I'm Back...Sort of...

 I spent the morning after 3AM prayers looking at investment properties in Caithness, and the Orkney Islands...Found a couple of good investments, but my children would profit from the investment, and well, those two give ME investment tips....And real estate in one of me homelands ain't in their suggestions....

But I digress. 

A couple of people asked.....

We're doing pretty good. I try and post every couple of days on Facebook. Let y'all know I am still alive. 

I've gone into sort of a news "blackout" as it was really starting to get to me, and have cut back on YouTube watching. 

The Israeli/Iranian War just did a number on me.... 

All this said, I am still concerned about the Western World. 

I made the mistake this morning and looked at the British newspapers and it is all "gloom and doom." Part of it is I read the Daily Mail, nicknamed the " Daily Hell" by many in England and Scotland. 

And to be honest the rest of the world, talking about Asia, ain't doing so good either.  

I'm concerned about what the United States, heck all the Western world will look like in 20+ years.  Then again, I guess I shouldn't. I probably won't be around in 20 years. I do turn 68 next month and when I was 18, well, 68 was ancient......And it sorta is.....

I am concerned about Gen Z. 

I am too a lesser extent concerned about the Millennials.  Read this before I went into a news blackout of sorts that less than 50% of them are having children. 

That's not enough to repopulate the US. 

Who knows what is going to happen with Gen Z?

On another note......

Damn, looked at the calendar, school is just around the corner. 

Teachers, get those last trips in, read that last book, watch that show on Netflix.....

Sooner than you know, you'll be going to that waste of time known as "Inservice." And don't tell me how valuable inservice is.....In 30+ years, I learned nothing and couldn't tell you a damn thing said at one.  As I have said for years, I'd much rather have the kids in class. 

This coming school year, I will start year number 15 retired.....The farther I get from it, the more I do not miss it, and realize, I could not teach today's kids, no matter how much baloney I could come up with. 

Thanks for letting me take a break from writing. I had gotten so much negativity that well, I needed to step away for a little.....We seriously have looked at moving to Europe more than once, but, we'd just be looking at the same problems there as here...Is that going to keep us from traveling there? Of course not. But us going there permanently? No....Part of it is, we should have moved years ago. 

Okay, back to my sabbatical. We plan to be back posting regularly in August. 

When I do come back next month, I'll write a disclaimer, and we'll start year 15 writing the blog from there. 

Again, let me reiterate, thank you for letting me take a break, my mental health needed it.   

( Of course if something dramatic happens, I'll post.) 

 

 

State of the Blog?

 I've knocked and rolled with my blog for the couple last days. And to be honest, I do not know if it is worth it anymore or not. I think I have got it again, but I've lost blogs in the process and not sure where?

I've considered even starting a new blog....Perhaps a Govteach Part Trois? Go Latin. Pars Terita "Govteach"  Or just keep the old Govteach Part Deaux....

And Summer-time numbers, well, they are never good. People on vacation, people drinking beer all day, everyday, school out of session. 

I don't know, I think I need a sabbatical. 

I often take a look and go...." Am I actually doing any good? I'm certainly not getting rich....Or making any form of money." 

Perhaps I need to take the month of July off.....Then something will occur, the wheels will come off the truck, and well, I'll need to blog. Won't make the month....But I need to try and take a break to reflect. Reevaluate. 

 Maybe I need to set up some sort of AI system and let it take over. :)

Going to watch a little baseball today. It is the 4th and most of MLB plays matinees today. 

I'm going to take some time off. I've been doing this for 15 years, and well, sometimes you need a break.  

 

 

Gotta Go to School........And Working on a Blog, Well, Having a Hard Time With.....

 I was someone amazed at the number of " Back to School" sales, and advertisements that popped up yesterday on the telly, the YouTube, the advertisements on the internet yesterday, it was like, " Man, we got behind, we better throw as many as we can out there today..."

I also forget how quickly the " Summer Break" flies  by when you are teaching school. I know non-teachers  you don't understand what it's like to have a room full of 30 well, I'll be nice and call them "characters" and you battle with them, every damn day, and it's like this for 8 hours a day. And the character personalities change every hour and so does your reaction....I still take two blood pressure medications to this day and my doctor said that I probably always will. 

