eulessismore

I suspect you're right. I'd love for us to play them this year, but I'd never assume anything about us and UTEP.

We haven't heard that one here in a long time, but people are really pretty proud of Euless these days, so it doesn't matter. As I recall in my original post, I invited people to fire away, so you're welcome. Yeah, we win at football around here. And really, I was just responding to another poster's slamming El Paso, I place I didn't care for the first few times I went through there, but grew to appreciate it as a gateway to the desert mountains I love. Congratulations on loving your home, and to all you West Texans, best folks in the whole damned world!

Hey, my wife owned a house here when we got married. Then, the first time I took her out to Far West Texas (to the town of Marfa, home of the coolest summer mornings in Texas, she let me know she did not want to live in the desert. I was ok with that; one thing I enjoyed about Denton was the oak woodlands of the Cross Timbers region, especially compared to the generally treeless plains surrounding the Wichita Falls area where I grew up. However, I've always enjoyed being in places of scenic beauty, but never felt like I had to live next to a National Park to enjoy them. I'd love to live someplace like Estes Park, but wouldn't love mandatory evacuations such as residents there have experienced. And I will still tell anyone that there's beauty to be found all around you, if you'll just give it a chance. And I have nothing against anyone loving where they live; I just think some are too dismissive of places like El Paso, as I myself have been in the past. And I really love my folks in Wichita Falls, and wish I could be with them more often, it's just tough these days. I'd suggest that before anyone reacts too harshly to perceived criticism of their home or favorite places, they might consider that Mac Davis' hit "Lubbock in a Rear View Mirror" was seen by many as a putdown of that place he so loved, unless they listened to the lyrics all the way through, and realized it was a love song to a place he came to miss.

If I'm going to Big Bend National Park or some other part of the Texas Transpecos region, which I like to do every few years, I'll fly in to El Paso and get a rent car and drive back from there, rather than face the rather depressing aspect of seeing the Midland Odessa area. I mean, just because we haven't won a football game the old West Texas town since maybe 45 years ago doesn't mean that El Paso has nothing to offer. Of course, defenders of Midland and Odessa, fire away. Nothing against those places, they're just not for me. I did take an east coaster to the Big Bend area (folks from all over the world vacation there), and they complained about the relative tedium of El Paso compared to Big Bend itself. I then described what the drive would be like traveling by way of those Permian Basin cities, and their demeanor immediately brightened, with eyes lifted to the hills.

The song or the city? I can't remember when we went out there that we didn't end up like the "wild young cowboy" in that classic western song by Marty Robbins.

I shook Mean Joe's hand once and said, "Thanks for everything, Joe". He didn't say anything, but was gracious. That was the biggest hand I have ever shaken, and the warmest handshake.

Hey, I'm a liberal, and not particularly religious(yes, still using that UNT voice training in church choir). Still, I imagine her and Scalia somewhere, catching up on things. That friendship should inspire us all.

I don't think we had a real chance at a bowl win that year without winning the CUSA championship and playing somewhere besides Albuquerque. To play at about 4000 greater elevation than here and and do well woud require being in better condition than we were. Two specific things I can think that could have helped I'll lay at the foot of our offensive line play: 1. Don't have your starting quarterback go out early due to already being beat up and getting more beat up early in the game. 2. Don't have your center bouncing shotgun snaps off the ground at the worst possible times.

Uh, no. I wish him well at UTEP, or any place other than Denton, except when we play against a team he coaches.

Ok, I upvoted that "comment", but there's more to than that, as SMU is not located in Dallas, although they have some minor facilities within the Dallas city limits. And the "Park Cities" are enclaves "within" Dallas, rather than "suburbs", so there is that. I can't blame SMU for identifying itself with a better known city, although some might find it confusing. However, I recognize the Dallas Logo to be close enough to the "official" City of Dallas Logo that someone at the City had to sign off on its use, and I have an opinion that such brand management might have serious downside potential in the long run. The physical boundaries between neighboring cities are created by actions of their governing bodies, but the perceptual boundaries are always moving. And many entities do use the name "Dallas" as part of their identity, but that name and logo together indicates to me something that should be guarded. Although I have issues with attitudes of some SMU folks, it's hard to fault SMU for doing what professional sports teams do, using the name of whatever city or state suits its branding strategy. And I don't claim any real expertise in these matters, but any major organization these days should have staff who know the issues or pay for the services of someone who does.

I love me some BillySee58, but forgetting can sometimes be a good thing.

Portland Traumatic Stress Disorder?

