New Market Basket- Mauriceville

So, I got brave and hit the new brand new this morning

Market Basket ( MB) in Mauriceville.

It is huge compared to the old " Mend and Make Do" MB that was opened after the Tropical Storm Harvey flooding.

I did have a hard time navigating the new store and walked around the place several times.

The quantity of items has increased considerably. And they had things I wonder if they will still be on MB shelves in 6 months? Such as this....

It had a a meat counter like an old fashion butcher shop, a deli, they were starting to give out samples when I was starting to leave.

The store was busy, and had a large number of workers on duty, including representatives of various food companies. I wonder how many people will still be with MB in 6 weeks? It also had a number of customers. Could be, the old MB had been closed several days and people needed groceries.

I am glad to have a decent store in Mauriceville. I am glad to have more choices. I am glad to have a deli. Before now, this section of Orange County has DQ or Sonic for "quick" non-sit down food choices.

Everything looked good this morning, but first impressions always matter. I wonder 6 months from now how the store will look?





 

So, I Wonder About This People

I know some of you don't care, and you don't have to read this because, well, it is pretty specialized.

Great Britain has a new Prime Minister.

Boris Johnson, former Mayor of London, Eton and Oxford grad, he was a Literae Humaniores major or 'Greats' major while at university....( He studied Classics, or Greek/Latin and the Greek /Roman history)

He also looks like an extra from an old Three Stooges flix.  

Johnson was chosen as leader of the UK by about .25% of the population of Britain.

And Britain is looking at leaving their economic union and to a lesser extent with the rest of Europe by October 31st. ( Or what is called Brexit)

The trouble is this, presently, there is a free flow of commerce between Britain and the other 27 nations of the European Union ( EU)....and the British are concerned, if there is no economic deal to leave, there will be a shortage of food, prescription medicine and other good.

Right now, there are no tariffs.  And there is a deal that the EU has offered to keep economics open with the British.

Trouble is, many people who want to break with the EU, want a clean break, no treaty, no ties with the EU....." We'll make trade agreements later" is what they think.

Trouble is and this is confusing, the United Kingdom is  in reality 4 nations, joined into one. England, N. Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

Two of the nations, Scotland and N. Ireland, voted against the Brexit. And both hate the idea there would no longer be ties with the EU, especially the Scottish( And to be honest farmers in Wales are not thrilled either, they may lose 92% of their business, as that is where 92% of their good wind up.)

Scotland already has had a vote to break and become their own nation in the last 5 years( It failed 55% stay to 45% independence), and Brexit I believe will cause a second vote for Scottish Independence.

Yesterday Boris Johnson was booed in Scotland. 

Northern Ireland the same. The North remained part of the UK mainly due to the fear held by Protestants....And then there is the entire idea of an "No Irish Backstop" and losing the free movement from N. Ireland into the Republic of Ireland. That was part of the deal to stop the fighting ( The Troubles) between the Catholics and Protestants in N. Ireland...You for now, can drive from the Rep. of Ireland to N. Ireland, 2 different nations without a passport. We know, we did so. We did not know when we entered N. Ireland. ( We were on a back highway, sort of like FM 253.) And the road from Belfast to Dublin was marked " Welcome to Ireland" as we returned.

This leaving the EU, unless it is done right, is going to upset a lot of people not in England proper.

Prediction:

In 5 years Scotland will be an independent nation. And probably N. Ireland will join the southern part of Ireland. ( It might take 10 years for Ireland)

UK will be England and Wales.....

You Don't "Get It."

The older I get the more I realize that some of you didn't learn a damn thing in school...I failed you....Tandy failed you, Whoever just failed you...

Because you just....Do...Not...Get.....It.....

I am talking about satire.

I don't know if you really do not understand, or you're just sitting around waiting to be offend.....It could be the latter.

I received mail from folks who think I hate Tara Laramore.( Tara might be my favorite student of all time, but don't tell her, she'll have a bumper sticker made and put on her vehicle..." I was Mr. Thomas's favorite" And we can't have that...)........Or when I told Mattison to stop grinning or I was " Putting his ass in the hall" I was somehow serious....

I know know there are not that many Sheldon Cooper's who can't understand satire......Or perhaps there is?

I think it might be the world we live in....

I am thinking it is just part of this change we are going through right now....And it is going to last years....And I may not live to see what becomes of it...

So, I Get into the Middle of a Fight

I have got to stop doing this. I seriously do. The benefits are much outweighed by the determinants.  And this was one of those times.

As many of you know, I am ordained, well, by a couple of different groups, and in a pinch, I will serve as a celebrate in marriage ceremonies.

This past Wednesday, I was asked by the home of the bride's parents to discuss the Friday night wedding.

I thought the request was odd, but I went.

The wedding was already odd. I had been asked by a family member to wear a " Clerical Collar" to perform the wedding. And had been given money to purchase one. And one of the "groups" that has ordained me has a "collar" option, but I've never worn one.....But at weddings, you get odd requests sometimes.

I show up at the bride familiar home only to discover I have walked into a hornet's nest.

Both sets of parents were in a knockdown drag out disagreement of which I really did not understand why...But, once I was there, I was asked to take one side or another.

I finally discern that the bride's parents do not think the groom is good enough for their daughter.

