The state climatologist recently predicted that Texas will continue to get hotter and for longer periods of time during the next 15 years. In “Assessment of Historic and Future Trends of Extreme Weather in Texas, 1900-2036,” John Nielsen-Gammon predicted the average annual temperature in Texas will be three degrees warmer than the average from 1950-1999, and the number of 100-degree days could nearly double compared to 2000-2018.

I was born in Atlanta, Georgia. I have lived in 15 states but call Fayetteville, Texas home.

I’m a child of the 40s, 50s and 60s. I’m not a Baby Boomer, I came just after the U.S.

Ivy Baldwin, hero of the high wire, passed away in his sleep on Oct. 8, 1953 after 87 actionpacked years. Who would have guessed that the little man, who lived so dangerously, would die so peacefully?

Child abuse? We didn’t even know the meaning of the word. In our day, we simply called it kids working on, or helping out on the farm! One incident I remember well is our cattle roundup.

Gov. Greg Abbott has asked the Texas Legislature to increase the penalty for illegal voting, adding the item to the third special session now underway. However, House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, quickly rejected the proposal, according to the Austin American-Statesman.

Imagine how you would feel if you began to have strange problems with your body - you have difficulty punching a number into a phone; your handwriting becomes sloppy and almost unreadable because it is so tiny; your friends say you do not smile very much anymore, and sometimes your facial expression is so frozen you look angry. Your legs reflect this and also seem frozen, as if taking a step is impossible. What could the problem be? Do you need to see a doctor, possibly about carpal tunnel? Do you need to see a psychiatric counselor? After visits to these and at least a dozen additional doctors, I was told to see a movement disorders specialist. This was once simply referred to as a neurologist, but with advanced research and training, it is clearly identified as a classification all its own, with Parkinson’s within its scope. What kind of name is that for an illness, anyway? It is not a disease, so those of us afflicted usually just drop “disease” or simply call it “PD.”

To the Editor: Socialism and capitalism are complex ideas regarding economic systems, so defining them is helpful. Merriam Webster says: Socialism is: 1: any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods 2a: a system of society or group living in which there is no private property b: a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state 3: a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done Capitalism is: an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market.

To the Editor: In response to Patty Reid’s letter last week… As loyal Democrat, are you not allowed to discuss anything negative about the Biden era? Seriously, taking credit for unemployment being down is pretty laughable contrasting lockdown blue states versus open and thriving red states. Ditto for home prices, not rising everywhere just in red states.

To the Editor: I am very concerned about how we get along with our neighbors who have significantly different views about political and social matters. I was tempted to say I would like to persuade you to be more polite to neighbors who have different political convictions.