Jay Z's Super Cockroach Analogy

Jay Z, black entrepreneur, billionaire, doesn't think removing Trump from office will turn the racist tide in America.

He equates getting rid of Trump with spraying scented Raid on cockroaches.  

"You spray perfumed roach spray on the trash can and the cockroaches all go back into their holes.  They become resistant to the spray and become Super Cockroaches."

Jay Z was referring to prominent, silver-tongued racists as the cockroaches seeking safe haven.

"Look at Donald Sterling," Jay Z explained.  He lost his team, but all that did is make the other cockroaches go back into their holes."

"It might be better just to talk."

I'm a bit older that Jay Z.  I've seen smooth-tongued devils like racist George Wallace tone down their racist rhetoric, becoming populist.

And David Duke.  No one talked racism more smoothly in the 80's than David Duke, sprayed and scented, but still unequivocally racist.

Yet, I see his point.  Trump has been sprayed again and again and is now resistant to insecticide.

ETHICALLY CHALLENGED MAYOR, CITY COMMISSIONER, OPPORTUNISTIC GALONSKY

"He that is faithful in the least is faithful also in much; 

and he that is unrighteous in the least is unrighteous also in much."

St. Luke, Chapter 16, Verse 10

Mayor Tony Martinez

An ethical public servant does not use his office for personal gain, advantage or to circumvent the rules and regulations that apply to all.

Mayor Tony Martinez, who owns several adjoining businesses on Palm Blvd., including Lola's Bakery and Bistro, Spanky's Burgers and Bates Cleaners, did just that when he walked across the street, purchased The 1848 BBQ from Abe Avila, remodeling the entire building without permits during the fall of 2017.

The Public Information Request response from City Secretary Griselda Rosas revealed only one permit issued during 2017, that being a permit for rooftop air conditioning paid for by Barrera AC.

Put yourself in the mayor's place for a second.  The money for building permits is not an issue, simply a matter of writing a check.  One would think that the mayor would gladly write that check while being curious about the level of proficiency within the City of Brownsville's much-maligned Permitting Department, headed for decades by Evaristo "Mordida" Gamez, Jr.

Certainly, Gamez or any other inspector will not "jack around" the mayor with respect to permits or inspections as other city taxpayers have alleged in their remodels.  It was the proverbial "win-win" for Mayor Martinez.

Thus, it's obvious the mayor simply CHOSE not to apply for permits.  Arrogance, a general lack of ethics, even a criminal mind may have come into play.  

The point Jesus Christ made above, carefully chronicled by Luke, is that, if Mayor Martinez is willing to act unethically in a minor matter like permits, he will also "be unrighteous in much."

Brownsville has witnessed it.

Using his law partner, Horacio Barrera, to "negotiate" the purchase ofLa Casa del Nylon for triple its value, $2,300,000, likely splitting the commission, allowing Abraham Galonsky to sit in on the executive session involving transfer of property, personally spending the $3,060,000 AEP Texas refund on pet projects, until stopped by the city commission, etc., all clear no-brainer violations of ethics and in harmony with Christ's stated principle quoted above.  

There are similar ethical issues associated with City Commissioner Ben Neece and newly appointed Zoning and Planning Board member Abraham Galonsky.

Commissioner Neece is overseeing the remodel of 1203 E. Washington, the home of his night club, The Spanish Moon, and his alternate residence.  The building is said to be owned by Abraham Galonsky, who is allowing Neece to remodel in lieu of paying rent.

Ben Neece, Caricature by Diego Lee Rot

As in Mayor Martinez's case, in remodeling The 1848 BBQ at 5 Avalon Drive, no permits have been issued for the extensive remodel at 1203 E. Washington, neither to the tenant, Ben Neece, or the owner, Abraham Galonsky.

Galonsky,  publicly reticent, but a heavy contributor to local political races, was recently appointed to the city's Zoning and Planning Commission.  

The hasty appointment, after nomination by Commissioner Cesar de Leon, seconded by Commissioner Neece, was not in the best interest of Brownsville's hardworking taxpayers.

Galonsky deposited something close to $2,300,000, after "negotiation fees" were deducted for the Martinez-Barrera Law Firm, for the dilapidated La Casa del Nylon in 2012.

Abraham Galonsky

With buildings and properties scattered around town, Galonsky is in a position to further enrich himself by "zoning" and "planning" in a self-serving way.

"He would never do that!" a righteously indignant Nurith Galonsky might say.

