Post 8 - Ashley and Henry Two “famous” people in the Rett Syndrome community are my daughter, Ashley, and the late Henry Engel. On August 15, 2019, Judy, Ashley, and I joined Richard, Mary, and Henry for an afternoon visit in Houston. The Engels were in Houston for research involving Henry. There is a bond between parents of children with Rett Syndrome. This meeting, however, had another element to it. It was a special celebration of two individuals with the dubious honor of being among the most well-known people in the world with Rett Syndrome. Judy and Richard Engel with Ashley Clifford, with Mary, Richard, and Henry Engel Judy, Mary, and Richard with Henry and Ashley Ashley Ashley was the first person in Texas to be diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, and one of the first in the nation, after Rett Syndrome became known in the U.S. Ashley …
Post 7 – Aggie Jokes and Aggie’s Jokes
I arrived at Texas A&M in the fall of 1963. I was 17 years old and the only one in my high school class in Kingsville that year to attend Texas A&M. At the time, Aggie jokes were common in Texas, and none of them were flattering. A friend of mine told me that some Aggie jokes were the same as Polack jokes up north, which derided those from Poland. However, some were too specific to Texas A&M to be shared by those from Poland. Aggies at that time came primarily from small towns, farms, and ranches. Most of the Aggies in my class had little money, so we differed from "teasips" in the elite fraternities at the University of Texas, which we affectionately referred to as "TU". However, we expected nothing from others, and we were used to hard work, and I know for many of my college colleagues that paid off well in life. Ol’ Sarge, a depiction created by Pete Tumlinson from the Texas A&M class of 1942, was a common image around campus. Ol’ Sarge was a …
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Post 6 – Dylan’s Nobel Prize
Bob Dylan and the Nobel Prize for Literature On October 16, 2016, the Swedish Academy accepted the recommendation of the Nobel Committee on Literature and awarded Bob Dylan the Nobel Prize in literature. They indicated that he received this great honor "…for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition." The award triggered diverse reactions. Some said, “It’s about time!” The Canadian poet singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen, when asked his opinion of the decision, said, “It’s like pinning a medal on Mount Everest for being the highest mountain.” Others were appalled. Jason Pinter, author of the book The Fury, among others, responded, “If Bob Dylan can win the Nobel Prize for literature, then I think Stephen King should get elected to the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame.” The award raises questions about the boundaries of literature. Can anything beyond a book or short story be literature? Can scripts for plays be literature? How about …
Post 4 – Is Your Ancestor a Monkey?
Why did I write a book? Inspiration of sorts, for sure.Since I am getting older rather quickly it seems, I thought it time to ask how I got here. If you go to church, what do you hear? You hear about a creator. If you go to some schools, what you hear? A creator is anti-science. We evolved from purely natural causes over millions of years. Since I go to church and to academia, I figured something is wrong somewhere. They both cannot be right. So, which is right? I began investigating and realized I could not keep in my head everything I was encountering. I wrote it down. Hence, the book.Are you created by God? Or is your ancestor a monkey? If you want to be able to explain your answer, give my book a chance. I was recently contacted by the Austin Institute for the Study of Family and Culture, which is housed on the University of Texas campus. The Austin Institute provides students and faculty there a place to discuss ideas outside of a classroom setting. Check out my …
Post 5: The Economics of Freedom
The Pew Research Center found in 2022 that adults under the age of 30 are about as likely to only have a positive view of socialism (28%) as they are to have a positive view of only capitalism(24%). There are fundamental economic differences worth remembering. Capitalism - choiceSocialism - coercion The MarketHow does capitalism, or a market economy, work? It is driven by the choices of consumers.An important aspect to remember about a market economy is that exchanges are voluntary. Both the sellers and the buyers are better off, or they would not have entered the exchange.Suppose you don’t want to buy a car this year. Can the car companies make you buy one? No. Even big firms are only big because we choose to buy their products. In a market economy, consumer choices and movements in prices and profits guide the production and use of scarce resources to their most valuable uses. Firms’ profit motive induces them to respond to consumer desires. If demand goes up for a product, …
Sweet Marie
During the COVID pandemic, Greg Tivis, a full-time musician, and I played music for a Happy Hour at the PARC Traditions independent living facility in Bryan, TX. Given the health concerns, we played outside. Most of the attendees were on their balconies, which surrounded us on each side, but a few were in chairs outside at a distance from us. Greg decided to video the performance live on Facebook. While we were playing, a woman approached Greg at the piano. An aid soon escorted her away, only to have her reapproach Greg with a little dancing. This event spawned a short story that I am sharing with you in this post. For a brief background, once a week I am in a literature discussion with three friends, Lane Rawlins, Mark Morlock, and David Knowles. All are Ph.D. economists, all retired, and all lovers of literature. Lane is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, and he was the supervisor of Mark’s and Dave’s Ph.D. dissertations at Washington State University. …