The Arrogance of Power: Saturday Political Soap Box 181

We need to congratulate President Trump on draining the swamp.

Well, we should, if only he hadn't filled it back up with toxic sludge.

I have never seen such corruption, graft and sheer arrogance as I am seeing now.

Official after official in the administration are committing crimes of arrogant corruption, things that would ruin most other people.  But not these people.  They survive and many of them thrive.  They travel in luxury on the taxpayer's dime, they buy expensive office decor, they cozy up to lobbyists, and the Trump family uses its connections to weasel good deals from foreign entities and government, not to better things for the American people, but to enrich themselves.

Who is the politician that Trump admires most?  Is it some American figure?  How about President Andrew Jackson, he of the Indian massacres and Trail of Tears?  No, not even he can rival whom Trump most admires - Vladimir Putin.  And it's not because the Putin-led Russia did everything in their power to help elect Donald Trump President.   I don't even think it's because they have an incriminating tape of Trump, or can reveal his labyrinth financial connections in their country. 

No.  I think it's because Putin has become one of the richest men in the world, and did it by virtue of corrupt government connections.  I think Trump envies that, and desires it for himself.

Arrogance is not just seen in government corruption and in the accumulation of wealth.  It can be seen in the little things as well.  How one conducts one's self on public business is another factor.  How one treats their own family and friends is a factor.  How one looks at checks and balances as mere nuisances can be a factor.  Admiring dictators around the world is a danger sign, including their ability to stay in office and squash dissent.  How one uses their communications to demeans not only public figures but also private citizens, ia a blaring sign of arrogance.

It should be no surprise that Trump's cabinet officials are trying to get away with corruption, graft and aggrandizement.  As unesteemed Communications Director for ten glorious days, Anthony Scaramucci said, "the fish rots from the head".  Yeah.  Ain't that the truth?

Unfortunately, the arrogance of power is not limited to the national administration.  It can fester at any level of government.

It can be in a Mayor who doesn't feel subject to the rules the rest of us are.  Who feels like he can use a cell phone in a courtroom where no one else is allowed it, that he can go through a metal detector with it loudly beeping and not have to slow down.  Or it can be in a City Councilman driven by a personal vendetta to destroy a volunteer civic organization.  Or a City Attorney who callously names volunteers, who have done nothing but donate incredible amounts of time and effort to a good cause, to a civil lawsuit for the sole purpose to bully and intimidate.

Yes, the arrogance of power can show up anywhere.  I love our American system, and the checks and balances that hold it in place.  But we are in danger of losing it all, and devolving from a democracy to a greed-infused oligarchy. 

We must remain vigilant.  We must stay informed and become knowledgeable voters.  We must insure the existence of a free press, one acutely aware of its role as watchdog.

We're losing, folks.  But we still have the power to check them, to slow or stop the arrogance of power.

Let's not waste what we may be our last opportunity to save the democracy we all purport to love.

Spikey Wednesday Wanderings

Saga of the Returning Hair!

Not enough to comb, but in more solidly than last week, this is the growth after 17 days.

I still wear my hat most of the time, although it's really longer now than a lot of guys. It's not all voluntary.  Some guys have male baldness pattern issues, and even though they may not be completely bald, they keep the rest of it short to balance out.  Others just prefer their hair that short.  I'm not one of those guys.

Also in the background note Boss-A-Man and Pixie, sleeping on our oldest but most comfortable chair in the house.

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I'm not a big fan of the unspoken prayer request, but...I find myself in a situation where I cannot yet be specific.  So, any thoughts, prayers or kindnesses you can send Alison's way would be greatly appreciated.  It's not health or family or personal relationships or even her work, but it is something that is causing her a great deal of stress, caused by something that is unnecessary and purposelessly mean-spirited and cruel.  She is not alone in going through this either.

I hate being vague.  Trust me.  If there was any way I could be more specific, I would.

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I won the second round of my work's March Madness pool.  Thank you, Loyola-Chicago and Michigan.  My choice for the champion is Michigan, OF COURSE!!!  GO BLUE!!!

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Tax season grinds on.  I'm not putting in as much time as in prior years, but I am putting in more than I wanted to.  Breaking up with accounting is hard to do.  Especially when I have demonstrated such poor skill at earning money at doing anything else.

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People can restructure Facebook and other social media to get the news they want, and that reinforces their beliefs.  But I really have to wonder what the Trumpeteers are looking at to think that the President is doing a good job, and that he is a decent and moral person.  It must be getting more and more difficult to only receive positive news about our Mad King.

Of course, it's not just the President that they see in altered reality.  It's the necessity to hate on the young people who are daring to challenge the NRA, and urge us to a few common sense gun control measures.  And it's not enough to hate them as they are.  They have to believe manufactured pictures like Emma Gonzalez being photoshopped to look like she was tearing up the constitution (instead of the shooting target she was tearing up).  Or that some are not really students but crisis actors. Are some people in such a tight bubble that they really believe crap like that?

