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“Meh” Employees Don’t Do These 15 Critical Things

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Goombay Tally | Meh Employees

“Meh” Employees Don’t Do These 15 Critical Things.

Written by Scott McGinnis | Goombay Tally | www.goombaytally.com | Business Management | Please contact us at goombaytally.com for writer/speaker or advertisement submission requests

Newsflash:  The same economy that sustained and propelled our parents and grandparents doesn’t exist anymore. That economic paradigm where “Paw Paw” graduated from high school (or not) and walked into the factory on the east side of town, asked “Nana” for her hand in marriage, dropped about 7 kids and supported an entire family comfortably on one salary?  Yep, it’s gone.  

Fast-forward the clock to today … the economy that you and I are experiencing right now sees young, educated college graduates … from really good schools … hanging out in mom’s basement, wordsmithing their resumes for the fifth time in a week and hoping for at least one solitary phone call for an interview out of the 35 applications that they submitted that week.

Moreover, many college graduates are making caramel mochas with whipped cream and iced coffees at the local Starbucks down the road that they used to hang out in as a student studying for finals.  The irony is both deafening and depressing.  

 


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I believe a reasonable percentage of college grads will eventually find that job or position that challenges them intellectually and professionally, but once they get that interview and subsequent job offer … the question is:  now that we’ve escaped mom’s basement (and dad’s critical glare of condemnation), how do I galvanize my value as an employee to keep myself out of the unemployment line and off of mom’s couch in the future?

Additionally, if my boss was told that he had to let two people go next week, what have I been doing since I arrived here to ensure that my name never comes up for serious consideration?

Obviously, the trick is to start planning your Teflon performance strategy on day one in your workplace so if you ever find yourself in a potential layoff situation, you know that you’ve done everything you can do within your power and capability to prove your worth to your company.

You have to prove to your company or organization that you are not only a valuable new recruit, but that you have the potential for being an invaluable future leader within the organization that they need to invest in by grooming and polishing for bigger and better things beyond your entry-level skill-set.

Will layoffs happen regardless of how hard and industrious you are on the job?  Of course they will — “shift happens” and there are always financial and human capital decisions that have to be made that are above our pay grade and out of our direct control.

But that doesn’t matter right now.  Right now, you need to ensure that you set yourself light-years ahead of your peers by developing a work ethic and attitude that keeps your name and face constantly reverberating through the upper management suites and offices with the breathtaking view of the city.  For good reasons of course.

Here are some guerilla tactics that you can incorporate right now in the workplace to establish your unique brand of excellence and professionalism.

The good news?

You will find in many instances that it may not be that hard to set yourself apart from the pack in your workplace.

Why?

Many new employees come into the workplace with a strategy of keeping quiet, inconspicuous, and just staying out of trouble.   And let’s be honest … some employees are just there for the paycheck.  These employees are easy to identify:

The “Meh Employee” Key Indicators

  • They arrive to work either just on time or “unfashionably” late everyday
  • They just do the very minimum to get the job done and never go above and beyond the customer’s expectations
  • They never volunteer for anything – that’s seen as being a “brown-noser or sell-out”
  • They never network or collaborate with their peers on anything outside of obligatory job tasks
  • They fear change, growth, and innovation as much as cats fear cucumbers
  • They avoid rigorous analytical effort, hard work, and generally lack substantive productivity

I could list many more characteristics of the Meh employee but I think you get the point.  Point being:  setting yourself apart in the workplace isn’t really as difficult as you think.  But it does require hard work, heads-up cognizance of opportunities, and Rocky Balboa-style perseverance.


Try these tactics right now — don’t wait until next week:

“Meh” Employees Don’t Do These 15 Critical Things.  But You Can:

1. Set Your Watch 10 Minutes Ahead and Never Be Late For Anything … Ever!

Repeat after me … “I will never be late for a meeting….ever.”  When you can’t get to a meeting on time, your supervisor will naturally wonder what other things you are failing to do within the organization when they don’t see you. Even if a person is a mediocre employee … if they can at least consistently show up on time … they can hide a multitude of weaknesses in other areas.  Don’t let these people outpace you on the job over something so simple as showing up to a conference room when you’re supposed to.  Additionally, when supervisors and co-workers consistently see that you are the first one to arrive at meetings and scheduled events, they begin to realize that you mean business and this instantly identifies you as a strong and reliable employee.

2.  Volunteer for Everything You Can Until You’ve Established a Solid Reputation of Dedication to the Company:

Remember that most of your co-workers have been brain-washed to think that you should never volunteer for anything because mediocre people in their past have convinced them that volunteerism makes you “square,” a nerd, a brown-noser, a kiss-ass etc.  Throw that mentality out the window now.  This is the mentality of the lazy.  And by the way … these will be the same people who are sweating rain buckets when they find out that management has to make layoffs.  Don’t follow their lead.  It will lead to a life of missed opportunities and woeful underachievement.

3.  “Under Promise” and “Over Deliver” on Everything:  

Do you remember the time when your parents took you to McDonalds as a kid and you carefully opened up the bag to grab your hamburger and fries, only to also find two warm onion rings sitting in the carton or in the bottom of the bag?  Do you remember how you felt?  You didn’t order onion rings with your fries, but one of the McDonalds employees kindly (or accidentally) threw in a few extras for you to nibble on without you asking for it and at no additional cost.  Well, in the business world, people love that experience of extra value too. Build your personal brand recognition by being the employee who goes beyond what the customer or supervision asks them to do and deliver that extra onion ring.  You’ll quickly see that people will climb over themselves to seek you out personally because they know that you are giving them premium service every time.  All the time.

4.  Within the next 30 Days – Establish a Relationship with At Least Three People Outside of Your Company that Either Support, Are Supported By, or Collaborate with Your Organization:  

Establishing professional relationships outside of your organization will help you expand your perspective and will readjust your vantage point.  This tactic will also give you insight into ways to improve your organization’s processes and planning strategies.  You will then be equipped to bring solutions to your supervisor because you are thinking outside of the corporate stove-pipes and exploiting information that many employees aren’t aware of.

5.  Frequently Ask Your Boss What His or Her Biggest Pain Point Is …Then Make That Your #1 Priority to Solve:  

In some organizations, you will know immediately or intuitively what your boss’s immediate pain points are. They will be screaming about it every opportunity they get and you will hear it discussed in the board-room every week.  However, some of you may work in companies where those variables simply aren’t that apparent because of the complexity of business dynamics or because of where you or your skill-set stands in the office hierarchy.  This is when you have to take the initiative and ask your boss what causes him or her the most headaches on the job and prevents the team from completing their objectives.  This question will accomplish two things:  first it will tell your supervisor that you are genuinely concerned about helping him or her do their job better, and two: it shows your supervisor that you really get it.  You understand why they hired you in the first place – to get the job done through smart analysis of how the organization efficiently accomplishes mission objectives and handles challenges.

6.  Find Out What Your Boss’s Bosses’ Priorities Are:  

One of the best supervisors I’ve ever worked for gave me some of the most valuable business advice years ago when he told me that if I quickly learn what my boss’s bosses’ priorities are … then I automatically know what my workplace priorities should be.  Think about it … if your supervisor’s boss sees that his priorities are being satisfactorily managed and that his or her objectives are being met, (or exceeded) then your boss is (by definition) doing their job.  That’s a good thing.  In turn, how do you think your boss will feel about your work performance when she isn’t taking heat from her boss for not taking care of their key priorities. Exactly.

7.  Create a Spreadsheet or Calendar With All Your Co-Worker’s Birthdays Listed.  

Want to create a personal support system of people who are all willing to do anything for you whenever you need it?  Show your co-workers that you can remember something special like their birthday by giving everyone a birthday card on their special day.  Also, say congratulations on the birth of their newborn with a card, send your condolences on the loss of their mother with a card and flowers, and always congratulate co-workers when they get a promotion. This act of thoughtfulness and kindness helps to set you apart from others — especially in a day and age when people are self-absorbed and caught up in their own lives and Facebook accounts.  In turn, how hard do you think it will be to solicit their help or dial in a favor now and then when you need it in the future?  You guessed it.

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8.  Never Bring a Problem to Your Boss Without Presenting a Viable Solution Along With It.

There is probably nothing more annoying to a supervisor than an employee who is an expert at explaining problems or issues within the organization but then turns around and walks out of the office without any substantive solutions to counter these obstacles.  You need to develop a habit of discussing problems with your supervisor — along with recommendations for solving it in the following breath.  This tells your boss that you are an employee that doesn’t just dump the bag of horse crap on his desk and leaves it for him or her to sort through on their own … this also shows your boss that you are an employee who can conceivably serve as a future supervisor as well … hint, hint.  Anyone can rattle off a bunch of problems or challenges to another person — heck, your children and radio talk show hosts make a living out of doing that right?  But it takes a critical thinker and leader to come up with a solid battle plan to help resolve them.

9.  Identify The Root Cause of a Problem Afflicting Your Company or Organization and Kill It.  

Want to know the quickest way to be a hero within your company?  Find the one problem that upper management has been wrestling with for years and come up with some well thought out, well researched solutions moving forward. Remember, most of your co-workers will just be doing the zombie office thing and slugging into the office in the morning, hanging around the coffee pot throughout the day, and punching the clock in the evening to head home or to the bar.  You’re better than that.  You will put in the extra hours and collaborate with like-minded employees to fix limiting issues within the organization. That’s what supervisors look for in future leaders.

10.  Don’t Be Intimidated By Fast-Burners in Your Company… Instead, See Them As Learning Opportunities Instead of A Threat:  

Every organization has the guy or gal who seems to just fly at a higher altitude in terms of general intellect, work ethic, energy, skill level, leadership ability, etc.  Instead of seeing these “marvels of the workplace” as enemies or threats … see them as an opportunity to learn and expand your own skill-sets.  Most professional overachievers will be more than happy to share their “secrets of success” with you if you ask them.  That guy in your office who is an absolute wizard at creating jaw-dropping spreadsheets, can probably show you two simple Excel spreadsheet tricks today that will impact your immediate team’s projects in a truly meaningful way, while  impressing your boss at the same time. Hating on “Jerry” and “throwing shade” because you suck at Excel and avoiding him produces nothing positive for you.  But collaborating with Jerry may gain you knowledge and a new skill.  You choose.

11.  Find Out What Your Organization’s Critical Tasks Are and Learn to Do Them.  

Every office, organization, company, corporation, and military unit has a set of critical tasks that are vital to mission accomplishment, and in many ways, defines success or failure for the entire team or service.  Ask a F-15E pilot if he or she thinks they are specifically trained to accomplish a critical task for the United States Air Force.  You need to find the key, critical tasks that have to be completed every time and in the right way in your organization and attempt to learn how to do those tasks.  Grant it, some of these tasks may require special certifications, education, and skill-sets … if those variables are within the realm of the achievable … figure out a way to complete it.  Even inquire into whether your company would be willing to pay for that requisite certification, masters degree, or course … if not, decide if it is worth digging into your own pocket to finance yourself.   Why?  Well … part of setting yourself apart from your peers involves possessing rare skill-sets that are critical to the organization’s survival. Here’s the truth: everyone has an important job … but some jobs are so important that there is a plausible risk of sinking the entire company if that that job isn’t done correctly and with steadfast precision.  That’s the responsibility you really want to be apart of and learn.

12.  Find Out Who Your Company’s Stakeholders Are and Become A Recognizable Asset to Them.  

Your organization’s stakeholders are simply entities with a special interest or concern in your company’s product, activities, or services.  These are your customers and investors.  These are also people that will ultimately determine the success or failure of your company.  You need to identify who your organization’s stakeholders are and ensure that all of their expectations are met and exceeded on a daily basis. If their expectations are not being met,  you have to discover why not – and fix it immediately.  This level or professional “hustle” and due diligence will not only get you noticed quickly, but will gain you positive attention with corporate.

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13.  Never Bad Mouth Your Boss or Your Co-Workers:

Get into the habit of never gossiping in the workplace about your management or co-workers.  Gossiping is a cancer that eventually brings down the organization and infuses mistrust and disloyalty into the team.  Additionally, the person you engage with during a gossiping session about “Susie in Marketing” or the boss, will be the same person who spreads ill-will about you when you make a mistake or when the chips are down. Furthermore, the toxic office environment that is polluted with gossiping and back-stabbing will eventually impact sales, mission accomplishment, organizational objectives, and of course, morale.  You don’t want to be a part of, or even associated with the inevitable Titanic scenario that will invariably ensue.  If there are true office problems that need to be addressed, always discuss them face-to-face with your supervision and keep everything above board.

14.  Become The “Go-To” Person For Your Office:  

Everyone has that one person in the workplace who everyone goes to for technical, program, or service questions.  In fact, you’ve noticed that this guy or gal is so important to your daily work activity, that his or her absence is felt immediately when they are not there.  Thrive to be that person in your office or workplace.  If you are new to the company – find out who these people are and more importantly, figure out the skills or knowledge that makes them the “go-to” guy.  (follow #11 above)

15.  Never Upstage Your Boss In Public – Always Make Them Look Good:  

Good supervisors will always create and look for opportunities for you to grow and develop within the organization and your profession.  With that said … allow them to elevate your standing within the company over time and as a direct consequence of your hard work and dedication.  Never attempt to take a short-cut up the success ladder by trying to upstage them in front of their boss or the rest of the team. This tactic rarely ends well for those that attempt it.  Instead, be a team player who ensures that the “head coach” receives their due credit during your successes and is well supported during times of failure and challenge.  If you are taking care of the boss and other team members – you will get the right level of credit and reward that you have coming to you anyway.  However, if your boss is clearly incompetent and should not be in a position of authority, continue to be the hard working, dedicated worker that you pledged to be during your initial job interview.  Besides, the laws of business management and human capital will typically right-size those supervisory mismatches — much like a basketball coach ensuring that his average player isn’t guarding Stephen Curry on the court in a big game.

Oh … By The Way, Here’s Your “Onion Ring”… #16.  Get It?

Make It Your Goal To Remember The First Name of Everyone You Formally Meet.

One of the most impressive senior officers that I’ve ever had the honor of working for during my active duty military time, was known all over the base for his innate ability to recall the names of not only everyone under his command, but literally everyone he met face-to-face.  I actually witnessed this feat first hand one day after work as I was finishing up my last rep on the weight bench at the base fitness center.  As I was about to clear the weights from the bar and wipe down the bench, I heard a deep, but friendly voice say hello, and call me by my rank and name.  I turned around and was surprised to see that it was my group commander.  Mind you, I had no idea that this full-bird Colonel even knew who I was, much less my name.  Yes … a simple thing, but what an impact this ability has on subordinates, co-workers, and leadership.  As a team member in the workplace … you have to add this tactic to your tool box if you’re going to set yourself apart from the pack. Not everyone is good at remembering names and job associations … that’s why you have to be the guy who walks into a leadership conference in Las Vegas and remembers everyone that you meet during the first break, because you understand the impact that this skill has on building strong business relationships and networking.  Who do you think new acquaintances and potential clients are going to want to collaborate with in the future?  Someone who takes the time to remember their name, or the guy who can’t even remember where they first met?  Exactly.  Good luck out there my friend.  Be fearless.

Written by Scott McGinnis|Goombay Tally Blog| www.goombaytally.com

10 Epic Over-Commercialized Mother’s Day Tweets Just For Dear Ol’ Mom

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10 Epic Over-Commercialized Mother’s Day Tweets Just For Dear Ol’ Mom.

Written by Scott McGinnis | Goombay Tally | www.goombaytally.com | Mother’s Day Humor | Contact us at [email protected] for feedback or commercial advertisement submissions.

On the second Sunday in May we ceremoniously observe and celebrate the one person who has [literally] been with us for our entire lives.  The person whos warm, sweet, calming voice can be clearly identified, with uncanny precision and pinpoint accuracy amongst tens of thousands in a crowd.

We honor the one who holds the royal blue pedestal, deep within all of our hearts.  The women who every college basketball star and NBA draft prospect wants to buy a brand new mansion or Lexus for.

No, not Khloe Kardashian …

We celebrate our beautiful mothers.

History tells us that Civil War peace activist, Anna Jarvis set in motion the concept of modern-day Mother’s Day in 1908 when she held a memorial ceremony for her mother in Grafton, West Virginia.  We also learn that her long-term vision for Mother’s Day was to respectfully honor mothers everywhere because they are “the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world.”

Although initial attempts to officially recognize Mother’s Day as a national holiday were overwhelmingly rejected by Congress, President Woodrow Wilson did eventually signed a proclamation designating Mother’s Day as a national holiday in 1914.

Mother’s Day Meets Good Ol’ American Capitalism.  Cha-Ching!

And like every other well-meaning, honorable holiday in the United States, even Mother’s Day eventually succumb to commercialization as companies like Hallmark Cards began selling Mother’s Day cards and other gift items –subsequently profiting from this tender day of recognition.

As you can imagine, Anna Jarvis was not pleased.    

Historians note that Anna Jarvis’ protested against the, over-commercialization of this holiday on multiple fronts and in many states.

Jarvis fearlessly fought against candy-makers, greeting card companies, and flower peddlers in an attempt to keep the occasion “pure and honorable.”

But obviously, to no avail.

Today, Mother’s Day … much like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter … has been pretzeled and twisted into a national holiday that [even] Anna Jarvis wouldn’t have imagined possible back in the 1900s.

To say that Anna would be livid, would be a colossal understatement.  

So in honor of good ol’ Mom and Anna Jarvis, who gave us this important and time-honored day to officially recognize our cherished and beloved mothers — we highlight Jarvis’ original argument that Mother’s Day has certainly changed since 1908 and pulled together these gems from Twitter to prove our case.

We love you Mommas!

10 Epic Over-Commercialized Mother’s Day Tweets Just For Dear Ol’ Mom

1.  Bon Jovi and Mother’s Day:  Oh … You Give Mom a “Bad Name…”

2.  Give Dear Ol’ Mom The Gift That Keeps on Giving … The Gift of Motley Crue?  And Pentagrams? … What?

3.  What Mother in Her Right Mind Wouldn’t Want a “Pink Betty” on Sunday?

4.  The Look on Mom’s Face When She Opens Up That Box With Her Brand New Spider Man Costume in It.  The Joy!

5.  Happy Mother’s Day … You Crazy Cat Lady You!  Let The Hoarding Begin!

6.  Don’t Just Give Mom Your Heart for Mother’s Day … Give Her Your “Tell-tale Heart.”

7.  Of Course … Spare No Expense For The Awesome Saint of a Women Who “Raised” You.

8.  Creeping Mom Out on Mother’s Day is Always a Fun Option On Her Special Day Too.

9.  For $30,000 You Can Send Mom a 3D-Print of Yourself  –Because Buying Her a Brand New Car with That Kind of Cash Would Be Just Plain Silly.

10.  When All Else Fails, Just Buy Mom The Gift of … Well, The Same Crap That She Typically Buys Everyday.  Enjoy the Laundry Soap and Razors Mom!

Written by Scott McGinnis | Goombay Tally | [email protected]

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10 Life Lessons I Would Share With My Younger Self Today

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10 Life Lessons I Would Share With My Younger Self Today.

Written by Scott McGinnis | Goombay Tally | www.goombaytally.com | Contact us at goombaytally.com for writer requests and advertisement opportunities on this site.  

I am 40-something.  Now a lot of people will tell you that 40 isn’t really considered old.  

I tell those same people to ask any eight-year-old if they share that same sentiment.  Enjoy the response.

So today, I got home from work, sat down in front of the television and watched a few seconds of CNN Headline News.  To be honest with you, I actually just stared at the news today.  Nothing was really sinking in at the time.

Just the same old hype:  President Trump is doing this, special prosecutor Robert Mueller is doing this, and so on …

I just finished driving two hours on I-270 North.  For those unfamiliar with I-270, this beautiful piece of modern day roadway is easily one of the nation’s most agonizingly tortuous … stretch of asphalt hell in the United States.  

Mind you, I-270’s evil grandfather, I-95, is exponentially worse.  But that’s for another post in the future.

The sheer vehicular congestion on I-270 is enough to make a sane and reasonable man stop his car, put it in park, get out, and begin walking home … yes, just like Michael Douglas’ character in the 1993 movie, Falling Down.

There are indeed days in the DC, Virginia, Maryland region when walking, may get you to your destination a heck of a lot faster than driving.  And that’s incredibly pathetic.

In short, I refuse to believe that God created man to spend the balance of his life stuck in traffic and yelling at drivers merging into his lane.    

I mention this to say that I began to think about where and how fast the last 40 years flew by and how I really wanted to spend the rest of my life.  

Heck, I can remember like it was yesterday, the nervous excitement of starting high school and being afraid that I wouldn’t excel in sports, wouldn’t be able to keep up academically, and worst yet … being regulated to the dreaded “uncool kid club.”  Life was “tough” right?

Those high school fears soon are marginalized by concerns over mortgages, family, college funds for your kids etc.

On top of mulling over my own mortality, I also began to think about that young, energetic guy that I was – twenty-plus years ago and how much time and energy he spent worrying about (seemingly) catastrophic life events, complicated situations, and complex challenges.  All of which … were not.  

The minutes, hours, and days I spent wasting precious time on things that ultimately produced limited value in the grand scheme of things and systematically prevented me from making more fruitful and rewarding choices in life.  I thought about my young kids and how much life they had in front of them.

Still groggy from the exciting drive through Maryland, I grabbed an iced tea from the refrigerator and sat down at the kitchen table to begin writing the following sage advice from the deepest regions of my heart.   

Not from any true regret, remorse, or sadness mind you … just from a Dad’s love for his kids and his sincere desire for them to live their lives to the absolute fullest every day, and not to march to the beat of someone else’s drum.

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To live every day without any reserves – without holding anything back.  I want my kids to drive this thing we call life until the tank is absolutely empty.

Why?

Because one day you will stop and reflect on the time that slipped through your fingers; time that you can never get back.  You’ll think of people that you should have spent more time with … but didn’t.  Skills and crafts that you should have spent more time learning and perfecting … but didn’t.

I wish I could go back in time and have a cup of coffee or a hamburger and fries with that younger me and sort of give him a life pep talk.

I wish you could show him where all of the land mines are in life, what decisions to make, what people to stay clear of, and what things he really shouldn’t spend his time worrying about.  I want to tell him that God will see you through the forest … just relax and enjoy the scenery while you’re young.  

… God will eventually see you through the forest, just relax and enjoy the scenery while you’re young.  

On his death bed, I want that young guy to stare the grim reaper in the face and say, “what took you so long … I’m exhausted.”  I’m just not at that point yet.  And that’s why I write the following:  

10 Life Lessons I Would Share With My Younger Self Today.

1. Stop Wasting Valuable Time Worrying About What People Think.  

Mature adults eventually figure out that most people are SO wrapped up in themselves and their own crazy lives, that they really aren’t paying attention to you anyway.  And the ones that are criticizing you, really don’t matter anyway.  Some of the world’s greatest inventions or personal achievements were orchestrated in the mist of incredible controversy, hurtful criticism, and discrimination.  Orville and Wilbur Wright were probably seen as “crack-pots” by many during their time … honestly, who in their right mind could have imagined back in 1903 that in the future, hundreds of passengers would be able to fly from Newark, NJ to Athens, Greece in nine hours?  Well, maybe two people did.  Just because others don’t see your vision, just means that it wasn’t meant for them to fulfil.  Move forward fearlessly.

2.  If Your Girlfriend Ever Tells You That She Thinks You Two Should Start Seeing Other People … Trust Me; She Already Is. 

Recent studies estimate that roughly 49.6 percent of the world’s population is female.  That equates to around 3.52 billion females on the face of the planet.  So if a young lady ever tells you that she’s “just not into you anymore,”  Regardless of the pain and the tears … stop wasting your time chasing 1 out of a billion … you are only prolonging the time until you finally meet Mrs. Right.  Oh by the way … Mrs. Right is exponentially prettier than your ex anyway.

 

3.  Following Someone’s Else’s Life Path is Like Knowingly Jumping on The Wrong Metro Bus to Get to Your Final Destination.  

Just because your school career counselor or best friend thinks you should be an accountant, doesn’t mean that’s the path for you.  Life is too short not to pursue the career or passion that most resonates with you and brings you a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment.  Stop living someone else’s dream.   Remember:  we’re only on this planet for roughly 70 or so years (on average) … don’t spend that time working at a job that drains your soul everyday or just makes someone else wealthy.

