What's It Gonna Take? Saturday Political Soap Box 241

What's it gonna take to move you away from Trump?

It's not enough that he has botched the response to a deadly pandemic?  It's not just that he was slow recognizing it.  It's not just that he failed to build or deploy significant resources to combat it during the brief lockdown period most states experienced.  It's not just that he encouraged us to drink disinfectants or have lights shoved up our butts. 

It's the stunning realization that he values his re-election more than human life.  That he cares more about the illusion of a good economy than the frontline workers who will have to expose themselves to maintain that facade.  He cares more about having cheering throngs at rallies and events than he does about the lives of those rabidly roaring and spitting at anything he spews.  He's willing to risk eliminating the Affordable Health Care Act even if millions that will lose insurance coverage, as a result, losing it during the time of the gravest health crisis of the last one hundred years.

I know that most of my faithful readers are not Trumpeteers.  Many of them knew like I did that he was not fit for public office from the beginning.  From the time he glided down that escalator and called Mexicans murders and rapists.

Never has a President been more racist.  He says and does things that might even cause '68 Wallace to cringe.

Never has a President been more sexist and misogynistic.  He has over two dozen credible accusations of sexual assault, including rape.  He thinks because he is a celebrity, he can do carte blanche whatever he wants (don't take my word for it - he's on tape confessing it).  He treats and talks about women in a scurrilous and dismissive fashion, including the way he treats female reporters.

Never has a President been more narcissistic.  His self-centered 'what's in it for me' approach permeates everything.  He has no core philosophy (except his hatred for minorities and women) - everything is about furthering his own financial empire, his own re-election, his personal aggrandizement, and adulation.  Don't take my word for it.  Read the countless accounts from former associates and government officials.

I could go on and on, but that won't budge you, will it?

Other nations have managed to control the virus, significantly better than we have.  Look at the chart at the top of this blog story.  It's frightening.  And yes, many American's bad behaviors have contributed to this.  But it is undeniable that much of this is prodded and encouraged by a man at the top who doesn't give a craping two bits about you.  He just needs the economy to start to come back, and whatever sacrifice is necessary to do that is worth it.

I know that the polls currently show Biden winning by landslide numbers.  I should take comfort in that.  But I don't. 

No one should be for this incompetent buffoon.  Nobody.

There can be no chance he can be returned to office.  Trumpism needs to be obliterated from the American political landscape.

Make no mistake about it.

There are lives at stake.

He doesn't care about it.

YOU SHOULD.

Bedding on a Wednesday: Keeping Your Distance 36

We have dog beds throughout our house.

Did I say dog beds?  Sorry, Skitty.  I meant to say pet beds.

We have two in the study where I write, including an open crate that they wander in and out of.  There are two more in the hall leading to the master bedroom.  In the kitchen, there is a blanket in the bottom part of the kitchen island that Boss-A-Man often uses.  In the living room, there are two more beds.  They also use multiple chairs and sofas throughout the house.

Being home more, I observe and participate more in their life.  They have vast swaths of time where they ignore me.  In the afternoon, they are usually more interested in me.  They get fed supper around 4:30 (they're all older pets - they like the senior early bird special).  Pixie has an abysmal sense of time.  She'll get excited for supper time starting at about 2:00. 

Cocoa Bear likes to spend most of the day outside. I get concerned when it's really hot, but when the temp is mild - more power to her.  Ellie likes to go out at night more - I think that is when the night crawlies come out, and they must be important dietary supplements for her.

It's just one of those things I like about being home more.  It's an important part, but not the only part.

Maybe I'm not a fair spokesperson for wanting people to wear masks and socially distant. Perhaps I'm not the best advocate for staying at home.  Many of you are not comfortable doing it.  The American culture is breaking at the seams because we are social people.  What I'm perfectly happy with, many others are not.

You can see this on many sides of the social and political spectrum.  Church, shopping, theatre, even Trump rallies - are all too tempting for some.  Those on my side of the political aisle are coming out in full force to protest the horrendous actions of the police and others against black men and others.

I will say this - outdoors with a mask is a lot less dangerous than being cramped inside a church or arena with NO MASK.

It's not over.  Cases in Georgia and Ware/Pierce County are on the rise.  A mask and social distancing are more crucial than ever.

