Struck by the King

 

To paraphrase comedian Steve Martin, sometimes comedy wears cruel shoes.

Comedy can be a risky and dangerous business. Especially when comedians take on one of their oldest and most traditional roles - that of Court Jester.

Court Jesters served Kings and Queens from the middle ages on. Their job was to make the often stodgy royals laugh. And it wasn't just juggling. Often they would use their humor to poke fun at the royals and those around them. Sometimes their jokes pointed out deeper truths than anyone else dared attempt.

Often, the jesters were greeted with gales of laughter. But not always. Sometimes, they went too far and wound up exiled or missing a head. It could be the King didn't want truth pointed out to them, or they were just vain and thin-skinned.

All comedy has elements of this. George Carlin, Leeny Bruse, and even Robin Williams got us to face unpleasant aspects of ourselves or society.

One of the modern equivalents of the Court Jester role is the host/comedians of our award shows. They face an audience of very rich, very powerful people. And many of those people think very highly of themselves and their vaulted position.

The comedians target their jokes at that group, trying to puncture their superior status and make them seem more vulnerable and down to Earth. Some, like Ricky Gervais, spend their time attacking the hypocrisy of their wealth and power. Some, like Jay Leno or Jimmy Fallon, do gentle pokes, playful jokes aimed at specific celebrities and/or the movies/shows/songs nominated. 

Others are insult comics who go straight for the jugular, like Don Rickles. It's an exaggerated nastiness that is sharp but at the same time dismissed because it is clearly extreme for the sake of being extreme. And it may contain elements of humor that are no longer in fashion*, that border on racist and sexist slurs.

Chris Rock's niche involves elements of all three. He pokes fun at their social status. He makes playful jokes to individual celebrities. And he can sometimes border on insult humor.

The joke about Jada Pinkett Smith was crass, but I thought more in the Jay Leno category than the other two. It might depend on how much he knew about her medical condition. Either way, I didn't think it was very funny. Will Smith did, at least based on his initial reaction. It wasn't until he looked at his wife's reaction that he got upset.

Chris Rock took the risk and got the smack. Struck by the King (Will Smith would shortly win the Best Oscar for playing King Richard).

The problem is this is not the Middle Ages. That should have never happened.

I am not a perfect person, and I have a problem. I have a fierce temper, which I have battled all my life to control. No, I am not physically or verbally abusive, but I get very loud and upset. It mostly comes out when I can't seem to get people to listen to me when I am calm. So, I get louder and more strident to get my point across.

My strategy doesn't work. It always backfires spectacularly. When I get loud, people no longer hear anything I have to say. They just say something like, "Oh my God! Did you see how loud Tom got? He is out of control!"

When Will Smith struck Chris Rock, he swamped the entire Oscars. He lost whatever point he was trying to make. And everything else was lost, including his own victory as Best Actor. 

The achievement of Questlove's Summer of Soul documentary, the award presented by Chris Rock? LOST. GONE.  

The SIX awards won by Dune? GONE.

The comedy performances of three talented female co-hosts? GONE.

The first female Director, Jame Campion, to have been nominated twice and won this year for Power of the Dog? GONE, GIRL, GONE.

And most cruel of all, the dramatic victory of the first winning film about a deaf family, CODA? SWAMPED. GONE. VANQUISHED FROM THE MEMORY HOLE.

The 2022 Oscars will be remembered for one thing and one thing only -

that a comedian was Struck by the King.

*more often than not, rightfully so.

Gettin' Figgy With It

Alison wants fresh figs.

I've never had a fresh fig, so I'm not sure what to think.  The most figgy I've gotten is Fig Newtons. 

So, last year, after searching farmer's markets and other sources and coming up zero, we decided to buy and plant our own fig tree.

We understood it might be a year or more before it bore fruit, but we were willing to put in the time and effort.

We planted it in our yard, and within days, a dog roaming the neighborhood decided it was a stick and broke it in half.*

You see above a picture of our fig tree a year later.  It survives, but it really hasn't grown much.