4.  Your Kids Won’t Remember You For The Long Hours You Spent at The Office Trying to Impress Your Boss … They’ll Remember You For The Quality Time You Spend With Them Now.  

Never take your family for granted.  They are the most valuable group or tribe of people that exist on this planet.  Spend as much time as you can with them and never let anyone get in between them.  In a blink of an eye your kids will move from diapers, to elementary school, to college before you know what hit you.  Don’t be the old Dad who sits in the living room one day, staring at old pictures of his kids and realizing that he foolishly spent more time populating meaningless spreadsheets in the office than investing time into their lives.  And now his “kids” are adults and it’s time you can never get back.

5.  Question Everything and Everyone.  Don’t Just Take Things at Face Value.  

Remember that everyone has an agenda.  You included.  Some agendas are noble, some are there to help you as an individual, some are purely self-serving, and some are incredibly nefarious.   Quickly learn how to recognize each one and which category they fall into.  Just because a reporter, politician, pastor, or leader says it, doesn’t always mean it’s factual.  Don’t let others think for you.  Do your own research and due diligence to come up with your own conclusions.  Some of the most corrupt and dishonest lies have come out of the mouths of some of the most successful, beautiful, and intelligent people in the world.  

6.  Beautiful Women Are a Dime-a-Dozen … Beautiful Souls Are a Rare Find.  Look For The Latter First.      

I’ve watched too many of my friends fall head over heels for women who are incredibly attractive on the outside, but are self-centered, entitled, thoughtless people on the inside.  Remember: inner beauty will last well after the outer beauty fades away.  What would you rather be stuck with long term?

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7.  Start Saving Money and Investing From The First Time You Get an Allowance.

Trust me, you will always wish you started saving money and investing it at an earlier age.  There is never a point in your life that will be considered too early to start saving.   Do it now and don’t stop doing it.  I have nothing more to add to that.  Oh … wait … and never get a credit card either.  Those things are inherently evil.  

8.  Take Your Education Seriously and Never Stop Learning.

Your education is one of your greatest investments.  Take it seriously from day one in a classroom and remember that life itself, is just an enormous classroom.  Pay attention to your surroundings everyday and never stop learning from what you see, hear, smell, and touch.  Ralph Waldo Emerson would be proud.    

9.  Find a Mentor Early in Life.

Finding a mentor who can help you avoid mistakes in life is like having a walking, talking owner’s manual on life at your finger tips.  Mentors can help you avoid months, if not years of painful and costly trial and error.  

10. God Placed the Best Things in Life on The Other Side of Fear and Terror.

Yes, I stole this quote from actor, musician, Will Smith during an interview where he described a skydiving adventure in Dubai.  But I have incorporated his quote into my personal arsenal of motivational mantras.  To me, one of the tragedies in life is to speak with people who were born, raised, and will probably die in the same small town that they currently live in.  They’ve never ventured out to see what lies beyond those city limit signs out of sheer fear of failure, perceived danger, or for any other reason imaginable.  We are only here for a short period of time, let fear take care of itself — but never let it prevent you from seeing, experiencing, and doing more in life.  Fear stopped you from applying for that dream job you could’ve had, the incredible spouse you could have married, getting the promotion that you  deserved, or taking that vacation to China that you’ve dreamed about since you were a child.  Don’t let fear steal anymore of your life.  

Written by Scott McGinnis | goombaytally.com

 

7 Ways to Fix The Dreaded Cracked Smartphone Screen.

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7 Ways to Fix The Dreaded Cracked Smartphone  Screen.  

Written by Scott McGinnis | Goombay Tally | goombaytally.com | Please contact us at [email protected] for feedback, writer or advertisement requests on this site.

I used to pride myself on how well I took care of my Apple devices.  Meaning … I’ve never really “hard-dropped” my iPhone … or stomped it like a gorilla, or sat on it, crushing it into a chair.  And until recently, I’ve never accidently dropped the thing in the toilet while in the  men’s room at Starbucks or anything weird like that.

Anyway, while boarding a recent Southwest Airlines flight out of Chicago Midway International Airport back to Ronald Reagan Washington International Airport,  I noticed this young teenage kid sitting next me, quickly scrolling through his iPhone before it was time for the flight attendants to force passengers to turn off their mobile devices before takeoff.

More noticeably, I saw that his iPhone screen was cracked and smashed to smithereens.  “What happened to your phone dude?”  I asked.  The kid explained that he dropped it on his Mom’s hardwood kitchen floor while cooking or something like that.  Either way, it looked horrible.  Moreover, it looked like a complete pain in the butt to swipe through and use the phone altogether.

Like playing with small razor blades.

It was at this point that I silently and boastfully patted myself on the back for taking great care of my various Apple devices throughout the years.  How I’d been able to avoid taking my iPhones or Samsung devices back to my servicing network provider for costly repairs or replacements.  Poor guy … how unfortunate for him.

Yeah … so apparently that was my first mistake.

I now believe there is a thing called “iPhone Karma” … meaning, if you take joy in, or bring an undue amount of attention to other’s smartphone misfortunes, then iPhone Karma will invariably come back to smack you in the nose.

iPhone Karma:  the mystical and consequential blowback resulting from taking joy in another’s iPhone misfortunes, e.g., theft, loss, or damage.  Also see, “God Smack”. 

And as you are probably anticipating, iPhone Karma came to get me four days later as I stopped by my local WaWa to get gas and grab some much needed (and world famous) WaWa coffee.

As I climbed out of my car, I grabbed my iPhone and clumsily attempted to cram the phone into my back pocket.  Instead, the phone flipped out of my hands and smashed (facedown) on the parking lot curb.  I quickly picked up the iPhone and you guessed it — I had a cracked screen.  It looked just like the “poor” young kid’s smartphone on the Southwest Airlines flight.

Good Morning karma.  Well played ma’am … well played.  Yep, I needed that WaWa coffee even more now.  And maybe a donut.

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Like most smartphone customers who crack their screens or manage to mangle, break, or misuse their devices in any number of ways, I needed to know where I could take my precious phone to get fixed — and most importantly, what would be the financial damage?

I immediately began my search for iPhone screen repair services — ironically, on my smashed iPhone.  Just like the poor kid on the plane.

7 Way To Fix The Dreaded Cracked Smartphone Screen. 

1.  Go To The Apple Store. 

So I quickly found out that there are a number of repair options if you crack your smartphone screen. For iPhone users specifically, scheduling an appointment at your local Apple Store will probably be your initial choice, and depending on what warranty plan you entered into when you purchased the device, you may already have AppleCare+ which covers two incidents of accidental damage (including service fee).

Just go to https://www.apple.com/retail/ and you’ll find a user-friendly store locator screen that will allow you to simply type in your zip code and it will direct you to the closest Apple Store in your area.  In many cases, you may be able to get a same day appointment and be done with it.  

Courtesy of www.applestore.com

Remember, if your iPhone is out-of-warranty, you should probably prepare to pay significantly more at your nearest Apple Store.  (See below details).

 

 

2. The Samsung Premier Care Program.  

For Samsung Warriors, the Samsung Premier Care Program states that they offer in-person support, premier protection, and extended warrantees for its customers.  Just visit  https://www.samsung.com/us/support/premium-care/?cid=sem-mktg-pfs-mob-010117-22015 for further details.  

Other Great Smartphone Repair Center Options. 

3. Let’s Fix That Smart Phone At Best Buy.

It’s really no surprise that Best Buy offers fast smartphone repair services at select stores across the country.  I mean, this IS the franchise that mobilizes the famous “Geek Squad” to tackle your computer needs right?  However, Best Buy may not be one of the first locations that comes to customer’s minds when they think of certified smartphone repair experts — but that’s where you’d be wrong.

We discovered that Best Buy does offer same-day repair for iPhone 6s and newer at select Best Buy stores. However, if you select a store that offers same-day iPhone repairs, you do have to make a reservation. Essentially, first come, first served.

Also remember that your phone must be dropped off at your select Best Buy store before 6 p.m. local time. Moreover, some repairs may require a longer mail-in exchange process.

Finally, screen repairs at Best Buy may take 5–7 business days at stores that do not offer same-day repair. Reservation is required.

4.  Did You Know Staples Can Fix Cracked Smart Phone Screens Too?  

When you accidentally smash your smartphone, don’t forget about visiting your “always trusty” Staples store around the corner.  Yes, Staples is not just the place you visit to make paper copies, send off packages, or grab hard to find printer toner cartridges.  Amongst other things, Staples also offers in-house, same day smartphone repair service and a 1-year limited warranty.

5.  Check Out Cellairis  For Smart Phone Repairs Also.  

Alas, here’s yet another smartphone repair option for you.  Now I personally haven’t used them to date, but a few of my trusted friends who own both iPhones or Samsung devices, rave about a company called Cellairis.  Cellairis claims to be able to repair your phone in 45 minutes or less.  

The company also states that they have the most competitive rates around with a superior warrantee to boot.

6. Find An Independent Smartphone Repair Technician.

You can also look for any number of independent smartphone repair technicians in your local area as well.

This is actually the route that I took following my iPhone dilemma.  I found a cellphone repair technician who operated a mobile servicing company and met him at a local coffee establishment to complete the work.

The repair work took roughly an hour and I was on my way.  I had a brand new iPhone screen and no longer had to hide my phone from family, friends, and strangers out of sheer embarrassment.

The repair technician was professional, thorough, and ultimately incredible to work with.  Oh by the way, the cost of repair was generally on par with a visit to my Apple Store.

Don’t Leave Your Smartphone With Just Anyone!  Look For Solid Credentials and Great Customer Satisfaction Ratings. 

Courtesy of www.midmarylandmobile.com

 

7.  The DIY Smart Phone Screen Repair Option.  

Yes, it will be easier to just hand your smashed smart phone off to an expert to repair, but obviously this will not be accomplished without painful costs associated with it (depending on your established device repair plan).

But if you’re not capable of or willing to shell out $200 to fix your phone, there are also effective self-repair options available to repair your cracked phone.

That said, we highly recommend the websites, Missionrepair.com, iFixit.com, and iCracked,com if you choose to save some cash and fix your smartphone screen yourself.  These two sites are incredibly user-friendly, and will invariably get you set on the right technical trajectory by offering various repair kits for your major devises.

Missionrepair.com

iFixit.com

iCracked.com

We also recommend using You Tube as a reliable tutorial DIY resource when venturing into the world of smart phone repair.

YouTube

You already know that You Tube serves as a valuable source of knowledge for DIY projects.  Chances are, of you broke it — then there is someone else on the planet who’s done the same thing and has posted a video on how to fix it.  You Tube DIY videos can teach you how to unclog a sink, how to build a deck onto your house, and yes, how to fix your own cracked smartphone screen.

 

In summary, because of their small size, convenience, and portability of iPhones, cracked screens are more than inevitable. Therefore, when the inevitable indeed happens, there are a few things that you should keep in mind moving forward:

#1  Customer Satisfaction Reviews Often Tell the Story … Read Them … Let Them Guide You. 

Because we do just about everything with our mobile phones these days, you WILL feel the urge to rush out and find the first smartphone repair technician that your fingers stumble across online.  Resist that urge.

When researching smartphone technicians, I encourage you to read the reviews left by previous customers.  Customers will tell you if the centers or technicians know what the heck they’re doing.  You don’t want to put the health and repair of your phone in the hands of an inexperienced young tech who could care less about your device and just wants to clock out and play endless hours of Forthnite in his mom’s basement.

You want a professional who understands smartphones and how a botched screen repair can lead to an avalanche of problems.

#2  Test, Test, and More Tests.

Because of the overall versatility and pervasiveness of smartphones, we often forget that these devices are still complex pieces of technology that requires the technician to open up the phone and carefully refit the components.

Because of this, always ensure that the technician thoroughly tests your device to ensure that all features are 100% functional.  For example, my technician had a checklist of major smartphone features and performed the associated function checks. 

In fact, after he was finished, he requested that I perform a similar function check with the phone to ensure that it operated properly.

3# Get The Warranty.

Obviously, electing to repair your mobile device vs. purchasing a new one, will be an exponentially cheaper option (generally), but there will be some elevated costs associated with it — depending on the manufacturing year and model of the smartphone.  That said, although many repair shops will offer you a 90-day warranty … I’d try to find the repair shops that offer the 12 month warranty minimum.  

Why?

Because the time and money you spend rejuvenating your precious mobile device is worth that.  Right?  Now stop crying, stop cutting your fingers on your smartphone screen, and let’s get busy finding a competent repair technician today.

Written by Scott McGinnis | Goombay Tally

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10 Beautiful Tweets That Will Make You Book a Trip to Hydra, Greece Right Now

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Photo courtesy of George Skordaras

10 Beautiful Tweets That Will Make You Book a Trip to Hydra, Greece Right Now.

Written by Herb Meadows for Goombay Tally | Goombay Tally Blog | www.goombaytally.com | Hydra, Greece | Please contact us at [email protected] for feedback, content, and advertisement requests.   

For those that are unfamiliar with the Greek Islands — “Hydra” is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece and is beautifully nestled in the Aegean Sea and separated from the Peloponnese by an incredibly thin body of water. Because of its natural springs, the ancients originally referred to the island as “Hydrea” (Greek:  λερναῖα ὕδρα, Lernaîa Hýdra).

Accordingly, the island of Hydra has been affectionately referred to over time as the “gem of the Saronic Gulf” and is well known throughout the travel world as the one Greek Island without cars, scooters, trucks, trains, or planes to remind you of the chaotic rat race situation back home that you are frantically running away from while on vacation.  Instead, all travel is accomplished over beautiful, cobbled-stone streets and narrow lanes.

Parents will certainly appreciate the fact that their kids are safe from speeding taxis and racing traffic.  In fact, you will find that ferries and donkeys are really the only reliable and frequent modes of transportation on the island.

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Hydra’s old-world beauty and breath-taking scenery has compelled many an artist to grab their paints, brushes, and easel to archive this incredibly gorgeous island into artistic eternity.

Who can blame them right?

Having visited the island of Hydra on three occasions, I still consider this paradise destination as one of the world’s best kept secrets.  But if you needed a little more convincing that you need to call your travel agent and book your next vacation to Hydra, Greece — just check out these tantalizing tweets from vacationers who will not hesitate to share this “best kept secret” on social media.  Enjoy!

https://twitter.com/runtheatlas/status/980928390931808257

 

 

Amerigunistan: Is This The New American Normal?

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Amerigunistan:  Is This The New American Normal?

Written by Scott McGinnis | Goombay Tally | www.goombaytally.com | Amerigunistan – Gun  Violence in America | For advertising details and blog feedback, contact us at [email protected]

“Amerigunistan” is obviously not a country, but a growing number of Americans fear that the U.S. is quickly turning into a destructive war zone – much like … well … “Afghanistan.”  

During my two tours in Afghanistan, there wasn’t a day that passed where you didn’t cognitively factor in the looming insurgency threat into every action or movement you made that day.  The threats:  vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIED), Improvised explosive devices (IEDs), indirect fire (IDF), green-on-blue attacks, and the list continues.  Conversely, in the U.S., we plan a simple trip to the local bank, Food Giant, or Wal-Mart without hesitation or overly-extensive planning involved.

In a deployed environment, a troop movement “outside-the-wire” involves deliberate planning, seamless coordination, briefings, and headquarters authorization.  All because the threats against allied forces were deadly, real, and numerous.  As a fighting soldier, sailor, airman, or marine, you had to keep (what U.S. fighting forces call) “your head on a swivel.” 

That meant being insanely alert, being aware of your surroundings at all times, trusting no one beyond your individual unit members — at least until verified, and anticipating the worst case scenario in literally every situation.

As Americans, we simply don’t worry about being hit by a VBIED on the way to Chuck E. Cheese’s with our kids.  Similarly, we generally don’t expect to dodge gunfire during a weekend trip to the mall with the family.  But over time … and absent significant cultural, law enforcement, and “gun access” legislation in this country, will America devolve into a war-zone-like country as well?

But over time … and absent significant cultural, law enforcement, and “gun access” legislation in this country, will America devolve into a war-zone-like country as well? 

On 15 February 2018, we collectively gasped as a deranged gunman and ex-student of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL gunned down 17 innocent students at the high school.

“So What’s “Amerigunistan?”

A recent commenter on this post expressed how “idiotic” he thought the article was and how statistics actually showed that gun violence was dropping in the U.S., compared to a decade ago etc … etc.  Ironically, and sadly, there was yet – another school shooting the day after he posted his comment.  Yes, I spared him the “I told you so” jab in my comment block because – well, that would have been idiotic.

Instead, here’s the statistic that he should have paid attention to more:  the number of student deaths as a result of gun violence surpassed U.S. Service member deaths in Afghanistan.  

So here it is up front:  I don’t believe the answer to this social problem is to ban guns.  However, I do believe in enforcing and making the existing gun laws significantly smarter and infinitely more effective.  That said, it makes absolutely no sense to protect members of Congress, movie stars, pop stars, sports professionals, and military installations with armed guards and fortified infrastructure, but leave the most innocent and vulnerable in our society without a fighting chance. 

A shooting Saturday during a gaming event at a popular shopping center in Jacksonville, Fla., killed two people and wounded several others before the gunman killed himself, investigators confirmed.

Likewise, I find it incredibly interesting that politicians give eloquent speeches about gun control and the evils of ‘assault style’ weapons … all while under the protection of armed guards and security forces…it’s hypocritical.”

Gun control measures (alone) isn’t the answer to ending gun violence in America — mainly because gun control laws only touch a small fraction of the major nodes that encompass this issue.  For example, law abiding citizens who have no desire to rob a bank or commit a crime are impacted the most by stringent gun control laws.

The criminals (by definition) don’t follow laws.  “Ask the cities of Chicago, Washington D.C., Detroit, Baltimore, New Orleans, and Philadelphia; the cities with the most stringent gun control laws — but also the cities with “off-the-chart” murder rates in the country.  These are American cities [literally] “under siege” and victimized by criminals.  

So obviously, the logical thing to do is to disarm law abiding citizens and toss them to the wolves (*facetious).

Furthermore, punishing law-abiding citizens for the sins of the criminal is tantamount to the middle school kid who gets bullied during lunch and instead of addressing the issue with the “actual” bullies or school administrators, he simply goes home and kicks the dog …  all because that’s the easiest target to control.  But it certainly doesn’t solve the problem.

Punishing law-abiding citizens for the sins of the criminal is tantamount to the middle school kid who gets bullied during lunch and instead of addressing the issue with the “actual” bullies or school administrators, he simply goes home and kicks the dog …  just because that’s the easiest target to control.  But it certainly doesn’t solve the problem.  

“These Are The Real Conversations We Should Have Right Now …”

I believe the following actions should be taken (minimum) if we are going to have a serious conversation about mitigating gun violence in this country:

Close The Gun Purchase Gaps and Loopholes.

Close the existing gaps and loop holes that exist in our current background check systems, (yes, there are a few).  For example, if a person’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) status at the point of sale comes back “Delayed” due to questionable background check information, the weapon should probably NOT be sold to the individual EVEN after the three day wait has expired … the vetting process needs to be discovered fully before the weapon exchanges hands.  Some retail stores (Dick’s Sporting Goods for example) have implemented these safeguard actions already.

Fix NICS Now.

Tighten the screws on existing federal requirements for the military, states, local, and tribal entities to submit criminal history data to the FBI databases (they are there for a reason).  Currently, submission of criminal data history to the FBI databases from the states is highly encouraged, but voluntary.  In order to (better) prevent bad actors from continuing to torment the public … states, tribes, and federal agencies need to do a better job of collaborating national criminal history data.

The information in the FBI indices should also be transparent and interchangeable with all the other systems.  Knock down these silos.  Our law enforcement officers out there in our towns and cities can use this valuable information as they make contact with the public.  Knowing that the guy you just stopped on the freeway has a history of assaults or domestic violence is good to know.

Address The Broken Mental Illness Care and Info-Sharing  Components. 

We need common sense mental defective reporting to the NICS.  Mental defectives need our care, attention, and the best professional help we can provide them … but they certainly don’t need an AR-15 in their possession … no more than a baby needs full access to the medicine cabinet.  That’s all.  We also need to ensure we continue to protect medical privacy; but not at the expense of innocent lives when there is a clear and eminent threat against public safety … yep, we need to stop playing “I’ve got a secret” in the mental health/law enforcement community.

Protect Our Schools – They’re Vulnerable.

Our schools need protection right NOW!  Not tomorrow…or when Congress decides to take substantive action.  Waiting to win a (mythical) gun control victory in Congress will not happen (probably ever).  However, there WILL be another school massacre [attempt] in the near future.  If you are a superintendent, school administrator, teacher, or parent, your energy and efforts need to be focused on protecting our precious youth.

Additionally, schools need to fund for serious campus threat assessments and develop effective countermeasures.  “We don’t have money for comprehensive threat assessments,” is no longer an acceptable excuse for our school administrators.  Our schools are vulnerable and under attack … stop spending federal funds on “non-sense” projects and cultural experiments. 

There … now you will have the funding you need.   

We Saw Something and Said Something … So What Happened To You?

“We saw something and said something — what the hell happened to you?” 

Let’s figure out why the Sheriff’s Department in Florida failed to take action with regard to the high school shooter after receiving numerous reports and tips from fellow students, teachers, parents and concerned citizens were submitted to authorities.  Some suggest that details regarding the shooter were deliberately ignored in order to artificially reduce the number of “juvenile to prison pipeline” statistics in the state — ensuring that the numbers looked better than they actually are.

These are the things that students should be protesting right now:  why was their safety put in jeopardy in order to meet the objectives of a social agenda?  Better yet, when you told us, if we saw something, say something … WE DID! So why did you do “nothing” in response?”   These are the true issues that should be investigated.

Gun vs. Gun vs. Politics.  

It’s infinitely harder to stop a madman with a gun … without another gun:  Regardless of your views on armed resource officers or administrators in our schools … remember the bad guy is counting on your school NOT having an armed force (deterrence) on your campus.

By resisting the movement to either fund for resource officers or to arm teachers or school administrators, you support the attackers main objective.  Keep that in mind.  There are indeed teachers that should never hold (or fire) a weapon ever.  But give those who may be ex-military, or law enforcement, the opportunity to protect your campus if attacked.  They’ve performed this duty in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.

They’ve carried weapons on the mean streets of America with real perpetrators — why does the school factor suddenly change things.  Protect our kids like we protect passengers in our airports.  

Better yet, when you told us, if we saw something, say something … WE DID!  So why did you do “nothing” in response?

Furthermore, those that are adamantly opposed to potentially arming teachers in the classroom are still living in the world of make-believe.

Courtesy of TheRightScoop.com via cyndyunbridled.com/facebook

These are the same folks who have no issue walking past a gauntlet of armed police officers and TSA inspectors, surrendering their carry-on possessions for scrutiny, and finally getting zapped in an X-ray machine — all to ensure that your flight to Minneapolis to see grandma is uneventful.

Many Americans refuse to acknowledge the fact that this nation has shifted culturally.  There are far too many contributing factors to mention in this article.  As great of a nation that this place is … we are no longer the country we were 20, 30, 40 years ago.  Scenes of our children dodging gunfire in the school cafeteria never crossed our minds before the Columbine High School tragedy.  Today, an incident like that is (unfortunately) commonplace.  Sad.

I also believe that citizens who cannot protect themselves from threats and rely solely on law enforcement or the military for their protection, cannot truly categorize themselves a “free” people.

Instead, I feel that “access” to guns in America is the true problem.  

 



Courtesy of www.chicagotribune.com

“No … Not Every American Should Have ‘Access’ to a Weapon…”  Here’s Why: 

Last time I checked, in order to operate a motor vehicle on American’s interstates, highways, and roadways, we have specific age requirements, we must possess baseline sensory and motor skill abilities, we must pass a written and practical driver’s test, we must provide our servicing DMV with an extraordinary amount of personal information, we give the state a photograph to be placed on our license and in their database, and repeatedly register our vehicles on an annual basis.  All this to maintain safe roadways in this country.

But when it comes to guns, yes … we have general gun registration laws and a pedestrian federal background check system, but we don’t exercise the same degree of vetting and due diligence when we allow people to drive on our streets and roadways.

That piece must change.

Dangerous Drivers Shouldn’t Drive … Dangerous Individuals Shouldn’t Own Guns … It’s Really That Simple.  

