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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Lowell Tuttle

Swollen face, that's funny Janalu.  Reminds me of my favorite cartoon my sono watched, Rocko's modern life...

Lowell Tuttle

Steve Keene and Jimmy Baker tearing down the Golden Eagle pole???  At first glance, that's who I see...

David Cordell

Lowell,

1) Sharia law?? So, pre-Roe v. Wade this country was under Sharia law? Maybe just a tiny bit of hyperbole. 

2) I thought I recognized a couple of people in the DQ/Golden Eagle video, but they were in a prior class.

3) I had cervical fusion in 2003 -- I think it was C4-C5, but maybe C3-C4. They went in from the front. Couldn't drive for at least a couple of weeks.

When I had symptoms -- bad pain down arm and numbness starting in my fingers -- I shared the information with a good friend/physician. He told me to see a neurologist ASAP, and not to waste time seeing a family physician first. Big chance of permanent nerve damage.

Surgery relieved pain immediately. Surgical pain wasn't bad. Had to wear one of those foam neck braces for a month. It was over Christmas holiday, so I wrapped it with green and red fabric.

Steve Keene

Lowell,

It ain't me Babe.   It ain't me you're looking for, Babe.  

I love this country.  I think what we are seeing now is a backlash caused by the over zealous Democrats.  The voting crowd is composed of about 20% far right and 20% far left with a bunch of centrists in the middle who vote for the individual rather than the party.  When either the far left or the far right wing gains control, the centrists sit back and assess the way things are going.  They want the best for the country and they want to be fair.  When one side, like the current leftist Democrats gain control and take advantage by lying, cheating, committing obvious corruption and taking steps to insure their power in perpetuity, the electorate senses in their heart things are unfair.  When the party in power promotes racial heirarchy, paying criminals to not commit crime and selectively enforcing laws for some groups and not others, the pendulum rapidly swings the opposite way.  Especially when the electorate finds the actions of the group in power indistinguishable from what an enemy of the country would do if they were trying to take down the country,

That is why you are seeing the abortion laws being promoted, the voting laws tightened, the radical leftists being labeled what they actually are and being marginalized for those beliefs.  It is a "throw the bums out" mentality.

David,

It looks like you were on your way to a Christmas costume party as Rudolph the Redneck Reindeer.

David Cordell

Good one, Steve, especially since we were in Lubbock at the time.

I see that Biden's approval rating is underwater, in spite of the fact that the MSM declines to criticize at anywhere near the level applied to Trump.

I would argue that Biden's July 23 conversation with the Afghan president was worse than Trump's conversation with the Ukranian president. Where is the outrage?

WASHINGTON, Aug 31 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden and Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani spoke by phone July 23. Here are excerpts from that call, based on a transcript and recording reviewed by Reuters:

BIDEN: Mr. President. Joe Biden.

GHANI: Of course, Mr. President, such a pleasure to hear your voice.

BIDEN: You know, I am a moment late. But I mean it sincerely. Hey look, I want to make it clear that I am not a military man any more than you are, but I have been meeting with our Pentagon folks, and our national security people, as you have with ours and yours, and as you know and I need not tell you the perception around the world and in parts of Afghanistan, I believe, is that things aren’t going well in terms of the fight against the Taliban. And there’s a need, whether it is true or not, there is a need to project a different picture.

"....whether it is true or not, there is a need to project a different picture." Huh???

I guess that's the political euphemism for lying.

David Cordell

Gates Stands By Statement That Biden Has Been Wrong On Nearly Every Major Foreign Policy Question

Posted By Tim Hains
On Date May 13, 2019

Robert Gates, who served as defense secretary for the Obama administration, paused for a moment and said "I don't know" in an interview Sunday when asked if he thinks former VP Joe Biden would be a good president.

CBS's "Face The Nation" host Margaret Brennan asked Gates if he stood by a statement from his memoir that Biden has "been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades."

"I think I stand by that statement," Gates said.

MARGARET BRENNAN: I was rereading your memoir before we sat down to talk and you said in your memoir, Joe Biden is impossible not to like.

Quote: "He's a man of integrity, incapable of hiding what he really thinks, and one of those rare people you know you could turn to for help in a personal crisis. Still, I think he's been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades."

Would he be an effective commander-in-chief?

ROBERT GATES: I-- I don't know. I don't know. I-- I think I stand by that statement. He and I agreed on some key issues in the Obama administration. We disagreed significantly on Afghanistan and some other issues. I think that the vice president had some issues with the military. So how he would get along with the senior military, and what that relationship would be, I just-- I think, it-- it would depend on the personalities at the time.

MARGARET BRENNAN: He's a peer of yours. Does that mean you're older?

ROBERT GATES: Yes.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You think he's right for this moment?

ROBERT GATES: I think I'm pretty busy and pretty active but I think-- I think having a President who is somebody our age or older, in the case of Senator Sanders, is- I think it's problematic. I think that you don't have the kind of energy that I think is required to be President. I think-- I'm not sure you have the intellectual acuity that you might have had in your sixties. So, I mean it's just a personal view. For me, the thought of taking on those responsibilities at this point in my life would be pretty daunting.

