Welcome to the Richardson High School Message Forum.
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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Hey. My brother Lawrence is flying into Asheville to attend and perform at the Brevard Music Center next week. His guitar was restored by Sandra (spieker) Ringo's son, Aaron. He attends every year. There are performance settings. I don't know any details other than he found a good air fare with Allegience? airlines from Austin, non stop.
Watching the second game in the UT-TTU Women's Softball College World Series on ESPN. Fun to watch. Unfortunately, the Lady Longhorns are struggling tonight. If they don't come back, we'll get 'em tomorrow in the final game.
By the way, the star pitcher for TTU transferred from Stanford for a cool million dollars.
David ...... As usual you've got it all wrong ..... Tech's star pitcher has an NIL of $1,050,024 .......... it helps to have 2 multi billionaires funding your sports teams as UT well knows ........ since your star QB has an NIl of over $6.5 million
It cracks me up when I see your email notice appear, and then the words NO ONE DIED.
It's truly a relief to see that you are coming forth with a message that IS NOT a death notice, but rather a little bit of newsy stuff to give us a lift for the day! HA!
You are a wonderful Student Council President, even all these years past your official duty days! We hold you in high regard forever, fine friend!
Keep it up! Your emails are welcome, and often have funny tidbits to give us good cheer, putting a little tap dance in our otherwise ordinary day.
It is June 6, 2025, the 81st anniversary of D-Day. So, the Cordells will watch the 1962 movie The Longest Day, featuring Wayne, Mitchum, Fonda, Burton, Ryan, et al.
We bought it on Amazon Prime and stream it every year -- at Martha's insistence!
Can someone explain to me in easy-to-understand lingo, the definition of intersectionality. I've tried to learn about it, but I'm just not quite comprehending it. Is it even a term worth learning, or is it just bunk, or woke gobbledee-gook?
Intersectionality means recognizing that different aspects of a person's identity, like their race, gender, class, and sexual orientation, combine to create unique experiences of privilege and disadvantage. It's about understanding how these overlapping categories shape how someone is treated and how they navigate the world.
Not only are they bad, they are always checking out the women, even when they are approaching 80 yrs.! (the wives notice and just laugh it off!)
As for the intersectionality issue, I've been hearing about it for some time, and wasn't getting the gist of it. It did not compute!
I see from the AI rendition, that it amounts to pretty much what I thought it was, all along.
Basically, it is just common sense, the way I hear it and think about it all.
Yes, of course, we all are products of the way we were raised, or reared, and we are definitely affected by the two parents we had, or didn't have. Our parents enrolled us in church schooling and activites, or did not, and also they provided piano lessons, sports teams sign-up fees, enrollment in YMCA -type groups, Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, etc. And then, they cheered us on as they watched us improve over the years. We also were affected by our neighborhoods, our school attendance and participation, our teachers, our mentors, our relatives, especially our grandparents, our libraries, our swimming pool atmospheres and activities, etc.
So who didn't already know this whole system of influences would produce profound affects on how we ended up after many years?
I still don't get the focus put on this supposedly NEW concept.
It doesn't seem like anything new to me.
The book about intersectionality was written by a Black feminist, is, according to some info, a gay lady, and married to a Nigerian scholar from England, is also a civil rights activist, and is a proponent of critical race theory.
So, I think we can see what she probably has going on in her mind. It's being said that she worries about how the US government views and judges women of her ilk, of her make-up. She feels there are systemic injustices in practice, and she thinks those practices will probably not change in the near future.
I think she has a chip on her shoulder, and she rather enjoys wallowing in her conceived oppression coccoon.
Don't women still look at guys and "hunks" even married women. I know my wife peopably looks but does not say anything. Seh used to mention seeing a man with "tight buns", especially when they were riding a bike.
I read about a 101 yr old vet of Normandy who married a 95 yr olr last year.
Yes, they (the married women) do, but not in the same way that our men do.
Women notice hunk-y guys, but just think, "Oh, that's nice, or that brings back memories," but guys gawk and lust (in a way) still thinking they have a chance. At least a good many of the men do in most instances.
I tend to want to tell the men, "Get a really interesting hobby or intense interest in some subject, that can hold your attention in a big way; that can focus your mind on useful ideas."
I know my comments will not be well received.
Go ahead and slam me. I can take it.
