It's For the Kids

Several years ago I helped my son install an underground electrical fence around his yard.  He had just moved and his dog was wandering off.   A special collar is put around the dog's neck and when he crosses the line of the fence emitting a small electrical current the dog would receive a mild shock and not cross the fence.  Eventually the dog learns the boundary and won't cross the line even when the power is off.

This may seem cruel, but after a few little jolts, the dog is better off than he would be if he got run over by the milk man.  He quickly learns his boundaries and stays within them.

Since the government is scaling down the importance of our space program, I am proposing that they fund some of these highly intelligent scientists to develop human "dog collars"  They could design these for various public officials and/or politicians.  These programs would evaluate their actions against their defined purpose and responsibility of the position.  Whenever they deviated from the core purpose, they would receive a little shock.  Eventually, they would do the "right thing". 

Once developed, I would like to see them installed on the BISD school board.

Just Another Day in the Park

I developed my love for baseball as a kid in the early 50's.  The closest Major League  team, geographically speaking,  was the St. Louis Cardinals.  What I knew about the teams was what I read in the papers or an occasional sports magazine.  Everyone had a favorite team.  Some were Cardinal fans, a lot of Yankee fans, but for me, it was the Brooklyn Dodgers.  I would read the box scores everyday.  In the Sunday paper there was always a listing of all of the statistics.  There was usually a game on TV on Saturday, but I would rather be playing than watching.  Therefore, my connection to the Big Leagues was through the daily newspapers. 

Beaumont had a minor league team and some of those players made it to the "Show". Other than that, my only contact with the Big League teams came sometime in the 50's when the Ralph Kiner led Pirates played some other team at Stuart Stadium, the home of the Beaumont Exporters.  My Dad got me out of school early to go to the game.  I remember Kiner hitting a double off the green fence.

Other than that one occurrence, I had to settle to my daily routine of a bowl of Wheaties and reading the sports page every morning.  At the end of my senior year in high school, in 1962, Houston got a major league franchise and they become known as the Houston Colt .45s.  Major League baseball was only an hour and half away.

It was an impromptu decision that led to my first major league game.  One afternoon Bobby Katz, Gene Coleman, Jimmy Rutledge and myself decided to go to a game. By then we were all in college and had a little more freedom.  Sandy Koufax was scheduled to pitch for the Dodgers.  Jimmy had a new Chevy Corvair so we piled into his car and started the drive to Houston.  Country boys didn't go to the big city very often and there was no IH 10 at that time.  When we got to Houston the traffic was horrendous.  Not to fear, Jimmy had a CB radio and requested shortcuts to any "Good Buddy" that would listen. Nonetheless, we go to the park and bought our tickets.  Since it was "Koufax" and we were late we got SRO seats and sat in the aisle behind home plate. We had missed the first three innings.
The Colt .45s knocked Sandy out of the box in the fifth inning.  But we did get to see him pitch. 

After the game we couldn't remember where we parked and wandered around the park for an hour trying to find that Corvair.  But, we had finally seen a major league game. 

I lost contact with Jimmy over the years.  Bobby recently retired and moved back to Texas after working all over the US.  I moved back to Beaumont in 1980.  Gene, after marrying my next door neighbor and getting his doctorate in kinesiology, has been the Houston Astros Strength and Conditioning Coach for over 30 years.  We never lost our love of the game.

Another longtime friend, Buster Coats, who shared the same passion, but wasn't around to make that first game has worked overseas most of his career.  While planning a trip back to Texas, he suggested that Bobby and me meet up with him for an Astro game.  Gene's wife, Barbara, got wind of our trip and she suggested that we meet Gene and tour the Astro clubhouse and facilities.  We jumped on that offer like a "duck on a June bug" 

This past Saturday Buster, Bobby and myself met Gene and had one of the most enjoyable days I can remember.  We got to walk on the field, tour the dressing rooms, training room, weight room, video room, etc.  Gene was a gracious host and his stories about his years in the Big Leagues was most entertaining.  He reminisced about Yogi Berra, Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens, Presidents Bush and  told many other anecdotes from his many years there. 

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After the tour we got to our seats in the Crawford boxes early enough to watch batting practice.  Bobby's wife, Linda, got hit by a ball and the paramedics showed up with ice bags.  The nice young man that caught the ball gave it to Linda. 