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Wanderingly yours,

T. m. Strait







 

Marching Monday Musing

Go Blue!  The Michigan Wolverines continue their March through the "March Madness" NCAA College Basketball Tournament.  They had one blow out win, but most of their wins have been tight and queasy-inducing.  But there they stand, the fourth-place team in the Big Ten (but still Big Ten Tournament Champions), the only Big Ten team in the Final Four!  Next, they play Cinderella 11th-seed Loyola-Chicago.  Under any other circumstances, I might pull for the underdog.  But not these.  Wolverines all the way, baby!

It was also the weekend of the March For Our Lives Rally.  The turnout was fantastic, throughout the United States.  Hundreds of thousands of America's young people turned out.  They loudly declared that Gen Z will not be the apathy generation.  As they protest, march, and speak out, and then most importantly register to vote, they are going to provide an important counterweight to the NRA and the alt-right.

There were many brilliant, articulate and informed young speakers at these rallies. The student pictured above was one of the youngest and most compelling.  Naomi Wadler, 11 years old, spoke out eloquently about the effects of gun violence, particularly about its disproportionally heavy effect on young black women.

Emma Gonzalez, 18 and from Parkland, brought the crowd to its symbolic knees with her moments of silence.  Edna Chavez moved me to tears when she talked about the gun violence in her South Los Angele neighborhood.  David Hogg, the young high schooler from Parkland, made it clear that this would have an electoral element, and that they would do everything they could to counterbalance and defeat those who enriched themselves with NRA money.

My prediction is that we are beginning to see the emergence of a new generation of leadership and that we will see one or more of these young leaders in high office one day.  Maybe even the highest office.  

When I see what this new generation is doing, speaking out with fire and hope, it makes me believe that we finally will have a generation worthy of our Greatest Generation, that battled depression and fascism, and set the middle class into its golden era (well, at least until Reagan and the trickle-on theory of economics).

And the way we're going, the damage we've caused to the planet and America's standing in the world, Generation Z can't come to leadership fast enough.

To all my young blog readers - register to vote!  You got the power!

If you choose to use it.

On the Madness of King Donald the Turd: Saturday Political Soap Box 180

How mad is he?

He makes Nixon, wandering the halls talking to pictures, look like the hallmark of sanity.

I can't hardly sleep at night knowing what he might do.

Yes, he is an extreme right-wing terror, in many ways like Mike Pence or other far right politicians might be.  He attempts to shred the social safety net, while at the same time accelerating our munitions, and restructuring our tax code in a way to benefit the wealthy and large corporations and increasing our already mammoth income gap.  He has bulldozed regulations, many of which were necessary to protect the environment, workers, children - even wildlife (trophy hunters - ya got free reign now!).

But one could argue that many other Republicans would have done the same.  Heck, one who knew what he was doing and had better emotional control over himself might have went even farther!

What is unique with Trump is that utter lack of emotional control, the desire to lash out and debase his enemies. the early dawn tweets that show us the truly diseased mind of this angry old man. Other than Putin, there is no one reserved from his wrath.  He will reach out and denigrate not just people in government, but private citizens as well.

He ignores his briefings and memos.  Even a large print message from his National Security staff, DO NOT CONGRATULATE, is either unread or ignored.  Instead he is guided by Fox News and extreme right wing websites.  His mood and focus is determined more by Steve Doocy's ramblings on Fox & Friends instead of the best intelligence sources on the planet. Have we ever had a President watch so much TV, and really crappy TV at that?


His vocabulary strives to hit the third grade level.  His tweets are filled with typos and grammatical faux pas (I know I hit the gooser myself sometimes, but I ain't the President, and my frequency rate cannot top his).  This shows that he is tweeting off the cuff, unfiltered, not reviewed by staff or any mature adult.  His habit of attaching mean, petty, vile nicknames to people, amusing to some during the campaign, can now destroy diplomatic relations, or ruin the lives of private individuals. 

He is corrupt, thumbing his nose at the emoluments clause, taking graft, promoting the businesses of himself and his family, charging the secret service and other government people a fortune when they use his hotels, like when he constantly goes to Mar-a-Lago.  He worries about none of it, because the Republicans control Congress, and they will do nothing about it.  The graft and entitlement even permeate his cabinet officials and staff.

He rages against any that dare oppose him.  He openly obstructs justice in the Mueller probe, and has no hesitancy against defaming and destabilizing our federal law enforcement services.  He forced out the Deputy Director of the FBI just days before his pension fully accrued.

His sexual misconduct has made him vulnerable to blackmail and extortion.  His shooting from the hip, in a reactionary way, to things like tariffs, has caused market destabilization and for his precious Dow average to fall.  Oh, well.  One less thing for him to brag about.

