Wherefore Art Thou, Shakespeare? He's in Waycross this Weekend!

Juliet!  Juliet!

Wherefore art thou, Juliet?

Oh!  There you are!

Emily Beck will star as Juliet in Purlie Production's wonderful performance of Romeo & Juliet!

Thanks to Purlie, the Okefenokee Heritage Center, and many commercial sponsors, Shakespeare is being brought to Southeast Georgia!

Emily is a distinguished young talent of our area, starring twice as Anne Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank, dual roles in The Model Apartment, and numerous appearances with The Flying Dragon, Waycross Area Community Theatre, and the Southside

 Christian School Patriot Players.

My good friend, Julianna Lacefield, has the role of Lady Capulet.  I've been onstage with her many times, and she always shines.

Wendy Walker, who has been a theatre and TV performer in the past, and after a break, returns to the stage as the Nurse.

Brittany Burkett, a good friend of Benjamin's from Pierce County Musical Theatre class, will appear as Mercutio.

Sadly, Benjamin and I passed on doing this play, a choice that may have been wise, but has left me conflicted and Hamletting.  

On the other hand, I am looking forward to being able to sit out in the audience and enjoy this great show!

See you there!

The Open Table

This is a picture of the beginning of Eucharist at our church, Grace Episcopal, from about four years ago.  Reverend Kit is at the center of the altar, with lay episcopal ministers at her sides.  Pat Dell is on her right, and Donald Holland on her left, who has since become a priest, currently at the parish in Douglas.  The picture was taken by David Rollison, a great church leader, and a friend of mine, who passed a year ago. David and his wife, Sarah, were two of the first people I met from this area, and always made me feel welcome and accepted.

I love many things about our church.  But first and foremost was the concept of the open table.  Other churches refer to this as Communion or The Lord's Supper.  We and the Catholics are about the only denominations that do it at virtually every service, including weddings and funerals.

Our Eucharist is open to everyone. not just members of our parish, but to all believers everywhere.  Anyone who has baptized can join.

We make no distinctions based on race, economic or social position.  We do not judge anyone.  People who are gay, including those in loving, committed same-sex relationships, are welcome.

Even those who have genuinely sinned, if they are confessional and repentant, can participate in the open table.  We are all sinners, of one kind or another.  It is hard to keep God at the center of our busy, secular lives.  It is not always easy to walk in the footsteps of Christ.  But he is a forgiving God, open to us trying to do better, always accepting of us and our humanity.

Inclusivity has its price.  Not everyone is open and tolerant.  As the Church opened more and more to the LGBT community, some left.  The diversity was just too much for them.  They could not get past seeing homosexuality as a sin. I don't know what to say.  We are all at different stages in our faith journey.  I believe, over time, more and more will come around.  Their eyes will slowly open.  The power of God and love is just that strong.

I have sometimes thought it would be good to be in a church that just had the Christian Left in it.  But I have come to love and respect even that aspect of our church's diversity.  We have a variety of political views in our parish, and I'm not sure I would have it any other way.  Being around people of various sides helps you have a better appreciation for those whose views are different than your own.  You're confronted with the reality that somehow people who listen to sermons of tolerance and acceptance, of the importance of taking care of the poor and disadvantaged, can still wind up voting for someone as despicable as Trump.  I don't know how it happens, but it does, and you have to learn to be tolerant and accepting yourself.  It's one thing to view Trump voters as the deplorable others.  It's another when they are in your midst, and you know them to be good and decent people outside of voting for that repulsive clown.  It's not easy to reconcile, but it's better to see them as real people and not just abstracts.

Openness and diversity are very important.  Even in ways that challenge my thinking and prejudices.

The Episcopal Church is not perfect.  It doesn't pretend to be.

I do believe, however, the open table is the perfect symbolism for the true greatness and strength of the Christian faith.

Join us, if you so choose.

All are welcome at God's table.

Party in the DMZ: Saturday Political Soap Box 183

Given the alternative, this is great news.  North Korea and South Korea have met, and have made substantial progress towards officially ending their war, and the potential denuclearization of the area.

Will it happen?  I don't know.  There have been diplomatic setbacks before.  But nothing has been as public or as on the line as what has happened this week.  So there is a reason for cautious optimism.

How did this happen?  How were we able to move to this point?

Was it the belligerent, racist, and semi-unintelligible ramblings of Trump?  Does might really make right?  Is blathering the world to the brink of nuclear armageddon a great role model for moving the world forward?

Was it the quiet, effective diplomatic diplomacy of South Korean President, Moon Jae-In?  Carter-like in quiet persistence, does openness and dialogue win the race?

Was it the role China played?  They surely don't want a big conflict on their doorstep.  China is now the defacto economic leader in the world.  No, at this point their economy is not as strong as the United States, but it is growing by leaps and bounds every year.  And as the US withdraws from the world, China will continue to rush in to take our place.

Was it the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un?  Did he have an epiphanic revelation that resulted in a cold, hard decision that made him see reconciliation with South Korea, in part or in full, as the most rational course of action?  Was it a recent cave-in at a nuclear site that made him realize his nuclear program was not viable?  Hard to say.  It's true that Kim Jong Un is a vicious dictator, as were his predecessors, but that does mean he is completely irrational.

