Mighty B 14 and other Monday Musings

The Mighty B, Benjamin Strait, turns 14.  He holds up a present from his brother, Doug.  His mother, Alison, looks at him and wonders, when did he get to be so big?

Benjamin getting ready for the big Christmas parade.  WACT had a car in the parade, and all the cast marched (so to speak) the two miles or so route of the parade.  Benjamin held up a sign promoting the play.

Different entries lined up waiting for the start of the parade.  I'm not sure if it was supposed to be a Civic parade or a religious parade or what.  In the South, everything is a bit of a mix.  There were floats and entries from a huge variety of groups.

We have now concluded Hell Week of our play.  That is the week where rehearsals begin on a Monday and everything continues on each day, all the way through to a matinee on Sunday.  Everyone's pretty tired by the time late Sunday afternoon rolls around.  My part was not very big, but it still was a lot of time at the theater.  Benjamin's part was bigger, and he was very good throughout the week.  We had very good, responsive crowds, except for Saturday night.  I have no idea why some crowds fall completely silent.  If I could figure out how to fix that, I might really could be an actor.

Benjamin had a short birthday party, from 5:30 to 8:30.  He had five guys over, and they spent part of the time playing a game that Benjamin invented.  It was a spin off Dungeons & Dragons the he called "The Void" or something like that.

You would think we'd have to start dealing with girls, but he is a Strait boy after all.  We may have another decade or two to wait on that.

The good news?  The Big Ten has a team in the four team college football playoff!  The bad news?  It's Ohio State.  The crack of doom news?  They play Alabama first.  Annnnd probably last as well.  Another year of listening to SEC smack talk.  We have SEC fans here that are probably upset that all four teams aren't from the SEC.

Meanwhile, Brady Hoke has been fired by Michigan.  No new coach has been named yet.  I just hope it's someone who treats players well, respects academics, and challeges his players to be better people. And as a side benefit, helps the team become strong enough to crush the living hell out of an SEC opponent.

Until next time,

T. M. Strait

Political Cornucopia: Saturday Political Soap Box 100!

This is my 100th political soapbox!

Another victory for persistence!

Another victory for quantity over quality!

For those of you who have followed this sub-group of my blog activity, I thank you!  I can tell by the page view counter on my blog, that these posts are being viewed, and in numbers greater than a lot of my other stuff.

The Saturday Political Soap Box began as notes on the note section of Facebook.  They would often get a healthy chain of comments.  Since moving to the blog, the number of comments have dramatically dwindled.  Part of that is the great difficulty that many have in getting comments to post.  I have set it to the most liberal (oh, yeah!) and open setting I can find, but it still requires some to jump through hoops and whistles just to comment.  But even when I repost to Facebook, Twitter and/or Google Plus, I get very little feedback.  I have posted MANY times my question asking conservatives to choose what they want done with healthcare, and they have NEVER responded.

I do get conservative responses when I repost a meme or story form someone else, but not usually my own stuff.

And yet......

I know they're viewed.  I have people come up to me and specifically mention the Saturday Political soap Box as something they enjoy.  I have a number of fans in Michigan, some who use my posts in their own political discussion groups.

So I will struggle on!

I have covered a wide range of political topics, so many that when current events seem to repeat themselves and fall into familiar patterns, I dust off old posts and just re-post them again.  Why keep re-inventing the wheel if I've already done it?

For newcomers, and for others that are not clear of my basic views, here goes:


I consider myself to be Independent Progressive.  Although not a traditional Liberal per se, I am close enough that I gladly accept that term.  I seem like a Democrat because our politics have grown increasingly polarized.  If you can find me a race where the Republican is more progressive than the Democrat, I will happily vote for him.

I vote first and foremost for candidates that will extend and improve access to the healthcare system.  The Affordable Care Act is a vast improvement on what we had before, and is succeeding even beyond my expectations.  I would love to see us move towards Medicare For All, and I do think we will eventually get there.

I support a top to bottom reform of our tax system, that would include the abolishment of traditional individual and corporate income taxes.  My ideas would preserve the progressivity of the tax system, but do so in a way that is less burdensome to the average citizen.