Just get a load of Bezos chasing around the hot Chiquita, gold-digger, or the coach of The Patriots running around after that sweet, young thing, who is younger than his kids. Belichick! Is that his name?
Our church sermon at Watermark addressed the sensitive subjects of marriage, divorce, and relational separation from community. https://www.watermark.org/elders/marriage-divorce-remarriageSince his message “struck home” with me at multiple levels, I thought I’d share it here.
JOHN 4, Key Details:
Setting:
The story takes place at Jacob's Well in Samaria, a town in the region where Jews and Samaritans were typically at odds.
Jesus's Presence:
Jesus, tired from his journey, is sitting by the well when the Samaritan woman comes to draw water.
The Conversation:
Jesus asks her for a drink, which surprises her, given the historical tensions between Jews and Samaritans. Their conversation delves into topics of worship, water, and the identity of Jesus.
The Woman's Transformation:
The woman's conversation with Jesus leads her to recognize him as the Messiah. She then becomes an evangelist, sharing her story with her community, according to Wikipedia.
Symbolic Significance:
The story is rich with symbolism, including the "living water" that Jesus offers, representing spiritual life and the ability to quench eternal thirst. It also explores the idea of true worship in spirit and truth, not just in a specific location.
THE STORY
As the water bucket clanks against the well stone, a daily familiar rhythm to the Samaritan woman, the sound punctuates the mundane task of drawing water. But on this particular scorching noonday in the Jews' forbidden northern neighbor land of Samaria, the rhythm was alarmingly interrupted. Standing there, a Jewish man, tired from his trek, asked her for a drink.
FYI, dear readers, this was no ordinary water cooler conversation; it was the divine intersection of a thirsty Messiah and a reclusive woman… with a rather extensive marital history.
John 4:1-42 introduces us to this fascinating character, a woman whose biographical sketch included a startling number of betrothals… "I do's" that quickly became "I don't think so's," culminating in her current “live-in” arrangement. Let's dive into the theological significance and likely background of her romantic résumé, seasoned with a dash of lighthearted speculation.
The Samaritan woman at the well, a key figure in the Gospel of John, is described in John 4:1-42. She encounters Jesus at Jacob's Well in Samaria and engages in a lengthy conversation that leads to her recognition of Jesus as the Messiah. This story highlights Jesus' willingness to engage with marginalized individuals and reveals his teaching about living water and spiritual worship.
Setting: The story takes place at Jacob's Well in Samaria, a town in the region where Jews and Samaritans were typically at odds.
Jesus's Presence: Jesus, tired from his journey, is sitting by the well when the Samaritan woman comes to draw water.
The Conversation: Jesus asks her for a drink, which surprises her, given the historical tensions between Jews and Samaritans. Their conversation delves into topics of worship, water, and the identity of Jesus.
The Woman's Transformation: The woman's conversation with Jesus leads her to recognize him as the Messiah. She then becomes an enthusiastic evangelist, sharing her story with her community!
Symbolic Significance: The story is rich with symbolism, including the "living water" that Jesus offers, representing spiritual life and the ability to quench eternal thirst. It also explores the idea of true worship in spirit and truth, not just in a specific location.
One can almost hear the “village gossips” murmuring at the ancient forum in Sychar:
"There she goes again, off to the well at noon, avoiding everyone." Her chosen drawing time, the hottest part of the day, hints at a desire for reclusive solitude, perhaps born of social marginalization and ostracization. Five husbands in the rearview mirror and a live-in boyfriend on the passenger side? OMG, that's not just a rocky road; that's an unpaved, pothole-filled, off-road adventure through the landscape of love.
Sigh.
Now, for a question, why five failed marriages and a live-in situation?
The Bible, in its usual succinct wisdom, doesn't offer a tell-all memoir. However, we can speculate with theological and even a little comedic license. Perhaps she was a serial optimist, perpetually convinced that "this one's the one!"
Or maybe, in a more somber light, she was a victim of circumstance – perhaps a series of divorces initiated by her (abusive) husbands, a common plight for women in that patriarchal society. Divorce, in ancient Israel, was often a male prerogative, leaving women vulnerable and economically precarious. Each failed marriage would have chipped away at her reputation, her self-worth, (net worth), and her societal standing.
By the fifth go-round, and then simply living with a man, she was likely at the very bottom rung of the social ladder, an outcast. Her repeated attempts at finding stability, albeit through unconventional means, speak to a deep human longing for social connection and belonging.
