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David Mitchell

Mike M. ,

It was a happy day in our lives. 

David Mitchell

I have wondered for some time, just how much Money Elon Musk donates to charity from his $9+ billion charitable trust fund? Apparantly, he gives sizeable amounts to St. Judes hospital. That's nice. But that is a tiny portion of his net worth. 

I can just imagine what it would be like if he really reached deep into his total cash (somewhere in the hundreds of billions) to build affordable housing in major cities around the country?

Just wondering out loud.

Michael McLeod

great intro to a recent new yorker magazine article.

Perhaps it’s no surprise that Donald Trump—who has redone the Oval Office in neo-Versailles gold, claimed monarchical powers as his Presidential prerogative, and encouraged florid tributes from followers that would make a Bourbon blush—had quite the Marie Antoinette moment on Wednesday. As Secretary of State Marco Rubio, clad in the Trump-homage uniform of dark-blue suit and extra-long red tie, looked on worshipfully, the President dismissed concerns about spiking prices for consumer goods that economists expect as a result of his trade war with China. “You know, somebody said, ‘Oh, the shelves are going to be open,’ ” Trump said, conjuring an image of empty stores and a gift-giving season without all the cheap toys from China that Americans have grown used to in the past few decades. “Well, maybe the children will have two dolls instead of thirty dolls. So maybe the two dolls will cost a couple bucks more than they would normally.” Putting aside the question of why Trump thinks anyone would give their kid thirty dolls, the point was clear enough: Who are the peasants to complain about the high cost of dolls, or cake for that matter, when the king has wisely decided to upend the global economy on their behalf?

Michael Boulware

Worthington Kilbourne has another indirect tie to the Watterson Eagles. A very nice gentleman named Jared Schultheis has daughters on Rylee's lacrosse team. Jared is Rylee's 12 year old brother's, Logan, coach in Worthington Booster lacrosse. Jared is John Schultheis's son or grandson: Mary Margaret will have to answer that one. Anyway, Jared is a wonderful man and treats the kids he coaches extremely well.

Once again, my family is very fortunate to know a Schultheis. I would like Jared even more if I knew he was a Democrat.

Michael McLeod

gee i love florida but  i can't pass up a deal like this. It's a clintonville home just one street over from the humble house where i grew up - selling for just a shade under a million bucks.am i reading that right? good lord.

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=rm&ogbl#inbox/FMfcgzQbfBmqRtxTTpMRJpqJDSdgTDWL

Mary Margaret Clark (Schultheis)

Jared Schultheis is indeed John's son and my nephew and he is truly an outstanding human being. 

Mary Margaret Clark (Schultheis)

Something that I don't quite understand is how persons on this forum can harbor such intense dislike for Elon Musk and seemingly ignore the good he and his DOGE team are committed to doing on behalf of every.single. American. taxpayer. Would you rather we have our corrupted government and non-government agencies continue to take OUR money (oh, and by the way....increase OUR $35 TRILLION debt) only to "redistribute" it to whomever and wherever they please? 

I just watched a lengthy news segment with Musk and his DOGE team that perhaps everyone should take the time to view. https://youtu.be/8uhiwIFUoKQ?si=qEK5-Hzh0IH65WGe

Does anyone disagree with the following assessment, and if so, why?

"One of the points Milton Friedman has made is that government corruption, more than anything, stifles economic growth. Money that should be in citizens’ hands and flowing through the marketplace sits in bureaucrats’ hands, and the greedy bureaucrats and their political cronies come up with more and more laws and regulations to funnel taxpayer money their way."

Michael McLeod

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXPDwAYdCsg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PQeRyVPQZU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLEx7IiE4vM

you'll thank me. least i think/hope you will. relax. enjoy. all mellow, all faves.

wish i knew why my links don't come up in blue as mm's does just below.

i guess she is an internet blueblood and i am not

ps i was at that tom petty concert. skip three minutes ahead to get to the song.

Michael Boulware

I might be jumping the gun, but I am declaring Rylee the winner due to the efforts of my classmates and friends, as well as Rylee's performance. She has a sizeable lead with a little more than an hour to go. Sue and I are teaming up with a class of ' 67 duo of Steve Smith and Mary Clark (now Mary Smith) to celebrate. Actually we already planned to go to The Clipper game with Steve and Mary. We are so proud and thankful for everyone's help.

David Mitchell

Gosh,

So many Clarks and Smiths (and Litzingers) it reminds me of when we moved home from Denver years ago and my youngest (Megan) became best friends with Shannon Smith and Tricia Cook. I coached OLP's 8th grade girls basketball with John Smith and we had a fun year together.     I never knew John in High School, but we became friends that year. Shannon and Tricia were really athletic - Megan, not so much. We enjoyed both girls with our family at my parents cottage up at Lake Erie.

Tricia's Mom (Randy Cook) was one of their teachers at OLP.

