The Message Forum is an ongoing dialogue among classmates. The goal is to encourage friendly interaction, including interaction among classmates who really didn't know each other. Experience on the site has revealed that certain topics tend to cause friction and hard feelings, especially politics and religion. 

Although politics and religion are not completely off-limits, classmates are asked to be positive in their posts and not to be too repetitive or allow a dialog to degenerate into an argument. 

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Jim Bedwell

Lady Lanajuju,

Yes, that Dr. O'Connor is odd-looking and he must be noticeably shorter than I am too!!! Hey, not everybody (few actually) looks as good as Brad Pitt, looney George Clooney, Tyrone Power, or Glenn Corbett.

And how about this verse, which I was reminded of by the death of Boon Richards:

But as it has been written: "What no eye has seen, and no ear has heard, and has not entered into heart of man, what God has prepared for those loving Him." 1 Corinthians 2:9 (Berean Literal Bible)

Chief Jimi Bob

Wayne Gary

This past week I have received several of the same scam calls.  They want to confirm I have been a car accident in the last 2 years and I have not received a payment check.  Today I asked "what law firm are you with" then" CLICK" and they were gone.  I have not been in a car accident.  Don't fall for this scam and give any info.

Added. If I get another call I think I will lead him down a hole giving false info.  If I can set up a meet I will call the police and see if they want to meet with the scammer.

Jim Bedwell

Today Bill O'Reilly reported on the ONLY 3 things he and his staff could discover that Joe Biden did for this country that were positive, and these were over his ENTIRE 4-year term:

1) with the overspending of the trillions of taxpayer dollars, Joe did get money invested in 400+ projects to modernize airport terminals

2) created an annual max of $2000 a year for prescription drugs under Medicare Part D

3) started the process for on-line passport renewal

AND THAT'S IT!!! PATHETIC!!!!

Jim Bedwell

Wayne,

I just bought a new car for the first time since 1993 - likely my last car ever. I've been getting repeated FINAL NOTICES from somebody who wants me to send him my VIN and other info so that I can insure that my warranty will continue. I showed it to the dealer and the guy said that my car info is public info and this scammer was just trying to hook me for some ripoff.

Also until recently I was getting a lot of emails in my spam folder thanking me for the 400 dollars or whatever I had spent on a recent purchase (which I did not do). Don't know why those scam emails have now diminished greatly in number.

Marty Fulton

JIM B - SO which rice-burner did you buy?

Lowell Tuttle

Jim B.  

4)   He kept Donald Trump out of office for four year.   Yeah.

Jim Bedwell

Marty,

I got a Subaru Forester Premium, rated the most reliable of any auto model currently. I had an Isuzu Trooper for 15 years but I finally sold it in 2003 because it had a manual transmission. I LOVE this new car though with all its modern features I haven't had before. But the Isuzu was the most reliable car I've ever had - it had 115K miles with absolutely no major problems whatsoever.

My brother has never owned an American-made car plus he's never bought a used car. This is my 6th new one and I also owned 4 used ones although my 2 spouses were the primary drivers for 4 of those 10 cars. Six of my 7 American cars were not good with a lot of problems. The best American car I've had was my 1994 Lincoln Town Car - what a SMOOTH ride. But it finally gave out the last couple of years with transmission problems. It was my parents' last car and I owned it for 24 years and 9 months - by the time I called junkcarmafia.com to come pick it up in April, I had owned it (since July 2000) for 1/3 of my ENTIRE life!!!

By the way, my brother not long ago bought a new Lexus for 120K or whatever that sport car cost.........he and I have always been SO different is SO many ways..........

Jim Bedwell

Lowell,

If you can't see the multiple benefits of having Trump President and how Biden was the absolute worst Prez ever, I pity you.

Wayne Gary

Jim, Lowell, Marty

I stopped buying new cars bakc in the 80''s.  Started buying lease returns with 30-40K miles. The las 3 cars have been Chrysler Town & Country minivans. The first 2 had over 220kmiles when I sold them with no major problems. My current one is a 2014 and has 225K  and the only major problem is I had to rebuild the transmission at 215K. I got all at 50% or less off sticker and drove them 30-35K per year for work. My wife has a 2009 Buick Lacerne with 220K with no major problems. It was a Enterprise lease with 80k when wy wife got it. She drives 10-15k per year.

With modern machining the power trains last a lot longer.

Wayne Gary

Poor owl. sitting on branch

Jim Bedwell

Aishah Hasnie on FNC today kept pronouncing Kerrville as

Care-ville rather than Cur-ville. Odd but with her beauty and outstanding figure, she is FORGIVEN!!

