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Definition of Opinion:  A belief or conclusion held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof.

Please be respectful to others with differing opinions. 


 
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01/25/25 09:58 AM #14571    

 

Michael Wetzel

Frank, have a wonderful BD, you ol' mountain skier.......


01/25/25 10:24 AM #14572    

 

Earl Harris III

My sincere apologies, Katie! I referred to you as Cathy in my post and I didn't even get the spelling of that correctly. 😕Oh, welll, cheers! 🥳


01/25/25 10:30 AM #14573    

 

Frank Wiley

Thanks Michael!!  I never thought I would make it to 78, let alone to be still skiing!  Thanks be to God!!


01/25/25 11:33 AM #14574    

 

Jim Coats

Frank.  Hippo Birdie Two Ewes! smileyyes Many more.  And Semper Fi, brother.  


01/25/25 12:10 PM #14575    

 

Earl Harris III

Frank,

The fact that you're still enjoying downhill skiing at 78 is amazing! Congratulations! I gave that sport up decades ago, even cross country skiing after that. Happiest of birthdays to you! 

 

 

 

 

 


01/25/25 12:34 PM #14576    

 

Michael Kelly

Here it is Saturday, Jan.25, 2025 and it's 11 am here in California City, Ca. where I have moved with my youngest brother, and his daughter, Heather. He had to give up his home in Ploenix, AZ and sell it short, because of Financial Hard Times. Beginning in 2017 his Family situation drastically changed. His Wife, was suddenly stricken with what was diagnosed as an Aneurysm in her Brain, she collapsed, and two days later was gone. She never regained consciousness. He and his daughter have struggled with depression and all the spin-offs that it brings. He continued to work, but his emotional state affected him deeply. He lost his Job. Selling his house was the only answer he could see. 

Here we are supposedly due imminently some severe weather, the wind is blowing so hard it sounds like a blizzard is on the way, and the "Weather  Person" is predicting rain, sleet, even snow and below freezing temperattures. Sounds like Fun don't it. 

I've been reading the comments about the current political situation, and comparing that to the opinions of many of the people who used to live in Pacific Palisades. Many of these Folk have thought  until recently that Donald J. Trump was a Nazi, was going to "Rain down Havoc" on all you Liberals, and other variants/deviations from NORM, ahd here we are five days from when Trump was sworn in as President, and still no one has been imprisoned, jailed, thrown out of their homes, or otherwise dealt lethal blows that have permanently damaged them,  saive those people whose homes burned down in Pacific Palisades, and for that we know who screwed up royally the availablility of water for fignthing the fires. Democrats. Practically no Republicans have much to do with running this State, California. I saw Trump today on Fox News, with the Mayor of LA, a mouthy woman who was busy partying in Ghana when the Fires got started, He was taking her too task for not taking responsibility for having the necessary Fire Fighting Resources available, and she just  came right back with a nasty grin and blamed eveyone else, but this time, the Federal Government may not Bail the California politicialns out, Democrats, because as one Councilwaman from Malibu said, they would rather save dead bushes than homes and people. She's right, and she has probably been re-thinking her Politics and the decisions she made earlier in life. 

Reason I am writing this, you all got just one Spin of the Wheel, and were not in a game show, falling back on the old excuses for losing an Election isn't working, none of you have been jailed by the "Nazi", in fact, he has made the effort to come and talk to your political leaders, mostly to no avail. Complicated Problems get that way because no one has the Courage to say, what is being done to solve this, that, or the other, makes no Sense, the Solution is Simple, Spend the Time Solving the Problem instead of Trying to Find out Who to Blame. Most of the Time its known Already Anyway. Its a sign of your Too Large Ego and Lack of Honest Intellect to still be seeking who, and what to Blame for LOSING AN ELECTION, CHECK THE RIGHT SPELLING IT IS LOSING, NOT LOOSING.  


01/25/25 02:18 PM #14577    

 

Mary Powers (Evans)

Happy birthday Frank!  I'm impressed that you are still skiing, at a time when many of the classmates may be dealing with issues with backs, knees, hips, and balance.
 
Michael, I hope at some point your heart will soften for your classmates aka neighbors (Mark 12:30)
 
Bill, I worked for a time on the Quality Management System for a company seeking and then maintaining its ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 certification.  I'm somewhat familiar with Edward Deming and Six Sigma and like the concepts.  Although a lot of this is associated with larger companies or companies wanting to sell into Europe etc., I've always thought the general principles can be applicable to all businesses, e.g., a pizza joint which would want to have competent employees, calibrated equipment (oven temperature), control of incoming ingredients, customer satisfaction etc.  
 
