To The Point

2012-02-12T22:14:00.000-08:00

New on this site:

Craft Wood for Sale

Call me at 940-421-3334

2012-01-30T11:21:00.000-08:00

Seems fair to me…..

I have a job.

I work, they pay me.

I pay my taxes & the government
Distributes my taxes as it sees fit.

In order to get that paycheck, in my case,
I am required to pass a random urine test
(with which I have no problem).

What I do have a problem with is the distribution of my taxes
To people who don't have to pass a urine test.

So, here is my question:
Shouldn't one have to pass a urine test to get a welfare check
Because I have to pass one to earn it for them?

Please understand, I have no problem with helping people get back on their feet.
I do, on the other hand, have a problem with helping someone sitting on their BUTT ----doing drugs while I work.

Can you imagine how much money each state would save
If people had to pass a urine test to get a public assistance check?

I guess we could call the program "URINE OR YOU'RE OUT"!

Pass this along if you agree or simply delete if you don't.
Hope you all will pass it along, though.
Something has to change in this country - AND SOON!

P.S. Just a thought, all politicians should have to pass a urine test too!

2012-01-29T17:45:00.001-08:00

The Marine's Father

       A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside. "Your son ishere," she said to the old man. She had torepeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened.
       Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand. The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones,squeezing a message of love andencouragement.
       The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed. All through the night the young Marine sat therein the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength. Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile.
       He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine wasoblivious of her and of the night noises of thehospital - the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the criesand moans of the other patients.
       Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.
       Along towards dawn, the old man died. The Marine released the nowlifeless hand he had been holding and went to tellthe nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited.
       Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but theMarine interrupted her.
       "Who was that man?" he asked.
       The nurse was startled, "He was your father," she answered.
       "No, he wasn't," the Marine replied. "I never saw him before inmy life."
       "Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?"
       "I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed hisson, and his son just wasn't here. When I realized that he was too sick totell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much heneeded me, I stayed."

The next timesomeone needs you just be there. Stay.

We are nothuman beings going through a temporary spiritual experience.
We are spiritual beings going through a temporary human experience.
~Author Unknown~

2012-01-29T17:20:00.000-08:00

(Authorunknown, to me anyway. But this is one of those articles that I wish I hadwritten. I don’t remember who sent it to me, but thanks to someone we got theblessing of reading about this miracle that happened right here in our own neckof the woods. God is everywhere: did you ever doubt it?)

Smell the rain

A cold March wind danced around the deadof night in Dallas as the doctor walked into the small hospital roomof Diana Blessing. She was still groggy from surgery. Her husband,David, held her hand as they braced themselves for the latest news.

That afternoon of March 10, 1991, complicationshad forced Diana, only 24-weeks pregnant, to undergo an emergency Caesarean todeliver the couple's new daughter, Dana Lu Blessing. At 12 inches long andweighing only one pound and nine ounces, they already knew she was perilouslypremature.

Still, the doctor's soft words dropped likebombs.

"I don't think she's going to make it,"he said, as kindly as he could. "There's only a 10-percent chance she willlive through the night, and even then, if by some slim chance she doesmake it, her future could be a very cruel one".

Numb with disbelief, David and Dianalistened as the doctor described the devastating problems Dana wouldlikely face if she survived.

She would never walk, she would never talk,she would probably be blind, and she would certainly be prone to othercatastrophic conditions from cerebral palsy to complete mentalretardation, and on and on.

"No! No!" was all Diana could say. Sheand David, with their 5-year-old son Dustin, had long dreamed of theday they would have a daughter to become a family of four. Now, within a matterof hours, that dream was slipping away.

But as those first days passed, a new agony setin for David and Diana.

Because Dana's underdeveloped nervous system wasessentially 'raw,' the lightest kiss or caress only intensifiedher discomfort, so they couldn't even cradle their tiny baby girl againsttheir chests to offer the strength of their love. All they coulddo, as Dana struggled alone beneath the ultraviolet light in the tangleof tubes and wires, was to pray that God would stay close to theirprecious little girl.

As the weeks went by, she gained an ounceof weight here and an ounce of strength there. At last, whenDana turned two months old, her parents were able to hold herin their arms for the very first time. And two months later, though doctorscontinued to gently but grimly warn that her chances of surviving, muchless living any kind of normal life, were next to zero, Dana wenthome from the hospital, just as her mother had predicted.

Today, five years later, Dana is a petite butfeisty young girl with glittering gray eyes and an unquenchablezest for life. She shows no signs whatsoever of any mental orphysical impairment. Simply, she is everything a little girl can beand more. But that happy ending is far from the end of her story.

One blistering afternoon in the summer of1996 near her home in Irving, Texas, Dana was sitting in her mother's lapin the bleachers of a local park where her brother Dustin's baseball team waspracticing. As always, Dana was chattering nonstop with her motherand several other adults sitting nearby when she suddenly fellsilent. Hugging her arms across her chest, little Dana asked,"Do you smell that?"

Smelling the air and detecting the approach of athunderstorm, Diana replied, "Yes, it smells like rain." Dana closed her eyes and again asked, "Do you smell that?"

Once again, her mother replied,"Yes, I think we're about to get wet. It smells like rain."

Still caught in the moment, Dana shook herhead, patted her thin shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced,"No, it smells like Him. It smells like God when you layyour head on His chest."

Tears blurred Diana's eyes as Dana happily hoppeddown to play with the other children. Before the rains came, herdaughter's words confirmed what Diana and all the members of theextended Blessing family had known, at least in their hearts,all along. During those long days and nights of her first twomonths of her life, when her nerves were too sensitive for themto touch her, God was holding Dana on His chest and it isHis loving scent that she remembers so well.

"I can do all things in Him whostrengthens me." (Phil. 4:13)

2012-01-29T16:52:00.001-08:00

Subject: GOD BLESS TEXAS

Have you ever looked at a map of the world? Look at Texas with me just for a second. That picture, with the Panhandle and the Gulf Coast , and the
Red River and the Rio Grande is as much a part of you as anything ever will be. As soon as anyone anywhere in the world looks at it, they know what
it is. It's Texas . Pick any kid off the street in Japan and draw him a picture of Texas in the dirt, and he'll know what it is. What happens if I show you
a picture of any other state? You might get it maybe after a second or two, but who else would? And even if you do, does it ever stir any feelings in you?

In every man, woman and child on this planet, there is a person who wishes just once he could be a real live Texan and get up on a horse or ride off in
a pickup. There is a little bit of Texas in everyone.

Texas is the Alamo . Texas is 183 men standing in a church, facing thousands of Mexican nationals, fighting for freedom, who had the chance to walk out
and save themselves, but stayed instead to fight and die for the cause of freedom.

We send our kids to schools named William B. Travis and James Bowie and Davy Crockett, and do you know why? Because those men saw a line
in the sand and they decided to cross it and be heroes.

John Wayne paid to do the movie The Alamo himself. That is the Spirit of Texas.
Texas is Sam Houston capturing Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana at San Jacinto .
Texas has huge forests of Piney Woods like the Davy Crockett and Sam Houston National Forests .
Texas is breathtaking mountains in the Big Bend .
Texas is the unparalleled beauty of bluebonnet fields in the Texas Hill Country.
Texas is floating the rivers of the Hill Country on a hot summer day.
Texas is the beautiful, warm beaches of the Gulf Coast of South Texas.
Texas is beaches you can drive on and have many memorable bonfires with close friends.
Texas is that warm feeling you get when someone asks where you're from.
Texas is the shiny skyscrapers in Houston and Dallas.
Texas is world record bass from places like Lake Fork .
Texas is Mexican foods like nowhere else, not even Mexico .
Texas is chicken fried steak and world famous Bar-B-Q.
Texas is the Fort Worth Stockyards, Bass Hall, the Mort Myerson in Dallas , The Ballpark in Arlington , the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington ,
the American Airlines Center in Dallas , and the Astrodome (the Reliant Stadium now) in Houston .

Texas is larger-than-life legends like: Michael DeBakey, Nick Trippodo, Ann Richards, Denton Cooley, Willie Nelson, Buddy Holly, Gene Autry, Audie Murphy,
Tommy Lee Jones, Waylon Jennings, Farrah Fawcett, Janis Joplin, Sandra Bullock, Kris Kristofferson, Tom Landry, Eva Longoria Parker, Darrell Royal,
ZZ Top, Roger Staubach Eric Dickerson, Earl Campbell, Nolan Ryan, Sam Rayburn, Howard Hughes, George H. W. Bush, Lyndon B.Johnson,
George W . Bush, and let's not forget GEORGE STRAIT , the Big Bopper, Tex Ritter, George Jones, Clay Walker, John Crosby, Mark Chestnut,
and Tracy Byrd to name ONLY a few.

Texas has great companies like Dell Computer, Texas Instruments, EDS and Compaq, Whataburger, Southwest Airlines, Bell Helicopter, and LOCKHEED MARTIN AEROSPACE, Home of the F-16Jet Fighter and the JSF Fighter,Valero.

Texas is NASA.
Texas is huge herds of cattle, beautiful horses and miles of crops.
Texas is home to the world famous King Ranch.
Texas is home to the most amazing sunsets of gold over an empty field.
Texas is skies blackened with doves and fields full of deer.
Texas is a place where towns and cities shut down to watch the local high school football game on Friday nights and for the Cowboys on Monday
Night Football at the new Cowboy Stadium, and for the Night In Old San Antonio River Parade in San Antonio .

To drive across Texas is to drive 1/3 the way across the United States .

Texas has ocean beaches, deserts, lakes and rivers, mountains and prairies, and modern cities.

If it isn't already in Texas , we probably don't need it. No one does anything bigger or better than it's done in Texas .

By federal law, Texas is the only state in the U.S. That can fly its flag at the same height as the U.S. Flag. Think about that for a second. You fly
the Stars and Stripes at 20 feet in Maryland , California ,
or Maine , and your state flag, whatever it is, goes at 17 feet. You fly the Stars and Stripes in
front of Klein Oak High or anyplace else at 20 feet, the Lone Star flies at the same height - 20
feet. You know why? Because its the only state that was a Republic before it became a state.

Also, being a Texan is as high as being an American down here. Our capitol is the only one in the
country that is taller than the capitol building in Washington , DC . And we can divide our state into
five states at any time if we wanted to! We can become a republic again at any time the voters of
Texas choose, and we included these things as part of the deal when we came on.

That's the best part, right there. Texas even has its own power grid!! And don't even lie to yourself. Did I mention the LIVE music capitol of
the world? If you are a REAL TEXAN, you won't even need to be told to pass this on.GOD BLESS TEXAS

2012-01-27T17:31:00.001-08:00

Nazi extermination of thousands of disabled children featured in new Berlin museum exhibit

BY MATTHEW CULLINAN HOFFMAN

Fri Jan 27, 2012 10:55 EST
Comments (2)
Tags: Abortion, Euthanasia, Nazi

BERLIN, January 27, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Berlin’s “Topography of Terror,” museum, which features exhibits on the murderous crimes of German police forces during the Nazi era, has begun a temporary display on the thousands of children euthanized during the same period as “life unworthy of life.”

The exhibition, entitled “In memory of the children. Pediatricians and crimes against children in the Nazi period,” displays photos and documents related to various Nazi projects concerning the murder and torture of children, such as Action T4 and Lebensborn.

While Action T4 focused on exterminating children who were physically or mentally handicapped, Lebensborn was a eugenic breeding program using unwed mothers, in which children with features not regarded as sufficiently “Aryan” were disposed of like so much waste.

“Through 1945, over 10,000 [children] fell victim to the various programs which were designed to exterminate ‘life unworthy of living,’” the museum states. “More than 5,000 children and teenagers were tortured and murdered in the Nazi ‘children’s departments’ alone, institutions which were specially created for the purpose of extermination.”

Although many children were simply gassed or starved to death, some were spared an immediate exit from life - to serve as subjects of medical experiments, which included the removal of their organs.

“Children also fell victim to the ‘T4’ gas chamber program and to the ‘starvation diet’ which they received in the homes and institutions; they were abused for the purpose of experimentation and their organs where used after their death for research purposes,” according to the museum.

In addition to Action T4 project, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 10,000 children and teenagers, the Lebensborn project killed an estimated 5,000 more.

“This exposition speaks of the most defenseless of that society,” Berlin’s Charité medical school’s historian told the Spanish newspaper El Mundo. “Visitors must be prepared to confront very difficult facts.”

Stephanie Gray of the Canadian Centre for Bioethical Reform and the Genocide Awareness Project noted the troubling parallels between the Nazi euthanasia program for children and the ongoing murder of millions of children today in the wombs of their mothers – often for eugenic reasons similar to those that motivated the Nazi holocaust.

“The notion of ‘life unworthy of life’ is eerily familiar to today’s slogan, ‘quality of life,’” Stephanie Gray told LifeSiteNews. “The philosophy which guided the Nazis is a philosophy which guides many today - that the value of one’s life is to be determined by one’s features or abilities. It is this frightening mentality which leads to human rights violations.”

Click “like” if you want to end abortion!

Currently in the West, a large percentage of children diagnosed in the womb with a disability will ultimately be killed through abortion. Even children diagnosed with Down syndrome, a condition with which a person can live happily for many years, are killed at an astonishing rate of over 90% when the condition is diagnosed in utero. Such eugenic abortions often occur later in pregnancy, when the baby is fully formed, and according to many experts can already experience pain.

In at least one country – the Netherlands – eugenics has already extended beyond abortion, with the legalization of infant euthanasia under the so-called Groningen Protocol. Under the protocol babies can be killed after birth if they suffer, or are likely to suffer, from “progressive paralysis, complete lifelong dependency, and permanent inability to communicate in any way.”

In one article in the prestigious Hastings Report in 2008, two Dutch bioethicists argued that in such cases, “the baby is judged to be better off dead than forced to endure the only kind of life it can ever have.”

“The Nazis treated children as objects to be used and disposed of,” Gray said. “How is that different from today’s society which treats pre-born children as objects to be used (such as for stem cells) and disposed of (through abortion)?”

Gray also observed that, while a museum display on the Nazi atrocities against children does not elicit protest, photos of the unborn victims of abortion often do.

“Isn’t it interesting that people will pay money to go to a museum to see disturbing images of the mistreatment of children, yet many criticize the display of abortion images. Perhaps it’s because it’s easier to face historic injustices which we didn’t commit; it’s much more difficult to face present-day injustices which we do permit,” she said.

The Genocide Awareness Project sets up displays of large images of unborn children killed by abortion, juxtaposed with images victims of the Nazi holocaust and racially-motivated lynchings, to raise awareness about the true nature of abortion.

2012-01-27T17:24:00.001-08:00

‘To Hell with you!’ That’s what Obama just told Catholics, says bishop

BY KATHLEEN GILBERT

Fri Jan 27, 2012 18:37 EST
Comments (4)
Tags: Abortion, Birth Control Mandate, David Zubik

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, January 27, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Saying it’s “really hard to believe that it happened,” the bishop of Pittsburgh has taken aim at the Obama administration’s birth control mandate.

“It comes like a slap in the face. The Obama administration has just told the Catholics of the United States, ‘To Hell with you!’” wrote Bishop David Zubik in a hard-hitting column appearing on the diocese’s website. “There is no other way to put it.”

Bishop David Zubik

Catholic bishops have been up in arms ever since the administration indicated it would force virtually all employers to cover all birth control, including drugs that can cause early abortions, like Plan B and ella. Last week, Catholic Church leaders were aghast to hear that, upon further consideration, the administration had refused to back down, instead simply giving outraged faith-based groups another year to comply with the mandate.

