Patrick Gillespie

Thom Duke..

I understand there might be a memorial service in the Cleveland area...I'll keep you posted.

Fred Thomas

I'm sure you all remember in elementary school celebrating Lincoln's and Washington's Birthdays.  That, I suppose was too much celebration of some dead white guys so those two birthdays were combined into one President's Day celebration.  Now I notice on my grandson's school calendar that Martin Luther King's Birthday has replaced President's Day.  What the hell is going on!!?  What am I supposed to do with my plastic cherry tree and log cabin?  Right now they are gathering dust in the attic next to my Columbus Day tree.  I feel like setting them up in front of city hall along with my Baby Jesus Manger scene.  That should rile up the liberals.  The next thing will be libs changing Christmas Break into Winter Break.  HaHaHaHaHa...er...ah...so they already did that...WTF!!!! 

Bruce McKelvey (McKelvey)

RIGHT ON BROTHER FRED. We are going to "Politically Correct" ourselves right down the ole "Porcelain Convience" I sure long for the good old day's when we were kids..I really miss it...

Brian McKeown

You're right, Bruce... This "being sooo careful not to bruise anyone's very delicate ego" has created an everescilating need to be "Politically Correct." 

A while back, a student decided that it was to define that term as..."Political Corectness" is a term fostered by a dilusional minority and rabidly promoted by an an equally dilusional, as well as unscrupulous, mainstream media which holds forth the proposition that it is possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."

I totally agree with that unknown Texas A & M student.

Ellen Aspinwall (Templar)

Cowboy Philosophy:  Don't forget to wear your boots!

Barbara Peate (Sabo)

I totally agree with you guys and we have another that was elected bigolly to change this darn United States of America and hopefully one day it will be back to the way it was.  Oh yes, to go back to the good old days.

B

Fred Thomas

"Whatever can't go on, won't."

That's some good news for future college students and parents who are contemplating huge increases in tuition costs.  Remember the dot com, housing and gold bubbles?  Now we are experiencing the "education bubble" which is as sure to burst as any other bubble in history.  One of the needles needed to pop the bubble is on-line education.  Whoever can do it for ten cents on the dollar with legitimate credentials will get all the business.  Some of the more prestgious universities are starting to get involved in on-line education right now.

That is even good news for us grandparents who have put money away for our grandkids education.  Now instead of paying huge tuition and room and board costs we can buy the grandkids a new car when they sit down at home in front of a computer to get their inexpensive college degree and maybe we can even throw in a new condo.

And when the education bubble explodes we can march with our sledge hammers to the Ivory Towers and knock them down and watch those liberal professors scatter like cockroaches in a ghetto apartment.  Those gender study and black study PhDs will have a hard time getting a job scrubbing toilets.  HaHaHaHaHaHaHa!!!

Ellen Aspinwall (Templar)

Happy Birthday, Guy!!!

Brian McKeown

Happy Birthday, Guy.....Hope it's a great day for you!!!

Fred Thomas

This recent severe cold weather doesn't mean anything because afterall "weather is not climate".  But if the weather gets hot next summer it will be proof of global warming.  And anything that happens, including stasis means climate change and that man is causing it.  And water is not wet in a dry martini and if you bend your head backwards you might not be looking up if you live in the Southern hemisphere.  And even though Al Gore flunked out of Vanderbilt he actually invented the internet and is the world's formost climate expert.  And you can keep your doctor and your health insurance and it will become more affordable.

HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa!!!

Bruce McKelvey (McKelvey)

It's always good to have a glass of wine and be by yourself for awhile after reading Brother Fred's writings...lol!

Barbara Peate (Sabo)

Ok, don't laugh all you guys....Lin & I went to see Barry Manilow last night and it was a tremendous show.  Sang some of the oldies but also some new ones.  Has a new play called "Harmony" and sang a fantastic song from it.  Hoping it will get to New York soon.  Sounds the same as he always has.  Had backup pictures of himself growing up in New York and his grandfather taking him to a booth, putting in a quarter, and trying to make him sing Happy Birthday, which of course he kept saying no.  It was the original record they gave him at the time.  Showed early album covers, his first gig on American Bandstand, etc.  Yes guys, there were tons of guys in the audience along with the women.  I was surprised the man next to me knew every word to all of his old songs.  When he sang "Mandy" it reminded me of Bonnie Kraft as her daughter is named Amanda and she calls her Mandy.  Believe it might have been around the time that song was popular.  He is now 70 years old--hard to believe when we saw him on Bandstand he was only 2 years older that we were.  Anyway, just a great, entertaining show.  We had so much fun!