It's crazy out there.

Stay as safe as you can.  I know many of you are not like me.  Many of you need to get out.  But I'm begging you - wear a mask—social distance.  Use your fricking brain.

And make all of us feel better by publicly declaring you won't vote for the man who made it so much worse than it had to be - Donald J  Trump.

Thank you.

Story Time With Mr. Tom #3

Tomato Time! Keeping Your Distance 35

You say tomato and I say tomato.

Ok, that looks the same in print.  I guess you'd have to be inside my head (a scary proposition).

Alison was able to pull ripe tomatoes and lettuce from our garden, enough to be the foundations of a delicious salad.

Here's another bunch she got a day or two later.

I know that there are pictures on my social media that show much more spectacular garden results than the ones we're getting.  But to us, it is significant.  Our other gardens produced pretty close to zero, so these results are spectacular by our standards.

We do have plenty more, but there are only ripening at bout two or three a day.  And that is fine by us.  It's the amount that Alison can eat.  Any quicker and we've have to get into canning or something.

Maybe someday we'll need to can some and give away some.  

But we're not there yet.

And that's okay.

Georgia by the Numbers 2: Keeping Your Distance 34

Update:  Where have we gone in the three weeks since I Posted the first Georgia by the numbers?

People are starting to press.  No one in my area is pressing anymore.  THEY'RE JUST GOING OUT - FEW MASKS, LITTLE YTO NO SOCIAL DISATANCING.

When can we go to a restaurant?  Based on the crowds I see, people are going NOW.

When can we be in a play, or attend one?  WACT has a play scheduled for late June.

 When can we go to church? Some, but not all, have opened up.

When can we hold in-person meetings of our favorite clubs and organizations? I'm not sure about this one - I think most people are still doing ZOOM.  Given the scheduled Trump rally Saturday, I'm glad I don't live in Tulsa.  HOWEVER, we're close to Jacksonville and the scheduled Republican convention.  Oy.

Some of these and related questions have been answered by Governor Kemp - sure!  Go ahead and do it!  After all, things are getting better here in Georgia!  Kemp has a few common-sense rules, but they are being widely ignored.  

Well...

Are they?

Have we had 14 days of declining numbers, as the CDC suggests?

All I can go by is the Georgia Dept of Health numbers, updated three times a day.  Honestly, they may not be the most trustworthy numbers.  There have been press reports that suggest that Georgia and Florida have been manipulating and/or suppressing data to make their states look like they're recovering.

That may be true, but let's just take the Georgia Department of Health numbers and see what the state itself is reporting.

I've looked at seven-day accumulations, starting with May 5th, in two categories, confirmed cases and the number of deaths.  Results are summarized below -


                                                   Confirmed Cases                    Confirmed Deaths

May 5 - 11                                       4,565                                          198

May 12 - 18                                     4,281                                          205

May 19 - 25                                     5,117                                          199

May 26 - June 1                              4,499                                          241

June 2 - June 8                                4,598                                          119

June 9 - June 15                              5,917                                          286  


Although cases have not skyrocketed over this period, you certainly cannot claim they are declining.  And deaths have remained sadly steady.  The increase in numbers in the most recent week looks very ominous.  The rise everyone feared is here, but everyone around me still acts like it's over.

And then came Memorial Day Weekend.  A massive nationwide orgy of misbehavior.  What will be the effects of that?

 I'll let you know in two to three weeks.

The verdict is in.  Cases are rising in at least 22 states, especially in the South and Sunbelt.  

The President has suggested that the way to beat this is to simply stop testing.

So, the major question is...

Why do I still have friends who support Bunker Boy?

War of the Witches and the Martian

Support Community Safety: Saturday Political Soap Box 240

Scariest slogan ever, ain't it?

As usual, the right-wing will misinterpret and demonize this.  And what can we say?  It's kind of a layup to demonize and turn into a boogeyman.

Communists!  Socialists!  Well, over time, they have kinda lost their sting.  Communism, right or wrong, seems archaic and old-fashioned. Socialism, especially with the significant qualifier, Democratic Socialism. is increasing in appeal.  So what's a demagoguing right-winger to do?

So we hand them on a silver platter the phrase DEFUND THE POLICE.

