Been a While......

 Sounding like a " Staind " song in the title this morning. 

Believe it or not, I am somewhat a private person. Unless it is to the doctor's, grandma's, I rarely leave Orange County. If there is a trip and the UK, or Europe is involved, well, I keep literally a bag packed for that. I am so wanting to go to either Scotland or England I could spit.  

But, right now, with the global situation, we are just a little hesitant. When there are rumors, threats that either Russia or Iran may " do something" to England, well, I don't want to get in the middle of World War 3. 

No, again, I am somewhat of a recluse. Always have been. 

I should have called the Compound the Hermitage instead.

Still there are people who think they somehow think it is okay to just show up here at the Compound.  

Doesn't happen often, but on a rare occasion,, well, someone with " More problems than a runt over dog." with the school district become embolden, desperate, they show up here to tell me their story. And generally by the time I hear it, it was past time to do something about it..... 

If you want to talk to me, call me. Then again, if I don't answer, leave a message. Unless it is family, or close friends, I may not answer. 

I really prefer you send me a message on FB or email. 

I appreciate you reading the blog. I seriously do. But, I have got to keep some sort of distance. It is just my personality. 

Again, thank you for reading. As always, all information received is confidential.  

 

 

 

So, I Was Reading Buna ISD's Facebook Post(s)

 ( I am writing this with an Orange Cat laying across the computer. If you are not listening to Gov't. Mule and Warren Hayes, or Blackberry Smoke with Charlie Starr, you don't know what you are missing....)

I often am inundated by Buna ISD's propaganda machine, and I can't think of anything better to call it. 

It so reminds me of the old Soviet apparatus of TASS, Pravda, Izvestia.  Then, again, most states have a form of press to make themselves look good. 

In the late 1970s, I often went to the university library to read old copies.  I had just taken a history class called " Russia Since 1860."

But I digress once again....

I read most of the posts from the Buna Schools if for nothing to look at see what they are pushing this week. 

In one of the posts was a well, " Reunion Reminder." 

Included in the post was the fact the Class of 1997 will be celebrating their 30th reunion and the Class of 2007 their 20th. 

I taught both classes. 

I am so tempted to show up about midway, make fun of everyone in those classes for about 10-15 minutes and then like a " Thief in the night" disappear into the dark..... 

It is at the junior high, the old high school for most of these classes.  

Why 10-15 minutes?

You've go to remember I am Persona Non-Grata....  

I figure it'll take that long for someone to snap and call the police.  

And don't think some Karen won't.  

So, I Am Seeing More and More and This, Especially at Buna....Nekkid at School?

 I turn 70 in a year and every time I time especially, I leave out the second "e" and why, I do not know? 

There are more and more people either taking their kids out of school, or are seriously looking at removing their kids and just homeschooling themselves. 

I do not blame many of you. Buna ISD I am sorry just isn't the same when I was there.  I will receive blow-back. I know. But I don't care, if I don't believe in what I saw when I was there and what is going on now, well,. it just ain't the same. 

If you decided to home-school, get help, join home-school groups or perhaps you are like us, had a certified self-contained teacher grades 1-8 on call when we decided to home-school. 

Then again, my child was born about 32 years old and was 35 walking around as a 4 year old. He had already taught himself how to read long before then. 

Thank the Divine has took after his mother.....

It will be hard at first, heck, it will be hard most of the time, and the thing is, home-school is not the same for every child. 

Some parents will suck, some will give an adequate education, while others will educate their kid like they are applying to Harvard or Princeton. 

I still think if you can, find a high school for your child, public, private, parochial, to send your child, especially if they are wanting to attend university. That is specifically true if you want the child to major in a STEM program in college. 

I know that one person who moved their children to Vidor ISD has already said that their senior in high school child has said that, 12th grade " Government" is " Hard." 

Yeah, gubmint is supposed to be at the 12th grade level. Those of you who had me, know this. And could you replicate my class if you needed? Some could....Most couldn't. 

- Once again we need a quick vocabulary lesson....

Naked- Unclothed and doing something like taking a bath.

Nekkid- Unclothed, and up to no good. 

What happened that the Buna ISD had to come up with some sort of " Dress Code" for parents? 

And I had not thought this...But I was told to think differently concerning the present school administration.

Two thoughts..... 