If so, that "specific testing" should become a standard protocol and instituted for student athletes starting at high school level. I'm always suspicious of whether physical exams are thorough enough when hearing about a student athlete dying during practice. Expensive? Probably. Worth it? Think about how much the argument for the economic impact of sports is trotted out as a reason for a return to a regular fall schedule. Better yet, think of how you'd feel if it was your child's life that could be saved by greater scrutiny.

I'm sorry to read of your loss. From reading the news account, he was a wonderful person and exemplary public servant.

If the filibuster and the electoral college were set out by the curb and picked up with all the other garbage on Monday, I wouldn't cry.

It's probably some of our best programs (music, chemistry, etc) could get hurt the most, because they attract students who want the best education for the money in those fields. I am sure this could cause some deep pain to many good programs at UNT. On the other hand, I think UNT and other universities should do as much as they can to have an innovative combination of online and classroom instruction, perhaps in a way to nuance this guidance (i.e., have some classroom instruction for a mostly online course, with perhaps a fourth of the class enrollment in classroom instruction one day a week, thus allowing both social distance and physical presence for all in a class).

When I moved from Wichita Falls to Denton to attend North Texas back in 1973 I remember being shocked to see that statue on the grounds of the Denton County Courthouse, never having been aware of any "Confederate Statues" in Wichita Falls, and instead being accustomed to the World War 1 statue "Spirit of the American Doughboy" on the grounds of the Wichita Falls Memorial Auditorium: https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM7GQE_The_Spirit_of_the_American_Doughboy_Wichita_Falls_TX I suppose the "shocked" part was due to having been raised by a Bible believing mother who interpreted the Exodus story in the Old Testament as a testimony against the enslavement or state mandated segregation of any race or nation. She told me once how great a sin those institutions were, and that we would eventually "pay a great price" for them. I have no doubt in the truth of what she said. However, I now realize that, although apparently not a "statue", there is a Confederate monument in Wichita Falls, which is now the subject of a petition for removal (and according to the Wichita Falls Times and Record News site, which cannot be linked to at this time, a counter petition). Here's a link to the local TV station feature about said removal petition. https://www.newschannel6now.com/2020/06/15/wf-resident-starts-petition-remove-confederate-monument/ Honestly, I'll never cry about the "Confederate Statue removals", as such things have been moved around at different times anyway, and it strikes me as odd to have memorials to the former enemies of a nation displayed in public places within the territory of the victorious nation, especially with a near universal condemnation of the obvious cause of the defeated enemy, preservation of slavery. If there is concern about the loss of "history" associated with these statues, why not simply start a process of moving towards removal from their places of pride and placement within museums or other locations which might provide plaques with explanations or other contextual material. I mean, the one taken down in Richmond was apparently within the right-of-way of a major boulevard. And yes, we do need to go away from these radical rightists and leftist viewpoints and try to at least understand what happened during the periods being presumably memorialized and the periods when many of these monuments were placed. An example, is the linked content dealing with the typical "Doughboy" statue, explaining its depiction of a "strong and healthy" returning WW1 soldier as a way of providing a counter narrative to the tragedy of deaths from the War and subsequent 1918 flu epidemic. https://www.history.com/news/why-were-americans-who-served-in-world-war-i-called-doughboys And I would actually hate to see monuments to those who fought to keep our country free removed; just don't see the confederates as having fought for that freedom cause. However, I do think we shouldn't be quick to condemn some who were white and leaders back in those days who may have been constrained by the incredibly convoluted legal machinery put in place to maintain "the peculiar institution". For example, there is one story of Sam Houston having bought a young black man to save him from a mob, and Houston later described himself as always having been opposed to slavery, and was certainly removed as Texas governor as anti secession.

Hey y'all, Happy Juneteenth!

No, he said, "Does this shirt make me sexy".

On the one hand, why should we care about whether UT athletes are giving their own school a well deserved dressing down? More to the point, why should I be surprised when members of a forum of UNT alums don't really seem to appreciate the evolving perception of music genres (not to mention the UNT involvement in such)? In the 2010 New York Times obit for Leon Breeden, director of the UNT Jazz Studies program from 1959 to 1981, mentions that when he arrived, North Texas already had the oldest degree granting "jazz" program in the nation, but that could only be whispered, not boasted about, at a time when jazz was seen as barely suitable for night clubs. And I know many of y'all don't think much of the New York Times lately, but you'd be honored if they did your obituary. Here's a link: https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/14/arts/music/14breeden.html

If it's the meds, stay the course.