She was searching for "living water" in all the wrong wells, literally and figuratively.
Here's a chart to help navigate the theological waters:
Woman's Sin and Spiritual Condition
Jesus' Comments to Her
Moral Lessons
Serial monogamist (or polygamous) with a history of failed marriages and currently living in an unsanctified relationship. Likely ostracized and spiritually thirsty.
"Go, call your husband and come back." (John 4:16) Followed by: "You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true." (John 4:17-18)
Jesus directly addresses her sin, but with grace and truth, not condemnation. He reveals His omniscience and her need for true spiritual nourishment. The recognition of sin is the first step towards redemption.
Misunderstanding of true worship, focused on location (the Temple in Jerusalem), rather than spirit and truth.
"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks." (John 4:23)
True worship transcends physical boundaries and cultural norms. It is an internal, heart-felt connection with God, empowered by the Holy Spirit and grounded in truth.
Searching for satisfaction in temporary human relationships and earthly provisions.
"Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14)
Human desires, left unaddressed by God, can lead to endless searching and dissatisfaction. Only Jesus offers lasting fulfillment and eternal life.
Initial prejudice and skepticism towards Jesus as a Jew.
Jesus engages her despite their ethnic differences and her social standing, demonstrating divine love and breaking down societal barriers.
God's love and grace extend to all people, regardless of background, ethnicity, or past mistakes. Jesus prioritizes spiritual need over social norms.
INSIGHT
The Samaritan woman's story is a profound illustration of grace reaching the marginalized. Her "checkered past," far from disqualifying her, actually made her a prime candidate for a divine encounter. Jesus didn't shy away from her complicated life; He leaned into it, offering not judgment, but the radical gift of "living water." This living water, as Jesus explains, represents the Holy Spirit and eternal life, a spiritual refreshment that quenches the deepest thirst of the soul. It’s far more satisfying than any fleeting marital bliss or cohabitation convenience. Furthermore, the conversation pivots to true worship – not in Jerusalem or on Mount Gerizim, but "in spirit and truth." This was a revolutionary concept, dismantling centuries of localized religious practices and pointing to a personal, internal relationship with God.
In conclusion, the story of the Samaritan woman at the well offers a compelling contrast between biblical and contemporary cultural norms regarding marriage and divorce. Biblically, marriage is presented as a sacred covenant, ideally a lifelong commitment, as exemplified by Jesus' teachings on the sanctity of marriage (Matthew 19:4-6). While divorce was permitted in certain Old Testament contexts, it was never the ideal, and its reasons were far more restrictive than today's often "no-fault" approach. The Samaritan woman's numerous marriages, while a societal reality in her time, were not presented by Jesus as the divine ideal but rather as a reflection of her ongoing spiritual need. She sought fulfillment in human relationships that ultimately left her wanting.
Today's cultural norms often view marriage as a contract that can be easily dissolved when personal happiness wanes. The wounds of Divorce with ensuing hard-heartedness are frequently seen as a right, a path to individual fulfillment, rather than a painful rupture of a divinely ordained spousal covenant.
The concept of "living together" outside of marriage, once a societal taboo, is now widely accepted and even celebrated. While there may be valid reasons for separation and divorce in certain tragic circumstances, the ease with which relationships are discarded in modern society stands in stark contrast to the biblical emphasis on permanence, forgiveness, and working through difficulties.
The Samaritan woman's encounter with Jesus reminds us that, regardless of our past marital failures or unconventional living arrangements, God's grace is always available. He offers a "living water" that provides true satisfaction, a spiritual union that transcends the fleeting nature of human relationships, and a path to wholeness that is far more enduring than any earthly partnership. Her transformation, from outcast to evangelist, serves as a powerful testament to the transformative power of divine love, a love that sees beyond our past mistakes and offers a future filled with genuine purpose and belonging.
I think Jonathan Roumie does a near perfect portrayal in The Chosen, don't you?
Jim Caviezel's whole life changed in a profound way after his movie performance, several years ago. He was amazing to watch then, and to hear him talk now about his life, is something else.
It looks like Biden's White House was using three slightly different versions of his signature to sign documents with an auto-pen. One concern is whether he knew what he was "signing", or whether other people were making decisions that he should have been making. He says he knew what he was "signing". I'm not sure I believe him, but even if he did, another question is: Why use the auto-pen? (I understand that Trump uses auto-pen for some communication, but not official documents.)