And Tricia Cook became my daughter-in-law. 

p.s. Just cast one more vote for Rylee.

Michael Boulware

David Mitchell

Congrats!  Hurray for Rylee!

Janie Albright (Blank)

Yay! Rylee! You go girl!  

Joseph Gentilini

Congratulations, Rylee!!!  Wonderful.  

joe

Michael McLeod

yay rylee and whoa thanks for posting that clip, mm.

now i'm stuck here spending the morning and early afternoon following up on some of the particulars of those govt. waste issues. First I gotta work my way through the harvard thing - trying to get a handle on it. To use a term I remember hearing in the newsroom back in the day, it's a story with legs - meaning it will be bandied about for a good long run. I don't watch tv much but I bet there will be lots of interviews with people who pronounce it haaaaaavaaaad.

talk about a sacred cow. there may be others on the chopping block. 

our generation has borne witness to so many critical cultural and political upheavals. I'm thinking we're at the outset of another big 'un. 

however you stand on him trump & company are agents of change. Good change? Bad change? Trump is a buffoon in my book but the long term changes that his presence triggers can go either way, good or bad.In the meantime I'm just appreciative every month my social security turns up.

Sheila McCarthy (Gardner)

Congratulations, Rylee!

Timothy Lavelle

We've all been the benefactors of good luck and the victims of bad luck in our lives for so many reasons but today Rylee gets to celebrate the good luck of being born into Bull's extended family and the feeling we all have for him and her.

A huge piece of luck for me long years ago was finding a company and people to work for who were dedicated to solid good management in the face of pretty damn big difficultie. We worked on projects that cost billions back in a time that it was spelled with a capital B. All this came after working for more losers and idiots than I care to recall.

A hallmark of that great company was excellent management. Another was excellent training and mentoring. Long hours and hard work (mostly mental and sometimes remote and deprivational) were the name of the game to complete massive engineering and construction projects. We worked all over the world, often faced with civil servants and customers that expectd us to act as pushy, big company 'Muricans. They did not know we were exceptionally proud of the company and would have been fired on the spot for breaking laws or customs unless those customs were illegal. We were strong but never pushy. I am trying hard to speak with some experience of very good management here.

Elon Musk is an insult to any really good manager. Dancing around like a puppet cheerleader with a chainsaw can only be seen as a carnival sideshow by people who work everyday to turn difficulty into profit because ladies and germs, profit is what it is all about whether you have an MBA or ever ran a lemonade stand. "Political Profit" for our country is how we are positively perceived globally and how that perception allows us to push our democratic agenda foreward. Politics may be somewhat emotional but it is not a damn game. Things change in our world and we have to be able to adapt. The old "Walk softly and carry a big stick" with the hubristic emphasis on the stick is now seen as "Why do you preach freedom when you act like a complete bully or worse, say you will stand with us and then walk away when the going gets tough"? I am again lucky to have mates, friends, around the world and we (the current USA) are a flippin' embarrassment to people who used to admire us greatly. For us to hire and praise a man who acts like a fool; who fathers children without thought "because he's rich" goes against the way we al grew up.  

I didn't work for Chevrolet but using them as an example how much money do you think a company like that spends on maintaining a top position (a Great Company) in its realm? R&D, production, civic involvement, training, opportunity for a good living wage. While you ponder that, also consider if the US is in the business of being a Great Nation or not. Yeah, we are and have been pretty much since the Civil War. Our best principles might have gotten us a long way but if we want to be truly great we have to help out where and when we can around the world. OR...we have to decide that we would rather just be another second rate country and take our losses. 

Yeah, I know. "Enough of your opus LaVelle" but I can hold it in for a long time until one of us with zip experience tries to extol the virtues of people we would've moved away from on the bus of life if another seat was available.

Last thought...Tesla was named for a brilliant man Nicola Tesla who had the fantastic (at that time) idea of alternating current. Brilliant idea. That did not keep him from dying almost penniless and in love with a pigeon. I don't want to be Elon's pigeon.

Party on.

Michael McLeod

boy howdy, tim!

you stormed right in here, bro.

just reading and re-reading your post. will take my time processing it. tumutuous times. wars were easier. this crap is insidious and conceivably more dangerous. meantime just good to hear from you. 

David Mitchell

 Wow Tim,

I couldn't have said it better myself, but I want to add one more seperate fact about these "DOGE" slash and burn activities. There are now multiple reports that the atcual "savings" are nowhere near the amounts "daddy" Elon is claiming.

We do know for certain that many third world countries will likely lose many more victims to starvation or disease. And the sense of "trust America" has all but disapeared.

I would be he first person to acknowledge that our federal budget is bloated and full of waste and needs to be trimmed, but this chain saw approach - instead of a measured logical process - is creating havoc in many areas, (especcially the firing then re-hiring in some agencies) and only a fraction of the claimed savings.

And whoa to anyone who cared about serious research in areas of health and disease.

P.S. Giving his teams access to all these files is frightening! 

