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.

Wayne Gary

David, Steve

I just tested negative and can now leave my "cell".

I could not play with my dog. 

Steve Keene

Wayne,

You need to get a dachsand.  They can't keep you from playing with your weiner.

Steve Keene

Jan,  

It finally dawned on me why you like blackfooted ferrets and use that in your profile picture.  They along with raccoons are the only two animals that follow the mask mandate.

Can you say raccoons or must you say rac"lives matter"animals?

Bob Fleming

David,

Thanks for the reply.  What I wanted - and I am thankful to receive - was a discussion of the events of January 6, 2021.  Thanks to all for participating in that discussion.

My observation was that closed loop systems can easily ignore and refuse to take up necessary or important discussions.  (see the Catholic Church in regards sexual abuse)  But we now have.  So I'm satisfied.

I agree with everything you said in your last post regarding Donald Trump.

I do continue to say, as we have discussed before, that moderate/conservatives like yourself continually minimize Trump's pathological personality.  In this last post, I only take exception with the argument that it is "ludicrous" to think Trump wanted violence on January 6th.  I do'nt think that is the case.  His language is the language of domnation and implied violence and his rallies are mass exercises in this milieu.  One shouldn't be surprised when such outbeaks occur among his followers.  Nor minimize his culpability and theirs for the results.  Accountability matters.

I now retire to my library to read some books recommended to me by our classmate Steve Alford.  Remember him?  Intend to be in Dallas soon.  Will give you a call.  

Steve Keene

Bob,

It was my intention to go by and see Alford in Bend when I went to see Steve Gardner.  After a long afternoon talking to Steve and discussing Alford, I was convinced that it was not something I wanted to do.  Talk to Steve G. if you get a chance.

Kurt Fischer

David:

Thanks for the graphic from the WSJ regarding Covid transmission and masking.  It illustrates that transmission of Covid is not an instantaneous event, but requires some time to transmit sufficient virus to overwhelm the body's defenses.  In other words, it's not walking by someone with Covid that will infect you, but staying in the same room for some period of time.  

In the past I've been guided by the "Distance, Duration and Density" guidelines, ie., keeping your distance, only remaining close to others for a short time, and staying away from crowded spaces.  

Of course, my saying this will probably result in me becoming infected in the next few days...

Jan Alexander

Steve, ... I just remembered this... 

 "Can't remember the date but the first yellowstone female wolf in 50 years ( ? not going to look up)... was found dead a few exits up from me on I -70 by Dumont.  That alerted all ranchers that they would soon be streaming into Colorado . The Division of WIldlife speerheaded a committee to create a Wolf Management plan and I turned in my own little paper to them as they requested public responses... :-) (all a long story) .SOOOOO.... "

The steering commitee was comprised of wildlife biologists, ranchers, Division of Wildlife folks and a few more , someone from Salazar's ; can't remember.  I submitted my paper and I got 2 email responses from CU biology Dept. professors , which shocked me.  My closing line was what we really need is a , "human management plan"  sorta bragging here, sorry.I was  sorta was proud of myself.

Now to poke my face into the world for the first time in a week.  Go for a walk in 17* with my cleats on so I don't fall on my ass and break a hip. 

Some of you haven't heard my story about working at a Junior College in Cheyenne ,Wy.  and at age 45 I decided to take a 101 Wildlife Management course . Most of my classmates ( take no offense , please - just laugh) were 19 years old redneck cowboys focusing on ag courses , who would go out on spring break and shoot prairie dogs for fun.  They would walk by my chair and point their fingers at me like they were holding and shooting a gun. 

Here is another funny, I used to relocate prairie dogs in a suburb of Denver. That is why steve  loves to poke the bear about it. 

OK, shut up , Jan

Lowell Tuttle

Janalu, if your complaint about not investigating voter fraud is still outstanding, perhaps you could view the editorial I posted on Punography about our Att Gen here in Tejas, the friiendship state's. efforts (although in the opinion of the Houston Chronical edt. staff.)
 

Wayne Gary

David, Steve

I get out of jail and then have to go out and clean up a weeks worth of dog poop in the back yard. 

Steve, I remember hearing this when I worked in Odessa selling oilfield pumps

Description of perfect oilfield ruffneck:

26" waist

40" chest

17" neck

Wears a 4" bullplug for a hard hat.

Bob Fleming

Steve,

Tommy and i have talked about driving to Ben to see Steve & Steve (we were even bold enough to think we could hitch a ride in your pickup).  I'm aware of the feud, but will soon enough head to Bend as it is on my bucket list to see him "face to face" before I die.  (it goes back to Cub Scouts)  On your testimony, I will be sure to certify myself in conflict resolution - and should that training fail - on techniques of extracation BEFORE heading out.

