An Experiment In Social Media Withdrawal

For the next couple of weeks, The Strait Line will go dark.

There may be a few new posts, but maybe not.

By the start of June, I will resume normal activity, including posting to social media. 

It's no grave crisis.  I just may not be in a position to do much computer work for the next couple of weeks.

But it does raise the possibility of determining the traffic to this site, without the impetus of social media.

My goal was to create a site that people would bookmark and check out on their own, like they may do with other blogs and sites.  I'm not really sure that's been happening.  I have a few followers, but not many.

So, it will be interesting to see how much my traffic falls off.  What is left will be the natural base.  I fear that that might be much lower than I hoped.

For those who do visit, and see little new in the next couple weeks, be sure to browse, the dated posts on the side, or the tags at the end of the blog posts. 

Please consider, there are over 1,500 posts!  You probably have missed some.  There are some you probably haven't read.  Heck, when I look at some of them, I wonder if even I have really read them!

Don't worry.  My writing efforts are alive and well.  I hope, over the summer, to have published one book and have completed another.  I hope to have several new eshorts available on Amazon, and I will continue to try to get some of my short fiction published.  You can't win if you don't play.

Hang in there with me!  I'll be back soon!

T. M. Strait

Here Comes the Rain Again

Insta-ponds are Insta-fun!

Here comes the rain again
Falling in my yard like an insta-pond
Falling on my head 'till it's super-soakder
I want to talk to my doggie posse
I want to let them know it's okay
I want to dive into a book now
Is it raining where you're at?

Ol' Cocoa Bear, our dachshund-spaniel mix, is getting more and more anxious in rain storms. She pants and whimpers, especially if we're in another room that she can't get to.  When we're not here at all, she's been known to chew up doorknobs.  We've tried thunder vests, relaxing sprays, even Benadryl.  Nothing works. 

It's hard to get any of them to go outside during the rain.  They rush to the door to go out, hear the rain, and scoot back inside.  Sometimes it makes for some unfortunate accidents.  We might have to get a retractable dome for our backyard.

After an extended dry spell, we now have rain in the forecast every day for the foreseeable future.  I don't know when I'm going to be able to mow the yard.  I don't really care, but I don't want to embarrass the neighborhood too bad.  We need to live here, at least while Alison is working with the school system, and I'm already living on the edge of acceptance, what with my signs for Democratic candidates.

Which I haven't put up yet.  I have a Lisa Ring sign in my car.  It'll need to stop raining before I stake it in my yard.  I have a Bernie bumper sticker on my car.  That's pretty unusual in this area.  And when I put up my Lisa Ring sign, it will be the only Democratic candidate sign in my neighborhood, surrounded by a sea of Republicans.

My 'accounting reign is finally slowing down.  Work should be fairly limited until the summer audit picks up.  At least that's the theory. 

My next writing focus is to edit once again Crowley Stories, this time using Grammarly. Then I'm going to polish a synopsis and cover letter and send it out to a publisher who might consider it.  It's a hybrid publisher, which means there's self-publishing elements to it, which I could really use even it costs some money.  I think Crowley Stories is a sensational book, a powerful collection of Southern Swamp Town stories, but I will admit.  I have no real confirmation of this.  I'm operating on faith alone.  Ultimately, you write something YOU want to read and just hope it is something that others may want to come along for the ride.

Anyhoo, I probably should get on to other things.  I love the blog.  I will keep the blog.  But the blog in and of itself is not a direct source of creative income.  It gets steady traffic, about 2 to 3 thousand views a month.  But that has been true for several years now.  I had hoped there would be an incremental rise over time, but that has not happened.

Wait. Was I saying goodbye for this blog entry?

I think I was trying to.

OK, then.

Until next blog post!

Political Jumble-tron: Saturday Political Soap Box 184

Lisa Ring with her wonderful family.  Lisa Ring, our future Georgia First Congressional District Representative.

My political thoughts are all a-jumble this morning.  It's hard to focus on any one theme.

