Sumer In the City

Benjamin for the second festival in a row, tries his hand at shooting BBs into a target.  His score was pretty good for someone who does not routinely do this.  He has thought about joining the 4H shooting team, and if he chooses to do so, we would be supportive of it.

This man, whom I have found out is named Cody Jones, was juggling  objects, including knives. He owns a tattoo emporium in Blackshear and was also promoting that.

Ah, yes.  The charms of small town living!  Yes, Blackshear is a city, even if it only has a few thousand residents.  And that does not in any way hinder having a nice festival celebrating the advent of summer every year in the city park.

There was a booth where you could fish with a projected video program.

The fireman had a large presence with trucks and booths and fundraisers.

There were vendors selling a variety of goods, including hair bows and monogramming.

There was a show area, that while we there was doing Karate demonstrations.

There was a display of motorcycles that I was told were Harley's.  Given my limited vehicle recognition skills, I just felt lucky that I could recognize them as motorcycles.

There were the Sons of the Confederate veterans, proudly displaying the old state flag than raised nostalgia for an era when slavery was the law of the land.

There were things for children, including a huge water slide and a rock climb.

There was a variety of foods, including hot dogs, BBQ, mini-doughnuts and kettle corn.

There was many people that we knew.  Friendly people that would greet one or all of us, and then we would chat about things.  We spent more time talking to people than doing any particular activity.

No, not everything was my cup of tea.  But maybe next year, if I wanted to invest my time, that might focus on Flying Dragon, WACT, comic books, Alison's jewelry and Benjamin's latest video game favorites and recently built Lego projects.

Thank you, Angela Manders and the Better Hometown people who put this on!  Until next year!

Way Too Early 2016 Speculatron Saturday Political Soap Box 63

Yes, I'm at it again.

I don't even know how the 2014 elections will turn out (most likely very small gains for one party or the other), and I'm ready to speculate on the 2016 race!

Well, here I go, plunging into madness! This edition will focus exclusively on.........

REPUBLICANS

Overcard

Cruz/Ayotte

To me, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas is one of the more truly disgusting and dangerous politicians I have seen in a long time.  A proud and uncompromising extremist, he is melting the hearts of Tea Party Amerika (a wholly owned subsidiary of RepubliCorp).  He is leading the fight to keep guns unregulated in any way, and into the hands of whoever wants them without any background checks or restrictions of any kind.  He acts like Joe McCarthy, and has the extra special bonus of kinda looking like him too.

Kelly Ayotte, Senator form New Hampshire, is a great fit for him.  She will (in Republican's minds) attract a greater share of women's votes.  She is almost as extreme as Cruz, but projects herself as reasonable.  She hangs out with so-called foreign policy Senators McCain and Graham, and somehow their disastrously wrong foreign policy experience is rubbing off on her,

Undercard

Christie/Jindal

I don't like Chris Chistie's (Governor of New Jersey) political positions nor his persona.  But I'm not completely stupid.  I recognize it's popularity,and that it is capable of crossing over to independent voters.  True or not, he gives the appearance of having the capability of telling his own party to shove it if he thinks they're wrong or working against the public's interest.  This makes him more popular to the public as a whole, and  less so to the extremists that control the Republican party. He has recently shown his serious interest in a run by having lap band surgery to reduce weight,

Bobby Jindal

Bobby Jindal, Governor of Louisiana, helps balance the ticket with Southern appeal.  He is more popular than Christie with the religious right, and has shown brief, fleeting seconds of semi-reasonableness.


Super Undercard

Bush/Rubio

This is the Republicans Hail Mary, and also would be the Republican establishment's last gasp. And yes, I'm aware that technically, Jeb Bush and Mario Rubio are from the same state, Florida.  But what they hey - that didn't stop Bush/Cheney!  They were rich enough to claim residence in any number of states.

Wild Cards

Rand Paul could still do it, but he doesn't quite have Ted Cruz's dramatic flair for crazy.  Paul Ryan has an appeal to people who don't understand math and hate the poor, but he also has to carry the stink of the Romney run.  Sarah Palin could run, but not even the rapture could help her win.

Early Morning Hang Out With Bobby Ray

It was a fairly chilly morning, by Dixon County standards.  63 degrees at the 7 AM hour, with the weather app promising a warm up to the mid-seventies.  Not too unusual for a mid-November morning on the outskirts of the South Georgia swampland, with many November mornings actually being much warmer.