Mary Margaret Clark (Schultheis)

Tim...I am wondering to whom you were referring when you wrote, "until one of us with zip experience tries to extol the virtues of people we would have moved away from".

Timothy Lavelle

Mary Margaret,

There was a time when I had respect for you. I did not throw that away. You did. 

The joy you seem to receive from Tweeking the nose of your readers is offensive to me in the extreme. 

So, yes, that less than experienced person who pummels this site with nonsense in the name of the first ammendment is you. I feel my right to the pursuit of happiness, anyone's right to happiness, easily matches your right to spew crap.

It's not my job to teach you anything because you have shown a inability to see logic outside your simple view. My desire is to remind others that just because they liked someone years ago doesn't mean they should buy into that person's nonsense now. That opinion relates to what I write just as well as it does to what you write. Go crazy now Maggie. I have nothing else to say to you, not a word. 

Nina Osborn (Rossi)

Hey Mike and Sue- so glad to hear Rylee won!!!!!  The Forum does it again...and Rylee of course!  

Joseph Gentilini

Tim, your views on #15559 is so well said.  I could never have said it as well or as clearly.

I agree.  We have friends in Canada who just say how sad they are for us in America - truly tragic,

Timothy Lavelle

Class, Once again I find myself apologizing for my churlishness. I apologize to you ALL. That may ring hollow since I am leaving what I posted up there. I stand by what I said but not for actually saying it out loud. My reasoning follows...if you find yourself saying "enough lavelle" or "who cares" then fair enough and skip the rest of this. After all, I graduated either last or second to last in our class.

((EDIT>>>EDIT>>Dave has kindly clued me in that by using his name in the following paragraph it is like I am addressing this diatribe more to him than...how you say in 'Murica..."Y'all". It is meant for all y'all)). 

Dave Mitchell...you may recall a post where I bitched about being a child and some playmates would not "take their deads" when shot point blank with an imaginary gun made of a thumb and a forefinger. That emotion has stayed in my craw all my life. "What I want (staying alive in the shoot 'em up game) is more important than what you KNOW". Or  basic cheating because you could.

In a time when my mind was just starting to "wuh-uh-under" about all of life (late grade to early high school) I was force fed by some catholic nun "If you have thoughts of doubt about God, that is the devil whispering in your ear". Many of you to this day still believe that and cannot understand why I would come to see that as malicious mind control. At that ignorant young age I began to believe that any thought I had outside of dogma came from me being evil. It took years and years and two tours in a war zone to allow myself the freedom to understand that "You can tell me what to think, that's your right, but by dog you cannot tell me how to think". 

Years later at a common luncheon in Houston among workmates, I noted out loud that the women present, day after day, would pay less than their fair share of the lunch tab because they knew they could get away with it. I was never asked to join in lunch ever again. Anyone telling themselves "This is okay" for bullshit behavior has just over ridden my calmness time and time again. 

"Biased Authority" is how I have come to see opinions of people in power who act as though my brain is a slave to their ideas. Please...I don't hate Catholics or hate religion. I don't hate republicans, democrats, libertarians or communists. I understand the need people have t believe with a capital B. I just don't believe the sales pitch. You get to say what you believe...just do not ever tell me that I should believe simply because you say so. 

Mary Margaret, enjoys a special position with our class. So does Frank Strange, Steve Hodges, Jim Schultheis and for me Steve Royer. And many many others who hold special places in your memories They get a power in their words, possibly...probably... without knowing it, just from the positions they held in our esteem. Or me, I got away with crap (got a different esteem) because I could make you laugh.  I truly believe that those people need to understand their power to influence and possibly warp others just by writing. I believe we should all say "Man, you don't have to agree with me because I am no ones brainiac but here is my take on the following topic". Use your power to show you truly have no power at all. That is why I ask you to ignore my crap if you don't agree. It's your brain and no one else gets to own it. 

I have railed against peole in power who are ignorant of their own power and the responsibility to honesty that comes with that power most of my life.

I have two regrets from our time at WHS together. One, that I didn't tell my own father the intimate physical questions that Father Arcuri asked me in the privacy of that little office outside "the office".  My father would have wound up in jail. Second, that I did not stand up and knock Van Horn flat on his priestly ass for hitting me in the side of the head as hard as he could with a religion text. My head spun and ears rang for days. I would have been excommunicated...but damn, that would have saved me years of wondering if private religious oriented education was just another form of mind control or not. Soooo, I am no ones poster child for mental health. 

So again, sorry....yeah, and not sorry, again for my churlishness here. I'll go away for awhile. 

But lastly, Trump as Pope. How embarrassed can you be to say you are Catholic and think that is funny. This is a shameful period of time. 

Party on.

David Mitchell

Why this song comes to mind right now I have no idea.

I just watched an old favorite movie (not a "great" film - but a good one) - Horse Whisperers - a few days ago and remembered how much I love this song.