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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Wayne Gary

Steve,

I looked up Big Boy and it is on a tour and is in Texas this weekend.  As far as I know there are not steam engines in freight service and thoes steam engine that are in service are doing tourist/heritage runs.  Texas State RR has several going between Palestine and Rusk.  I don't know if the Grapevine Vintage RR still runs their steam engine.Big Boy 4018 is at the meseum in Frisco

Steve Keene

Wayne,

I appreciate your crude response.

Steve Keene

Dear RHS 1969ers,

There is an exciting new medical procedure that you may find relevant this year.  How many of you have gone outside and "froze your ass off?"  Well, some genius has taken that idea and run with it.  Check with your doctor and ask him about a new procedure called "CRYOLYPOLYSIS."  

The gist is they go in with cold fluid and that attaches to fat cells in your ass, and it literally freezes your ass off.  Then they break up the frozen cells and suck them out.  

Their is hope for losing weight for your New Years Resolution this year.

So just chill out.    

Warning:  Not to be used by those that have icecycle cell anemia.

Wayne Gary

Steve,

I prefer the High octane over crude,

Steve Keene

Wayne,

                    High octane

I appreciate your crude response.

David Cordell

Saw Midway tonight. We thought it was really good. Great special effects.

I don't know what this country would do if it were in a real war that required millions and millions of additional military men (and women). 

Janalu Jeanes (Parchman)

David,

Charles and I know an Air Force man who sits in a special room in Arizona and can fire a weapon in Syria, directing an explosive so precisely, so that it goes through a window of a two story house, and detonates at a specific moment.  He sits before a large screen and can determine the exact co-ordinates to make it all happen so precisely.

Those are the type of weapons we have today.  Our military men and women can be continents away.  Almost everything is high tech!  He comes onto the base, does a few firings, and then goes home to play golf.

I'm sure Martha Mize Mareth can tell us all about it.

Thanks for your service, Martha!

Lowell Tuttle

Janalu, sure am glad those weapons are on our side.

Heavens if something goes awry and those bad guys get them...But I guess we are all safe from that.

Steve Keene

Lowell,

What do you think the Iranians used when they attacked the Saudi Arabian petroleum facilities?  Unfortunately those that make push button and lethal rocket carrying drones, sell to all buyers with the cash in hand.  I think Obama funded some 1.8 billion dollars worth of cash to Iran.   With your bent I guess you found that palletable.  How many pallets did it take?

Janalu,

When your Air Force friend perfects a golf club that will direct a golfball so accurately that it always goes in the hole, I am a buyer on that.   Then after betting a few rounds on golf, I will go home for the afternoon and play some Warfare video games.

Steve Keene

David,

Janalu Jeanes (Parchman)

Steve,

Where can we pick up a bottle of that firewater?  

That elixir will cure anything that ails 'ye, and have 'ye dancin' in the streets in an hour & 1/2, or it will finish 'ye off 'afore dawn!

However, it may pickle yer innards awhere they won't git lit-up proper, when yer hulk is tossed atop the funeral pyre.......jes a mess of smoke and stink, like when the urchins gathered that crap pile of green mesquite from the crik bottom to use, when Ol' Mose passed to Glory last May.  'Twas a mess of smouldering hooey for days on end, but shor did clear out them ol' rat holes by the barn right nice!

David Cordell

I'm moving my main TV to a wall I may not be able to relocate the cable to. So, I am considering a video transmitter/receiver combination. I have such a set-up in my bedroom, sending a signal into the bathroom. (Can't take a shower without seeing the TV!!!) Anyway, I looked at Best Buy online and found the same unit that I have. I'm a little concerned about picture quality in the living room. (Not so much in the bathroom!) So, I started looking at the reviews on Best Buy's site. This was my favorite.

The picture quality is great and it is a wonderful wireless option. No signal loss, delays or interruption of signals. It was very easy to use and setup and I'm a woman.

Ah, so simple, even a woman can do it!

(Duck your head, David! Incoming!!)