 The central stick (trunk?) is the one that the dog broke off.  I'm assuming it will grow around it, but I don't know.  It may already be limited in its ability to grow.

We're glad that it's still alive, but it won't be this year that we get figs.

Maybe next year.

*Living in the city of Blackshear, there are some leash laws, but their enforcement is pretty lax.  It's not as bad as the county.  They have no animal control at all.  When we lived in the county, roaming bands of wild dogs was a serious problem.  We lost at least one cat, and possibly more, to wild dogs.

P.S.

I've been formulating in my mind this blog story for a couple of weeks.  So, it is just serendipity that the song title I satired, Gettin' Jiggy Wit It, came from Will Smith, last night's Best Actor Oscar winner, whose triumph was ruined by his smacking Chris Rock. 

So, no hard feelings, please, Will?  If it helps, I think your wife is beautiful, and I would never make a joke about her.

I promise.

Maximus Important Announcement

 No pictures.

No politics.

Just the proudest announcement of my lifetime.

At 66 years old, I AM NOW A GRANDFATHER!

I have a GRANDAUGHTER!

Retta Lockett Strait

March 22, 2022

About 6 lbs and 19 inches.

She is the most beautiful, gorgeous thing on Earth, and she has the most wonderful parents, Doug and Paige.

Alison (herein known as Mema) and I (now referred to as Grandpa) are beside ourselves with joy and happiness.

I cannot share pictures of her on social media, but trust me, she and her parents are stunning.

Current plans are not to visit until July.  They live a ways away from us. I don't know if I can wait that long.

We are bursting with joy!

Friday Writing Randomizer 3

 Once again, my creative writing has dried to zero.

Once again, I'm turning to the randomizer to try to kick start my discipline.

The Inspire Me app picks three words at random, and from that, I try to construct a concise story using those three words.

Wish me luck.

leather, help, left

What's left of me? Stuck at the bottom of this ravine, the walls impossible to climb, especially with one arm badly sprained, if not broken.

This was supposed to be our reconciliation hike, working out our problems and coming back together. She had to know I was serious about putting in the work - the Rezlin Retreat was the premiere marriage counseling weekend in Colorado, and not only was I willing to come, I gladly forked over the $3,000 for the fee.  

We tred into the woods, our backpacks stuffed, our hearts filled with hope (or so I thought). When we came to the edge of the ravine, I looked down. It made me dizzy, and I started to teeter. I reached back my hand for her to hold me steady. Instead of her help, I got the tiniest of shoves, enough to cause me to tumble down into the ravine.

Collapsed at the bottom, clutching my now useless right arm, I cried up to her. "Get help, honey! I think I'm stuck down here!"

Her placid face irradiated hate. "Yep. You're stuck down there. Goodbye, ex-lover."

That was a day ago. I'm still down in the ravine. I'm thirsty. I'm hungry. I contemplate whether my leather belt is edible.

Surely, they will come soon.

Surely.

shake, lovely, plural

I wish I was the only one. But there are plural Toms at this school. So when someone calls my name in the hallway, I'm never sure it's really me they're talking to. Every time I think it's me, it's not, and I look stupid responding back. Every time I decide it's me, I ignore it, and I look rude.

The girl I have the biggest crush on, the lovely Ruthy Ann, does not seem to comprehend that I exist. But one time, I heard her shout my name. I began to shake. Should I turn around and acknowledge it? Why subject myself to that humiliation?

I made the dramatic decision to turn around. She was just inches away from me.

She handed me a book. "Here. You left this in class." She smiled briefly and then bounded away.

She never spoke to me again.

close, gain, supply

I clean my clothes with Gain. It's the only detergent I'll use. When my supply runs low, I go to the store and buy more. If they are out, I'll try another store. And another. And if I can't find it, I won't get anything else.  

If I have no Gain, I just let my clothes get dirty and smelly.

