Hurling Towards Impeachment: Saturday Political Soap Box 222

This is not going to be a thesis to outline the evidence to impeach Trump.  Either you've seen that evidence from the memo of the Ukranian meeting and the Whistleblower's complaint, or you are living in a land of media sources and friends that reinforce your belief that Trump has never done and can never do anything worthy of impeachment. I can do very little to change that.

I am disappointed that tSpeaker Pelosi and the House seem determined to narrow focus on the Ukranian incident.  I understand the need to extradite and move this matter along as quickly as possible.  It is an overwhelmingly clear reason for impeachment, where the smoking gun is already revealed, and there is no doubt as to what he did was wrong. 

To me, the entirely wrong message was sent by the reaction to the Mueller report and hearings.  I thought it was devastating, clear grounds for impeachment, but the language was conveyed in such clouded, bureaucratic terms, that the public (bless their hearts) seem disinterested, and the Democrats in Congress unable to figure out to move forward.  This was compounded by the unprecedented lack of cooperation from the White House, stonewalling even the most mundane things.  This stonewalling should of in and of itself added to the list of an impeachable offense.

If we narrow focus on Trump's solicitation of foreign help against a political opponent, we lose some important things that I feel he should be impeached on as well -

Repeated and constant violations of the Constitution's Emoluments Clause, both foreign and domestic

Obstruction of Justice

Inviting and accepting Russian Help in the 2016 Election

Violations of Campaign Finance Law

Tax Fraud

Acts exceeding his authority as President and diminishing the role of Congress and the Courts

Inciting violence and encouraging racism

I could go on and on, but the point is, there is a lot to impeach this President on.  Some of these hits closer than others.  But I think it will take multi Articles of Impeachment to show the full range of the monstrosity of this President.

I want to know.  I want to see the tax returns.  I want to know the full extent of his financial shenanigans. I want it known that he only survived by selling his soul to Russian oligarchs.  I want Trumpeteers to be stripped of any rationale to support this narcissistic racist.

We have to use the impeachment inquiry status to get all the information we can on all the things we can.  Because once the House votes to impeach, and then Trump survives the trial in the Senate, you are not getting anything out of him for the rest of his term.

And I want it all.

I want it to be so clear that a certain friend of mine comes to me and says, "Tom, you were right.  I made a terrible mistake voting for and then continuing to support Trump.  I realize now the damage he has done, and I am truly sorry.  I will never support his like again."

I know.  That's a big fantasy.  I'm more likely to see mermaids and unicorns.  Nevertheless, I have to have something to hope for.

So, my unnamed friend, I am waiting and praying that you will see the light.

Even if you continue to refuse to see it, I will keep the beacon on for you.

Wait!  Was that a unicorn I just saw in my backyard? 

Nahhh...

A Knot in the Pines: A NEW Crowley Story

I left the house in a Windsor knot.

I was dressed to the nines for an evening with Ten.

The Council of Ten that secretly ran the town.  The Crowley folks thought ti was their elected officials that were in charge.  Ha!  They were our puppets.

Not all dressed up.  But I did.  I was newest to the Council, replacing Randall Carter, who had face planted on the DixonLand Golf Course just four months ago. Perhaps he keeled over from all the alcohol he consumed, all the tobacco he smoked, or all the fatty foods that helped him tip past 300 pounds. Or maybe it was just his time.

Regardless, this was my first big meeting, and I was determined to dress to impress.

I pulled into Forrest Compton's semi-circular driveway, driving the fanciest of my two cars, a 2017 Audi A4.  I joined the pick'em'up trucks, the luxury SUVs, and Houston Grave Jr.'s sporty BMW convertible.  I left to walk into the huge home tucked away at the end of Pine Street.

I was what they call nouveau riche, having only recently made my fortune in operating a small chain of fitness centers - Smart Workouts.  I thought it was a good name, and played well off my name, Theodore Donald Smart (everyone calls me Donnie).  I was determined to grow it throughout the state, become a regular business tycoon.  I made enticing opening offers to join, then when they were still hyper about coming, hit them with long term contracts, collecting big bucks from people who often started gung ho, and then faded to next to nothing for the remainder of the contract.  All the money with none of the expense!

I was ushered to the veranda by Forrest's porcelain doll Stepford Wife, Marcia.  Well, I should be more respectful.  She may have been my major ticket into the Ten.  She had joined one of my facilities, and she gushed about how wonderful it was to me. One thing led to another, and then the next thing I knew Houston was bringing me a formal request to join.

None of this could be talked about to others.  But that's okay.  I'm good at keeping secrets.  I know where some of the bodies are buried.  Really.  I mean that literally.

I had misjudged the dress dramatically.  I would have to keep in mind that these meetings were much more informal than I expected.  At least I looked smart sharp.

