Do Not Discredit The Bandwagon

Everywhere you look you will find people that have a problem with the proverbial bandwagon. Whenever a certain underdog sports team or rags-to-riches Cinderella player starts to win... inevitably people from all walks will start to say, "look at you, jumping on the bandwagon". I say every long lasting thing (some good and some bad) starts with an old fashioned bandwagon 'jump'!

The underdog never stays an underdog after a good jump on the bandwagon... and sometimes the underdog becomes the favorite because of it. There would not have been a 'Miracle on Ice' if the 'Bandwagon Brigade' didn't activate (USA Olympic win over Russia in ice-hockey).

USA men's soccer team performing superbly (way better than expected) in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil would never have made it to the nightly news casts on network television without the 'Bandwagon Posse' rounding up a few 'Hoorahs' for the World to see!

The Libertarian and Green Parties are still looking for a slew of 'Bandwagoneers' that it will help to bring legitimacy and validity to a third-party political system in the US. Groups that help the poor and disadvantaged people of today strive to get the 'Bandwagon' rolling into something that the American people will rally there support behind.

So let's not discredit or discount or throw away the "B-troop" (that's short for Bandwagon troop). I'm sure when the founding fathers of America started to win against the tyranny of the British there were some original followers of the revolution saying, "Oh look, you're just jumping on the bandwagon." "Where were you when...", but look now to what America has become... the greatest collection of "Band-o-wagon-ding-dong" super-troopers that has ever been!

Get your jumping shoes on... the next best thing is on the horizon!

America the Beautiful... still?

  What are we really coming to? What is the focus and vision for this country? Does anyone know? While listening to the news story of the fertilizer fire and explosion in West, TX I found myself, without provocation of the media, humming the "America the beautiful" song. 

I mean in the midst of the tumultuous

 news of the week my mind turns to a song that always gave me peace, on its own. A song that when singing it or reading the words illustrate a land of beauty and strength. A land that is inviting and compelling. A land that exudes peace and comfort and hope. That is what "America the Beautiful" means to me. How come our children don't get a chance to see that?

Is this the time to turn off the television? If we can't find a moment to calm the fears of the people, quell the anxiety that seem to consistently pervade our senses or just shine a light on the goodness of the majority, that must exceed the 'badness' of the minority, what is the responsibility of those that have access to the masses? A single simple post on a current events forum, or an entry/comment on a Facebook status or even a blogger that writes an inspiring peace of hope may reach few individuals in a day... but the small bit of hope they bring is a drop in the bucket to the sea of despair and wanton disregard for human life that assails our minds every minute of every hour in a day! How can the hopeful compete with that?

I don't think the 'please everyone don't buy gas on a certain day' or 'let's all click like to tell congress we are fed up' is the way to go about changing our present system. The only carrot and stick that America listens to is the money belt. If people, business, corporations and government see a financial benefit in spreading hope and peace within the country there would be an overwhelming charge to better the country via a YouTube video promotion that would garnish 1 million hits on YouTube  Likewise, if there is a financial penalty for displaying and promoting the bitterness, despair, and anguish of the American people, you will see a swift shift in daily programming as sponsors and advertisers would be pulling the plug to keep their money safely intact.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not for censoring free press nor do I believe that we should coddle and pander to the 'tree-hugging' 'kumbaya' 'hippies' that still live today, but I believe that we can saturate every fiber of our being with so much fear and mayhem that soon we will be unable to help the helpless or give hope to the hopeless. We need time to figure out how Boston, Massachusetts (bombing); Suwanee, Georgia (firefighters held hostage); and West, Texas fertilizer plant explosion  affect us... truly affect us. We need time to process and compartmentalize life and 24 hour reporting of death will not do it.

We need to really do better, countrymen! We need to inject as much hope, positivity and joy into our culture to counteract the constant barrage of negativity that is poisoning us and our country... America, the Beautiful! Again, just the thoughts, rants and ravings of Some Guy (oh, and his view)!

The Mind of the Malevolent - Taint-ID!

  Here we are, again. At the crossroads of decision. Do we continue to think that there is good in all mankind and the acts of the few are outliers to our society's wholesomeness or is evil always present in the hearts of

men and we understand that it is a constant struggle to contain the beast within us? Something to ponder, huh? The bombing at the Boston Marathon on April 15th, is a travesty against humanity and all that is decent with the civilized world today. Terrorist activity goes against the decades of civility and order that has helped framed this and other great nations since our decision to live 'relatively' peaceful.

The acts of terrorists try to place everything in a state of impotence; unable to function. Impotent to providing for your family; impotent to securing a safe neighborhood; impotent to establishing a healthy self-governing society... impotent to life. I believe that those that engage in terrorist activity are just projecting their self-loathing, sterile, useless and impotent existence on the rest of us... they are 'Taint-ID'!

Sigmund Freud theorizes that personality is comprised of the id, the ego and the superego. He believes

that they work together to create our behaviors. I'm not particularly a  follower of his teachings but if there was some aspect to this then those that  ndulge in malevolent behavior may give in too much to

their ID... they might be Taint-ID. It isn't as 'unconscious' as we think. 

Those with a tainted ID are allowing the immoral urges, unacceptable sexual desires, violent motives, fears, and dare I say shameful experiences to dominate their consciousness. They welcome their desires and expects us to welcome them too. Desire for wrong, desire for chaos, desire for rebellion and anarchy. They welcome deviance and impotence. They want to be the miscreants in society. I emphasize the tragic 'wrongness' of these deviants because when a tragic event occurs we tend to question society as a whole instead of isolating the individual or group that performed the dastardly deed. We lump the good guys with the bad guys and cast a questionable eye on the whole lot.  (Biography's Terrorist video)

Why not give them their due justice? Why not let them live up to their hearts desire to be punished for their deeds? Even they believe in the proverbial 'Reap what you sow" philosophy but we are the ones that impugn on their right to suffer for their actions - that's the justice they know exists. We are the ones that try to understand what makes them act this way... and how did society fail them to force them to this end?  Where could 'we' have done better in this evil creatures' life to prevent his wayward thoughts? We are the ones out of order... they know that the order is corrupt society... pay the price! It's the law they expect.