Donald Trump and his administration have routinely done such horrible things, it makes my jaw drop in horror on a daily basis.  But I don't want to write about their shenanigans every week. Many have made permanent decisions about him, and nothing will change how they feel. 

People are more flexible on policy.  Poll after poll demonstrates that most voters, when stripped of partisan bias, side with the progressive stance on issues.  The American people have always polled positively on almost all individual aspects of Obamacare.  Once the name Obamacare is attached to that, support would quickly fade, retreating to partisan boxes.

There are other issues where an overwhelming majority of Americans are in support, such as background checks for gun purchases and other common sense gun reform measures, backing the Iran deal, supporting the climate change treaty, strengthening Social Security, campaign finance reform, and many other issues.  Why aren't these bipartisan issues easy to pass? Because voters won't vote on the basis of these issues, leaving the lobbyists and big moneyed interests in control of what our legislators do.

I thought I might come up with a list of endorsements for the upcoming primary, but I decided against it.  People began voting a week or so ago, so I'm already too late.  And although I'm getting enough information to decide my own vote, I don't feel comfortable in telling others what to do.  The two Staceys running for Governor is confusing enough.  Deciding who would support education the best (fully funding public education, remove support for private and charter schools, and restore and improve the Hope Scholarships) has not been easy.  I leave everyone to make that decision for themselves.  Whichever one is chosen will be vastly superior to what we have now, or what the Republicans will offer.

Greg O'Driscoll is running unopposed in the Democratic State House Representative race in my district 178.  I  look forward to voting for him in the primary and the Fall election.  I admire him for stepping up.  It's a tremendous pleasure to know that the Republican nominee will finally have vigorous opposition.

So, I won't endorse for the primaries.

With one exception.

I fully and heartily endorse Lisa Ring for Congressional Representative of  Georgia's 1st District.  There has never been a more competent and qualified candidate running for this office, certainly during the time I have been living in the district.  For once, there is someone I can be excited about voting for.

For those who think, at first blush, that Lisa is not representative of the politics and culture of the area, think again.

There is no better representative for veterans than Lisa Ring.  She is in a military family, with both her husband and son serving, the son having just been deployed overseas.  She knows how vital veteran benefits are, and will do her utmost to make sure every veteran will get the hard-earned benefits they deserve.  She will support an efficient and targeted military budget, one that focuses it's resources on the most urgent threats rather than fighting the battles of yesteryear, and will never short shrift the pay and resources dedicated to our fighting men and women.

There is no better representative for the small farmer and agricultural worker than Lisa Ring.  She will always represent your interests over that of large corporations.

There is no better representative for working families.  She will defend and support your ability to make a living wage, and for families to have what they need to grow and prosper in society. 

There is no better representative for those who are sick or hurt and have to face the ravages of our broken medical system.  Fundamental to her beliefs is the idea that everyone has a right to healthcare.  She supports a move to Medicare For All, which would end the tyranny of the private insurers and big pharma.  She will deal with the opioid crisis head-on, by supporting rehabilitation and clinical care, and by checking the pharmaceutical industry that is promoting the abuse of these dangerous drugs,

The money to support Lisa's campaign comes from the people.  She is not supported by big money interests and their political pacs.  I have never seen any candidate do so much to put up a grassroots organization in the district, or pour so much time, blood, sweat, and tears into her effort.

And it is that same energy and strength you will see when she becomes our district's congressperson.

I encourage you to vote for her in the primary, and in the general election.

Once you strip yourself of your partisan bias, I think you will see it too.

She will not be a blind representative to any corporate interests, be they Democratic or Republican.

She will be a true representative of the people of the First Congressional District.

It's what we deserve.

It's what we need.

Winter Solstice No More

The year started off with snow.  An unusual deluge, the first time in Blackshear since the Christmas snow of '89. 

It was significant to coat the ground and stayed around for several days, at least until it was fully melted off.  We could build snowmen, pretend to sled, and have epic snowball fights.  Anyone who tried to ice skate a pond may have been in for a brisk surprise.  Things didn't stay that cold long enough to do that.

