by Phil Houseal | Feb 14, 2024 | All Articles, History, Philosophy
Feb 14, 2024–Are we hug deprived? Did you know that when two people hug, their hearts are only two inches apart? Some say this induces a sympathetic response, when the electrical fields around both beating organs intersect, creating a bond. This lowers stress, boosts...
by Phil Houseal | Feb 7, 2024 | All Articles, Education, Philosophy
Feb 7, 2024–Everyone loves a frosty chocolate milkshake. But would you instead consume–separately–a raw egg, half cup of cane sugar, a cup of warm milk, a cup of heavy cream, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, a spoonful of salt, and 3 tablespoons of chocolate syrup?...
by Phil Houseal | Jan 31, 2024 | All Articles, Education, Events, History, Music, People of the Hill Country, Venue
Jan 31, 2024–Audiences for the Dublin Harpers are so enamored with the lilting sound of the Celtic harp, they go away wanting to play it themselves. Unfortunately, the care and feeding of a full-size authentic harp is beyond the grasp of most casual players. It’s a...
by Phil Houseal | Jan 24, 2024 | All Articles, Education, Philosophy, PR Tips
7/24/2024–Who are you competing against? Wrong. Most of the time, whether in business, entertainment, or romance, we misidentify who the opponent is. Let’s start with romance. Take the hypothetical of a high school guy trying to win over a high school girl. He...
by Phil Houseal | Jan 17, 2024 | All Articles, Education, Philosophy
Jan 17, 2024–“Are you busy Saturday night?” This question is the poster child of vagueness. An informed response requires additional context. If you want me to help you move and to bring my pickup, then yes, I am busy. In fact, I am so busy, beavers and bees will...
by Phil Houseal | Jan 10, 2024 | All Articles, Food, History, Philosophy
Jan 10, 2024–I have come to the conclusion there is no more perfect universal human food than the egg. For some of you this might seem obvious. But it’s a case of forest and trees, as most of us grew up with eggs everywhere, so much so that we don’t see them. It...
by Phil Houseal | Dec 29, 2023 | All Articles, History, Philosophy
Jan 3, 2024–I was recently making conversation with humans from different generations. They were fondly reminiscing about their “growing up” years, incredibly the obscure past of the 1990s. As they discussed how laughable it was that “today’s kids” were baffled when...
by Phil Houseal | Dec 27, 2023 | All Articles, Education, History, Philosophy
Dec 27, 2023–Memories of our favorite toys are as faulty as the toys were. When we grow up and don the mantle of Santa, we are excited to pass along our favorite toys from childhood. Through cloudy mists of memories, we re-visit those idyllic days, model trains...
by Phil Houseal | Dec 20, 2023 | All Articles, Education, History, Philosophy
Dec 20, 2023–A hobgoblin is a mythical sprite that plays impish tricks at night, stealing keys, hiding utensils, unraveling seams, and generally making you question your sanity. My house is infested with them. In the the past few weeks, many of my precious “tools”–or...
by Phil Houseal | Dec 13, 2023 | All Articles, Education, Philosophy
Dec 13, 2023– “Are you blind!” “She traveled!” “C’mon ref… that was a foul!” Such was my soundtrack while at a high school basketball game. I like to sit on the visitor side, as that is usually where the most open seats are, and it keeps me from having to listen...