Yet, in 2014, the soft spoken Galonsky was one of only 2 or 3 out of 400 to speak out FOR the conveyance of Lincoln Park to the UT system.  

Why?  Galonsky owns a 30 acre tract adjacent to the land near the sewer plant in Southmost where the city proposed the "replacement" Lincoln Park be built.  Galonsky spoke up for the transfer while salivating for the money he would make on yet another sale of property to the city.

PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT OF VAN JONES, JAY Z INTERVIEW

Van Jones

VAN JONES, CNN: We have a President that comes and says every African country is a ‘shithole country,’ how does that land with you as a dad?

Jay Z

SHAWN "JAY-Z" CARTER: It is disappointing and it’s hurtful. It really is hurtful, more than so … everyone feels anger but after the anger, it’s real hurtful.

Because it’s looking down at a whole population of people and it’s so misinformed because these places have beautiful people and beautiful everything. This is the leader of the free world speaking like this.

On the other side, this has been going on. This is how people talk, this is how people talk behind closed doors. There was a moment when Donald Sterling had been exposed as a racist on this private phone conversation he was having and they took the team from him. Okay, that is one way to do it. But another way to do it is let him have his team and then let's talk about it together, maybe some penalties.

Because once you do that, all the other closest racists run back in the hole. You haven’t fixed anything. What you’ve done is spray perfume on the trashcan. What you do when you do that is the bugs come and you spray something and you create a superbug. Because you don’t take care of the problem, you don’t take the trash out. You just keep spraying whatever over it to make it acceptable. Then as those things grow, you create a superbug.

And now we have Donald Trump, the superbug. Donald Trump is a human being, too. I just like want you -- I’m being funny, I say that too. But somewhere along his lineage, something happened to him. Something happened to him and he is expressing it in this sort of way.

R

SOUTH AFRICAN JAZZ TRUMPETER HUGH MASEKELA, 1939-2018

Keith Wine, a friend and work associate in Little Rock, but also a mentor in music, the history of Motown, the delta Blues, the Black Panthers and racism, introduced me to Hugh Masekela, a South African jazz trumpeter extraordinaire and political activist.

Masekela died January 23 from prostrate cancer.

Nena and I bought and played his records as well as those of his ex-wife, Miriam Makeba and Ladysmith Black Mambazo.  

When Masekela played at Little Rock's Robinson Auditorium in a revue with Chaka Kahn, we bought tickets.(For some reason, many African Americans dislike Chaka Kahn.  Fully a third of the audience departed when she was introduced.)

Paul Simon, in his Graceland Concert, played at Zimbabwe, Africa in 1987, included Masekela, Makeba and Ladysmith Black Mambazo, along with numerous African musicians.

Nena's favorite version of Hugh Masekela's Stimela (The Train Song) plays below:

HISTORY MADE AT 1/16/18 CITY COMMISSION MEETING

A. Galonsky

I admit it.  I've not been keeping up with developments in the city.


Catching the 1/16/18 City Commission meeting on Channel 12/Brownsville TV, however, I believe I witnessed history: possibly the quickest appointment to a board in city history.

Businessman/landholder Abraham Galonsky was nominated and assigned to the Planning and Zoning Commission in no more than ten seconds.

Commissioner Neece, quick on the draw

Commissioner Cesar de Leon nominated Galonsky with an immediate second by Commissioner Ben Neece.

Commissioner Rose Gowen added a second nominee, Mayor Tony called for a vote and blitzkrieg, both nominees were approved seconds flat.

Commissioner Rose Gowen

The affluent Galonsky sold the City of Brownsville La Casa del Nylon on Adams Street for triple its value, $2,300,000 in 2012.  That took the building off the city's tax rolls.  The building sits in deterioration as the city has no economical use for it.

Galonsky has other properties and land tracts he would love to unload on the gullible city commission.  His positioning on the Planning and Zoning Commission will only enhance those opportunities.

Commissioner Neece, who so quickly seconded Abraham's nomination to the board, has a clear conflict of interest as Abraham is Ben's landlord for his upstairs apartment and club for which he has assumed a 1203 E. Washington Street address, an address not recognized by the city.  

Commissioner Neece, we've been told, is renovating the Galonsky property in lieu of rent, although a Public Information Request with the city produced no permits for that address. 

BEATING THE CURSIVE GODS AT THEIR GAME

Cursive handwriting, some say, is an antiquated, old-fashioned, anachronistic skill.

