Sunshiney Monday Musings

 This is a picture of my church.  Grace Episcopal in downtown Waycross.  We are undergoing a transition as our Reverand of 11 years has retired.

I'm happy to report that our attendance has remained high, and many are pitching in to help the church continue to function and thrive.  It may be a while before we have a new priest, but our faith and people keep us strong.

Speaking of witch, we are having one of our major events of the year, Holy Ghost Weenie Roast.  It's a church celebration, including a service and plenty of fun!  All are invited!

Two of my friends, Julianna Leverett (painting) and Cathy Dee Janes (photography), had entries in the Annual Okefenokee Heritage Center Arts Contest.  I went to the Heritage Center Thursday and saw the fantastic local art.  The winners were announced Sunday (I think), but I don't know who they were.

I've been looking for a focus for this coming second year of my retirement (in addition to writing), and I have set the far-fetched goal of learning enough about drawing to enter next year's contest.  I would not anticipate winning, but I would like to become good enough to enter.  Wish me luck!

Although plans to see my Grandaughter this Thanksgiving have fallen through, we are now planning a major trip this Spring.  When one door falls shut, another one springs open!

Musingly Yours,

T. M. Strait

Open Mic Night at The Wayne County Arts Center!

I, T. M. Strait (my illustrious pen name), will be there to do selected readings from one or more of my books!

History of the Trap: Tear One

a YA novel with mystery, SciFi, action, and romance

The Twilight Zone crossed with Harry Potter, Hunger Games, and Stranger Things

Crowley Stories: Swamp's Edge

inter-related slice of life short stories featuring a small Southeast Georgia town on the border of the Okefenokee Swamp

Here Comes Tommy

imaginative and entertaining stories about my not so wayward youth

Adventures in Time and Space

a nifty collection of stories for young readers, from late elementary through early high school

I will be there to read from and talk about my books.  I may accidentally have a few copies available for purchase.  As always, the books can be found online, from the author, or at the Okefenokee Heritage Center.

Come out if you can!  There will be many exceptional local talents there!  And if you can't, please be sure to check out my books at your favorite online retailer!

The Boys Are Back Onstage!

Community Theater.....I love it!

I especially love it when families participate together. Nepotism be darned, it's a joy when family members get to contribute their talents to a show.

Benjamin has been performing in different shows from five years old on up to the present.  Sometimes we're together, sometimes we're not.  But from running in place with him in Alice In Wonderland (I was the King of Hearts, he was a Squire), to the present production, where I am Mr. Frank and he is Peter Van Daan in The Diary of Anne Frank, every moment has been a joy and a privilege.  Some moments can be more challenging than others, but we learn and we grow.

Seeing him onstage at times, I realize that not only is he good, but he is starting to surpass me.  He is a talented  actor, and he is the natural charm and humor to connect well with audiences.

But we are not the only family team in the current production. Lamar Deal and Barbara Griffin are the husband and wife team that are at the core of Purlie Productions.  They are both in The Diary of Anne Frank, Lamar as Mr. Van Daan and Barbara as Mrs. Frank.

My good friend and longtime thespian companion, Kimberly Beck, plays Miep (who helps hide the family) and her brilliant daughter, Emily, who positively shines as Anne Frank.  I'll say it straight out, hopefully in a way that other theater groups will hear - Emily Beck is the area's most talented young actress.  Period.

The brother-sister duo of Amara Grace Jeffords and Aidan Jeffords are both in the play, Amara as Margot, Anne's sister.  They are both amazing talents, and part of the Jeffords family, who have contributed so much to the artistic community of our area, including their founding and support of that fantastic children's theater, Flying Dragon Arts Center.  The Flying Dragon also ran the concessions for our show.  Okefenokee Heritage Center! - Flying Dragon! - Purlie Production! - I LOVE it when the Arts community comes TOGETHER!

My dear friend, Julianna Lacefield, is performing with her two sons, Hemingway and John.  Julianna is absolutely, glowingly pitch perfect as Mrs. Van Daan.

Even our backstage crew is family.  Samantha and David Bruchie, husband and wife, are singlehandedly most responsible for this play being a success, operating lights, soundboard, stage managing and co-directing.  Truly, their contributions make this play work!

Benjamin will graduate in two years, and my opportunities to act with him my be few and far between.  So I am treasuring every moment I can.

Community "family"  theater...I salute you!

People in the play!  Neil Morris as Mr. Dussell, Julianna Lacefield as Mrs. Van Daan, me as a whale sized version of Mr. Frank, Barbara Griffin as Mrs. Frank, Lamar Deal as Mr. Van Daan, Amara Grace Jeffords as Margot Frank, and the thumbs up kid, Benjamin Strait, as Peter Van Daan.

Me with the incredibly talented Emily Beck as Anne Frank.

The Limits of Wednesday Wanderings

I can wander today.  Wander all I want.  But by Friday morning I need to come up with a theme.  Why?  Because I send out a newspaper column every Friday morning, to all the papers that may rum it.

It's amazing that is happening, It's not quite the direction I would have predicted that my writing would go into.  But it is there, and my name is getting known throughout the state (for better or worse, depending how people react to what I write).

So more and more of my limited writing time and what I focus on is being devoted to that column. The only trouble with that is that there is no remuneration in connection with it.  That in itself is okay - I have a platform that many would envy.  But as I move closer to the time when I could retire or substantially cut back from accounting, I need to figure out substitute courses of income.

