It's been a while, amigos.? I'm glad Todd was able to broker a reasonable agreement between Dan and I that led to circumstances that I felt were acceptable to my rejoining the dannysic.? I hope you are all well.?

My framing story:? We have to go back 5 years and halfway around the globe to Florence Italy.? There is a tradition there that artist's sketch high quality portraits right there in the plaza.? We strolled and found an artist we liked.? He wanted 50 euros for each portrait of my two kids, but I negotiated him down to 70 for two.? He sat Emma down, spent a couple of hours sketching her (literally), then stopped because the sun was setting.? We agreed to meet at a certain time the next day.? We met up, he finally finished both portraits after another long sitting, proud of his work and I paid the man.??

Upon returning home I went to Michael's Art Supplies store, and even with a 60% off coupon, the fucking frames were 5 times the cost of the portraits. Every time I look at those goddamed charcoal faces of my younger children I curse myself for negotiating with a starving artist and curse Michael's for making me feel like an asshole for giving a large corporation 5/6 of the cost of the art.? Even the faces look a little sad, perhaps the artist punishing me, reminding me, "fat, cheap american, you could have paid me more."

It's good to be back.??

On Thu, Sep 2, 2021 at 11:49 AM Todd Rhoads <todd@...> wrote:

yeah as you probably know anything you just want regular Amazon is fine or Etsy has good cheap framing options

On Thu, Sep 2, 2021 at 10:40 AM Dan Buck <vertpurple@...> wrote:

We have an oversized poster and just want the cheapest frame possible....like the kind that costs...$18 for a regular sized poster. And the quote--on sale, was like...$630 or something like that.? Stg.

On Thu, Sep 2, 2021 at 12:27 PM Todd Rhoads <todd@...> wrote:

yeah i've gotten a few things professionally framed and it's always like oh yeah wow, that's a lot more than i'd have thought.....

On Thu, Sep 2, 2021 at 10:19 AM Dan Buck <vertpurple@...> wrote:

I don't know if any of you have experienced this but I find this to be exactly true?

yeah as you probably know anything you just want regular Amazon is fine or Etsy has good cheap framing options

On Thu, Sep 2, 2021 at 10:40 AM Dan Buck <vertpurple@...> wrote:

We have an oversized poster and just want the cheapest frame possible....like the kind that costs...$18 for a regular sized poster. And the quote--on sale, was like...$630 or something like that.? Stg.

On Thu, Sep 2, 2021 at 12:27 PM Todd Rhoads <todd@...> wrote:

yeah i've gotten a few things professionally framed and it's always like oh yeah wow, that's a lot more than i'd have thought.....

On Thu, Sep 2, 2021 at 10:19 AM Dan Buck <vertpurple@...> wrote:

I don't know if any of you have experienced this but I find this to be exactly true?

We have an oversized poster and just want the cheapest frame possible....like the kind that costs...$18 for a regular sized poster. And the quote--on sale, was like...$630 or something like that.? Stg.

On Thu, Sep 2, 2021 at 12:27 PM Todd Rhoads <todd@...> wrote:

yeah i've gotten a few things professionally framed and it's always like oh yeah wow, that's a lot more than i'd have thought.....

On Thu, Sep 2, 2021 at 10:19 AM Dan Buck <vertpurple@...> wrote:

I don't know if any of you have experienced this but I find this to be exactly true?

yeah i've gotten a few things professionally framed and it's always like oh yeah wow, that's a lot more than i'd have thought.....

On Thu, Sep 2, 2021 at 10:19 AM Dan Buck <vertpurple@...> wrote:

I don't know if any of you have experienced this but I find this to be exactly true?

I don't know if any of you have experienced this but I find this to be exactly true?

So the biggest thing we learned is that human trafficking here is nothing like we think. It's mostly fathers in Houston pimping their own children. Going over state lines and shit like that is not really the big issue.

Buses take people to brothels ... Like tour buses because it's legal and most people there are trafficked.?

We were taught that drug dealing is the problem of the '90s or whatever but people realized that a human is a reusable product that you can use until they die... Unlike drugs.

On Fri, Aug 27, 2021, 12:08 PM Todd Rhoads <todd@...> wrote:

Glad that things seem positive to date. I've often said "you-all" which seems like the border-state version. What more specifically is the situation with human trafficking? Migrants paying to get in from Mexico? From other countries??

On Fri, Aug 27, 2021 at 9:58 AM Dan Buck <vertpurple@...> wrote:

1. Human trafficking is insane here.

2. I said y'all naturally twice yesterday.

3.? Six Flags is named Six Flags because there have been six 'governments' of Texas, including France.

4. Shrimp and cheese go well together

5. Houston doesn't feel like Texas at all. I feel like I'm in a hotter LA with affordable housing and many more trees

Glad that things seem positive to date. I've often said "you-all" which seems like the border-state version. What more specifically is the situation with human trafficking? Migrants paying to get in from Mexico? From other countries??

On Fri, Aug 27, 2021 at 9:58 AM Dan Buck <vertpurple@...> wrote:

1. Human trafficking is insane here.

2. I said y'all naturally twice yesterday.

3.? Six Flags is named Six Flags because there have been six 'governments' of Texas, including France.

4. Shrimp and cheese go well together

5. Houston doesn't feel like Texas at all. I feel like I'm in a hotter LA with affordable housing and many more trees

1. Human trafficking is insane here.

2. I said y'all naturally twice yesterday.

3.? Six Flags is named Six Flags because there have been six 'governments' of Texas, including France.

4. Shrimp and cheese go well together

5. Houston doesn't feel like Texas at all. I feel like I'm in a hotter LA with affordable housing and many more trees

Don't tell me joy shouldn't be a primary suspect?

???

On Sun, Aug 1, 2021, 9:36 AM Dan Buck <vertpurple@...> wrote: