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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Steve Keene

Wayne,

I used to have houses both places, but my daughters and I sold the Red Oak place in February of this year to settle their mother's estate.

The leg is better and I can best describe it as a slightly swollen foot.

David,

Lowell knows that I don't really mean to disparage him, and he gets after me also, but generally on another site.   I hope he considers it all in good fun, like I do.

Wayne Gary

Lance,

I await hearing some comments about how she will now have to open dhe door and be the door keeper when the Justices are in conference.  Thery will claim she is beenig degraded or other nasty comments.  The fact is the honor of being the doorkeeper goes to the newest Justice on the court. That Justice has the job until the next Justice is approved.  No sexism invloved.

Bob Davidson

Lance,

Why in the world would we want to "transition" to alternative energy sources?  As I understand it, all of the "renewable" energy sources have terrible problems associated with them besides being unreliable, such as the windmills killing huge numbers of birds and the blades being non-biodegradable.  I see it as demanding that we run the world on unicorn farts: childish and dangerous.  If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Janalu,

Unlike Lance, I see your posts as an intelligent alternative viewpoint that is contrary to the conventional wisdom (i.e., propaganda) handed down by our garbage elite. Calling an opinion "right-wing" to discredit it is simply name-calling.

Lance,

If Biden wins and isn't controlled by a Republican congress, I know I don't want to risk staying in affluent inner-city Houston.  I've thought about moving to the suburbs (which may not be so great with the Section 8 housing Biden wants to drop in there), the country (without amenities I enjoy or my professional reputation for working), or Costa Rica (where they speak more Spanish than even in Houston, but I'm comfortable enough in Spanish to live well, but I couldn't work) or maybe somewhere else (Uruguay is welcoming to foreigners, but very far away).  I really, really don't want to watch this country turn into the kind of hell-hole the quasi-marxists envision.

David Reha

In regard to the issue of fracking and oil and gas in general:  columnist and commentator Thomas Friedman said and I quote "the stone age didn't end because they ran out of stone".  Something to think about.  

David Cordell

Lance,

I didn't get that email from Richard. Not in my junk mail either. I see that his uncle Robert Andrew Ainsworth, Jr. was nominated to the federal court by JFK on September 14 and approved by the Senate on September 21. When LBJ nominated him to the Court of Appeals, it took about 3 weeks to get Senate approval, and that was in the summer. 

About energy and the "awl bidness" -- it is a shame that people don't appreciate energy independence. Of course, my children don't remember gas lines from 1973, but I do.

One of my cars is a hybrid and gets about 35 MPG. I am happy with $1.89 gasoline. I assume that electric cars don't put too much pressure on power generation systems because most of the passenger vehicles are charged at night, but I don't really know. I do know that I had a conversation with a Tesla owner at a restaurant in Fort Davis who was on his way back to Houston. He stops overnight more frequently because of the need to charge the battery. I get 500 miles on a fill-up and can fill the tank in a few minutes -- long enough to go to the bathroom!

Mainly, I feel like the public gets steamrolled by relatively small groups of fanatics on this and many other issues.

Sandra Spieker (Ringo)

David Reha,

Interesting quote.  I thought I would look it up.  It seems this particular quote has been used quite a bit.  I found an article on it on the web site, Quote Investigator  that has a brief history of this quote.   Thomas Freidman used it, but probably did not originate it.  I do like it though, very much!  You can only make so many arrow heads, flint knives and cutting tools before you have to ask yourself, "Is there a better way?"  Change is often more painful than getting yourself to change a habit because you view it as the easiest way, profitable, even though it produces lackluster, and sometimes negative results.