Kids nowadays can type way faster on a keyboard, may never write a handwritten letter, may seldom take notes on a pencil and paper notepad.

Still, I decided to teach Jack cursive, particularly concerned that he could READ something written in that form as much as write that way.

Frustration set in, not just learning how to make the letters over again, but especially to be able to write a sentence in the limited space given in a workbook.   Time and time again, Jack would complain that "there is not enough room."

Yesterday came a breakthrough.  Did little Jack finally develop enough hand and eye coordination to make the letters small enough to fit in the space given?

It appears so.  

"Grandpa, look at this.  I just used half the space!"

THE WIT AND WISDOM OF JAVIER R. GARCIA

Javier R. Garcia

Yesterday's article featured two brilliant photoshop efforts by Javier R. Garcia, one of Brownsville's young, burgeoning historians, currently employed as a personal assistant to Sandy Stillman.

We apologize for not paying more attention to the actual art work, choosing instead to deal with Javier's charge that we lacked a "sense of humor."

Having dealt with the "humorless" charge in an anecdotal way, let's move on to Javier's art, including the diatribes littering the second photoshop.

Javier's first effort is fairly generic, featuring my head on the base of the racist Confederate rock in Washington Park, topped by a Donald Trump wig hat.

This is an odd choice of art, by an odd man, since Trump would certainly oppose removing the Jefferson Davis stone, as does Javier, while I'm on record as favoring its removal.

Surely, Javier's linking of me with Trump is not based solely on ethnicity!  Wouldn't that be racist?  

Mr. Garcia's second photoshop insult provides more clues to his mindset, point of view and creativity.  Don't expect the witticisms Javier inserted into the art to make sense or logic.  That would be holding the bar far too high!

Bear with us as we analyze  a couple of Javier's insult phrases:

A.K.A. OL' FART-ON:  Actually, this insult is the brainchild of former City Commissioner Charlie Atkinson, who frequently referred to me as "Jim Farton," a childish funny about flatulence.  

Charlie and Javier, were likely huge Beavis and Butt-Head fans and never moved on.  

"Check out my butt!"-- Beavis

 A.K.A. Mean Mr. Brown-nose:  For this bit of cleverness, Javier has my nose covered in human excrement, descending into a pile under my chin.  

A reader comments that this description may more closely fit Javier himself:

"Hey Barton, you gotta admit the Mean Mr. Brown Nose was a good one, ironically coming from the Ultimate Brown Noser, Javier Garcia, the crowned winner at last year's Sombrero Fest once again, the one who can't get his nose, no wait, his entire face, unstuck from being so buried up Sandy Stillman's pioneer ass... not that there's anything wrong with that. 

History buffs and/or other Brown Nosers are said to be jealous that Javier's nose has access to 150 years of history every time Stillman lets loose a historic fart. The secret to his brown nosing skill? While others timidly venture the trembling tip of a flicking tongue around the fart box, the perennial champ approaches the hole with the confidence of a Nicklaus and the discipline of a Nietzsche. 

It's not much of a crowd pleaser, not like the old days when Bean Ayala and Ernie Hernandez dove between the cheeks with gusto. 

This year's Sombrero Fest crowd was not impressed. They'd seen this show before. Only four people witnessed the feat, including former champs Hernandez and Ayala. 

The crowds want a new winner, Ayala thought, but coming out of retirement was out of the question. His tongue was still firm and pliable, he thought, but his heart just wasn't into it."

Javier's boss, Sandy Stillman

We can't figure out the rest of Javier's wit and wisdom.  

It just seems a bit OFF.

JAVIER R. GARCIA CHARGES BROWNSVILLE OBSERVER EDITOR WITH "NO SENSE OF HUMOR"

The two examples of photoshopped art above appeared in the January 8, 2018 edition of Bronsbil Estacion, a blog created by Javier Garcia.   The two pieces of art were placed one on top of the other in a style reminiscent of Robert Sanchez AKA "Captain Bob."  It was as if Javier didn't know which one to use, so used both.  Below the photoshops, Javier added this paragraph:

"Jim Barton as great pumpkin. Jimbo tried to imply I was a racist because I referred to the vandalism of the Jefferson Davis stone as making Brownsville, Texas a "ghetto city". Maybe his assumption was that I should have used "barrio" because of my ethnicity or something stupid like that. What a douche' bag. He never had a good sense of humor."

