a tragedy.

There are other teams that are "owned" that way.  Those are the local public school teams that are "owned" by the taxpayers, the local citizens of the area.  And it is something that we will lose if we drift more to private and/or charter schools.  It just won't have the same feel.  Schools designed to promote religious faith over community, or ones built to enrich private interests, just don't have the same spirit and civic pride.

But maybe loyalties can still build.  We love the Falcons. and try not to think of them as just a wholly owned subsidiary of Home Depot.  And we hope when they score their first touchdown, we are not standing up with one foot off the ground and one hand on top of our head.  That would be a hard position to hold for the rest of the game.

But if it's or our beloved Falcons, we might very well try!

RISE UP!

Well, They Began It

From the West Side Story Song Tonight


BERNARDO AND SHARKS 
We said, "O.K., no rumpus, 
No tricks." 
But just in case they jump us, 
We're ready to mix 
Tonight. 

ALL 
We're gonna rock it tonight, 
We're gonna jazz it up and have us a ball! 
They're gonna get it tonight; 
The more they turn it on the harder they'll fall! 

RIFF AND JETS 
Well, they began it! 

BERNARDO AND SHARKS 
Well, they began it! 


Ah, yes!  Politics!  It's turned into some kind of ugly gang fight.

Only the politicians don't look as good when they dance.

It's true.  The tit for tat drives us crazy.  Even people whose views may differ wonder why can't just compromise and get along.

In theory, at least.  In practice, the mess we have is the mess, we the voters, have created.

Yes, the Supreme Court nominee that Trump has selected is highly conservative, and will contribute to a majority that will cause damage and resistance to the progressive change that is needed for years to come.  Corporations are people with superior religious rights to individuals?  Ugh!  Just great.

But you know what?  Elections have consequences.  Even thin electoral college victories that are aided by the FBI and Russia.  Not to mention that Republicans control the House, Senate and most of the states.

But you know what?  All of that changed in February 2016.  All civility fell out the window, any sense of respect for constitutionality and the other side, that all vanished.  The Republicans decided that they would deny a President the right to select a new Supreme Court Justice.  They had no hearings.  They held no vote.

They changed the rules of the game, and shredded how our government is supposed to work.  It was unprecedented.  It was wrong. 

There was even noise among the Republicans that when Hillary won (and most thought that - I mean, who could imagine someone as horrible and as unfit to lead as the P-Grabber actually winning?) they would block her nominations - four years, eight years, whatever it takes.  They would let the Supreme Court dwindle to zero if necessary.

So, yes.  On paper, we should eventually let the White House Occupier have his way, barring some great scandal of the nominee (scandal - that's a quaint notion which we're now only allowed to use when talking about Democrats). But in reality?

Well, they began it.

And, like it or not, I don't want the Democrats to be the ones to surrender.

So when my conservative friends howl and wail and shout at how intolerant and obstructionist the Democrats are being, remember this -


THEY BEGAN IT!

The other side will inevitably win.  They will take way the filibuster.  Or some cowardly Democrats will abandon their post and let the barbarians swarm in.

But please, Democrats.  Not without a fight.

Tonight, we fight.  As long as we can.