Wayne,

That should be called a Trump Owl. And yes, this is the 1st new car I've bought since 1993.

Lowell Tuttle

Jim.   I made a bunch of comments about my 2024 Outback Premium.   Then I deleted them.

I like the car.   Some of the features have issues.   But, basically it's a great auto.

Having bought my first car in quite a while, and with all the new features they have, I wish I had gone ahead and added the windshield coverage option.   I just refused it.   I should have looked at if it was an insurance policy or just an extended feature Subaru offers.    Driving home from the dealer, about the first thing that happened was a rock hit the windshield...not damage, but, regret.

My brother just bought a Honda CRV and has had to replace his windshield once and his passenger window from when he got vandalized in Memphis on a drive to Asheville for his guitar "festival/classical/retreat?"

Anyway, he paid about 700 for it and kept no receipts.   He doesn't have the closing papers from the car purchase or anything.    He bought it a "Howdy" Honda in Austin.   I guess with a name like that they'll probably give him the new windscreen, features and all...

I carry 1000 deductible on comp, so a new windshield will be expensive.   And, they have to "calibrate" the eyesight feature when they replace the windshield...400-600.   Look up what they have to do to "calibrate."  It is amazing.   At the end, two tech's have to drive the vehicle on a stretch of road, with a laptop and the software in the vehicle, plugged into the USB.   That's after they laser adjust it in the dealer's work bay.

Then, there's fog and mud on the eyesight intakes.   

Think about those self driving cars and taxi's.   I suppose self driving taxi's just shut down in real bad weather...passengers and all.

I guess all cars are like that now.   

Makes me want to buy and refurbish an older vehicle.

Jim Bedwell

Actually that's not true of me. As a youth, summer was my favorite season just because school was out. I really hated going to school and the only subject I ever really liked was history. Now spring is my favorite.

Jim Bedwell

Lowell,

It's GREAT that we can remain friendly despite our political differences. I liked you back at RHS and still do.

My biggest car horror stories are with Ford/Mercury/Lincoln. The new 1993 Ford Aerostar minivan I bought my second wife had congenital transmission problems that finally did it in 15 years later despite multiple transmission replacement/rebuilds. So that was a lemon. The used 1996 Ford Taurus my same wife drove also had its transmission die (with around 100K miles, maybe 120K?). And then the used 1994 Lincoln Town Car (got it with 37K miles on it) had its transmission die finally at 216K miles; plus the automatic radio antenna wouldn't go up anymore, the once-replaced cruise control had no available replacement for its last few years, the cassette player quit working with no available replacement, but the radio still worked. So it was time to get rid of it. It was a great car though for most of the 24 years, 9 months that I had it. I also owned a new 1977 Mercury Monarch that wasn't very good but I couldn't afford anything better then. The only GM car I ever had was a new 1984 Olds Cutlass Cierra that had a very smooth ride (when it ran), was comfortable and nice inside, but the 1st 6 months it was in the shop about half the time and it had continual problems after that. Fortunately my 1st wife got stuck with that lemon and I got the reliable 1988 Isuzu Trooper in the 1991 divorce (she couldn't drive a manual transmission, thank God).

Interesting story about the Isuzu. I bought it with its great clearance and 4-wheel drive right before moving to Alaska. Well, Anchorage has all kinds of rocks in its soil since the peninsula it sits on was once covered with a glacier hundreds of feet high. The Trooper was higher than most vehicles so I kept getting dings on my windshield there from other cars throwing up rocks/pebbles in the air. State Farm used to have dings fixed for free (not now) so I had over 50 dings fixed over the 15 years I had that vehicle!!! I still had the original windshield when I sold it!!

My ex ACE mechanic in Alaska told me he currently has 2 Subarus with 300K miles on each of them. After I had bought the Ford Aerostar back in 1993, he once told me that he had thought about buying one for his honey, but then after the transmission problems started, he changed his mind FAST!

And my Subaru's drivetrain is guaranteed for its lifetime! COOL!

David Cordell

Martha and I are in Austria. Just toured the Mauthausen concentration camp near Linz. It is my third concentration camp visit, after Dachau and Auschwitz. Martha's first. Really creepy and disturbing to see the ovens and read the exhibits. All three concentration camps are depressing but Auschwitz was the worst.

Remember in high school one of the major literature themes was man's inhumanity to man? It's never clearer than in a concentration camp.