Click “like” if you want to end abortion!

Zubik said the unilateral mandate “undermines the democratic process itself” and represents an unprecedented attack on conscience rights.

“This is government by fiat that attacks the rights of everyone – not only Catholics; not only people of all religion,” he said. “At no other time in memory or history has there been such a governmental intrusion on freedom not only with regard to religion, but even across-the-board with all citizens.

“It forces every employer to subsidize an ideology or pay a penalty while searching for alternatives to health care coverage. It undermines the whole concept and hope for health care reform by inextricably linking it to the zealotry of pro-abortion bureaucrats.”

The bishop lamented that the many voices of Catholics protesting the mandate when it first was announced this summer had fallen on deaf ears, and urged even more persistent protest be directed at the president, Secretary Sebelius, and those in Congress.

“Could Catholics be insulted any more, suggesting that we have no concern for women’s health issues?” he wrote. The Catholic Church and the Catholic people have erected health care facilities that are recognized worldwide for their compassionate care for everyone regardless of their creed, their economic circumstances and, most certainly, their gender. In so many parts of the globe – the United States included – the Church is health care.”

“We’ll give you a year, they are saying, and then you have to knuckle under.”

Read Zubik’s full column here.

2012-01-26T22:26:00.000-08:00

Even Cuban dogs live behind bars.

I am working on a column about bullying, yeah, another column about bullying.
My editorial team couldn't work out all the fine details for this week's Courier, but it should be ready for next week.

2012-01-26T22:08:00.000-08:00

A watch-dog Organization - Advocating for Bullied Children & Reporting on State Anti Bullying Laws

The Bullies Rule
The School Yard

Send in your nomination for a school that is unworthy, thus worthy of being recognized because they ignore bullies, bullying and the bullied.

In 100 words or less tell us why your school should be awarded for "The Bullies Rule the School Award."

Email your entry to Brenda@jaredstory.com

Home bullycide.blogspot.com

2012-01-26T21:57:00.000-08:00

What you can do to stop bullying

Bullying is a serious problem with long-lasting effects that can be the root cause of criminal behavior, academic failure, and lack of self-esteem later in life.

By GreatSchools Staff

When a California teacher caught a class bully in the act of punching another student, she immediately sent the bully to the principal's office. The bully's punishment was a one-day suspension which he spent sitting in the school office, where other students could see him. The student learned his lesson and never bullied again, and the bully's victim learned that his school was a safe place where bullying and violence would not be tolerated.

The best way to combat bullying, says the mother whose child was the victim of this bully, is having a school community where the message is clear: Bullying simply is not tolerated.

Teachers, students and administrators are all very aware of the policy. If an incident occurs, the teachers respond immediately. The students know that the behavior is unacceptable, that there are trusted adults they can confide in and that there will be consequences.

Debra Chasnoff, a San Francisco-based filmmaker who has produced a video for schools in which bullies and the bullied tell their stories, advocates a kinder, gentler approach. "Just focusing on tough discipline isn't enough. Schools should place a priority on building community. Teachers who can get kids to know and trust each other, to empathize with each other, will have fewer problems in the classroom and on the playground. You are less likely to turn on someone you know as a fellow human being."

What are the signs that my child is being bullied?

Look for:

Torn clothing
A loss of appetite
Lack of desire to go to school
Mood changes

What are the signs that my child is a bully?

Look for:

Impulsive behavior
A desire to always be in control
Showing little or no empathy for others

What are the long-term effects of bullying?

Melissa Smith, a California mother, recounts what can happen when bullying is not stopped. Her son was the victim of a gang of five elementary school bullies who continually verbally abused him. For four months her son tried to ignore them and always walked away. Finally, the gang left him alone. But her son continues to suffer from a lack of self-esteem, has had trouble making friends, and years after the bullying incident, is now in counseling.

Bullying, commonly thought to be a problem for boys, is just as prevalent among girls. It often takes the form of intentional verbal abuse or malicious gossip by several girls ganging up on one girl. Jessica, an overweight sixth grader in Canada, recounts the torment of being continually teased by three girls she previously considered her best friends: "How many times do you feel so bad that you want to change schools, leave all the actual friends that you do have or just lock yourself in a room forever?" she asks as she recounts her story of being bullied.

Characteristics of bullies

Tend to have problems at home
May be the victim of aggressive behavior or abuse at home
Receive inconsistent discipline and/or poor supervision at home
Tend to be aggressive, self-confident and lacking in empathy

Characteristics of victims

Tend to be quiet, passive children who don't have many friends
Tend to be smaller in size and/or physically weaker than the bully

The problem of bullying is widespread and is often cited as a contributing factor in the recent cases of school shootings. According to the National Resource Center for Safe Schools in Portland, Oregon, 30% of American children are regularly involved in bullying, either as bullies or victims, and approximately 15% are "severely traumatized or distressed" as a result of encounters with bullies. Researchers agree that children who bully in childhood are more likely to become violent adults and engage in criminal behavior; victims of bullies often suffer from anxiety, low self-esteem and depression as they grow into adulthood.

When is it teasing and when is it bullying?

One of the common myths about bullying is that it is just a normal part of childhood. Everyone gets teased now and then without a great deal of harm, but bullying, characterized by repeated, intentionally hurtful acts, can have long-term consequences for the bully and the victim. These acts can be physical, verbal, emotional or sexual, and there is generally an imbalance of power between the bully and the victim.

Statistics on bullying

According to Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2007, a report issued by the Justice Department and the Department of Education, in 2005:

28% of students, 12- to 18-years-old, reported that they had been bullied sometime in the prior six months.
11% reported that someone at school had used hate-related words against them.
9% were bullied by being pushed, tripped or spit upon.

Other studies indicate that:

60% of students identified as bullies in grades 6 to 9 had at least one criminal conviction by age 24.
Bullies are at even greater risk of suicide than their targets.
About two-thirds of students involved in school shootings say they had felt persecuted, bullied or threatened by others.
School-based intervention programs can reduce bullying by 30% to 50%.

What can I do about bullying?

The most important thing you can do is listen to your child. Ask about how things are going at school. Ask if your child has had any experience with bullies or has seen other children experience bullying. Often children are too embarrassed or scared to bring up the topic on their own. You can bring it up by discussing sympathy and respect for others, asking such questions as "Why do you think she said those hurtful things?" or "How do you think it feels to be bullied?"

You'll want to have a discussion about how to handle bullying situations and warn your child never to resort to violence, even as a reaction to a bully. Stan Davis, a Maine school guidance counselor and trainer in bullying prevention, advises encouraging the majority of students who are not victims or bullies to stand up to bullies, to ask adults for help and to reach out as friends to isolated students.

You may be tempted to intervene by confronting the bully and his parent yourself, but most experts advise against doing so. If you confront the bully, you will only verify for him that your child is a weakling. Many bullies come from homes lacking in parental involvement, so confronting the parent might not prove productive. Besides, it will probably be difficult for you to talk to the bully's parent in a calm and rational manner and that might only exacerbate the problem.

Your instincts may tell you to let the child learn to handle the situation himself, but in actuality he may need an adult (either a teacher or a parent) to intervene when bullying takes place because of the imbalance of power. Alert your child's teacher or principal when bullying occurs and work with your school to make sure the atmosphere is safe and that there is effective monitoring. Ask to be notified should your child be involved in a bullying incident. To really know what goes on at school and to help create a positive atmosphere, volunteer to be a playground supervisor or a classroom assistant.

Four myths about bullying

Victims are responsible for bringing bullying on themselves.
Bullying is just a normal part of childhood.
Bullies will stop if you just ignore them.
Victims need to learn to stand up for themselves.

What should my child's school be doing to address bullying?

Look for a positive, supportive atmosphere where students know that bullying will not be tolerated, where students know they can go to adults for help, and where there are clear consequences for bullying. An ongoing commitment to promoting this kind of school environment is key. An effective technique used in many schools is to have each class develop its own code of conduct.

Here's the code of conduct that one class wrote:

We don't want any hitting, punching or kicking.
We don't want any name-calling or put-downs.
We include everyone when we do group activities.
We help others when they are bullied.

Teachers and staff should be on the alert and should intervene when they see bullying occur. They should be aware that bullies often try to operate in places that are not in direct public view, such as school bathrooms or locker rooms. Some schools hold assemblies to present the topic of bullying, but these one-shot efforts have not been proven to be as effective as a consistent, ongoing school-wide effort to combat bullying.

2012-01-22T08:17:00.001-08:00

20 Plastic Things You Didn’t Know You Can Recycle

plastic, recycling

1) Bottle and jar caps: Weisenbach Recycled Products accepts clean plastic bottlecaps, plastic jar caps, flip-top caps from personal care products, and flexible snap-on lids (e.g. butter tub lids) to turn into funnels and other items. CapsCando.com.

2) Brita pitcher filters: Preserve’s Gimme 5 program accepts Brita-brand pitcher filters for recycling.See #11 below.

3) Compostable bioplastics: Find a municipal composter at FindaComposter.com.

4) Computers and other electronics: Find the most responsible recyclers near you at e-stewards.org/find-a-recycler. Your local Best Buy store will also accept many types of electronics, large and small—from televisions and gaming systems to fans and alarm clocks. Best Buy partners with responsible recyclers that do not ship items overseas, including Green Business Network™ member Electronic Recyclers International. You can bring three small items per day to Best Buy for free. The company charges a fee to recycle large electronics. BestBuy.com/recycling.

5) Eyeglasses: Your local Lions Club collects them for people in need.

6) Fishing line: Mail to Berkley Recycling, which turns it into fish habitat structures: 1900 18th Street; Spirit Lake, IA 51360.

7) Gift cards and customer loyalty cards: Fill out the form at www.earthworks system.com/Consumers/ to recycle them. (Accepts conventional cards only, not bioplastic/ compostable cards.)

8) Ink Cartridges: RecyclePlace.com pays $1 each and will recycle them. (Also see
#12, “Technotrash.”)

9) Pantyhose/tights: No Nonsense collects all brands of hose, tights, and kneehighs to be recycled into other products. NoNonsense.com/PantyhoseRecycling.aspx.

10) Plastic packaging: Many pack-and-ship stores will take packing peanuts and bubble wrap. For drop-off locations for foam blocks, contact the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers.

11) Polypropylene (#5) plastics (all types): Preserve’s Gimme 5 program accepts all types of clean #5 plastics, which are turned into Preserve personal care and kitchen products. Drop them off in the “Gimme 5” container available at select Whole Foods and food co-ops. Visitpreserveproducts.com/recycling to find a location or learn how to mail them in.

12) “Technotrash”: Organizations and schools can earn money for recycling ink cartridges and small electronics like cell phones and iPods through ProjectKOPEG.com. Recycle a large box of CDs, DVDs, jewel cases, audio and video tapes, small electronics, and ink cartridges for $30 (includes postage) through Green Disk, 800/305-GREENDISK, GreenDisk.com.

13) Telephones: Call to Protect (donateaphone.com/calltoprotect) refurbishes cell phones for domestic violence victims (see also “Technotrash,” above). Take corded and cordless phones to a local Best Buy for recycling.

14) Sports equipment: Resell or trade it at your local Play It Again Sports outlet, 800/476-9249 , www.playitagainsports.com.

15) Tennis balls: reBounces restores old tennis balls that have lost their bounce.
ReBounces.com/recycle.

16) Tennis shoes: NikeReuseAShoe.com turns them into athletic flooring. Souls4Souls.org andOneWorldRunning.com sends still-wearable shoes to runners in need in developing countries.

17) Toys: Domestic Metals and Plastics accepts plastic toys of all types for recycling.Dmpgreen.com.

18) Trophies: Lamb Awards will break your trophies down and remake them into
new ones. E-mail internet at lambawards dot com, and put “recycling” in the subject line.

19) Tyvek envelopes: Quantities less than 25: Send to Tyvek Recycle, Attn. Shirley B. Wright, 8401 Fort Darling Road, Richmond, VA 23237. More than 25: call 866/33-TYVEK.

20) Yoga mats: RecycleYourMat.com accepts yoga mats for recycling.

This article first appeared in the Green American in our Nov/Dec “Plastics Challenge” issue. For more tips and resources greening your life, subscribe to the Green American. Our Jan/Feb issue about finding a better bank is headed to the printer right now. >>

20 Plastic Things You Can Recycle

2012-01-22T08:16:00.001-08:00

We won't see this logo again

2012-01-18T07:14:00.000-08:00

Dublin Dr Pepper

2012-01-18T06:52:00.001-08:00

Dublin Dr Pepper

PutDr Pepper in any other bottle and it’s Plain O (Plano) sugar water, but put itin a Dublin Dr Pepper bottle and it becomes a magic elixir worthy of its 10, 2and 4 dosage instructions.

However,the godfather of all Plain O sweet drinks declared, “Enough! We’ve got toprotect the integrity of our trademark. How dare Dublin keep putting their nameon those little bottles! Who do they think they are, anyway! Just becausethey’ve had it all to themselves for 121 years, they think they have a right toit. I’m tired of them rubbing their success in our faces -- we need to showthem who’s boss: We’ll sue them.”

LastJune the boys from back east filed a lawsuit against Dublin Dr Pepper in federalcourt. Dr Pepper-Snapple Group (DPS) alleged that Dublin was selling Dr Pepperbeyond the 44-mile radius territory designated in its franchise agreement. Atthe time of this agreement, back in the 1920s, Dublin could have asked for alarger area, but at that time a 44-mile circle seemed awfully big for Dublin’slittle plant. The suit also sought to end what it said was the bottler’s“unauthorized use” of the term “Dublin Dr Pepper” on product packaging and onother merchandise. DPS asked the court to terminate its licensing agreement withDublin Dr Pepper and to prevent sales of the beverage on Dublin Dr Pepper’swebsite and via its toll-free number. It should be noted that at one time thecorporate fathers had approved the use of “Dublin Dr Pepper” on cans andbottles.

TheDublin company began selling Dr Pepper in Texas in 1891 and has enjoyed a goodrun at it. Business was good in its territory, but when 800 phone numbers andthe internet became such good purchasing partners, business literally boomed.The Dublin management had to limit customer orders to only 20 cases. The drinkwas so popular that people traveled to Dublin from all over Texas, the nation,and even foreign countrys to purchase a supply of their favorite beverage.

Onewould naturally think that the parent would be proud of Dublin’s success.Dublin was never a threat to the financial well-being of the Plano-based giant.Dublin Dr Pepper, with about $7 million in annual revenue, sold less than one tenthof one percent of Dr Pepper’s $5 billion annual sales. The big guy from Planotoday controls a portfolio of brands that includes Sunkist soda, Mott’s Applejuice and Snapple tea. So what was under the saddle blanket that gave Plano’sride such discomfort?

SincePlano isn’t saying anything outside their allegations of wrongdoing againstDublin, they could have been unhappy with the success Dublin was having by thecontinued use of the two alleged infractions. Historically, big Dr Pepper hasnot had the same success over the long haul as Dublin.

DrPepper became insolvent in the 1980s, prompting an investment group to take thecompany private. Sometime later the same company acquired Seven Up from PhillipMorris. About the same time Coca-Cola attempted to acquire Dr Pepper but wasblocked from doing so by the Federal Trade Commission.

Twice,in 1951 and 1972, Dr Pepper sued Coca-Cola for selling their colas for a nickeland for trademark infringement over “Peppo” and “Dr. Pibb” names. Finally, Mr. Pibb was approved.