David Cordell

Looking forward to watching The Tragedy of Macbeth with Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand on Apple TV+. Seems to have gotten great reviews. They seem really old for the parts, but, whatever.

Jim Bedwell

I am still way busy and was just skimming the forum a little, and saw how Steve was telling Jan he's not such a bad guy. Don't know what that's about, but Jan, don't worry about that. No, Steve has got just too much Indian blood. I seem to constantly feel the urge to shoot or otherwise do away with him whenever he comes to mind. I'm just SO GRATEFUL that I owe this self-knowledge to the legacy media & Dem politicians. I hadn't realized before how I'm such a white supremacist so now I do and I'm pretty sure I can withstand the impulse to sucker punch that Injun (he's a lot higher percentage Cherokee than I) the next time I see him!

Janalu Jeanes (Parchman)

Bob F.,

 In your most recent post to David, you stated that "One shouldn't be surprised when such outbreaks (of needless violence) occurs among his (Trump's) followers.

The facts indicate that the VAST majority of Republicans who were in Washington DC on January 6th, 2021, were intelligent enough to realize that engaging in entering the Capitol building that day, was totally ignorant, and so they did not.

It is the Democrat Party's LUMPING of the whole of those Republicans, ( and others who weren't even there) as people who must be forever feared as ruthless, democracy destroyers, that is the reason for which we all chose to say nothing on the Jan. 6th, 2022 date's revisiting just recently.

Thank you for allowing me to say that, and thank you to David too, since I can see that he is MORE than ready for us all to move on to more pleasant subjects, and I agree wholeheartedly with that!  I'm hoping that Tom Cotton will run for pres. in 2024, or that Chris Christie will try again, at this point, and I'm wondering if I will still be alive to vote!

David,

What was your most pleasant experience of being our president of the Student Council?  Was it kissing Melinda Nelson on the night she was crowned our Homecoming Queen of 1968?  Aside from that, what more do you have to say?  I thought you did a heck of a fine job!

David Cordell

Janalu,

Thanks, Janalu. A couple of Student Council memories that stick out.

One was the anti-drug campaign, instigated by a Richardon Daily News series of articles that stated that 90% of RHS students had experimented with drugs. We appeared before the Richardson City Council meeting and even got some TV exposure. The culmination was the Youth for Truth rally that was attended by about 1,000 people.

The other was coordinating an orientation for Hamilton Park students who were going to start at RHS in the fall of 1969.

About Melinda -- I'm pretty sure that I have known Melinda longer than any of our classmates except for Dian Zimmerman and Bobby Miller.  Melinda's and my parents were very good friends and are interred in the columbarium at our church a couple of feet away from each other. All four were signatories of the Church of the Transfiguration's Articles of Conformity in 1959, which changed it from a mission to a church. Melinda and I were in the church youth group, but.I never asked her for a date. 

About the Homecoming kiss -- I don't have a clear memory of the kiss, but I have a clear memory of my mother's chastising me for the length of the kiss! Not sure if our parents discussed it.

Here is a photo from the Talon. That Melinda really was a babe! While I was looking for this photo in the annual (it isn't there), I found the second photo below. On the left side of the table: Lowell Tuttle, Fred Zeiller, Tommy Thomas, Pat Cowlishaw, Jimmy Baker. On the right side: Bobby Fleming, David Cordell, unknown, Hull Barbee. 

Bobby -- I think the back-of-the-head closest to the camera belogs to Steve Alford.

Lowell Tuttle

I also see either Chris Doyle or Gil Ohlen and Ronnie Parker on crutches.

Here, Janalu...non controversial fun...  When they say what was your first concert, these guys were at McFarlin and Steve Healy and I were fans and went to the show...(way before their TV show.)

David Cordell

Great rendition of Amazing Grace, although I don't understand it. Not sure if it is being sung in Spanish or Catalan. Sung at the Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona, which is the most extraordinary church or cathedral I have ever visited.

David Cordell

By the way, note in the lunchroom photo that Bobby Fleming is to my left. That's not a political statement although it would have been a true statement.  In my casual observation, left-handers seem consciously or unconsciously to locate themselves in a position in which their dominant arm doesn't bump or get bumped by the right-hander nest to him/her. I was reminded of this when my lefty son objected to the location of his place card at our Christmas dinner table..

