Picto Diary - 01 to 06 September 2023 - Hal McEwan

Above: John Curtis, US Congressman, Utah 1 (file image). Elephant Club, Alta Club, Salt Lake City, UT. 01 September 2023.

Curtis leads seventy-member Conservative Climate Caucus in Congress. Has good message on coming cheap, emission free carbon fuel use. But is anyone listening? Curtis warns, appropriately, of green energy overreach where high energy costs, energy shortages give rise to high energy costs and weakened US national security.

Above: Bryan Callen, Wise Guys Comedy Club, 01 September 2023, Salt Lake City, UT (file image).

Bryan Callen performance at Wise Guys Comedy Club, Salt Lake City, UT. 01 September 2023. Phunny, Phlip, Philosophical (deep thinking, insightful comedy). Selected recollections, top of mind, sans notes (which means it was a good performance if my 78-year-old brain can recollect key points next day after the fact)! To wit: Bryan's dad staring down a Rottweiler; his mom's penchant for foreshadowing death; Bryan's disappointment with ghoulish, basement dwelling Z's inured to their devices. Bryan's dreams of beating the crap out of three candy ass Zs all at once in an elevator. And Bryan's great insight that by becoming trans, whites have finally found out a way to achieve minority status.

In his closing segment Callen admonished his fans to avoid close mindedness. People should seek to be around others who hold different views. To have one's mind changed is a necessary part of the pursuit of Truth. On a recent Joe Rogan podcast, Callen shunned the progressive notion of moral relativism claiming, in X File fashion, that the truth was out there. Bishop wonders if there is a conflict between always being open to new ideas and compromising the truth if you think you have it already.

Above: Miner's Day Parade, Park City, UT. 04 September 2023.

Out and about on the Duc.

Miner's Day Parade with TWO3. Riding with the Summit County Republicans entry.

Image (with gratitude) by My Belle.

Above: Hal McEwan (left), 93, presents to me "Lectures on Executive Policy," a compilation of executive lectures, organized by my father, BYU Marketing Department Head, Weldon J. Taylor, in the 1950's. Loco Lizard Restaurant, Park City, UT. 05 September 2023. Contained in the compilation are transcriptions of lectures given by, among others, business luminaries of the day, George Eccles, George Romney, David Kennedy, and J.C. Penny. This compilation is a fabulous memory of part of my dad's legacy at BYU, where he was dean of the BYU business school from 1960 to 1975.
Hal, a former student of my dad at BYU circa 1956, recalled the project given to him by Dad, to complete his course requirements for graduation: a study of shopper habits of customers of two grocery stores in Spanish Fork, Utah. "Your dad was a tough task master," said Hal. "I was short on credits to graduate and went, hat in hand, to your dad to ask if there was a way I could meet the graduation requirements. Professor Taylor thought for a minute and then teed up the aforementioned project. The project took a week. I was able to get the stores to agree to do the study. I engaged my fellow students to collect data house by house in the surrounding area. I compiled the data, did the analysis. My wife typed up the project. Your dad wanted four copies of the study. One for each of the store managers, one for him and one for me. Professor Taylor set a deadline for the project at 9:00 AM one morning. My wife and I worked all night to get the finished project ready. We had graphs, pie charts... we worked so hard to put it all together. I was only able to get the project in to your dad at 10:00 AM. He looked at his watch, paused, and then said, "OK." I got an A on the project." Hal wiped tears from his eyes as he completed telling this 57-year-old memory. My tears welled up too.

With Hal (image) is his friend and my former Citi colleague, Mark Gasser. Mark, knowing Hal and of my father's role at BYU, set up our luncheon. There can't be many surviving of Dad's marketing students in the late '50's. I was thrilled to have this encounter with Hal. My on memories of Dad, when I was an eleven-year-old in 1956, included sighting him walking home on Provo's 500 East, playing catch with him in the back yard, and going on family vacations. Hearing Hal's experience as Dad's student, provided me with a new, important dimension of my father's life.

Above: Weldon J. Taylor, Circa 1985.

Above: Grrr, Roy and Z. Salt Lake City, UT. 06 September 2023.
First day at school! Image by Mom.
Weldon's great grandchildren!

Above: Olympic Park, Park City, UT. 06 September 2023.

LSDM Walkers.
21-year-old 2002 Oly monuments getting much needed attention. Banners are sun bleached. Need replacement.

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