Overthe years the two companies had a good working relationship. For those at DrPepper who knew and remembered Billie Kloster, from the time he was an employeeto when he was the owner of Dublin Dr Pepper, there were no complaints --nothing but respect, admiration and cooperation. However, those days and thosepeople are gone, replaced by a new group of savvy business people, who knowonly one thing-- the bottom line rules. There can be no give and take; Dublincannot be allowed to prosper at daddy’s expense. Buying them out willeventually allow Plano to have 100 percent of the pie, so that makes theacquisition good business. For Dublin and the 18 men and women who lost theirjobs, that’s tough luck -- just the cost of doing business.

Understandably,the folks in Dublin were demoralized when they first heard the news. At ameeting Tuesday at the “new” Dublin Bottling Works, there was a different, morepositive attitude taking over. As a group, the employees and townspeopledecided to let go of their hostility and move forward.

What’sdone is done, Dr Pepper is gone, but they still have Dublin Bottling Works andseveral drinks to bottle and sell, virtually anywhere they like. Dr Pepper tookaway all those restrictions when they purchased all things Dr Pepper, leavingDublin free to do business as usual, just without their famous drink.

“Themeeting was upbeat,” said Karen Wright, director of the Dublin EconomicDevelopment Corporation. “Folks said there is no use being negative about allthis, there is a lot to be positive about. We still have some great drinks tomarket. If we get behind them and push them like we have Dr Pepper all theseyears, we’ll be okay. Our trademark beverage is gone but its history is not.”

DublinBottling Works (the original name of the plant when it was formed in 1891) willproduce Triple XXX Root Beer, Big Red, Nu Grape, as well as some otherspreviously bottled at Dublin. Things are looking up already in Dublin.

Ifthe folks in Dublin can feel this positive, so can we. If we like corporate’ssugar Dr Pepper, go ahead and buy it. But when there’s a choice between DrPepper and Triple XXX Root Beer, Big Red or Nu Grape we can choose. As for me,I like a root beer float.

Bythe way, in case anyone has wondered why I kept leaving off the period after Dr-- it wasn’t a mistake. The period (fullstop) after “Dr” was discarded for stylistic and legibility reasons inthe 1950s.

Cuban Socialism

2012-01-15T13:44:00.000-08:00

Cuban Socialism, To the point,

Afew years ago I was asked to go to Cuba as a member of a three-man informationgathering team. I asked myself, “Wow, do I really want to go to CommunistCuba?” I remembered standing at the bottom of Florida in front of the sign thatread, “Cuba 90 miles” and wondering what caused so many Cuban people to risktheir lives in crossing such dangerous waters to get to this shore.

Curiositygot the best of me, I went and enjoyed the time I spent in Cuba and evengathered helpful information.

Atthat time Americans were not allowed to go to Cuba without specialauthorization from the U.S. State Department. In fact, when we received ourtravel documents we were booked on a flight to Acapulco, Mexico. From there weflew into Havana, where our passports were not stamped.

Wewere allowed two bags for the flight, but we had been told to pack only one forourselves. Our second bag was packed with medicines, soap, tooth paste, guitarstrings, small hand tools and chewing gum. These items were difficult to comeby in Cuba. People in Florida and Cuba were praying for a miracle when we hitcustoms in Havana. Prayers were answered, we walked through customs withoutopening a single bag.

Fifty years ago, Fidel Castro surprised the worldwhen he announced that he would convert Cuba into a socialist paradise.

In the beginning, Castro and hiscohorts had a good time using the hundreds of millions of dollars in money andproperties they had seized to give the Cuban people "free"everything, education, health care, housing, food, and the like."Equality" was the clarion call, as money and property were seized inthe name of "the people." After a while everyone was equally poor.

TheCuban people lost all personal freedom, all personal property and were forcedto live in government-owned, worn out buildings that are crumbling around them.The communist government has taken so much away from the once thriving Gardenof Eden, that there is no pride of ownership, little pride of country. Hardlyanything has been painted since Cuba was converted into a pardise.

The Cuban people, most of whom arebarely surviving, are paying the price for what Castro did 50 years ago. Theaverage monthly pay, which the state pays in Cuban pesos, is about $16. Police officersand doctors get around $30.

MostCuban families relied on the Libreta de Abastecimiento (suppliesbooklet) for food rations. Most of these rations are distributed at the local bodega,where long lines waiting were normal. A litre of milk a day was available tochildren under seven, the elderly, the ill and pregnant women.

Atits inception the rationing system included just about everything. At one timechildren were allowed to have three different toys a year. This all changedwith the demise of the Eastern Bloc when Cuba entered the “Special Period.”

Fordecades, Castro had used aid from the Soviet Union to convince the people thatCuban socialism was an economic success. The end of the Soviet Union'ssubsidies in 1992, however, exposed the failure of Castro's socialistexperiment. Standing on its own, Cuban socialism meant that the Cuban peoplewere faced with the prospect of starvation.

Over the past decade, Castro has hadto adapt his version of communism to suit the changing economic conditions ofhis people. Castro has had to allow the American dollar to circulate in Cuba,now there are two legal currencies; the Cuban peso and the American dollar, andnaturally everyone wants the American dollar. With the dollar they have morepurchasing power.

Castro also introduced tourism tobring in foreign investment. Special resorts were created for tourists. Aspecial tourist police was formed to prevent ordinary Cubans from entering thetourist hotels. Even a special tourist currency was tried, but it has sincebeen dispatched to the department of forgotten policies.

Fidel Castro stepped down in 2006and handed the reigns of the government over to his younger brother, Raul, whoalmost immediately began a campaign of reform. Term limits were set to two fiveyear periods, beginning with himself. In 2010 he announced rationing would beeliminated, a little at a time. In its place workers would be given salaryincreases. Most Cubans were born into this system and knew nothing else.

Havana continues to crumble andwhile the salsa music blares for the tourists there is an underlyingdesperation in the city - as if people are waiting - and hoping for bettertimes.

This is the sameAmerica that thousands of former Cubans have fled to in an attempt to get awayfrom Castro’s grasp. America is known as a haven of rest for untold millions ofoppressed peoples of this world, and our president wants to convert it into asocialist paradise? Unthinkable!

2012-01-15T13:22:00.000-08:00

Please be patient with me as I attempt to start re-blogging. It took me all day to change the signature on my email, and every time to come to my blog, everything is different. I used to be able to paste copy in, but now I don't think I can. But I WILL figure this out.

Here I go again.

2011-09-14T21:06:00.000-07:00

I'm set to try blogging again if I can remember how to do it, and more.

2011-09-14T21:03:00.000-07:00

It will take me a while to get reacquainted with my blog. There are things i've forgotten and new things I need to learn. I want to try to do more with my blog this time around, recycling matters, my woodworking, trade days, and more. And some political comments, etc.
I'm not seeing the attach key anywhere. If anyone reads this maybe you can help me.

If anyone reads this column any more....

2011-04-16T17:45:00.000-07:00

Hello, I was surprised to get back into my blog...sorry I haven't been posting, just too many irons in the fire. But I want to start up again soon. Maybe next week. In fact I'm thinking about making this my home for "To the point, " my newspaper column.

Until then.

bunny vance

A new ceiling fan in Munday

2010-04-06T10:35:00.000-07:00

to the point

So much for spring, let’s just spring forward to a full-blown summer. Our days are beautiful now, right? They sure get warm in the afternoon. I discovered, although, if you work in the shade it’s not so hot.

I guess by now everyone has noticed the windmill at the Cude residence on the west side. When I first heard about it I had this picture in my mind of huge fan blades that almost touch the ground. It’s nothing like that at all: it’s a residence windmill for generating electricity for the home. If it produces too much to be used instantly it hops on the grid and goes to the governor’s mansion. The governor wants to save money, too.

Until the mid-19th century, habitable land had to have a nearby water source, quite a restriction on early Texas settlers hoping to make a go of it. What we see happening now is sort-of a replay of history. You’ve heard “what goes around comes around,” the windmill has come around again.

Using wind power as a natural propulsion force has been around for centuries, the earliest known use of wind power, of course, is the sail boat. And this technology had an important impact of the later development of wind power.

It was in 1854 that Daniel Halladay of Connecticut developed the American water-pumping windmill. Halladay’s version was a great improvement on the clunky European model. This new design allowed farmers and ranchers totap in to groundwater and pump it to the surface.

By the 1870’s, the Halladay windmill could be found on many farms and ranchs in Texas, where watering livestock this way had become the norm. Texas soon became the country’s largest user of windmills.

Between 1850 and 1970, over six million wind machines were installed in the U.S. Larger windmills were used to pump water for the steam railroad trains that provided the primary source of commercial transportation in areas where there were no navigable rivers.

By the mid-1920’s, 1 to 3-kilowat wind generators found widespread use in the rural areas of the Great Plains. These systems provided lighting for farms and power to charge batteries used in crystal radio sets. The demand of farmsteads for larger amounts of power on demand, and the Great Depression, which spurred the U.S. federal government to stimulated the depressed rural economies by extending the electrical grid throughout those areas, brought about the end of the small systems.

The interference by the government was not a popular development, but as we say, “time moved on and the folks had to move with it.”

With electricity “on demand” at everyone’s disposal, interest in wind power slowed down, at least in the United States.

U.S. interest and efforts were rekindled after the 1973 oil embargo, with the entry of the U.S. Federal Wind Energy Program into the cycle of wind energy development. And this made a federal case of wind energy.

Like “they” say, the rest is history.

Today Texas leads the nation in wind power capacity for both water-pumping and electricity, and several museums and wind farms celebrate this piece of our past. In Lubbock, for example, the American Wind Power Center houses one of the world’s largest collections of water-pumping windmills. One can see more than 150 restored examples, many dating to the 1800s.

Everything about the history of and the present-day happenings of the newer, larger, wind turbines is interesting. How the experts decide where to place these huge ceiling fans is worth a look on the web to learn something about it.

Thank you Shawn and Keila Cude for stimulating this history lesson and maybe a peek into our future.

2009-11-10T18:47:00.000-08:00

To the Point

I read different kinds of books and articles, and quotations are one of my favorite subjects. I like them so much I keep a folder just for ”Quotations”. In this column I will use several quotes from famous or outstanding Americans. I will not name the author, I want the reader to name as many authors as they can. Some will be easy, as they have been used many times in books, magazines and newspapers.

I have been complimented many times and they always embarrass me; I always feel that they have not said enough. But then, I can live for two months on a good compliment.

If man could be crossed with the cat, it would improve man but deteriorate the cat. If you hold a cat by the tail you learn things you cannot learn any other way.

Age is an issue of mind of over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter. A man is never more truthful than he acknowledges himself a liar. Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often.

How are you doing so far? Good luck! (That’s all the quotes for this week.)

Vandals continue to plague Munday. The latest strike was at Down Town Park, where a large section of the short brick wall (across the front) was broken off. This was no accident, no roaming tom cat could have done it. This was a willful act of malicious destruction to the property of another. The park is owned by the Munday Chamber of Commerce.

Individuals vandalize for a variety of reasons including: to send a message, to express frustration, to stake revenge, to make money, or as part of a game. Vandals may work alone or as members of a loose or organized group.

It is difficult to gauge the true prevalence or cost of vandalism based on the official reports to police because they are some of the most underreported crimes. As compared to violent crime, an incident of vandalism may be considered trivial; however, all together, vandalism may be a reflection of a larger or more systematic problem in the community. Vandalism is widely viewed as a “broken windows” offense which, if not addressed, could lead to other more serious crimes.

Because the destruction of public and private property poses a threat to society, modern statutes make vandalism a crime. The penalties upon conviction may be a fine, a jail sentence, an order to pay for repairs or replacement, or all three. In addition, a person who commits vandalism may be sued in a civil tort action for damages so that the damaged property can be repaired or replaced.

The state of Texas holds parents financially responsible for vandalism committed by their minor children. This is designed to encourage parental supervision and to shift part of the cost of vandalism from the public to the individuals who should be best able to supervise the children who destroyed the property.

Destructive acts of this nature will not be excused nor will they be tolerated in Munday. The City of Munday will do what is necessary to stop this senseless destruction of public property and bring the perpetrators to justice. Parents, you are responsible for the minor children living in your household. You need to know where every child under your roof is at every minute of the day. Do you know where yours are right now, this very minute? Teenagers are smart and crafty, if you are lazy and indifferent, they have a huge advantage over you. There is a lot at stake here, parents, wake up and do the right thing for your children. Don’t expect some other parent to keep your teenager out of trouble, it just doesn’t work that way.

Richie Smith said at Lion’s Club last Tuesday that he was proud of Munday because, “People of Munday are a caring, helpful people. And people from other places are seeing this and talking about Munday.” As we think along these lines, let’s talk about something close to home. It has come to my attention that the Munday Food Bank is in dire need of OUR assistance. The bank now feeds over 800 people from around the county: Munday has the only food bank. Food and money, lots of each will help, now. Also, the bank could use a medium/large enclosed trailer to transport food stuffs from Wichita Falls, If anyone has one to loan or donate, please contact Adrin Fletcher at the Church of Christ. The $10 gift boxes from Lawrence Brothers make good gifts for the Food Bank.

2009-11-05T19:43:00.000-08:00

To The Point

Our main topic this week is “unity” or “unity of purpose.” Following al-Qaida’s infamous attack on our nation, the 9/11 Commission Report said, “We have come together with a unity of purpose because or nation demands it. The nation was unprepared.”

“The most important failure was one of imagination,” the report continued. “We do not believe leaders understood the gravity of the threat.”

“Imagination,” said Albert Einstein, “is more important than knowledge.”

Since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Washington D.C., our political climate has become increasingly partisan. Instead of meeting in the middle and working toward solutions, people are standing on the fringes and yelling at each other. We have forgotten that we share many common goals and should work on achieving these goals together.

It has been a while since Munday suffered a tragedy. Many of us remember the last one too well. We do not relish an enactment of that terrible time. We don’t want a tragedy of any kind to come our way.

With that thought in mind, no one will mind if I step in here and try to prevent a tragedy from happening. For the most part Munday is a community of like-minded individuals. At least that is what we all want to believe. Okay, if we are like-minded does that mean we do not have a mind of our own? Bear with me here.

When Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines told an audience in London she was "ashamed" that President Bush came from Texas, she had no reason to think her words would cause country music stations in parts of the United States to boycott the trio's latest album and their best-selling hit single, "Travelin' Soldier."

It wasn't just that she was caught up in Europe's antiwar spirit; something more profound is in play here. Maines lives and works in artsy, liberal Austin. Her remark wouldn't cause a ruckus among the like-minded transplants who have moved there in droves over the past two decades (including Maines, who hails from the decidedly less liberal West Texas city of Lubbock).

I propose that we are like-minded on many subjects, or ojects, but, that we all have a tendency to have a mind of our own. And when we are in the “mind of our own” mode, we become close-minded to other ideas: the ideas of other people. Some of us are closed to any ideas other than our own. Now, if you can convince these like-minded people that what you are saying is really their idea, bingo, you have a semblance of unity. At least between the two of you.

My point is: we need unity in Munday. We need a unity of purpose to survive as a town. When people talk about survival the theme is usually “survival of the fittest.” That means someone comes out on top and is king of the hill. We don’t need a king in Munday. We need a whole town surviving against the odds. The odds are all those things that work together, as in unity, to destroy small towns like Munday.

Now, the unpleasant part of my whole point is this: Munday has an abundance of wanna-be kings. Some will not play with the rest of us if they can’t be the quarterback calling the plays. Others refuse to play if they have to agree with Joe Schmo’s ideas. Some won’t play this game because, well, we’ve played it before and it wasn’t any fun then. People’s excuses, reasons, for not cooperating are many and, well, quite rediculous.

