Welcome to the Richardson High School Message Forum.
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Did you hear Michelle Obama tell the public that she and Barack have undergone marriage counseling in the past? I bet this is the first time she's ever been proud of her marriage...........
What did you do in the summer right after our high school graduation?
Did you have a summer job?
I entered TCU's first summer session as a freshman, of course, and took two courses, then, in the 2nd summer session, I took two more courses, so that I could get a better running start to my college beginnings. Then, I began the Fall semester with a little cushion of grades already accomplished, and an understanding of how college life was going to be. I was expecting my nursing courses to be a bit grueling, which they were, especially chemistry and the accompanying labs. Microbiology I actually enjoyed.....so interesting!
My summer roommate was a very nice young lady from Midland, who became one of my very best friends. We had a lot of good times and good laughs about our first experiences on campus, and we loved our first professor of English, who showed up to class in cut-off jean shorts, sitting on top of his desk, Indian style, to teach us our lessons. He was SO COOL, we thought. Handsome too! We really enjoyed him quite a bit!
I just saw on the news that good ole' AL GORE has resurfaced. I actually didn't realize that he was still living - thought maybe he could have drowned due to the melting polar Ice Caps...Geezzzz/
Well, Barrack & Michelle Obama obviously haven't been worried about the "Rising Seas due to Climate Change".....as they have purchased (4) multi-million Estates.....one is located in Martha's Vineyard adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean (the Home is situated just 150 yards from the Atlantic Ocean on very flat land). They also own an $8.7 Million Estate that is sitting right on the water front in Honolulu, Hawaii....Pacific Ocean. They also have Homes in Washington, D.C. & Chicago. Note: If you haven't read, OBAMA'S Presidential Library is being built in Chicago. That Library is going through a Lawsuit...and having major issues (being WAY over budget)...also, many of the Black people near where OBAMA's Presidential Library is being built are not happy...because that new Presidential Library is causing their Homeowner's Taxes to go UP...because their homes are being appraised for "higher prices".
Back to AL GORE.....I read that AL GORE (2025) is now worth $330 Million. And $1.5 Million of that he received as a "cash award" for Winning The Nobel Peace Prize".....for his activities concerning the "Environmental - New Green Deal Issues". I personally believe AL GORE is a "fraud"...he doesn't believe any of that garbage about the environment & saving our Planet...it was all just to make $$$. I'm pretty sure (but you can FACT CHECK me if you like).....that all of those "Natural Environmental Disasters" he predicted that would come about.........NEVER did. Hey AL GORE...I personally feel that you should return that "Nobel Peace Prize" you received - you scammed whoever gave it to you!!!
Also.......saw video on the news last night.....where BOTH Bernie Sanders & AOC were walking down the steps from a "Private Jet".....think it was when they flew to Las Vegas for their ralley against Billionaires. Well, give me a break. Doing a little research...found that Senator Bernie Sanders is worth approx. $3 Million (which I have a difficult time believe...as my Son was worth over $14 Million @ the young age of 21). Bernie Sanders owns (3) Homes; gets royalties from book sales; gets paid for speaking engagements; earns $174,000.00 annually as a U.S. Senator. IF he is only worth $3 Million.....think HE needs a new "Financial Advisor"!!! I read that AOC is worth approx. $13 Million (but difficult to verify). They are BOTH so against Americans becoming "wealthy".....like it's a mortal sin or something. If you were to ADD UP all of the "fraudulent $$$ that Elon Musk & DOGE have found, to date.....it would probably be enough for the U.S. Government to send every American Citizen a check for $100K. I think IF we could end ALL of the fraud...we could actually "balance the budget".
That's "part of the problem with the younger generations these days".....they don't really study in College (they protest).....and they aren't very ambitious - they'd rather NOT work a normal JOB.....ZERO motivation. I think (our Generation) grew up with ambitions to "succeed" in Life.....get a good education, maybe get married and have children......and yes, accumulate wealth along the way. We didn't need anyone's FOOT in our backs to be "ambitious" in our Lives.
As David's email to some indicated, the TEA ratings are out for school districts and schools. I find it very sad to see the correlation between the ratings and the percent economically disadvantaged, but it is a hard truth.
