Beyond Burger

Fake, or should I say plant-based, burgers and meat are all the rage these days. Several restaurants are heavily advertising these alternatives to beef. I've also read a few articles that compare plant-based to real. Most of them are quite complementary to the plants. Livestock of all types seems to be the newest enemy in our environmental battles for a variety of reasons including cow farts and burps. 

So I tried to be environmentally correct last tonight. I cooked one of those plant-based burgers. It was a Beyond Burger from the Beyond Meat Company. Spoiler alert, this did not turn out well. 

See that nice pink patty in the above picture. My patties were closer to grey. I cooked the patty in a skillet on the stovetop. I even followed the recommended cooking instructions which were four minutes per side over medium-high heat. This "meat" does not smell that great raw and was even worse during cooking. Not a rancid smell, but not pleasant. It also tended to burn a little, the second side worse than the first. There was almost no juice exuded during the cooking. On the bright side, there were no grease splatters to clean up.

Now for the taste test. The short story, after two bites I threw the patty out. The longer story, it was rather dry and the texture was strange. It even seemed to have some gristle. Do they add artificial gristle for more realism? There was no pink center. In fact, there was no color variation except for the burnt spots on the top and bottom. 

The package states "previously frozen". The ones I bought were not frozen and were in the regular meat case. They are supposed to be eaten within three days of thawing. I did eat it by the "use by" sticker on the package although I have no idea when the store actually thawed the package. These plant burgers are no bargain either. The two ¼ lb. patties, a ½ lb total, cost $5.99. That makes this "meat" about $12/lb. That would buy some mighty special ground beef, more expensive than Wagyu beef.

I did some research and it seems these plant burgers are really no healthier than real beef. It depends on what you are most sensitive to or need in your diet. 

4 oz Beyond Burger →

Calories: 250

Total fat: 18 g

Saturated fat: 6 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 390 mg

Carbohydrate: 3 g

Fiber: 2 g

Protein: 20 g

4 oz Grass-fed beef burger →

Calories: 224

Total fat: 14 g

Saturated fat: 6 g

Cholesterol: 70 mg

Sodium: 77 mg

Carbohydrate: 0 g

Fiber: 0 g

Protein: 22 g

Another issue for me is the ingredient list. Beyond Burgers are truly a man-made manufactured product. Real beef contains one ingredient: cow. A Beyond Burger, however, includes 18 ingredients: water, pea protein isolate, expeller-pressed canola oil, refined coconut oil, rice protein, natural flavors, cocoa butter, mung bean protein, methylcellulose, potato starch, apple extract, salt, potassium chloride, vinegar, lemon juice concentrate, sunflower lecithin, pomegranate fruit powder, and beet juice extract (the beet juice gives the burger its meat-like “blood”). I did not detect any "blood". 

Beyond Burgers might be fine for some people, vegetarians or vegans for example. As for me, I'm going to wait for science to get a little better at imitating a cow. 

wjh

College Bowls 2019/20

Once again it is time for the college football silly season. Each year there are way too many bowl games, only three of which matter. The rest are the equivalent of soccer friendlies or exhibition games. It only takes a .500 season to qualify for a bowl. That means six-win teams get to play. Hardly a mark of excellence. In addition to a lack of good teams, there are also suspect bowl names and locations. Many are just made for TV filler events, particularly by ESPN. So, let's get on with this year's rundown. 

For 2019/2020 there will be 40 bowl games. That means 78 different teams will participate. There are 130 Division 1 - FBS football schools, so 60 % get to play in a bowl. That is quite an exclusive club.  The first game is December 20th, the last on January 6th.

There are always some funny, awkward, or unfortunate bowl names. Almost every bowl now has some tie-in to a title sponsor.  Some of them this year are:

• Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl - Two problems here. First, it is in Nassau Bahamas, not exactly a hotbed for American football. The game is played in a crappy 15,000 seat soccer stadium. We have bigger and better high school football stadiums in Texas. Second, Makers Wanted is just a slogan for an industrial park in Elk Grove Village, IL. 
• Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl - This game is also played in a rather small 20,000 seat soccer stadium. No, it is not in San Francisco, it is in Frisco, TX. 
• Cure Bowl - Again a soccer stadium, this time with 25,500 seats. The CURE refers to breast cancer. 
• Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl - What's a Cheribundi? It's cherry juice.
• Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl - At least it is played on a natural grass field.
• Walk-On's Independence Bowl -  Walk-On's is a sports bar/restaurant chain. Hardly any of the players will actually be walk-ons. 
• Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl - Shouldn't this be named Tony the Tiger Cereal Bowl? No tigers will be playing in this bowl. It will be the Seminoles vs the Sun Devils. 
• Vrbo Citrus Bowl - Can I buy a vowel? 
• Famous Idaho Potato Bowl - I always find this name confusing. What exactly is famous? Idaho, potatoes, the bowl, some or all of the above? This is the game played on the blue field.
• Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic - Not a funny name but the game is no longer played in the actual Cotton Bowl stadium which still exists, it's at Jerry's World. For a few years, there was a minor bowl at the real Cotton Bowl, but none this year. 

The sponsorships change every year. Many only last a year or two. A few stick around for years. 

Because of the lax requirements for bowl eligibility, there are some pretty bad teams in the mix. If in any year there are not enough six-win teams to fill all the slots, they just waive that requirement. In theory, a six-win team will have a .500 winning percentage. Because we now have conference championship games, some teams play 13 games so a 6-7 team is still good enough. It doesn't look like that aberration happened this year. In fact, there was one extra bowl-eligible team this year. Toledo (6-6) is the unlucky team that lost the lottery. However, there are 13 6-6 teams in the fray. That includes The Kent State Golden Flashes and FSU Noles, two extremes of the college football spectrum.  

Enjoy the games, root for your team. If your school is one of the have-nots who made the dance, this is your chance to get a national TV game and maybe a big upset. If you root for a major school that snuck in with a 6-6 record you just hope for a win so it's not a losing season. I'll certainly watch the three playoff games that count and the Gators play in the Orange Bowl. A few others look interesting too. There is also the yearly tally to see which conference does well in the bowls. The ACC has ten teams in the bowls. The SEC and Big 10 each have nine teams. 

If these 40 games are not enough, remember there is an even sillier season at the end. That would be the four all-star games that have lost almost all relevance in recent years. They are now mostly populated by marginal players hoping for a look by NFL scouts. 

So, let the games begin. Happy bowling. Go Gators! Go SEC!

wjh

Sad, Angry, & Pissed

I held off publishing this post until after the Thanksgiving holiday. I was certainly not thankful for this incident. 

This post is partly a vent and a rant. As the title says, I am sad, angry, and pissed off. 

A few days ago I got a text from my son. He was informing me that one of his friends and softball teammates had been shot and killed. This friend, Jared, was also a friend of mine. I have known him for a few years through the softball team. 

The best way I can describe Jared is that he was a good soul. He was almost always in a good mood despite any problems he was having. He seemed to enjoy life. I never once heard a cross word from him. He was funny and fun to be around. From what I know, he was conscientious and hard-working. Everybody liked Jared. Well everybody but maybe the shooter. 

From the news stories and what I have gathered, Jared was shot by his half brother. The original story to the police by the shooter was that Jared was going into the half brother's house through a window. This house is also Jared's mother's house. The cops were suspicious and a couple of days later filed murder charges. I won't go into the specifics since they really don't matter at this point. The bottom line is that a 30-year-old good man is dead and his 19-year-old half brother is charged with his murder. In addition to the tragic death, that family is now doubly devastated. Unless the shooter confesses, we may never know what actually happened. It has all the makings of a family argument. Jared was shot multiple times, like the kind of shootings that occur during a rage. 

Besides being a good soul, Jared leaves behind a wife and two young boys. From all accounts, he was a very devoted father. He was also a gifted athlete so while his boys may inherit his genes, they will be denied his teaching, coaching, and encouragement in their athletic endeavors not to mention their journey through life. 

The last time several of us saw Jared was on October 16th. The last softball game of the fall season. The Broncos had just won the league championship. It was a fun night. 

Broncos Softball - Jared back row right

My son and I attended the visitation and funeral. Both made me more sad and angry. Hearing from those who knew Jared and seeing the photos and videos of his life reinforced my impressions of him. The funeral was a very nice service with a large crowd. Jared had a big family and many friends. Very nice services and big crowds will not bring Jared back or heal the hole in all our hearts and lives. 

