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.

Steve Keene

Sandra,

I, too watched the satire, "Don't Look Up!" on Netflix.  You are correct.  It is satire, but so true in many instances in this real world today that the parallels are frightening.  An all-star cast really sells the narrative.

Steve Keene

Lowell,

I need to add that you always have had a great personality and were fun to hang out with in high school and I assume you still are.  You also have the gift of discretion, something I never seem to have mastered.

Lowell Tuttle

Sort of having discretion,,,major lesson from my Da d,..

Never never burn bridges...

(Edit...in a way...Bruce Arians burned a bridge today, with  misfit Antonio Brown...why not let it settle a few days and then decide what to do?   Might need that)  

David Cordell

Thanks so much, Sandra and Steve. As of yesterday, Peggy reported feeling "OK" but very tired. She had lost her sense of taste and smell, but we hope that is just temporary. I think her case must be relatively mild because she was vaccinated and boostered. (I hate making a noun into a verb!)

Sandra Spieker (Ringo)

David,

I am glad to hear that your sister is doing better and it appears her case of Covid is mild.  You never know what the reaction to this nasty virus will be, it just depends upon the general constitution of the individual and their vaccination status.  We think Danny contracted it back in early October.  If he did (we did not get a test) it was very mild.  He experienced a few days of being very tired, a sore throat, and a headache that lasted a full 5 days.  We learned one of our neighbors died of the virus on the 30th.  She was 70 and the wife of one of Danny's high school classmates.  I am not sure, but doubt she was vaccinated.  Some of her posts on FB indicated that she thought the pandemic was a hoax.  No confirmation either way.  I does seem however, that if you are vaccinated the chances of survival and a mild case are very high.  She might have had underlying conditions we were not aware of.  

My brother in law is a liver transplant patient.  He get tested frequently and has had at least two boosters on top of the first two doses of the vaccine.  It took that much just to get his antibody level high enough to stave off the virus.  If he gets even a small sniffle he gets tested.  If he does come up positive his transplant team is on standby for monocolonal antibody treatment, ASAP! 

I can't wait for this pandemic to become endemic.  Sheesh.

Jim Bedwell

Lady Janalulu,

Thanks for the info. If Crepeau is the winner, I'll still pronounce it with a long "e" for the 1st syllable though.

Chief No Stache/Lowell,

Gosh, I'm pretty despicable, I guess. GUILTY, GUILTY, GUILTY!!! Actually Jim Krewe is not a bad idea - and I can just pronounce it CROW!!!! YEE HAW!!! OK, Steve-adore, you asked for it, hahahahahahahaha!!!!!

And I'm thinking that the Cowboys may be hosting the Arizona Cardindolls in OUR stadium AGAIN for our first playoff game. NNNNNNOOOOOOO!!!!! They KILLED US last year in addition to beating us today there. Sounds like a three-peat to me!!!! Situation Normal All F(ouled) Up in Jerryville!!!!!

Wayne Gary

On Christmas one of the friends I had lunch with tested positive the next day. Jo Ann and I got tested on Thursday. I am positive and Jo Ann is Negative.  We are boosted and in the Maderna trial.  So far I have no symptons.  We are isolating and will try to test on Tuesday.  There are several test sites on Jupiter Rd that have short lines.

David Wier

That Allman Brothers Tune reminded me  - New Years day night, I was watching a bunch of CNN specials on the music of the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, etc. They also had a special on Jimmy Carter - the "Rock & Roll president" (at least that's what they called him). They interviewed Greg Allman about the concerts to get Carter elected, after he cut off his hair. I hardly recognized him. Then, I realized "Wow! - both the brothers were dead". 

I didn't vote for Carter, but I remember two specific things. Before the election, I said that if he got elected, we'd all be screwed financially. Then, later, I wanted to get a home improvement load for $19K (yes, I know - it seems small now). I had never heard of ARM loans. They told me I could take out the load for $19k, and then 5 years later, they would re-evaluate it. At that time, my principal owed would be $19,500. I reminded myself of the absurdity of what I just heard and walked. out. I know the Camp David Accord was a good deal and I'm sure he did some other good things but those are all I can remember at this time.

Jim Bedwell

Good ones of our former guys

:

Lowell Tuttle

David W.   Hope Lisa is doing well.   

My first home purchase was 1983, close Jan 1984....I paid 75000 for brand new home.   It was -0- down.  Builder paid 5% down.   I got that 5% back in three years if I paid my payments....and if the mortgage balance to home value ratio was 90%..   I think the interest rate 6 7/8, 7 7/8, 8 7/8...and then adjusted to the fed rate beginning at what that would have been after the first three years.   Paul Volkler set the fed rate at 20% in 1980.

