Jim Dunlap

Update to All.  The Mini is coming up soon,  Bryson is herding multiclass cats.  We hope to see many of our classmates attending.  FYI, Jimmie and I will be hosting a hospitality suite for our class to hang out and relax.  No way will this be for the 100+ plus attendees, but hopefully other classes will make their own arrangements.

Looking forward to knowing who will be attending.  For sure, check in with Bryson.

Richard W. Henderson

It's 10:30 and the thermometer reads 101 F !!! We aren't leaving the house for the next three days...Welcome to Las Vegas. 

Cannot make it to the reunion this time. We are doing a fund raiser art show for the Shriner's Childrens Hospitals on that date. As a Mason, I'm dedicated to that cause. Hope everyone has a great time.at the reunion.

If anyone is curious, pull up the July 4th debut of the Las Vegas Sphere. One of my friends says on a scale of 1 to 10. it is a 100. If you see it on the web, take it around for one more time and watch the traffic! On the "strip", two lanes just stop as one unit and everyone got out of their cars and watched. Talk about wild.

As for my drawing the "Las Vegas Zoo", I discovered that an unknown amount of the 32 drawings were from photos that had copy-rite applications.  Friends had sent the photos to me to draw, and even though I warned everyone about copy-rite laws to watch for, they sent them anyway. Most of the drawings took over 150 hours to do (some over 200 hours) and since they had been copy-rited (?) I could not sell, nor display those drawings. So I gave them all away to several friends that really wanted them, and will appreciate the drawings. Talk about a really hard heartbreaker !!!

God bless and be safe.

Jim Dunlap

Bummer about the copyright issue, for sure!!  Your art pieces are so beautiful.  Having seen your studio,I'm addtionally impressed.  We'll miss you in El Paso.  Seems like we will have a pretty good crowd.  I heard that the hotel front desk is giving out canes and wheelchairs upon check in!!  Just kidding.  Or am I??

Not to bother others, but when we are chatting one to one I'll tell you about my work trip to Liberia and the amazing (but ultimately futile) efforts of the former slaves that returned to Liberia to set up a USA replica, complete with a Masons feature.  I have some photos to share with you.

Great update.  Thanks.

Richard W. Henderson

HEAT...Having lived in El Paso in the 1950s while the earth was having the latest "CLIMATE CHANGE" of the time, the current "CLIMATE CHANGE" brings back memories. Memories if seeing ranchers cutting the thorns off of prickly pear cactus so their cattle could eat that for food. And having the water ulilities to ask that everyone only take one short shower a week to conserve water. And a bunch of other things to conserve water. And more than once I would lay under the swamp cooler vent (cheap house) in the hall to cool down.

This latest "CLIMATE CHANGE" seems to be a bit more serious. I firmly believe that all of the asphault that has been put down in the last 60 years, the new homes and buildings that now exist, and the farm land, forests and jungles that are no more have something to do with the current problem.

Some advice; living in southern Nevada, here are some tricks that I have learned. Always have a pair of cheap cloth gloves, a floppy hat, a "moving' blenket and some water in your car. Changing a tire can be much easier with those items. Take a camping cooler with you to the store. When you buy milk or meat or anything that needs refrigeration, it really sucks when you get home to find those things having spoiled by the time that you get home.

And go ahead and buy a spare serpentime belt for the mechanic to use, so the parts house doesn't have to "order" the new one for you, and you can do without your car for two to three days.

Just some odd thoughts... God bless and be safe.

Klaus Hille

Some of you might be interested in visiting the Trinity Testsite while in El Paso fo the reunion. The link below will give details. If you haven't seen the movie Oppenheimer, then I recommend that you watch it. It's not so much about the physics, but more about the political "games" of the time ... and are still being played today.

https://home.army.mil/wsmr/index.php/contact/public-affairs-office/trinity-site-open-house

Jim Dunlap

Let's put a marker in for this, Klaus.  As we get closer to October, folks will start thinking more carefully about how to spend our short time together.  That said, when it comes to "planning" I still haven't decided to do the mega-drive (per usual) or spend a night going and coming.

