Drugs & Our (In)Justice System

I had a very enjoyable, informative, and uplifting afternoon today. Although in some ways it was frustrating because of what I heard. My podcast partner, Dennis Sherrard, and I recorded an episode today with an inspiring young woman. Her name is Sydney Friedrichs and she works for Pathfinders of Tarrant County. One of their programs is pre and post release counseling and assistance to those incarcerated for drug offenses. Sydney works with the female offenders, she has a co-worker who deals with the male offenders. 

The program is very successful. Compared to recidivism statistics for those not aided by Pathfinders, those in other states, jurisdictions or nationally, these folks rank at or near the top. Unfortunately, they can only reach a small number of those incarcerated primarily for drugs. You can hear more about the specifics of the program in Sydney's own words on the podcast. 

This post is about the stuff you didn't necessarily hear on the podcast. Dennis and I had a chance to talk with Sydney before the recording session and afterward over lunch. She has a diverse background and history, not always ideal. She is smart, articulate and most importantly, dedicated to helping others. 

For an old guy like me, this is very encouraging. We too often have only negative impressions of the younger generations. While I personally don't share those generalized views, it is nice to meet someone from those generations who truly is giving back.

I'm a Baby Boomer, one of the older ones, and overall I'm not happy with what my generation has done. We started out OK in the 1960's. We did change some social structures and norms. Unfortunately, many of us abandoned those ideals for financial security and conformity. But that's the subject for another post. 

Let's face it, drugs are a huge problem for our country. I think it is made much worse by the way we treat those who have addictions, especially how the criminal (in)justice system treats them. But again I stray from my main point.

As an old fart, I was truly inspired today. I know Sydney and her cohorts are making a valiant effort in spite of the overwhelming odds against them. We need more of these efforts which of course means more funding and acceptance by the penal and judicial systems. And of course by the public and our politicians.

Most of the young people I come in contact with are just fine. Sydney happens to be one of the outstanding ones. Give them a chance, they can't do much worse than the Boomers did.

Please, listen to the podcast. You will hear firsthand from someone on the front lines. As a society, we must do better. Please also check out the Pathfinders website to donate or help in other ways.

As always, the Two Old Guys Drinking Beer podcast is on iTunes and Google Play as well as our podcast archive website. This episode's direct link is http://2ogdb.libsyn.com/episode-13-the-interview-sydney-friedrichs?tdest_id=515247

wjh

Too Many Choices

I was doing a little research today to see if I can save some money by cutting my cable. It's fairly complicated to get just the right channels. Some are must haves and some are wants. But that's not specifically what this post is about. While sifting through the many TV options, I realized that we seem to have a million choices for just about everything. Let's look at some examples.

For TV viewing, we used to have three or four channels. You bought a TV, connected an antenna and turned it on. When the UHF channels came along, you may have had to get a tuner if the TV was old and maybe a different antenna but it was still basically the same deal. All the channels were free. When cable TV came along, you just disconnected the antenna and connected the cable but you had to pay the cable company. When the number of cable channels exploded plus premium channels like HBO, we needed some kind of set top box but it was still one cable connection for all the channels. The bad part was that most locations had only one cable provider, no competition and no incentive to do a good job. The original satellite dishes usually required an antenna too for local channels, that meant two connections to the TV but still only one paid provider. Now we have content providers that are only available through the internet, some free and some paid. Many people have to have a cable/satellite and an internet connection. To get the content from the internet to the TV, you need some kind of device(s) and/or a newer smart TV. That device may be a Roku, ChromeCast, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, X-box, Android TV, etc. Some content is not available on all these devices so you may need more than one. You will also have to pay multiple content providers directly unless you are extremely lucky and can find one provider that bundles all the channels you want. Highly unlikely. You may also need to attach an antenna again for all the local channels. After all that, you may save a few dollars a month. It's more complicated than that in practice. We now have dozens of choices but it is not as simple as connecting one antenna or one cable provider. 

TVs and other technologies are not the only products that now have a multitude of choices. Look around the grocery store. There used to be one kind of Oreo cookie and one size package, now that website lists 178 products. There are dozens of different flavors, variations, and packaging options. The same with milk. I remember when milk came in quarts either white or chocolate. It was almost all whole milk. Now we have whole, skim, 2%, 1% and non-fat. There are almond, soy, rice, and other milks. There are various flavors and sizes for each of these. Almost any type of food now has some kind of diet or low-cal variety. There may also be an organic option and of course gluten-free and non-GMO. 

All laundry detergent used to come in a box and was loose powder. Now we have liquids, tablets, dissolvable packets, with or without bleach, numerous scents or unscented, for delicate fabrics, hypoallergenic, biodegradable, and many other choices.