Always there is someone else to blame.  That is why he loses so much staff.  An he is replacing them more and more with TV personalities and cartoons.  Fox is like his farm team.

And now he is placing the ultimate warmonger, John Bolton as his National Security Adviser, a man who has never met a war he didn't like, a man who believes in military solutions and despises diplomacy, a man who advocates war against Iran, and a first strike against North Korea.  The madness of King Donald the Turd will now be enabled by a National Security Adviser who appeals to the worst, most dangerous instincts of this unqualified and unstable President.

The world is not all gloom.  Today, America's teens march to bring common sense gun control about, to mitigate the gun slaughter that occurs daily in this country.  Every special election, people are choosing more progressive candidates over those who cling to Trump.  Courts reverse some of the more extreme measures put in place by the maniacal executive.


But I am beginning to lose hope.  His base, many of whom live around me, continue to cling to the illusion that Trump is a sane, effective President, doing God's work in restoring our nation to what it once was - a slave-holding nation that kept and preserved the privileges of white men above everything else.

And with the elevation of John Bolton, I fear we will plunge into more senseless wars, and that nuclear weapons will no longer be held off the table.  I fear for my son, nine months shy of his 18th birthday, as to what our state of conflict will be at that time.  We are not rich and privileged enough that we can keep him out of the draft with the spurious excuse of bone spurs.

We have elected an erratic narcissist, an unstable madman who is capable of anything at anytime.  And the true sickness of America is that we have so many so blind that they do not recognize him for the madman that he is.

He is a wounded, angry bear.  And I fear he will continue to lash out until he takes us all down.

We will get out of this somehow, I hope and pray.  But I am increasingly unsure, on how we escape the madness of King Donald the Turd.

Blanketed with School Lunches

School lunches.  What a love/hate relationship that was.

My mother did not prepare a lunch for us to take.  And no, it did not occur to us to prepare one ourselves. So we always relied on school lunches.

Sometimes they were real challenges.   There was chipped beef over toast, which we called something else, fill-in-the-blank on a shingle.  There was goulash. ground beef with macaroni, sprinkled with some red substance that passed for tomato sauce.  There was a runny chocolate pudding that we called diarrhea pudding.  And there was the unknown block that we could only call mystery meat.

But not all was bad.  They would sometimes serve pizza.  You could get chocolate milk extra for the exorbitant price of 3 cents. And there was my favorite, pigs in a blanket, little hot dogs wrapped in a crescent roll.  I fully believed they were the hors-d'oeuvre of the gods.  The ultimate deliciousness that could be dunked in ketchup or mustard, or even both swirled together.  I must be a connoisseur, to have so much admiration and love for such a delicacy!

In college, I lived in a dorm for four years.  So I had plenty of time to sample university cafeteria food.  Meal plans were dramatically different than like when my son Doug went to college.  They had choices galore, every day a smorgasbord. Not so when I went to college.  There was Choice A or B, and if you didn't like either, well too bad so sad, better luck next meal.

There was a tendency to put a slice of pineapple on something and call it Hawaiian. Thus we often had such classics as Hawaiian Chicken, or Hawaiian Swiss Steak (yes, a delicious entree that would cause us to break out yodeling Aloha!).

The ladies that would serve us were bolder than their elementary and high school counterparts.  On days when chicken was served, they would leer at the guys and ask, "Are you a thigh man or a breast man?"  Yes, it was a different time and place.

There were few choices to make.  They did have soft serve ice cream in a serve-yourself machine.  Most of the time, there were toppings you could add, like sprinkles or chocolate sauce.  One time I got some soft serve vanilla, and then realized there had been no toppings set out.  I saw the only other option, a machine dispensing some Velveeta style cheese.  So in a fit of culinary ignorance, I poured it onto my soft serve ice cream.  Needless to say, the combination didn't work, although due to my slow reflexes, it took several bites before the horror fully sunk in,  The taste still haunts me to this day.  Even when I go to an ice cream parlor, and they offer a flavor like strawberry cheesecake,  just the suggestion of cheese in the title is enough to make me gag and turn away.

I have stepped out of the shadows of institutional lunches.  I still don't prepare my own lunch, most often just skipping the meal, or snacking.  I have come to have a better appreciation for school meals, as my wife, Alison, works in the school nutrition department.  I have seen them strive mightily to provide balanced, nutritional meals.  Benjamin has enjoyed breakfast and lunch there most of his school career.

I checked with Alison and they don't serve pigs in a blanket.  Well, probably not a very sound nutritional choice. Nevertheless, they have many fine, delicious items designed to be nutritional and tasty.  I applaud them for everything they do.

Of course, chocolate milk is now 50 cents.  Still cheaper than at a store or restaurant.  And just as refreshing and satisfying.