Jim

Klaus Hille

In case anyone wants to register for the upcoming reunion but can't locate the form in your email, here is a link to it. You might need to copy the link and paste it in your browser..Please try to register soon so that Bryson can get a more accurate count of attendees. Thanks.

https://1drv.ms/b/s!ApmADo6ZyU6zgZx5tLW1mhnYQK5lvg?e=HX6Asv

Jim Dunlap

Interesting link, Klaus.  That said, the website is essentially saying "don't bother" for Oct 21st.  For those interested in early-era physics leading to The Bomb, I just finished, "Fundamental: How Quantum and Particle Physics Explain Absolutely Everything," by Tim James.  Now reading "Too Big for a Single Mind: How the Greatest Generation of Physicists Uncovered the Quantum World," by Tobias Hurter.  Have started several times to read  Albert Einstein's "Relativity: the Special and the General Theory: a Clear Explanation that Anyone can Understand."  Each time, however, I gave up because after a few chapters I got lost.  In the Preface he writes, "The work presumes a standard of education corresponding to that of a university matriculation examination, and, despite the shortness of the book, a fair amount of patience and force of will on the part of the reader."  I understand that if I'm moving on a train and someone else is next to the tracks, in the same time frame our movements will greatly vary.  That's about it.  Maybe I'll give it another try.  

Jimmie Byron Vaughn

Jim,

Try "A Brief History of Time" by Stephen Hawking.  He calls it the "best selling book never read" .  I've read it halfway three times.....still cannot envision the concepts beyond that point.  Oh well, so much for the high IQ...

Victor Dutro

This is the first post here for a very long time.

Some of you may remember me as the one that designed and built a parabolic reflector (satellite dish) as my physics project. I set it up in the hallway and demonstrated it. At the time, I used a microphone and amplifier at the focal point. We could hear everything going on in the hallway, even from the other side of the school.

About 35-37 years ago, I discovered that there is an Entity that controlled pain in my body. From that and years of research, I now know that this Entity, is within everyone and that it listens to every thought and every word spoken. It controls every function in the body. 

This Entity is more Intelligent than we humans. I now call it Body Intelligence. I use the capital letters to indicate something higher than our physical body, and a superior intelligence far beyond our current level of consciousness.

Two and a half years ago, it led me to discover a breakthrough in science. As it turns out this breakthrough is part of the inner workings of the communication system that this Body Intelligence uses within the cells, and from cell to cell as well as from system to system.

Why am I writing this now? 

I feel it is a moral obligation to share this information because this knowledge can save lives and cure diseases.

Drug companies make over a trillion dollars a year selling their drugs. They don't want people to be healthy or to get well. The government won't allow us to make any medical claims. We have to say a disclaimer every time we talk about a supplement that everyone's body needs and that this Body Intelligence wants us to supply to our body. 

We are at an age, when the body is in short supply of the molecules that the cells need to function correctly. and up to a few years ago, we had no option, but to cope with organ dysfunctions, aging, and a host of diseases and physical complications. 

I have had to silently watch my friends and family suffer from ailments and die when science has discovered that there is now a way to slow aging, reverse the deterioration of our organs and tissues and bring our health back to a more optimal function. 

OK, I have given the message. (Start listening to your Body Intelligence or learn how to communicate with it.) It is now on you to take responsibility for your own health, and that starts with getting educated. That Body Intelligence is your guide and teacher. 

Richard W. Henderson

I know there are those folks who believe that I am dumber than a box of rocks. And I am very reluctant to say this, but are you guys trying to impress us with your intelligence or just baffle us with your B.S.?

If anyone gets the chance, go see "Oppenheimer".  And you will see that this was one troubled genius. Fantastic movie.

I hope I didn't insult anyone too much.

Jim Dunlap

Your incredible artistic talent keeps you busy, Richard.  You've kept us up to date about how many hours you spend on each of your artwork pieces.  For the rest of us, we have to do something to fill in our empty hours.  At my end, trying to understand something about the physics and calculus worlds I never understood as a student, not to mention as an adult, is a worthwhile way to spend time.  I'm also reading another book, "INFINITE POWERS: How Calculus Reveals the Secrets of the Universe," by Steven Strogatz.  Half way through, I'm lost.  Might have to start over from page 1.  The Hawkins book is also on my table.  Let's see if I can get further through the book than Jimmie did.  Fingers crossed.

Jim Dunlap

Correction: Hawking.

Clark W. Schadle

Jim, will we beable to even talk with you when you finish your reading list???

Richard W. Henderson

Each of us have our very own special skills and attributes (spelling) and each have such wonderful memories that we have created and lived through.  And to learn of those memories when i hear of them is such a pleasure. I am continuously impressed with each of our classmates.