Dallas - C (76 of 100) with 85% economically disadvantaged (21% African American, 70% Hispanic, 6% White, 1% Asian)
Grand Prairie - C (73 of 100) with 75% economically disadvantaged
Irving - C (72 of 100) with 87% economically disadvantaged
Richardson - C (75 of 100) with 57% economically disadvantaged
Plano - B (84 of 100) with 37% economically disadvantaged (13% African American, 28% Hispanic, 30% White, 24% Asian)
Allen - B (89 of 100) with 18% economically disadvantaged (13% African American, 15% Hispanic, 38% White, 27% Asian)
Frisco - A (90 of 100) with 14% economically disadvantaged (11% African American, 13% Hispanic, 31% White, 40% Asian)
Coppell - A (92 of 100) with 10% economically disadvantaged (4% African American, 13% Hispanic, 23% White, 56% Asian)
Speaking of Obama, I heard that Biden is having a hard time getting speaking engagements now since he's asking $300K per. There is some justice even in this world. The Biden Crime Syndicate has obviously run out of sources of income. What will poor Hunter do now?!?!?!?!?!
I was just watching Judge Mathis and lerned a new term (California Sober). That is when you only use weed and alcohol. Ithink one of our classmates is California sober since he has told me I should try weed and not say it is bad until I try it.
I remember at the very beginning of the Biden administration, somebody on FNC stated that Hunter Biden was the most protected person in the nation. How true that proved to be!!! It was likely Hunter's cocaine found in the White House and he got a pardon too after Joe said he wouldn't do that.
I had two different jobs that are a bit confused in time. In one, which I believe was after senior year, I did outdoor work for RISD -- putting out sprinklers, chopping weeds, etc. I think after my freshman year of college I worked on a playground with a pool somewhere inside of Dallas. We had to fill and drain the pool every day because it didn't have a pump/filter system.
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Day
Departure
Arrival
Mode
Cost (Estimate)
1
Austin Airport (AUS)
Denver, CO
Flight (Nonstop)
$200
1
Denver Airport
Brown Palace Hotel
Taxi/Rideshare
$40
2
Denver
San Francisco via Salt Lake City
Amtrak Zephyr Train
$250 (Roomette)
3
San Francisco Station
Fisherman's Wharf Hotel
Taxi/Rideshare
$25
4
Fisherman’s Wharf Hotel
Muir Woods
Rental Car
$100/day rental + $10 entry
5
Muir Woods
Sausalito Hotel
Rental Car
Already rented
6
Sausalito
Big Sur
Rental Car
Already rented
6
Big Sur
AirBnB Stay
Rental Car
$300 (2 nights)
8
Big Sur
San Jose Airport (SJC)
Rental Car Return
$50 drop-off fee
8
San Jose Airport
Austin Airport (AUS)
Flight (Nonstop)
$150
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surely, David is being modest when omitting to describe his summer adventures while at RHS.
As Forum poster-readers, we all treasure their adventurous travel memories that he and Tommy created back in 1967. Like fine wine, some things never get old. And so for the umpteenth time,
I am going to post one day at a time. Below, I am going to post about the overall trip itself. Tomorrow I will post the diary entries from the day we left Dallas (May 29, 1967). Then I will continue posting each succeeding day's entries through our return to Dallas on July 22, 1967.
The page below summarizes our overall itinerary. As you can see, we kept on the move most of the time, rarely spending more than one day in any one place (London, Paris, Rome, and Sicily being the notable exceptions). We traveled primarily by train, making very efficient use of our Eurail passes. If you or someone you know is planning a trip to Europe and have 44 days and wants to see as many sights and countries as possible on a Grand European Tour, this is a pretty good way to do it.
These two maps show our routes in the U.S. and in Europe.
I was disappointed to the C rating for the RISD, but not to surprised. My daughter is a elementary teacher in Richardson. We all know that a lot of the issues start at home. As far as the school itself it is hard to teach when you have so many different languages to deal with. My daughter has to use her phone to communicate with to many of her students. The majority of her class do not speak English. So much time is spent trying to communicate with the non English speaking students that those that speak and understand English are getting short end of the stick. She says they do to much standardized testing, which I think most of us already know that. We need to get back to the basics of education. Master these Reading, Writing, Arithemtic.
Which languages does your daughter have to deal with, other than English?
Spanish and possibly Farsi or Arabic? Hindi?
It used to be that special bilingual teachers were hired, but I'm not sure about what happens today.