I have an unusual knack for doing things that I enjoy and am good at, and doing them in such a way that garners no additional income.  I suppose there is a way to syndicate the newspaper column and make money off of it, but I have failed to grasp that, and remain insecure that any would want it if they have to pay for it.

I'm a very good actor, and have been in innumerable successful productions,but I have been completely incapable of converting that to anything that could earn even transportation costs.  I haven't tried, nor do I know how to try, to be an extra or minor actor in the burgeoning film industry that has come to Georgia.  The fear is that I'm good, but I'm not that good.


I have an almost meta-human talent to read aloud, and I can give a written speech or presentation like nobody's business.  I read  as a lector at church, and that's about it.  I have a feeling if I was in a different denomination, more evangelical, I could do quite well, somewhere between your successful local Baptist preacher and Joel Osteen. But my theology is not inclined that way.

I have seen opportunities to help record books on tape, that the audio versions of stuff do quite well, and I think I could be quite good at doing that.  But I have not followed up on it, partly due to time, and partly due to the nagging fear that, although I might be good, that I am not good enough.

My book and eshorts are doing okay, but I have noticed so far that they only do about as well as the amount of money that I am willing to put into promotion of them.  That's a very risky thing.  I probably should have tried harder to find a literary agent , but there again is that nagging fear - I'm not really good enough for an agent.


I'll continue to work on the edge, doing whatever I can to solve this problem, within the limits of time and my personality.

It's a puzzle, but one I hope I can solve.

Plea From the Non-Poetic Heart

As you may have heard, this Friday is a very special event sponsored by the Okefenokee Writer's Guild.  We are having a Poet's Corner Night at the Okefenokee Heritage Center at 7 PM.  It is a first time event, and I'm very unsure of the crowd levels we'll get.  Barbara Griffin and Lamar Deal have done an incredible job promoting and preparing for the event.  I appreciate everything that they are doing.

I have poetry, but I've never had much confidence in it.  I have no ability to distinguish between the quality of the poems that I have, so I am highly unsure what if any I should try to read.

If anyone would like to check out the Strait Line for poetry, and note to me the ones you would most like to read, it would be of a great guidance to me.  You just go to my blog and follow the pseudo-poetry and psuedo-poetry labels.  Just let me know by comment or message if there is one that you thing would be good for me to read.

I will be reposting on Facebook different poem possibilities over the next couple of days.  If you happen to read and like it, please mark it like on Facebook, and I will read those poems most liked.  Based on the reaction to my Song of the Day feature, or my sparse voting in the Ripping good Yarn contests, this may not be very promising, but hey, what else can I do?

Thanks,

T. M. Strait

Ripping Good Yarns: Stiffing Woody

Woody Allen and Diane Keaton in Annie Hall, a great movie from 1977.  Was it great enough to beat out Star Wars for Best Picture?  I think not.  But nevertheless, it did.

Hollywood and the media are all a twitter-pated; do we stiff Woody and his films, or do we acknowledge his great contributions to the arts?  Not being an immediate party to events, it is hard for me to say.  But many who know him have taken sharply contrasting views in the debate.

I liked Woody Allen a lot when I was younger.  his nebbish underdogism, his neurotic humor appealed to me. I saw some of myself in Woody Allen, wanting to turn a self-deprecating humor on myself before others had a chance to.  And if beautiful women found him appealing from time to time, that gave me a small hope.  Unfortunately, unlike Woody, I was not in a movie, and a little control over the script.

The first Woody Allen movie I remember seeing was Sleeper, a nice little spin on H. G. Wells book, The Sleeper Awakes.  I saw while in college at a large downtown theater.  I sat in the balcony, and the theater was packed.  It was, as he sometimes says, one of his early funny ones, and it was a blast.  Woody, a health food store operator, wakes up 200 years in the future and finds one of the the things that have changed is what is considered health food.  Upon awakening, the first thing the scientists do is offer him chocolate cake and a cigarette, as they have found out that these are actually the best things for you.  anyone who has followed health news in the subsequent decades as since this movie came out must appreciate how often nutrition news is stood on its head.  Indeed, even though smoking will always be bad, there is a school of thought that chocolate and its antioxidants are actually very good for you.

This movie also began his relationship with Diane Keaton, a relationship that always stood out to me because my first great love, Cindy, looked eerily like Diane Keaton, and even shared some of the neuroses as portrayed in Woody's movies.  I thought, if Woody had a shot at a woman that beautiful, why not me?

By the time Annie Hall came out, my own Diane Keaton had left me, preferring a tall Sorority President who liked to drink and was very popular.  So watching the movie was very difficult for me.  And yes, even with all that emotional impact behind it, I still preferred Star Wars.

But as I got older, and how I related to women changed, my fascination with the nebbish character of Woody Allen also faded.  I still liked him, but it became less and less urgent that I see his movies.

I found his relationship with Mia Farrow, and the subsequent troubles very disturbing.  I have no idea whether the molestation accusations of Dylan Farrow have merit or not.  His film Manhattan, a relationship with one woman that began when she was 17, and his relationship to current wife, Soon-yi Previn, that began while she was Mia Farrow's stepdaughter.  This level of creep factor was enough to increase my disinterest in Woody Allen's works, and make me wonder about the dark side of his neurotic character.  

