Getting A Move On and other Monday Musings

Everybody feels more comfortable one place or another.  We've lived in the boonie outbacks of Pierce County for about seven years now, but quasi-country living really is not naturally suitable to either Alison or me.  Alison prefers living directly in town, in a secure neighborhood where she is able to comfortably walk and knows the neighbors.  Me?  I would like to live in a 2400 square foot condo in a university town set near the mountains and the ocean.  Since her vision is more practical, we're going with hers.

We've been looking off and on, particularly in the City of Blackshear, just to see what was available.  The homes have usually been more expensive in the city (city being a relative term, as we are only talking about a town of a few thousand),  A few weeks ago we added a residential area in neighboring Waycross called Cherokee Heights.  The homes there were priced better, more in line with the county area we live in.

But it was hard for us to move too hard, as we had not put up our home for sale.  We had seen many homes for sale for months on end in the two county area, and were worried about how long it would take us to sell.  On Wednesday we made inquiries of a realtor that we were told would be an aggressive and helpful agent for us.  She gave a good starting selling price on our house, and said she had somebody ready to look at it on Friday.

We did a marathon clean-up and jam-up, and the people saw the house.  And two hours made an offer to buy it, a good offer very close to our asking price.  We are still negotiating some fine details, and it could still fall through, but we thought that was a very exciting and fast start.

And we suddenly have to scramble to find something quite a bit faster than we anticipated.  We've found some good ones, but nothing that rings all our bells yet.  So keep your eyes and ears open for us.  The city of Blackshear near College Avenue or Cherokee Heights in Waycross.

I have finished the first act of Robin Hood, and although it needs polishing, I think it's going to be a fun play enjoyable for both children and adults.  We have a tentative cast, although I'm not sure it's been announced yet.  Rehearsals should begin very soon.  I had not expected to get so involved in Robin Hood, but it's hard to pass up an opportunity to write, and I do love the Flying Dragon.  So keep checking here for progress!

The Lions almost came back last night, but an offside kick went slightly awry, and it was hard to overcome an excellent 49er team in their windy home stadium.  If the Lions ever string together two good halfs in the same game, they should be quite awesome!

Finished The Passionate Friends by H.G. Wells, written in 1913.  The book had amazing feminist overtones, with a woman pretty much demanding the same sexual opportunities of her Victorian male counterparts.  Interesting to see that kind of talk from that long ago.H.G. Wells was not just a visionary when it came to scientific breakthroughs, he was also forward thinking on many social and political issues.

Blog progress has stagnated a bit, but I am doing my best to get it growing again.  If you like teebee, don't miss my Ripping Good Yarn series about the TV fall schedule.  I also have the Saturday Political Soap Box, which is trying to stay focused on issues.  There is the ongoing saga of History of the Trap, which I hope to accumulate and make available on Smashwords.  And the odd pseudo-poetry I do on Thursday Midnights.  There will continue to be stuff about family, pets, Flying Dragon, other stories, musings, and what ever else that crosses from brain to the keyboard.  So keep watching!  Something is bound to splat across that you would like!

Until next time,

T.M. Strait

Ripping Good Yarns: Tuesday Night Fall TV

The TV fall schedule review continues, with Tuesday's exciting lineup.  I think I got it a larger this time, and I'll try to mention some cable shows as well!

The two returning shows most popular at the Strait household are Raising Hope and New Girl.  Raising Hope is a very funny show produced by the people who made My Name is Earl.  The family is funny and their working class roots are delightful to see, but the scene stealer is the incredible Cloris Leachman, who is in her eighties and has been performing since the late forties.  She is a hoot and a half as the unpredictable Maw Maw.  New Girl features the talented and nerdy/sexy Zooey Deschanal as Jess, and a great ensemble group surrounding her.  The show  does offtrack into the raunchy side, and is definitely not for the children.

The most interesting new show on Tuesday looks to be The Mindy Project, featuring Mindy Kaling of The Office,  playing an ob-gyn looking for love in all the wrong places.  Ummm, or something like that.  Alison has read a book she wrote and is a big fan. Other new shows include Ben And Kate, about two siblings, irresponsible brother and responsible sister, trying to raise the sister's 5-year-old daughter; Go On, featuring friend Matthew Perry as a sportscaster in group therapy; The New Normal, about a gay couple who try to start a family via a surrogate (done by the creators of Glee and American Horror Story - Alison's mother saw the pilot and found it emotionally engaging;: Emily Owens, M.D., about an intern at a Denver hospital who likes to talk to herself (stars Mamie Gummer who is Meryl Streep's daughter);  and Vegas, crime drama set in the 60s and starring Dennis Quaid.

 NCIS returns for it's 10th fall season and NCIS:Los Angeles returns for it's 4th (there must be a whole lot more crime in the Navy than I thought). Private Practice is on for it's 6th fall season, and features Pierce County native Kadee Strickland. Parenthood is back for it's 3rd season, a show that Alison still enjoys but I have dropped out of (too many relationship changes).  Happy Endings and Hart of Dixie are back for second fall seasons, Don't Trust the B---- in Apt. 23 started in the spring and is back for the fall.

