by Phil Houseal | Dec 30, 2020 | All Articles, Education, Philosophy
Dec 30, 2020–You know what creates anxiety in many of us? It’s not the lack of choices. It’s having too many choices. I first noticed this in myself as a child trying to figure out my future. I would watch a basketball game, and decide I wanted to be Larry Bird. Then...
by Phil Houseal | Dec 22, 2020 | All Articles, Food, History, Philosophy
Dec 13, 2020–What is your favorite worst holiday food? Food you are supposed to like because everyone else does, but you don’t, really. Every holiday, we are coerced to eat and drink strangely colored concoctions (green beer?) and alien textured foodstuffs in the...
by Phil Houseal | Dec 16, 2020 | All Articles, Philosophy
Dec 16, 2020–Symmetry is boring. This thought came to mind when I ran into a pal in a grocery store aisle (where else?) and he apologized for his lopsided gait due to a physical issue. My reply was, “Symmetry is overrated.” I trace this ontological insight back to...
by Phil Houseal | Dec 7, 2020 | All Articles, Events, Music
Dec 9, 2020–Before he arrived at country music, Justin Biltonen traveled through gospel, punk, rock, and southern rock. Most fans know Biltonen as the long-time bassist for the American rock band 3 Doors Down. But he’ll be performing in Fredericksburg this week as a...
by Phil Houseal | Dec 2, 2020 | All Articles, Philosophy
Dec 2, 2020–Using the time I’ve freed up from not obsessing over social media, I’ve been reading “classics” I missed before. Here’s my first question: What in tarnation is the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe about? Kids in closets, ice lady, lion statues, talking...
by Phil Houseal | Nov 26, 2020 | All Articles, Philosophy, PR Tips
Nov 25, 2020–For someone who makes a living writing and posting online, it has been a slap in the face to spend the past few weeks avoiding social media. It’s like being in a 12-step program. With the runup to the elections, emotions were high. Throw in the...
by Phil Houseal | Nov 18, 2020 | All Articles, Philosophy, PR Tips
Nov 18, 2020–I have a shameful secret. Over the years I’ve dabbled in “the marketing arts.” This is a field filled with exuberant claims, arcane metrics, and secret phrases whose sole function is to persuade unsuspecting marks to buy your pricey chotchkes, attend your...
by Phil Houseal | Nov 11, 2020 | All Articles, Philosophy
Nov 11, 2020–While attending a meeting during a recent cold snap, I looked around and realized everyone was wearing flannel. As I wasn’t paying attention to the agenda anyway, I started wondering what is flannel? What a strange design for a garment. If I were the one...
by Phil Houseal | Nov 4, 2020 | All Articles, Philosophy
Nov 4, 2020–I could be a nudist if it weren’t for not having pockets. There is some vestigial relationship between boys and pockets. From the day we found our first shiny stone or dead lizard, boys have needed a place to put them. The pocket soon became home for...
by Phil Houseal | Oct 28, 2020 | All Articles, Philosophy
Oct 28, 2020–I tried to give some co-workers a dozen eggs last week, but they didn’t want them. Turns out they all had hens of their own, and were scrambling to give away eggs as well. There is no clearer illustration of how chicken ranching has swept the nation…...