Mama Crowley, a small thin woman who looked like Mammy Yokum from Lil' Abner, called the meeting to order.  Well, what she said was, "Y'all!  We can't just jabber all night!  Let's git down to bizness!"

That called everyone to attention.  Mama Crowley was the only woman on the Ten, and was there because her husband Reggie, owner of Crowley Textiles and the richest man in Dixon County, was not in good health, and Mama had been subbing for him for about a year now.  She had quickly taken charge.  I wondered if she wasn't the real force behind Reggie's fortune.

"We all know what's we gots to discuss," began Mama.  "That Compton Park has been a huge success and hauling in the dough for all of us."  Mostly true.  My newest Smart Workout was out there but lagging behind my other locations.  People went there to eat and shop, not to get fit.  "And it took a huge chunk out of the county's swamp.  But it didn't take it all.  And now we have a lucrative offer from Sander Peaks Mining Company, to strip mine for some mineral, I forget its name."

"Titanium Dioxide," chimed in Houston.  An eager beaver and, if nothing else, a quick study when it came to moneymaking opportunities.

"Thank you, Houston,"  said Mama.  "I can't keep them fancy mineral monikers straight.  So, we've already agreed that this is something that we want.  Reggie owns most of the land, but the profits will be shared through the Ten's shell organization that will operate the lease.  In addition to the lease money, Sander Peaks will give us 10% of what they collect for selling the mineral."

"This is all well and good, but you know we got a large monkey wrench in the works, dont'cha?" said Daddy Delco, a huge man who owned a chain of furniture stores.

"Public opinion?" offered Forrest Compton, the owner of the house we were in, and owner of the largest bank in Dixon County.

"Well, that we can deal with," said Mama.  "I think he means the city council, led by it's newest councilman, that damn Yankee, Gariton Hollander."

"You don't worry about Gariton," said Daddy Delco.  "I'll take care of that piece of crap."  Of that, I had no doubt.  Gariton, that tiny Yankee CPA, had recently divorced Daddy's daughter, Christie.  Daddy Delco was almost drooling at the prospect of taking Gariton on.

I had mixed feeling about Gariton.  He was a semi-sissified Yankee, but he was also my accountant, and I owed him a lot for keeping my bookkeeping and finances on track.  I decided my best course of action was to stay quiet.

Daddy Delco eyed me nonetheless.  My heart raced.  "Hey, new guy.  Whyn't you take off that tie? Just looking at it is making me feel all chokey."

I pulled out my Windsor knot, and took my tie off, wadding it up and putting in the jacket of my sports coat.

Now, with my knot gone, I was truly in the Ten.  I was one of them.  No more swamp, but plenty of ka-ching!

And isn't that the way it's supposed to be?

It's Murder on the Train!

It's murder on the train!

One of Agatha Christie's most popular mysteries comes to the WACT stage starting Thursday, October 3rd.

Yes, Waycross, train central for most of the Southeast, will be performing Murder On the Orient Express...

With a train onstage!

Featuring Agatha Christie's famous Belgian detective, Hercules Poirot played with aplomb, style, and skill by Eli Varnadore.

I will be playing Monsieur Bouc, a friend and fellow Belgian of Poirot, who runs the world-famous train company, Wagon-Lit.  At times, I get to put on my ham socks and let-er-rip, Tom Strait style.

First-timers! 

Trent Dixon will make his WACT debut as Hector MacQueen, the personal assistant for the thuggish American, Samuel Ratchett.  Trent is a great guy, a friend of Benjamin who showed his writing and acting skills at Pierce County High School, writing a skit that Benjamin performed in that was a fantastic tour de force.

Duke Nanan, playing the conductor Michel, is new to WACT, but not to theater.  He put in a five-star last year as the Cheif in Purlie Production's One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest.  It is a pleasure to work with him again.

Tracy Saussy, a first-timer to ANY stage, makes her sparkling debut as Princess Dragomiroff.

The play is also blessed with the incredible talents of Bethany Mercer and Dylan Lawson, playing the young duo of Colonel Arbuthnot and Governess Mary Debenham, with a romantic flair.

Brittany Boatright, part of my daughter brigade (one of the many young actresses in the theatre community who has been my daughter in one or more plays - in Brittany's case - Dearly Beloved), plays the Countess, with a great accent and cool aplomb.  I like her part.  She is strong and takes no guff from anybody.

Part of my girlfriend" brigade is Crystal (Thrift) Soto, plays Mrs. Hubbard.  She played my romantic interest in the female version of The Odd Couple, and now she is back flirting with me again in this show.  Okay, her colorful character is flirting with more than just me, but you get the drift.  She is very entertaining and a real highlight of the show.

Emma Varnes is a Flying Dragon graduate who really steps into her own as Greta Olsson in this play.  The children's theater. Flying Dragon, was a real gift to this community. and I have seen so many of her alumni achieve so much!

