Ripping Good Yarns: My Year In 2014 Movies

I would love for this to be about any movie I saw during 2014, regardless of what year it was released, but I failed to note most of those, and instead am relying on a list of movies that came out in 2014, and am selecting my favorites from among those.  This year, 2015, I am going to try to keep a full log of those movies I see, both in the theaters and at home, so I can do a more complete selection.

Some 2014 movies are not in my favorites, possibly because I haven't see them yet.  I have high hopes for such 2014 movies as Birdman and Selma, but they haven't come to an area near me.  Alison and I saw The Theory of Everything last week, and it would definitely be on this list had I seen it in 2014.

Here are my  top seven 2014 movies seen in 2014:

7)  X-Men: Days of Future Past

Wow!  This movie had a lot of characters in it!  It had Alison's favorite (Wolverine), and my favorite (Kitty Pryde, Shadowcat).  The plot was exciting and fast, and covered several time periods/

6)  Gone Girl

Very well done thriller, with some fascinating twists and turns.  Alison and I saw it in St. Simons as an anniversary movie, and had a delicious meal at an Italian place just across from the movie theatre.

5) The Grand Budapest Hotel

I don't always like Wes Anderson directed films as much as some others do, but this one was first rate.  Got to see this movie at my son Greg's place in Pasadena.  He was able to stream it to his television, and I watched with Alison and all three Strait boys, and Greg's dog, Indiana.  Great movie, great company!

4) Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

I have rarely seen as finely tuned of a science fiction movie as this one, hitting all the right notes, and effecting you on a both an intellectual and emotional level.

3)  The Lego Movie

Everything was awesome!  Best Benjamin/Daddy movie of the year!  It was a real treat to take him to see this.  A high energy, fun movie, with much to appeal to both kids and adults.

2) Captain America: The Winter Soldier

I loved this movie.  As much like a good comic book as anything I've seen.  The spy/secret agent feel was amazing, the supporting cast awesome, the special effects breathtaking, and the 1940s greatest generation spirit of Captain America makes my liberal/progressive heart soar!

1) Guardians of the Galaxy

Nothing was better in 2014.  Nothing.  Quirky characters in the best space adventure since Star Wars.

If this list seems top heavy with blockbusters, part of that is because that's what I normally get out to see in the theater in the year the movies come out.  The movie prices are such that you want to see those that the theater experience makes more special.

Oh, crap!  I have to get to work, but I forgot the latest Hobbit movie.  It was very good, and would rank in the top 5 had I remembered it in time.  That's The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies.


Sigh.  If I thought more, I'm sure there's more I could come up with.  Oh, well.

See you at the movies!

Football Comes to a Screeching Halt

Well, football season is over for us at the Strait household.  Yes, I know there are minor things like the Super Bowl and the National Collegiate Championship left, but Alison and I are checking out.  All our favorite teams have left the arena.

We are dual state fans, attached to teams from Georgia (where we live) and Michigan (where I grew up).  At the college level we have the Georgia Bulldogs, the school my middle son Doug attended, and then we have the Michigan Wolverines, my alma mater. Then professionally we have the Atlanta Falcons and the Detroit Lions.

We live in South Georgia, about an hour and a half away from Jacksonville, so we hear from many Jaguar fans. The locals on our satellite TV come form Jacksonville (we would prefer Savannah, but apparently we don't get a say in it).  My wife Alison is not buying it.  We live in Georgia, not Florida.  We should be Falcons fans, just as she has been since she was a little girl.

The Falcons are the only team she gets passionate about.  She wears Falcons clothes and paraphernalia on Game Day, cheers them on, curses when things don't go well, stays in the same chair or position as a superstition if they do well.  She becomes greatly attached to certain players she admires, like Keith Brookings, who played high school, college and pro all in the state of Georgia.  She really likes Mike Smith as a coach and a person, and cried when he was fired.

The Falcons had a rough season, only in contention until the last game because their division was so gosh awful weak.  The last game was an unexpected rout by the Carolina Panthers.  The only highlight of the year was that they beat the hated New Orleans Saints twice, but everything else was heartbreaking.

The last time the Lions won a National Championship was like the mid-fifties, so virtually my entire life.  This year they put together one of their best seasons ever, only to have things snatched away by some horrible officiating in their first playoff game.  How bad was it?  Bad enough for some NFL administrators to say, paraphrasing, "Oh, yeah.  That was pretty bad."  Anther Lions defeat snatched from the jaws of victory.

