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. 

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Sandra Spieker (Ringo)

There were some horsestables on Spring Valley Road when I was in my early teens or a bit younger.  TD Riding Stables as memory serves..  Anyway there was a creek on the property and a grove of trees.  I remember seeing a gathering of Monarchs there as a kid when riding once.  It was magical.   I was lucky to be alive at that time to witness it.  I doubt you can see that anymore around here or anywhere in North Texas any longer.

Danny remembers huge flocks of birds migrating when he was a kid in Parker County.  Black birds of some kind.  It took days for them to pass by.  Long streams of birds.  Since we have lived in Parker  County the last 15 years we have never witnessed such a migration.  We do still see and hear geese flying South in the fall and North in the spring.

When we first moved here there were a few vacant lots left and ranches bordered our property.  We saw wild turkey, foxes, and of course many deer.  The turkeys have not been seen in a year, foxes left 10 years ago.  The deer remain, probably because the coyotes have left too, plus some neighbors have deer feeders in their front yards. The ranch behind us now is developed and million dollar homes are being built, three or four so far on one acre lots.  All we hear duing the day are roofers, dirt movers and concrete trucks.  Sigh.

Jim Bedwell

Tommy,

Thanks for the monarch posting. I used to have a lemon, a Mercury Monarch, in the 70's - glad to get rid of that piece of junk.

David C,

As we've seen and heard since we watch the sole source now of any televised media truth (Fox News), 1 of the Dems' auxiliary agenda items to be implemented later, after this initial shock-and-awe, neofascist, totalitarian phase of no law & order, no border & no-holds-barred (or -hidden) etc. ad nauseum is more or less complete, is to have we deplorables' eating bugs. Those monarchs really were pretty; hopefully that aspect of theirs maybe will help a little getting them down when that time comes.

Also the famous question of if you could eat a meal with someone famous, who would that be? I personally would like to see a game of hearts or spades with players President Joe the Joke (THIS IS NO JOKE; C'MON, MAN!), Mitch McConnell, Diane Feinstein & Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman!!!! And if Joe has to step out due to fatigue, Kamala could be the stand-by stand-in!!! We SO need D.C. Congressional term limits but that won't happen since it would take a grass-roots (not D.C.-originated) Constitutional amendment that Congress would NEVER support - my prediction is the Second Coming will happen before that amendment ever gets started (and Philly fans, true to form, will boo that MIRACULOUS spiritual event of our Lord's return).

Jim Bedwell

Ron,

I'm not wearing any more masks since 90% of the water vapor that carries covid goes right through them. I just won't patronize any place that requires them (except for doctors' offices - you'd think THEY wouldn't require them but political correctness does run amok now, huh?). And no more covid shots or boosters for me either. While I'm still in decent health, I kinda hope I get covid so I'll have some natural immunity. And if I do kick due to covid, you mean I won't have to be in this world anymore? Hmmm....................I must admit that I won't miss much about it at this point!

Jim Bedwell

I hadn't heard beyond that they had been considering it a few weeks ago, but I just looked it up and Manson family member & killer Leslie Van Houten was released on 3 years parole on Tuesday, July 11. So she now joins Squeaky Fromme & Sandra Good, other family members already released from prison years ago and the only 2 family members (Squeaky & Sandra) I know of that still say Charley was great. Also walking around free now is Arthur Bremer (born 1950 like Tommy who was born on XMAS just like Carl Rove was), the guy who shot George Wallace in 1972 after unsuccessfully stalking Nixon for a while - Wikipedia says that Bremer is a Democrat by the way.

David Cordell

Jim B,

I think there is a chance of getting an amendment for term limits if it doesn't apply to current office holders.

Actual Article 1 of the 22nd Amendment:

No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of President more than once. But this Article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this Article was proposed by Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this Article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.

Proposal for Article 1 of a possible 28th Amendment:

No person shall be elected to the Senate more than three times, and no person who was appointed to fill an unexpired term for four or more years shall be elected to the Senate more than twice. No person shall be appointed to an unexpired term in the Senate if that person has already served twelve or more years in the Senate. This Article shall not apply to any person holding the office of Senator when this Article was proposed by Congress.

Maybe change the max to two terms instead of three.