I know many teachers will start back to school for inservice the first of August, the kids, the middle of the month of August. ( I've always said, other than a couple of days of workdays, learn any new rules in about an hour, I'd rather have the kids in class. Any changes I had made to my actual lessons, well, they had been developed during the Summer months....Economics was hard to teach to high school seniors., I changed how I taught it every Summer Break.)

- Now to the blog. 

I am in the process of writing a blog concerning Buna ISD. 

Normally, I don't care, I throw it out there and if people are pissed at me, well, so be it. I don't care. 

It's comes with writing what amounts to an opinion piece. 

I'm going to write this one, and well, it may splatter on people I don't want it to. Don't think it will, but, in 2025, you just never know. We live in crazy times. 

I am sure it is getting written in the coming days, and well, honeymoon periods, grace periods only last so long. And that person is not who I worry about offending..... Part of it is, a lot of people still don't know I write this blog, even though I've been doing it for 15 years. Never mind every time I publish a blog, hundreds if not thousands of people read it. 

I don't know, I know the blog will get written, and in the end I'm be Kerry Thomas and go " Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead."  

 

I Am Writing This Blog For Me....To Get It Out of My System...So, Probably Best You Do Not Read

 It was the best of times....It was the worst of times....

I was going to explain what Dickens was talking about when he wrote this......One of his best known books.

As I have written, it was my 50th high school reunion last evening. And today, I am even more glad I did not attend.  

There were people there who I did not graduate with and several I did, well, I am glad I did not see again in my life. 

An old flame was there, and I made a promise to myself that I would do everything I could to avoid her. I know, I know, not very Christian, but you know, they along with the people I went to school with, well, while I love band, I love many of my academic classes, I hated much of the social potion of school, and it really wasn't until I started taking 300 and 400 level ( junior-senior) level classes in history, government, economics that I liked college. 

I never really "fit-in" at school until I got in with really serious college history nerds. The other outcasts. 

Perhaps it is why I really like those I taught in school who were just " different."  Be it their religious beliefs, their liking books over sports, those who were LGBT, those who were a little on the outlaw side of the world.... Those who saw the world differently...Those people who were a square peg in a round hole world....

Kerry Thomas believe it or not was a square peg. 

To survive in a senior classroom, I had to be something I really wasn't. I probably should have seen a counselor for my past at some point. But I had taken those "pastoral counseling" classes in seminary and knew what they were going to say, or do, so, why bother? 

I don't know, I was depressed all day yesterday. I had thought about high school and how it sucked many times more than it was it was fun. 

I doubt I have anything in common with them....I've been to England 4 times in the last 8 years,.I shook the Archbishop of York's hand Holy Week after Evensong...I think they might speak English....I spent 6 weeks in China for my son/DIL's wedding, a a city of 9 million none of them have ever heard of.....I doubt most of those Vidorians can find China on a map.... ( I say all those, a friend of mine will read this blog who just got back from Europe whose wife I graduated with, but they're very bright folks, I was a groomsman at his wedding, heck, my mother played the organ for the wedding.....And someone will get mad because the wedding was at the Catholic Church in Vidor. If you've not, it's very nice, you need to go one day for mass. I used to know the Priest, I no longer do. That said, I did know the Deacon at the last funeral I attended)

It wasn't until my junior year in university that I started to enjoy it.....And it did not really come together until I met my wife my senior year, and I was the only senior in the euphonium,baritones, and I did everything I could to try and take care of them... 

Then, make it even worse, I find out my best friend in high school died while we were on the Pittsburgh, Seattle, Alaska trip.  

Liver cancer. 

I had been his best man at his wedding. 

He had moved to the Houston area, gotten a position at a refinery and put Vidor in his rear view mirror. He had cut off all contact with Orange County, and rarely I heard from him.On purpose. He had another life. I don't blame him... It is sort of like me and Vidor Other than my mother living there, I refuse to go to Vidor. I don't care if the place burns to the ground. I care more about and more contact concerning Buna. 

I understand why many of you feel the same way about Buna....And why you are in the Northeast, or Indiana, or California...Houston,Austin, Dallas, etc...etc....etc....And I know many of you have been gone for several years now, but still want to move back...Think long about it....It wasn't what you think it was, and what it is today is so much different.   