I do not consider myself an isolationist, but I do believe diplomacy, humanitarian support and economic ties are more important than guns and  military solutions.

I believe a balanced budget is a nice idea, but deficits and surpluses are sometimes necessary for government to fulfill its obligations.  The Progressive Caucus has had a plan to balance the budget and eliminate the deficit and greatly reduce the debt, but it has been ignored by the mainstream media, and by corporate politicians of both parties.

I am proud to have voted for Barack Obama four times, in both primaries and general elections.  I believe, even though he has run the country more to the center right than I like, that he has been an effective and pragmatic leader.  He has been hampered by an opposition that is vicious and nasty beyond measure, and cares more about his destruction than they do about the country.

Although I will vote for Hilary Clinton in the general election, I reserve the right to support a more progressive candidate.  If Elizabeth Warren runs, that will definitely be my candidate.  If not, then I will support Bernie Sanders or another progressive candidate, as opposed to a corporate Democrat.

I have many other beliefs and positions, and the best way to see them is to explore the labels at the end of the blog post.  I welcome any comment (except racist crap, or stuff where you attack other individual commentators), whether on the blog or other social media.

And unlike DC and Marvel comics and their traitorous renumbering, I promise to stick with my Soap Box numbering.

To #1,000 and beyond!

T. M. strait

History of the Trap: February Myths Part 2

2

We did have one connection to Gregor Robotics here with us.  We had the daughter of the founder of Gregor Robotics.  Andrea Gregor was Ivan Gregor's daughter, the inventor who founded the corporation.  He was putting Huron on the map as a leading center of scientific research.  His industrial robotic arms were now the standard in many factories throughout the world.  He would give lectures about the coming of artificial intelligence in robots, and was experimenting with more humanoid robot designs.  Ones that could move around and assist with many tasks, even adapt and interpret new data, almost as if they had the ability to reason.  I pictured the animatronics used at Disney Kingdoms, but I imagine they might look more like Robby the Robot from the TV show Lost in Space.

Many wondered if Andrea might know more about what was happening than the rest of us did.  Given how people pushed me for insider knowledge that I did not possess, because my Dad was Principal, made me sympathetic to her.  She was very stand-offish, anti-social, sort of living in her own bubble, as if the rest of us were beneath her.  She could maintain this separation in part because she had something none of the rest of us had.

A bodyguard.

Yes, I apologize for not mentioning this earlier, but we did have one person in the Trap that was not part of student or staff.  Andrea, given how rich her father was, and subject to kidnap attempts, always had a bodyguard near her.  Gary Jackson was the one unlucky enough to be with her on the day the Trap fell.  He was a big black man; well over six feet and he had to be three hundred pounds or more.  The weight was mostly muscle, presenting a large, imposing figure.  He was intimidating enough that everyone gave whatever space Andrea wanted.  Not even Robert Pelly and his bully friends bothered   I couldn't recall ever seeing interact with anybody.  Gary Jackson insisted to my father that Andrea sleep in a place by herself, but he wouldn't give in on that.  So Andrea slept in Mrs.  Forsyth's room, along with other girls whose names ended in G (and a few ending in H), while Mr. Jackson sat just outside the room in a chair.  I had no idea when he actually slept.  Maybe he didn't need to.  Maybe Ivan Gregor was farther along than we thought, and Gary Jackson was a robot.  It seemed unlikely, but given the weirdness we were already surrounded by, why not?

So imagine my surprise when in the middle of February when the hulking Mr. Jackson approaches me in the cafetorium.  He looked at me sternly.  "Andrea would like to see you.  Would you please come with me?"

The Artie gang, who was seated around me, looked worried.  "Exactly where would I be going?' I asked.

He took no interest in my question.  "Just come with me, Mr.  Martin.  She will be much appreciative."

Robert Bond, who was seated right next to me, stood up and faced the huge bodyguard.  "I'll come with him."

"No," answered the big man.  "Just Mr. Martin."

Artie chipped in, "Go ahead, Lance.  It'll be okay.  We got your back."  He nodded to me, and I knew.  One or more of them would follow at a distance, so at least they would know where I was going, and could jump in if needed.

Larry Wiseman spoke up.  "Yeah, maybe she wants to give you some money, or offer you a job in her Dad's company!"

