Damn Media and Firearms

Even though I was part of it for a while and this blog is considered " pseudo-media" I hate the damn media. Right wing, left wing, middle of the road.

WAPO, the Old Grey Lady, CBS, NBC was all upset about a couple holding firearms on people " peacefully" protesting in a neighborhood in St. Louis.

This was a private neighborhood, with private street, with a gate around the community they were walking through. There are photos of the gate that was torn down. .

I own property that's gated. On a private road. Now about half of the Cypress Community of Franklin County has a key to the gate( We've given them the key) for various reason including to a couple of older guys  who fox hunt on the back, but you go tearing down the gate, everyone in Cypress is liable to come over and ask " What the Hell you doing?" and these people are armed.

Fuck you media. You're on any road I own, and look like you are going someplace with bad intent, I'm coming out with a firearm.

What got me upset was how the people held the firearms.

No trigger discipline.

And the lady pointed the gun at the people. If EVER I point a gun your way, and I am serious here, you're going to see Jesus. Barrel always pointed toward the ground. Then she held her nickel-plated Walther PPK pistol with one hand. Another no-no....

I seriously doubt they had ever fired either weapon in their lives-

Get thee to a firing-range.....

I'm sorry, people have a right for self-defense.

Well, This Took 45 Years

And I guess my hypocrisy is somewhat done....At least in this area.

For years, I have preached vaccinations.

We always vaccinated Reid.

When April came from China, one of the first things we did was take her to the Jefferson County Health Clinic and get her up to date on her vaccinations.  ( Reid and Deb both insisted)

But Kerry Thomas has not had vaccinations since 1975 at least, that's when I started college.

I had a pneumonia shot today.

And I had a Tdap shot ( Typhoid, diphtheria, Whopping Cough)

The Tdap has made me ill. I knew it would. My last Tetanus made me sick 45 years ago.

I am running temp. My left arm where they put the shot is like I've been beaten with a bat. I feel awful.

So, why? Because it made you ill?

In 1977, a group of boys I grew up with and I spent a good potion of Spring Break from college camped on either Sam Rayburn, Dam B, or Toledo Bend.

Fishing, swimming, maybe having an adult beverage or two. Maybe having a cigar or 8.

And always, some girls would show up. I know one time, one of the girls had interest in dating me, but I was too damn dumb to realize she did....I am glad I was dumb. I wound up with my " prize of the century." My prize was smart enough to know, I didn't have a clue....And asked me out....

But I digress.

One girls who visited was Patti Call.  Smart girl, she was interested in one of the other boys, but he didn't have a clue.....

Sorry, sometimes we guys are pretty thick when it comes to romance. 

Patti had been accepted to Baylor on a full academic scholarship. She was a couple of years younger than us, and in those days you needed all sorts of vaccination to attend Baylor. Several rounds of shots( Missionaries from nations all over the earth sent their kids there, and the kids often had been exposed to some really odd illnesses while parents were on the mission field.)

Patti went to her doctor to get her first round of vaccinations and in  round one was a tetanus shot.

On the drive home she had a bad reaction, and passed away. She drove off the highway into a large field.

They determined it was the tetanus. She had a reaction.

This happened 5 days after her visit to see us. 

Ever since then, I have been apprehensive to get any type vaccination. 45 years worth of apprehension.....Today, I manned up and got the shots.

Yes, the Tetanus has made me sick. My left arm is sore, feels like I've been beaten. I am running a temp of 99.7F. Was a little sick to my stomach.....But I am still with us.

Survey- Buna ISD

The Buna ISD has a survey on their website concerning the re-opening of classes in August.

The survey says the following at the top-

"The Buna ISD Leadership Team needs input from your as we prepare for a new school year to begin in August. Our goal is face-to-face instruction while complying with social distancing guidelines and other measures set forth by The Center for Disease Control, The Texas Department of State Health Services, State Leaders, and The Texas Education Agency. Your input is valuable as we make preparations that will keep our students, staff, and families safe in the coming school year. Please take a few minutes to complete this short survey."

Here is a link to the survey-

Buna ISD  School Re-Opening Survey Link

Breaking News! Gov. Abbott Rolls Back Texas Re-Open

The following rules just announced.

• All bars and similar establishments that receive more than 51% of their gross receipts from the sale of alcoholic beverages are required to close at 12:00 PM today. These businesses may remain open for delivery and take-out, including for alcoholic beverages, as authorized by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. 
• Restaurants may remain open for dine-in service, but at a capacity not to exceed 50% of total listed indoor occupancy, beginning Monday, June 29, 2020.
• Rafting and tubing businesses must close.
• Outdoor gatherings of 100 or more people must be approved by local governments, with certain exceptions.( Source, CNBC) 

( How the hell, we going to have school this Fall?)