It was enough of a chill to have the two teachers watching the students come off the bus chatter about the hoax of global warming.  It was Doreen Herreld, the "religious studies" teacher and Ronnie Smith, the Civics teacher.  The biology teacher, Grace Scope, had a different attitude, but she wasn't there to refute their Fox News fueled enthusiasm.

On the other side of  Dixon County High, opposite of the entering school buses and front parking lot, were a few students hanging out until the bell called them for first period.  They were behind the gym.  A football field's length away from the gym...was the football field.  It wasn't "the football field", but a practice and scrimmage field, sometimes even used by Peewee teams at nights or on weekends.  The actual football field lay to the east of the the school, a mammoth structure with huge bleachers on both sides of the field, running twenty four rows up, topped by stadium boxes used by the press and by VIPs.  The VIPs included rich alumni donors and owners of large area businesses that gave thousands to the football program and jack squat to anything that had the remote stink of academics on it.

The student out back that every one else was gathered around in almost reverential awe was Bobby Ray, the star quarterback of the football team.  Well, he was the star quarterback, until he blew out his knee a couple of weeks ago.  Now he leaned gently on crutches he would have to use for the next four weeks.  His left leg was in a cast.  When the cast came off, then they would have to decide on surgery or not.  Bobby Ray's crutches just made him all that more striking to the female population of Dixon High. Tall, athletic, golden brown hair that came down to his neck, he had a quiet grace and an enticing smile that melted every girl's heart.

Standing in back of the gym with him were his teammate Freddy Higgins, and his oldest buddy going all the way back to Kindergarten, Skipper Reese.  Skipper wasn't part of the athletic group, he really wasn't a popular kid at all.  But he and Bobby Ray had such a history together  they didn't think nothing of hanging out with each other. The fourth person was Susi Kapok, a junior and friend of Freddy's. She was short and cute, wavy red hair with a scrunched-up nose and a quirky smile, she was a  skinny thing, but well-endowed, her button-down shirt a size or two too small. She could not take her eyes off Bobby Ray.

Skipper played with a cigarette in his hand, as if he was fixing to smoke it, but then decided against it.  Why take the risk?  It might get them all in trouble, and he had enough respect for Bobby Ray not to do that. "Do you still have to go practices?  Maybe we can step out tonight and howl?'

Susi made howling sounds, sounding playful and sexy.  "Nah," Bobby answered. "I still go and help out and such."  Bobby Ray's college opportunities  dim to begin with, faded substantially with this injury.  More scouts and college reps saw playoff games than regular, so he would miss out on all that.

"That's a shame, Bobby Ray," cooed Susi. "I sure would love to party with you!  Maybe you got some time after practice?  And you know, the fewer the merrier!"  Freddy scowled.  Second base with Susi was looking like it was getting further away for him.

Bobby Ray looked at her, thoughts running through his head.  She was a pretty little thing.  He was Racine Steel's boyfriend, but it wasn't like he was married to her.  Besides, Racine, who was admittedly the most gorgeous girl in all of Dixon County, with her blond hair, perfect Natalie Portman face, curvy body, was actually starting to look a little paler, inexplicably gaining weight particularly around the belly, getting nauseous sick more often, even losing interest in sex.  Maybe it was time to turn their on/off relationship off again, at least for a little while.  At least long enough to discover what was behind Susi's straining shirt.

"Damn, Bobby Ray," exclaimed Freddy, desperate to start another topic. "Our playoff chances are in the toilet without you.  That creep from Ware County should be banned from football for the way he tackled you!"

Bobby Ray shrugged.  "What's done is done.  You play the game, you take your chances."  Bobby Ray, budding philosopher.

Susi came up to Bobby Ray, and put one arm around his arm.  She leaned down and with her hand caressed his cast.  Bobby Ray could look down her shirt and see much of the promised land.

At that point Racine Steel rounded the corner, and with her feminine walk, the gentle sashay of her hips, she approached Bobby Ray.  Susi stood up and squinched back close to Freddy.

Racine came up close to Bobby Ray and said in a very quiet voice, "Bobby Ray, we have to talk.  Just you and me."

Bobby Ray sent his friends away, and his life began to change.

Ripping Good Yarns: Saturn Awards Television Part 1

A review of the perfect awards for Rippers (Ripping Good Yarn followers), the Saturn Awards to be presented this June for best achievement in different genre categories. I have covered the movie awards in previous posts and will now continue with the TV awards.

