Turn Out the Lights!

" The party's over."

Don Meredith made this Willie Nelson song popular back on MNF.

Well, the Summer of 2015 is over.

School starts for everyone on Monday.

Even I sort of had jumps and jerks the last few mornings. I've started getting up at 5am, like I did for years and years when I was teaching...as I always thought, " Gotta open the place up." " Gotta make coffee." And I did for years.

Yesterday, several school buses rolled by, drivers learning their new routes, or driving an old one getting ready.

By now, most teachers have their rooms ready. I know elem. teachers have to decorate their rooms, and in high school, well, giving us a stick of chalk and get out of the way.

I wonder if I'll wake up Monday morning and shout " ISMS!"

Have a good year folks.

Market Drop 8/21/2015

So, the stock market has dropped anyplace from -250 to -332 today.

Oil is down, almost to $39 and some change.

I hate to tell you, it is China. Unfortunately, this is a global market. There are 1.3 billion Chinese and they are driving the world economy right now.

They markets are down and the Chinese government is artificially propping up their market to keep it from dropping even farther. That is something the American government will not and cannot do. ( illegal)

To make matters worse, the Chinese have devalued their money in an attempt to control capital outlays....

As China's economic miracle unwinds, rich domestic investors are tempted to take their money overseas.

By devaluing its currency, China's central bank makes doing this a lot more expensive and so the country can keep hold of its wealth more easily. That's the plan at least.

Once again, the Chinese economy is sick, and we are catching a cold. I'm not going to be shocked if China devalues their money another 10%.

Hang in there. Don't panic if you're in the market. Remember, long term...

My concern right now is oil and to a perhaps a greater extent, natural gas. N- gas maybe over produced. If so, it might really hurt Shell and Chevron. Those two are about to overproduce gas for the demand.

Keep an eye on this mess. Once again, teacher retirement is invested heavily in oil stocks, so I am concerned there....

I Get More Ugly Mail!!!

I think I may need to get run another purge on Facebook.

In response to yesterday's blog on sex and people getting into trouble for sex, I received what amounted to a scathing private message.

It was in defense of Josh Duggar.

It seems they wanted to defend Duggar, that " he was be persecuted because he was a Christian...you're an idiot..." And it continue on.

This PM was sent before Josh Duggar issued a press release about his Ashley Madison account....it seems, the account was true.

Have I received an apology from the person who sent the message? Of course not. And I don't expect them to do so. They have to save face.

I frequent several sites in which there are many of us who are what is called "done."

One is full of professionals. Doctors, lawyers, professors, business people, former clergy...I actually feel funny when I post there, that somehow, I am not up to this bunch's standards, and they have accepted me as one of the group is a miracle...

A member from Scotland posted this yesterday. ( He's still mad at me because we didn't stop by his house for a cuppa when we were there. We just did not have time)

"What is happening is that an underground church is gradually being created. We’re seeing growing persecution, in other words, of those seeking to follow the risen Jesus rather than a man-made sock-puppet of controlled theology. But here that persecution comes, not from the state, but from within the professing church itself. The closest historical analogue I can think of is not the pre-reformation church of Rome but the creation of imperial Christianity when the Roman empire adopted, and thence inevitably took control of, the church."

And he's right. Today's church ain't cutting it for a bunch of us. And we are being persecuted for not being members.

It's funny, if you look at history, things just do not change.

Okay, I Throw a Fit

I understand if you need help with a Lone Star Card.

Espcially if you have kids or if you are getting older.

That said....

Today, I go to the local dollar store and get behind a woman who I know was pushing 300+ pounds with well, 4 hefty blonde-headed kids. Being nice calling them hefty.

They check out with stuff I consider good for children, eggs, sausage, milk, bread, orange juice. Looked like good breakfast items to me...and then, 7 bags of potato chips,( including a couple of the new Lay's biscuit and gravy) 3 bags of candy... big bags, 2 bags of Chips-ahoy. And before they're even paid for, the kids are tearing open the bags of chips. One dropped chips all over the place and she takes a swing at him and misses.( I understand getting a bag of chips, or cookies for the kids, but multiples?)

Then, once the cashier gets all the stuff checked, and the lady has placed all her items in her basket ( she'd gotten some other non-food items, she starts to dig through her purse. She can't find her card. She digs,and digs, and frickin' digs. )

She finally finds it after she pours everything out of her purse. On the check out roller dealie. And then, after this, she is short a considerable amount. ( has to pay for the non-Lone Star items.)

She has to write a check.

In the process, she screws up and has to start over.

By now, there are 5 other people in line, and another checker finally shows up, looks at me and says, " can I get you sir?"

I literally sprint over and check out.

When I leave with my items, she's still trying to write a check.

You know, this "I don't give a shit about anyone but myself has got to stop." Espcially when you're already having to live off the system.

Okay, rant off.

SEX! SEX SEX!

No, this is not what you think.

Be careful folks when you hero "worship."

Be they media stars, religious figures, football players...

Yesterday, two folks in the public eye got into trouble due to sex.

First Jared Fogel.

Fogel was the long time Subway spokesperson. He had literally dieted himself into a million dollar contract.

He had lost 200lbs eating Subway sandwiches and walking.

Yesterday, he pled guilty to having sex with underage girls and trading underage pornography.

The world was his oyster. He was one of the luckiest persons on the face of the earth, and he blew it.

Second Josh Duggar.

The Duggars were heroes in the Christian world. And Josh had parlayed that into a lobbying career in Washington D.C.

He originally had gotten into the trouble for molesting underage girls when he was a youth....well, you can sort of forgive him for that, sort of, if the family had not swept the incident under the rug.

Yesterday, it seems Josh had been trying to have affairs on the Ashley Madison site. ( He's married with 4 kids)

He's paid $1000 to the site.

And what was his job as a lobbyist? To stop gay marriage.

What did Jesus say in Matthew 7:3? "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? "

Be careful who you listen to folks....worry about yourself. It's YOU that has to make it to the next level.

Gov. Abbott Going to Hell?

So, this past weekend, the Governor of Texas, Gregg Abbott wrote on his Facebook that Saturday was the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The day she was taken to heaven at the end of her life.

Abbott and his family are Catholic.

This day is celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church.

The response to this posting by Gov. Abbott was met was some pretty ugly remarks.

People came out of the ' wood-works' attacking his being Catholic.

He was called an " Idol worshiper." And honestly, many people were upset when they found out he was Catholic.

Is this 2015? Or are we going to fight wars like they did in 17th Century Europe over Protestant vs. Catholic?

This is America. Do we not have freedom to worship as we see fit? You know, I thought we might be past this, but, I think this religious " hatred " might be coming back.

These same people called for America to become a Christian nation.....which form? There are 20,000 different denominations in America alone. If we decided to switch to a theocracy, we would change into a Mess just like they have in the Middle East. People would be blowing up other people...over religion....

Disclaimer, I have close fiends and family who are Roman Catholic, I fully expect them to " make it" and they fully expect me to " make it."

BTW- there are 10,000,000 Texans who do not belong to any church. The largest church membership in Texas is Catholic with 4,700,000.

Son of a ......

I got old.

I was just in high school, hell, college....

I amazed at how fast the time has went by.

I think I deserve a treat for living this long....there ain't no Blue Bell, but Adams has a new pecan pie ice cream. Think I may try some....and maybe some cookies.....hope I don't go into some sort of diabetic shock.

Once again, the old adage...." if I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself. "

Kind of a Serious Blog

You may or may not believe this, but I try to keep up with you. And it's sort of hard sometimes. I taught 3500-4000 kids in my career.

I espcially want to hear if you need prayer, thoughts....

I know it is odd coming from me, but I pray more than you think. Often about some of y'all. Even though, I cuss, fuss, and throw things, I am pretty religious.

Today, I just learned about an accident in which a former student of mine was pretty seriously injured.

Please, don't assume I know. Send me a PM. An email. A text. Even if I hear about it ten times, that's okay.

You Know, You Never Know About Folks....

You know, we just do not know about folks.

The story about the 16 year old who was shot breaking into the home at 2:30am makes me think this.

The story is the 16 year old was wearing a bandana or some sort of mask when he broke in.

I am not blaming the homeowner. I would have done the same thing. I would have been scared out of my wits.

The teen's family is upset about the shooting, and families always will be.

That said, I am reminded of a story of a student I had at another district in the Houston area. I had a student arrested in class by DPS, sheriff and local police.

It seems the young man had shot and killed a woman while burgling her home the evening before.

The boy was very active in the school's Christian groups and was even president of the local Youth for Christ.

His father, a local minister, had to resign and leave the area.

The boy is still in state prison.

Then, this morning, one of ABC News' lead stories was about a high school senior at one the most prestigious schools in America, St. Paul's in New Hampshire being tried for raping a freshman girl.

The boy ambition was to go to Harvard Divinity School.( You go there to become a minister.)

No, you never know about folks.

If you have a teen, this might be a teaching moment.

KFC Just Doesn't Get It.....

So, KFC has replaced the perverted Col. Sanders with another questionable replacement.

Norm MacDonald, who I actually like as an actor will now play the legendary Col. Harland Sanders.

MacDonald is not from the South, hell, he's not even an American. He's from Canada.

I am wondering how this will play out. It has got to be better than the Col. Sanders, who I am sure was on the sex- offenders list.

The real question is this.....why can't they get a Southerner to play a Southerner? You know, we already speak the lingo and have the accent.

Blue Bell Back...But Not to Beaumont Area?

So, there will be a four part return of Blue Bell ice cream to the State of Texas.

However, the Beaumont-Pt. Arthur area is NOT in the first phase of distribution.

