Buna HS - Virtual Reunion: Update

 Here is the latest on the Virtual Reunion for Buna HS during my time at BHS. ( We are going to do this through Zoom)

We are try and see if we can do everyone interested at once. If it because too much, too cluttered, we may need to break down by periods of time ( 5 years, 10 years, etc.) But I think this will work for what we are going for. 

We are looking at doing it the first week in October. ( Week of October 3rd) at around 7PM. 

The question is this, which day would be the best for you? ( And if you can't make that night, we plan to do another reunion later.)

Also, we'd like to ask everyone sort of a " Round Robin" of questions, that way we can sort of " Catch-up."

At this time, if you have a suggestion of what you'd like to hear us ask, make a suggestion, and don't make it complicated like " What's the meaning of life?" Or, " Do you believe in aliens?" 

Give a shout out, and if you want, you can send me a PM or an email ( kdthomas1957@gmail.com) if you don't want to comment below. 

We'd like as many people as possible to participate in the reunion, and don't be shy, or embarrassed, believe it or not, I am pretty damn proud of y'all. 

Damn Vegans, Damn Student Loan, Damn Weather

 So, I was ugly to a person the other day about people being vegans.

My son is now a vegan. 

Yes, the grandson of a cattleman is a vegan. 

No, it's not what you think. As many of of you know, Reid has the auto-immune illness HSP, and it effected his kidneys. Trouble is, he got it when he was a senior a Lamar. Children can get it and there is a good chance there are no lasting effects. ( Right now, a former student of mine's child has HSP and is in the hospital in Houston.)

No, Dr Zhou( His father-in-law) and his kidney specialist have both suggested a non-meat diet. Just too hard on the kidneys to process. 

And it's had good results, his kidney function is up 10 points. 

Well, sort of vegan, sort of a person, who practices a moderated Pescetarianism. ( Be glad you're graduated, I'd make you learn this now during the Isms lessons.)

Pescetarianism of course is adding fish/seafood to your diet and they're not hard on kidneys once a week.

This goes under, you never know what you will think is okay someday....

Student Loans-

I am all over the place on this one. 

I doubt my "kids" will qualify for the $10,000 forgiveness. 

And if I had gone to college now, well, I couldn't afford it, and truthfully, because Reid had a walk, we wouldn't have been able to afford college without loans. Grad school is where their debt comes in....

And I am just mind blown at the cost of college in 2022......I think the most I ever spent on college was $250 one semester. But that was in 1979. 

Trouble is this......This country is already short teachers. How are people, or why are people going to school to become teachers with the low pay? Hell, I know there is no way I could teach in the style I did today. 

On the other side of the coin, someone has to pay for this......I don't know, T-Bonds, T-Notes look more interesting with the market/cryptocurrency the way it has been.  

-Finally, pray hard. 

Ain't been nothing " blow up" in the Gulf of Mexico. Let's keep it that way.

 

 

What the Cornbread Feck was this Crappola??????

 

 Last night after Cary Grant in " North by Northwest" I did a little spin on the Tv wheel looking for something to watch.....I landed on a channel carrying the MTV Video Awards.....Which is shocking because, when is the last time MTV had a video with music?

What in the feck? 

Is this what the kids are listening to today? 

It's the biggest shit show I've ever seen. 

And apparently it is worldwide, yesterday in Reading, England was their yearly music festival. Apparently it was so bad with violence, fire, hard narcotics. 

I don't know, there is a lot of turmoil worldwide right now with Ukraine, Taiwan, etc., etc. 

I don't know, maybe it is a sign of the times.

My fellow Christians would say " It's The End of Times." 

I don't know if I would go that far. I've been hearing end times since the 1960s, and my 91 year old Mother who went through World War 2 heard about " End Times" since the 1930s....And Jesus still ain't showed up.

But again, I digress. 

Do the kids today actually listen to this tripe?

Or is this just another 65 year old's " Get off my lawn" moment? 

t the Cornbread Feck is this Crappola?????

 Last night after Cary Grant in " North by Northwest" I did a little spin on the Tv wheel looking for something to watch.....I landed on a channel carrying the MTV Video Awards.....Which is shocking because, when is the last time MTV had a video with music?

What in the feck? 

Is this what the kids are listening to today? 

It's the biggest shit show I've ever seen. 

And apparently it is worldwide, yesterday in Reading, England was their yearly music festival. Apparently it was so bad with violence, fire, hard narcotics. 

I don't know, there is a lot of turmoil worldwide right now with Ukraine, Taiwan, etc., etc. 

I don't know, maybe it is a sign of the times.

My fellow Christians would say " It's The End of Times." 