Right now, I have been out for two weeks.

Don't stand. Don't stand. Don't stand so close to me.

slowly, me, outside

Agoraphobia is a bite and a B. I want to go outside, but I just can't get through the front door no matter how hard I try. I try to go fast - I can't do it. I try to go slowly - that's even worse. What's wrong with me?

Why I am so afraid of zombies?

cage, rain, Betsy

Betsy wanted to go out. But she felt like a rat in a cage. Outside, the acid rain fell hard.

Oh. And zombies. There were also zombies.

Zombies. Best story go-to ever!

Proof of Existence: My First Job in Georgia

After losing my teaching job at Cass City, I was lost and set adrift. The odds of me ever getting another teaching job were infinitesimal. I was lousy enough at interviews. I couldn't see myself trying to rationalize why I lost my first teaching job. It was a different time. You really didn't get second chances.

I tried my hand at substitute teaching with Bridgeport - a bit of nepotism. Although I didn't mind teaching overall, I hated substituting. It played into all my weaknesses.

Not having anything else, I decided to visit a friend in Atlanta who came from Bridgeport and was a close friend in high school. He had recently broken up with someone who he had been involved with for several years, and I went down in part to console him.

By the time I got there, he had already found a new partner. Through them, I met someone who would become my own partner. Long story short, I soon found myself relocated to the South.

My first job in the South was working as a Circulation Manager for a small daily newspaper in Cartersville, Georgia. It mostly involved managing the newspaper carriers, from boys on bicycles, to redneck couples in pickups, to retirees in jeeps.

It was a rough job for a young guy who was more of a creative type than a skilled, commanding manager. Fortunately, one of the aspects of the job was to run contests and otherwise motivate the delivery staff. I came up with the newsletter you see in the picture above. It contained information about routes, new hires, contests, and more.

It also contained a fictional serial, cartoons, jokes, and whatever else I could think of. It was a  creative outlet for me in a job I was otherwise having a hard time with, and I thought, hey, maybe somebody would notice! Maybe the publisher would take notice and let me write for the paper!

Yes, it was just a hand-typed, pasted together, mimeographed mess. But it was my mess, and I was proud of it. So proud that when it came time for the Southeast Circulation Managers Convention, I proudly entered it in the Best Promotion Contest. I was so excited because there were only two entries and three awards in our paper size group! Woohoo! I was in like Flynn!

The big banquet and awards ceremony capped off the event. It came time to announce the awards for our division. The emcee announced the other entrant as first place but then made a joke to the guy as he came up, that "he was the only entrant in the division." Everyone laughed, and there was no second place. There was no acknowledgment that I had even entered. It was like I wasn't even there at all. Like I didn't exist.

It was also a place where I learned early lessons about Southern culture. 1) People had many acquaintances but fewer close friends. If they invited you to come by for supper, they were often being polite and would be surprised if you actually showed up. 2) African-Americans were more deferential in the South than up North - it was quite embarrassing to experience. 3) Whites on the lower economic rung did not respond well to yelling or arguments - they would become violent, scary quick. I got upset with an adult paper carrier one time and learned quickly to never raise my voice. 4) Most small southern towns are run by what I call the "10%" - these are important family clans with a disproportionate amount of wealth and a family name that commands respect. 5) Even though I had student taught at the heavily Southern Michigan town of Willow Run, it took me a while to get used to the accent. People would call to complain about missing a paper or other delivery complaints, and it took me a long time to figure out what they were saying. I had no idea that the word "Paper" had so many syllables.

Although I did not shine at this job and only stayed about a year, I was not let go. Instead, I left of my own volition for something else. Something I was both more suited for in some ways and less suited for in other ways.

 

Rising Wednesday Wanderings

 I know.

I'm a lazy git.

But I do like walking. Especially my early morning constitutionals.

It stays darker later. Thanks to the shift to Daylight Savings Time. That's ok. Very soon, the only time to walk will be the morning, as we will proceed to the nine-month HOTTER THAN HELL period in Southeast Georgia.