Here are phases II-IV

Phase Two: North central Texas and southern Oklahoma

Phase Three: Southwest Texas and central Oklahoma

Phase Four: The majority of Texas and southern Louisiana.

Let me read this correctly....We might be in Phase IV.

Here's a map of Phase I. To start around Aug. 31. ( Will this national nightmare ever end?)

Bigfoot! In Sabine River Bottom?

Not OUR Sabine River bottom, however, who knows what's running around in the bottoms of Newton County.

This story is out of Panola County, North of here.

Story is a hunter sees a Bigfoot creature kill a full grown hog. The hunter is in a stand with a rifle, and doesn't shoot the creature.

Now, for years, I have heard stories, legends of a man like creature living in Deep East Texas.

There is supposedly one or two near our family farm in Northeast Texas. There are scary stories told by the old timers, and I'll be honest, there are areas I won't go to on our farm on foot without a firearm. ( not just bigfoots, but bobcats, coyotes, and other critters that also walk on two legs. Espcially during deer season...)

I have family members who swear they have seen a creature when they were traveling in Arkansas, and in Arkansas, who knows what it was. ( these are not family members to make stuff up....they saw something, don't know what, but it spooked them.)

All I know is, I don't go outside much without a shirt on....

Getting Married? Not Getting Married? Wish I could Get Married?

I have received three questions, requests, over the last few weeks over the lack of local judges to marry folks.

This of course stems from the Supreme Court's decision to allow gays to marry.

It is a pure "political" move and in truth, I really can't same I blame them.

The local judges have been put into a " no win" situation. To make their constituents happy, they have stopped all marriages. Gay, straight, whatever.

This basically leaves the marriage business to the local clergy and if you want a civil, not religious wedding, where does it leave you? And guess what, there's a bunch of folks who are just not religious...and local pastors generally won't marry folks outside of the parishioners...

Church folks, this may make you upset, unhappy, whatever, the people outside of the church are growing. Rapidly.

You can blame the devil, the internet, the church and its now lack of missionary spirit, again, whatever, it is growing. I am guessing there are three or four people in Jasper and Orange Counties who stay home for every one who attend church....including the writer of this blog. Sorry, just nothing left at the denomination I grew up in for me. ( But this is another blog.)

I seriously have though about re-frocking myself through one of those online ordination ministries, and doing weddings. Free for folks I like. ( Texas is pretty liberal about marriage. We still have very liberal "Common Law" marriage. I have a friend I literally love to death who is married in this manner, and both me and the State of Texas consider their marriage as legit as one performed by Bishop Guillory at St. Anthony's Cathedral in downtown Beaumont.)

Oh, don't worry about me going to hell for re-frocking myself. If I make it, it'll be just like you, on a technicality.

Colder Than Normal Winter?

So, the Old Farmer's Almanac has predicted a " colder than normal" winter.

After last week, I think we'd all welcome some sort of relief. 102F in SE Texas? Too damn hot.

Here's the deal folks, I like cold weather. But then at some point, I decide " enough is enough." And want it to warm up.

Sure, I think it'd be 'cool' if one time in my life it snowed on Christmas Eve, or Christmas Day. ( We came close in 1980s, it snowed Dec. 23rd, not much, but it snowed.)

I've also sat in the backyard on Christmas Day because it was a warm sunny day.

Trouble is, don't nobody know.

I watch both the " Aggie weather-guessers" during the week, and both those guys do not know, they just guess what tomorrow's weather will be.

I swear they use chicken bones, a dart board, the phase of the moon, just like some unnamed school districts use to figure GPAs, to guess the forecast.

Look, we all went to bed thinking Rita was going ashore down Southwest of Houston. We saw how that worked out.

I know at this point we all want it to be cooler. We want " football weather."

Hang in there folks, it will get cooler....

You Know, Sometimes I Hate You People....

Actually, I don't ...however.

You know, it's hard to keep on my weight maintenance program reading Facebook.

Chocolate cakes....Turtle Chocolate cakes.....

14 types of coconut pie.

19 kinds of Nanner pudding.

Ev Hatch posted a crab pie that looks like 2900 calories a slice.

And those of you who post the photos of the 22 cows you are barbecueing for supper.

( Speaking of calories, did you see that JJ Watt eats 9000 calories a day To maintain his weight? )

And today, someone who knows I love pecan pie, sent me an article about M&Ms coming out with pecan pie flavored M&Ms for the Fall.

Sometimes I hate you folks...

http://www.ajc.com/news/lifestyles/food-cooking/mms-releases-new-fall-flavor-pecan-pie/nnKKW/

Some People Need a Good Killing.

So, today Connecticut has decide to spare the life of all the people they have on death row.

Including the two men who killed and raped the wife and then raped both the 17 year old daughter and 11 year old daughter of Dr. William Petit of that state...

Then after murdering the wife and daughters, they set the bodies on fire, in an attempt to cover up evidence.

I'm am sorry, there are people who need a good killing.

The Connecticut Supreme Court did away with the death penalty because it was the "decent thing to do.."

Where was decency when these guys were raping and murdering?

These guys can get visits from their family, be able to attend college, celebrate holidays....something the Petit daughters will never enjoy.

I am sorry, but from time to time, the death penalty needs to be carried out.

I know there were people in the Texas Christian community who were upset when then Gov. George Bush did not commute the death sentence of Karla Faye Tucker after she " found Jesus " on death row...never mind she helped "finish off" a dying man with a pickaxe and then killed a woman with that same pickaxe. ( A lot of people think it was a death row conversion, to keep get her sentence changed to life in prison.)

Once again, it makes you wonder...just what the courts are thinking?

34

Today is my 34th Anniversary of marrying the love of my life, Debbie.

I am sure for her it has been a rodeo.

Being married to me is...well, different. Kerry Don Thomas is a different breed of animal, and those of you who read the blog know this. Just when she thinks she knows what's in my mind, I surprise her.

I am hoping I can make it another 16. That way we can call it an even 50......at least 50 is my goal. ( I'll be 73...if I make it that long it'll be a miracle out of scripture. )

Thank you for putting up with me Deborah.

I Can't Figure It OUT....

I am telling you the U.S., heck, the world's economy is not in good shape.

Sure, the Dow is up a little today, but everything else is pretty much down. ( Including the long term U.S. Stock Market.)

Then I look at oil and it is down $1.20 to $ 42 a barrel. It may go below $ 42 by the close of market. CNBC and Fox Business both keep flashing the oil price, FBN has it big on its' channel. ( and here's a questionable new item, gasoline prices in the Upper Midwest have risen due to a processing plant problem in that region....and the plant is owned by BP.....huh? Makes you wonder?)

China is in bad shape, Brazil is in bad shape, Argentina is in bad shape....

And the thing is, most economic news is bad...

Folks, it is concerning.

Oil is now below $42....

I am thinking about putting my money in mayonnaise jars and bury them under the pit bull's house....

Again, and I Hate to Do This So Soon...Please Read

In the next month you will hear a great deal of gloom and doom.

The earth is to once again " End" in the month of September.....next month....

It's all over the internet.

It's all over AM radio.

It's all over Shortwave radio. ( Art Bell, the ghosts are in the kitchen, bigfoot is screwing my wife, UFOs are landing on the South Lawn of the White House is back. He's on several AM, FM and SW radio stations.)

The theories include...

-There is a Messianic Jewish Rabbi who is saying there will be a total collapse of the financial markets of the US.

- The government is going to reveal that there is life from other planets actually visiting the earth....and the Vatican and the Catholic Church is supporting the revelation..( The Catholic Church for years has said they do not have a problem baptizing little green men.)

- Then there is the 4 blood moon theory. John Hagee the pastor in San Antonio has been saying for a while now that the earth is ending or there will be turmoil due to the 4th blood moon....which is in September.

- Finally, there are a group of so-called " rogue astronomers" and so called cosmic experts who are claiming an asteroid with hit the earth at the end of September....the asteroid will hit near Puerto Rico and wipe out most of the east coast with a tidal wave, including the Texas Gulf coast.

Don't get all stirred up.

Once again, no one knows the time, even the Angels in heaven.

Trouble is, I have never seen people more unhappy than they are in this country. We are so unhappy in this nation, I would not be shocked if the uneasy civility we have in America ended.

Let's face it, there's underlying mistrust and while it has always been there, it is starting to bubble to the top.

Just look at changes going on in the nation. And people on both sides are not happy.

So, stuff to be aware of over the month. Don't panic, but be aware.

Kicking 92 Yr. Old Woman Out of Church for Non-Tithing...

So, a church in Georgia has kicked a woman, 92 year old woman, out of church for not giving her tithe.

The sad part is the woman was sick, not attending church, and no one from the pastor to church staff to deacons, checked on the poor lady to have known.

And then at 92, I think I would have given her some slack.

This money and church, this money and church.

Jesus was all over money and the church.

The sad part is the atheists are having a field day on this topic, on their site.

It's time for me to write on the tithe again isn't it?

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2015/08/12/church-kicks-out-92-year-old-woman-for-not-tithing/

Man, How Much Would You Give Me To Do This???

Today is supposed to be the so-called " General Assembly" at the Buna ISD.

I am tempted to go there for the morning assembly, dress to the nines, coat, bow-tie, penny loafers, dress very prep, and do one of the following three things...

- Go to the morning meeting, fix myself a cup of coffee, grab a couple of doughnuts and leave.

- Go the meeting, get the coffee and doughnuts, and go over and kiss Mrs. Darling....smack on the mouth...and leave...

- Go to the meeting, get the coffee and doughnuts and as I leave, shoot the finger at people I don't care for....

Trouble is I have been out so long 1/2 the faculty and staff won't know who I am, and with the weight loss, a bunch of old timers might not know me either...