Lowell Tuttle

I bought a 1991 Chev Suburban from a golfing buddy of mine with just under 90,000 miles in, I think 1994. $12,000.   I put a crease in the front fender a month or so later, and figured, it was a used car, so I'd just let it go as I wouldn't have the car that long.    I put a transmission in at 112,000 and another one at 210,000.   My Dad passed in 2005.   I drove my Suburban to Richardson in Spring of 2006 to pick up some of my parents' furniture to bring back to Houston for my brother and I (he was living here then.)

I got a trailer hitched up to my Suburban at Uhaul at Abrams and LBJ and took off for Houston with all the furniture.   I noticed a sign on the wall advertising to rent a transmission cooler.   I put it in the back of my head, but remembered it later.   

I was toolin down I 45 about 60-65 MPH and everything was going fine, so I got to the Ennis area and sped up a bit and turned up the tunes, ignoring my load.   A short while later, my Suburban shuddered and I checked the rear view mirror.   There was a plume of white smoke coming out of the back of my Sub which covered all of I 45.   My truck slowed to 10 mph, I exited, headed back to Ennis and checked into the Hotel, and headed to phone a Uhaul for a rental truck.   I knew with 360,000 miles my Suburban had died forever.  

The Uhaul was miles away, but two policemen helped me get there (I did not have long hair then.)   I gave one of them my Suburban.   I rented a Uhaul truck and headed back to the Hotel.   I stayed there overnight and watch the first round of the NCAA basketball playoffs.   The next morning, I brought my Uhal box truck around and attempted to hook up the ball joint to the loaded Uhaul trailer.   I had to get a jack from Walmart to raise up the trailer hitch about 3-4 feet in the air.   Then, I backed up the Box truck.   I could not see the ball/trailer hitch, I just had to estimate by looking at the ground while backing.   I got out of the truck (it was raining) and looked that by some miracle, the ball and the trailer hitch were perfectly alligned.

I swear that was the only time I have backed up a vehicle to a trailer hitch in my life.   

Anyway, I made it home.   But, if I ever rent a trailer again, I will pay to have a transmissioin cooler, whatever that is.

Years later 5-6, I got a call from a auto repair shop.   They were tasked with repairing my Suburban, somewhere out in West Texas.   They wanted to check if it was ok...the title was still in my name.   The policeman's daughter had driven that thing for 5-6 years and that cop never registered it in his or her name...I had sent him the title when I got home...Jeez

I still have all my old casette tapes from when I had that Suburban.   A lot of Creedance, SRV, and even some Woody Guthrie.

Jerry May

So, I think we all can remember where we were this day; one year ago. Just as with the tragedies of the JFK assasination, and the horrifying mass loss of life on 9/11; we know what we were doing as well!

I can recall I was in one room watching the rally, while Ellen in another......was doing her hair. 
As I watched the attempt unfold, I said "Shots fired! President is down!" (didn't sound good, because I actually meant as instinctively ducked down) Ellen came flying out of the room; "What!?"

After seeing so many rallies, we wondered why all of a sudden, there were present and visible snipers (friendly)

on the roof before the rally began. I said, "Something must be up!"

Today we found out the USSS knew a full 10 days ahead.....there were reasons for being on high alert! Yet the Secret Service was woefully understaffed for the rally! So many unanswered questions......

Yesterday as I was running a pharmacy errand, I saw all the "green" ribbons wrapped around trees on Preston Rd. representing the loss of those girls lives in the Guadalupe disaster! At least eight from around here! So saddening for the parents and families! It hit Ellen and I hard, as it was reported those two sisters were found holding hands!

And here on the home front, our son and daughter-in-law are deeply saddened that one of the girls was daughter to parents who went to college with them, and were both in their wedding!

Texas will recover, but the memories of these tragedies will stay with us~

Jim Bedwell

Lowell,

Interesting Suburban story. I gave all my remaining cassettes to my brother (before that, I sold about half of them to a couple of music stores here in Knoxville - apparently cassettes are coming back a bit, not so for 8-track), who in addition to his new Lexus sports car, has an 18-year-old Lexus with a cassette player.

Ron Knight

Jerry

Hill Country and central Texas flooding is heartbreaking. It will take a long while for clean up, but the memories are everlasting. Hurricane Hulene hit Asheville in late September last year. It is still a mess and workers are still finding body parts in the about 70% of the debris yet to be picked up. I'm afraid the Hill Country is going to be very similar. We had over 20 inches of rain in a very few short hours as well. I think it will be recovery only efforts from here on. I certainly pray for all of those touched by this disaster. 

