1996 marked the end of the Southwest Conference, but the music lives on…somewhere.
Category: History
The Greatest Generation: A POW’s Story
As they marched us back from the river, one soldier was carrying an American flag. That flag was a beautiful sight. I wish that flag could have the same meaning to everyone in this country now. — Loy Dean Lawler Dr. Loy Dean Lawler was an optometrist who practiced for many years in Mount Pleasant,… Continue reading The Greatest Generation: A POW’s Story
We’re gonna browse (and recruit) like it’s 1996
Travel back in time with me, if you will, to the year 1996, and contemplate the state of technology two decades ago. In 1996, just 20 million American adults had access to the Internet, about as many as subscribe to satellite radio today. The dot-com boom had already begun on Wall Street–Netscape went public in… Continue reading We’re gonna browse (and recruit) like it’s 1996
An Internet Pioneer: Me
Depending on usage, the Internet has the potential to become a wonderfully effective business tool, or a troublesome diversion of time and resources. The preceding quote – which today would likely be subject to an editorial “duh” – was lifted from a position paper dated December 14, 1994, authored by yours truly. I ran across… Continue reading An Internet Pioneer: Me
USAF/USMC Viet Nam-Era Recruiting “Infomercials”
Before we get started, take a listen to this (length – 39 sec): Your browser does not support the audio element. I’ve probably mentioned this before but I worked as a DJ at a small AM radio station in West Texas during my high school and early college years. That was back in the late… Continue reading USAF/USMC Viet Nam-Era Recruiting “Infomercials”
An exercise in observation and creativity
I was captivated by this photo someone shared on Twitter and tracked it down in the Library of Congress archives. It’s an undated, uncredited picture of what some have dubbed the “Mark Twain Tree” (which is how it was titled on the Twitter post). I can’t confirm this (and, in fact, I doubt it; see… Continue reading An exercise in observation and creativity
The Midland County Courthouse and Illogical Architectural Sentimentality
The planned Energy Tower now has its own Wikipedia page, so it will inevitably be built, because they can’t put anything in Wikipedia that’s misleading, right? That means that a large number (or small number or a handful or one-or-two) Midlanders will be inconsolable over the demolition of the now-vacant county courthouse occupying a full… Continue reading The Midland County Courthouse and Illogical Architectural Sentimentality
Honoring a Veteran – My Dad
Seven years ago, at the urging of one of my cousins, my Dad sat down with my Mother and dictated the story of his experiences in World War II. Dad served in the Army as a machine gunner in the European Theater – he and his outfit landed at Normandy Beach shortly after D-Day –… Continue reading Honoring a Veteran – My Dad
Flashback to 1973: When we didn’t need Best Buy
There’s no doubt that television technology has made great strides. We’re on the threshold of having an 85″ 33-megapixel TV to hang on our walls (for most of us, it will have to be in the garage, of course), or if that’s too ostentatious, you can put in an order for Samsung’s new 70 incher,… Continue reading Flashback to 1973: When we didn’t need Best Buy
And…another stroll down memory lane: Wiley Walker & Gene Sullivan
Update [October, 2011]: C.S. Fuqua has published a book entitled “Alabama Musicians: Musical Heritage from the Heart of Dixie.” Why do I tell you this? Because Gene Sullivan was from Alabama, and Mr. Fuqua included a chapter about him in the book. He also included the photo shown below, and provided yours truly with a… Continue reading And…another stroll down memory lane: Wiley Walker & Gene Sullivan