So although I no longer actively seek out his films, I don't know if I would banish him altogether.  He certainly is no longer a character I admire.  But we all need to be careful about putting any celebrity on a pedestal.

Except, of course, for Mel Brooks.  He is the exception and always will be.

Leslie Crane, Featured OHC Writer for January 2014

Sometimes, if you really love to write, you have to be willing to to go behind the couch to do it.

Leslie Crane, AKA L Thornhill Crane, has done that.

Leslie will be the Okefenokee Writer's Guild's first selection to have their works shown at the Exhibit receptions at Okefenokee Heritage Center.  This first exhibition will be this Thursday from 5:30 to 7 PM.

Leslie is married, the mother of two, and is a full time teacher.  Even though she is very busy, and he life is full, she still finds the time to write stories and even novels.  Sometimes she'll go behind the couch in the living room, and while her children are watching TV, will write from her laptop.

Leslie's specialty is Christian fiction, and does a wide variety within that genre, including historical, contemporary, and even some with the hint of the supernatural.  She has two self-published novels, which are pictured above.  The Life I Left Behind is in part the result of a dare on her student's part to write a "Christian vampire" story.  Come to Me Like Rain is a historical novel, with romantic overtones, and is set in South Georgia in 1915.  It is a thematically rich novel, and deals with many issues, like racism, abuse, depression and guilt.  Coming soon is Tied to the Draw. a modern day retelling of the story of Hosea set in the South Georgia town of Nine Run.

Some of Leslie's writings are also available on Wattpad, and her own blog, www.mycornerlthornhillcrane.blogspot.com

Leslie is a French teacher at Wayne County High School, and is originally from Alabama (to the best of my knowledge, there was no banjo on her knee), and has lived in South Georgia since 2001.  She lives in Screven, Georgia, and is a member of both the OHC Writer's Guild, and Wayne County Writer's Guild.

Please come see her Thursday and hear an excerpt from her work.  Her first two novels will be available for sale, and there will be other Guilds who will have works on display.  Come celebrate the arts with us!

UPDATE:  This event took place last night (Thursday Jan 9) and was a great start to our Featured Writer series.  She did an awesome reading from her latest book, and everyone was very impressed.  The Photography Guild had some great photos on display, and there were some tasty vittles there.

Ripping Good Yarns - Hall of Fame Finalists!

It's time!

Yes, I was not flooded with votes on this.  But any new idea takes time.  I have faith that Ripper Nation will become more vocal as time goes on.

The list of ten finalists to vote on is a compilation of what little opinion I could gather, filtered through my own input.  As we gather steam, I'm hoping to more straightly go by Ripper votes.  Every nominee was mentioned by at least one other person.

The finalists are:

All In the Family
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Cagney & Lacy
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
Lost
M*A*S*H
Medium
Seinfeld
Star Trek
The Twilight Zone




So now the question changes slightly.  Of the shows mentioned here, which one do you think is most deserving of entry into the Ripper Hall of Fame?  Which one is your favorite in this group?  If you don't have a clear favorite, or haven't seen much of any of these shows, still try to pick one that, from the best of your memory, may have had the most impact on television and/or the culture.


This list is very heavy on recent favorites, and not so much on great classics.  i may have to remedy that in the future by having a vote between programs that ended twenty or more years ago.  But I'll save that for when we get increased participation.

Vote here on the blog - you may have to go the anonymous route if you don't have a google account, or haven't become an official follower of the blog, but that's okay.  Facebook friends can post in the Ripper group, or even send me messages.  Any kind of vote will bring great smiles to my face.

So vote, Rippers, vote!

Annie's Coming to Tebeau!

Pictures and information stolen entirely from Flying Dragon's wonderful Facebook site.  They are making fantastic progress on this great show in their new air conditioned facility.  Casts change frequently, so be sure to see this show multiple times!

Orphans take charge!  Amy Burgamy Hill, Anita Dejaynes and Lydia Varnes.

Ripping Good Yarns: Comedy Series Awards!

My legion of Ripping Good Yarn fans, I am proud to announce the third group  of our awards, given in the category of Comedy Series!  Two awards will be given in this category, one will be the Ripping Good Strait Award that is solely determined by me because well, to paraphrase one of my least favorite politicians, Ronald Reagan, "I own this microphone!"  The first will be the Ripping Good Fan award determined by all of your votes!

Ripping Good Fan Award, Comedy Series

Hot In Cleveland received 0% of the vote.  So sorry, Miss White.

Parks and Recreation received 6% of the vote.

30 Rock and Raising Hope each received 9% of the vote.

Modern Family received 29% of the vote.

And with 47%, the winner of our comedy series award (drum roll, please!)......

The Big Bang Theory!

And the nerds shall inherit the Earth!  I really am going to have to catch this program sometime!

Ripping Good Strait Award, Comedy Series

Modern Family!  Truly an awesome show, representing the very best of character and great storytelling.  A marvelous examination of family life as seen through three related but very different families.  

But let's not rest on our laurels.  Start commenting on who would like to consider for our next great award...Favorite Genre Series.  YOU choose the category...YOU tell me your favorite show in that category.  Examples:  My favorite science fiction series of the last year is Fringe!  My favorite western series is Hell on  Wheels.  My favorite medical show is House.  Well, hopefully, you get the idea.  This would be any show that ran during the current season (September 11 to present) and has great characters, exciting plot lines, and at least some continuity elements. Comment either here or on Facebook.

