The Factory Worker’s Kids

          We had finally done it. For years we had rented, but now we had managed to put enough away to buy our first home. Mother had worked off and on at the slacks factory for a few years but it had only been when we had needed some extra money. Now she had decided she would go to work full time there to help with the house payment. Ours was a small town and the only opportunities for women to work were either as a waitress or in the slacks factory. Mom had a god reputation as a worker so she was going in as an inspector.

          We were a pretty close family and mom had always talked to us  like were adults so she flat told us that this was very important and let us know she couldn’t be coming home to settle squabbles and we would have to handle a lot of things ourselves. You see, the factory’s management felt that once there you were theirs. If you were a minute late you were docked a quarter hour’s pay. And if you were late too often, or if you had to leave early much, then you were gone. Like I said there weren’t many jobs for women and for every job in that factory, there were five women waiting to get on. We understood all too well what mother had said to us. If she lost her job, we could lose our home.

          So it rocked it along smoothly for a while and we worked a lot of things out among us as to who would do what. But one day at school it changed suddenly. We were at school one afternoon at recess when my buddy found me and told me my little sister had hurt herself on the swing. She was only six and had fallen out and hurt her wrist. I ran over to see what had happened and when I got there I was thankful no teacher had shown up. She was sitting on a swing and holding her wrist like it was broken. I looked at it and couldn’t see much swelling and she could move her fingers, so that was a good sign. I asked her if she would be okay till we got home and we could take her to the doctor then. I knew she wanted to call mom and she could only nod because it hurt so badly, but she agreed to wait. So my other sister and I took turns sitting with her. My other sister was only 8 and I was 10 at the time and knew we had to keep that wrist from swelling so a bunch of us got our cartons of milk that we got every afternoon and used them to try and keep the swelling down. Then my sister sat there and held her till I could get back to her when school let out for me.

          You see we knew we couldn’t tell the nurse, because she would have to call mom and mom would drop everything to come to town and take her to the emergency room. And we din’t want to lose our home. We had helped to paint it. We had helped build the fence around the pasture for our animals. It was our home and we wanted to keep it so badly we would have done anything. So my little sister sat there holding her arm while my other sister sat there with her. Some of our friends gave their milk to help too because some of their mom’s worked there and we all knew the cost of our moms leaving their job. So we helped each other and kinda looked out for each other whenever we could. Well she managed to make it till the bus picked us up and took us home. By the time we got home you could tell she was hurting bad so we got her inside the house and started icing down her wrist. By the time mom got home from work and picking our other sisters, my sister’s wrist was starting to feel better from the ice. Mom took one look at it and loaded her into the care and rushed her to town.

          She was gone quite a while so while waiting we had started supper and we were doing our home work when we heard the car pull into the drive. I knew that there were going to be words when mom got in after I had seen the look on here face as she got out of the car with our sister. So I sent Lee Anne off with our younger sisters and waited to face the music. And, from the look on her face, I knew I was in for it. “Why didn’t you have them call me? How could you let your sister hurt like that? Her arm could have broken. Would you want to sit there and hold your arm all afternoon like that?” she demanded. “Well, answer me”, she said. “We didn’t want to lose our home”, I told her. “What do you mean?” “Well, we were afraid if you came to town the factory would fire you and we would lose our home”. You know I was ten years old and had seen my mother cry only once before, but she just collapsed into a chair and broke down completely saying over and over between wracking sobs that no house was worth this. But I put my arms around her and told her that we had done the best we could and I was ready to be punished for not calling her. She just looked at me through those tear filled eyes and just smiled and said my punishment was to go into the kitchen and get my sisters a piece of cake and to get a piece for myself.

          We managed to keep that home for quite a while and from that incident our family grew much closer than most and we still are to this day. Though mom has been gone a while; we are still very close to each other and if one of us needs help, there are five us ready to stand by the one that needs help.

The Lion versus the Hyenas

  Y'all all been told how the lion is the king of the jungle and really has no natural enemies in the Animal Kingdom, right?  Well, he may not have a true enemy, but a pack of coordinated hyenas can make him defend himself instead of being able to protect what is his.
  A hyena will run in at the lion and nip at him from behind. Then, when he turns to defend himself, another hyena will run in and attack him the same way. These blindside attacks will continue till the lion is forced to retreat and leave his kill for them.
  Does this scenario sound familiar at all? Let's substitute a Conservative for the lion and the Mainstream Media for the hyenas. Get the picture?  By coordinating their stories and news releases, they can keep a candidate so busy defending himself, he can't spend the time or money to get his message out. Then he finally gets frustrated, pissed off and says the heck with this, who needs it and goes back into private life. The media then pats itself on back thinking it has done its job by vetting a candidate when in reality it was merely a pack of scavengers feeding on carrion.
  This is going to be a very long and dirty campaign. The Dems have no record to run on so they are going to have to run against the candidate we select.  Obama is going to unleash pack after pack of hyenas. They are going to smear, dig for dirt and if they can't find anything; resort to half truths and outright lies. No candidate we select will be perfect. We all won't agree with all she or he stands for, but we must be the ones to research, listen to them and find our own lion. Then, we must help him fend off the hyenas so he can be allowed to do what lions do.

