Archives for July 2017

Texas Standard: July 31, 2017

Rewriting a constitution. That’s now a possibility in Venezuela. We’ll explore how the US may respond. Plus, there’s been a full reversal at The Texas Department of Public Safety: Local law enforcement won’t have to pay to send evidence to be tested at the crime lab. And we’re traveling back in Texas time to when typewriters were tech breakthroughs, and Austin landed IBM. Also what’s behind a surge in new HIV cases in San Antonio. And, advice from one mom on how to raise a Texan, in California. All that and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Best of “Higher Ed:” Breaking Down Tough Questions

We all face questions in life that seem just about impossible to answer. Maybe it’s a really tough question on a test. Or maybe it’s a challenging assignment at work. What can we do when the answer just won’t come to us? How about not answering the question? In this “Best of” episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger explore ways to break down seemingly impossible questions into manageable parts. So just to be clear, the advice here is not to ignore the question. But Ed advocates starting by breaking down a hard question into a simpler one in a parallel vein, or translating it into a known, easier question.  Ed and Jennifer discuss how this technique can be used in or outside of academic settings. Wondering if you should listen on to hear more? That’s a definite yes! You will also get the solution to a puzzler that poses some interesting questions; it assumes three = 1/2 of five!

This episode was recorded on November 22, 2016.

KUT Weekend – July 28, 2017

What’s at stake if Texas hands its voter file to the Trump administration. Plus, Austin police pull hundreds of patrol vehicles off the streets because of carbon monoxide problems. And how Austin teenagers are using film to express feelings about their parents’ deportations. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend!

Subscribe at https://weekend.kut.org

Texas Standard: July 28, 2017

The repeal of Obamacare, promised by republicans for 7 years, appears dead for now in the senate. We’ll explore the grand gesture that led to this moment. Also, as investigators try to get to the bottom of the deaths of 10 immigrants packed into a sweltering tractor trailer. What about the company that owns the trailer? An AP investigation finds a long trail of violations and complaints from drivers, we’ll hear more. And an electronic mix-up causes the Texas Department of Transportation to stop sending out bills for the use of tollroads, we’ll hear why. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Mani Pedi

Oh, how wonderful it feels to have freshly painted fingernails and toes! That’s the inspiration for this week’s Typewriter Rodeo poem.

Imposter Syndrome (Rebroadcast)

Most people feel in over their heads when they first enter a challenging situation or even a new job. And, while conventional wisdom suggests those with trepidations about trying new things should “fake it ’til they make it,” it may not always be the best course of action.

In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Bob Duke and Dr. Art Markman discuss what’s known as “imposter syndrome” — the practice of pretending to be the person you want people to see you as rather than who you truly are — and explain why it may just be better to just start working towards your goals instead of faking it.

Texas Standard: July 27, 2017

And on the eighth day the Texas senate took some time off. After passing 18 bills in one week, what happens next? We’ll explore. Plus he took an oath to serve his country. She is now wondering if she’ll be forced to leave the military. A conversation with an Air Force Staff Sergeant based in Texas bracing for a bitter transition after yesterday’s Presidential tweets on who can serve. Also, too early to talk about 2020? A veteran analyst sees a three way race already forming. Plus discovering the hidden tacos of Texas and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: July 26, 2017

A new transgender ban for the US Military? A presidential proclamation on social media this morning sparks a scramble for answers, we’ll explore. Also, the mayor of Corpus Christi tells us he’s got a question for the man he voted to be governor: why the assault on cities? We’ll talk to mayor Joe mcComb as he and more than a dozen of his mayoral colleagues from across the state get ready to meet with Governor Abbott. Plus, file under not fake news: is Snopes, the original fact checking site of the world wide web, in danger of going dark? And what do Texas cities sound like? Our commentator on the greatest songs about Texas towns and a whole lot more, today on the Texas Standard:

Top of the Chart Songs about Texas Towns

There are thousands of songs about Texas. For example, all the way over in England, Duran-Duran – the British new wave pop group, dropped a top 20 (#14) song called “Rio” back in ’82.

And you have “All My Ex’s Live In Texas” and “The Yellow Rose of Texas” and “The Road Goes on Forever,” as does the list.

Pat Green sang in “Songs about Texas” – “there’s a song in every town,” implying that there is a song FOR every town in Texas. Probably true, but only a rare few made it to the Billboard top 40.

So I thought it would be interesting to look at Pat Green’s idea with one provision: What are the songs about Texas towns that became bonafide hits? Note these are not about Texas in general, but about specific towns in Texas. I looked at songs after 1960 (when the charts were more reliable) that became hits on either the pop or country charts.

First is “El Paso” by Marty Robbins. His most famous song. It was released in ‘59 and hit number one in January of 1960. And some trivia? The cantina beauty Faleena was named after his 5th grade schoolmate, Fidelina Martinez.

I must also mention Robbins’ “Streets of Laredo,” which was an unofficial hit that same year – unofficial because it was never released as a single, though it received a lot of air time.

Next, chronologically, is “Galveston” sung by Glenn Campbell, which made it to number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969. Jimmy Webb wrote it while sitting on Galveston beach.

“Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone?” made it to number 1 on the country charts in 1970, sung by Charley Pride. The song was also made popular by Texan Doug Sahm, who recorded it twice: once in 1973 and again in ‘91 with the Texas Tornadoes.