Everyone used to pay for things with cash, checks, or store/company specific credit cards. Then general purpose credit cards like VISA, MasterCard, and others came along. Now we have multiple e-pay and money transfer methods, and automatic deposits in conjunction with those credit cards or bank accounts. Some don't require any line of credit or even a checking account.

Pick almost any category of product or service and there will be myriad choices and numerous ways to pay for them. Choice is usually good, but having to spend an inordinate amount of time or effort to pick the right choice is not. Having to have expert knowledge to make what should be a simple choice is troubling too. Some wrong choices can be extremely expensive, some could even be deadly. 

When choices become too complicated in an area, someone will come up with easier solutions. Take the entertainment content delivery. Up until a short time ago, the choices were limited but relatively easy. You hooked up an antenna or called the cable or satellite company. Now that streaming over the internet is available it is fragmented. If you decide to cancel your expensive cable or satellite service, you will almost certainly have to deal individually with numerous providers. New bundle options are emerging both from established delivery companies like Direct-TV and Comcast and new entries into the market like YouTube, Apple, Sling, and others. There will be more. It will remain confusing for awhile, but some providers will fall by the wayside or consolidate. I expect in the not too distant future there will be a service and/or website that you plug in your location and the channels you want and it will figure out the best options. Then we'll have to choose which of those services to pick.

On balance, more choice is usually good but do we really need nine flavors of Triscuits?

Now I'm not sure how to decide which kind of Oreos to get or what milk to dunk them in.

What products or services do you think have gone overboard?

Choices, ain't they great.

wjh

Football 2017 - Preseason

It's almost time for real football to start. The high schools and colleges are in full blown practice. The NFL is already playing pre-season games. Real games in all the categories are just a couple of weeks away. So what can we expect this season? Will your teams do well, disappoint or just be bad?

My teams are Florida, South Florida, and TCU in the college ranks. Jacksonville, Atlanta, and Tampa Bay in the NFL. I also keep track of the local high school, L.D. Bell and my alma mater, Bishop Kenny High School. I've been a Florida Gators fan since my youth, South Florida is my alma mater. TCU is the local college and I like that a little private school plays with the big boys. I grew up in Jacksonville and I still feel connected to the hometown. I moved to Atlanta a couple of years after the Falcons began playing. They were the first NFL games I saw in person. I also used to see the players around town, even talked with several. The attachment to the Buccaneers is because of my days living in Tampa while in college. I prefer college football over the pros. The Dallas Cowboys are the local NFL team. I feel no attachment to them although I'd just as soon see them win unless they are playing one of my favorites. A Dallas win makes many of my friends in particular and the whole area in general happy. 

So how does the upcoming season look? The Florida Gators are ranked #17 and the South Florida Bulls are # 19 in the AP Top 25 preseason poll. It's unfortunate that they don't play each other this year. TCU falls just out of the Top 25 at #26. The Jaguars still look offensively challenged. The good news is that the AFC South is a weak division. The Falcons are coming off their heartbreaking Super Bowl loss and should repeat as NFC South winners. Can they shake off the disappointment and get back to the championship game? Tampa Bay should be a middle of the pack team again and on the playoff bubble. 

Overall, it looks like the same old teams at the top. Alabama, Ohio State, and FSU look to be the cream of the crop in the NCAA. New England is the favorite to repeat as Super Bowl champs. 

The Gators will know what kind of team they have right off the bat. Their first game is against #11 Michigan at a neutral site, AT&T Stadium in Arlington,TX, on September 2nd. That game will be nationally televised on ABC. Their schedule also includes #13 LSU, #15 Georgia, and #3 FSU. It looks like Florida and Georgia will battle it out for the SEC East title. Maybe the annual Florida-Georgia game in Jacksonville will be the deciding game. Go Gators!

The Bulls look to have an easier time. They are the only ranked team in The American Athletic Conference (AAC). They also don't play any ranked teams in their non-conference games.

The Horned Frogs play in the Big 12 Conference, a conference with only 10 teams. They have to play #7 Oklahoma, #10 Oklahoma State, #20 Kansas State, #22 West Virginia, and #23 Texas. That's a tough schedule. 

Good luck to all my teams. Let the games begin.

wjh

The Confederacy

The removal of Confederate statues and other symbols from public places, most recently in Charlottesville and New Orleans, has revived the controversy once again. It was a prominent topic a couple of years ago when South Carolina removed the Confederate battle flag from the Statehouse grounds. 

The Charlottesville, Virginia, demonstrations turned violent and deadly. Many white supremacists, neo-Nazis, KKK members, and other troublemakers flooded the area. Most from out of town. 

I grew up in the South and have lived in the South for all but a few years of my life. I consider myself a Southerner. Still, I can not agree with those who defend having Confederate memorials on public property. At the same time, I am in full support of your right to have a Confederate flag bumper sticker, fly a confederate flag at your house or erect a statue of Robert E. Lee on private property. Even Confederate museums are worthwhile and someplace I would visit.