The Second Amendment guarantees our right to bear arms, but that doesn’t mean everyone “should” bear arms.  Certainly no more than that crazy uncle (that we all have in the family) should be left alone to baby sit your kids.  It’s not a question of “rights,” it’s the reality of responsibility and mental capacity that matters here.

Similarly, as much as we love and care for our 1.3 million legally blind, fellow Americans that currently reside in our country,  common sense tells us that they should not be operating vehicles on our roadways … for their own safety, and others.  Likewise, guns in the hands of the wrong operator can be equally catastrophic.  It’s operator access that needs to be “controlled.”

We must ensure that the wrong operators do not have access to guns in America … this is not a Second Amendment argument, it is a common sense reality.  

In conclusion, I believe the term “Amerigunistan” is more than a (clever) hybrid reference for two diametrically opposed nations, it is an organic, grassroots cry from our concerned citizens for federal and state politicians to take meaningful action to stop the senseless violence that plagues one of the wealthiest and innovative nations on the planet.

We are essentially a nation that has the capability and capacity to send satellites and other (literally) vehicles into space, cure exotic and deadly diseases, and develop software that can fly an aircraft without a pilot, but also worry everyday about sending our kids to elementary school three blocks away — a sad commonality that we are beginning to share with war-torn countries elsewhere on the globe.

Let’s Do Better America.  This is Not Us.  

So, to answer the original question posed by this article:  “… is this the new American normal?”  The answer is:  I really hope not.  The rest of the world is looking to us as THE example of excellence.  Our emerging gun violence epidemic is by no means, “excellent.”  We can (and must) do better America.

 

Written by Goombay Tally Staff Writers | Goombay Tally | www.goombaytally.com | Contact [email protected] for advertisement or feedback details.

 

 

 

 

11 Scary Twitter Comments About That Laundromat You Currently Use

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11 Scary Twitter Comments About That Laundromat You Currently Use.

Written by Kathy McGinnis | Staff Writer for Goombay Tally | www.goombaytally.com | Public Health Article | Contact us below or at [email protected] for comments or writer requests

Just about all of us have used them or currently use them now: those musty-smelling, but convenient, coin-operated laundromats located in just about every town or city in the country.  We all need clean clothes right?   But not all of us own or have immediate access to reliable washing machines and dryers unfortunately.

College students use ’em in their dorms (when they’re not dropping off three months worth of dirty clothes at Mom’s house), apartment residents use the designated laundry facilities provided by the apartment manager, and the rest of us just basically find the nearest laundromat that doesn’t look like a heinous crime has just been committed there.

Do Laundromats Have Inherent Health Risks?

But have you ever thought about the potential health risks of using public laundromats?  Of course you haven’t.  Let’s be honest, most of us are concerned with three primary things in a laundromat:  washing machine and dryer availability, running out of Tide detergent, and not having enough quarters to dry your clothes thoroughly.  Oh,  and maybe some strange, creepy guy snatching your sexy underwear out of the dryer, holding them to his nose, and running away.

So how do you really know that your local laundromat is sanitary?  Experts suggest that you should first look for a dedicated attendant during the hours of operation. Laundromats with attendants won’t guarantee that the facility will be squeaky clean obviously, but it may help reduce the level of “heebie-jeebies” that you might unknowingly bring home in your clothes hamper.  Generally, a paid attendant will be in charge of cleaning the washers, dryers, folding tables, and keeping the floors swept, mopped, and clean.

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Additionally, laundromat attendants will typically ensure that washers and dryers are thoroughly cleaned to make sure there is no residual detergent remaining, remove any ink stains that may have been caused by a pen left in the little pocket of a third-grader, and cleaning out the dreaded link trays that tend to manufacture gray, miniature-sized, Christmas ugly sweaters after several uses.

Additionally, good laundromats will ensure that a strong disinfectant is used on those drab-looking folding tables every day.  This simple action will help minimize the number of bacteria and germs left by other laundromat patrons throughout the day.

How Clean Are Laundromats Anyway?

But no … seriously … how many times have you used a laundromat and thought to yourself, “so … how sanitary are these places anyway … and what am I really bringing home to my family on these clean clothes?” 

Well, let’s ask the expert:

University of Arizona professor of microbiology, Charles Gerba, has actually conducted extensive research on the dirty, nasty germs that hide … yes, and thrive in washing machines and dryers.  According to professor Gerba, “If you wash a load of just underwear, there will be about 100 million E. coli in the wash water, and they can be transmitted to the next load of laundry.”

Feel free to take a break from reading this article and head to the bathroom to puke if needed.

“If you wash a load of just underwear, there will be about 100 million E. coli in the wash water, and they can be transmitted to the next load of laundry.” 

So in layman’s terms … “There’s about a tenth of a gram of “poop” in the average pair of underwear,” professor Gerba stated.  Furthermore, fecal material can carry a number of germs that include the hepatitis A virus, norovirus (the nasty virus that causes your stomach or intestines or both to get inflamed … leading to  stomach pain, nausea, and diarrhea and throwing up) rotavirus, salmonella and (no surprise) E. coli. 

Not only are standard laundromats hard to endure because of their lack of cleanliness, but they’re getting more expensive to use as well.  Some patrons report spending as much as $30-$40 a pop just to wash their laundry in these facilities.  Just ask this desperate Twitter user.

I’ve noticed that it’s not just smart university professors and annoying “Mom’s basement” bloggers that are talking about possible health hazards that lurk inside coin-operated laundromats.  Twitter is full of people who have both a love/hate relationship with laundromats — and they certainly aren’t afraid to voice their opinions about these magical and enchanted places.   

11 Scary Twitter Comments About That Laundromat You Currently Use.

1. At The End of The Day — It’s All About Those Dirty…Dirty Thongs.

https://twitter.com/insuben/status/930046407599427584

2.  Avoid the Crazy Ladies Armed with a Bad Attitude, Dirty House Slippers, and a Snotty Nose!

https://twitter.com/CassidyMRhodes/status/821074199112519681

3.  Need Dirty, Wet Clothes?  That’ll Be $8 Please Miss.

4.  Yes, Some Laundromats Are So Bad, People Would Rather Wear “Crusty,” Funky Clothes Around Town Instead of Spending an Hour Sitting in One.  

https://twitter.com/foreverr_dope/status/721008143711342592

5.  Some Commercial Service Locations Will Never Work As Cute or Adorable Photo Shoot Locations.  Add “Laundromats” to That List Please.

6.  Dirty Laundromats Apparently Can Leave You Disgusted, Disenchanted, and With a Dismal View of Life.

7.  Laundromats, Life, and Love (well, sort of).

8.  Hey, Score One For The City of Brotherly Love.  Congratulations, You’re Better Than Denmark!

https://twitter.com/Team_Trin/status/115556969036779520

9.  War and Laundromats:  Both Are Hellish Experiences.

10.  If You Use Laundromats Long Term, You “Will” Have Your Stuff Jacked … Regardless of Its Value.

11.  Tip:  Sometimes It’s Not Worth Washing “One” Blanket in a Filthy Laundromat — Wal-Mart Sells Fleece Blankets For $9.00 – Just Ceremoniously Burn It and Move On. 

Written by Kathy McGinnis | Goombay Tally | Contact us below or at [email protected] for comments or writer requests

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11 Magnificant Greek Doors That Will Make You Grab Your Camera

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11 Magnificent Greek Doors That Will Make You Grab Your Camera

Written by Herb Meadows for Goombay Tally | Goombay Tally Blog | Hydra, Greece Vacations | Contact us below or at [email protected] for comments or writer requests.

For those who are lucky enough to plan a vacation to the beautiful island of Hydra, Greece this summer–a sleepy, majestically nestled harbor town in the Aegean Sea; you know that one of the predominant and mesmerizing characteristics of the island is the old world architecture, incredible Renaissance-like charm, and simplistic lifestyle that will immediately surround you once you arrive. By the way, if you haven’t yet made the decision to put Hydra on your vacation list, please stop what you’re doing and read the hugely popular Goombay Tally article, 11 Reasons Why Hydra, Greece Needs To Be on Your Vacation List Immediately. 

Beautiful clash of pastel colors. Naturally distressed and aged.

Artistic and complex. Beautiful grey distressed color.

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Regardless, here’s an interesting vacation “must-do” project for you while you’re enjoying the island…I truly believe you and your family will thoroughly enjoy this adventure…especially if you need an alternative activity to the lazy Hydra beach excursions, top-notch food and restaurants, and shopping in the harbor.  Moreover, if you happen to be a professional photographer, you will totally crush this project and we certainly invite you to share your results on our website.

Once you step foot off of the Aegean Flying Dolphin hydrofoil from the port of Piraeus, close to Athens, and onto the harbor of Hydra, you will quickly notice many complex labyrinths of steep and narrow streets coupled with fantastic doors that adorn the small, quaint houses throughout the island.  Mostly colorful…often rustic…some artistic…you will absolutely love the bright colors, bold hues and detailed granularity of something so basic and mundane as a ….”door.”

Bold, beautiful grey door. Solid and sturdy structure.

Aged. Rustic. Given to the elements, but tells a story.

Bold, solid and sturdy structure. Simple but reliable.

Mind you, an object that is so inherently functional and generally non-impressive as a door, would typically go unnoticed and completely ignored in most towns and cities in the United States.

But not on Hydra.

On this island, (at least in my eyes) doors also serve as functional artwork.  Exhuming a burst of individual personalities on cobblestone alleys, much like canvases on display in an outdoor gallery; I tend to believe that each door has a unique story to tell.  A quiet and visual display of their history–or the life of those who dwell on the other side.

While on vacation in Hydra, I made sure that I reserved at least one of my vacation days to walk throughout the town and take pictures of the wonderfully colorful doors and to carefully archive as many as I could.  As you can imagine, not every door on the island is necessarily “beautiful” (per se) or even interesting; but that aspect simply adds to the challenge of finding the ones that will give you pause and cause you to simply gaze in admiration.

Believe me, when you see it … you will know it.  There will invariably be one there that personally resonates with your soul.

 

 

Incredibly striking royal blue door that stands out like a jewel as you walk down the Hydra cobbled corridors.

Abrupt clash of bright door and drab grey frame makes for an incredibly beautiful sight.

So I’m certain that some of the island residents truly thought that I was a disturbed tourist, but I was mildly obsessed with the “doors of Hydra” and I enjoyed every minute I spent studying and admiring them, or “door hunting” — as my family now refers to it. In fact,  I would like to officially submit the term “door hunting” — by definition: the “studying, admiring, and archiving of  beautifully built doors” to the good folks at Webster’s Dictionary for consideration.  I’m sure they’ll be amused.

I’m also certain the friendly residents of Hydra are used to tourists scampering up and down the mountain, photographing Hydra doors as an activity and art form.  I suppose that no one really minds the attention that their doors receive on Hydra, as long as you respect the residents’ privacy and personal property–a rule that can be respected and understood in any language.

A true work of art. Distressed blue pastel with more character than you can shake a stick at.

Straight out of an artistic masterpiece.

Dashing gold splash breaking up a milky white wall on the island of Hydra.

Photo by Tina Gabes on Unsplash

So in the interim, I encourage you to finish booking your vacation on Hydra and please share your Hydra “door hunting” pictures on this site when you return.

Written by Kathy McGinnis | Goombay Tally | Greece | Contact us below or at [email protected] for comments, writer requests, or advertisement details.

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11 Vital Life Strategies Every Young Black Man Needs to Know Right Now

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Photo by William Stitt

Written by Andrew Brock | Staff Writer for Goombay Tally | www.goombaytally.com | Goombay Tally | Race Relations and African-American Culture| Contact us below or at [email protected] for comments, writing or advertisement requests.  

11 Vital Life Strategies Every Young Black Man Needs to Know Right Now.

So, I’m really sitting down today to write this article for my handsome, funny, 4-year-old son so he has some archived words of wisdom from his father when he becomes a man.  My true hope is that he will listen, learn, and avoid some of the traps that his “old man” and other black men have fallen into in the past.

I write this article not only because I love my son and don’t want him to fail, I also love our black community enough to write about some tough issues that require a great degree of self-reflection and painful transparency.  No, this article will not win me any fan mail or NAACP indorsements.  So be it.

Newsflash:  The Black community is in a state of extreme crisis right now that appears to be systematically and hopelessly spiraling out of control. 

But you already knew that.  Right?

But more specifically, our young black men are in a free fall state in this country.  If you’ve been following the news for any reasonable period of time, you know that we’re at combative odds with essentially everyone:  law enforcement, the media, the White House, the purse-clutching old lady on the elevator, and sadly enough … with ourselves.

We’ve essentially devolved from the great Martin Luther King and the powerful 1960s civil rights movement to trap houses, mumble rap, twerking teenage girls, exponential abortion rates, and homicide numbers in America’s largest cities that easily rival American military casualties in Vietnam and Taliban-controlled areas of Afghanistan.  That’s insane!

The question is:  how did we get here?

Have you ever mistakenly programmed the wrong address into your GPS and finally realize that it’s trying to send you to Boston, Ohio … instead of Boston, Massachusetts?  That’s where many of us as black males are today:  following GPS coordinates that were programmed for us generations and generations ago, and are still sending us to the wrong destination.  Even worse, we tend to disparage or vilify those who attempt to mentor or call out those activities or characteristics that keep us headed toward mediocrity, poverty, and ultimate failure in life.

Why are brothers in our community who work hard to get an education or better themselves through traditional hard work and sweat called sell-outs or soft?  There’s a plain and simple answer to that:  perpetual negative social programming.

So what do we do?

It’s not rocket science, but it does take life-changing effort and dedication.  And no … most young black men in crisis won’t have the internal drive or motivation to change their course in life without a coach or mentor kicking them in the ass every day.  Like the GPS programmed to send you to the wrong city of Boston, our young black men have to be reprogrammed and set on the correct trajectory.

Remember that brother from the neighborhood whose Mom basically forced him to join the Army or Marines because he was either on a fast path to prison or the cemetery?  Do you remember him disappearing off of the face of the earth for six to eights weeks, before finally reappearing at the corner store or at a friend’s party — squared away, standing a little taller, and sounding a little sharper cognitively?

Yep, that was the beauty of reprogramming that you witnessed there.  

Unfortunately for way too many of us, our pastor, football coach, or military basic training drill sergeant will serve as the first influential male figure in our lives.  The first male that is more than willing to get in our faces and tell us that we’re screwed up and need to get our *hit together if we want to be anything in life.  

The direct, honest, and aggressive form of “mentoring” acts as a shock to the system for many of us and helps “reset and reprogram the GPS” if you will.

This article is certainly not a cloaked advertisement for the U.S. Armed Forces, but I will say that the military has saved as well as propelled the lives of many of our young black men for decades.  Many troubled young black men in the past were told by a judge inside a tense courtroom that they had a choice of either joining the military or going to jail … you can easily guess which decision they chose.

But many of these same men went on to become successful professional soldiers and are now retired and excelling in the corporate world.  All because they had a blunt, aggressive form of intervention in their lives at the right time, and by the right mentor.

I’m not saying that the military is the only solution for our misguided black men today … but I do believe that void of deliberate and methodical discipline and mentorship of any kind, many of our young men will continue down the inevitable path of destruction.   And yes, there are wonderful single black mothers out there who are providing that effective, gritty, in-your-face discipline that we all need for success in life.  But the news only reports the net results and effects of those men who don’t have that system in place.  The drive by shootings, gang activity, homicides, drug overdoses, home invasions, baby momma drama, and the list continues.

This article will draw a considerable amount of fire from readers who choose to continue to blame “the white man” or society for the problems that we are having in our community right now.  Yes, many of these variables serve as incredibly limiting factors to some degree, but none of them will be able to argue the fact that something drastic and urgent must be done if we are going to survive the next couple of decades.  Regardless of our past, the excuses or finger-pointing, WE are ultimately responsible for initiating real change in our young men and communities.  And that, ladies and gentlemen … falls squarely on our shoulders to fix.  No one else’s … not government, law enforcement, the education system, the NAACP, Al Sharpton, Congresswomen Maxine Waters, Santa Clause, or the tooth fairy.

If our GPS plants us square in the middle of Boston, Ohio when we needed to be in Boston, Massachusettss; we can choose to blame Garmin, TomTom, or even the vehicle that we drove to get us there.  But we will still remain in the wrong Boston until we take responsibility for our own actions and re-program the GPS correctly.

I believe that these following 11 life strategies are essential disciplines for our young black men today and need to be taught at the earliest age possible and of course, within reason.  Love it or hate it … they will be taught to my son.

1. The CPT Stereotype Isn’t Funny!  So Stop Perpetuating It.

Stop reading this article for 1 minute and set your watch 5 minutes ahead so you arrive on time to appointments and meetings — every time. 

Remember that people judge you by your punctuality.  “Colored People Time” is a racist phrase for a reason — because many of us chronically show up to meetings, appointments, church, and activities late.  Hell … I once watched a sista’ walk into a movie theater with her three kids in tow–damn near at the half-way point of the movie.  Don’t afford others the opportunity or satisfactory of excusing our actions because of this “unspoken” expectation.  When you show up on time or ahead of time … you tell people that you’re serious about what you’re doing and should be taken seriously in kind.  When you show up late to important meetings or events – you lose your “seat at the table” and in turn, lose you credibility.  And let’s face it y’all … these are two things we can’t afford to forfeit as black people.   

When you show up late to important meetings or events – you lose your “seat at the table” and in turn, lose you credibility.  And let’s face it y’all … these are two things we can’t afford to forfeit as black people.    

2.  Change Your View of Success and Value.  An “On-Fire” Community Volunteer With $100 in His Bank Account is More Valuable To Me Than a Social Leech With a $1.7 Million Bugatti in His Garage.  

As you probably already know, American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist Warren Buffet is worth roughly $30 billion.  He lives in a modest house in a middle class neighborhood, and drives around in a 2006 Cadillac XTS, that he purchased for $42,000 cash.  Notice I said “drives around” … yep, he doesn’t employ a chauffeur to drive him around town in Omaha, Nebraska.  The interesting thing is that most of us wouldn’t recognize Warren Buffet if we walked past him on the street today – yet he is one of the richest men on the face of the earth.  Mr. Buffet doesn’t have to prove to you, me, or anyone else that he’s rich … that’s not important to him.  He invests his time and efforts into things that have true value:  family, great investments and philanthropic work.

Too many of us define success by the number of gold chains around our neck and the cars that we drive instead of investing in the things that matter — like education, family, and community.  We value bling more than the church and spirituality. Many of us can fund a few semesters of college with the amount of cash we spend on new rims for our ride, clothes, jewelry, and Air Jordan sneakers.  These things will eventually wear out and get tossed out however, your education and acquired skills will lead to a career and progressive income instead of a short-term appearance of success.

3.  Stop Having Kids Out of Wedlock Dammit!  It’s Destroying the Black Community.

During a conversation about problems in the African-American community, a popular CNN anchor stated, “just because you can have a baby, doesn’t mean you should.”  He also went on to point out that more than 72 percent of African-American children are born out-of-wedlock.   Although he faced a fire-storm of criticism from many who felt that his comment was insensitive and myopic … the truth is, he was spot-on.  This goes back to the GPS programming theory:  our community perpetuates a practice that “keeps on giving” if you will.  The cycle of poverty and social failure will never end as long as we keep popping out children without stable families and solid support systems that put them on the right path.  Black “intellectuals” citing socioeconomic statistics and blaming slave owners from 1619 is psychologically and emotionally satisfying, but not incredibly productive.  Worst yet, impregnating a women who you have no intentions of building a life and family with — while leaving her on government assistance to raise your kid on her own is irresponsible, and has nothing to do with slavery, Jim Crow, white supremacy, or President Donald Trump.  Bottomline:  It just makes you an *ss-hole and part of our social economic problem.  Be a man.  Real men take care of their families.  “Smart men” don’t start families until they can adequately support them.  

The impacts are real.  Read this Washington Post piece by Valerie Strauss. [Washington Post]

4.  Hustle.  Hustle. Hustle … and Outwork Everyone Around You.

The black man generally has to live with an abundance of damaging stereotypes every day.  I think the one stereotype that bothers me the most is the one that says, “black males are lazy and unproductive.”  Mind you, I’ve seen “lazy” people from every race in my lifetime, but I’ve lived my life out working everyone around me so supervisors and co-workers can’t use that excuse to marginalize my achievements or contributions to the job or organization.  Out-working everyone around you means going above and beyond what is expected of you.  Not just barely meeting expectations.  It means exceeding expectations every opportunity you have.  Doing this puts everyone on notice that you’re to be taken seriously and that you intend on expanding and accelerating your personal brand.

5.  Treat Every Women You Meet Like You Want Other Men to Treat Your Mother.

Women are to be respected and honored [Period].  The fact that some of them don’t live up to that respect is on them, not you.  That means women should never be called “hoes” or any other “cute” name referenced in any popular Little Wayne, Two Chainz, or Drake song today.  A women brought you into this world and nurtured you to where you are in life right now.  That deserves a special place of honor in our society.  When you objectify, mistreat, abuse, and disrespect women, we not only devalue what it means to be a women, but it devalues everyone in our community.  In addition, it teaches other races that our women have no true value to us [outside of sexual pursuits] and subconsciously invites others to do the same.  Do you really want that for your mother?  Yep, I didn’t think so.

6.  Don’t Run Away From the Law, Learn How to Use It.

Yes, there are systemic problems with many of our law enforcement agencies in America right now and specifically, public engagement inequalities when dealing with African-Americans.  These are matters that must be addressed at the local, state, and national level.  However, I believe that “most” law enforcement officers are there to do the right thing and serve the public.  I know many good police officers who would give their lives for our safety.  I also believe that 50 percent of the negative engagements between black men and law enforcement that reach the levels that we see on CNN, could have been prevented with better behavioral strategies and rules of engagement.  Here are mine:

  • Police officers wear body cameras as evidential material if their actions or the subjects actions are called in question in a court of law.  As a citizen, you also have every right to buy a vehicle camera or body camera to ensure that your civil liberties aren’t trampled on.  However, cameras don’t give you the right to act like an *ss-hole.  *ss-holes are despised by everyone … law enforcement included.
  • Visit and speak with a trusted attorney in your town and ask them if you can have a few of their cards to keep on your person.  During an engagement with police that you feel is getting out of control.  Always show them your personal identification if requested, but also hand them the attorney’s card as an additional form of validation.  Mind you, if you are in the wrong — an attorney’s business card won’t be of any value to you at that point.  But if you happen to run into a bad cop who is operating outside of ethical lines, this non-threatening gesture puts them on notice that you know your rights and also know how to contact someone who makes a living from protecting them.
  • Learn about The Fourth Amendment (Amendment IV).  The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures.  It also requires governmental searches and seizures to be conducted only upon issuance of a warrant, judicially sanctioned by probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized.  Yes, these are lessons we probably slept through in civics class in high school but our national situation is too serious not to know your rights as a citizen now.  Especially as a black man.  That means that police can’t just search you person or residence without probable cause.  Probable cause is basically strong evidence that a crime has been committed and more importantly, that you are the brother who did it.

7.  Memorize This Phrase if a Police Officer Engagement Goes Terribly Wrong.

First, follow “every” command that police officers give you during a traffic stop or on the streets.  Your ego at the time is not worth occupying a drawer at the county morgue tonight.  Leave the Tupac-thug posturing and chest-beating to the low-intelligence brothers.  You have a life to live.  Remember, police officers just want to get home in one piece just like anyone else … don’t give ’em a reason to think that goal will be put into jeopardy during your engagement.  It’s not being a punk, or weak … it’s being smart and alive.  It just doesn’t make sense to start beef with anyone with a weapon … police officer or otherwise.

However, if you are following all of the officer’s directions, but still feel that things are getting out of hand and the officer is artificially escalating the level of force being administered, repeat this phrase:  “I am unarmed, in compliance, and not a threat to you officer … my hands are right here … please follow your department’s mandated use of force training and protocol.”  Reciting this phrase tells the officer that 1) you are aware that this engagement may be witnessed by others in a legal environment in the future via video and that 2) you are aware that the officers are being held to a standard of performance that will be evaluated and scrutinized in the same court of law.  Hearing an innocent suspect stating this phrase on video right before getting shot doesn’t make for good optics.  Police officers and Police Chiefs know this.    

Again….I repeat:  this phrase only works if you are fully compliant and “indeed” not a threat.  Saying this while holding a gun or knife is as useless as wearing shower shoes in the 100-yard dash.

