Monday, August 29, 2011


I have to admit it. Al Gore is right. We have global warming. This summer has been the hottest on record and we haven’t had a drop of rain. The east coast has just been battered with Hurricane Irene, so I know there must be rain somewhere on the planet. I just wish a little of it cold be diverted to Texas.

As I have aged the heat seems to bother me more than ever. I am also a sissy when it comes to air-conditioning and must have it to survive. Hemingway wrote this neat story about an old man who wanted a clean well-lighted place. My revision to the story would be a cool, clean well-lighted place. The cool air is now a basic need, like food and water

I grew up without air-conditioning and thought nothing about it. My only exposure to the luxury of refrigerated air was in a movie theater. I guess that’s one of the reasons I love movies so much. I went through college without air-conditioning. It’s a miracle that I made it. Now, if the temperature goes above 75 while I’m reading a book, I fall asleep.

So, here I am complaining about the weather in the blog. The weather is always a favorite topic of conversation and something people like to complain about. Last winter it was too cold and about a year ago we had a flood in Central Texas. We are never happy.

The weather is never just right. Farmers never have it perfect for their crops. This week, Hurricane Irene battered the East Coast. People were warned for several days. Now that the hurricane has passed and was slightly less devastating than predicted people are complaining that much of the warning was a bunch of media hype. We should be thankful that the storm warnings are as sophisticated as they are and save countless lives.

Folks are never happy with the weather regardless of what is happening. When I lived in Hawaii people complained because the weather was always nice and never varied. We humans are just an unhappy lot when it comes to the weather. At least, the weather gives us something to talk about. The current heat wave and drought are even causing me to read the Bible more. I’ve been studying Revelations and the prophets to see if the earth may be gradually transitioning into hell. I don’t mean to complain but it sure seems like that is the case.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011


I don’t care for shopping and try to stay home when my spouse is involved in this activity. During my high school years I worked in a grocery store and don’t mind helping in this area of shopping if it’s not at Walmart or HEB. I hate those two stores because they are so large and impersonal. I can’t find anything and they are usually full of tattooed fat people standing ahead of me in line at checkout with baskets brimming with every item in the store.

My favorite store is located in the Village of Salado where we lived for 20 years. The store is Brookshire’s. It has been expanded and contains everything you need. They even have fresh seafood. It’s a clean place that is usually not crowded, and the shoppers are decent looking folks. I love the section with cheeses, hams and other goodies that must be sliced, The salesperson is friendly and will even let me sample the goodies. The cheese from this area is much better than the prepackaged stuff.. The salesperson usually gives me all sorts of helpful advice, like what kind of meat to buy at his favorite country meat market.

I love the store because I usually see someone I know and we strike up a friendly conversation. Yesterday, while I was waiting for my cheese to be sliced this old cowboy looking guy, who must have been in his late 80s, started talking to me. He was wrinkled and weather beaten but friendly as a puppy. We started up an interesting conversation about this country meat market where he bought hogs head cheese. I hadn’t thought about hogs head cheese for years. He claimed it was one of ihs favorite foods. That’s the kind of people I like to visit with. He made me think of all sorts of goodies I sampled when I was a kid. Most of these have been forgotten in modern times. Most people never heard of scrambled hog brains and eggs. I have also eaten fried chicken’s feet, pickled pigs feet and tongue. The old cowboy got me to thinking about hogs head cheese which is really not a cheese at all but a mixture of various scraps from the hog, such as ears, tongue and all parts of the head except the eyes. These parts of the hog are cooked and prepared in a gel like mold. It’s not bad if you don’t think about what you are eating.

Anyway, I enjoy shopping at Brookshires because of the colorful characters you meet and the interesting things you learn. It’s great entertainment.

Sunday, August 07, 2011


Recently, I have tried not to write about political issues in the blog. They are too controversial and even more depressing than obituaries. In a way the current political issues and the economy are like an obituary of our country. I have considered myself an independent and in the past have supported Republicans and Democrats. I have now changed my political persuasion.

From now on I plan to vote against whoever is in office regardless of their political party or even their track record. The Tea Party has ruined the Republicans and are made up of a bunch of naïve, selfish loudmouths who think their mission is to cut out all our entitlement programs and not tax anyone, especially the wealthy. I wonder if they have ever known anyone who is elderly, disabled or underprivileged. On the other hand there is the left wing Democrat that wants a socialized state and government takeover of everything. None of them represent me, a middle class person who has worked, saved, paid a lot of taxes, abided by the law, helped many in need, had respect for my country, served in the military and supported the idea that we are a nation under God. I don’t mind paying taxes, but I believe Exxon and the wealthy should also pay their fair share; likewise, I believe in Social Security and Medicare but hate the fraud in our system and have no sympathy for those who are fit but make a life out of dependence on government handouts.

So, there you have it. Incumbent now means out. This means everyone from President to Justice of the Peace. I only wish we could vote Federal Judges out of office. The judges sit around and make rulings with no regard for how the majority voted on an issue. Another requirement for judges is that hey should not be allowed to vote or have allegiance to any political party.

The ones who need to go more than anyone are members of Congress. Six year single terms would seem fair but that’s it. The candidates should be required to take an IQ test as well as a test on American History and the Constitution before they can even run. The current bunch have sent us on a road to ruin and made our fragile economic situation a global issue. A course in economics and the Constitution should also be required when their term of office begins.

My new campaign slogan from now on is, Incumbents Out. That’s better than, ”change.” Maybe we will get change and good behavior with the constant turn over.