Cocoa Bear at 14

 

This is Cocoa Bear, our sweet dog, a puppy back in 2008.  

We wanted to get a King Charles Spaniel and Dachshund mix. We found her on a rescue site on the internet. She was located in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

We visited Atlanta, seeing my son, Doug, and an Atlanta Falcons meet the public event. At that time, Alison was a big Falcons fan, and her favorite was Keith Brookings. She and Benjamin were able to get his autograph.  

After these events, we drove to Chattanooga and visited the lady that had Cocoa Bear. We were able to see her and other pups from the litter that Cocoa Bear came from. Some Cocoa Bear's siblings looked very Dachshundy, Cocoa Bear? Not so much. She was definitely Spaniel, though.

We did the Atlanta visit and picked up Cocoa Bear on the same day. It was about ten hours of driving.

Cocoa Bear was a sweet and energetic puppy. She loved being with us. She chewed up significant chunks of our tiny wooden deck during her teething phase.

Her original name, before we adopted her, was Buttercup. That did not suit her, and Benjamin came up with Cocoa Bear.

Within a year, we realized that she could not possibly be a King Charles Spaniel.  She was way too big, not a large dog, but medium-sized, larger than you would expect from a King Charles and dachshund.

It really didn't matter.  She is our dog, and we love her.

This is Cocoa Bear today. Yes, she has aged, but she is still a sweet and loving companion. She's missing some teeth, and her tail has lost most of its hair. She has become more neurotic - she gets very anxious in rainstorms - particularly if she is left alone. It is good that my retirement keeps me home with her more. She used to really enjoy walks -taking the lead and was hard to keep pace with. Now, she lags behind me.

All three of our other dogs were adopted as adults, so their ages are slightly iffier. Adding the ubiquitous two-years-old that most rescue agencies say the adult dogs are, means that Ellie is a minimum of 14, Pixie 10, and Boss-A-Man 7 (he may be quite a bit older - the vet thought he was around ten when we adopted him, and we've had him for five years).

None of the dogs are the current pets we've had the longest. That achievement belongs to Skitty, a cat we've had for 15 years. She shows no signs of aging. She is as cantankerous as the day we got her. Ok, she can be sweet (well, not mean) sometimes, particularly to the family member she is closest to - Benjamin.

We know that Cocoa Bear is aging. But she still enjoys life and being with us, and we have and always will enjoy her companionship. Every day we have with her is a precious and special day.

Everyone Will Replace Us! Saturday Political Soap Box 286

 

I love history. It was my favorite subject in school but has also been a lifelong passion. 

I wanted to teach History. But, alas, that was not to be. I had a teaching degree that qualified me to teach it, but no one was interested in a history teacher who couldn't coach a sport. That didn't diminish my love of history, even though I am only an amateur historian.

One of the writing projects that fired me up in my late teens and early 20s was the idea of a novel inspired by James Michener, entitled Saginaw. It was intended to be a multi-generational story crossing through the history of the Saginaw area.

It would start with a conflict between two native American tribes fighting to control the Saginaw area. Subsequent parts would deal with French fur trappers and their battles with the English, the timber era and how Saginaw became the center of the lumberjack barons and their demolishment of Michigan's great forests, the rise of the auto industry and the new immigrant groups that came in (Polish, German, the South), and finally, about the 1970s and the white flight from Saginaw to the suburbs.

The point was, whether peaceful or by force, the culture of Saginaw was constantly changing, always evolving. Culture isn't fixed. It's constantly adapting, always blending.

It's essential to have a sense of history. It's important to know where you're from, understand what has happened in the past, and learn lessons from it.

What we must never do is think we can freeze culture where it is and never let it change. We cannot, for example, apply Bedouin cultural standards to modern industrial society.

Technology and knowledge change things. Sticking with fossil fuels when we know what damage they do is foolish. Because people were comfortable with child brides in the past doesn't mean we should be comfortable with them today. Because women didn't have the right to vote over a century ago, it doesn't mean they should be denied it today.

We don't live like our grandparents did. We don't get around in horses and buggies or Model T's. We can travel to Europe without it being a weeks-long ocean voyage. We've gone from radio to a TV station to several TV stations to thousands of streaming choices. We've gone from socializing through day-long church events and town festivals to social media that connects us around our globe in ways that both free us and connect us but also enforce our worst instincts and spread hate and ignorance as well as love and knowledge.