I sneak out of the row and go home, telling the groom to call me later.

The groom later calls me and tell me the fight is because he is " Just a school teacher."

I so wish I would have stayed now.

This is not the first time this has happened.  I've heard the opposite happen be cause the bride "taught school" and to be honest, I never understood the opposition there.

It has disturbed me in both cases.

In the first case, when the groom called, I told him, if they both really wanted to marry, forget about the money already spent on the wedding, it is gone, I would elope at this point. And told him that my maternal grandparents had gone down to the Justice of the Peace during their lunch hour in Winnsboro, Texas and gotten married because there was family who didn't think either was "good enough" for the other......The marriage only last 50+ years and produced 5 kids....I told them, bring the license to the house, and I'd still marry them...( They are both in their late 20s, neither have ever married)

Maybe I am missing something here, but is there more of an anti-teacher sentiment that I am missing? 

Growing Pains

On the rainy, then sunny, Sunday morning, and presently at my house, it is pouring rain and then, the sun will re-emerge and then, 10 minutes later, the bottom will fall out...

I got to thinking, just how much hatred we have right now in this country, and sadly, I become caught up with it.

The nation is going through growing pains.

And many don't want the change which is happening to occur, and like I have said in the past, it is going to happen whether we want it to or not.

And I am amazed at the hate some people have towards others.

Now, I know, I have a problem with this myself. There are people I taught, people I worked with I just could not stand. And often I tried to like them, but I just could not pull it off, and it bothers me that I can't.

But I get on social media and I see such hatred, such name calling, all because you disagree with people.

Name calling never convinced anyone to change their mind.

I am tired of people just seeing stuff on social media, mostly memes that have no basis in fact, no truth, and they want the meme to be real, so they post it, hoping it will be fact.

God forbid they do any research or use any common sense that the meme might be false.

People in this country jump up and down saying " This is a Christian Nation" yet they act like they have never read the Bible, or if they have, they "Pick and Chose" what it says.

Paul and Jesus constantly talked about "love" but most people's love only goes as far as political beliefs go.
 
Or the love goes only as far as their money goes.

I know some of you don't want to believe this, but Jesus was really hard on people who worship "stuff" and money is stuff.

We got to start "Loving our neighbor as ourselves" or this mess is going to get out of control.

I seriously wonder for those of us faith, how we going to explain this all to Jesus, you're not going to be able to "BS" him.

I seriously wonder....

Capitalistic Mercenary Action

So, I

Well, That Was a Mistake

I often wonder about myself and wonder, " Kerry Don, what the hell were you thinking about?"

I was in need of a new pair of shoes for Europe and I decided I would go and try some on. I can buy clothes online, but shoes, well, I need to try on.

So, I decided to meet my wife and go to Academy and then go out to eat afterward....

And I arrived early, so rather than wait either in the waiting room at my wife's work, or in the parking lot, I decide to go to the half-ass mall in Port Arthur.

When I was teaching, I often bought my " Back to School" teaching clothes a JC Penney's. So, I went in through their side entrance. I thought there might be something that I may want to wear on the trip.

Penney's needs to go ahead and close the door and go to the house.

I started in the men's shoe's.

Shoes on the floor, empty boxes, shoes on display that look like they had been out in the middle of the highway and had been "run-over" by multiple vehicles.

I then go to the dress shirt section....

Men's shirts wadded up and stuff back into the slots, shirts on the floor, shirts mixed up so there was no grouping of colors, or sizes, or styles.

I glanced at the men's sport coats and  they were so cheap, and so high price I wouldn't wear them to a dog fight. They were already coming loose at the shoulder and threads were pulled apart on about 50% of of them.

But it was the underwear that even shocked me.

People had taken the underwear out of the packaging, and it appeared had tried them on.....Then stuffed them back into the slots, after throwing the underwear packaging they had come in on the floor.

Who tries on underwear at the store?  And when they put it back they expect someone else to buy it?

My luck, Penney's would re-package the drawers and I'd try them on after a guy who had actually infiltrated Area 51, raped an alien and contracted an STD that caused his pecker to turn green and look like an overripe zucchini.

I decided to go down to Dillard's just to see. Still overpriced. I look at the suits and they were half off and still, even though SOME of the suit makers were of a known company, they were so thin and so cheaply made, I would not even dream of buying one.

As a couple of people reminded me after my post from yesterday, order online.

They are correct. I buy most of my clothes online and I am seriously looking at buying a tweed suit from online. The measurements, the questions they ask, and for the price, I think I may order one when we get home. But they will make one to look like a 1940s cut suit, in the tweed, the color I want, and like I said, for the price. I am going to risk it...

Nope, It'll be another 10 years before I visit a mall again...Maybe I'll be dead by then and I won't have to go?

You Know...What Has Happened to Etiquette?

What has happened to etiquette in this country?

I mean seriously? Is the lack thereof just a sign of the times?

And some of it is just simple business etiquette.

I understand that in all jobs written notice of a resignation is not needed, but in many cases, it is, along with a 2 week notice you are leaving so the job can replace you.

It seems the Supt. of Schools in the Jasper ISD, never gave the school board a written notice he was leaving...Just told them orally, he was " done."

In normal school business, you need a written resignation due to written contracts.

Every time I resigned, and when I retired, I mailed the school district a resignation letter.

