There has been a lot of publicity lately about out-of-control students, both locally and nationally. Channel 25 News ran a two day story about a Moody junior high student selling drugs at school. Click for article. Eight students in Florida are facing kidnapping and assault charges for beating up one of their 16-year old acquaintances so it could be posted on YouTube. Click for article. Two Denver cops were attacked while trying to break up a fight in a school parking lot. Click for article. One of the major reasons I left the public school teaching realm was the daily occurrence of events similar to those which are now finally being exposed on the internet and cable news shows. I just wonder why these things were accepted a quarter-century ago in the Houston inner-city middle school I taught at. I could walk into one of the student bathrooms at most any time of the day and think I was in an Amsterdam drug den. Fights worthy of a mixed martial-arts headliner were a daily activity. As mentioned on this blog many months ago, I was the recipient of a heavy metal object to the back of my head while trying to break up the last brawl I ever intervened in. I recall mentioning this to my principal at the time and he told me he didn't have time to deal with it. Needless to say, this did not endear me to that principal. While realizing the internet and cable news networks were not even in existence during this era to publicize my unfortunate beaning, it would be a mistake to believe this is a new phenomena.
April 16, 2008
According to the linked article, wholesale prices soared 1.1 percent in March, nearly triple the rate analysts had anticipated. Click for article. The largest increases were in food and energy costs, which unfortunately are two of the three major expenses at the cafe (labor costs being the third). I heard a Bush administration official try to spin the bad news by saying the core inflation rate had only gone up 0.2% in March. The problem with determining the core inflation rate is that it purposely disregards food and energy in its calculation. This is a ridiculous way to figure the true inflation rate. It would be like me saying I would look like George Clooney if only I were much more handsome and had a much better physique. It ain't reality.
The amazing Kosse business growth continues, as reflected by the March sales tax collections recently disbursed by the State Comptroller's office. Quoting the Mexia Daily News, "Kosse substantially increases in both rebate categories - $4,214.99, up from last March’s check of $3,019.96, representing a 39.57 percent increase; and a whopping 91.41 percent increase on the year-to-date figures - $14,088.54 from $7,360.27 in ‘07." Click for article.
The Cranfills Gap post office is currently shut down after an elderly woman destroyed it by driving into it four times with her car. Click for article. While this is not humorous, you would think she would have given up and gotten out of her car after the first or second collision with the post office wall. Oh well, she gets the gold medal for persistence.
April 14, 2008
The Kosse Blog's hiatus has ended and new posts are now back on the website. Thanks to those of you who told me they missed reading it. It's always nice to know my commentary efforts are not completely disregarded. I was asked why there was a hiatus, and the answer is quite simple. My brain is not what it once was, and it needed a break. Anyway, hopefully it has recovered enough to offer items of interest. As the late Marvin Zindler used to say, it's hell getting old.
The Lady Goats golf team came in second in district competition and are now headed to the regional tournament. The Kosse Cafe is pleased to have three of the team's five regional participants as employees. Taylin Eckols, Tiffany Johnston, and Blythe Stewart are great young ladies of whom I am very proud. They are also good students who will be leaving for college in the fall. Taylin told me she will be attending Southwestern University in Georgetown as a member of their women's basketball team, and Tiffany and Blythe will be moving to Corsicana to attend Navarro College. Go get 'em girls!
Speaking of local honors, Kosseite Wes Hardin and the Country Outlaws have won four of the top awards recently handed out by the Music Association of Central Texas. Wes won Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Country Band of the Year, and Instrumentalist of the Year. We can now officially say we have a musical celebrity living in the Wonderland of Texas! Congratulations Wes. Click for article.
February 28, 2008
The Kosse Blog will be on hiatus for a short period of time.
February 21, 2008
Kosse business activity continues its unbelievable progress. According to the Mexia Daily News, "Kosse gets its latest check of $5,640.98, representing a whopping 254.90 percent increase from the $1,589.45 received at this time a year ago. Kosse, perhaps spurred along by more spending in advance of the Robertson County coal-fired plant, has an accummulative 2008 total of $9,873.55, representing a 127.49 percent increase from last year’s accummulative total of $4,340.31." Truly amazing. Click for article.