Crew Cut Wednesday Wanderings

It's coming back.

Not too bad for only about 10 days.  Almost to the crew cut level.

And, yes, it is readily apparent that I'm not the master of selfies.  If my nose was any bigger in this picture, it could have its own zip code.

Shaving my head was not an easy decision to make, but I think it was worthwhile for the part.  It kept the focus away from people speculating about my bald cap rather than concentrate on my character.  Even Alison, after seeing the play, felt it was the right thing to do to truly capture Fester.

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My chompy schedule is wreaking havoc on establishing a writing routine.  There is no chance for restoration as long as tax season goes on, and I may be going into another play that should keep my schedule disrupted through the beginning of May.  Then there's the trip to Ireland.  Then it gets close to the summer audit I said I would help the office with.  This carving out time is more difficult than I thought it would be.

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Grammarly, which has been helpful, really wants me to buy their premium service,  Well, as long as I can't get it to work on the primary program I write in, Microsoft Word, I'm not likely to buy it.  With the level of program I have, when it does bother to show up, I only take its recommendations about half the time.  Yes, right or wrong, I often overrule its judgment.  That may disappoint some grammar purists, but I have a better idea of the message I am communicating and how I want to present it than does a robotic grammar program.

At least, that's the theory.

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Am I still reading?  Yes.  I am reading The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz, the fourth in a series of books centered on Lisbeth Salander, the eccentric computer whiz.  The original author, Steig Larsson, passed after his first three books were just starting to become popular.  So far, I'm enjoying it, and I'm at about the halfway point. 

I'm also reading World So Wide by Sinclair Lewis, a progressive fiction writer from the first half of the century (Main Street, Arrowsmith, Babbitt).  It is his last novel, published posthumously in 1951.  I'm early on, and can't say too much about it yet.  A man loses his wife in an auto accident and decides to lose himself by touring the world.

I'm also reading Superman Omnibus Volume 3, with stories from 1941 and 1942.  The buzz of World War II is there, with Nazi saboteurs playing a role in many stories.  Remember, Superman was created by two Jewish kids from Cleveland, Jerry Siegel, and Joe Shuster.  Even though many of the stories are often illogical and far-fetched, there is also a human quality to Clark Kent and Lois Lane and the others around him, that makes the stories more touching.  In those early years, Superman used his Clark Kent reporter's role to help uncover injustice and defend the disadvantaged.  To me, that is when the Superman comics are at their best.

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I've wandered enough for today.  Tax season beckons, and the more time I get in now, the less time I will have to do later.

At least, that's the theory.

Wandering away now,

T. M. Strait

Toiling Through the Fog Tuesday Tidbits

I am  slowly ascending from the reigns of incoherency this morning.

Sleep patterns shifting as I try to adjust to an ever changing schedule.

Took a goody chunk to fall asleep.  Then woke up an hour or so later, and took another two hours or so to get back to sleep.  Ibuprofen PM,  and later, melatonin, were used.  Then when it came time to rise, the mind remains clouded.

I need to establish a cleaner routine.  I require less sleep than most, and mu body adjusts in a way that only lets me get that amount, usually five to six hours.  If I get more one night, I sleep less the next.  It's hard to sleep an average of more than that five to six.

Right now, I'm getting less than that.  I think to straighten out, I'm going to have to get up earlier, and return to a schedule of walking.

Well, in theory.  we'll see.

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Now that I've kvetched, let me say that some of my conversations with others makes me feel like two elderly men trying to one up each other at the nursing home with tales of how much worse off they are than the other.  Your stomach hurts?  Ha!  Most of mine has been taken out!  You say the dinner tastes bad!  Ha!  I can't even taste anymore - the meds have stolen my taste buds!  You say you're constipated today?  Ha!  My last comfortable bowel movement was during the Reagan administration!

You say your Grandkids don't visit often enough?  Ha!  Mine put a restraining order on me!

You say you feel tired and burnt out today?  Ha!  That's been me since Sixth Grade!

And on it goes.  Maybe I shouldn't kvetch.  He who kvetches should be prepared for the flack-back super kvetches.

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Does anyone really like okra?  I do not.

Okay.

I thought I had more to say about this but I don't.

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I realize that Vice President Mike Pence is no prize in the Crackerjack box.  But we can't reward the dangerous and criminal behavior, the boorish ignorance and blatant racism of the current President, just because we're afraid of Mike "The Handmaid's Tale" Pence.

It's not pleasant, but we have to face it.  Russian influenced elections have consequences. 

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I've heard some speculate that some Trumpeteers won't turn on him until the economy sours.  Jeesh.  I guess it has to hurt them personally before they turn on him.  What he does to others doesn't matter to them.

I don't wish ill of the economy.  I wish people would wake up on their own.

