History Lessons Learned, Teachers Dissed & Seventies Stoners Dismissed

 September 5, 2026

   Some of my old classmates have been dissing—online, of course—one of our English teachers at MCUHS in Kingman. I had my issues with her as well, but it didn't seem right to me.

    It's all part of a buildup to an all-60s-class reunion next month, called appropriately The Big Hair Reunion, after, well, our penchant in the 1960s for having big hair:

Beehive Waitress at

the Beehive Cafe

Big Hair in Kingman Town

History Lessons Learned

   As I approach the end of my editorial leadership role at True West magazine I have been reflecting on what I actually learned in the 27 year process. To be clear: I came for the Truth, with a capital T. I wanted to dig deep and find out, once and for all, what part of our Western history is true and what part is false. The short answer is, from where I sit now, there is no final answer on what is false and what is true. As the Old Vaqueros are fond of saying, "What's true in the morning is a lie by sundown." It's a moving target. And, at the end of the day, some stories are simply more believable than others.

End of Story?

   Actually, the end of the story is that there is no end to the story. The bigger truth is that time destroys everything.

   And, speaking of self-righteous pontificators who I can no longer stand, I'm so old. . .

I Remember The Stoner Age of Arizona Media

Seventies Stoners

(A Few of The Enlightened Journalists I Knew

Back In The Day)

A Flashback to The Eighties Media Landscape

BBB as publisher of the Arizona Republic dealing with the public relations representative Bill Shover

   I really dig that negative space on the chair I am sitting in. Also, this is a very decent caricature of Bill and the desk phone is rendered quite well. Simple, yet immediately identifiable.

"Those who can't do, teach. Those who can't teach, teach gym."

—Dewey Finn (Jack Black), in "School of Rock"

"Everything started going wrong when we abandoned the cause of teaching civics."

—Bret Stephens