Remember, we're looking for shows with compelling characters, colorful and exciting plot-lines, and continuing story elements.

Fellow Rippers, I await your input!

Ripping Good Yarns: Comedy Series Final Voting

It's time to vote!!! The nominations for comedy series are set!  Please vote for one of the six, even if you have voted before!  

Considerations for whom to vote for should include that these shows should have a strong plot line, and interesting characters. Another consideration as to what qualifies as Ripping Good Yarn are continuity elements.  I feel the more the stories and characters cross over into each episode, the better.  This diminishes for consideration, but doesn't eliminate, shows that primarily focus on single, done-in-one stories, such as some of the USA, TNT and Lifetime programs.


These are your six nominees:

30 Rock:  This is a gem displaying the creative talent of Tina Fey, the writer and star.  It also features the talents of Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan and Jane Krakowski.  It's almost a modern, high juice version of The Dick Van Dyke Show.  Although I do miss Tina Fey coming home to Mary Tyler Moore, or tripping over the ottoman.   

The Big Bang Theory:  Hugely popular nerd fest that may feature acutual comic book references.  I have not yet seen this program, but I should get the first season fairly soon via Netflicks.    


Hot In Cleveland: It took me awhile to remember the name of this show.  Because I kept thinking of it as The Betty White Show!  She is awesome...nobody can deliver a line like her.  

Modern Family:  Great show about the various Dunphy clan.  Every actor, child and adult, hits it out with all cylinders.  The only unrealism in the show is people always talking to their video camera.  Who does that?  Yet it seems to infect a lot of shows. Nevertheless, this is one comedy my whole family watches faithfully, and always gives me huge laughs.  


Parks & Recreation:  I am a latecomer to this series but I am enjoying immensely.  Great ensemble cast, and I enjoy Amy Poehler's entertaining run for City Council.  Rashidi Jones, Aziz Ansari, Aubrey Plaza, Nick Offerman and even Rob Lowe, are all outstanding!  Trying to go back and catch this from the beginning.  Nick Offerman's hilarious anti-government government worker reminds me of some of the people I meet around here.

Raising Hope: This show can be very silly, but also very affecting in a way.  This low-income family is probably living a lifestyle a lot closer to most Americans than most television shows.  And Cloris Leachman as Granma is a blast and a half!  Come to think of it, if Cloris Leachman and  Betty White got together and did the same sitcom - we wouldn't even have to have this contest!  It would be a no-brainer! 

Voting is now open, and I will close sometime Sunday, probably early evening.  Vote here or on facebook.  You can just name your choice, and/or  you can advocate for it - your call.  I would prefer that you not denigrate the choices other people make.  I look forward to your participation.

Remember, even if you have voted before, PLEASE VOTE AGAIN!!!

Let the final vote begin!

Ripping Good Yarns: Short Series Awards!

My legion of Ripping Good Yarn fans, I am proud to announce the second group  of our awards, given in the category of Short Form Dramas (13 episodes or less)!  Two awards will be given in this category, one will be the Ripping Good Strait Award that is solely determined by me because well, to paraphrase one of my least favorite politicians, Ronald Reagan, "I own this microphone!"  The first will be the Ripping Good Fan award determined by all of your votes!

Ripping Good Fan Award, Short Form Drama

Justified received 0% of the vote.

Hall On Wheels received 6% of the vote.

The Walking Dead received 13% of the vote.

Missing received 25% of the vote.

And with 38%, the winner of our short form drama award (drum roll, please!)......

Falling Skies!

Thank you, Spielberg fans.  And please note, the premiere of this show is TONIGHT on TNT at 9 PM!

Ripping Good Strait Award, Long Form Drama

A Game of Thrones!  Truly an awesome show, representing the very best of character, continuing adventure and great storytelling.  A marvelous translation of the best book series I have ever read, The Song of Fire and Ice by George R. R Martin.  I know that this is an HBO series and not all of you get to see it, but for those of you can, DO NOT PASS IT UP!!! If you read fiction and you have not started this series...WHY NOT???  It is tremendous!

But let's not rest on our laurels.  Start commenting on who would like to consider for our next great award...Comedy Series.  Any comedy, short or long, that ran during the current season (September 11 to present) and has great characters, exciting (and funny) plots, and at least some continuity elements. Comment either here or on Facebook.

Remember, we're looking for shows with compelling characters, colorful and exciting plot-lines, and continuing story elements.

Fellow Rippers, I await your input!

Ripping Good Yarns: Best of Summer TV

It used to be that summer was a vast wasteland on television, filled with repeats and, on rare occasions, a washed up pilot idea.  Once every few years you'd get a gem like The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour or The Prisoner, but they were few and far between. And there were only the three major networks and PBS to pick from.


Now things are wide open as television has learned to operate on more of a year round basis.  Short series (13 or fewer episodes) abound and the number of channels showing at least one or two scripted series have exploded.


The following are the best summer scripted series to watch for.  This is based on my own interest and from the input I've seen so far from fellow Rippers.  It only includes scripted shows who meet the base definition of a Ripping Good Yarn :  more melodramatic than the average show, strong plot lines, interesting characters, the presence of continuity elements.  I feel the more the stories and characters cross over into each episode, the better. 