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I like pizza.

Okay.

I can't elaborate on that either.  At least not right now.

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The fog of my brain has lifted a little.  I suppose I must now prepare for the work I have failed to extricate myself from.

I need to become a voice artist for audio books.

You say you want to make a living reading audio books?  Ha!  I would like to make a living diving for pearls!  See?  Look, I already got the oxygen tank!  Nurse!  Can you move this fairy-tale soaked moron to another table?

And so it goes,

T. M. Strait

Buzzer Beater Monday Musings

It was a marvelous Michigan miracle!

No, it wasn't like a 16 seed beating a 1 seed.  Or like the 1980 Miracle on Ice when the USA upset the USSR in hockey. 

But it was pretty special.  3.9 seconds to go, Houston had the ball back with one of their players being fouled, up 63-61.  I gave up.  I turned to check Facebook, only to see a story pop up about Michigan winning!  I turned back and found out Houston had missed the free throws, and a Freshman had tossed up the ball, the buzzer starting as it flew, and sliced through the basket, nothing but net, for a three-pointer that wins the game! 

Houston, we have a problem, and it's the miracle buzzer beater thrown up be the Wolverines!  So sad, Houston.  There's always next year!

Michigan State was not so fortunate.  They lost a tight contest to Syracuse, no miracle buzzer beater for them at the end.  The second round was more predictable than the first, with many underdogs going down, including the incredible 16 seed, UMBC.

We have a pool at work, with a record-setting five entrants instead of the usual three, the winner getting a free lunch from the loser with the fewest points.  My first round wasn't bad, my second was horrible, so I need to find out who the winner was, and start asking what they want for lunch.

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Even without the play, we had a busy weekend.  It included a trip to Valdosta, where we tried some treats from Brock Gilliard's bakery (Brock excellently played Gomez in The Addams Family), MaePolly's Cake Co.

The above is a picture of the MaePolly's treats, tiny cakes that are maxed on sensational flavor and taste.  If you're in Valdosta, you HAVE to go!


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Books-A-Million is now selling used merchandise along with the new.  I don't know how I feel about that.  The only niche that many independent bookstores had was the used items.  And ow Books-A-Million wants to take that too?  I guess that's just the way of things.  Still can't compete with Chamblin Bookmine in Jacksonville.

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The Atlanta United soccer team is back, baby!  They lost their first game, but have since had 3-1 and 4-1 victories, and look on track for another sensational year!  We hope to get to one or two games this year.

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The descent into political madness continues.  He is now like a wounded bear, disturbing and dangerous in his lashing out.  I don't know how much longer we can continue on this trajectory.

I won't feel secure until some of those who voted for him come to me and admit they made a horrible mistake,  It's like waiting for a best friend to come out of a coma.  When will they be "woke"???

Until next time,

T. M. Strait

Teach Your Children Well

O God, you have taught us through your blessed son that whoever receives a little child in the name of Christ receives Christ himself: We give thanks for the blessing you have bestowed upon all those who care for your children.  Confirm their joy by a lively sense of your presence with them, and give them calm strength and patient wisdom as they seek to bring the children in their care to love all that is true and noble, just and pure, lovable and gracious, excellent and admirable, following the example of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

                                      - The Book of Common Prayer


Recently, a mother brought her two daughters to a mosque in order to vandalize it and teach her daughters to hate Muslims.  This is the opposite of the statement here.  It is the opposite of what Christ wants us to do.

Teaching children that the Bible condemns people based on their sexual orientation is the opposite of what Christ wants us to do.

Teaching children that the poor are that way because they are lazy and don't believe in God enough is the opposite of what Christ wants us to do.

Teaching children that it is ok to discriminate and hate is not what Christ wants us to do.

Give us the strength and courage to teach our children to love and open their hearts.  It's a hard world, I know.  But we do not help our children by encouraging them to inherit our resentments and prejudices.

We can make a better world.  We can bring the Kingdom of Heaven closer to Earth.  It just takes courage, love, and faith.

The Kids Are All Right: Saturday Political Soap Box 179

It was the usual noise on cable news.  Everyone was talking about the golden age of America, the last time we were great.

A commentator in his eighties talked about the values developed when he was a child in the thirties and forties, gaining strength through sacrifice during the depression, and then standing up to dictators overseas.  Everyone worked hard and respected their parents.  This was the generation of my father, and yes, I got the stories of walking to school ten miles in the snow, of churning your own butter,  of a myriad of chores, and not having things I have as a kid, like heat and electricity.  But kids played and had fun, not aware of what they didn't have, enjoying what they had.

The next commentator, in his sixties, talked about how the golden age was actually when he was a kid, of biking and playing outside for hours without fear.  If they had a television it was only one or two channels, and everyone had after-school jobs and didn't complain about how little they made.