Jared Moore 2016

Now the rant part. While I have no knowledge of whether the gun involved in this tragic incident was legally purchased or the shooter was the owner. That doesn't matter to me. The fact is that a loaded lethal weapon was within easy reach when this situation occurred. That made it deadly instead of maybe a pushing match or a fistfight. That might have resulted in some injuries but probably no deaths. There are way too damn many guns in our society. It is estimated that there are more guns than people in the US. I know several people who have no guns, so some folks have a lot of guns. Why do we need all these guns? About 99.99% of the folks in this country don't need to hunt and shoot for their next meal. Many folks don't live in particularly dangerous areas. The neighborhood where this incident took place is middle-class suburban residential. I know the stock phrases like "guns don't kill, people kill". Well, bullshit. People without guns don't shoot and kill. The fact that a gun is within reach when a family or domestic argument occurs instantly makes that event potentially deadly. 

I have no simple solution but I do know that we need fewer deadly weapons in the public domain. Let's make it harder to buy and own a gun. Let's make it easier to take a gun from those who shouldn't have them. Let's fund more and better mental health services. Let's change focus to saving lives rather than maximizing the profits of gun manufacturers. Let's worry about the gun victims and their families instead of NRA head Wayne LaPierre and politician's war chests. At least, let's pass the gun restriction laws that the majority of Americans support like universal background checks and red flag laws.  

Every time I think of this tragic incident, I get a tear in my eye and very angry. 

RIP Jared. We will all miss you. This didn't need to happen. 

Jared's obituary.

wjh

Very Random Thoughts - November 2019

• Some guys and all women should not participate in Movember.
• This clock changing from daylight to standard time is not worth it. Pick one, we'll adjust. 
• Actually, the facts and the procedures matter for bad behavior. But mostly the facts. 
• Would anyone listen to a politician or talking head if they didn't say outrageous and usually untruthful things?
• How long after Trump is out of office will it take to restore confidence in the FBI, CIA, State Department, DOJ, and other agencies? 
• Fortunately, I will not live long enough to read the historian's account of the Boomer years. I suspect it will not be kind. 
• Same deal for the Trump years. Even less kind. 
• There is a rumor that Trump needs reading glasses but doesn't like to be seen wearing them. This is a hoax, Trump doesn't read. 
• Every cell phone service provider has one or more unlimited data plans. None of those plans is actually unlimited. All throttle down your data significantly after a threshold that is far less than infinity. So, unlimited actually means limited. 
• Right or wrong, truth or lie, no longer matters. The only test is someone a member of your tribe (party).
• The word is similar, not simUlar.   
• The word unicorn is vastly overused these days and has multiple meanings.
• When watching a politician being interviewed on TV, I often yell, "just answer the damn question." 
• I think we can all agree that there are way too many members on Congressional committees.  
• The new slur by millenniums "OK Boomer" pisses me off. No, not because it's a putdown but because my generation didn't do better. 
• Reinforced tonight. Dolly Parton is a national treasure.
• My hyperactive upstairs neighbor was especially active today. It's hard to believe a kid can gallop and jump for that long. 
• Writing is fairly easy, it's the rewriting and editing that is a bitch.

wjh

The Irishman

I watched The Irishman on Netflix. It was originally released in the theaters for a couple of weeks before being available on Netflix. I'm glad I waited to watch it at home. The movie is about 3½ hours long. A movie that long requires a pause button for kitchen and bathroom breaks, not to mention a stretch or two. 

No surprise that the cast was good. Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, and Harvey Keitel play guys in or involved with the mob. It is directed by Martin Scorsese. I think those guys have some experience with this genre.

The movie is the story of Frank Sheeran (De Niro), a WWII veteran who is a Teamster and generally shady character who does some low-level jobs for some Philadelphia mob guys. He comes to the attention of Russell Bufalino (Pesci), one of the mob bosses in Philly. Although Sheeran is Irish, he speaks Italian and they hit it off. Sheeran becomes a confidant, enforcer, and hitman for Bufalino who introduces him to Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino). Sheeran does some dirty work in Detroit for Hoffa and they become fast friends too. 

Sheeran continues to work for Bufalino and at the same time rises in the Teamster union ranks thanks to Hoffa. He becomes one of the main conduits between Hoffa and the mob. Sometimes working for Hoffa and the union and sometimes working for Bufalino and the mob. Eventually, those two factions get sideways with each other. What will Frank do?

This is one of those time-shifting movies. It is Frank as an old man in a nursing home remembering his past. Scorsese chose to use CGI tricks to depict the players as younger men. This was done instead of hiring different actors to play the younger years. For the most part, the CGI young De Niro, Pacino, and Pesci were believable. There were a few scenes when one or more of the actors' makeup/CGI was a little off. I'm not sure if they used CGI or just makeup for the guys when they got old. Most of the main actors are already in their 70s so making them old is less of a stretch. 