Meet the talented cast of "Murder on the Orient Express": L-R (front) Trent Dixon, Bethany Mercer, Tom Strait, Eli Varnadore, Lake Larisey, Crystal Thrift, Emma Varnes, (back) Megan Hendley, Duke Nanan, Dylan Lawson, Levi Herrin, Brittany Boatright, Tracy Saussy, Danny Godwin

Over the next week, I will be highlighting more cast members.  It is a very talented cast and crew, and they are all working hard to bring you a high-quality and entertaining show.

All Aboard!

The Selfie Master's Monday Musings

Oh, yeah!

Ain't nobody can do selfies the way I can do selfies.

It was our annual trip to watch our favorite team, Atlanta United, at Mercedes Benz Stadium (don't get me started about how disgusted I am to have stadiums named after corporations - I'm just going to overlook it this time).

It was a great game, although it took the full ninety minutes for United to kick it into high gear, finally winning 3 - 1.  Our star player, Josef Martinez, was hurt, and we await word on the extent of his injury but are praying for the best outcome.

The best thing about Atlanta United games is that it is not just a game, it's like being invited to a big party.  A large, diverse crowd, watches a diverse group of talented players engage in non-stop action from beginning to end.  We are on our feet, virtually the entire game.  There are no breaks in the action, no commercials, just movement, and excitement.

We started the weekend by picking up Benjamin from Georgia College.  I can't begin to tell you enough good things about how well Benjamin fits into college there.  Multiple organizations, achieving in his classes, many friends, loving the dorm and the Maxx (college cafeteria).  Alison and I couldn't be prouder of him. 

We spent time with Doug & Paige.  They are working hard at a sustainable home.  They have solar panels and an extensive home garden.  They have bees for honey, and chickens for eggs, and bunnies for...uh...poop (fertilizer) and hair (clothing?).  All this in a suburban Atlanta neighborhood.

The food was awesome over the weekend, including greek food from Milledgeville's Metropolitan Cafe, and burgers/sandwiches.salads from Brookhaven's best burger place, Lucky Dog.  But the best was delicious homemade meals from Paige, including pancakes, banana muffins, and three different kinds of calzone!

We also got to a new antique mall, where I picked up nine new record albums (new to me), from great artists including Linda Ronstadt, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, and Olivia Newton-John!  The mall was fun but somewhat spoiled by a prominent rack of Trump 2020 hats.  I wanted to ask when they would be getting in the Warren 2020 hats, but alas, I lacked courage.

Our bestiary was well-covered, thanks to our friend, Trent Dixon, coming in and watching our pets for us.  He did an excellent job, and we much appreciate it!  It helped ensure that our trip away was stress-free for our dogs.  Our kitty, Skitty, barely noticed.

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Now I'm back, and I am taking advantage of my semi-retired status and staying home.  I have to re-review lines from the play (starting Double Hell weeks with a rehearsal almost every night for the next two weeks - performances begin on Thursday, October 3rd!).

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With so much good news, don't get me started on the Wolverines. Michigan is not mighty this year.  Maybe they'll improve as the year progresses, but right now?  They look terrible.  Rutgers might be a challenge.

I miss Brady Hoke.  There.  I said it.

Seriously, I have no idea where Michigan goes from here.

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Yeah.  As usual, there are a lot of terrible things going on with Trump.  Encouraging foreign interference in our election?  "Oops!  I did it again!"

Alison, ready to watch her favorite team!

Go United!

Defying All the Writing Rules

I haven't tried very hard.

I may have submitted a few of my works, here and there, over the years, to publishers. I have the rejection letters to prove it.  But I have not done it with great consistency or quantity.

With agents, I've made even fewer contacts.  That's gone even worse than the publishers.

I'm terrible at query letters. There are tons of articles and books about how to write query letters, and I can't read any of them.  I get close to trying, and my heart races and my brain freezes, and I distract myself with something else.

I do need a professional editor for my works.  I understand that.  But here's a surprise - they cost money.  A really good one requires a lot of money, considerably more than what the book, particularly a self-published one, would make.

And I have been warned by some fellow writers that if you do get interest, they may require a lot of rewrites.  I don't know if I'm up to that.  Can I correct some grammar?  Probably.  Can I fix some inconsistencies, or sharpen some characters?  Sure.  Can I throw out whole characters and change the basic plot?  I shudder with fear, just thinking about it.

And then there all the modern rules I don't follow -

YOU'RE ONLY SUPPOSED TO SKIP ONE SPACE BETWEEN SENTENCES AND NOT TWO.

Great.  Take fifty plus years of two-spacing and flush it down the writing commode.  Do you realize how much writing I have that would have to be corrected if I did this?  I can't even remember to only skip one space my blog.  I've been told skipping two spaces tells an agent or editor that you are antiquated, out of touch and a rank amateur.