Are the teachers really expected to communicate with students by using their phones?
That's pitiful, in my opinion.
I think students who come to the US from foreign countries not speaking or knowing English, should have to go to language classes first, until they learn basic English skills, because when they are enrolled in regular public schools knowing no English, they are basically lost for quite a long time, before they learn just a few basic English language concepts. They usually don't catch up very easily, and year after year, they will probably not succeed to the usual levels of their classmates. Exceptions DO happen sometimes.
No false modesty here. Janalu didn't ask about my "high school summer activities". She asked, "What did you do in the summer right after our high school graduation?"
After my senior year I took freshman English at North Texas. Drove up there everyday for a 3 hour course. It was cool because I got to use my parents' 1968 Chev Chevelle Malibu convertible with the 8 track tape deck.
I also baby sat for a couple of weeks for Tom Brooks, who was going to summer school while his family vacationed. Their parakeet died while I was in charge. Haunts me. Quentin and Sue Brooks lived off Waterview.
I cannot remember much else. Texas Pop Festival in Lewisville was Labor Day Weekend. Attended UT's orientation. Signed up for Rush week, but took of for Houston and visit with Mike West and Dennis Matthews who were attending UH...We did the Freeport/Surfside beach thing.
I am pretty sure I was side hustling AAA memberships all over Dallas that summer...If you sold $300.00 in memberships over the 2 week payperiod, you made 60% commission. That was a pretty good living. I visited a lot of homes in S. Dallas, Oak Cliff, East Dallas, and Fair Park to close those sales. Very part time.
Evenings at the Burning Bush. We also frequented pool halls down on lower Greenville. A couple of evenings at the Cellar. Kids could go to bars in those days as that was pre liquor by the drink. Waitresses in black light bikini's was the draw...and maybe some good music.
That's about my memory limit...
Oh, and I think we were entrenched in Risk games at friends' and our house. Tom Woods, Cedarberg (happy birthday this week,) Rick Davis, Tom Wells, Bob Lotridge...Those games would last unti 2-3 AM.
What a time it was...
I just remembered. We took a trip to Port Aransas...Tom Wells, myself, and Bob Lotridge. Stayed at the old hotel downtown, The Tarpon Inn. got drunk on two beers...got sunburned and switched to Corpus Hotel, as I had a Gulf Oil credit card and they took Holiday Inn...Went to see 2001, Space Odyssey, and the next morning saw them land on the moon.
If we went to Canada, PEI that summer, I can't remember...Don't think so...and probably a few golf rounds at Tenison...
Too much T, so he's cutting me back to every two weeks. I was jivin libido wise with every 10 days. But, red cell count too high by 1/2 pint and that is a precursor to a stroke...
He is stroke paranoid.
Me too. My gramma had 5 strokes before she was 75. That was back in the pre Health care days of Canada...well, most of her history was.
I talked with my daughter this weekend and it was last year she had so many non English speaking students. This year she only has one. Not sure what the different languages were. I'm sure they were Spanish, Arabic, Hindi, etc. This year she has 3 students that are autistic. She did not say what level they were at. She did say they are adorable kids and loves them, but they can be a challenge. She is good with them I'm sure, her son also as Aspergers, which is a form of autism. He is border line and is highly functionable. He is a Junior at RHS making straight A's with a pretty heavy class load. Physics, PreCal. He was in AP Precal but was moving to fast for him. Also US history, Theatre tech, Principals Architecture , Draw I, Eng 3, Ceramics. The teachers especailly at the elementary level need more support. The admin people need to listen to their teachers more. The pace at Terrace Elementary is not neccessarily going to be a good pace at Heights Elementary.
Sounds like your daughter is a good teacher doing the best she can. My daughter says she really likes having aides in her classes, since those aides assist her every day with the tough work load. With two aides, she enjoys such a blessing, those aides being VERY helpful working with certain students, keeping the students 'on task' to finish their assignments, allowing her to work with the other kids in the classroom at different levels of assignments. She works with autistic, Aspergers, mentally handicapped, and various other handicap issues. She has had one or two non-verbal students before as well.
She says her aides are a Godsend, but this year, she was only assigned one aide, which was disappointing for her. She manages, but says she really hopes next year she will again have two aides. I think they told her that money issues were a problem this year, so they had to cut expenses wherever they could. Public schools are often plagued with money issues, as we have been hearing for years. I guess it is always going to be that way. Never seems to change, does it?
