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

I just saw this on Youtube. From Australia a raven takes on a Google delivery drone.

Google has temporaly suspended delivery to protect the birds (or is it their drones).

Jim Bedwell

Chief Toenails,

Yes, I can certainly understand your anger at me for leaving you hanging for the last year & a half. I'm SO SORRY for that but with the normally slow legal system, the CHINA VIRUS, my own ineptitude at picking a lawyer, constant trouble with my personal interactions with the judge (you know me plus those legal rulers CAN be brutal in reaction to such dysfunctional behavior), anybody who would ever be with me is by definition, of necessity & in comparison a saint of saints so naturally the WHITE SUPREMACIST judge is going to side with her, etc.,.........................

And thanks for taking out "I hope" from the beginning of the last sentence of your post #23789 to me, as you told me privately that you had done. I really appreciate that.

With that small deletion for wretched Jimi Bob & giant display of mercy for mankind, I will take ANY CRUMB I can get, much less than such a generous gesture, in my current obviously deteriorating mental & upcoming bankrupted financial states. Yes, as I tried to communicate to Tommy in my "Woe is me" reply #23718, to his earnest entreaty #23700, she's about to do to me what I've so richly deserved from so many untold others (victims - these ARE Marxist times) over the eons now. As I was trying to indicate to Tommy in that long paragraph then, I was really identifying with the late and great comic genius Rip Taylor, as he paused for a couple of seconds once in his routine, and exclaimed to an audience member, "Ma'am, I don't know how to tell you this, but this is all I do! This is it!! I just don't know what else I can say to you about that!!" And then the confetti would fly - Rip, RIP, you HILARIOUS soul, kindred LONG-SUFFERING-AND-GREATLY-MISUNDERSTOOD-AND-UNDERAPPRECIATED spirit & RIPSTER EXTRAORDINAIRE!!!!

OK, so back to self-interested business, I guess maybe the trip is off? Can't say as I'd blame you. I had actually self-described as a "moral cripple" for many years, but changed that a while back, mainly for 2 reasons, 1) that simple fact was so obvious that I had gradually become legitimately concerned with being described as the "mother of all sources of self-evident truths", 2) I FINALLY had come to realize that "social cripple" was just as apropos, as those odious French say, if not more so - also less immediately identifiable as compared to my blatant moral shortcomings.

So if my worst fears are confirmed, will I still be allowed to see all the photos you've taken with all those new hidden cameras? How about that max-security-access-only storage shed that you told me if I were VERY, VERY good, I MIGHT be able to get a load of?

Anyway, I guess I can forget about all those SUPERLATIVE ideas I gave you about the illegal aliens................ As usual, I deserve everything I'm getting. It's not easy being me, or I, grammatically correctly...........

And I hate to remind you AGAIN of this, but I am a social misfit, so, sigh...........I'll tell that I live in Washington, not Oregon.

Chief Bedpost the Pathetic (but don't cry for me, Argentina)

Jim Bedwell

Hollis,

My brother said your reunion is in October sometime. I have no idea if you're a prankster like I am, or if you're so inclined to blindside Mike with that bit about the toenails, but if you want to, my post, saying what I think would be a pretty good thing to say to lead into that question to him, is in post 23726.

PLUS I know my brother. It shouldn't be you, maybe, I'm thinking, but you should get somebody who's persuasive to call him personally and make up SOME LIE if you have to, to get him to attend. I don't think it will take much to talk him into going though, and have that persuader emphasize how DISAPPOINTED he/she would be if Mike doesn't show up. I've learned that if you can make him feel guilty about something, like in disappointing a classmate here, that could be a real motivator for him. OK, I know I'm bad, but, sometimes it IS fun to be bad like this, I think. But please, have whoever be prepared to answer any remarks from him like, "I just can't drink anymore so I don't know.........."