I even sent a certified letter to the Buna ISD when I retired, along with a certified letter to the Teacher Retirement of Texas I was retiring. I did this months before the coming school year, so a replacement could be found...

The older I get, the less I understand "stuff."

Steve Hyden

News on Dr. Hyden...If you just wanted to know. ( He just retired as Supt. of Schools in the Buna ISD)

The present Supt. of Schools in the Jasper ISD is resigning and is the "Lone Finalist" for the Supt of Schools job in Cedar Hill ISD.( Lone Finalist, means he has the job)

And the person the Jasper ISD is looking at as their interim Supt. of Schools is Dr. Steve Hyden. 

How Nasty is This?

It makes you wonder just how much nastiness like this is actually going on?

And for a while, this was the number one read story in the Washington Post.

It seems a man who worked at a grocery store who had disappeared ten years ago, was actually stuck behind a cooler at the store.

Of course he had died years ago.....

Which leads to the question....

How in the hell, did someone not smell a dead body behind the cooler?

Now, I know there are fan vents on coolers, but still, decomposing stench from bodies tend to go everyplace.

Just how nasty of a supermarket is this? ( I know it is one of those so-called "cut rate" places.)

How did someone not clean behind the cooler in ten years?

How did the county health inspector miss this? 

The story in the news even said that the police who investigated the missing man " Were not very good" back then....Hell, are they any better today? ( This took place in Iowa, not some third world nation)

How bad did this damn store smell in the first place?

It makes you wonder, just how nasty some of these places are....( I am funny about groceries, restaurants, etc. if it looks nasty, I am outta there.....)

Sonic, F*ck You

Many of you heard my story about the onion rings, or actually, the "lack" of onion rings in an order of large rings I received from Sonic in Mauriceville.

So, I wrote corporate.

Normally, most corporate at least tries to rectify the situation.

It took two letters for them to understand, including pictures of both the onion ring order and the receipt for the order.

Here is the original blog in case you missed it. 

After the second email to Sonic, I received a note back from them saying.

Dear Kerry,

Please accept our sincere apologies for the less than desirable experience you received at Sonic Drive-In. We strive to provide exceptional service and take your feedback very seriously. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. I have submitted your concern to Management and someone will be in touch with you shortly.

Sincerely,
Sonic, America's Drive-In
Customer Care Team

 I have not heard another word from Sonic..... It's been a week. I am done with them....It is not like other businesses that at least TRY to be a little more customer oriented.

Don't Waste Your Time

I know some of you are looking for stuff to "veg" out sometimes and watch for hours on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, etc....

That said, I watch Part 4 of the Netflix show, "Last Chance U."

If you've not seen the show it is about junior colleges taking in players who either could not quite make it to the 4 year college level, or they were "run-off" from a 4 year college for some sort of infraction.

Season 4 of Last Chance U has the show back in Independence, Kansas at Independence Community College. ( ICC)

In season 4 the team goes from 9-2 to 2-8.

It is a complete breakdown by team...and especially the head coach.

It was so bad, I quit watching portions of it. ( What really upset me, they dropped or cut money from certain academic programs so they could put it into football....including $600,000 for a new turf practice field.)

I believe in "tough love' but the head coach in the show doesn't understand when and how to distribute it.

Eventually, the head coach is forced to resign after he sent a player, one of German nationally, a text that said  " I'm your new Hitler now."

And finally, in an attempt to stop the local newspaper from covering the coaches' problems, the head coach sent  false letters acting as a lawyer telling the paper to cease and desist.

As a result, the coach has been charged with 8 felonies including identity theft, blackmail, and practicing law without a license. ( You pretend to be a bunch of stuff and get a slap on a wrist...doctor, dentist, teacher, chiropractor...but practice law without a license? The judge, who is a lawyer, will throw your ass under the jail..."Cast you down with the sodomites."  Just to teach your ass a lesson....literally...)

Part 4, Last Chance U? Don't waste your time.

1 star out of 5.

You MAY Want to Fill-up Your Car, Truck, SUV This Weekend

No fooling, if you are in Orange or Vidor, or Beaumont or someplace where the fuel is a little cheaper this weekend, you might want to "fill-up" your vehicle.

Our national news is not going wall-to wall coverage, but the situation in the Persian Gulf is getting " hot."

In the last couple of days, the Iranians have seized control of oil tankers going through the Straits of Hormuz.   Which, is the major artery from the oil fields in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, etc, into the world's market.

One of oil tankers was British flagged.

I know Jeremy Hunt, the British Foreign Minister said, " We will seek a diplomatic solution first." BUT, that is what the British said about the Falkland Islands when they were seized by Argentina in the 80s.

 Next thing you know, the British Navy had set sail from Southampton with Royal Marines and the British Army Airborne troops.  ( The British have already sent warships towards the region)

 I am not going to shocked if British SAS( Special Air Service, their commandos)  don't try and capture the tanker back...

This entire mess has started because the British captured an Iranian tanker carrying an illegal shipment of oil to Syria a couple of weeks back....This occurred in the Mediterranean, off the British territory of Gibraltar.)

( British Air has cancelled flights to Cairo , Egypt because of the situation...makes you wonder what intelligence they have?)