Steve Keene

David,

The real laugher is going to be when you are unable to use it and set it up easily.  Then Martha can do it for you.

David Cordell

Steve, Martha doesn't know how to use all the remotes and shows no interest in being taught. I'm pretty sure that my excellent skill at operating the remotes is the main reason she keeps me around.

Janalu Jeanes (Parchman)

David,

You're correct!  That's the reason I keep Charles around too!   I, like Martha, don't know how to operate the darn things either, and when Charles shows me a 'thing or two,' I promptly forget it all by the next time I want to try my hand.   High tech operation is not my forte.

I also like having him around because he is a better cook than me, and he even likes it!  However, he is not a very "neat" cook---kind of a messy, hurried type.  I know though, not to complain, but rather just tidy up after he leaves the area.  Don't want to mess up a good thing!

Lowell Tuttle

I don't claim to be a good cook because usually, it is my wife,, who cannot stand a messy kitchen even while we are eating, who washes and sweeps, and puts away all the dishes and pans.

One of those cooking shows said you really are not a chef unless you also do the dishes.

Steve Keene

Lowell,

I think the wife is really not a dish unless she is willing to do the chef.

David Simpson

Goldarn it Mr Lamarr, you use your tongue prettier than a $20 oar.

Steve Keene

David's new TV is delivered.

David Cordell

Steve,

As you know, we had our TV (65") on a rolling stand that blocked the fireplace. We didn't want to put the TV above the fireplace because it would be too high since our mantel is rather high. The original idea was to roll the TV to the side when we wanted a fire. Unfortunately, that never happened, and we haven't had a fire in that fireplace for eleven years. (No it isn't due to opposition to use of fossil fuels!) 

We visited a Susan Reithner Graham's  house and saw their set-up -- fireplace at one end of the room and TV at the other-- and really liked it.. They placed their TV discretely in a cabinet, but a 65" TV (57 inches wide) is a bit too wide for a cabinet that would be in a location where it would be too obtrusive So, we mounted the TV on the wall. Now we can actually have a fire in the fireplace. Just ordered a new fireplace screen. Then we'll get a gas-log insert so we can burn carbon generating fossil fuel instead of oxygen generating trees.

Does anyone know -- which generates more pollution from a fireplace, burning wood or burning natural gas?

Sandra Spieker (Ringo)

David,

I did a very quick Google search concerning your question of which is cleaner, a natural gas, or a wood burning fireplace.  I came up with this article:  Wood Burning vs Natural Gas

For those of you who don't like to read and prefer pretty pictures, here is a graph from the article.

David Cordell

Thanks for the info, Sandra. I'm not sure where a gas fireplace falls on the continuum. Let's see, the gas furnace generates 1/6 pound and the uncertified wood stove is 244 pounds. Presumably, a vented gas fireplace is less efficient than a gas furnace, and a wood-burning fireplace is less efficient than an uncertified wood stove. In any case, the gas fireplace is bound to be a lot less polluting than the wood version, plus it doesn't require  the effort of bringing wood inside and dealing with ashes. I wonder how much per hour it costs to run a gas fireplace at a moderate level. Probably less than the cost of firewood.

David Cordell

Aha! Here is an answer: https://blog.constellation.com/2017/02/24/gas-wood-fireplace-comparison/

Sandra Spieker (Ringo)

David,

Sadly, we have an all electric home and the fireplace is designed for wood only.  We have over 200 trees on our property.  Some are over 50 years old (we know because a few of them have died of Oak wilt.)  I have two huge trees that are now dead wood and need to come down.  Those will become a firewood pile.  We burned one huge tree a couple of years ago, it took two years to use the wood pile it created.  The bad news is, hiring someone to take it down is quite expensive.  We do own a nice chain saw and plan to use it soon.  Oak decline, or Oak wilt is pretty common over here. 

David Cordell

Sandra, this comes under the heading of none-of-my-damn-business, but I don't think someone with a serious back issue should work with chainsaws and logs!!!