Message Forum

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. 

Forums work when people participate - so don't be bashful! Click the "Post Response" button to add your entry to the forum.


 
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11/05/21 10:58 AM #22863    

 

Bob Davidson

Tommy -- I'll take at face value what you say about your motives and add a consideration.  I know that a lot of us have had interesting and sometimes difficult faith journeys.  Of the people I know best and have known longest, my brother and sisters, what they've been through has changed us over the years.  You are right, we were raised in a conventional Christian household.  My mother was, and still is, a conventional protestant, my dad, believed but hated hyprocrites and organized religion -- he went to church with us, but kept quiet about what he thought about being there. 

My brother shared Dad's view as he grew up and has never joined or gone to church beyond ceremonial occasions, but married a future Presbyterian elder.  He sent his kids to church and Sunday School with their mom and the kids are both actively religious (my neice having lost her husband to a heart attack before he was 30 probably contributed to her religious participation -- she is very active and happy in a large evangelical church in Austin).  Both of my sisters drifted away from church and worrying about beliefs until they had kids -- when they both went back to the faith they grew up with and raised their children in. None of their kids are openly religious right now. Some of them have little kids so we'll see what happens.

In college and for a time afterwards, I considered myself a deist, and sorta christianish -- I attended church fairly regularly because I enjoyed the experience and generally liked the people there and the morality, but didn't take the whole Jesus saves stuff that seriously.  When my daughter and ex-wife both were supposed to die after an emergency c-section with a 75% placental abruption, which was the worst nightmare I've ever been through -- helplessly watching a tiny baby struggling to live and not being able to do anything, I had some sort of epiphany: there was no question that I could feel the power and presence of the Spirit. Since then, I've know what I believe and simply am a Christian, without doubt.

I wouldn't think of speaking for any of our classmates, but I know several who have talked to me about how they've had journeys not too dissimilar to my own, at least in where they started and where they arrived.  Several have told me that they had broken lives and saved themselves through faith.  Others grew and came to appreciate their faith as part of a life's journey.

I personally know of no one in our class or even near our age who just kept going thoughtlessly on autopilot in their childhood beliefs.  Every one of us has lost a number of people we love, had horrible disappointments in life like divorces, lost jobs and failed businesses, children and other people we love going wrong and not being able to stop them, betrayals by people we thought were friends, and/or cruel health problems, ad nauseum.  One way we cope with those things is our faith. 

Because of this, many people are going to be highly insulted when they perceive you as mocking their beliefs. 

 

 
 


11/05/21 02:41 PM #22864    

 

Janalu Jeanes (Parchman)

Bob D.,

That was a great post to read.  I can totally relate to what you revealed about your life's journey and development.  I also agree that when some mock our Christian beliefs, sometimes even when they may not realize it, it smacks us 'upside the head' with a resentment and a lingering feeling of being peeved a little bit.

When our Bible verses are repeated back to us with a bit of snarky put-down chuckle, it isn't taken humorously, but rather as insult of what we hold dear.  It may be that the snark was not meant to be too harsh, but still, when a person pokes at a Christian with a type of higher than thou attitude, it leaves a twisted feeling in the air; an uncomfortable situation of us wondering, "So what's the point of your comment?"  Or, "What are you trying to say when we know of your propensity toward clever quips?" 

Humor doesn't mix well with Biblical beliefs, but I guess that those who don't give the Bible holy credence, don't understand the sting they inflict.

Or do they?  It's a conundrum.


11/05/21 04:33 PM #22865    

Jim Bedwell

Here's an early picture of Joe - he had more teeth in his mouth then than he has brains in his head now. Same stupid look on his face though.

image.png


11/05/21 05:41 PM #22866    

Jim Bedwell

Thanks, David C, about the dog whistling. Yes, I was serious; sometimes it's hard for even me to tell though!! The doctors say that's part of the syndrome........new meds due later this week.............hopefully these will FINALLY do the trick........


11/05/21 06:28 PM #22867    

 

David Cordell

I made an executive decision to delete someone from this site. I am aware that some readers might disagree with my decision and want to read more from that person. However, I am sure you know what site to access to read posts from that person.  


11/05/21 06:31 PM #22868    

 

David Cordell

Good news for me! Today is the three week mark after my knee replacement surgery. Improving every day. I can walk without limping. Weaned off painkillers. Still have trouble sleeping, but that will improve. Besides, as a retiree, I can always catch up on my sleep with a midday nap.