Was it the economic sanctions that have been imposed on North Korean, in varying degrees over the decades, going all the way back to Truman and the war that caused their split?


The answer?

I don't know.

World history and international events are not always explainable by one event or answer.  People still argue what the true reasons were we fell into the madness of WWI.  Scholars still debate what could have been done to avoid the rise of Hitler.    Nothing is simple.  Everything in world conflict, and preventing it, is like 3D chess from Star Trek,

Military might and belligerence can sometimes lead to temporary solutions.  Sometimes, for short periods, it can look like it is ascendant.  Hitler can control most of Europe - for a few years. We can take over Iraq and chase out a dictator - but it can't control Iraq forever, or prevent the rise of other destabilizing forces.  Iraq begat ISIS.  And on and on it goes.

Diplomacy and negotiation are also tricky.  It certainly got a bad name with Chamberlain in trying to negotiate an end to Hitler's land grabs.  But in the long run, if done right, these efforts can lead to a more stable and lasting peace.  Carter's efforts in creating peace between Egypt and Israel is the one part of the Middle East puzzle that has consistently held true.


I am concerned about President Trump's visit to the North Korean leader, and what it may do to what is going on.  He is ill-prepared for it, and he is now surrounded by hawkish military advisers.  His belligerence could jeopardize all the forward progress.  I hope not.  Call me naive, but I am hoping that he leaves without having slowed progress towards peace, even if he leaves irrationally bragging about how he is the one responsible for it all.

That won't be a good thing.  It will confirm to him that he can behave very badly in world affairs.  But that will be another problem for another day.

Right now, I can sleep slightly better knowing that there is, at long last, the promise of better relations between the two Koreas.

Only time will tell how real it is.

Hair Back Wednesday Wanderings

It's not completely back, but close enough for blog shoes. I'm not unhappy here,  Just trying to get my head angled right so that the hair is emphasized.

It may have a little bit to grow back yet, but not much more, as I intend to wear my hair slightly shorter now.  Keep my look between Dapper Dan and Hobo Man.

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

CPA work is cut back, but not gone.  Still trying to adjust to new schedule - see what I can or can't do.

Soon, the schedule will change again, as we'll gear up for a summer audit.

I don't know how many weeks I'll have where I don't go in at all.  Only time will tell on that.

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

Still struggling with the concept that so many White Evangelicals voted for Donald Trump, and continue to support him.  I think I have to remove it from the realm where those who support him think they can defend their position by repeating Christian Reich talking points.  I'm not ignorant of the explanations for why some people voted for and support him.  They just don't make any sense to me.

So, I should stop making it sound like I'm asking the Trumpeteers to explain themselves. I should be asking what it will take for them to abandon him.

Even if he resigns or is impeached, we're still going to be faced with a large group of people whom I refer to as the Trump Rump, those ride or die low-information voters who'll refuse to believe anything said against him, no matter the proof.  These are not people who will go quietly into the night, or should I rather say, into the bright light of a new and enlightened era.

Those of us in the rural areas where Trump has dominated may be in for a time of even greater hostility and made to feel more uncomfortable than ever.

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

I have not done much with the Purlie Production of Romeo & Juliet, but I highly endorse it and encourage all people in the area to come see it.  It has an excellent cast, a nice mix of veterans and newcomers.  It's great to see Shakespeare come to this area.  I love having broad-based theatre and opportunities.  Children's theatre, high school productions, big community musicals, great comedies, serious dramas, little theatres with troupes of veteran actors, big community theatres giving experiences to wide groups of people, everything from Shakespeare to broad Southern comedies.  We need them all, and I'm glad we have them.


Wanderingly Yours,

T. M. Strait

April Theater Leads to May Shows!

I enjoyed very much watching And Then There Was One this weekend, a delightful mystery spoof directed by my friend, Kimberly Beck.  It featured the return to the stage of her oldest daughter, Elizabeth Beck.  She was fantastic as the beleaguered private detective, Horatio Miles.

Emily Beck was not only in And Then There Was One, but will also be Juliet in Romeo & Juliet, a joint production of the Okefenokee Heritage Center and Purilie Productions.  Romeo & Juliet will also feature other talented thespians I know, including Julianna Lacefield and Britanny Burkett.

Also coming up is The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, put on by WACT.  It features Benjamin's good friend, Camden Jewell as Huckleberry Finn, and some of the extraordinary cast we performed with in The Addams Family.

The Addams Family was also done in a first-rate fashion by Ware High School last weekend.  I did not get to see it, but I heard it was excellent.

The marvelous Pinocchio, written and directed by my friend, Kimberly Elizabeth Beck, will be presented May 11th and 12th at Southside Christian Academy.  This show is great fun, and I encourage everyone in the area to come see it.  When it was originally done by Flying Dragon, Benjamin played Pinocchio in Act 3, and was the Gorilla Judge. 


It's a busy theatre season, so get out and enjoy some shows!

