Once

So, I borrowed the movie Once from my buddy Hunter yesterday. I watched it and was so happy I did. It’s a short film (not even 90 minutes), and was written and acted in by the same two people, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.

It’s considered by many to be a musical, but I disagree. They don’t walk around randomly bursting out into song or anything. The music is part of their lives. Hansard’s character, known in the film as The Guy, plays his guitar on the streets for cash when he gets off work at his father’s vacuum repair shop. He meets Irglova, The Girl, and they strike up a friendship based largely on the music. They are the main characters with other people scattered in and out. It’s also pretty obvious they are falling for each other. I won’t give anymore plot away.

My favorite scene in the whole film takes place in a music shop. The Guy and Girl go into a music shop where The Girl goes to play the piano. She sits at the piano and he sits with his guitar. They begin to play and sing the song Falling Slowly together. It’s an amazing scene. And a beautiful song.

The ending is great, but I won’t say more than that to protect the plot. These two people try to sort out their lives and their obvious love; all while recording The Guy’s songs in a studio they rented. It’s so great. See it.

Also, the song Falling Slowly won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, beating very good songs from Enchanted and August Rush. For those two people, Hansard and Irglova, it was such an awesome moment they never expected from their small Irish film.

Falling Slowly, by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.
“I don't know you
But I want you
All the more for that
Words fall through me
And always fool me
And I can't react
And games that never amount
To more than they're meant
Will play themselves out

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice
You've made it now

Falling slowly, eyes that know me
And I can't go back
Moods that take me and erase me
And I'm painted black
You have suffered enough
And warred with yourself
It's time that you won

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you had a choice
You've made it now
Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you had a choice
You've made it now

Falling slowly sing your melody I'll sing along”

God and I

God and I have an understanding.
I’m not a bad person,
But I do what I do,
And that’s how life goes.
God and I have an understanding.

God and I work together.
I try my hardest to do what I should,
But sometimes things just don’t work out,
And all I can do is look up and try harder.
God and I work together.

God and I know what’s right,
But more often than not,
I mess it all up,
And I am tormented.
God and I know what’s right.

God and I know my life could be better.
I know what I want from life and what I need,
But often I do things I shouldn’t,
Knowing full well that I am holding my happiness back.
God and I know my life could be better.

God and I have an understanding.
He knows I am a complicated man with a complicated existence,
All He can do is tell me to stop,
But in the end He knows it is I who decides to actually stop.
My mind toils to make a decision while He already knows what it will be.
God and I have an understanding.