11/05/21 06:34 PM #22869    

 

David Cordell

Wayne,

I apologize! I apparently skipped past several posts when I mentioned the C.S. Lewis movie, and I obviously missed your post. Good to know that you enjoyed it. 


11/05/21 06:45 PM #22870    

Kurt Fischer

Tommy:

Thanks for your reply.  I'll have to say that one of the disappointments in my life has been my lack of ambition to continue the study of mathematics.  For instance, you bring up fractals and I have very little idea of the theory behind the study.  Having a discussion with Don would be fruitless since I am so clueless.  On the other hand, I guess I've pursued other areas of interest and have a modicum of knowledge in those areas.

Which brings up a point.  Yes, Tolkien and Lewis were friends.  I believe the primary group they were part of was the Inklings, which met at a pub in Oxford.  There were 15-25 different individuals who attended.  From my perspective, the most important influence was Tolkien and Lewis reading their works to the group and gaining feedback.  Both were masters of mythology and heavily incorporated ancient myth elements along with Christian themes in their works.  Lewis was much more overtly Christian in his works (both the Narnia Chronicles and his science fiction trilogy), but Tolkien had obvious elements in his Lord of the Rings and Hobbitt works.


11/05/21 07:41 PM #22871    

Jim Bedwell

Chief No Stache aka Chief No-Pun-Means-No-Fun,

Those recommendations from your exes (all from Texas I hope) reminded me of that Faulkner title derived from the Shakespeare quote, "The Sound and the Fury", except, all your 99% sound sounded furious and your 1% advice sounded sound.

Chief Bedpost


11/05/21 07:52 PM #22872    

 

David Cordell

Jimmy Baker passed along the following, and I am sure he would not mind my posting it.

With half the chemo done, all tumorous areas are dramatically reduced in size, and my white cell count is “normal” this week.  

Next chemo (#4 of 6) is next week and I expect no significant side effects.

Looking forward to 100% release  by the oncologist mid Jan.

Freakin’ YEA!!

 


11/06/21 04:43 PM #22873    

 

Steve Keene

Lance,

After the post citing your Tyler meeting with Rich and Don, please illuminate us on the meeting and how the two are doing.  A picture would be welcome.


11/06/21 06:41 PM #22874    

Jim Bedwell

This is a TREMENDOUS list of GREAT movies (although perhaps not to a female's taste so much?) - several are some of my very favorites, including the one rated #2 - "The Big Sleep" with Bogie & Bacall, maybe my favorite of all time. A lot of hidden jewels, a few of which, old ones, I hope to see for the first time some day! Especially their #7 "Out of the Past", a "masterwork" from 1947 with Robert Mitchum. The one rated #1 is an old Edward G. Robinson movie I saw for the first time last year - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - it's hard to go wrong with Edward G.

"Miller's Crossing" - in my estimation, still the best of all the Coen Brothers movies - what a screenplay! The kind of movie you can watch several times & still pick stuff up from.

"Memento" from 2000 with Guy Pearce? All those twists & turns & non-chronological editing - WHOA, NELLY! And that movie you HAVE to watch more than once, I think.

Or "Brick" (2005) - really noteworthy movie as well with its jolts & jumps. with Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Gary Oldman's performance in "State of Grace" where he nails a blue-collar NYC accent, really uncanny.

https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/the-100-best-noirs-of-all-time/?utm_source=pocket-newtab


11/06/21 07:14 PM #22875    

Jim Bedwell

I can FINALLY report that I found ONE good thing about AOC. Yes, she sounds like a young person when she's talking; HOWEVER, she doesn't have diarrhea of the "you know" or "like" that you hear all the time. SEE, there's something nice you can say about everybody, even if it's just the one thing about her.

Like Jay Leno said that time on the Tonight Show about OJ, "People are writing in and calling here saying that I never say anything good about OJ. I started thinking, 'You know, they're right'. So I'm going to say something good about him right now; he hasn't killed anybody in over 2 years.".


11/06/21 08:39 PM #22876    

 

David Cordell

Watching The Sandlot for the umpteenth time.

"You're killin' me, Smalls!"