Creating a successful balance between exercise and diet has been a lifelong battle. Periods of losing weight are rare. Periods of gaining weight are less rare. But, most of the time, I hold my own.

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

Zelenskyy will be speaking to our congress in just a few moments. I hope somebody is chaperoning Lauren Boebert and Majorie Taylor Greene -those two skipped Courtesy Day in school.

We should do everything we can, but they may not include a no-fly zone. It certainly won't be boots on the ground.  

This is our generation's battle against autocracy. I pray we are up to the challenge.

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

I follow soccer and am a big fan of Atlanta United of the MLS. A year or so ago, I wanted to branch out and watch the Premier League (what Ted Lasso strives for) and asked my son Greg what team I should follow. He recommended Chelsea. They were good to follow as they won more often than not.

However, it has recently come to my attention that Chelsea is owned by a Russian oligarch, one who is close to Putin. Back to the drawing board.

I thought maybe Newcastle, which has a former Atlanta United player on it. Then I found out about they were owned b Saudi Arabians. Not much of an improvement.

Couldn't Jason Sudekis buy a team?

Of course, we wouldn't have to worry about this madness if the people of a city OWNED their teams, like the Green Bay Packers. I'm all in for that.

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

I got my taxes back, prepared by my former firm. Yes, that's right. I don't even want to do my own taxes. But, the results look fine, and I'm thrilled to have somebody else do it.

-------

Just watched Zelenskyy speak. It struck me to the core. He recalled Pearl Harbor and 9/11 - attacks from the sky. He is pleading to Close the Sky.

I understand the fears of creating a broader war. But it is so horrible to watch this.

I pray we can safely help end this madness.

Until next time,

T. M. Strait

Tuesday Twitterfication

 It's been a while, but here is one of my extra special blog posts where I try to answer the first five questions I run across on my Twitter feed.

I think many do that to gin up a response. It doesn't help me. No one responds to any of my twits.

Do you check daily to see if President Zelensky is still with us?

Yes, I'm afraid I do. The Ukrainian resistance, led by the Churchillian Zelenskyy, is inspiring and brave. Still, I fear every day that they are just increasing the bloodshed and atrocities committed by the Russians. 

I don't see either as a monolith. There are Ukrainians who do bad things. There are Russians who do good things (consider the news editor who helped up a No War sign during Russia's premier propaganda broadcast). But the bottom line is an autocratic-led country is invading a democratic country.

What do you consider the most attractive non-physical quality in a person?

Humor and intelligence.

Crap. That's two.

Ok, humor then. Usually, truly funny people are also intelligent.

Except for the idiots in the Jackass movies.

Who remembers this guy? What group was apart of? And who was your favorite out of the group?

Uhh...I'm stumped. Japanese toy robot of some kind? Something GUN? Shogun? I don't know what group he was in, so, no, I don't have a favorite.

Nostalgia toys are getting more and more recent, at least to me. This doesn't look like anything my three boys were even in to (born 1981,1984 & 2000).

Well, that question is a bust.

What time does morning begin for you?

6 to 6:10 AM Monday through Friday, up to 7 AM on Saturday and Sunday.

Pretty cool for someone retired, eh?

I take care of the dogs and do some morning chores, so Alison has some time to get around for work.

I go to bed between 11:40 and midnight. I only need about six hours of sleep. If I try to get much more, I'll have insomnia the next night. I know some people think that's too little sleep, but it is what it is. I don't feel deprived or in a deficit situation.

I love living, being awake, so I only sleep as much as I have to.

You don't want me to work from home? The place where I can make myself a nice little lunch??

Yep. That's my goal. I guess that's what I'm doing, although I'm not sure anyone would call what I'm doing now work.

What's interesting to me is that the person who asked this has gotten 66,000 plus likes. Who is she? Is she that famous? Her mini-bio says she's an author, mostly writing about food.