Finally if you're not game (I really need to quit using that word when referring to women - sorry), maybe you would know somebody who WOULD BE interested? Trust me on this, I would have ZERO problem dealing with any RHS Eagle, '71, on this MATTER OF GREAT IMPORT, even one as personally reprehensible as yours truly......but since Mike knows now that you're a regular on the '69 forums, you'd be ideal, especially since the statement I wrote would need to be revised a bit since the other person wouldn't be a '69 regular, right?

I just had another thought at 1:40 a.m. Central time, Monday morning. You may really not want to get involved in this, but I do know Robert & Lisa Grinsfelder & also Mike Murphy & his wife so if you could just have one of them contact me at jrbedwell@comcast.net, that might be a good idea as well. If you could help me with just that, that would be GREAT!

Just sayin'..............

Richardson Rascal,

you know who

Kurt Fischer

Tommy:

My sister and her family lived in the Austin area for many years.  Both boys were proud graduates of Westlake High.

They lived on Wild Basin Ledge.  Don (husband) decided to build homes on a speculative basis back around 1983 or 1985.  The market went completely south on him and they moved into one of the homes he had built.  Your description of your property in Westlake reminded me of theirs.  They built the two story house with a second story porch overlooking a sloping hillside which seemed to go forever.  I never could figure out where their property ended, but there was an ocean of trees.  Their home was probably on the small side for the area since many of their neighbors seemed to be quite wealthy or politically connected.  

I was always amazed at what Don did to make a living and stay in that area.  He was a sole proprietor of a business that identified what materials a builder needed to order based upon the architectural plans.  Most of his cases were apartments and business offices.  It's amazing that someone could make a good living off of that relatively small niche.

David Cordell

Went to see Noises Off at Reperatory Company Theater (formerly Richardson Community Theatre) last night. It is side-splittingly funny. It is a farce about the goings-on during the development of a play -- essentially from dress rehearsal through opening night. If you have a chance to see Noises Off somewhere, do it!

I just checked and found that it was made into a movie, but it sounds like the plotline is a bit different, plus it takes place in the U.S. instead of the UK. Apparently, it is available for rent for $3.99, and I will watch it soon. Here are some reviews by normal folk.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105017/reviews?ref_=tt_ov_rt

Janalu Jeanes (Parchman)

Tommy,

Your story of the whip-poor-will living near your home and charming you with its song, is similar to the little screech owl who lives near my house, still, as I write.  Its name of Screech Owl is a misnomer, the way I see it, because its soft 'whinny' is very enjoyable to hear, I can verify.  Each night around 9:00 PM or thereabouts, I go out to coax my cat, Skeezix, to head in to the house, fearing that before long, coyotes may prowl around our neighborhood, as they do in some neighborhoods about three miles from here.

I hear the little owl giving me its serenade each night, from a tree in the yard of the house behind our house, and I like to listen to it as I scout around the area looking for my cat.  It's such a soothing little sound that I find so nice and sweet.

Just the other night, I noticed that the whinny was coming from a house towards the front of our cul-de-sac, so I'm wondering if my friend is moving to a new location to nest.  I'm not concerned, but I'm hoping the little critter is not scoping out other possible neighborhoods, as I would surely miss him or her if the familiar tune be taken away from here.  

It has been stated clearly in that familiar OLD BOOK of the ages, that the animals of our world were placed here to be comforting companions and buddies for us all.  I'm so thankful that THAT is a truth we have to look forward to enjoying each day of our lives!

They surely enrich my life constantly.

Jim Bedwell

Lance,

That Dirty Laundrie thought she was too Gabby & then she was so Petito she couldn't defend herself. My solution would be to smear the vermin as a Trump supporter (that cannot be removed by ANY stain remover in the wash you're talking about) and then let the current political current take care of the rest.

Jim Bedwell

Chief Toenails,

Dude!!! Craig James!!! Cool!! I had heard that he made it to the NFL from SMU, but I don't think he amounted to much there. That other guy Eric he played with at SMU - I don't think he came to much either. I forget his last name. But is Craig James working for Tech now?