Then the next commentator referred to the golden age when he was a kid in the seventies and eighties, about how he too worked more and had to do without things (no cell phones or Snapper Chat), and was raised in the glow of the Reagan presidency.

And on it went, each generation perceiving their generation as the golden age, and the next as going downhill, and being the decline of America.

Then it hit me.  Everyone thinks the golden age was when they were twelve years old!  Unless your childhood was completely foul, you remember the time before you paid attention to the national and world news, while your parents protected you and made you feel safe, that yours was the time America needed to get back to.

Well, it can't.  Because nobody stays twelve forever.  Because you can't live in a shifting mirage that is only a dream and can't be recaptured.

Ask Japanese Americans about being interred in camps in the forties.

Ask African-Americans about the struggle against discrimination in the fifties.

Ask Vietnam Vets and others about the horrors of the Vietnam War. Ask about living through the assassinations of our greatest leaders (John and Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X).

Ask those who were disillusioned by Watergate in the seventies, or women in their struggle for equality in pay and treatment.

Ask those who lost economic standing in the eighties due to failed trickle-down economics and the ever-increasing income gap, or the LGBT community fighting an AIDS crisis that the government barely recognized.

And on and on it goes.

There is no golden age.  Only the golden hue you remember from your own childhood.

Sure, the kids nowadays have things you didn't have, and yes, they have to cope with a new social dynamic.  But that doesn't make them better or worse than the previous generations.  They actually have more to cope with.  Declining economic opportunities, climate change and weather destabilization, growing pollution and population, an administration that is destroying any semblance of our civic decency, and increasing gun violence, just to name a few. 

Nothing that has happened in recent years has encouraged me more than the young people that are starting to stand up for themselves and fight back.  The students of Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland are not satisfied to just be victims.  They are fighting back with a fury and intelligence I have rarely seen, and sparking other students throughout the country.

Yeah, they got smartphones.  Yeah, you may think they're spoiled and entitled, as every previous generation has thought about the next generation.

But me?

I think the kids are all right.  And that golden age? 

Maybe that will arrive someday.

Post Dancing Wednesday Wanderings

That's not a bald cap.  That's me.  Bald.  I don't think I'd ever been bald before.  I came out of the womb with a full head of hair.  My Dad had me get a crew cut once when he was afraid I might turn into a hippie, but that was only one haircut (and I never did turn into a hippie - liberal politics, yes...liberal lifestyle, no).  Playing Uncle Fester was more than I imagined, and I fit the image of Fester much more than I expected.

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My feet hurt.  Hopefully, it will pass and not be bad for weeks like it sometimes gets.  There was a lot of dance and movement in The Addams Family, and I'm glad I didn't get this while the play was on - it would have made things very difficult.

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Tax season grinds.  Yes, I thought I was distancing myself, but I did not get completely out, and until I make money creatively, I need the income.  And yes, I understand.  I may never make money that way.  But I want to try.  Lord, I want to try.

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But it won't be for the next few weeks,  Although I should have slightly more time now that The Addams Family is through.  In theory.

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Speaking of theory (like the great movie The Theory of Everything), I was saddened to hear of the passing of Stephen Hawking.  He challenged his ALS as dramatically and valiantly as anyone ever had, and made contributions to the world that exceed that of even the healthiest among us.

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It may be going to a recount!  Glad to see that Conor Lamb may be pulling off a huge upset, and winning a Congressional seat in a deep red Trump district.  It's another conservative Democrat who may cause me fits on some issues, but it's a giant step in the right direction.  Not much happens unless the Democrats regain control of either the Senate or the House.


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People are leaving or being fired at the White House in unprecedented numbers.  There may be no one left to turn out the lights.  I wish.  But there is a despicable row of people to take over the job if Trump should get rumped.  Pence followed by Ryan followed by Orrin Hatch followed by whoever the hell the Secretary of State is at that time.  Sad and disgusting, but Russian hacked elections have consequences.

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The Writer's Guild had eight people at its meeting last night.  That exceeds the last meeting by at least....7!  It was fun and spirited, but I had forgotten to research upcoming events, particularly cons and festivals, so it was bereft of new information.  And I did not include writer advice or writing exercises.  My bad.

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Well, that may be all I have time for.  The tax season I tried to pull away from beckons.  One more month.  Sigh.

The President Begins the Day

The President stood at the window of the Oval Office window, in pajamas, cup of coffee in hand, and looked out at a bright day, dappled sunlight across the South Lawn, a variety of birds cheerfully chirping.  Supporters and a handful of protesters stood outside the gate, many carrying placards with the recent campaign's slogan, A New Beginning.

The President sipped the coffee, toasted coconut floating on top of the creamy colored beverage, sweetened with coconut milk, and just a dash of pineapple juice.  What a long, hard journey to get here, but now the governing began.  The culmination of years of efforts to restore America to its democratic mission was finally beginning to pay off.