From the editor:  Humor is subjective.  You may find Jay Leno funny.  I don't.  You may have laughed at gags by the Three Stooges.  I didn't.

Javier's statement above, "He never had a good sense of humor," stings.  

Humor is important to me.  Almost everything written in "The Brownsville Observer" is sprinkled with humor, sometimes interwoven, subtly, into the sentence structure.

"Why do you do that?"  Nena has frequently asked.  

"Nobody gets what you're trying to say."  (She prefers that I write more literally.)

Yes, there were joke tellers in my family, but, the laughs at the end of a boring 5 minute soliloquy were forced, with the joke teller slapping his sides, while the rest of us looked at each other, as if to say:  "He thought THAT was funny?"

My Uncle Gordon, on the other hand, conversed like Dick Cavett, with double entendre, self-deprecation and subtlety.  If someone got a little big for their britches, he would pop their balloon without making them a laughingstock.

Uncle Joe had an entire litany of fake swear words.  Hitting his thumb with a hammer, he would shout:  "Guts and fleece!"

A phrase I use frequently in my articles to mean a suppression of ideas, "stymie, stifle and squelch," comes from Uncle Joe.

George, a family friend, diagnosed as manic-depressive, was a natural stream-of-consciousness entertainer with a rapid-fire delivery.  In the middle of a mild disagreement, George would laugh and destroy your argument with:

"Jim, are you serious or delirious, psychotic or neurotic, hydrocephalic or microcephalic?"

So, Javier, I take ultimate umbrage, and, with righteous indignation, will fight your false charge of "no sense of humor."

No, I won't.  Just kidding.  I don't care.

For those who don't know Javier Garcia, he did some great work for the Brownsville Historical Association.  Most of the plaques you read on historical buildings downtown were centered, leveled and screwed on by Javier.  He may have even written the historical copy on the plaques.

Much like Larry Lof, Tony Zavaleta, Gene Fernandez and Rene Torres, Javier is a Brownsville historian, perhaps on a different tier.

Currently, Javier fulfills one of his most challenging assignments as the personal assistant to Sandy Stillman, a descendant of Brownsville founder Charles Stillman.

Yet, Javier's charge that I implied he's racist is untrue.  In my defense, I reprint my original mention of Javier four months ago.

Sunday, October 1, 2017

Javier R. Garcia: "Brownsville Is Officially A Ghetto City!"

ghet·to
ˈɡedō/
noun

1. a part of a city, especially a slum area, occupied by a minority group or groups.

Javier Garcia, the editor of Bronsbil Estacion, long a promoter of the city's history, finds the defacement of the Jefferson Davis Memorial in Washington Park to be a tipping point for the city.  Garcia now declares unequivocally, that "Brownsville is officially a ghetto city."

It's noteworthy that Garcia, always precise with his words, did not use barrio to describe our town, butghetto.  We will leave it to Mr. Garcia to explain his word choice.

Friday, driving through town withBrownsville Observermusic writer Diego Lee Rot, Diego pointed at the rock in Washington Park and shouted:  "Look at that!"

We stopped and took pictures.  Someone had painted on the statue the words:  "No Trump!  No KKK!  No Fascist U.S.A.!"

I told Diego that I was going to post this picture on my blog under the title "Racist Rock Desecrated!," but that I was bothered by using the word "desecrated," since it implied the statue was sacred.

"Use the word 'tagged," offered Diego.

I went with "desecrated," despite my reservations.

Craig Stone

Someone who likely did feel the the monument was sacred is former Program & Education Coordinator of the Brownsville Historical Museum, Craig Stone.  Stone, incidentally, was also a member of the 6th brigade, Texas division, of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

Relocating the Jefferson Davis Memorial is on the agenda of Tuesday's city commission meeting:

12. Consideration and ACTION to relocate the Jefferson Davis Highway Memorial. (Commissioners J. Tetreau/B. Neece)

FORMER CITY ATTORNEY SOSSI LANDS ON HIS FEET AFTER TERMINATION BY CITY OF BROWNSVILLE

After being "let go" by the City of Brownsville, former city attorney Mark Sossi has found gainful employment, we're told, with the Brownsville office of the Attorney General: Child Support Division.

We do not know if Mark's position is part-time or full-time, nor do we know his current hourly wage.

With respect to child support enforcement, Sossi is actually working both sides of the street, arranging for a modification hearing for his own child support, said to be currently about "$5,000 in arrears," according to a local source.