Indeed, things warmed up.  We had some cold days through the winter, but to South Georgians, cold represents any temps below 60.

As the year moved on, every day the average high would creep a little higher.  Some days might slip a little, but the trend was clear.  Our little corner of the world was warming up.

Today, here in early May, we will experience the mid-90s.  The only saving grace is that it is still cooling off in the evening hours.  If you want to walk or get outdoor exercise, you can still do so in the early morning or evening.

But that tide will also shift.  In a few short weeks, it will even be hot at night.  The gnats, mosquitoes, and other insects will assert their supremacy over the land.  I will not be able to go outside without looking like Pigpen from the Charlie Brown Peanuts cartoon.  Instead of dirt swirling around me, it will be a cloud of gnats.

People with a higher tolerance for heat and insect clouds will be outside, though.  They will swarm the beaches, swimming, and boating and fishing and in general having a good time. 

There is some trepidation, though, even among the hot weather lovers.  We've had very little rain here.  I pray we don't go through another season of swamp fires. And if it's approaching mid-nineties now, what will it be like when July and August arrive.

Now that I'm semi-retired, I'm going to do my best to brave the elements and be outside a little more.  I'll have to use some remedies, including some deet-free creams, sprays, and perfumes.  I'll have to put on SPF 2000 sunscreen, as I burn easily, and also quickly suffer heat exhaustion.  Yes, I'll try to be brave, lathered up, perhaps wearing a beekeeper's helmet, but I know that I should be outdoors more.  At least that's what people tell me.

The intense heat won't last forever.  At least that's the rumor.  Summer will turn to fall, and although temps may still remain higher than I like, we begin to enter a new kind of risk - hurricane season.  You wouldn't think, being an hour away from the ocean, this would be a big problem here,  but as we learned last year, even close swipes can affect us.  We lived for several days here without power, living in the land of generators (even though we ourselves did not have one).

Later, hurricane season will pass, and the weather will finally turn colder again.  Not by Northern standards, of course, but cold enough to make some people stop wearing sandals and flip-flops. Before you know it, the Winter Solstice will return.

Will it bring snow again?  I don't know.  But I'm thinking this time I might get better prepared.  I might finally get a generator.

And a sled.

Knock on Wood, It's Pinocchio!

Locally performed!

Locally written!

Watch Children's theatre come to life!

Kimberly Back brings her show, originally performed by the Flying Dragon Arts Center. with a great cast of young thespians.  

Come and support our young actors, and see a fabulous show!

A gorilla judge, an owl doctor, magic and fun, life lessons, and so much more await you in this fun-filled production.

• May 11 – May 12 May 11 at 6 PM to May 12 at 6 PM

• pin	Southside Christian School 3439 Knight Ave, Waycross, Georgia 31503

Writing-less Weekend Monday Musings

Picture from the OkeCon event held Saturday at the Waycross Ware County Library.

Friday.  Saturday.  Sunday.

Zero words written.

Not anything on a novel, a short story, or even a poem. Not a blog entry.  Not a newspaper column.  Nothing.  Nada. Zip.

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,

Sorry,  Thar wasn't me.  That was Shakespeare.

Which was one of the things I did this weekend.  I done went and seen Romeo & Juliet, the premier presentation of Shakespeare in the Park, as presented by Purlie Productions and the Okefenokee Heritage Center.

It was a fantastic show, a great introduction to the works of the world's greatest playwright.  I was proud of the work and effort put in by each and every one of them. 

It was difficult to be on the sidelines for it.  My decision to not be a part of it was a very tough one. And it was particularly tough to watch what I could have been in but chose not to be.

Hopefully, if they choose to do a Shakespeare production next year, I will be more able to participate.  Benjamin has already told me he prefers not to do the WACT musical next year (Beauty & the Beast), which should leave me not so exhausted when considering the Shakespeare play.

Here are the cast and crew of Romeo & Juliet.  I can't single anybody out.  They all did such a wonderful job.  Ok, I lied.  Special kudos to Barbara Griffin whose tireless commitment and devotion to this project is what helped it reach fruition and be a such an incredible success.