I go a doctor's appointment this morning, so it won't happen.

Might be for the best. I don't feel like a free ride in the back of a sheriff's car to Jasper.

I Knew I Should Have Failed You in Economics.

There is a meme going around concerning the Obama administration spending $360 million dollars to promote Obamacare.

Then the meme says that there are only 317 million Americans. It would be easier just to give us all a million dollars.

No, do the math.

The government would actually only be giving us $1.13.....

I knew I should have failed more of you in economics.

Dumbass....smh

If Anyone Wants to Know, or Was Curious

Our son has moved back in with us.

It has been an interesting month. He's been out of the house since 2006.

He pretty much has lived on his own since he graduated from high school, and went to college.

As many of you know, he lived in S. Korea for a year, South Texas for a year, and was in Jasper for a couple of years.

He was in Jasper working 70-80 hours a week, Saturday's and Sunday's at school, for basically $3000 a yr. more than the regular teacher and asked himself, " can I do this for another 35 years?" ( and the district he was in would have kept him probably for those years.)

As he said, he had no social life, no free time, the possibility of finding an age appropriate girlfriend or someone to date was slim. ( Say what you want, by age 25, most girls in this area are married, and the district he taught at had no single ladies.)

So, he asked to move home and go back to school.

Say what you want, Lamar is a value. So much cheaper than Texas or A&M.

He's taking science classes. Perhaps go into the medical field of some sort.( Looking hard at that.) At worse, get a science and math certificate and if you got a math cert, you can move anyplace in the state.

So, if anyone was curious, he's home...and in truth, it's been sort of nice.

This Week.....

The inservice period for teachers start this week. My understanding is the first couple of days are technology and some other waste of a day.

The " General Assembly " for Buna ISD I understand is on Wednesday.

This past week, the Washington Post published an article saying that research has finally discovered what us teachers have known for years. Inservice is a waste of time and money. Literally, billions of tax dollars a year are spent by schools on the latest, greatest way to educate the kids. Five years from now, it'll be some new tripe some college professor has dreamed up.

Don't nobody learn nothing....it's bullshit if they tell you they do....

I'm telling you it's a racket. People who can't teach, can't be decent administrators, wind up doing workshops, for serious coin....and you're paying for them...big damn tax money

I said for years when I was still in the classroom, I'd rather have the kids in the room than sit in a workshop. I loved teaching. I hated workshops. I'd rather pull my toenails out with pliers.... Looking back on my last years in classroom, I wish I would have gotten my doctor to write me a note, and used up those state personal days I wound up giving back. He would have. He knows how bad professional workshops are.

I am telling you, retirement is great.

On a better note for the week. The Perseid Meteor Shower is suppose to be really good this year. The morning of Aug. 13th, 80 meteors an hour can be seen. ( according to NASA, now watch it be a flop.) I may hit the floor early to look...

It's Okay to Kill Women.....for Not " Putting Out?"

So, ISIS has started to kill women who refuse sex with them.

19 at one time.

When I first read the article, it was on a site with a questionable background....Then, I saw it was the lead story in the Daily Mail out of England. ( The Daily Mail is an actual newspaper. I bought a couple copies when I was in the UK.)

The Mail even posted a list of prices you could buy women for....In other words, sex slaves. Including, females between the age of 1-9. All of these women were taken as " spoils" when a town was captured.

The women who died decided it was better to die than to spend their lives as a sex toy.

This is being ignored by the U.S. Media. I do not know why. Maybe they are afraid we will get so stirred up we will insist that our military does something.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3186229/ISIS-executes-19-girls-refusing-sex-fighters-envoy-reveals-sex-slaves-peddled-like-barrels-petrol.html

I am Pretty Worried...and Actually, You Should Be Too...

This morning on CNBC, former Reagan Chief of OMB David Stockman was discussing why the stock market was going to fall, just like the Chinese stock market has in the last few weeks.

I agree with Stockman.

"But I would like to add that low interest rates have led to debt financing of overproduction in many industries but especially mining which includes oil, and retail where stores have borrowed heavily to build inventory on government and media promises that the economy was improving when it wasn't.( Look for Sears and JC Penny to go bottom up...Best Buy? Walmart shut stores?)

The media hype and government misrepresentations have also led to increases in margin buying which makes any downturn much more severe.

GDP for instance was revised down in each of the previous three years in order to make the current GDP appear to grow.( Blame the damn government on this) This lie concerning the state of the economy to prop up a failed president and a failed administration continues,( and the GOP held Congress is to be blamed too.) and it will lead to much destruction of wealth as corporate revenue and earnings continue to fall and as bankruptcies in the Texas/ N. Dakota oil patch, mining,( You want to see a disaster, look at the coal mines, they are all broke) and retail sector arising from dropping prices accelerate.

This is the same scenario that existed in the farm sector in the 1920's where debt financed overproduction led to rapid decline in food prices.

Farmers could not make enough money to pay back their loans causing thousands of banks to fail. Assets including stocks were sold to pay debt and raise liquidity leading to the 80% decline in the 1929 stock market crash.

The same is happening now in the Oil, mining and retail sectors and it will lead to bank failures and a collapse in equity prices. This scenario is described in the book "God and Wealth The Rise and Fall of Nations"(Nicholas Georgalis.) The economic similarities are remarkably the same then and now and the results will be the same. ( 1929)"

Then, this morning, it was reported that 93, 770,000 Americans are NOT in the work force. The biggest in the history of America. This is basically 1/3 of all adults of working age, out of work....this doesn't include retired folks, or folks, who have just given up looking for a job.

Folks, I am concerned. Very concerned about the economy. I watch the business channels every damn day....and I can't see what is propping up the economy? Look, I can't see why food prices are so high? We are getting rooked there. The corn, wheat, markets are in free fall. ( they're up today, but long term, they're down)

Them D*mn Mexicans....

So, the big issue this year is immigration and the amount of immigrants crossing the border into the U.S.

And I will agree, there needs to be something done about the rift-raft crossing the border into the U.S. ( And there needs to be some way to get rid of drug runners, the outlaws, the felons...and build a wall? They built a massive fence in Calais, France at the Chunnel to keep the illegals out. The illegals have torn the fence down...and the cops are there pepper spraying them...and they keep coming..)

But the question remains....how many actual U.S. Citizens are willing to do the work that they are now performing?

As many of you know, my family owns property in what is actual farming country. These are people who own dairy farms, have huge chicken operations, actually grow things such as wheat.

They can't get people in this country to work for them....and they pay above minimum wage.

The work they do is nasty, hot ( or cold depending on the season) work. The work is often 12-14 hours a day. ( Them cows are milked twice a day, everyday, 7 days a week. The cows don't take Sunday or Thanksgiving or Christmas off.)

They have tried to get high school kids in the summer to work for them, and this is a school Buna's size. The kids may last 2-4 weeks, and drag up. Work 7 days a week, and high school kids tend to quit....likewise, people with family do the same. Want to go to the kids football games, want to spend time with the family....they won't work 7 days...)

The people in the chicken industry pay fairly well, especially in the slaughter operation....but 40 hours a week of pulling chicken guts is a smelly, nasty job.

You want one of these jobs? I can hook you...now if I get you a position cutting chicken gizzards up, don't quit after 6 weeks because all you smell now 7 days a week 24 hours a day is chicken giblets...if I get you the job, now don't quit in a week, because I'll get on this blog name you, and tell what a sorry ass individual you are...

The complaints about immigration have been around since this was America....

In the 1840s it was the damn Irish. ( Remember I taught you NINA? No Irish Need Apply.) They just KNEW the death of this country would be the damn Irish.( Damn Mick bastards....wait...)

Then it was the Chinese.

Then it was the Italians.( The racist slang WOP came from the Italians coming to the USA without papers....WITH OUT PAPERS...WOP was written on their cards when they entered.)

It reminds me of the " South Park" episode in which a group of workers are all upset because " They're taking our JERBS!"

I know the mantra now is stop immigration , but in reality, it is not. Mr. Trump knows it is not. He's saying the right things now...he's playing politics.

Excited! Or Maybe Not?

So, I know some of you are all excited about the two, yes, two Republican debates later today.

One at 4pm with the " also rans" in the GOP including former Texas Governor Rick Perry, and actually, this is the bunch you may need to watch, they are so desperate, they might say anything.

And the " Group of 10" front runners who are all hoping to get their message out there for the populous. This debate is at 8pm.

Both are on Fox News.

I may or may not watch. It is months before the first primary. Months.

This ain't my first rodeo.

The highlights will be all on tomorrow's news....and C-SPAN will replay it 30 times if I really want to see it.

As an old German general once said, "I'm too old a bunny to get excited about this...."

I Know You Do.....and You Need To...

At Nanny Faye's funeral this week, it was mentioned in passing the fact so many of us now carry firearms.

It's sad, but it is true. I keep a firearm in vehicles. There are parts of Beaumont, Pt Arthur, Orange, hell, Vidor, hell, Nederland....I wouldn't go into now on a bet. And I worked in what is now a scary part of Beaumont for the longest and never had a bit of trouble....And I often had Class II Narcotics in the vehicle....but that was the '70s.

I often worry about my in-laws in PNG. My mother-in-law refuses to have a firearm in the house. Never mind her oldest grandson literally grew up with an Ak47 in his closet. ( And yes, it was ready to rock-n-roll) She's afraid the g-kids will get ahold of it....well, lessons need to be taught about guns, and if they want, I will teach them...and put in a safe place.( the g-kids are all old enough to know about guns...)

Look, my 84 year old mother carries a .38 special wherever she goes now. ( and her youngest g-kids are really young, and they know to respect firearms. Then, they are my brother's kids, and grew up around firearms, and were taught...)