A Great Lady Passes to Another Realm

I was not really expecting to be moved by her passing.  Anyone who reads my blog will know I am not fond of the politics of the Bush family.  Her husband was one of the best Republican leaders of my lifetime, ranking just below President Eisenhower.  He showed great courage in compromising on taxes when we needed it, and formed the international coalition that successfully accomplished the Gulf War and knew when to stop before exceeding the mandate of the mission.

Her son was less successful.  It took us a very long time to recover from the economic collapse that occurred in large part because of his policies,  We were lied into a war that served no purpose but to accelerate the destabilization of the Middle East.  Climate change was ignored to a point that it is no longer a possibility to stop it, only mitigate it.

But for all their flaws, both still were caring men, and those who knew them appreciated them and were loyal in following them.  Both operated with love of country, with faith, and with family values at their core.  They considered the opinion and importance of others.  And those strengths came from Barbara Bush.

She was a great champion of literacy.  She always centered her values on appreciation and protection of family.  She was not a perfect person, but she would be the first person to tell you that.  She was honest and sometimes blunt.  She did not put on airs of superiority, or much worry about her place in history. 

When son Jeb Bush made noises about running for President, she was not in favor and made her feelings known.  She knew the toll that could take on a family and she wasn't ready to plunge them back into that again.  But when Jeb announced, she put that aside and was all in, supportive and actively campaigning.


Barbara and George were married an incredible 73 years.  No marriage is a constant state of bliss, but they came fairly close.  Whatever ups and downs they had, they weathered through like champs.  There was a love and appreciation that you could see in all their pictures together, in all their gestures and non-verbals.  It's not something you always see in a Presidential Couple.

In all the news of her passing, the thing that struck me most was a commencement speech she gave at a university, a place where some students had raised objections to her even speaking.  But she won the crowd over with her down to earth observances.  Watching her say this is what struck me the most -

"At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal.  You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child or a parent."

As I grow older, the truth of these words sings out to me.  The ambitions of youth and career seem less and less important to me, and it is the moments with family I treasure the most.  I clutch to the memory of my departed parents and am grateful for the times I had with them, and wish I could have more.  I cherish my own family and value my time with them.  The adventure of watching and participating with Benjamin growing up is more important than any theatrical part or writing award.  I miss my two older boys, off living their own lives.  Her quote is reviving my desire to do what I can to remain in touch with them and let them know how much I care for them.

Fame is fleeting.  Success can be illusory.  It is family and friends, caring for each other, cherishing the moments that we have, that are the important thing.

God bless you, Barbara Bush.  God bless you and the fine family you raised.  God bless the positive influence you had on us all.

And So It Begins

An early draft version of a cover for History of the Trap.  I stole a picture of Bridgeport High School, my alma mater. and used the design as a template for Loren High.

Good morning!

Tax season has toddled off the stage. There will still be more hours spent in accounting, but they should be fewer and more restrained, at least until an audit I assist with in July and August.  But I hope to begin to rearrange my time in order to better pursue my creative interests.  And, if I'm successful, to make some of the income I would have made in accounting.

So here are the projects I will be working on:

1)  Publishing Crowley Stories: Swamp's Edge

I have decided to not pursue an agent or a regular publisher for this book.  It's a little different and unique, and the time period it is covering is becoming more remote.  But I'm not sure I'm going to just go straight to Create Space, either.  I'm going to look towards some services that provide additional professional editing, and will help with the marketing and promotion of the book.  I have some ideas in mind, and I will explore the options in the next week or so.  It may cost some money, money I may never recoup, but I want to give the book the best launch I can.

I think it is a book that should be of local interest, and should sell well in the Okefenokee Heritage Center environment.  But there's no guarantee of it.  It won't be a picture book filled with photos, and there is no detailed area history.  Nevertheless, it is a book steeped in the culture of the area.

2) Finding a magazine or anthology that will publish My Europa

I need to continue to send out my completed science fiction novella, My Europa, to magazines that might consider publishing it.  It has been rejected by Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, but I need to send it back out, Next on the list is The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.

The biggest difficulty in this, besides gearing up for a long line of rejections, is that every place you submit it wants a different format.  That's not easy for me to do.  Formatting is not a specialty of mine, and it's hard for me to keep readjusting it.

3)  Continue writing The Extra Credit Club

I know it's frustrating to those waiting for the second volume of History of the Trap, but I think I have a publisher who would be interested in The Extra Credit Club when it is complete.  I know I may be fooling myself, but believing there is an interested market for this novel is highly motivating to me.

4)  Reread The History of the Trap in preparation for the sequel

Yes, I have a general outline as to where Volume 2 will go, but I think it will be a stronger book if  I reread the first one and take copious notes.

5)  Start the quest to become a reader for audiobooks

I've bought a couple of books that should help me set this up.  Benjamin even has some of the audio equipment on his computer.  I will probably start with an audio version of Here Comes Tommy, and work my way out from there.  I don't need to be falsely modest in this area.  Reading aloud is something I do extraordinarily well, and it's about time I figured a way to make a little money from doing it.

6)  Eventually, become an extra in TV and films

This is not as far-fetched as it seems,  Many movies and TV shows are being filmed in Georgia now.  If I can participate in some in a way that gains me net profit, I would be happy to do that.  Will I get speaking parts?  I doubt it, particularly at my age.  But if it happened, I wouldn't, as they say, "kick it out of bed."