Some things have stuck with us for centuries, like our holy texts, Shakespeare, and silverware. Others last for decades, like some of our foods, our sporting games, and our religious rituals. Before we know it, other things are in and out, like fashion, music, and what we find funny.

Sports do ebb and flow. Baseball used to be our national pastime. Now it is American football. Who knows? In another few decades, it may become soccer. Or pickleball. Who knows? Golf was high in popularity but is declining now. I wonder what that means in the future to retirement communities such as The Villages in Florida, which build their communities around dozens of golf courses. That, too, is the nature of things. Cities that seemed vital in the past become less meaningful over time, with many becoming ghost cities.

There is a long tradition of gun ownership in this country. But that is changing, particularly why or what they're used for. Hunting, like it or not, is declining in this country. At one time, it was a necessity. Now it is a sport and a luxury. People keep guns to connect to their family's past, but that will mean less and less to future generations over time. Gun ownership now is mainly a result of fear of the other, the refusal to accept change, and the desire to hold back other groups and freeze culture.

That is bunk. You can't hold back time. You can't stop change.

Over time, everyone will replace us. The culture of the future will only marginally be like ours. That has its good and bad aspects. But it is inevitable.

There was another thread to this I wanted to pursue, but this is long enough. I will try to follow that other thread in a future post. 

Thank you for reading.  

Guns in the Kingdom

 I think the impression was that when the Kingdom was established and took full control, everyone everywhere would have all the guns and advanced weaponry they wanted.

Surprise!

All guns and ammo were sold by one source - Kingdom Defense (originally Daniel Defense). They had many locations throughout the South - pretty much any town with more than 1,000 people had a store. You could arrange a gun purchase online, but you had to go to the store and clear a current background check.

Background checks? Some of you familiar with the early 21s century USA may be stunned to hear that the most conservative breakaway federation installed background checks.

You had to have your Church Card, the same card that allowed you to vote and participate in many of society's activities. The saying goes, "Guns are not for atheists, communists, socialists, and the sexually deviant."

Committing any offense against the Kingdom, no matter how minor, would deny you the right to a gun. Even publicly challenging any law or edict of the Kingdom would be enough. Speaking out against any authority figure could deem you a radical.

Once the Christian Dominionists took control, they completely flipped on private citizens holding weaponry to stand against tyranny. Once in power, they were determined to stay in power.

I tried to get a gun last month. Things are getting nasty here, and I wanted to have it as a self-defense option. My application was rejected. Even with a clean Church Card, I couldn't pass the background check - my politics from before The Kingdom came were quite clear, and I had slipped up enough times to keep controversy about me alive.

I would try to get a gun through the black market, but it did not seem worth the risk of getting caught.

Crime, of a sort, had declined. Robberies and burglaries were way down. Profiling and arresting/killing innocents were way up. Despite the gun restrictions for some, many loyal Kingdomers had plenty of weaponry, and gun violence continued. Statistics were not kept (or not made public), but gun suicides and domestic violence were not unknown. Everybody knew somebody who had been involved in those kinds of incidences.

The news was filled with incidents of failed domestic terrorism. Yes, there were bad guys we had to be on guard against, but the Kingdom Knights always stopped them.

At least, that's what we were told.

This story is part of The Kingdom series, imaginary stories set in a near-future America that has been divided into several different countries.

A Gifted Interlude: My Third Job in Georgia

  When last we left my rocky career path, I was working at WKRW, the radio station owned by the couple that helped found the community theatre I participated in, The Pumphouse Players.

As detailed in last week's blog, WKRW in Cartersville, this was an interesting position but not one that was financially lucrative for myself or the owners. In addition, there were some harrowing experiences within my marriage, above and beyond money considerations, that made it difficult for me to stay.

One of those was a miscarriage. Anyone who thinks that is not a significant life event - well, you're wrong. It was devasting to Retta and me. It led to anguish and depression.

I needed to get out and have something more solid we could rely on.

Retta was a special education teacher with the Bartow County Schools. She had a great rapport with her staff and administrators.  

When an opening came up for a teacher in their Gifted program, I used those connections to help me get the job. This was sometime in the early Fall of 1980. I was replacing somebody who left unexpectedly.