Hopefully, some of these you have seen and we can have lively discussions about which we like best.

First Up! -

Best network television series

Elementary

The Following

Fringe

Once Upon a Time

Revolution

Supernatural

Close followers of Ripping Good Yarns will know that I am a Fringe fanatic. So they will not be surprised to find out that is my favorite in this category.  It had it's final season, and few shows have wrapped themselves up with such grace and clarity   If you did not catch this show when on originally, it is an excellent show to watch streaming or on DVD.  

I've only seen one episode of Elementary, and thought it was good, but not quite good enough to fit into our TV schedule.

The Following has been a great show, intense and a tiny bit unpredictable.  The primary villain was an evil mastermind, but it was almost as good to see him slowly unravel as it was to see him in total control.

Once Upon A Time has been a guilty pleasure that I have surprisingly enjoyed more than Alison.  She thinks it's a little too predictable and no one character has caught her imagination or favor.  I like the story, and am a little more interested in their characters, particularly Mr. Gold/Rumpelstiltskin.

Revolution has been pretty good, but I am reserving judgement on it as to whether it is a good series or a great series.  It's got me interested enough to keep watching, but not enough to call it a favorite.

I haven't seen Supernatural since the first season, so I really can't say much about it.

Best syndicated cable television series

American Horror Story: Asylum

Dexter

Leverage

The Killing

True Blood

The Walking Dead

American Horror Story: Asylum was a pretty wild ride, entertaining and creepy.  A moment in the last episode caught me by surprise, and had me crying as much as I have in years.  I would rate this very highly, but not the winner in this category.

Dexter is good, but I can't comment too much, as I see it a season or two behind via DVD rentals.  So I am not current with this show.

I have only seen part of one episode of Leverage.  Did not seem like my cup of tea, but perhaps I did not give it enough of a chance.

The Killing I recently watched via Netflix streaming.  This was a great show, paced somewhat slow in places, but extremely moody with a very interesting and carefully built story.  26 episodes covering the investigation of one murder.  Wow!

True Blood is a great show, with occasional glimpses of the tough, no nonsense vampires I prefer.  Alison has been catching up with this show via HBO Go, and we will both be looking forward to it's new season start up in June.

But the reigning champ in this category has to be The Walking Dead.  No series on television combines character and story as well as this one does.  It is the biggest "event" series that Alison and I have.  We record almost everything we watch, but we wait the least amount of time to see The Walking Dead.

So there you have the first two television categories.  Anybody else wonder where the heck A Game of Thrones is?  Well, be patient!  More categories to come next week!

Another Victory for Gerry Mander's Kids

Well, creepy ol' Mark Sanford has emerged victorious in the special election in South Carolina.

First, let's get the whole comparison, they're all alike thing out the window.  His affair was particularly egregious and involved the use of taxpayer funds.  My own personal opinion is that he is a very shallow man, and whom, despite his victory, is a very ineffective campaigner.

So why did he win?

Two reasons.

First, like many Congressional districts throughout the country, the South Carolina first district has been politically gerrymandered to give an insurmountable edge to one of the two parties.  And it really doesn't matter what the party in control does, 99% of the time their candidate is going to win no matter how foul a person they are.

Secondly, the religious right will forgive their own anything.  They have a whole vocabulary of forgiveness that if the candidate cynically follows, they will give them a pass on virtually anything.  People of other political persuasions have a more cautious bent, and are more skeptical of a politician's pathetic mewling and promises of reform.  Anthony Weiner showed his namesake in a supposedly private message, and he was hounded into an exit.  John Edwards will deservedly never get to walk in political circles again.

The level of hypocrisy shown by those on the religious right is often breathtaking.  They assail left wing politicians for the slightest indiscretion while forgiving their own anything.  All while preaching a supra-moralism that apparently is meant only for their opponents.

I live in the first congressional district of Georgia that has been gerrymandered to permanently elect a right wing extremist.  As far as politicians go, Jack Kingston seems like personally a relatively decent man, although I am anathema to every position he takes.  But whatever Jack Kingston's personal morality, it doesn't matter.  People around here will vote him over war veterans, preachers, saints - it just doesn't matter.  Because Jack Kingston has the R after his name.  Sometimes voting here seems like a courageous exercise in futility.

So enjoy your fame, South Carolinians, and please take your front seat in the Hypocrisy Bus to Nowhere.

Is The Graduate Offensive?