Sossi's next hearing is said to be scheduled for 3/23/18.  

In a previous custody hearing, Yessica Larios, the biological mother of Sossi's child, requested substance abuse testing of Sossi twelve hours prior to visitation.

"I ONLY SAID MIKE HERNANDEZ III USED HYDRO BECAUSE BOBBY WAS PESTERING ME!" ROBERT SANCHEZ

Mike Hernandez III 

Urban Dictionary:  HYDRO 

Marijuana grown indoors using a hydroponics system (tubes and filters with water and fertilizers).

Robert Sanchez, AKA "Captain Bob," does little for the reputation of OP 10.33's Mike Hernandez III in today's feeble attempt to clarify an earlier text about Hernandez.  Below is a direct quote from Robert Sanchez in today's edition of The Captain's Table:

"Cousin Mike is a good man. Never did I mean that he does drugs, Mr Cervantes was pestering so much back in 2017 that I just sent him some texts just to shut him up. But none of that was true about hydro. I have never seen Mike do drugs and I never had a picture of him doing drugs. Cervantes was just bothering me so much that I gave in to shut him up. I will defend Mike over Cervantes any day. Mike gives hundreds of thousands of dollars to Brownsville. What has Cervantes given?"

Notice Captain Bob says:  "Never did I mean to say that he(Mike Hernandez III) does drugs. . . . . . . Mr. Cervantes was just pestering me. . . . "

Not exactly a denial. 

And, Robert, if you're so weak-minded that you can be "pestered" into making vicious lies about your own cousin, are you really qualified for public office? 

IS ROBERT SANCHEZ AKA CAPTAIN BOB THE DUMBEST CANDIDATE IN CAMERON COUNTY HISTORY?

"Fake news blogs are the Brownsville Voice Brownsville Republic and Brownsville Observer. Commissioners should strip them all of using Brownsville on their fake blogs asap."

Robert Sanchez AKA "Captain Bob"

1/24/18

Captain Bob with a basket of his favorite fruit

There are several possible contributing factors; deoxyribonucleic acid, commonly known as DNA, environment, blows taken to the head during high school football,  or even digesting contaminated seafood, but, whatever the causes, Robert Sanchez is likely the dumbest candidate for office in Cameron County history.

We won't even bother trying to make a case for that assertion.  Bob makes that case daily on his blog, The Captain's Table, with his personal life lived publicly and, with the quote above.

  

UNITED NATIONS REPORTS DECLINE IN HUMAN RIGHTS IN UNITED STATES DURING 2017

From the editor:  The United States, typically a beacon in the world for human rights, freedom of the press, civil rights, etc., gets a reprimand from the United Nations Report on Human Rights.

The report is very detailed.  We publish the opening two paragraphs below:

"The strong civil society and democratic institutions of the United States were tested in the first year of the administration of President Donald Trump. Across a range of issues in 2017, the US moved backward on human rights at home and abroad.

Trump has targeted refugees and immigrants, calling them criminals and security threats; emboldened racist politics by equivocating on white nationalism; and consistently championed anti-Muslim ideas and policies. His administration has embraced policies that will roll back access to reproductive health care for women; championed health insurance changes that would leave many more Americans without access to affordable health care; and undermined police accountability for abuse. Trump has also expressed disdain for independent media and for federal courts that have blocked some of his actions. And he has repeatedly coddled autocratic leaders and showed little interest or leadership in pressing for the respect of human rights abroad."

The individuals most likely to suffer abuse in the United States—including members of racial and ethnic minorities, immigrants, children, the poor, and prisoners—are often least able to defend their rights in court or via the political process. Many vulnerable groups endured renewed attacks on their rights during the year. Other longstanding US laws and practices—particularly related to criminal and juvenile justice, immigration, and national security—continued to violate internationally recognized human rights.

TRUMP'S BOGUS ELECTION FRAUD INVESTIGATION TOOK DIRECT AIM AT TEXAS HISPANICS

Mike Pence Caricature by Diane Barton

The investigation into national voter fraud, headed by Vice-President Mike Pence and sparked by Donald Trump's false claim that "3 or 4 million" had illegally voted for Hillary Clinton, has ceased without fanfare.

The investigative panel found a dozen or so cases of fraud sprinkled throughout the U.S.A, but certainly not the "3 or 4 million" needed by the narcissistic Trump to prove he'd actually won the popular vote, not Clinton.

