Second Thanksgiving in the New Era

  Happy Thanksgiving, y'all.

In the past, I have blogged a list of 31 things I am thankful for, revising it each year for any changes.

That's very tough to do this year, as it was last year.  We are still in the new era of the second Trump administration, as the country continues to fast slide into authoritarianism.

It's not that I don't have plenty to be grateful for. I am thankful for my family, my friends, our health, our pets, my church, and many of my church family. 

I am grateful for our new addition, Scout.  I am not a cat person, but I am a Scout person.  We have a special bond that I would not have believed possible.

I am thankful that my son, Benjamin, and our friend, Anita Lynn, will be with us for Thanksgiving. Our home Thanksgiving will be on Friday this year.

Watching my beautiful granddaughter grow has been a blessing for Alison and me.  She is three, and we had the pleasure of going to Disneyland with her, her parents, and my eldest son, Greg.  And we had the extreme pleasure of her visit here in August.  We also have plenty of video calls.

There are many personal things that I am thankful for.

But it is challenging to be completely thankful when the nation that I love so much has had its happiness and future snatched away from us. Deterioration in policy and civic virtue, the marginalization of entire groups of people, and the use of insulting language accelerate daily.

It's challenging to live in a county where 89% of the voters chose the orange fascist. The only positive sign is that in a recent off-year election, the Democratic candidates for State Public Service Commissioners garnered 14% of the county vote, up from the usual 10%. Whoop-it-da-dee--doo.

I won't go into all the many ways that this unfortunate decision has affected us in the US and around the globe. I have plenty of posts about that, and will have plenty more.

I wish I could be like so many who have decided to cut these poisonous people from their lives. I'm doing it to the extent that I can. But it's not easy when the view that thinks this is okay is dominant here. That this was just another election, and why can't we all be friends?

As many have clarified, it's not a difference in politics; it's a basic difference in morality. And that is hard to get around.

I'm doing the best I can. Thankfully, I no longer have to work in an environment filled with his supporters.  Church is difficult. We have Trump supporters in our church, although I don't believe they are the majority.  I have been good and kept my mouth shut, but it's not easy, and it does take a toll on my health.

Today I have to go into the Lion's Den and have a Thanksgiving meal with relatives who support him. If I were a stronger person, I would challenge their cultish beliefs. But I can't do that. It's not in me. But I  will do my best to minimize interaction beyond what is needed to be polite.

I write many things on my blog - family, nostalgia, movies/TV/books/theatre, etc. It is still dominated by the Trumpocalypse, I am afraid.

There is still too much anger, fear, and rage.  

I can't let it go. To do so would be to surrender to fascism and to accede to the immorality of the narcissist in chief.

If that bothers you, then cut me off. Because it's not going to stop.

I can't let it go.

As dark as times are, I refuse to stop lighting up what I can.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all, including the Trumpeteers. I despise what you did and will never understand or forget it. You betrayed your country.  You betrayed your faith.  You betrayed any sense of morality. But on a personal level, I wish nothing but the best for you, your family, and your friends. 

United States of America

1776 - 2025

A noble experiment has come to an end.

Someday, God willing, it will be returned to us.

But for now.

It is gone.

The EVOlution of Majorie Taylor Greene

 

Margorie Taylor Greene is a POS. Sorry for the hidden expletive, but that is her history.

From Jewish space lasers, to her vilification of immigrants, her wanting to divide the country between Democrats and Republicans, her blind support of the Orange Conman, her demonizing the trans community, her blatant racism and support of the worst of the insane QAnon theories - everything about her is off and off-putting.

Yet, as she blithely wanders into the trash bin of American history, something has happened. 

She has begun to sound halfway reasonable on some points.

She supported the release of the Epstein files, long before the current avalanche of CYA Republicans, even to the point where she was ready to name names on the Congressional floor.

Of equal, if not greater, significance, she began to recognize that the Trump economic policies were not working and that the average American was suffering under them.  The price of groceries, Americans' dashed dreams of owning a home, the cost of medical insurance, and more.  She suddenly became concerned about how much her constituents would have to pay when the ACA support was cut. In some ways, she was sounding more like Bernie Sanders than Donald Trump.

She also apologized for her extremist rhetoric, promised to tone it down, and work with others, INCLUDING DEMOCRATS! She said all Americans, of either party, loved America and wanted to do their best by our country, and work together with them.

OMG!  

As this teen actress screamed in the movie Poltergeist...

WHAT'S HAPPENING!?!?!?

