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This message forum is an ongoing discussion about anything and just about everything ... within reason.  One thing our class was good at was having opinions.  Almost 70 years of life experience certainly qualifies us as experts on most everything!   Ask a question ... give an opinion ... share some insights ... it's our web site, it's our forum.  That said, it's probably not a good idea to get into arguments about politics, religion, and the like.  While we're experts on everything, we also have a wide range of values and beliefs. This site belongs to all of us ... the whole range ... and we are not here to isolate, alienate, or subjugate anybody.  Of course insults, humiliation, sophomoric barraggadocio, and demented humor is expected behavior among some of us less mature people.
 

Jeanne Zinser (Gottschalk)

My song was Bing Crosby's "I Love You." Lauren, you'd better double check your song. As your birthday is the day before mine, I think we share the same song.

Terri Levenhagen (Hoornstra)

I think that "Swinging on a Star" WAS really popular and had a long run. My birthday is October 2. What was your song, Jim? Nancy, I still have our class pictures from grades K, 1 and 3, and you are on all of them. My strongest memories are from Kindergarten (Mrs. Gross), where I was often banished to sitting in the hallway for instigating pranks; once I led everyone in going UP the slide (STILL a  Kindergarten "no-no") and once proposed a contest on a rainy day to see who could get their boots the muddiest. The consequence for that involved mopping up the coatroom, as well as a visit to the hallway. They say teachers end up teaching the grade that made the strongest impression upon them. Hmmmm....

Jim Cejka

Apparently my song, Terri, was Jimmy Dorsey's "Besame Mucho (Kiss Me Much"). As much as I like and listen to big band music, I never heard of it. Oh well, I was too busy getting born anyway.

Jim Cejka

Happy Pi day everyone. Especially the engineering and math types.

Lauren Dieterich

To backtrack a bit. Jeanne, you're right about the birthday song. When I first clicked on the link it showed 'I love You' but, for some reason it switched to 'Swinging on a Star' when I listened to it. Until I listened to both songs, I thought that maybe it was the same song with different titles. I sometimes hit, click, push, etc. the spot next to the button that I really want. That's the only reason that I can think of for the switch in songs. Since songs can stay at #1 for weeks at a time; it's easy for more than one of us to have the same song.

P.S. I Love You isn't one of Crosby's better songs. At least, I don't think so.

William Nelson

We just tried the link to the birthday songs and enjoyed it. Harry James was having a good year it seems. My song was "I've Heard that Song Before" but then we clicked on the link for the song that was playing the day I was conceived. It was "Sleepy Lagoon" by Harry James, an easy song to imagine having a romantic effect.

My wife's song was "The Gypsy" by the Ink Spots. I don't remember that song, but she does. Her song from nine months previous was "The Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe." My uncle used to have that one spinning in his head. I can't remember ever spending time with him when that didn't come out.

Thanks Lauren for posting that fun link. We'll probably steal it and pass along to our friends.

Lauren Dieterich

You're very welcome, Bill I got it from an Army Security Agency vets site, that I'm on. So, there's no problem in passing it on. I found myself pretty much lost when I tryed looking up songs for my grandkids. Anything past the 70's; and, you can forget it. When I was working 3rd shift in Milwaukee, I always listened to Dave and Carol on WKLH. That was 12 years ago; and, they're still on the air.

William Nelson

I'm not familiar with WKLH, Lauren. We haven't been in that area for a couple of years, but plan to make a trip up that way this summer sometime. We've got 5 grandkids in that area. When we're up there, I usually set one button on the car radio to WTKM in Hartford. They play old time music like polkas and such about half the time, and have country gold the rest of the time. They feature live announcers with on-air call-ins almost anytime.

Sometimes, we'll switch to WOKY-AM, which was playing music from the 40's, 50's, and 60's. I like the big bands, 50's rock, and Country Gold. I used to let this site go for hours at a time when it had music on it, but that's been gone for a while since they updated. Maybe it's just me, but I enjoyed it. Did wish I could mute it at times, though, when other audio clips came in.

Lauren Dieterich

Bill, 'KLH ( 96.5 ) is a classic rock station, for as long as I can remember. I listened to Dave and Carol in the morning while on 3rd shift; which was for 23 years. I left there in 2002 for New Mexico. They are still doing the morning show for a total of 36 years or more. I wonder what the record  is for longevity on a radio show is. 

My ex and I lived in Erin off of Hwy 83 for 5 years in the late 80's. My two oldest went to Hartford High School and worked at the George Webb, in Hartford. Rarely listened to WTKM, though. I usually had WKLH or WLZR on the radio. I think that most of us should remember Pat Shannahan on WRIT and Bob Barry on WOKY while in high school. I rarely listen to the car radio any more. That stopped when I finally got a car with a cassette tape player or a CD player today. When I first went to New Mexico on vacation; there was a stretch of Hwy 54 near Santa Rosa that had zero radio reception, still bad today. Tape/CD player was nice.