More when it becomes available. 

Did I See That?

So, I am minding my own business, trying to keep informed. I watch the 6PM News on the " Area's News Leader" even thought I can't stand either of the two major news at 6PM. Both just grate my nerves, and there is often the same national stories on the local news as there was on the national broadcasts.

And towards the end of the " News Leader's" broadcast, there was a commercial for an auto parts place......And a young lady in a bra working on a car.

I actually watched the commercial.

After it was done, all I could think was, " Are we so so jaded, so desperate for advertising dollars, we need to put this ad on in the 6PM news hour?"

Then, last night, I could not sleep, and so I got up and watched ' The Office' on the TV only to be inundated with ads for the Plan 'B' birth control.

Now, I think Plan 'B' is a needed medication. I understand that sometimes you go out of control and start playing " Slap and Tickle" and worry about the consequences later.

But, why is the guy not already carrying a condom? In this day and age, you can get rubbers at almost every store in North America. Now, it's not like the UK and there are condom machines in every public bathroom. And as I have said, I think they need to be.

You know, in this day and age, and as much as people hate to hear it, you could be scratching and dripping forever, I am surprised at the guys who refuse to buy a box of Trojans. ( I blame the damn Baptists)

Just some things on my mind this morning....

Got to Go to School...20-21?

I seriously wonder if we're having school this year. I really do.

The Texas Education Agency delayed posting the rules for schools to re-open this week for the coming year.

I know the TEA has few mandatory health rules for the coming year.

I wonder, are they hoping for a "herd " immunity? Question is, they are they
 for sure that there is such a thing with Covid-19.  And there are more 17-18 year olds catching the illness with people that age having to be hospitalized, and are dying. 17-18, those are high school people. 

Already I heard two biologists, doctors talk about the herd mentality not working in the case of this illness. After a certain time period, we lose immunity.  This is not a 'normal' illness.

I wonder, will we just open Texas schools and "Hope for the best?"

That said, if 1% of Texas students get seriously ill, that would be 50,000 kids.

I wonder, if we lose that many kids, it is worth us opening classes for the economy?

I wonder what will happen when older teachers get sick?

This morning I heard from a teacher in the Houston area who posed the question..."My district has said secondary will do a and b days to half capacity with an additional online only option. What do you think is gonna happen with teacher employment with the TEA regs doing eff all?"

I got no answer. 

That said, I understand why a bunch of teachers are retiring. Or going into other fields. 

I know, I would wear a mask if I was still teaching....And would make you wear one. Don't care what your momma or daddy says, you can sit your ass in the hall and take notes. Wear the mask in class... I always went to Buna thinking and expecting it was my last damn day everyday anyways. I literally was shocked I made it to retirement.

I wonder at what cost we'll have school this year?

Well, Apparently, I Am ' Dumb as Hell'

Used to think I was kind of sort of bright. But, no longer do I think that.

Oh, my skill set would work if it was like the 18th Century.  But, we are now in the 21st. I am still sort of like Jacob Rees-Moog. A bit more libertarian, well, a great deal more libertarian, but still do things done, well, from years ago.

I still do Latin stuff, when I pray for you, it like it has been done originally for centuries in ritual, even though I have the academic certification for government/economics,  the vast majority of my studies were in history. A large part, church history. 

So, yesterday, I was asked, " What would Reid be doing at A&M?"

And other than it was a leadership role and had something to do with computers at the College of Health Science......I could not tell them what he'd be doing.

And I looked up his job description at A&M.

All the systems, software, security a huge paragraph of stuff.....May as well had been gibberish. I didn't have a damn clue.

And the stuff I have seen him do with computers forever, hell, when we took him to the Smithsonian Institute as a 6 year old, he went nuts over the computer displays...." Hey Reid, there is the flag that was over Ft. McHenry....There is the bear shot by Theodore Roosevelt......There is the Kitty Hawk....Yeah, but Dad, they got computers...." 

And I've seen him do stuff remotely with computers that made me go, " What kind of sorcery is this?"  " They'd burn you at the stake in the 17th Century."

In the end, I'm just glad he has work. 

I am working on a second blog for later, but I can't seem to get it where I would like it. Maybe early, or later. On the 20-21 School Year.....