I talked to Mayor Daniell this morning at the cafe. We were discussing economics and commenting on the unprecedented 20-cent increase in gasoline that occurred at the Kosse Cefco yesterday. It appears as if our nation is entering a period of stagflation, reminiscent of the 1970's. (Stagflation refers to slow growth combined with inflation.) Not a pretty picture and very difficult for consumers. Click for article.
February 19, 2008
Criminal activities continue in Marlin. The manager of the Marlin McDonald’s was robbed while depositing weekend receipts at the bank night drop. The thief smashed out the window of the manager’s vehicle, grabbed the bank bag and ran. Click for article.
I received a most informative e-mail from Karen Partin. The Kosse young people continue to be feted with statewide honors. Let's give them our congratulations. Here is her e-mail:
I am sending you a link to so that you may post and get people to post thier positive comments on the www.myhometownhelper.com website to help the Heritage House some funding for a new roof. thanks
also some more youth news..
A group of Kosse 4-H children Tyler Rader,Drew Ferguson,Kaitlyn Pettigrew,Josh Ingram, Cody Ingram and Kayne Partin went to the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo. Taking their entry which was a homemade shop built 10' utility entry in which they welded and constructed all themselves, with adult supervision. They received a blue ribbon in their category, but the best news is that they received first place in Showmanship out of 283 teams which consisted of all ages. They really had to work hard for this recognition.There reward was $5000.00 worth of welding machines and supplies, in which they will use to construct next years project. They will be going to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in a few weeks to compete with their trailer. This trailer will be raffled off in the months to come to fund their next project for next year. I would like to say that this trailer had many donors and only cost $33.00 of make. We are proud of them!!!
February 18, 2008
This month's Entergy electric bills were lowered due to a refund for excessive fuel charges over the past year. I had received a recorded phone call last week telling of the refund, along with an assurance that Entergy was always looking out for their customers. The message made it sound as if they were being good guys for giving us back money which we had overpaid to start with. If they want to be fair, they should also pay interest on the overcharge which has undoubtedly been utilized by the company over the past year. Needless to say, no interest was included. Maybe the cafe and every other business in the area could collect more throughout the year than should be collected, then put the excess money in an interest- bearing account for a year, then refund the overcharges and keep the interest. That is what Entergy is doing and it is nothing beyond a government sanctioned ripoff. But do keep in mind, according to their phone message, they are always looking out for the customer.
February 13, 2008
Thieves stole $6500.00 of merchandise from the Rockdale Wal Mart Monday morning. It was caught on camera but evidently all the employees were oblivious to the heist. Click for article. Personally, I have had the opposite experience on more than one occasion at Wal Mart. The cashier would not deactivate my purchased items, and it would set off the sensor at their front door. Immediately the intercom would loudly announce that the anti-shoplifting sensor had been activated. Needless to say, everyone in the store would look to see who the prospective thief (in this case me) was. It is most embarrassing although I always keep my receipt handy for just such a circumstance.
My buddy Mike Wheal (future son-in-law of the Lauderdales) sent me an e-mail saying the price of gasoline in England is approximately $8.00 per gallon. And I thought the $2.89 at Cefco was high!
February 12, 2008
The price of postage is going up once again. Effective May 12, the cost of a first class stamp will rise to 42-cents. Click for article. Speaking of rising prices, I noticed gasoline at our local Cefco went up 6-cents last week. It remained steady in Bremond.
February 10, 2008
What wonderful weather we had in Kosse yesterday. I always thought February was our coldest month of the year, but the now-growing grass belies this belief. Time to get the mower ready.
The Republican presidential campaign has been pared down, and one of those remaining standing is Kosseite Raymond Huckabee's cousin, Mike. While it appears John McCain will be their presidential standard bearer, I have heard a lot of comment on the various news shows on the growing likelihood that former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee will be named as the vice-presidential candidate. What an honor this would be. I was born during the Eisenhower administration, and the history of vice-presidents during my lifetime has been most interesting. Four of them (Richard Nixon, Lyndon Johnson, Gerald Ford, and George H.W. Bush) went on to become president. Three (Hubert Humphrey, Walter Mondale, and Al Gore) were their parties unsuccessful nominees. One (Spiro Agnew) was convicted of tax evasion and forced from office. One (Nelson Rockefeller) had a heart attack and died while in the company of his mistress. One (Dick Cheney) shot a 78-year old man in the face. One (Dan Quayle) was generally acknowledged as not the brightest bulb in the box, and one (George H.W. Bush) had a son who also became president.