My understanding of "Take the bait" is pretty much as explained by the following link (responding as requested): https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/take-the-bait. Since you complained of people downvoting you (which I didn't), requesting "Please explain why, for example the homeless issues in California are the Republican parties fault", I made what I thought was a reasonable explanation as to why the homeless issues in California (and elsewhere) are the fault of both Democrats and Republicans. And actually the analysis I presented was one I developed as an alternative to the explanation given by my brother-in-law in San Francisco, who when I was visiting there in the late 1970's, answered my question as to why all the homeless mentally ill people on the streets of San Francisco at the time with a response that blamed it all on Ronald Reagan's actions as governor. I came to the conclusion that it was more complicated than that, and that it was a problem resulting from policies advocated by both liberals and conservatives and both major parties. Sorry if you were offended, but I thought you asked someone to "explain", so I gave you my explanation. Now, if you want to discuss possible remedies, I think it may be more complex than people just deciding to be on one political side or the other, or to attribute any argument to a political motivation. Personally, I think I'll never be conservative or liberal enough to satisfy my friends and family on either side of the divide, but am willing to discuss issues, if anyone wishes.

I'll take the bait. and blame both sides. I think with a little study of the history of mental health "deinstitutionalization", you could figure out a way to blame liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans. I think the following link provides a pretty good start of explaining how some of the mentally ill got shifted from "state hospitals" to homelessness and imprisonment: https://www.thebalance.com/deinstitutionalization-3306067#:~:text=Updated February 17%2C 2020,while also cutting government budgets. So, a little for everyone, new programs for the Democrats, spending cuts for the Republicans, malignant neglect for the chronically mentally ill, and a good screwing of the American people. I think one of the former superintendents of the Wichita Falls State Hospital predicted the results pretty well as something like "dumping the mentally ill on the downtown streets of major American cities". Not that the old system of involuntary commitments and large state hospitals didn't need changing, but it seems like we could have come up with a better way to do it. So, I've come to regard it as a truly bipartisan failure. Of course, not all the homeless are mentally ill, but many are. And yes, I'm from Wichita Falls, and our church would sometimes visit folks at the State Hospital there. Later, as I worked in downtown Dallas (a Republican voting city when I started), I could walk among them out on the streets.

I'm pretty sure the Governors are not "trying to force Trump to send in troops". I was in the 82nd Airborne Division when they were deployed to Andrews AFB during the May Day Demonstrations of 1971 to back up law enforcement and National Guard. My unit was not sent in to the scene of protests, but it is my understanding that some Airborne and Marine troops were. Now, D.C. is not a state, so is different in some respects. That May Day military response is not viewed as favorably in hindsight by many as some of those calling for deployment of active duty troops might wish. Honestly, all I can remember of our "riot training" was fixing bayonets and marching in close formation down the streets of Fort Bragg before being loaded on C130 aircraft and flown to Andrews. From reading about it afterwards, it seems that the active duty troops who were sent in were stationed around some of the most significant monuments in D.C., not for crowd control. I agree with what one commentator said this morning re the remarks from Sec. of Defense Espey's comments, that he almost certainly wanted to say something that would be reassuring to the large number of African American troops in the U.S. Military, may of whom, I'm sure, probably agree with at least the peaceful protests. I do remember from being a member of the 82nd then what it was like (as a white man) to be part of a minority group. I'm glad I was drafted and served, although never in combat, for the experience of such diversity. I and a fellow soldier (a young black guy from Jamaica, I'm not sure now whether from that country or that part of NYC) were so disturbed by some of the tension among those surrounding us that we decided to go into our tent and pray that no one would get hurt in all this. And fortunately, no one was killed in the May Day demonstrations, and for that we can be grateful. However, I do not trust that we are as capable of peaceful behavior nowadays. Compensation was paid to many of those arrested in mass (12,000 or so). Oh, and I am glad to see that such joining together in prayer is now done more openly. If anyone thinks that speaking our for what they see as right will make them less a man in the view of some, remember that you won't always be around those others, but you'll always remember what you did or failed to do in taking a stand.

I did not know that about Mr. George, but was told by some (and I'm sure it's true) that when I was attending UNT, in the late 1970's, the man at the Library exit was the father of Shirley Cothran, Miss America 1975. I do know that Phyllis George's mother, Louise, worked in what was then the NTSU Art Department during that time. Seems like I remember her mentioning that she had been a model herself at one time. She was quite a strong woman in her own right. One thing about both those Miss America winners, they were from good Denton families, and never seemed to forget where they came from.