1. Yes, they really had a bunch of Mommas  showing up looking like " Hell froze over." Not wearing the correct underwear and wearing a shirt that makes it looking like " Two cats fighting in a tow sack" as they bounce up to the school's front desk. 

2. Or as those who are like me who don't trust any government entity. This is a form of micromanagement that extends to the parents.  

I don't know. 

I taught at 4 different school districts, and never heard of a parent dress code. But it is 2026. I am somewhat shocked at what people wear to funerals and to church services now.  

 

 

 

 

Bits and Bobs.... Raising Canes....Target.....Economics....Buna Story?

 The more I see what is going on, I really want to see what historians will say about this time period. I really do. Get ready, expect the unexpected this next few months. But, I will be long dead before the time period makes some sense. 

- Raising Cane's now has a cult, almost religious following. People are now standing in line for hours to be among the first to eat Raising Cane's chicken in their city.  

I like Raising Cane's, but I ain't standing in line for chicken strips, crinkle fried potatoes, and some sort of red/pink sauce.  

In 10 years I can see people saying, " Remember when Raising Cane's was good? "

- Man, keep an eye on the US Bond Market. If interest rates go over 5%  on bonds the US Government can no longer pay the interest on that $40 Trillion dollar debt. The US then would basically default. The 10 year 

You want to talk about a mess.  

Life is going to change in this country. Get ready, your children and your children's children are going to say right now might be part of the "Best of Times."

I can see this nation coming all apart at some point. I thought it might happen in my grandchildren's lifetime, but more and more, I can see this all fall apart in 5-10 years. Might wish we had some Raising Cane's. 

- Target has come out with a Halloween costume, well, it looked like an a costume from a 19th. Century minstral show.  

The question is, doesn't anyone look at what they are putting on the shelves? 

Then again, I cannot tell you the last time I have entered a Target....I am to the point if I can't get it delivered here , or go to "town" here in Mauriceville, I can probably live without it. 

I think part of it is people now come up to the ole Govteach and want to tell me their school district problems. And trust me, I want to hear, but some of you, 90 minutes later you have reiterated the same point for the 6th time.....  

- I am in the process of working on a Buna Schools story. ( I guess I actually always am working on one.)

As always if you have any information, please sent me a PM and as always all info will be confidential. 

BTW back to my ole hippie history major days.... Listening to Crosby, Stills, and Nash this morning.  

 

I Don't Know if I Should Talk About This or Not......

 I just took at look at the list of books banned by the State of Texas in Public Schools. Most I have never heard of, nor do I plan to read. 

2200 books. 

And why are some listed and others, well, are not. 

Karl Marx's Das Kapital,  The Communist Manifesto, Mao's Little Red Book, are not included, and for some reason, I expected them to be on the list. 

 And of course John Locke's Two Treatises on Government and Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations,  were not on the list...

But Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings, and Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five are on the list. I read Vonnegut's stuff in high school. I know it has some rough stuff, but dadgum, have you been down a hallway at any high school in America? The language can often rival any construction site in America. 

Jack Kerouac's, On the Road was not on the list, which sort of shocked me.  I know I read it my senior year at Vidor, and wanted to get a backpack and travel Europe. My son read it, and decided to wait until he got a degree(s) and go to Asia for almost 7 years. 

Jack Reed's Ten Days that Shook the World, which I discussed in class and at one time the Buna High Library had 2 copies was not on the list and sort of shocked me it was not.

And of course The Bible is not on the list.....

The Song of Songs, which was covered literally in 10 minutes in the seminary Old Testament class....Basically the professor saying, " Someone messed up including it....." And it is pretty erotic in nature. Every minister I have heard try and cover The Song of Songs well, they were embarrassed trying to preach/teach on the subject/ 

The trouble is, every kid knows where to find this materiel, online.  And already people are saying the list is not long enough and want to include things like Plato's Republic, and Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird....

I'm the last person to want to ban books. I wanted my seniors to read stuff, get different ideas. Heck, I never stopped Reid from reading whatever was on the shelf.  

And then the Lt. Governor threatens schools with lowering grades of the districts because they have the wrong book on the shelf of a high school library, because, let's face it, you'll be hard pressed to find the banned books on elementary library shelves.  

Again, so glad I am retired...... 

