Hey, whatever works for you….

It’s a Ferrari 599.  This gorgeous Italian beauty was spotted in our neighborhood by the lovely K, who fortunately was paying attention while I was trying to not run over any pedestrians.

Sweet dreams, indeed.  

S

A powerful message from Stevie Wonder on Michael Jackson’s death:

	 ....... . … … ..   …..
	.. .  . …    .   .     . .   .  .. . ...  ….   .. .. . …    ..
	...  ... .. ... ... ... ... .... ....... ..... .. ... .... ..... ..
	..     .  .  … .... .   . .  ..
	... .... ...  .... .... ...
	. ..... .... .... .... ...... ..... ..... .. . ....  ....
	. ..     .
	.   .      ..   . ..          .               ..
	...... ... .... .. .. ... ....... ... .. .... ...  ... .... ....
	.  .. .. .
	.. ...
	..  .        .       .  .  . .. .. … ..
	..  .... .. ... ... .......  .......  ..... 

	Deep stuff, eh?
	I nearly cried when he said “. ..  .  .  . .. .. … .. .. . .. ....  ....”(sniff)

Don't shoot the messenger, OK? It was just a funny email.  Sheesh.

S

I read an interesting series of articles in The Economist recently about Texas, where it is and where it’s going.  It was basically very optimistic, but they kept harping on the low comparative scores of our public school students (compared to the national average) and how this will eventually create a serious drag on our economy.  They quote expert after expert who say the same old thing….we need to spend more $$$ on education.  

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for spending for education, but in my opinion at some point you’re going to hit a wall no amount of money is going to get you over.  I can remember a conversation I had years ago with our State Representative (who was a family friend from years back).  She told me there are practically speaking two Texas’.  One is the Hispanic community, concentrated in south Texas but with sizable populations everywhere, and the other is “the rest of us.”  (With their exploding birth rates, Hispanics will soon be the majority in Texas.)

I bring this up because I feel it’s those Hispanic residents who are dragging down the education statistics of “the rest of us.”  My experience has been that Hispanics do not place the same emphasis on education that whites or blacks, and certainly not Asians, do.  Drop-out rates confirm this. Hispanics tend to have large families.   I’m not sure if this is due to some strict adherence to Catholic doctrine or if it’s just a sign of virility for Hispanic men to father many children.  Hispanic families are close, and they love their children, but it just seems understood that the kids will eventually drop out of school and learn a trade, usually the same as their fathers or grandfathers.  I’m thinking of all the families of brick masons I know, and tile setters, and carpenters, etc.

My point is, I don’t think any amount of additional spending is going to dramatically effect the graduation rates or educational statistics of Hispanic students.  It’s going to take a seismic shift in cultural attitude to do that, and I don’t see that anywhere on the horizon.  Will this make Hispanics a perpetual underclass?  Quite possibly.

Point/counterpoint, anyone?

S

   Some think being an entrepreneur must be the most exciting thing in the world.  Being your own boss, going when/where you want, whirlwind days of wheeling and dealing, hob-nobbing with the rich and famous.   Yep, that’s pretty much what it’s like all right.  Like today, I’m going to be sitting in the little gate house (’cause I think it has a working air conditioner) at our new subdivision waiting for my DIRT to arrive.  WooHoo!  No, sorry, no autographs.

I’m serious about the dirt.  We need some to build up a lot that’s a bit low.  Usually I call a couple of pool companies and see if they’re digging any pools nearby, and if they are, they’ll happily bring truckloads of the  gumbo clay stuff to me.  But with the economy in the toilet pools sales are slow.  Luckily I found a contractor building a dentist’s office who had about 20 truckloads of dirt to get rid of, and I claimed it.  

I have to be there to see it to make sure it’s good clean dirt and not loaded with rocks or other debris.  If I had to go out and buy this much “select” fill dirt it would cost me around $5K.  FREE is much better.  

S