The Entitled

So, today I was sitting at home watching FoxNews and waiting for Hillary Clinton’s speech where she was to suspend her campaign and endorse Sen. Obama. Things I heard on the news prior to her speech, and her speech as well, got my brain on a tirade about something that plagues our society today. That is the idea of entitlement.
It seems these days that a large majority of Americans feel entitled to everything. And it’s sickening. It’s as if the concept of working for what you want has gone extinct. The older generations of Americans understood that they had to work for what they wanted. If they wanted a job then they’d go out and try their hardest to get one. If they wanted money they’d go out and work for their money. If they wanted health care they’d go work and have the money to pay for it. If they wanted good grades they’d study for it. And if they wanted to go to college they’d suck it up and accept the fact that it was expensive. They didn’t feel entitled.
Today’s more modern generations, however, feel the opposite way. And unfortunately so.
As I watched the pre-speech stuff today on Fox, I heard far left liberals and Democrats talk about all these glorious happy ideas to make the world a better place. And just as the conservative commentators did, I could not have disagreed with them more. One thing that really got to me was they were talking about college and how Obama wants everyone to go to college and wants it easier to pay for; even going as far as making college tax-funded so everyone could go. You can really have no idea how much I dislike that idea. Now don’t get me wrong. I understand that college is expensive and some schools charge more than they probably should. And I do wish that everyone that wants to go to college could go. However, people forget what college is and always has been. College is higher education that has always been something that almost has luxury status. It’s something that you pay for. Hell, you already get pre-K through 12th grade paid for whether you want it or not. (Even though when you think about it, it’s not really free, unless you’re an illegal immigrant) People these days just feel entitled to college. I have had students that have told me point blank that they are owed a college education. Really….. really? They claim it’s just too expensive and they deserve to go to college. Well hell, I want a new black Ferrari, but I can’t afford it. So, by their logic, the world owes me a new black Ferrari. I mean, I’m a nice guy that benefits society; so I deserve one right? I won’t hold my breath for that. There are ways to pay for college. The government has programs to forgive loans for certain professions. There are scholarships all over the place that go unused every year simply because people are too damn lazy to look for them. Why look? They are owed the money, right? And when the government starts to give you a college education, isn’t it worth less? I worked my ass off to get my bachelor’s degree and had hell paying for it. But now that I have it, it means something to me. What if I didn’t have to work so hard to get it? What would it mean then? Also, the way the government pays for new social programs is raising taxes on everyone, not just the rich (who are apparently the absolute evil in the word). Ok, so raise my taxes so everyone can go to college. They can use their money to pay taxes for everyone else to go to college. Yay! Shit, I want a Master’s. Pay for that. And I never really wanted a Doctorate, but if you’re going to pay, go ahead and pay for that too. I shouldn’t be discriminated against just because I went to college before the world started paying for it; so pay for my post-graduate work to make up for my paying for my owe schooling. I am now moving on, because I think I beat this idea to death and beyond.
My biggest issue from all the talking today, and inevitably from this upcoming campaign for President, is the idea of universal health care. This is what got me fired up. I’m just going to come out and say it first off: I HATE universal health care with every fiber of my being. That has to be the stupidest idea I have ever heard. And to me, one of the most offensive ideas out there. The idea that people are entitled to health care is absurd. Never once in my life have I ever considered myself entitled to health care. It’s a business; pure and simple. Now again, don’t get me wrong. I wish people could get the health care they need. I really do. I don’t want people to have to be sick. I’m not cruel; I’m compassionate. However, I don’t believe that anyone is owed health care. People always point to Canada and say, “Look at them. They have universal free health care. It works for them.” Yeah, ok then. However, they are either omitting or don’t know some facts about Canada. Canada has a population of about 33 Million, and the U.S. has a population of about 301 Million (information from CIA.gov). It may just be me, but I am pretty sure giving health care to 33 million people is a little easier than giving it to 301 million people. Hell, we give free health care to illegal immigrants already, and that costs us a royal fortune and has damaged health care in states with high illegal populations. Also, Canada may have free health care, but the quality of that care is low compared to the U.S. What if I need major surgery? If I have health care on my own, which I do, I will have the doctors schedule my surgery for sometime soon and be done with it. If I have free care in Canada I’ll still get my surgery; but by the time they get to me on the list I may be dead by then. And I can get medicine there, but the quality is less. If I was a drug company I would work constantly trying to find new and better drugs, because I could then sell them. If health care is taken over by the government and I get a lower price for my product, what’s my incentive to create new drugs? There is none. Hell, I couldn’t afford the research and development anyway. And again: Yay! Let’s raise taxes even higher so everyone can have health care. That’s just what I want; to pay for everyone else’s up keeping. I already pay taxes into welfare so people can leech off the system and not have to work. Why not just add another tax to my load? I would so enjoy that new tax taken out of my amazing teacher salary! Again, the logic of ‘I can’t afford it, so it’s owed to me’ rears its ugly head. I want a bigger, better apartment all for myself, but I can’t afford it. Hey, I have a great idea! How about everyone pay a tax so I can have a better apartment?! That’s not being selfish at all. I strongly doubt Bill Gates feels that he is owed anything. But let me say I believe he is owed something. He is owed the courtesy of the government not taxing him into oblivion just because he happened to be a success in his life. NO ONE IS OWED HEALTH CARE! We’re not talking about being owed the right to be alive. Free health care is just one more step to socialism. And you know what nation loves socialism? Venezuela and their wonderful dictator Hugo Chavez. Gee, I want to be just like them! Well, apparently Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama do.
So, to close my rant, I just want to reiterate the fact that no one is owed anything besides the right to be alive. I don’t owe you college, and you don’t owe my college. I don’t owe you health care, and you don’t owe me health care. No one owes you or me a good life. I work for what I have. And I gladly work for what I have. I got my own education and pay for my owe health care. Why shouldn’t everyone else? The government owes us safety and hat’s about it. Why should you feel entitled to anything? This culture of entitlement is going to help lead to the downfall of our society. We’ll go bankrupt paying for everyone’s happy life.
So, in conclusion, let me just say one thing. I don’t owe you jack, and neither does the government.

Reliving High School

This will be sweet and to the point.

This past Friday I watched my seniors from Lufkin High School walk across the stage and graduate from public education. I loved it; every minute. Seeing my kids graduate gave me such an awesome feeling. Like I had helped them achieve this goal, even in a small way. And, to see them walk past me and yell my name gave me such an amazing feeling. I then helped with the post-graduation party, Project Celebration. I tell you what, that was the most fun I have had in a very long time, and there was no alcohol involved. As the kids would come in they looked through the window into the main room where I was at. When they saw me they would yall my name, wave, or look to another kid and say, "Humps is here; awesome." I was able to shake my guys' hands and hug my girls and tell them all congrats on graduating. After midnight when my actualy job was done, I was free to go walk around and mingle with my kids. There in lies the fun. You can't begin to imagine what an awesome time I had. Seeing my kids box with giant gloves, play rock band, ride go-cart coolers, play pool and card games, and just chill out. It was so fun to stand and talk to John, Scott, Ajeya, Trey, Stephen, etc. It was awesome to talk to Jay and Eric about The Office. It was hysterical to talk to Big Robert about his doorprize, a folding chair that could hold a max of 225 lbs when he weighed about 300. Hearing Alex Rodriguez bitch because he was not winning a prize. Watching Joel shoot craps. Watching Dana play Blackjack. Hearing Blake yell out "Humpster!" when he saw I was there. Having Dalton come up to me and sarcastically showing off his computer mouse he'd won. Hearing Shane yell "rich white people" after the big gifts went to others. Shooting the breeze with Tyson. Just chillin' with Hunter, Ethan, Krystal, Shelby, and Graham. Playing pool with Josh and Megan. Watch Crain be himself. Talking to Jerrod. Having Nathan hit me with a tennis ball by accident. Meeting kids for the first time and just talking with them. And watching as a girl stalked Joey and Jennifer trying act like his girlfriend, and then the stalker telling him he should leave her. And seeing Charlie come in late and us have to convince them to let him in. And there were way more good times.