People of Munday, it is time for ALL of US to put aside our selfish feelings and ideas, and pull together. If we want to survive as a community we MUST cooperate with each other. And to cooperate we MUST stop talking about each other and tearing each other apart; this is negative and works against Munday. Instead we need to build up each other, encouraging everyone. Like-minded folks will put the best interest of Munday first and foremost. It will be for US, WE WILL overcome. WE WILL survive, together!

When you put in a good word for Munday, you are putting in a good word for all of US. We are one, WE are for the survival and growth of Munday. It’s onward and upward: there are no alternate routes.

2009-10-21T20:20:00.000-07:00

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE

CITY OF MUNDAY, TEXAS ESTABLISHING

A MAYOR’S ADVISORY COUNCIL (MAC) FOR THE CITY OF MUNDAY

WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Munday, Texas, wants to know what is happening in every part of the city of Munday; and

WHEREAS, the City Council realizes that every citizen cannot and would not address their every individual needs or grievances to the council; and

WHEREAS, the City Council believes by establishing a Mayor’s Advisory Council that citizens’ needs, expectations, and/or dreams could be met; and

WHEREAS, the City Council understands the purpose of the Mayor’s Advirory Council (MAC) to be as follows:

Section 1. Purpose

(1) To resolve citizen grievances, to accept citizens' complaints, to determine the legitimacy of such complaints, and, to report citizen’s complaints to the mayor and City Council.

(2) To aid in making the mayor and City Council aware of problems in the Munday community.

(3) To recommend and present new and progressive ideas to the mayor and city council.

(4) To promote civic pride and community goals.

(5) To consider nominations for the wall of fame award as described below in Section 3.

Section 2. Composition of MAC and selection of members.

The MAC established by this resolution shall consist of no less than ten (10) members and no more than fifteen (15) members being representative of all ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic interests existing in the city. No employee of the city shall serve on the MAC. All members shall be appointed by the mayor.

Section 3. Qualifications.

Each member appointed shall be a registered voter. Further, each member who is appointed by the mayor shall live in the city. In the case of a 15-member council, three business people can live outside the city limits.

Section 4. Wall of Fame Award

(1) The membership of the MAC may, by majority vote, select persons as recipients of the Wall of Fame Award (known before as Attaboy Club). Such selection shall be memorialized by way of a formal resolution adopted by the MAC. This resolution shall then be forwarded to the city secretary for consideration and approval by the Munday City Council.

(2) This award shall be given to a person who has made significant and outstanding contributions to the City of Munday over a period of many years.

(3) The Wall of Fame Award may be bestowed posthumously.

(4) The City of Munday shall maintain a plaque in a prominent place at City Hall which contains the names of each recipient of the Wall of Fame Award.

Dated at the City of Munday this 13th day of October, 2009.

Buddy V. Norville

Mayor of Munday

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF

THE CITY OF MUNDAY, TEXAS ESTABLISHING

A MAYOR’S YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL (MYAC) FOR THE CITY OF MUNDAY

WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Munday, Texas, has determined that the young people of our community have unique insight into the needs, desires, problems and issues which confront, and are experienced by young people; and

WHEREAS, the City Council believes that our youth, as inheritors of the community, are certainly deserving of a voice and representation, in efforts adopted by the City to identify and resolve issues which concern the youth of the community; and

WHEREAS, the City Council feels it is important to provide an opportunity for the youth of Munday to acquire a greater knowledge of and appreciation for the political system through active participation in the system; and

WHEREAS, the City Council believes by establishing a Youth Advisory Council it will instill a feeling of positive self-worth and esteem, to teach respect for the rights and property of others, to promote community pride, and eliminate potential negative influences among our future community leaders.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MUNDAY,

TEXAS:

There is hereby established a "Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council" hereinafter "MYAC". The purpose of the MYAC is to actively advise the City Council with thoughtful recommendations on issues concerning youth and to assist City staff in considering youth perspectives in its planning efforts. The MYAC shall hold periodic meetings with the Mayor and/or City Council and will attend City Council and City Board meetings when youth issues are on the agenda. MYAC shall create task forces, as needed.

Dated at the City of Munday this 13th day of October, 2009.

Buddy V. Norville

Mayor of Munday

2009-10-21T20:14:00.000-07:00

To The Point

Last year Texas crops suffered a loss of over $50 million in damage to wild hogs. Just to give you an idea of their destructive capabilities, a herd of 30-40 hogs can destroy a 25-acre field in a night. Some of our readers have experienced their power. Many individuals are doing their best to eradicate these creatures. The problem is, the hogs multiply faster than individuals can kill them. It may take a disaster declaration by the governor to remedy this problem, because this is a stateside situation. The problem is larger than a city or even a county can handle. Oh, there are no funds budgeted for this type of disaster. That is not a viable answer. All we need is for these hogs to get rabies or something worse. Why didn’t President O’bama promise every Democrat a hog on his plate. Texas farmers would be more than happy to furnish the hogs for a few billion of them bail out dollars. They can even keep their Cadillac clunkers.

Early voting for the upcoming Nov. 3 statewide election begins Monday and runs through Friday, Oct. 30. Although no state, county, or city offices will be filled during this election, the fate of 11 proposed constitutional amendments is at stake statewide.

Texas has gained approximately 1,100 jobs, based on more than 230 contracts awarded from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The construction industry was the big winner regarding contracts, with road, bridge and other transportation infrastructure projects. Environmental jobs, too, were boosted by funding relating to energy efficiency and renewable energy creation and use. Texas continues to lead the nation in these areas.

I know everyone in Munday is happy to hear that October 31, will be our fall city-wide cleanup day. There are signs of trash buildup all over town, so folks are cleaning out their garages, storage rooms and their cellars, just for this time. (There is a story in another part of this paper telling where to take your trash and what time to get it there, and what you can take. No chemicals, explosive items or heat-seeking missiles. Please follow the directions in the story.)

Something of interest to Munday folks has come to our attention that has not been broadly publicized. The site for the Knox County Livestock Show will be in Munday on a permanent basis. This is due to the fact that Munday has the best facilities, with ample parking for trucks, trailers and cars of visitors. The show is always held in January.

The showbarn, formerly owned and operated by the Young Farmers, is now under the umbrella of the Development Corporation of Munday (DCM or EDC). According to Mark Reed, president, the DCM will take care of some needed repairs, install more lighting in some areas of the showbarn and apply insulation to the interior.

“Of course the whole place needs cleaning up, especially the back of the building,” Reed said, “the back has rotting railroad ties all over the area. Right now it’s hard to see them because the grass is so tall. We could really use some help back there to get this place ready for the County Show in January.”

Yeh, I know, this is only October. But the 31st is only two weeks away. And cold weather is another few weeks away. NOW would be a good time for all you volunteers to come down and help, either on or before October 31st. There is nothing that says your club or organization can’t go over there and do it all before the 31st. Please, let this be a community effort and make that area of Munday shine. Let’s show our county visitors how Munday takes care of business.

Several of us have been attending all kinds of meetings around the state learning and networking with others from all over the state. People everywhere have heard of Munday, even though they don’t remember why always. So we remind them why Munday is so well-known. We’ll be telling all about soon enough, but first we have a ton of paper work to do and thousands of photos to shoot. And some day we will hear, “Lights, camera, action!” You’ll want to keep your subscription to the Courier paid up.

2009-10-20T20:12:00.000-07:00

Obama is sure about something

Sandy Rios - Guest Columnist

Do you remember the anticipation surrounding the great non-debate between Barack Obama and John McCain hosted by Pastor Rick Warren? Televised from Saddleback Church as millions watched, Warren pledged to ask the hard questions in order to get to the truth. It was a critical juncture in the presidential campaign and there was much public discussion over faith and values and marriage and Proposition 8 and where, exactly, each man stood.

So there it was...proof. The skeptics of Obama's Christian faith and his position on the moral implications of same-sex marriage had been put in their place. The man had said he believed marriage was between a man and a woman, it was sacred and that it was his Christian faith that informed him of this. It was convincing and powerful and many social conservatives breathed a sigh of relief and voted for the charming candidate with the lovely smile, believing they were affirming a new era in race relations and signing on to "hope and change."

Fast forward to a recent appearance by the president in Washington, DC. The occasion was the annual dinner for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the leading organization promoting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights. That audience was also eager to know just where he stood. Restless with his perceived inaction on their issues, they waited eagerly as Obama rose to speak.

He promised them the world. He promised a hate crimes bill that will put an added measure of federal law enforcement on anyone perpetrating a violent crime against a gay, lesbian or transgender person. If passed, murdering a gay man will be a much more serious crime than killing a grandmother. With bravado, he pledged to name this bill after Matthew Shepherd, the young gay slain in Wyoming in 1998. ABC tried to correct the narrative not long after the incident to clarify it was robbery not "homophobia" that resulted in the murder, but the story was already larger than life. Matthew was known for soliciting straight men and abusing drugs. His murder was tragic, but he was no hero. Still, Obama advanced the legend, and gave tribute to a man not known for his character, but for his sexual preference.

Next he promised ENDA (the Employment Non-Discrimination Act) to punish moral objections to hiring of GLBT persons -- even in schools, churches, private business and government offices. The next time you visit your child's school, after it passes, you could be met by a male teacher in a skirt or a drag queen as the office secretary.

"There are still fellow citizens, perhaps neighbors, even loved ones -- good and decent people -- who hold fast to outworn arguments and old attitudes," Obama continued.

I wonder if he had Rick Warren or the audience at Saddleback or the Christian world in mind. Surely that inference to a homosexual audience very clearly suggested that objections to homosexuality on moral grounds constituted those "outworn arguments" and "old attitudes." What could be older than the biblical prohibition against same-sex sex?

"I'm here with you in that fight....My commitment to you is unwavering....Do not doubt the direction we are headed and the destination we will reach," the president promised to the applause of the crowd.

If he had only made promises that definitive to Rick Warren....But he did say this during that televised "debate" in the heat of the campaign: "I'm not somebody who promotes same-sex marriage."

Really? He promised those at the HRC banquet he would overturn the Defense of Marriage Act. Ultimately he fought against Proposition 8 in California, a vote by its citizens to prevent same-sex marriage. And later he made sure he spoke in opposition to traditional marriage advocates in Iowa who were, with his help, defeated.

But the promises to the Human Rights Campaign didn't end there. In spite of objections by the best military minds who have cautioned about the dangers to troop cohesion in the face of open sexuality of either gender, Obama declared defiantly, "I will end 'Don't ask, don't tell.' That's my commitment to you!" Commitment to the homosexual activist community...not so much to our troops in the field.

"My expectation is that when you look back on these years, you will see a time in which we put a stop to discrimination against gays and lesbians whether in the office or on the battlefield. You will see a time in which we as a nation finally recognize relationships between two men or two women as just as real and admirable as between a man and woman...I am committed to these goals...."

Indeed, I believe he is. For a man who is so uncertain on so many things, of the need to advance homosexual rights he seems passionately convinced.

2009-10-12T20:41:00.000-07:00

to the point

Today one might expect to pay at least $130 for a speeding fine, plus $97 in court costs. In 1994 a speeding ticket was anywhere from $58-$63. A no driver’s license fine was only $67, whereas today it could be around $200. Today’s fees reflect more involvement by the State of Texas in our business. For instance the State tells the courts how much to charge for court costs and how much we can keep in Munday. Not much stays here. And if we don’t collect as much as they prescribe, we still have to send it to them every quarter.

The State’s involvement in the sales tax revenue is even more incredable, when they send us back only two percent of what we send to them. It takes a lot of sales in Munday to come out with much at the rate of two percent on the dollar.

Now that you are in a mode for dealing with statistics, here’s a few for you from the crash calendar of 2008.

Statistics show that Texas has a significant traffic safety problem. In 2008 there were approximately 3,468 traffic related fatalities, with 1,422 (42%) being speed related. Fatalities in traffice crashes in rural areas accounted for 1,877 deaths (54.1%). That’s right, over half of the deaths occurred in areas like Munday.

There were no deathless days on Texas roadways in 2008. Friday, August 8th was the deadliest day with 32 persons killed in traffic crashes. August and October were the deadliest months with 320 persons killed in both months.

Of those killed in 2008 56% were not wearing seat belts. Of 529 motorcyclists (operators and passengers) killed, 56% were not wearing helmets at the time of the crash.

Single vehicle, run off the road crashes resulted in 1,116 deaths. This was 32% of all deaths. There were 829 people killed in crashes occurring in intersections or related to an intersection. Another 510 were killed in head-on crashes.

There were 975 killed in crashes where a driver was under the influence of alcohol. This is 28.1% of the total killed. More DUI-alcohol related crashes were reported in the hour between 2:00 a.m. and 2:59 a.m. than any other hour of the day. Also, more alcohol related crashes occurred on Saturday than any other day of the week.

Pedalcyclist fatalities totaled 48, a 4% decrease from 2007.

Okay, so you think you’d feel safer walking than riding in a car? Pedestrian fatalities totaled 48 in 2008. This is a 5% increase over 2007. So it was more dangerous to walk in 2008 than it was in 2007.

Then there are the airlines who brag about how much safer it is to fly. I don’t know how one would go about comparing statistics realistically. One airline says it is safer to fly with them because they had fewer accidents per takeoff. Another says they are safer because they have had fewer accidents per 100, 000 flying miles. Another is safer because they have the best peanuts in the air. One website, sponsored by a law firm, says if calculated by distance, planes are 62 times safer than cars and trucks However, if calculated by journey, planes are three times more dangerous than cars.

Another site, sponsored by a book on air safety, says more a realistic figure is the rate of fatalities per number of journeys. By this measure, air travel takes on a different complexion. Fatalities per 100 million passenger journeys are 4.5 for cars, 2.7 for trains, and 55 for planes. This means one is 12 times more likely to die on a commercial jet compared to a car, and 20 times more likely to die on a plan than on a train.

A good statistician can crunch the numbers to come up with any story his boss wants, whether they are correct or not.

Just give people the facts about Munday and how great it is and you’ll be correct in every way.

2009-10-07T19:57:00.000-07:00

The ACLU's real agenda in the Mojave Desert

Robert Knight

Where is Art Carney when you need him?

The straight man for the classic Honeymooners TV show could deliver a line sorely needed at today's (Oct. 7) Supreme Court hearing on the fate of the Mojave Desert war memorial cross: "Simmer down, Ralphie boy!"

In this case, Ralphie is Frank Buono, a man who has gone to absurd lengths to find offense. In fact, it's reminiscent of the false knock on the Puritans that they above all else feared that someone, somewhere was having a good time. In Frankie's case, he apparently fears that someone, somewhere might take comfort in a cross erected to honor America's fallen heroes.

At issue in Salazar v. Buono is the five-foot-tall (estimates vary) cross that is the latest in a series of crosses erected on Sunrise Rock since 1934 in California's Mojave National Preserve. The original was built by World War I veterans with the Veterans of Foreign Wars who had gone to the desert for their health and decided to honor their fallen comrades and the rest of America's war dead by erecting a wooden cross. The current one, made of pipe, was built in 1998 by a local resident, Henry Sandoz. The cross is in a remote region seen by few. But one of those is Buono, a former Park Service employee and ACLU member who told the ACLU that although he moved to Oregon, he comes down and sees the cross "two to four times a year." That was enough for the ACLU to file a lawsuit in 2001 demanding that the National Park Service tear down the cross.