There are a number of theories. She might be positioning herself for a post-Trump world, running for the Senate, or even (GULP!) the Presidency.  It might be motivated by extreme hatred for somethingTrump did to her, and this is her revenge tour. It might be to obtain a leadership role in a reformed Republican Party.

Or, maybe, just maybe, she did have some sort of small epiphany that is making her rethink some of her former positions.  She cites relatives and friends who are struggling with healthcare costs.  Maybe a light bulb went off in her head that the struggles of the working class are not all about the evils of immigration or Democrats.  

Regardless of her motivation, I have three general observations.

1) If Democrats really want to get things done, they need to work with people who are willing to collaborate on Progressive legislation.  You don't need to become her bestie to help extend the ACA credits. Talking to each other like real people, rather than cartoon stereotypes, might change people in unexpected ways.  Just refusing her help and doing nothing but badmouthing her isn't going to help bring about the reconciliation this country needs.

2) Nothing I've seen from her indicates that she is going to stop vilifying immigrants (undocumented or otherwise), and the lgbtq+ community, particularly trans people.  As far as I can tell, she is still a Christian Nationalist. 

3) Democrats need to capture the high ground.  They absolutely MUST lead the way in defending the working class.  They cannot let the far right be the leading voice on working-class issues.  This is how we wound up with Trump in the first place.  Both Hilary and Kamala spent WAY too much time catering to disaffected Republicans and not enough to firebrand progressive solutions to working-class problems.  Democrats need to turn away from corporate and billionaire donors, or they will become the dinosaurs of American politics. 

So, no, she is not super embraceable.  I do not expect her and AOC to become besties.

But we need to learn to forge coalitions wherever we can, even on individual issues.  Bernie and AOC have often alighed with surprising REpublicans to present bipartisan efforts - Bernie on veteran's issues, and AOC on not allowing congresspeople from benefiting from insider trading. Those are just two examples.  

Thanks to Trump's disastrous economic policies, his infantile and greedy behavior, and his undeniable Epstein connection, our politics are once again in flux.  And progressive Democrats must be nimble enough to take advantage of it.

It's not about elections.

It's about doing good for the American people.

This isn't a West Side Story-style gang war.  It's about moving the country forward, to a place more equal and beneficial.

Return of the Wednesday Wanderings

 This may be for faithful followers only.

I used to do this type of post that would wander from topic to topic.

Well, as I re-anchor what my blog is for, I'll wander for a little while.  Some of these may be developed later.  Others may just sink into the ether.

HEALTH UPDATE

As some may know from prior posts, I am now struggling with type 2 diabetes. 

After they finally realized I couldn't swallow metformin, I started Rybelsus, which is the pill form of Ozempic.

Within a month, I lost 12 pounds.  Also, my first lab work shows a reduction in blood glucose from 133 to 86, and an A1C reduction from 6.7 to 6.1.  

They have changed my pill from 3mg to 7mg.  I thought maybe I would lose more weight, but instead it has stabilized.  I'd love to lose more, but the important thing is my numbers are way better.

A word about being on Ozemopic—it wasn't something I demanded.  I just needed a pill I could swallow.  It is a bit embarrassing to me now that MAGA idiots like Dr. Oz are promoting the drug so heavily, even just for weight loss.  I swear to you, my primary goal is not weight loss.  It's controlling diabetes.  

My blood pressure, on the other hand, has not made similar improvements. Weight loss, exercise, or diet will not get me down to teenage levels of blood pressure readings.  But I'm monitoring more closely, and time will tell.

POLITICAL UPDATE

The corporate Democrats caving on the shutdown and insisting that the ACA credits be preserved is heartbreaking, but, sadly, not unexpected.  You know they are gonna Lucy with the football that thing.  No surprise that any promise the Republicans make means s--t.

Things like this make me proud to call myself an Independent Progressive and not a Democrat.

By the way, you do realize that when the Republicans call it the Democrat Party instead of the Democratic Party, they are hurling an insult?  The press used to note this to Republicans who would slur this, but not anymore.  Now it flies unchecked so much that I think many of you don't know it's wrong.

ENTERTAINMENT UPDATE

I haven't given up on the Top 100 20th Century Science Fiction countdown.  It takes me a while to find and see them.  I'm using a dozen or more sources, including premium and free streaming services (I make no apologies for being a streamaholic).  I also use the library, and if it comes to worst, I am renting them.  It all takes time.

I'm also thinking of a list of my top ten favorite movies.  There will be individual selections, as well as categories.  I would name Blazing Saddles as a favorite, but I would also highlight all my other Mel Brooks favorites.