Oil prices rose some at the end of last week, and when the markets open on Monday, the price of oil will jump.

You may say, " Well, I work in the oil industry, that's good."

Well, it isn't, if the entire world's economy is ruined, including America's.  The world's economy's ruined, and there won't be a need for that much oil.....

Don't panic, but you might want to "make sure" you have fuel before the gas/diesel prices in correlation to the jump in the price of oil...

Don't be Nekkid on the Internet

Oh Lord, what now?

You got to ask, what are people thinking? I mean seriously.

It seems that an administrator at a Houston area school district has let nekkid photos of himself get out on the internet...Which means, he sent them to someone.

Guys, girls generally don't want to see your hairy ass, dad body, nekkid.  Sorry, they just don't.

And I know with all the electronic gear out there today, it is tempting to make a homemade porno, and show it to folks, but don't, just don't......

I often wonder what the hell people are thinking?

If you want to do this stuff, and it's your business if you do, keep it where folks can't "get a hold of it...."

Let's Get Really Serious

I have heard from our friend in California. I messed up yesterday and missed his voice mail and just discovered it this AM.

It seems he is going to Los Angeles tomorrow for long term tests with the hopes of prepping him for surgery.

I hope they find a suitable donor quickly and he and his family are not stuck in limbo.( I know that sounds horrible, one family suffers so another can benefit.  )

So, if you are of faith, remember him and his family in prayers, if not still be thinking about the boy. He needs all the positive support he can get right now....

Always Someone Unhappy

I expect people to purge themselves now.  On the other side of the coin, some of you have a hide of a "Bull Elephant" and I expect you to be with me for the long haul.

Yesterday evening, I received a couple of messages concerning why do I cuss, and then turn around and quote the Bible?

Good question...Damn good question.

As I have written in the past, I have a problem with religion, a hard time with it.

The money, the politics, the hypocrisy......Just the general bullshit.

But I am not ready to renounce my faith.

When I was teaching either your kids, or you, I so wanted to a little more philosophy than I did. I just did not have the time, and to be honest, in about March of the school-year, most of you were just shot. Seniorites is real. Thirteen years of public school is enough.

If I had I would have taught you about 17th Century French mathematician, philosopher, theologian, Blaise Pascal.

Not Pascal's Theorem, or Pascal's Triangle, or even Pascal's Law.....All mathematical theories you may have learned in school....

But rather Pascal's Wager.

Pascal's Wager is this.....

 Pascal's argument is a simple one: reason and intellect cannot decide the question of whether God exists or not; therefore, it makes sense to choose the option that would benefit us most should we be right.

The cartoon Calvin and Hobbes even put it into a simplified version concerning Santa. 

 Now, I know this is simplified, I know this only works if you select the "right God." And I know atheists have arguments against the law.

And I know some of you "Super Jesus" folks it may upset you, but at least, I generally put my sin out in the open and don't try to hide either behind the doors.....Lord knows what's really in your heart. 

But for me.... It works. 

Maybe that's why the Episcopal Church is so attractive to me, their theology is pretty wide open placed into a ritualistic ceremony that was the same when Henry VIII was alive.... But even it has bullshit I can't stand....

And in truth, I never judge you on this blog concerning your faith. Oh I teased Tara about her snake handling at one time, but in truth if there was actually "snake handling" church that wasn't 500 miles away, I would have to go one Sunday night...But in truth, what works for me, probably isn't what works for you...And in truth, that is what 'personal' faith is all about...

Good Lord...What a 24 Hours

I seen me a shark eat an octopus. I seen me a mermaid......But I ain't never seen another 24 hours like I had yesterday.

I know we don't always agree on here. I don't expect you to. Nor would I really want you to.

That said, you need to understand that there are people who don't always agree with you, probably more than you think, but are afraid to say anything, for fear of the ramifications.

To those who deleted themselves.....Please, don't come back in a few months and ask for reinstatement. I normally get several asks for adds a day and unless I really think you're cool, or something else, I am not adding you.

Someone was all upset because I "took up" for the four ladies who were told to "Leave." That somehow, I supported their politics.

Not really. I think they are all socialists. And believe it or not, I still support capitalism. Hell, I have money in "the market."

This is America.

I may not agree with what you say, I still believe in the First Amendment.

And they are trying to enact change the way our government is set up, through the ballot box, not through the bullet.

That said, if you are going to use the First Amendment, do so honestly. I spent about half the day on Tuesday going behind people cleaning up posting fake shit.....and teaching history.....and gubmint....

I don't mind teaching, I don't, but sometimes, people just ain't going to learn.....Or don't want to do so....

The face of this nation is changing.  Dramatically. You sometimes need to show some love to folks...

What did Paul say?

"There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

Maybe it's because I am getting older, but I often wonder...." How am I going to explain this to Jesus?"

So, I Was Told to Leave

So, I was told to "Get the fuckout"

I am assuming that is for me to leave the nation....

Okay, give me a first class ticket. I can stay in Britain for six month to try and start political asylum. Or retirement...."People who are already in the U.K. as a "retired person of independent means" can apply to extend their stay up to a maximum period of five years or for indefinite leave to remain, according to the Home Office."