See, I don't even follow my alma mater UT AT ALL for a LONG time now. I couldn't tell you who their head coach is or ANY of their players. The ONLY UT game I have watched since the 70's was when Vince Young played whoever it was in the Rose Bowl for the championship. Just not a college fan at all. Of course my brother is a rabid Techite. Over the years I've heard so many, "If we had only done this or that, we coulda won...." or whatever. Whenever I hear that now, I just say, "Bro, that's Tech Talk" so he'll know and he's learned now that he should just stay quiet since it's all worthless jabbering. He fully understands that at long last.

He told me that Texas & Oklahoma are headed for the SEC now. Of course my reaction was, "Really?" Apparently he has some MAJOR problems with that move by those programs - but what do I care? hahahahahaha!!!!!!

Chief Bedpost

Steve Keene

Chief Jimslownwoe;

Whenver you decide to move, I will make the chili.  If you will just find Gabby's boyfriend first, you could introduce him to your ex.

Found out today that the Tech quarterback broke his collarbone in the first quarter.  That explains a lot.

Hollis Carolyn Heyn

Jim Bedwell

Hollis,

OK, sorry like Lance you won't be attending due to the China virus. Unlike myself, my brother wears a mask in public. But being a dentist, he is a lot more vulnerable to it; I'm not saying he's being this way, but any paranoia he would ever display is totally understandable. I bet he wears a lot better mask than most of us, who are using the blue & cloth masks that don't keep out 90% of the water vapor that carries the virus.

Lance,

I actually prefer "garbage" or "non-sensical non-sequitur's" to "blather" but then I was a pot smoker and you never were.

Steve,

That's Tech Talk, bro.

But whew!!! At least if I get thrown in jail on the trip, I'll have somebody to bail me out! YEE HAW!!!! I hadn't known this before my latest mental "challenges", but now as you can certainly understand, I've seen personally how local gendarmes treat the mentally challenged, which is almost the same as the rest of the masses here currently undergoing the transformation from citizen to subject - SHAMEFUL - they must be right - when we defund the politicians, yes we should also defund the police - the only logical solution to that chronic problem.

Lance,

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!!

All,

George Frayne IV aka Commander Cody JUST DIED yesterday of cancer at 77 in Lost New York (7-19-1944 - 9-26-2021). NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! I actually knew him a little due to some Alaskan green I gave him in January, 2001 at their LAST & ONLY TWO (I never saw them back in the day) shows they EVER ALL DID TOGETHER after they broke up in the mid to late 70's, with ALL EIGHT of the glory-days guys there in 2001 (dream come true). I was such a huge fan of theirs I flew down from Alaska for those 2 nights. I didn't have a ticket for the 2nd night in downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan where they got started, so the Commander emailed me to meet him at the bar next door that second night. So I did and the security person at the Arc (Ann Arbor venue) back door asked if I were with Cody, he nodded & I gave him a little over a half an ounce once inside. The next time I saw him was here at the Portland Blues Festival in 2009. When I had him retrieved from backstage, he gave me a HUGE hug (he remembered me from Ann Arbor - hahahahahaha!!!) which matched the OVERLY HUGE amount of Alaskan green that was my price of admission before - he said it lasted him over a month. He even gave me his cell phone number, but I only called it once, on the way to another gig of his in Washington about 9 or 10 years ago. I was known to him as "Alaska Jim".