I understand why my son lives in Seattle and why if they move back to Texas, it'll be back to Houston......Or Austin....Or Dallas....Or  instead of Texas.....Tokyo....

 

Buna ISD and Other Problems......And I Apologize.....And I Got Chewed Out...

 I apologize to a number of you. I am way behind on blogs concerning Buna ISD....

I know, I know..... I've not forgotten about you. Actually several of you. Part of it is, I am trying to get as much readership as I can on the topic. 

There are times during the year in which people just do not read the blog, and sometimes I publish blogs /articles that I feel are pretty darn important and well, they are time sensitive, and I publish them anyway.... 

Some of you think I am mad at you,and/or I have deleted you from the blog, my Facebook group, friends, etc. 

I have not. It is just that your subject which you sent to me well, I want maximum hits/readership and from May until the start of school, people really don't care about Buna ISD....or any other school.  

Yes, the blog from a couple of days ago had fairly good hits, but they did not get as many I they would during the school year, and trust me, there will be people write me in the Fall, more than you know, asking why I have not written a blog about why there are no longer cell-phones allowed to be used by kids  in the schools, during school hours? Never mind I've written on the topic in June, and then again, before school started....During the school year, readership on schools increases 25-55%.  

Secondly, I have caught more flak from people in the last 6-8 months from people concerning, well, whatever....the schools, politics, the economy....literally whatever. 

And some of the emails/messages/PMs have been ugly and I have just deleted them, blocked them. I don't have to put up with abuse. I don't. 

A while back I had to get rid of a former student who attacked me on my religious beliefs. Called me a Catholic because I have friends who are Catholics. I have family who are Catholics. And people wonder why that person has been either married or lived with different people , on last count, 7-8 different people. 

I have friends who are Catholic I love dearly, and I hope they pray for me at the time of my death....And I don't even want to know how they feel about my love of people who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. As many of you know, I grew up with Mormon kids, and would rather hang out with Mormons than most of you Baptists.    

Other Problems... 

 -Don't be shocked if the Israel/Iran War flares up again this Summer, or later in the Fall.

- NYC is going to elect a Socialist/Communist as their next Mayor. Again, this country is going to come apart, either one political direction or the other, and don't hope it happens. It'll be so ugly...

- The economy is worse than you know. More people I know either cannot find work, or the work they find pays poorly, and I know people who have sent out 150+ resumes. 

- People, don't be using people for sex. Don't let them think you are ' in love with them" just so you can use than for a " Piece of ass." You're playing with someone's emotions for your pleasure. I may write a blog on you and tell folks what a piece of crap you are....Let that person down easy if you are just playing a game. 

- Preachers, preach the Gospel, remember the "Great Commission" stop using the pulpit for politics. 

- My 50th Reunion is tomorrow evening, and as I said earlier, I am not going. I got a bit depressed thinking about how awful high school when I was there. I got upset hoping I treated everyone the same when I was teaching. Yeah, I was at time rough, but I tried to treat everyone the same, no matter your name, and it actually hurt my career. But I feel good about what I did. 

-Yeah, I know it's supposed to be " Just a Job" but teaching sometime you get emotionally tied.....Right now, I have a former student not in the state i am very worried about. His friend, former students so mine, well, when you read this, take care of him. He needs all our help. 

-  I almost bough another Ralph Lauren Sports Coat. Grey with Checks......But where would I wear it?

 -  I have other items I need to write short blurbs on, need to save them for later.

Have a good weekend folks.... 

And Yes, This Will Include Buna ISD

 

Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Friday signed a bill banning students from using cell phones in school.

House Bill 1481-   Requires public school districts or open-enrollment charter schools to adopt and implement policies prohibiting students from using “personal communication devices” during school hours.

" Devices include cell phones, tablets, smart watches, radio devices, paging devices, or any other electronic devices" ...."capable of telecommunication or digital communication.” 

This of course includes the Buna, Kirbyville, Evadale, Vidor, LCM, Silsbee etc. ISDs....... All Texas Independent School Districts. 

 Why did the Texas Legislature wait so long? 

Why now? 