The flashbacks were sometimes confusing as to exactly when they took place. It also made it harder to sort out all the relationships, especially for the peripheral characters. For those of us who were around in the '50s, '60s, and '70s it is fun to see the old cars and other signs of the time. Remember Stuckey's and Howard Johnson's? They did a good job recreating the times. There were also some good tunes in the soundtrack.  

This movie is far from the best work for any of the leads. Still, 75% to 80% of De Niro or Pacino is pretty good.

If you subscribe to Netflix, watching this movie is a no brainer. It's a theater-quality production. The 3½ length also makes home viewing the right choice. 

I'm going to rate this movie a B+. Everybody in it has done better work and it is a little disjointed at times. Definitely worth a look though. 

wjh

The Good Liar

We went to see The Good Liar the other night. It turned out to be a good choice. It stars Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen so we were pretty sure the acting would be good regardless of the script. Turned out the story was OK too. 

On the surface, this is the story of a grifter, Ian McKellen, who preys on older vulnerable women among his other scams. The vulnerable woman, in this case, is Helen Mirren. She is a widow with a substantial bank account. There are a few supporting characters like Helen's grandson and Ian's partner but this is primarily a dance between the two leads. They are more than up to the task.

No spoiler alerts, but all is not as it may first appear. You may figure out some of the plot twists but I'm guessing you won't figure it all out. That is unless you read the novel by the same name. 

This is a very satisfying movie. Those of us of a certain age may enjoy it more than the younger folks. Those watching with us were considerably older than those running around the cinema complex to see Frozen.

The movie is rated R for violence, language, and brief nudity. I found the violence and language to be very minor. The brief nudity was very brief and not part of a sexual nature. 

I rate this movie a B+. Maybe not the best movie of the year but certainly worth the time. 

wjh

Echoes of Laurel Canyon

Echoes of Laurel Canyon is a 2018 documentary about the musicians of the 1960s who congregated in the Laurel Canyon neighborhood of the Hollywood Hills. It is now streaming on Netflix. 

This was the time of The Byrds, The Mommas and the Poppas, The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, CSN, and many others.

Jakob Dylan conducts interviews with several of the original musicians from that era and some contemporaries influenced by them. These are mixed with archival footage. There are also some redos of the old songs by Jakob and others mixed in. 

It comes through that there was a lot of cross-pollination and influences among the groups. The fact that many of these folks were neighbors facilitated that. Musicians also moved from one group to another.

One interesting factoid relayed by Brian Wilson is that Rubber Soul begat Pet Sounds. The Beatles say that Pet Sounds begat Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Each pushing the other.  This confirms what I had heard before and have always thought. Three pretty good albums.

This is far from a perfect documentary. Some early influencers and neighbors like Joni Mitchell are completely ignored. The revivals of the old songs by Jakob Dylan and company are not always very good. That opinion may be because I grew up with the originals and they are hard to improve on. I would have preferred more original music and in-depth interviews with those who inhabited Laurel Canyon back in the day. 

Still, if you are a fan of this music, it is a worthwhile look. You will probably learn something plus there is some good music. I rate this documentary a B. 

wjh

Seth Meyers - Lobby Baby

Seth Meyers is the host of the late-night talk show Late Night with Seth Meyers on NBC. He was formally the head writer and Weekend Update anchor for Saturday Night Live. He is a funny, smart, and articulate guy. I'm a fan and usually watch at least the monologue of his nightly show. 

Seth has a new comedy special on Netflix. Although he is very political and critical of Trump in his normal monologues, this special is primarily about his personal life as a husband and father of two young children. The title refers to the fact that his second child was actually born in the lobby of his apartment building. 

There is a rather short section of political jokes in the middle. The twist is that Netflix provides an on-screen button that allows you to skip the political joke segment. That way both Always Trumpers and Never Trumpers can watch and enjoy the program. 

The rest of the special primarily recounts the rather unusual circumstances surrounding the birth of Alexi and Seth's two children plus some other marital challenges. 

Seth usually presents his nightly monologue seated at a desk, Weekend Update style. I can remember when he first started hosting Late Night and did a standup monologue. He was pretty bad. Awkward, uncomfortable, and mostly lost. He has improved tremendously. He certainly doesn't command the stage like a Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, or Robin Williams (who does), but he is certainly adequate.