PNG is not what it once was. They have Ms-13 Gang members just blocks away in Nederland.

It's sad, but in this day in age, we have to be armed.

A suggestion. If you leave a gun in your truck, car, SUV, lock it at the house. In the last 48 hours they have had three pistols stolen from unlocked vehicles in Orange. Don't think it can't happen in Buna or Vidor, or wherever you live.

102? 104?

So the two Aggie " weather -guessers" on Channels 6 and 12 are saying it could be either 102F or 104F depending on the station you are watching, on Tuesday of next week.

Whew...

I heard from my brother out in Llano Sunday and they were expecting 106-107F Thursday and Friday of this week. ( I wonder what they'll have next Tuesday?)

Try and stay cool folks. Check on older folks. Drink lots of water. Be careful. 102-104F with the humidity is a killer.

I do not look forward to the next few days.

What on Earth Happened?????

Man, is it just me, but is Summer blowing by or what?

Next week, teachers start back with that insipid in-service.( seriously, WTH can they tell a teacher with ten or more years experience? And if you want the answer, it's nothing...or if it's some they must know, it shouldn't take over thirty damn minutes.)

( I tell you what shocks me, I start being retired for my fifth school year....and the farther I get away from it, the more I go, " damn, I did the right thing."...school was killing me. Seriously. I am in the best shape in years.)

The kids go back to school.... In less than three weeks.

Football practice has started for high school. The NFL teams are all in training. The first pro pre-season game is Saturday. Yes, this Saturday.

I know it will be 100F later this week.....but Summer is starting to wind down....

A Friendly Reminder...

Rachel's been off on vacation, New Orleans, Panama, Fiji, the South of France, Tibet, Hawaii, Jamaica, Quebec, Peru....

So, she's not been around to remind me....

And in the last few days, I have had a number of adds to the Facebook. I promised myself I wouldn't let my page get this many friends again....and to be honest, I really don't want to run a purge....

So instead, we'll remind folks of the " Rachel Rule."

The blog is my own ideas.

Sometimes you'll love it.

Sometimes you'll hate it.

Sometimes you'll think I lost my mind.

You and actually I never know what I am going to write about.

Once again, it is a " beware" situation when you read the blog.

Again, I thank you for reading.

It's Me...Still....

I went to Nannie Faye's funeral this morning, and well, not everyone recognized me.

It is one of two things...either you've gotten too damn highfalutin to speak to me, and that's okay...fuck you and the clap dripping jackass you rode in on.....or...

I am a third smaller and don't look like well, the old me. ( That's what I really think.)

I was told today that I didn't " Sound like Mr. Thomas."

That's probably true. The combination of weight loss has probably changed my voice....plus, I no longer project like I did in the class...I have not taught, well, coming up on starting 5 years.

But, don't be shy. I will be more and glad to see you. Won't bore you with stories, won't remind you of what you did in school....unless you bring it up...

BTW- This morning, it was good to see many of you.

Topless Wimmens.....

Well, I debated writing on this, and I got a really ugly letter this weekend from someone, so I figured, "well, I'm already in trouble....."

So, in Canada, specifically, in the province of Ontario, there was a huge rally of topless women who want to protest three women bicycle riders who were stopped by the police, well for riding their bikes, without shirt....or under attire on.

Hundreds of women turned out.

And like an idiot, I go to a actual news source to read the story. ( okay, while I read about 200 news stories a day, this one peaked by curiosity.) And sure enough, the site had topless wimmens. And they were not ugly wimmens. Anything to drive clicks for advertisers.

It turns out the women bicycle riders were cute.

The trouble is, since 1996 it has been legal for wimmens in Ontario to go around topless.

The cop, just played ignorance of the law......yes sir, he was just wanting to look at some breasteses.

I know, technically in Texas, wimmens can go topless, and down at " The Zoo" and in spots on the lakes near Austin, there were ladies going without tops.

Trouble is, teenage boys, hell, 50 something year old mens can't handle it.

Fighting Ronda Rousey

So, the hottest fighter in the MMA, UFC world is a female, Ronda Rousey. Right now, she is on a string of wins, all in under a minute.

Saturday night, she knocked out her opponent in 34 seconds.

At 135lbs, she is the best in the world. Maybe in any other weight division.

Like many of you, I suffer from insomnia, mostly from back pain.

So, last night, I got to listening to the ' skip' on an AM station. ( Skip is where a 50,000 watt station is able to broadcast over a frequency with no other stations broadcasting on that frequency at night, and the station can be heard in most states either side of the Rockies Mountains. The Rockies block AM stations.....the station last night is out of far South Texas.)

The two idiots on the South Texas station got to talking about Rousey.

Both decided that it would be more interesting if she started to fight males at 135lbs.

Trouble is, what man in their right damn mind would want to get his arm broken or brains knocked out for Rousey.

The two " nit-wits" decided that to make it a pay per view winner, the guy fighting Rousey would've able to " spend the night" with her....if he wins. ( I am sure in the deep dark recess of these idiots mind there is the " fantasy." )

Once again, it makes you wonder what the hell guys were thinking.

The fight for one would have to take place in some third world country, like Paraguay or Uzbekistan where the government would actually let the lunacy take place.

The really sad part is, the PPV for a fight like this would be out the roof. ( The old Roman " bread and circuses.")

And in the end, if Rousey would agree, do you really think she'd let the guy even come close to winning? She'd beat the guys brains out.....and then break both his arms....

The Chinese Spying on Beaumont?

So, NBC was listing the major areas that the Chinese Government was spying on the USA through " hack attacks."

And Beaumont, Texas was one of the major areas to spy on in America.

Of course it is.

There are major refineries in this area and in a time of war they'd love to be able to shut down Exxon-Mobil, DuPont, Huntsman, Motiva, Valero etc....

What'd you think they'd be spying on us for?

To find out our recipe for armadillo gumbo or what pick-up truck is the easiest to drive while high on meth?

Prayers for the Families

Yesterday, we learned of the all too soon death of a Buna alumni. It always leaves questions when some one is taken early in their lives.

This mother leaves young children and a family with heavy hearts.

Today, we learn of the loss of Nannie Fae. A long time Buna ISD employee who kept generations of Buna students fed.

There was only one Nannie Fae and she will be sorely missed.

I know and consider several of her family members as my friend.

I pray the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob brings comfort to both families in this time of sorrow.

My thoughts and continued prayers go out to the families and friends of both in this time.

Well...Too Cheesy?

In about 1 week I have my 40th high school reunion. I have convinced myself to go.

I drug this out. It now fits. ( Actually, it's too big for my finger now.)

Should I wear it? Too cheesy? Too juvenile? Too whatever?

Once Again, SE Texas Economy....Don't Look Good.

As many of you know, I spend a good part of the day watching the markets, and with it, the price of oil and the businesses involved with oil.

The price has been stagnant. Stuck.

It is a little better today with the price just below $50 a barrel, but the price is not good enough to keep oil companies from laying off people.

Earlier this week, Conoco-Phillips said that lay-offs from their company would continue.

Yesterday, Chevron announced 1500 lay-offs. 950 in Houston.

Today however was another coup de grace. Shell Oil announced they were laying off 6500.

As I have written in the past, this area is tied to oil. We are a one trick pony. There are no other industries...

Even retired teachers in Texas should be concerned. A great deal of Texas Teacher Retirement is invested in.....that's right, the oil industry.

Amy Gossett Made Me Write This Blog...

And at this point in my life, she could probably "beat me like red-headed step-child."

In all seriousness, if I had to go back to work, teaching, playing piano in a whorehouse, whatever, I would try and out-dress the best dressed person at the 'shop.'

When I first started teaching a Buna, I wore a tie everyday. Often with a jacket. I had come from a district that required a dress shirt and tie and it had become a habit.

My first couple of years, I was given "grief" by believe it or not, by some female teachers for dressing "up." They were really upset because I didn't wear jeans on casual Friday's.

I finally went " Native" after a few years and started dressing " Bunanite."

For a while because they let me, I wore jeans everyday....and work boots.

My last few years in Buna, I came to my senses. I started dressing better. A coat and tie everyday.

I felt better. I looked more academic. I hit the tweed hard when it got colder. Say what you want, when you go out in public dressed-up, you get treated better. Sorry, that's just the way it is.

Amy made the remark that she hoped to get a position in which she would be able to wear a suit and heels everyday. We were talking about how people dressed on Mad Men. How well Don Draper dressed.....and everyone in those days dressed better.

I look forward to dressing up now. I really do. If I ever get another invite to a BHS reunion, I'll " dress to the nines."

Call me a fop, call me a dandy, but as Beau Brummell once said, " Clothes make the man." And today if you want to make yourself stand out from the pack, dress up.

Killing a Lion

I doubt I will ever visit Africa. For our next trip, I was looking at us visiting Tunisia in the Med., but that was before an ISIS gunman killed 40+ British tourists on a beach in that nation. So, us going there...slim.

That said, I have hunted, and will probably hunt this Fall once again.

I have deer antlers on the wall in my den.

I really like deer sausage. I really like duck gumbo....

But, I will never be wealthy enough to hunt on a safari in Southern Africa.

I understand shooting various animals in Africa to thin the herd in order to keep them from starving.

Some animals, I do not understand why people shoot them. Giraffes or monkeys for example. I'm not eating a monkey. Too much like being a cannibal.

The lion who was killed by the dentist from Minnesota, well, I understand some people are upset because the lion was named, and famous, but you know, if the lion had half a chance, it'd have you for dinner...however, I could not see me killing a lion....once again, I am not eating a cat.