“China Grove” by the Doobie Brothers was number 15 in 1973, written by Tom Johnston. Got the name subconsciously when the band passed through China Grove, a town of less than a thousand, while on tour, as the lyrics say, “down around San Antone.”

In the same year – 1973 – “La Grange” by ZZ Top. This song only made it to 41 on the Billboard Hot 100, but in Texas it no doubt ranked much, much higher. From the Album “Tres Hombres,” this song put the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, The Chicken Ranch, on the national map. Made it “Nationwide” in ZZ Top lingo. It’s also number 74 on Rolling Stone’s all time best guitar songs because of Billy Gibbons’ virtuoso performance on a 1955 Fender Stratocaster.

“Luckenbach, Texas” was released in 1977 by Waylon Jennings and made it to #25 on the pop charts and #1 on country charts where it stayed for over a month. Guess the idea of simpler country living was appealing. It made Luckenbach so popular the state had to stop making Luckenbach signs because the theft rate was breaking the budget.

George Strait’s “Amarillo by Morning” hit number 4 on the country charts in 1983. Written by Terry Stafford a decade earlier, after going to a rodeo in San Antonio and driving home to Amarillo.

I have to give a tip of the hat to “I’m a Ding Dong Daddy from Dumas.” Though it was released before there were charts, it was a quite a phenomenon in the 1930s and 40s. Written by a moderately successful bandleader and native Texan named Phil Baxter, who spent a few weeks in Dumas. The song was performed by everyone – including Bob Wills and Louis Armstrong. Even the town radio station is named KDDD – for Ding Dong Daddy.

This Song: St. Paul and the Broken Bones

There’s no denying that St. Paul and the Broken Bones are full of soul, and in this episode you get a little taste of where it all came from. From a cappella versions of “Amazing Grace”, to Otis Redding and Miles Davis, the Alabama-based bands depth of spirit is influenced by passionate, emotional music. “Being able to draw emotions out of yourself and people is a very powerful thing,” says lead singer Paul Janeway, “It’s what we do for a living, and we love doing it.”

Subscribe via the Podcasts App, iTunes or Stitcher to get the new episodes of This Song delivered to you as soon as they come out.

 

Check out St. Paul and the Broken Bones tour dates 

Check out the This Song Episode featuring My Morning Jacket’s Jim James

Listen to Songs from Episode 93 of This Song

 

Texas Standard: July 27, 2017

A deadly discovery in South Texas with echoes of the past: why is Texas at the epicenter of the human smuggling crisis? We’ll have the story. Also the terms are used almost interchangeably: human trafficking and human smuggling. We’ll look at what the difference is, and why it matters in the wake of 10 deaths in the back of a tractor trailer. Plus a sad sign of of an oil rebound? Experts point to a boom in methamphetamine use in the oil fields of west Texas. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: July 24, 2017

Of the 19 items on the governor’s agenda 17 are already headed to the Texas senate for a full vote. The House: that’s another story, we’ll have details. Also, how did it happen? The deaths of at least 9 locked in the back of a tractor trailer in San Antonio this weekend raise concerns about the persistence of human trafficking in Texas. And government by and for the donors? Why watchdogs are worried this special session is becoming a spigot for campaign contributions. And the appeal of California vs. the lure of Texas: the migration patterns are clear, but what might this mean in political terms? Those stories and lots more today on the Texas Standard:

Best of “Higher Ed:” How I Learned to Love Calculus

Was there a subject in school that seemed so hard and unsatisfying to study that even to this day the thought of it makes you cringe? For many students, that subject was Math. And perhaps more specifically, Calculus. Maybe it was the confusing terminology or seemingly abstract concepts. Can Calculus ever redeem itself? Is it ever useful? In this “Best of” episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger give Calculus a second chance. In a previous episode, Ed promised Jennifer he could clearly explain Calculus in just a few easy steps. In this episode, Jennifer takes him up on that challenge. Can Ed make Calculus accessible and maybe even fun? Listen on to find out, and to hear the solution to a puzzler about the Road to Truth.

This episode was recorded on October 4, 2016.

KUT Weekend – July 21, 2017

Is Obamacare “failing” in Texas? Plus, why more-affordable homes are harder to find in Austin. And Stubb’s music venue could rename itself after the celebrated venue Liberty Lunch. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend!

Subscribe at https://weekend.kut.org

Texas Standard: July 21, 2017

If its true you get what you pay for, what exactly are we paying those who make our laws? We’re answering your questions today on the Texas Standard.

The price of local policing is about to go up-way up- as the Department of Public Safety comes out with a price menu for its lab services. We’ll hear what’s behind what may be a big squeeze for local police.

An oil spill in the heart of Texas draws a spotlight to the miles and miles of combustibles under our boots. We’ll explore.

College Station, Texas: ground zero for the Game of Thrones? Why the author picked A&M to be a Citadel for his manuscripts…

Also, the Editor in Chief of the Texas Tribune on the week in politics and then some.

Humiliation

Humiliation can make us feel small and insignificant, so why do humans humiliate one another?

In this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the psychology of humiliation and how you can make choices in your life to prevent you from feeling humiliated when the bullies strike.

Musicians From Lubbock

What’s in the air up there? Why has Lubbock given us so many wonderful Texas musicians? That’s the question pondered in this week’s Typewriter Rodeo poem.