Getting to Know You

In this episode, Shane, a family connection from days long past, joins me to tell about his early life in Ponchatoula, LA, grade school through college, challenges and opportunities found in life, leaps of faith, and his projects. At the time of this recording, he was an unemployed author writing daily to explore a nearly endless array of topics that include "content" as it is seen today, a developing theory of everything, consciousness studies, meditation, and a relentless examination of belief. He aspires in his writing "to eff the ineffable" and explore "The Big Blip."We may one day reconvene to chat through the evolution of consciousness and what's become of us.

Mr. Jimmy Arnett, my late father's best friend, hops on the show to tell about his family history from a few centuries ago to World War II, his birth a few years later in New Orleans, LA, his childhood moving to and from the Franklin, LA, area, his own father's untimely death, and a bond of friendship with my father and their friend group that began in the late 50s. He tells about his best friend's eating habits, the commanding presence my father maintained from the get-go, a car accident when they were young, food and football alongside Lake Pontchartrain while both students at LSU-NO, and a cascade of memories from the seven decades now behind him. We jump ahead to Mr. Jimmy's career and family, friends, music, and the last times we saw my father. We talk through Dad's fight with cancer, his death at 66, the wake and funeral that followed, and more memories of life with him.

Mr. Jimmy Arnett, my late father's life-long best friend, joins me on the show to chat about where he came from and how he and my father's lives intersected back in the day. We hear endless memories of food, football, and friendship at the Lakefront in New Orleans and for the 45 years that followed.

Fred and I first met at the Baton Rouge Traffic & Transportation Club crawfish boil where I received a scholarship to jumpstart my life after college. I moved out to Baton Rouge in late 2009 chasing a job and a 20% pay bump and got involved with the Baton Rouge T&T Club where we met again. From there, we talked career aspirations and present conditions, future potential and a conection made.We hear about his childhood in Houma, LA, a start in college, 16 years, 9 months in the Army, and a journey into the civilian world at a local railroad. He found himself in the oil and gas field in trucking and landed at Lard Oil Company where we eventually worked together. We hear about family, society, and whatever else came up between us. It was great catching up with an old friend.

Boston University Professor Carl Ruck joined me a few years back to discuss his long life and experiences. Born in 1935 in Bridgeport, Ct., Carl realized early on an academic prowess that steered him eventually into and through the Ivy League. He was a participant in the psychedelic revolution of the 60s and 70s and found himself amongst those studying it. In his abundant writings over the years, he coined the term "entheogen" to remove the social stigma then-associated with psychedelic pharmaceuticals. We hear about his journey into academia, the Classic Traditions of societal development and language throughout history, about memory, trauma, reality, and lived experiences. He found himself in the realm of the archetypes many years ago, and reminds us now that death "is a pity, but not a disaster."

Fred joined me again on the morning of my 36th birthday back in 2022. We discuss briefly his life touring and a few shows he'd played the prior weekend before we get into a few more songs and side projects of his over the years.The following tracks and projects are discussed in this episode:"Always Give Thanks" • https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/always-give-thanks-audio-cd-included/9421848/#edition=64220451"The Saddest Song" •https://open.spotify.com/track/2VbAK0pKqpoUEFMukWruVN?si=648bd58d72a34752"God Makes the Rain" • https://open.spotify.com/track/06SWtSsyjehUN9TqXWASY1?si=b69bc5840c5f4a07The Avenue" • https://open.spotify.com/track/1QfmUlFp5sOHDJrRE65zBy?si=531522d149534826"Kelly Ripa" • https://open.spotify.com/track/1LjKYNIGxYDHJEb0ExLBHa?si=e3aaad2c15484ff0"He Don't Know You (The Sweater Song)" • https://open.spotify.com/track/0ZwfiOnU67vXK08N6Mcdna?si=220548ce6cbd4803"These Days" • https://open.spotify.com/track/1YJu9m1trD2QQ4qb85kWa6?si=a5dbd0f8d04d4511"I Believe" • https://open.spotify.com/track/1L5xMBdHPQXdRrDAOKtbdF?si=92ac9a68d3e14593Check out their Spotify Channel and discography! https://open.spotify.com/artist/32rtQaUBGDTxYH3rMWKNvH?si=YUFxxV78R9attf-9U6Gahw