They Aren't All Occupiers

A lot is being said about this generation of twenty-somethings and how they feel they are owed something. Yes there are some out there like that, but, I personally think they are in the minority.

Much has been said and written about our parents being America's "Greatest Generation".  And ,what they accomplished is is for the books and I will never say or write anything to diminish what they endured and accomplished. But, I'd like to say a few things in defense of this newest class of twenty-somethings....

• For every one of them that has their hand out, there are a bunch of others that have their right hand up swearing to defend our country...
• For every one of them that thinks a college education should be free, there are hundreds of others that work two or three jobs to pay their way or borrow money knowing what it will take to pay it back.
• For every on of them that thinks they should get a high paying job with a degree in Philosophy right out of college, there are hundreds of others that take any job they can get; knowing hard work will get them where they want to go by doing a job well to get a better job.
• For every one of them that occupies a a park in the name of peace, others will occupy a church and learn of true peace.
• For every one of them that stands up demanding  to be heard,  the rest will quietly about their business knowing actions speak louder than words.
• For every one of them that craps in the street in the name of freedom, thousands of others will don a uniform to protect that freedom.

I could go on but I think you get the gist of what I'm trying to say. It's like building something up and then handing it over to your kids saying, "Here you go, we've come this far; let's see what you can do".

Living In a House Full of Women

Seems like whenever I tell someone that I have five sisters, some look at me with amazement, some with well lack of a better word, pity and well some just find it hard to believe I’m straight!

          Add to that our grandmother lived with us and our dad was gone a lot trying to keep food on the table as a truckdriver, so that ran the total up to seven females and me. Wellsir that kinda made me literally, the de-facto man of the house and that was no easy chore. 

          Most of this will deal with Mom, Grandma, and my three sisters in line after me. I could write volumes about how I was traumatized by being the only male, but it would be a flat out lie. I had it very good growing up. A lot was expected of me but a lot was given to me also. I was expected to look after my sisters and to serve as security for them while on the bus and at school. I’m not sure why, for mom had raised us to fairly independent and to be able to take care of ourselves. Mainly it was to serve as a buffer between my sister right after me and every boy in school that had his eye on her. I had been doing that since a very early age and had doled out several lessons on what happens when you put your hands on one of my sisters.

          But, in spite of all of the bumps bruises and occasionally walking into an unlocked bathroom, I sure did learn a lot from those women and girls. I learned from listening late at night my sisters’ friends talking about boys what they liked and didn’t like and who they liked. Nothing like knowing the lay of the land when out hunting. From my mom, I learned responsibility and respect for women. I learned they weren’t the weaker sex after all. I also learned from my mother how to dance, throw a baseball, how to ride a bicycle and sit a horse. From my Grandma Adele, I learned manners, and how a gentleman should speak and act. Grandma was big on manners and etiquette. A man removes his hat when in the presence of a lady and when coming inside. She installed what I like to call the “Fifteen Second Rule” which boils down to I had about 15 seconds to remove my hat or get slapped out from under it. Grandma was big on tough love, but you never could find anyone who would say a word against her. To this day, I can’t bring myself to wear a hat or cap in the house. Jane has hung hooks by the door, in our bedroom and in my den so I will always have a place to hang my hat.

          I have also been desensitized when it comes to feminine hygiene products. I can walk into any store and buy anything a woman might need without batting an eye. How many you fellers can say that? I have been given an inside look at how the female mind works from a multi-generational viewpoint and have learned one thing, it didn’t help a bit.Like the rest of the men on this planet, I’m still a lost gosling when it comes to fathoming the female mind.

           

Intolerant Tolerance

I thought the Democrats were the sensitive caring huggy- feely party that accepted all kinds of folks into their tent? I guess it’s true, for along with about every nut job with a gripe, they have racists, bigots, extremists, Marxists and I guess about everything on the left side of the political spectrum.

I have always thought of free speech as a given, but to some on the left, you’re only free to speak if you mouth their platitudes and march in lock-step with them.

Here are just a few examples:

·        The right to choose: This is only a right if you choose abortion. I thought being Pro Choice you meant you had a right to choose. Wrong, it means you need to abort a baby rather keeping it or putting it up for adoption.