The material is pretty funny and self-deprecating. It is also mostly non-political. 

I rate this special a B+. Give it a look. Now streaming on Netflix. 

wjh

Very Random Thoughts - October 2019

• "Life is all how you remember it" Admiral William McRaven.
• Many businesses brag about being family owned and operated. That's only a positive if the family actually knows how to run a business. Many don't. 
• Most local TV anchors and reporters are pretty bad when they have to go off-script. Babble. 
• Nobody in movies or TV shows ever has to recharge their cell phones. I must have a bad phone.
• I have decided that I will never learn how to fold a fitted sheet. At my age, it really doesn't matter. 
• You do not want to be the guest star cast as the partner of a star TV cop. Like the Star Trek red shirts, you will not survive. 
• On episodic TV, we are supposed to remember the good characteristics of the ongoing characters but completely forget all the screwups from the last episode. 
• Custom-fit t-shirts are now a thing you can order on the web. I don't feel the need to buy any. 
• At what age should a girlfriend be called a womanfriend? Boyfriend vs manfriend? 
• Consider washing your hands before peeing, not after. Your genitals have been safely tucked in your knickers all day. Your hands have been touching filthy stuff out in the world.
• I recently broke a Pyrex pan and needed a new one. I bought a 14" enamel-covered cast iron roasting pan. Damn, that sucker is heavy. 
• Almost every cop show on TV seems just like all the other ones. Same plotlines, same high tech stuff, same look and feel. 

wjh

The Democratic Debates

I have watched all three Democratic debates. I'll watch the fourth and any subsequent debates. If the Republicans have a debate I'll watch that. After the nominees are chosen, I'll watch the general election debates. That's what I do. I consume a large amount of news and the debates are news. All that being said, I hate the political debates, especially the primary debates. Here are some of my suggestions for improving these debates to make them more informative. 

First, never have 10 or 12 candidates on the same debate stage. No one gets enough time to expound on their answers or policies. There are also too many interruptions and overruns of the allotted answer time. A few candidates get a lot of face time, some get almost no time. 

Limit each debate to one or two topics. One on healthcare, one on foreign policy, one on the environment, etc. Besides allowing for more in-depth answers, the candidates and questioners could also better prepare for the subject matter.

Limiting the topics would fix one problem we have had this election cycle. The moderators insist on asking healthcare questions. In fact, they insist on asking the same healthcare questions. Will your Medicare for all require raising taxes on the middle class? Will your plan force people who like their current insurance to change? Then if the questioner doesn't like the answer, they ask it again. Those same questions were asked in all the previous debates. It is as if healthcare is the only important topic. Another tactic would be for the candidates to refuse to answer questions that they have been asked, often dozens of times. Steer the topic to those not yet covered. Refuse to answer the gotcha questions that the media is so enamored with. There is no useful or informative answer to these types of questions. (Do you still beat your spouse?) 

The DNC could require the networks and questioners to stick to the agreed-upon topics. Failure to comply and the network and/or questioner is banned from future debates. 

Find some way to give each candidate close to equal time. That may mean restricting the time of those who don't abide by the rules. Maybe turn off their microphone. Real debates have real rules that are enforced. These political debates are more consequential than a high school debate. 

The DNC, media, and candidates owe it to the public to make these debates or forums meaningful, informative, and factual. I don't hold out much hope that any of these changes will be implemented. Both parties and all media outlets seem to be invested in the current very flawed format. We can only hope.  

wjh

More Information, Less Informed

In this age of the internet and numerous cable news networks, we have an abundance of information at our fingertips. We should all be far better informed. Yet, unless we are diligent, we only get that information in short segments. Very few deep dives where we get all the facts and context rather than just the headline. 

The cable news equivalent of the newspaper headline or extra addition is the breaking news graphic, announcement, chime, or the large blinking TV crawl (chyron). 

We also have many news outlets that are highly curated to give a specific slant and bias to the news they disseminate. Some have no regard for facts and spread conspiracy theories. There is also a blurring between news content and opinion or editorial content. We should all realize that Fox News is slanted toward the Trump/GOP agenda. MSNBC is slanted toward a more Democratic view. Neither of these networks has actual news programs during primetime. They are opinion/commentary shows. The same is also true for most of the daytime programs. 