One intriguing detail, reported by the Washington Post and others, was the attempt to get a list of all voters in Texas with Spanish surnames, possible totalling 13 or 14 million.  

The State of Texas refused that request.

Mommy's Little Racist, Stephen Miller, Running Trump Immigration Policy

Stephen Miller Caricature
by Diane Barton

"If a dog's gonna bite, 

he'll bite as a pup"

Darrell Royal

UT Head Coach

At 16, while still at Santa Monica High School, Stephen Miller complained about Spanish language announcements from the principal's office, fellow students who had not "mastered the English language" and the school's diversity.

"Osama Bin Ladin would be welcome at Santa Monica High School," asserted the burgeoning little racist.

After graduating from Duke U, Miller honed his racist skills as Communications Director for racist Alabama Senator Jeffrey Sessions.

At 32, Miller is Trump's youngest adviser.  Twice, in recent days, Miller has walked and talked Trump back from making a deal on D.A.C.A., reminding Trump of his largely racist 35% base.

Coast Guard Approves Rio Grande LNG Export Site at Brownsville, Says Space X’s nearby Spaceport Can Co-Exist

From LNG World News

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) approved the Rio Grande LNG project’s waterway sustainability assessment (WSA) declaring the project suitable for LNG marine traffic. The project was declared suitable for accommodating the type and the frequency of LNG marine traffic, the USCG filing says.

This recommendation is provided to assist in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s determination of whether the proposed facility should be authorized.

The review also notes that the Space X Speceport’s launch site, which is 5 miles away from the proposed LNG facility, could co-exist, as the risk of public impact from a projectile in the 10,000 to 100,000 ft-lb range would be just inside the tolerable region.

NextDecade, a company focused on LNG exports, developing the project said in November it could reach a final investment decision for as few as two trains with a 9 mtpa production capacity.

At full build-out, the facility in the Port of Brownsville would have the capacity to produce 27 million tons of liquefied natural gas per year out of 6 production trains. The project is currently going through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) process, with NextDecade expecting to receive a notice of schedule in the near future. A final authorization is expected in the second half of 2018.

WE FIND NO JOY IN THE TRAGEDY OF ROBERT SANCHEZ

There's no joy in sparring with Cameron County Judge Candidate Robert Sanchez or defending against his juvenile attacks.

You never witnessed Muhammed Ali fight a handicapped person, nor does anyone care to read a word fight between a blogger and Captain Bob, an obviously impaired, unskilled verbal combatant with life problems much larger than his impending slaughter by Eddie Trevino in the March primary.

Yes, it's true. Trevino could not have searched Brownsville's downtown alleys at 2:00 AM and found a weaker opposition candidate than Robert Sanchez.  Trevino's candidacy on the Democratic side is essentially unopposed.

Captain Bob's inevitable primary loss to Eddie Trevino will be the tiniest, least painful loss on his horizon, not even close to the anguish of losing his children, his home and his business.

While no one wishes that last triad of defeats on Bob, the current trajectory of his personal life, lived so publicly, is on course for such tragedy.

Bob's Intermittent Girlfriend,
Amanda McDonald

As for the babbling Captain silencing Brownsville's bloggers, a document adopted in 1787 by the Constitutional Convention precludes that.

While not mandated or coerced, the blog that should be immediately silenced is Bob's very own Captain's Table.  The blog is a community joke, making Robert a laughingstock in the city of his birth.  No true friend would encourage him to continue.  

If Robert has a lawyer, that attorney should kindly explain to his client the legal jeopardy and vulnerability of his unwise, illogical rants on The Captain's Table.

Shut it down, Bob!  It will be the smartest move you've made this year!

COUNTY JUDGE CANDIDATE THREATENS FREEDOM OF SPEECH OF LOCAL BLOGGERS

From the editor:  We've largely ignored the inarticulate rants of Cameron County Judge Candidate Robert Sanchez AKA Captain Bob.  

To almost anyone reading his grammatically-challenged rants, he's unsuited for public office, seemingly without enough cognizance to function as an adult, father or business owner.(We sincerely hope he gets the help he needs.)

His latest rant threatens local bloggers, saying he will "stop them forever."  "Trust me," Sanchez promises.  "I will silence them."