The Georgia Bulldogs showed real flashes of brilliance this year, but not enough to break through to the top tier.  The Georgia/Florida game was crushing this year, especially considering our border status, where we are infected with more Gator fans than we can stand.

The Michigan Wolverines were the worst I've ever seen them.  They didn't even qualify for a bowl game.  I liked Coach Brady Hoke, but the reality was that the team's record was getting worse every year he coached.  It was so horrible, that it was not enough to console me that the Big Ten finally bested the SEC in two of the most important year end bowl games (Wisconsin beating Auburn and Ohio State beating Alabama).  I had been waiting a couple of decades for that, having had to listen to everybody around me tell me how superior the SEC was, and how they might deserve to have at least three of the spots in any college playoff, but I couldn't get over the fact that Michigan wasn't even eligible for the party.

So we pack it up for the year.  I don't care if Ohio State beats Oregon, or vice-versa.  I have no interest in the Super Bowl, except to fast forward to the commercials.  We are done.  We toy with the idea with giving up football all together.

But then I see that the Michigan Wolverines hired super-coach Jim Harbaugh to lead them next year. There are promising young players with the Georgia Bulldogs.  And the Detroit Lions have a great coach and good foundation, so surely the referees can't take away every game from them.  And the Falcons?  Okay, I don't know what to say about them except...tomorrow is another day!

And most exciting of all, our young son, Benjamin, will be starting his first year in high school, and will be playing in the marching band.  Which means Alison and I are going to be going to go to a good number of high school football games.  Local people cheering local talent!  What could be more exciting?  Go Bears!

So maybe next season won't be so bad.  Maybe one of our teams will break through.  Certainly seeing our son participate in the great community bonding activity of high school football will be a real treat.

You know what?  Come to think of it, we're actually excited it about!  Bring on the Fall!  Let's watch 'em play ball!

The Siege Begins and Other Monday Musings

And so it begins.

Another tax season.

No theater.

Opportunities to write more limited.

Very few trips out of town, if any.

A three and a half month stretch.

BUT...I will try to not to work as many hours as in the past.  Even though my 10% retirement is null and void this time of year, I will try to limit my overtime compared to prior years.  And my work schedule is not quite what you may fantasize it to be.  There are many, many people who work a lot more hours than I do, even this time of year.

Regardless of the total number of hours, though, the work is very stressful and more involved than other times of year.

So you may see shorter posts, or days skipped.  I'll do my best.

And this year, I have newspaper columns for two different papers to keep up with.  That should be interesting.

Alison goes back to work today, too.  Benjamin does not start back to school until Wednesday.  Part of his three week Christmas break.  But then, he'll have to find a way to struggle all the way to his next break to Martin Luther King Day on January 19th, in which he'll get another break.  That's a whopping eight school days before the next break.  Poor kid.  My next official holiday is......Memorial Day.

The Detroit Lions broke my heart.  Per usual.  Yes, it shouldn't have come down to one of the strangest reversals of calls I've ever seen (pass interference was called, the announcers and their experts agreed, and then was inexplicably reversed without explanation), but that is just par for the course.  Am I still a Lions fan?  Always and forever.  There is always next year.  Fresh heartache awaits.

We did get to St. Simons on Saturday.  We ate at Barbara Jeans on the pier, something I try to do at least once a year.  It was my parent's favorite restaurant on the island, when they would come to winter.  Then we went to the movie theater on the island, where Alison and I saw The Theory of Everything, and Benjamin and his MeeMaw saw Into the Woods.  Neither of these movies were playing in Waycross.  They're too busy running movies that appeal to, ummm, a different demographic.  Movies with titles like That Darn Atheist, Fast Cars and Big Guns, and Jack the Ass 4.

The Theory of Everything was a very good movie.  Alison in particular loved it.  I had not realized that Stephen Hawkings was married and had children.  The movie had very little science, but a lot of drama, romance, and overcoming adversity.  I believe that we watched a movie that will get nominated for an Oscar.

I finished the first draft of History of the Trap.  It is my first completed novel ever, and I am quite excited about it.  I need to go back through and edit it, and then let a select few read it and give me feedback for further edits.  My plan is to try to promote it for publication by others before resorting to self-publishing.  It won't be easy, as I don't always handle rejection well, but it is something I am determined to try.  It will be difficult to live with myself if I don't try.

Speaking of trying, I made the horrible mistake of weighing myself this morning.  There is certainly a lot of trying to do there.

Until next time,

T. M. Strait

History of the Trap: March Coup Part 6

6

I was too late.