I took the practice British Citizenship test this afternoon, and made a 95.4%. ( Harder than you think, asked not only Church of England questions, but Hindu religion, British Olympians, British Architects, British Scientists, along with history, customs and geography questions.. I missed the Olympian questions.  )

I checked, I do have the annual retirement salary to stay, and I would seriously look at someplace like Scotland or Northern England to stay. London is too damn expensive.

And the living in Portugal is attractive, especially outside of Lisbon..... But, I don't speak Portuguese. Ain't going to try to learn...

But I don't know. I am starting to really piss some people off. And making some others think....And I really like my place in Lemonville.....And someday, I might have g-kids, and hell, who knows where they may wind-up....If I was a betting man, I am going to guess, Sugar Land/Ft. Bend area.

But if you are serious about me  leaving,  Give me a ticket......I can give you my paypal site.....Or call British Air, or United or American.....Buy a ticket in my name.....

Put your money where your mouth is.....

America, Love It Or Leave It

This was a popular bumper stick when the United States was in " The Vietnam War ." The war that eventually took 54,000 lives for no apparent reason. ( Including family members)

What you gonna do?

I mean seriously.

This country is browning. Quickly.

What you going to do when you are the minority?

Where you going to go when they tell, you, " Don't like what we are doing, leave>"  When we start to complain about what is going on in government.

And don't tell me you don't. Half of you reading this said the following when Mr. Obama was president..." I can't believe that n*gger is president." And don't tell me you didn't. Or you know people who said just that...

I know the last groups of my family got here in the middle 1740s when the British threw them out of Canada. The rest the 1600s.....We ain't got no place to go....( Even the Irish family came here in the 1600s)

And I doubt my ancestors will want to go back. This upsets some of my readers, but my family is "browning." I don't know, I guess this was always been coming. If not this generation one down the line....

Americans are different thinkers. Americans are complainers. Most of us get onto Facebook at sometime to bitch about something. (You should have received my mail on the Buna ISD. )

America is changing.....Always has been.

First it was the damn Irish.....Then the Germans.......Then the Italians.....Then the Chinese......

You gotta work the system, not divide and hate.

It's too late for a "pure white" America like some of you want. You should have had more kids rather than 2 kids, so you could have a big house, a boat, a beach house, a big truck, etc.....

 Country is changing folks, changing quickly.  You can't stop what's coming....

America, Love It, Or Leave It

This was a popular bumper stick when the United States was in " The Vietnam War ." The war that eventually took 54,000 lives for no apparent reason. ( Including family members)

What you gonna do?

I mean seriously.

This country is browning. Quickly.

What you going to do when you are the minority?

Where you going to go when they tell, you, " Don't like what we are doing, leave>"  When we start to complain about what is going on in government.

And don't tell me you don't. Half of you reading this said the following when Mr. Obama was president..." I can't believe that n*gger is president." And don't tell me you didn't. Or you know people who said just that...

I know the last groups of my family got here in the middle 1740s when the British threw them out of Canada. The rest the 1600s.....We ain't got no place to go....( Even the Irish family came here in the 1600s)

And I doubt my ancestors will want to go back. This upsets some of my readers, but my family is "browning." I don't know, I guess this was always been coming. If not this generation one down the line....

Americans are different thinkers. Americans are complainers. Most of us get onto Facebook at sometime to bitch about something. (You should have received my mail on the Buna ISD. )

America is changing.....Always has been.

First it was the damn Irish.....Then the Germans.......Then the Italians.....Then the Chinese......

You gotta work the system, not divide and hate.

It's too late for a "pure white" America like some of you want. You should have had more kids rather than 2 kids, so you could have a big house, a boat, a beach house, a big truck, etc.....

 Country is changing folks, changing quickly.  You can't stop what's coming....

I Had a Blog this Morning.....

I had a blog this morning, but it mad me mad, so I put it on hold.

And I decided to go here.

I see from time to time people making the statement that they " Hate their job."

Like somehow they are supposed to " Love it."

It is a job. It is "Work" not "Play."

And while I often said I " Loved" my job, you notice I am no longer doing it.

I loved the kids.

I loved the actual teaching.

I hated the job with a passion.

I almost quit you up in Buna so many times, you do not know.

But, I hung in there. And many times it was the kids who kept me coming back....

Hell, what am I saying, I came back for the kids...Period.....

I thought I might be doing someone, some sort of good.

But a job?

Remember, they would drop you like a hot rock during a time of an economic troubles, or God forbid you screw up.

And you don't have to "like" the people you work with. Many, you just won't. Like I said, I am friends with about 5 people I taught with in Buna on Facebook. And it may surprise you the 5 I like, and I am sure a couple of them didn't have a clue....

Go to work, do your job, go home.

You do these things to pay the bills, drive a nice vehicle, perhaps travel or a fancy toy....

Sonic S*cks

So, I go and get a burger and a large onion ring and this is what I get.

That is correct, three onion rings.

Here is my receipt.....$3.09, which means they charged me $1.03 a ring....I did not know until I go home how many I had received.

It's official, Sonic Sucks.

Stranger Things 3 -Review

I am going to try and write this without a large number of spoilers, that said, there will be spoilers.

I think it might be the best of the 3 seasons.

Russians, Russians, Russians. I know most of you do not remember, but we still were afraid the Commies were going to come in and make us stop drinking milk and watching Bugs Bunny in the 1980s. It captures the feelings pretty well of that day.