To paraphrase from The Princess Bride:  I do not think these words mean what you think they mean.

For those who say this in good faith, I can tell you that many are just wholly missing what you're trying to say.  As an example, I'm a passionate person when it comes to issues I care about.  I speak with force and volume and fire.  I think my message is coming across, but people are really saying, "Wow!  He is so loud and angry!"  and the facts and substance of what I say is completely lost.

For those on the right, they hear this phrase and stop listening to anything else.  They think you mean abolish the police and leave you defenseless if you have an emergency and need police intervention.  The same group that wants to have a loaded firearm under the bed are the same people who want SWAT to descend on their house within 60 seconds and surround Uncle Gordo, who has entered your home unannounced and is trying to raid your refrigerator.

But there is nothing about abolishing the police in the stated goals of this movement.  It's about prioritizing functions within a community to improve community safety.  You CANNOT be safe if you defund all other priorities and only give increasing amounts to police whose primary goal is to keep declining neighborhoods under control.  Why don't we instead improve the lives and living standards of ALL OUR NEIGHBORHOODS?

Reform the police?  Yes.  Who we pick as police, how we train them, what measures of force they can use - this is essential stuff.

But other stuff matters too - and will have a positive effect on the community; better schools, healthcare for all, UBI, first-class public transport, paying workers living wages, social workers, better policies around drug abuse and addiction, improving and equalizing the criminal justice system, addressing homelessness - all this and more will do more to improve public safety than all the threats and brute force in the world.

Because we spend too much on police instead of other priorities, we are asking the police to fill in the gap and do way too much. Even some police officials have argued that their role is too broad.  They are expected to do things that would be better served by others. Even in a city as progressive as New York City, the funding of police exceed the funding of many other services combined.

Healthier, more broadly funded communities, are safer communities. I think we need to adjust our slogan, not to trick people (as many Republican slogans are designed to do) but to clarify what is really going on.

No one is trying to abolish the police.  We are trying to reform and reallocate in such a way that makes communities safer.  We need reforms and sanctions of the police that take the target off of minority communities.  And we need to reallocate resources in such a way that makes ALL communities stronger and safer.

Many of our faiths compel us to believe that love is stronger than hate.  But when it comes to how we act and feel in the public forum, many of us behave the opposite.

Brute force and trampling of human rights and dignity to maintain control is not the way forward, whether by faith or common sense.

SUPPORT COMMUNITY SAFETY

We will all be better off.

Mystery Seeds: Keeping Your Distance 33

Alison has been ordering seeds by mail.  Most have come in, identifying whether they are carrots or broccoli or zucchini or sweet potatoes or whatever they are.

One batch of seeds did not.  The only identifier?  That they were from Kyrgyzstan. 

She can't remember what she may have ordered that would have been brought in from that distant land.

The pot above and the second pot below is where Alison has planted our mystery seeds.  The only exception are two lettuce heads she planted.

The rest is weird.  Something that looks like grass.  Others have a four-leaf clover appearance.  And some are on tiny stalks with minuscule white heads.

I'm not sure what they are.  I don't intend to sleep next to them.*

Meanwhile, back in the rest of the garden, we are starting to get some tomatoes that are turning color, mostly yellow, but we have that orangey one in the front.  Tragically, the orange one is starting to develop some rot.  Something orange starting to rot.  Yeah.  The symbolism there...what can I say?  Maybe the best thing to do is to take it from the garden and concentrate on the rest of the tomatoes.  No reason to let the orange one damage the rest.

The zucchini is flowering.  The lettuce is growing - Alison has harvested enough for her salad a couple of times now.  The rest are just waiting for the Orange One's reign to end.

And aren't we all waiting for that?


*that is a reference to the great Scifi classic, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, where alien seeds fall to Earth, and create pods that if you sleep near, they will gestate a likeness of you and then replace you and...you know what?  Never mind.

Change at Last

I don't know all the history of Waycross.  But at least in my memory, this is their largest, most successful protest rally, thanks to the efforts of some very dedicated young people, led by recent Ware County High Scholl graduate, Riley Brown.