·        Free Speech: Seems like Liberals can say anything they please, but let a Conservative say something they don’t like, such as the truth or the facts, they tend to become very agitated and resort to lines such as “Bush Lied” and “Halliburton caused 9-11”.

·        They say we must be tolerant of Islam, yet wage an unending war against Christianity and Judaism.

·        They call the TEA Party Racists, despite the fact one of the founders is Black and Herman Cain is running as a strong contender for President. And , as a closing thought on this subject, Robert Byrd.

·        They march for women’s rights here, yet are strangely quiet about the savage abuses heaped upon women in the Arab States.

·        Everyone has a right to work; as long as you belong to a union.

·        Try finding work in Hollywood or as a journalist if you are open about your Conservatism.

These are just a few examples of a group of people that have espoused tolerance and understanding yet by their very actions, have shown themselves to some of the most intolerant people you will ever meet. Actions will always speak louder  than  words.

Questing For the Perfect Burger...

  Howdy! I think I'd like to let y'all in on something about  me; I happen to think the Cheeseburger is nature's perfect meal. It has, meat, veggies, dairy, and bread all in one easy to handle package. Toss some fries or rings on the side and I'm one happy camper.
   Now when I say cheeseburger, I don't mean one from fast food joints or chains; I mean the good old-fashioned, cooked on a flat-top,  drippy, bun toasted masterpeice that you have to hunch over to eat where you have to change napkins after every bite!
 I have been having a "food-mance" with burgers since a young kid and have eaten them around most of the country and in other parts of the world. I've had them made with various types of meat ranging from water buffalo to ostrich and have come to the conclusion that beef works best, preferably an 80/20 blend which is your basic ground chuck.
  Other criteria include and this is just my opinion mind you, are: mustard, lettuce,  red onion, pickles and tomato.  Cheese should be yellow. Some will say ketchup on it, but I prefer to have ketchup on plate for an occasional sop or two. Note: you hand me a burger with mayo or Thousand Island  Dressin and I'll hand it back.  Some folks like to get all fancy and "Metro" with their creations, but to me if you need to dress it up a lot..... you must be trying to hide something. I admit to likin green chiles on one from time to time and won't turn down a slice or two of bacon and even some chili(no beans)on it from time to time. I' ve tried some of those boutique burgers with all the fancy uptown trimmin's and well, they just kinda lose me.
 OK, now that y'all know what I look for and well, have been questin' for, I'm gonna let you in on some of the best of the best, I've found so far. So here goes..... and these are more chronological than rank.....

Granny Carter's: Granny used a cast iron skillet and had a sear on the patty that was unbelievable. Nice thick patties that would literally shoot juice into mouth with each bite. Fresh tomatoes, greasy buns, and she'd even toast top of bun with meat grease!  Heaven in a meal! I asked her over and over to show me how she did it but she said men kill meat, women cook meat.

Sam's "Stuckey-burger": Sam wrote the book on makin' burgers. He had a small joint bout mid-way between the High School and Jr High back in Bowie and bout lunch time you could smell them from both places. Sam used the juice from patty to toast the bun. Wow what flavor it gave the burger. He also like to run  his spatula over the top bun to give it a little sheen and added flavor. he used basic seasonings but some how, magic occured when he cooked them.

Hamburger Ed: Ed has a little burger an burrito joint up in Pampa he opened in an abandoned gas station. Do not laugh, the best burgers will come from places like his. What makes Ed's so good apart from the ambience is the blend of seasonings. It will send your salivary glands into overdrive. Add to the fact I don't think he has ever bricked his griddle which sees a lot of action and you have wandered into a place that time seems to have forgotten but I bet you won't ever forget Ed and his burgers.

The Dixie Pig: When Jane and I moved to Abilene, it opened a whole new search area for me while our kitchen was gutted during our remodel. We had eaten there from time to time while visiting, but it bacame our substitute kitchen and when I got around to ordering a burger from there, I wanted to kick myself for not doing it sooner. They serve a classic cafe burger with all the trimmin's and cooked to perfection. Add the cheap price and you have a real gem there. Nice size patty and well proportioned veggies; and the atmoshphere is great.

Gloria's: We just tried this place last week and I still drool just thinking about it. Has to be one of the best burgers I've ever eaten. The small is a half pounder and to eat it you almost have to be able to unhinge  your jaw. The hunch is definitely is in play here. The patty is hand worked and the bun is toasted to perfection with just the right sheen on the top bun to make it greasy enough to make lips shine. You almost need a fresh napkin after each bite. You might even wanna wrap napkins round round wrists to save cuffs, it's so juicy.

Okay, one final note here. I said I wouldn't rate or pick any chains, but I'm going to bend that rule a little. In/Out Burgers are killer. They serve a simple burger and it is awesome.  I've eaten at several of them while travelling and will tell you, it's worth the wait. One of the reasons I'm bending the rule is they serve burgers, period! You want a salad, scrape off your burger!