By the time I got there, the damage had already been done.  But what could I have done, even if I was on time?  The time I could have done anything had long since passed. I should have never abandoned my father.  I should have supported him after the trial, investigated and questioned Mr. Tate instead.  But I was too busy with my pout.

I was too late.

Artie, Lindsay and Jan were sitting together in the student lobby near the library, looking rather defeated.  I rushed up to them.  "What happened, Artie?  Am I too late?"

Artie looked at me, with some anger, but mostly a melancholic sadness.  "Well, look.  It's the prodigal son."

"That's not fair, Artie.  I think this all took us by surprise." admonished Lindsay,

"It's over, Lance.  I'm sorry," sadly intoned Jan Houser, who even though she lost the Presidency, still retained a seal on the Council.  "It was a called meeting, by Mark and Mr. Tate, challenging your father's leadership.  Everything bad that has happened in the last year was laid at his doorstep.  I think they would blame him for the Trap itself, if they thought they could get away with it.  Artie argued eloquently for your father, even persuading a couple of the students that were not aligned with either the Grani-Knights or us.  But in the end, it was not enough.  There were just too many of them."

Artie looked at me coldly.  "Maybe if we could have had just one more voice speaking up for him.  You know, someone who was really good with words, like a really clever soap opera writer."

Lindsay snapped.  "That's ridiculous, Artie.  You don't know any such thing.  I think this goose has been cooked for awhile."

"How could they do this?" I questioned.  "Where did they even get the authority?  The by-laws hadn't approved yet, have they?"

"That's the first thing they did," said Artie.  "They rammed the by-laws through at the beginning of the meeting, and then proceeded directly to a vote to impeach your father, and then replace him with Mr. Tate.  The students voted for impeachment, 13 to eight.  The teachers on the council voted narrowly to support your father.  But the administrators went by one vote the other way.  I think it was a mistake to let Mr. Tate have so much influence in the selection of administrators on the council.  We found out Mr. Stein is not your father's friend.  He was the deciding vote in the administrative block of votes.  And now, he's second in charge.  What a surprise!"

David Izzner had just warned me about Stein, a warning that came far too late. "Thirteen, you said?  Aren't there fourteen Grani-Knights?" I asked.

"Morgan Tigh voted with us," answered Lindsay.  "I know.  She's Mark's girlfriend.  Trust me, that took us back a bit.  Mark seemed a bit taken back, but overall, he was very happy.  Smug, really."

"Didn't my Dad fight this?"

"In the beginning, he raised some objections to parts of the by-laws, but once they were passed and Mr. Tate began the impeachment proceedings, he didn't really say anything.  After the vote, they handed him a letter stating that he accepted the verdict of the proceedings, and that he was no longer Principal effective today.  He signed it without saying a word, moved from the Principal's chair, and Mr. Tate was selected as the new Principal on a voice vote.  Mr. Tate moved to the Principal's seat, said the next meeting would be a week from today, and we adjourned," said Jan.

"What's going to happen to him now?" I asked.

"He's going to be the new Vice Principal in charge of Academics," said Lindsay.  "And he's going to teach some, I think."

I finally sat down, next to Lindsay, who put her arm around my shoulder.  Artie actually backed away from me some, as if I had cooties.  Not only had I destroyed my relationship with my father, I had also lost my best friend.

Boys aren't supposed to cry.  I know that.  But sometimes the tears come anyways. 

"I know you're hurting," Lindsay whispered to me.  "But there's someone who needs you."

I looked at Lindsay, her face filled with empathy.  "Go to him," she implored.  "Go to him now."

My Father and Public Education

I am a big believer in public education.

There are many, many reasons why.  Let me start with what is perhaps the most important one - my father.

My father, Eugene Everett Strait, like many of his generation, raised in the depression and reaching young adulthood during World War II, endured many hardships and much sacrifice, building a better life for themselves and for their families.  He grew up on the family farm, and they all worked hard from dawn until dusk.  It was a hard life, without the amenities and comforts those in our generation have grown were used to, but he always spoke of it with a nostalgic fondness.  It was not, however, what he wanted to do with his life.  He wanted to contribute in other ways.

He worked hard in school, and did his best. It took him ten years to get through college.  His own father was not well, and he would often have to take breaks to run the family farm.  He was very good at it, and using modern agricultural techniques,he helped make it one of the most productive farms in the state.  He could have stayed and done extraordinarily well, but that was not what he wanted to do.  He wanted to contribute in another way.

Later, he would try to earn college funds by working at Kellogg's.  He started as a line worker, making sure Rice Krispies had an even number of burnt ones in each box (among other interesting assignments), and worked his way up to the point that Kellogg's wanted him to stay and be an executive.  He was good at it and could have made a lot of money.  But that is not what he wanted to do.