Jim Bedwell

David C,

I still stand by my suggestion to up the US Representatives from 2 to 3 years, and then allow NO reelection for either US Senators or Representatives. We humans are just too sinful & weak (& now often demented) to handle reelection. The next guy may or may not be as good as the last but at least you KNOW there will be a NEW, DIFFERENT REPRESENTATIVE rather than some CAREER POLITICIAN who, poor baby, just can't help letting his motivations evolve over time in the corrupt national swamp. The other 2 modifications would be to I) return election of US Senators to the state legislatures as in the Constitution originally. Then in the LONG 6-year term, if it so desired and becomes necessary, the state legislature can recall say, a Feinstein, Fetterman or McConnell if they forget their oath of office. That national-senator election was changed during the truly awful, southern Democrat & racist Woodrow Wilson administration when Congress changed that (for their benefit, not ours - BIG DUH!), and II) do whatever it takes to get rid of as much of the 70% unconstitutional national-government spending as possible, including & ESPECIALLY likely eliminating several executive-branch departments. Also If we did these 3 things, which returns to the shared-government federalism created by the republic's true GREATEST GENERATION (the founders) where you return government control to the lowest level possible where it normally belongs (beyond obvious common-sense functions as national defense, state diplomacy, treasury, post office, & little else - just like the Constitution EXPLICITLY SPECIFIES), then Red China would have ZERO chance of destroying us, as ever IMHO.

Also to be considered part of it might be legislation that would restrict letting a US Rep become a US Senator or vice versa (pun intended) or move into lobbying. So there would have to be some thought behind all of it before we move forward, which of course will never happen.

Ron Knight

Jim B

You certainly have your right to choose how you want to proceed with Covid personally and your belief system in general.

Covid has touched my life perhaps a little different than in yours. My brother Joe contracted Covid in the peak of the outbreak. He told everyone that he had been vaccinated, not once but twice. He contracted it and frankly his family nearly fell apart. I am the closet uncle to his kids. My brother was just hanging on to life in the ER when he confessed he had not had his shots. I spent over an hour on the phone trying to console his oldest daughter through her anger and tears. My brother Joe had even attended Seminary School which seemed to all of us so incongruous why he would proclaim that he had his shots. He survived, but in his wake a lot of damage was done. It has taken much time to mend the fences he broke by his selfishness (in my opinion). He too, had thought that this would be a way out of this life.

In my music family, I lost my long-time bass player from 1981 to 2019 to Covid. He refused to get his shots. Both Larry and his wife Robin were hospitalized. Only Robin came back home. I am very close to the family and it is so hard to listen to music that we played and recorded together and have his grand kids ask me about him.

I will be on the side of caution as I move forward. I will get all my shots and wear masks. I too have that right to choose. I want to be able to converse with my grandchildren while on this side of the dirt when they ask me about any of my music.

Covid is a real threat out our way and I just wanted to warn any who care to heed the warning that it is out there.

Jim B and David C

Another proposal I would make would be to reverse lifetime pensions from Day 1 that were voted in years ago by Congress. Tie in their pension to the amount of terms they serve under the 2- 3 limit proposal. And only receive their pension in the increments that they served. For example if a 3 term limit is approved and they only serve one term, then their pension would only be 1/3 the amount had they been able to serve the maximum 3 term limit. ALSO, make it so they have a time period to be vested. Again, for example 20 years for a young politician must pass OR a combination of age and service such would add up to a certain criteria. It is totally ridiculous that a one term flop immediately gets a retirement stipend for the rest of his life. BS!!!

All of these youngsters (45-50 is a youngster to me) that don't get re-elected normally go back to the private sector and have robust careers piggy-backed off of their service to the public. We don't have to venture out of the Republican Party to think of Dick Cheney and his appointment as Haliburton's Chief Officer. BTW, I align myself maybe even more to Dick Cheney than John McCain. Cheney has a gay daughter and has fielded all kinds of questions about that and other questions outside of the scope of hard core right wingers. He has handled them well with genuine concern and compassion.But when people began to question his party belief, his one answer was ALWAYS "look at my voting record". 

NOR should Congress be able to vote in automatic raises. Their pay should somewhat mirror what their constiuents are feeling.

Jim Bedwell

Ron,

Thanks for your reply back to me. And I did get the first 2 covid shots and the first booster so I figure I won't get as sick as your poor bassist and your brother did - that's why I'm not planning on any more injections - since they don't prevent the spread of the disease, but the shots do seem to lessen the severity of the disease if you get it, from what I understand..

I agree with what you're saying about US Congressional perks. They're not going to do anything about any of their abuse of us in that regard. Something really needs to be done about that somehow. 

See you in Asheville if they come up with a show I want to see there, especially at the Grey Eagle. I like a lot of the acts they get through that particular venue.