William Nelson

One guy I used to listen to in the morning, years ago, was Charlie Hansen on WISN. He had a crazy alter ego named Shaky that he'd converse with and did some pretty funny schtick.

I can't remember the guy's name anymore, but the commencement speaker at my graduation was the president of WRIT. At that time, it was a popular "Top 40" station.

We don't always listen to the radio either. Used to carry a case full of cassettes and another of CD's. Now we use an MP3 player much of the time. We originally bought one of those deals that connected the MP3 player through the tape deck, but it broke the tape drive so we can't listen to tapes in the car anymore. The CD player still works, but can't remember the last time we used it. We now use a little FM transmitter to play the MP3s through the radio. My truck still has a cassette player, but can't remember the last time I used it. We normally listen to NPR or a local country gold station. When we travel, we usually try to find NPR as we go, especially around news time. I used to drive about 40,000-miles a year in the mid-South. While driving at night, I liked to listen to Jim White on KMOX in St. Louis on AM. There were a couple of other AM stations that also came in pretty well most of the time and I'd divert to them, if KMOX wouldn't come in. Jim White retired years ago and so did I, so I'm usually home at night with the computer and my own music collection.

Jim Cejka

Allright Cheeseheads - I  have been elected to the "Ask Vic" Hall of Fame, on Packers.com.

So there.

Lauren Dieterich

Who's Vic ? The only Victor that I ever knew was the neighor's Dachshund. 

Jim Cejka

Lauren,

There was also RCA Victor.

No, actually, "Vic," is Vic Ketchman, a sportswriter and editor for the Packers. He does articles, a daily column and some videos, on their website at packers.com. His column is called "Ask Vic," where people write in and make comments or ask questions. He's put in a couple of mine before, but last week I did a little funny on the helmet safety issue and I guess he liked it, and he put it in and said I was now in his Hall of Fame. Made my day. Of course, there's no bronze bust, golden jacket, autograph signings, or Packer tickets that go with it, but, what the heck, for a California guy.

Jim Cejka

I know from reading these things for the past couple of years that there are some folks out in Custer land that listen to NPR and "Says You." I just found out that the host, Richard Scher, died last month. Bummer. R.I.P.

They plan to continue the show sometime, but no details so far.

Garry Sellers

Ahhh ... what is this, Spring or what?  90's last week, 80's the last few days ... getting too hot to play golf comfortably.  Have had to switch to shorts and short-sleeved golf shirts already! I can't take this global warming!..Right Nancy, Dean, Bernie, Jeanne, et al???  You must be sitting on the beaches back there by now the way this year is unfolding!

Incidentally, did anybody watch 60 Minutes tonight (ironically, I usually avoid 60 Minutes) about the breakthrough approach to fighting any form of cancer ... using polio virus?  Amazing!  Incredible results!  Hurry guys ... hurry!!!  In case you missed it:

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/killing-cancer-part-one/

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/killing-cancer-part-two/

John Gilbert

Gary, yes did watch the Cancer segment on 60 minutes. We lost our son-in-law (43 years old) to Glioblastoma two years ago. He started here in Milwaukee at Froedtert with chemo treatment and also went to Duke but couldn't get into this program. It's tough to see someone's body slowly shutdown and knowing there is nothing you can do to help. What also adds to the misery is having, in his case, a 14 year old son and 11 year old daughter and wife go through this. 

Gary, it's 50 today, shorts weather, courses are open, sun's out great day.. 

Lauren Dieterich

Jim,

  The Victor that I knew could be called a personal friend. He was my best friend's dog. During one of the many parties that we had, we didn't want the dog to feel left out. Have you ever watched a drunk dachshund try to go up a flight of stairs. He never made it up more than 3 steps before rollong back down.

The mention of NPR, for some reason reminded me of the Dick Biondi show on Saturday nights, on WLS, The Torchlight Hour. I was listening to the show on the night that he died on the air. He would play about a half hour of music at a time. He was also alone in the studio; he was his own engineer. When a group of songs ended, there was silence. It was a couple of hours before someone from the station checked on him. He had a heart attack while the songs were playing

Meanwhile, back to spring. I've been wearing shorts and t-shirts for about a month, now. Yesterday's high was 97; about 14 degrees above normal. I had been going to southern New Mexico for 11 years on vacations before I moved there for 6 years; and, have spent the last 5 years in Arizona. Anything below 70 degrees is freezing.

I quit watching 60 Mintues, when about 6 years ago, they admitted that they edit audio and video to conform to their views; and, nothing was ever done about it. I would have thought that the FCC would've come down on them, hard.

Terri Levenhagen (Hoornstra)

I saw the segment on Polio vs. Cancer. This is amazing. As they mentioned near the end of the story, immune therapy is the latest and most successful weapon in the war against cancer. A friend of mine is in a test of an immune therapy against melanoma, and it will be wonderful if it is successful!

Congratulations, Jim, on your crown - and imagine - to a California guy!

Some Spring roses to you from Cupertino, CA.