Jim Bedwell

Jim Bedwell

Pro Football Focus predicted 8 victories this season for the Dallas Cowboys. That sounds about right to me. I will be shocked if Philly & Washington don't finish better. Schottenheimer may be an improvement over Mike McCarthy but we still have Jerry and Dak.

Jerry May

Jim, knowing next to "zilch" about Schottenheimer; other than his father Marty who never won the big one! And anyone just speaking of "records" should remember coach Wade Phillips! (had a great one, just no SB) Also, as I recall.....he was the only Cowboys coach to be canned in the middle of the season!

With all these question marks, I would have said 8 or 9 wins.  But who knows......?

Lowell Tuttle

Dak is the highest paid NFL QB at 60 million.

He may be the 2nd ranked QB in 8-10 games this season.    Phil 2   Wsh 2   Az?   NC?  GB?  KC  Minn? Det? and even Chicago...

I love to watch him win, lose, fail, succeed..so much potential...

Oh well...it's a team game...but, 30 million of his money could go to two other players the Pokes don't have...

It's that way for a lot of teams.

Teams with younger QB's have better chances, but just until they succeed.   Then, the $$ goes tilted to that QB role.

UT signed a 5 star Georgia LB today.   I heard on the radio he will be getting 6.5 million in NIL money...I don't know if that's just one year or not...

I hope he also gets to the front of the line at the BBQ restaurants.

Bob Wainner

Hello David & Martha (in Austria): 

It must be absolutely "beautiful" there in Austria.  I watched a video about Austria.....very interesting!

I was curious about how safe it was for Americans to travel to "Austria"...and learned that specific Country was fine to travel in. However, I read an article that had various levels of "alert levels" for Americans as to which European Nations were "safe" to travel in. The article mentioned that the UK, Spain, France & Italy have become "low level" alert Countries for Americans to visit.....partially due to President Trumps tariff threats to the EU Nations. I don't think many people in EU Nations are happy with Americans....as they may be looking at higher prices (due to the tariffs the U.S. puts on them...up to what, 35%). Plus, Trump says he will end "ALL FOREIGN AID"....well, it's about time. The U.S. doesn't owe ANY Nation. The "free ride" is over.  Time to think about what's best for the USA. 

Back when I was in the U.S. Navy (1970 to 1974).....my Aircraft Carrier (well, it really wasn't mine...LOL) It was my Home for most of 4 years - I slept about 35 feet below the starboard side catapult & could easily hear the Fighter Jets launching at night as I was going to sleep. We anchored about 3-5 miles from the coast of several European Countries (cities) for liberty.  We would take 40 man boats from the Aircraft Carrier to the docks.  Visited Barcelona, Palma de Myorrca (sp.), South of France, Monaco (Monte Carlo), Naples, 3 day trip to Rome on an Easter Sunday - saw the Pope and the inside of the Cistine (sp.) Chapel, Venice, Italy was amazing, Athens, Greece & Rhodes, Greece.  Back then, Europeans treated us very well...seemed like they were just thankful that America helped saved them from Germany. No issues in Europe for me during those (4) years....except one.  While I was in downtown Athens, Greece with a shipmate.....there was a "military coup" going on...students setting cars on fire, riots, buses being pushed over...police with full riot gear on; Saw one policeman grab a long haired student and bounce the kids' head off of the concrete walk......soooooo, we caught the next bus back to the pier and got back onboard the Aircraft Carrier, where it was safe to be.  Marshall Law was declared in Athens for about 3-5 days....then, everything sort of just went back to normal.

But thinking back.....IMO, the U.S. Navy "should" have given every enlisted guy & officer a short course about each Country/City we visited.....just info. about safety, cultures, dos and don'ts.....because it was the first time for most of us over there.....and we were pretty clueless about every Country we visited. Best to do your "homework" before traveling to any foreign Nation. 

Madalyn & I have been "considering" a trip to Italy.....fly to Rome...take a train north to some of the smaller iconic Italian cities & to Venice.....then, back to Rome. We'll just have to plan ahead & ensure Italy is safe before we go. 

Enjoy your trip, David & Martha.....let us know how it all went after you return to Texas.

Bob

Jim Bedwell

I heard on "The Five" tonight that the leaders in a recent poll for the Dem Prez nomination in 2028:

1) Kamala Harris

2) Pete Buttigieg

3) Gavin Newsom

Obviously the Dems have learned nothing (what else is new?). I hope that continues for the next 3+ years until the election!!!! YEE HAW!!!