We Ain't Learning a Feckin' Thing Are We?( Yes Buna, I'm Mad at You)

 So, I see where for the 12 days of December at Buna High they are dressing-up everyday. 

History lesson-There actually is a 12 days of Christmas in  traditional Western Christianity, but it begins on Christmas Day, not before, and ends on January 6, which is known as Three Kings Day, or Epiphany. It’s the day the Three Wise Men arrived to honor Jesus and is traditionally celebrated with a feast, sometimes called a Twelfth Night party. The song the "12 Days of Christmas" is based on this...Do I need to write a blog on this too?

But I digress-

Are we going to learn? Or play?

Now these are innocuous days of dress, but yet, days of dress-up. Don't they know it is sometimes a battle with even high school seniors from "getting out of control" during the 3-4 weeks between the T-gving and Christmas holidays? And one of the days, a color dress up day,  the Fish( Freshmen for the uneducated) get to dress in blue....Isn't blue the color for seniors? Why are they letting the mouth-breathing, shit smelling, fecktards dress in blue? Afraid  it will make them cry?

I seriously wonder what the cornbread feck is going on at schools now? Are we not expected to learn a damn thing now?

I wonder if I spent my career( The majority of it at Buna High) working too hard?

Oh well, no longer my rodeo......

Dammit to Hell Lamar Jean.....

That was a saying from the 1970s with a group of outlaws I ran with. 

That's exactly how I felt when the news went all "New Covid Strain " on Friday of this past week. 

Omicron is what they are calling it. Both Reid and I have a little Greek background and both of us were amazed that the World Health Organization( WHO) skipped the Greek letter " Xi."  ( Xi is the name of the Communist Chinese leader.)

Politics man, politics.....

On Friday the NYSE stock market went nuts and dropped over 900 points.....Crypto took a beating. I was afraid to even look at my stocks.( I looked at my Crypto on Friday and it was ugly, but this morning it had recovered. Dow and NASDAQ futures are up as of 6:30AM.) 

I know Israel has shut down all foreigners traveling to that nation. 

Don't panic, but on the other hand, be guarded. 

They are already saying Omicron spreads more easily. It has a high number of mutations. But in truth, we don't know much about it. 

As of this morning, Monday, 11/29/21, Omicron has not been detected in the USA. It has in Canada, but not here...Yet. I figure it is here, just not detected.

I know some of you are dead set against this, but if you've not had your vaccinations, let me encourage you to do so. If you are due a booster, get one. I've had 3 Pfizer vaccines and so far, my pecker hasn't turned green and fallen off. 

Seriously, take the vaccine, I don't want to hear about any more ex-students dying from Covid.

 

 

 

Behave Today....

 I know that by now, most stores have opened at 5-6AM......Got to try and sell that Black Friday stuff....

Be nice people. The people working at these stores can only do so much. I know most of you feel like you've been " cooped up" for years....but behave yourselves. Don't be cussin' folks....Don't be a Karen.

Yes, there will be shortages of crap you can live without.

Yes, you may have to change what you serve on Christmas. 

And if you're like me, most of what you are buying will come in a box brought by UPS, USPS, or FedEx.  

Folks, be nice.....

 

Two Thanksgivings?

 In 1939, President Franklin Roosevelt ( FDR) came up with the idea at the encouragement of retailers to move up Thanksgiving a week. This was done to encourage people to start buying a week early for Christmas.

Before that time, Thanksgiving had been always on the last Thursday of the month of November. Since the Civil War.

The change was done late in the year.

The decision by FDR resulted in a mess. 

The turkey growers protested.( Not enough time to get turkeys fat)

Colleges protested saying they had already printed catalogs of the calendar of school holidays. 

Football games had to be rescheduled.  ( Some of us are old enough to remember when the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas played the Univ. of Texas every Thanksgiving)

It caused such a mess that several states made two Thanksgiving holidays......Including Texas.  

Other states kept the old traditional holiday of the last Thursday...Others made it the new one.

It remained that way until in 1941 Congress passed a resolution which was signed by FDR making the 4th Thursday of every November Thanksgiving....

I Don't Understand....Perhaps, I'm Not Supposed to Do So?

 I look at Facebook and run into former student "out and about" and ask about their marital status and often, I am told " Single, and are not even dating." 

And often it is implied no one is even interested in them. 

And these people mostly are 20-45 years of age. 

Often they lament the lack of people to date, or people even asking them out on dates. 

I've made this no secret, when I was in college, I went through a period of 2 years in which I did not go out on a date. Going to school full time and I was working 2-3 jobs. Just had no time to date. 

As I have said, if my wife had not asked me out, well, I may have never married. 

I understand that ladies today often have lists of who they want to date/marry.

Must be 6ft+

Must have a job making $100K+

Must meet religious, political, family, social activities interests exactly the same. 

You know, just finding a man 6 foot plus you're already behind. Only about 15% of American men are 6 foot plus.....The average American male is 5'9". 