In this second visit with Fred, we discuss a number of tracks that inspired something in me over the years, and we hear more about his approach to life and what really matters.The following tracks are discussed in this episode:"Maureen"https://open.spotify.com/track/0FfwRUQYu74uSbVR06hG9r?si=a3d6627ccfb84099"Where's the rain?"https://open.spotify.com/track/6FXffAZ9nACkg34nDLSYcO?si=ae207110511742b0"I believe"https://open.spotify.com/track/1L5xMBdHPQXdRrDAOKtbdF?si=ca3509f9e0984471"Watch the water"https://open.spotify.com/track/26WBQVQm9Gjw2ijzno2HKH?si=3a9a426f4d294c30"Always give thanks"https://youtu.be/75DZ4VZ7ViQ?si=ziJZZ_tpRvqGfuya"Jenny says"https://open.spotify.com/track/3HSBCz4Tj3l1gtjvXal9ey?si=4bab492d955d4871Check out their Spotify Channel and discography!https://open.spotify.com/artist/32rtQaUBGDTxYH3rMWKNvH?si=VTnqYrM_QOyplDKXcsdsVA

Lead Singer and Drummer for the New Orleans rock band Cowboy Mouth, Fred LeBlanc joins me on the show to discuss life, religion, the origins of the band that's carried him through the decades, and we start into a list of a few of my favorite songs of theirs and what inspired them.

From our second of three visits, Fred spends a little time playing through a bit of one of his more popular tracks and speaks some on "the act of faith."

Steven L, Charlie's roommate, joined us for this one and we got caught up on Charlie's present situation as well as dove head first into their perspectives on a few socio-economic, political, and cultural issues plaguing the country today.

Charlie's roommate hops on to share his own story through early life, a career in the restaurant industry, spouses, kids, homelessness, drug and alcohol addiction, and recovery in sober living for his longest stretch to date.

I'm joined on the show by a well-hydrated athlete that loves riding roller coasters. We met in 2016 at work in the river industry, and an eventual move to Detroit prompted a career change for her. Now an Advanced Purchasing Manager for Roush with a degree in Economics, we discuss her journey to this point - her childhood, her education, a study-abroad trip in college, an internship with ACBL that led to a supply management career with Lafarge Holcim, and a few more tidbits of interest from her life.

In this episode of the Getting to Know You Podcast, I'm joined by Senior Vice President of Ingram Logistics Services, Mr. Jacob Kosiara. We talk through his childhood in Chicago, growing up in the trucking industry, a 24-year career moving freight on the roads, and a hobby he enjoys with his family.

In this episode of Getting to Know You, I'm joined by the Towboat Rock Star and el Jefe from the Houston music scene. We discuss their careers in music, a fair number of personal anecdotes, and all about a new project they're working on with two other local musicians proudly named ROWDY. Mentioned in this podcast: Heathen's Blood - Soulless https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWIiPfA3MTo Black Market Tragedy - Heroin https://youtu.be/4Uc0uHtqO1E

I was joined by 2 of the 3 members of the new Houston-based band, ROWDY. They tell me about some recent experiences (and wardrobe decisions) at a ZZ Top concert. A full new episode will be coming out as soon as I can get it done where I sit down with the guys to talk through their careers in local music and the little project called ROWDY that they're working on this year.

Born in 1928, the youngest of eleven children, Mr. Ken Wheeler lived through the German Blitzkrieg in 1941, joined the RAF when he turned 18, and spent 36 years in the service. We discuss family, years spent in the service, his late wife of 67 years, and the chance he had to serve breakfast to the Queen on her way back to England to assume the throne. Please follow these links for the 2 books he's published, so far... https://www.amazon.com/Inspirations-Kenneth-Wheeler-ebook/dp/B08D7QQ8SQ?ref_=ast_author_dphttps://www.amazon.com/Living-Faith-Kenneth-Wheeler-ebook/dp/B08J7YTTDK?ref_=ast_author_dp

On this episode of Getting to Know You, I get caught up with Alex again from over in Australia. We talk a little bit about the show, his volunteer work in civic duty, and about what he's been up to since our last visit.

I'm joined finally by Carla Cutway, a woman I met over a decade ago when she was in a customer service role with Petro Canada. She resides in Ontario, Canada with a houseful of animals and nearly boundless optimism and passion for life. We discuss an array of topics stretching from my podcast projects to animal rescue to socio-economic differences across the border. Her approach to life is far different from most people I've encountered.

In this episode of Getting to Know You, I'm joined by Jon Steele, a family friend that grew up in New Orleans, left, came back, and has followed a decades-long career in the service industry that brought him most recently behind the bar in the French Quarter.

I'm joined today on the Getting to Know You Podcast by Jill Kinney, an aspiring author dealing with a lingering injury following an experience in her youth. She's been a hairdresser for over 20 years and recently had her second spinal surgery. Her upcoming book, "Bad Girl Camp," documents a wild time in her young life.