It took a great deal of hard work to get into a position to do the things that they were now achieving.  The years of decline that occurred took hard effort to reverse and was only now showing fruition.  The massive debt that was accumulated, the destruction of our standing in the world, the almost irreversible damage done to our climate, the weakening of civil rights protections for minorities and the LGBTQ community, the increasing income gap, the abolishment of the social safety net, the very fabric and heart of democracy had been ripped out and stomped on.

President Warren had to spend most of her Presidency trying to restore fiscal balance, return civil rights, and improve our standing in the world.  She had to fight both corporate Democrats and corporate Republicans, the still fiercely angry and unapologetic Trump Rump, the hostilities of a right-wing dominated media, and Wall Street fat cats who did not want to budge.

Often when Democrats clean the mess up, they are rewarded by the next President being a champion of the extreme right.  Clinton was followed by Bush, and Obama by Trump.  The fear was that after eight years of Warren, they would return with someone as dangerous.  But for once, history did not repeat itself.  Instead, Warren's second-term Vice President became President.

And now that new President was in the Oval Office, the legislation to be signed later that day already on the desk.  A big ceremony was planned that day, signing into law a complete restructuring of the tax code.  There would be no more federal individual income tax.  The only taxes coming out of worker's paychecks would be for Social Security and the Medicare For All program.  Everything else would be raised by several new taxes, all designed to be operated without having to have a CPA to fill out the paperwork, including a national sales tax with luxury items taxed higher than basic necessities, a variable tax on corporate and business gross income, and a transaction tax on the movement of money.  The days of having to spend so much time trying to use the tax code to your advantage in preparing your income taxes were finally over.

The President stretched, spending a few minutes at her yoga routine.  She looked around the office, pictures of FDR, Kennedy, Obama, and Warren on the walls.  Her own touches were there, including her ZZ plant.  As she completed her routine, there was a knock on the door.  Vice President Duckworth entered with a smile.  "Are you ready for the signing, Madame President?"

President Ocasio-Cortez grinned back.  "Almost.  I probably shouldn't do the signing in my p.j.'s.  That might send the wrong message,"

"Yeah.  That might be carrying casual Friday too far.  This is a big moment, Tulsi.  As Joe Biden would say, 'It's a big fu...."

The President interrupted.  "OK, I know what he would say.  Hopefully, you can choose some better framing." President Ocasio-Cortez put her arm around Vice President Tammy Duckworth.  "I'm leaving to get dressed now.  Thanks for all your help in getting it through the legislature.  I think we're living up to our campaign slogan now."

"Yes, Madame President.  It truly is a new beginning."

The sunlight streamed into the Oval Office.

Return to Reality Monday Musings

It's back to the hard crunch of reality.  After one of the most successful and enjoyable plays I've ever been in, it's back to the reality that I am not a paid actor, or a paid anything creatively speaking, and it's still tax season in a profession that I'm still involved in.  My efforts to pull back from accounting have succeeded.  It just has not been a complete withdrawal.

The Addams Family was a great experience, one that pushed me to the limits of what I thought I was capable of doing.  I was challenged repeatedly to do better, and I did my best to meet that challenge.  My dancing was not great, but it blended well with the character, and I remained cheerily "Fester" about it.  I felt like I sang well, although it was a constant challenge for the band to keep up with my broken metronome.  I did something I thought I would never consider - when it was clear that bald caps would not have the effect I wanted, I shaved my head.  I climbed a ladder every performance, even though I'm afraid of them (both my father and I have had falls from ladders, and we both suffered subsequent chronic pain due to it - mine significantly less severe than my Dad's).

But it was worth it.  I got to perform in a musical alongside my son, Benjamin.  His portrayal of Pugsley was pitch perfect, and he did a wonderful rendition of Pugsley's solo song.  He enjoyed talking and befriending others backstage.  I had to listen to his song from behind the curtain, waiting in position for the next scene, and there were many a night I would tear up listening to him.

We both received raucous applause when we bowed at curtain call, particularly on the last performance.  I hate to sound conceited, but that swell of applause is one of the things that charges me up most about theater. Like many, I am in an applause-free profession, and I do crave approval, so it means a lot to me to hear it.

I think Fester was a fan favorite for many.  Partly, I think, that was because Fester was like the Deadpool of the play, occasionally breaking the proscenium and talking directly to the audience.  He also is a fun, enthusiastic character, the most gleeful and carefree Addams family member.

Often I am told that I was "made" to be a specific character.  That's partly true, but it's also true that I do a lot to make it seem that way.  I am grateful that in my acting career I have been able to play an incredible variety of characters, many of whom I was "made' to be. The range of characters I've been able to play is quite broad, and that has been another great joy of theatre - avoiding being pigeon-holed as only one thing.  Although I must say - Fred Astaire I will never be.

