Well, the weather here has really been the topic for most of the weeks  we’ve had here in July and today it’s 79° what we’ve been used to was about 91 to 95 and of course feeling like it was 103 or four. So with the temperature being at 79 we thought well let’s try the back porch and see how it works. And I will say it was a smart decision. We’re enjoying it and we invite you to join us, pull up a chair or a box or wherever you can find and have a seat as we ponder some of the things that are going on. Sometimes, if you have a difficulty finding something to ponder on, all you got to do is read the news it doesn’t really matter a whole lot what you think or don’t think, agree or don’t agree with the news what it is. But we picked up on something and we want to share it and maybe turn it into a pounder this afternoon. We found a very interesting story about a lady in Fairfax County Virginia. She came to Fairfax County Virginia from a small sleepy Seattle suburb to run that district Fairfax County Virginia school system. Now the system is just right outside of Washington DC and it’s interesting what’s going on there. The ladies name is Michelle Reid and she now earns more money than a US president and she gets a car allowance and now she wants a taxpayer funded personal bodyguard. I certainly don’t want to mislead anybody so I want you to know right upfront the Fairfax County Virginia school District is rated one of the highest in the United States. They’re in the top 10 on overall SAT scores and in math and reading and writing and all of those other things at school used to be about they place very highly nationwide. Now she’s only been there three years butI still think that is good enough to give her credit for keeping the system where it’s at. Well, last November the Democratic school board voted to renew her   contract and they increased her annual salary to $424,146 that was an increase from $380,000. On top of that she gets $12,000 annual car allowance so I’d say she’s pretty well compensated for what she does. Let me repeat that this is a highly rated school district a very strong K-12 education system and their salary scale is based on position experience and education level the first year teacher coming in makes about $56,000 but as with all other school systems, they can earn more money by having advanced degrees potentially in this particular district of reaching out to 119,000 a year. So less ponder this, what are they doing different there that puts them in that position statistic wise against other schools in the country. I’m going to say that it’s the student base that they service, most of these youngsters come from military and government families close in and around Washington DC. Maybe it’s discipline  within their home, community, schools, whatever it is is something we need to ponder.

The next thing on our pondering list will be the situation in Cincinnati. I guess we could say that we’re really not too surprised about what has happened there in Cincinnati because in actuality they are a sanctuary city. We’re not gonna dwell on that and we’re also not going to dwell on race. It has really nothing to do with the race, it has everything to do with a deep driven common disrespect for law order and pure human kindness. I really don’t know how to view a situation like that other than to say there is no justification what was done to and by those people there in Cincinnati, regardless of what they may have or may not have said. Now don’t get me wrong every one of us here on the porch remember when we were growing up a lot of times your mouth got you in trouble because you said something you shouldn’t have said are you belittled another person. But I don’t ever remember any mob actions such as took place there in Cincinnati. I think one good point that was made was there was only one phone call to the police and that was it. If we continue on with looking at the news, we all I’m sure in wonder of the fact that now it is suddenly important what happened with the Russian collusion thing. We have all these hearings and all these political legal moves being made, and they will come to nothing they always do. I didn’t get any feedback from anybody by the way here on the porch about those folks in Texas that fled  the state in order to keep the assembly from having a vote on redistricting. I think the best thing they can do for the state of Texas it just don’t come back. As you know here on the porch, we always have opinions. We don’t require any evidence or anything like that. Everybody’s free to say what they’d like to say and we’re not in the business of contradicting someone or trying to make a scene. But here’s the ponder for tonight. 

If you ever during the 1980s or in that period of time ever watched the TV series M*A*S*H, there’s a line in there that I have never forgotten and he just sticks with me because it’s so outrageously funny and it doesn’t solve any problem and it doesn’t require a whole lot of effort. Now that works just well really well for us folks here on the porch. If you remember Sydney was in the OR, he was a psychiatrist they had sent there because the unit was having some trouble and I believe he received a head injury and came in on an ambulance. There was a shortage of doctors at that time so they drafted Sydney to help in the OR during that period of time. Sydney’s parting comment to them is what I want you to ponder…. The exact quote goes like this…. “Pull down your pants and slide on the ice.” Ponder that if you will.

Kurt