As slanted as those two networks may be, they are "fair and balanced" compared to many media outlets. There are websites, podcasts, YouTube and Facebook Live shows, email newsletters, etc. that are at the extremes. You can find some outlet that will feed you what you believe is the truth and what want to hear. Of course, that is dangerous. We all tend to agree with the news that most mirrors our beliefs and views. We also tend to dismiss news we don't agree with regardless of the facts. 

I would encourage you to flip the channel, go to another website, subscribe to a different newspaper or newsletter. I would also encourage you to regularly skip the opinion shows. Watch the network and local newscasts around 6:00 each evening. Read your local paper and a couple of national publications. Give a peak to an international TV news program like the BBC or even Al Jazeera. See what the rest of the world thinks about what is happening and what they think about the US.  As time goes by, if you have an open mind, you will learn which publications, programs, reporters, anchors, websites can be trusted. None are infallible, but some are mostly factual. The good ones quickly admit their errors and correct the reporting. The bad ones simply forget the story or dig in and repeat the erroneous stories. Two different sources are better than one. Three are better than two. 

Find out who you can trust then curate your own opinions based on those facts. Even then, everyone will not agree. Facts are facts but they can be interpreted differently. Religious, ethnic, racial, gender, geographical, political, professional, etc. differences play into our interpretations of those facts. 

It's our country. It is our duty to vote and if we plan to vote, it is our duty to be informed. 

wjh

Goliath - Season 3

Goliath is an Amazon Prime TV series that stars Billy Bob Thornton as maverick and brilliant lawyer Billy McBride. A once big-time lawyer, he has forsaken all that and descended into an often drunken very small practice. Yet, he takes the down and out underdogs cases against the big corporate bad guys. He, of course, wins in the end against all odds. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two seasons. They are still available to watch on Amazon.  

In this third season, Billy is up against a family that controls all the water and commerce in a rural California agricultural area. Many farms, businesses, and residences have no water. The farms and businesses owned or in cahoots with the controlling family have all the water they want. 

Dennis Quad is the main bad guy for season 3. He plays Wade Blackwell, the top guy in Blackwell County. There are a few other big stars in the cast. 

The first few episodes of season three find Billy and several others in a hallucinogenic stupor fostered by Blackwell and his henchmen. These episodes were disjointed. Many characters came and went for no apparent reason. For a brilliant lawyer, Billy was extremely dumb and slow on the uptake. There was some bad, and over-acting by several of the characters. The whole script is filled with one dimensional, unbelievable, and over the top characters. 

Finally, midway through episode five, Billy figured out he was being drugged and actually began to act like a brilliant lawyer again. 

As usual, Billy won the case with some luck, investigative work, and legal maneuvering. The ending is also somewhat disjointed. It will be interesting to see if there is a fourth season and if so, how they put things back together. 

This was by far the worst of the three seasons. I can't really recommend this season, but it isn't terrible. The last three episodes are far better than the first four. 

I rate this a C overall for an uneven season.  The first two seasons are far better. 

wjh

Our Last Visit to The Temple

Globe Life Park

On a warm evening, September 12, 2019, my youngest son Matt and I made our last trip to Globe Life Park to see a Texas Rangers baseball game. It turned out to be a very enjoyable evening. One of the great joys of being a father is going to a ballpark with a son who is also a baseball fan. There are no bad visits regardless of the game outcome, the weather, the seat location, the traffic, or anything else.

A little history. I am a big baseball fan. When very young, I was a New York Giants fan. We lived in the metro New York City area until I was about 6½ years old. I remember watching their games on an old black & white TV. Willie Mays was and is my all-time favorite baseball player. We then moved to Florida and there was no local or even near MLB team so I still rooted for the Giants but hardly ever got to see them play. After college, I moved to Atlanta and the Braves had also recently moved to town. I had the chance to go to several games back when Hank Aaron was their star. I even got to see Willie Mays on the few occasions that the now San Francisco Giants and New York Mets came to town. I became an Atlanta Braves fan. Even when I moved to south Georgia I could keep up because their games were televised on WTBS and carried on cable TV. Then in the mid-'80s, I moved to the DFW Texas area. The Texas Rangers were the local MLB team. I knew little about them since they were an American League team and were never contenders. Nevertheless, I decided to latch on to them as my new team. It was difficult. The team was mostly terrible and the ballpark was even worse. Still, Arlington Stadium could be fun. Admission and concessions were cheap and there was no problem getting good seats at the last minute. We all got used to mediocre at best baseball and facilities. 