I am wondering. Will the media, excuse me, the damn media, use the killing of this lion to demonize all hunters? Most hunters I know do more to take care of wildlife. And I often wonder if the press in NYC and Washington D.C. Really understand the process that the steak they are having for supper went through? That the process the chicken for their chicken salad when through to get on that piece of bread?

I wonder...I seriously wonder?

Malaysian Airliner Found?

This has been a mystery for about a year and a half and I hope this is it.

They have found the wreckage of an airliner on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, near the coast of Madagascar. ( Off the Africa coast.)

Reunion Island is still a French Territory and to be honest, I am glad it washed up there. A nation like France has the resources to get to the bottom of if this is the plane or not.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3178978/Debris-floating-Indian-Ocean-missing-Malaysia-Airlines-flight-370.html?ito=social-facebook

Here's Why We Live in Texas

I have been to Buffalo, NY once in my life. We flew in when we decided to visit Ontario, Canada. ( Ontario is really nice. You need to try it.)

Buffalo was not impressive. Grey city, nothing exciting, the roads were well, awful. ( Buffalo International Airport is really nice however.) That said, the folks in Buffalo were nice enough.

When we flew into Buffalo International, we sat across the aisle from a couple from Buffalo who had been visiting their daughter in Dallas.....and as we started to land, the man slapped me on the shoulder and said, " hey, you're lucky, there is no snow on the ground." ( This was middle June)

Man, he wasn't kidding. It is the end of July. I just read an article that there are still piles of snow in Buffalo.

I know it was chilly when we were in Scotland, and most of the year it is like our Winter, but Buffalo? Snow on the ground in frickin' July? Late July?

No, I'm glad my ancestors came to Texas.

Go Ahead Buna Alumni, Pat Yourself....

From time to time I make my presence known in Buna.

Tractor Supply, New Family Dollar, Pizza Hut...What happened to Burger King? Good thing I retired, I couldn't "DO" breakfast. ( #1 with bacon, hash browns, coffee)

Today was one of those days.

And I was pleased to run into a few of my former students At everyone of my stops in town. ( I made four)

Once again, I am, as I always say, am glad to see every one of you....

But the big thing is, I am so very proud to see how well you are doing.

As I have said, I know there are bumps in the road from time to time, but you know, you all have figured out how to rectify and overcome your obstacles.

So, once again, pat yourself on the back.....you're doing good.

Mortality?

As many of you know, I have not been right since we returned from Germany.

I did some things to by back, other things of my health, well, actually, the German rail system and I have turned my thoughts often to my own mortality.

One of my favorite shows in a British murder mystery program, called " Inspector Lewis." Or as the program is often just called, " Lewis."

Inspector Lewis' partner is Sgt. James Hathaway, a Cambridge trained theology degreed former seminarian, who often asks difficult questions concerning life, our being.

Today's events made me wonder.( I wrote a blog, earlier, but pulled in down. In truth, it was not really anyone to blame, and I didn't want to seem I was laying blame, even though I was upset at the time. )

I have had a strange brush with fate during one of my surgeries in an attempt to fix my back. I had a bad reaction to being put under and have sort of a fear to this day of being " put out cold."

Today, I was like Sgt. Hathaway, I asked the question, " What are we for?"

I know when I had the opportunity to leave teaching, I did. And in truth, I couldn't stand the ancillary events that surround the profession anymore.

But I often ask the questions....

"Did I do right?"

" Did I do what I was suppose to do?"

" Am I doing right writing the blog?"

" Have I helped people?"

" Should I have done something else in my life?"

And the biggest one of all...

" What should I do or go next?"

I know this is a " Midnight Special" on the blog, but I wonder...How many of you are troubled by the same questions?

Oh Man, No God?

From time to time I see posts of Facebook that say things such as...

" Bring God back to school"

" Bring prayer back to the classroom"

Well, this weekend there was a statue erected to Baphomet, a demonic image used since the Middle Ages.

( Often Baphomet was associated with the Knights Templar during the Medieval Period, but that's another story for another day. Today, it is a demon associated generally with Satan.)



Sequenti die aurora apparente, altis vocibus Baphometh invocaverunt; et nos Deum nostrum in cordibus nostris deprecantes, impetum facientes in eos, de muris civitatis omnes expulimus.


As the next day dawned, they called loudly upon Baphometh; and we prayed silently in our hearts to God, then we attacked and forced all of them outside the city walls

But I digress.

In Detroit over the weekend a 9 foot, 1 ton statue of Baphomet was put up.

Orginally it was to be placed beside a statue of the Ten Commandments on the grounds leading up to the state capitol in Oklahoma. That is, before the Oklahoma Supreme Court has ordered the Commandments to be taken down. ( The Oklahoma governor so far has refused, but trust me in the end, she will lose. Especially when Federal courts start to get involved saying the " Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster" wants to put up a statue. )

As I have said, one day, there is going to be a group of people, and it might not be more than 5-6 people who want to " gather around the pole" in front of the high school and pray to Satan. Or there is a group who want an organization called " Youth for Buddha."

Are you going to tell folks " no" they can't do this? Is the tax dollars they pay for their kids to attend school not as good as your dollars?

Be ever so careful what you wish for folks....

Other People Who Need to Go to Hell....

So Aetna called today. Aetna is my health insurance provider through TRS-Care. And I am paying a pretty penny each month for the insurance.

They wanted me to speak to a nurse about healthy lifestyles.....and I decided to give it a try.

After a long discussion, I told the lady I had lost 130lbs., in the last two years.

Guess what, the idiot lady suggested I needed to lose another 40-50 lbs.

I told her I would weigh about 120-130 lbs. And she said " that would be an ideal weight."

I hung up on her.

Literally to lose to that I would have to stop eating, and walk 10 miles a day. I am looking at 60 years old. You know, I thought about losing down to a welterweight size just to see if I could do it, but you know, the last 20 lbs I lost were the hardest. It was like my body said " enough."

I already had no butt. Seriously, no fat on my rear. I have a hard time sitting in certain chairs. 130lbs? I would look like a death camp survivor who could never sit down.

120 lbs? Screw you Aetna.

Be Careful Folks!!!!

So, four Port Arthur Police Officers have gotten into trouble for their posts on Facebook.

When I was still teaching school, we were reminded about how you could lose your job for posting stuff on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

The biggie then was posting yourself with beer or whiskey in you hand. It seems the damn Baptists were getting upset because teachers drink. And trust me, I have sent email to former students who are now teaching about doing just that. Telling them to be careful...

Remember folks, ain't everyone a " half a bubble off" retired government teacher who can now say what he really thinks....

Greatest Invention of the 20th Century

There are a lot of great inventions during the 1900s, but I am of the opinion that the Birth Control Pill might be the greatest.

Seriously, it allowed women to not " stay" pregnant like people did in the past, and allowed women to become professionals, all with the ability of being married and being able to control the amount of children they could produce.

Some of you may say, " well, it allows unmarried women to have sex without ramifications."

Well, guess what, before 1960 when The Pill was introduced to the market, people were having sex. Many unmarried. And many people got married, at the point of the shotgun. Women disappeared for 9 months, and many women had a mysterious " D&C"....( look it up )

I know some people may get on here and say taking it is a sin, or sex for the shear pleasure of having sex is a sin, or using any type of artificial birth control is a sin, but I disagree. In my opinion, sex is an important part of a relationship, and being a Protestant, I don't see artificial birth control as a sin...

Sorry if you think a/c or the Internet or Blue Bell is a greater invention, I am convinced, The Pill trumps them all...

An American Icon....

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Sorry...I Am Not, Just Not

I have had a couple of suggestions, hints, etc... over the last few days to, consider a starting a church...

It ain't going to happen.

Sorry, I'm not suppose to do it.

I am at times pretty " High Church" and may on one Sunday wear a better robe than the Patriarch of Constantinople...then next Sunday wear a bow-tie and a tweed coat looking like some history teacher( old habits die hard), and then the next, a polo shirt and ratty jeans.

I would wear an Anglican " Dog-Collar" uptown to on an occasion just to " Piss people off."

I am not an administrator.

I cuss too much.

I see no problem with using alcohol.

I see no problem with using tobacco, having tattoos...

I would serve communion every Sunday, sometimes in a Dixie Cup. ( Cheap way to do it.) actual wine, not Welch's.

I'd be bad at hospital visits and funerals. Just awful...

I am afraid I would be too much Like Gene Scott or E. C. Fulcher in my style...

Finally, and this is serious. Unless I was just dragged kicking and screaming, I like being retired. ( Love it....the greatest job ever.)

You see, there are too many people who are preachers who have no business in the pulpit. If you can do ANYTHING else. Teach school, be a lawyer, plumber, boilermaker, etc....you may not need to be in the ministry.

Too many people in the vocation who are afraid to make people mad, too many people in the profession hanging on because their pension in through the denomination....

Sorry, not going to happen...

Privacy Concerns?

So, Wallace Hall has a lawsuit against the Univ. Of Texas-Austin to get the records of, well, pretty much every student at the school.

He is concerned that people who wrote letters of recommendation helped get people admitted that should not have gotten in, instead, they should have been down I-35 at Texas State in San Marcos, or at the Harvard of the Neches in Beaumont. The letters were written by state representatives, business leaders, etc.

Mr. Hall wants to prove that these people would not have gotten in without the letters.....and probably, they would not.....Hall is on the Board of Regents at UT.

The students in question number....73.....that's 73 over a number of years.

UT-Austin admits around 15,000 Freshmen every year.

I have always said if they really want to look at admissions, they need to look at those admitted with less than stellar GPAs and pitiful SAT scores...but they run a 4.2 forty, or stand 7 foot tall, or throw a 98 mph fastball, or won the 6A state tennis championship 3 years in a row.