Steve Keene

David Reha,

Your point is well taken.  I had not been completely convinced until I saw the video of the new GMC Hummer EV electric truck.  I decided to break with tradition and put my order in for one, but found out all the 2022 Hummer EV1's sold out in ten minutes after coming on the market.  I am on the waiting list, which means I may get one in 2023  At the price tag of 112,995 I have a feeling that with taxes this is not a vehicle for the socialist majority.  Only the elites and the guys that made their dough in fossil fuels, internet tech, or hedge funds will be able to get one.  The rest of the masses will have to drive 10 year old honda civics that will struggle to meet emission standards or electric bikes.

They are not letting you repost the video but it can be found by googling 2022 GMC Hummer EV1.

Sandra Spieker (Ringo)

Steve,

Hummer - bummer!  How about a Nissan Leaf?  Priced between 31,500 as low as 24,900.  Range 240 miles on a charge.  All you have to do is find either a charging station or install one at your luxury ranch!

Steve Keene

Sandra,

You have mistaken me for Billy Hull.  You have been to my "luxury ranch" and know that my ranch is more of a subsistence cabin in the woods.  I would not drive a Leaf on the off chance that I would be mistaken for a liberal.  Priuses are out, too.  I would rather wear a deer horn cap in deer season.  A least when someone shot at me they would have a few moments of excited joy, thinking they had got the big one.

Lowell Tuttle

Steve, your Hummer "order" reminded me of going with two friends of mine to another friend's dad's Longhorn Ranch home in Navasota to watch the USC UT game for the National Championship from the Rose Bowl.

My friend Jim, highly successful security software designer, had to use his loaner Cadillac for our trip.  His Hummer was in the shop.  It had been there a month.

I asked him why they were taking so long.  He responded they had found dust in his ignition.

I always thought it was funny a Hummer (desert storm designed for vehicle) was laid up for dust in the ignition.

Glad the Horns won.  One of UT's last good games, unfortunately.

PS I was laboring over "outting" my brother.  His interests are classic guitar, yoga, chess, and he recently moved from Timbergrove Manor in Houston to Red Oak area of West Austin.  He likes the bike trails there.  He has about 4-5 bicycles and has a Subaru.

I guess you can guess his political leanings. 

As a software techhie, it's funny he's worked for banks, insurance companies, and oil and gas. 

There may be a few followers here who know him.  Amused they would be of your conservative bent allocade on him.

Lowell Tuttle

Another UT football story involving ME.

12 05 1969.  UT beat Arkansas for the game of the century (there have been several.)  I guess you and a bunch of you guys were around in those days.  We (I) was 18 at the time, lived in TC Jester dorm and had ventured over to watch the game a the frat house on Salado.  That was about as close to attending class as ever that semester.

After the game, I was riding on the hood of my friend, David Hargus' yellow 1968 Chev Impala.  He was from Kileen, Texas. 

The scene was on Guadalupe.  It was backed up from 19th (MLK today) all the way back to 38th.  Bumper to bumper traffic. 

We were imbibing Apple Wine and Ripple.  That was my first night on wine. 

I ruined the side of his Yellow Chevrolet and never lived it down.  RIP David B Hargus...you were a good one...

15-14 UT

Steve Keene

Lowell,

Well, as W.C. Fields said, "There is a sucker born every minute."  Tell David that you did not take it personally when I refereed to Lawrence as the smart one in the family.   I had rather sit down and visit with you, than half the conservatives I know.

Don't  let Lance read your last post.  He will label you as a narcissist for the capital ME.  As I recall, Lance was not exactly doing service for others on that National Championship Day.

Steve Keene

Bob and Lowell,

Now Lance thinks he has the solution to all the world's problems recycling plastic.  He thinks he's a Roads Scholar.

David Cordell

Steve,

Does that beast have a staircase for old men? I'd be a bit concerned if I were parking it anywhere in West Texas. Good news: maybe they will have worked out the bugs before you get yours.

David Cordell

Martha again has brought up the possibility of moving to Italy. (I have mentioned that we are Italian citizens.) I guess she'd rather be in a country that is already a mess than to be in one that's just trying to become a mess. One thing about living in Europe -- it's Europe! There's a lot to see. On the other hand, they speak funny languages there. And we would be far away from our grandchildren.