I don't know if I would go that far. I've been hearing end times since the 1960s, and my 91 year old Mother who went through World War 2 heard about " End Times" since the 1930s....And Jesus still ain't showed up.

But again, I digress. 

Do the kids today actually listen to this tripe?

Or is this just another 65 year old's " Get off my lawn" moment? 

 

If I Was Still Teaching in Buna, I'd Hang This Up, Just to P*ss People Off

 I swear I would.

So, the new rule is, all schools in the state of Texas have to place a sign that says " In God We Trust" someplace on the wall in the school.

It'll be like the rest of the crap on school walls, bulletin boards, no one will even given it a look.

And to be honest, schools don't need to be in the "God" business.....Which God? Which religion and if it's Christian, I don't think some denominations view God the same way I do. ( I don't think you understand how many students today are no long religious, any type and it's not the public school's job to convert them. )

A guy in Florida is planning to send signs that say " In God We Trust" in Arabic. 

According to the rule, it doesn't say which language it has to be in......

After I spent two weeks in the Palestinian Christian Quarter of Bethlehem, well, at this point, they are the people I support in the "Holy Land." 

Palestinian Christians are treated like crap, especially by the Israelis. 

What language do these Palestinian Christians speak? Arabic. 

( As many of you know, I place stickers on the back of vehicle from wherever I travel. I had a hard time deciding what I was going to put on my window. I really hated the trip to Israel. The sticker I finally have ordered is one that supports Palestinian Christians. )

I swear if I was still teaching, I'd post one of those Arabic " In God We Trust" in my classroom, perhaps on my door. 

But then again, I did stuff because, well......I could, and dared someone to say something.

New Supt. Buna ISD

 Well, that wasn't long. 

Buna ISD has announced their " Lone Finalist" for the Supt. of Schools. 

https://www.facebook.com/bunabeacon/posts/pfbid0JdKRjJeRqQPddtgq81njEVBBwJ1B9irvPq5BdKB4MmBTj2pLxmZ7esGZyZvyZGmJl

I wonder how long she will stay? I wonder how long " Vidor-North" will accept her? ( Sorry folks, there are so many people who are just like Vidorians who live in Buna, it is pretty much like Vidor. Sorry, I am calling it as I see it.)

I give her 2-4 years as Supt. of Schools. 

I don't think she understands what she is getting into. 

I don't know, maybe she'll do a good job. But I wonder how long before she " steps on toes" in the district?

We Really Love You Buna, Buna ISD.....BUT D*mn

 Somehow people think I hate the people of Buna, the district, and I had some things happen to me that left a sour taste in my mouth, but for years after I left, I recommended people who were looking for a rural setting to raise their kids the Buna ISD. ( I had sour things happen at every ISD I worked at....)

And everything I say about Buna is, well, I really want the community, the ISD to do well. If I did not love Buna Schools, I had more than one opportunity to leave. And had senior classes that made me wonder if I should move to another district I wouldn't have to go to proms, sponsor Jingle Ball Balls, BHS Homecoming Parades, graduations, NHS, UIL Academics. etc., etc.....And make more money....But, I actually liked y'all, even though I pissed you off then....and now...

I catch hell by people in the community when we get on KJAS ( Now the podcast) and get onto Buna. Jay and I both want the community to be a star in the crown, not a blemish. 

Look, as I said above for years, I bragged on the Buna ISD, the community to my friends in Mid-County, Orange County. I now have a friend who travels from up Hwy 62 to the lake every weekend, and all he talks about is " The burned out building, behind the bank." 

It doesn't take long to lose all the "good will" I thought I had done for the community....

Likewise with the Buna ISD.

Lot of the patrons are unhappy with the education going on. 

Now I know, there will always be more unhappy people, but I have gotten more negative feedback concerning Buna ISD. And I know there are still good people working at Buna Schools, 

I taught what 3-4 members of the Buna ISD Board of Trustees, and as one person wrote me, it seems like a " Rudderless ship." 

Look, when you hire a superintendent from outside the area, hundreds of miles from outside the area, no matter what they may tell the Board, no matter what they may tell the faculty, no matter what they tell the patrons of the community, they are going to use little 3A Buna ISD as a stepping stone.

I know some of you realize this, but a large number of you are somehow naive to the process.

Don't be hoodwinked in the process.

Look, superintendent of schools are often politicians.  5 years from now, I doubt the now Supt. of Wichita Falls ISD can even name anyone actually from Buna he worked with.....And they could care less. 

He " brought his people in" for positions of administration......Heck, in coaching jobs. 

What the hell kind of person leaves their job the first day of school? Hell, teachers would have their teacher's certificates pulled for such stunts, and my understanding the now Supt. of Wichita Falls ISD did that to people who tried to leave when he was in Buna.  