Barb

Michael Matlak

Barb and Lin; I can tell by your words that you had a great time. He is  an entertainer and does an awesome show.  I have also seen him and was quite impressed that he didn't loose that singing that he had earlier in his career. Good to hear from you and hope you are doing well. Mickey.

Barbara Peate (Sabo)

Totally agree, Mickey!!!  It was a blast.  Am so glad I moved down here.  Has been chilly but not like up North.  I can walk out every day and talk to people.  Have had a couple dates and more to come.  Best thing I did!!!

Barb

Nancy Westerfield (Depew)

hey guys, i'm still around, just been very busy lately. getting shots in hip and shoulder and may still end up with surgery on the shoulder. working, and trying to keep warm-long,long winter this year. bonding with my grandgirls alot, morgan goes to kent this fall, next year melanie will be off somewhere too, so i'm with those 2 girls about 4to5 days awwek. i'm really gonna miss them. ben has alittle time yet, he'll be 14 in feb. hard to believe-but what i really can't believe is that my son dave will be 49 in march-what the heck ,i thought i was only 40.

fred, i read your president day on our website to some of the girls at work, they all loved it and said how true-of course there all my age,but it was so true.

barb&lin, enjoy that warmer weather in fla. ,at least its more than we have right now.

otherwise, my family is doing well, dave was home after xmas for aweek, hopefully his life will get back to normal,its very hard for him.

hope everyone is well,keep in touch. nancy
 

Fred Thomas

Were we just lucky that we could all read, write and do arithmetic by the end of 6th grade or was it something in the Lake Erie water?  Some of these dumb shits now-a-days can't do those things after high school.  But I have been thinking that 90% of what I needed to know in life I had already learned before Junior High School.  I could compose a poem or a love letter while still at Kensington Elementary School.  Why else would any boy ever need writing skills for other than wooing girls anyway?  I learned to read a bank statement as a teller on "bank day" in the 6th grade.  What other purpose does math serve than counting up one's loot?  High School and college were a complete waste and I didn't really learn anything significant after elementary school until I enetered the Army where I learned to handle automatic weapons.

Now you may challenge me and say, "But Freddie you hadn't much life experience by the end of 6th grade". And I say that I had plenty.  I had already experienced the ecstasy of my first kiss and the agony of my first broken heart.  Love never seemed quite as extreme after that.  I learned to hit a fast ball, catch a football, sink a basketball shot and how to wrestle and fight with my fists.  I learned to swim, waterski and sail a yacht.  I learned to drive a go-cart and jump a curb going full speed on my bicycle.  Learning to drive a car would be a piece of cake after that.  I learned when I shoveled snow and cut grass for money that it was better to have a contract than work by the hour.  It was easier to spend noney than save it.  I already knew pretty much everything I needed to know by then.

Ellen Aspinwall (Templar)

2013 was the driest year in Oregon history.  And it traveled into 2014.....until now.  We have day 2 of rain and we are grateful.  It will help put out the too early wildfires.  Time to celebrate the rain!

Fred Thomas

Among THOSE PEOPLE in certain ethnically challenged groups, "acting white" is considered very uncool.  And I agree that actually doing homework after school, stepping on people's feet on the dance floor, singing the "happy birthday song" out of tune, saying things like "golly gee whiz" and complaining about other people's spelling and grammar are a drag, but there is safety when "acting white".

Now for example it could be dangerous to "act black" because you stand a good chance of ending up dead, in jail or getting your ass kicked by the cops.  But in mixed company it is fun to cut through the sexual tension by saying things like, "Hey baby, you be wearing that dress!!"  Blacks sure know how to talk to women afterall.

But if I am on my "A game" I usually "act Asian" and say things like,  "My mon is upset because I got one A minus so I have to study all weekend" or "I am buying a corner grocery store in the ghetto and I plan to make a fortune selling beer, cigarettes and lottery tickets".  Or I might say, "I am going back to school to become a doctor and find a cure for cancerr".  Another good one is to say, "I am bringing all my Asian relatives over here to show up those lazy Americans".  "Acting Asian" is really cool!