I want to thank Director Pam Fields for pushing me to be the best Fester that I could be.  I want to thank my fellow actors for their friendship and support, especially Cole Hendley, whom often assisted me in checking my movements and lines and singing, and helped me get down from that darn ladder.

We did censor some of the language in the play.  There is one line that I say that was changed from "Look at that son of a bitch go!" to "Look at that son of a gun go!"  It was a self-deprecating line, directed by Fester at Fester.  Yes, that's right.  We showed more restraint than the President of the United States, who used the phrase not to self-deprecate (something he appears completely unable to do), but to denigrate center-right Meet the Press host, Chuck Todd.  He did it to vilely slander another human being.  And yet, some of the same people who would have been freaked over me saying it in a play, are some of the same people who shrug their shoulders when they hear the President say it.

Anyhoo, back to the grindstone.  Meanwhile, I have my delicious memories of a play gone swimmingly well.

And soon, I will have my hair back as well!

Ba-da-da-dum!

Revenge of the Speculatron! Saturday Political Soap Box 178

It's time for another speculatron!

Yes, wild and often inaccurate speculation about an uncertain political future!

Speculation #1

Donald Trump cannot survive the tailspin he is in.

Of course, there is no rational way that he still be with us now,  By everything that's happened to past Presidents, we should be complaining about President Mile "Handmaid's Tale" Pence right now.

But I think Mueller's got Trump in the crosshairs.  He is building a case that only the most ignorant, addled, white supremacist-style psychopaths will be able to deny.  The list of impeachable offenses will be longer than a 1980s New York City phone book.

Will he survive?  Maybe.  Stranger tales have been told.  Should he survive,  Oh, H to the no.  Not if we preserve any decency and democracy to our system.

Speculation #2

The House and Senate are Back, Baby!

Yes.  Unless something remarkable occurs, the House and Senate will be back under Democratic Party control this November.

What will that mean?

It depends.  There are two basic Democratic parties.  One is Progressive, the other is Corporate.  It's not an either/or thing, though.  Many will have a mix of positions.  What progress we'll make will depend on that mix.  I can't say for sure, but I think it will lean progressive.

How will the White House react?  Hard to say.  If it's Trump, he has no real fixed political position, except for aggrandizing himself, and his white supremacist instincts.  He may bend on some things.  He shifts and squirms, depending on who is the last person to talk to him, and how much they kiss up to him.  Flattery will get you everyone.  At least until the next person to butter him up.

If it's Pence, probably nowhere.  He's on a mission from God.  OK, well, I doubt it's really God he's talking to, but he and "Mother" will definitely try to careen off toward The Handmaid's Tale.  I don't think he'll have much success., but he can veto and executive order, and be protected in his prejudice by an increasingly conservative Supreme Court.  God help us all (and by that I mean the real, true, loving god).


Speculation #3

Just like Trump did with his businesses, Trump's policies will bankrupt us.

This is not speculation, as much as it is basic economic truth.  His own budgeting creates an additional trillion dollar debt.  His passed tax plan (designed to assign virtually all benefits to the very wealthy and corporation) will lead to a trillion and a half more in debt.

And suddenly, viola!  Republicans no longer care about the debt.  It's magic!  Until the Democrats take control again.  Then it will be non-stop whining about the debt THEY CREATED!

Side note:  if the Republicans will continue to try to come for your Social Security, Medicare, and even Veteran benefits.  I GUARANTEE IT.  Note, however, I say try,  Because....

Specualtion #4

People are finally getting woke!


Yes, that has been the best part of these dark times!  Citizens are taking to the streets and media, and they're trying to force the media and the politicians to pay attention!  Whether it's the #MeToo movement, or the brave and courageous students standing up for gun reform, it is breathtaking and encouraging to see.

We are still losing more battles than we are winning, but we are fighting back.  But we can't forget the most important plale to turn out - and that is the ballot box.  And it's not just enough to challenge at the federal level.  We also have to...

Speculation #5

Take back State and Local Offices!

Anyone who thinks that malevolence occurs only at the federal level is sadly mistaken.  Look at the damage Lt. Governor is causing with Delta.  Georgia could lose one of it's major employers over an NRA discount!  Stunning, really.  Corporations have to be forcibly compelled to offer a discount they no longer want to offer?  How childish!  How moronic!

And trust me, even at the local level, politicians operate without the best interests of their constituents.  'Nuff said for now.

Not every state and municipality is going to flip.  But I do believe a better balance will be restored.

Speaking of balance, I really think the country would operate better with a multi-party system.  It would require shifting coalitions and common sense compromises.   But that's for another speculatron at another time.

We must continue to strive for the light at the end of a very dark tunnel.