 Well, there you have my thoughts and picks. I'm always on the lookout for a great burger so if y'all have any suggestions, I'm ready to listen and try; for as we all know, a quest  must never end.....

 

Date Night and Cary Grant

Last night was the capper on a great day Jane and I like to call a "Hooky Day". With our conflicting work schedules, we have to plan to have a day off together, so we've come to call them hooky days. Y'all remember playing hooky, don't you? Skipping school or a class once in a while for some reason?
Last night was the topper to a great hooky day. We went out on a date. I tried to make it as real a date as possible by slipping out on a pretext and came back home with flowers. Then I rang the doorbell so I could "pick her up". A dozen roses and a quiet supper together before heading off to the Paramount to see the perfect date movie: North By Northwest with Cary Grant.
Ah, Cary, he was the master of the suave and urbane. His sense of timing and humor are unmatched and when it came to classy, he was in a leaugue of his own. His manners are impeccable and even after doing battle with a crop duster, he still looked like he was ready for cocktails and dinner.
I think we men could take a lesson or two from him. Sometimes we tend to take the women in our lives for granted, forgetting how special they are in our lives and all the little things they do for us to make our male lives tolerable. Face it, we are not the best at taking care of ourselves. Not the big things, but the little things such as picking up the laundry, doing the Christmas cards, picking out the right colors for painting the house and in general, makin the house a home.
So over the years, I've tried to take a few lessons from Cary. I like to bring flowers once in a while for no other reason that to show her I care and she's important to me. When we go out, I try to look as well groomed as possible and make her feel as special as she is to me. I have a long way to go, but I like to think I'm getting there.

Talkin' to a Plumber Don't Make You One

  Howdy y'all. Thought I might share this and see if any of y'all suffer from this syndrome. It occurs most frequently in men but women have been known to be afflicted from time to time.
It can cause normal men to think they are Bob the Builder or Marty the Mechanic.  I would like to blame this on TV with all the How-To Shows but I truly believe that it is inherent in us. We watch someone do something and something clicks as we think, "that don't look so hard,piece of cake"! Then after much labor and expense, we finally have some semblance of what we wanted. Do we learn from this? Oh no, we puff our chest and assume the Alpha postion and say, "See, I told you I could do it!"
 That being said, I'm gonna relate some experiences of this life long affliction that seems to have no sign of remission. Please don't laugh too loudly or condemn me for I know we've all been there.
 Signs of this affliction started at a very early age. I remember when, as a young Boy Scout, seeing plans for a Monkey Bridge and thought,I can do it; it's done by Scouts. So, I commenced to building one with the help of one of my sisters. It took most of the day and looked nothing like the one in the book, but in my eyes it was perfect. Down side,  I nearly hit sister with hammer[I was cheating by that time trying to get it to stay up] and had pulled the clothes line pole loose in the ground[Hey I thought it would make a good anchor point].
  I think my first serious attack came about age 15. I was driving a 54 Ford at the time and the water pump went out. Dad said he would help change out after he got home. I had watched him fix and work on engines as long as I could remember, so of course I thought, "I can do this". Well sir, I filled the radiator with water and drove to town, got a water pump and filled back up with water and drove back. Six hours later, I had the radiator out and had snapped two bolts inside the block.  Took Dad a while to get it fixed,but he did. He said I tried and that was what counted, but the look in his eyes said something completely different.
  Fast forwarding to present day, I'll skip over various project ranging from assemblin' furniture to installing laminate flooring throughout the house and get right to my latest effort. We had been having trouble with the kitchen faucet and we figgered a water line was pluggin up. Jane had been suffering with this for quite a while and we were sorta resigned to waiting till we could get a new line laid. Well, as fate would have it, a plumber came into store to have his rifle bore sighted. I was working on it and asked him bout it. He said it sounded to him like the mixer in the faucet might be obstructed and would work if I backflushed it. Never done this before, but it sounded easy so my next day off I tore into it. Did I mention the fact I waited till 3pm on a Sunday to do this? Or that we were in middle of cooking a meal for a friend's parents? As Jane watched on and offering to help with a look of resigned dread on her face, I fearlessly tore into it.Wellsir, I flushed the lines like I'd been doing it forever, and backflushed the faucet then hooked 'er back up and turned it on. Nothing, not a drop. what had been a reduced flow was now completely plugged.
   So, now here we are, dirty dishes and only place to wash them is in the bathroom. We get cooking done, Jane washes dishes  in the bathroom sink and was really cool about it for the most part. We run the food out  to our friend's parents, then stop by Lowe's to get a new faucet, which I installed and finally got right after a couple tries. Because of the thickness of countertops, I had to  invert the nuts  to have enough threads to tighten hoses I discovered this after turning water on. But I have to admit, it worked and the smile on Jane's face at having a functioning faucet was worth it all.
  Well, there you have it.. my testimony and in closing I just have this to say..