7)  Other writing projects

Publish an ebook version of A Christmas with Pegasus.   Write another Escape From the Office romance, maybe eventually writing enough to get a collection.  Continue my blog, including returning to my father's stories.  Help Grace Lee with the publishing of some of her works.

In order to do this, some other things have to give.  Until Benjamin goes off to college, what community theatre I do will be done in conjunction with him.  My involvement in local organizations may be more limited.  And, although supportive of local progressive politics and progressive candidates, my time spent may not be as much as I originally hoped.  My participation in church activities and charities may not yet reach the scope I would like it to.

And hanging over all of this is the reality that accounting as an income source is not through, and will not be until and unless I can demonstrate the ability to make the income gap up with creative enterprises.

Nevertheless, whether it takes weeks, months, years, or just a dream I pursue without ever capturing,  I am ready to begin!

Wish me luck!

Mess 'o' Hair Wednesday Wanderings

Look at this!

Hair going ever' which way!

Do I look happy?  Well, I found out that the federales, in their infinite wisdom, have decided to extend tax season another day.  OMG!  It's like trying to kill Michael Myers in the Halloween movies.  Stab him and throw him out the window and he still pops back up!

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

I got my presents in that I had given to myself, thinking they would arrive on the last day of tax season (HA!).  One was the next volume of the Superman Omnibus, covering, in chronological sequence, stories from the mid-1940s.  I got two other books that were how-to books, detailing how to become an audiobook talent and voice-over artist.  Hopefully, it will help me follow up on that.  Reading aloud is one of my bestest talents.

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

I'll be going to work today,  but I may not be clocking in for a portion of it.  There is some volunteer accounting work that I need to do, and I will be off the clock while I'm doing.  Thanks to the surprise tax deadline extension, there is always the possibility I will have to clock in and do that.

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

I will be going to And Then There Was One, a murder mystery spoof directed by my friend, Kimberly Beck.  This will be performed at Southside Christian School this Thursday, Friday and Saturday night at 7.  I have visited their drama class before, and she has some very talented thespians.

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

We are spending the weekend home.  I will once again be mowing the yard, I think.  It will be the second time this year.  To my northern friends, that may seem like a lot, but to my friends in Southeast Georgia, that is a pitiful number, and most of them have probably mowed several times more.  Oh, well.  Grass is a nuisance.  I would switch to AstroTurf if I could.

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

The decline of Trump continues.  The nation is at great risk.  Doesn't matter, as the Christian Reich continues to cling to him, no matter what he does.

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

That's about all I got for today.  I look forward to more time to write and to return to my fictional ways.

Wanderingly Yours,

T. M. Strait

Tax Season in the Tail Lights

It's the last day of official tax season.

I'll skip the usual qualifiers about how many other deadlines and responsibilities there are in a general service CPA firm.  Most of you know that by now.  It's the most intense deadline, but far from the only one.

Nevertheless, it is an important milestone to shift past.  Especially in my "semi-retirement", I'll be glad to see it in the rearview, and maybe get more time for other opportunities.

Today is an unusual day for me.  It would be difficult to start new returns and get them filed on time.  This is due to my work being earlier in the process.  What I do gets passed on to others, and those stages make it almost impossible to process in time.  But it can't be ruled out.  It's been done before, but it ain't pretty.

Other tax deadline business may come from tax returns that were done earlier, but the client discovers an important change they want to make.  It could be our mistake.  It could be something they forgot to bring us.  Whatever it is, it may require an emergency fix.

I have other work to catch up on, and I may be doing that.  I look at the day as like being a firefighter.  You have to be there on call, but what you could be called to do is fairly unpredictable.

This has been a tough season.  Not necessarily because of the time involved - it has been much reduced from prior years.  It's tough because I have discovered that something I had stepped aside from is still an integral part of my life.  And over the season, I have grown to accept that it will probably continue to be for the foreseeable future.

Not that I'm giving up my other interests, and hopes of making money from my creative side.  I've ordered two books about becoming a voice artist (reading audiobooks and such), and I have many, many plans revolving around writing.  And there's always the possibility of being an extra in movies - if I ever can get my s..t together about that.

So Phase One of the year is just about over.   I'm looking forward to Phase Two, and it's increased levels of creative opportunity.

Or maybe just binge watching soap operas while eating bonbons.

Only time will tell.

Don't Miss...And Then There Was One

Who done done it?  See a great play this weekend at Southside Christian School!  My good friend, Kimberly Beck, will be directing, and has assembled a fine cast of young thespians.  Come out and enjoy this intriguing murder mystery!

The rest of this post are descriptions provided by the talented Director!

Was it the secretive butler and anxious maid, Clayhorne and Mimms , (Zak and Isabela)? Come see the Patriot Players at Southside Christian School on April 19, 20 And 21 @ 7 to find out.

Surely, it wasn’t Miss Heather Starlett (Emily), the All- American Sweetheart! She wouldn’t hurt a fly.....You are invited to attend the house party where she will be in attendance. Southside Christian School’s Patriot Players present And Then There Was One April 19, 20, And 21st at 7 PM.