Sigh.  I'll have to fix that someday.  Today is not the day.

DO NOT USE A PROLOGUE OR EPILOGUE

Screwed the pooch on that one, didn't I?  History of the Trap's got 'em, big time.  I wanted to bookend it with stuff that was not in the protagonist's first-person voice.

So now, in my new stuff, I still have them, sort of, but I'm calling them chapters rather than prologue and epilogue.

I have no idea why the powers that be have turned on them.

DO NOT USE TITLES FOR CHAPTERS.

Huh?  What?  Why not?  I got titles all over the place.  The Extra Credit Club even titles chapter parts as well as chapters.

I have no excuse or justification for this, other than - I like it, and it feels right to me.

SHOW DON'T TELL

I'll be honest with you.  I'm not even really sure what this even means.  I've had it explained to me, and although I try to comprehend, it comes across like Charlie Brown's parents.

ADVERBS ARE EVIL

Ok. Well.  I have not absolutely, completely, comprehesviely eliminated adverbs from my works, but I have tried to minimize.  Or maybe not.  It's not something I think about a whole lot.

DO NOT USE INITIALS FOR A PEN NAME.  IT CONFUSES HOW YOU'RE LISTED BY LIBRARIES AND ONLINE BOOKSELLERS.

Man, I fumbled this one a LONG time ago!  I decided to use T. M. Strait as my pen name when I was in 7th grade, emulating my favorite author, H. G. Wells.

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

Okay.  Well, that's just a few of the ways I defy the writing rules - some by intention, some by incompetence.

So, I guess I'll stumble on with my writing journey, doing it my way, for better or worse.

I do wish I was better at publicity, though.  If I were a good salesman, not just in writing but with anything, I would be on easy street.  But I'm not.  I couldn't sell water in the desert.

Living on the edge of writing convention.  That's me!

Enjoy if you can.

Paddling in the Wednesday Wandering River

Okay, that's not actually a river.  That's our neighborhood lake a few months ago when the dam had broken, and most of the water had drained out.  It's fixed now.  I think.  I haven't looked at it today.

I did go out for a walk, but I took a route that did not take me next to the lake.  My walk was shorter than usual.  I'm still trying to recover from recent foot pain, and I'm slowly building my exercise back up.

I don't know if the lake has a name.  Let me check with Alison.

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

She don't know, but she suggested I use Googly Maps.

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I did that, and the name of the lake is Lakeview Country Club Lake.  Boy, the lake name is almost longer than the lake. 

Googly maps knows where I live.  That's kinda scary.

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

We don't live in a country club.  That is the golf course on the other side of the lake.  It's a public golf course.  I don't play golf there.  I don't play golf anywhere.  I really haven't tried golf since Goliath swallowed the golf ball.

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I'm in the substitute teaching phase of my work year.  I have to know there is an assignment pending to come in.  It's about the lightest time, so maybe I can write more fiction, and also do more audio work.  We'll see.

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I have to be honest and say I really don't like being as heavy-set as I am.  Yes, I should just be concerned with being healthy (better diet and more exercise), but I cringe when I see pictures of myself.  I've always known I am stocky, and I can handle that, but I can't stand the stomach pooch.  It's too much, but nothing I do seems to make much progress on it.  I do think if I made it the ONE THING I could make progress, but as much as I hate the weight, I still have a hard time making it my exclusive focus. 

Some of my small band of loyal readers get perturbed if I'm too negative about myself, so...enough talk about my rotundity.

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I'm in a play!  Murder on the Orient Express.  Performances start October 3rd.  I know my lines -  sort of.  Well, enough to be dangerous. It's coming along, and it should be an entertaining show.  My character is not the lead, but he has some great moments in the play, and I occasionally really get to chew up the furniture (translation: I get to let the ham flag fly).

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I'll skip politics this time.  Y'all know how I feel.  Just remember that by skipping it that it doesn't mean it's not affecting me.  Every second my heart is heavy because I have friends who still worship the orange Cheeto.

Okay.  Nuff said about that.

This time.

Wanderingly yours,

T. M. Strait

Post #2004 Monday Musing

Who's ready to party?

Ellie and Pixie are!

Their favorite kind of party?  Cheerios party!  Cheerios are thrown on the floor, and the dogs go to town celebrating.  To them, food is celebration.

Come to think of it, it kinda is for me too.

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Speaking of celebration, I recently blew by a significant milestone - I now have over 2,000 posts on my blog.  If nothing else, an impressive display of endurance and persistence.  A decade of effort.  Ten years of hard work trying to make this blog a household name.  And if you narrow it to just the Strait household, I have succeeded. 