Let's get the obvious out of the way first. The Confederate States of America (CSA) lost the war. Those who fought for and supported the CSA were traitors to the USA. They were guilty of treason. They split from the USA to preserve slavery. South Carolina and the CSA started the war by attacking Fort Sumter. The states rights argument was only a minor factor that has been overblown to justify support of slavery. So, the CSA was on the wrong side of human rights, were traitors, and got beat. Why should we memorialize or celebrate that? 

I have read many books about the Confederacy and the Civil War. No, it was not the War Between the States or the War of Northern Aggression. The South started the war. It was a war by some states against the United States of America. I must admit, I was enthralled by the romance of the Civil War as a youth. It seemed like the underdog Southerners fought a brave and gallant fight against the stronger enemy. I wrote a high school term paper about Col. John S. Mosby, the Gray Ghost, the leader of the quasi-guerilla Mosby's Rangers. They were a small unit of cavalry who operated in Northern Virginia, often behind Union lines. Exciting and romantic. I was also surrounded by an atmosphere that constantly supported and propagated a view of the good Old South. Parks, streets, and schools were named after Confederate generals and statesmen. Rebels was a common school nickname and the Confederate battle flag was prominently displayed. It often felt more like the CSA won the war in many places. 

As I studied the Civil War more, my perceptions began to change. I realized that the states rights and northern aggression arguments were BS. The war was started to preserve slavery, pure and simple. Slavery is wrong. There is no way to argue your way out of that. 

The South miscalculated their strength and ability to defeat the more populous and industrialized North. Had they not started the war, slavery would have remained in effect for several more years. Except for the abolitionists, most people of the 1860's were willing to allow slavery to continue in those states it was already legal in. Their tempestuous actions actually accelerated the end of the exact thing they were trying to protect. Despite losing the war, the South tried to pretend that they won. After Reconstruction, laws were passed that came as close as possible to reinstating slavery. Segregation, poll taxes, and other laws relegated the Blacks to third class citizenship, just a couple of notches above slavery. That lasted about 100 years after the end of the Civil War. 

All those Confederate statues, parks, schools, flags, and other symbols continued to rub salt in the wounds of the Black descendants of those slaves. It's about time that the losing side in the Civil War admits that they lost. 

Do we have memorials to the British generals who lost the Revolutionary War? Would any of you Confederate flag wavers support a monument of a Nazi SS officer who killed several thousand Jews and hundreds US troops in WWII? Well, Lee and Beauregard are responsible for the death of thousands of US Troops, all under the direction of Davis. 

Put these statues, memorials and symbols on private property, document the deeds of these men in history books, historic sites, and museums. Let's not memorialize them in public places and continue to dismiss the feelings of those they sought to oppress.

What I find confusing and contradictory is that many who are ardent supporters of the Confederacy and its symbols also identify themselves as super American patriots. How does that square? The CSA was anti-American. It tried to break-up and defeat the USA. The CSA states decided that politics and discussion were not the way to make their point. Violence and war were. 

Let's never expunge the Civil War from our history. Let's also not continue to glamorize and misrepresent what the war and its aftermath were really about. What part of the Confederacy would people want to support today?

The Civil War ended on May 9, 1865. That's 152 years ago. The old, slave owning, South will not rise again. Thankfully.

wjh  

Glen Campbell - RIP

On August 8, 2017, we lost Glen Campbell. RIP Glen, you were a consummate musician and performer. You entertained and brought joy to millions of fans. Most of us have a favorite song of his, there are a lot of choices. 

I will admit that I never bought a Glen Campbell album or record. He was never the coolest or hottest (funny they mean the same thing) singer or recording artist. His songs were most definitely popular but never cutting edge. That is unless you actually listened to the lyrics. Glen didn't write his most famous songs, but he certainly put his mark on them. 

I was always more impressed by Glen's ability as a virtuoso guitarist. That talent became somewhat obscured when he became a popular vocalist. Just to remind those who pay attention to real musical talent, I have one fact to remind you of how good Glen was. He was a member of The Wrecking Crew. They were the premier studio session musicians of the 1960's and 70's. They were the musicians on the recordings of everyone from Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra to Phil Spector and the Beach Boys. If you ever have listened to a hit song from the 60's or 70's, the odds are very good that The Wrecking Crew were the musicians on the record. They recorded hundreds of songs each year. When Brian Wilson decided to stop touring with the Beach Boys, Glen was recruited to take his spot on the road. Glen played bass and sang some of Brian's vocal parts for about four months. My guess is that having Glen play bass was a waste of his talents since he most surely was the best guitarist of that touring group. He did play guitar on the iconic Beach Boys album Pet Sounds. 