And guys who make more that $100, 200, 300K? Do you know how many hours people generally have to work to make that kind of money? Missing kid's games, family events, hell, often working holidays. 

Likewise guys, you are not going to find a girl who looks like an instagram model....even there, they are using all sort of filters to look the way they do...And guys some of you are just worthless. 40 and still live at home, with no job, not even trying, just playing video games all day. ( And we know some of you have to move back home to get back on your feet.)

I wonder how much internet porn has messed up people.( Especially men)  Wanting people to stick their tongue in their buttholes, or wanting to choke people into unconsciousness, perversion I can't even discuss on here.

This is all at a time in which almost 50% of people ages 18 to 44 do not plan to have children.....And people get all upset because people coming into this nation are of a different color and are coming here illegally, hell my wife's great grandfather was a stowaway from Germany, he jumped off the ship when the the boat got to Biloxi,  Mississippi, and he just stayed.....Hell, my Irish great-grandfather hopped off the ship illegally in Savannah, Georgia and just stayed. I've said this for a while, this country is going to brown and do so rapidly, and there is nothing your b*tch*ng about it is going to do to change....This country is going to dramatically change.

So many people now enjoy the idea of getting married, rather than being married. Or think you'll marry a knight on a white horse, or Miss America.

People, look at folks you are going to wind up waking up with in the same bed for 50 yrs. Can you enjoy what they want for supper? Do they make you laugh? Will they work, or will they do a good job raising the kids? ( You got to remember in the summer/holidays, I had our son and raised him.) Can you be faithful? If they go broke and start over, will you be there? If your spouse become ill, will you stay with them? 

Some of you may be better off single. 

Get a house full of cats.

Build a man-cave house and play video games, or plan your next hunting trip to Alaska. 

I don't know what to think. I know I couldn't date today if I was young. And at 64 years of age, if my wife goes before me, well, I will live as a hermit....I could not start over. 

I simply worry about us here in this country.

Sex and Texas A&M

 So, as many of you know, we went this past Friday to April's Ring Day at Texas A&M. 

Often we found ourselves confused as where to go, and finally, we got organized and got her the ring. 

Afterwards, I went and drove the Subaru up so my 91 year old mother would not have to walk as far. 

While waiting, I noticed how many young ladies were wearing dresses, well, unbelievably short. So short, that often they would have to check the back of the skirt to make sure that the dress had not ridden up and their bottom was showing. 

This was not an isolated incidence, and when my wife got back into the car, she made the remark that " "Well, I am sure you didn't mind waiting, while you got to watch the show." ( She was teasing me.)

In truth, I taught high school so long that while the "still some testosterone left" me wanted to take a good look, the old teacher in me in the back of my head was saying, " these girls are only a couple of years older than the girls you taught in the 12th grade." That old " In Loco Parentis" in place of the parents, you were under my care and I needed to take care of you.

( Sorry girls, if you don't think guys should look, we can't help it, no matter the training, thousands of years of visual attraction, well, it's now in our DNA, sorry but it is...)

And if you're going to wear a skirt barely covering your butt, and a top barely covering your breasteses, well, sorry, guys are going to look.

In truth, the dresses, skirts were really not appropriate for what I thought was an academic endeavor. 

These were more suited for going out on a date in which your date would be your " Intended Audience" or perhaps going out dancing or some other type of situation. ( That said, I have never gone out on a date with a girl who ever wore something that short or low cut.....Perhaps, I was never that good of an audience to be " Intended"....Heck, some of these girls were wearing less than what I got as Honeymoon Attire... )(Her grandparents bought her "trousseau" and I was impressed)

I don't know, I was a just a bit surprised at what was worn to get the rings, and it wasn't an isolated incident.

Economics- Weds. Nov. 10th

 I don't plan to do economics every day, but you know, right now it just seems appropriate, and as I have said, if you read this on Facebook, likes, hates, whatever helps the readership. 

And I hate to be " Gloom and Doom." 

But....

The Consumer Price Index( CPI) came out for the month of October this morning. It gauges inflation in this country. 

It was predicted that the CPI would be about .06%.....It was .09% That's prices going up just one month. 

The last time the CPI was .09% was 1982. The last time inflation was this bad was in 1990.  Thirty-one years ago.

Let's face it fuel, meat, and the cost of rent has lead the way in inflation in this country. 

I was reading this morning that used cars are at an all time high. ( Have a cousin who drives 2019 Toyota 4x4 truck  that was offered more than he paid for the vehicle.)

Part of the trouble is wages are not keeping up with inflation. Employers are just not will to pay workers more in many cases. 

That said, right now, the dollar( US Dollar, the greenback) is still desired. This morning you can trade the US Dollar for Argentinian Pesos at $1=100 Pesos. ( In the open market) in the black market $1 is going for 250 Argentinian Pesos.

Economics Lesson- Nov. 9, 2021

So, several things came across the radar this morning as I was reading the newspapers online.