I did actually get the 5% builder fronted down payment in about 1995 and by then it had risen to about 8000, so I got paid to move into my house.   It had been held in my name at the First Federal Savings bank of Thibedeaux Louisiana,.   The home was a Nash Phillips Copus (they went bankrupt...)

Unrelated

On cable this morning I watched a show called Under the Volcano.  It was about the recording studio project Sir George Martin of Beatles fame built in Montserrat.  During the 80's his vision was to allow artists to go there and be free to create....Stevie Wonder, Jimmy Buffett, The Police and  Sting, Earth Wind and Fire, The Stones, Paul McCartney, all partook.   The big release from there was by Dire Straits about the time MTV started...Hurricane Hugo hit in 1990 and ended the whole thing, as well as later the volcano there erupted.   Pretty good documentary.

Marty Fulton

HNY - Y'all.  Montserrat is an interesting story / island (in the NE Carribean).  FYI, the HUGO hurricane hit in Sept 1989.  Interesting that the SF/ Oakland area had that large quake on Oct 17th, same year.  That was the one that postponed Game 3 of the World Series a total of 10 days.  U guessed it - SF Giants vs. Oakland A's.

A's swept the series 4 - 0, no game was closer than a 3 run difference.

I happened to be living in Seattle when Mt St Helens blew in May 1980.  The day following the blast, the town was covered in a light layer of ash.  P.S. - it's not the rain, it's the overcast skies and 6-months of temperatures under 50 that make it hard to live there....

David Cordell

Sandra, 

I haven't seen the Kevin Costner TV show "Yellowstone", which is supposed to be the most popular on "cable" -- streaming on Paramount. However, I see in todays Wall Street Journal that the co-creator and writer of the series is Taylor Sheridan, who lives on a ranch in Weatherford. He also appears in the show as a cowboy. 

Steve, 

It looks like the same guy is developing a series called "Landman" about West Texas oil field workers. (Maybe they will change the name to "Landpersons".). I'm not sure that landmen are considered oil field workers, though. Maybe the series will concentrate on guys who go to county courthouses to try to find out who owns the property they want to lease. Sounds like a page turner -- or maybe a channel changer. Maybe you should find out where Sheridan lives and visit him to offer to offer your services as a technical adviser.

Sheridan is also working on a vehicle for Sylvester Stallone about a retired mobster in Kansas City. Maybe we have a classmate who could serve as an adviser on that one.. 

David Wier

When you find a TV show that needs a technical advisor on playing in Rock and Roll or Country bands and 'never' quite making it to the big time, let me know :)

I wanted to watch Yellowstone, and I have Paramount + but I found out it's on Paramount Network, wherever the heck that is. That's all I need to have to pay for another streaming channel!

David Cordell

David W.

Paramount is a free (ad supported) channel. I added it to my Roku this morning, but I haven't watched Yellowstone yet.

David Wier

I just found it too, on my Roku. However, all it will give me is season 4, with only Episodes 1,2 & 3. Different people are telling me I just "Had" to watch it (Yellowstone), but they certainly are making it hard to do so.

Strangely enough, I did find it on the ad version of Peacock.

After watching episode 1, I found out that's as far as I can go without $$

Jim Bedwell

More target-rich environment:

David Cordell

Does anyone else find this ironic? The same people who claimed that Trump was a dictator who would end democracy are urging Biden to impose aspects of Build Back Better without Congressional involvement.

Wayne Gary

David,

If you remember when Geo. W was pres the Dems said he was using Pres. orders to get things done to become a ruler. Including Obama. When Obama became pres he used Executive orders to bypass Congress with the support of the Dems. For them bad for Republicans to use but good for Dem presidents 

Janalu Jeanes (Parchman)

Observation:

Ask just about any Conservative and they will tell you that they stand for the Constitution and a two-party system.  Ask just about any Leftist and they will tell you that Conservatives are generally stupid or deplorable and that the only answer is one liberal party governing over all.  Sounds like socialism/communism has finally won over freedom and liberty.

On Thursday, January 6th, Conservatives are again going to be called deplorable and stupid......and the whole bunch of us who voted for Trump will be called White Supremacists, as well.  Then we will be told that the only solution is for us to give way to the Leftists who will lead us to socialism, without the freedoms and liberties we got used to having; those 'perks' we always enjoyed that were SO great about living in the US, protected all the while by our Constitution.

And all of those foreigners who are pouring into our country to partake of what we have built here, those nice little 'perks,' must be dumber than she-poopy to be clamoring at our southern door as fast as their little feet will get them over that imaginary line of demarcation.  Of course, those foreigners understand very well about socialism, so maybe they will decide to become Republicans, and stand with us to stave-off the Leftists' quest. 