Traffic to the site has remained relatively steady at between 2,000 to 3,000 views a month.  I had hoped there would be at least an incremental rise over time, but you can't always get what you want, I guess.

There are a lot of interesting sub-numbers under that.  This is my 180th Monday Musing.  I have posted 221 Saturday Politval Soap Boxes.  I have hundreds of fiction pieces and even 115 fake poems.

Quantity over quality.  It's my middle name.

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Football was in full roar this weekend, and it is remarkable our level of disinterest, even with our favorite teams winning.  I don't think we watched a single complete game. 

Michigan remains unbeaten, probably helped by the fact that they did not play this weekend.

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The media and others seem to be discovering something that I thought we already knew - that Brett Kavanaugh is a lying pervert.  One of the more repulsive claims against him has proved out to be true - based on independent verification and research done by journalists for the New York Times.

Democrats and anyone with at least half a consciousness and functioning moral compass want him impeached.  Good luck with that.

Spoiler alert: Republicans and their evangelical allies already know that Kavanaugh is scum in a bucket.  THEY DON"T CARE.  They only care about dominating the Supreme Court for the next generation.  They don't care how they got there.

Thank you, Susan Collins.  Maine, please let her insensitive decision be her career-ender.

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

So, the Saudis have been killing hundreds in Yemen, leaving tens of thousands on the verge of starvation, and the USA does not care?

But the Saudi Oil fields get attacked, and we are ready to go to war to defend the killer of Khashoggi?

Oil over people.  Oil over people.  Oil over people.

Is that our new mantra?

Until next time (Monday Musing #181),

T. M. Strait

Appling the Orange: Saturday Political Soap Box 221

It's common enough in our political culture.  It's not entirely illegitimate, but it can sometimes be unfair and annoying.

Why do we not do something about Y when we do something about X?

Why are we worried about X when Y is a much greater problem?

And all sides of the political debate indulge in it.

Why are we letting refugees in when we don't take care of our homeless vets?

Why does Felicity Huffman serve 14 days for a $15,000 bribe to falsify her daughter's SAT to get her to the right college, and Tanya McDowell, a homeless person, is serving five years for using a babysitter's address to enroll her son into a good public school? (Hints: money and skin hue).

Why can't we be unified like we were on 9/12/2001?  Wasn't that wonderful?

And the newest one, perpetrated by MY side of the aisle -

Why are we coming down so hard on vaping while we do nothing about gun control?

Yeah!  Why?

I don't know.  Maybe the flavored e-cigarette lobby is a lot weaker than the NRA.

Look, anybody who reads my stuff knows how I feel about common-sense gun control.  I can never run for political office where I live because that one position alone would eliminate any chance I have of ever being a legitimate contender.  So don't question my commitment to background checks, ban on assault weapons, bump stocks, magazine/clip capacity, and other basic reforms.

But VAPING?  Really?  That's how we're going to play this.

Vaping may not appear to be the threat that guns are.  It doesn't kill you, instantaneously.  But it can kill you over time. And it can endanger the lives of people around you.

Vaping is not good, and I'm glad they are taking steps to ban e-flavored e-cigarettes, who are primarily marketed to CHILDREN.

We sell a lot of stupid things to adults.  Alcohol, tobacco products, and opiates are pretty damn bad.  Marijuana is not as charming as some would have you believe.  Should they be marketed and sold to adults?  I don't know.  I do think they should be regulated and controlled, even if not illegal.  But I know one thing for sure - THEY SHOULD NOT BE MARKETED TO CHILDREN!

I'm sorry if I seem intense on vaping.  But it's important to me that the damaging effect it has on our populace in general and our youth in particular not be trivialized.

And, yes, the vaping stuff has become intensely personal to me.  I cannot explain in detail but suffice to say someone I love finds themselves in close proximity to a vaper, and that vaper ignores my loved one's pleas not to be exposed, and if they could just restrain vaping in their vicinity...AND THE VAPER REFUSES TO DO IT.  The vaper is not courteous enough to restrain themselves and could care less that my loved one has asthma and extra-sensitive to the befouling that the vaper is causing.

Ever since this issue has come up, Alison and I have seen nothing but one story after another about how bad vaping is.  I am not conceited.  I don't think the world revolves around me.  But it has been an amazing coincidence, this sudden deluge of vaping stories.

So please, yeah, by all means, let's stand four-square for common-sense gun control.  But, please, stop dragging vaping comparisons into it.

There is no connection between homeless vets and refugees.  Conservative politicians don't need an excuse to not support homeless vets - it's not a budgetary issue, they just don't want to invest in helping them. 

There IS a tremendous disparity in sentencing - some of it is apples and oranges, but a lot of it is the rich get better lawyers.  And skin hue - institutional racism is real and dominant.