These are your six best of the best:

Breaking Bad:  This show is nasty but very entertaining.  Bryan Cranston is compelling as the ex-teacher with terminal cancer who decides to parlay his chemistry background into making designer drugs.  He keeps making the wrong choices, and finds himself pulled down an increasingly darker path.  Premieres July 15th on AMC.   

Bunheads:  The talented people behind Gilmore Girls are behind this show.  So it has outstanding pedigree.  An ex-dancer teaches ballet in a small California town.  That's the plain summary, but the characters should be sharp and the dialogue snappy,  Premiered June 11, ABC Family.


Dallas: I got the the theme music in my head just thinking about this.  Dallas is back, and includes original stars Larry Hagman (J.R) and Sue Ellen (Sue Ellen).  It also features new generation as well.  I don't know how this update will be, but the original was a Ripping Good Yarn classic, with one of the most talked about cliffhangers in the history of television.  Who shot J.R.?  Oh, Bing Crosby, say it ain't so!  Premiered June 13th on TNT.  

Falling Skies:  A Rippers fan favorite!  A drama of an alien invasion executive produced by Steven Spielberg, it feature a community of valiant resistance fighters and their families as they defy the odds against them. Premieres June 17th on TNT.

Hell On Wheels:  This It's a western!  And a darn-tootin' good one!  Centers on the westward expansion of the railroad, and features the rapper Common in a great acting turn.  Really good continuity elements, and some good commentary on the nature of race and gender. Premieres August 15th on AMC.

True Blood: Over the top vampire action!  And I do mean ACTION - of all kinds, if you know what I mean.  Cast full of great characters, plots that move at breakneck speed, vampires with real bite, this series has a lot to offer.  My favorite vampire is Russell Edgington - a vampire in the true, most vicious sense.  He once ripped the spine out of a news reporter WHILE HE WAS ON THE AIR!  Premiered June 10th on HBO. 

Honorable mention must also go to Damages (July 11th on Direct TV), Alphas (July 23rd on SyFy) and Suits (June 14th on USA).  My biggest frustration so far this year is that I have been unable to find repeats of Revenge.  If anybody hears when or if they are doing that, please let me know.

So you are not alone this summer!  Plenty of great new Ripping Good Yarns to choose from.  Enjoy!

Ripping Good Yarns: Short Series Final voting!

It's time to vote!!! The nominations for short form drama series are set!  Please vote for one of the six, even if you have voted before!  

Considerations for whom to vote for should consider that these shows should be more melodramatic than the average show.  They should have a strong plot line, and interesting characters. Another consideration as to what qualifies as Ripping Good Yarn are continuity elements.  I feel the more the stories and characters cross over into each episode, the better.  This diminishes for consideration, but doesn't eliminate, shows that primarily focus on single, done-in-one stories, such as some of the USA, TNT and Lifetime programs.


These are your six nominees:

A Game of Thrones:  I grouped all the premium (pay channel) programs for this and picked the best.  This is an outstanding program with great characters (more than any other show you've watched), terrific story lines, great dialogue, and strong continuity elements that will keep you coming back for more and more.  This is fantasy adventure at its finest.  Yes, there are dragons and sorcery, but it's the magic of the characters and story that will hold you.  It unfolds in a highly realistic manner, and if you haven't read the books, there is no way that you will ever know what is coming next.   

Justified:  This came out on top when I grouped all the mystery, detective and western programs.  It is a snap nasty story about a U.S. Marshal in Kentucky, starring Timothy Olyphant.  It has a fine genre feel to it, based on the stories of the great mystery writer Elmore Leonard.  The villains are excellent, often brilliant and stupid at the same time.    Cases and villains flow from one episode to the next.  Each season is like a redneck symphony.  


Missing: This edged out other programs in a category I call "cancelled but not forgotten".  Missing is a show starring Ashley Judd, and featured her search for her son.  The ratings started too slowly for the network, and they unfortunately had cancelled the show before they realized that the ratings were steaming upward.  

The Walking Dead:  This is the favorite in the horror/apocalyptic sci-fi group.  The Walking Dead just stands out as it swallows you into its nightmare world where zombies have over-run just about everything.  But it's the human dram and conflict that really stand out about this show, as you see Sheriff Rick desperately try to keep his band of survivors together.  


Falling Skies:  This is the winner in the USA/TNT/Lifetime runoff.  A drama of an alien invasion executive produced by Steven Speilberg, it feature a community of valiant resistance fighters and their families as they defy the odds against them.

Hell On Wheels: It's a western!  And a darn-tootin' good one!  Centers on the westward expansion of the railroad, and features the rapper Common in a great acting turn.  Really good continuity elements, and some good commentary on the nature of race and gender. This is our second chance winner. 

Voting is now open, and I will close sometime Sunday, probably early evening.  Vote here or on facebook.  You can just name your choice, and/or  you can advocate for it - your call.  I would prefer that you not denigrate the choices other people make.  I look forward to your participation.

Remember, even if you have voted before, PLEASE VOTE AGAIN!!!

Let the final vote begin!