I am wondering about the attempt at going into the mirror world is not something the US Government is already trying?

Gaten Matarazzo( Dustin) makes the show alone worth watching. ( I am hoping that is him singing the duet in the end, not lip-synced.. If so, the boy can sing.)

The series really doesn't get going until episode 4.

The pop culture and dress of the 1980s was spot on.....I know, I was teaching in the Houston area and was there.....Only thing different, Texas girls toward the end of the 80s, often had huge hair and wore pants you could see every bump. It put the Bactrian into "camel toe."

If you have seen the other two and debate watching this one, don't, it is worth 8 hours of your time. I was up until 1AM this morning watching....

4 1/2 stars out of 5.

 

 

Oh Lord, I've Stumbled Back Into This World....

This never ceases to amaze me.

Perhaps it is because I was "in this world " for awhile.

The the further away I get, the more I ask myself, " How the Hell did I survive?"( Hardcore Christianity)

I've been reading more and more about younger people going into the world of being world so far away from what we would even consider traditional Christianity,and they are turning to more and more " non-traditional" stuff like....Crystals and Astrology.

You can laugh, and they do so themselves at the systems, but it is a sign of what is going on with traditional Christian religions.

Say what you want,  be it the Catholics, the Baptists, whoever, they are going through trying times.

Both Catholics and Southern Baptists have sex abuse troubles going on. 

And it's other denominations. They just have not been caught...Yet....

I know it is religions in general, the grown of the "None" has been covered here in this blog, and it is the fast growing group in America.

But, I have a number of ex-students using Crystals, Tarot and such.....

Now, before you lose your mind, you've got to remember if you want to bring folks back, you've got to clean your religion up.

You've got to get politics out of it.

You got let folks live their lives. I know some of you go nuts about the LGBT community.....Yet you can get past what Jesus said in Matthew  5: 27-28....and you're looking at people and going..." Man, I'd like to spend a three day weekend with that in Opelousas.  "

Then you turn around and condemn folks for being gay....( I had a former student contact me about 2 weeks ago, just to tell me they were now lesbian. It was like they were looking for some sort of absolution...."Look, loved you before you told me, and love you the same now..." )

I know some of you are saying, "It's the sign of the times."

( And I have serious wonder about these "End Time" folks wanting it to hurry up and "get here." Want that third Temple, want the Red Calf......Have you read the book? You do know that brings Satan's minion upon the earth? It makes you wonder who you are really "Pulling for" here?" I'm having a hard time here folks with a 2020 future trip, and will write a blog on it at a later date. I don't know, the older I get the more trouble I have with Dispensational theology.  )

I am old, and I am still stuck in the "Old Abrahamic Theology" of the past, but I understand the young folks...

World's changing folks, you want to appeal to people, you got to show some love. Not all this hate, hate, hate.... 

Panic!!!!!!!

This blog comes on the report that they have run out of bottled water at the Walmart over in Orange.

I don't know, maybe I am getting too old a bunny to get all excited about the storm in the gulf.

At 6:30AM on Thursday 6/11, the storm only has 30 mph winds. Not even named yet.

It might be a Cat 1...Maybe a Cat 2....

And as of this morning, they have it going in around Morgan City going towards Baton Rouge.

And the local news is just wall to wall hurricane.

I know we have been through a string of storms, from Rita, Ike, Gustav, and Harvey, I know we are gun-shy, very gun shy....

Stay calm.

Be prepared.

Keep an eye always on the Gulf....

But don't go all to pieces....

Wow! Buna Sometimes You Amaze Me....

I don't know if this counts, but I am going to count it...Well, because I can......

The combo of the two blogs I have written now has hit a milestone.......

3,000,000 hits.

And as always, it is advertiser free, I am writing this from Lemonville, Texas, not a flat on the Grassmarket in Edinburgh, Scotland...

Thanks for reading....( Not reading?????? Huh!)

Okay Buna, Here's the Deal

Write on Buna, the Buna ISD and people start to literally "come outta the woodwork."

I've had numerous requests for "friendship" on Facebook, most of which I will just ignore.

Once, again, you make the cut, call yourself " lucky."

Or perhaps not....I don't know....

Once again, it is July, get ready, I need to make a monthly purge, I fouled up and have about 612 "friends" on FB...112 too many....

Here is the point of today's blog. Or at least this morning's.

Please, I implore you, if you have my phone number don't be giving it out "willy-nilly."

Yesterday, I had a person all upset call me about their kids in the Buna ISD and how upset they are about what is going on.....From non-certified teachers not even trying to get certified, to every administrator. ( I wish I could do more....I really do....)

Then....THEN.....someone called.....To complain about the blog.....

So, if someone is uptown/on Facebook talking about " Thomas cussin' them out...." You forget how easy it is to string together profanities....Just like riding a bicycle.

I admit it.....And would do it again in a heartbeat....

Purge later today....

I Don't Understand it Either Buna

I got a few ugly messages from people concerning the pay in the Buna ISD...Or should I say, the lack of pay in the Buna ISD.

You know, when places like Burkeville pay around $6000 a year more, it makes you wonder?

And then I heard from the Buna "patrons."

" They don't need anymore than what they are paid."

" ....sucks......and they are getting worse as they go..."