Nancy Davison (Boerger)

Bah-humbug on your shorts and T-shirts! I returned from being in Boulder and then St. Louis for almost a month. Chilly in Misouri, but in Boulder our grand daughter did get into the yard with her bathing suit and the garden hose. Rough landing yesterday in Traverse City - high winds and blowing snow - and a three hour drive east through snow and freezing rain. "You're not in Kansas anymore". Oh well, sun's out today and we're melting (34 degrees!)  I feel sorry for all of you who are already sweating in your shorts. When do you ever have time to sit by the fire and thumb wistfully through garden magazines? One of life's great pleasures.

Jim Cejka

Garry's excited about the warmer weather because, supposedly, golf balls fly farther when it's warm. (Probably one reason he moved to California.) In our summer now, that means his tee shot can get out 'bout 11 yards, 12 with a wind, instead of his usual 9.

Garry Sellers

So now they tell us this is the biggest California drought in probably 500 to 1000 years.  What, did they ask a passing Sequoia or something?

Speaking of ancient, I had my annual physical last week and I'm not at all a happy.  Oh, I know at this stage we all have this or that wrong with us, some of us dealing with more serious issues than others.  A completely pain-free day may be a thing of the past.  Knees, hips, shoulders, backs just don't seem to always cooperate. Things that fall on the floor may stay there a bit longer than they use to since somebody moved all floors so much further away from my hands.

So what?  But do I also have to be insulted by medical staff?

At my physical a rather short, portly nurse entered the room (portly meaning she's fatter than me ... nah nah n nah nah!) and barks at me to get on the scale (which is cleverly disguised in kilograms and I don't have my calculator with me so I can't contest what she writes down!).  "Can I take off my shoes?"  "NO!" Tubby disgustedly retorts.  Well heck, everybody knows those scales in doctor's offices are miscalibrated from constant misuse.  Think of all the lardballs who pounced on it before me!  To add the weight of my 20 pound Topsiders doesn't seem fair, does it?

"Okay, go stand up against the wall there so I can get your height.", snaps Miss Insensitivity.  Centimeters ... of course!  Let's see 2.54 into .... "Six feet two and a half inches" mumbles Miss Personality.  "Oh wow! That's almost exactly what I was in high school."  She gives me a look of incredulity.  "Really?" she whines.  "Well, I did have my shoes on."  OMG ... I wish I had a blood pressure cup on her at the time!  "TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF AND LET'S DO THIS AGAIN!" 

Well damn, you can't have it both ways Baby!  You get the shoes both ways or no shoes both ways.  What, is it your belief that the world should be filled with short, fat old men not unlike yourself (not that I'm questioning her sexual identity but then again ... )?  Heck, we men can do that all by ourselves without your lying ways Stumpy!

Blood pressure.  I think she added a couple extra pumps just to see how many blood vessels I have in my hand ... not that my hands don't normally look like a road map of the national highway system anyway!  How does that happen?  She had those purple babies about to burst!  "108 over 70" she mumbles looking at me through squinting, accusatory eyes as if I have somehow tampered with her equipment.  I just stare back with a smirk of self-righteousness.

"Okay, put this gown on, opening in the back."  Gown?  Really?  Is that a joke or what?  Would you go to a prom in one of those "gowns"?  I think not.  Who invented those damn things ... and did she intentionally give me a ladies gown?  I know she left me to put on that flimsy thing, turned down the thermostat to the temperature to where they chill stethoscopes, went on lunch break and told the doc I was ready when she returned a few hours later.

Thankfully I see a doc with an international reputation for both his medical expertise as well as his medical team organizational skills.  Fortunately, he is not intimidated by Nurse Hazard.  His prognosis was that with a little bit of luck I'd probably live to see another physical next year.   He did suggest however, that I lose 20 pounds and work on my stretching exercises!   See?  I rest my case!  Shoes or no shoes, either one or the other!  Little did he know what was lurking outside the door making notes for next year!

Jim Cejka

Garry,

Relax. If you were able to know you were in the doctor's office and speak in complete sentences with her, you were doing pretty good for a guy your age.

Think back to when the sum total of our medical disasters was getting zits the day before the big dance.

Nancy Davison (Boerger)

Yes, Garry, the insults just keep on coming. Received mine last trip as I approached the airport x-ray and some TSA imbecile barked, "Wait!! Do you have any artificial knees or hips?"  

"No." I replied. "And I still have my own hair and teeth, too." 

So there. 

Jeanne Zinser (Gottschalk)

Thanks, Garry, for giving me a reason to laugh for the first time in a LONG time! Your MD saga would make a wonderful stand-up routine!

Nancy--I will think of you in June when the TSA has to pat me down due to a knee replacement and a rod in my right leg because of last year's broken leg surgery. But I, too, still have my own teeth and hair.

Jim Cejka

If a team is the sum total of its individuals, then the Wisconsin TEAM may have lost the game, but the Wisconsin team's INDIVIDUALS, I think, won the tournament. Class, maturity, discipline, pride. 

On Wisconsin!