Steve Keene

David,

If you will look closely in picture two, that is me to your right, that fits politically, too.  Notice the ears and the oval shaped head.  

Bob F.,

I hate to be the bearer of additional bad news obstacles to your grand tour, but Gardner expressed to me that he had thought Tommy had gone round the Bend lately, and as far as he was concerned he wished he would continue to do so.  Bedwell wants me to come pick him up in February to move him to Tennessee with my trailer.  If I do that, I will have an extra seat.  I would agree to talk scenery, not politics, and I would welcome your assistance to strangle Bedwell if he gets out of hand.  Gardner and possibly Jan Schollenberger or Jan Alexander are the only additional folks I would be willing to drop in to see on the way.  I would agree to a fourth passenger if you don't mind storing the luggage in my locked pickup bed.

Steve Keene

Bob F.,

I could begin the trip from Austin or Dallas and I have made the trip before at least four times.  I have a 100 gallon fuel capacity so refueling is not a constant problem.  We can watch the weather and stay to the South depending on the forecasts or cut through South Pass and into Wyoming or Colorado on the way back to Texas if the weather permits.  We can stay two to a room and I have built up a lot of points and am a Hilton Diamond Elite Member which means discounts, upgraded wifi, preferred parking and snacks at Hampton and Hilton hotels along with free breakfasts.  We can split driving time if we want to speed things up.

Jan Alexander

STEVE ..I won't be in Grand junction till sometime February. Closing is not specified yet...new construction in the last phases. Otherwise, it would / will be welcomed to see all.. After the first winter here with the damn "lake effect " stuff..now you all know this ain't for me. Moving south.😁

On left handers - I swear smart phones are made for right handed people...  the keybroad is designed for you to come in from the right angle. I ,many times, type the letter to the left from my target. 

Ok ..now extinction. 

Hollis Carolyn Heyn

Here's a creative writing project I could pursue or anyone else for that matter:

Setting:  RHS cafeteria 1969

Premise:  Sophomore girl approaches table where the senior boys pictured above huddle.  She introduces herself and asks to join them.  What could then occur?  Should they allow her to sit with them, she might guide the conversation to their plans for the fuutre.  She might ask them for guidance as she navigates the next two years at dear old RHS.   Perhaps a conversaation about her visions for the future.  She might be like Peggy Sue time traveling back with all the experience and wisdom of the future.  

Bob Fleming

David - I am certain that the head in question belongs to Steve Alford.

Steve K -   I am wary of setting standards too high.

My standard is as follows.  Does the person in question know his name, is he aware of the surroundings, know where he lives or would like to live, and is he cognizant of the day and time?

If so, he is not psychotic and WE are good to go and THEY are good to visit.   

All women in our class undoubtedly pass.  I have had several conversations with Tommy in the last few two weeks and know he can meet this test.  I am willing to stipulate that Steve G, Steve A, and Steve K. can as well.  

Note:  I advise AGAINST any more rigourous examination.  For example:  Is he a pain in the ass?  By this standard, any and all contributors to this Forum (setting aside the women) could fail on any given day.

So, I'm in.  Let's go.

Bob Fleming

David - I forgot to address the left-handed question.  Yes, I invariably attempt to place myself on the corner of any table in order to avoid elbowing my nearest friend.  Always have.

Funny story, my father was left-handed and in those days this was considered evil or at least unfortunate.  So the nuns tied his left hand beind back to his belt in order to force him to write with and use his right hand.

It worked.  My father was soon ambidextrous.  When he showed up at the boxing gym, the trainers loved him because they did not have to spend months and months and months teaching him to punch with power with his off hand.  Later he won the Arizona Golden Gloves championship for his weight division as a result.  

I never heard him credit his coaches.  But he always gave a shout out to the nuns.

As for my politics, I didn't want to bring this up yesterday.  But I will say, I am not on a "team" nor am I left wing.  I think I am misunderstood.  More likely, I haven't made myself clear.  Will write you about it later.

Hollis Carolyn Heyn

B Fleming:

Wonder what the guys down at fist city thought when they encountered your father's advantage. So how did that visit down to the creek work?  Would your father announce he wanted to spar, or was it more of subtle ritual involving side eye and insult that works up to the fight?  Are you or your siblings similarily pugilistic?

David Cordell

Wasn't there a scene in Rocky or some other movie where the boxer switched from right handed to left handed in the middle of the match?

Hollis - Loved Peggy Sue Got Married, and just about every other movie that includes some sort of time travel. 

Hmm. What do you think that table seniors (in the high school sense) would have said to you? What about the same table of seniors (in the aging sense)?