Katie, I agree that there hasn't been a deep dive into the immigration issue for decades.  Some of it begins with having basic facts, as well as identification of the problem and goals, all of which lead to better more permanent outcomes.  Being a numbers nerd, I tried to find some basic facts, which isn't as easy as one might think. For example, how many unauthorized people are there in the US?  Figures seem to vary from 11 million to 17 million, with some saying 20, 25, 30 million, though I think the later three are just throw away guesses.  Most figures I've seen indicate around 650,000 are designated as criminals (either in the US or in their country of origin).  According to an AP poll, 83% of respondents favor deporting those convicted of a violent crime, which all administrations have done, though Trump used military transport, while previous administrations used commercial flights.  I found online that 150 were deported Thursday in flights from Tucson and El Paso (maybe more, but that's the only hard statistic I found at this point).  Assuming that amount could be increased six fold to 900 per day, it would take 722 days to deport all (someone please check my math).  That leaves a minimum of 10,350,000 to deport, as well as any other routine deportations.  This is a very long term project, and one that now gets murkier, what with logistic, legal and moral issues (e.g. family separation).  According to the same poll, 43% favor deporting all illegal migrants (other polls vary, but the amount is much lower than for criminal migrants).  Those opposed are 37% and neutral 19%. There may be a variety of reasons to oppose deporting all, personal, legal, and business, e.g. needed agriculture and construction workers.  Support for arresting undocumented people in schools, hospitals, and churches is only in the 20% range (personally I have almost no support for that except perhaps in special circumstances with judicial warrant).  
 
Earl, great to see you back.  I've always appreciated your kind and calm comments.  I especially liked "For my part, I want to live out my remaining few years with as much love, happiness, grace and humility as I can muster."  Looking forward to hearing more from you.  
 

01/25/25 03:43 PM #14578    

 

Patty Meyers (Anderson)

Happy Birthday Frank...   gee, we are still skiing and think it's normal.  We are in Mexico, but will head back to the mountains in a couple weeks.


01/25/25 03:45 PM #14579    

 

Frank Wiley

Went to see "A Complete Unknown".  I never knew the story of Bob Dylan but I got to a point where I learned to like his music after I really listened to the lyrics.  I think all of you would enjoy it.  I know I sure did!!


01/25/25 04:50 PM #14580    

 

Bill RIHS

Happy birthday Frank and welcome to my 78 world😇. 
Mike Kelly, sorry to hear about you brother but good on you for helping him out. Stay warm and dry!


01/25/25 05:01 PM #14581    

 

Michael Kelly

Frank Wiley  Happy Birthday, Do you Ski, or Snowboard also. I attempted Skiing when much younger, and my last time another Skiier skied right across the front of my ski's as I was just beginning my Rapid Descent down a Slope, I bailed and reached behind myself and grabbed Snow to stop my sliding all the way down to the Lodge about ten miles away downhill, could have been more miles but its a guess. Managed to stop the Fall but spent the next six months healing up from a torn Rotator Cuff in the left shoulder (Only hurts at night like Fire when you are about to Sleep) I got to the Lodge with the Fall and slide method, managed to keep my glasses, Went inside, and sipped a gallon of Hot Cider waiting for the "Others who had promised to Show me How to Ski" You are still doing it, Congratulations, must be the Marine Esprit De Corps. Many More


01/25/25 06:20 PM #14582    

 

Frank Wiley

Thank you Mary, Patty, and Mike for the birthday wishes.  I ski and I'm not inclined to even like snowboarders.  I am truly blessed and I hope all of you are too!!!  Another note about Bob Dylan I learned in the movie.  He was a good friend of Johnnie Cash.  I heard a talking head make an interesting observation about why so many more young people voted for Trump.  He said that when he was growing up, almost anything his parents were against he would trend toward.  I laughed because I remember how my parents (and I think many parents) revolted against the Beatles and their so called long hair.  I hate to be repetitive, but I highly recommend going to see, "A Complete Unknown".  There are some TV clips about the Cuban Missile Crisis that were interesting.  It brought back memories of getting under my desk at Madison 2 during nuclear war practice.  I laughed------like that would have helped?

 


01/25/25 08:05 PM #14583    

 

Mary Powers (Evans)

Frank, I remember those under-the-desk drills too!  Now days kids have active shooter drills.  I also remember that we tried to keep enough gas in the tank to be able to drive into the mountains in case of a nuclear attack.  To this day I try to keep my tank over half full.  


01/26/25 09:00 AM #14584    

Cheryl Faulkner (Sucato)

I so rarely read the posts on this site because I'm simply not interested in anyone else's political views.  I don't beieve anyone is going to change how they believe because of what they read here and the arguing back and forth is mind numbing to read.  What happened to sharing stories of the past or why not share interesting events of the present?  I do, however, want to wish Frank a belated happy birthday!


01/26/25 10:30 AM #14585    

 

DeWitt Bacon

Cheryl, I understand your frustration with the constant discussions and arguments over politics on this forum. Perhaps it's because many of us see what is happening in our local, state, and federal politics as important in our lives. There is a saying that when discussing religion and politics with friends, you will find you have fewer friends. I would like for all of us former classmates to be friends. At times, we have gotten away from political topics and shared our thoughts on music, movies, books, life adventures, School memories, and friends. I agree with Katie that if you would start a discussion of such things, we could get away from politics for a while and have more interesting give and take without stepping on toes. Think about it. :)


01/26/25 10:39 AM #14586    

 

Jim Coats

Cheryl.  I completely agree with you.  NO political views will be changed here.  I wish we would ALL stop "poking the bear" on the Forum.