In 1967, Glen had the breakout hit Gentle On My Mind. From then on, he was a successful solo artist. Campbell had great success on the Country charts although he never considered himself a Country singer. As evidenced by his time with The Wrecking Crew and the Beach Boys, he just loved music and good songs. He certainly recorded several good songs. 

I won't try to document his career and discography in detail. Those interested can look up all that. In summation, Glen was a consummate musician, a popular singer, a TV star, and a movie actor. He was around for several decades. 

He had a roller coaster personal life. He battled drugs, alcohol and had some less than harmonious relationships. He seemed to have found some solace since the 80's until the devastating diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease in 2011. 

I hope he didn't suffer and that he didn't remember the last few years. 

RIP Glen Campbell. You left your mark on the world and it is a joyful and musical mark.

wjh

Steve Perry & Journey

Another one of the recent PBS pledge drive shows was Journey In Concert: Houston 1981. 
The title says it all. I had two main takeaways from the program. First, Journey was a terrific live band. Second, I am pissed at Steve Perry for disappearing from the public stage.

Steve Perry

In 1981, Journey was at the top of their popularity. They had just released Don't Stop Believing which has become a Rock anthem and a required song for every Rock cover band. It's often sung by female singers because few males can sing like Steve. They had the #1 album, Escape. It was a riveting performance. One version of their Best of albums contains several cuts from the Houston live concert. I have that album.

The band was formed in 1973 but didn't become popular until they hired lead singer Steve Perry in late 1977. By 1987, the band had pretty much gone their separate ways. There was a brief reunion in 1995 but that didn't last long. 

Perry did a few solo ventures while still with Journey and after '87. Unfortunately, there has been no substantial output since the mid 1990's. He occasionally shows up at a Giants baseball game or at a performance by a band he likes. Still, no new music although he has promised a new album for several years. 

The Perry/Schon version of the band is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Journey has sold almost 50 million albums and 90 million records. Most of those during the Perry era. They have been through several personnel changes, mostly at lead singer. 

So why am I pissed at Steve Perry? Well, because he has or at least had one of the greatest voices ever in the Rock genre. He has power, range, a unique tone, soaring high notes that are not a falsetto. He is also an accomplished songwriter, having co-written such hits as "Oh Sherrie" for his solo career that reached #3.  "Who's Crying Now" (#4), "Open Arms" (#2), "Separate Ways" (#8), "Don't Stop Believing" (#9), and others while with Journey. 

Founding member Neil Schon, lead guitarist, and songwriter, recently said publically that he thinks he will reconnect with Perry. There is some tension within the current Journey lineup, so maybe a Perry/Schon reunion is in the cards. They were the two drivers during Journey's most productive and popular years. Schon recently said “It’s mutual we will reconnect. I know without talking to him.” 

With or without Schon, I want Steve Perry back on the music scene. Until then, I still have my recordings of all the Journey hits.

wjh 

Very Random Thoughts - July 2017

• When old, old friends meet at 4:30, does that qualify as happy hour or the early bird special?
• Why do flammable and inflammable mean the same thing?
• Remember Miss Cleo, the TV psychic, with the 900 call-in hotline? She's dead, but there is now a California Psychics Hotline commercial on late night TV. I'm sure it is totally legit and accurate.
• Speaking of 900 telephone numbers, do they still exist?
• I sometimes watch a very old TV show on one of the nostalgia channels. While I remember the TV series, I don't remember many of the individual episodes. Is that because I didn't watch a lot of the original episodes or because my memory is shot?
• How many "senior moments" can be crammed into a single day? Apparently a very high number.
• How long exactly is a moment?
• Many (most?) local business owners really should not do their own TV commercials. Do not include family members either.
• OK, those Facebook "quizzes" were tolerable for awhile. They seem to have exploded and now overrun some people's posts, and my newsfeed. I've never taken one, and never will. Complete BS and clickbait.
• Isn't it time to just recall every air bag made by Takata? A new recall every few weeks. 
• Did you ever notice how powerful lanterns and candles were on old TV shows? One candle could light up a whole room. 

• I was at the grocery store when a person with extremely strong and bad body odor walked by. Always the fear that the stink will linger and the next person you pass will think it is you who stinks. Same problem can happen on an elevator, BO or farts by a previous occupant who exits leaving you alone in the elevator. 
• Do you get the impression that the people who design packaging never actually try to open it? Some require a power tool or explosives to open.
• How come those special credit card bonus reward categories never include liquor stores? 
• Every baseball player from Little League to the Majors looks at his glove after an error. Is it ever the glove's fault?
• Same idea, if you play the infield, after looking at your glove you smooth out the dirt with your foot or pretend to pick up the pebble that caused the bad hop.
• I keep hearing the expression so and so or something "broke the internet" but it always seems to be working when I check.
• Is there such a thing as a non-practicing atheist or agnostic?  

wjh