The very proper Miss Emily Plain (Erin) has a bad feeling about the house party. It’s a tough job, but someone has to make sure people follow the rules! Erin has also learned the part of Margaret Leroux. Come see the Plain truth of what happened that weekend August 19, 20 or 21 @ 7 PM . The Patriot Players perform at Southside Christian School on 3438 Knight Avenue. Free admission, donations to drama club welcome.

                                     

And Then There Was One (macaroon?)It’s all fun and games at G. Rief’s house party until the macaroons run low! Special thanks to Calleigh and Tassie for filling in as Presley and Margaret this Saturday. Patriot Players will perform April 19, 20 & 21 at 7 at Southside Christian School on Knight Avenue. Free admission.

Will Presley York’s (Blake) fame and mad singing skills distract Horatio Miles (Elizabeth) from investigating the crime at hand? Come to the house party of G. Rief (3438 Knight Avenue ) to watch it unfold as the Patriot Players present And Then There Was One:A Spoof by Michael Druce April 19, 20, And 21st at 7. Free admission.

Will Dr. Prince (Alex) stand by his oath to heal? Come see the good doctor in And Then There Was One: A Spoof by Michael Druce. The Patriot Players’ production opens tomorrow night at Southside Christian, with additional shows Friday and Saturday at 7.

I’m sure we can take the lively and lovely diva Delores (Anna) at her word that she is innocent , but then she is an actress isn’t she? Hmmm... come see her and her fellow houseguests at the home of G. rief (3438 Knight Avenue) Friday and Saturday when Southside Christian’s Patriot Players produce And Then There Was One:A Spoof.

Emily Plain(Erika) is concerned at the tone of G. Rief’s house party but quickly remembers she came prepared! Erika will also play Dr. Prince Saturday. Come see how the lovely but anxious Miss Plain copes with her fellow houseguests in the Patriot Players production of And Then There Was One:A Spoof at Southside Christian School. . Shows are Friday and Saturday night at 7.

Fighting Through the Noise: Saturday Political Soap Box 182

At this point, the U.S. strike seems somewhat limited.  It appears that the last semi-sane official in Washington, Secretary of Defense James Mattis, may have talked Trump down from a larger strike.  It's still not clear how militarily significant the strike was. Plenty of notice was given to the Russians, Iranians, and Syrians to move people and stuff out of harm's way.  So much for the theory that Trump will never telegraph his military moves.

Syria continues to be a very messy problem, compounded by the actions of many nations, including us.  I don't have any magic answers.  I always think diplomacy is vital, as is accurate intelligence.  Sometimes, rarely, the judicious use of force is required.  Was it required here?  I'm not sure. 

What is required is for the international community to provide as much humanitarian aid as possible. That includes the need to take on Syrian refugees, to remove as many innocents from harm as we can, especially children.  I have never been more ashamed of our country as when the Trump administration bucked at receiving any Syrian refugees.  It is a low point in our nation's history. 

Well. low point may be an adept description of the entire Trump administration.

There is the whole question of Congressional authority.  They are supposed to have the power to declare war.  But that is an authority that has eroded in recent decades.  President Obama sought authority to act more directly in Syria, and Congress denied it to him.  I'm not sure about a targeted strike, but sustained action would definitely need to be authorized.  Whether it will be or not is a different story.

Did he do this to distract from his other mounting problems?  I don't know.  I'm sure it had an influence, but I don't know how great.  He'll be upset if he's not showered with praise for doing it.  I don't know how didn't understand how much criticism any President is in for, especially one as uninformed and incompetent and corrupt as he is.  He has the thinnest skin of anyone who has ever served in that office.

But beyond the noise and fury surrounding Trump, mostly of his own making, we need to stay grasped on some important things -

The climate is being degraded and global warming accelerated by the actions of the EPA and the administration.

The tax reform package has created a humongous additional deficit that Republicans will attempt to balance by reducing or eliminating programs aimed at the working poor and the middle class, including Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

College expenses are still out of control, getting further and further out of reach of most Americans, unless they are willing to acquire Student Loans at increasingly higher rates of interest.

Medical expenses are also out of control, with Obamacare under attack, and fewer and fewer people able to afford insurance, and the nightmare of the medical system before Obamacare returning worse than ever.  It is unconscionable that we leave so many with inadequate care, and allow so many to go bankrupt just trying to provide healthcare for their families.  

The number one concern shouldn't be the stock market, but providing a living wage.   

These are just a few of the problems we lose track of when we focus our concern on what the latest tweet from the Mad King says, or who is sleeping with which Kardashian.

I don't mean Syria is a problem that should be ignored.  Diplomacy and humanitarian aid are vital, and the judicious use of military force should not be ruled out.

But it can't ever be used as cover or distraction.  Never that.

Let's pray that General Mattis sticks around.


 

The Internet Wavers

Selective internetzation is plugerizing our service tonight

It was gone for good for awhile but now it's back a light

But only for a few select sights

Not everything is working rights




YouTube is working fine

I can watch videos online

Facebook spins without shine

And for Twitter I can only pine

But I can do anything on The Strait Line


I'll name names - it's ATC that's all kooky

With most of the sites playing hooky

Alma Telephone Company - can't I looky

And she what's turned it mooky?