Wait a minute. We don't have any grandchildren.

David Cordell

Watching the World Series. I don't understand baseball managers. The Rays manager took out a pitcher  who was holding  the Dodgers to zip. Then they bring in a guy who lets two runs in in a flash. 

Bob Gibson had 251 wins and 255 complete games. I checked it out to make sure those numbers are right -- more complete games than wins.

Lowell Tuttle

Cordell, TB has been doing that for a couple of years.  It is the same thing as putting in a lefty against a lefty.  Only they do it to  avoid a pitcher being over exposed...Not many pitcers do better the second or third time they are seen by a batter.   It seems lame to me.

Last year MLB changed the rules to if you put in a reliever you have to stay with them through three batters.  Presumably to speed up the game.   I think it was also to try to stop the TB Rays from their short pitching stint strategy.

It does make relivers more valuable...But as you saw, TB needs to spend more on hitters.  If it wasn't for Arosarena, they would not have made it past the first round.   He was a fluke who developed at the right time.

We have BB coaches gere who know more about it than I do. 

Ron Knight

David

I totally agree about Pulling Shell. The Dodgers batters had no answer for him and he was in a groove. With this being an elimination game was maybe a thought to pull him, but I would have ridden him until he showed he was losing his groove. They could have gotten two more innings I think easily. This was NOT a regular season game, this was Game 6 of the World Series!!! They needed to get it to the 7th game and I felt he was their best chance. I told my son, pitch him until he has a near dead arm. Besides he has the rest of the off season to recover.

Dumb move by the Rays.

Bruce Anderson

Happy birthday my Sooner brother!!!

Bob Davidson

David,

We looked into the possibility of living in Italy.  It's actually more welcoming to an American citizen than Costa Rica and, if you don't try to live in a big city or tourist mecca, reasonably affordable. 

Although my Italian is basic at best, I found that a lot of people speak English, and more speak Spanish or French so it's pretty easy to get by.  The people remind me of what I like about Mexicans from non-tourist locales: they know how to enjoy life.  Except for the Gypsies and Moslem street hustlers-thugs in Rome and Naples, we never felt threatened or even unwelcome anywhere.

Italy is my favorite country.  Italians are some of the most fun people on Earth -- we'd run into people everywhere who know and are proud of their incredible heritage, there is fascinating history everywhere (especially for someone like me who is intrigued by the Romans and other ancients), art that knocks your socks off on almost every corner,  cheap, delicious wine that doesn't have the French or California snobbery attached, real music abounding, and food of my dreams.  At the end of March, right before the Wuhan virus hit, we had a two-week Italian trip booked; fortunately things went to hell right before we were leaving and we didn't get stuck there.

Are you Italian citizens because your parents were Italian citizens -- and Martha is married to you?

The big argument against living there is, of course, that the Western Europeans cannot defend themselves from a foreign aggressor without the U.S. or Russia behind them.  There is also the malign Merkel Eurocrat economic pressure on the poor Italians -- to make them accept the Moslem invaders, etc.

If Biden wins and has a Pelosi-run congress urging him on to greater and greater depths of kleptocratic stupidity, I don't see the U.S. particularly caring about protecting Europe or, once those socialistic morons blunder into collapsing the U.S. economy and destroying the domestic energy sector, being able to do anything even if they wanted to.  It would be like living in most of Europe in 1939, but without the hope of FDR's America coming to the rescue.

Bob Davidson

Lance,

Why in the world would I want to live in an assisted community?  I fully intend to work as long as I can -- if my luck and health hold, until I die.  My dad finally stopped working at 85, when he had to spend all of his time taking care of Mom.  My Grandpa Davidson was still working at 79 when he dropped dead.  Great-Grandma and Grandpa Davidson were both working on their farm when they died, separately, in their 80s.  I don't see myself doing things differently.