Ripping Good Yarns: Comic Book Edition

I started reading very early.  My mother taught me before I started school.  I don't really remember a time when I couldn't read.  And from that early time, I remember comic books.  When my mother would shop in the grocery store, I would go by the magazine section and look at the Classic Illustrated Juniors.  I had a fascination with comics with Princess in the title.  I imagined myself the rescuer of whatever princess was in trouble.  I remember my mother helping me mail-order three of them, with titles like The Dancing Princess and The Frog Princess, and the longest wait of my life anticipating their arrival in the mail,

This love affair with comics proceeded on, from comics based on TV shows I was familiar with to the inevitable preoccupation with superheroes.  Yes, I was there at the dawn of the age of Marvel superheroes. Over time, comics blossomed into so much more, with stories in all kinds of genres and interests.  As I grew up , comics also evolved, with many written for older readers, including Sandman and The Watchman.

And so it goes.  On into the present.  Yes, I still collect and read comics.  So do all three of my boys and Alison.  Not just as dusty relics, but as living, current story lines  As new comics we are reading and enjoying now.

Benjamin loves the Sonic comics, Mega Men, Young Justice and Mad Magazine.  Doug likes Deadpool The Walking Dead and Spider-Man.  Greg is a long time fan of Flash.  Alison reads Fables and Rachel Rising.  I read most of the Superman Titles, All-Star Western, Legion of Super Heroes, The Dark Tower, The Amazing Spider-Man, Fantastic Four and Buffy.

I will go into further depth on some of these titles, and also great comics from the past, in future stories.  So be prepared.  Comics books are an important of ripping good yarns.  Even the vast legion of you who don't read comics find it permeating into the movies and TV you watch.  And it's not just super-heroes - it's also the translation of many graphic novels into great movies.

So, comic book fans assemble!  Your favorites will be an important part of Ripping Good Yarns.  The rest of you, stand back and be amazed at the colorful, spectacular legacy that comic books have lit the entertainment with!

Ripping Good Yarns; Short Series Nominees Step 2!

The nominations for short form drama series has reached its next phase!  Four of the nominations are set, and the other two are open for additional consideration.  So please, I continue to need your input!

Considerations for whom to vote for should consider that these shows should be more melodramatic than the average show.  They should have a strong plot line, and interesting characters. Another consideration as to what qualifies as Ripping Good Yarn are continuity elements.  I feel the more the stories and characters cross over into each episode, the better.  This diminishes for consideration, but doesn't eliminate, shows that primarily focus on single, done-in-one stories, such as some of the USA, TNT and Lifetime programs.


These are your four set nominees and the two slots open for consideration:

A Game of Thrones:  I grouped all the premium (pay channel) programs for this and picked the best.  This is an outstanding program with great characters (more than any other show you've watched), terrific story lines, great dialogue, and strong continuity elements that will keep you coming back for more and more.  This is fantasy adventure at its finest.  Yes, there are dragons and sorcery, but it's the magic of the characters and story that will hold you.  It unfolds in a highly realistic manner, and if you haven't read the books, there is no way that you will ever know what is coming next.  The next closest contender is Homeland.  I only show the pilot, but it has gotten very positive critical reaction and some notice from Rippers. Other quality programs on the pay channels include True Blood and Boardwalk Empire. 

Justified:  This came out on top when I grouped all the mystery, detective and western programs.  It is a snap nasty story about a U.S. Marshal in Kentucky, starring Timothy Olyphant.  It has a fine genre feel to it, based on the stories of the great mystery writer Elmore Leonard.  The villains are excellent, often brilliant and stupid at the same time.    Cases and villains flow from one episode to the next.  Each season is like a redneck symphony.   Other fine contenders in this group were Hell On Wheels, the great western about railroad expansion on AMC, and Glades about a detective in South Florida.

Missing: This edged out other programs in a category I call "cancelled but not forgotten".  Missing is a show starring Ashley Judd, and featured her search for her son.  The ratings started too slowly for the network, and they unfortunately had cancelled the show before they realized that the ratings were steaming upward.  Runners up include my personal favorite, Alcatraz, and one of my son Benjamin's favorites, Terra Nova.

The Walking Dead:  This is the favorite in the horror/apocalyptic sci-fi group.  The Walking Dead just stands out as it swallows you into its nightmare world where zombies have over-run just about everything.  But it's the human dram and conflict that really stand out about this show, as you see Sherriff Rick desperately try to keep his band of survivors together.  Also high in this group are TNT's Falling Skies, and F/X's super creepy American Horror Story.

Saved Slot for USA/TNT/Lifetime:  There's nothing wrong with these shows.  I just don't see many of them.  They're a little lighter than what I usually watch.  I think the only ones I see are Psych and falling Skies (which is not really in the same category as the other TNT shows).  I want to be fair to this group and let my fellow rippers have a little bit more input into it.  So, please, I need you!  Shows mentioned already by Rippers include Psych, White Collar, Royal Pains, Burn Notice, suits and Rizzoli & Isles.  Please, Rippers, help me out!

Saved Slot for Best of the Rest: Second chance category for any program that you feel has been slighted.  Pay particular attention to the runner ups mentioned here.  Also the Syfy programs like Warehouse 13, Eureka, The Lost Girls and Alphas.  Once again, I'll take the top vote getter over the next few days for this category.  Also mentioned above:  Homeland, True blood, Boardwalk Empire, Hell On Wheels, Glades, Alcatraz, Terra Nova, Falling Skies and American Horror Story.

