By Neal Murphy

“My Mother’s Clothes-line” By Neal Murphy

March 1, 2022 - Anyone who grew up in the 1940s and 1950s like me will probably remember the clothes-lines that dotted most every back yard in our small town of San Augustine, Texas. I still recall the one that my parents had, which was strung between two posts for about thirty feet. Actually, mother's line consisted of two thirty-feet wires so as to double the amount of wet clothes that could be dried at the same time.

“Why Just $19.00 per Month?” by Neal Murphy

February 4, 2022 - Have you noticed lately that most non-profit organizations solicit donations of only $19.00 per month? Being rather inquisitive about these important things, I delved into why organizations solicit like they do, just $19.00 per month. I wondered just why they did not go for the additional dollar and request $20.00 per month. Seems logical to me. Well, some research answered this question. There are two reasons: Federal Income Tax, and Customer Ignorance. Allow me to explain.

"What Color is Your Car?" by Neal Murphy

January 6, 2022 - Many years ago I worked as an underwriter for Allstate Insurance Company. My job was to select applications for automobile insurance coverage that I thought met the company's requirements, and would be profitable. I recall that Allstate conducted a nation-wide survey to determine which color cars were involved in the most accidents. To my surprise, the winner was light blue cars. Now, fast-forward to today. Is that still the case?

In a recent national survey the following color cars were determined to be involved in the most accidents, beginning with:

"Hoppin' John and Limpin' Susan" by Neal Murphy

December 27, 2021 - Another New Year’s Day is upon us and, as Southerners, we will be eating the symbolic meal of Hoppin’ John to assure a happy and prosperous new year filled with good luck. Most of you are familiar with the dish usually made with black-eyed peas (Texas Caviar), rice, chopped onion, and sliced bacon, all seasoned with a bit of salt. This dish has an interesting history.

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