Steve Keene

David,

If you are going to watch Yellowstone, don't plan on doing it in one day.  There have already been four seasons.  "1883" has three episodes already.  It is on Paramount + a pay per view channel.  It has had cameos of Billy Bob Thornton as the sheriff of Hell's Half Acre in Fort Worth, Tom Hanks as a Union officer, and Taylor Sheridan as a Cowboy.  I don't need to be anybody's technical advisor as a landman.  That is just one of the jobs I hold to make a living in this business.  I also write the leases, negotiate gas contracts, drill the wells, complete them and hook them up to the pipeline.  I negotiate with the gas purchaser and transporter whether it be a trucking company or a pipeline to get the best service and price for the particular area.  I also raise capital from various sources to fund my ventures.  I operate the wells and file the required regulatory reports on a monthly basis to keep the wells in compliance.  If problems occur with the wells like casing leaks, rods parted downhole, tubing leaks or surface spills and equipment failures, I solve the problems to bring the wells back into compliance.  I also use my network to broker large projects between oil industry buyers and sellers to gain a small piece of the action.  In my spare time I go to a baseball game and spoil my grandkids. 

I will visit an episode set for a free meal and the chance to meet famous people so that I will have something to impress my grandkids or their parents. 

Steve Keene

Janalu and Wayne,

With the liberals today we are witnessing what Jesus warned us about in the Bible.  Those who would call evil good and good evil.  They also are not only not satisfied with our Constitution that the founding fathers said was totally inadequate for anyone but a Godly people, but they even want to shape the Bible to satisfy their own desires, selfishness and lusts.  That is why you see Catholics supporting abortion, gay people ingnoring Leviticus and only touting the feel good portions of the doctrine, and others thinking that if you just are a good person you get to go to heaven.  God set out the requirements very clearly including that there is no way to heaven without going through Jesus.  These are the times that Jesus described that he said "be thankful for many of the saints would love to be alive today to witness these prophecies come true."  We now only await the appearance of the Antichrist proclaiming himself to be Jesus himself and saying that he is here to rapture you.  That is what occurs at the sixth trump.  Jesus himself appears at the seventh trump and in the twinkling of an eye we will all be changed to spiritual bodies.  Some of us will be immortal, those that have done their very best to follow God's word.  Some will be mortal even though they are in spiritual bodies awaiting the White Throne Judgement.

I noticed that Sandra, Lowell, Jan and Tommy on the other forum are complaining about how stressed they are, going to emergency rooms and eating and drinking to treat the symptoms of something much deeper.  Jesus tells us, "give me me your burden, you who are heavy laden, my yoke is easy."  It sure is, he carries it for us.  I suspect both of you are like me and have no stress, allowing those burdens to be borne by our Saviour.

David Cordell

Steve,

Yikes! It seems that I must have insulted you without even trying!

Please accept my apologies for not understanding and/or appreciating the depth and breadth of your professional activities, but you DO have the landman expertise, right?

About the gay part --

My gay son Christopher just announced that he plans to be married to Armando (a Cuban American) in Spain in the fall. I will not be like Tevya in Fiddler on the Roof and deny Christopher's existence because of his choice or because he is who he is. He is my son and will always be my son. We have accepted Armando, who is a bright, sell-educated, and compassionate man, and he joined us in our Christmas celebration. Having been brought up in communist Cuba, visiting our home was his first experience of a real Christmas, and he enjoyed it very much.

Wayne Gary

On Christmas Day I was ezposed to Covid. Last Thursday I tested positave.  I just did a home test and I am still posative. I do not have symptons. Jo Ann is keeping me isolated in the bedroom.  She sets food inside the door. I hope to be out of isolation bytheend of the weekend.

Tommy keeps insulting us. This must be him trying to respond on his site.  He is not a wise Psycoligist.  Seems he did not really learn what he was tought getting his PHD. As one of my instructors stated: In his case he got a BS (we know what that stands for) then he got MS (more of the same) then a PHD (pilled higher and deeper).

David Cordell

“We are on the precipice of a crisis. A constitutional crisis. The checks and balances which have been at the core of this republic are about to be evaporated by the nuclear option. The checks and balances which say that if you get 51% of the vote, you don’t get your way 100% of the time. … They will change the rules, break the rules, misread the Constitution so that they will get their way. … They want to make this country into a banana republic where if you don’t get your way, you change the rules. That … is what we call abuse of power.” —Chuck Schumer, 2005

“The ‘nuclear option’ would eviscerate the Senate and turn it into the House of Representatives. It is not only a bad idea, it upsets the constitutional design and it disserves the country.” —Joe Biden, 2005

Janalu Jeanes (Parchman)

David,

It is true that if you research the former comments of Schumer and Biden, you will notice the hypocritical components of their nature, absolutely!

And as we all know, hypocracy abounds robustly throughout Congress, unfortunately.

Hearing Biden's speech earlier today, I am reminded of the hypocracy of his inaugural speech, when he said he would be uniting all of our country's citizens, as one of his utmost goals.