The trouble is this, the opening of the records will open everyone's school records to scrutiny. Not just UT, but every school.....and we are talking college and high school.

Now, if you were under the old paper grade book system, they won't be wondering, " how the hell did they graduate?" Those old books are long shreaded.

The question is the new computer system. Even deleted, they can be recovered.

Now, I doubt questions like that could be brought up....but as crazy and goofy as stuff is in this day, you never know.

Sometimes, private stuff needs to be private. As a "World Famous Science Teacher" posted the other day, manners, work ethic, the kid doing the best they could often goes into a miricle " 70." ( I had a kid do some extra work during the Christmas Season. His effort graduated him. He will tell you that.)

Interesting times we live in....

Tattoos....

I do not have a tattoo. In truth, if I got one, I do not know what it would say.....

This said...

There has been some Biblical inspired posts concerning not having a tattoo....specifically Leviticus 19:28.

The trouble is, Leviticus tells us a bunch of stuff we ignore....( and other Biblical commands.)

Leviticus 11:8 says we shouldn't eat or even touch pork.

Leviticus 11:10 says no shrimp, lobster, crawfish, crab, or catfish.

Leviticus 19:19 says no fabric blends.

Deuteronomy 23:1 says a man can't be allowed in church with testicles or a penis....so, if you've lost them to say cancer, or an accident, your out of luck.

Mark 10:8-12 says no divorce....and if you remarry after your divorce, you are committing adultery.

1 Timothy 2:9 says you should not wear gold....or pearls.

Deuteronomy 25: 11-12 says if your wife defends you against an attacker by grabbing the attacker's genitals, you must cut your wife's hands off.


Look, having a tattoo is not going to keep you out of heaven, not eating pork, not wearing gold, not eating fried catfish all fall under this works business.


Grace and grace alone is getting you to heaven....not skipping bacon on your cheeseburger...my favorite verses always will be Ephesians 2:8-9...go read it.

Too Interested?

Look, I know this " Swinger's Club" is a curiosity to many of you....

But some of you are well, too curious. Email, private messages....makes me wonder? Do you want to know how to get ahold of the group?

If you posted on Facebook, this is NOT for you....

Makes me wonder about some of you?

37,000,000

37,000,000

That's how many members Ashley Madison, the " Affair" site has.

37,000,000 people are giving their information to a site to play " bury the wiener." 37,000,000 are paying to play " dunk the dingus."

And now the site and their info has been hacked.

It makes you wonder if it will slow membership down? Probably not.

And if there are these many people turning to pay sites to " Go crab fishing in the Dead Sea," how many are running around using the old fashion methods?

Work, bars, the grocery store, even church.....yes church.

There are some good church going folks playing " How's your Father." ( I know many of you go to services to be nearer to God, but one day when your not feeling close to the Holy Spirit, look around, see who is giving each other "goo-goo eyes" when " every head should be bowed, every eye closed." )

It was just the other day I discovered another member of then some-called Buna's Swinger Group. Yep " Taming the Strange" on Gum Slough....

Seems a couple of the group are regular readers of the blog.

Tell everyone at the group I said " Hello."

No Etiquette? No Culture? No Damn Class?

So, I go to the Family Dollar here in town....


Needed odds and ends and well, it was easier to get to than the other dollar store, so we got our stuff there.

As I came out, and my hands were full, ( big bag of 6 paper towels, two sacks of items) I held the door open for the bread man who was struggling with his cart, a lady I guess in her 30s and a teenage girl.

Neither the bread man nor the 30ish year old said a word. The teen said " thank you sir." ( I told her that her " momma raised her right", loud enough the others heard.)

The simple act of thank you, it seems is going away.

At one time, people were grateful for simple acts.....what has happened? Are we too good or think we are too good to say " thank you?"

Anyway, I won't be buying Nature's Own Products anytime soon...

I Shouldn't, But I Worry About This....

I know you are all professionals. I know you are all bound by HIPPA Rules. But at some time in my life, I am going to run into one of you in a professional medical situation....and it hasn't really yet.

I am taking about LVN, RN, Pharmacy Techs, Nurse Practitioner, Pharamcists, MD, DO, DDS, DC, Physical Therapist, RT, RRT, RTT etc.

And I am really proud of you. Seriously, I am.

Trouble is...and call me silly, call me shy, calm me reserve, call me private, I worry about well personal items...and I shouldn't, but I do.

At some point one of you is going to see me in a hospital gown, without my under attire and glance and say, " damn, my government teacher really was a Neanderthal."...or " Darwin was right, there is a Missing Link, and there he is..."

Or you look at my prescriptions, and go, " damn, how does he take that many pills in a day? " And the thing is, since the weight loss, the number has decreased. And then I take some stuff that is pretty serious and high powered. ( I know one of you in the healthcare business already knows about it.)

When I was in college as many of you know, I worked in a drug store. There was no such thing as a pharmacy tech in those days and often when I wasn't making deliveries, the druggist had me counting pills for a prescription. I remember a young lady I had graduated high school with coming in and getting her prescription for birth control pills filled. She was married, but it didn't keep her from turning six shades of red when she realized I was behind the counter.....she was so embarrased, she transferred her prescription.

Once again, I know it is silly to worry about these things, but I do....and if I ever see you in a professional situation, don't be surprised if I am shy or act embarrased.

The Queen is a Nazi? Why You Might be Interested?

So, the Sun, a sorry ass rag of a newspaper in England, better known for their Page 3 girls ( they are topless) has published a video from 1933 of the present Queen Elizabeth II.

The then princess is about 6 years old.

The video is shot by her uncle, the future King Edward VIII, shows Elizabeth giving a Nazi salute.

Now her uncle was only king for about a year. He gave up the throne so he could marry as The English said, " some American trollop." Elizabeth's dad then became king.

This is media today. Anything to sell papers.

Trust me most people in 1933 didn't have a clue about Hitler. This was 6 years before WWII. Most people in England never dreamed there'd be a second war with Germany.

The sad part is this. In this day and age of smart phones, you have to wonder, what silliness will be recorded when you were younger, that'll come out 25-30 years later? And be honest, as a kid, you did some stuff in which you didn't understand the ramifications.....you may want to talk to your kids....( I need to write a seperate blog on this don't I?)

When John Wayne Sucked...

Sorry Mattison Witt, he made some stinkers of some movies.

Two were on Thursday night. McQ and Brannigan.

Both of the movies were The Duke trying to cash in on the success of the " Dirty Harry" movies.

You see, before Clint Eastwood, John Wayne had been offered the role. He turned them down, said the movie was " too violet."

So, after the box office success of the " Dirty Harry" shows, he tried to cash in..

The two movies, made in 74-75 showed a 66-67 year old Wayne, who was sick by this time, ( He'd had a lung removed due to cancer) wearing a bad hair-piece, and carrying a gun well, John Wayne should have carried bigger gun.

I know the Colt firearm company was trying to sell guns from one of the movies, just like the S&W .44 mag. that Dirty Harry carried made everyone want a Model 29. John Wayne in Brannigan carried a Colt Diamondback .38 Special.

The Colt is a nice weapn, but by the mid-1970s, most cops were carrying a .357 mag. and all wanted not the Diamondback, but the Colt Python.( He carried the Python in the first movie. It was like he couldn't handle the .357 so he got a smaller pistol.)

I am a big .38 fan. My 84 year old mother carries a. 38....they are fun guns, they like all guns can do damage, but when I CHL, I carry a .44 special.

John, you should have retired before these movies. At some point, " old age humbles us all."

I Almost Cussed...Well, Actually, I Did...

So, I saw last Sunday's Beaumont Enterprise. ...What a waste of newsprint and paper, but that's another story. ( And yes, I am about a week behind.)

I took a look at the massive stack of ads in the paper...and the first one says " Back to School." And the second one says, " Get Ready for School!!!"

I go into a panic.

I used bad words.

And just as quick as I fall to pieces, I realize....I don't have to go back...I'm done...Thank you Jesus...

Old habits die hard...

Okay, It Is Time.

First, I am so mad at Fox News. They should have had a ten second delay. They know better. They had a feed from a helicopter from the site of the shooting in Tennessee. And they showed a photo of one of boys as he laid on the ground after the attack. Fox, you know better. That Marine deserves better.....any damn thing to get " there" first...

It is time ladies and gentlemen.

I do not know what it is going to take. We are going to have to take the fight to Iraq. Take it to Syria. Go in hard, go in ugly.

We can't let this happen here without retribution.

ISIS is a group that needs to be stopped. Whether you believe it or not, most Muslims are scared to death of them.

Any group them captures women and sells them as sex slaves needs to be done away with.

Tell the Saudis the Kuwatis to pay for the entire operation.

I know this may not be a popular statement, but it's time to mount and and go back. And keep the media away. That way the U.S. Military can do what needs to be done.

If it doesn't begin now, we will have more attacks like this down the road....

Just When You Think You've Seen It All.....

So, yesterday, I took a look at Amazon " Prime"....just too see if there was anything worth joining the service to actually buy....( I've never seen more crap in my life they were trying to dump.)

One item stuck out liKe a sore thumb.

A 55 gallon drum of " personal lube."

It includes a pump.

As I've said for years, " you can't make this stuff up."

Who on earth needs that much lube? A whorehouse? Newlyweds? The Buna Swinger's Club? ( Yes, there is one....and I know names...ain't telling, but I know who you are.....)

I don't know, but just when you think you've seen it all...

http://www.amazon.com/Passion-Natural-Water-Based-Lubricant-Gallon/dp/B005MR3IVO

That One "Person"

So, this is the third time someone has tried to be me on Facebook.