Shouldn't this have been passed 10-15 years ago? 

Literally, a generation of kids have done through school with cell phones. 

How hard is it going to be this Fall to get the Gen z and Gen Alpha kids, who are literally addicted to their electronic devices off of them come the new school year?   

And at this point, I would be having to re-work my lessons. I can see all sort of applications for Microeconomics and Macroeconomics for my class using a cell phone, iPad, heck any sort of pad.  

Also, if I didn't want you to have cell phone, I would have had a box, some sort of individual holder for the kids to put their phones in, as they walked into class....And you can get them as you leave.  

Now, do younger kids need cell phone? I don't think so. And could I adjust back to old school teaching? of course. 

This of course puts ANOTHER duty on teachers to battle, and it will be one. There will be kids figure ways around the ban, and teachers will have to enforce another rule, something else to worry with instead of trying to teach. 

Again, I have mixed emotions about this. I can see all sorts of practical applications, especially in economics.... I also can see not wanting them in lower grades, and there would be time I would not want kids having them, especially at test time. 

This is typical of the state legislature, putting 10 years behind the rest of the world.  

Bonnie Blu......Iran.....Hemp....Whatever

 So, apparently, I am too far into the dark side, or I read too much international news, especially the British press. 

I spelled it "Blu" not to get censored by Facebook.

Bonnie Blue is the "Lonely" Fans  "actress" who is doing whatever to achieve fame and fortune. She may have been a guy at one time.  She is not denying it. 

Bonnie claims she is 25, but if you really look at her, she is pushing 40.  

Anyway, she did 1000 guys in a day. This was right after another "Lonely Fans" ( Lily Phillips)star did 100 guys in a day. And Lily then said she was going for 1000 guys in a day, and well, Bonnie beat her to doing 1000 guys. 

Lily was crying afterwards because not all of the guys were able to "shoot" on her face.....What is this fascination with shooting on another persons face?  Why is this supposed to be sexy? It seems degrading to me. The last place I'd want to shoot on is someone I love's face. 

Lily and Bonnie are both British. Queen Victoria is rolling over in her grave. 

Yeah, nasty, just nasty.  

How could they even walk afterward? 

What self respecting guy would want to be number 59, much less number 677?

And here is the sickening thing, these "events" which take place often have married men, and often the men's wives accompany them to the "event." 

WT Cornbread F ????? 

My wife literally would shoot my pills off, then divorce me.  And I would deserve to be neutered. Pulling a stunt like that.....

Anyway, they have been all over the British media, thus why I know who they are.... 

I don't know, I am a bit old fashion when it come to sex, and well, I know the world is changing, but I don't have to be in some of the changes. At this point, I cannot even fathom having sex with someone different. And to be honest, would be afraid to do so. What if we've been doing it wrong all this time? 

Second-

Iran

It's been 47 years in coming. I guess we always knew this was going to happen. Trouble is, how will it end? 

Will American boys be killed? 

And why now Iran and not North Korea? I am much more concerned about Fat Boy in North Korea deciding to nuke American bases in Asia than the Iranians. 

I fully expect Iranian terrorists to strike in America at some point. And say what you want, Russia, China, back Iran. China has been flying transport planes into Tehran since Israel bombed Iran. And you know those planes are not bringing in pork kebabs and Snicker's bars. 

Why now? They've been saying Iran is about to have nuclear weapon in the next 6 months to 3 years since 1990.  

I don't want to US involved in any war.  

I don't care what you say, the war involves the oil fields in Iran. In every war, follow the economics.  

Already I am receiving messages from people concerned about a draft. I remember the fuckin' Vietnam War. I had relatives killed in Vietnam. My wife's real dad was seriously injured in Vietnam.....And why? The US did not fight to win. 

I don't know what is going to happen, and neither do you....

Third- 

I am wondering if the Iran situation is to take our minds of the situation here at home?

The economy ain't good. I don't care what you/they say. This mess is fixin' to spiral out of control. I am going to write a blog, been working on it for a while, and pray to Jesus my conclusions are wrong. Look for it in coming days.  

 Fourth - 

The Texas governor vetoed SB3, but called a "Special Session" on hemp on July 21st..... Rest assured, the state legislature will feck this up.