I recently finished a book by Lawrence O'Donnell, Playing With Fire, about the 1968 election.  Protests and riots at that time, particularly the intense emotional reaction to Martin Luker King's assassination, led to white backlash centered on "law and order." This surge of anxiety fueled the racist campaign of Alabama Governor George Wallace, and for Republican Richard Nixon to focus on law and order issues.  Law and order, of course, was a euphemism for control of minorities.

I'm old enough (now 65 strong!) to remember the Detroit riots, of both '67 and '68.  I remember clearly the reaction of the middle schoolers around me.  Many of the guys seriously thought that black people from Detriot were going to march all the way to our home town of Bridgeport, some 150 miles away, and burn our town down, and kill any of us that were not smart enough to have superior weaponry.*

The consequences of this was the election of Richard Nixon and the beginning of the Southern Strategy, appealing to scared white voters in both the south and the north (in 1972 Wallace won the Michigan primary, a horrible foreshadowing of Trump's 2016 squeaker win in Michigan).

I'll be honest.  When the protests began, I thought, uh-oh, here comes the white backlash, particularly when the networks focused on the looting.  Here comes the rise in Trump's poll numbers.

But... it didn't happen.

Over time, it became clear that the protests were overwhelmingly peaceful.  The looters were not directly associated with the protestors - they were mostly criminals who were taking advantage of the chaos.  A tiny, tiny fraction were extremists, white supremacists (including racists posing as left-wingers), and a smaller fraction who were anarchists.  NONE WERE ANTIFA, because it doesn't exist, at least not in the way the Trumpeteers think.  Antifa is not an organization but an identifier for anti-fascists, whose major thing is to protect people from the violence done by fascist/racist groups (who REALLY do exist).

Looking at the protests, one is overwhelmed by the fact of how DIVERSE they are.  It is Jesse Jackson's rainbow coalition come to life.  This time, African Americans are not alone in their rage and anger.  One can see that even in the picture above of the Waycross protest.

I was struck by a story that Rev. Al Sharpton told at George Floyd's memorial service in Minneapolis.  He spoke of how he went to a protest decades ago and was assailed by a young white woman screaming "Go home, N-word!" and how in Minneapolis he felt a tugging at his sleeve, and looked down and saw a young girl and he braced himself for what she had to say, but what she had to say was, "No justice!  No peace!"

So, maybe this time, we have turned a corner.  Maybe this time, real change will come.

As a reflection of this, I am fascinated by the fact that Trump's poll numbers have actually fallen during this crisis.  Of course, he has behaved very badly.  Roughly forcing out protestors with chemical agents just so you can have a photo op in front of a church for whom you did not get permission (indeed, even forcing out the clergy of that church), did not go over well.

Don't get me wrong.  The empire will strike back.  There is a lot of noise around the misconstrued phrase "defund the police," and as usual, the Republicans are much smarter and Machviellian in naming things than Democrats.  I hope to post about this in more detail later.

Bravo, Riley Brown, and all the people of Waycross who stood up for justice and what is right.  I'm sorry I wasn't there, but know you have my full support.

This time, finally, maybe there will be change at last.

I pray it will be so.

*it wasn't until years later that I read enough to know that the violence of those riots in Detriot largely came from the police, not the protesters.  I'm speaking here of violence against people and not that against property.

Strategic Facebook Withdrawal

Some will not see this as they don't read the blog, but for those who do, here's what's happening.

First, I want to thank everyone for the birthday wishes, particularly to those who sent personal messages.  It's a tough age to face - being 65 means you are now officially a no-excuses old person.  But it's much better with friends and family that care for you.

I have decided to withdraw my involvement from Facebook, at least for a while.  There are many exceptions to this, which I will explain, but it primarily means I will not be posting memes or other responses.  I will not be engaging anyone.

It's getting way too depressing.  And I need to once again prioritize some health issues.  Trying to combat with Trumpeteers and Co-vidiots is causing me too much anxiety.  I have to take a break.  That means very little time on Facebook spent scrolling, reposting, responding.  That means no reposting of memes, no matter how important I feel they are in making anti-Trump messages.

I will still be doing the following:

You may see me briefly because I will be playing the CBS Sports Baseball Game I have been addicted to for the last year.  It tasks about 20 to 30 minutes each day.