A quick comparison. In Berlin, Ronald Reagan thrilled millions by saying "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" The ACLU, on the other hand, squeals loudly, "Courts, tear down this cross!" Whose country would you rather live in?

In 2004, Congress passed laws designating the site as a national war memorial and swapping the land on which the cross stands for some privately owned acreage. But Mr. Buono, whose complaint was that a cross on taxpayer-owned federal land violated his First Amendment right against establishment of religion, filed an injunction halting the transfer. He claims that he's an injured party although the government gave him relief on his original request: "Stop saying 'yes' to my demands, or I'll sue!" Naturally, the wacky Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco found merit in his argument, bringing us to the Oct. 7 hearing before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Park officials years ago covered the cross in canvas lest the sight of it burn Mr. Buono's eyes on one of his strolls. After some patriot tore off the canvas, the cross was covered in a plywood box. Could there be a more apt symbol of what the ACLU wants to do to religion in this country?

C.S. Lewis once remarked that the agenda of the Left is to make pornography public and religion private, a goal clearly reflected in the ACLU's endless string of nuisance cases. They've gained a lot of ground. While America is awash in Internet porn and ever-more coarse trash on TV, an obscure cross honoring our war dead gets hammered into a box.

In June, the American Civil Rights Union (ACRU), an antidote to the ACLU, filed an amicus brief that says Mr. Buono has no standing in this case because he is claiming injury based on his own injunction that has foiled the relief that he had sought.

The brief by ACRU attorneys Peter Ferrara and Ken Klukowski observes that,

"It is therefore not an end to taxpayer support for the cross that Mr. Buono seeks, but rather to employ judicial power to compel the executive branch to destroy this war memorial. Standing doctrine should not be construed to empower plaintiffs to use the courts to convert the executive branch into a demolition crew that levels crosses to the ground."

The VFW and many other groups also have submitted briefs in defense of the cross. There is much at stake. An ACLU victory could imperil crosses and Stars of David on the graves of soldiers in 22 war memorial cemeteries and encourage the ACLU to look for yet more targets. They are still trying to tear down the 29-foot Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial Cross near San Diego. In recent years, they've sued to have religious symbols removed from the seals of Stow, Ohio; Redlands, California; Duluth, Minnesota; Plattsmouth, Nebraska; and Republic, Missouri. In Los Angeles, the mere threat of an ACLU lawsuit motivated the County Board of Supervisors to vote to remove a cross from the county seal in 2004 despite the wishes of 94 percent of the residents.

This past week, the Pentagon reported that eight more American soldiers were killed in Afghanistan. They paid the ultimate price defending freedom and America's security.

What do you think their fathers, mothers, wives, and children would say if they came upon that cross covered up in a box?

2009-10-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

Commies, Fascists and Perverts, Oh My!

By Matt Barber

Obama’s inner-circle is shaping-up like the bar scene from Star Wars. It’s a swollen throng of unaccountable czars and policy advisors comprised of some of the most bizarre fringe leftists imaginable. As mom always said, you’re known by the company you keep and Obama keeps some downright creepy company.

Here’s a sampling: First, we have disgraced former green-jobs czar Van “tinfoil hat” Jones. Jones, a self avowed communist and 9-11 “truther,” was forced to resign after revelations of his extremism became public.

Then there’s science czar John Holdren, the unzipped Harvard professor who wants a “Planetary Regime” to control world population through compulsory sterilization and forced abortion.

And of course there’s the administration’s very own Dr. Dolittle: regulatory czar Cass Sunstien, who advocates that animals be allowed to sue people.

But perhaps the creepiest of Obama’s advisers is “safe schools” chief Kevin Jennings. Jennings – an open homosexual activist – is former director of GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network), a highly controversial group of adult homosexual activists who promote sexual anarchy and tacitly work to normalize the criminal practice of pederasty.

GLSEN’s primary purpose is to push dangerous and even deadly homosexual and cross-dressing behaviors in our government schools on children as young as five. So bold is Jennings in his promotion of homosexual behavior among children that he even penned the foreword to a book entitled “Queering Elementary Education.” (I don’t know about you, but Jennings and his ilk will “queer” my elementary-age kids over my dead body.)

A number of Jennings past activities disqualify him from holding any position relating to children; but a recently revealed scandal involving an exchange between him and a former tenth-grade student leaves no doubt that he’s unfit to serve in his current capacity. Jennings has admitted that while he was a teacher, a boy –– whom he understood to be 15 years-old –– shared that he had been sodomized by an “older man” who lured him home from a bus stop toilet.

Of course any reasonable teacher would have immediately called police and notified the student’s parents. But Kevin Jennings –– an anti-Christian bigot who once said of Christians: “F – k ‘em! … Drop Dead!” [in a church]– is anything but reasonable. Instead, he affirmed both the man-boy homosexual encounter and the boy’s “gayness,” flippantly telling him, “I hope you knew to use a condom.” (Jennings recently admitted that he “should have handled this situation differently” but, as of yet, has arrogantly refused to step-down or even apologize).

Still, Jennings’ cavalier attitude toward adult-child sex should really come as no surprise. In a1997 speech he voiced his admiration for Harry Hay, longtime advocate of the homosexual/pedophile group NAMBLA (the North American Man-Boy Love Association.)

According to NAMBLA’s website, Hay made the following statement in a 1983 address: “I also would like to say at this point that it seems to me that in the gay community the people who should be running interference for NAMBLA are the parents and friends of gays. Because if the parents and friends of gays are truly friends of gays, they would know from their gay kids that the relationship with an older man is precisely what thirteen-, fourteen-, and fifteen-year-old kids need more than anything else in the world. And they would be welcoming this, and welcoming the opportunity for young gay kids to have the kind of experience that they would need.”

Sickening, right? Shocking, no? Well, not to Kevin Jennings. His take? He gushed, “One of the people that’s always inspired me is Harry Hay.”

But, again, this should come as no surprise. Homosexual/pedophile groups like NAMBLA and homosexual activist groups have long been brothers-in-arms. In many instances, members of both groups are one-in-the-same. According to the non-partisan homosexual activist watchdog organization Americans for Truth About Homosexuality, NAMBLA marched alongside “gay” activist groups in “gay pride” parades for years until it became politically burdensome for homosexual activists to continue allowing them to do so.

As with “gay” activist pioneer Harry Hay, legalizing adult-child sex has long been a goal of many homosexual activists (for years, overtly and today, covertly). Boys and teens utilized for homosex are referred to as “chicken” in “gay” lexicon.

In fact, part of homosexual activists “1972 Gay Rights Platform” called for the “repeal [of] all laws governing the age of sexual consent.” This should send a chill down the spine of any parent. Such a repeal would legally allow homosexuals and pedophiles to access your children and teens for their own predatory sexual gratification – so long as those children “consented” to having sex (like the boy who confided in Jennings).

To be sure, Jennings is no stranger to scandal. In a 2000 GLSEN sponsored event, adult homosexual activists were caught in an ACORN-style sting teaching children as young as 13 the horrific practice of “fisting.” (For a definition click here, it’s not fit to print). Jennings’ response? He defended the event and even filed suit in an attempt to cover-up the scandal.

But “cover-up” is at the very core of Jennings’ strategy. In 1995, while summarizing his political approach of manipulation and indoctrination, he warned fellow homosexual activists to hide their true motives and avoid using language about “promoting homosexuality.” Instead, he astutely observed that “the effective reframing of this issue” through the disingenuous use of propagandist euphemisms such as “safety” and “violence” was “the key to…success.”

It’s worked like a charm.

But rather than being appointed by Obama to such a position of power and prestige, both Kevin Jennings and GLSEN should be held liable for engaging in reckless educational malpractice. By promoting and facilitating homosexual behavior among children, they demonstrably place children at risk.

Multiple studies have established, for instance, that homosexual conduct, especially among males, is considerably more hazardous to one’s health than a lifetime of chain smoking.

One such study – conducted by pro-“gay” researchers in Canada – was published in the International Journal of Epidemiology (IJE) in 1997. (see the study here: http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/26/3/657.pdf)

While the medical consensus is that smoking knocks from two to 10 years off an individual’s life expectancy, the IJE study found that homosexual conduct shortens the lifespan of “gays” by an astounding “8 to 20 years” – more than twice that of smoking.

“[U]nder even the most liberal assumptions,” concluded the researchers, “gay and bisexual men in this urban centre are now experiencing a life expectancy similar to that experienced by all men in Canada in the year 1871. … [L]ife expectancy at age 20 years for gay and bisexual men is 8 to 20 years less than for all men.”

The risks associated with homosexual conduct are so drastic, in fact, that U.S. health regulations prohibit men who have sex with men (MSM) and women who have had sex with MSM, from ever donating blood. (Yet Jennings and GLSEN encourage children to engage in the very behaviors that – for quantifiable health related reasons – would preclude them from giving blood … ever.)

Consider that, according to the Food and Drug Administration, MSM, “have an HIV prevalence 60 times higher than the general population, 800 times higher than first time blood donors and 8,000 times higher than repeat blood donors.”

Adults and children who engage in homosexual conduct – especially males – are also susceptible – at an astronomical rate – to nearly all other forms of sexually transmitted disease (STD). For example, the Hepatitis B virus is about five to six times more prevalent among “gays,” and Hepatitis C is twice as common.

Furthermore, a 2007 study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that, although homosexuals make-up only a fraction of the population (one to two percent), they account for an epidemic 64 percent of all syphilis cases.

So, all of this begs the question: Why on God’s earth is this Kevin Jennings nut – whose entire life’s work has irrefutably placed children at risk – in charge of promoting “safe schools”? He’s even bragged in his personal memoirs about his own drug and alcohol abuse.

Indeed, Obama’s Jennings appointment was a gold medal blunder among a litany of Olympic-sized missteps. If his administration seeks to salvage any modicum of rapidly waning credibility, the President must force Jennings to step down and denounce his reckless behavior.

Every day Jennings remains in place is another day he hurts Obama; but more importantly, it’s another day he hurts children.

The real scandal is that Jennings was ever appointed in the first place. He must go and he must go now.

J. Matt Barber is Director of Cultural Affairs with Liberty Counsel and also serves as Associate Dean with Liberty University School of Law. He is also a Board Member of Americans For Truth About Homosexuality.

2009-10-07T19:40:00.000-07:00

Obama's HRC appearance will 'alienate' Americans

by Allie Martin

The president of an organization dedicated to exposing the homosexual activist agenda believes President Barack Obama will alienate many Americans when he speaks this weekend at a meeting of the largest homosexual-rights group in the nation.

On Saturday night, Obama will deliver the keynote address at the 13th annual National Dinner in Washington, DC -- an annual event organized by the Human Rights Campaign, the largest homosexual activist group in the United States.

Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality, says it is clear President Obama is trying to appease homosexual activists, many of whom have been vocal about their disappointment with the chief executive.

"The problem with having the homosexual lobby as an ally is that they're very loud and obnoxious -- and if they don't get their way immediately, they start carping and complaining," says LaBarbera.

"That's what they've been doing -- they're saying Obama is not moving fast enough," he continues. "But the further and faster Obama moves on the gay agenda, the more he will alienate mainstream and middle-of-the-road Americans."

LaBarbera points out that HRC has "Bible studies" online that claim homosexuality is not sinful. Among those studies is one HRC says is designed to train individuals to "move people of faith and congregations from acceptance to public advocacy."

What does it tell you about President Obama when he refuses to acknowledge thousands of pro-life or 'TEA Party' demonstrators - but finds time to speak at a 'gay rights' event?

2009-10-07T16:28:00.000-07:00

Pictured from left to right are: Weinert mayor, Julian Estrada; Munday mayor, Bunny Norville; Texas Department of Public Safety Emergency Management instructor, Jerry Huffman; and Weinert Public Works Director, Patricia Horan. All of these community leaders attended Intermediate Incident Command System for Supervisors and Expanding Incidents, I-300 and Advanced Incident Command System for Command and General Staff complex incidents, I-400. Both courses are part of the National Incident Managing System (NIMS) curriculum for Emergency Management. County and local elected officials and other leaders are required by the Federal Emergency Management Act (FEMA) to take these two courses and other courses on-line to become certified local emergency leaders. Estrada, Horan and Norville are now certified to be incident leaders if a disaster of some kind hits Weinert or Munday.

2009-10-07T16:26:00.000-07:00

7 October 2009

To The Point

Where was the dance? We usually have rain only when Rita schedules a dance. No dance, okay, thank You God for the rain and cooler weather.

Those fall gardens should be coming around soon. Clarence Searcy has been experimenting with delayed scheduled planting -- I think there’s a name for this, but I couldn’t come up with it. Every few weeks he plants another crop of peas, or whatever. He’s had good luck with this experiment. He will have peas long after the first planting has quit bearing. Today he has a black, one-eyed pea, next month he may have black, cross-eyed peas. Experiments like this is how things evolve. Keep it up Clarence, and let us know when you get peas with blue eyes.

Someone actually went to the market place last Saturday and found no one there, “not even the mayor was there.” I’m sorry about that. We all wanted to be there, but a bug of some kind kept us away. No, I don’t think it was swine flu, I haven’t eaten pork in weeks. Actually I think it was beef sausage I had in the freezer since last year. Dummy, don’t you know better than to keep things that are out-of-date? I didn’t notice the date, until I dug it out of the trash later. So do what I say but not what I did. Or can the mayor say that? Only about old sausage, not about your lot in life. Okay!

I won’t mention the place, again, but I was eating out one nite recently when I overheard that same group of golfers that I wrote about earlier. They must have been rehashing the same story, because the situation with those who drink and pitch has not improved. I guess it’s time we appointed a morality squad to look into these golf cart capers at the golf course. We could train some of those wild hogs that run around the golf course how to sniff out and eat beer cans/bottles. Then we could sell the special mineral-laced pork for premium prices.

I guess you can tell it is a bad week for ideas to write about. But I have one more sighting from the same restaurant I want to tell about. Everyone knows the layout, I mean the size of the east parking lot and all. I’m sure everyone has noticed the grassy area on the southeast corner. I’ve noticed our out-of-town customers will usually park at the back of the lot near that grassy area. Then they will open the back door and let Rover or Ruby out to “stretch” their legs. I think we should put in for a federal grant to erect a fire hydrant in the center of the grassy area. Of course we would have to get the mayor to write a Proclamation for the ribbon cutting of Munday’s latest, Puppy Pooper Park. Then we could market Munday’s own Puppy Pooper Park Pooper Skoopers.

For parents of any age, I found a good web site for you to go to for help raising your teens. The hype for this 12-page article reads like this: “If you are ready for the truth and ready for the inside information you need to better undestand your difficult teenager, this free, special report will be the most important thing you’ve ever read. And by the end of the article you’ll begin to understand how your teen’s life really is, rather than what you think it is.” I’ve read it and encourage all parents to do the same. I’ve thought about adopting a teen so I could try out the suggestions.

This article talks about how the teen will hustle or scam their parents in an effort to get what they want. I know this isn’t one of your teens I’m about to describe but read on: Sometimes kids won’t do their homework or help out around the house. But they seem to have an amazing instinct for figuring out the system that they are in and manipulating it to get what they want out of you or the adults around them.

I’m not saying that your teen is a bad egg or that you are a bad parent. Kids sometimes don’t have the sense of right or wrong that we expect from them. The problem is adults often think teens are going to soak up the morals like a sponge, and they don’t. As a parent, YOU have to teach them morals and ethics, or they are not going to get them. Go to www.tameurteen.com/freereport today and download this article and read it and put it into practice tonight.