Why is it everyone else fault that the devil is acting like a devil? I'm sorry but if I'm busy and unintentionally cut someone off on the freeway I am responsible for his feeling that that was the last straw and he 'ain't gonna take it anymore'! A deviant thought like a deviant long before he acted. A rapist fantasized about rape long before the first girl was attacked. A terrorist is a terrorist in his heart long before he sets his foot on the cowardice trail to infamy. I say give them what they want. Honor their manifesto with swift justice. 

But what do I know... I'm just 'Some Guy'!

'John Q Public' goes wrong - This ain't no Movie!

   Well, America, here we are. We have reached a point that the economic down turn has come home to roost. In the city of Suwanee, Georgia a homeowner has had a enough. He decided to pull a 'John Q Public' (see Denzel Washington movie list) on the public and kidnapped five firefighters to exact renegade justice on the system. He placed a fake emergency call to lure the public servants to his home, a routine call for them, and ambushed them once they entered. He let one of them go to move the firetruck and the others were held ransom to negotiate the return of utilities and other homeowner amenities that he felt was due him. After a standoff with SWAT and hostage negotiators the threat became real enough for a 'flash bang' intervention! After the smoke clears, the irate homeowner is deceased, single policeman wounded and all firefighters rescued. Great job!

   Now, I do not condone the behavior of the homeowner in taking matters into his own hands regarding finding his brand of justice, but within the last five years the "fat cat" banking institutions' profits have increased to record numbers while the 'average' homeowner seem to be the only one still reeling from the economic depression. I would venture to say that this particular homeowner house, as far as the finance company is concerned, has been settled, dealt with and is probably an aforementioned thought. His property has devalued over the years to record lows putting him underwater but the great bail out of 2008 has reimbursed the banking industry; and now the property is a prime piece to buy low and sell high – to which the homeowner is would still be responsible for an exorbitant payment until sold. Where is the justice today for the homeowner?

   Again, what this gentleman did was wrong to his local community and society as a whole and his actions caused his untimely death, but how the powers that be not foresee total unrest and near anarchy from their local, state and national economic decisions is beyond me. If the country get too 'top heavy' (in their decision making process) then the only ones that can afford to live here in America is the top-heavy. Don't get me wrong, I do not have a problem with the top... I can't wait til I reach my own 'top', but the government is of the people, by the people and for the people... all people. If the median salary in America is roughly $51,000 then you can't go wrong governing around and for the median of the country, can you?

   I'm just saying, desperate times calls for desperate measures and the desperate is getting the jump on the rest of us. The government need to get their nose out of the upper-class cloud and put it to the middle-class grindstone... but what do I know, I just Some Guy (with an apartment view)!  

Rockwell Collins is ‘Joining Forces’ to hire more U.S. military veterans

Rockwell Collins is ‘Joining Forces’ to hire more U.S. military veterans

  In this hard economic situation for the American public it is good to see a company that is committing itself to building one of the country's biggest asset - the American Veteran. Since large scandals of Enron and other large scale brokerage (or 'broken-promise') houses of trust, we need to coalesce around a central theme of faithfulness, duty, loyalty and value that the loyal American servicemen and women bring.

  I welcome more American businesses in the endeavor to invest in the American worker (specifically the veteran). I know the times call for frugality but I'd rather pay .80 cents for a single excellent donut than two so-so donuts for .99 cents! Spending that extra something for the loyalty and duty that most American service members bring to a business more than makes up for the loss of hiring more less-faithful, less-proven and less-career-oriented personnel. I applaud Rockwell Collins and the White House for making a bold committed statement, such as this!
  ... but what do I know... I'm just 'Some Guy'!

Honoring the Survivors - WWII Veterans Salute

  A couple of weeks ago, I had the fortunate opportunity to meet a true hero of mine... a World War II veteran (Ray Johnston of the Brian Center Nursing Care in Powder Springs, GA. this one is for you!) am a huge fan of service members and the service that they have provided. It was an honor for me to listen to the true-to-life depiction of the island hopping campaign by the United States Marines at that time. I'm sure this fellow has forgotten more memorable moments in his life than the moments that I have had, so far, but the details of his exploits in the south pacific were crystal clear.
  If you have the opportunity to meet one of the unsung heroes of the last few generations, do me a favor... just listen! They have so much to say and for theme to know that there are young whipper-snappers really listening may give them hope that what they have sacrificed wasn't in vain! But what do I know... I'm just the luckiest "Some Guy" around. (R.I.P. - Pearl Harbor Veterans)!

Experiencing the Inevitable

  So, the time has come that the give-a-piggy-back-ride dad will have to meet the realize-that-your-daughter-experiments-with-the-birds-and-bees dad... sad day, indeed. Where do you go from here? How do you start the next conversations, 'so... grew up anymore?' I mean now that the cute and fun times of child rearing are over should I look forward to 'Tales from the Crypt' like moments like I'm having right now?
  I want to just stop this thing called life for about 1 month... no job, no family and a no nonsense life. Is that too much to ask? Not making any permanent decisions, yet... just real peace. Is that feasible? What do I know, though... I'm just some guy (living the worst life ever... or it feels like it.)