I was excited. I never thought I would get a chance to teach again,  And having networked connections saved me the embarrassment of cold interviews.

The position was for an itinerant teacher, traveling between several schools and teaching different groups of gifted students, ranging from Kindergarten to Eighth Grade.  

Like the first time I taught, I started out like gangbusters. They let me organize a Presidential debate and mock Electoral College convention. It crossed the whole system, and every gifted student participated. The director of the Gifted Program and Special Education Director were very impressed.  

After that, I was significantly less impressive to them. I tried, but there was no actual assigned curriculum, and I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. So I did the best I could.

The students seemed to like me. We did a good number of games that involved thinking and strategic skills.  

In the Spring, the Special Educator Director said I wouldn't be back the next year because I didn't have the proper courses to remain certified. I don't know how they didn't know this as soon as they hired me, but c'est la vie. I told him I could get the coursework over the summer if he would give me a chance. He reluctantly agreed.

I can't remember where I got the coursework. It was not a school close by. It might have been West Georgia. I'm just not sure. It took a lot of travel, that's all I remember.

I did several things to try to make it work. I donated many children's books to their libraries, using them as books that the Gifted kids could read and take out. I'm not sure that would go over today, what with all the careful censorship and control taking place. Kids might accidentally learn slavery is terrible or something.

I created a fantasy game for the middle school students, dungeon and dragon style games for them to explore mazes and mythology and utilize their thinking and creative skills. This was interesting because I had never played Dungeons and Dragons before. It was my spin on what I thought it was like.

We created TV schedules with program descriptions, and then other classes would pick which ones they wanted to watch. Then they would refine their schedule to improve their ratings for the next time.

I did not just have them play games willy-nilly. There were points and standings, depending on how well the kids did. And that is where I got in trouble.

A parent complained, and the Gifted Program Director reamed me for it. I learned my lesson. No more competitions.

The Gifted Program Director took more rigid control over what the students did. For example, she thought it was a great idea to have kids contribute a square to a quilt, one depicting Bartow County history.   Not every kid thought this was the best idea on Earth, and I certainly had no skill. Nevertheless, I learned cross-stitch and depicted part of a county power plant.

The final straw for the Directors involved a student coming over from a different school system. He was in a gifted program at his prior school, and they put him in one of my classes. He was a behavior problem, but I gradually learned to work with him.

They decided they wanted to test him. However, they assured the parent this was for internal purposes only, and they would keep him in the program regardless of the results.

They lied. He fell short in their testing, and they decided to boot him from the program. To add to the anguish, he was black. The only black student in the county's Gifted Program.

When the parent challenged it, they wanted me to lie and say that we did not assure the parent that the child would stay in the program. I refused to lie about it.

Early in the Spring, the Special Education Director decided I would not be back for the next school year. This time, there was no talking my way out of it.

It is a point of pride that I stuck with the job for the next couple of months and did the best that I could. I hate rejection. I can't stand it when I know people don't like me. Staying there was one of the hardest things I've ever done. But I saw it through.

I had tried to be a teacher twice, and I had struck out twice. I was not going to get a third swing of the bat. It was over.

I was lost. I was depressed. I had some serious thinking to do.

I did not want to disrupt the flow of the story, but I think it important to note that we did try again after the miscarriage, and proud to have our son, Gregory Rountree Strait, born October 23, 1981.

A Tough Country to Love

 Sometimes, this is a tough country to love.

I know. Just by saying that, I have raised the ire of many and completely ruined my chances of ever running for political office. Oh, well. That ship has longed since sailed, anyways.

I've always believed in the Martin Luther King quote, "the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." When I was younger and more idealistic, I thought I would see that bend. Now, at 66, I'm not so sure.

Some things have gotten better. But even those steps forward have been brought with backlash and steps backward.  

I have seen some things improve. But I also have seen that the Empire always strikes back.

Voting rights are passed and guaranteed, only to see voter suppression legislation chip away and reverse progress.

Women's reproductive rights can be granted and then taken away.

And with the Supreme Court no longer supporting a right to privacy, we could see reversals in access to birth control, gay marriage, and even interracial marriage.

The very foundational creed of this country, e Pluribus Unum - out of many, one - is being challenged and abandoned as the racist, immoral, and WRONG Great Replacement Theory destroys everything meaningful about this country.

