Dennis Flachsbart

Rod, have a fantastic Birthday.

Denny

Melvin (Mel) Theobald

Melvin (Mel) Theobald

Sandra Jeakins (Singletary Sizemore)

I have a birthday card to send to Miss Selk.  Does anybody have her apartment number at Westminster Village?

Rodney (Rod) Hayes

Hey Mel, Linda, Denny, and Max.  Thanks for the B-Day shout out.  I'm not sure how I got this old.  I did have a great day playing golf. 

Linda - I have some news that may interest you about the Texas power grid situation.

Mel - I have some news that you may or may not already know, here in Texas, since you are an Art guy.

I'll have to get back to you tomorrow with this news.  It's getting late and I've been watching Pro & NCAA College hockey for the last 4 or 5 hours, and my eyes are fading fast.

Till tomorrow- Rod

Rodney (Rod) Hayes

Mel - I imagine you have heard about the massive Van Gogh exhibit that is traveling around the world.  It's been advertised as a huge event in Dallas.  I don't know if the exhibit is the same in every city, but you know, down here in Texas, they lily to do everything BIG.  It's 500,000 cubic feet of projection, 60,000 video frames, 90,000 pixels, etc etc. What caught my eye was that it has already been in Chicago.  I have no idea what the attendance procedure was at that time there, but, tickets are on sale here and they're looking for a huge crowd.  The event is scheduled for sometime in June.  If you didn't see it in Chicago, and you have a lot of interest, it might be a great trip for you.  You can look up Van Gogh exhibit in Dallas, Tx. for all the info.  

Rodney (Rod) Hayes

Linda - I know it's not a concern of yours, but, those of us who are in the Texas grid of hell, may be getting out.  You may or may not know that EVERYONE who was an officer,or on the board, in ECORT and PUC has either turned in their resignation or been fired.  There are massive legal issues and suits filed, which is not a surprise.  Lots of money for Attorneys.  But, at least some people won't be saddled with outrages bills, and the state is starting to look into changing the way electric company's do business and possibly joining another federal regulated grid.  Sorry to hear about your brother.  The Covid has taken a toll on many families.  You have my sympathy.  Last week we just lost my daughters father in law.  He had been batting Parkinson's, but a battle with cancer was is end.  It's the cycle of life.  He's in better place now.  I feel sorry for a lot of people that lost so much during the freeze. It had cost us $11,00o+, but insurance is a llife line.  We can't complain.  We'll be swimming in the pool in the next month or so.  I know this is not a site for political issues, bit I hope you're doing ok with the influx of illegal immigrants on your area.  Stay safe!!

Melvin (Mel) Theobald

Rod, glad you mentioned the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit that is coming to Dallas. It has been in Chicago since early February and has been extended to September. Before that it was seen in Paris by over 2 million people and is now slated for 13 cities in the U.S. I have not seen it, nor do I plan to. For me there are many pros and cons. The pros are that new technoligies will bring a ton of people to the exhibit and they may learn something more about the artist, the Post-Impressionists and art in general. The cons are that this is a huge commercial venture that takes Van Gogh's work out of context and turns it into entertainment. His paintings are being offered as a collage that is interrupted by doorways, corners and walls that can never imitate the true surface or integrity of the paintings. So, yes, I am well aware of the exhibit, but no one seeing it will truly understand the jewel-like brushstrokes, the nuance of color or the uniquely composed images as they would if they were confronted with the actual work. Sorry if I sound a little snobbish, but I taught art history for  about 10 years, worked at the Art Institute and actually helped restore some of Van Gogh's paintings and drawings. HOWEVER, you should do whatever you can to take advantage of this exhibit. We live in a different world today and need to take advantage of every chance we can to grow.

Wouldn't it be fun if this inspired a whole lot of conversation on Raiders64? I'm thrilled to see you posting again.

Linda Bristow (Elias)

Happy Birthday to Sue and Marcia!  Blessings to you both!

Rod:

I have experienced this for 58 years.  I was pleased to hear that the President of Guatamala came to see our President.  Then he came to El Paso to check on people here from his country.  Hopefully, all of the presidents of Central America can get together with our president and State Department to come up with a solution.  Their country's are overridden with problems: cartels, no work, which leaves everyone hungry and possibly being shooting targets.  It isn't a healthy life, but, they sit at the back door of the US. 

I'm hoping there will be some action to solve the situation asap.

Good luck Rod with your new electric situation!  Shocking isn't it?

Love ya, Linda

Ray Bledsoe

Linda, Appreciate you reporting on the President of Guatemala's visit.  This is the first I have heard of this.  If a news item isn't sensational enough of Vegas to report on we seldom hear of it up here.  Also, Rod, thanks for the up date on the power grid situation.  I have a brother and sister in Dallas, a daughter in Amarillo and cousins by the dozens in Texas and not one of them has mentioned this.  Please keep the news items flowing, I check the site daily.  Hope all have been vaccinated.