Don’t forget to tell folks on your next out-town trip how wonderful Munday is.

2009-10-01T17:59:00.000-07:00

To the Point

By Bunny Norville

We are seeing signs of fall in the daily weather patterns, and we are feeling the temperature changes, especially early mornings. Welcome! Those hottest days of summer are gone, we hope, at least. Of course Sunday was a sweaty reminder that the Weather Maker is still in charge.

Farmer’s Market, what can I say. It’s not dead, at least the idea isn’t. There was one lonely table Saturday morning, with some vegetables, too. Possibly folks look first for the burritos, if they aren’t there, they drive on by. M A we miss you. Munday’s resident expert on wild flowers was there with a box of wild flower seed. I doubt if the famous Las Angeles Farmer’s Market has someone like our own expert.

We are not giving up on the idea of having a downtown market place, be it vegetables, crafts, or fleas. The main idea is to get folks out and about, especially downtown where we still have a few businesses. Some of them are even open on Saturday. By getting this started we hope to attract more people to move to Munday and more businesses to locate in Munday. Think positive.

I attended a workshop recently about becoming a “Certified Retirement Community.” The total program was upbeat, encouraging to small towns like Munday, and presented as a possibility. Other than filling in this lengthy application and coming up with a little money, we need to accomplish a few things to bring Munday into a competitive-minded mode. The main thing is, Munday has to want it. If Munday as a whole doesn’t want it, then all the work some of us do will be in vain. This application will bring out the wants and want nots of Munday citizens.

We hope to get many of our own exes to retire to Munday without the certified route. Even then we need to show our exes we want them and we are trying to improve our situation here. If those who don’t recognize the “situation” could move away from Munday for awhile and then move back, they would see what so many of us who have moved back saw and continue to see.

Munday has changed in ways that people who have never lived away from Munday do not see. thesse changes have occured over time, so slowly that people havn’t even noticed them taking place. But someone who has been away for some time can see the changes.

I mention the DQ so often that you probably think I live there. No, I just eat there, too Much. Anyway I was there for lunch last Saturday and witnessed a random act of kindness. There was an older couple eating at a booth and one of them evidently had spilled a drink on one of the benches. Before I could even process what had happened a woman, who was in line in front of me, went back to the kitchen area and found a wash cloth and a plastic container. She went to where the couple were sitting and proceeded to wipe up the icy spill. No doubt she had done it at her house many times before. I’m sure everyone would know her if I mentioned her name. But since I failed to get her permission to use her name, I won’t embarrass her by printing it.

In your daily walk how many acts of kindness do you see? Maybe you see so many that one act alone doesn’t even register. Munday is a friendly town, that’s why a lot of peole like it. In case you didn’t know, people do say that about Munday. Munday, keep on being friendly and keep on doing those acts of kindness. They don’t have to be random, make them regular.

Woodworkers, or those who want to become a woodworker, we need to have a meeting. I’m going to say this up front: we don’t need to over organize the thing. Over organizing can ruin a good thing early. I’ll explain what I’m talking about if you want me to. Let’s meet at the DQ Wednesday morning, September 9 for lunch at 11:30. Call me if you can come, or if this is not a good time. Just call me and tell me you are interested, 421-3334. You don’t really need a lot of tools to be a part of this club. But let’s meet and talk about what, how, when, where, and any other question that comes up.

In the mean time say good things about Munday. And if you can’t think of good things to say about a Munday citizen, just don’t say anything. Let’s create an atmosphere of kindness all around us. If we can do that, we will all be blessed. If you are a stick in the mud, just don’t say anything, let others enjoy the blessings of being kind.

2009-10-01T11:51:00.000-07:00

Study: Religiosity and Parental Involvement in

Sex-Ed Protect Youth from Risky Behaviors

By Peter J. Smith

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 24, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A new study from Marquette University has found that religious attitudes toward sexuality, parent-based sexual education and intact two-parent households have a positive influence upon youth in their sexual practices and the onset of first sexual intercourse.

Researchers took a nationally representative sample of 3,168 men and women ages 15-21 years old from a 2002 National Survey of Family Growth and obtained the data from 60-90 minute interviews with participants from the 2002 survey.

The study's findings confirmed previous research literature, which suggests "religiosity" - defined by the authors as a set of institutionalized beliefs, doctrines and rituals, and ethical standards for how to live a good life - is "a protective factor that appears to contribute to decreased sexual risk behaviors."

According to the study, those who viewed religion as "very important" reported an average of 1.9 lifetime sexual partners and on average began sexual activity at 17.4 years. In contrast, those who viewed religion as somewhat important or "not important at all," began their first sexual activity at 16.9 years and had an average of 2.9 lifetime sexual partners.

However, researchers found that high religious attitudes toward sexuality (RAS) "appeared to be the most protective religiosity variable in terms of decreasing sexual risk."

RAS had the greatest influence for youth remaining virginal by 21 years - an effect greater than just frequent attendance of church services or religious values.

Among those who valued religion as "very important" 20 percent were still virgins by age 21; among those who attended church services frequently, 25 percent of participants reported they were still virgins by 21 years.

But those who had high "religious attitudes on sexuality" reported the highest rate of virginity by 21 years and the highest rate of delayed first sex. 34 percent of these youth remained virgins by 21 years, and the average onset of sex began at 18.8 years.

By contrast, researchers found that only 8 percent of those with low religious attitudes toward sex were still virgins by 21, and began their first sex on average at 17.0 years old - just about the same time as those who did not value religion (16.9 years).

However, parents and an intact two-parent household also have an enormous effect on children and the choices they make in regards to sex, researchers found.

"Those adolescents who lived in a two-parent family from birth to the age of 18 were 14 percent less likely to ever have had sex compared to those who did not and had significantly fewer lifetime sexual partners" researchers reported.

Of youth with parents who raised them with a "just say no" attitude toward pre-marital sex, 31 percent remained virgins until 21 years, and the mean age of sexual debut for the group was 17.4 years. For youth, who "did not learn to say no," having their parents involved was also beneficial: 29 percent remained virginal until 21 years, although the average age of first sex for this group was 17.1 years.

Just parental involvement in children's sexual education and voicing their expectations for their children in regards to sex was superior in reducing the rate of risky sexual behaviors and onset of first sex than formal sex education. Researchers found that the topic most brought up by parents with their children was "how to avoid having sex," but the study found primarily that "speaking with parents about abstinence was associated with decreased sexual risk behaviors."

Youth who had only formal-based sexual education were far more prone to engage in sexual behaviors than their peers who had the involvement of their parents in sex-education. Of those trained in "abstinence and abstinence-plus" sex-education 26 percent remained virginal by 21 years, and on average began their sexual debut at 17.6 years. Those without any abstinence-component to sex education had only 25 percent remain virginal by 21 years, and began having sex at 17.1 years.

"It is important for parents to make it explicit that they do not approve of adolescents engaging in sexual activity," researchers concluded. "This 'simple' practice of letting one's child know about expectations for their sexual behavior has been shown to be efficacious."

"Further, the influence of parental education about avoiding intercourse was strengthened when there was a close relationship between the parent and the child."

The researchers conclude that formal sex-education in the United States - even abstinence-based education - has thus far failed on its own power to address rampant sexual promiscuity and high numbers of sexual partners among youth. A new approach is needed, but the study's findings indicate that integrating religiosity and close parent-child relationships into sex-education may be the most promising avenues for fixing the problem.

The results and conclusions of the study are contained in a paper called "The Association of Religiosity, Sexual Education, and Parental Factors with Risky Sexual Behaviors Among Adolescents and Young Adults" written by lead researchers Kristin A. Haglund and Richard J. Fehring.

2009-09-29T15:49:00.000-07:00

DO NOT DELETE-PLEASE PASS ON

Message from Iraq

The proud warriors of Baker Company wanted to do something to pay tribute to our fallen comrades so since we are part of the only Marine Infantry Battalion left in Iraq the one way that we could think of doing that is by taking a picture of Baker Company saying the way we feel.

It would be awesome if you could find a way to share this with our fellow countrymen. I was wondering if there was any way to get this into your papers to let the world know that 'WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN,'
and are proud to serve our country.

Semper Fi, 1st Sgt. Dave Jobe.

The attached photo was forwarded from one of the last U.S. Marine companies in Iraq. They would like to have it passed to as many people as possible, to let the folks back home know that they remember why they're there and that they remember those who've been lost.....

2009-09-27T11:51:00.001-07:00

2009-09-27T11:49:00.000-07:00

Babies learn quicker than dogs

A new study shows that dogs and young human babies both make the same classic error in a famous psychology experiment — while wolves raised by people do not.

The experiment was originally devised decades ago by the well-known child psychologist Jean Piaget. He found that if babies 10 months old or younger repeatedly see a toy placed in location A, they will look for the toy there even after watching the toy being placed in location B.

This is called the "A-Not-B Error." By 1 year of age, children have grown out of it. But it's such a weird observation that psychologists have been talking about it for decades. Some think it has to do with how babies perceive the permanence of objects. But others think it has something to do with how infants learn from people.
__________________________________________________
Crows can recognize human faces and remember them for years.
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July 27, 2009Adam Miklosi of Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary, is interested in how dogs have evolved to live with people, so he decided to see how dogs and their wild relatives, human-raised wolves, would do on this test.

In their experiment, wolves were generally not misled by what they had seen humans do before, according to a report in Science. They'd make a beeline for the right hiding place.

But dogs would act like a 10-month-old baby, going to screen A even though they'd just seen someone put the toy behind screen B.

The Human Influence

Miklosi think this means that dogs interpret the situation as a learning situation and choose to trust what the human is communicating rather than what they see with their own eyes.

"The dogs are sort of looking at the human as a sort of a teacher that has the privilege of some sort of information and they don't want to override it with their own understanding of the case," says Miklosi.

When the experiment was rigged up so that it involved no people, and the toys were instead dragged from place to place by a moving string, the dogs were less likely to make the mistake. They suddenly acted more like their wolf relatives.

"If there's no teacher there, then the dogs are switching back, and then they are solving the problem on their own," Miklosi says.

Human babies also were more likely to find the toy in the correct location if it was moved by a string instead of a person. "For me," says Miklosi, "this was the biggest surprise."

He believes all this shows that the presence of a person — social interaction — has a profound effect on how both dogs and babies interpret the situation.

For Dogs, It All Depends On the Person

There was one difference between dogs and young babies, though. When they redid the classic experiment but had more than one person do the hiding, it didn't matter to the babies. They kept reaching for screen A, suggesting they were able to generalize about people.

But adding a new person changed everything for the dogs. "For the dog, if you're changing the person, the knowledge is gone," says Miklosi. The dogs ignored what had previously happened and, like the wolves, went straight to the toy.

"It's a very original approach. It's a very thought-provoking experiment," says Clive Wynne, who studies dog cognition at the University of Florida. "I think like a lot of good studies, it doesn't lead so instantly to conclusions. It leads to new questions."

For example, he says, "there's a puzzle in this paper in that you've got adult dogs behaving like 10-month-old children, when 10-month-old children are only going to act like this for two more months. They're going to grow out of it very quickly."

Still, he thinks we need more studies like this one, to learn about both human cognition and the inner lives of our canine companions.

"It is important that we understand how dogs think about us," Wynne says, "because we have 70 million of these animals in our homes in the United States — more dogs than we have children."

2009-09-25T20:05:00.000-07:00

Time to Look Back Again, Obama

and Abortion - He Really Meant It

Commentary by Steve Jalsevac

September 24, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Yesterday, I happened to come across the short three and one-half minute 2008 election campaign video produced by AmericasChoiceNow.com. Its revelations were stunning - even thought I knew all about them and have reported them again and again. What it did was remind me in a powerful way, how crucial it is that pro-life people continue their intense efforts to stop the Obama abortion machine.

It's not about politics. It's about saving lives. Everyone should see this compelling video production (http://americaschoicenow.com/) of various Obama statements again and again - to help them to not lose focus. This IS the great social justice issue of the day - dwarfing all others. Pro-life Americans need to engage in the reality check of videos such as this - to remind themselves what Barack Obama really believes and what he really wants to do about abortion.

The video footage is irrefutable. It is Barack himself, incriminating
himself, and telling you and I what he really thinks about the value of the life of an unborn child.

2009-09-16T18:33:00.000-07:00

Over 100 Quebec Doctors
Say No To Euthanasia

By Thaddeus M. Baklinski

MONTREAL, September 16, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A group of Quebec doctors has submitted a document to the Quebec College of Physicians opposing the proposed legalization of euthanasia, and is asking fellow doctors to endorse the arguments against euthanasia by adding their names to the brief.

In July, the Quebec College of Physicians announced plans to recommend the decriminalization of euthanasia, "as part of the appropriate care in certain particular circumstances," in order to pressure the federal government to amend the Criminal Code.

The document, titled "Say No to Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide: No Special Circumstance Can Justify Them" and co-authored by Quebec doctors Joseph Ayoub, André Bourque, Catherine Ferrier, François Lehmann, and Josée Morais, has so far garnered over 100 signatures from physicians from Quebec and around the country, according to press release from Quebec Life Coalition.

Addressing the euphemistic language used by euthanasia advocates to mask the reality of the intentional killing of a patient, the document states, "The proponents of euthanasia justify their position on the need to respect the autonomy and 'dignity' of the individual." However, the physicians go on to assert that, despite legal and legislative challenges, Canadian law affirms the intrinsic value of human life.

"In recent years some cases have gone before the courts, and the Supreme Court of Canada has reaffirmed the intrinsic value of human life and the limits governing an individual's freedom to decide to end his or her own life.

"So the pro-euthanasia lobby has turned to its only possible recourse: an amendment of the Criminal Code by the Parliament of Canada. Bill C-384, introduced by Bloc Quebecois MP Francine Lalonde, is the latest attempt."

The Quebec doctors' brief concludes with nine arguments why euthanasia and assisted suicide should never be decriminalized in Canada.

An abridged English version of the brief, and the brief in full in French, are available on the Quebec Life Coalition website here.

Co-author of the document, Dr. André Bourque, encourages Canadian doctors who read this article and wish to add their name to the brief to email Quebec Life Coalition at qlc@qc.aira.com, who will then forward the information to Dr. Bourque.

Eitor's Note:
Quebec is close to the U.S. These global/New Age programs will be tried in Canada first, to feel things out. But you will see them in the States soon. Our Chief Ill-Legal Alien will shove it down our throats. Americans, We the People need to start speaking out and loudly against this end-time stuff. We are allowing it happen right in fron of us. These guys have stepped up the pace 1000 percent. Their leaders know the end is near. So wake up!

2009-09-16T12:15:00.000-07:00

Parents can spot teen drug use

and take steps to prevent it

Even if you're 99 percent sure that your teenager is not drinking alcohol or using other drugs, consider the facts:

Sixty percent of high school seniors report having been drunk at least once--as do 20 percent of eighth-graders.

Forty-six percent of high school seniors have tried marijuana.

Teenagers also report use of other illicit drugs, including inhalants, LSD, MDMA (ecstasy), cocaine and heroin.

These findings are from the 2004 Monitoring the Future survey, an annual study of adolescent drug use sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. They underline the fact that drugs are widely used among teenagers, putting even the best kids at risk.

Michael Borowiak, a social worker who counsels addicted adolescents, defines "experimenting" with drugs as using them once or twice. "The experimenting is over after that," says Borowiak. "After that, they're into a pattern of substance abuse."

