As Always, Room for One More

 Had an interesting phone call last evening, sort of late, but in circumstances, they sometimes need to be made. 

Yes, I still have the prayer list, yes, I still try and make it up every morning by 4 to pray, yes, if you want to be on it, you are, if you don't well, you aren't.

This morning I was up at 3AM because, well, I felt like I needed to pray. I know some of you people don't want to think about it in this way, but religious beliefs are often in the supernatural realm, and often ( in my case) scare the hell out of me, literally.

As I told someone thing morning, there is always room for one more.

Sex Show? At School? Think Back Buna....

 So, I was sent this story about a "sex show" at a high school in Kentucky.

It seems students gave members of the faculty "lap dances" as part of a pep rally. 

Let me remind you Buna people what went on while I was at Buna ISD.

My first year at BHS we had a "transgender"  dress up by the boys, many of them, my seniors as a " beauty contest." Some of them made better looking girls, than the girls. Heck, one of my seniors made a "pass" at the then HS principal.

I was appalled. I was not long out of divinity school and from another school district in which everyone involved would have been fired or suspended. ( Then again, men wore coats and tie to teach.)

But, I said nothing. 

Let me remind you, that I was subjected while seated, in the gym in front of the entire student body, female faculty members dancing to Eartha Kitt's " Santa Baby" as part of a Christmas fund raiser. Some of the faculty members rubbing their butts on me. ( I knew nothing about what was about to happen, or would have called in sick that day.)

Again, I was appalled. I'm married and well, I have personal ideas about sexual relations. 

 I never went to another general assembly, pep rally in the gym the rest of my career. 

But, never said anything to anyone. 

Hell, in this day and age I could have sued. Maybe had gotten a lifetime contract from Buna. Not show up and get paid....

I don't know, we are so over sensitive today. 

We got bigger problems....

Halloween-2021

 I am looking at writing perhaps 3 blogs today.

Halloween

Who thought when I was a kid it would become a big a deal as it is now. 

As a kid it was an excuse to knock on doors for candy. And we got bad stuff like candy corn,  licorice, questionable popcorn balls. 

Today, it's a big damn deal.

Who would have thought. A lot of you say it's your favorite holiday now. 

Hell, I even saw an ad on KBMT the other morning for "sexy clothes" for Halloween, model and all.....I sat up at 5AM and took notice. 

I don't know, perhaps because we were beat into our heads as kids that Halloween was bad we didn't make a "Big Deal" over it, but even now the Evangelical Church has embraced the holiday holding parties at their churches. 

Here at the Compound we've not had a "Trick or Treater" since we've been here. Too far off any road, too dark, too far out on the woods, I am not even planning on getting any candy. If one shows up, I'll give them a pickle and send them on their way. 

I don't " get" people liking it as their favorite holiday, but if you do, knock yourself out.

(Even though I made fun of it when I was teaching, Christmas is and will always be my favorite holiday. The religious implications, the 16th Century music, the pomp, the sex toys in a box in Buna, I don't know, it just does it for me....)

Okay Buna, Let's Calm the H*ll Down

 Okay, in typical 2021, this mess has gotten way out of control. 

It's why we are going to wind up in a Civil War sooner rather than later in this country and we will all look back and ask " What happened to us?"

Look, mistakes were made, sorry if you don't feel that way, but they were. 

My understanding is contrition has been made, and hopefully a lesson has been learn. And if contrition has been made, some sort of forgiveness needs to be offered, especially, if it appears this was a learned lesson not to be repeated. 

Look, if we don't learn to say " I am sorry" and " I forgive you" once again( and mean it), this mess will snowball out of control in this nation. I don't think you know what this nation would look like if there was some form of civil war that occurs.

As most of you know, I have an Asian daughter in law and she now carries a .380 pistol because of threats she personally has received in Houston suburbs. This is where we are now. I am sensitive to people making fun of other races....and it isn't just blackface.....People should not be doing " whiteface" or " Asian-face" or anything else. Doing so puts everyone acting a certain way in that race, and well, it isn't true. 

Folks, think before you act. 

We are so sensitive here right now. There is so much hatred right now. The economy is a mess, and the economy is not just bad here, it is worldwide. 

And I am so afraid this will get worse before it gets better. 

Show people some compassion. 

Stop thinking about just yourself.

Buna, Now Officially Worse Than Vidor?

 I really wanted to write today on my $2 bill experiment across the Southern part of the United States.....But this mess occurred.

Last evening, worn out from vacation, driving, right before I go to bed I see a couple of photos are posted on social media. 

In this are teens in ' Blackface.'

I thought this went out in polite society in 1952.  

This is the stuff that went on in Vidor in the 1970s. I saw it at parties back than, and honestly, I left the party because, well, it wasn't right then. This is especially true when I was in university and had low brass friends in the Lamar Band who were Black. ( Low Brass baritone,euphonium,tuba, Sousaphone people are often a close knit group. We're not not the glory guys playing trumpets, or the flash guys with the slide trombones) College was an eye-opening event. It showed me that " Folks are Folks" no matter their color.