" Ain't nobody learning nothing up there....reminds me of the old Ted Bullard story, "" in the old days, to graduate from Buna all you had to do was say tater and wave bye-bye." "We are going back to those days." ( I've told this story for years.....But I first heard about it from Ted.)

" With first you, and now Taucer gone, the place will go to pot." ( I was never that good, I just made you think I was...)

" Why are we getting all these retreads? .......can't they make it in another district?"  

Once again, Buna wants to 'pay nothing'  and the only people you will recruit is locals, and sorry, that so limits the talent pool.

In all seriousness, there are still good people in Buna....But others, and I have wondered this for years, " Why the hell, are you still here?" 


As I have said in recent years, I no longer recommend to people to send their kids to Buna ISD. Just too much going on, too many wild cards, too much politics.

Here is Your Problem Buna ISD

So, here is your problem and I know some of you don't see this as a problem, but in reality, it is....

My son took a position teaching in a school in the Austin suburbs teaching computer science.

The damn money is amazing.

He will being going into his 4th year.

He will be making more than a Buna teacher with 30 years experience.

He will be making about $20,000 yearly more than a Buna teacher with the same experience.

I am sorry, but it is a problem Buna.....Why stay and get paid towards the bottom?

Why if you are young stay?

And he won't have to do a bunch of extra after school stuff.

Won't have to worry about a bonfire, or a homecoming parade, or a Jingle Bell Ball, or NHS, won't have to worry about UIL Academics, or coaching 3-7 UIL Academic teams.

If there are two people teaching in the district, husband and wife, they could make $40,000 more a year.....

How you going to keep them down on the farm? How you going to attract decent talent to teach?

I Would Have Loved to Have Shown This to Buna Seniors

But, it did not exist when I was teaching......and I would have gotten into so much trouble trying to show this to the senior class.

The senior English teacher and myself had a " teach across the subjects" for while when we were in Buna.

She taught " Animal Farm", and I taught the Russian Revolution.

This month ( July) Netflix has introduced a 6 part series called the " Last Czars."

It is a show on the failure of Nicholas the II of Russia.

It is pretty historically correct....and the program is narrated by a group of British and American historians. Including Marina Alexabdrova( Potoplyak) who teaches at the University of Texas at Austin.

Trouble is, I would have shown episode one and there would been a called " Special Meeting" of the Buna ISD Board of Trustees to fire me.

Alexandria is topless in the first episode.

People in this nation go nuts over a couple of titties.  

God forbid I show later episodes.

In one episode it shows Nicholas and Alexandria on the floor of their bedroom, "getting busy." Nekkid for all the world to see. It looked like something you would see on Cinamax at 1:45AM.

Then, to show it why Rasputin was the way he was, they showed him nude with other nude people, dancing in a cultist religious ceremony. All sexual in nature.

Then, there is the scene in which Rasputin helped a Russian peasant girl " Rub One Out."

Now I know about half of you were already playing " slap and tickle" by your senior year.

Hell, I was amazed at the number of seniors girls who told me they were on some form of birth control.  ( Miss a day, and I would ask if they were ill, and the answer often would be, no, I went to the doctor for my depo-provera shot...Not upset at you, in truth, glad you were being responsible.)

The other half were wishing you were playing "hide the bologna" but you can't for religious, or couldn't get anyone to hump you or whatever.....Don't tell me those 18 year old hormones were not going wild....

( Y'all got to remember, I was 18 at one time.......)

It's a good show....It's pretty darn historically correct. Just a bit rough for high school.

But I couldn't show it to a group of high school seniors. Even though most of you wouldn't "narc" on me.

It would be some other teacher. Or an underclasscritter.

But if you have Netflix, it is worth a watch, just not if you have small children still up.

 

Who Cares?

I don't know what people want.

I really don't.

I no longer go to the movies unless there is some either period piece or some sort of history type movie showing at the "motion pictures."

People are all out of whack about the race, the nationality of the Mermaid in the Lil Mermaid remake.

Same thing with Aquaman. In the old comics in the 60s, he had yellow hair, not blonde, yellow....and like Raj in Big Bang Theory said says, " Aquaman sucks." The new Aquaman was a sex symbol.  He did nothing for me...

I don't care.

Wasn't going to see the Mermaid movie anyway.

Don't care about the New Avengers.

Or Old Avengers.

Or Ironman

Or who the new Batman is.

Or Superman.

Hell, I stopped watching 007 James Bond when they got rid of Roger Moore and to be honest, he wasn't that good. Sean Connery will always be 007 in my mind.

None of these movies hold any real interest for a person in their 60s. 

We are of a age in which no one is happy about anything. It is "both sides of the aisle" as they said in the Congress.

People are just looking to be unhappy.

I am convinced it is going to led to either a downfall of this nation or some sort of a civil war. There are areas in this nation in which both sides are already fighting in the street......Don't think this business can't spread.

I don't know what is wrong with all of us.....But there is something dead wrong.....

In cases, just leave folks alone.

Let people live their lives.

I don't understand why people want everyone this homogenized lifestyle of everyone....And it's both sides.....

Some People's Children

I am hoping this will not become a trend.

But I can see this just like the trend of kids eating Tide pods.

