Tyler TX Facebook

Follow Donny on Twitter

Username:
Password:
  Remember Me   Forgot password?  Register
0-9  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  

Find or Refer a Contractor in Tyler

Furniture Stores in Tyler TX, a Consumer Review

June 7th, 2011

furniture stores in Tyler TXRecently my cousin and I went looking around for a recliner, but it wasn’t exactly a hard target search. We were merely browsing a couple of furniture stores looking for any deals. As a single guy, I don’t invest much money in furniture. Aside from some pretty nice book cases I haven’t purchased much at all actually. Fortunately, I’ve been blessed with quite a few relatively expensive pieces by both friends and family over the years. I bring this up in the interest of disclosing my own lack of knowledge of the furniture business. We visited two businesses: the much vaunted Southside Furniture, and Bassett.

Southside has been in the middle of a clearance sale. My understanding is that they’re in the process of going out of business. (I could be wrong on this point as I’ve heard a couple explanations for why they’re clearing their inventory, so if any readers know for sure, I’d welcome your comments). I do find it odd that they’d be closing as they only recently changed their name from Ashley’s back to Southside. At any rate, their selection was decent but even with the forty percent discount the prices seemed kind of high. I’m open to the possibility that it’s just my frugality, and the prices were in fact perfectly reasonable. I’m so accustomed to trying to do more with less that I don’t always perceive the great deal. They did have some really nice pieces but even some of the chairs that I personally found rather unattractive were up around four to five hundred dollars. The store itself was really nice by the way, very large and open.
 

Tyler TX Furniture Stores

 
I was less impressed with Bassett, but I’m completely sure why. First off I guess, because their selection of recliners (which happened to be what my cousin was in the market for), was quite a bit smaller. Their products overall were nice, but the store had a much more crowded feel. Both shops had some huge couches and chairs! I don’t know if this is the latest trend in couches or not but some of the bigger models had arm rests in the middle that included cup holders. Personally I’m not a fan of this feature. It brought back too many memories of riding in the back of my parent’s big Starcraft van. Just thinking about it brings on that old nauseous feeling.

At the end of the day neither shop had exactly what my cousin wanted, for what he was willing to pay. Both stops are worth a look see however. I saw a number of reviewers on line complaining about the customer service, but at least on this occasion that was not our experience. The staff at both places was perfectly friendly, offered to help, but let us look around without pestering us.

Montessori Education

May 11th, 2011

King Solomon said that there is nothing new under the sun. His maxim is certainly true when it comes to philosophies of education. There is a popular perception in that industry that we must be constantly growing, constantly demonstrating an openness to “new ideas” and approaches. Well, there are no new ideas. Call me boring and closed minded, but in my opinion this is largely a marketing tactic that schools adopt in order to appeal to parents and make their literature more appealing. “Oh yes our teachers are required to take this class and that class, because we’re always learning…” Ok, this is essentially true. I’m not so arrogant to think I know everything. But nor am I a babe in the woods. I do know some things… like how to do my job effectively. As a teacher I’m fully willing to consider potentially new approaches, but don’t ask me to rethink my entire philosophy and methodology of education because someone has discovered a great “new” method I’ve just got to look into. I’m too old for that.

One old idea I’ve been hearing about a lot again recently is the Montessori approach. Throughout my teacher training it was drilled into me that the method was deeply flawed. But when a friend who had received a very positive report asked my opinion I found myself surprised at my own lack of knowledge, so I felt compelled to briefly revisit the topic.

The approach took shape in the early 1900s. It was based on the philosophies of Dr. Maria Montessori. Dr. Montessori stressed using the student’s natural impulses and cultivating and directing them in a positive direction for the purposes education. Among the impulses she identified were attributes like;self-preservation, environment orientation, order, exploration, communication, etc. Students are encouraged to learn and “study” what most stimulates their senses and drives their interest. The classroom is largely student-centric. Children are encouraged to interact with, and experience the subject on multiple sensory levels.

Now I can appreciate the idea of learning through hands on experience, (though not all experiences are positive. Some are better learned about in the abstract). But what about developing critical reasoning? Certainly some students with naturally inquisitive minds would do well in this model. But like my sister in law who prospered in an A.C.E. school, some students will find the best in any environment. I was not one of these however. I would have either laid on my back staring at the ceiling, or chased the other students around with a sharp stick. Based on my limited understanding of the approach it seems too focused on the tactile and less concerned with the abstract.

I’m open to the possibility that I’m either misinterpreting the method or that I’m missing some important aspect of the methodology which would force me to reconsider my position, but here’s my central reservation about Montessori education: Students are more than physical organisms to be massaged and stimulated. They have minds that need direction, discipline and inspiration. Humanity possesses a spiritual nature which requires more than external stimuli. Call me idealistic and old fashion, but isn’t education at least partially about teaching students how to perceive what’s true? Montessori education may be appropriate for some students. But as for me I think I’ll stick to a traditional teacher / subject driven classroom. But that’s just me…

Best Buy Tyler

January 8th, 2010

With the closing of Circuit City Tyler finds itself with only one major retail electronics store. Best Buy in Tyler is located on South Broadway behind Ryan’s Steakhouse. The store is generally neat and clean and has great customer service. If you’re looking for a more expensive product, particularly on the order of a new computer or Television, you should be able to find some fairly good sales. It’s the smaller items on which you’ll find some rather unreasonable mark ups. Any kind of cords, power supplies, or other accessories are far too expensive. I have often found myself turning to other sources like e-bay and have saved hundreds on brand new items.

The movie selection is pretty good. I can usually find what I’m looking for provided it’s not too obscure. Although I must confess, based on my last couple of visits, the movie selection seems to have shrunk some. That could be a reflection of a lack of quality product lately. If what you’re looking for isn’t there, I would suggest a visit to Barnes and Noble instead.

As a generally intelligent adult I find a trip through the music aisle an embarrassing experience. I’m not sure whether I should be ashamed by my own lack of knowledge about the current music trends, or whether the musicians themselves are the ones who should be ashamed, both of their own product as well as the way they appear on the labels. Maybe I’m just getting older, and more like my father, but I suspect it’s the latter. These days I prefer the anonymity of iTunes or Amazon when making my music purchases. Not that my tastes are that bad per say, I just find it awkward to explain my purchases, something I feel the inexplicable desire to do. It’s kind of similar to answering the infamous question, “What’s that book about anyway?”

I do enjoy the gaming section although I no longer have the time I once had to invest in that pursuit. By far the best part of the store for me is the computer section. I find it so satisfying to browse the aisles for things I’d love to have but can’t afford. Ok so that’s a bit cynical. I can actually afford a computer every couple of years or else I wouldn’t be typing this, but I digress.

Bottom line is that Best Buy in Tyler is a pretty good store if you like the retail giants. While I seldom go there just to hang out, I do enjoy browsing a little. Larger items are priced fairly low if you take into account the various rebates available, but when it comes to smaller items you’re probably better off trying a few other sources first. To view their website, go to www.bestbuy.com.