I will still be posting a Song of the Day.  I don't think many see it, because of the vagaries of Facebook algorithms, but I've been doing it pretty much every day for the last six years, so I find it kind of hard to stop.  I still find it fascinating that no one is really curious about the method behind the madness of Song of the Day song selection.  Again, though, that's probably because even my closest friends probably don't see it in their feed.  Thank you, Facebook.

I will be posting blog stories, but only to groups and pages.  My political posts will be on political groups I belong to.  The rest will be on my T. M. Strait author page.

DON'T FORGET.  YOU CAN BOOKMARK THE STRAIT LINE AND GO DIRECTLY TO IT.  YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GO TO FACEBOOK TO ACCESS MY BLOG STORIES. YOU CAN GO "STRAIT" THERE!

If you need to message me directly, text or call me.  I may monitor Facebook messenger, but I can't guarantee how frequently that will be.  I will make an effort to respond to messages left on my Facebook author page, T. M. Strait.

This is not a complete Facebook withdrawal.  It is a strategic withdrawal.  I have to prioritize my time and health.

Please don't vote for Trump.

Please understand that the coronavirus pandemic is far from over, and American behavior is prolonging and increasing how destructive it is.

Stay safe!

My Kempcation: Keeping Your Distance 32

Thank you, Governor Kemp,

Even with some of the laxest COVID-19 quarantine rules on the planet, he still has listed that...people 65 and older should shelter in place through June 12th.

Well, I turn 65 today.

And what better way to celebrate than to finally listen to something Governor Kemp has to say.  So, I am sheltering in place for four glorious days, until the 12th.

Is this a punishment?  Not really.  I've organized things so that staying at home is easy.  And yes, I'm an introvert, so staying at home is actually something I'm looking forward to.

Is anyone else in my age group doing this?  Not that I can tell.  Many in this age group have been working and going out without missing a beat.  So, probably what I'm doing is looking pretty silly.

That's ok.  I don't mind looking silly.  Any followers of my acting career know that.

If work really needs me, I'll come in.  I can defy the Kempster if it's required.

One of the great joys of Michigan were snow days.  They were hard to come by.  There had to be A LOT of snow.  But it meant I could stay home.  And I could read, write, create...or mindlessly watch TV.  But I didn't have to go out and socialize and do schoolwork or other things I wasn't really interested in.

Maybe if I had been sheltering in place throughout the pandemic, my attitude would be different.  But I 've worked part-time (I'm semi-retired, so that's normal).  Alison has worked throughout and recently has resumed a full work schedule.  Even Benjamin started a job today!

It's been a surreal time to turn 65.  The most massive pandemic since 1918, the most significant economic decline since 1928, and the most intense civil unrest since 1968.  We have the trifecta of awfulness.

I must say, though, the protests of police brutality and the need for fundamental reform have been largely peaceful - more peaceful and much more massive and diversified than I ever thought possible.  The local demonstration here on Saturday, which I unfortunately missed, was very successful and peaceful.  It warmed my heart to know there were so many here who were willing to stand up for justice!  Super kudos go to Riley Brown, the young senior graduate who helped organize it.  Anybody who has dismissed our young generation as lazy or useless or immature need to seriously sit down and reevaluate.

Our young generation is the one bright spot that gives this senior citizen hope.

My biggest birthday wish?

Don't vote for Trump.  Please, I beg you, don't vote for Bunker Boy.

hey

Hey!

HEY!

It's my birthday!

Apple Crisp: Recipe From the Strait Family Vaults 2

A Recipe from the Strait Family Vaults

Apple Crisp

There are many recipes to make Apple Crisp.  This is the one my mother used.  It puts the emphasis on crisp over apples.  To me, this is as God intended.  As cake is a frosting delivery system, so is this desert to crisp.

I don’t think we’ve ever prepared this for a church luncheon.  This probably claims to make a dozen or more serving, but the way we eat it, it is about six.  So, if we were to make it for church, we would probably have to quadruple the recipe.

It tastes best when served warm with vanilla ice cream.

I guess I better start with the recipe.

Ingredients:

4 cups sliced apples

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1/3 cup water

3/4 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter

Place sliced apples onto buttered 10x6x2 baking dish (I think other sizes are okay – use your own judgment), sprinkling in the cinnamon, salt & water.  In a separate bowl, rub (? – that’s my mom’s word – just mix/blend/maybe knead) flour, sugar & butter – then drop this mixture over the apples.  Make noises like an airplane dropping bombs (okay, maybe that’s just me).

