Another round of quick hits

 

I read a report last night in which some blamed Walmart for the killing of "mom and pop" stores. It's an interesting myth, in my opinion, and one that refuses to die. Walmart, as the story goes, used its huge stores and vast inventory from China to wipe out small, independently owned shops and stores.

It was a storyline developed by unions back in the mid-80s. Organized labor has long hated Walmart, mostly because the company had no unions for decades. The myth had legs, but it wasn't true then and it isn't true now. I won't rehash all the economic data that dispels the myth - there's just too much of it. 

If you're really interested in pointing a finger at who helped Walmart succeed and take out some of its competitors, look around you. The American consumer - your family, friends and neighbors - opted to shop at Walmart. The marketplace worked as intended. It is that simple. And then the Internet came along.

Time with Fezziwig and company:

Fulfilled one of my Christmas traditions last night with my annual viewing of "A Christmas Carol" (1938). It's my favorite version of the classic story. It's just over an hour in length but manages to remain loyal to Charles Dickens' story and entertain audiences. 

I first saw this version in the early 1970s, on Channel 9, WGN, out of Chicago. It was screened annually on "Family Classics," a Sunday afternoon program that featured old classics from the 1930s and '40s. My siblings and I watched this version nearly every year and enjoyed more with each passing year.

One a more serious note:

There's not a lot that frightens me at my age. I understand I have more days behind me than in front of me. I get it. Not looking to end things early, but I know the show will end at some point. The older you get, you find yourself making peace with certain facts. There is one thing lately that I find unsettling as I learn more about it - fentanyl, a deadly form of synthetic heroin. 

It's present and available in my home county. It is cheap and lethal, according to authorities, and it's impact is devastating to individuals and communities alike. I try to read as much about it as possible, and there are many good documentary productions available. I recently watched an expectional one, "Opioid Tragedy: Inside the Fentanyl Crisis." It's not an easy film to watch, but it is interesting and informative. 

-- Thank you for reading. Feel free to leave a comment here, or send an email to kbotterman@gmail.com.

A very thirsty generation

It seems to me many in the under-30 generation might be the thirstiest Americans in our nation’s history.

If the World War II-era of American’s was the nation’s “greatest” as many believe, then the current crop of young Americans might one day be labeled America’s most hydrated, based on direct but unscientific  observations I made while working at a public high school and a public library.
 
The young people I see at both sites typically carry containers of water with them throughout the day. Some carry 12-ounce plastic bottles, others walk with 32-ounce containers of various design. And some haul gallon-size jugs of water. I regularly see one library patron with a gallon-size container she fills and empties twice in a five-hour period.
 
I’m not being critical of the practice. If you’re thirsty, drink. Better to drink water than soda or a sugary sports drink. And that’s just what Americans are doing, according to a Reuter’s report from earlier this year, which stated Americans consumed more bottled water than soda in 2016, about one million more gallons than soda, a first for U.S. consumers.
 
So if younger Americans want water, I’m fine with that, but I am amazed anyone can consume as much as a gallon or two of water in one day. If I drank a gallon of water each day, I’d put serious stress on my digestive track and would spend most of the day visiting the bathroom.
 
I am a bit concerned about the amount of water many young people carry with them each day. Looking at the size of the containers some carry around, you’d think they were hiking across isolated terrain, remote from any source of safe water.  The exact opposite is the case. The library and the school each have water coolers available in many locations. The library’s water coolers even include a station that allows individuals to refill their personal water containers.
 
I’m probably making more of this than necessary. If parents, educators and health experts aren’t concerned about the amount of water young people carry around and consume each day, why should I be worked up, right? I just wonder how much water this generation will consume  over the next 20 years, and how exactly will this generation react if their water supply is ever disrupted?

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Kevin Botterman