By the way, David Mercer's friend in Austin 1974-77 (my last 3 years in Austin), was one Joe Teutsch aka Joe King Carrasco, a Tex-Mex conjunto STAR (member of Texas Music Hall of Fame), blonde German-American from Dumas, Texas. He was/is I'm sure, a real practical joker. When I was rooming with David M, Joe liked to get a bucket of water and dump it on you as you were taking a shower. David had a large male Irish setter named Bernie who was really smart. At one of our rentals, Bernie was constantly getting out of the rickety backyard fence, and Joe was obsessed with finding out EACH TIME how he was doing that. And EVERY TIME Joe figured it out until the next time Bernie found out another way to escape - that was FUN to observe Joe! But also Joe, always the star-struck social-climbing music-star wannabe (he was in awe of Doug Sahm and he got to know him before I left Austin), got to know Commander Cody, who told me that when Cody was in Austin once, Joe was calling him in the morning waking him up claiming to be the hotel manager that had a problem with him. Commander told me at another show here that he never got out to Joe's place in Llano. I bet Joe had some exotic (illegal?) plants growing out there on his rural property. Also David Mercer played keyboards on Joe's first album (that came out in 1979, I think). Finally David's Irish setter Bernie was stolen from him forever in Austin before I left in 1977. But Joe King Carrasco was and is a REAL CHARACTER!! He was SO hyperactive in those pre-Ritalin days. He'd come over to where David & I were rooming and he'd be there usually 15-30 minutes before leaving, constantly pacing around, talking, etc. I saw his musical act on youtube. As I suspected, perhaps worst case, a little short on talent maybe, but LONG ON ENERGY!!! He used to take pounds to Colorado to sell in his kayak on top of his yellow Subaru? station wagon - I don't know what he would have done if he had had a major accident with all the contraband scattered on the road! Once he asked me if a guy he knew could break up 500 pounds of weed to sell in this house David & I were renting in north Austin; I would have received a free pound for that, but I declined his kind offer.

Here's Joe's Wikipedia page & website:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Carrasco

https://joeking.com/

Also Joe King Carrasco once showed me a check from Willie Nelson for $30 for an ounce of weed (yes, the price has inflated - hahaha!). He said he wasn't going to cash it - yeah, right, indigent Joe - he and his girlfriend Lisa stayed with David & me once for a month in an extra room. Once here I was at a music show at the local great music store in Portland where Asleep at the Wheel performed a few songs before their show later that night at a local venue. I told that story of the Willie Nelson check to Ray Benson, the tall leader of Asleep at the Wheel, and he said, "Well, that's how I met Joe", i.e., Joe was running weed to the local musicians!! hahahahahha!!!! So I can't imagine that Cody & Joe didn't share some herb whenever they were together.

Coincidentally the same day Cody gave me the hug at the blues festival, a local keyboards ace here, one Steve Kerin (poor guy with that 1st name), born 1972 & now relocated from Lafayette, Louisiana (I was born in Shreveport), observed that hug. Well, he's an ivory tickler so I had actually met Steve at a gig not long before that and he came over and asked me how I knew the Commander. Anyway turns out Steve is half CAJUN (I'm 1/8), his mother was into genealogy big-time, he gave me his known lines, and come to find out, he and I have 10 known cousin relationships!!! And yes, Steve is descended from Zacharie Cloutier like every other French Canadian almost - me too. Here's Zacharie's story - note all his celebrity descendants at the bottom - plus on my tree I have a lot of descended hockey players, like Mario Lemieux, and politicians not listed here. Bill Clinton's wife is NOT Zacharie's descendant if she's still listed here. Also notable in the following Wikipedia article, he had 10K+ living descendants in 1800 in a census/survey, the most of any French-Canadian pioneer "spawner"! His daughter & husband are my ancestors & got the 1st marriage license ever issued in Canada in the mid 1630's.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zacharie_Cloutier

Lowell Tuttle

Saw Joe King many times here in Htown, both at clubs and at concert venues.   He was the original (for me) fan diver.   Also, Commander Cody album from Armadillo World HQ one of my collection.

Great seeing the wedding posts, sandra...

Back has me down...Too much golf and too old a spine...At least I have both...

Had an EMI today.  Electromylogram.   They put sensors on your fingers and hand (in this case) and shoot little shocks into you to test if there's any nerve damage.   It was jumpy, especially with a sore lower back.   I was leapin with each prick shock.   The girl warned me not to flip off the table.   I said ok, but had anyone ever completely flipped of the table.  She said yes.