Voting is now open, and I will close sometime Wednesday, probably early evening.  Vote here or on facebook.  You can just name your choice, and you can advocate for it - your call.  I would prefer that you not denigrate the choices other people make.  I look forward to your participation.

Let the selection procedure continue! nominations for short form drama series has reached it's next phase!  Four of the nominations are set, and the other two are open for additional consideration.  so please, I continue to need your input!

Considerations for who to vote for should consider that  these shows should be more melodramatic than the average show.  They should have a strong plot line, and interesting characters. Another consideration as to what qualifies as Ripping Good Yarn are continuity elements.  I feel the more the stories and characters cross over into each episode, the better.  This diminishes for consideration, but doesn't eliminate, shows that primarily focus on single, done-in-one stories, such as some of the USA, TNT and Lifetime programs.

Let the selection procedure continue!

Ripping Good Yarns: Potential Short Form Nominees

There has been some queasiness about what a short form nominee is.  Simply put, it is any scripted drama that ran 13 episodes or less.  But I know that, except for the most geeky viewer (like myself) that may be hard to distinguish.  So I'm listing all the ones that I could find on the major networks and cable channels.  It is not meant to be a comprehensive list, but it does include all those I could think of.

ABC:  Pan Am, Charlie's Angels, Missing, The River, GCB and Scandal.

CBS:  NYC 22.

CW:  The LA Complex.

Fox:  The Finder, Terra Nova, Alcatraz, Touch.

NBC:  Prime Suspect, The Firm, The Playboy Club, Awake, Smash.

F/X: American Horror Story, Rescue Me, sons of Anarchy, Justified.

Lifetime:  Army Wives, Against the Wall, The Protector.

TNT: Falling Skies, The closer, Rizzola & Isles, Leverage, Hawthorne, Memphis Beat, Southland.

AMC:  The Walking Dead, Mad Men, Hell On Wheels, Breaking Bad.

USA:  Psych, White Collar, Royal Pains, Burn notice, Covert Affairs, Suits, In Plain Sight, Fairly Legal.

HBO:  True Blood, Boardwalk Empire, A Game of Thrones.

Showtime:  The Borgia's, Homeland, Dexter.

Starz: Spartacus, Boss.

Syfy:  Warehouse 13, Eureka, The Lost Girl, Being Human, Alphas.

There are other networks with other shows, but I hope you get the basic idea.  Feel free to nominate these or any other shows you feel qualify either by commenting on my world famous blog, or on facebook.

Ripping Good Yarns: First Awards Given

My legion of Ripping Good Yarn fans, I am proud to announce the very first of our awards, given in the category of Long Form Dramas (more than 14 episodes)!  Two awards will be given in this category, one will be the Ripping Good Strait award that is solely determined by me because well, to paraphrase one of my least favorite politicians, Ronald Reagan, "I own this microphone!"  The second will be the Ripping Good Fan award determined by all of your votes!

Ripping Good Fan Award, Long Form Drama

Power of Interest received 9% of the vote.

Revenge and Castle received 14% each.

Fringe and Once Upon A Time received 18% each.

And with 27%, the winner of our first award ever (drum roll, please!)......

The Mentalist!

Thank you, Jane fans.  And let's hope his pursuit of Red John continues to make the show a fan favorite.  And we must also not forget...The Power of Cho!

Ripping Good Strait Award, Long Form Drama

Fringe!  Truly an awesome show, representing the very best of character, continuing adventure and great storytelling.  Peter and Astrid are amazing, but like The Mentalist, we must recognize a vital secondary character.  Everyone, I salute the Power of Walter, the best mad scientist in the history of television!

But let's not rest on our laurels.  Start commenting on who would like to consider for our next great award...Short Form Drama.  These are shows that run 13 episodes or less, either by design or by cancellation. comment either here or on Facebook.

Remember, we're looking for shows with compelling characters, colorful and exciting plot-lines, and continuing story elements.

Fellow Rippers, I await your input!

Ripping Good Yarns: Nominations Finalized for Long Form Division

The nominations are now set!  I am keeping the previous nominees and adding an additional fan favorite.  I also now realize that I failed to exclude comedies.  I will set up a seperate award for those.

Considerations for who to vote for should consider that  these shows should be more melodramatic than the average show.  They should have a strong plot line, and interesting characters. Another consideration as to what qualifies as Ripping Good Yarn are continuity elements.  I feel the more the stories and characters cross over into each episode, the better.  This diminishes for consideration, but doesn't eliminate, shows that primarily focus on single, done-in-one stories, such as the Law and Order programs.


These are your nominees:

Castle :  The strengths of this show center around the marvelous relationship between Castle and Beckett.  Nathan Fillion is a marvelous actor, and combines humor, charm and pathos.  Beckett is very attractive, but for all her sophistication, also emanates a kind of goofy nerdiness.  You honestly believe that these two are attracted to each other.  The dialogue in the show is superior to the plotting, and the supporting characters, especially those in the police department, are significantly weaker than the the leads.  Continuity elements include our interest in the development in the Castle/Beckett relationship, and the ongoing mystery of Beckett's mother's death and the conspiracy behind it.

Fringe: Probably the best alternate universe story ever devised for television.  Outstanding characters in Peter, Walter and Astrid.  Some also have counterparts in the alternative universe. Walter may be one of the best characters on television ever.  Alison does not care for Olivia, the female lead, and I admit that she is tolerable but not great.  Strong continuity elements, but also with criminal cases that have a weird science bent.  My second favorite of J.J. Abram's shows (Lost is my runaway favorite).