I fear it could be the end of net neutrality

And we can get it back with an additional small fee

How long did you all think it would be

Before they hit the price ball off the tee?



Have we lost all our senses?

Allow this confusion for all intenses?

It's what I've been trying to warn you of - the very essences

Didn't you realize

                ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES!

Approaching Normal Wednesday Wanderings

It's getting there!  Actually used a comb this morning!  It's not the length I like it yet, but it is the length some guys wear theirs.  Now if somebody were to offer me the part of Daddy Warbucks, I would just walk away.

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

Every time I try to get out, they drag me back in.  That mangled quote from The Godfather is how I feel about tax season right now.  I'm putting in many more hours than I really care to.  I feel more tired than retired.

Somehow, in all my vast planning, I did not anticipate going through the intensity of a tax season again.  It really isn't as bad as prior years, it just deflated my rising expectations.

I guess moving away from accounting is going to be more difficult than I thought.  My ability to make money at something else seems limited.  As tax season ends, I'm going to give it a try again.  Maybe eventually I can stumble into something a bit more creative.  Until that proves out, however, I am going to have to learn to accept that accounting is going to be part of the mix, at least until Benjamin is out of college, and the house is paid for.  In other words. I need to stop holding my breath.

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

We weren't completely taken by surprise.  We knew college was going to be expensive.  Looking at the figures from the colleges we toured last weekend, it still was astonishing to see.  Combinations of tuition, housing, books and fees, and meal plans, look to be in the neighborhood of $20,000.  Some a little bit more, some a little bit less.

It's not like we didn't prepare.  Benjamin should qualify for Hope (some 85% of tuition), and maybe even the Zell Miller level (100% of tuition).  We have a college 529 that might pay for two years of housing and meal plans and other costs.  Benjamin has some Social Security money, and he will probably get work/study or some kind of part time job.  Alison is searching out other scholarship possibilities.  All of this and we will probably still fall short, meaning, like it or not, we may have to get a student loan at some point.  That sickens me, even though it has become very common and in my opinion, far too acceptable by people who should shrink in horror at it.

The financial aid sessions we had on our college tours were frightening in their Rube Goldberg-like approach to paying for college.  It's a ridiculous thing for people to have to go through, and I am stunned at the number of families who attempt to traverse it.

This isn't normal, people.  We need to stand up and fight against it.  Public universities should be free to those who qualify.  Nothing else makes sense.

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

When tax season is done, I'm going to make a decision about Crowley Stories, one way or another.  My major thoughts are 1) send it to a professional editor to be further polished, 2) go to a self-publisher like BookBub and let them do that work for me, or 3) just CreateSpace the thing and get it on out there.  What I've ruled out is going to agents and publishers.

Anybody have any suggestions, I would greatly appreciate it.

Wanderingly yours.

T. M. Strait

Benjamin's Whirlwind College Tour!

 Benjamin's Great Georgia College Tour!  Here he stands at the gate to the University of Georgia!

We had earlier in the year seen Augusta University, Georgia Southern, and Valdosta State, and were now completing our tour by seeing three colleges in three days!

Benjamin was very impressed with the University of Georgia, with its beauty and green spaces, the accessible library, and large student union.  He was also impressed that there was easy access to both a comic book shop and a gaming store.

Here he is competing in a trivia contest at Georgia State University, the very large school (50,000 plus) in downtown Atlanta.  And yes, he won!  It was millennials vs. baby boomers, and he actually knew the answer to more of the baby boomer questions than he did the millennial questions.

Benjamin walking the outskirts of Georgia college in Milledgeville.  Georgia College combined the best features of a larger college with those of a smaller college.  Big enough to have many of the amenities Benjamin was looking for, and the coursework he wants to specialize in (a combination of psychology with computer science), but small enough to feel special and get better connected to the professors.

Like UGA, Georgia College has a decorated mascot statue in the downtown area.  

No trip to Milledgeville is complete without a trip to one of Georgia's finest restaurants, The Brick.  It's great menu of mostly Italian treats, understands the value and great taste of over-cheesing!  Alison loves their four cheese grilled sandwich.  I had a chicken parm grinder, and Benjamin a cannibal calzone, containing about a half-a-dozen different kinds of meat!

Now that the whirlwind tour is over, Benjamin has narrowed down to three schools he will submit applications to - Georgia Southern, UGA, and Georgia College.  

If all three accept him, which one would he choose?  I don't know.  That's a decision for another day.  Our focus now is on retaking the ACT, in the hopes of bumping up his first score of 25.

Even though we have saved and planned, the costs of a college education is now overwhelming.  One semester costs more than what I and my parents paid for four years at the University of Michigan.  It easily costs ten times more now.  And we're not making ten times more than what my parents made.

Without the Hope scholarship, there is no hope of going to college.  I don't want to strap Benjamin or our family with huge student loans.  We want to minimize that as much as possible.

That so many families accept the reality of large student loans, often at usurious interest rates (which will be increasingly true under DeVos and Trump), saddens me deeply.  There is another way, if we only had the political courage to take that route.

Feel the Bern!