I know gun control measures alone won't solve the cultural sickness we suffer from. The promise of America is tempered by the sins of America.

We (the white Europeans) committed genocide against the original natives of this land - using our guns. We enslaved millions of people based on the color of their skin - enforcing it with our guns. Even after slavery was ended, that did not stop the brutality toward African-Americans. 

One of the significant factors behind us having more guns than people - it's not hunting. It's not even ordinary self-defense. It's not trying to take down a tyrannical government. It's FEAR. Fear that you will be treated as you have treated others.

And that's not easy to solve with simple gun control measures.  

But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try. 

Can you imagine if a plane were to go down because of a defective part or something that could be changed by a new safety measure, and we did nothing to change it? If we said, "Well, that's not going to solve all the plane crashes. Planes are still going to go down." Can you imagine dismissing doing anything?

Background checks won't solve all the problems. But it WILL HELP. Closing gun-show loopholes WILL HELP. Reviving the Assault Weapons Ben WILL HELP A WHOLE HELL OF A LOT.

But...the reality is that little to nothing is going to happen.

We need to control guns. We won't.

We need to reverse climate change. We won't.

We need to treat healthcare access as a human right. We won't.

We need to protect voting rights. We won't.

We need to preserve our privacy rights - women's reproductive rights, access to birth control, LGBTQ rights, and the right to marry the consenting adult WHOM YOU LOVE. I fear we won't.

The only thing that will change this is if PEOPLE vote based on these things. As long as politicians win who are in the pocket of the gun lobby, who kowtow to Christian Dominionists, who spread the fear of THE OTHER, who love fossil fuels and their money more than people, as long as they keep getting elected, then things will never change. The arc of moral justice will be delayed until nothing is left to save.

I believe in the American Creed. I believe in the melting pot. E Pluribus Unum. We are stronger when we are united, when we respect and love our diversity, and when we work to make things better for all. That is one thread of American History. And it's the thread that I love. That is what I envision when I say the pledge of allegiance - liberty and justice for all. THAT is what the flag stands for.

But there is another thread of our history - one this is vicious and mean and violent.

And right now, I fear that thread is threatening to engulf us all.

I love what my country has often struggled to represent.

I hate what it so often becomes.

You have a decision to make.

Which thread do you choose?

Choose now, while we still have a choice.

Tuesday Twitter Questions! 52422

 Once again, in lieu of a coherent topic, I answer questions people ask on my Twitter feed. I'm just trying to enjoy what I can from Twitter before Elon Musk takes it over!

Does anyone pay for Grammarly, and if you do, have you found that it's helped your writing at all?

Yes, I pay for Grammarly. I find it very helpful to keep my writing a little more on track. In fact, I am using it to help me with this post! I don't always take its suggestions. A lot of what they suggest is for more formal writing, I'm not trying to write a business letter, so I'm a bit more colloquial than it likes. I dismiss one-third to one-half of their suggestions. Some of you who are Grammar Police may notice I don't always follow the rules.

Self-published authors, how often do you check your KDP dashboard?

I used to check it a lot. I don't check it much anymore because it is way too depressing.

Ok, I'll check it now.

------

The last time I sold anything was November 2019.

Thanks for the question. Now I'm really depressed.

Good morning. Can I go back to bed?

Sure.

And thanks to the previous question, I'm already there, with a pillow I can scream into.

Do men still cook &wash the dishes????

I can't speak for the entire male species. I do a lot of the dishwashing, mostly the stuff by hand. I don't cook dishes. I hate to be a picky eater, but I don't find dishes edible or tasty.

Why don't we see the word 'pontificate' in writing more?

Uhhh...

Was there a time when we did see it a lot?

I'm not sure I've ever used it. But I'll pontificate on it more and get back to you.

Boy! Now THAT was entertainment!

Have a good day!

T. M. Strait

Tracy Holland for the National Assembly

 It's Primary Day in the Kingdom!

All the excitement and fun of watching grass grow.

Most local races are non-partisan. You don't have to declare a party to run - you just have to have an up-to-date Church Card that states what church you attend. And that church is required by law to inform the Election Board what your Sunday attendance percentage is. If it's below 60%, then your candidacy is voided, and you are not allowed to run. The Election Board will keep whatever fees you were charged. It's not their fault you couldn't follow the rules.