The Mentalist: Alison and I call this the "Cho Show".  The secondary character of Cho is that good!  He takes stoicism to a whole new level.  The rest of the characters are pretty good, the supporting cast much stronger than Castle's.  The Mentalist himself, Jane, is a bit obnoxious, but he can be intriguing.  Continuity elements center around his quest to find Red John, the person that killed his wife and daughter.  My guess is that Red John will ultimately be revealed to be somebody he knows very well, but we may have to wait awhile for that one.

Once Upon A Time:  There are two shows that were close for consideration here.  Grimm, a similar show, was in contention for this slot.  But I have to bow to the superiority of Once Upon A Time's stories and sense of continuity.  It's similar to Lost in that they are fleshing out the current story with selected reveals from the past.  Grimm is mostly case of the week procedural, although the continuity did sharpen as the season went on.  Alison finds the characters on Once Upon A Time not compelling, but I disagree.  At this point, the villains are more interesting than the heroes.

Revenge:  Again, two shows in consideration here.  The one I actually watched was Ringer, which we enjoyed, but whose ratings were never very good.  I am bowing to general consensus that Revenge is a superior show.  I hope to see it in summer repeats.  Everything that I've heard about it indicates that it deserves to be considered.

Person of Interest: This is another JJ Abrams show.  It centers on two men who use technology to anticpate crimes and try to prevent before they occur.  I saw the first two episodes and was not impressed enough to follow, BUT since this is a JJ Abrams, I may have jumped the gun too sson.  It contains some very good actors, and I would be very interested in comments from people who have seen this program.

Voting is now open, and I will close sometime Sunday, probably early afternoon.  Vote here or on facebook.  You can just name your choice, and you can advocate for it - your call.  I would prefer that you not denigrate the choices other people make.  I look forward to your participation.

Let the selection procedure begin!

Ripping Good Yarns TV Nominees: Long Form Division

Although TV operates year round, this is traditionally considered the end of the television season that runs from September to May.  Accordingly I would like take this opportunity to recognize the best with the Inaugural Ripping Good Yarns television awards.  Yippee!

The first category will be Long Form programs.  These are programs that run full seasons, producing 14 or more episodes that pretty much run the course of the season.  There will be another award for short form programs, and will include many of the shows on cable or are cut short, that run 13 episodes or less.

Another consideration as to what qualifies as Ripping Good Yarn are continuity elements.  I feel the more the stories and characters cross over into each episode, the better.  This diminishes for consideration, but doesn't eliminate, shows that primarily focus on single, done-in-one stories, such as the Law and Order programs.

These preliminary nominees are subject to change and revision based upon your input, my fellow Ripping Good Yarn fans. They will be finalized next Thursday, May 31.  So here goes:

Castle :  The strengths of this show center around the marvelous relationship between Castle and Beckett.  Nathan Fillion is a marvelous actor, and combines humor, charm and pathos.  Beckett is very attractive, but for all her sophistication, also emanates a kind of goofy nerdiness.  You honestly believe that these two are attracted to each other.  The dialogue in the show is superior to the plotting, and the supporting characters, especially those in the police department, are significantly weaker than the the leads.  Continuity elements include our interest in the development in the Castle/Beckett relationship, and the ongoing mystery of Beckett's mother's death and the conspiracy behind it.

Fringe: Probably the best alternate universe story ever devised for television.  Outstanding characters in Peter, Walter and Astrid.  Some also have counterparts in the alternative universe. Walter may be one of the best characters on television ever.  Alison does not care for Olivia, the female lead, and I admit that she is tolerable but not great.  Strong continuity elements, but also with criminal cases that have a weird science bent.  My second favorite of J.J. Abram's shows (Lost is my runaway favorite).

The Mentalist: Alison and I call this the "Cho Show".  The secondary character of Cho is that good!  He takes stoicism to a whole new level.  The rest of the characters are pretty good, the supporting cast much stronger than Castle's.  The Mentalist himself, Jane, is a bit obnoxious, but he can be intriguing.  Continuity elements center around his quest to find Red John, the person that killed his wife and daughter.  My guess is that Red John will ultimately be revealed to be somebody he knows very well, but we may have to wait awhile for that one.

Once Upon A Time:  There are two shows that were close for consideration here.  Grimm, a similar show, was in contention for this slot.  But I have to bow to the superiority of Once Upon A Time's stories and sense of continuity.  It's similar to Lost in that they are fleshing out the current story with selected reveals from the past.  Grimm is mostly case of the week procedural, although the continuity did sharpen as the season went on.  Alison finds the characters on Once Upon A Time not compelling, but I disagree.  At this point, the villains are more interesting than the heroes.

Revenge:  Again, two shows in consideration here.  The one I actually watched was Ringer, which we enjoyed, but whose ratings were never very good.  I am bowing to general consensus that Revenge is a superior show.  I hope to see it in summer repeats.  Everything that I've heard about it indicates that it deserves to be considered.

These are my leading contenders, but I am open to comments on these shows, or any others you would like to see considered. Post here or on Facebook, whichever is easier for you. Don't worry about long form or short form - I'll clarify that as we proceed.

Let the nomination review procedure begin!