Message Forum

Mark,

Funny you mentioned about you and Jack strolling down the "highways and byways of life". Recently in between shoveling a lot of spring snow, I have been sorting through some photos of roads that I am planning to post in concert with a theme regarding the meaning of roads in our lives and in the many songs that sing of roads.

Jim

03/21/24 12:31 AM

#13693

Lawrence Foster

Some recent art work I've done.

Coastal Retreat - from an art book by Terry Harrison

Misty Fjord, Alaska. From a photo I took when doing a land/sea cruise to Alaska a few years back.

Southern France, watercolor.

Seaside.

Swan

Moutain.

03/21/24 01:11 AM

#13694

Mary Margaret Clark (Schultheis)

Larry,

Very nice! Love the sea and water use. My favorite would be "Seaside" - strong foreground with good detail.

Thanks for those calming themes in these stressful times.

Jim

03/21/24 08:06 AM

#13695

Joseph Gentilini

Beautiful paintings, Larry. Thanks for sharing them with all of us. joe

03/21/24 10:14 AM

#13696

Thank you for sharing, Larry. I agree with Jim.....Seaside is my favorite,

03/21/24 03:53 PM

#13697

Jack and Mark,

Do you honestly expect me to beleive that you two were stretching the truth?

Two boys raised in fine Catholic schools - really?

Why,,,I never

03/21/24 11:08 PM

#13698

Well some of the stories seemed unbelievable, even to the person telling them, but as you say, I am sure our childhood training kept us from over-embellishing. It seems we just have some tales to tell. (And, good Lord, who are you to ask such a question? If ever there were someone with extraordinary stories that strain credulity, it clearly is you my friend.) But if you find yourself in Jack's company one day, ask him how he cured his sciatica, or how two unknown Good Samaritans in Louisville opened fire on Jack's would-be assailants, and scurried him off to safety.

03/21/24 11:23 PM

#13699

Hmmmmm?????

03/22/24 12:04 PM

#13700

My apologies, Dave, I am afraid I did not word that comment properly. I meant it as a compliment, not as a criticism. What I was trying to say was that you have occasionally shared a few recollections that were beyond what most of us have ever experienced, and, because of this, it might cause one to say, "Damn, Dave, that's unbelievable! You should sit down and write up your stories as a memoir." Which of course, is something I have said to you more than once.

What I meant was that you and Jack both have amazing tales to tell.

03/22/24 11:33 PM

#13701

Cowboy Logic

Three guys in a pickup ridin' fence, dressed in Stetsons, vests and boots. How can you tell which one is the real cowboy?

Jim

(Thanks to Michael Martin Murphy)

03/23/24 01:35 PM

#13702

Mark,

My "Hmmmm" remark was not made in displeaure but more in jest. I got what you were saying.

I really do want to compile my "cockpit stories" - perhaps into a book - but I lack the discipline to just sit down and do it. I have a good episode that I may post for Memorial Day that I held back for two years - other peoples posts on those dates were too good to step on so I held off.

I actually just ordered a new (refurbished) Macbook Air yesterday. My current 10 year-old Mac Book Pro has a flaw with the the connection between the keys and the cursor that is driving me crazy - and "Apple Care" people cannot seem to help me fix it. The cursor will just jump all over the page while I am typing- skipping back and forth into the middle of previous typed lines that force me to type ultra slowly and constantly go back and cut, paste, and re-type what I have already done.

I'm actually having fun looking at "writing" programs like Srivener, Ulysees, iWrite, Dabble and a few others. Some really interesting programs out there, but they require a whole new time commitment to learn. Patience was never my strong suit. (although time is something I have gobbs of right now as I am still home-bound - still not driving yet)

* Any feedback from you "authors" out there about writing software would be welcome.

03/24/24 11:08 AM

#13703

Michael McLeod

I disagree Dave. That was not just a simple, nonchalant, non-judgmental "hmmmm" from you and I think we all recogniized it. There was a real undercurrent of post-modern maiiaise and existential despair. I may have misspelled mailaise but I'm too depressed and filled with angst to spellcheck. I think that word must be related in some way to mayonaisse. This is why I quit putting it on my sandwiches. I have felt a lot better ever since.