I don't think Benjamin is going to the play that I am currently in.  My twelve year old, in my judgement  is not quite ready for it.  That's my call as a parent.  Others may come to different conclusions.

The first thing people mention is the language.  There is use of the son of a b---- phrase, particularly by my character.  There are other milder expletives throughout the show.  The only thing removed by order of the Director is the G-D word.  The most offensive word used is the archaic use of the word queer.  That was left in because it was used at that time, and Benjamin Braddock is deliberately trying to shock his father.  None of this would deter me from having Benjamin see the play.  I might have to explain queer, and why that term is wrong, and why it was used.  The rest he has heard before and is smart enough to take into context.  To me, swearing is more of a use of language designed to hurt and degrade others than it is any particular word. For greater details on my position on swearing, please read the blog story A Philosophy of Swearing.

It is not the state of undress that certain characters have at certain points.  Our Mrs. Robinson (played brilliantly by Julianna Lacefield) is enticing, seductive and voluptuous, but her dress (or undress) is not much different than what I have seen onstage before, in other community theater productions, in local dance recitals, or beauty pageants.  I am much more offended when a young child, dressed provocatively, starts shaking her booty at the crowd, than I am at anything in The Graduate.

It is not the overall moral arch of the story.  The ending is much more morally satisfying than some other popular productions such as Grease (where Sandy ends up by giving in and dresses as a slut and takes up smoking) or Chicago (where two murderesses walk free).  The whole point of the play centers around the empty materialism of our lives, the reckless things we do to connect to each other in our emptiness, and struggling finally to make a genuine connection.

The reason I hold Benjamin out is I'm not really ready to explain why a young man is okay with getting involved with the mother and then switching to the daughter.  I can explain the other stuff, but I'm not sure I can explain that.  I'm aware that we wouldn't know about this movie/play if it wasn't for that plot line.  It does sit uneasy with me, especially to explain it to my young son.

But Benjamin is getting older.  I'm probably underestimating his ability to filter things, and make sense out of them. Nevertheless, I am the parent, and I'm not ready yet for him to go to this.  All that will come soon enough. They do grow up so fast. I shudder to think that driving is just around the corner!

A Truly Jumbled Monday Musing

So glad to have Alison & Benjamin back from their great Manhattan adventure.  Please be sure to read Alison & Benjamin Take Manhattan if you get a chance.  It's got plenty 'o' pictures.

The play The Graduate has kept me uber busy.  Rehearsal or performance every day for the last seven.  Finally get a break tonight and Tuesday, only to start back up with a rehearsal Wednesday and performances the next three nights.  I also have a Flying Dragon meeting on Tuesday night, so tonight is my only time home for the week.

Kudos to Flying Dragon on their completion of their Cinderella, and to the hard work done to bring it inside to avoid this weekend's rainy weather.  I wish I could have seen Kayla Peacock and others in new roles this weekend, but unfortunately my play was in direct conflict with Cinderella.

Flying Dragon faces important decisions in the coming weeks, what with a new season coming up, and a lease to re-sign, and I hope I can be a positive force in helping them with these issues.

My work is showing a surprising accumulation of things to do.  I am going to do my best to organize my work in such a way as to continue to have my Fridays off.  But they're not making it easy.  Oh, well.  At least my job is assured.

I've been watching Hemlock Grove on Netflix.  The acting sometimes seems a little odd, but it has been quirky and strange, and at least a little unpredictable at this point.  I'm about five episodes in, and it's had one of the most gruesome, graphic werewolf changes I've ever seen.

I'm having more friends hearing the clarion call of the beach, since we live only about an hour away from the Atlantic.  I like the beach, but am not fond of direct sunlight and extreme heat, so this is not the ideal time of year I think about it.  We think more about in the fall - less heat and smaller crowds.

It's been fun watching the Detroit Tigers surge.  In sports, you never know whether a team can keep it up, but right now it is an enjoyable ride.  And to my son Doug and other Atlanta Braves fans that I know - I like the Braves a lot, but I love the Tigers.  Gotta always go with the Tigers - sorry.

Scary seeing Israel's increase of attacks on Syria.  I'm not disputing whether they should do it, one way or another - just scary to see.  The Mideast is always more of a powederkeg than Americana seem to be aware of.  I do think we're right to be hesitant  about over-involvement, although it increasingly looks like we're going to have to do something more than we have.

Until next time,

T. M. Strait