Anything You Want

I can do it.  Just ask.  Anything you want.

That was the flyer posted on our campus and the small town that surrounded it. I had no idea what it meant, but I was curious enough to get in line to find out.

"What do you think it's about?" I asked the woman in front of me.

"He's probably a magician," she replied, but sounding very unsure.

"You're wrong," said the man behind me.  "I think it's God.  Who else can answer your prayers?"

A woman behind him scoffed.  "Well, you're both wrong on one thing.  It's not a him.  It's a her.  I was here early, across the street at the coffee shop.  And I definitely saw a woman go into the building before anyone else had come."  The building was a closed storefront, which used to be a sports card and memorabilia store.

"Why aren't you in front of the line, then, if you were here that early?" derided the man behind me.

"I went home.  But as I sat in front of the TV, the Foxy Friends bleating nonsense, I thought about it, and couldn't let it go.  So I came back out here and got in line."

The glass front door opened up.  There were maybe two dozen people ahead of me, but finally, the first one went inside, a nondescript bald guy, no one I could ever remember seeing before. He came out a minute later.  He was no longer bald.  He had a full head of hair, even a flowing ponytail tied with a bright yellow bow.

"Hey, look!  That guy's not bald anymore!" I said.

"Yeah, you're right," said the woman in front of me.  "Maybe it's wig."

"Like a parlor trick?" I asked.  "Maybe it's the Wizard of Oz, giving us the illusion of what we want."

"Well, let's see what the next person comes out with," said the woman behind me.

A fat, nervous-looking man went in, and when he came out, he had the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, holding onto his arm, looking at him as if he was the sexiest, most desirable man on Earth.

A woman in a wheelchair went in, and came out walking.

"So if it is the Wizard of Oz,  he's a pretty damn clever one," considered the woman in front of me.

"He truly is the lamb of God amongst us, causing the lame to walk!" raptured the man behind me.

"Or this could be one lame-ass prank," I said.

"It's not a Wizard.  It's a woman, I tell ya," exclaimed the woman behind me.  "So, she couldn't be a Wizard.  A witch, maybe, but not a Wizard."

The next person that went in, emerged the same.  At least as far as we could tell.

No!  Look!"  The woman ahead of me turned her cell phone to a CNN broadcast.  They were announcing that all conflicts around the world had ceased.  The world was at peace.

Then the next person went in and came out in a Nazi uniform.  In fact, there was a whole parade of Nazis and Klansman coming down the street.

The next person wiped that all away.  I guess.  Because the parade was gone, and there was a poster on the wall celebrating our African American mayor, who looked exactly like the person who was walking out of the storefront.

The others around me seemed to be unaware of these dramatic changes.  "Did any of you see the Nazis that were here a few minutes ago?"

They all shook their heads and looked at me like I was crazy.  I pointed to the poster.  "Isn't our mayor a white guy named Sherman, and not a black guy named Jackson?"

"What are you talking about?" the woman ahead of me said.  Andy Jackson's been our mayor going on three years now!"

The man ahead of the woman ahead of me asked us all, "If it's for real, and you can get anything you want, what are you gonna ask for?"

"I'm gonna ask for Ralph," the woman ahead of me answered.

"Who's Ralph?" I asked.

"My dead husband. What about you?"

"I don't know.  I'd have to think about it," I answered.  I really hadn't thought it through.  I was more curious than anything else.

"I know what I would do," intoned the man behind me.  "I would begin the rapture and end times, and Jesus would come and judge the righteous and the wicked, sending the evil ones into the fiery pits of hell."

The woman behind him, would she change that, or would she be in the fiery pits?  "I just wanna know who she is, where she came from, and why she's doing this."

Yeah.  If she was still there to ask it.  What should I do?  Talk the man behind me of his insane wish?  Use my wish to make him disappear?  And by the time the line ended, who knew where this would end up?

The next person who came out received oohs and ahhs from everyone around me.  "It's Dylan James, the King of Rock!"

As my turn got closer, I saw the woman in front of me go in, and come out clutching her precious Ralph.

Then I entered.  It was a robed figure, man or woman I couldn't tell.  In a weak, croaking voice, the robed one spoke.  "Anything you want."

Visions of my first love passed through my mind.  Vast riches were within my grasp.  I could become the most famous novelist in the world, instead of someone who couldn't sell a grocery list to a supermarket chain.

Ultimately, I realized what I had to do.

"Anything I want?"

Yessss," the robed entity hissed.  "Anything you want."

"I want you to go away, as if you never came."

"You want it, you got it."  And then vanished.

I walked out of the storefront, and there was no one there.  The poster was once again of Mayor Sherman.

Maybe I had done it wrong.  I thought of the poor woman ahead of me, reunited with her dead husband.  The person that had been cured.  Was I right to take it all away?

Anything you want.  Maybe that's not always a good thing.

Almost Comb-able Wednesday Wanderings

I feel it.  Almost gettin' there.  Almost comb-able. 

Okay, maybe not that close.  When I feel it, it doesn't seem to spike up everywhere.  Some places it lies flat.  Well, with a little encouragement, and putting on my rose-colored glasses.