I think I read that Elon Musk has some Aspergers, so just because a child is diagnosed with that, doesn't mean the child will have too many problems with success, huh? Musk is such an amazing guy! I've read that his main issues from time to time, are some of his social mannerisms or explaining abilities, as they say that he is a little difficult to understand when relating specific remedies to people on occasion; a little awkward at times. But when I've seen him being interviewed, he answers well, thoroughly, and communicates easily. His handicap must be rather mild, I would assume.
Best wishes for your daughter's continued success! Hope she doesn't get the old 'burn-out' syndrome that affects so many teachers over time. Sometimes if they just switch to another grade, they get renewed energy and satisfaction, saying the change of routine and subject matter helps quite a bit.
Martha and I went to Austin on Thursday for a meeting at UT -- I am on an advisory board for the student union, which means I am a sucker for a donation.
Enjoyed spending a lot of time, including a round of golf, with Eddy Norton. Sounds like his County Line restaurants are doing well.
Got back home today. Good news -- my son didn't demolish the house and Becky the Little Black Dog is still alive.
I'll bet Becky the Little Black Dog, snarled at your son, bearing her teeth & growling under her breath, whenever she noticed him starting to do something messy. She is probably the heroine of the house patrolling watchdog effort. She enjoys her tidy living quarters and neat, cushy bed with no dust particles to irritate her delicate nose. She prefers that he just lie on the sofa before the TV, falling asleep, rendering a docile figure, or unobtusive slug/milquetoast-y presence to be seen, but not heard nor smelt. (Kinda like my son at times.)............just kidding!
A couple of classmates have indicated that they are having trouble posting. I don't know what the problem is, but keep trying. I suspect that it will cure itself.
By the way, Janalu, I fear that you give Little Becky too much credit.
For some reason I couldn't LOG in............Thanks, David C. for all your efforts to work this out for me!
***Well, Madalyn & I just had "Triplets"..........well, sort of. We've been feeding stray cats at our Backdoor for a few years now. One of the Mother Cats had (3) kittens 2 weeks ago......but then the Mother Cat ran off or got lost - we don't know what happened to her.
So, WE decided to bring the (3) Kittens inside and raise them ourselves (we plan to keep them). We have (3) adult Cats. (2) of the Kittens are golden.....one is Named "CHLOE"....and the other is Named "MEW" (like the sound a kitten makes). The 3rd Kitten is all black......and we named her "SHEBA". I've never done this before...these Kittens are so cute!
Madalyn & I decided to just HIDE all of the CLOCKS in our Home.....don't need any of them...because these (3) little KITTENS are setting our SCHEDULES for us......LOL. We're feeding them "kitten milk" by bottle every 4 to 6 hours......and doing our best to find time to EAT, use the RESTROOM and get some SLEEP.......it's a FULL-TIME JOB for sure..........but we're enjoying watching them grow up. Tomorrow is "Kitten Bath Time"....oh, that should be interesting.
So NOW, we have (5) Female Cats & (1) Male Cat........and still feed a couple of stray cats at our Backdoor.
Think THIS is a LOT of CATS??? Well, during my 3rd Marriage......Jackie & I owned a 2 Story Queen Anne Victorian Home up on the east side of Lake Lewisvillle.....3,000 sq. ft.....and we had (13) CATS.
I'm thinking when these (3) kittens get to about (6) Weeks Old.....things will be easier. We're getting a "Kitten Play Pen" soon......and then we'll start getting them used to being around our (3) adult CATS.
We just DID feed the (3) Kittens...............I'm taking a NAP!!! *smile*
Thanks, Bob and Madalyn, for being so sweet to the kitties!
There are SO many of the precious little characters, and few like to have them around in MY neighborhood, as well as some others I've been in.
There are many in our shelters that often get euthanized, since there are WAY too many of them for adoption. It's sad to know about. Most of them are super sweet and affectionate.
I have one elderly Siamese right now, and two little kittens about ready to be brought to me soon.
My daughter got us started on cats years ago, when she was three yrs. old, falling in love with a mama cat's babies right across the street from us. She picked one out who was very fluffy like a Maine Coon. He was named Moose, and was one funny guy for my kids' enjoyment for years.