11/06/21 10:00 PM #22877    

 

David Cordell

Steve,

Thanks for your support. Don't be too hard on Sandra. I disagree with her on almost everything, but she is a good person at heart. (Note added 11/7/2021 at 5:11 AM: te prior three sentences refer to a since-deleted statement that was falsely posted in Steve's name. I may delete this portion of my post.)

Jim B,

Did you know that the screenplay for The Big Sleep was written by William Faulkner? I've seen it at least three times and still don't know what was going on, but it's hard to beat Bogie and Bacall. Below -- re-post of my son Christopher with Lauren Bacall and Roddy McDowall at opening night of A Christmas Carol - The Musical at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in 1997. Video is one of the all time great scenes - To Have and Have Not. I think Faulkner was a co-screenplay writer of Hemingway's novel.




11/07/21 02:16 AM #22878    

 

Steve Keene

David and Class,

At one time Tommy asked to use my password several years ago and I don't recall the exact reason I gave it to him.  I changed my password about a year ago for fear it would be used by him for some nefarious reason.  However, all I changed was some of the capitals to lower case. Evidently Tommy figured that out because the post 24370 was not posted by me and I have deleted it. That is the last straw for me with him,  I apologize to everyone on the forum for what was posted, especially Sandra. I also apologize for the profanity he used trying to alienate me from other class members. I never dreamed he would stoop so low.


11/07/21 02:37 AM #22879    

Jim Bedwell

David C,

Yes, actually Faulkner was 1 of 3 screenwriters with a credit on that movie along with Leigh Brackett & Jules Furthman. I've seen it WAY more than 3 times so what would you like to know about it? I should be able to tell you what you need to know. "The Big Sleep" also had quite a few actors who lived to be over 90 years old, 1 was a non-speaking extra who lived to over 100; Betty Bacall "only" made it to 89. The beautiful blonde Dorothy Malone, later of Dallas, lived to over 90 and had a small but memorable role (as a brunette) as the Acme Book Store girl who shut down early for a drink (& whatever?) with Marlowe during the rain, remember? Also the girl who played Agnes, the slimy gangster moll, Sonia Darrin, born in Houston, TX to Russian Jewish immigrants, just died last year at 96, the last surviving cast member. Her son, Mason Reese, you may remember from the 1970's as a kid actor or later:

Mason Reese Net Worth, Age, Height, Weight, Early Life, Career, Bio, Dating, Facts - Make Facts

Mason Reese Net Worth - Short bio, age, height, weight ⋆ Net Worth Roll

And yes, Faulkner wrote the screenplay with Jules Furthman on that 1st Bogie/Bacall movie, which was the Hemingway novel "To Have and Have Not" - could be the title of the last 2 Prez administrations.

Here are Faulkner's Hollywood writing credits (often uncredited in the early work there):

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001203/

I noticed Faulkner did the screenplay for one CHEYENNE episode in 1956!!!! And I looked - that story was one from Hemingway also!! Who woulda thought?!?!? Well, Jimi Hendrix just as he was rising in America, once opened for the Monkees on a tour!

So I guess Faulkner really couldn't resist plagiarizing Hemingway when in Hollywood - hahahahaha!

And yes, that's the 3rd time I've seen that photo with Betty & Roddy, but HOW COOL!!!! You got to meet and probably talk quite a bit with both of them!! WOW! Can you share any little-known historical stories they told you? Bogie was really in some great movies after he got past being typecast as the heavy. Of course "The Maltese Falcon", John Huston's first directorial effort in 1940/41, was a masterpiece/classic with a phenomenal screenplay as well.

I saw an interview with Dick Cavett once where Roddy just WOULD NOT discuss, despite repeated attempts by Cavett to get him to say something, the behind-the-scenes activity on the set of "Cleopatra" when his good friend & childhood co-star Elizabeth Taylor got involved with Richard Burton - Roddy was also in that movie. So good job, Roddy, being a loyal friend. But MAN wouldn't you love to hear what he knew!! Cavett sure thought so.

And Bacall's 2nd husband Jason Robards Jr. was in the spaghetti western I like the best, with Charles Bronson as the nameless hero (called Harmonica) & then Henry Fonda cast against type as the bad guy, "Once Upon a Time in the West" (1968). Great music, cinematography, some in Monument Valley.


11/07/21 03:15 AM #22880    

Jim Bedwell

Steve,

OK, that really confused me. First it sounded like you thought the progression of David C's behavior with relation to Tommy leading to this final event is something you liked a lot. And then it sounded sarcastic. So actually by the time I finished that post, I really didn't know what you were trying to say.