I don't know. All I know is she got about 66,000 plus likes more than I do.

Maybe I should write more about food.

Yesterday we had Swedish meatballs prepared by Benjamin's Swedish friend. They were damn good.

Ok, that's probably not the type of food review that's gonna get me 66,000 likes.

Trying the best I can,

T. M. Strait

Wednesday Morning Pollen Fever

Even after a heavy rain, the top of my car is still dotted with a yellow fever.  

I went out before the rains yesterday and was instantly hit by my sinuses contracting, quickly developing a massive pollen headache.

Blackshear also stank terribly, as if King Kong had left a massive surprise in the middle of the city park. I don't think it was due to the pollen. It most likely was related to the in-town egg plant. I can't say for sure.

Hey, Tom! Why don't you get your car washed?

Why? It will be coated in pollen again in a matter of hours.

The changing weather also means I will need to mow soon. My only consolation is that mowing is much easier now that I have an electric mower. The charge on it only lasts about an hour, but that's ok. That's about as long as I last.

We are looking forward to Benjamin's Spring Break. He will have a friend from Sweden visiting with him and will spend some of the time with us. At the end of next week, we also visit my sister and my brother-in-law, Mike, during their stay at The Village in Florida. It's supposed to be the largest retirement complex in the US. OR so I've heard.

When Alison has her Spring Break in April, I will enjoy it with her for the first time, as I will not be involved in a tax season.

Someone asked me if I had been bored since I retired. I answered, "No! I was bored the thirty-plus years I was doing accounting, but I'm not bored now!"

Q: What are you doing now that you're retired?

A: What I WANT to do.

Even in my blog, I feel like I've spent an inordinate amount of explanation trying to justify how I use my time. It's a definite American affliction. And I'm going to try to stop doing it.

I will try to stop doing it. Although I will share some of what I'm doing (like - woohoo! - I'm going to the dentist today!), I'm going to do my best not to do it defensively.

Until the next time I feel like blogging,

T. M. Strait

 

Bloomin' Allergies

The calendar doesn't say so, but it is effectively Spring here in the Southland.

In the daytime, we're reaching into the 80s, and things are starting to bloom.

Including our allergies.

Our azalea bush is starting to bloom. I didn't want an azalea bush, but it came with the house. It wouldn't help us to get rid of it. Azaleas are very popular here - our neighborhood is inundated with them.

For me, it's pretty mild. I did take an allergy pill yesterday. I may take that or a sinus pill today. I feel a sinus headache starting to build up.

It is much worse for Alison and Benjamin. They both already take an allergy pill every day. Additionally, Benjamin takes a daily pill for asthma and has an inhaler. He'll be coming down from Georgia College in Milledgeville for Spring Break next week. 

So, yay, warmer weather, y'all. The return of all those charming flying insects, especially gnats, who swarm me like they are in love with me. Please, do not tell me all your home remedy ideas. My solution? STAY INSIDE as much as possible.

It's not the North is any great treat, at least in the summer. In Michigan, the mosquitoes are much more aggressive and present. The bees are more hostile. On the other hand, Michigan does not have gators, multiple species of venomous snakes, or spiders the size of VW Beetles,

Our cars are turning dingy yellow from all the pollen. The line-up to car washes are like traffic jams to escape hurricanes or Kyiv.  

So, I do not greet Spring with the same enthusiasm I greet Fall (even if it takes until late November to get here).

At some point, the pollen phase will be over, and we will be in the feels like 112 phase.

Anybody has any suggestions where the temp highs are mid-fifties to mid-sixties pretty much year-round, please let me know. Alison and I would definitely check into it!

 

Strait's State of the Union: Saturday Political Soap Box 283

 President Biden's State of the Union address was solid.  It might not have been the highest state of rhetoric, one for the ages, but it was mega-light years ahead of the most recent former occupant.

He said little I disagree with.  He was far more bipartisan than I would have been.