And you can hold whatever kind of party you want at your house. Want to be in 'Blackface?' Want to hold an orgy? Whatever you want to do behind closed doors well, you have at it. 

Trouble is, we can't leave well enough alone. Photos taken from the party have made their way to "Social Media." 

You knew good and well in these days they would. People can't help themselves. 

I wonder what potential employers will see these photos in the future? Hell, I wonder if present employers are okay with their workers condoning their children in 'Blackface.'

Actually I am glad they posted the photos. I am sure they wouldn't think twice about posting photos of someone dressed as a Chinese " Coolie."  Or perhaps a mentally disabled person. Hell, back in the 1970s there was a time period people dressed as aborted babies for Halloween. 

If you're okay with this especially the Chinese Coolie, unfriend me on Facebook, and well, just don't ever speak to me again. I can live without you in my life. 

I don't know, maybe it'll give Buna Real Estate Agents a new motto........

" Buna, now more racist than Vidor." 

I don't know. Perhaps I am expecting too much from people?

 

Yes Buna, I'm Still doing This....

 I've had 2 people in the last 36 hours ask if I still had a prayer list.....And, yes I do. Had another couple ask for prayer.

I was up at 3:30AM praying this morning because I woke up feeling like I needed to pray for some folks. 

Right now there are 293 people on the list, and as always, there is always room for one more. And as I have said, some of you have tenure on the list, and will always be included in the prayers. 

No Fooling, This is Concerning

 As many of you know, I pretty much watch some sort of business channel now. Generally Bloomberg, as Fox, MSNBC, CNN, all other news channels are pretty much nothing more than political hacks now. 

There are several things going on right now that are concerning. 

First, there is a worldwide energy crisis....West Texas Intermediate is right at $80 and Brent( North Sea off Scotland) is right at $84. 

Now, I know, some of you are all excited because the price of oil means jobs, but if price gets too high two things happen. People stop buying, and it starts to hurt the rest of the economy. And if no one is buys oil, or is buying less, the price will drop. There has to be a level.

Parts of the rest of the world are really concerning about energy for this winter. Heck, if it gets really cold again here this winter, we might have power rationing once again. ( Some of you think the price of gas is an American phenomenon, but it is worldwide. They drive cars in Europe, China, India, Brazil, etc....)

Then I wonder what businesses( Brick and Mortar) will close because they can't get goods from Asia to sell...so many businesses, Christmas is a make or break time for a lot of businesses in this country. ( Is Sears finally done? Penny's? Macy's?)

Also, where are workers in this country? Are we to the point we no longer can find people who are willing to work? When we were in the Hill Country, nearly every business had signs looking for employees. And it isn't just here. Asian businesses can't find enough people to work. 

And now, I am really concerned about China starting a war in an attempt to reclaim Taiwan. Nearly every day, China is sending fighter jets and bombers into Taiwan's airspace. And this past weekend, President Xi( Sounds like "She") claimed that Taiwan was part of China. ( Now they've said this since 1947, but recently, they acted like they are going to "make it happen.") BTW- We've sent US Marine Special Forces to Taiwan, sort of under the radar.

( I know I promised a long detailed blog on China, but I've tried to write it in a neutral voice, but can't. I must remember I have a Chinese daughter-in-law and her family is still in the old country and would like to go back and visit, plus, I don't want the Chinese government to arrest her for something I wrote about.)

I don't know, I keep looking at the economics and the situation and it doesn't look really good until after 2022.

No Merry Christmas?

 So, I keep watching the economics and especially the supply chain in this country and what is going on overseas. 

This last night ABC National News and this morning KBMT 12 were discussing the trouble that school districts were having getting food to feed kids lunches. ( Lots potatoes and chicken)

Heck, we even have shrinkflation at the grocery stores. Higher prices, smaller packages.

This once again is a supply factor. Don't have enough truck drivers, don't have enough longshoremen to unload ships. A labor shortage. 

Heck, people age 55+ are retiring at a record rate. And I don't blame them. Enough is enough. 

We have about 20% of people 20-25 not doing anything. Not going to school, not working, not even trying to do either. 

Target stores announced this morning that they were looking to hire 30,000 people for their warehouses....and another 100,000 seasonal workers for Christmas. And as Tom Keene on Bloomberg asked this morning ( He's the one always in the bow-tie)" Where are they going to find these workers?"

Look, China is having a massive power shortage in their nation right now. Don't have enough electricity due to the lack of coal to run coal powered electric plants. They are shutting down the factories where we buy most of our crap from....To which you say, " Bring those jobs home." Guess what, we can't fill the jobs we have now.  

As I have said earlier, good luck getting that PS5 your kids want. Good luck getting pretty much any other toy made overseas for your kids. 

 

 

Oct. 1 Tik Tok Lunacy

 So, this Tik Tok business is out of control. 

It was steal stuff at school. 

Sinks in bathrooms, exit signs, photos of teacher's kids off the teacher's desk.....

Today, and for October, you're suppose to slap a teacher and post it on Tik Tok. 

I would fail the entire class period.

I would fail an entire senior class. 

In this day and age of teachers carrying firearms in school, you may wind up with two to the chest and one to the head.  

You need to talk to your kids. Don't just assume they know better.