It is either some idiot in Russia or China trying to be me for some nefarious reason.....or it is someone who knows me.

Probably an ex-student.

Listen ass-clown. I don't know what I have done to you. Don't know if you think it is cute or funny or your mother dressed you funny as a child....

Or you think I treated you badly in school.

I treated EVERYONE badly in school. I tried to be fair in that area.

Sure, I am friends with ex-students now, but, they are grown people now. Hell, I think some of them are now older than me maturity wise. ( I have regressed. I can be silly now. I couldn't for over thirty long years. I can be a " guy" again....I can also be more sentimental.)

Are you upset because you don't have my cell number? Well, you ain't getting it now....

So, next time you want to be " me" well, just don't....

If You Are Facebook Friends With Me.....Read Please!

I am not sending out friend requests.

If I start a new Facebook page, will let you know before I do so.

If you receive a friend, just deny and move on....

Thanks.

You're From Texas....Stop, Just Stop.

It is called July. It is Texas. It is suppose to be hot. I have lived here for almost 60 years. I can't remember it not being hot in the Summer.

Look, most of our ancestors left Europe, and if you were in Scotland or Ireland where my ancestors hailed from, you'd be griping about how " bloody cold" it is...( However, it would be really cool to wake up in Edinburgh tomorrow morning.)

It will be hot until October.

And then, the temps will get tolerable....maybe.

You will go to the first high school game in Week 0 and it'll be " fires of hell" hot. That's because the first game is in August.

This is Texas folks. It is suppose to be hot....Kwicherbichen....

If I Hear This Again....

I was looking at a friend of mine's Facebook post and he was asked where their child was going to college this Fall...and he replied, " just Lamar."

Dammit, I swear, if I hear that again....

Lamar folks is a pretty darn good university....oh I know those of us who went there make fun of the place, " Pecker Tech." And the " Harvard on the Neches." But you know, you can get a pretty darn good education there...

It wasn't until I went off to grad school in Ft. Worth that I realized that Lamar turns out a pretty good product.

I was just as bright and did better in many cases than those Univ. Of Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, LSU, OU, etc grads.

Look folks, people who go to law school or medical school from Lamar do just as well as everyone else.

So, be proud of your LU education. Stop being so pessimistic...if it was so bad, why are all of those foreign students working on degrees out there?

I'm Sorry....I Know You'll disagree....

I am going to get disagreement..

I know people will say the damn Beatles. The Rolling Stones...hell, even the Beach Boys. ( Get Pet Dreams)

I have listened and blown my ear drums out this morning....Led Zeppelin is the quintessential Rock N Roll band.....I know, I know, Skynard.......I know some of you youngesters will say Guns N Roses......some will say The Hendrix Experience.....and they are worth listening to.....but I have listened to Zep since 1972....I have never gotten tired listening to them.

Besides, as Shannon said this morning, you can play a drinking game based on every time Robert Plant says " Baby."

Okay Native Texans.....

So, there has been a huge jump up and down about secession from the union......again.

My questions are this....if you leave, whT are you going to do about the following?

Money.

People have gotten all excited thinking Texas is moving thier gold reserves from New York to Austin.

All $601 million dollars.

That would run the Texas Government until about 11am Tuesday. Texas' budget for the 16-17 Budget Years is $202 billion. That is running schools and taking care of highways. Just think how much it would increase if you had to have a defense budget, and trust me, that would triple the budget.

What would you do about the millions of Texans....

On Social Security?

On Medicare and Medicaid?

What would you do about all the Texans whose mortgage or car loans or boat loans are held in dollars....in banks that are headquartered outside Texas?

If you print your money, it has to be fiat money, will be backed only if people accept it. ( and what if the Euro Zone or the Bank of England makes it worth a third of the dollar? You are screwed. )

Let's look at demographics

The Anglo ( that's white folks) population is about 11,000,000. The Latino population of Texas....10,000,000. And growing twice as fast as the Anglo population.

And the Latino population is much younger than the Anglo. Latinos are 51% of the make-up of Texas schools. Anglos? 29%.

If you secede, what happens if Latino community decides to rejoin Mexico again? Or a form of a Latin American nation?


If you are Republican, enjoy it. I've predicted this for a while. Texas will become more and more purple. In your life ( not mine I'm gone within 20 years) Texas will vote Democratic.

Secede from the union? Not going to happen...

Trump

So, Donald Trump has captivated the angry section of the Republican Party.

This is early in the campaign. We are 7 months away from the first primary in New Hampshire. 7 months. So many things will have changed since then. So much.

I know he's struck a nerve about people on immigration in the GOP.

But you've got to remember the following about Trump.

- He has not been a Republican very long.

- He has given millions of dollars to Democratic candidates.

- For years he has praised Hillary Clinton. It wasn't until he decided to run for US President that he turned against her.

- He was critical of Mitt Romney for taking weaker positions on immigration. He said Romney was " too mean" in other words it his only been in the last couple of years he has changed his position on immigration.

He has a lot of money. He could run as a third party spoiler.

He had a TV show. He has been a public figure for years.

Polls show this 30% think Trump is honest/trustworth....44% do not....62% of Republicans see him as a side show...

He ain't going to be president.

Cold?????

So, the British newspapers are jumping up and down about the possibility of 'so called' " Mini Ice Age."

The Ice Age is to be caused by the sun going into a 'sleep.' ( Cooling down for a bit before it re-heats.)

Well, there are climate changes that we have not control over. And to be honest, if we have an Ice Age, there is little we can do about it.

Let me remind you that the weather here would be similar to perhaps Kansas or Nebraska and there would be dramatic periods of cold. You could see ice on the Neches and Sabine. Not frozen over, but ice.

In London, during the last Mini- Ice Age 1600-1870, the Thames River totally froze over and people were able to walk on the river, they even had horses pull wagons on the river. ( Man, I wouldn't want to know what Edinburgh was like...actually, I'd go to just see how cold it was.) The had celebrations on the river called " Frost Fairs."

The Great Lakes of what is now the United States had chunks of ice on them in July.

This period of predicted cold is now for 5 years yet ( 2020) and it remains to be seen just how accurate the " weather guessers" are.

That said, you do not know what the weather is going to be like.

I know they are saying this is an El Nino year for us here in Texas....which means a cooler and wetter Winter. We will see.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3156594/Is-mini-ICE-AGE-way-Scientists-warn-sun-sleep-2020-cause-temperatures-plummet.html

Okay! I Hear You!

Got letters about my panhandling blog.

No, I am not broke. Doing okay right now, doesn't mean in the future I won't need money.

No, I am not going to actually panhandle. It was suppose to be a light blog....humorous....calm the hell down...

However, if you really want to send me cash or a check or plane tickets to Europe or Japan or Australia or New Zealand. I will give you my address. ( I prefer London, Edinburgh or Glasgow. ) :)

And finally, Kimchi, Kimchee, and Gimchi are all correct when writing the Korean dish....( got a letter on that.)

STOP THE HATE!!!

I am sick of the throw away the cole slaw photos.

I for one, am a fan of the cabbage.

I'll eat cole slaw with my fish, fries and smile. ( In England, they serve mushy English peas with fried fish and "chips," it's actually pretty darn good)

I love boiled cabbage and sausage.

I love Sauerkraut. Geben Sie mir einige Wurst!

I will even eat Kimchee. ( Buddy, that'll clear your sinuses. )

So stop it! Cole slaw is good stuff!

I Swear....I Am Going to Do This....

So, as I said, we traveled through several towns in East Texas on the way home.

I was surprised how many people were out, on a Monday trying to raise money...for something. Mostly, religion, churches, the like.

Yes, on a Monday...

I am going to get dressed up and go someplace and get me a bucket. Stand here on Hwy 62 and Hwy 12, or Hwy 62 and Hwy 96.

Going to put on it something catchy...." Will teach history for food.: "Raising money for my presidential campaign," : " Give me money for letting your dumb-ass graduate." : "Need money to pay for my health insurance." : " Send me back to Scotland, maybe I won't come back."

So, if you see me out panhandling one day, don't be surprised.

21 and Over

21...that's the new age that people and legislators are going to start pushing for people to be able to buy tobacco products.

Heck, I can remember when you could go into a store/shop in just about anyplace in Texas at 14,15, even younger and the businessperson would sell you cigarettes, or chewing tobacco. They either thought it was for a parent or didn't care. A sale was a sale.

When I was in high school, there was a smoking area across the ditch at the high school I attended. High schoolers openly kept packs of Marlboros or Winstons on the desks or in their shirt pockets. No one cared. Heck, teachers smoked in the lounge.

Oh, the members of the House and Senate from Kentucky and Virginia and North Carolina will put up a fight, but sooner than you realize, you'll need to be 21 before you can buy tobacco.

I wonder if it will do any good? Or make youth want to smoke and dip even more? That forbidden fruit?

Whatever Happened?

I may ask about some folks from time to time.

Just curious. I have taught 3500-4000 people in my life and many, many don't do social media, have enough sense not to become involved, and to be honest, I wonder...." Whatever happened to so and so?"

I know there are former students who are no longer with us.

I know there are students in " Uncle Bo-Bo." ( I have a former student who is up for his first parole hearing in 2041)

So, I may ask you from time to time if you know whatever happened to a person. You may want to send me a pm or an email when you answer.

Just curious. I actually want to see everyone doing well. Even those who were a pain in the ass in school...

KFC

I can't remember the last time I have eaten at KFC.

I can't tell you the nearest KFC restaurant.

At one time Kentucky Fried Chicken was THE fried chicken chain in America.