On F/X  Sons of Anarchy, the violent but engaging biker drama returns for Season 5.  It had its premiere last Tuesday and features Ron Perlman (Beauty and the Beast and Hellboy).  I've seen the first season on DVD and found it fairly interesting.

Bible Verses Important To Me 3

                       What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works?  Can faith save you?  If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace: keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.  But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.”  Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.

                 

                  From James 2:14-18

Case closed to those who argue exclusively one over the other.

The Growing Gulf Between Us Saturday Political Soap Box 38

Ah, elections!  The time when we should be discussing issues but instead focus on birth certificates and dogs on roofs of cars.  When the latest inadvertent misstatement is more important than the direction they'll take the country.  When the election of the other guy will lead to a thousand years of darkness.  In the face of that, I will continue to try to focus on some basic issues and what I believe is the direction we should take. And yes, I am taking a sacrifice in number of page views by going this route instead of the Mittbot Thurston Howell route or that darn Kenyan Socialist route. 

I believe that the growing divide between rich and poor is very dangerous, and threatens the democratic foundations of this country.  The social and economic mobility has become the worst of any industrialized nation.  More and more money is concentrated in fewer and fewer hands.  We are rapidly marching towards a kind of feudalistic society. 

It is true that many statistics bear out the fact that wealth in this country is becoming more and more concentrated at the top.  Generational wealth is coming into play too, as the estate tax is weakened and vilified.  America, which used to brag about it's social and economic mobility, now finds itself ranked near the bottom in industrial nations.

So families that are at the top are increasingly having the means to retain and grow their money and power, often aided by politicians they have bought and paid for.  I don't know how far away we are from just giving these people titles.  Sir Donald Trump? Lady Kim Kardashian?

It's easy enough to check and reverse.  Restore progressive taxation.  Increase the ability of unions to organize.  Establish campaign finance reform that diminishes the controlling influence of wealthy donors.

The Republicans are sinfully awful on this score.  The Democrats are only marginally better.  The power to do something about this is in the hands of everyday citizens.  Whether it is Occupy Wall Street, or just simply refusing to do business with a bank that has made billions off questionable financial instruments, it is up to us. What are we going to do?

Time to Get Out and Howl

On what principle does the sliding ship lie?
For what reason does the fair maiden sigh?
I lost the grounded mooring.
There is no other trade that I can ply.
You must forgive me if I do cry.

Why must I abandon all I hold dear?
What is it that grips me with fear?
I find the distant shoring.
There is no one left on the pier.
You must see that I am changing into weir.

Is there nothing that can stop this change?
Will the cycle be out of range?
I see the full moon goring.
There is nothing that can rearrange.
You must find soon very, very strange.

Ripping Good Yarns: Monday Fall TV

What's on TV this fall?  Well, Rippers, let's start with Monday night!

First, I apologize for the tiny picture of the Fall line-up.  I will continue to work with that and see if I can't subsequent days larger and clearer.  But with my blogging time being limited, I'll need to start with this one.

The most exciting returning show for the Strait household is Castle, the series about a mystery who gets to hang with a police homicide unit, featuring the intelligent beauty of Kate Beckett (Stana Katic).  Alison and I are huge Nathan Fillion fans (albeit our reasons may differ slightly), and we look forward to this season, as Beckett and Castle have finally gotten together.  Will the series continue to soar, or will it go the way of Moonlighting?  There is a theory that once two characters you long to see together do indeed get together, that the interest and energy in the show dissipates.  We will see.  This is Castle's fourth year on the fall schedule.

The most intriguing new show on Mondays is Revolution. It comes from J.J. Abrams (Lost, Fringe, Alias) and is based on the premise that all electronics in the world cease to function.  The series starts five years after this has happened.  Expect great characters, and yes, my friends, some bow and arrow action!

Other new shows on Monday are The Mob Doctor about a female doctor who must treat mobsters in order to settle old debts she has to them (can anyone say - thin premise?), and Partners, which focuses on a long-standing gay-straight friendship (created by the creators of Will & Grace).

CBS has a number of crude comedies that I don't watch but may be your cup of tea. How I Met Your Mother is in it's 8th season, and is now officially the world's longest explanation to one event.  Mike & Molly is in it's 3rd season, a show we desperately wanted to like but couldn't handle it's crudity, and 2 Broke Girls starts season number 2.  CBS also has Hawaii Five-O coming back for season 3.

Other returning shows include Bones for it's 8th fall season,  90210 for season 5, and Gossip Girl for Season 6.  These may be fine shows but I've never seen them.

The biggest thing now missing on Mondays?  House!  This show ended last spring, and I know many of it's fans will be disappointed it is gone.  But, I suspect, as disappointed as Fox when they see the ratings to The Mob Doctor.  Oy vey!

Yet Another Dog and Cat Post!

Dogs and Cat...sleeping together!  Help!  The Mayans were right!

Ellie Mae finds there is nothing good on television.

Cocoa Bear is ready for her karate class!

It's okay.  Come try and pet me.  I won't scratch you.  I promise.  Bwahaha!