Without the high flown rhetoric, here is where I see as the State of the Union:

We're in trouble, but not as far off course as we could have been.

1)  The number one concern of our times continues to be...global warming.

We are unable to pass even the most basic legislation to reverse course. This is mostly symbolized by the resistance of Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, but he is really just the frontman for corporate and wealthy interests who are more concerned about the NOW instead of tomorrow.

We also are faced with the likelihood that even mild executive actions will be reversed by one the most reactionarily conservative Supreme Courts in American History.

The clock is ticking.  It is already too late to stop.  We can only mitigate.  Perhaps Russian belligerence will finally move us to free us of our dependence on fossil fuels.

But I'm guessing it won't. 

I applaud Biden's efforts.  But without Congressional and judicial support, there may be little that can be done.

2) The conflict between autocracy and democracy is now front and center.

I don't want having to stand down Putin to be the primary focus of global reality.  But we don't always get to choose.  Our grandparents/great-grandparents certainly didn't want to be focused on Hitler.  But they didn't have any choice, and they rose to the occasion.

Now, we are being called to do the same.  For four years we had a President who worshipped at the feet of autocrats. One who dismissed NATO and withheld $391 million dollars worth of military aid to Ukraine as attempted blackmail.

We must rejoin the ranks of nations who believe in democracy.  We must turn our backs on those who would encourage coups and insurrections, those who refuse to accept the results of elections out of petty narcissism and fear of retribution for their crimes.

It is a dangerous action that the Russians have taken, and we must be cautious not to fire up World War 3.  But we need to do everything we can to support the Ukranian people -  diplomacy, supplies (humanitarian and military), shared intelligence, sanctions, sacrifice.  

I have a special message for Republicans and Trumpists who want to complain about gas prices right now - SHUT UP.  Now is not the time or place.  We must leave no economic sanction unturned, and if that means patriotically handling higher gas prices - SO BE IT.

3) The macro-economy is hitting gangbusters!

The greatest increase in jobs under any President, super-charged GDP growth, virtual full unemployment - it's all about as good as it gets. If this was under a Republican administration, we'd hear about it 24/7 blasted from the rooftops.

Yes, there are people falling through the cracks.  Child care, college expense, health care, inflation - all remain obstacles to a secure middle class life.  I insist that passing the proposed human infrastructure bill would go a long way to solving these problems - Joe Manchin, are you listening?

I'm hitting some time and length limits, so I will do my best to continue this I the near future.

God bless the Ukranian people.  I pray for a peaceful and democratic solution.

T. M. Strait

sorry for any uncorected grammar flaws.  Grammarly is having trouble functioning this morning.

Cass City Fading Blues

My first real job, beyond after-school and summer jobs, was as a teacher at Cass City High School.

Given the current talk of teacher shortages, it is hard to remember that in the late 70s, there was an oversupply of teachers. This was particularly true of social studies teachers, whom I had more than one person tell me were "A dime a dozen."

I started at the University of Michigan as Pre-Law. My dorm room faced the Law School, and I dreamed of being a lawyer someday, if not Perry Mason, at least Clarence Darrow.

Things did not go that way. I had a girlfriend whose father passed, and I was concerned about how she would pay for her schooling. I thought the School of Education would get me out earning money sooner if she needed help.

Well, it wasn't long before she broke up with me. Heartsickness and inertia kept me on the same course. I also found out how poor an advocate I was when I took college Debate and was beaten by two football players (and, yes, I know that football players can be academic achievers - however, these two did not fall into that category).  

My student teaching went well, assisting with Social Studies and US History at Willow Run High School. The town had many Southerners who had come up starting in World War II to work at the Willow Run munitions plant. Many of the students still spoke with a heavy Southern accent.

I constructed a big game around the Horatio Alger myth (that all it took to be rich was pluck and hard work). Students took on different roles and tried to improve their economic and social condition. Those already rich had plenty of advantages, and the deck was stacked against the poor. I'm not sure this game would fly today, what with the great WHITEwashing of American History that is going on.