Hi, my name is Ed and I'm a "fixaholic"

Handicappin the Field or the GOP Scratch Sheet

  Well it's that time again. The run for the White House. Some folks say it's like a horse race but I like to think of it as a steeplechase, lot's of hurdles and mud with plenty of bumping and crowdin' along the way. Horses will fall by wayside and the winner will be the one that shows endurance and smarts along with toughness and speed.
 So I thought I might try my hand and handicappin' this field for you and see how yall might like to rate them so here goes.

Mitt Romney  6-5 and may go to even money as the race progresses!
  Very smart runner. Has a smooth polished and got off to early lead out of gate but seemed hesitant to get muddy in the beginning but getting tougher as the race progrsses. Will see if he has the stamina and heart to go the distance.

Rick Perry 8-5
  Got out of gate late but quickly over took lead. Perry is good in mud and not afraid to mix it up in a pack. Seems to stumble at some hurdles so I don't know if he has stamina to finish a long grueling race, but the winner will know he was there.

Herman Cain 2-1
  The dark horse in the field. I had longer odds on him but he's gaining his stride and closing fast. but, his lack of experience and medical history could hurt him coming down the stretch. That being said, "The Hemanator" is gonna make his presence known.

Michelle Bachman 4-1
  Bachman is a local favorite but can't seem to gain any traction and has stumbled at some of the jumps but will keep running in order to place or show.

Newt Gingrich 10-1
  Newt is the joker in the deck. Running in the pack right now, but if leaders  stumble or he sees an opening, he could sweep the field. He's the smartest runner right now but don't know if he has the legs to finish.

Rick Santorum 25-1
 Running out of his class, he's overmatched but he could tumble one of the frontrunners allowing for a different than expected finish.

John Hunstman 50-1
The "Post-Turtle" in the field. Not sure how he got there and has no business being there. Don't think he will have the stamina to finish and seems hesitant to mix it up. I think he might just be using this race to get a better spot in the next one.

Ron Paul 100-1
 Not sure why he's running, but his backers love him.  Has the stamina to go the distance but don't think he can overtake frontrunners. And you never know when he might just veer hard and crash into the rail.
 

Well, there's my opening take on this horse race. It is a rather unique one don't you think, you think you might be leading and wow gee, another horse enters, knocking you back. But I kinda think the field is set barring any last minute heartfelt changes of minds. I'll be updating odds as the field shortens and the mud piles onto the riders. Y' all enjoy.

Talley-Ho!

Don't Ask Don't Tell Has Become Show and Tell

  Okay, what has happened to us as a country? Where is the outrage? Where is the hue and cry over what they have done to our military? My God, it's an outrage that Obama wanted this and Congress allowed it. I'm a vet and I don't speak for anyone but myself here when I say I'm sickened and disgusted by the whole deal. I saw a picture the other day after it became official of a gay officer marrying his partner in Vermont and I wondered how we let this come to pass.  Did anybody ask the Joint Chiefs? How about the men and women who are going to have to soldier with them? How will affect morale, retention or readiness be affected?
 Okay, call me Homophobic if you want, but I honestly believe that it's wrong to have done this. Yes, Ed, some will say,  these the same arguments used when the military was integrated after WWII? Maybe so, I think the people saying this are comparing apples to oranges. I think this is an outright ploy by the Liberal Left to weaken the military.
  I served in the Navy in the 70's under Carter when we got all touchy feely by having Human Relation Councils,and sensitivity training which did nothing  more than to undermine the authority of NCO's and officers. You try give an order to a person and if they didn't like it, they would cry any number of reasons from outright discrimination to just harassment. Kinda hard to get something done when you have to consider every angle when trying to give what you felt to be a lawful order.  Anybody who served back then can tell you what it was like under President "Jimmuh".
 Then came ''Willy" and Don't ask don't tell.  What kind of can of worms that has been is very evident. Lawsuit after lawsuit. But, the courts upheld it and still the Military still did its best to "Charlie-Mike" (continue mission).
  Now, we have Obama. Despite all his words to the contrary, his action say volumes about his feeling towards the Military and this new openess about being okay to be gay is just another Liberal method of destroying some thing they have always hated.
   Well, now yall know how I feel. I'm sure some of you will not really care for this one but I felt it needed saying and it's my soapbox and my dime. Oh, and one last thing, and this goes out to the men and women serving today : May God Bless all Y'all and keep you safe.

Charlie-Mike!