9/12 was not nirvana compared to 9/11.  I was scared and worried, and Cheney and crew were plotting disaster capitalism scenarios to take advantage of it.  Blind prejudice and hatred of Muslims was just ramping up, liberties were starting to be stripped, and 9/11 responders would have to fight for their environmental ailments to be covered every day from then until now.

I understand.  We can't help but appling the orange, and sometimes it even makes sense.  But we need to be cautious.  WE need to let some problems stand on their own.

Sorry.  Trivializing vaping is just something I cannot abide right now.

Party Cracker! Party Party Cracker!

Party Cracker!

Party Party Cracker!

Come on ovuh my house!

It's not just a cracker - it's a party!

I was all set for a typical weekend, me and Bob and a dog named Boo, when I see these jewels of the condiment kingdom hidden in the back of the pantry.

Where do they come from?

I don't know.

Do I remember ever acquiring them?  Did I see them in the store and explode with joy - That's what I need!  That's the item than can turn an ordinary party into

The Party of the Ages!

But could I make this more special?  What could take this TEN and dial it up to ELEVEN?

Pub Cheese!

And not just any Pub Cheese...

President Pub Cheese!

If you're going to Pub it, you might as well go for the Pub Cheese in Chief!  (Any similarities to the current Orange Cheeto in charge is purely coincidental).

Wait!  What?  I don't got no Pub Cheese!

Sorry, Party Crackers.

Party is delayed as I go on a quest for...

President Pub Cheese!

Huh?  What? Alison just shook me awake.

What the heck did I write?  How did that happen?

Man, I musta had Scrooge level indigestion last night.

Can't Stop the Wednesday Wanderings

Gotta write!

Yes, even on those days without a theme or purpose, sometimes I just gotta exercise the writing muscle and scribble down whatever, and hope that my few faithful fans persevere through the wanderings.

Let's start with the almost randomly selected picture above.  Yes, I love to be surrounded by books!  It's not "in-fashion" anymore, even among readers (many don't keep what they read, or use an e-reader).  I don't care.  I want to be surrounded by books.  No, my home does not look like a sloppy labyrinth.  They are contained to bookshelves, for the most part, neatly stacked and identified.  Alison's excellent taste in decorating and antiques comes through a lot more than as a cavern for book hoarding.  And, believe it or not, as much as I keep, I have given away about ten times more.  As much as I want to, I don't keep everything I read.

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Theater is a-comin'!  Two shows in October!  First, WACT's Murder on the Orient Express the first two weekends in October,  And then later in the month, closer to Halloween, Purlie Production puta on Dracula.

I am in Murder in the Orient Express.  I am supposed to be learning my lines.  Monday's rehearsal was off-book.  I don't do a lot of painting (filling in my line with the gist of what I'm supposed to say but not necessarily the exact wording as written by the playwright), so I have a lot more gaps sometimes, because I can't remember the precise word I'm supposed to say, and it's very difficult for me to paint in substitutes.

Part of it is I like to be faithful to what the playwright has written.  I figure he/she must have written the line that way for a reason, and who am I to change it?  But mostly it's just a learning style.  I don't think I could change it if I wanted to.

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Sports update!  Atlanta United is on a break (soccer scheduling is weird) but remains in contention for a playoff spot, possibly even first!

Alison's former favorite team, the Atlanta Falcons, continue their slide out of her radar.  We tried to watch some of their opening game and didn't make it through the first half before giving up.  It looks like they're in for another rough year.

The Lions tied.  Some are upset that they had a lead and then lost it, but I'm like .... a tie - that's a better start than a lot of years!  I'll take it!

Finally, the Michigan Wolverines are 2 - 0.  Their National Championship hopes are alive and well!  Yeah.  That won't last long the way they're playing unless they switch to a high school football league.

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The Presidency continues to rapidly deteriorate.  I can't even keep up with the scandals and sheer stupidity and meanness. How protected are the Trumpeteer's media sources that they can't see that we're being swallowed up by the madness?

I really would like to list out the horrible things in just the last week, but what is the point?  Nothing alters the Trumpeteer's delusionary attachment.  It's going to sink us all, and I don't know what to do about it.

Meanwhile, the Democratic contest is slowly consolidating.  The next debate will have ten instead of twenty.  You can stay in the race if you didn't qualify for the debate, but your odds are impossibly long.  Biden, despite occasional gaffes, remains the frontrunner.  Warren and Sanders are second and third and vary between those two spots depending on the poll.  Buttigieg and Harris line up next, usually in the high single digits.   Another shift down is Booker, O'Rouke, Yang, and to a lesser degree, Klobuchar, Gabbard, and Castro.  No one else really registers at all.

I'm Team Warren but make no mistake.  I'll vote for whoever opposes Trump, or vote against whomever the Republicans pick.  Yes - whomever.  I'm still not convinced that Trump will be their nominee.  I think it's increasingly likely that he resigns under the condition he gets a full pardon from Pence.