“I am unarmed, in compliance, and not a threat to you officer … my hands are right here … please follow your department’s mandated use of force training and protocol.” 

8.  Respect Age, Rank, Position, and Authority.

Many of our young black men (yep, and sista’s too) are raised without a shred of respect for our elders and authority.  I truly believe this lack of respect translates into and negatively impacts the classroom, the workplace, traffic stops, and the streets.  The military demands discipline and respect for rank, position and authority because these variables are vital drivers for the execution of orders and missions.  Young black men have to learn how to respect parents, their elders, and those in authority first, before we are going to address and fix many of the social issues that plague us today.  This notion will certainly not be popular in this era of “pass the blame” and take no responsibility nonsense, but think about this:  even gangs and organized crime syndicates have a hierarchy and rank structure that is respected and adhered to by its members.  So you’re telling me that this concept shouldn’t be exercised in a positive way by our black men?  Get out of here!

9.  Treat Your Education Like a Business or Investment – It’s the Key to Your Future.

I remember sitting in my english literature class in high school and watching a brother sitting in the back of the class and tying his fat shoe laces into his new Adidas high tops (yes, I’m dating myself here … 1980s) for the entire duration of the class.  He never looked at his text book, never followed the class instruction, and only looked up occasionally if he thought the teacher was about to call on him.  Education was not important to him because he didn’t see the connection between what education offers him and his quality of life in the future.  He was under the flawed assumption that being a “fly break-dancer” with “ill” high tops would sustain him into the future and put food on his table for life.  I’m certain he was wrong.  Treat your education like a business or investment.  Mainly because it is.  Poverty is serious business – there’s nothing funny about it, and certainly nothing cool about it.

10.  Be A Hero to Your Community – Not a Cancer Within It.

You must treat drug-dealers, thugs, thieves, and general criminals in our community as a dangerous cancer that must be rooted out and eliminated.  Stop pretending that they are heroes or role-models.  Stop rapping about their exploits in our music.  Stop putting these criminals on undeserved pedestals.  They are systematically dismantling our neighborhoods and killing off our people at genocidal rates–far greater than the police, or other races by the way.  Instead, help organize school supply and food drives for our neighborhoods.  Volunteer for programs like Meals-on-Wheels that help take care of our valuable elders.  In fact, take the time to listen to their stories and life lessons … they will be infinitely more insightful and interesting than I ever can be.  Form a neighborhood watch program to help keep our youth and communities safe.  Volunteer to escort our young ladies and youth safely home.  Don’t leave this task solely to the cops.  Volunteer at your local church … don’t just pray to the Almighty for social change, he’s already commissioned you to go out and be that change in our community.

Our neighborhoods need young “black leaders” – not “bottom-feeders” … we have enough of those already.

11.  Save at Least 10% of Everything You Earn – Start Investing Early and Often.

Make it a habit of saving no less than 10% of every dollar that flows through your pockets right now.  It doesn’t matter how large or small the amount is … get into a consistent routine of paying yourself first.  Treat that 10% like you don’t even own it in the first place and drop it into a savings account, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or CDs.  In addition, one of the best financial decisions you will ever make, will be to consult with a “certified” financial advisor who can help you assess your goals in life and develop a plan to reach them.  As black men, we have to stop the “broke cycle” by starting small and managing the modest financial gains in our lives before we can begin to achieve significant economic growth in the future.  Learn how to capitalize on the power of consistency and the beauty of the compound effect.  Making small, but consistent deposits into your investment account of choice will eventually put you on the road to independence.

Written by Andrew Brock | Goombay Tally | Share us on Facebook/Twitter

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Had a Bad Day? Read This First and Keep Moving Forward

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Photo by Victoria Palacios

Had a Bad Day?  Read This First and Keep Moving Forward.

Written by Kathy McGinnis | Staff Writer for www.goombaytally.com | Mental Wellness

Regardless of how beautiful and dreamy you think your life is right now, we all will invariably, and inevitably encounter some (seemingly) insurmountable challenges and trying times in the future.

Whether you completely tanked a speech right in front of your demanding and critical boss today–and that speech was suppose to help propel your career right into the stratosphere; not to mention that corner office with a window.  Your wife of 13 years just told you that she wants a divorce.  You just lost your job and don’t know how you’re going to keep the house and support your family.  Last night you received a phone call from your brother that one of your parents is sick and only have a few months left.  And the horrifying list continues.  We’ve all been there in the past–or maybe you’re going through one of these crisis situations right now.

Many motivational speakers and mental health specialists may tell you: it’s not your existing situation or crisis that really matters right now, it’s how you deal with the situation that counts in the long run.  I certainly agree.  We also know the quintessentially debilitating aspect of a crisis is often that the person going through these events feels completely hopeless with little to no enlightenment or remedy in the near future.  Essentially, we just don’t see an immediate or long-term way out of trouble.

“Life Isn’t Always Sunshine and Rainbows – At Times it Can Beat You to Your Knees…”

Life is not like a glossy, star studded Hollywood movie where the world’s problems are neatly diffused and resolved within two hours and the hero walks off into the sunset.  Roll credits.  Toss your empty popcorn bag and coke into the can as you leave.  That certainly would be awesome … but typically not likely.  In reality, a crisis cycle will probably look something like this instead:

  • A horrible event happens.
  • We experience the shock of the event.
  • We deal with the event the best way we can given the coping mechanisms that we are personally equipped with (or lack).
  • Those who lack effective coping mechanisms may do harmful things to themselves or others that initiates secondary and tertiary impacts which compel a negative spiral and unrecoverable state of dysfunctional behavior.
  • Those with healthier coping mechanisms begin the recovery process and initiate positive–rehabilitative actions.
  • The situation begins to improve either at a slow or advanced rate accordingly.
  • We recover, to some extent, or at least move on with our lives.

…life is not like a glossy, star studded Hollywood movie where the world’s problems are neatly resolved and normalized within two hours and the hero walks off into the sunset.

People who are in crisis often find it hard enough just to crawl out of bed and stumble into the shower everyday, much less get themselves pumped up and motivated to face their problems and seek resolution.  Depression will steal your appetite, obliterate your sleep cycle, make you lose interest in things that your are normally passionate about, and compel you to abandon your friends, family, and existing support system.

 

Some of Life’s Issues May Require Professional Help – Go See Them Now!

I will be the first to admit that I don’t have the credentials to pull you out of the funk you may be in right now, but I can share with you some quick, guerrilla strategies and tips that helped me wade through some certifiably cringe-worthy situations and crisis in my life.

First, if you are dealing with a problem that you don’t seem to be able to functionally and effectively manage, please stop reading this article and seek professional help from a clinician who is trained to provide you with the right level and degree of behavioral and psychological assistance.  There are resources available to you right now, contact the following numbers if you need help:

  • US Suicide Hotline – 800-784-2433
  • NDMDA Depression Hotline – Support Group – 800-826-3632
  • Suicide Prevention Services Depression Hotline – 630-482-9696
  • Crisis Help Line – 800-233-4357

(Source: psychcentral.com, John M. Grohol, Psy.D.)

 

I’ve simply listed some quick, actionable strategies that at times may seem superficial or even silly, but have helped me muster through some tough times.  That said, the absolute best advice I can give you when you’re dealing with hard times, is to talk to someone…don’t hide from it and don’t pretend everything is O.K.

Here we go:

1. Starbucks and a Buddy.

Call a family member or friend right now and go have coffee.  This is a great opportunity to talk about your issues.  Additionally, he or she may have valuable and insightful perspectives on your issue that you’ve never even thought of.  Conversely, hiding in your apartment with the curtains drawn and the lights turned off will probably lower your electric bill next month, but won’t do anything for your mental and emotional well-being right now.  Moreover, dealing with your demons alone or drowning yourself in alcohol or drugs is the last thing you need.

2. Read the “Good Book” and Pray.

O.K., this is not the part in the post where we debate the existence of God or whether Christianity or Islam is the path to true happiness and enlightenment. I’m just sharing helpful tips that worked for me.  If Buddhism is your spiritual remedy during tough times…more power to you.  In addition, praying or meditating does wonderful things for your mental well-being and mood.  Sometimes we just need to slow the brain down just long enough to catch up cognitively and spiritually.  Again, regardless of your religious affiliation, the Bible and prayer presents incredibly comforting words of encouragement and hope that will help change your immediate perspective on life.  Here’s a few passages that have helped me:

  • Psalm 46:1-3 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and mountains quake with their surging.
  • Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

If you don’t actually own a Bible, “there is an app for that.”  Just download “Bible” app from the Apple App Store or any number of other Bible apps for your particular device.

3. Listen to Awesome Inspirational Speeches.

Love it or hate it, You Tube can serve as an incredibly helpful resource for motivational speeches or excerpts from world renown speakers like Les Brown, Tony Robbins, Linda Larsen, Colette Carlson, Joel Osteen, Dr. Eric Thomas (The Hip Hop Preacher), and many more.  A number of these speeches are set to dramatic orchestral music and will stir your soul and ignite your spirit during rough patches in  your life.  Listening to these inspiring speakers will get you pumped up and ready to fight.

4. Be Grateful.  Write Down 10 Things You’re Thankful For.

Yes, it sounds stupid, but when I found myself in a bad situation some years ago, my mentor at the time told me to sit down with a sheet of paper and write 10 things that I’m grateful for in my life right now.  Obviously this can be a daunting task when you feel like your world is literally collapsing around you.  Yep, initially, this will feel counter-intuitive, and frankly, counterproductive.  However, if you actually do this simple task, you will soon discover that regardless of your current situation, God has given you infinitely more in the form of family, friends, health, and spiritual wealth than life appears to be “stealing” from you right now.  Your perspective will begin to right-size itself.  In a few weeks, you will find that your list will grow exponentially as your fears begin to diminish.

5.  Watch The “Rocky Balboa” Motivational Speech Every Morning.

Yes, I admit that I’m that cheesy guy who watches hours of Rocky reruns during Christmas break.  I love the enduring story of the underdog overcoming incredible odds and a lack of God-given talent to ultimately succeed in life. To many, Rocky symbolizes the common person coming from humble beginnings and a limiting and disadvantaged environment to prove that shear determination and grit will inevitably shatter the odds and ultimately level life’s playing field.

I invite you to listen to Rocky’s powerful interchange with his son in the movie Rocky Balboa (2006), where his son tries desperately to convince his father not to go through with his upcoming and ill-advised boxing match.  I dare you not to walk away feeling ready to take on the world.  It still gives me chills every time I hear it today.

6.  Run Forest, Run.

No…you’re probably thinking I mean get “out of dodge”, move to Mexico, and run away from your problems.  Instead, I’m referring to (literally) grabbing your Reebok or Nike running shoes and stepping on the treadmill or running trail.  Why?  Specialists believe that running, or exercise in general, promotes the release of the feel-good chemicals called endorphins.

Much like a natural antidepressant, running assists your brain in holding on to mood-boosting neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine.  In fact, Runnersworld.com recommends “running in quiet green spaces instead of on crowded streets…”  trust me, you will feel 100 times better and running will help dissipate some of the fog and help provide you with some emotional clarity when you need it most.

7.  Study How High-Achievers Overcame Debilitating Adversity.

Abraham Lincoln, arguably one of our greatest presidents, was born into poverty, lost eight elections, experienced two failed businesses, and literally suffered a nervous break down before ultimately winning the Presidency.  Famous inventor Thomas Edison was known for saying “I have not failed.  I’ve just found 10,000 ways  that won’t work.”  Imagine if Edison gave up on his telephone invention after his third or fourth failure.  Heck, you wouldn’t be reading this post on your iPhone 7 right now would you?

There was a time when hugely successful motivational speaker Dr. Eric Thomas was broke, homeless and eating out of trash cans for three years before he turned his life around.  Now he probably makes more in a month than the Goombay Tally staff makes in a year.  More importantly, “E.T.” is motivating people all over the world to be better, and achieve more In life.  

Bottom-line: failure and mediocrity is not an experience just reserved for unknowns like you and I.  Some of the planet’s most inspiring and talented geniuses have been to “hell and back” in their unrelenting pursuit of greatness.  Remember, the problem that you are going through right now is only temporary.  However, your reaction to this challenge will greatly impact the trajectory that your life will take starting today…starting right now.  Get up.  Move forward.  Do the same thing again tomorrow morning.  Things will get better, and you will be shaped and molded into a better version of yourself because of your tested resiliency and perseverance.

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The People of Alabama Appropriately Handled Judge Roy Moore … Then Twitter Mercilessly Finished Him Off With These 11 Crazy Tweets

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The People of Alabama Appropriately Handled Judge Roy Moore … Then Twitter Mercilessly Finished Him Off With These 11 Crazy Tweets 

By Andrew Brock | Staff writer for www.goombaytally.com | Judge Roy Moore

The December 12, 2017 Alabama Senate seat race wasn’t just a major political event for the people of Alabama, or even for the United States.  This race was closely followed, scrutinized, and analyzed on the broader global stage as well.  Why?  Well, most would agree that this race served as a windsock, or gauge for the current administration’s net influence, momentum, and political potency in United States right now.

With the state of Alabama electing its first Democratic senator in over two decades, do these election results tell us which way the 2020 winds are blowing?  Maybe … but who really knows.  Right?

Last year’s elections taught us all a valuable lesson about the accuracy of pre-election predictions and the “myth of absolutes” in the strange city we call Washington D.C. (cue the You Tube montage of bumbling CNN and MSNBC reporters trying to figure out what’s going on with the early Trump and Hillary poll numbers.   All wide-eyed, frazzled, and perplexed … like Mike Tyson stuck in a Calculus 301 class at Stanford University on a pop quiz day.)

And I think the rest of us were honestly just waiting to see if the good people of Alabama would actually live up to their existing stereotypes and “reputation” by electing a candidate that nonchalantly used the words:  slavery, great, and country in the same incoherent sentence.

A modern day, living, breathing artifact from Alabama’s twisted civil rights past.  Not to mention a man facing a barrage of sexual harassment and assault allegations from women whose level of social stress and anxiety at such a young age should have been attributed to things like: figuring out what to wear to the prom … or does Jimmy Bob in her history class, like her … not from being stalked by a grown man wearing a cowboy hat.  

Now, I believe in due process and innocence until proven guilty like anyone else, but as one of my mentors once told me regarding the cumulative effect of a lifetime of dishonesty, corruption, and lawlessness on a human being’s life, he said:  “If you get to where you are in life by treating people like dirt or nonhuman… the wolves will come for you.  It may not be today.  It may not be tomorrow.  Hell … it may not even happen for decades.  But rest assure, they will eventually come for you.”

“If you get to where you are in life by treating people like dirt or nonhumans… the wolves will come for you.  It may not be today.  It may not be tomorrow.  Hell … it may not even happen for decades.  But rest assure, they will eventually come for you,” he said.

Judge Roy Moore … I think the wolves have finally come for you sir.  And they’re wearing high heels to boot.

If you’ve been paying attention to Twitter over the past 12 hours, you will notice that the tweets are also coming for Roy Moore and they are not merciful or forgiving by any stretch of the imagination.  Here are 11 that will certainly leave a mark shaped like the state of Alabama on the “good” judge:

https://twitter.com/kendallybrown/status/941059022727282688

https://twitter.com/RonaldLampligh2/status/941120036848140288

 

Fat Smitty’s Crazy Christmas Story

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Fat Smitty’s Crazy Christmas Story

Written by Andrew Brock | www.goombaytally.com | Goombay Tally Blog Writers | Fat Smitty

Growing up in North Philadelphia in the 1970s was an incredibly eclectic, challenging, complicated, yet wonderful part of my formative years as a child.

The rich stories from the communities and neighborhoods percolated out of our motley, poor, rundown streets and helped craft and mold our adulthood resiliency, attitudes, work ethic, and general outlook and perspectives on life and living.

The holidays were especially memorable for my family and I in the “City of Brother Love.”  I remember how the beautiful winter snow had a clever way of concealing the abject poverty, garbage, clutter, and urban ugliness that would often be painfully evident during any other season of the year.

But not Christmas.  Christmas was magical.

I would squint my eyes during snowstorms, and realize that for a few months, even North Philadelphia can be a beautiful, quaint, and postcard worthy place if you saw it from the right perspective and restrictive vantage point.

Today, as I sit here preparing for the Holidays with my family and watching my own kids decorating the Christmas tree and rattling off their memorized list of toys and electronics that Santa will be stuffing down the chimney, I stare at the flat screen T.V. in the family room and quietly reflect on the notable Christmas memories from my youth.

Vastly different from what my kids experienced today, but just different … not better.

The obligatory, A Christmas Story marathon is playing now.  My kids occasionally pause from their tree decorating and basic shenanigans just long enough to catch the funniest parts of the movie: “Flick” getting his tongue stuck on the flag pole during recess, Ralphie almost shooting his eye out, and the classic Chinese rendition of “Deck the Halls” and Chinese Turkey at Bo’ Ling Chop Suey Palace.

I glanced out the window and marveled at how blessed my kids are today.  My parents had very little money but still managed to make Christmas an incredibly magical time for all of us.  In a funny way, I feel sad for my kids.

Sad because they will never experience a Christmas that just seemed more genuine back in the day.  No iPads, iPhones, X-Boxes, or … heck, cable television to distract from what really mattered during this season: family…family…family.

Our holidays seemed like a warm Norman Rockwell painting — just with poor happy black families in the frame instead.

Christmas is too commercialized and complicated these days.  Unfortunately, this special day has been hijacked and carried away by the retail industry and basic human greed for decades.  Selfish consumers trampling little old ladies and toddlers for 50% off on a meaningless piece of plastic that was made by an overworked and underpaid worker in China.

Christmas has lost some of its authenticity I think.

My parents did the best that they could with what they had.  All the while, being happy that they had family and togetherness.

However, the one thing that each generation will TRULY be able to cherish and share equally, is the enjoyment of rich memorable Christmas stories that will inevitably and invariably unfold during this special time of the year.

My Fat Smitty Holiday Story

That said … I will never forget the craziest Christmas story from my youth.  A story that involved my Uncle Smitty (formerly, Reginald Smith) on the streets of Columbia Avenue (now Cecil B. Moore Avenue) back in the 1970s.

Uncle Smitty or “Fat Smitty,” as the fellas called him, was my father’s oldest brother who just returned from his second tour in Vietnam and probably (no…most definitely) needed some serious psychological assistance dealing with the horrors that he saw over there. But this was a time before phrases like Post Traumatic Syndrome Disorder (PTSD) became a household name and generally accepted in the psychological community.

He also came home from war and ballooned from a fit and firm 170 pound, Army fighting machine to 290 pounds in a very short period of time.  The war was bad for Uncle Smitty.  He didn’t talk about it much, but we all knew that he saw things over there that were still mercilessly haunting him at night.  He was never the same when he returned.  It was like a piece of him was still in Vietnam.  But we all loved him to death regardless.

For the record, Uncle Smitty had no kids, though he had a constant flow of transient girlfriends … but never married, and never really settled down.

The Christmas of 1974 would be his second Christmas back in the United States since his recent combat tour and trust me,he had every intention of enjoying it.

For the record, Uncle Smitty had no kids, though he had a constant flow of transient girlfriends … but never married, and never really settled down.

Fat Smitty, was known for his wild and crazy antics back in the day, and believe me, Christmas was certainly no exception.  So…  in the spirit of the Holiday season, and as a fitting way to carry this unique Christmas story over to the next generation … well, sort of.  I proudly present to you … Fat Smitty’s Christmas Story.

I swear to you that most of it is “absolutely” true.  Now enjoy.

Fat Smitty’s Christmas Story

By Andrew Brock (Writer and Philadelphia Native Son)

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all throughout Philly,
The weather was bone cold, downright freezing and chilly.
The bars were all closing, last call for the pubs,
Fat Smitty grabbed his coat, and emptied his glass mug

He had not a wife, nor children, or even a fur pet,
We were the only real family, for this gritty and tough Vet.
Mamma baked gingerbread cookies while Pops put up the tree,
Big sisters carried the ornaments and drank Eggnog with glee.

We were having big fun but was soon getting late,
No sign of Fat Smitty, how long could we wait.
Pops had invited him over to share some Holiday cheer,
Would he spend Christmas alone, drinking Bourbon or beer?

The snow fell on the City, like a blanket of dust,
The icy streets were now quiet, not even a bus.
Only the stop lights now flickered on this holiest of Eves,
On Wissahickon, on Broad Street, a rough City is at ease.

Smitty walked home slowly, just mumbling to himself,
“Man I hate the Holiday Season, damn that Santa and his Elf.”
“Ain’t no brothas’ got no chimneys, to drop his fat butt down,”
“I guess only rich kids get Christmas chimneys, while lil’ north Philly kids get frowns.”

“How the heck is that fair, aint Santa Claus for them all?”
“For the white, black, and yellow…for the short, medium, and tall?”
Suddenly, Fat Smitty was struck with a brilliant, holiday plan,
He’d bring a classic Santa “chimney” Christmas, to his good brother and fam.

Now, Uncle Smitty was in construction, so kept his tools in his truck,
He quickly grabbed his sledge hammer and threw our gifts in his ruck.
He drove his old pickup, straight down Columbia way,
Like a fearless “brotha” Santa, but flying a Chevy,’stead of a sleigh. 

And then, in a twinkle, we heard a crash on the roof,
Like the bounding and stomping of a drunk in work boots.
As we ran outside and swiftly focused our glance,
We saw Fat Smitty and his hammer as he started his dance

He boogied down to strange music, that only he seemed to hear,
He smiled and screamed “Merry Christmas family, I bring you peace and good cheer!”
My Pops was straight speechless, as Smitty ‘s voice echoed strong and thick,
“My little bro gonna have a chimney this Christmas, just right for ol’ St. Nick!

His crazed eyes were now blood-shot, his hair white from snow,
His hands were near frozen, his ice-filled beard seemed to glow.
With a quick wink of his eye and a nod of his head,
Uncle Smitty lowered his mighty hammer, much to my poor father’s dread.

The boom could be heard, clear out to South Cherry Hill,
The neighbors were now all awake, “Hey, Fat Smitty … man, what’s the big deal?”
Grumpy Ol’ Lady Rainee threw open her window and screamed, “I’m callin’ the cops!”
Before that crazy Fat Smitty, straight tears up our block?”

The streets were now filled with Police lights, yes, … six or more cars,
Uncle Smitty’s Christmas chimney project, could put that brotha’ behind bars.
“What the heck is he doing?” said Sergeant Stacks in dismay,
“Did this guy go plum nuts, on this peaceful, Christmas Eve day?

“He’s my brother,” said Pops, in a low, cautious tone,
“He’s a combat Vet, and quite lonely, this is kind of his home.”
“He wanted to build a nice chimney, for his family to enjoy,”
“To watch St. Nick drop down through it, with a sack full of toys.”

“Please don’t arrest him, his intentions were all good,”
“I won’t press no charges, it’s just a few shingles and wood.”
So the Police gave Fat Smitty a break, and the crazy drunk came inside,
He gave us cool gifts, drank black coffee, and with joyful cheer Smitty cried:

“Merry Christmas my family…you know your Uncle Smitty aint quite right…but Seasons Greetings to all, and to all, a Good Night!”

Written by Andrew Brock | Goombay Tally Blog Writers | goombaytally.com | Share us on Facebook! | Contact us in the comments section

Remember to check on a Veteran during this holiday season.  Make sure all is well.  Merry Christmas!

Failing to Do The Small Things Can Lead to Hellish Consequences

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Failing to Do the Small Things Can Lead to Hellish Consequences.

By Scott McGinnis, CEO, XGrunt Inc. | www.goombaytally | Business Leadership | Business Management | Please contact us at [email protected] for feedback.   

On one cold, fateful night on April 15, 1912, in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, historians tell us that British Merchant Navy officer, Captain Edward John Smith,  made a series of avoidable maritime blunders which could have ultimately prevented the tragedy we all know as the sinking of the RMS Titanic.  Moreover, we now know that captain Smith and his crew failed to accomplish [procedurally] very “small and simple” tasks that [cumulatively] could have saved 1,517 precious lives.  

Mind you, Captain Edward Smith is mostly known and praised for stoically and heroically remaining on his “unsinkable” ship as it submerged into its eternal resting place on the bottom of the cold Atlantic ocean.  However, inquisitive historical experts have meticulously combed through carefully preserved records of both American and British reviewing agencies, to assess and identify a laundry list of poor leadership decisions, willful noncompliance with maritime navigational protocol, and well … just good ol’ common sense in many instances.