I may post about what I am streaming and my recommendations.  Right now, I am watching the third season of Invasion on Apple+ TV.  It's not bad, but some episodes move slowly, and the storyline sometimes diverges into things that make you want to go - Could you please just get back to the story?

RELIGION UPDATE

Yep. I'm still at Grace Episcopal. Yep, I still work part-time for the church.  It gets frustrating around budget time, but I'm hanging in there.

The image above is designed to draw in unsuspecting readers. It kinda speaks for itself.  There's some uproar about a woman who called religious entities with a plea for food and formula for her young child.  Of course, the mosques and Hindu temples were all in.  Of course, the Christian Right churches were declining to help. Of course.

The Christian Reich is a heretical embarrassment, and I just pray that genuine Christianity survives it.  We are making a very, very bad impression, folks.

WRITING UPDATE

It's frustrating, but I'll try to do better.  I need to re-establish a writing routine, but it has been fairly elusive.  Wish me luck.

I am not getting my Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine subscription in time to compete in the Mysterius Photograph contest.  That is deeply frustrating to me. I may need to find other flash fiction contests to compete in.

FAMILY UPDATE

Alison and I celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary with a stay on St. Simons.  It was brief but good to get away.

Benjamin has survived the shutdown, and his job is going well.  He likes the work and the people he is working with.

I've enjoyed soccer conversations with my two older boys, and get video messages from my Granddaughter, Retta.  I would love to show you pictures of her, but there is an understandable ban on any pictures on Social Media.

PET UPDATE

I love Scout and Pixie.  Scout and Pixie love me. Especially around meal time.

Wanderingly Yours,

T. M. Strait

AOC '28

Surender

 I don't want to quit.

But it's getting very frustrating.

I know I'm flawed. I love to get feedback. By nature, I'm a storyteller. I love to get applause and attention.

When I was working, the theatre and creative arts were the only way I could survive. I was in a profession where I was competent but not a star, where there was little attention or positive reinforcement. But I could go onstage and get the confirmation I craved— that I wasn't a complete loser, that there was something I could do well, and that people appreciated it.

I even had a period where I was writing entire books and self-publishing them. The first, History of the Trap, garnered some local attention and sold a few copies, with ebook sales of around 300.

But then...it slowly went away. I wrote another book and a couple of collections that immediately sank into obscurity.  

I have an entire book, The Extra Credit Club, that I've never published. The initial advanced readers were mixed, and I lost heart. I didn't know how to fix it, and I can't afford an editor.

Since retirement, I haven't written any long-form stories. No novels. You would think I would have more time, but I haven't organized myself that way. Partly, it is a long time to spend on something that will never make any impact.

At one time, I was making an entry every day on The Strait Line. Since then, it has gradually diminished. I may end the year with about 50 entries.  

I recently wrote my Halloween story, Halloween On ICE, and although it has some views, there has been no reaction —positive or negative. I finally got Alison to read it by posting it directly on her Facebook feed. Even then, it took her a day or two to find it.

So, yes, part of the problem is the social media feeds. Facebook doesn't post my blog posts to many people. Why? Because they think of my blog as a MONEY_MAKING enterprise, and that I should pay them to post it more widely. No, I'm not making any money off my blog. I'm even lifetime-banned from having advertising on it.

People who post directly on Facebook get more notice than my blog stories do. That is true...EVEN FOR ME.  

It's also crushing to keep posting about the Orange Conman and not see any improvement in this area. People are not waking up in my Trumpian county, no matter what he does. No matter how rotten things get. Even when he symbolically dumps crap on them.

So, yes, not to sound like a teenage wannabe influencer, but the lack of feedback does get frustrating.

But there is another reason. One that I was not expecting.

I love being retired. I love being out of the rat race. I love not having to worry about tax season, or which loophole I have to find.

I like being with my pets. I love the time with Alison. Yes, I love reading and catching up on TV series and classic movies. I love my church, and I love being a lector, an intercessor, giving time and money to those in need, and even occasionally preaching. I love being more of a help in cleaning and taking care of the house. I love my library and reading at Story Time. I love seeing my granddaughter, even in FaceTime. I love my sons, sharing soccer games with my two older boys, and visiting the youngest, BenJerMan.  

The drive to be famous, the drive to prove my worth, has diminished. I don't have to worry about a job that constantly crushes my soul.

So, part of the problem is the lack of feedback.

But it's also because I'm no longer haunted by my sense of inferiority. 

I'll get in a better mood. Sometimes, I might write more, or do a play again.

But it'll be because I want to,  Not because I have to.

Sincerely, 

T.M. Strait

AOC '28