David Grant

Jeanne and I are celebrating our 50th Wedding Anniversary today!

Can't figure out how to have 2 photos displayed, oh well, technology escapes me

(See post below. DMC)

Janalu Jeanes (Parchman)

Congrats to David Grant and Jeanne!

And how many kids do you and Jeanne have?  Is it six?

Are you living in the Dallas area?

I remember you well from Heights Elem. and from Mr. Herman's history class at Belt Line Jr. High.  Do you remember Mr. Herman's frequent reminiscent stories about WWII?  He was a nice guy, I thought, but was not too exciting as a teacher; a former coach, I think.  He probably preferred being on the football field rather than in the classroom.  He had slicked-back, dark hair, plus a skinny moustache, and reminded me of Howard Hughes. (The things that stick in our minds!  HA!)

Ron Knight

Congrats David!!!! Truly a milestone and testament to the love and dedication that couples endure to make it to a 50th Anniversary!!! A rarity these days.

David Cordell

David and Jeanne Grant's photos:

David Cordell

Mrs. Littrell's first grade class, Richadson Heights Elementary, 1957-58.

Tommy Thomas (top row, second from right) and David Grant (middle row, fifth from right). It looks like at least half of the class graduated with us at RHS in 1969.

Janalu Jeanes (Parchman)

The girl standing next to Cathi Akin is Nancy Nickerson.

Do you remember that Marsha Hensel married Bobby Johns, in the summer right after her high school junior year?

And I'm pretty sure they're still happily together today!  Wow!  Wouldn't that equal 55 years of wedded bliss!?  (I don't trust my math skills......)

Now that's really something, dontcha' think?

Congratulations, ya'll!   You rascals!!  (Do you begin to hear that melody way off in the background wafting closer and getting a little louder?  Oh yes!   It's that song... "Just like Romeo and Juliet....Hoo hoo..., hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo"....)

I hear it, as plain as day........(refrain from rude comments, please....)

David Cordell

Janalu, yes, Marsha and Bobby are still married. I think he retired as a police officer. I admit to having had a crush on her in junior high. Her father worked at Sun Oil with my father, and he was my acolyte trainer at the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration.

Marsha and I were in our church's youth group, along with Melinda Neson (whom I also had a crush on) and several others in our class. I was at a youth group meeting when we watched the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. Best youth group meeting ever!

David Cordell

This seems to be a decent site for identifying where candidates stand on the issues.. I'm starting to like Nikki Haley. She has management experience as a governor, legislative experience as a state representative, and foreign policy experience UN Ambassador. I like her on most of the issues. She's pretty tough, too. Husband is a major in the South Carolina National Guard and was just deployed to Africa for a full year.

https://www.ontheissues.org/default.htm

CNN's poll just showed that in a head-to-head match, she beats Biden 49-43. Because blue states are tend to vote more heavily blue than red states vote red, the Electoral College would presumably be much more in her favor.

If I were Jill Biden, I would pull Biden out of the race. First, he has a good chance of experiencing the ignominy of losing as an incumbent. Second, he could win, but the stress of the job will kill him, promoting a half-wit as President of the United States. Third, he could win, but the rate of his obvious deterioration will increase and that will be the headline in the historical representation of his presidency. Plus, his obvious deterioration will become even more of a story, actually sneaking in to the mainstream media. Really. Does anyone think he will be able to maintain his already-weak physical and mental condition for the next 5 1/2 years?

If he pulls out, he becomes a hero for putting his country before himself. History will be kind to him because he is a Democrat. He can write his memoir and live in luxury the rest of his life as a respected elder statesman. NY governor Hochul, Michigan governor Whitmer, and California governor Newsom are itching to jump into the fray.

But giving up power is not in Biden's political DNA.

Interesting tidbit. LBJ pulled out of the 1968 race amid the overwheming controversy of Viet Nam. He died January 22, 1973, just two days after he would have left office if he had been reelected. One wonders when he would have died if he had been reelected. He was only 64 when he died.

Wayne Gary

David,

I was glad to see you on Wed visiting Steve at the same time I was.  I am sure Steve appreciates and needs visits from friends.

This morning I was reading from the Bible Mathew 25 and it reminded me of why I visit friends.

³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?

When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (NIV)

David Cordell

Just looked up something about LBJ. From the New Yorker:

And Lyndon Johnson had what was by all accounts a severe heart attack the same year as Ike’s, in 1955, when he was only 47. Despite his duties as Senate Majority Leader, Johnson was hospitalized for more than a month and didn’t return to Washington for several months after that. He had at least two more heart attacks, the last one fatal, after leaving the White House.