For example, historian Allen Gibson, author of The Unsinkable Titanic:  The Triumph Behind a Disaster, noted that Smith was [indeed] fully aware that the world’s largest liner was headed directly into a 78-mile iceberg zone on his voyage from Southampton, England to New York.  However, knowing the inherent dangers associated with navigating such a treacherous area would be, Gibson noted that Captain Smith made a conscious choice to dine with wealthy passengers and hit the sack early that night instead of exercising proactive leadership and putting into motion small, but effective actions that would have turned the maiden voyage of the Titanic into a celebratory historical event instead of the disastrous maritime tragedy that we all read about in history class.

In fact, records show us that Captain Smith left the daunting task of dodging icebergs with his first officer William Murdoch that night as he retired to his quarters.

Historians and maritime experts are still scratching their heads today over other equally fateful decisions that Smith and his crew made that would seem intuitive now – but were not accomplished for whatever reason during that 1912 voyage.  For instance, why didn’t Smith simply change the ship’s course altogether or at least reduce the ship’s top speed of 22.5 knots at a minimum.  

Here’s one:  why didn’t Smith’s two lookouts in the Titanic’s crow’s nest have binoculars with them early that morning?  Would something as simple as possessing “better optics” in the crow’s nest have given Murdoch enough of a warning and lead to avoid the fatal iceberg?  Who knows?  But again, these are [seemingly] small disciplines, that could have significantly changed the outcome of the Titanic’s voyage at 2:20 a.m.

Similarly, many aren’t aware that captain Smith waited an entire 20 minutes after his ship hit the iceberg before he finally directed his wireless operators on board to send out distress calls to nearby vessels.

Twenty minutes!

That means that the next time you sit down and watch an episode of The Big Bang Theory, it would have taken captain Smith almost the entirety of the program before he decided to let anyone know he was in deep trouble.  The tragic fate of the Titanic was unfortunately facilitated by several [cumulative] missed opportunities and leadership failures.

Doing the Small, Boring, Repeatable, Things Everyday is Vital to Effective Military Operations.

The United States military is not a perfect institution, but it sure as heck is the best in the world by a long shot.  And that’s all that really counts on the battlefield at the end of the day.  One of the premier attributes of our military leadership enterprise, is its ability to dissect, examine and perform academic autopsies on military accidents, mishaps, or operational miscalculations … and in turn, build digestible lessons learned opportunities around them.

Why do you think there are [literally] checklists for almost every conceivable process or procedure in the armed forces?  My basic training buddies used to joke that there had to be a comprehensive checklist in the Army for using toilet paper when you’re sitting on the “crapper.”  And if there wasn’t one in print at the time … then there had to be some poor staff officer sitting down somewhere putting one together.

 

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Yes, there are about a million things in the world more exciting than running a pre-flight check on a    F-15C fighter jet … but doing these critical “little” things could possibly prevent this lethal, $27.9 million aircraft from tragically falling out of the sky.

If You Cannot Do Great Things, Do Small Things in a Great Way. – Napoleon Hill 

The 1994 Fairchild Air Force Base B-52 crash, the U.S. Army’s Ft. Hood shooting in 2009, and the USS John S. McCain’s collision with an oil tanker in the summer of 2017 … all serve as powerful lessons learned for our nation’s military leaders today.  After a disastrous tragedy like the ones mentioned above; evaluators, investigators, or inspector general offices will typically examine every operational guidance publication, training module, management decision, equipping profile, and execution variable that could have possibly contributed to the accident or mishap.

We then use these lessons to help prevent similar occurrences in the future.  Consequently, we rewrite lessons plans, readjust our training objectives, and yes … revisit our policies and checklists based on these historical events.  That’s what professional organizations do.  But in order to correct potentially harmful business or organizational practices in the future, leaders have to be incredibly transparent and painfully honest when examining their critical programs.

What Will the Devin Kelley Investigation Ultimately Tell Us About The Importance of Doing the Small Things Everyday?  

Just days following the First Baptist Church shooting by former Air Force Airman, Devin Patrick Kelley, we’re finding out that Air Force law enforcement agencies failed to submit Kelley’s criminal history data to the appropriate federal databases as required by national and Department of Defense policy.

Again, a simple [small] thing to accomplish on the balance, but we now know the potentially hellish consequences of not alerting federal agencies of mentally and emotionally unstable individuals in a timely manner.  

Could Kelley still have acquired a weapon even if the Air Force followed DoD guidance and reported Kelley’s required criminal background information to the FBI’s database?  Possibly.  But that’s not what’s being reported in the media right now.   Right now, Don Lemon is talking about the U.S. military failing to “do the small things” — when it counts.

The ironic part of this story is that the Air Force actually has the highest criminal history data submission compliance rate out of all the services.  Unfortunately, all it takes is one miss, one failed submission, and one lunatic in Texas to bring you and your organization under the national spotlight.

Invariably, the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, FBI, and finally … Congress will closely examine the timeline of events that ultimately led Airman Kelley to carry a Ruger AR-556 rifle into a peaceful, quiet church outside of San Antonio, TX and take the lives of  25 (plus one unborn child) innocent Americans.

Inevitably, we will find out that people in critical and trusted positions of authority and responsibility, probably failed to follow DoD guidance and neglected to accomplish a series of small things that may be time consuming, boring, and tedious … but at the end of the day, could have [potentially] saved precious lives, and kept the U.S. Air Force off of the front page of the Washington Post.

Ensuring Your Organization is Taking Care of the Small Things.

As leaders and managers, this incident should force us all to stop … pause, and think about what small things or processes our teams may be “dialing in” or just going through the obligatory motions procedurally, and not exercising the required attention and focus that it demands.

You may be surprised.  Take care of the small things.  

By Scott McGinnis | Goombay Tally | Share us on Linkedin

 

 

 

 

 

The 10 Best Leadership Lessons I Learned From My Worst Bosses

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The 10 Best Leadership Lessons I Learned From My Worst Bosses 

Written by Scott McGinnis (CEO, XGrunt Inc.) for Goombay Tally Blog | goombaytally.com | Business Leadership

When it comes to the study and practice of effective leadership principles — as a society, as students, and as management professionals, we all begin learning vital leadership lessons from our parents and from about the time we clumsily haul our Batman backpacks and lunch boxes to kindergarten.

In elementary school, we read how George Washington led his cold and battle-hardened Continental Army across the icy Delaware River on the night of December 25, 1776 during the American Revolutionary War.  We also learn that this daring, tactically brilliant move ultimately defeated Johann Rall’s troops and later went on to incite additional chaos and mayhem for Lord Cornwallis.

An innovative, unpredictable leader capitalizing on the element of surprise to disrupt the enemy.

Bulldog leaders like Winston Churchill shepherded an entire nation through a devastating and costly war while reminding its citizens to stay calm, focused and resilient until victory was ultimately achieved.

Developing case studies on leadership based on the life of George Washington, Winston Churchill, Ulysses S. Grant, Colin Powell, John F. Kennedy etc. are easy.  These were men who changed the matrix of leadership development and exploration through their sheer personalities, circumstances, character, and grit.

But I submit to you that as leaders, we can easily miss valuable professional development insights by not adequately analyzing “failed leaders” either in history, or in our workplace.  Young and aspiring workers, soldiers, and business students can gleam just as much knowledge about effective leadership from a horrible supervisor or manager as they can from a top-tier, Harvard, Yale, or West Point-educated CEO who runs a successful Fortune 500 corporation.

Most of us have nuanced stories about the best supervisors we’ve worked for … and if asked, could easily identify the very traits that made them a “great leader.”

Great Bosses Tend To …

  • Really take care of their employees
  • Be wicked smart
  • Be technically and tactically proficient in their jobs
  • Be incredibly detailed oriented and have a near-photographic memory
  • Tell us what to do, but never micro-managed us by telling us how to do it
  • Be tough, but fair
  • Take the time to learn a little about our families and interests
  • Not only be great supervisors, but are great mentors and teachers
  • Not be afraid to leave the office and emails to visit and talk with their employees

And the list continues.

Conversely, I would guess that if you asked the same people to list traits of the absolute worst bosses or supervisors that they’ve ever had, they could write a list that’s as equally intricate and just as long.

However, the trick is to take these defeating or negative traits that you’ve experienced with you worst boss, and apply the inverse variable to them.  That’s where you’ll find your leadership lesson in that instance.  Much like playing an old Beatles reel-to-reel backwards and finding the hidden and embedded message.  

To be more specific … most of the time you will only need to add the word, “don’t” in front of the trait or characteristic of a bad boss and you have just listed an equally powerful leadership lesson.  For example, one of my worst bosses made it a habit to mercilessly berate subordinates in public.

Your leadership lesson:

Good leaders don’t berate their subordinates in public … instead, they correct them in private.

In that spirit, and in that tone … here’s the 10 best leadership lessons I personally learned from my worst bosses:

The 10 Best Leadership Lessons I Learned From My Worst Bosses

 1.  My Worst Boss Mercilessly Berated Subordinates in Public and Made Them Feel Like Complete Crap.

Good leaders praise in public and correct in private.  The only thing you achieve by ripping an employee “a new one” in front of their peers is widespread resentment against you and the organization and fear … not respect.  Yes, some employees will need a “coming to Jesus” moment from time to time to correct poor performance or to discuss mistakes.  However, this is best done with composure, dignity and away from the public square.  Good bosses remember how it felt to be an entry-level employee and treat their team accordingly.

2. My Worst Boss Spent the Balance of His Time in The Office Answering Emails Instead of Engaging With His Employees.

Good leaders (deliberately) set aside time on their weekly calendar to visit with their employees on the floor or in their workplace.  They know that in order to understand how their company truly operates “under the hood,” they have to actually spend time learning from the very employees who know the inner workings of the system best.  These are the people who have to pull up their sleeves and actually implement the tasks, orders, or directives that the boss promulgates every day.  If there is an issue with a program, these are the people who can explain to you why it’s problematic, and in many cases — how to fix it.

3.  My Worst Boss Micro-Managed Everything and Everybody.  

Good leaders trust their employees enough to tell them what task needs to be accomplished, but allow them the respect and flexibility to use their God-given skills and creativity to figure out how to do it.  Micromanagers inevitably drain their organizations of innovation, creativity, and energy over time.  Thus, employees begin to realize that their opinions are not welcomed, their decision-making skills aren’t appreciated, and their efforts are not recognized.  Moreover, micromanagers will absolutely suck the morale out of a military unit, company, or corporation quicker than you can say “I want a transfer outta here please…”

4.  My Worst Boss Worked Us To Death and Never Recognized Hard-Working and Dedicated Teams and Employees. 

Good leaders figure out ways to create unique opportunities to recognize their people.  The quickest way to kill morale in an organization is to treat your team like indentured servants while never taking the time to put them in for quarterly or annual awards.  Most employees don’t ask for more than just to be told that they are doing a good job and will have the opportunity to increase their professional stock in the future.  Good leaders know how to exploit this desire and ensure that the entire company knows that “Sally from Accounting”  does an awesome job managing their accounts and has saved the company over $1.5 million dollars over the past year.  Rest assure … this simple act will motivate Sally to give you her very best every day and make her feel like a valued employee.  Yep … I get it … that bonus money won’t hurt either right?

5.  My Worst Boss Bred a Culture of Distrust, Secrecy, Exclusiveness, Cliques, and Favoritism.

Good bosses are fair and honest brokers that make it a habit of discussing company issues, and problems, with management and employees in an open and transparent environment.  My worst boss constantly held secrets, normalized closed door meetings in his office to discuss and badmouth upper management or other employees.  My worst boss would also appear to have her “favorites” who seemingly always had her ear and attention, while other employees were all but ignored or marginalized.  Worst yet, the organization’s “golden kids,” (as we would refer to them) always seemed to be very attractive males or females.  If you want to destroy morale in the workplace and cause your hard workers to jump ship … cultivate a matrix of cliques and favoritism … then  watch jealously and hatred eventually bring down the proverbial ship like Titanic into the North Atlantic Ocean.

6.  My Worst Boss Didn’t Care About Employee Family Life, Off-time, and Morale.

Good bosses understand the impact that healthy family relationships have on employee productivity, morale, and general happiness.  Also, good bosses demand mission accomplishment, but they also know that employees will be more productive when they are given the flexibility to do their jobs, while enjoying and nurturing their family life at the same time.  My worst boss occasionally worked us on the weekends, even if the tasks could’ve been handled on Monday morning without missing any deadlines or without any negative operational consequences.  

7.  My Worst Boss Never Took the Time to Mentor Us.

Good bosses are not only good supervisors and managers, they are also great mentors.  Good bosses invest time and energy into your professional and personal development.  They help you “road map” a five, ten, and twenty year plan as a professional, and will give you meaningful advice on where they believe you should be within those phased periods of your life.  Good bosses also sit you down and give you honest feedback when you screw up.  My worst boss rarely addressed an issue with employees face-to-face … they just complained about the action to other managers or employees … or talked about them behind closed doors.  Worst yet, some employees in our organization wouldn’t know that their work was sub-par until they received their written performance evaluation later.   

8.  My Worst Boss Led From Behind – Not From The Front.

Good bosses don’t just give orders or distribute tasks in the workplace from their safe and comfortable offices; they take a lead role in ensuring that the company’s goals, objectives, tasks, and orders have a fighting chance for success.  Sometimes leaders have to prep the battlefield or create the best possible business ecosystem for their employees to thrive and succeed in their efforts.  My worst boss consistently failed to follow up on programs or tasks that were administered from higher headquarters or corporate, but were the the first to reprimand the owning project managers when timelines were busted and the regional directors came looking for answers or complained about the inaction.

9.  My Worst Boss Was Uninspiring and Lacked the Ability to Motivate Employees.

Good bosses have the ability to motivate and drive their employees to accomplish things that none of them would be able to achieve individually.  Also, good leaders have the ability to build teams and utilize every members’ individual talents and skills to get the job done.  Phenomenal leaders also ensure that even the most junior or weakest employee has “skin in the game” and uses each project or endeavor as a learning and building experience for them.  My worst boss was a “wet noodle” and generally devoid of that spark that makes employees, soldiers, and managers want to follow them into battle.  

10.  My Worst Boss Expected Professionalism From Us … But Didn’t Demonstrate It Himself.

Good leaders set the example and “walk the walk” when it comes to professionalism on the job.  Additionally, good leaders will not tell their employees to do something (or not to do something) that they aren’t capable of demonstrating every day on the job.  Anything less, just makes you a hypocrite and to some extent … a fraud.  Employees won’t say it to their face, but rest assure that they will be the butt of the joke after work in social settings and at the bar.  Furthermore, a supervisor who doesn’t live by the established standards of professionalism on the job, loses all credibility [and standing] if an employee has to be reprimanded or even fired for similar actions in the future.  

Good luck out there my friends.  Be fearless.

Written by Scott McGinnis for Goombay Tally Blog

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These 15 Strategies Will Earn You All-Star Status in The Workplace

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These 15 Strategies Will Earn You “All-Star” Status in The Workplace.

Written by Scott McGinnis for Goombay Tally Blog | www.goombaytally.com | Business Leadership Strategies

Newsflash:  The same economy that sustained and propelled our parents and grandparents doesn’t exist anymore. That economic paradigm where “Paw Paw” graduated from high school (or not) and walked into the factory on the east side of down, asked “Nana” for her hand in marriage, dropped about 7 kids and supported an entire family comfortably on one salary?  Yep, it’s gone.  

Fast-forward the clock to today … the economy that you and I are experiencing right now sees young, educated college graduates … from really good schools … hanging out in mom’s basement, wordsmithing their resumes for the fifth time in a week and hoping for at least one solitary phone call for an interview out of the 35 applications that they submitted that week.

Moreover, many college graduates are making caramel mochas with whipped cream and iced coffees at the local Starbucks down the road that they used to hang out in as a student studying for finals.  The irony is both deafening and depressing.  

I believe a reasonable percentage of college grads will eventually find that job or position that sort of challenges them intellectually and professionally, but once they get that interview and subsequent job offer … the question is:  now that we’ve escaped mom’s basement (and dad’s critical glare of condemnation), how do I galvanize my value as an employee to keep myself out of the unemployment line and off of mom’s couch in the future?

Additionally, if my boss was told that he had to let two people go next week, what have I been doing since I arrived here to ensure that my name never comes up for serious consideration?

Obviously, the trick is to start planning your teflon performance strategy on day one in your workplace so if you ever find yourself in a potential layoff situation, you know that you’ve done everything you can do within your power and capability to prove your worth to your company.

You have to prove to your company or organization that you are not only a valuable new recruit, but that you have the potential for being an invaluable future leader within the organization that they need to invest in by grooming and polishing for bigger and better things beyond your entry-level skill-set.

Will layoffs happen regardless of how hard and industrious you are on the job?  Of course they will — “shift happens” and there are always financial and human capital decisions that have to be made that are above our pay grade and out of our direct control.

But that doesn’t matter right now.  Right now, you need to ensure that you set yourself light-years ahead of your peers by developing a work ethic and attitude that keeps your name and face constantly reverberating through the upper management suites and offices with the breathtaking view of the city.  

The good news?

You will find in many instances that it may not be that hard to set yourself apart from the pack in your workplace.

Why?

Many new employees come into the workplace with a strategy of keeping quiet, inconspicuous, and just staying out of trouble.   And let’s be honest … some employees are just there for the paycheck.  These employees are easy to identify:

The “Meh Employee” Key Indicators

  • They arrive to work either just on time or “unfashionably” late everyday
  • They just do the very minimum to get the job done and never go above and beyond the customer’s expectations
  • They never volunteer for anything – that’s seen as being a “brown-noser or sell-out”
  • They never network or collaborate with their peers on anything outside of obligatory job tasks
  • They fear change, growth, and innovation as much as cats fear cucumbers

I could list many more characteristics of the Meh employee but I think you get the point:  Point being:  setting yourself apart in the workplace isn’t really as difficult as you think.  But it does require hard work, heads-up cognizance of opportunities, and Rocky Balboa-style perseverance.

http://www.thesilverjar.comTry these tactics right now — don’t wait until next week:

The 15 Strategies Will Earn You “All-Star” Status in The Workplace.  

  1. Set Your Watch 10 Minutes Ahead and Never Be Late For Anything … Ever!

    Repeat after me … “I will never be late for a meeting….ever.”  When you can’t get to a meeting on time, your supervisor will naturally wonder what other things you are failing to do within the organization when they don’t see you. Even if a person is a mediocre employee … if they can at least consistently show up on time … they can hide a multitude of weaknesses in other areas.  Don’t let these people outpace you on the job over something so simple as showing up to a conference room when you’re supposed to.  Additionally, when supervisors and co-workers consistently see that you are the first one to arrive at meetings and scheduled events, they begin to realize that you mean business and this instantly identifies you as a strong and reliable employee.

  2. Volunteer for Everything You Can Until You’ve Established a Solid Reputation of Dedication to the Company:

    Remember that most of your co-workers have been brain-washed to think that you should never volunteer for anything because mediocre people in their past have convinced them that volunteerism makes you “square,” a nerd, a brown-noser, a kiss-ass etc.  Throw that mentality out the window now.  This is the mentality of the lazy.  And by the way … these will be the same people who are sweating rain buckets when they find out that management has to make layoffs.  Don’t follow their lead.  It will lead to a life of missed opportunities and woeful underachievement.

  3. “Under Promise” and “Over Deliver” on Everything:  

    Do you remember the time when your parents took you to McDonalds as a kid and you carefully opened up the bag to grab your hamburger and fries, only to also find two warm onion rings sitting in the carton or in the bottom of the bag?  Do you remember how you felt?  You didn’t order onion rings with your fries, but one of the McDonalds employees kindly (or accidentally) threw in a few extras for you to nibble on without you asking for it and at no additional cost.  Well, in the business world, people love that experience of extra value too. Build your personal brand recognition by being the employee who goes beyond what the customer or supervision asks them to do and deliver that extra onion ring.  You’ll quickly see that people will climb over themselves to seek you out personally because they know that you are giving them premium service every time.  All the time.

  4. Within the next 30 Days – Establish a Relationship with At Least Three People Outside of Your Company that Either Support, Are Supported By, or Collaborate with It:  

    Establishing professional relationships outside of your organization will help you expand your perspective and will readjust your vantage point.  This tactic will also give you insight into ways to improve your organization’s processes and planning strategies.  You will then be equipped to bring solutions to your supervisor because you are thinking outside of the corporate stove-pipes and exploiting information that many employees aren’t aware of.

  5. Frequently Ask Your Boss What His or Her Biggest Pain Point Is …Then Make That Your #1 Priority to Solve:  

    In some organizations, you will know immediately or intuitively what your boss’s immediate pain points are. They will be screaming about it every opportunity they get and you will hear it discussed in the board-room every week.  However, some of you may work in companies where those variables simply aren’t that apparent because of the complexity of business dynamics or because of where you or your skill-set stands in the office hierarchy.  This is when you have to take the initiative and ask your boss what causes him or her the most headaches on the job and prevents the team from completing their objectives.  This question will accomplish two things:  first it will tell your supervisor that you are genuinely concerned about helping him or her do their job better, and two: it shows your supervisor that you really get it.  You understand why they hired you in the first place – to get the job done through smart analysis of how the organization efficiently accomplishes mission objectives and handles challenges.

  6. Find Out What Your Boss’s Bosses’ Priorities Are:  

    One of the best supervisors I’ve ever worked for gave me some of the most valuable business advice years ago when he told me that if I quickly learn what my boss’s bosses’ priorities are … then I automatically know what my workplace priorities should be.  Think about it … if your supervisor’s boss sees that his priorities are being satisfactorily managed and that his or her objectives are being met, (or exceeded) then your boss is (by definition) doing their job.  That’s a good thing.  In turn, how do you think your boss will feel about your work performance when she isn’t taking heat from her boss for not taking care of their key priorities. Exactly.

  7. Create a Spreadsheet or Calendar With All Your Co-Worker’s Birthdays Listed.  

    Want to create a personal support system of people who are all willing to do anything for you whenever you need it?  Show your co-workers that you can remember something special like their birthday by giving everyone a birthday card on their special day.  Also, say congratulations on the birth of their newborn with a card, send your condolences on the loss of their mother with a card and flowers, and always congratulate co-workers when they get a promotion. This act of thoughtfulness and kindness helps to set you apart from others — especially in a day and age when people are self-absorbed and caught up in their own lives and Facebook accounts.  In turn, how hard do you think it will be to solicit their help or dial in a favor now and then when you need it in the future?  You guessed it.

  8. Never Bring a Problem to Your Boss Without Presenting a Viable Solution Along With It.

    There is probably nothing more annoying to a supervisor than an employee who is an expert at explaining problems or issues within the organization but then turns around and walks out of the office without any substantive solutions to counter these obstacles.  You need to develop a habit of discussing problems with your supervisor — along with recommendations for solving it in the following breath.  This tells your boss that you are an employee that doesn’t just dump the bag of horse crap on his desk and leaves it for him or her to sort through on their own … this also shows your boss that you are an employee who can conceivably serve as a future supervisor as well … hint, hint.  Anyone can rattle off a bunch of problems or challenges to another person — heck, your children and radio talk show hosts make a living out of doing that right?  But it takes a critical thinker and leader to come up with a solid battle plan to help resolve them.

  9. Identify The Root Cause of a Problem Afflicting Your Company or Organization and Kill It.  

    Want to know the quickest way to be a hero within your company?  Find the one problem that upper management has been wrestling with for years and come up with some well thought out, well researched solutions moving forward. Remember, most of your co-workers will just be doing the zombie office thing and slugging into the office in the morning, hanging around the coffee pot throughout the day, and punching the clock in the evening to head home or to the bar.  You’re better than that.  You will put in the extra hours and collaborate with like-minded employees to fix limiting issues within the organization. That’s what supervisors look for in future leaders.