But now you're saying that Tommy created that, acting like he was you? Wow, you think he's mad he got kicked off again or what? If what I'm saying is correct (please correct me if I'm not), then yes, that would be really bad, but we've seen that before with my posts on his forum and with you and/or Lance a time or two, I think - I can't really remember.......so if all that is true, then if he didn't deserve to get kicked off before, yeah, he sure would now from that, imho as always..........at any rate, can you straighten this out? I'm sorry for you, but you seem pretty emotional in that post, as if you're typing in anger quickly and making typos etc. Your post was slightly confusing to me, but not nearly as much as the one you say you deleted.

Yeah, Steve, it's not just the atheism & the Trump Derangement Syndrome, when he changed my posts like that on his forum? That's just beyond inappropriate. Sounds like what he did to you here. If so, then he wasn't satisfied with just himself so we got Ron & Sue & then when we lost them & Tommy twice, he's pulling this in childish spite? SO SAD, if true.


11/07/21 03:17 AM #22881    

Jim Bedwell

David C,

I bet you might want to revise your statement and insert a "Not" in post #24366?


11/07/21 05:02 AM #22882    

 

David Cordell

Ack!

First, I was feeling some discomfort in my knee during the night and couldn't get back to sleep, so I decided to get out of bed at 4:45 AM. Then I turned on the news and saw that it was 3:45. Damn! No daylight savings time. I missed my opportunity for an extra hour of sleep!

Second, Jim B, thanks for catching my error in the post about Jim Baker. You know how it is -- you try to proofread, but your eyes see what's supposed to be there rather than what is really there. Related: my left pinkie and my keyboard seem to have a communication problem which I fear will only get worse.

You mentioned typos in Steve's post, and I took the liberty of making three obvious edits (changing a "y" to a "t" in "yo", deleting a superflous period, and de-capitalizing the word "be"). I hope Steve won't mind and won't equate me to someone who would post an absolute falsehood.


11/07/21 05:19 AM #22883    

 

David Cordell

Steve,

Please email me to confirm what is going on.  At this point, it looks like "someone" nefariously posted something in your name as a dirty trick that he may (disturbingly) think is a clever joke. That said, it could even be a more involved dirty trick in which he pretends to be you a second time to refute the first post. Also, I hope you don't mind my making the obvious tiny edits in your subsequent post.

Also, Steve, I apologize for thinking that the offending post was really from you. It included your name and your photo, but I should have recognized that that sort of message would not have come from you. It just didn't occur to me that anyone would stoop so low as to impersonate you just to cause trouble. 


11/07/21 01:43 PM #22884    

 

David Cordell


11/07/21 03:20 PM #22885    

 

Steve Keene

Lance,

Thanks for the fotos and info.  Everyone looks great.  I think I will resolve to watch all my concerts at church.  There is less chance of the concert goers having a crush on the performers like they did at the Travis Scott concert in Lowell's' neighborhood.


11/07/21 11:08 PM #22886    

 

Steve Keene

Lowell,

I feel badly about the families who lost their loved ones at the music festival.  I should not joke on so serious a subject that has. affected so many families.  I hope Their faith will help ease their pain and give them comfort.


11/08/21 11:18 AM #22887    

 

David Cordell

With all the talk of C.S Lewis, I thought I'd post this page from my church's weekly bulletin.

Note that the series addressed at the bottom of the announcement will be available via Zoom for those who may be interested, but can't, or don't want to, go to my church. You have to register to get the Zoom address. Transfiguration.net/Narnia

By the way, one of our classmates (and spouse) created a very cool playroom, accessible only by climbing through a wardrobe.

I had never read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, so my wife is reading it to me in her best kindergarten-teacher-expressive voice so that the characters come alive (thus also preserving my passivity during my knee recuperation!). Our plan is to finish  the book, watch the movie, go to the theater to see "Reluctant Convert...", and attend the church's programs. One of the people mentioned in the announcement for the "conversations", Roy Heller, is professor of Old Testament at the Perkins Theological Seminary at SMU. Another, Robert Patten, is a professor emeritus at Rice. The book written my the featured speaker, Heidi Haverkamp, rates a 4.4 on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Advent-Narnia-Reflections-Heidi-Haverkamp-ebook/dp/B014G2TGDY


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