First, and this might be something we consider here. There is a suggestion in Great Britain that "You might want to buy stuff that can be frozen now for the holiday season. It might not be found later."

I wonder what we are going to be short here besides the normal gifts we give, and I am talking about foodstuff? Might be a lean holiday season here in the states.

Second, it seems and this is from reports by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, that 50 million Americans have not paid off last Christmas. 

Good gravy, and Christmas 2021, is upon us.....How far in debt are these Americans? 

Third, the trucking companies, looking and desperate for workers discover that many of their applicants even those with the appropriate licenses, can't pass a drug test. 

I don't know, and I am hoping I am wrong, but it doesn't sound like Christmas will be good for those wanting material goods. For others, who see Christmas as a time for family and/or faith, it always is....

More Lunacy......And Was I an AH????

 Once again, proving my life is not a "normal" life like most other people's lives, here is what happened to me yesterday. 

Get phone call, and it is someone I know. 

They then ask if I was willing to perform a wedding for them.....And of course, I ask the particulars. 

The wedding is on.......Saturday, December 25, in the evening, at a house. 

Yes, Christmas. 

I tell them..." Well, not sure where I will be at Christmas. I might be home, but more than likely, I will either be in Mt. Vernon/Winnsboro( The Farm), or more likely, College Station visiting the kids. "

They then go into a "song and dance" trying to either " Stay home," or "Come back home early" to do the wedding.

Again, I beg off. 

And they got mad. I let them vent, and told them, " I am sorry, I won't be able to perform the wedding." And hung up the phone.

I don't know, I sort of felt bad......

Was I the asshole?

Here We Go.....Again....

 Oh man, I knew it was coming, but the "Weather Guessers" on Channel's 6 and 12 this morning reminded me...

We set our clocks back Sunday. 

That means, it'll get dark about 4PM......That way, many of you won't be able to do anything after you get off from work outside. 

I swear, one of these days I am going to run for the Texas Legislature just to fix it, one way...Or another...

Not Good

 I am amazed and impressed by many of you. 

Have a former student who read Wednesday's blog on 24 months and they sent me photos of what is going on in one of the grain producing states. 

Piles of corn being placed in temporary huts by railroad tracks being stored for the future. None was being load on trains for transport. I know this. I've been up since 3AM and normally this time of year at least 4 to 7 trains have gone by, all headed to some port. 

He even sent a photo of the corn being stored. ( Don't have permission to print)

He said it was not only corn, but milo.( Grain sorghum) 

After prayers, I generally listen/watch Bloomberg. They trying to paint a rosy picture of what is going on, but if you listen to people like Tom Keen, you know something "Just ain't right." 

I know they can't do "doom and gloom" for fear the markets will collapse, but man, it's a sticker shock not only at the gas pump, but at the grocery stores. 

That, and if you go into certain stores, the aisles have been changed to give a psychological effect of " all is well. " That they can get supplied. 

How are you finding prices readers? Sticker shock? Finding certain products up 25-35%? If you can find what you are looking at, at all?

24 Months

 Okay, here is the first of economic blogs I plan to write over the next few weeks. 

Last night, the change in Virginia and possible change in New Jersey in the governor's office is proof in poor economic times "People vote with their pocketbooks."

I really sat up and took notice because two things happened yesterday.

1. The Paris wheat market was the highest.....ever. 

2. The government of China told their people to stock up on food for the long winter due to possible shortages due to transportation troubles. 

It makes you wonder.

In Sept. China told their "buyers" to buy all the energy they can. (Oil, coal, natural gas, etc.)  It's why gasoline is priced the way it is now. People we are a worldwide economy now. I've told you this for years.

Zillow got out of the "House Flipping" market yesterday and laid off 25% of their workforce. They have 7000 homes they can't move, worth $750 million dollars. They are trying to liquidate the homes. 

I live on one the  "grain moving" rail lines in the world.....The trains are not bring grain down to be shipped like they are during this time of the year in the past. ( There are some...)

Yes, the Texas real estate market is hot, but how long before the slow market filters to Texas due to other concerns in the economy?   

I wonder if this is like 2006? It took 24 months for the economic recession of 2008 to happen.....A slow spiral.

Just somethings to think about this morning....

Please, Please People, I Beg You, Please.....

 I just married a couple......In my pajamas. A first. I generally don't get dressed up, unless I am going someplace. 

Someone from South Jasper County sent them my way, and apparently, told the couple " I'll let them know you are coming." They didn't. And the couple wouldn't tell me who, and I didn't press the issue. 

They had gotten their license last week and "anteloped" this morning. 

Good for them. As both said, it would save them several thousand dollars. They were headed off to "Honeymoon." 

I am sure they are expecting the licenses to be signed by a Rabbi as I had Harry Belefonte  singing "Hava Nagila" through Alexa when I opened the door.....

Please people, give me a "heads up."