Author Archives: Thorne Dreyer

ALLEN YOUNG | HISTORY | Mixing the tequila of Cinco de Mayo with the blood of Kent State: A quirky history essay

We look back at two days in May. By Allen Young | The Rag Blog | May 17, 2023 Sí, mis amigos, Cinco de Mayo is a well-known date (that’s May 5 in English), and of course it’s a time … Continue reading

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CLIFF WILKIE | MEMOIR | In a little cafe just the other side of the border

It all happened in Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, on March 30, 1969. By Cliff Wilkie | The Rag Blog | April 30, 2023 It was just like in the Marty Robbins song, “in a little cafe just the other side of … Continue reading

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ALLEN YOUNG | BOOKS | ‘To Tell the Truth: My Life as a Foreign Correspondent’ by Lewis M. Simons

Valuable insights into journalism offer a very enjoyable read. By Allen Young | The Rag Blog | April 21, 2023 Reading this book has provided me with a unique experience that is both intellectual and emotional, and I think it … Continue reading

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ALICE EMBREE | BOOKS | ‘The Ad Hoc Livers’ by Jim Simons

Simons’ book is a great trip down memory lane with a few name changes to protect the not-so-innocent. By Alice Embree | The Rag Blog | April 17, 2023 Jim Simons’ novel, Ad Hoc Livers, is now available on Amazon … Continue reading

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LAMAR HANKINS | POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY | ‘Woke’ attacks promote inequality and injustice

Not to be ‘woke’ is to willfully ignore reality. By Lamar Hankins | The Rag Blog | April 13, 2023 Right-wingers, the emotionally damaged, and “lazy ideologues” who hurl being “woke,” like an epithet studded with sharp spikes to wound … Continue reading

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The Orange Show Presents ‘Old Weird Houston’

Events include presentation by ‘Rag Blog’ editor Thorne Dreyer. By Pete Gershon | The Rag Blog | March 17, 2023 HOUSTON — Houston at mid-century was a place where anything seemed possible, from an air-conditioned domed stadium to a monument … Continue reading

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JONAH RASKIN | THE SIXTIES | Avedon at the Met: the Chicago Seven and the Sixties

‘I wanted to see if I could reinvent what a group photo is,’ Avedon observed. By Jonah Raskin | The Rag Blog | March 8, 2023 Looking at Richard Avedon’s black-and-white photos of the Chicago Seven which peered out at … Continue reading

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LAMAR HANKINS | ACTIVISM | Rules for troublemakers

My prison experiences caused me to understand how much I had taken on faith about administrators. By Lamar W. Hankins | The Rag Blog | February 24, 2023 At age 78, I continue to see the value in and the … Continue reading

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BRUCE MELTON | CLIMATE CHANGE | Winter storm Texas 2023, and climate change

Ice storm brought down the power lines and it’s cold, cold, cold. By Bruce Melton | The Rag Blog | February 9, 2023 Bruce Melton will be Thorne Dreyer‘s guest from 2-3 p.m. CST, February 9, 2013, on KOOP 91.7-FM … Continue reading

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LAMAR HANKINS | SPORTS AND RELIGION | Offering up prayers for Damar Hamlin

When did God start taking sides in football games or bless the performances of various pious athletes? By Lamar W. Hankins | The Rag Blog | February 8, 2023 Prayer seems to me a cry of weakness, and an attempt … Continue reading

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ALLEN YOUNG | DOCUMENTARY FILM | ‘Surviving the Silence’: An upbeat but convoluted story about three strong women

The film compels the viewer to think about the injustice of anti-gay discrimination in the context of military service. By Allen Young | The Rag Blog | February 5, 2023 The documentary film Surviving the Silence is the intriguing story … Continue reading

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THORNE DREYER | REMEMBRANCE | Daniel Jay Schacht, July 4, 1945 – December 22, 2022

Danny was involved in a precedent-setting landmark case before the U.S. Supreme Court. By Thorne Dreyer | The Rag Blog | January 24, 2023 With tributes from friends John R. Herrera and Roger Baker In September 2015, our mutual friend … Continue reading

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