 

  

  

 

I Was Sorely Disappointed...........And Buna School Info Keeps Rolling In.........

 We took a few days away just to sort of get away, been a different sort of Summer Season at the Compound and well, we probably should have, but decided not to travel too far from the house this year. I know I would like to travel to Europe for Easter, always a " High Church" experience, in some massive cathedral or church with a traditional service, something, I prefer, something well, there really isn't in this part of the Southeastern Texas. 

So, since the old Black Labrador restaurant shut down in the Montrose section of Houston. very close to the old Chinese Consulate, there has not  been a British style pub/restaurant in the area. ( Now I'll get letters, but what abouts?)

And we found one in the Kemah area. 

Supposedly run by a couple from Scotland, and in truth, I've probably been in more pubs in actual Scotland than the rest of the UK and Ireland. 

And on this pub, they had a choice of fish, Haddock and Cod in their fish and chips choice. 

In Southern England you get cod. 

Towards Northern England and Scotland, you get Haddock. 

Lots of chippies ( Where you get fish and chips) you get a fish choice.  

I've become a fan Haddock, a little sweeter meat for my fish taste. Closer to white perch/crappie, and I like me some white perch/crappie.  

So, we get the haddock, chips, and a side of mushy peas....... 

The restaurant itself was well, nothing like a pub I have seen in the UK. It is what you would expect in an upscale American chain.  They did have a few British flags, some World Cup Soccer jerseys on the walls, but a lot of too much stainless steel for my taste. 

Food was, well, not that good. 

Fish was cooked to death, the mushy peas were , well, I've never had mushy peas like them. I have made mushy peas here in the Compound before, so, they're not that complicated. 

I will give them this, the chips( fried potatoes) were good. 

We had decided before that we would eat there 2 times, but after we visited the first time, we moved on.

There were about 10-12 Mexican restaurants and we chose one, and was good. You can't hardly mess up Tex-Mex. food.  

I know, I know, I have been to the UK several times and well, it is hard to replicated British food for some reason in this country. The old Black Labrador had certain pub grub that , well they just did not get right. 

I have no one but myself to blame. I need to stick to what is normal for the region. Tex-Mex, BBQ, CFS, and towards our area, Cajun. 

- I tried to avoid Buna ISD info as much as I could, but I get so much stuff, well, sometimes I have to take a couple of hours to read what is going on, and often you look and say to one's self, " Can it get any worse?" " It can't can it?"

And then it does. 

Sometimes you just have to pick a topic and go with it, I get so much stuff. Lately, I could be writing a blog 4-6 times a day.  

And that is too much info and would cause an overload and more people than you know, would shut down, and just stop reading. I have to sometimes be careful. 

We'll find " Hills to Make a Stand" and try and do some actual good.......Try......

 

 

 

More Micromanagement at Buna ISD?

 Ain't going to lie, spelling micromanagement this morning was a booger. Thank you Jesus I live in a time of spell-check. I mean this sincerely. Then again, I was in seminary before I could spell cemetery correctly. Dr. Penrose St. Amant who might have been the preeminent Baptist Church Historian. especially of the Early Church,  during that time told us how he remembered.....Three " Es." 

But I digress. 

So, the story is there is a 10-10 rule at at least one of the schools in the Buna Schools.

Kids can't go to the bathroom 10 minutes after class starts and 10 minutes before the end of class. 

And sorry, sometimes it takes more time to make it 5 minutes to make it to class, and if there is a bunch of people trying to "go" well, good luck making it on time to your next class.  

I'm sorry, you may just have to fire me. 

I don't know what is going on in a kid's stomach, his/her intestinal system. And knowing my system, sometimes I might get bad off too. I've left in the middle of a lecture and walk down, did my business, washed up, came back and picked up with the next sentence like nothing happened. 

But, I had Seniors and could do that. 

I know my when my son taught at university in China, it was a given, a little late to class, kids slip out of the back of the class and a few minutes reappear, well as hot as the food is over there, even after years of exposure to hot foods, well, sometimes you need to go. 

With a stomach virus invariably going around a school at some point in the school year, I'm not going to stop a kid from going to a bathroom, or restroom, as schools have. 

This is not a " Hill to die on." 

It is a decision to be made by the classroom teacher.  

Too much micromanagement.  

It's just a little common sense.