But this "kid" ( Looks like a grown- ass woman to me) who licked a tub of Blue Bell ice cream in a store and replaced it into the freezer.

It seems the event took place in Lufkin....

Then, here is one of a "Youth" spreading what looks like shampoo on the floor of a CVS.

And another group of "Youths" eating a handful of ice cream from a container and placing it back into the freezer.... 

I wonder how long before they start doing this, and to avoid the law, start to blur their faces?

The lot of them need their asses whipped.

The Lufkin "Youth" faces up to 20 years in prison.....

Now she won't get it, but I hope she does do some time in " Uncle Bo-Bo."

Could You Pass?

The NY Times has an interesting test this morning to see if the average American could pass the present U.S. Citizenship exam.

There are 100 questions on the exam and the " Old Grey Lady" picked the test randomly picks 10 to place on their exam.

Here are what is considered the 10 hardest questions.

Here is the test....Don't cheat....

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/07/03/us/us-citizenship-test-quiz.html

I made a 100, but, I am not the average person taking the exam.....I did this for a living. ( Taught US Citizenship classes)

One survey that was taken  said that 64% of native-born Americans taking the test, would fail.

 Take the exam, and see if you could pass.....

By the way, if you fail, you pay ANOTHER filing fee of $640 to re-take the exam and become a U.S. Citizen.

When Did You Know?

I was going to write a blog on an ethical/ spiritual dilemma. And I will be honest with you, I got to thinking about it about 1:30AM and could not remedy the solution or the ethics behind it, and will probably blog on that topic later, either today, or this week.

No, I saw someone on the world-wide internet discussing the age old question....

" When did you know?'

The question was, when did you know, the person you were dating would become your life partner?

Or for those of us of a certain age, " When did you know this was the person you were going to marry?"

I knew within weeks. It was pretty darn quick......My wife said " About 4 months" but then she said, " It was actually sooner than that." ( We both knew pretty early)

Part of our problem was we were still in university and needed to complete school before we got married.

I think the last year and a half we were dating/engaged, we both were just waiting until we both had degrees. ( I think both sets of parents were happy we waited. They knew how hard it would be to be married, try and work full time and then try and finish a degree.)

So, my question is this....How long before you knew? How long before they knew? Did they know before you? Are you afraid to let them know your true feeling for fear they may " Run for the hills?"

A Flag?

I have many mixed emotions on this, and part of it is, I no longer understand parts of society. On both sides of the argument.

The show maker Nike has withdrawn the so called " Betsy Ross" shoe. It is a shoe with the flag allegedly made by Ross with 13 stars in a circle and 13 stripes.

In truth, we are not sure if Ross actually made the flag or some other seamstress. Or if the flag was actually ever used as we know it.

It of course is the pattern upon with the U.S. Flag is based upon today.

A former football player, now employed by Nike got the shoe maker to pull the shoes with the Betsy Ross flag upon them because of what the flag represents.

According to him, it represents slavery.

Trouble is, in the 1700s, most of the world was involved in some form of enslavement of people.

This is a historic symbol that means the first of America's Revolution and breaking with Great Britain.

The later flag based upon Ross' flag was the flag used by Union forces who fought to end slavery.

We are to the point no one is happy about anything. And most people would not even care that Nike had a Betsy Ross flag on a shoe, until someone was unhappy about it, then, people jumped on the bandwagon to be unhappy about the flag....

The next flag involved the British Colonial Hong Kong Flag that was put up in the Hong Kong Parliament yesterday.

When the British gave Hong Kong back to China, it was done under the guarantee that Hong Kong would retain certain freedoms, speech, political, etc.

In the last few weeks,  the Chinese government has started to crack down on freedoms in Hong Kong. Dissidents have disappeared, book sellers have disappeared.

And millions of people have taken to the street to protest the Chinese government.

Until yesterday until it turned violent.

Protestors tore stuff up, made threats, etc.....

And put up the old British Hong Kong Flag. It symbolized the freedoms that Hong Kong had under British rule.

If this continues, I am not going to be shocked if China send the army into to take complete control of Hong Kong. 

I am wondering if the Chinese Government in Beijing cares about the financial implication concerning a military move into Hong Kong? Hong Kong is a huge financial center.....

Anyway, I have ordered a British colonial Hong Kong flag and will hoist it in support of those who want to keep their freedoms in Hong Kong....

I Don't Know If I Need to Thank You....Or Cuss You

I am leaning toward giving you a good cussin'. I think I would feel better, You'd feel better.

9:10am I received a phone call from a lady who had been given or found out or, I am not sure what....Anyway, she basically interviewed me for a job.

I am unsure how they got my name?

And the " No thanks, I am not interested" turned into a 35 minutes basically an interview. Wanted to Skype me later. She was very persuasive.

Years ago, I had taken a really oddball course to get qualified in, right before I came to my senses and retired.

Now, I don't want to move. Especially 8 hours away from Orange County.

I don't know if one of you gave my name to them. That's how Buna hired me. I had not applied.

And I appreciate it, if you gave me their name....

But.

I am not looking for a job. 

I don't want to interview for a job.

I don't want to even look at someone working.

I am not presently looking for work, and I pray to Jesus, I never have to do so again....

Please, unless something happens, and if it does, I will let you know I am looking, but please, don't give people my name for work....