  10. Don’t Be Intimidated By Fast-Burners in Your Company… Instead, See Them As Learning Opportunities Instead of A Threat:  

    Every organization has the guy or gal who seems to just fly at a higher altitude in terms of general intellect, work ethic, energy, skill level, leadership ability, etc.  Instead of seeing these “marvels of the workplace” as enemies or threats … see them as an opportunity to learn and expand your own skill-sets.  Most professional overachievers will be more than happy to share their “secrets of success” with you if you ask them.  That guy in your office who is an absolute wizard at creating jaw-dropping spreadsheets, can probably show you two simple Excel spreadsheet tricks today that will impact your immediate team’s projects in a truly meaningful way, while  impressing your boss at the same time. Hating on “Jerry” and “throwing shade” because you suck at Excel and avoiding him produces nothing positive for you.  But collaborating with Jerry may gain you knowledge and a new skill.  You choose.

  11. Find Out What Your Organization’s Critical Tasks Are and Learn to Do Them.  

    Every office, organization, company, corporation, and military unit has a set of critical tasks that are vital to mission accomplishment, and in many ways, defines success or failure for the entire team or service.  Ask a F-15E pilot if he or she thinks they are specifically trained to accomplish a critical task for the United States Air Force.  You need to find the key, critical tasks that have to be completed every time and in the right way in your organization and attempt to learn how to do those tasks.  Grant it, some of these tasks may require special certifications, education, and skill-sets … if those variables are within the realm of the achievable … figure out a way to complete it.  Even inquire into whether your company would be willing to pay for that requisite certification, masters degree, or course … if not, decide if it is worth digging into your own pocket to finance yourself.   Why?  Well … part of setting yourself apart from your peers involves possessing rare skill-sets that are critical to the organization’s survival. Here’s the truth: everyone has an important job … but some jobs are so important that there is a plausible risk of sinking the entire company if that that job isn’t done correctly and with steadfast precision.  That’s the responsibility you really want to be apart of and learn.

  12. Find Out Who Your Company’s Stakeholders Are and Become A Recognizable Asset to Them.  

    Your organization’s stakeholders are simply entities with a special interest or concern in your company’s product, activities, or services.  These are your customers and investors.  These are also people that will ultimately determine the success or failure of your company.  You need to identify who your organization’s stakeholders are and ensure that all of their expectations are met and exceeded on a daily basis. If their expectations are not being met,  you have to discover why not – and fix it immediately.  This level or professional “hustle” and due diligence will not only get you noticed quickly, but will gain you positive attention with corporate.

  13. Never Bad Mouth Your Boss or Your Co-Workers:

    Get into the habit of never gossiping in the workplace about your management or co-workers.  Gossiping is a cancer that eventually brings down the organization and infuses mistrust and disloyalty into the team.  Additionally, the person you engage with during a gossiping session about “Susie in Marketing” or the boss, will be the same person who spreads ill-will about you when you make a mistake or when the chips are down. Furthermore, the toxic office environment that is polluted with gossiping and back-stabbing will eventually impact sales, mission accomplishment, organizational objectives, and of course, morale.  You don’t want to be a part of, or even associated with the inevitable Titanic scenario that will invariably ensue.  If there are true office problems that need to be addressed, always discuss them face-to-face with your supervision and keep everything above board.

  14. Become The “Go-To” Person For Your Office:  

    Everyone has that one person in the workplace who everyone goes to for technical, program, or service questions.  In fact, you’ve noticed that this guy or gal is so important to your daily work activity, that his or her absence is felt immediately when they are not there.  Thrive to be that person in your office or workplace.  If you are new to the company – find out who these people are and more importantly, figure out the skills or knowledge that makes them the “go-to” guy.  (follow #11 above)

  15. Never Upstage Your Boss In Public – Always Make Them Look Good:  

    Good supervisors will always create and look for opportunities for you to grow and develop within the organization and your profession.  With that said … allow them to elevate your standing within the company over time and as a direct consequence of your hard work and dedication.  Never attempt to take a short-cut up the success ladder by upstaging them in front of their boss or the rest of the team.  This rarely ends well for those that attempt this.  Instead, be a team player who ensures that the “head coach” receives their due credit during your successes and is well supported during times of failure and challenge.  If you are taking care of the boss and other team members – you will get the right level of credit and reward that you have coming to you anyway.  However, if your boss is clearly incompetent and should not be in a position of authority, continue to be the hard working, dedicated worker that you pledged to be during your initial job interview.  Besides, the laws of business management and human capital will typically right-size those supervisory mismatches — much like a basketball coach ensuring that his average player isn’t guarding Stephen Curry on the court in a big game.

    Oh … By The Way, Here’s Your “Onion Ring” … #16.  Get It?

  16. Make It Your Goal To Remember The First Name of Everyone You Formally Meet.

    One of the most impressive senior officers that I’ve ever had the honor of working for during my active duty military time, was known all over the base for his innate ability to recall the names of not only everyone under his command, but literally everyone he met face-to-face.  I actually witnessed this feat first hand one day after work as I was finishing up my last rep on the weight bench at the base fitness center.  As I was about to clear the weights from the bar and wipe down the bench, I heard a deep, but friendly voice say hello, and call me by my rank and name.  I turned around and was surprised to see that it was my group commander.  Mind you, I had no idea that this full-bird Colonel even knew who I was, much less my name.  Yes … a simple thing, but what an impact this ability has on subordinates, co-workers, and leadership.  As a team member in the workplace … you have to add this tactic to your tool box if you’re going to set yourself apart from the pack. Not everyone is good at remembering names and job associations … that’s why you have to be the guy who walks into a leadership conference in Las Vegas and remembers everyone that you meet during the first break, because you understand the impact that this skill has on building strong business relationships and networking.  Who do you think new acquaintances and potential clients are going to want to collaborate with in the future?  Someone who takes the time to remember their name, or the guy who can’t even remember where they first met?  Exactly.

Written by Scott McGinnis | Goombay Tally Blog / Facebook

7 Quick Tips to Help Deal with Today’s Bad News and Keep Moving Forward

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7 Quick Tips to Help Deal with Today’s Bad News and Keep Moving Forward.

Written by Scott McGinnis for Goombay Tally Blog | www.goombaytally.com | 7 Tips to Help Deal with Today’s Bad News

Regardless of how beautiful and dreamy you think your life is right now, we all will invariably, and inevitably encounter some (seemingly) insurmountable challenges and trying times in the future.

Whether you completely tanked a speech right in front of your demanding and critical boss today–and that speech was suppose to help propel your career right into the stratosphere; not to mention that corner office with a window.  Your wife of 13 years just told you that she wants a divorce.  You just lost your job and don’t know how you’re going to keep the house and support your family.  Last night you received a phone call from your brother that one of your parents is sick and only have a few months left.  And the horrifying list continues.  We’ve all been there in the past–or maybe you’re going through one of these crisis situations right now.

Many motivational speakers and mental health specialists may tell you: it’s not your existing situation or crisis that really matters right now, it’s how you deal with the situation that counts in the long run.  I certainly agree.  We also know the quintessentially debilitating aspect of a crisis is often that the person going through these events feels completely hopeless with little to no enlightenment or remedy in the near future.  Essentially, we just don’t see an immediate or long-term way out of trouble.

“Life Isn’t Always Sunshine and Rainbows – At Times it Can Beat You to Your Knees…”

Life is not like a glossy, star studded Hollywood movie where the world’s problems are neatly diffused and resolved within two hours and the hero walks off into the sunset.  Roll credits.  Toss your empty popcorn bag and coke into the can as you leave.  That certainly would be awesome … but typically not likely.  In reality, a crisis cycle will probably look something like this instead:

  • A horrible event happens.
  • We experience the shock of the event.
  • We deal with the event the best way we can given the coping mechanisms that we are personally equipped with (or lack).
  • Those who lack effective coping mechanisms may do harmful things to themselves or others that initiates secondary and tertiary impacts which compel a negative spiral and unrecoverable state of dysfunctional behavior.
  • Those with healthier coping mechanisms begin the recovery process and initiate positive–rehabilitative actions.
  • The situation begins to improve either at a slow or advanced rate accordingly.
  • We recover, to some extent, or at least move on with our lives.

…life is not like a glossy, star studded Hollywood movie where the world’s problems are neatly resolved and normalized within two hours and the hero walks off into the sunset.

People who are in crisis often find it hard enough just to crawl out of bed and stumble into the shower everyday, much less get themselves pumped up and motivated to face their problems and seek resolution.  Depression will steal your appetite, obliterate your sleep cycle, make you lose interest in things that your are normally passionate about, and compel you to abandon your friends, family, and existing support system.

Some of Life’s Issues May Require Professional Help – Go See Them.

I will be the first to admit that I don’t have the credentials to pull you out of the funk you may be in right now, but I can share with you some quick, guerrilla strategies and tips that helped me wade through some certifiably cringe-worthy situations and crisis in my life.

First, if you are dealing with a problem that you don’t seem to be able to functionally and effectively manage, please stop reading this article right now and seek professional help from a clinician who is trained to provide you with the right level and degree of behavioral and psychological assistance.  There are resources available to you right now, contact the following numbers if you need help:

  • US Suicide Hotline – 800-784-2433
  • NDMDA Depression Hotline – Support Group – 800-826-3632
  • Suicide Prevention Services Depression Hotline – 630-482-9696
  • Crisis Help Line – 800-233-4357

(Source: psychcentral.com, John M. Grohol, Psy.D.)

I’ve simply listed some quick, actionable strategies that at times may seem superficial or even silly, but have helped me muster through some tough times.  That said, the absolute best advice I can give you when you’re dealing with hard times, is to talk to someone…don’t hide from it and don’t pretend everything is O.K.

Here we go:

1. Starbucks and a Buddy.

Call a family member or friend right now and go have coffee.  This is a great opportunity to talk about your issues.  Additionally, he or she may have valuable and insightful perspectives on your issue that you’ve never even thought of.  Conversely, hiding in your apartment with the curtains drawn and the lights turned off will probably lower your electric bill next month, but won’t do anything for your mental and emotional well-being right now.  Moreover, dealing with your demons alone or drowning yourself in alcohol or drugs is the last thing you need.

2. Read the “Good Book”.

O.K., this is not the part in the post where we debate the existence of God or whether Christianity or Islam is the path to true happiness and enlightenment. I’m just sharing helpful tips that worked for me.  If Buddhism is your spiritual remedy during tough times…more power to you.  Regardless of your religious affiliation, the Bible presents incredibly comforting words of encouragement and hope that will help change your immediate perspective on life.  Here’s a few passages that have helped me:

  • Psalm 46:1-3 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and mountains quake with their surging.
  • Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

If you don’t actually own a Bible, “there is an app for that.”  Just download “Bible” app from the Apple App Store or any number of other Bible apps for your particular device.

3. Listen to Awesome Inspirational Speeches.

Love it or hate it, You Tube can serve as an incredibly helpful resource for motivational speeches or excerpts from world renown speakers like Les Brown, Tony Robbins, Linda Larsen, Colette Carlson, Joel Osteen, Dr. Eric Thomas (The Hip Hop Preacher), and many more.  A number of these speeches are set to dramatic orchestral music and will stir your soul and ignite your spirit during rough patches in  your life.  Listening to these inspiring speakers will get you pumped up and ready to fight.

4. Be Grateful.  Write Down 10 Things You’re Thankful For.

Yes, it sounds stupid, but when I found myself in a bad situation some years ago, my mentor at the time told me to sit down with a sheet of paper and write 10 things that I’m grateful for in my life right now.  Obviously this can be a daunting task when you feel like your world is literally collapsing around you.  Yep, initially, this will feel counter-intuitive, and frankly, counterproductive.

However, if you actually do this simple task, you will soon discover that regardless of your current situation, God has given you infinitely more in the form of family, friends, health, and spiritual wealth than life appears to be “stealing” from you right now.  Your perspective will begin to right-size itself.  In a few weeks, you will find that your list will grow exponentially as your fears begin to diminish.

5.  Watch The “Rocky Balboa” Motivational Speech Every Morning.

Yes, I admit that I’m that cheesy guy who watches hours of Rocky reruns during Christmas break.  I love the enduring story of the underdog overcoming incredible odds and a lack of God-given talent to ultimately succeed in life. To many, Rocky symbolizes the common person coming from humble beginnings and a limiting and disadvantaged environment to prove that shear determination and grit will inevitably shatter the odds and ultimately level life’s playing field.

I invite you to listen to Rocky’s powerful interchange with his son in the movie Rocky Balboa (2006), where his son tries desperately to convince his father not to go through with his upcoming and ill-advised boxing match.  I dare you not to walk away feeling ready to take on the world.  It still gives me chills every time I hear it today.

6.  Run Forest, Run.

No…you’re probably thinking I mean get “out of dodge”, move to Mexico, and run away from your problems.  Instead, I’m referring to (literally) grabbing your Reebok or Nike running shoes and stepping on the treadmill or running trail.  Why?  Specialists believe that running, or exercise in general, promotes the release of the feel-good chemicals called endorphins.

Much like a natural antidepressant, running assists your brain in holding on to mood-boosting neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine.  In fact, Runnersworld.com recommends “running in quiet green spaces instead of on crowded streets…”  trust me, you will feel 100 times better and running will help dissipate some of the fog and help provide you with some emotional clarity when you need it most.

7.  Study How High-Achievers Overcame Debilitating Adversity.

Abraham Lincoln, arguably one of our greatest presidents, was born into poverty, lost eight elections, experienced two failed businesses, and literally suffered a nervous break down before ultimately winning the Presidency.  Famous inventor Thomas Edison was known for saying “I have not failed.  I’ve just found 10,000 ways  that won’t work.”  Imagine if Edison gave up on his telephone invention after his third or fourth failure.  Heck, you wouldn’t be reading this post on your iPhone 7 right now would you?

There was a time when hugely successful motivational speaker Dr. Eric Thomas was broke, homeless and eating out of trash cans for three years before he turned his life around.  Now he probably makes more in a month than the Goombay Tally staff makes in a year.  More importantly, “E.T.” is motivating people all over the world to be better, and achieve more In life.  

Bottom-line: failure and mediocrity is not an experience just reserved for unknowns like you and I.  Some of the planet’s most inspiring and talented geniuses have been to “hell and back” in their unrelenting pursuit of greatness.  Remember, the problem that you are going through right now is only temporary.  However, your reaction to this challenge will greatly impact the trajectory that your life will take starting today…starting right now.  Get up.  Move forward.  Do the same thing again tomorrow morning.  Things will get better, and you will be shaped and molded into a better version of yourself because of your tested resiliency and perseverance.

 

Written by Scott McGinnis for Goombay Tally | goombaytally.com | Share us on Facebook and Twitter

 

 

Why I’ll Never Go Ghost Hunting Again

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Why I’ll Never Go Ghost Hunting Again.

Written by Keith “Sid” Watson for Goombay Tally Blog | www.goombaytally.com | Ghost Hunting | Contact us at [email protected] for feedback or advertising details.  

So … I’m never going ghost hunting with another weird, nerdy, black T-Shirt wearing, patently antisocial, ghost hunting friend again.  I will never listen to George Noorey from Coast to Coast AM Radio or the Real Ghost Stories Online podcast ever again.  Let me explain.

Self-admittedly, I used to be one of those guys with (let’s say) a moderate degree of interest in the Ghost Hunters  television programs and would occasionally sit down on my black leather couch with a warm Pepsi and bowl of popcorn just to see what these quirky fellows and ladies were up to in that particular episode.

Honestly, I was more interested in making fun of their over-exaggerations during the investigations and use of strange meters, cameras, and electronics to record the slightest bit of evidence.  I thought they were total idiots.

I must admit that on balance, I thought these “let’s scare ourselves silly in an old abandoned hospital” shows were mostly bunk and generally just modern day versions of the old “camp fire stories” from our great-grandparent’s generation.

Additionally, I didn’t believe that any of the “evidence” was REAL and certainly didn’t buy any of the legends or back-stories to any of the alleged hauntings.

Categorically, I believed that the ghost hunting community just played on age-old fears and superstitions that have plagued all of us since we were young, gullible children.  We’ve all nervously stared at the creepy closet door in our rooms in the middle of the night as kids and swore that we saw shadows move and strange and disturbing noises emerge from these dark and ominous places.

Now enter Alexandria, Louisiana 2016.

During my sophomore year at Tulane University in New Orleans, I  received a call from Rodney Hebert, one of my old high school buddies who lived in Alexandria, Louisiana.  Rodney was one of my odd but incredibly interesting friends in high school who was both athletically and academically gifted but had an unusual and (probably) unhealthy interest in the paranormal world.

So in short, Rodney could effortlessly get a date in high school but his dates would often go on haunts with him in old libraries and turn-of-the century homes in downtown, Alexandria.  Rodney was obviously a “rare bird” in the ghost enthusiast world as most of these guys were treated as outcasts and social lepers in school.

Rodney said that his ghost hunting group was investigating an old elementary school on the west side of town on Friday night and wanted me to take a break from school and drive up for the weekend.

After laughing at him for about 20 seconds, I paused to clear the air and ensure myself that he was just joking.

“Are you finished?” Rodney said in a slightly annoyed but understanding voice.

“You Cajun Rednecks are still bumping around in creepy old buildings and convincing yourselves that you see dead people?”

“No,” I said, and proceeded to laugh at him again before rudely clearing my throat directly into my iPhone.  “Let me get this straight,” I said.  “You Cajun rednecks are still bumping around in creepy old buildings and convincing yourselves that you see dead people?”

“Crap…you know you’re still a prick right?” Rodney said; now even more annoyed.  “Look, I’ve invited you to go ghost hunting with me about a hundred times since we’ve known each other, and you’ve refused to go every single time.  If you’re so convinced that we’re wasting our time doing this, be a man and come up to Alexandria on Friday and prove us all wrong,” Rodney said.

 

Rodney and I played high school football together at Alexandria Senior High School and have been good friends since middle school.  So as painful of an experience that I knew this weekend would be, I also knew that I couldn’t turn Rodney down yet again.  So I reluctantly agreed to go to Alexandria for a “fun-filled” weekend of ghost hunting and nerd socializing.  I also told Rodney that he owed me two Moose Drool beers at Hot Shots Inc when all of the buffoonery was finished that night.

He enthusiastically agreed.

Alexandria, Here I Come.

Wanting to get the ghost hunting investigation over with as soon as possible, I drove directly from New Orleans to the old elementary school in Alexandria to meet Rodney and his team at 7:00 P.M. as agreed.  I remember pulling up to the drab looking school but saw no other vehicles parked in front of the building at the time.  The sun was setting, but the school was illuminated well enough as the building lighting highlighted the east side of the main entrance and the small play ground to the north of the campus. The school was generally rundown, needed a professional paint job, and had obviously seen brighter days in the past.

Rodney said that a small number of the school’s faculty and janitorial staff reported seeing the image of a tall man walking the halls of the school – mostly during late evening.  When challenged to see if he needed assistance or who he was looking for, it was said that the man would essentially vanish into thin air.  Apparently, three members of the janitorial staff refused to come back to work after only a few days on the job.

“Oh great,” I said to myself.  “Rodney better not be playing games with me tonight.”  Already pissed that I would be missing out on some well-deserved partying and relaxation down in New Orleans this weekend, waiting for a team of ghost-hunting misfits wasn’t on my list of things to do tonight.

I quickly thought about all my frat brothers partying down on Bourbon Street tonight.   Instead, I was sitting in my car in front of a “haunted” elementary school that only a handful of ghost hunting nerds and a few scared school administrators gave a crap about.   It made my head hurt.

I decided to give Rodney and his merry paranormal crew five more minutes before “pulling anchor” and hauling my butt to Hot Shots Inc on my own.  I remember looking down at my iPhone to check the time and to send Rodney a quick text message to see where he was.  It was 7:05 P.M.

At that moment, from the corner of my eye, I distinctly remember seeing the blinds in one of the classroom windows quickly lift up as if someone was peering out from inside.  In fact, I could now see a bright glimmer of light shine through, possible from the glow of a hallway floodlight inside.  I could also see a figure passing in front of the light.  There was definitely someone there.  Trust me, I’m getting goosebumps on my arms right now as I write this.

Initially, I was startled, but then I began to crack a huge smile.  Was the janitor staff still in the building? At 7:00 P.M. on a Friday night?  “Ah, I get it,” I said.  Rodney and his  buddies decided to get back at the paranormal critic by showing up at the investigation site early and trying to scare the crap out of him just to have a little fun.

Well, I didn’t have time for this man!  Those bastards must have parked their cars in the back of the school or down the street and set me up from inside.  I peered back at the window with the peeled back blind and saw the same blind slowly fold itself back down as the inside glare disappeared as quickly as it appeared.  I picked up my iPhone and called Rodney this time.

“Nice try dude!” I yelled into my iPhone as Rodney picked up.

“Yo man, I’m really sorry…Jeff’s car died on us in Pineville–we had to borrow Janet’s van…we’re right around the corner bro,” Rodney quickly interrupted before I could lay into him.

“Look, I know you planted one of your boys inside the school already dude…you must think I’m an idiot,” I said.  “In fact, that’s probably you screwing around with the classroom window blinds right now you jerk,”  I added.

I remember distinctly that there was roughly five seconds of disconcerting silence on the phone before Rodney finally mumbled, “what blinds are you talking about Sid?”

“Oh…O.K., we’re playing freakin’ reindeer games now right,” I said.  “You know damn well what window blinds I’m talking about Rodney…someone just lifted up the blinds in one of the classroom windows and closed them back…I saw you in the window man.”

Again, there was silence on the phone.

Rodney finally said in a bewildered tone, “Sid, the entire team is in the van with me right now; there’s nobody else in the building dude.”  At that moment I saw the headlights from a silver minivan with Rodney’s ghost-hunting team peel around the corner from the main road and park next to my Nissan Altima.

Rodney quickly jumped out of the driver’s seat and ran to the school’s main entrance door.  Jeff Booker, another one of our mutual friends and  long time member of Rodney’s ghost hunting team, immediately ran to the school’s rear entrance door.  Both doors were locked and they quickly opened them with a key and subsequently disarmed the security system.

Jessica Long, who I called the token ghost hunting “hot chick”… was a tall, creole-looking beauty who was just finishing up her freshmen year at LSU-Alexandria.  Jessica was still inside the minivan talking to someone on her cellphone.  Rodney later told me that she was on the line with the school’s vice-principal to confirm that the janitorial staff and faculty was gone for the day and that the security alarm was still engaged prior to them entering and disarming it.  The vice-principle indeed confirmed that the school security system was not disturbed prior to their arrival.

It quickly occurred to me that if this was an elaborate hoax by Rodney and his ghost hunting team — they certainly were delivering an Oscar-worthy performance.  And why go through all the trouble, right?

I also saw the rookie member of the team, Pam Thomas, outside the minivan and pacing back and forth–smoking a cigarette.  She was visibly rattled and I could see her right hand shaking as she lifted the loosely held cigarette to her thin red lips.

Rodney soon came back to the car and asked me to recount what I saw in the classroom window before they conducted their first walk-through of  the school.  He was taking meticulous notes and drawing maps as I carefully explained what I saw.  He was excited but noticeably nervous at the same time.

O.K., this was not a hoax I thought to myself.

I began to feel something in the pit of my stomach that I never anticipated feeling during this weekend excursion.  It was fear.

My logical brain was no longer seamlessly computing the neatly packaged explanation that I previously concocted for the figure in the classroom window.  My logical brain was doing the equivalent of what your laptop does when it freezes up and you get the perpetual spinning beach ball at the top of the screen.  My brain was broken.

I began to feel something in the pit of my stomach that I never anticipated feeling during this weekend excursion.  It was fear.

Images from the strange encounter now began to flash before my eyes as I realized that what I experienced was fairly consistent with the accounts from the school’s faculty and staff.  Yes, ladies and gentlemen…the stubborn paranormal agnostic just saw an actual entity and the official investigation hadn’t even begun.

I was numb inside.

The excited ghost hunting team scurried around….grabbing video recording equipment, Electromagnetic Field (EMF) meters, digital recorders, and infrared cameras.  I watched all of this busy activity as if I was back in my apartment in New Orleans; sitting on my black leather couch, drinking warm Pepsi and eating popcorn.  The only problem was that I was actually in the show this time.

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Everything was in slow motion at this point.  Truth be told, Rodney later told me that most of the members on this ghost hunting team have been doing this for years and never personally experienced anything like I did that night.  Sure, they’ve caught strange events on video during a later review of the footage, but not real-time.

And just like that … the slow motion effect stopped and I returned to earth like an Apollo Space capsule violently splashing back to earth into the cold Atlantic Ocean.  I slowly got out of  the car; almost in a trance-like state, and ceremoniously walked up to Rodney as he continued to shout directions and locations to his team as they dutifully prepared for a long night of ghost hunting success.