My father wanted to devote his time and talents to public service.  He wanted to teach.  And when he finally got to do it, he was extraordinary at it.  His specialty was in teaching math to lower achieving students.  His ability to communicate and motivate had them succeeding way beyond their own and other's expectations. I'm not sure how his teaching methods would be accommodated by today's world of common core and concentration on standardized tests, but I would like to think he still could have been successful. Turning students on to learning, and making them believe in their own possibilities seems so much more important than any one test.

Later, my father became a high school principal, but he did not take his hand out of teaching.  He and his fellow school administrators taught at least one class a day, because he thought it was important that they stay active in what it was they were administrating.  And what did my Dad teach?  Basic math, for those who were not college bound.

My father left this mortal coil in September of 2013.  He lived to be 91, and never regretted his life in service to the public schools.  Over the years, I have heard again and again from the many students and people whose lives he affected positively.  There is almost no one who leaves a larger legacy than a really good teacher.

My father was a brilliant man.  He could have been anything he wanted.  He chose to devote himself to teaching.  He was a big believer in public education.

And so am I.

Yet Another Year End in the Hoosegow

It's December 31st.

I'm headed to prison.

I will communicate with you again when I am able.

My Year In Sports: 2014 Edition

It's not unusual but......

O what a year to be a Michigan and Georgia sports fan!

The Georgia Bulldogs were not quite as soul-crushing as the Michigan Wolverines, but they still came up short at crucial times.  They lost badly to Florida in a year that was not particularly good for the Gators, and overall were not a bad team - just not a great one.  but at least they're going to a bowl game.

The same cannot be said for the Michigan Wolverines, who could not even muster the six wins to qualify for a bowl game. Coach Brady Hoke came in making a very good impression, and no one can complain that he didn't bleed Michigan Maize and Blue, but his record was getting worse every year.  Now as the year ends, Jim Harbaugh appears to be finally ready to come back where he belongs.  Will that make the difference the Wolverines need?  I hope so.  I also hope that Harbaugh keeps in mind that these are young men, who technically are supposed to be STUDENT athletes.

The Atlanta Falcons had a horrible year, only kept in contention by being in one of the weakest divisions in NFL history. Still, Alison (the ultimate falcons fan) was devastated by the news the Mike Smith was fired as coach.  She feels he did his best, and that he is the least to blame for their demise.  What they really need is a healthy offensive front line, one that can give Matt Ryan more than half a millisecond to think.

The Detroit Lions had a better year, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 1993.  The new coach, Jim Caldwell, has been very good in marshaling the team, particularly the defense.  They have put in some extremely anemic offensive performances, which is mystifying given the talents of Stafford, Megatron, and Golden Tate (the most exciting receiver in football this year).  Their bad boy reputation still lingers, although they were not as heavily penalized as in prior years, mostly due to stunts pulled by Raiolo and Suh, stepping on ankles and legs.  The team gets little respect from the media, and no one anticipates they will beat the Dallas Cowboys in the wild card game.  They may be right, but you gotta hope for the best.

The Detroit Tigers put together a very good regular season, but were hampered by the lack of good closers, and quickly lost out in the first round of the playoffs.

At the end of the year, the Detroit Red Wings are very much in contention while the Pistons are very much not.

The guy who works with me at Higginson & Paulk, Dean, is from Alabama and is a huge Alabama fan.  He is spoiled by his team, as they are almost always in contention, and have actually won the prize several times.

I wonder what that feels like.

My favorite moments in sports?

Watching my son, Benjamin, participate in Pep Band at the middle school football games.  It was a joy and a blessing to watch him perform, and enjoy the company and comradeire of his peers.  I wasn't sure he was going to like band, but he has seen what the bonding of it can do now, and I am glad that he has that in his life.

Finally, just this last weekend, going up to a soaked rooftop tennis court with Doug and Benjamin, and hitting the ball around just a few times, as it splashed around in the puddles of water from a recent rain.  It was a treasure to see the boys playing together, and it was wonderful to get out there and take a few swings myself.  Am I good at tennis, with my zero stamina, and limited range, and a back that screams at the slightest turn? No, I am awful.  But I love it anyways.  And I loved being out with my boys, even it was very brief.

It's not whether you win or lose.  It's the joy of taking the field, of participating with others, of screaming with pride and joy, of being part of a team, however tangentially.

Of course, a championship every decade or so would be pretty swell too.