by Phil Houseal | May 28, 2025 | All Articles, History, Music, People of the Hill Country, Philosophy
May 28, 2025–In high school I read the novel Bridge of San Luis Rey, and I revisit it at each stage of life. The story starts with the collapse of a rope bridge over a river in Peru, resulting in the perishing of assorted travelers who were crossing it. Through the...
by Phil Houseal | Apr 23, 2025 | All Articles, Education, History, Music, Philosophy
April 23, 2025–Was telling some youngsters about how my Music Theory final was to score out the melody to Jingle Bells without using an instrument. I don’t think I did very well. We used our knowledge of intervals to sing it in our heads. I could do it now with my...
by Phil Houseal | Apr 9, 2025 | All Articles, Education, History, Philosophy
April 9, 2025–A business guru recently proposed we could increase the global economy by 2-3% by installing large whiteboards in every home. This caught my attention because I am an inveterate wall scribbler. I have worked in offices where we truly believed if every...
by Phil Houseal | Mar 12, 2025 | All Articles, History, Philosophy
March 12, 2025–Local feed dealer Bruce Woerner once told me about the time he was drinking coffee with his buddies at the local diner. One member of the group always kept his nose in the newspaper, so Bruce decided to have a little fun. He took out his lighter, leaned...
by Phil Houseal | Mar 2, 2025 | All Articles, History, Philosophy
March 26, 2025–How many squares of toilet paper do you use? How many paper towels does it take to clean up a cup of spilled milk? If you had parents or grandparents who lived through the Depression, I wager that you are familiar with the often compulsive lengths they...
by Phil Houseal | Feb 26, 2025 | All Articles, History, Music, Philosophy
Feb 26, 2025–Recently a gaggle of musicians were sharing road stories, talking about the highs and lows of making “a living” traveling across the country, picking in dives and bars, sleeping in cars, eating through the Dairy Queen menu, drinking too much, and...