There are only two parties on the ballot for partisan races. You have to vote in one or the other; you can't split your ticket in primary voting. That frustrates some people because they think the primary should be it - one and done. But the Kingdom wants to suggest at least the facade of democratic choice, at least at this point.

One of the two parties is the Republican Party. But, like the persistence of the Dixiecrats decades ago, it is mostly a choice made out of habit by some elderly people. Once a Republican, always a Republican. Still, they only get about 10 to 15% of the vote in Pierce County.  

The main party, really the only viable party, is the Christain Kingdom Party, the CKP. It receives 85 to 90% of the vote. So if you win their primary, you've got a lock on winning your office. In the National Assembly, a body of  333, typically there are two or three dozen Republicans, mainly from Florida (old people - what are you gonna do?).

This is our third National Election. Even within the CKP, the number of contested primary races is getting fewer and fewer. Most people don't even want to argue anymore. What's the point?

We don't vote for President anymore. Instead, candidates are vetted through the National Council of Churches (NCC). Theoretically, they can qualify multiple candidates, but so far, they have only recommended one, and then that candidate is affirmed by the National Assembly. The most the public participates is on National Blessing Day, showing up for special services to offer their prayers and support for the new Father.

The one issue that seems to be motivating people this year is whether or not women should be included in the National Assembly. They are already excluded from the Presidency (not officially, but everyone understands that the NCC will not qualify a female candidate).  There is a woman in the Vice Presidency, but her term ends soon, and the position may be eliminated, at least according to contemplated constitutional revisions.

Hardliners want to exclude women from elected political positions, citing biblical text encouraging the subjugation of women. Please understand. This is not my interpretation of the Bible - this is theirs. Every day that I wake up, I find it hard to believe what I live in. I tell Alison we should have gotten out when we could have. I'm just grateful that my three boys aren't in the Kingdom - Doug in what's left of the USA, and Greg and Benjamin in Pacifica.

Another issue that may be debated by the National Assembly is whether certain denominations should be certified in the Kingdom. These include Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, and my own denomination, Episcopalians. This concerns me quite a bit. Without that certification, my life would be even more restricted than it is, including no longer having the right to vote.

So, that is why I'm voting for Tracy Holland for our National Assemblyperson (boy, I can't use that phrase out loud). She is slightly moderate, at least by CKP standards. She is in favor of women in the General Assembly and, as a Methodist, may be inclined not to reduce the number of sanctified denominations. At least, that's what I would hope.

I've got my church card, which has my photo ID and verification of church participation. That's all you need to vote. Forging a card to vote could result in a ten-year prison sentence. I'm not sure who's desperate enough to vote for the choices we have to think it is worth that kind of risk, so there is very little voter fraud. Just as there was little voter fraud BEFORE the Kingdom came.

When I hand the poll worker my card, she says, "You might want to consider changing churches if you want to keep voting."

Oh, yes. Things just keep getting better and better.

WKRW in Cartersville: My Second Job in Georgia

 

WKRW in Cartersville.

Just one call letter away from greatness.*  And no Turkey Drop.

My time as Circulation Manager was deeply frustrating. Any creative talents I had were ignored and ridiculed.**

In a rare moment, I followed another opportunity while still employed and not being booted or being under threat of a boot. I could have rocked on at the paper for who knows how long, as long as I understood I would never be promoted or given a more creative role.

The couple that owned WKRW were Don (pictured above) and Ollene Kordecki.  Not only were they radio station owners, they were also the founders of the community theatre group, the Pumphouse Players.

Long-time readers will know of my love of community theatre. It wasn't a done deal, as many may believe. I indeed did quite a bit of theatre in high school, but I did nothing in college and during my first years out of college.

It wasn't until I tried out for Inherit the Wind as put on by The Pumphouse Players that I reengaged with theatre. Inherit the Wind was something I performed a scene of in high school drama class, and I had fallen in love with the play. I tried out hoping for one of the lead lawyer parts but got cast as the teacher on trial for teaching evolution. So here I was, this Michigander just moved south, cast in a part playing a Tennessee school teacher. Don Kordecki was in the play-acting the part of a cynical New York reporter.

The Kordecki's friendship and encouragement steered me into my lifelong passion for community theatre. Soon, I was doing lead parts, and I won the Best Actor award two years in a row, once for a comedy and once for a drama.