Sandra Jeakins (Singletary Sizemore)

I called Westminster Village and they said you don't need an apartment number for Miss Selk.  Just send your cards to 2025 E. Lincoln and she will get it.  It has been on Facebook for everybody to send her a card for her 100th Birthday on 4/29.  I know she will receive many.  

Linda Bristow (Elias)

Ray:

Just came out on news today that Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico are stepping up to help deter their people from coming to US.

Linda

Rodney (Rod) Hayes

Mel - I didn't feel you were sounding snabbish at all.  On the contrary.  I thought you would have either heard about, and even seen this exhibit.  Since you are WAY more involved and knowledgeable in the world of Art, it was actually great to get a different aspect, or, interpretation.  I completely understand your comments.  I'm involved in some things outside the world of Art.  We live in a different world than we grew up in, and unfortunately, we're swamped with advertising and marketing.  It's not about the content, but the $$$.  So, anyway, I read your comments, and I understand your feelings.  Like I said, it was cool to get a different perspective from someone who, in my opinion, knows a LOT about Art, than what the news media wants to sell.  Oh, and thanks for keeping up on B-Days.  Suzi did a great job, and you're following her footsteps quite well.

Rodney (Rod) Hayes

Linda - I just saw your post and it's a great thing about things at the border may take a change for the good of our country.  I understand our country's willingness to help others country's and their problems, but with the cartels, and the overwhelming influx of unaccompanied illegal children & the reluctance of our current administration to even go to the border to see the problems that exist is just, for me, not what our country is about.   I feel for you.  Our generation may have lived in the best of times, but, it's a new world, and for me, a complicated one.  Be safe.

Rodney (Rod) Hayes

Ray -  I'm really sorry that your family didn't keep you in the loop on the situation that was in Texas during the massive freeze & outage a couple months ago.  It didn't affect everyone, but it had an impact on a lot of the DFW area.  It's a bit complicated, but yet very simple.  90% of Texas is on an electrical grid that is not regulated by the Federal Government, by their choice.  It's called deregulation, which is supposed to mean lower prices by competition.  Which means they're are 110 electrical companies in 90% of Texas.  I'll try to explain this as best I can without a long explanation, which could still be long.  Ha!  Almost every company, especially manufacturing & construction has  a QA & QC protocol.  QA sets the rules & regulations for the industry.  QC overseas that program.  So, think of ERCOT as QA and PUC in Texas as QC.  Well, ERCOT says, over 50 years we've never had temps go below 0 for over a few hours.  Ok.  Well, the temps went down below 0 rapidly, and guess what?  The power went out.   Since ERCOT & PUC never thought this would ever happen during their tenure, who gives a shit.  Just keep paying me my $$$$ salary.  Not only did the temps stay below 0 for several days, the providers couldn't comprehend.  Better known as piss pour management.  Since they never ever winterized their wind solutions, and then they had to rely on their generators, that were now froze up, and basically, their ability to provide electricity was gone.  Since I soooooo much more about this, I'll just tell you that this whole experience for Texas was a billion  dollar fiasco caused by people who were much more interested in their own pocket $$$ than anything for the people.  Fortunately, every single person who was remotely connected to this has either been fired or put in their resignation.  Hopefully, your relatives weren't affected, but due to the news coverage, I'm sure they knew about it.  It's still going on on the courts.  I'll keep you on the loop.

Linda Bristow (Elias)

Rod:

Hmm.  We have had ongoing visitation from both the House and the Senate.  Also, many have arrived who work within other offices.  Strangely, it isn't all reported like it perhaps, should be.

Linda

Ray Bledsoe

Rod: Thanks for your explanation and Linda: For your update.  About the only news we get are Forest Fires and Scandals.  Two of our three news station are owned by Foxx and the other one only reports on Nevada news, which I guess is what I really need.  I did contact my family in Texas.  My Sister in Fort Worth said they had "rolling brownouts" and my Brother in rural Dallas said he had intermitted outage, but he has propane, a well and generator.  My Daughter in rural Amarillo was not affected at all.  She said it got really cold but luckly their heat held.  I guess this is why they didn't raise an alarm.

David Brock

Just a side note on immigrants from Cenral America. Pardon my memory and time, but life moves on.  One of my pest control clients was hosting a church sponsored child under a social/education exchange program.  The child was to stay in the US for about 6 months.  About halfway throygh, the child said she did not have to return, that she had her parents blessing to not return.  This started a whole new investigation and inquiry.  Long story short, the child was correct that the parents were willing to liberate the child..The childstayed longer than the original term, but was sent home wwith the host family's blessings and best wishes.  The living conditions were so deplorable and desparate that the family wished a better lifefor the child.

David Long

Hello Everyone!