Stickin' Your Boots in the Oven....

  Howdy, I've been listenin' to His Royal Majesty a lot this week and he seems to be saying the same things over and over. So, I thought I might see if I can respond to what he's been sayin using expressions I've heard and read my whole life from people who make a lot more sense than him. Let's see how this goes.. (Obama will be in the quotation marks and my response will be in Italics)

"We need to spend more, invest more to create jobs. This next  Stimulus will work"
When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging!

"I have always believed that taxes on the middle class are too high"
Wearin a hat and boots don't make you a cowboy!

"The Government must be in partnership with business!"
A real cowboy saddles his own horse and kills his own snakes.

"Investing in America doesn't mean higher taxes."
Sticking your boots in the oven won't make them biscuits!

"America will no longer be the guiding force in the World"
"You won't break your horse a-sittin on the fence.

"We must pass this jobs bill now; and after we do, I'll explain how we pay for it."
When dealing with lawyers and bankers, always bring a magnifying glass to read the fine
print before signing papers!

"This next bill is what Americans' need to help recover from the Bush years."
If you can't do it with a little, you can't do it with a lot..

"I inherited this ecconomy from my predecessor."
Rodeoin' has always been about the draw.. You take what you get and how well you perform is up to you.

Well, those are my thoughts on our President. I've quoted and paraphrased a lot of them and if you're well read in cowboy literature, you might recognize some of them... but I learned a lot from them, 'specially that old rancher that took a 12 year old boy and showed him what cowboys do and are... he didn't talk much but his actions spoke volumes. Too bad Obama never got a chance to hear him.  He might not have wound up as a Post Turtle and things might be a lot better today.

School Daze?

 Well, it looks like it's back to school for most our kids and grandkids. My how the times have changed. Used to, bout the only things parents had to worry about was did Johnny remember to take his homeowrk and what he'd try to swap his lunch for.
 Now parents have to worry about what is being taught to Johnny. Things like having to read books like, I Have Two Mommies, Revisionist History that rewrites the history of our country so they grow up ashamed of our country instead of being proud to be an American, not being allowed to pray at school functions,and having to witness the implosion of our educational system in general.
  For the most part the public school system is a dismal failure. The Federal government thinks the solution is, as always, toss a  lot of money at it and it will be all better. Seems like the more money the government tosses, the worse it gets. One example: English as a second language. It was originally designed to fast track Hispanics into being able to function in an English based educational system, but along the way it was corrupted and now classes are being taught in Spanish and the Hispanics are being left behind or just passed along like a can being kicked down the road. Is it any wonder that the drop out rate for them is higher than nearly all the other groups?
 I do have some ideas that might help improve the situation. They might not work but what we got now isn't so what's the harm in talking bout them and see who thinks what..
 First and foremost, do away with the Dept. of Education and return authority to the individual states where it rightfully belongs. If you disagree with that, can you point me to the Article and Section of the Constitution that specifically deals with education? And another point, the Federal government is so ponderous and incompetent, it can't even run a railroad or a postal system and you want to trust our childrens' future with it?
Second, let parents shop around for a charter school or private school of their choosing. Competition among them will breed better choices. Look at the successes with voucher systems.Think that's a bad idea, then how have private colleges lasted for so long? Anyone ever tell you which college your children must attend? Folks it's our money and investment.
 Next, quit forcing school districts to dumb down classes so no one will fail. It does the kids more harm to pass them because of maybe scarring them emotionally than to have them repeat a grade so they will have a more solid foundation. If we did that more often, we would have less need for those teachers and could retarget those resources to children with special needs such as dyslexia and special education..
Then, we need to reinstill a sense of order and discipline in the classroom. Schools should not keep kids  that constantly disrupt the class. If they mess up, suspend them; if they mess up bad, expel them. In the words of an instructor, some times you have to lose a toe to save the foot.
   Not sure how this last point is gonna come across, but I'm gonna let it fly and y'all can punch holes in it and and me for that matter. Okay, do away with teacher unions. Let's be honest here just how much good do they do for the kids? yall say it gives them protection from being fired without cause, but I think if you don't have to worry about your job.. just how good are you going to be willing to do it. I do believe in merit based pay. We need good teachers and I think by weeding out the incompetent and the indifferent we can vastly improve the system as a whole. The trick will be how to  judge performance. Along this point a teacher friend gave me this: the administration system is over loaded and top heavy. The real cutting when times get hard should be in admin, not teachers.
Well, now yall have heard me and my ideas. I'd love to hear y'alls.  It's too important not to have an opinion or an  idea.