Their friendship led me to interview and try for a position at their radio station. And I got it! Networking is King.

Unfortunately for both of us, that position was in sales. You hear about the guy who could sell ice to an Aleutian? I was the opposite. I couldn't sell water to a drought-stricken desert dweller.

I tried. They gave me a list of clients and potential leads to additional clients. Your pay was based on commission - how much ad time your clients bought.  

I don't remember successfully adding new clients. My strongest memory is of a guy who had a large clothing store. I managed to get a lunch meeting with him, but my social studies background, where everything is couched with conditions and uncertainty, caused me to be more couched with my language rather than the glad-handing confidence a salesman exudes. I know that, in my conversation, I used the word assume. I know this because I'll never forget his response, "Do you know what it means to use the word assume? It means you are making an ASS out of U and ME!"

Yes, I know that's an old trope. But it was the first time I had heard it. Needless to say, I did not get any of their advertising dollars.

It was not all doggy downers. Don and Ollene were as kind and as supportive as they could be. And I got to write and perform ads! And they were creative! I thought I added quite a bit of zip to their commercial time using multiple voices and humor.

That part mostly went well. However, one client, a sandwich shop, responded negatively to one of my extravaganzas - "Just tell them what sandwiches we have and where we're at."  Oh, well,  Not everything is a home run.

The music format of WKRW was pop. On weekends, they would do Casey Kasem's Top 40, or a similar countdown. They were known as the WKRW (Wicker) Rocker. Clever.  

Don had a community talk show in the mornings, and occasionally he let me on as a guest to talk about politics. That's right. I was doing political talk radio before anybody else. And no, I wasn't as Progressive then as I am now, but I was still center-left.

I got to interview two politicians. One was Zell Miller, then running as a CENTER LEFT candidate for U.S. Senate, opposing Senator Herman Talmadge in the Democratic primary. The sitting Lieutenant Governor, he at the time seemed very reasonable, certainly a better alternative than the corrupt and racist Talmadge,  and we had an incredible conversion, lasting an hour.  

He lost that election but later became Governor of Georgia. He was one of the best Governors since I've been living here. He helped bring into being the Hope scholarship, one of Georgia's greatest blessings, as it helps cover a good chunk of the tuition for so many of our college attendees. Benjamin has had an advanced lever of it, called the Zell Miller Scholarship, which awards those with higher grades to cover ALL their tuition. 

Along about 2004, Zell, no longer Governor, now a U. S. Senator, took a sharp turn right and became a spitting, foaming, angry conservative. I don't know what happened.  

My second interview was with former Mississippi Governor Cliff Fitch, running for US President in the Democratic primary. Yeah, you don't remember him. Think hard. He's doing interviews with an obscure nobody in the small town of Cartersville, Georgia, the home state of the incumbent President of the United States, Jimmy Carter.

We met at a diner, I think in Woolworth's. He seemed... a little off to me. I wasn't then, nor am I now, an expert on alcohol, but there was a slight smell, and he seemed a little..off. Like Zell Miller, I got the impression he was center-left. But I was not impressed. Neither were the voters. He got 0.25% of the country's Democratic primary vote, and earned zero delegates.

But I did get to interview a presidential candidate. Huzzah!

I was earning less than minimum wage, so it was not something I could keep up. In addition, there was strain in my marriage, and I realized I needed to do something else. The Kordecki's were understanding, but they deserved someone who could make them more money.

So, once again, I found myself looking for something else. Another networking opportunity soon appeared.

I was at WKRW for less than a year.

In researching this, I found out that both Dan and Ollene have since passed away, Don in 2010 and Ollene in 2015. I was greatly saddened to read about this. They were great people, and they meant the world to me. Literally. They opened up the world of community theatre to me, which has been a blessing ever since.

* the very funny TV show, WKRP in Cincinnati.  You don't know it?  OMG, some of you are so YOUNG!

**check out the post Proof of Existence: My First Job in Georgia.

Boss-A-Man Finds the Ott-O-Man

 

How 'bout that doggy?

Our church was finally able to bring back one of our big fundraisers - the New to You sale.  Hundreds of gently used items sold for a song.

Unfortunately, my singing wasn't enough, and I add to add Ten Bucks to come away with this GIGANTIC ottoman that I could put in front of my reading chair.