Thought of something we can do as a class project:

Just let everyone know in a paragraph or two - What has been your best and worst COVID experience to date?  Pictures are great and are welcome.  Coming up with the idea was easy, now putting the thoughts down will be a little more difficult.  More to follow.

ps:  The VA provided my COVID shots (Pfizer) in January and Dorothy received hers also Pfizer, from Johnson County (KS) in January and February.

Linda Bristow (Elias)

David:

Best of COVID:  No pain with shots.  Just received the second at 8:30 am today.

Worst:  So far..........just standing and moving in line.   I don't like to pass the rest of my life standing in line.  But sometimes I need not to be a brat.  I have a medicine taste in my mouth.  I'll eat breakfast and try to get past that.

Have a great day!

Linda

Sandra Jeakins (Singletary Sizemore)

Got my first Pfizer shot the end of February and the 2nd in March.  I'm an OSF patient so they contacted me to schedule my appointments.   I just had a little bit of a sore arm and a little bit of a headache with my first shot. With my 2nd shot I didn't have much energy for the afternoon.  But it feels good to be totally vaccinated.  Now I'm wondering if we'll need a booster in 12 mos.   I guess that would be ok.  I get an annual Flu shot.

James (Jim) Rookus

Hello Classmates....  Great Idea DAVE... great to hear from you again, been a while !!!... Will be as brief as possible... We had Pfizer shots the second on 4/1....  no one has been more careful than both Carol and ME!  Went to GoodFriday service 4/2 about only ones with mask ... stayed unsocial to others....  Church 4/4 also very unsocial... Thu 4/8 a mucical at church... we were the ONLY people who were sitting on the left side section designated for mask wearers.   On Monday 4/5 began symptoms of my annual typical cold, which moves from the watery eyes, stuffy nose, some caugh and sore throat. NO FEAVER... then wife began same 4 days later.  Wed 4/14 she first time noticed no smell or taste... called DR, he scheduled test... rusults both have C-19.  Today they gave us invusion (a 30 min. intravenous drip).  Feel fine like cold is gone by today the 11th day.  Go figure, the most carful wierdo's got it.... would not have even suspected except for Carol noticing the lack of taste and smell.  Mine is till normal.  So I assunme the vacine may have helped us not get any sicker from C-19 than the symptom of a typical cold.  So basically I feel like its about gone, but untill they tell me to test again who knows?  Puzzling!!!

Rodney (Rod) Hayes

Ray - I'm so glad you're kids and family weren't affected by the freeze.  I'm pretty sure Amarillo is not on the deregulated grid of Texas.  So, they would never have known anything was wrong.  If you were near a hospital, medical facility, retirement home, and some schools, the grid made sure you were not affected. And yes, some areas were put on a rolling outage of 30 to 45 minutes, which ERCOT said would be the case for everyone.  That never happened, due to the mismanagement of both ERCOT &'PUC.  As I said, those who were in charge have been fired or stepped down.  It's too complicated to explain all the circumstances.  However, there is a new regime, and now they are under fire. North Texas, which in compasses a massive area, is way below our rainfall for the year, and we haven't had near the heat we usually have by now. Our heat index is WAY down for this time of year, yet, the new Regime of ERCOT is already asking for people to cut back on electricity use.  What a joke.  It's like, what happens when the temps reach 90 - 100 in the next couple months.  This has become a major issue for Texas government, aside from the border issue.  But, great for your family.  I'll keep you up to date.

Rodney (Rod) Hayes

Linda - You're right about visitation of House & Senate members, and a few others within Congress, to the border.  However, almost all of those were from the State of Texas.  If you read the news, you'll know that their findings were about conditions were, in their words, pathetic and unacceptable to humans.  As you and the world knows, the provisions of our previous President were discontinued, both at the border and at the containment centers.   I fully understand that this has been going on for years, but it has reached a new level.  And as the world knows, our present President has appointed a Czar of the Border situation, who, has yet to visit the border, when asked when she may make that trip, merely laughs and says, sometime soon.  You may, or may not like my comments.  If not, send me something on the message center, and we'll have our own conversation off the site.  I have lots and lots of info I'd love to share with you.

Linda Bristow (Elias)

Rod:

I never talk politics.  When I report something, it is only as I see it happening here locally.  I have a suspicion that your news and my news is very different and often so.

I refuse to be a member of any political party.  We have seen both good and bad in both.  I stand as an American that hopes to do the best I can for my country, with, the decisions I make from studying backgrounds of those who run for office.

I would love to see old fashioned news that would do background info on people running for offices.  But I would appreciate having that info without any connotations to slant influence.  We should decide for ourselves.  I take nobody's say so when I make my own decisions.  Ultimately, I have found that there is too much hype without enough accuracy in information for both sides.

It is wonderful that people are paying more attention now.  I hope it pays off for our country!

Love ya, Linda