I guess they want to validate nerve status in case the damage is other than by the stenosis I have in my neck.  They told me to stop sleeping with my left arm folded up tight under my head and cheek...I guess it has damaged the nerves.

Pain doctor on Wednesday....neurologist follow up next month.  

Plan on being in Dallas 10 06 to 10 10 for sister visit, and State Fair trip...though with back issues may delay...

Last Week Tonight had another show about voter suppression last night.   Pretty good.   

I see you can get a vaccine at the State Fair and they give you 20.00 in coupons.   So, it's stand in line to get the Covid, but at least you get a corny dog and a drink...or at least half a drink...

Jim Bedwell

Lowell,

Yes, that Cody album recorded in Austin is his best I think & one of the best albums ever anywhere. I could have gone to that show fall 1973 at the Armadillo. DUMB ME!

Yes, Joe King had to have been one of the first crowd jumpers. I saw an article in the Dallas paper in the 80's saying something like, "When he wasn't playing on stage, he was playing in the audience. When he wasn't playing in the audience, he was playing in the bathroom............."...VERY active. I heard he was one of the first with no guitar cord to the amp so he could go anywhere - which would include the middle of the street sometimes as well, I understand. Definitely an entertainer, in a lot of ways, even when doing canine detective work.

By the way I may have mentioned this, but my atlas bone in my spine (top bone there hence the name) was misaligned & I had awful pain in the neck & radiating down left shoulder to numb fingertips. I went to this specialized NUCCA chiropractor (National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association) here, he did X-rays, and when he corrects any subsequent misalignment as well, the treatment he does seems like almost nothing as he's rubbing his fingers/hands on your neck, but it works!! I could finally sleep after a week or two of MAJOR problems with that. The numbness in the fingers, especially the tips is permanent nerve damage however; I can feel the key ridge on the "J" on a keyboard but not nearly as well the "F" for the left hand. You're probably way beyond this consideration in your particular situation, but I thought I'd mention that to you just in case it might help.

Steve Keene

Chief Bedridden:

Evidently your misalligned atlas bone is due to a highly contagious condition.  Everyone that has read your posts complains to me that you give them a real pain in the neck.  If you get incarcerated by the gendarmes on our trip, I have no doubt your contagious condition could cause the other inmates to have a pain in the atlas. The hoosgows should issue soap with a sand paper grip to minmize bending over to pick up the slick barlard.

Lowell Tuttle

Jim, about 1980 or so I went to see The Kinks at Albert Thomas Convention Center, or Sam Houston Collesium. It was the first wireless concert I had been to.   Ray Davies came down into the theatre styled audience and ran up and down the aisles huggin patrons.   Houston had and has some great venues.   It was way ahead of Austin and Dallas back in the 60's and 70's......I was looking up Albert Thomas' name as i wrote this and there was an article I viewed about some of the old sites...

The article said the Cellar in Houston opened in 1964.   There were several Cellars, including the one you're probably familiar with in Dallas.   But the article said there were three Cellars in Ft. Worth.   I had not known that..

Think I saw Joe King at the Agora in Houston and possibly Liberty Hall or Fitzgerald's.   Also could have seen him at Rockefeller's.

Once liquor by the drink hit in Texas, Dallas finally caught up and Austin started going bigtime music when Sixth St.  exploded as Maggie Mae's opened in the middle 70's.

I remember in school, the only Austin concerts were CEC events organized by UT student organization.   It was a big deal when the Moody Blues came to the memorial auditorium....One of my frat brothers was the booking agent for that show....Larry Wadkins.  I spent a lot of time going back to Dallas to see concerts or driving down to San Antonio.   I was gone before Maggie Mae's opened.  There were a couple of clubs on Lamar.and of course the Armadillo.