Adolescence can lead to sudden changes in a child's moods and behaviors, making it hard for you to spot the signs of alcohol or other drug use. But according to Lea Goldstein, a licensed psychologist who specializes in working with teens and families struggling with substance abuse, observing more than a few of the following signs means that it's time to take action:

the smell of alcohol or odor of marijuana
stealing or borrowing money
defensiveness about activities and possessions
unusual mood changes or temper outbursts
marked changes in eating or sleeping habits
decline in academic performance
heavy use of perfumes, mouthwash or other scents to hide drug use
a bedroom littered with burned matches, pipes or other drug paraphernalia
changes in friend groups
significant change in personal appearance or hygiene
loss of interest in usual activities and hobbies
difficulty with concentration

The earlier you respond to such signs, the better. Goldstein offers the following guidelines:

Talk about it. Share your observations with your child, while avoiding direct accusations. Stick to the facts and stay calm during this discussion. Don't have it if your child is under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.

Help your child create a plan for refusing drugs. The key is to come up with a plan that your teenager will actually use in a social setting where kids are using drugs. "If you're in that situation," Borowiak says to teenagers, "go to the bathroom--wherever it is--and sit in there for five minutes and time it. Then come out and tell your friends that you're sick and that you need to go home. Call home and have a parent pick you up."

Enforce a zero-tolerance rule. Research indicates that parental disapproval does deter adolescent drug use. Remind your children that you expect them to avoid all alcohol or other drug use--period. Set clear rules and expectations around alcohol and other drug use and establish reasonable consequences if those rules are broken. Borowiak suggests developing a written contract, including a clause such as this: "If I ever use alcohol or another drug in the future, this means that I need help to stop and am asking you to provide it."

Involve other people. You don't have to do this alone. Many people can help you intervene with your child--for example, a family doctor, school counselor, or addiction counselor. In addition, turn to support groups for teenagers and their families who are in recovery from addiction.

Focus on prevention. Stay actively involved in your teenager's life. Get to know his or her friends and their parents. Set and enforce curfews. Encourage participation in school and after-school activities. Also take time each week to ask what your child is thinking, feeling, and doing--and listen to the answers without interrupting.

Sources used in this article and the guidelines above are taken from Teen Alcohol and Other Drug Use: Knowing the Signs and What to Do About Them, a 15-minute video and DVD produced by Hazelden. For more on this video and other prevention resources, call Hazelden Publishing and Educational Services at 1-800-328-9000 or send an email to customersupport@hazelden.org.

--Published September 5, 2005

2009-09-14T17:35:00.001-07:00

2009-09-14T17:30:00.000-07:00

To The Point

This week I am changing my weekly column to To the Point. Since I am not officially the city judge anymore I can't really say that I'm writing from inside city hall. The mayor does not have an office at city hall. So, I'm not officially a part of the city hall crew. For some time I will be at the court training Ida Jo Watson. Ida Jo will succeed as our new ciy judge. To the Point is what I started with, so I am comfortable with it, and I will try to write to the point. Meaning, I will try to have a point to everything I write.

I need to apologize to the high school administration for not speaking to them before I wrote the infamous article about teen pregnancy. Sometimes a writer can be right about what he has to say, and still not be right about something else. I am sorry for the way I did it and for the commotion it caused.

I do not want to be known as an enemy to the Munday School System, because I am not. I don’t even want to be known as a yellow journalist: but I’ll have to live with that one for awhile.

The Munday Chamber of Commerce, under new leader, Rita Carney, has let it be known that they are on the field and ready to work for Munday. One whole session last week was devoted to the planning of the Harvest Fest set for Halloween Day, October 31. They have pulled out all the stops for this occasion and there is something on the program for every age group. Pumpkin carvers get your carving tools ready and shop for the perfect pumpkin. See Rita’s Column where she talks about the whole day.

Farmer’s Market got rained out last Saturday. Seeing as how we needed that rain no one will complain about that. If you still have some produce and want to share it with us Knox Prairie folks, bring it out this Saturday. If you have baked items you would like to sell, bring them. This would be a good opportunity for anyone who would like to begin a small business of any kind...as long as it is portable at this point. If you make something and have been wondering if anyone would buy it, this is your best chance to find out. Bring it to Munday Farmer’s Market, 8 a.m., located right in the center of town, south of the city hall on Main Street. If you need to call for directions or information of any kind call me at 203-0221.

Sales tax is that extra line at the bottom of your sales receipt. Most things are taxed in Texas, but a few things aren’t. Every concern that does business in Texas is supposed to collect a certain about of sales tax from their customers. Most customers are required to pay sales tax, while some are exempt for one reason or another. Those businesses that do not charge their customers sales tax and do not pay sales tax to the state comptroller, are breaking the law. They need to register with the comptroller’s office.

A portion of the sales tax paid in by folks here in Munday actually comes back to Munday. So far this calendar year (Jan-Dec) Munday has received about $6,656 ahead of the same period last year. If we look at the budget year (April -March) Munday is ahead of last budget year around $8,105. What that means is, Munday folks are shopping more at home than last year. That is a good sign, keep it up Munday. This money will help the City of Munday do a better job taking care of Munday.

This year’s “:See You at the Pole” theme is — ENGAGE: Go and Pray . . . GO to your school flagpole on Wednesday, September 23, at 7 a.m., and PRAY for your friends, family, school, community and the world.

The Moguls are off to a good start this year. Their record is 2-1 thus far in the season. The Moguls won the first half against the Jim Ned Indians Friday night. As far as we are concerned, rain won the second half, but sorry to say, Jim Ned was allowed the scores on the field. With every down the Moguls are gaining experience and wisdom that will help them more than victories when they get into the tough district schedule. Victories are sweet too. Support the Moguls all the way.

Okay John Boy, say goodnight now. Don’t forget to give Munday a plug every chance you get. Be nice to your neighbor and chances are he/she will be nice to you. Don’t expect it though, after all, there are still a few old soreheads living in Munday. But there are a lot more wonderful neighbors who will be nice to you even if you aren’t nice to them.

This is extra from the newspaper:
This isn't the first time i've apologized for something i've said. But, it hasn't happened often. This time, however, I acted impulsively and went straight to press. I won't do that again.

Last night after church the "After church mob" went to DQ and I had my usual crushed tacos (making it a good salad). There was a double table full, including three singles. We always talk about many different things, for instance last night one subject was cats. Travis and Brenda have too many cats around their place. Doug Donahue would like some cats at his place in the country to eat mice, etc., maye a snake or two. But then he has dogs out there that just might kill the cats. We didn't resolve that problem. After the Dentons came from Knox City, where Royce is preaching, the conversation shifted to the mayor's infamous column on teen pregnancy. Nola is known or her candor: although last night she might have shown a little malice as she critiqued my literary genius. You need a new thesaurus to help you choose your words. Things went downhill from there: someone even suggested I quit writing, or write cook books from now on. We all laughed and went our separate ways. I didn't sleep at all, just laid there thinking: cookbooks! I can't write cookbooks, I don't know how to boil water.

Well, you saw a change in my column this week, didn't you? I'm going to try to be more positive. So next week I'll write about the 81 percent of the high school senior girls who are not pregnant. Just kidding. I think the private love-life of Baptist deacons would raise more eyebrows. And sell more papers. But no, I can't do that either. I'm reformed. But you see how difficult it is for me. I just want to go for the jugular, you know, the glitter stuff. But I'm reformed.

Next week's lesson will be on Spiritual Warfare. I would like to teach on Spiritual warfare, if anyone is interested. But first I need to finish my FEMA emergency training. My deadline to finish is Sept. 30. I only have five (of 7) more courses to do.

With that I sign off and return to FEMA. thanks for reading.

Politically correct

2009-09-09T18:27:00.000-07:00

Politically correct restrictions on what we can say and how we say it have been imposed on us by liberals. These restrictions enforce a regime of political correctness similar to that of the Nazi and Communist regimes of Europe. Some are linguistic, but all are ideological.

Paul Weyrich, founder of the Heritage Foundation, said, "The ideology usually known as ‘Political Correctness,’ which is really the cultural Marxism of the infamous Frankfurt School, is using every type of cultural institution in our country to achieve its purpose, which is the destruction of traditional Western culture and the Christian religion."

The modern politically correct movement began at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; one of the most liberal institutions in the United States and is often viewed as a liberalist degrading of the freedom of speech. George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four famously incorporated the notion of limiting thought through language. Words or actions that violate political correctness are called politically incorrect.

At American universities, Liberals began imposing political correctness to prevent recognition of differences among gender, religion, belief system, sexual orientation and nationality. In the 1960s, feminists began to demand that the neutral pronouns he, him and his be replaced with expressions like "he or she", "him or her", "them", etc. They argued that no one would be able to understand that the masculine gender included the feminine gender in neutral contexts. But this was just part of their campaign to redefine the social roles traditionally associated with masculinity and femininity.

Political correctness or P.C. also means the alteration of ones choice of words in order to avoid either offending a group of people or reinforcing a stereotype considered to be disadvantageous to the group. More specifically, groups which (or whose putative "leaders" or other activists) claim some status as systemically oppressed or discriminated against will periodically attempt to change the terms by which they are referred to and demand that society as a whole change its usage of words as well.

Examples
An example of political correctness is the changing terminology used to describe handicapped people. In the past the term "crippled" was perfectly acceptable and not considered offensive. At some point, somebody decided "crippled" was degrading and the preferred term changed to "handicapped". This, too, was eventually deemed offensive and "disabled" became the preferred term. Today, "disabled" is now considered degrading and "differently abled" and "physically challenged" are now the politically correct terms. The same can be said for the changing uses of terms for Black Americans: "Negro" and "colored", once perfectly acceptable terms, were declared degrading and offensive by some activists during the 1970s and "Afro-American" and "Black" came into use, which in turn gave way to "African-American", and in broader usage, "people of color". The distinction for example between "colored people" (1950's-60's usage) and "people of color" (today) is an important one which illustrates the basis of political correctness.

The question of politically correct language has spilled over from the use of racially descriptive words and affected the use of traditional language. In 1999, an aide to the mayor of Washington DC described a budget decision as "niggardly" (a word meaning "stingy," unrelated to the racial slur). The aide immediately came under criticism and was forced to resign even though he had not said anything racially charged. However, his name was cleared within a matter of days and was offered to return to his previous position.
As well as language, political correctness discourages the use of racial or stereotypes in fiction out of concern that these stereotypes may become self-perpetuating. For example, frequently seeing the image black gang-members decked out in gold chains, carrying guns and listening to rap may pressure young black people into seeing this lifestyle as the more 'acceptable' choice for their racial group. The common image of female-dominated occupations (nurses, secretaries, care workers, etc) and of male-dominated occupations (IT workers, military, machinery operators, mechanics, etc.) can discourage individuals of either gender from considering those occupations traditionally belonging to the other. Additionally films like "The Siege" and "True Lies" have been criticized by pro-Islamic groups as having Muslims portrayed as terrorists, despite the fact that most current terrorists are in fact Muslims. Thus political correctness becomes the consideration of all public statements and media for their unintentional social impact.

Political correctness can even affect terminology that's viewed by secularists as too "proreligion" or an alleged "violation of the separation of church and state" in the United States. The best example of this is the active promotion of the use of C.E. and B.C.E. as the abbreviations used after dates (instead of the commonly and traditionally used A.D. and B.C.).

Differing Opinions
Demands for politically correct language usage are rooted in the notion widely promoted among left-wing academics and sociologists that Western culture promotes systemic oppression against some groups by marginalizing them and excluding them from the "norm"; the groups thus supposedly systemically marginalized are referred to as "the Other" by these left-wing academics. The implication is that these groups are systemically excluded from the mainstream. "Colored people" is therefore deemed offensive because the order of words puts "colored" first, emphasizing their difference from the mainstream, while "people of color" is acceptable because putting the term "people" first emphasizes that they are people and thus does not emphasize their difference from the "norm".

Some people allege that instead of encouraging supposedly marginalized groups to integrate with and assimilate into the mainstream of Western culture, political correctness ironically encourages them to emphasize and indeed to wallow in their marginalization from society, and to make a public display of such. This is known as identity politics. According to this view, gays and lesbians are therefore encouraged to label themselves as "queer" and make public displays of "queerness" calculated to disturb the sensibilities of mainstream people, rather than integrate into the mainstream themselves; Black Americans are encouraged to adopt Afrocentrism and convert to Islam or to conform to stereotypical black behavior, etc.

The Language Police
Conservative scholar Robert Bork has charged that the educational system is a battleground where the future of America is being undermined and ill-served. He has counseled against the troubles which will ensue as a result of anti-religious policies in the schools, permissive attitudes toward homosexuality and abortion, as well as welfare policies that have destroyed families since Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty.
In her book "The Language Police", Diane Ravitch documents just how easy it is to get a word, phrase or idea banned from modern textbooks and references. Textbook producers are beholden to small non-elected liberal educational boards in a few key states such as New York or California. Few citizens know anything about these boards or who holds the seats of power on these boards. It's not difficult for an interest group to mobilize a campaign to bombard the educational board. Meanwhile, the public is not even aware that their words or values are under attack from this corrupt system, while many elected Conservatives have rallied against this polocy. Then, once a big state makes a textbook purchase, it's very difficult for a small state or any municipality to make any changes. Thus, profound changes can be inserted into textbooks and reference books by putting pressure on a handful of educational administrators. The work of textbook selection committee's is done privately, to avoid politicizing textbooks, but the reverse has happened.

It's easier to pressure a lawmaker who is not beholden to community standards, but instead is enamored with political correctness. Ravitch has documented "bias guidelines" for major publishers of texts and tests. These "guidelines" consist of advice to writers and editors about words and topics that must be avoided.

Totalitarianism and Political Correctness
The comprehensive and detailed control of all ideas, beliefs, and statements is one of the most problematic features of totalitarian regimes. Political correctness can trace its origins back to the world of 1920's Germany, where Communist academics sought to impose their Marxist views on students. It is now acceptable in many Universities to have courses on gender, homosexual and African American studies, which, in fact, encourage the mainstream public to become different to avoid criticism.

Inside city hall: Can we please everyone?

2009-09-07T20:50:00.000-07:00

We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.
What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself.

You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.

All three quotations were from Abraham Lincoln. I wasn’t familiar with the first two, but I’ve been hearing the third one for years. I downloaded about 400 of his quotes before I found the official version. Most of the quotes told where he said it and to what group of people. This one didn’t say.

The first one is certainly in line with what is going on in our country today. The Constitution has taken a beating from the liberals for several years now.

The second one is thought-provoking. However, I won’t go any further with it.

What would someone need to do to please all of the people some of the time? Forget about pleasing all the people all the time, but just some of the time would be something to shout about. There is always someone who will say, “He’s trying to fool us!”

All of us probably have had some experience along these lines: we know that it is impossible to please everyone. It doesn’t seem to matter what you are doing or what you say, someone will disagree with you. And someone will misunderstand, or just not understand. Others want to read something into what you say.

A writer must be strong to put his ideas in print where everyone can read them. These ideas come from the heart, as well as the mind. But once you put the words out there, you have lost control of them. Because you have no idea how they will be accepted. You can ask the readers to think before leaping to conclusions, but everyone won’t do that.

I write with a purpose in mind. I try to inform the people what is going on in our city and try to get people to think about what I say. Sometimes I may use a little shock appeal to get people to think. Well we saw how well that worked. Sorry about that.

Am I to understand that some people in Munday are against morality? Because that’s what I was talking about, the immoral behavior of some of our youth. I wasn’t coming down against the schools. The schools are caught in the middle of this fracas. The parents send their children to school expecting the school to teach these boys and girls how to act, how to behave, and how to become model citizens. People, these students should know all of this long before they ever start to school.