It made me actually wish I could have been in high school with them. I never had that much fun in high school; I had to wait for college for that awesome of a time. And, strangely enough, I also got a little depressed. I love all those kids. They keep me young; they keep me going. They make me have faith in the future. But I was depressed because I know good and well that I may very well never see some of them again. Never know how college goes. Never know if they have kids. Never know how they turn out. With modern times it will be easier, with blogs and Facebook and such, but it's still kinda sad.

However, I'll gladly be slightly depressed than ever give up the times I had with my kids this year. My second year was far better than the first. My kids succeeded. They graduated. They learned. I even managed to spark political interests in some of them. And even made a couple want to be teachers. You have no idea how validating that is when you are in a job that sometimes just beats ya down.

Now, onto new seniors. Onto new times. I'm sure I'll do the same next year. I'll watch them graduate and help them have fun afterwards. In 2010 I'll watch my first ever kids I taught as freshmen graduate, and I promise you I'll cry a bit. But I'll never have seniors like I did this year. They were awesome. They made me wish I was in school with them.

Damn, I'm glad I decided to be a teacher.

Clueless

So, for my first real blog I thought I would write about something that nags at me every single day of my teaching life; what kids DO NOT know. It’s truly fascinating when you actually come to realize how much many kids do not know. Now, I was a pretty smart kid, yes; however, many things that I knew early on in life were not complicated. Kids today do not know simple things that they should know. Their vocabulary is truly terrible. Their common sense is lacking. And, the most troubling thing, their desire to be better educated is just not there. I’m going to give some examples to further illustrate my main idea.

One subject I teach is World Geography; I teach it to 9th graders. Now, I understand that many kids do not have too much background in this subject and that’s why they take it. So, I give them that. However, there are some things kids should know by the 9th grade. It should not shock a student to hear that there are seven continents. They argue with you about it. And when I name them all (North America, South America, Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica), they still have a hard time. And that leads to more issues for me. They will mislabel North and South America; they switch them. This obviously means they have no concept of basic directions, so then you have to go over that. And don’t even fry their mind with “northwest,” “southeast,” etc. Then you always will have the obligatory “Africa ain’t no continent. It’s a country.” Explaining that the continent of Africa is made up of many countries is hard to pound into their heads. Hell, I even had a student that was completely blown away by my telling her that the Earth revolved around the Sun. Really? Really? There is no way in holy hell that she had never heard that. But she forgot it. And that’s sad. And disturbing. And sickening.

Now, onto another part of this topic. The vocabulary that many young people possess is really very, for the lack of a kinder word, pathetic. In my senior class recently I said the word “discrete.” A student said, “Why you use such big words?” I was kinda confused because I really didn’t know what word she meant. I just don’t find the word “discrete” to be a ‘big word.’ I then explained what it meant; after I figured out what word she meant. And besides vocabulary, there are cultural references that most kids just don’t get. I mentioned someone having a scarlet A on her chest and a large majority had no idea what the hell I was talking about. One day I mentioned a politician having an albatross hanging around his neck, and again very few had a clue. Or when I tell a student his shirt looks like an Andy Warhol painting, and he’s the only one that gets it. Truly sad.

So, I guess that education is failing students in a new way now. They may know how to add and subtract, and they may know who won the Civil War. They may know how to diagram a sentence and how to classify a plant species. And all of that is great. But they are being failed in the ways of common sense and common knowledge. I almost want to say that students today are taught lots of stuff, but they are not educated. They know random facts and how to analyze things, but they have a 5th grade vocabulary at best.

Fear for the future of humanity. Flee from ignorance. Teach somebody something, for the love of God.

In the Beginning

So, I have decided to start up a blog. I’ve never been big into this kind of thing, but I wanted to try. I’ll write an actual blog tomorrow.

First off I will give a short explanation of my blog’s name, The Enigmatic Country Boy. I’ve always been a pretty smart guy; and I’m not trying to sound arrogant at all… really. But, I just want to make the point that I know what I am talking about. I was born and raised in East Texas and really have no desire to leave. I enjoy the rural country life. I’m not total “Greenacres” hick, but you get my point. I am also a very eccentric and secretive person, hence the enigmatic part. We all have our skeletons.

Ok, so I have opinions on pretty much everything. And I am more than willing to share my views with whoever wants to read them. I will probably write about the following things, give or take random topics:
Politics (most of the time probably)
Film (love them)
Music (kinda stuck up about it)
Books (yes, I do read)
Education (I’m a teacher, so what did you expect)
TV (because I am usually bored and watch TV)
Personal Life (not so much probably)
My travels (I have been some cool places)
Random Life Experiences (because I always have them)
My College Days (because they were the craziest and best times of my life)

So, check back often. I will write. Who knows what the hell I will say?

Laters.