Then in the '90s, the team started to get better. Not great but respectable. They had some young studs and signed Nolan Ryan. They also got new ownership that finally had some money. They planned and financed a new stadium along with the city of Arlington. It was just across a parking lot from the old stadium. 

I was lucky enough to go to the opening day of the new stadium and then the next night to the first night game. They were nosebleed seats down the right-field line but still great. It was amazing. It was a particularly striking contrast from the dump that was the old stadium. It was big, not cramped. It was shiny and green, not faded blue and rust. There were dozens of concession stands and restrooms, not just a couple of often flooded locations. There were big electronic scoreboards and TV monitors. It was beautiful. In fact, it was the best ballpark I had ever been in. Not the most iconic or historic but the best. I had been to (old) Yankee Stadium, Shea, Wrigley, Fenway, Dodgers, Anaheim, Candlestick, and several others. It was beautiful. The first time you emerge from the concourses to the field of any ballpark is special. This was extra special because I was one of the first 40,000 people to experience that Opening Day and the Rangers were my adopted team. That Opening Day was in 1994. Now in 2019, 26 years later, the stadium is apparently worn out. 

This ballpark will always hold a special place in my heart. Besides being there for Opening Day, I also had the opportunity to take my stepson to that first opening night game. I went to many games with friends and colleagues in those first few years. Finally, probably around 1997 or '98, it was time to take my youngest son to a ballgame. He was five or six by then and already a baseball fan and old enough to know what was going on at the game. He was a huge Pudge Rodríguez fan at the time. I still remember as we made our way to our seats, we passed a big poster of Pudge. Then we turned the corner and he saw the field. It was a magical moment for both of us. I have no memory of who the Rangers played or who won the game. It didn't matter. At that game and several others, Matt would drink Dr. Pepper, eat a hot dog, maybe ice cream in a little batting helmet. Dad had a couple of beers and maybe a dog. 

We also went to a couple of fan days during the off-season when we could tour the clubhouse, indoor batting cages, the dugout, and the field. Matt got to take batting practice, run the bases and slide into home. Special times. 

The Rangers continued to improve after they moved to the new ballpark. It was originally named The Ballpark in Arlington. It then became Ameriquest Field. Unfortunately, Ameriquest went out of business with the mortgage crash in 2007. The stadium went back to Rangers Ballpark. In 2014 it became Globe Life Park. The new stadium will be named Globe Life Field. 

Starting in the mid-'90s, the Rangers began winning division titles. They peaked in 2010 and 2011. By 2015 and '16, they made the playoffs again. Matt and I went to those playoff games. By then, he was joining me in drinking cold beers. We now go to games every season. It is always a joy. We splurge for good seats, pay attention to the game, and have a few beers. We once stayed through the end of an 18 inning game. 

Our last trip to Globe Life Park was almost perfect. It was a Thursday night game against the Tampa Bay Rays. We headed that way around 5:30. We parked across the street from the stadium and right next to Texas Live, the new eat, drink, entertainment venue. We had a good early dinner. Better food, a real table, a server, and less expensive than the ballpark. We then matriculated across the street to the stadium. While standing in the security/ticket line, we heard the national anthem. Into the concourse and we grabbed a beer because we had to walk about halfway around the field to our seats. We stopped at our aisle to talk to our favorite beer vendor. Then walked to our seats just in time for the first pitch. No waste, no haste. They were good seats, row nine between home and the third-base dugout. The beer vendor in that section is a friend so we were well taken care of. It was warm but not oppressive and the Rangers won the game. Most importantly, I was with my son at a ballgame. What more can you ask?

The new ballpark opens next season. I'm sure it will be nice. It will have a retractable roof so there will be no more 100° days or rainouts. Comfortable, but it will never replace the current stadium or even the previous old dump. My youngest son will never see his first MLB game at the new field. I will never have to stand in ankle-deep water for a beer or piss in the trough of old Arlington Stadium restrooms. Matt and I for sure will go to games at the new Globe Life Field. Maybe someday there will be a son/daughter and grandchild we can go see a game with. That will make the new venue really special.