Sunday at Gruene Hall

Well after a night on the deck that included some mighty fine food and erntertainment, not to mention a rousing game of Flip Cup, which broke about 3:30 am; Jane and I managed to make it over to Gruene for a while this afternoon to take in some music at Gruene Hall and of course some cold beer and Fritos. The music was good and the beer was cold and as you can see; a good time was had  by all.

Gruene Hall is one of the oldest dance halls in Texas and is a state treasure. Lotta singers got their start here before making it to the big time and there is always a band playing for the door and tips hoping for that big break.. the band today was good, a little eclectic for my taste as I tend to like a fiddle band with a pedal steel but they put on a good show. well worth the cost of admission which was free.

If yall ever make it down to the Hill Country, Gruene hall is a must on any itenerary. You will see and meet people from all over the world who have ventured to Gruene to sample a taste of Texas... I invite yall to do the same.

Gruene Hall

The Orphans Along the Brazos

The Crowd

Jane

Two of my favorite food groups

We Have Gathered at the River

Well we made it and is good to see family and friends again. It was a small crowd as people will be coming in thu the weekend. But as the sayin goes "este poco, este poco" (we may be small, but we're crazy)or somethin like that.
There is one serious rule on the deck: NEVER BE THE FIRST TO FALL! as shown below:

No explanation needed!

The food was good, the beer was cold and a very good time was had by all. I even managed to score a few brownie points, with the help of my aunt, by arranging a surprise birthday party for Jane on the deck. Instead of a cake, she had a cupcake arrangement made up and was the hit of the night. They were so good, I had to make a cupcake run today. And, not letting an opportunity to jab spurs, a family member noted that the times have really changed when Eddie is going after cupcakes instead of beer. But, as I told him, I was fetchin' them for Momma Sot and Jane... Nuff said! 

So I think I'm gonna post this and head over to the house and soak my backside in water and my inside with some cold Lone Star. More to come as the week progresses.

Hail the Head Sot!

Shall We Gather at the River?

    Well yall, it's that time of year again when we SOTS begin to congregate at our World Headquarters on the Guadalupe River. We'll be coming from all over Texas and some other states. It's gonna be a good time enjoyed by all. I won't be givin out any particulars out but thu the week I'll  be posting some choice tidbits and some general information about what the doins are.  I'll tell yall about the teams and what they did for meals and entertainment and might show some of us on the golf course, course i wont be playin much this year as I'm still gettin over some shoulder surgery, but it won't hurt me to do some putting on the 19th hole if yall  get my drift.

  Gotta big week ahead so yall check in ever now and then and see how we do it up down in Texas!

It's 'Bout That time Again

Well, like the title says, it's 'bout that time again.  The brewery has put on another shift while stores and bars are stocking up on Lone Star.  Cooking teams are making their final preparations for this event of events! But, before I  go any further, yall need to get Willie to singin while yall read this. Just sit back and learn how Family Reunions are done when you are in TEXAS! and belong to the SOTS!

Yes, I said SOTS (Sippin on Texas Suds). We been doing this for twenty-five years runnin amd twenty six is bearin down fast. this isnt your regular reunion. Its a weeklong fest of family,friends and whoever might just happen to wander up from the river.

The river I'm talkin bout is the Guadalupe. It's the party spot of the Hill Country and maybe even Texas. Some weekends u can literally walk across it by steppin on  toobers! But it's all in good fun

 

This is a slow day

We spend the days on the River when it's running with a few side trips to places like Gruene Hall where you might just have to have a couple ice cold Lone Stars(The beer of choice for SOTS). Gruene Hall is our hangout and we have been know to empty the cold box!

Notice how the water tower

is like a homing device!

But at night we gather on the deck as we hear the Head SOT (HAIL THE HEAD SOT) begin the evenings festivities with the Willie singing Whiskey River.  Head SOT is our leader..

It would not have happened with out him and his lovely wife Momma SOT opening their hearts, home and wallet to put this thing together.

Openin the the night!

In the uniform of the week!

No words for this one

Even though the Head SOT and I

are kin and very close...

It never hurts to kiss up some in order to win!

There is always good food and cold  Lone Star

 

Dress is either casual...

or formal as required by the cook team

(Momma Sot)

We have live bands...

Willie himself has even made a guest

appearnce a time or two

Not sure whose singin' with him

either Waylon or HJR

Even Elvis has wandered in

off the River to rock the deck

 

Worry not, the natives may be scary..

but very friendly as he makes the sign for peace.

We even have our own golf tournament.

GO OUTLAWS!

Jane doesn't play but looks awesome in a cart.

We make road trips. We even have a bus

(when it runs) to haul us around.

It does cut down on DUI's

Sunday Afternoon in Luckenbach

This is Willie's World Headquarters

in Luck, Texas!