In the eighth inning, Barbara, had arranged for the us to be the "Fans of the Game".  We were interviewed by the Fox roving reporter on TV. 

Since that first Colt .45 game, I have seen playoff games, two world series games,  an 18 inning game, games at Oakland, Chaviz Ravine, Fenway, Yankee Stadium, Baltimore, NY Mets, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia and spring training at Phoenix.  I still read the box scores, watch TV games and 100s of college and minor league games.  But, this past weekend with old friends tops them all.

Happy Father's Day

It has been 26 years since my Dad passed away and rarely does a day pass that I don't think about him and the positive influence he has had on me.  "Pop" was a WWII veteran and a Bronze Star recipient.  Like most of "The Greatest Generation" he rarely talked about the war or any of his other accomplishments for that matter.  He moved our family from Grapevine, Texas to Beaumont about 1950.  He resumed his college education that was cut short by the War and graduated from the
U of Houston in 1956. 

I can write many stories about my Dad.  But, I would like to share two experiences that I have never forgotten.  Two events that reflected his character and hopefully describe mine.
I was about five or six and he had taken me to a filling station in Grapevine.  When we got home he realized that I had a package of chewing gum and I had no money.  It was pretty obvious that I was on the verge of a "life of crime".  He explained to me the evils of stealing and took me back to the filling station and made me go inside and tell the owner what I had done and pay him for the gum.

As a young couple trying to raise two boys in the 50s, my parents didn't splurge on entertainment.  Most of their social life consisted of going to other couples houses and playing "42".  Since money was an issue, babysitters were out of the question and we kids were brought along and expected to behave while the adults played.  After returning home from one such evening,  my Dad called my aside and explained to me that he was displeased with my behavior.  Apparently I had responded to some other adults by saying, "Yeah" or "Huh".  It was that one night that I learned the proper response when questioned by any adult.  Yes or No was the minimum acceptable.  "Yes Sir or Ma'am" or "No Sir or Ma'am" were the preferred responses.  He explained that in such a manner that I have never forgotten.

To this day I will still say "Yes Ma'am" to women half my age.  I'm not taking any chances. 
Thanks, Pop.

Does it Help Put Pounds Out The Pipe?

I spent most of my career working in chemical manufacturing facilities.  Most of the products were of the commodity type and the key to success was maintaining your production and managing your costs. One of the things I learned along the way was to view your personnel as value adding resources and not fixed costs.  Two comments I heard along this subject have stuck with me for many years.  A plant manager once said, "The only people we need are operators and salesmen'.  "Everyone else was overhead".  The other comment came from an old friend, the late Thad Shook.  While discussing some proposed change, Thad stated, "How will that help us put pounds out the pipe?"

In order to meet reduced State funding Beaumont ISD recently announced plans to reduce costs without reducing "any" jobs.  I applaud the notion of  implementing cost reductions that do not reduce jobs.  However,  is this the best solution to help BISD "put pounds out the pipe"?  Like profitable businesses, I believe the affluent school districts behave in a similar manner and enjoy the fruits of success and forget to manage their costs in a prudent manner.  When finances turn, the quick fix is usually the elimination of jobs.  Many times reductions occur without understanding the value they add.

Comparing a school district to a manufacturing facility, All a school district needs is teachers, buildings and materials.  Every other job and activity is overhead.   For a simple example, lets assume that BISD has 20,000 students and the state requires a 15:1 student teacher ratio.  Then  the district would need 1334 teachers.  Since the school district employees about 3000 total employees, that would mean that 1666 employees or about $60million in salaries are overhead. 

BISD's Mission is to prepare graduates to be successful by providing the knowledge, skills and values necessary to compete in the real world.  Therefore, all of the 1666 positions should be evaluated on how they are adding value to the classroom teachers efforts to accomplish this mission.  If  these positions do not add value, they should be eliminated, regardless of the funding situation.  The same principle should be followed for EVERY expenditure in the district.  How does the purchase of a One Ton King Ranch Truck help "Put Pounds out the Pipe".  What is the added value of hiring an assistant to the Public Relations person? 

There was another saying I remember, but can't credit anyone in particular,  "If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there"