For a few more days, Madison County Museum is displaying a photo titled “Inductees for World War I (September 19, 1917)”. It includes 49 men of which 15 are named, standing in front of a door to our previous courthouse. They are lined up in 5 rows, but the rows aren’t distinct. If you know more about any of them, please leave a message on the Museum phone (936.348.5230). (Below I don’t keep saying “World War I.)

“The factory of the future will have only two employees, a man, and a dog. The man will be there to feed the dog. The dog will be there to keep the man from touching the equipment.” Warren Bennis Artificial intelligence, AI, we seem to hear the term or its abbreviation on a daily basis. AI can be simply defined as a construct of machines which are programmed with the not so simple attributes of reasoning, learning, communication, decision making, and the ability to take action. In short, AI is designed to simulate human intelligence. All of these abilities require the capacity for abstract thought, and both abstract and concrete thought are critical to cognition. To explain, something which is concrete can be detected with the five senses——it occupies space and exists in time. The simplest way to understand what abstract thought is, is to imagine yourself thinking; when you do so you are thinking abstractly. An example of both, abstract and concrete thinking can be found in the game of golf——the game of golf is an abstract whereas the golf ball used in the game is concrete. You can see and touch the golf ball, but the game of golf is not tangible or detectable with the senses, the game is an abstract, it occurs in the mind.

More than four-fifths of Texas public schools received an “A” rating for their financial practices, according to the Texas Education Agency, which released the final financial accountability ratings for the latest school year last week.

SUPERINTENDENT’S REFLECTIONS Last month, I wrote about what “Inspiring Learning” really means. This month’s topic is focused on how NZISD Inspires Learning by Ensuring Financial Responsibility.

MUSEUM MUSINGS To avoid wasted words, below when I say war, I mean World War II unless I say otherwise. Carl Ben McGinty (1911-1962), Larry McGinty’s father, was a Merchant Marine in that war, and was working in Pearl Harbor on that fateful day, December 7, 1941.

FROM THE DESK OF THE ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL Our elementary students recently enjoyed The NED Show, a school-based character education program featuring the beloved cartoon character NED. His name stands for Never give up, Encourage others, and Do your best.

FROM THE SECONDARY PRINCIPAL As we step into November, I want to take a moment to applaud our students and families for making the first 12 weeks of school truly outstanding. Your dedication and support have set a strong foundation for the rest of the year.

CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS The Texas electorate approved all 17 constitutional amendments on the ballot last week, the Houston Chronicle reported. Those included measures to raise the homestead exemption and reduce property taxes for businesses, and to provide $1 billion annually for a statewide water fund.

CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS The window for signing up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act is now open through Jan. 15, with most Texans expected to pay considerably higher premiums, The Texas Tribune reported.

I was reflecting the other day on the April 8th, 2024 eclipse. If you will recall, there was quite a bit of hoop la la, and mass hysteria among those who typically use their heads for little more than hatracks. A plethora of the so-called prophets and their associated prophecies flooded the airwaves and media outlets. Another defining moment in man’s history of his willingness to be led astray, not to mention the ease with which this is accomplished.