Lindsay Starn shook her head. She had her own ideas.  "She probably wants you t o write something, Lance.  From what I've seen, she's gone through most of the books in the library."

Ginny Estill piped in.  "Maybe she's got a crush on you, you handsome hunk of man!"  Everybody howled at that.  Somehow I highly doubted that, but if Andrea did, it was the last thing I wanted to deal with.  It's not that she wasn't attractive.  It just wasn't something I wanted to deal with.  What happened to Lisa still haunted me.  Even with everything that happens, Doctor Duncan, it probably always will.

Mr. Gary Jackson had lost his patience.  "Are you coming with me or not, Mr. Martin?"

I got up to leave with him.  "Yes, I'll come with you.  And please, would you just call me Lance?"

He held out his arm, in the direction of exiting the cafetorium.  "Of course, Mr. Martin.  Whatever you prefer."

Good lord.  Maybe he was a robot.

Ripping Good Yarns: Vote for Your Hall of Fame Movie 2014!

After a series on new fall TV, let's return to the movie screens, and resume Ripping good Yarn's selection of a movie to be the third entry into our Movie Hall of Fame, to join our first two entries, The Wizard of Oz and Star Wars.

There's nothing like going to the movie show!  The old drive-ins we went to with my parents, the large downtown movie theaters that even had balconies. the old Court Theater in Saginaw that on Saturday afternoons would show a double feature, cartoons, a serial chapter and more for no more than a quarter or two.  Even the suburban megaplexes with their cushier chairs, stadium seating, deluxe sound systems and 3D.  Of course, now, admission may take a trip to the small loan department!

So I could wax all day about my love affair with going to the movies.  And that's just one of many ways people see great movies now.  They might download them, watch them on TV, rent a DVD, or even see them on their phone.

I have tried to solicit nominees through the Ripping Good Yarn group, general Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter, and anyone within the reach of this blog.  To say that the response has been underwhelming would be a vast understatement.  But still I plod along.  I mean, I'm somebody who ran around the house acting out whole TV schedules, with no input or attention from anyone, so it's going to be hard to embarrass me into silence.

Please look at the movies listed below and vote for one of the following to be our third Hall of Fame entry.  There are no rules of judgement regarding selection.  It can be a personal favorite, or you can have well reasoned logic based on critical review or even box office.  It's all up to you! you can vote for more than one if you like, but then I will fraction your vote accordingly.  Feel free to vote or comment here or on Facebook.

Here are the ten nominees to pick from:

Stand by Me

Gone with the Wind

It's A Wonderful Life

Casablanca

The Shawshank Redemption

Jaws

North by Northwest

Jurassic Park

Fried Green Tomatoes

Raiders of the Lost Ark

I wait your input, Rippers!  The final selection is yours!

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Coming to the Ritz!

The cast and crew of this not to be missed holiday treat.  Performances Thursday, Friday and Saturday night at 8 PM!!!

Don't miss this marvelous play, showcasing many of our area's talented young thespians, including my son, Benjamin Strait!

Our first weekend was marvelous!  Good audiences and first rate performances, this is a funny show with a great message for the holiday season!

Benjamin and I look forward to seeing you there!

Ripping Good Yarns: Comic Book Truth In Numbering

Yes.  I was different even as a kid.  I took  the clutch of change that Grandma gave me, went down to the general store a few houses down from her lakefront home, and there I would buy some comics.  My favorites?  The ones with the HIGH numbers, like Action and Adventure.  They were just breaking into the 300s, and I thought about how wonderful it would be to be there and get them when they reached #1,000!

There's one of the early ones I got.  #309, where President Kennedy helped Superman by masquerading as Clark Kent.  This is actually a reading copy I got a few years ago.  The original was so well worn, I had lost its cover.

This is the current issue of Action Comics.  Yes, I was faithful.  Yes, I stuck with the title through thick and thin.  Through good story-lines and horrible story-lines.  And my reward?  Three years ago, they renumbered it to #1 again.  Why?  Something to do with "starting over" and fooling digital comic readers.  It doesn't matter.  They broke faith with me and other long time readers.