As 69 year old American men, we have somewhere near 17 more years of average life expectancy.  (The women have a little more, of course -- probably God's way of making up for them having to go through life dealing with us.)  Naturally, that's an average:  like the statistician who drowned in a river with an average depth of six inches.  It's up to us what we do with it.

I had a Zoom trial last week.  Despite my loathing doing it by Zoom -- the human factor is hugely diminished, a trial is still one of the most enjoyable things  I have ever had the pleasure of doing.  I sort-of have to pinch myself to believe that they actually pay me to essentially put on an improvised play for the purpose of making a point.  Why would I stop doing that?

Lowell Tuttle

Bob D, On those Zoom trials...how do they/you decide when it's proper to speak.   My zoom experience with 4-5 or more attendants is a lot of over speaking/talking all at the same time.   Is there a judge control feature like they attempted in the last debate?  Can the judge mute at will?

Bob Davidson

Lowell:  There is no mute -- the judge recognizes a speaker and the other one shuts up or risks her ire.  She still has contempt powers, but there are no hulking bailiffs standing ready to drag you off like in live court.

With certain of my professional collegues, I do worry about them refusing to yeild the floor since they do it in live hearings.  There is a fairly widespread practice among a certain segment of the bar to impress their clients by antagonizing the judge.  The ones who do this are usually primarily criminal defense lawyers who also practice civil law.  The really, really dumb clients are impressed that their lawyer pounds on the table and talks back to the judge.  If they have over room temperature IQs, they realize that pissing off the person making a decision about their lives is a really bad move, like smarting off to a cop who has pulled you over for speeding. 

David Cordell

Lowell,

I understand the strategy of pulling a pitcher before the third (or fourth) time batters see him, but there have been a lot of no-hitters, one-hitters, and two hitters by pitchers who went the distance. Besides, when you pull a pitcher who is doing well, remember that there's no telling if the reliever will have his best stuff when actually on the mound. 

Lance, the only adult child in my house is me/I. We have farmed out the others.

Bob,

While doing genealogical research, I found my Sicilian-born grandfather's naturalization papers and noticed that the date was two weeks after my mother's birth in New Jesey. Thus, my mother was born before my grandfather renounced his Italian citizenship. She was born a citizen of Italy as far as Italy was concerned.

Mother didn't know about any of this until I shared it with her when she was almost 80. Since she never renounced her Italian citizenship, not having known that she had it, I was born to an Italian citizen, which made me an Italian citizen.

Anyway, it took a lot of documentation to provide to the embassy in Philadelphia, where we lived at the time, proof of my claim to Italian citizenship. For example, my birth certificate had to have an apostille, a verification from the Texas Secretary of State indicating the validity of the birth certificate. They even wanted information about my father to maintain records in "my" city, Piana degli Albanesi in Palermo Province. I think I probably spent about $400 on the whole process.

Since I am a citizen of Italy, my Texas-born wife Martha and our children are citizens, also. We even get ballots to vote in Italian elections.

My Italian passport has expired, but a renewal is in the works.

I have only been to Italy twice, most recently in 2018. We spent several days in Venice, several in Florence, and several with my cousins in Piana degli Albanesi before leaving for Spain.

(Note: I made a good guess at the meaning of kleptocratic before looking it up.)

Janalu Jeanes (Parchman)

Bub D.,

I like the way your brain works, and your sense of humor gives me a giggle or two.

It boggles the mind to see that all of the mainstream media is STILL saying very, very little about what was revealed by Naval Officer, Tony Bobulinski, on Tucker Carlson's exclusive broadcast from last night.  How can they continue to say that they are authentic journalists?

Wayne Gary

Bob D.

In the Dallas Morning News there is an articke about Dallas Co. trying to hold criminal trials.  The will use some form of virtual jury selection.  The court room will will be distanced with only 6 jurors in the box and the rest distanced in the back of the gallery.