Bake at 350 degrees for forty minutes.

Feel free to adjust ingredients to personal taste.  Add more apples or more cinnamon or salt.  I wouldn’t add more sugar – this is already way past the diabetic threshold. Throw nuts in there, although I don’t know why people want to do that.  Walnuts seem to be a favorite addition for some, but I don’t digest walnuts well, and Benjamin is allergic.  So, at least for this recipe, we are a no nuts family.

Texas Sheet Cake: Recipe from the Strait Vaults 1

A Recipe from the Strait Family Vaults

Texas Sheet Cake

My mother was born in Texas.  This is the only thing about Texas I know about my mother.  She left when she was three.  Her father was a welder on the Eastern Panhandle pipeline, and they moved farther north every few years as the pipeline was built.

We have prepared this a few times for church luncheons.  It does not last long.  The most recent time it was made was by Benjamin, who made it for Mother’s Day.

I guess I better start with the recipe.

Bring to boil:

2  sticks butter or margarine

1 cup water

4 tbls cocoa

Add to the above the following:

2 cups sugar

½ tsp salt

2 cups flour

Mix well  -  then add:

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp soda

Beat well and pour into well-greased pan (9x13) and bake at 375 degrees.

While cake is baking  (oh, joy! Multitasking), make frosting.

Frosting:

½ cup butter or margarine

4 tbls cocoa

6 tbls milk

4 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Optional – 1 cup chopped nuts

Heat on stove until butter is melted – bring to a hard boil -  remove from heat and add powdered sugar and vanilla.

Pour onto warm cake and sprinkle with chopped nuts (we use pecans).

Benjamin is allergic to nuts, so we do not put pecans on about half the cake or more.  Honestly. I prefer it without the pecans.  But what do I know?  Feel free to add your own toppings.  Heck, try it with sprinkles if you want.

The Birds Show Up: Keeping Your Distance 31

Benjamin likes watching birds.

I don't know how that happened, but there it is.

He is known in his online gaming groups as the Bird Facts Guy. At random moments, his characters will insert a bird fact into the conversation. 

So, given that, it was a no brainer that when we decided to have a bird feeder and birdbath, to provide a distraction from our growing garden on the other side of the house, that we put up by the window to Benjamin's study.  Now he can look out his window, while seated at his game-playing desk, and see the birds that visit the feeder and bath.

Is it working for our garden?  Maybe.  So far, our tomatoes have not been attacked.  At this point, however, they have not sufficiently ripened to be tempting.

Our yard and garden look better than it ever has.  Maybe we can avoid ostracization level neglect, which we usually border on.  I still am not enamored with the way our lawn looks -  I'm not a yard person.

Alison's work schedule has resumed normality, so maybe this attention will wan.  My schedule is somewhat relaxed, and I'll probably only be working about half the hours that I was.  The extended tax deadline means I can't miss whole weeks like I desire, but it's getting better.  Benjamin is home all the time.  There is some hope that he will have some summer job soon, but we'll see.

The whole state is acting like the coronavirus is a thing of the past.  IT IS NOT.  And the way we are behaving is making it more dangerous than ever.

I am 100,000% supportive of the peaceful protests that are going on around the country, but I can't help but worry about it might be doing to the spread of the disease.  I won't say anything else in this post about the protests and Trump's vicious and stupid response, but I will be writing more on it in subsequent posts.

Speaking of subsequent posts, my view numbers are cratering.  For those of you who think it's because I dare to be political - think again.  Those are my posts that get the most views.  One of my least viewed posts of recent years is - Story Time With Mr. Tom #2.  Also low are these gardening and bird posts.

Now I'm faced with being forced into a new blogger by late June.  I'm not sure whether my over 2,000 posts (written over ten years) will follow with it.  I don't know if I have the energy to start over.

No, I don't make money from this blog.  Yes, I love to write.  I just have to decide if it is the most effective use of my writing time.


That decision is up in the air.  Like the birds.


Oy.  Maybe that kind of analogy is why my views are crashing.