The “Success Rate” of 12-Step Programs Is Always an Erroneous Number to Be IgnoredEvery so often, an article or op-ed is published decrying 12-step programs, citing a statistic of their “effectiveness” or “success rate” —…Mar 13, 20231Mar 13, 20231
On Bruce Wagner’s Force MajeureI didn’t know anything about Bruce Wagner before I heard him on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast. I read all kinds of books, but whatever the…Feb 2, 2023Feb 2, 2023
So You Need to Decide: Examing How We ChooseA self-help book without an agenda is rare — most of them are selling a system or a method that is a direct solution to a problem — but…Dec 23, 2022Dec 23, 2022
The Babstinence Podcast: a Rare Perspective in Addiction/Recovery“Quitting on your own” is the most common method of quitting anything — before we find a program or system or whatever, everyone tries to…Dec 19, 2022Dec 19, 2022
My Reboot of Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler”This is how I would have written the song had the same shit happened to me.Jan 25, 2021Jan 25, 2021
These Roses Are Crack PipesThese roses are crack pipes. They’re sold at corner stores throughout the country, in neighborhoods where they’re needed. It’s illegal to…Dec 11, 2020Dec 11, 2020
The FBI’s Most Wanted PoetIn my early 20s, I read a lot of writing by ex-cons, from poetry, to crime fiction, to plays. I think it started with Jack Henry Abbott’s…Dec 10, 2020Dec 10, 2020
Bambi Lake, Riding the MadnessA rusted-out Trans Am pulled up beside me on the street, and Bambi Lake stuck her upper half out the passenger window, like a mermaid on…Nov 12, 2020Nov 12, 2020
Prop 15 Will Accelerate Gentrification and Endanger Small BusinessProp 15, on the November ballot in the California Election, aims to redefine the way property tax is assessed. The selling point is the…Sep 9, 2020Sep 9, 2020
Now Streaming: Pam Grier in CoffyShe’s the “godmother” of them all! The baddest one-woman hit squad that ever hit town! — text from the Coffy movie posterJan 17, 2020Jan 17, 2020