Lowell Tuttle

Steve, was it you who made the Battleship Texas reference recently?  

Well, I am not going to research.   

But, apparently it is open this weekend 4th and 5th for the last visits until possibly 2023.   The Battleship Texas Foundation has leased the boat for 99 years and is raising funds to re hab it and find a new birth somewhere here in SE Texas.   It is a bit of a mess now.   It was quite a visit for me as a 9 year old here in Houston living here.   And, at that time and for many years after, there was the San Jacinto Inn restaurant, which was like The Southern Kitchen, in that they served massive amounts of family style food for a very reasonable price.   Had to have a party of six though.

Oysters, shrimp, fried chicken, rolls, white talbe cloths, family style...Pricing, as I remember, like the Salt Lick back in the day.

still a very impressive site is the San Jajinto Monument, if any of you have never been...Really cool Texas History artifacts in the downstair museum and gift shop.

I haven't been there in a while, but I always took the ferry from the North I-10 side.   

I wonder if they have a woke section in the museum now?

Bob Davidson

Lowell -- I'd add that they do reenactments of the Battle of San Jacinto at the battlesight, in the park where the monument and the battleship are located.  The battle is pretty impressive, with the cannons blasting (even without actual cannonballs) and the cavalry charge (even with 30 or so horses instead of the hundreds at the actual battle the earth shakes and it's awe-inspiring and terrifying). 

Monument Inn is still open down the road.  I love the place and the view of the ship channel.

Bob Davidson

The hysteria about the Supreme Court is pretty amazing -- they did nothing like repealing Roe v. Wade.  ALL THE SUPREMES DID WAS DECLINE TO ISSUE AN EMERGENCY INJUNCTION STOPPING THE NEW TEXAS LAW.  That only means that they didn't jump in and stop the new law without using the regular appeal process.  No one knows what will happen when the federal courts actually hear the appeal.  Overturning a major Constitutional ruling is a very, very big deal -- and something conservative justices are very reluctant to do.  Denying a request for an emergency injunction is not.

Wayne Gary

Lowell, Bob D.

I remember a resturant near Asto dome on Buffalo Speedway that was all you could eat shrimp and oysters.  In the lobby was a dummy dressed like a pirate on a barrel with a sing "Tipping is not a city in China" . Do you remember the place and is it still open?

David Cordell

Biden likes to talk about 55 large corporations that paid no federal corporate income tax. "They should pay their fair share."

I don't totally disagree. Of course, they actually pay a ton of tax for Social Security and Medicare. Plus, they may pay state or even city income taxes. Then there's property tax. And some of them probably had losses in previous years that they carried forward to reduce their tax bill.

More important, look at the math. Those 55 companies had pre-tax income of $40 billion.

https://itep.org/55-profitable-corporations-zero-corporate-tax/

Even if they paid 30%, higher than the rates in competitor countries, that would only generate $12 billion in tax revenue. Now, the Dems want to spend $3.5 trillion. So $12 billion divided by $3.5 trillion is less than four tenths of one percent of the proposed amount.

Imagine  football field -- 100 yards. Four tenths of one percent  would be the equivalent of cutting off fewer than 15 inches off the length of that field. Who will pay for the remaining 99 1/2 yards of the field?

Kurt Fischer

David:

Nicely done analysis.

Jim Bedwell

David C,

Ditto from Kurt - great analogy.

Now we're hearing on FNC that Biden has agreed to help Tajikistan shore up its southern border with Afghanistan because of the caliphate he just created there!!!!! As you often hear on FNC these days, YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP!!! First we don't get our pipeline, but Russia gets theirs. Now we don't have a southern border, but Tajikistan will?!?!?!? AMERICA LAST ALWAYS (ALA; no MAGA here)

Joe Biden, the gift that keeps on taking (the U.S. further down - WHY?).

SAY IT AIN'T SO, JOE!!!!!!! AS IF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jim Bedwell

Chief Stephen Toenails,

Concerning polls & popularity.......I think the hard-core base (FOOLS) of the left is more like 30%. I almost never, that I can remember, have seen anything below 30% of support for their awful candidates or policies. I think the hard-core support of the right is higher, maybe 40%.

But FNC has been reporting Biden's support has now dropped to 41%. After 7+ months now of this TOTAL DISASTER of an administration, what I can't understand is WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE THOSE 41% "THINKING"?!?!?! Can they not see the different results of Trump vs Biden policies/actions?

Reminds of that Twain quote:

"The rule is perfect: in all matters of opinion our adversaries are insane."

And from the perfect source of wisdom:

 “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil...." (Luke 6:43-45 KJV)

Chief Jimi Bob Bedpost

Jim Bedwell

Bob D,

Thanks for the concise, cogent Supreme Court post.

So what do you think so far of the 3 Associate Justices appointed by Trump? I'm not sure I like what I'm seeing so much but maybe you can encourage me? I'd really hate to see yet another David Souter (Bush Sr.), Sandra Day O'Connor (Reagan), Warren Burger (Nixon), or for that matter, John Roberts (Bush Jr.).