So this #36 is really #940.  If they don't have the courage to put this on their front cover, they should at least put in as a whole number in the indicia.  Who could it hurt?  And it would mean so much to me and other countless fans who care about the thread of history.

And this is not the only title mucked up this way.  Only Looney Tunes (#223 in two months) and Mad Magazine (#532 in two months) hold their original numbering.

Based on Westfield Comics catalog for comics to be released in February, here is the COVER number compared to the ACTUAL issue number, based on my best estimate using the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide:

Secret Six #3?   #46!!!

Harley Quinn #15?  #53!!!

Secret Origins #10?  #67!!!

Lobo #5?  #69!!!

Batgirl #39?  #142!!!

Star Spangled War Stories #7?  #211!!!

Supergirl #39?  #219!!!

Catwoman #39?  #216!!!

Teen Titans #7?  #214!!!

Aquaman #39?  #247!!!

Green Arrow #39?  #251!!!

Swamp Thing #39?  #259!!!

World's Finest #39?  #362!!!

Green Lantern #39?  #510!!!

Justice League #39?  #598!!!

Wonder Woman #39?  # 653!!!

Flash #39?  #636!!!

Batman #39?  #752!!!

Superman #39?  #753!!!

Detective Comics #39?  #920!!!

Action Comics #39?  #940!!!!!!!

940!!!

Just a tiny modicum of respect...a whole number in the indicia. That's all I'm asking for!

Please?

The Non-Hunger Games and other Monday Musings

We got to see a movie this weekend!

Alison, Benjamin, Doug and myself all got out to the The Hunger Games: Mockinjay Part 1.  It was not a bad little movie, but it did end rather abruptly.  I'm not sure of the great necessity for splitting the last Hunger Games book into two movies, but it does seem to be a growing trend in Hollywood.  As Mel Brooks playing Yogurt would say, "Spaceballs 2: The Quest for More Money".  It was a good entertainment, and I got to see Natalie Dormer in a nice role, even if half her hair was missing.

We wanted to see The Theory of Everything, but it wasn't playing either here or in Brunswick.  Meanwhile, a film that was a massive critical and box office bomb continued to play at the local bijou as if it were Avatar or Gone With the Wind...Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas. Oy.

The rest of the Thanksgiving break was the opposite of The Hunger Games, as I ate far too much, and consumed far too many heartburn pills.  I was left alone one meal to devise my own leftover combination, and came up with squash casserole mixed with cheese grits, chicken thigh meat and ketchup.  For some reason, that led to yet another heartburn pill.

We enjoyed the company of Doug and Alison's mother on Thanksgiving day.  We played Trivial Pursuit, a game I got a couple of years ago but no one would play with me because they knew I was too good at it.  So, of course, we played the game twice and I lost both times, once to Doug and once to Alison.  My ability to answers questions was matched by a lack of ability to get good rolls, virtually never landing on whatever I needed to land on.

The weekend was a huge disappointment as far as writing goes.  I stand on the verge of finishing the first volume of History of the Trap, yet I spent most of my time focused on family and other things.  Oh, well.  I still hope to finish before the first of the year.

The Strait Line broke it's page view record again this last month, reaching 22,773 page views.  I wish there was another way I could earn advertising revenue, outside of AdSense, as they have banished me for life.

More stories are coming in about the devastating effects of climate change, and I fear we have passed a window to stop it.  This is one of those places where I lose the most patience with my conservative friends.  Their stubbornness in the face of overwhelming evidence, their willful ignorance of the consequences of our present course, has me very worried.

After a rocky first night, the Ferguson protests have settled in to a more non-violent basis.  And what does that mean?  It's easier for most of us to pretend that they're not going on now.  I had a friend say that people don't protest non-violently anymore, that we don't have the protest movements like we did in the 60s.  Ahhh, yes we do.  There have been some huge rallies in the last few years, including the largest climate change rally in the US ever in New York City a few months ago.  It was just ignored, by many of you and by most of the media.  And as the Ferguson protests are now 99.99999% non-violent, you will hear less and less about them, whether they involve 100 people or 100,000 people.  Property crime is a terrible thing, and it cannot be excused.  It is not, however, equal to the life of a child.

Until next time,

T. M .Strait