And, yes. Boss-A-Man was the first of our four dogs to use it.  It's great because he can watch me while I'm on the computer.  I loves my retirement dog!

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

I'm not going into great details about what I'm doing or not doing.  I'M RETIRED.  I'M DOING WHAT I WANT TO DO.  I don't want to be judged by the rat race anymore.

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

If you must know, one of my big projects, organizing and promoting the sale of almost 9,000 comic books.  Well, I am happy to report that...

I HAVE A BUYER!

There is some work left to get the books shipped, but my first big retirement project is on its way to completion!

It's not a fortune - won't be able to buy a cottage near my grandchild, but it is more money than I would make working part-time in accounting.

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

The Supreme Court news continues to dominate.  Remember when I said it wouldn't stop at abortion?  Well, it's happening now.  Some state legislatures are moving to ban contraception, including criminalizing the use of IUDs.  One Arizona Senate candidate even is talking about banning condoms.

The party of limited government wants to be in your bedrooms and in your doctor's office.

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

Hope to go to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, put on by WACT.  Seeing the diverse cast for this show has renewed my enthusiasm to see it.  Everyone in the area should come out for this fantastic production.

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

I guess that's enough for this Wednesday.  Got to move on to do whatever it is I'm doing in retirement!

T. M. Strait

Wednesday's Tale is Full of Woe

 

Today, as the news sinks in, it is truly a tale of woe.

Not for me, personally.  As far as my life goes, I have good health, a loving family, an open and friendly church, theatre if I want to participate, affectionate pets, and plenty of books and streaming apps.  Besides, at least for this immediate ruling, I guess I am part of the dominant patriarchy that this ruling favors.

But for this country - this is not very good news.  I probably should wait for a Saturday Political Soap Box for this, but some things are just too urgent.  So, for those who like my stuff, as long as I don't get too political - too bad, so sad.

My own position has been that I don't like abortion.  I have an early definition of the conception of life - once the DNA is zipped, a unique, one-of-kind entity is formed. This is worth protecting and cherishing.  This is my PERSONAL belief.  It has nothing to do with what I want to impose on other people.

An important fiat to my opinion - I'm a MAN, not a WOMAN.  

It does no good to criminalize or interfere with the decisions made between a woman and her doctor.  No one other than those two has any business in being involved.

Going hard at outlawing abortion does absolutely nothing to make it more rare.  It will continue.  Rich women will seek out states (or countries) where it is permitted. Poor women will find illegal and dangerous methods, maiming or killing both the unborn and the woman.  Yes.  Like everything in America, the poor and women of color will bear its brunt.

It is proven over and over again.  States where abortion is permitted. BUT have greater access to contraception, sex education, and support for mothers and children, see their abortion rates drop dramatically.  States and countries that restrict abortion and do not support young mothers see their abortions stay the same or climb.

It's almost like we've forgotten what being a Christian means.  Kindness, generosity, and support do a hundred times more than force, brutality, and hate.  Jesus says nothing about abortion (nor an even bigger problem of his time - infanticide).  But we know what he preached - love.  

I tell you this not as a pro-choice fanatic who wants to see abortion occurring as a primary form of birth control.  It is not a casual thing.  But it is not my decision to make.  Pro-life, as conducted by the far right in this country, isn't really about life - it's about control of women.  It's about putting them in their place.  It's about pro-birth, even at the cost of life and reason.  These same people are most often the ones who advocate capital punishment, guns unrestricted and everywhere, fossil fuels over renewables, oppose any human infrastructures spending (like health care and child care), oppose increases in the minimum wage, want to suppress the vote, rail against immigration - how is any of this pro-life?

I choose to reflect my opposition to abortion by making circumstances BETTER rather than worse.  The power of the sun and light is infinitely stronger than the power of the dark and hate.  I thought every person of faith knew this.  I guess I am wrong.

The destruction of the right to privacy (which, as currently worded, this opinion will do) will not stop at abortion.  Other rights we have taken for granted could be taken away under this theory - access to contraception, interracial marriage, same-sex marriage, and so much more.  Outlawing abortion is only the tip of the crapberg headed our way.

Those of you who have wished for this - important words of warning; be careful what you wish for.  This will not work out the way you think it will.

You are in for the biggest surprise of your life.