Linda Peate (Powrie)

My goodness, Fred, you are up to your old self!! You make me and my husband laught--that's right, he was a writer in School & says you would have shown him up!!  He laughs at your rants & statements & loves them.  Of course, we are on the "less liberal" side.  Oops...guess I will be subject to those who love Obamacare, until they try to register or run a small business like we do & have encountered sadly expensive things for our future.

OK.  So I am in trouble w/our liberals as that is what makes the world go round.  Or maybe some should really look into what has been destroyed in the past too many yrs.  Fred, I so agree w/you as do my husband, his family, & my sisters and our family!  Please know that anyone who doesn't get it should check into our type of business where peolpe THINK you're wealthy, when indeed, as small owners of a business, we take care of our employees first, at great expense.  This only makes it harder to take care of those employees.  Maybe Obama has his book being drafted so I can see how he would handle all of that if he & his wife owned Feridean Commons.

Barb/I spend as much time as we can together as I will be leaving April 15 or 20.  Today was very hot & weather is due to be high 80s.  But it's been very muggy! 

Ellen Aspinwall (Templar)

Just heard another horror story yesterday about the negatives of Obama Care from some very dear Oregon retired friends who live on a shoestring, sigh.

Linda:  I think everyone in Ohio really feels for you and that muggy 80 degree weather : )

Paul Berns:  You have GOT to see this!!!  (and also all you retired fellas---especially those with a shop--Gary Mason would love this!!).

Fred Thomas

Stupor Bowl

Usually the Super Bowl puts me in a stupor by half time, but this year I witnessed the best defensive team in the country take apart the best offensive team in the country piece by piece. Most peopl;e think footbal is about quarterbacks like Payton Manhole throwing passes but I love defense. And even though most people found this year's Stupor Bowl boring, I actually found that game quite exciting.  I only played in high school with Pat, John and Guy but the principles are the same at any level.  It's all about blocking, tackling and line play.  We prided ourselves on our defense and I especially like to watch cornerbacks because I played that position and I appreciate how difficult it is when you have resposibility in the flat or deep and yet you have to try to turn the play in on a sweep with a couple of big ugly dudes like Dawson trying to level your ass.

Fred Thomas

It's time for me to come out and admit to the world that I am a heterosexual!  Yes, I played football and I loved crashing into other guys but I have noticed lately that it's much more fun to grab a soft female body.  And I have also learned that women are actually different than men despite what all my feminist professors taught me.  And I say VIVA LA DIFFERENCE!!!  Now this revelation has taken a great deal of courage on my part but you need not give me a trophy.  And I know that you are all surprised but probably not as surprised to find out as my wife will be.

Alan Greenleaf

Fred, I'm thinking it must be time to consummate your marriage!

Congrats on "coming in"!

Fred Thomas

Thanks for your support Al.  It is tough "coming in" and being called a "breeder".

I have noticed that the price of a barrel of Texas crude oil has recently gone over a $100.  I was wondering why and then I realized that it has been very cold this winter and you Northern Yankee types are burning a lot of our fuel oil and natural gas which is driving up the price.  Now all you "geenie global warming" whackos claim to hate fossil fuels and yet you use up a lot of the stuff.  Why don't you heat your houses with a windmill or an Obama solar panel?  The best use of Texas crude is to refine it into fuel for our pickup trucks, Nascars and cruise ships.  You could also chop down some of those oak trees when the tree huggers aren't looking and burn the logs.  Oak trees are only good for making baseball bats and firewood anyway.

Why do you leebruls try to stop our XL pipeline?  You should be digging up those "dangerous" gas lines in your own front yard.  Be careful when you do it though because you might hit an electic, water, cable or sewer line while you are doing it.  And why are you vegan libs driving up the price of steak and pork chops?  You are supposed to eat rabbit food.  Stick with celery and carrots and leave our meat alone.

Mumble mumble rant rant........

Ellen Aspinwall (Templar)

Happy Valentine's Day, mes amis, from me and my fav Troubadour.....the beginning explains how/why he wrote this and is very interesting....