03/24/24 11:36 AM

#13704

John Maxwell

Dr. Hamilton,
Your riddle is extremely vague, as you have confused the question by dressing the candidates as cowboys, then asking who is the real cowboy. A cunundrum indeed. I am tempted to say they are all cowboys, but your implication is that only one is, while the others are posers. My impulse edges me to say the driver is the real cowboy, while his passengers are his kids. Why are they driving a Toyota? I hope the solution is not a pun. Or a the song "Don't let your children grow up to be cowboys. And maybe Michael can suggest some synonyms for cowboy. I once rode a horse in the dessert, when working a job in Phoenix. Hell of a ride.

03/24/24 04:45 PM

#13705

Jim -- I'll hazard a guess, and say that cowboys "riding fence" would be on horseback, not in a pickup. So perhaps none of them are cowboys. But that's just a guess. What the hell do I know of cowboy life? Not much.

Dave -- I find the Pages software that is included with your Mac, more than adequate. It is easy to use, and comes with lots of features in terms of layout, pagination, style settings, etc.

03/24/24 10:09 PM

#13706

Mark,

I am aware of "Pages" but I would like to use a program that has outlining with a so-called "corkboard". With my scatter brain it would be so helpful to be able to see the outline - and be able to re-arrange the order by merely dragging and dropping the chapter outline cards on a the desktop.

So far that leaves the widely acclaimed (but hard to learn) Scrivener, also newer Dabble, Storyist, and something I just found last night - First Draft (not the well known "Final Draft").

But not to worry, with my lack of discipline I'll never get around to it anyway. But is sure is fun looking at all this stuff.

--------------------

In other news - is that a clock I hear ticking in New York?

03/25/24 03:23 PM

#13707

Joseph Gentilini

Jane Kunkler has a birthday next week. Happy Birthday, Jane. Enjoy your special day. joe

03/25/24 04:11 PM

#13708

Jack and Mark,

"Cowboy Logic" , the song by MMM, reveals that the real cowboy is the one in the middle, "First because he don't have to drive and then he don't have to mess with the gate. "

When out 4-wheelin' one occasionally comes across a primitive road that must be allowed access through private land which is fenced but has a closed, unlocked gate with a sign to close the gate after passing through it.

My wife has gotten quite good at "messin' with the gate"! 😉

Jim

03/25/24 06:50 PM

#13709

Jim -- Granted, I have already admitted I am no cowboy expert, but I don't know if I buy your "Cowboy logic" here. My feeling is that if a cowboy is not on his first choice of transportation, that is, riding his horse, then his second choice would be driving his pickup. No one likes sitting squeezed in the middle on a bench seat, let alone allowing someone else to be the driver if he had the choice to be the driver himself. Let's put a call into Kevin Costner or one of his "Yellowstone" ranch hands to get a more definitive answer. You know anybody? I certainly don't.

03/26/24 09:58 PM

#13710

Aren't we all just sick of all the politics these days?

Well, I am so old, I can remember back when "real" politicians roamed the earth.

Psst..I think that guy back in the middle was holding all the money?

03/27/24 01:48 PM

#13711

Michael McLeod

when you were growing up, did you run around like a chicken with its head cut offf?

apparently I did. yet somehow I survived into adulthood, as did my siblings.

I was just remembering how often my parents used that expression to describe the day to day behavior of myself and my siblings, and I was wondering if my sisters and I were the only ones doing that, back in the day.

You'd think, if there was a lot of that going on back then, and if other children those days were doing the same thing, the survival rate would be pretty darn low, and we'd be a lost generation.

Yet here we are. I'm puzzled.

03/28/24 02:08 PM

#13712

Harold Clark

we live in fortunate times----------not only a once in a life time an eclipse, but a once in a life time collectors item------a bible signed by the anti-christ

03/28/24 03:19 PM

#13713