I'm less compulsive about wearing a hat, at least at home.  I noticed at church that I all ready have more hair than many of the guys there.  Even that being true, I'm not used to short hair.  I'm looking forward for it to grow back to normal.

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

I see Grammarly has shown up today, my sporadical friend. The one I overrule about half the time.  Even when it's right, it may miss my colloquial soul.  Sometimes it just feels right to be wrong.

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

I lost the final round of the March Madness pool.  My Michigan Wolverines did not come through in the final game.  It was a fantastic ride, but National Championships are not easy to come by.  Unless you're an Alabama football fan, or Villanova basketball.  Oh, well.  Go Blue!  Someday....someday.

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

Every workplace needs to treat people like an investment, something that they need to nurture and respect.  Not like easily replaceable cogs in a great wheel.  No wonder so many employers are eyeing automation and robots to replace as many people as they can.

And please don't think that if wages are held low, that will discourage employers from replacing their people wherever they can.  The idea to do things as cheaply as possible, regardless of what does to its employees, is deeply ingrained in capitalist culture. 

It doesn't have to be.  I've read books and seen articles that demonstrate that there are successful companies that follow the Golden Rule.  Apparently, it just goes against a deeper sense of immediate greed that permeates the way many of us think.

One can never lose hope though.  Culture is not always permanently fixed.  The wake-up call could come at any time.

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

Speaking of wake-up calls, Trump continues to descend into madness.  He is delighted that he is only a "subject" of a criminal investigation, and not yet identified as a criminal.  Well, time will tell. 

Meanwhile, he continues to demonize immigrants, as if they were responsible for American troubles.  He denigrates a major company because it also owns a major newspaper that does diligent journalism that he doesn't like, and in the process maligns the U.S. Post Office.  The stock market, one of the few things he could braggadocio about, continues to slide on his erratic behavior.  I swear to you, the only thing he is accomplishing is solidifying China's future supremacy.

Even with everything he's done, I had somebody, when trying to think of a corrupt politician, skipped this bozo entirely, and went straight to Hilary Clinton and how she should be in jail.  Really?  No, I am not now nor have I ever been a Clintonista, but she is a minor annoyance compared to Trump, for whom Dante is busily creating a tenth level of Hell just to accommodate the level of corruption, greed, narcissism, racism, sexism, and megalomania that Trump represents.

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

Oh, I have to go to work.

Be sure to keep checking into The Strait Line, for more wild hair stories!

Retro Monday Musings

Benjamin Strait is ready for the 80s!

Or so he thinks.  It's mostly a hodgepodge of cultural references.  Which the movie Ready Player One will feature.  Which we haven't seen yet.  Which we hope to see soon.

Benjamin has the extra bonus pleasure of having actually read the book.  Can you say the same?

Benjamin Strait and Reverend Kit Brinson stand on Easter Sunday, with the Flower Man.  Well, it's actually a cross covered with flowers.

Alison's favorite service is the Holy Saturday Easter Vigil, that starts in the dark, with parish members holding candles, and ends with the lights turned on, and the church decorated in celebration.  My least favorite service is Maundy Thursday, which has foot-washing as an element in it.  Not many Episcopal services are a challenge to introverts, but that one sure is.

We have services throughout Holy Week, and we attend them, particularly from Thursday on.  It's one of the rare times when we out-church the many Christian right churches in our area.

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

I am happy to report that the Michigan Wolverines will be playing the Villanova Wildcats for the NCAA College Basketball Championships!  My favored teams don't get to pull for the brass ring very often, so I am looking forward to tonight's game.

Our work pool is now down to me and Kelsey Jones who picked Villanova  It's her first time in the contest, but I don't feel any sympathy for her.  Nor did I Loyala-Chicago.  They did well, but at the stroke of Michigan, it was time for Cinderella to leave the ball.

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

There was some controversy about an event here on Sunday.  The Waycross Exchange Club, whom I guess has something to do with the fairgrounds, sponsored some sort of car event to take place on Easter Sunday.  They were upset when a rapper group got attached to the concert, and couldn't get out of the contract.

Rap is a form of music, not any better or worse than any other form.  There are Christian rappers, country rappers, even the musical Hamilton has rap.  Of course, in all forms of music there are lyrics and such that can be found offensive.  I have no idea how offensive the artist is that is featured in the concert, Lil Boosie.

But to me, it loses sight of the central point -  what was the Waycross Exchange Club doing scheduling an event on Easter Sunday?  Whether it was a car show or a rapper, I'm surprised they did that.  Yes, the Exchange Club is probably a civic group rather than religious, but often in this area there is very little separation between the two.  I guess greed won out over religiosity.  Oh, well.

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

Speaking of religiosity, we passed the movie marquee of the Waycross Mall Cinema, and I was stunned to find out that God's Not Dead was playing YET AGAIN at the bijou!  Turned out, though, it was not the original but a SECOND SEQUEL to the original.  Something about crazed liberal university students burning down a church.  Yeah.  Nothing rabble-rousing about that theme.

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

Well, I head into another week of tax season.  And Alison and Benjamin are on Spring Break.  I tried to retire.  I tried to get out.  But my success has been somewhat limited.

Back to the drawing board.

Until next time,

T. M. Strait