I was actually looking up when LBJ had his heart attack in the 50s, but it was the middle sentence that caught my attention because of how it relates to the health situation of Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader.

David Cordell

Wayne quoted the NIV Bible:

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (NIV)

As with many directives in the Bible, very few of us earn a grade of 100. I certainly don't.

Wayne Gary

David,

I know I and ot8hers fall short but I keep trying as I feel you do as well.

Janalu Jeanes (Parchman)

David,

I agree that Nikki Haley is coming on strongly in this election cycle, and time will tell if she will be recognized even more as a very good candidate.  She has been governor of S. Carolina, as you stated, and her experience dealing with the countries of the world while working as our Ambassador to the UN, was excellent training for her.  While there, she gathered firsthand knowledge of the attitudes so many of those foreign leaders have, in the way those folks truly feel about the ol' USA.  I think most of them are jealous of our power, influence and wealth, so they try to take us down a few notches every time they can.  They flat out vote against us most of the time.

She was able to stand up to those countries, going toe-to-toe with them, staring them down when necessary, just as we citizens hoped she would do.  She can be tough when the going is rough, as we will need in the upcoming years, as those years appear to be looming rather perilous.

Biden is WAY too weak toward our adversaries, as well as compromised when dealing with the Chinese.  Gordon Chang, an analyst for FoxNews, an attorney, and a man who has studied China his whole life, agrees that Biden is hurting our country greatly, 'pussy-footing' around with his "buddy" President Xi, or Chairman Xi, whichever is his annointed title.  I call him evil, cruel Dictator from hell.  The unfortunate Chinese people are dealt crumbs from him, while he bleeds them of their meager earnings to sustain his military and his goal of world dominance.

I also heard this morning, that Robert Kennedy Jr. is considering running as a third party candidate.  Will be interesting to see if that really happens.

Jim Bedwell

David C/Lady Lanajuju,

Yeah, but what does Nikki Haley know about root causes (cute ruses), Venn diagrams or putting yellow school buses on pedestals (something's got to replace the historical statues)? You know, stuff that ALL high office seekers HAVE TO be expert on and involved with. I mean, who in D.C. cares about Lahaina, East Palestine, or flyover country anyway (except for a few extremist "MAGA-Republicans")?

Russ Stovall

CONGRATULATIONS DAVID GRANT ON SUCH A MILESTONE. 50 years that is awesome.  How Blessed the two of you are.  Russ 

David Cordell

A guy spots a sign outside a house that reads “Talking Dog for Sale.” Intrigued, he walks in.

“So what have you done with your life?” he asks the dog.

“I’ve led a very full life,” says the dog. “I lived in the Alps rescuing avalanche victims. Then I served my country in Iraq. And now I spend my days reading to the residents of a retirement home.”

The guy is flabbergasted. He asks the dog’s owner, “Why on earth would you want to get rid of an incredible dog like that?”

The owner says, “Because he’s a liar! He never did any of that!”

Lowell Tuttle

Houston was awarded (?) the 2028 Republican National Convention.   It is exactly 100 years since the 1928 Democratic Convention was here.

June of 1928.   Sort of hot without AC.   Al Smith was the choice.   We all know what happened in the 4-6 years after that.   First national convention in the South since the Civil War.

Jesse Jones (Mr. Houston) had the Sam Houston Convention Center built for 200,000 in 64 days.   All wood.  It held 20 thousand.   Can you imagine being there for the speeches and rally's at those temperatures?

And, no liquor by the drink!   Funny, it was 44 years before liquor by the drink could exist in Houston from 1928.   And, it's been 51 years since 1972, when it was...That sort of freaks me out, old-person-memory-wise.

This from an article in the Chronicle.

Houston seemed like the perfect place to reconcile Protestant, prohibitionist Southern Democrats to a Smith ticket, whose “wet” and Catholic stances would be a hard pill for Texans to swallow. Indeed, outside the convention hall, women’s temperance groups and the local Baptist church held 24-hour prayer meetings, in hopes that God would intervene to prevent the “catastrophe” of Smith’s nomination.

Inside the hall, things were also heating up. Humorist Will Rogers noted in his daily telegram for the Houston Chronicle, “The principles of the Democratic Party were never listened to with more heated brows and perspiring necks than is paying its bodily tribute here. I have perspired for Jefferson, sweated for Jackson, fainted for Tilden and am dying slowly for Smith. I don’t know that we are helping democracy, but we are certainly perspiring for it.”