Jim Bedwell

Lowell,

Pertaining to our recent back-and-forth that I bet NOBODY knows about (BIG HAHAHAHAHA!!!!), and the fact that I really don't do Facebook or Facebook Messenger or tweet or have a cell phone or whatever, please just feel free to contact this social cripple any time at jrbedwell@comcast.net.

Jim Bedwell

Learned on "Tucker Carlson" tonight that the Taliban has told Biden & Co. that they're going to help fight global warming. Do they know how to work a mark or what?!?!?

Ron Knight

Hi all

I have not been around for a while - just staying busy. I have a question to impose upon our collective posters. I am sure many of you are familiar with ALEC. I have a fellow musician friend out here that is a hard core liberal and he keeps bashing the corruption in ALEC as he perceives it and in a way says that by my being affliated with my Republican Right Wingers I just exacerbate the problems. He says it all in a kind way, but at the same time it seems he is trying to get me to agree with his beliefs. I don't feel the way he feels about it. I am not much of a person to push my belief system on anyone. Any ideas to respond to his attitude?? I appreciate his sonwriting skills and him as a person. I believe he has a right to believe how he feels. BTW as background he grew up in New York.

He drains me when he gets on the subject. I try to keep our conversations to music.

Thanks for any response!!

David Cordell

Ron,

You might ask your friend if there is any way that you could convince him to have the same beliefs that you have. The answer will, of course, be, "No!" Then you could explain that you feel the same way about his beliefs. Then ask if there isn't some way to talk about topics that make for enjoyable, friendly conversation instead of confrontation. 

That said, a liberal will naturally think that you are sub-human cretin, and there's not much you can do about that other than to say to yourself, "Bless his heart!"

Steve Keene

Ron,

Good advice from David.   Or, you can tell him what I tell Tommy Thomas:

Your malevolence is only exceeded by your audacity, which is possibly surpassed by your gasconade.  That should give you enough time to get away while he looks up the words and translates what you said to him.

Janalu Jeanes (Parchman)

Steve,

Gasconade.

I had to look it up.   Interesting choice!

David,

Good advice.  Just cut to the chase and clear the air!

Liberals don't have the capacity to be amenable or to have true joie de vivre, as they don't have Christianity.  That has been my experience.

Jim Bedwell

Janalu/Steve,

I too had to look that one up.

Gasconade means boastful talk, bragging or bluster. It comes from the French province Gascony, as opposed to that more famous province of Gastony that Steve alluded to misspellingly.

Jim Bedwell

Donald the mean (ex - thanks, you monopolist, eradicating corporate Nazis - I've heard that Twitter allows the Taliban on, but not the EVIL ORANGEMAN - how appropriate really when you think about it since they're part of the worldwide cabal now) tweeter. Joe the moronic twit. And let's not forget HilLIARy the Mephistophelean man-woman monster & mean mistreater.

Jim Bedwell

There's a guy born in 1952 who's a music entertainer in Portland. He's a 1974 graduate of UT-Austin like I am. He told me that when he came out here that he had heard how the liberals here were very nice, but he learned before too long that that was just a misperception, and I'm here to verify his education in this matter, of course some worse than others yet a VERY few even likable!! The key to discerning the difference between likable or not in these political enemies is very simple - JUST LET THEM KNOW YOU'RE A RIGHT-WINGER AND/OR CHRISTIAN, and watch their reaction(s). hahahhahahahahaha!!!

I would guess the percentage of liberals here in the blues/rock crowd I'm part of, would be at least 80%, but maybe/probably not as high as 90. I've just met too many people out here that think like I do - usually, we find out (in a big surprise that we found a kindred soul!) we think similarly after having known each other for a while since the left CANNOT tolerate hearing ANY right-wing talk so we don't discuss politics with anybody pretty much among the music crowd here. But yeah, it's mostly left-wingers........

But the owner of the main/best Portland music store, Music Millennium, one Terry Currier, is a liberal but you'll NEVER meet a sweeter, nicer person than he is!!! GO FIGURE!!! He and I are friends and he wrote a nice reply to my farewell email to all here that I've already sent out. Yes, I know, I'm one of his best customers, but still, I'm witnessed WAY too many acts of kindness and goodness from that man! AMEN!

Steve Keene

Jim,

That is really bad to use a word and then misspell it.  I usually use the spell check but the way my eyes are these days I really didn't notice the T.

I loved the meme you sent me about the Army Surplus store run by Afghanis that is called Traitor Joes. I guess you heard that the Associated Press is reporting that there are hundreds of old men who have mu;tiple child brides under 14 who have arrived at the UAE intake point in Dubai and McGill Airforce Base in Wisconsin which is the American drop off for the rescued Afghanis.  They are allowed to leave the base at will even though they are polygamists and child rapists.  Some of the girls have said they were kidnapped as these old Taliban guys headed for the airport.  The problem seems to be that Biden todd the Marines to load whoever showed up on the planes to clear the airport in Kabul.  So we left our friends behind and loaded child rapists and polygamist kidnappers instead.  I bet they left the airport in Wisconsin looking for American children to add to their harems.  In another report it showed the last man leaving Afghanistan as the General who stepped on the plane.  They did not tell you that the next 5 planes left the airport with no one on board but the pilots.