Certain Bloggers must Go Away

Sanchez, holding a basket of his favorite fruit

"So when I become Cameron County Judge, I promise to rid the community of filth. I will promote Agenda Item to stop and eliminate certain bloggers from local blogosphere. Even though everyone has freedom of speech, there are three to four bloggers that have surpassed the freedom. I will be first County Judge in The United States of America to stop the filthy absurd nonsense of silly 60 year old devil following fools. These bizarre humans that spew hate and nonsense will be stopped forever. As Cameron County Judge, I and my fellow commissioners will police blogosphere for proper freedom of speech blogs. No more McHale following blogs that think they are cute and humorous. No more dis barred attorneys that want to dictate all court hearings. No more freaks calling their blogs with Brownsville’s name only to criticize all the citizens. I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THESE NON BORN BROWNSVILLE HUMANS DESTROYING THE COUNTY. Trust me, I wil silence them."

HOMESCHOOLING OF GRANDSON JACK~ONE YEAR PROGRESS REPORT

We get asked frequently about grandson Jack's homeschooling and are pleased to give a progress report.

It's been one year since Jack's dad pulled him out of first grade and BISD with a letter to the principal of Skinner Elementary.

Jack in his classroom

That letter is the primary legal requirement in the State of Texas to homeschool your child, along with some very basic curriculum requirements.

During Jack's first year as a homeschooler, he completed the 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade workbooks, but it's not a race.  

I ordered a separate set of 4th grade workbooks from a different publisher as Jack was being challenged somewhat at that level so no need to rush.

When assignments are too easy, students don't learn to apply themselves.  The fourth grade material is beginning to make 7 year old Jack work and think a bit.

For example, today, the assignment from the reading comprehension workbook asked the student to write an acrostic poem using the word "mouse."

"This might take me all day!"  Jack complained.

An acrostic poem is simply a poem where a word is written vertically along the left side of the poem with one letter of that word starting each line. 

"Forget about the whole line.  Just get a word that starts with that letter and go from there," I told him.  

After figuring out a subject he was actually interested in, he worked this one out in about three minutes, writing it out in cursive:

Minecraft is a game
Obsidian exists
Underground mines
Sending some creations
Ending it off

I don't know what that means, but it fulfilled the assignment.

Yet, Jack has educational gaps.  Today, in a lesson on antonyms, he only recognized old as an antonym for new, but not used as another antonym.

I realized that Jack didn't discern between a new car and a used one.  To him, cars are cars.  That's consistent with his life experience so far and his dad's values.

When I was Jack's age, we were in the era of planned obsolescence.  A '55 Chevy was obsolete the minute the '56's came out.  Most kids of that era, the boys especially, could distinguish the year and model of almost any car within 100 yards with the grill, fins, tail light configuration, etc. changing each model year.

Jack's dad, Diego Lee Rot, taught Jack to use a Korg Drum Machine.  Diego wanted Jack to show off a drum line he created, starting with a beat, then adding layers.  

"That's great Jack!" grandpa and grandma said.

Jack completed 8 pages in three different workbooks in two hours, our normal school day.

Grandpa doesn't believe in 8 hour school days and is working without a contract.

GOVERNMENT MAY SHUT DOWN AS TRUMP TURNS COUNTRY INTO A SHITHOLE!

President Donald J. Trump

All the signals were there pre-election.

Donald Trump had run several companies into the ground over the years, filing bankruptcy, pulling the cash out, leaving investors high and dry, forcing vendors to sue to recover a tiny portion of the money due them.

Students at Trump University got nothing in exchange for thousands of dollars of tuition except a good life lesson in how easy it is to be fleeced.

Should it surprise anyone that the self-proclaimed artist of the deal can't make one to keep the government going?  A budget can't be flim-flammed by con artistry.

Senate leader Mitch McConnell came up with the exact bi-partisan deal Trump said he would sign, then, after after chatting with immigration hardliners, Trump flip-flopped.   

As an Arkansas pig farmer might say:  "The Prez boo-booed in his nest," or, put more delicately, "defecated in his shithouse."

Ol' Mitch was frustrated.  Standing beside him was Texas Senator John Cornyn, nodding his head as McConnell said:

"If the president would just tell us what kind of bill he will sign, we could do something.  Otherwise, we're just spinning our wheels."

The 35% of registered voters unified behind the president, frequently referred to as his "base," were not discouraged.  An unemployed Appalachian coal miner gave Trump an "11" on a scale of 1-10: 

"Donald Trump has done everything he promised.  If the fake news media would let him do his job, he could even get more done.  It's gotten so the only good thing on TV anymore is Fox and Friends and 'rasslin'."