Every time I try to move away from the theater, I am reminded why I love it so.  If you ever hear me talk about giving it up, just roll your eyes and realize I'll be back before you know it.

I also saw The Adventures of Tom Sawyer on Friday, another stellar production by WACT.

It was a great cast from top to bottom, but I did want to particularly note the extraordinary performances of Collin Hendley as Tom Sawyer and Camden Jewell as Huckleberry Finn.  The play is constructed in such a way that much of the action takes place offstage and is described by cast members while in Aunt Polly's sitting room.   This works primarily due to the animated acting of Collin and Camden.  They make the tales come to life through expression and movement. They throw themselves and the audience into their parts completely and it pays off.

If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend you go this coming weekend - it has three more performances - this Thursday, Friday and Saturday night at 8.

The Jeffords, our great local acting/performing family were at the OkeCon in force and in costume!

The biggest thing that kept me away from writing this weekend was preparing and attending OkeCon, where I had a table displaying my writings, information about the Okefenokee Heritage Center, and some comic books.

Although I sold only one book, it was good exposure, and I got to meet a lot of new people, and some old friends,  I sold a number of comics books and helped get out the word about upcoming projects of the Okefenokee Heritage Center and Purlie Productions.

Oh. well.  At least my accounting work schedule is not that intense right now, and maybe I can get more writing done now.

We shall see.

Until next time,

T. M. Strait

Nearing Ponytail Wednesday Wanderings

Better start shopping for hair clips.

A ponytail is jest around th' corner!

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I hope everyone is ready for the season's last two Great Play Weekends! 

This weekend we have WACT's great season ender, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer!

And we also the arrival of Shakespeare to Southeast Georgia, with Romeo & Juliet at the Okefenokee Heritage Center!

And then next weekend is the second weekend of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer!

And also the Southside Christian School's performance of... Pinocchio!

Pinocchio, locally written and directed by Kimberly Elizabeth Beck, will be performed at the school on Friday, May 11 and Saturday, May 12 at 6 PM.


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I'm into the next phase of my accounting part-time career.  The hours have reduced, although I'm still going in some.  I've used about 43% of my available hours in the first four months, but there's still plenty of time for audits and special assignments.

The money that I earn at creative endeavors also count to the earning limits that I am under, but so far they have not been a very big factor.  As they are schedule C expenses, creative income will also be reduced by expenses.  I MAY pay to have Crowley Stories quasi-self-published, so that will probably put me in the hole big time.

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Did you hear that Obama wrote his physician's letter about Obama's health himself and pretended that the physician wrote it?

Nah, that was Trump.

Still don't give a squatty two buggers, do ya, Trumpeteers?

What 's it gonna take to get you woke, Trumpeteers?

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I don't have much else this morning.  Will probably write some on The Extra Credit Club.  Also will be going to work for awhile, check on the OHC, get something signed by Purlie. 

I am also trying to exercise more and eat less.  I want to feel better, and I also don't want to have to buy any damn new clothes.

Wanderingly yours,

T. M. Strait

Git Ready For Some Great Adventures! The Adventures of Tom Sawyer at WACT!

Git yoreself reddy fer sum spectackular adventures!

Mark Twain's all-time classic is a-headin' yore way starting this Thursday at the Ritz!

This all-star cast is gonna bring this excitin' tale to life!

It features several actors that were outstanding in The Addams Family, including Colin Hendley (Lucas), Allysa Barber (Wednesday), Sarah Braswell (Granny) and Injun Joe is the amazing Allen Hamilton (Lurch).

Benjamin's good friend, Camden Jewell, is also in the cast with the plum role of Huckleberry Finn.

There are a number of young thespians in it whom I've had the pleasure watching getting more and more talented every year, including Eli Varnadore, Sammi Jo Kuhbander, and Elijah Morris.

Don't start your summer without first taking a trip to St. Petersberg (Hannibal) Missouri!