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Boy, I could wander the whole day away!  I have a lot brewing in my head.  But I've decided to put in a few hours at my accounting job today, so I suppose I should wrap this up.

Wanderingly yours,

T. M. Strait

The Fall That Will Not Fall

To me, Septemeber is one of the most depressing months of the year.  Well, speaking weatherwise.

I keep thinking the cooldown is just right around the corner.  Spoiled by my formative years growing up in Michigan, over forty years in the South Lands, the last twenty in Southeast Georgia,  have not got me used to the South's resistance to Fall.

We will run across a rare day where the temperatures are not soaring into the nineties, and I think, this is it!  It's finally breaking!  Before I know it, I can bring out my jacket and enjoy the crisp fall weather!

No.  It just drags on and on and on and on, scorching heat without end.  The gnat party will not cease.  Your skin will continue to crackle and melt.  Heatstroke remains an evert present possibility.

The projected low over the next fifteen days include one day where we reach the remarkable low of...88.  Big whoop.

And it could stagger on this way for the next three months.  Even in winter, you can still have days over 90.

The ideal fall weather is 58 degrees and overcast.  That is the most beautiful time of the year.  But of course, down here, that might be an OCCASIONAL day in the winter, but it is undoubtedly not Fall weather.

I miss it.  I do.  I don't miss the harsh winters of Michigan, with temps in the teens or lower.  But I do love the fall.  It is my favorite season.

And I miss it.

No Deposit Slip for YOU!

Benjamin is so grown up.

He has his own bank account!

He was given some checks, and a small clutch of deposit slips.

This week, he received a reimbursement check from the College to cover the books he paid for but had the funds already set aside in his college account.    Yesterday I had my own deposit to take to the bank, so I tried to ready his deposit as well.  His deposit slips were gone!  We had used them all!

What to do?  Alison wrote on a sticky Benjamin's name and account number and said that should work.  Ok, I thought, if you say so.  I prefer a deposit slip, but maybe we can figure that out later.

I have been using deposit slips since Day One of having bank accounts.  I like to make out the slips for whatever checks I have, add them up, and then take out a small fraction in cash,  That is what I like.  That is the way that I roll.

I asked a fellow employee at the firm what he did for cash, as he did the mobile deposit thing (you take a picture of your check and then it gets magically to the right place).  He said
"Wally World!"  Yep, he goes to Wal-Mart (regularly, I guess) and opts for more than the purchase price.  I suppose that's ok, but I've never done that, and I'm not sure I could wrap my head around doing it.

Alison has direct deposit, which is cool, but it is not offered by my employer.  That makes me the family cash man.  Alison just takes what she needs from my wallet.  Sometimes that can be a surprise.

When I got to the bank and gave the teller the deposits, I explained that Benjamin had run out of deposit slips.  She was very cheery and said that he didn't need deposit slips, that Alison's prepared sticky with name and account number was all that she needed.  I didn't know what to say.  Deposit slips aren't needed? All I could thank of  was to blurt out, "I like deposit slips!" like I was Rain Man going, "I like Judge Wapner!"

I looked back to a center counter where they had slots for different items like deposit slips - ALL EMPTY!  They didn't even have the pen on a chain!  What was the world coming too?

I confirmed with another one of the bank staff, and yes, they weren't providing deposit slips anymore, not even the blank ones you could fill out at the bank.  It was something they were moving away from.  My employer had been to the same bank earlier and was told they were no deposit slips available.

In my business as a CPA, I had not noticed a reduction in the use of deposit slips.  Many of our clients have multiple checks to deposit, and I thank all that is blessed and holy that I can still see that information when trying to do their accounting.  I don't know how this change is going to affect small businesses, but I guess it won't be long before I find out.

I suppose I could use the ATM, but I don't much like that either.  I'd have to dig up whatever my pin number is somewhere.

I like doing banking the way I that I do it.  If some of you prefer mobile deposit, or direct deposit, more power to you.  The world (especially Wally World) lies at your fingertips.

Me?  I'm gonna hold out as long as I can, even if I have to discover bootleg sources for deposit slips.

Yes, I am officially old and stubborn, and will do whatever it takes to remain in the world of deposit slips!

UPDATE:  I'm getting a lot of advice as to how to get deposit slips, which I appreciate.  The point of the blog is more about how banks are starting to dissuade the use of deposit slips, moreso than as to whether consumers can finagle ways to get them and defy the growing trend away from deposit slips.

I'm down to about three deposit slips fro myself, and zero for Benjamin, so I'll let you know soon.

Windy Wednesday Wanderings

Well, it's not really too windy yet.  But it may get windier as the day progresses.  Some of the extreme outer bands of Hurricane Dorian may brush us, as the now category 2 storm churns slowly past us in the Atlantic Ocean.