After graduating, I tried to blanket the Michigan school systems with letters and resumes. It's not like today - each letter had to be hand-typed on my old Smith-Corona. My typing skills were poor, and my error rate was high, so this took some time.

I got a few interviews, but the primary question was always the same - "What'dya coach?"  There was a tremendous prejudice that social studies teachers needed to coach athletics to justify one's existence.

Finally, only a few weeks before the school year began, I was interviewed by Cass City. They had a position open, but not for Social Studies. It was to teach English and Speech, two subjects I had minored in. They also wanted a Debate coach. I did not explain my dismal history with Debate but bluffed my way about how good I could do.

I got the job.

I thought I had no pictures from this time, but last week, while looking for other photos, I stumbled across this album I had forgotten about that had some grotesquely faded photos from that time.

The picture above shows me at my desk. I don't remember who the student was. If you can see the board, what was written was "Intellectual Dodge Ball." That sounds like something I would try to pull off.

The student pictured above was part of our Debate Team. His name was Tim, and he was a very brilliant student.

We had little resources to pull for debate prep, mostly Newsweek and Time. This was WAY before the internet. Other schools had many more resources, like our neighboring competitor, Caro.

We made up for the lack of resources with sheer bravado and intellect. Our affirmative team had one good solid case to defend backward and forward, displaying extreme confidence. The negative team oozed Willaim Buckley's disdain level and sharpened lines of attacks against all pro cases. The topic that year? Universal health care.

The Debate team received their highest placement ever, 3rd in the state in their class division.

I believe this faded picture from days gone by is the Debate team in a prep session. I am seated near the back.

I taught 9th grade modified English. This was a class for non-college-bound students. They didn't like school, and they didn't want to be there. They represented quite a discipline challenge. I had some students sneak out a window the first week or so. Gradually, though, I developed a system of rewards that motivated them more than grades. Soon, I had students achieving more than they ever had. One student told me it was the first class she had ever gotten an A in, and she finally believed she was smart enough to achieve.  

When the school principal sat in my class in the Fall, he told me it was the best hour of teaching he'd ever seen.

By March, I was told I would not be rehired.

What happened?

I will never fully know, but consider the following -

1) Discipline was never easy for me. It was a struggle. But the Principal reviewed me a third time and said my discipline was much improved. Even so, they had no intention of reversing their decision.

2) In one of my efforts to improve discipline, I tried to get under the control of a student whose parent was on the School Board. Look, my father was my School Principal at Bridgeport. The idea of favoritism stuck in my craw. Suffice to say, even though I thought I got the student under control, he must have reached out to his father.   It wasn't until later that I found out that the student had gotten other teachers fired who dared to challenge him.

3) During the Spring of that year, the teachers of Cass City went on strike. One of the issues was hiring first-year teachers and then firing them before they got tenure in order to keep wages low.

The bottom line was that I felt defeated and scummy. My teaching career was over before it really began.

And that's the beginning of how I wound up in Georgia.

 

Our Democratic Imperative

 

President Biden gave his first State of the Union address last night.

Was it a perfect speech? No. Most speeches are rarely completely perfect. We remember significant lines that ring with us forever ("Ask not what your country can do for you," "I have a dream," "Not red states or blue states, but the United States of America"). Still, we don't remember that even those speeches may have had less memorable moments, maybe even mistakes.

Biden's speech was a poignant calling for the restoration and primacy of democracy. From his opening, supporting a democratic Ukraine valiantly fighting against the autocratic despot, Vladimir Putin, and to the end with a call for a Unity Agenda.

The resistance of the Ukrainian people has been inspiring and brave. Not since Churchill have we seen a political leader as defiant and strong as President Zelenskyy.  