When KFC was started, Col. Harland Sanders was the spokesman for the chain. Yes, he dressed in white seersucker suits, yes he had a goatee...it was Col. Sanders who started KFC, it was his 11 herbs and spices recipe.

KFC has brought back Col. Sanders, well an actor playing him...

But that is where the similarities end. Col. Sanders was very dignified. Very much the gentleman, and professed his Christian belief.

The nitwit that is now portraying Col Sanders is just that, a nitwit. It is so silly, so stupid it makes me want to never go to KFC. ( Like I was going anyway.)

Is it just me, but does the new Col. Sanders look like a guy you'd want to keep your children away from?

Well, The Wheels Come Off The Truck....

So, several things happened while I was off for the holiday....

First Iran.....what the hell? The Obama Administration is going to allow them to build a nuke. A damn atomic bomb. What the hell is wrong with Sec. Of State John Kerry? Many of you were not alive in 1979-80 when the Iranians held the Americans hostage in Teharan....Many of you do not remember the protests at Lamar Univ. against the Shah by Iranian students. ( The Iranian Navy and Air Force sent dozens of students to Beaumont, TX to study engineering.) The damn place almost went out of control for a while....had a discussion with a friend both of us saying....will this screw up us getting our degree?

No to Iran having nukes. I am wondering if the religious leaders there having the bomb thinks this brings them one step closer to the end of time?

Greece.....keep an eye on them...I was surprised the markets didn't dip more than what they did. And the price of oil...the stronger the dollar, the cheaper oil becomes.

That said, Greece may become a heck of a bargain to visit as a tourist location. Thousands of beaches.( Topless beaches) Greek history, thousands of islands to visit. Greek food....might be a place to consider.

Some people are predicting a dictatorship in Greece....


I am wondering, if they collapse, will the Euro? Will we have the Deutchmark again? The French franc? The Portugese escudo? Or hell let's go trad in Portugal and go real....

I seriously wish I had a mayonnaise jar full of Swiss francs buried in the back yard....

Bill Cosby....well, Quauludes are a hell of a drug.

Drunk..swimming with alligators.....drunk, placing fireworks on your head....neither are a good idea. Both Darwin Award nominees....

You Ever Wonder About Yourself??

Do you ever wonder how you are so different from your family members?

I mean the entire extended family?

I mean, they all own or want to own some sort of a camper or RV or massive camping trailer and drag it all over the nation....I have no interest. Why? Get on a plane and travel to that place in the United States or Canada or in 6 hours, be in Scotland. Get out of the plane, rent a car, take a taxi, and rent a hotel....and then they decide they got to cook breakfast, or supper, and got to clean up the dishes...nearly every hotel has a free breakfast now. Even in Europe....and for supper, eat different foods of the region/ nation. Travel? Yes. But go there and when you are done, you can get home in 4-5 hours.

They all listen to music that I cannot stand. It is boring. I've heard it all my life and as a kid I didn't like it. I understand it is church type music, but I do not enjoy it. I am pretty sure if when I die And they are singing Southern Gospel when I get there, I have not made it to heaven.

They all go to church and while at one time I sort of enjoyed attending, it was like I had a revelation one day. And I really don't enjoy going to church anymore. I literally have nothing in common with most of the other people in the pews. I often question what a minister or pastor or priest says. I would question things in a Sunday School class. If you're going to preach, given me some meat on the bone. I don't want to hear politics. I don't want to hear about tithing.if you're going to preaching on the tithe, then you have got to tell folks to stop eating crawfish, bacon and shrimp. You've got to tell folks they've got to stop being gluttons, and money hungry, and actually love their neighbor...( I know, I digress.) don't go to church because, well, we always have...

I don't enjoy the same things they do. And I never really have...

It's like somehow I am different. And it's been that way my entire life.

Maybe there was a mix-up at the hospital or my DNA was messed up somehow?

Hey! I Am Back!

Good not to have to write a blog everyday....and I really actually sort of missed it.

Have several topics to discuss in future blogs....

However...if you are a former student of mine, worked with me, whatever...please give me a heads up on a possible recommendation.

I am more than glad to write letters or answer questionares or phone calls, or whatever to help you get a job, get you into a school, keep you from getting kicked out of a school, write a letter to a judge to keep you out of jail...seriously, happy to do it.

However, if it is something I can't foresee coming, give me a heads up. ( Had a phone call this morning, so odd, so strange, I can't tell you, and at first I thought they pulling a prank....but It wasn't.)

I actually like 99.9999% of you and I don't hate that .0001% of you enough to give you a bad recommendation.

Thanks!

Okay.....Readers

Going to take a few days off.

Need to regroup, shoot a couple of new revolvers, decide where and what to do next.

I will be honest, I have never seen the United States so divided like it is this July 4th. ( Vietnam maybe?) It is sort of concerning.

I really need to see where this blog needs to go from here or just take a sabbatical? ( Or just start a new one?)

Have a good holiday folks!

Okay Gay Folks, This is for You...

Okay this blog is sent out especially to my gay readers and I know that others will read, but it is generally for you.

As my old time readers know, I have been fairly supportive of gay marriage. As I have said, I could not from a government/state point of view ban it

That said, a couple of things.

1. I know a number of you are caught up in the moment and have decided to get married....and in many cases, I wonder if it is because, well " you can" not because you want to spend the rest of your life with that one person.

I know people I went to high school with who got married at age 17-18 just to prove to their parents, teachers, whoever, that they were grown ass people and could do whatever they want...well, most are divorced now.

Divorce is not pleasant. It is not a happy situation. In most cases it is pretty damn expensive.

Think long and hard before you marry.

2. Now that you have been given the right to marry, it doesn't mean you will keep getting special recognition, special "rights. "

Example- Michael Sam the football player left his pro team in Canada because he and his boyfriend broke up. He was able to rejoin the ballclub after a two week absence.

In most situations, if you divorce, your boss ain't going to care. He/she needs a body filling a position. They will find someone who can work.

It is going to become everyday common occurrence for people straight and gay to marry. The newness will wear off.

Okay, I've said my piece. Good luck to you.

Spinning out of Control

It just seems things are just spinning so fast.....you can't keep up with news, events....the changing world...

Then, I see this morning that when Pope Francis visits Bolivia here in the coming days, he plans to chew coca leaves. Yes, that's the leaves that make cocaine. It's the same leaves the Indians in Bolivia have chewed for years to keep their energy up. Stave off hunger.

Yes sir, that's all we need, the Pope all doped up....first chewing leaves, then snorting cocaine, and finally smoking crack. That should make for some interesting Papal Bulls.

Where is Father Guido Sarducci when you really need him? ( Showing my age here...old SNL )

I Seriously Didn't Teach You People a Damn Thing....

Nuthin'

Not a frickin' thing...

I put all that effort into the damn class....and here we go...

All you were thinking about in high school was ( well many of you) getting drunk this weekend...and getting laid.

People are all upset about the Oklahoma Supreme Court making the state take down the Ten Commandments in front of the Capitol in OKC...

Folks, this is nothing new.

The courts have made state, cities, counties take down religious symbols for almost 50 years now. This is just new to many of you...and these things will happen several more times in your lifetime.

( In truth, I had a hard time remembering the court cases involved and I taught the case law for years.)

But don't get upset, this ONLY is in Oklahoma and involves only Oklahoma law. Trust me, it's Oklahoma...it's not like it's a real state...

Alright, That's Enough...

So, the University of Texas at Austin has a group of students circulating a petition that wants to take down the statue of George Washington.

Why? He was a slave owner..

Enough.

Just enough.

What's next, expect people to apologize because their ancestors owned slaves? Be careful. Most folks, if you dig hard enough both in the New World, and the Old World have skeletons you do not want known.

And everyone has skeletons. EVERYONE...

My family for years hid the fact why my great-great grandfather left Florida and hid in Texas. My generation laughs about it. It seems he beat a man to death and left before either the sheriff or the victim's family found him.

As I have not hidden for years, my actual last name is not Thomas.( it is, but it isn't.)

Makes it sort of hard to do ancestor research. ( actually, there's a distant family member who is doing work right now in Florida.)

At some point folks, enough.

Okay, Don't.

Don't fall apart this week.

If you have money in the market or a 401k retirement don't just jerk it out and bury your money in a giant mayonnaise jar in the hog pen. Not yet anyway.

You are going to hear all sort of stuff this week on the financial front. Positive and negative.

Remember...everyone in the United States is in the same shape as you.

Just keep an eye on the markets. Hang in there......got to remember the market sadly is a gamble. And everyone who has a retirement is involved.

Hang in there folks. Hang in there....

Economics Lesson

I do not do this often, and I will try and keep this simple.

Greece may default on their debt to European banks this week. They may also leave the euro currency ( hideous money, looks like monopoly money unlike the British Pounds) and go back to the old Greek drachma.

To which you may say...." Why should I in East Texas give a good shit?"

Here's the problem. If the Greeks default, Portugal, Spain, Italy will do the same and go back their money.

Economists are not sure if the banks in those countries will survive.

Once again, one of the big things that cause the start of the 1929 Great Depression was the failure of the banks in Austria.

American economists are already saying that the stock market in America is over valued and so many of our companies have ties economically to Europe, don't think there won't be a panic and a sell off of US Stocks.....and what is everyone's 401k or pension plan invested in? U.S. Stock Market....( example-TRS.....Texas Teacher Retirement also is heavily invested. As are all pension funds..)

Watch Europe over the next few weeks.

Quit watching Fox News or CNN or MSNBC for 10 minutes. All they are doing is fighting for/against gay marriage or the Civil War. Watch BBC World Service or Bloomberg. Watch early morning Bloomberg Surveillance with Tom Keene. Once you get past Tom's poorly tied bow-tie, he's all over the Greek economy.