It may not be too bad here, except to rile up our storm sensitive dog, Cocoa Bear.  The older Cocoa Bear gets, the more she reacts to even the slightest change in barometric pressure.  She does okay when we're home, but not so well when we're not.  She bites at doorknobs, and if she can get in our bedroom, she will get in our closet and strew all of Alsion's clothes that she can reach.

As glancing as the blow we may receive, it contrasts sharply with the utter devastation that the Bahamas received.  It entered the Bahamas at Category 5, and then just stayed there for HOURS.  Pictures this morning are showing destruction on an unprecedented level.  Thank God they are not dependent on our racist President for support, and they don't have to listen to his inane smack talk.

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We were thrilled to have Benjamin back for the weekend.  He is doing so well in school, participating in his classes, joining groups,  making lots of friends. 

I would love to tell you we did something dramatic while he was here, but we did not.  We just enjoyed each other's company, and talked a lot, caught up on the TV show Battlebots, and went to church.  I am proud to say that not only has Benjamin joined the Episcopal Church near campus, he has also joined their choir!

Yes, everything at college is going very well for Benjamin.  Well, except for one thing.  And I don't feel like going into that here yet, so...

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VAPING is a horrible thing, and some don't feel like they have to restrict whom they vape around.  I guess they feel it's not as bad as smoking, and that people who don't like can just put up with it.  Even if they do it around people with asthma.

Alison and I have both heard more and more stories about how truly dangerous vaping is.  It's nicotine and other chemicals going into the bodies of our young people and even results in second-hand vaping effects.  Respiratory diseases and even lung cancer have been linked to vaping.

It is a major crisis among the young.  Vaping companies have targeted youth to promote their product, including flavored products (e.g., bubblegum and fruit loops).  They encourage them to tell parents and others that what they have are flash drives or USB devices, which their smoking devices are designed to look like.

Some parents are oblivious to this nonsense.  I guess some think "Well, at least they're not smoking."  Uhh, yes they are.  And there are as dangerous as cigarettes and even more insidious.

Young people are not comprehending the problem.  What can you do when you even majors in Exercise Science are doing it?  If they don't respect their body, who will?

Man!  Sorry!  I don't know where that tangent came from!

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Today I must concentrate on learning my lines for the play I'm in.  It's early, but I've got to do what I can.  I'm already falling behind some of the more ambitious cast members.  I have a reputation for learning my lines quickly, but it is undeserved, particularly as I age.

Three factors in line memorization -

1) I've always had the script in my hands until the director took it away.  Anyone who thinks otherwise is wrong.

2) I'm older.  Line memorization comes more slowly to me now.  I have to spend more than three times the amount of memorization time to get the same results I could twenty years ago.

3) I'm not a painter.  By that I mean I do not paint my lines, using the script as a template and saying sort of what's in the script but not precisely the words of the script.  I  learn my lines word for word, exactly as written.  Then later, if I have to adapt to what other people are saying around me, I can change as needed.  But I really like to give the line as written - it shows more respect to the playwright.

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That's all I can think of right now.

When does college football start?

Wanderingly yours,

T. M. Strait

Waiting for the Dorian Gray

Yeah.  I tried a version of this joke on a few people and was met with a thud of nonrecognition.  One person did remember that there was a character by that name in the movie The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

It's from a story by Oscar Wilde, published in 1890, about a man who has a portrait of himself that ages while he stays young.  It's a classic.  Trust me.

Sometimes I tell I am Alison's version of a Dorian Gray picture - she stays young while I age for her.

Meanwhile, as I write this, Dorian is a Category 5, doing a sit 'n' spin over Bermuda.  There's not much in the media about the damage Bermuda is getting.  I fear the news may not be good when Dorian finally moves on.

There has been a lot of change and uncertainty concerning its path.  It looks like it's going to follow the coastline as if it were a really angry cruise ship.

Could it affect Pierce County, where I live?  There probably will be some rain and wind.  How strong it will be may depend on close it passes.  Right now, it is likely to pass our area of the Georgia coast at a Category 3.

Have we bought a generator?  Sadly, no.  You would think we would have learned our lesson from the time our power was out about a week last year.  No, it seems like we didn't.

We do have a Hurricane box, with water and flashlights that we have made sure are fully charged.


So we wait.  Our thoughts and prayers are not just for ourselves, but for everyone in its path.


UPDATE Tuesday MORNING:  It's still spinning just above Bermuda.  There is a lot of damage, and we may not know the extent until later today.  The Hurricane's path appears to be taking further into the ocean, causing fewer problems for the continental United States, particularly Florida and Georgia.  Area schools have been canceled for the next two days, out of precaution.  You never know, and it's best to err on the side of caution.