A local sports radio guy early on named the ballpark The Temple. It was an apt name and has stuck. I don't know if the new Globe Life Field will get a nickname but it will never be The Temple. RIP old friend. 

wjh

Very Random Thoughts - September 2019

• News reporters who ask officials after a tragedy if they can guarantee it won't happen again should have their press credentials revoked. There are no guarantees in life.
• Likewise, officials who say "this will never happen again" should be removed from office. 
• It seems to me that about half the celebrities have written children's books. How tough is that? Hire a good illustrator and write a 100-word story spread over 20 pages. 
• The sales commercials often say "the more you buy, the more you save". Actually, that means the more you buy, the more you spend. 
• Hopefully, you don't agree with every position of any political candidate. Think for yourself. 
• Maybe Thoughts & Prayers should be changed to No Thought and Preyers. 
• Some Amazon devices are named Fire. Now that half of Brazil is burning, Amazon Fire has a different meaning. 
• How Important can a piece of mail be when it is addressed to Current Resident or Occupant?
• It occurs to me that if I were a kid today and had the same toy gun arsenal I had as a youth, the police would probably shoot me. 
• There is an AFLAC commercial that features Nick Saban. Wouldn't that turn off most college football fans except those who root for the Crimson Tide?
• How times change. I watched some of the Emmys. It seemed that most of the commercials were for non-traditional networks like Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime, etc. Those networks also won most of the awards. 
• I also realized that I have seen hardly any of the shows and have no idea who many of the presenters or winners are.

wjh

Bedford BluesFest 2019

Another Labor Day Weekend and another Bedford Blues Festival. As usual, it did not disappoint. It was hot, but not unbearable. It is summertime in Texas. 

Saturday night we slummed it with general admission tickets. That meant watching from a blanket spread on the hill. We first checked out the craft vendors, nothing exceptional. Amazingly, no jewelry was purchased although it was checked out. We also checked out the food vendors. It is always heavily weighted to BBQ although there are some "fair food" choices too like corn dogs, funnel cakes, even fried Oreos. We stuck with Green's Texas BBQ, a local Euless food trailer and a spinoff of the famous North Main BBQ. I had a pulled pork sandwich that was fine. Nothing special with average sauce. My companion had a brisket plate with beans and potato salad. The brisket was tender, moist, and flavorful. The sides were not great. The potato salad was very bland and the beans were about like canned pork & beans. 

Then it was on to the music. We saw part of Charlie Musselwhite's set.  He is an old-time blues musician, in the Blues Hall of Fame, who sings and plays guitar and harmonica. It was a solid set by an old pro. Charlie has been at BluesFest before and hopefully, he'll come back again. 

The Saturday headliner was JJ Grey & Mofro. This band is from my hometown of

Jacksonville, FL. Their origins go back to the '90s with their first recordings in the early 2000s. JJ is the lead singer and songwriter. He also plays guitar and harmonica. They play a mixture of music, some blues, some southern rock, some soul. The band includes brass which is a change of pace at a blues festival. Many of their songs are about places I am familiar with. One song is about Lochloosa, a small town, and a lake between Ocala and Gainsville. Another was about the St. Johns River which flows right through Jacksonville. JJ has a very powerful voice and the volume was turned up to "11". Probably too loud. He also has a tendency to talk a lot between songs. Cut the volume and cut the talking and the set will be better. They were good, but not outstanding. 

Sunday we got there early because some friends we were meeting were taking part in the BBQ sample/vote event. We passed on that. BTW, Green's won the event. After some food, we migrated to our preferred seats. We were in the first five rows in front of the stage. We watched Nikki Hill's set. She was good, if not exactly the blues. She is a good singer backed by a good band. It was an energetic performance. 

The Sunday and festival headliner was Boz Scaggs. Boz grew up in Plano and attended school in Dallas where he met Steve Miller when he was around 15 years old. Boz was in good voice even hitting the falsetto notes. Of course, he had a good, tight band. He played all the hits except Look What You've Done To Me. What's with that omission? Boz did rely on some prerecorded help on the background orchestration like the horns and the backup singers on some songs. He definitely wasn't lipsyncing. He did about a five-minute version of his big hit Lowdown.  It was a very good performance. Boz still has it after all these years. 

I have been going to this festival for years and have never been disappointed. There is always plenty of good food, cold beverages, and often great music. The price is right too. 16-ounce beers are $5 or $6, food is reasonable. General admission has been $10 for the past few years. That includes eight to ten acts per day on two stages. They always manage to get a name headliner. If you missed the 2019 version, make plans for Labor Day weekend 2020. You won't be disappointed. See you there. 

wjh