Rodney soon stopped what he was doing once he realized that I was standing in front of him.  He looked directly at me and saw a nervous hand stretched out to shake his hand.

Rodney said, “What’s up Sid?  “This investigation is gonna be sick man…are you ready?”

I paused.

 “Nope…I’m done Rodney,” I said.

“You’re what?”  Rodney said in shock.

“I’ve seen enough brother … you win,” I said.  “I’ll be at Hot Shots when you’re done tonight…all drinks are on me…but there’s no way in hell I’m going into that creepy old school after what I saw in the window.”

Rodney was silent for a few seconds, but then smiled reassuringly and nodded.  We both understood each-other at that point–and without saying another word.  I finally understood what compelled my friend to spend perfectly good weekends stomping through creepy old buildings and scary cemeteries.  It didn’t make him a weirdo (per se) it just made him a man in search of universal answers.

Time to Get the Hell Out of Here.

I drove into the darkness that night and refused to look in the rear view mirror at the old elementary school as the ghost hunting team behind me continued making final preparations for their newest investigation.  I was officially freaked the hell out.

Later, I found myself sitting at the bar with a beer in my hand and staring at an empty wall like a war veteran with PTSD…silently pondering the horrors his eyes have seen over the years and trying to make sense of it all.

The following day I would be heading back down to New Orleans, arguably one of the country’s most haunted cities and realizing that I’ve never seen anything ‘remotely’ paranormal in New Orleans but got my entire world shaken to its foundation in a small town in central Louisiana.  Go figure right?

Truth be told, I didn’t care about any video footage, EVPs (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) or any other evidence Rodney’s team collected that night.  It didn’t matter to me.  I didn’t need further validation of what I saw.  The window entity touched a hollow, vulnerable spot in my soul that I simply did not want to revisit.  Ever.

Momma told me not to mess around with things like that when I was a kid…and you know what?  Momma’s always right.

So there it is.    No hair-raising, Amityville Horror-like stories to share with you.  No startling pictures of hooded, monk-like figures peering from windows to post on Facebook.  Just one simple but bizarre event that forever changed my perspective on life and the paranormal.  Yep, mind…blown.

And that ladies and gentlemen…is why I’ll never go ghost hunting again.

Written by Keith Watson for Goombay Tally Blog | goombaytally.com | Share us on Facebook/Twitter

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Will The Philadelphia Eagles Ever See a Super Bowl Win?

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Will The Philadelphia Eagles Ever See a Super Bowl Win?  

Written by Scott McGinnis | Goombay Tally Blog | goombaytally.com | Philadelphia Eagles l 14 Oct 2016

I’m not going to lie to you … I’m an unrepentant Philadelphia Eagles fan who has “See the Philadelphia Eagles win the Super Bowl,” boldly scribbled on my bucket list in green ink.

Mind you, that particular item on the list is sadly tear-smudged on my rough-edged and repeatedly folded bucket list of dream vacations, near-unachievable goals, and distant desires.

Telling my friends that seeing a Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl win and lining up along Broad Street with thousands of other  “Brotherly Love” fans is actually on my bucket list typically solicits the same response from everyone:  “But that’s an achievement that you have zero (personal) control over.”

In fact, that achievement lies squarely on the shoulders of a professional coaching staff, a high-octane offense, and a rock-solid defense right?

Yep … the truth is … I don’t really care.  Not at all.

Like all true blue (midnight green) Philadelphia Eagles fans,  I sat in my man-cave during Super Bowl XXXIX with my cheese pizza, imitation Philly cheese-steaks, Texas hot wings, and cold Budweiser while watching a barrage of painful Philadelphia three-and-outs, and a great Eagles team that seemingly forgot that they were playing a future Hall of Fame coach and quarterback in the biggest game of their careers.

I wanted to throw up.

 

We all watched in frustration and excruciating sadness as the Eagles’ offense failed to execute in the first half, and finally exerted a sense of urgency in the final minutes of the game that mirrored (11) nine-year-old little boys being ordered by their mothers to attend Sunday School — lethargically shuffling off to St. John’s First Baptist down a dusty country road.

We all experienced the pain and heart-ache of watching Bill Belichick and Tom Brady cruising to their third Lombardi Trophy (in four years).

Ugh … Barf!

I wanted to throw my television out the window.  And knowing far too many hardcore Eagles fans, I’m certain Best Buy stores across The City  and southern New Jersey saw a stampede of customers shopping for brand new Sony television sets on Monday morning.

Yes, the 2005 Super Bowl loss still stings our back-ends like a bare-assed, third grade paddling when we think about it.  That gut-wrenching Championship debacle obviously still weighs heavy on every midnight green-colored heart.

Worst yet, as the final seconds ticked away during that game, and after picking myself up off the floor … drying my tears; I grabbed the phone and called my uncle who lived 1,565 miles away on Wissahickon Avenue in Philly.  All I could mutter out into the phone was “Hey Unc, tough luck huh?”

My uncle paused on the phone for a few seconds before saying in a soft but optimistic tone, “Yep … but we’ll get there next season Scott … we’ll win it all next season my boy.”

Sadly, my uncle died in February of 2006.  He would live and die, never to see his favorite team carry the highly sought after, Lombardi Trophy down the 13-mile stretch of Broad Street.   He had a chance to behold the sea of Eagles fans hooting and hollering in their proudly worn Eagles jackets and Donovan McNabb, Brian Dawkins, and Brian Westbrook jerseys.

Despite Unc’s words of encouragement and positive attitude on the phone, I knew that the loss hurt him like a cold knife in the heart.  We soon hung up the phone and I headed off to bed mentally exhausted, dejected, and a little lost.

At the end of the day, Super Bowl XXXIX was supposed to be “our” time to shine … our time to remedy the Jan 25, 1981, Super Bowl XV loss to the Oakland Raiders down in New Orleans and of course, the hurtful drop in Jacksonville to the Patriots.  I admit … the score, “24-21 [Patriots]  still burns hot in my retinas today.

So here we are Eagles fans.

At the end of the day, Super Bowl XXXIX was supposed to be our time to shine …

As I think about my beloved Unc and the sadness that I heard in his voice on Feb 6, 2005, I begin to ponder my own mortality as a 40-year-old and wonder if I will ultimately meet the same fate.

Yes, there are fundamentally more important things in life than seeing your favorite sports team “win it all” … there’s Jesus, family, friends, and world peace.  But come on guys!  JUST ONE SUPER BOWL is all we’re asking for here.  We’re pleading with you at this point.

To add a “mile-high” insult to injury, I failed to mention that I work and live in Denver, Colorado.  That’s right, the defending NFL Champions.  So that means that I had a front row seat to see the City of Denver win and celebrate their third Super Bowl this year.

A sea of orange jerseys, all jammed together in Civic Center Park to congratulate their warriors on yet another Lombardi for the mile-high city.

Enough sniveling right?

So here is my heart-felt plea to our new and promising coach Doug [Pederson] and rookie quarterback sensation Carson Wentz:  “Please bring that Lombardi Trophy to the great City of Philadelphia before they throw me in a dark, cold, wooden box!”

I have to admit that this young kid Wentz looks incredibly promising and beautifully poised to finally take our Eagles to the “promise land.”  However, all (true) Philly fanatics tend to fervently cheer on their team … but with a healthy dose of guarded optimism and a lurking feeling in the back of their minds that they’re just being set up for yet another failed season.  Much like the awkward high school kid with the abysmal self-esteem who gets repeatedly dumped by his beautiful, but manipulating girl friend — all so she doesn’t have to buy him a Christmas present in December.

And then start the relationship over again next season.  Just heart-breaking

So…we’re not asking for ten-million dollars Coach Pederson.  But as a dedicated Eagles fan … winning a Super Bowl will certainly feel like ten-million “bones” to each one of us.

In case you’re interested, I’ve already checked off a few items on my bucket list already:

1. Vacation in Hydra, Greece (#5).

2. Ride a camel in the hot desert of Saudi Arabia (#9).

3. Fly a jet aircraft (#11).

In the end … I am also a hopeless optimist.  I really believe that the Eagles will eventually record their first Super Bowl win and we will see this happen within the next two seasons.  In fact, I’m so confident of this that I keep a neatly protected cardboard sign in my closet that reads: “ONE FOR UNC.” My plan is to proudly hold this sign as I stand on Broad Street and watch the newly crowned Super Bowl Champions slowly ride into history. Unc will be proud.

In the interim, I’m now saving diligently so I can check off item #4 on my bucket list …

So…climbing Mount Everest really can’t be as hard as they say it is … right?

Update:  We Did It Philly!!!!!!!!

Celebrating the February 8, 2018 Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl victory parade down Broad Street, Philadelphia. Cross this one off of the bucket list!

 

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Written by Scott McGinnis | Goombay Tally Blog | goombaytally.com | 14 Oct 2016

By the way … guess how many NFL teams have never raised the Lombardi Trophy in their fair cities?  I guarantee you there are more than you think.  Check out this interesting article from writer Cork Gaines.  http://www.businessinsider.com/most-super-bowl-wins-by-team-2016-2

 

 

 

 

 

Bro-to-Bro Dating Advice: Avoid the Horse Chicks at All Costs

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10 Reasons Why You Should Never Date Horse Chicks!

Written by Scott McGinnis | Goombay Tally | Contact us below or at [email protected] for comments, writer requests, or advertisement submissions.

If you are a bro who has an affinity for anything equestrian, please stop reading this post and move on to another blog or website like “HorseAdvise.com“, “Spin to Win: Rodeo Magazine” or whatever you guys read to keep yourself inspired.  This post is not meant for you.  It would have no substantive or preventative value for you at all. This post is actually a warning to single bros who are still actively playing in the dating arena and have an opportunity to avoid running into, and potentially falling for a relatively small community of women in this country I affectionately call:  “horse chicks.”

What is a Horse Chick Anyway?

Horse chicks are women who eat, sleep, dream, and talk about horses 24-hours a day, seven days a week.  These are “lovely” ladies who diligently prioritize their lives around the care, well-being, performance, and general health of their horses and the equipment that supports them.

Don’t worry, these women will be easy to spot.  They will be wearing a baseball cap with their barn or trainer’s commercial logo embroidered on the front and their ponytail will be pulled neatly through the back.  In the winter, they will be wearing a riding jacket with probably a Dover Saddlery embroidery or patch somewhere on it, along with sleek riding breeches, black riding boots, or worn jeans and cowboy boots.  Believe me, it will be the riding breeches that will cause you to slip up and become weak if you are not careful.  Warning:  horse chicks are incredibly hot!  My advise:  be strong when you see them and “for the love of God,” don’t look down.

 

According to the American Horse Council, if you happen to live in the state of Florida, the horse industry has about a $5.1 billion impact on the state’s economy when the multiplier effect of spending by industry suppliers and employees is taken into account.  Additionally, the horse industry provides nearly 38,300 full-time equivalent jobs in your state.  Moreover, there are nearly 440,000 Floridians involved in the horse industry either as owners, service providers, employees, or volunteers.  So that means your probability of running into a  horse chick at Target or Wal-Mart in Florida is exponentially higher than your bro’s in New York, where there are only about 152,000 residents directly involved in the horse industry.

Now that we’ve established the fact that there is a viable horse chick threat in this country.  Let’s explain why you should avoid dating these women at all costs.

If You Haven’t Already Figured it Out … Owning a Horse Ain’t Cheap.

Well, let’s start by taking a look at the “costs” associated with owning and caring for a horse.  For the unlearned bro, hearing a cute horse chick brag about “owning” a horse [only] registers to them as a fairly simple process with almost no long-term financial implications.  Much like buying a German Shepherd puppy:  you buy a bag of “Puppy Chow,” fill the water bowl routinely, walk him twice a day, visit the vet once or twice a year, and you’re out maybe less than $1,200.  Immediately throw this perception out of the window when it comes to horse care.  So here’s your equestrian care intelligence briefing for the day:

First, that horse chick you’re flirting with probably paid several thousands of dollars for her horse, and that price varies depending on the breeding, health, age, size, and performance ability of her big guy.  But it doesn’t stop there dude, the initial cost of a horse purchase is only the beginning.  Let’s begin with board.  If your horse chick doesn’t own her own barn, she is probably boarding it in one of thousands of barn facilities throughout the country.  Boarding costs could run anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000 (or more) a year depending on whether she is “mucking” (basically cleaning out horse crap) out her own stall or paying some other poor guy or gal to do that for her.  You’ll find that boarding facilities will “nickel-and-dime” every service out of her.  For example, she will pay extra fees for blanketing the  horse at night when he gets cold, feeding, administering vitamins, medication, hugging and kissing him good night, reading Black Beauty bedtime stories to him and so on.

Your little sweet heart equestrian will also fail to mention that she is probably paying anywhere from $3,000 to $20,000 on tack and equipment.  Oh, I’m sorry, “tack” is her fancy way of describing horse gear like the saddle, reins, bridle, harness, and stuff like that.

Additionally, she will need horse grooming equipment on top of all that to keep her “boy” clean and presentable.  She will spend hundreds to thousands of dollars on these items as well.  Yes, add cash register sound effect here.

I think you get the point now but let’s not forget veterinarian and farrier costs:  your little girlfriend will happily spend thousands of dollars a year for a farrier to stop by the boarding facility to trim the horses hooves and reset his shoes.  Likewise, she will spend another thousand dollars or more a year for routine veterinarian care.  Of course, that’s if her horse has no significant health issues or injuries to fix.  Oh by the way, horses ALWAYS have significant health issues or injuries to fix.

Horses Riders:  The Lifestyle.  

I almost forgot to mention, if horse chick is a dressage rider, that means she invariably has a snooty trainer (probably from the UK or Germany) who is probably demanding a small bundle for a one-on-one lesson in her riding arena.  Warning: the trainer will look agitated, annoyed, and rarely acknowledge your presence when you visit the barn with Ms. Equestrian.  You will be greeted as warmly as Sheriff Bart in Blazing Saddles.  Yes, she will see you as the help.  Embrace that sentiment dude, it lasts forever.

Your girl will also want to compete in any number of horse shows during the spring and summer months.  She will be riding in these horse shows in an attempt to score a 60.0 or higher in her ride in order to earn credit toward her next medal.  Yep, you guessed it, if she rides dressage, she won’t be sporting old jeans and a “Life is Good” T-Shirt; she’ll be decked out in her show coat, riding breeches and helmet.

Oh by the way, she will be excited about these blue, red, yellow, and pink ribbons which will signify her placing in each riding event.  Yes, she will spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars to complete in these horse shows around the country every year but the ribbons she is so proud of are probably worth about $1.50 a piece (Shanghai, China).  You do the math.  In addition to the competition costs associated with the event, she will open up her horse-print purse and spend anywhere from $50 to $1,200 on tack, T-Shirts, grooming equipment, and other vendor merchandise while waiting for her next ride time.

I can blog all day about the escalating costs related to owning a horse but here’s the narrative:  When you start dating this horse chick, you will quickly become involved in some way as a financier of some of these expenses listed above.  Yes, that blood-curdling, primordial  scream you just heard in the distance was your savings account.

She May Tell You She Loves You … But Rest Assure, She Loves That Horse Infinitely More.  

O.K., we’ve run down the economic implications of dating a horse chick, lets talk about where you will stand in the relationship if you decide to disregard my advice and fall into horse chick’s diabolical bro’ trap.

If you pay attention to one thing in this post, please understand this:  horse chick may tell you that she loves you everyday as she grabs her saddle pads and wraps before jumping into her brand new Ford F-250 that’s hooked up to a gooseneck slant trailer sitting in her driveway, but she loves her horse much, much, much, more.

Imagine you and her horse are stuck on a collapsing bridge with devastating flood waters racing below.  Horse chick calls 911 and within fifteen minutes the fire department, police, and Army National Guard combat engineers arrive with their equipment to get you and the horse off the bridge.  Unfortunately, the team only has enough time  to haul one of you poor saps off before the bridge breaks apart and sends both of you to your demise.


Someone you know needs to be inspired today!

The National Guard Captain turns to your cute equestrian girlfriend and says, “O.K. ma’am, I know this is going to be heartbreaking for you to hear, but we only have time to save either your boyfriend or the horse; which one will it be?”

Yep.  Sorry to break this to you dude, but I hope you are a deeply religious  man and your will is up to date.

Again, you don’t have to take my advice, but you do have to understand where and how you will be prioritized in her life if you date, or heaven forbid, ask for the hand of a horse chick in marriage.

Remember, every decision in her life, every item she purchases, every relationship she establishes, and the totality of the time she invests throughout any given day will be forever tethered to the care, maintenance, training, and happiness of her horse(s).

Remember, every decision in her life, every item she purchases, every relationship she establishes, and the totality of the time she invests throughout any given day will be forever tethered to the care, maintenance, training, and happiness of her horse(s).

 

Welcome To The Dark Side. 

Honestly, it will feel like she is cheating on you with another man brother; a man that she spends a lot of time with throughout the week.  A man who lives naked and afraid in a barn, eats hay and oats, and poops about a million times a day.  After your indoctrination has run its course, you will eventually, and inevitably find yourself mucking out her horse’s stall on a bitterly cold winter morning while she’s in the arena for her third dressage riding lesson of the week.  You will look across the rolling meadows, you will shiver, you will stink, and you will eventually look up and  think to yourself, “how did I get here?”  It will be at that point that you remember reading this post, but it will be too late.   Now cowboy-it-up and stop crying you pansy!  You had a choice.  You blew it.  You’re in too deep now.  That eerie laughter you hear in the distance is your soul turning to the dark side.

If this post still hasn’t successfully persuaded you to avoid contact with every hot and available horse chick you meet in the future, your fate is in your own hands brother.  Good luck.

O.K., now that I’ve fired up thousands of good horse chicks around the country with this article, please know that I won’t have much time to read your angry responses and fiery name-calling; I’ll probably be at the barn helping my beautiful horse chick wife of 13 years diligently prepare for her next show.   Relax, horse chick husbands like myself are often known for having a great sense of humor at times.

Written by: Scott McGinnis | Goombay Tally | Contact us below or at [email protected] for comments or writer requests.

 

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Why Not Minot? Here’s The 5 Official Reasons For Airmen.

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Why Not Minot?  Here’s The 5 Official Reasons For Airmen.  

Written by Scott McGinnis for Goombay Tally Blog | goombaytally.com | Minot North Dakota Humor |Contact us at [email protected] for comments, feedback, or advertisement requests.  Share us on Facebook and Twitter.

It has been well over a decade now since I was an active duty Air Force Airman and just being notified that I’d just received orders to my next base. Mind you, I’m retired now so I can look back on those times and chuckle.

Anyway, exciting time right?  Where are we headed next?  Would it be Lackland?  Lakenheath?  Eglin?  Maybe Kadena?

Nope.  It was none of the above.    

On that day, I vividly remember the moment I found out that I had military orders to (add firing squad, drum-roll sound here) “Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota.”

“Well Crap,” I said to myself.  “This day ain’t going the way I’d hoped it would when I woke up this morning.” 

I believe every Air Force member who has ever been assigned to Minot Air Force Base can recall exactly what they were doing and where they were when they first received their Minot orders… much like those who recall where they were during the JFK assassination, the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion, and of course, the 9-11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center towers.  

And once everyone in your unit found out … there’s the well-meaning co-workers and friends who proceed to chide you by chanting the all-too-familiar saying, “Why not, Minot.  Freezin’ is the reason.”

Your more blunt and direct friends will just come out and say it:  “Who in the hell did you piss off dude?”  

Clever, but hardly ever funny.  In fact, in retrospect; I could have throat-punched every single one of those clowns.  

Click Here To Read!

So let’s talk about Minot, North Dakota.  

For those unfamiliar with the “Magic City,” Minot is the fourth largest city in North Dakota, with a population near 40,888.  For perspective, New York City has a population of 8.55 million. 

Historians write that the City of Minot was founded in 1886 during the construction of the Great Northern Railway, which was an American Class I railroad created by entrepreneur  James J. Hill and ran from Saint Paul, Minnesota, to Seattle Washington.  

For those associated with the Department of Defense in any capacity, Minot is chiefly associated with Minot Air Force Base, the home of two major Global Strike Command wings: the 5th Bomb Wing and the 91st Missile Wing.  The installation has a population of roughly 5,521 people.  

Now back to my active duty, glory days again. 

I remember glaring down at a copy of that assignment notice.  Frozen in a state of (half) disbelief, migraine-inducing dread, and an immerging feeling of anxiety.  Why anxiety specifically?

Well, I still had to break the “fantastic” news to my unsuspecting wife of six months and inform her that in a few months, we would be packing up our precious belongings and headed to one of the most loathed, avoided, (I’d rather volunteer for another tour in Afghanistan instead) and feared assignments in the United States Air Force.  

My wife was separated out of the Air Force at that point so she knew darn well what an assignment to Minot Air Force Base meant in the grand scheme of things.  That means, there would be no “sugar-coating” the news of this new assignment to her. 

There’s no … Hey hun, I heard Minot is absolutely amazing … you’re gonna love it … pep talk that was gonna work in this scenario. 

She knew better than that. She would’ve smacked me in the eye if I even tried it.  

Another problem:  that particular day was also my wife’s birthday and we already had plans that night to celebrate with friends and co-workers.  

Perfect right?  

Could timing get any better?  What do I do?

Do I wait to drop this nuclear bomb on her (excuse the pun – inside joke) today and essentially destroy her one special day, or do I let her enjoy her birthday and pretend that everything is hunky-dory until tomorrow?

Yep … I waited.  

Courtesy of www.bestplaces.com

When I eventually broke the news to my wife, I’m certain I didn’t really get the word “Minot” out of my mouth completely before the warm, staining tears began to flow down her face like a sad, haunting, waterfall.  

My heart sunk for her.  Dammit! I thought to myself.  

Would she divorce me? I thought.  Would she move back home with her parents; leaving me as a Minot bachelor?

Don’t laugh … Minot assignments have indeed (and will continue) to caused abrupt and untimely divorces and separations in the United States Air Force.  

Now fast forward the clock to the end of our assignment at Minot and my spouse and I are loading up the vehicles once again to move to our next adventure.  I remember looking into her face and seeing tears in her eyes again as we would now, be leaving life-long friendships and cherished memories up north.  

Minot is funny that way.  It has a way of growing on you.  

The lesson here:  Military assignments are really what you make of them.  Assignments like Minot AFB and Grand Forks AFB (Minot’s RQ-4 Global Hawk-flying little brother in the northeast) will invariably challenge military members to be more physically and mentally resilient, while learning how to depend on their Air Force comrades like never before; mainly due to the geographic isolation and extreme weather conditions in this part of the country.  

Courtesy of www.niche.com

Additionally, challenging military assignments will force you to try new things that you would have never attempted on your own: hunting, ice fishing, winter sports, and eating lutefisk (a traditional Norse country, slimy cod fish soaked in lye).  Yeah … don’t ask.  They’ll be able to explain it to you way better than I ever can when you get there.  

Just remember that receiving orders to Minot Air Force Base is certainly not the end of the world, but you do have to change your mind-set and take advantage of what the assignment has to offer.  I’ve personally known military members who fell in love North Dakota and ended up retiring there forever.  

I also loved the fact that (at least during my time there) the Minot Police Department hadn’t investigated a homicide in years.  In fact, the more serious crimes were near non-existent (statistically) compared to the rest of the country.  

In fact, when I lived in Minot, residents would often leave their cars (and heat)  running during the cold winter months while they shopped at Wal-Mart.  Unfortunately, recent statistics show that crime rates in North Dakota have been on the rise due to the influx of people from all over the country seeking jobs in the immerging oil industry in the state.   

At the end of the day, you’ll find that the people of Minot are incredibly friendly and really easy going.  

The City of Baltimore, MD will see more homicides in one night than Minot, ND may experience in years.  

With that said, here are the 5 official reasons (right or wrong) that orders to Minot Air Force Base continue to strike fear in the hearts of Airmen around the world:


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Why Not, Minot?  Here’s The 5 Official Reasons For Airmen.

1.  Freezin’ Definitely Is The Reason!

Let’s get the easy one out of the way first:  Minot gets freakin’ cold during the winter months!!!!  I know … queue the “Captain Obvious” commercials right?

I’ll just say that I’ve shoveled snow in the month of May in Minot.  That just ain’t godly!