In the late 70s and through the 80's I was all over the bar darts scene here in Houston...Some rough and some great places...Really miss going to club shows   

Oldest place still going here from back in the 60's is a place called Anderson Fair.   About like the Rubaiyat

David Cordell

Lowell,

Very sorry about your neck pain.  I have mentioned that I had cervical fusion in 2003. I had had awful pain radiating all the way down my arm and my fingers were getting numb. They did the electrical test. Anyway, the cervical fusion did the trick. Totally eliminated the pain, and I didn't notice any reduction in flexibility in my neck. Made no difference in my golf swing -- unfortunately.

Lowell Tuttle

Dave, they told me neck surgery, but I was not paying attention to the specifics of what they were going to do, only that I was going to delay until January and discuss with neurologist.   It may have been a fusion...but I don't know what that means.  The mri shows an inconsistent channel around the cord.  I am confused what a fusion does for that... They did say they could go in thru the front or go in thru the back, back more painfull, but shorter recovery.   No full golf swing for a year....but through the back faster for that.   

I also have neuropathy in feet, hip, right knee...and so many issues in the lower back, I don't know if they can fix it.   

Guess I'll google my options...

Lowell Tuttle

Lance, AI, artificial intelligence,  you got me.

Big article on Sissy Farenthold, who passed this weekend.   I am sure it's in the Morning News.   A read is a journey through Texas politics in our time as students and young adults....Sharpstown scandal, dirty thirty, ERA attempt, partnering with Barbara Jordan, remembering Dolph, and more....right up until Anne Richards lost to George.   Those were the days...

More from the paper.   My current disctrict is 2.   Hard to imagine a techie drawing this up...

Inline Image Not Displayed

Jim Bedwell

Chief Toenails,

Speaking of Tech Talk, I'm glad Craig James single handedly got rid of Mike whatever his name was - he was a real Leach but thank God that Craig also got that help from Kent - that enHancement really facilitated the whole process. But I do hope your estimate of 10 years was a VERY LOW ONE!!! hahahahahaha!!!!

By the way, not many people know this, but Craig James was also named after James Mulvihill. And Francisco Franco is STILL DEAD!! YEE HAW!!!!

Chief "Evita" Bedpost

Jim Bedwell

Lowell,

I knew 2 sons of Sissy Farenthold in my Austin days, George & Jimmy. Somehow Joe King Carrasco and/or David Mercer got to know them so they'd come over and hang out some at David's & my rental at 9 1/2 St. off West Lynn in Austin. George was older. I remember watching Louis Tiant pitching for the Red Sox against the Reds when they were there at our hovel on 9 1/2 St. in the 1975 World Series. So when I left Austin in 1977 I never had any contact with those 2 guys again. Then I was reading on-line just a few years ago that Jimmy (very late teenager when I knew him, I think) had disappeared in 1989, I think it was, and was never heard from again?!?!?!??! I guess that was never solved either. WEIRD!!!!!

Jim Bedwell

Lady Lanajuju,

You wrote "the animals of our world were placed here to be comforting companions and buddies for us all". I also appreciate when those little critters are often so tasty!!!

Chief Jimi Bob

Jim Bedwell

Chief Toenails,

Thanks for the tip on the soap grip!! I could have used that in the past in literally hundreds of situations following removal & temporary isolation from the general populace as I interacted with another kind of populace!!! hahahahahaha!!! Just like me, you're the kind of underappreciated person always trying to help others!

Chief Bedpost

Lowell Tuttle

Jim, yes, they mentioned his disappearance in her obit article.  One of may family tragedies.

Jim Bedwell

Wayne,

Who cares about protecting the bird or the drone? THANK GOD the Big Mac made it there safely!

Jim Bedwell

Lowell,

For some reason Portland named some day a few years ago "Ray Davies Day" or "Mayor for a Day" or "Queen for a Day" or whatever. He was in town for a show so he was to appear to receive his award at a movie theater elsewhere in the city. He arrived, being led in from a side entrance, and you could tell he couldn't care less about any of it, but he accepted the award & said thanks a lot, blah blah blah, so I ran out of the front of the theater the split-second I saw him turning (SOON) to go back out the side door. So he signed 1 thing for me in the side street there along with stuff from 2 or 3 others.