Allegedly, the Head Football Coach is already looking to leave at the end of the season. 

How is supposed to inspire the kids? Coach don't want to be here. How can he get " pumped up" for the Orangefield game, hell, he's not been here long enough to understand some of the hatred of O-Field. The Juniors and Sophomores will have a new head ball coach in Fall of '23. The entire program will have a new look. How many new coaches/teachers will the head new ball coach bring in? How many guys will lose their jobs, and they too are now looking for new positions? And is the new ball coach be one of these guys looking for his next job up the ladder of success? 

All I see the former Buna leader did was alienate much of the faculty, leave and take with him administrators at the start of a school year. 

I worry about Buna. I worry about the district.  

Some of you need to "take the blinders off" and look around. 

 

 

Okay Buna HS Class(es) of 1995 to 2011- This One's for You

 So, Jay came up with this and the more I thought about it, I liked the idea. 

As many of you know, Not on the Payroll is transitioning from terrestrial to more online.....We're on YouTube, Bumble...and more of a podcast than a radio show. For several reason....1. The old Govteach doesn't have to put a sign up in front of a microphone that says " Do Not Cuss!!! " 2. Jay and I get together and can go 2 hours discussing whatever  and not have to give a good damn about who we upset. 3. We can reach more people online than we can, plus you can watch anytime you want, not just 7PM on Thursdays.  

What we are proposing is a reunion Zoom call. 

Jay and I are already doing the show from the comfort of our homes, heck Jay did the show on his porch yesterday with his chickens. ( Yeah, sometimes it is old fashion " Redneck Radio....I often am remind by someone near to my heart that" You're pretty much a hillbilly with an education who likes Britain, and trust me, get outside the UK cities and they are pretty close to us.)

Not sure if we want to go by single classes, a couple of classes at a time, 5 years......Or everyone all at once. It is going to depend on the feedback we receive.

The logistics and times are still to be determined. 

Anyway, might be good to see/hear from a bunch of you. 

Hell, tell some old stories from back in "the day." Might be that time some of you can tell stories about your crazy-ass gubmint teacher. 

The show will of course be put on YouTube, Bumble etc.....

So, if you are interested, let us know, and if you would spread this around. Post it on your FB or tell folks what we are planning to do....

We would love for you to join us on a Zoom.

The Statute of Limitations has Run Out on This Buna-

 I get all sorts of messages in the morning. Many through texts, some old fashion email( Who would have thought email is now "old fashion?") but most through Facebook messages.

And I am glad to help answer your question(s) the best I know how. 

I had several questions this morning and did the best to answer all of them.

-Men, remember, first suit of clothes needs to be Navy Blue, with Charcoal Grey being a close second, that said, I often wear a Navy Pinstripe because, well, I'm an Anglophile and pinstripes are associated with British economics. And it pisses off my own child, the graduate of the University of Texas Red McComb's School of Business beyond all words. The pinstripe apparently is too Edwardian for modern business. 

-There's always crazy-ass proposals before the Texas State Board of Education. They don't the light of day. (That said, I often went way outside of the TEKS when I taught y'all. I saw stuff you had missed being taught years earlier and made up for it. Sometimes I went off into the math, English areas......I wasn't supposed to do so, but the statute of limitations has run its course and in truth, if I'd been called on it while teaching, well, I wouldn't have changed anything. I just would have gone about it in a different way.  )

- Then someone asked me this morning if I could, or would do a marriage for a couple who are non-Christian. 

Of course. I'm never going to ask motives or religion of a person who gets married. 

- And finally, yes, I will go to prayer for you, I cuss, I fuss, I do things I was taught as a Baptist not to do, but I still get up pretty early in the morning nearly every day to pray. 

I may need to do an economics blog in the near future-

 

I Had Hope

 Well, when we went to China in 2018 for the kid's wedding, I had hope.

No longer.

It looks like we are going to to the old status of the West versus both China and Russia.

I don't know what happened. Too many people wanting too much to be in control and be famous in historical terms is my guess. 

I worry about my daughter-in-law.

Yes, she has a "green card" and can stay here permanently, but I sure would want her to become a US Citizen. Trouble is, she don't know shit about American history and government.  And to pass the US Citizenship test, well, it is going to take some hard work probably on my part, because I'll be starting from nothing. ( She didn't know who America fought for its independence.....Then again, I have a history degree and about 30 hours of grad work in various history and what I know about Chinese history I couldn't fill up a teacup.....On the other hand I can list in order every English King and Queen since Alfred the Great in 866AD.......I can tell you where every American President went to college, if they went.)

Watch the world stage the next few weeks folks. It might get hot, especially over this Taiwan situation....and if so, the economy might really be in trouble.