You can't just join the SOTS

You must be found worthy by becomin a pledge and

undergoing rigorous trials and ordeals!..........

under the guiding hand of the

Most Worthy Pledgemaster

 

Like I said. Family...

SCOOBY!

(That says it all)

Friends.. (Joy takes such a good picture)

 So does my lovely wife Jane, who for a week,

lets me have a good time and shares in the fun

like she had been there the whole time.

God Bless Her.

Volumes could be written on what has gone on there, but as the Head Sot (HAIL THE HEAD SOT)says,"What happens on the River, stays on the River".

So let it be written...

So let it be done!

Don't Ya Call Him a Cowboy

Yes...I did it. But.. SEAL Team 6 was
a great help! ....And... I talk good!

When did it happen?  When did it become okay to have another cowboy in the Oval Office. Wasn't that what the Media called GW? A "cowboy". And we all know it wasn't a compliment. Seems like the Obama Drum Beaters or as they like to be called, the media has decided that it's now a good thing to have a cowboy again. But to, me calling Obama a cowboy is like callin them two sheepherders in Brokeback Mountain, cowboys. Well then, let's just see how Barry "Cowboys Up".

  Cowboys don't give a rat's behind about polls. They care about gettin' the job done. They don't stop in the middle of something to take in a round of golf. Work is done when it's finished or it's too dark to continue.

  Cowboys stand by their friends. A cowboy wouldn't turn his back on his allies and  suck up to people who hate our very existence.



Cowboys bow only to God, not some Arab Prince. An English Lord once asked a cowboy where his ''master'' was. The cowboy replied, "the SOB ain't been born yet".

Cowboys have courage to be able to the things, they do. Obama did make a "bold" decision; but the true courage was displayed by the men that put their boots on the ground.

 Cowboys are generous to a fault, but with their own money and property. I've seen them loan their last twenty, their spurs or whatever a friend needed to help  out. Obama is generous to a fault also; but his fault is that he's generous with other people's money.

 Cowboys have a deep attachment to the land and a love of country. They would never apologize to anyone for US or being an American.

 Cowboys by their very nature are independent souls. They are self reliant and know it is up to them to get the job done.  The concept of a government that wants to take care of them is completely ailen to their way of life.

  So, I guess ol' Barry ain't quite the cowboy they're toutin him to be. Like the sayin' goes,

"He's all hat and no cattle". But Conway says it best when he sings "Don't Ya  Call Him  A Cowboy" till ya see him ride.

God Bless America

and

The American Cowboy

Translating Liberal Talking Points

Howdy y'all!

   Well it seems like things are startin' to get real interstin' in DC. What with the budget battle, the deficit and the need to cut spendin' an lot of Liberal talkin' points have been thrown at us thu the Media or as I like to call them, Obama's Drum Beaters and Heralds. I swear, if they could they'd announce his presence with those big long horns.

That bein' said,  Let's get to the nut cuttin and go with the ones bein' bandied bout the most:

Bi-partisanship: You would think it would mean coperation across the aisle, each side working for the common good, but when Democrats  start ranting about this, it boils down to, "We want you to give us what we want even though we don't have the votes now to ram it down your throat". Ever hear them talk about this when they were in control?
Post partisanship:  This is a good one. Seems like for the eight years of the George W Bush Administration, all we heard from the Left was rants and vitriol that bordered on the crazed. He was villified in the Media daily for every mispoken comment, his positons. He was called everything from a Nazi to a bumblin' fool. I myself have heard Yellow Dog (die-hard) Democrats call him crazy and call for his asassination. Not vote him out but kill him.
  Now with the "Annointed One", we are supposed to be beyond all that; even though any one who criticizes him is villified as a racist, while conviently playing down the fact Obama himself made a very racist comment about Republicans having to ride in the "back of the bus".

Investment in America: People, when you hear this, best start hidin your wallets! This is nothing but code for higher taxes. And the recipents of these investments will be payoffs to the unions and groups that put him office and will try their best to keep him there. Any moron knows that to invest in something is to provide capital in the hope to turn a profit. When was the last time you saw any government project turn a profit?

Party of the working class: I'm not sure which workers thy're talkin bout. Seems like Union membership is down to about less than 25% of all workers and most of them are in government jobs.  But while saying how much they respect the worker, the left thought they could ram card check down their throats, thereby doing away with the secret ballot. Add to all the restrictions and taxes on business and industry; jobs have been leavin this country by the millions.

The rich must pay their share:  Jeez just how much more do they think they can squeeze  outta these people? They already pay the  bulk of taxes and provide most of the jobs.
This is just a way to initiate a form of class envy to keep the poor stirred up and voting  for their entitlements and keeping the Left in a position of power. I guess it the first time a class of people ever voted to be kept in bondage.

Well those are my thoughts on them. I'd be proude to hear y'alls'