I have tried to post "stories" in the past but got little to no feedback.  So I stopped.  I don't really have many CHS stories to share.  Mostly stuff from later in life.  Sometimes, my (short) stories are reflected in the "In Memory" section. 

AMERICA FIRST!! Hopefully this is not considered controversial. 

 

 


01/26/25 12:33 PM #14587    

 

Mary Powers (Evans)

I agree that it would be nice to share things other than politics.  I tried once and was chastised.  Jim states he's tried with stories with no response.  Frank posted two interesting topics (Cuban missle crisis, the movie The Complete Unknown).  I'm the only one who made a follow-up comment.  But I'm game to try non-political topics if others are.  It looks like we have at least five willing participants (Cheryl, DeWitt, Katie, Jim, Mary), so let's go for it.  


01/26/25 01:07 PM #14588    

 

Earl Harris III

Thank you, Cheryl!

I agree with you and the comments by Katie, DeWitt, Jim, and Mary following. I have truly enjoyed reading a variety of personal stories that have appeared on this Forum in the past from time to time. I have weighed in with a few of my own stories, including a tribute to one of our counselors at CHS who helped me through a difficult time in my life. I also shared a story recounting one my most embarrassing and funny moments in my adult life. I can only imagine how many stories there are that could be shared between us that could have a lasting positive impact on others. The topics that we could address appear endless.

My quick browse of the Internet revealed the following: https://retirementaffairs.com/best-discussion-topics-for-seniors/  Granted, these18 topics and corresponding questions might not tickle everyone's fancy, but it could be a good place to begin. Maybe it could act as a springboard where we could put together a list of 8 to 20 topics that could be addressed as people wished.


01/26/25 08:57 PM #14589    

 

Jim Coats

Jack Breese.  Happy Birthday tomorrow.  I hope you have a great time.  See you at the reunion, God willing.

So you live in Dripping Springs, TX, eh?  I had that once.  A round of antibiotics took care of it prontosmiley.


01/27/25 06:31 AM #14590    

 

Frank Wiley

Thanks to all for the Birthday wishes.  Happy Birthday Jack Breeze!  My favorite historical character is Winston Churchill.  He was an inspiration to the British people in a time of desperation.  He was a no nonsense leader.  It is reported that he would go out and walk through the streets of London during the War to inspire his people to not live in fear.  I very much enjoy the speeches he gave to Parliament.  Thanks!

 


01/27/25 11:06 AM #14591    

 

DeWitt Bacon

My favorite historical character: This project is not easy, seeing as history goes back some six thousand years or more. There are so many historical characters to choose from. But to bring it down to history that we are more aware of, I agree with Katie that Abraham Lincoln is near the top of my list. Not just because he was a Republican or even because he held our country together during the Civil War. But because he was born poor and had little education. He worked hard and was intelligent enough to study law, became a noted lawyer, and eventually held the highest office in the land. Few can pull themselves up by the bootstraps and make such accomplishments. 

This could be a good topic for us all to discuss. I know that politics is heavy on our minds now, but it shouldn't fill our lives. Let's get out and breathe some fresh air. Cheryl's comment was a wake-up call to me. Politics is full of foul-smelling air. Let's get out where we can smell the flowers. 

P.S. Happy birthday, Jack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


01/27/25 12:14 PM #14592    

 

Michael Wetzel

Have a great BD Jack...

Historical figure, no doubt in my mind, " Jesus Christ "... Lincoln, had way too many issues with Blacks, and other issues ......


01/27/25 01:38 PM #14593    

 

Mary Powers (Evans)

Jack, happy birthday!  We like the Texas Hill Country, rivers, waterfalls, bluebonnets etc. 
 
Katie, Frank and DeWitt, I concur with your favorite historical persons, Lincoln and Churchill.  They weren't perfect, but exhibited courage and determination.
 
Since today is National Holocaust Remembrance Day, I thought I'd mention some other historical figures who exhibited courage and compassion in saving the lives of numerous Jews and others, such as Schindler, Sendler, Lutz, Marceau, Wallenberg and so many other lesser known figures.  

01/27/25 06:21 PM #14594    

 

Mary Powers (Evans)

By interesting coincidence, my inbox today had an article about famous quotes that changed history.  Among them was one by Lincoln and one by Churchill.

That from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. — Abraham Lincoln

We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender. — Winston Churchill 


01/27/25 07:47 PM #14595    

 

Bill RIHS

Mary, totally agree! Great men great quotes! I like JFK's too; ask not what our Country can do for you but you can do for our country.

Happy birthday Jack🎂.

I am with Patty. I had 3 jabs. First two and first buster. I have not felt the same since the first stab. I didn't get Covid until about a year ago. I am done. 
 

I hope to see a good showing for the Beer Summit🍺


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