Thoughts of a Common Man

Springsteen has an unbelievable song on the great Nebraska record. Reason to Believe is my beautiful wife's favorite song. I think it's right up there for my sister-in-law Dana and my buddy Pops as well. It's definitely in my top ten. The lyrics are astounding: Seen a man standin' over a dead dog, lyin' by the highway in a ditch He's lookin' down kinda' puzzled, pokin' that dog with a stick Got his car door flung open He's standin' out on highway 31 Like if he stood there long enough that dog'd get up and run. Struck me kinda' funny Seemed kinda' funny sir to me Still at the end of every hard earned day People find some reason to believe. That first verse is unbelievable, isn't it? I was shocked to my gills last week. I was behind the wheel of my car, driving back and forth, trying to figure some things. I just kept thinking: Life is just ridiculous. Ridiculously sad. Ridiculously cruel. I knew ...

The thing about the court ruling this week is that the country has changed colors on the gay community. My thinking has certainly changed as well. Let's take it back about 33 years. When I was 18 years old if someone called you gay you were supremely insulted. In fact, during those years, teenagers from all over used gay as a way to start a fight...there were a whole bunch of other names that went along with that. All of those names are now considered horribly offensive. When we said them...we were just looking to be hurtful...to guys we figured weren't really gay...but may have seemed less than masculine. Still. It didn't appear that I actually knew someone who was really gay back then. At least, if I did, they kept it quiet. Cut to college. During my freshman year I decided that it might be fun to be in a couple of plays. Yeah...I wanted to do some acting! Gannon University had a great theater community and I believe I received class credits for my st...

One of the escapees was shot and killed. There were terror attacks on 3 continents. The Affordable Care Act was deemed constitutional again...after about the 30,000th challenge. And same-sex marriage became the law of the land. Quite a week, huh? It's a funny thing about history...it doesn't seem historic at the very moment when it's happening and in this fast-paced world...our attention span is sort of short. Everything is the greatest this or the worst that... ...but this week will linger, I believe. On the healthcare and same-sex marriage decisions alone there will be long-term ramifications. Good or bad? That's up to you, I guess. It's also up to history to show us what way the cookie crumbles. But you know what? I basically missed all of it. I spent the week in my own sort of turmoil as the worst part of my job reared its ugly head. I had to assist in an incident review that cost a man, a good man, his life. An accident. And I ca...

I am not in the South. I don't know the significance of the confederate flag. I mean...I know what people are saying...but I don't feel anything one way or another. So I should probably keep my mouth shut, right? Wrong! I think everyone talking about it, debating it, spewing hate over it, crying over it... ...are the D.B's of the Week. But don't get this wrong, the debate is raging. Wal-Mart and Amazon won't sell them anymore. South Carolina is no longer going to fly it at the capital building. But the fight isn't over! They're taking our rights away! Here's the thing: I don't get pissed off when American people burn the American flag. (Now I have you yelling, right?) You know why? Because Americans through the years have fought for the freedom to protest; to burn the flag. I don't particularly like it, mind you...but I like that those dimwits have the right to protest. Got it? I think it's stupid to burn...

I work at a job where safety is the main thought of my day...every day. I go to one site after another, speaking to guys that I've known for years and years. A whole bunch of guys seek me out to get information regarding OSHA Regulations that are applicable to their work. Most of the times it's a great job. I go from site to site...talking to guys, documenting the controls and making observations. I have loved the job for a long time. I get up and go...no matter how I feel. I believe that I need to be there...every day...just in case someone needs information. I really want to save these guys from harm. And that just can't happen. Through the years I have had to talk to men about their co-workers who suffered horrific, tragic injuries. No matter how hard everyone seems to try... ...bad things happen out there. This week there were three fatalities. Three men lost their lives... ...just getting up and going to work. Mistakes may have been made. ...

To my buddy... ...he's gonna' win $ in fantasy baseball! I see Ted 2 and a big steak in his immediate future! The Yankees will win tonight for you. Sam is the spirit of the house! Send him a message today... ...now if I can just talk him out of wearing his Shady jersey. We love you, buddy!

Alex Rodriguez was considered the best player in the sport at the start of this century. He was also hated throughout the sport because he seemed arrogant...he took little time for fans...and he signed a $250 million contract before that was the norm. Many people forget that it wasn't the Yankees who paid him that money, but the Texas Rangers. I remember thinking that they overpaid and that I didn't really care that A-Rod wasn't a Yankee. And then he was...in a trade. He wanted to go to New York. Except in New York there was a player already at short. Derek Jeter was everything A-Rod wasn't. A winner. A fan favorite. A good guy, by all accounts. And that crushed A-Rod. He acted like a child sometimes. Evidently he cheated as so many had before him. But when A-Rod cheated...the world took notice. He became the poster boy for bad behavior. Yankee fans booed him. He owned up to the cheating the first time but no one forgave him. Cause Jeter was st...