The courage of the Ukrainian people is both ennobling and scary. Ennobling to see a people stand so firm against an invading tyranny, and scary because we all know what's coming - a 40-mile ling convoy coming to obliterate their capital city, Kyiv. Many of these brave souls will lose their lives, and it's breaking my heart.

President Biden emphasized his administration's many accomplishments, including unprecedented job growth, a rapidly rising GDP, infrastructure improvements underway at last, and much more.

President Biden repeated the things he wants to pass and has not been able to do so. I object to nothing he brought up, and I daresay once you remove the political blinders, do most of the American people. Despite his frustration at being blocked by two Democratic Senators, I applaud that he is not surrendering and will continue to fight. It is so easy to fold in politics if you meet resistance like Clinton did when he couldn't reform health care.

President Biden presented a unity agenda, four things he thought could pass with bipartisan support. Again, they are things a majority of us support, even Republicans.

I know where Biden's instincts are. Despite their unprincipled opposition, he thinks he can still garner Republican support. I love Biden. I think he is a good President, the leader we need at this perilous time.  

But he is wrong. Republicans will not support country over Trump. Yes, there are still a few reasonable Republicans left (Cheney, Kinzinger, Romney*), but the vast majority are still in thrall to two-time popular vote loser and twice-impeached narcissistic fraud, Donald J Trump.

The Trumpian core of the Republican Party is at heart an anti-democratic, authoritarian party. January 6th was just a symptom of their efforts to remove democratic choice from our system. The level of delusion in these people is startling and has been and will be discussed in other posts.

Thank you, President Biden, for being the source of reason, hope, and democratic fervor in these darkening times.

God bless you. God bless the troops. God bless the Ukrainian people.

T. M. Strait

*reasonable in supporting democracy and opposing Trump, not necessarily in supporting the Democratic legislation designed to help the American people. But that's ok. At least they're fighting in the marketplace of ideas, not in the cesspool of authoritarian wet dreams.

March Towards Lent

 

The Lenten season is almost upon us!

Today is Shrove Tuesday (pancake supper, y'all!), and tomorrow is Ash Wednesday.

And then Lent goes on for forty days(does not include Sundays)*. Forty nights too, probably, but I haven't added it up.

Easter Sunday is April 17. It's the first year in a long time where I won't be subsumed by tax season. I also will be free for Alison's Spring Break in early April. I also am looking forward to April for another reason that is so major that it is hard for me to keep under wraps!

Lent also means giving up things and adding some others.

What are we adding? We read (I read it aloud) a devotional from Forward Day by Day each morning. We will also start Inquirer's class at Grace, a refresher course for us about the history and meaning of the Episcopalian church.

What am I subtracting? I am reducing my social imprint, particularly on Facebook. I will only post my Song of the Day, polls for Polls R Us, and posting my blog stories. I will not post memes or pictures or what I ate for breakfast (this morning was Kashi Go! Keto Cinnamon Cereal). I will not engage in commentary or likes, or any response.

This is more difficult than it sounds because I don't really have any close friends anymore. I don't see people from work. I'm not in a play. I love my church family, but I would be hard-pressed to call any of them close and/or best friends. I am not in touch with anyone from any other place I lived, nor anyone I went to college with. My high school contacts are all from Facebook.  

Between not working and COVID, my introverted tendencies have taken ascendancy. For the most part, I am okay with that. I am introverted, after all.

Now that my comic book project is complete (except for its selling), I hope to return to more writing and blogging.

 If you would like me to email you my new blog stories, I can do that. Just message or text me your email address. I will still monitor Messenger, although I will not initiate any conversations. So if you want some blog posts but not others, let me know. If you want the personal stuff, but not the anti-Trump stuff, I can do that. If you want the political stuff but not the stuff about what I had for breakfast (Kashi Go!...wait, I already told you that...my bad), I can do that.

Until next time,

T. M. Strait

God bless and protect the Ukrainian people!

*lent is March 2nd through April 14th (three days before Easter).  I'm not sure why.  Let me take that Inquirer's class and I'll get back to you.