A few weeks ago, I submitted something about the heat...I did not mean to sound like I was "talking down" at anyone, but...A middle aged lady from our church went out for a walk in her apartment complex without shoes on during the heat of the day. It was 115 F on that day and for some reason, she went into the back parking lot of the complex next door. She fell on the asphault and two hours later, the police found her. The doctors put into an induced coma, but she died two days later. What a tragedy. One that, with the climate being what it is, each of us needs to be safe.

Klaus Hille

Just to let you know how much I know about physics ...

Our second oldest grandson is majoring in applied physics at Georgia Tech. My wife and I visited him earlier this year. At dinner he asked me, "Opa, how much do you know about atoms?" I answered , "very little."  He said, " yes, but what else do you know about atoms?"

I know, it's not an original joke, but it's our joke now. 😂

Dolores Wheless (Turner)

My story is how God blessed me over the years.  I was able to skip the 10th grade and go from a sophomore to a senior.  After graduation we moved to Lubbock where I worked in the accounting department for Methodist Hospital .  Thanks to Ms. Morrow my bookkeeping teacher.  Then I married in 1963 and didn't work for several years until we moved back to Austin, TX  There I went to work for State of TX Highway Dept and the Parks and Wildlife until my second child was born.  I.  My Dad had passed away in the meantime and my Mother which had always been a homemaker was struggling with doing the finances and other things as well.  Was glad I was able to help her but I decided that I wanted to be independent if I were ever alone.  So I went to work for the Austin Independent School Dist.  part time at first but became full time over the years.  I was a clerk for about 3 years when my Principal was going to another school and asked me to come as his secretary.  This job included alot of bookkeeping and I had to take a test.  Thanks again to Ms. Morrow as I had not done bookkeeping in years.  I retired from AISD after 20 years and went to work for Computer Task Group as an admin which I was responsible for lots of reports as well as training and benefits.  I  worked for them about 2 years when they asked me if I would be interested in working at IBM as contractor.  My husband is retired IBM, I took the job and was responsible for audit documentation including the big show they had every year in Las Vegas.  So just to say for girl with only a HS education. God surely blessed me.  

Jim Dunlap

Mind and heart encouraging story.  Your life success makes all of the Irvin early 60s group look good.  Thanks for sharing!!

Dolores Wheless (Turner)

Thanks, nothing against College degree, our daughter graduated from the University of Texas and is a early childhood special needs teacher.  Just to say I did not have a chance to go to college but God surely blessed me anyway.

Jim Dunlap

Scary story, Richard.  Terrible.

On a lighter note, in front of me is the Hawking book and let's see how far I get thru it.  Recently I was in a Zoom meeting with several ATO frat classmates from college (mid-60s - all football and rugby alumni).  Physics and calculus came up.  Like you, Jimmie, two of the group said they stopped reading after getting less than half-way thru the book.  Let's see how far I can make it.

Klaus Hille

Hey Jim,

Ready to go surfing in your backyard?

Seriously, hopefully the storm that will move across Southern California this weekend won't be as bad as the forecast sounds. Praying for you and all of the Marines at Camp Pendleton. 

Jim Dunlap

Thanks for thinking of us, Klaus (as well as other classmates that reached out).  This morning there were some surfers in the water, but for sure not me.  For us in North Oceanside (and I'm guessing for Camp P), bit of rain starting very early today with some on and off not-really-hard rain all day - even now.  Bit of wind, but very occasional.  Looking at our beach cam, the storm finally arrived - total wind swell with blowing sand.  Not sure how San Diego did, but clearly the storm is dumping more rain in the desert and around LA than it did in our area.  Feeling fortunate.  Jim 

Clive R. Cochran

Jim,

Video on the news this morning looked pretty devastating. If flooding wasn't enough, you got a cat5 earthquake. Are you and family okay?

Clive

Pam Davis (Cotten)

Jim Dunlap, we're so glad to learn that y'all are OK and pray the same for others out there.  Thank you for the report/update.

Jim Dunlap

We definitely lucked our here in North San Diego/South Orange Country.  Lots of trees down in/around San Diego, however.  Outside LA and over in the desert were hit the worst.  Likely similar all the way to Las Vegas and beyond (Richard will provide an update.  As you know in El Paso, desert rain can be a big problem.  I have a car friend in Thousand Oaks (NW of LA).  His wife's mother is visiting from Brazil and the earthquake freaked her out.  He slept thru it until the family woke him up.  I really appreciate everyone's concern.  Feeling blessed for having caring classmates.