My guess is that Biden's actual signature had declined so much that it would have revealed that he was having physical issues, as if there weren't enough evidence of that already.
I was surfing the net. A facebook post of the corner of Garland Road and Gaston Ave was shown, and it said 1966, but the cars were too old, and I commented after googling the intersection to see what it looked like now. As I googled, I remembered driving down Abrams to Gaston connecting via the Road which runs next to the entrance to Lakewood Country Club. Thus down Gaston to Samuels then right to Samuels East Park and Tenison Golf Course, where I loved to golf.
There was a huge house I wondered at when I drove by on Gaston, like a castle. So, I googled it and found the address...6941 Gaston Ave. (corner of W. Shore.) I went to Dallas County appraisal to see it's description (and find out the property taxes.)
The history of the property shows R L Thornton bought and finished the construction project. D magazine had a great photo article about it attached to my google search.
I also googled R L Thornton. While he was mayor, their were efforts to desegragate various things in Dallas. One of them was the State Fair. It was segregated until 1967. Each year they had "colored people's" Day. It was later known as Negro Achievement day. I am pretty sure it was only "partially" segregated when we went as children...but, still pretty amazing when you consider where it is...
Thanks for your post about the R.L. Thornton home. What a beautiful little slice of French living style in Dallas!
The interior photos of the house were fascinating, I thought. I've said before that I enjoy so much, being able to go or see inside of these beautiful homes, wherever they are. Architecture and style of different places is a thrill for me that I can't quite explain. I guess I just like to picture or experience how all of the people of the world live, in so many different ways.
I hope that the new owners keep the integrity and style of the property as it is, so that more folks can enjoy the unique home and beautiful grounds. It is an amazing place, for sure!
You know, I never noticed that the State Fair of Texas was integrated at all. It always seeemed to me that all people of all walks of life were there, since I thought everyone was welcomed at all times. I remember that there were entrance fees, but I didn't notice that anyone was purposely disallowed. If that really happened, we certainly know now that it shouldn't have been so.
That house is really interesting, but I thought the article started out oddly with this as the second paragraph:
In 1929, the racist Dallas businessman and former mayor Robert L. Thornton purchased the one-acre property from Texas oilman Edwin Cox Sr.
First, it seems to me that the racist aspect should come later, if at all. Is it really relevant to the story? Maybe.
Second, I looked up Edwin Cox, Sr., and he was born in 1921. Not sure that he would have been a "Sr." by 1929, or if he would have owned that property at age 7 or 8. Was there a different Edwin Cox, Sr.?
Regardless, I followed up with a search on an Edwin Cox, Sr., for whom the SMU business school is named. After his death, his impressionist art collection was auctioned in 2021 by Christies for $332 million. Yeah, $332 million.
There is a book out "The Accommodation, The Politics of Race in An American City" by Jim Schutxe. One thing ihe talks about the mixed efforts of the Klan. IN the early 1900's they would go to a man who was abusing hi wife and whip him to protect the wife. in the 1920's they started the orphanage Hope Cottage and rann it for several years then sold it. Tday they do adoption and related services. In the 20th Century the Klan was a complactated group and not intirely racist.
Nice selfie image Mr. Wierd, welcome to the wonderful world of Ai!
Protesters or agitators: Who is driving chaos at L.A. immigration protests?
The crowd near Los Angeles City Hall had by Sunday evening reached an uneasy detente with a line of grim-faced police officers.
The LAPD officers gripped "less lethal" riot guns, which fire foam rounds that leave red welts and ugly bruises on anyone they hit. Demonstrators massed in downtown Los Angeles for the third straight day. Some were there to protest federal immigration sweeps across the county — others appeared set on wreaking havoc.
Several young men crept through the crowd, hunched over and hiding something in their hands. They reached the front line and hurled eggs and rocks at the officers, who fired into the fleeing crowd with riot guns.
Have you heard the name of Neville Roy Singham, a self-declared Maoist?
He appears to be one of the people generously funding the activists and anarchists causing mayhem, etc. in Los Angeles, as we speak.
That's just what we need, huh?
A guy who thinks Mao had the best ideas for society.
What a winner and a scholar......CHEESES!
Have you seen videos of the rioters slamming the cement curbs with hammers, then allowing hoodlums to pick up the chunks, using those chunks to throw at police and police cars?
And these are said to be peaceful demonstrations........