Some are saying that is none of the mayor’s business. Don’t forget that I am the judge for a few more days, yes, it is my business. It is anyone’s business to try to help this situation, not to make it worse by saying unkind things about others. That kind of behavior does not help anyone, especially these girls.

So what is the solution. Try kindness. These girls, parents, and grandparents will need all the help and kindness we can give them in the days and months ahead. At some point reality will come around. It may be cool now to go to school with a big belly, or even a little child, but school will end at some point. Where will all those cool friends be then? When these girls are alone with pains or a baby who will be there for them? Will the boy who made all of this possible be there? This is the time they will need help. I pray to God that family and friends will always be there to help these girls.

I know some cannot believe me when I say that I have the good of Munday at heart. But I do, I love Munday and I want everyone in Munday to succeed in life. I will close with another quotation from Abe: Whatever you are, be a good one.

Farmer’s Market Saturday morning, 8 a.m. Bring anything, it will sell.

I can’t close without saying, “Puff Munday.” Lift Munday up, where ever you are.

When you have got an elephant by the hind legs and he is trying to run away, it's best to let him run. Abraham Lincoln

Children Supported by Parents, Guardians or Caring Adult More Likely

2009-09-03T18:19:00.000-07:00

New Gallup Student Poll Supports Importance of Big Brothers Big Sisters in Communities and Classrooms

Philadelphia, PA, May 7, 2009 -- A nationwide Gallup poll released this week finds children who have support from their parents, guardians or another caring adult are more likely to be hopeful, engaged and positive about their future well being educationally and socially.

The Gallup Student Poll, released by Gallup, America’s Promise Alliance, and the American Association of School Administrators, measures the hope, engagement and well-being of students in grades 5–12 through a new, groundbreaking survey administered anonymously in America’s schools. Gallup will conduct the poll twice annually, in March and October. The national results will be used by America’s Promise Alliance, and others in designing appropriate responses that support youth.

Half of the children surveyed indicated they are not hopeful, with one-third indicating that they are stuck and 17 percent reporting they feel discouraged. While 95 percent of the children believe they will finish high school, current graduation trends reveal that only one in three is likely to graduate on time. Those students surveyed who indicated they feel hopeful and believe they will graduate were also more likely to say they have caring parents or another supportive adult in their lives.

“This poll supports what independent research tells us about children who have Big Brothers Big Sisters mentors; that they are more likely than their peers to be successful students, to be close to their parents and guardians, and resist negative temptations, such as violence, crime and drugs. Long-term mentoring matches that are monitored and supported yield stronger results,” said Big Brothers Big Sisters of America President and Chief Executive Officer Judy Vredenburgh.
The nation’s largest donor supported volunteer mentoring network’s 255,000 community- and school-based mentoring matches are monitored and assisted by professionals who depend on donations to recruit, carefully match and screen volunteers and provide ongoing support to the mentors, children and their families.
“When more than 1.2 million young people drop out of high school every year, everyone needs to work together to address the crisis – educators, parents, business and community leaders,” said Alma Powell, chair of America’s Promise Alliance. “For too long the voice of youth has been missing from the national dialogue. This poll gives insights into the daily experiences, challenges and aspirations of our young people, so that we can better identify ways to meet their needs and help them be successful.”

“Research shows that the more support young people have, both inside and outside of the classroom, the more likely they are to stay in school and succeed in life,” said America’s Promise Alliance President and CEO Marguerite Kondracke.

Mr. Anders Norville

2009-09-02T16:15:00.000-07:00

ALL President on Kennedy Funeral: "Beyond Anything I have Witnessed in 65 Years"

2009-09-02T16:12:00.000-07:00

By Judie Brown, President, American Life League (ALL)

September 1, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Each of us who believe in the justice and mercy of God are called, as an act of charity, to pray for the repose of the soul of the deceased. However, there are some rubrics of decorum that should - at the very least - have been respected over this past weekend. I speak, of course, of the grandiose funeral ceremonies, particularly the Catholic funeral Mass, for Senator Edward M. Kennedy.

The entire travesty, from the television cameras to spectacle itself, goes beyond anything I have witnessed in my more than 65 years of life. In fact, while we all thought the appearance of President Barack Obama at the University of Notre Dame was a scandal, the very idea that he offered a eulogy in a basilica, while the real presence of Christ was in the tabernacle, is perhaps the most dastardly thing I have ever seen.

America witnessed this nation's most avid supporter of abortion on demand, standing in a Catholic basilica, during the Mass, speaking of a fellow pro-abort in glowing terms! That alone is such an insult to Christ that words simply cannot express my sorrow. Yet a greater source of sadness is that the Cardinal Sean O'Malley, of the Archdiocese of Boston, looked on as though insulting Christ Himself were an everyday occurrence.

Oh yes, there will be those who will excoriate me for saying such a thing, but please, let's get to the heart of the matter, shall we?

I am a practicing Catholic. I understand the laws of the Church as they relate to funerals, public figures who persist in supporting grave moral evils while calling themselves Catholic and the proper type of funeral for someone who did not publicly repent of such actions.

Not a single one of us knows the state of Senator Kennedy's soul at his death, but his public record is sufficient to clarify for one and all the myriad reasons why such a Mass, presided over by a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, was a total, absolute insult to Christ the Lord.

A learned gentleman, who has written at length about problems in the Catholic Church over these past 40-plus years, told me that the funeral Mass was the "inversion of all things Catholic." It is a perfect example of what many describe as bowing to human respect rather than abiding by the laws of God and serving Him first without counting the cost.

Clearly, Saint John Vianney was correct when he said, "Do you know what the devil's first temptation is to the person who wants to serve God with dedication? It is human respect!" Senator Kennedy devoted a great deal of his public life to assuring the deaths of millions of human beings - members of the human family who happened to reside in their mother's wombs. He repeatedly defied Catholic teaching, arrogantly receiving the body and blood of Christ when he knew as certainly as he knew his name that aborting a child is an act of murder and a grievous crime defined in precisely those terms by the Catholic Church. And the hierarchy looked on.

By presiding at the funeral Mass and subsequent burial service, prelates of the Roman Catholic Church created much more than a scandal. Now millions of Americans are totally confused about what it means to be Catholic. The words that were uttered by these prelates prove that they did, in fact, ignore the dead babies in order to give glowing words of praise to the man who sanctioned their killing.

Spitting on Christ Himself at His crucifixion could not have been any more disdainful than what we witnessed Saturday.

I pray that the suffering this debacle has caused faithful Catholics turns into a renewal of commitment to Christ, His Church, His real presence in the Eucharist and His little ones. Finally, in response to the Saturday disgraces, I do not hesitate to quote Pope Benedict XVI (then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger), who, in his 1997 book, Salt of the Earth: Christianity and the Catholic Church at the End of the Millennium, wrote of the state of the Church, including the "lowering of moral standards even among men of the Church":
"The words of the Bible and of the Church fathers rang in my ears, those sharp condemnations of shepherds who are like mute dogs; in order to avoid conflicts, that let the poison spread. Peace is not the first civic duty, and a bishop whose only concern is not to have any problems and to gloss over as many conflicts as possible is an image I find repulsive."

How to be an instrument of peace.

2009-09-01T19:04:00.001-07:00

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Mayor, city council appoints Watson city judge

2009-09-01T19:01:00.001-07:00

Ida Jo Watson, a longtime Munday resident, was appointed Munday Municipal Judge by the Munday City Council at last Thursday’s called meeting. Watson will replace Judge Bunny Norville, who is stepping down to devote more time to being mayor.

Ida Jo has been secretary at the Munday Chamber of Commerce for the past two years. She is no stranger to Munday merchants and citizens.

She was born and raised right here in Munday, attended Munday schools and raised three children here. Her mother was Melvina Thomas Spells and stepfather was Horace Spells. Her father was Clarence Stinnett.

Ida married Robert Watson, formerly of Knox City, six years ago. They are Munday residents today.

Ida Jo’s children were Frankie, Gwen (Swearengine) and Anthony, who were all active athletes during their high school years. Frankie and Anthony both played on the Mogul football and basketball teams that won state in 1984. The same year they teamed with the Thompson boys to win the state mile relay championship. That team set a state record that still stands today. Gwen played basketball for the Mogulettes and also ran on the mile relay team that won state.

When Ida Jo wasn’t running to ball games or track meets she was working. She worked 16 years at the Russell Newman Sewing Factory in Seymour. Then she headed south to Stamford where she worked for Walmart until she retired. She is only 59.

Ida Jo attends West Beulah Community Church in Munday, where she is the assistant pastor. The church ordained her to preach the Gospel last year. She said the children at the church affectionately refer to her as, “the church lady.”

Watson said she would like to see the people of Munday communicate more with each other so there would be more understanding among us. She will endeavor to listen to everyone who will come to the court room and make fair and just decisions. “I will treat everyone the same,” she said, “friends and relatives will be treated like everyone else.”

She is serious when she says, “I will give give 100 percent to the job.”

2009-09-01T16:36:00.001-07:00

Munday Farmer's Market

2009-09-01T16:34:00.000-07:00

2009-09-01T16:31:00.000-07:00

Inside City Hall, September 2, 2009

2009-09-01T16:03:00.001-07:00

The Farmer’s Market will soon become the City Market. Because the produce is about finished, but our vendors want to continue to market their non-produce wares. Everyone can still bring their favorite fleas, quilts, jelly, whatever you have made or purchased. A local chef-wannabe brought his secret meat recipe preparation last Saturday for the vendors to sample. We must have guessed over 25 different meats, including snake and monkey meat. But he wouldn’t reveal the identity of the mystery meat. It was delicious, but mysterious. He promised to be back this week, with buns, instead of crackers. Bring your drink and sample it with the rest of us.

So far we have had burritos every Saturday and we hope that is a mainstay by now. So, one can have breakfast and shop at the same time. Last Saturday we had a table of jewelry from Exa Lee’s Missing Pieces. There have been shelled pecans for several weeks now. Last week someone could have bought a nice shop vac for just a few dollars. There has been some talk about Obama sending us a few clunkers to sell so he can refund the car dealers. Send them on down here, we’ll bail you out, one problem at a time. That’s the American way. We had a few inquiries on the beer cans we didn’t have.

A word to the wise: find a good hiding place for your weapons. No heat seeking missiles please. Rumor has it that our troops are being trained to confiscate our weapons, yeah the ones promised us by our constitution.

We must be having an early fall, or something. The mornings have been so pleasant the last few days. One of the group at our table at the DQ the other night commented how this weather reminded her of Mr. Bardwell’s science class. Let’s fade back to the old High School building, in the early ‘60s. If Mr. Bardwell were still around he would be getting his science students ready for butterfly catching. There may be a more scientific name for the sport, but you know what I mean by “butterfly catching.” The excitement of the event spilled over into the whole High School. The rest of the school ran to the windows to see the science kids dressed in their white lab coats carrying their bright colored nets as they skipped across the green on their big game hunt. Butterfly season was short, however, for most the season ended with the victims’ becoming a specimen impaled on a board with a straight pen piercing their spine. Like most things in high school, it was fun while it lasted.

While we are doing a stroll down memory lane, let’s go back to the late ‘50s, to the old ag barn, located about where the field house is today. The first two periods of the day was ag, under Mr. Ponder. When we didn’t have rain we worked at the ag barn. It never got too cold to work over there. Work usually meant grinding feed for the animal, mostly cows. Our equipment consisted of an old Farmal tractor attached to the grinder by a long, wide belt, which powered the grinder. Mr. Ponder made sure we had a plentiful supply of shocks of grain to feed the hungry grinder. Once we got the old tractor started Ponder didn’t want to stop for anything.

By the time we all got to third period we were covered with dirt and ground up maize. It was always a long day for us after grinding feed. We learned how to get down and dirty, but I can’t really say we learned anything else. And that was when we had to have four years of ag to graduate. That’s a lot of cow feed. I still itch from all that grinding.

One year we almost learned how to castrate calves. We did okay on the pigs, but one little bull gave us trouble. When all was said and done we had only done it half way. The rest of the story, well, we had a couple more mouths to feed. Half way doesn’t stop calving from taking place, this young bull just did what bulls do.

The Museum Garage Sale is soon. Let’s all pitch in and make it a success, for the museum and for Munday too.

We visited with a former Rhineland resident over the weekend. He likes what he sees and hears about what’s happening around here. Many exes call and say, “Yeah, we think about Munday a lot and would love to move back, but. . . soon we’ll talk about the buts. Tell us your favorite “but” story.

Inside City Hall

2009-08-26T17:50:00.000-07:00

Does it bother anyone that teen pregnancy is one the most critical issues facing America today? Let’s get closer to home: does it bother anyone that half of the girls in the senior class are pregnant or have already given birth?

However it’s not just in Munday, it’s all across these United States. Imagine, WE, the United States of America lead the civilized world in teen pregnancies. Aren’t you just ecstatic with pride!

Some of you feel as I do: It makes me ill. Some don’t give a damn. Some are pounding their chests, they’ve knocked up another girl. Kidding? I should say not. That is the mind set of some of the present-day Casanovas. They notch their bedposts with every new conquest. It’s only a game to these mindless sperm-donors. No thought is given to the young ladies they ruin. Of course they don’t realize that any little squirt can cause a baby, but it takes a real man to have and to raise a child.

Mark my word Munday, mixing the junior high girls with these morons* with heat-seeking missiles will mean even higher statistics. I’m sorry, some of these morons have graduated, but still seek out the younger, weaker high school girls. Maybe they can’t fend for themselves in the real world.

I hope this has not offended anyone, but if it did I hope it made them think. For now it is permissible to think in Munday. Evidently there is not enough thinking going on in our society.

I have been a teenager, and I can still remember what teens think about, talk about, and do all they can to act it out. I have also been a parent, and I know that sometimes parents can be preoccupied with many other thoughts. Sometimes we don’t even notice our kids grow up while we are at the office or in the cotton field, or in the bar. Kids grow up faster these days and begin experimenting with things long before we did. And sometimes we miss their growing up entirely, and then wonder why we have a difficult time relating to them as young adults.

Parents, for the life of your children, look and listen to things going on around your house and town and think about what you see. I guarantee that if you look hard enough and listen attentatively enough, you won’t like what’s going on. But I won’t try to be the bearer of all the bad news, you need to see for yourself what’s going on right in front of you. And I hope you prove me wrong, I really do. Because I want every family to be a good, happy and productive family. And I pray God’s blessing upon every family in Munday.

Farmer’s Market is still going. However, it will be winding down soon, as the produce tapers off. But the other part of the market can continue to flourish. Bring your jams and jellies and crafts of all kinds. Bring your bake wares, cookies and cakes and coconut cream pies. Bring your pop corn, your soft drinks and your chips and we will dip happily in the morning sun.

So far there has been an excellent market among the vendors. We buy each other’s merchandise and go home happy. None of us want this time together to end. Everyone has a blast just being part of something that is alive and growing. It’s not just one or two vendors anymore, it’s a market place of real people.

We asked for souvenirs from the White House but were told that we would have to pay taxes on them, so we refused delivery of 1,000 autographed Bud Light cans. Did I say the cans were empty!

Tout Munday as you go your way. But please do it in a dignified manner. Don’t be like the Texan I saw in Paris, bragging about everything in Texas. People don’t really like that, anyway. Munday has plenty going for it and we are gaining on our vision. It’ll come into focus soon enough.

*A moron is a very stupid person. Or a mental defective with a potential mental age between eight and twelve years who is capable of doing routine work under supervision.