Backlash is a two-way street.

May Monday Musings

 "What chu' gonna write about today, Daddy?"

I don't know, Boss-A-Man.  But I need to get back into the habit of writing.  Although I am really enjoying retirement, I still like to feel a sense of accomplishment, and contributing to my blog helps with that.

I would love it if my blog experienced growth, even if it was slow and steady, but after ten years, that doesn't seem to be in the cards.

I am looking forward to seeing my granddaughter in July.  She will be a little over three months old when I see her.  I am unable to share pictures of her, so you will have to trust me.  She is beautiful and growing up healthy and strong.

Other than New York, Alison and I have no major trips planned. Maybe we'll go to St. Augustine in the late Fall.  Something like that.

We're hoping to pay off the house in the next year or so and then concentrate on building up resources to travel more. It looks like our major vacation destination is going to be New York.

I have sent information about my comic collection to a couple of interested parties, but I have not heard back yet.  If I could get that sold for a fair price, it could help accelerate our paying off the house.

I've tried to pay more attention to my health this last month, with mixed results.  My weight is going down, I'm not too worried about my blood pressure, but I'm not making much of a dent in my blood glucose readings.  I'll get tested at a lab in June, and then we'll see whether or not I have to go on some medication.  Right now, odds favor that, but I'm going to try as hard as I can to get it as straightened out as I can.

I have been exercising more, most days with three walks.  I should add strength exercises, but I find them hard to do with my weak concept of coordination and they are boring beyond belief.

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I went out to see a play put on by my friend Kimberly Beck.  Sher directs plays for Southside Christian School, and they put on a play about the Winnie the Pooh characters.  It was charming and entertaining to see young children perform and learn about theater.  

We used to have a group called Flying Dragon Arts Center, a great children's theater, mainly through the efforts of the Jeffords family.  It's where I acted in and later directed the Wizard of Oz.  It gave Benjamin many great acting opportunities, including performing with me. In addition, I co-wrote and co-directed my own musical, The Adventures of Young Robin Hood. It was a significant positive learning experience for my family and many other families in the area.

More than any of us former Flying Dragoneers, Kimberly Beck is doing the most to keep that spirit alive. I applaud and respect her efforts.

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The world continues to spin in dangerous directions.  Russian aggression threatens the stability and peace of the world as a whole.  Ukrainian efforts to stay free have been awe-inspiring, but the capacity of the Russians to keep striking in bloody ways is frightening.

We are also faced with the threat of global warming.  Our weather is becoming more and more destabilized, creating crisis conditions all around the planet. However, we don't have to wait thirty years to see the effects of climate change.  They are happening RIGHT NOW.

Sure, inflation is worldwide and is a problem of 1) demand exceeding a weakened supply chain, 2) other COVID recovery-related issues - seriously, did anyone think we wouldn't have inflation as the economy struggled to return to normal as COVID concerns receded? 3) the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its resultant effect on energy prices - seriously, you don't want to stand up to Russian aggression?  You're not willing to pay a little more at the pump to help that happen?  If not, you really need to shut up about being a patriot or pro-democracy; 4) corporate greed as they use minor cost increases as an excuse to hike major price increases.  Yes, they're increasing prices greater than they need to cover costs. They don't have to worry about competition because most of our businesses are monopolies or oligarchies. 

Given all that, it seems like blaming Biden, and the Democrats for it is a useless and stupid gesture.  But that is actually what's going to happen.  People will turn to an anti-democratic party with exactly ZERO plans to combat inflation.

The cost of America's hissy fit will be - accelerated climate change, complete loss of women's reproductive rights and essential health, yet even more tax breaks for the wealthy and mega-corporations, further reductions in wages and unionization, persecution of the LBGTQ+ community, many public schools becoming Christian academies, the truth no longer being taught in History (Florida is censoring Math texts, fer cryin' out loud!), voter suppression, state election officials overruling the votes in counties with large populations of people of color, reduction of access and affordability of health care, and that's the just the tip of the crapberg!

Inflation?  Odds are that's gonna dissipate over time anyways. If it happens under a Democratic President, he won't get any credit for it.  If it happens under a Republican President - TICKER TAPE PARADES AND JUBILATION!

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Anyhoo, how's your Monday going?

Musingly Yours, 

T. M. Strait