The Weather Channel tells us that average low temperatures in Minot fall somewhere between 4 and 9 degrees Fahrenheit.   Moreover, temps at Minot can easily dip well below zero degrees with frigid, bone-chilling winds that could make it feel like  – 75 degrees in January and February. 

Weather-hardened, Air Force Missile Security Airmen often joke about pouring a cup of coffee onto the ground during the winter months out in the missile field and watching the coffee crystallize before it even hits the ground. 

Seriously, winter temperatures in Minot are no joke and can prove to be incredibly dangerous, even fatal if you’re not prepared.  Remember to dress in layers and choose fabric that will insulate you well, but also allows sweat to evaporate.  Always keep an emergency kit in your vehicle when traveling during the  winter months.

If you’re vehicle decides to quit on you for whatever reason, you don’t want to be stranded in North Dakota’s harsh winter conditions without the necessary provisions, e.g., extra food, water, clothes, gloves, blankets, flashlights, matches.  

Finally, if you are headed to Minot for any reason during the winter months, quickly educate yourself on the signs of frostbite and hypothermia.  Take a first aid class.  Also, I highly suggest finding Dakota Outerwear Company at 203 72nd Ave, Hwy 83N when you get there if you need to upgrade your winter gear with effective military-grade, extreme cold weather clothing.  These guys are GSA contractors and veteran owned.   

2.  The Isolation

A second reason why Minot is not at the top of every Airman’s assignment dream sheet is due to Minot’s geographical separation from major cities, entertainment, restaurants, professional sports complexes, or major shopping centers (No, Target and Super Wal-Mart don’t count obviously).  

For perspective, Minot is located 213 miles from Grand Forks, ND,  (4 hours, 9 minutes), 271 miles (5 hours, 5 minutes) from Fargo, ND, and if you really want to do some serious shopping for Christmas … 409 miles (7 hours, 48 minutes) from Mall of Americas, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  I suggest you apply for the “miles program” with your favorite airline carrier right now.  

3.  Lack of Diversity. 

The 2010 Census tells us that Minot, ND is about 90% white, 2.28% African-American, 2.73% Hispanic, 0.9% Asian and of course the math makes up for the rest of the racial groups. 

That essentially means that the epicenter for racial diversity and multiculturalism in Minot, ND, magnificently churns around the college campuses and within the well-guarded, and gated community called Minot Air Force Base.   Never-the-less, the general lack of racial diversity within the state has been cited as a major reason why it remains absent from many an Airmen’s assignment dream sheets.  

4.  Nukes, Nukes, and More Nukes.

It’s no secret that Minot Air Force Base serves as a strategic, first strike nuclear capability for the Department of Defense.  The installation is responsible for the security, maintenance, and operation of 150 Minuteman III missiles and launch facilities and 15 missile alert facilities.  For perspective, Minot’s missile field covers 8,500 square miles of North Dakota plains.  

In case you were not aware, the nuclear weapons business is “serious business.”  That means, there is zero tolerance for failure and even less room for tactical errors or careless miscalculations when you operate, maintain, or secure nuclear weapons.  Yes, this is a checklist-driven world if there ever was one.  

Hey … do you remember the 2007 incident where six AGM-129 cruise missiles, each loaded with W80-1 variable yield nuclear warheads, were mistakenly loaded onto a B-52H and transported across the country to Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, Louisiana? 

Yep, that flight originated at Minot Air Force Base.  

Moreover, a total of four Commanders were relieved of duty following that incident and the Air Force made significant changes to the command structure of the nuclear enterprise following DoD investigations. 

In short, the nuke world is a tough business and honestly, most Airmen would probably just rather not deal with it and do their time at Tyndall Air Force Base (Panama City, Florida), Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (Hawaii), or “anywhere” in Germany.  

5.  Unless You’re a Hunter or Outdoorsman – Ain’t Nothin’ to Do in Minot.

One of the biggest gripes you will hear about the City of Minot is that there aren’t many entertainment and restaurant options there.  The City periodically makes (somewhat) of an attempt at fun by opening up the trampoline park and mini golf course, but lets be honest:  if you are a young, single, go-getter looking for some night life in Minot … well, I hope you like country bars and boot-scootin’ if you know what I mean.  

The intent of this article is to help manage expectations about Minot, North Dakota for those who will find themselves there in the future.  

With that said, the people in Minot are indeed friendly and you will invariably make lifelong friends there if you give it a chance.  In fact, my wife and I still communicate with people we’ve met there – over a decade later. 

Minot is a wonderful place to raise your kids; a low crime rate, good schools, and decent youth programs.  And only time will tell how long the lucrative oil industry will continue to shape the economic and social landscape of that area; and to what end.  

Inevitably, Minot will be an opportunity to get out of your comfort zone, try new things, and meet new people. If all else fails, let your Minot experience serve as your opportunity to earn your bachelors, masters degree, or PHD.  That’s exactly what I did – truth be told.  

Trust me, you’ll have no excuse not to further your education there in the great, white, cold north.  Seriously, good luck to you and best wishes.    

Written by Scott McGinnis for Goombay Tally Blog | www.goombaytally.com | contact us at [email protected]

My Day On Broad Street: Remembering The Eagles’ Super Bowl Victory Parade.

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My Day On Broad Street:  Remembering The Eagles’ Super Bowl Victory Parade.  

Written By Scott McGinnis for Goombay Tally | Goombay Tally | www.goombaytally.com | Please contact [email protected] for feedback, content or advertisement requests | Philadelphia Eagles 

As we count down the clock to 40-something days left until the start of the 2018-19 NFL season, I thought I would slow things down a little and ceremoniously savor the experience that myself and millions of other Philadelphia Eagles fans were blessed with in February.  

In a little over a month, newly rebuilt, resupplied, and hungry NFL teams will be gunning for the Eagles like an avid hunter on Safari in Western Africa.  

For Philadelphia Eagles fans, last season was obviously a dream come true … finally a heavenly prayer, gloriously answered for a City that’s been void of a Super Bowl Championship for its franchise history. 

We’ve all witnessed the suffering, the heartache, the taunts from evil Dallas Cowboys fans … all came to a crashing halt, mere seconds after Tom Brady’s final Hail Mary pass bounced harmlessly into the end zone.  An entire City exhaled with relief.  

At that moment, most of us were in various stages of shock — jumping around in the middle of the street, in the sports bars, or in our living rooms as the game clock flashed “00:00.”  

Yes … perpetually frustrated Eagles fans have cried, lived, and died … never to see a Super Bowl victory parade on Broad Street; never witnessing the pride and thrill of seeing their beloved team slowly ride through hysterical (incredibly drunk) crowds …  holding up the coveted Lombardi Trophy.  

Confession: 

Yes, like thousands of Eagles fans across the world, I  still secretly pull out my iPhone at work just to watch a clip of the “Philly Special” one more time, before getting back to more spreadsheets and answering inconsequential emails from Human Relations and Operations.  

So, I don’t live in Philadelphia anymore. 

My family moved from our quaint, but noticeably rundown rowhouse in North Philadelphia, on Columbia Avenue (now Cecil B. Moore Avenue) back in the ’70s.  I thought it important to relay that to you even though you probably could care less. 

Click Here To Read.

My Journey Back to Philly Begins.

My “mecca” journey back to Philadelphia, PA started around 3:30 A.M. on February 8, 2018.  I can remember my alarm going off.  My wife slept straight through it and didn’t as much flinch. 

Russia could essentially volley an ICBM straight into Main Street, and my wife would snore through it.  Giants fan, sheez, I said to myself as I glanced over at her.  Sleeping Giants, more like it.  Caveat:  My wife was born in New Jersey and to family of lifelong Giants fans.  

I walked over and peered out the window and into the back yard.  The ducts on the side of the house were blasting out steam into the frigid 20 degree North Maryland air like a steam engine racing toward Baltimore in the middle of the night. 

Today is gonna be epic, I thought to myself.  But unfortunately, that day would also be as cold as penguin snot.  

But that didn’t matter. 

Philly has been waiting a long time for this day right?  I was gonna hit I-95 like thousands (maybe millions) of other fans and watch that trophy glide down Broad Street.  Cold weather or not.  

Now, I may not live in Philly, but you bet your last Benjamin Franklin sitting in your wallet that I remember that parking in the City on a normal day is frustrating and soul-snatching enough.  If you don’t believe me, find that old A&E series, “Parking Wars” on You Tube.  Yep, they wrote an entire reality T.V. show about the “lovely” Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA).   

Anyway, after matriculating my way to I-95 at approximately 5:30 A.M., my eyes felt heavy from only getting about three hours of sleep that night.  I needed coffee soon.  If I didn’t get coffee quickly, I swear I’ll need to pull over at the Chesapeake House service area for some of the strongest … nastiest black brew they had percolating.  

So I did just that.  

The steam from the hot coffee cup rose, then dissipated in the early morning air.   The trip continues.  

The closer I got to the city, I tuned into the local radio stations as the parade day preparation entered its final hours.  You can feel the excitement in their voices … there was electric in the air.  A feeling that hasn’t been in the city for years. 

I think I heard Kevin Hart giving comical commentary on one of the radio stations. 

I like Kevin Hart.  Anyone who can make a complete fool of himself on live television during the Eagles’ Lombardi Trophy presentation following the game — shake it off, and joke about it in a hilarious, self-deprecating way on the late night television shows the following week …  is O.K. in my book. 

Oh, by the way, Good Lord … did I mention; it was still cold as snot in Philly that day.  

Soon, the volume of traffic on I-95 began to increase as I crossed the Pennsylvania borderline.  I also began to see more Eagles bumper stickers, flags, window stickers, helmets, drivers and passengers wearing Eagles jerseys, and so on.  

Yep, I was home.  

Gold, Unicorns, and Legal Parking Spots.  

Now, my original “parking plan” was to find a parking spot at Lincoln Financial Field (or The Linc) and catch the parade as it left the stadium.  But as every parade-attending Eagles fan knows, Lincoln Financial Field parking was shut down that day so I continued to drive past the exit.  

Soon, I saw the exit for Broad Street and figured that the Philadelphia Police Department probably had it shut down by now as well.  But I ignored my better instincts and took a gamble.  I exited.  

To my surprise, Broad Street was still open.  But barely.  I quickly noticed that the barricades were closing down behind me, like Harrison Ford running thorough the Temple of Doom.  In fact, I was one of the few vehicles on Broad that the Police allowed through before total shutdown.  

Crowds of midnight green jerseys started lining the route three hours before the parade would begin.  I sort of became part of the pre-parade entertainment I guess.  Fans pumped their arms, signaling drivers to blow their horns.

I obliged.  They cheered.  Being back in Philly was great.  

Soon, my Dodge Ram 1500 truck traveled as far as the Philly PD would allow me and a few other vehicles to go and we were forced to take a side street as I got closer to City Hall.  That’s when the next adventure began.

What idiot would drive a huge Dodge Ram 1500 into Philly on a day when parking is not only at a premium … but nearly impossible to find anyway?  

Well … umm … this idiot does.  Or did.    

Yes … it took me nearly 40 minutes to find a parking spot.  In fact, it wasn’t a “parking spot” per se.  I finally drove past an elementary school playground area about three blocks away from Broad Street, with the fence left open and roughly a dozen other vehicles parked on the basketball court.  

Seems legit, I thought to myself facetiously. 

I entered the school yard and pulled up next to some fans who were just getting out of their vehicle.

     “Can we park here my man?”  I said to one of the fans (already knowing the answer).  

     “Bruh … I will give you permission to park here,” the guy said jokingly. 

We all laughed histarically.   This random Philly fan that I just met (and was already visibly drunk at 8:30 AM) gave me permission to park on this outdoor elementary school basketball court.  

After labyrinth-style driving in Philly for half an hour, that’s all I needed to know.    

But seriously, big kudos to the Philly PD for their unprecedented levity and understanding on Super Bowl parade day.  For a city that’s notorious for its draconian parking law enforcement syndicate, it was obvious that they had bigger things to worry about on that day. 

Otherwise, the local towing companies would have made a small fortune on parade day and sent all their kids (and grandkids) to Ivy League schools and luxurious summer vacations in Greece and Italy.  

I arrived in Philly early enough so I decided to walk to Broad Street and find my spot before the massive crowds showed up.  

Bootleg Eagles Tees, Bud Light, Donald Trump, and Crazy Fans.  

I soon noticed that the savvy bootleg Eagles T-shirt vendors were already out in force along Broad, selling “Super Bowl LII Championship” tees, underdog masks, Eagles banners, stickers, and more.

The (I called them) “Bud Light” hustlers were also out – handing out free cans of Bud Light to (of age) passers-by like energetic Pentecostal sidewalk preachers, passing out religious tracks to the “unsaved masses.”  

“That’s what Philadelphia needs right now: free beer on the craziest day in the City’s history,” I thought to myself.  It was a huge party and everyone was invited.  

I wonder if the founding fathers would have broke out the Bud Light to celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence, I thought.  Stupid thoughts.  Obviously the cold weather was getting to my brain.  I had to get some more coffee.  Fast.  

I wonder if the founding fathers would have broke out the Bud Light to celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence, I thought…

As the clock ticked closer to the beginning of the parade,  I found a spot near the intersection of Federal Street and hunkered down in the brisk 20 degree temperatures (probably felt like 16 degrees wind chill).  

For the next few hours, my objective was just to hold down my good spot on Broad, and get some awesome pictures of the parade that are Facebook-worthy.  I had die-hard Eagles friends on Facebook who lived in places like Colorado and in Japan who couldn’t be there.  I needed to gloat.   

Now watching Eagles fans celebrate and have a good time on Broad was entertaining enough, without the parade as icing on the cake.  Half of them were already drunk, and the other half was at least thinking about getting drunk I’m sure.  I could smell Bud Light whiff across the crowd like urban potpourri.  

I watched a group of 10 or so fans marching toward me.  The huge 6’4 fan in the middle of the pack was wearing a Donald Trump mask for some reason.  He aggressively grabbed a Bud Light from the vendor, and went on his way toward City Hall I presumed.  

I didn’t even think twice about it.  My brain was already cold, tired, and underperforming.  Trying to figure that one out would have left me in a catatonic state I’m sure.  

In fact, watching Eagles fans, in Philly, is like watching a real-life version of  “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”  I overheard one guy standing next to me with his girlfriend and friends describing the conversation he had with his boss the day before, when he was abruptly informed that he would not be allowed to attend the parade due to a change in the work schedule.  

His response:  “Well … I guess this will be my  2-week notice then Mr. Jacobs,” he said in the thickest Italian-American accent you could imagine.  “I’m gonna be at that *uckin’ parade tomorrow … job or no job.   I’m outta here.” 

I almost spit up my coffee.  

Click Here To Read.

Soon, the excitement and anticipation could be felt throughout the crowd as the word passed down the line that they could see the precession of vehicles slowly making its way to our location.  I saw the flashing police lights in the distance.  The faint sound of cheering and pandemonium yards away — and getting closer.  

It was happening my friend.   

The Parade … Finally!

The cellphones started coming out and the cheering began.

Seemingly, out of nowhere, I saw a person in a Mummers Parade costume walking down the line, giving fans high-fives.  I high-fived him and said, “Was that Jason Kelce?  … that was freakin’ Jason Kelce, dressed up in a Mummers Parade  costume.”  Could this day get any better?  

This day did get better.  Way better.

The parade began with a series of touring buses, wrapped with Eagles Super Bowl Champions LII décor.  Of course, the first bus held the coaches, Nick Foles, Carson Wentz, and the coveted Lombardi Trophy.  It was an amazing site to say the least.  

Carson Wentz looked in awe and amazement at the size of the crowd that day.  Nick Foles was proudly holding the Lombardi Trophy high in the air as they passed my location.  

I quietly wondered if the whole — quarterback situation between those two super stars was still a little awkward.  I’m sure it was – but today was about a team, and a City that we all love.  

One fan generously threw a Bud Light can up at Doug Pederson who was proudly perched on top of the bus.  I could see the police officers close to me start to react to it, but calmed down as Doug quickly reached out and caught the beer can without missing a beat.  The crowd went crazy.  

It was patently clear:  This newly minted Philadelphia hero could do no wrong today.  Or ever for that fact.    

Busses with more players, cheerleaders, family, staff, motorcycle police, and others slowly paraded down the route toward City Hall and the “Rocky steps.”

It was a dream come true.  A dream that Philly fans imagined would eventually come — but secretly feared that their mortality would not outlast.  That day, we witnessed something special.  

We all remember the amazing rally at City Hall and especially the epic speech by the Philadelphia Eagles center that gave me a high-five thirty minutes earlier.  But it was now time to face the inevitable:  the mass exodus out of Philly.

I’ll spare you the details of meandering through small Philadelphia alleyways, closed off streets, barricaded exits, and dodging a sea of other fans as I made my way back to I-95 toward Maryland.  That adventure took over an hour to accomplish.  I swear, only a few unavoidable traffic laws were broken but no Philadelphians were harmed in the commission of said offenses.    

The Journey Home.  Let’s Do It Again.  

I was starving by now and decided to stop at the Maryland, Chesapeake House Rest Area on my way back and grab some lunch, look through my photos from the parade, and thaw out.  I could see trickles of Eagles fans come in to the rest stop with their Wentz, Foles, McNabb, Westbrook, and Cunningham jerseys on.  

We would give each other a polite nod and a smile when we crossed paths.  There was a noticeable — added sense of pride that we all shared now.  Like the day your child graduates from college or earns his or her PhD.  Or graduates from USMC boot camp.  “My baby has arrived…”

I eventually pulled away from the rest area and slowly merged back onto I-95.  Oddly enough, Ice Cube’s song It was a Good Day started playing in my head.  Today was indeed a good day. 

The deeper I drove into Maryland, the more vehicles with Eagles banners and other fan paraphernalia started to dwindle away into the abyss.  I was finally back to reality.  I was deep  into Baltimore Ravens and Washington Redskins territory again.  Eagles fans weren’t welcomed here.  Especially now.  

But just as I began to mentally prepare myself for life as normal, a Dodge Charger SXT must have seen my stickers on the back of my truck and quickly raced to get in front of me.  The Charger had an Eagles’ license plate holder, and numerous magnetic helmet stickers on the back as well. 

The driver flashed his emergency lights and gave me a final wave.  I waved back with a smile and he quickly drove off ahead into the busy traffic.   

Today was our day.  Today was a good day.  Let’s do this again next February.  E-A-G-L-E-S (Eagles!).  

Written by Scott McGinnis for Goombay Tally Blog | www.goombaytally.com | 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 Life Lessons I Learned From Watching Youth Soccer Games.

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5 Life Lessons I Learned From Watching Youth Soccer Games.

Written by Herb Meadows for Goombay Tally Blog | goombaytally.com| Life Lessons and Humor Section |  Send your feedback or advertisement submissions to [email protected]  

Like thousands of parents throughout the country, I slowly (sometimes begrudgingly) wake up on Saturday morning, shake off the cumulative weight of the work week, walk into my 4-year-old son’s room and get him ready for a quick breakfast and out the door for his YMCA-sponsored youth soccer league game.  All while balancing a cup of hot coffee in one hand and a half-eaten, strawberry Pop Tart in the other.

Mind you, my son is still attempting to run upstairs and jump back into bed — except now, in his soccer uniform, half-exposed shine guards, and untied size three Nike cleats

Week after week, I drive my son to the local soccer fields to not only learn the value of healthy competition, but also to appreciate the bedrock concepts of teamwork, hard work, and good sportsmanship.   The act of graciously lining up in a neat and organized row after a joyous victory or painful loss, and slapping the hands of the opposing team, regardless of the final score.  

Also, the act of not taking the ball away from your team mates, even though you may be faster, more skillful, and generally know which direction to dribble the ball.

Yes, all parents of youth soccer are probably chuckling right now because they recognize all of these dynamics in basically every game.  

The “bee-hive smarm” as we call it.  The tendency for young kids to all run to the soccer ball, without regard for assigned positions, passing the ball to teammates, or basic offensive strategy.  

However, this morning was different. Well, sort of.  

No, don’t get me wrong, the kids still chased that stupid soccer ball around the field in a slow circular motion like a stubborn hurricane stuck in the Gulf of Mexico … determined to eventually hit the Florida panhandle.  

What I mean is … I observed what was happening on the field and attempted to extract life lessons from what I saw.  Yes, weird  and pathetic in some aspects, but if you are still reading this post, then I at least have your attention.  

So … this is what I came up with:

 

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5 Life Lessons I Learned From Watching Youth  Soccer Games.

1.  In Life and On The Field … Play Your Position.

Youth soccer will remind you that not everyone is meant to be a center forward, a defender, or a goalie.  For example, successful forwards are typically fast, agile, skilled dribblers, elegant passers, and possess a powerful kick. 

Not all of us are built that way.  

But guess what?  A soccer team won’t win a single game if every member plays offense.  A balanced and successful team also needs tenacious defenders and a stingy goalie to prevent the other team from running up the scoreboard on them.  Without these important players, you just have a good offense that still loses every game.  

Similarly, in life, we aren’t all meant to play the more noticeable, flashier roles in society or in business.  But we ARE skilled in the jobs or positions that ensure that the team successfully achieves its objectives, meets its goals, and remains successful.  The company or organization wouldn’t have hired you if they didn’t think you were a valued employee. 

Whatever your life path, play your position and play it well.  This often means using your unique talents and skills to the advantage of everyone, even if it means that you don’t show up on the front page of Sports Illustrated. Remember, the success of the team will depend on it.  

2.  Never Judge a Book By Its Cover … Or A Team By Its Size.

Have you ever watched a youth soccer game and immediately predicted the winning and losing team purely based on the average size of the team members?  You know, some teams have that proverbial five-year-old kid who looks like he attends middle school.  That one kid who has all the parents of the opposing team demanding that the coaches and referee double-check his or her birth certificate.  

I’ve watched more than a few games that indeed had that particular kid on their team, along with a few defenders who basically towered over the smaller team in stature — but only to lose the game because the smaller team was quicker, vastly more skilled, and significantly more savvy with their footwork.  

In life, judging a person or team’s ability, purely based on prejudice or outward appearances, can be a costly miscalculation.  

Just think how many coaches or teams (initially) overlooked NBA superstar, Stephen Curry because he didn’t necessarily have the physical attributes of a Lebron James, Chris Paul, or Dwyane Wade.  Instead, all of his critics and naysayers quickly realized that Curry was crafting and developing his own brand of greatness that didn’t require permission from anyone else to succeed and certainly didn’t follow the established and predicted paradigm for success.  Greatness comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors.  

3.  Teammates and Friends Always Tell Each Other When They’re Going The Wrong Direction.

In four-year-old youth soccer, you often have to remind the young players when they’re about to score a goal on their own team.  It’s a fact of life and a part of learning the game.  Young players often get confused, and so preoccupied with kicking at the soccer ball, they forget which side of the field they’re supposed to attack and which side of the field to defend.  

In life, we can certainly use family, friends, mentors, or clergy to ensure that we are headed in the right direction.  Life is filled with so many distractions that we can temporary lose our direction and potentially harm ourselves, family, friends, or co-workers.  We easily forget what our goals and objectives are in life.  

Always have at least one person in your life who will “give it to you straight,” doesn’t mince words, and is willing to risk (even) the loss of your friendship, as long as you know the truth and don’t put yourself in harm’s way.    

4.  Four-Year-Old Soccer Players Are Easily Distracted On The Field.  Life is Full of Life-Changing  Distractions.  

Have you ever watched a youth soccer game and noticed the defender or goalie who gets caught playing with dandelions or watching a squirrel playing in the nearby trees as the opposing team quickly attacks his or her side of the field?  

Life is full of even more complicated distractions that cause us to lose focus and forget about our purpose, goals, and priorities in life. On the soccer field, you will often hear coaches, parents, or other players (loudly) remind the distracted players to stay alert, look alive, or pay attention when they lose focus on the game.

In life, we often need family, co-workers, friends, or supervisors to shake us out of our cranial fog and stay focused on the key objectives in front of us.  

5.  Four-Year-Old Soccer Players All Try To Score A Goal At The Same Time.  Maturing Players Make Sure The Teammates With The Best Chance to Score, Get The Ball At The Right Time.  

Four-year old soccer players generally don’t have a collective, game winning strategy on the field to speak of — absent every player kicking at the ball and attempting to score a goal on their own.  But as players age and begin developing their individual and team-building skills, they begin to realize that there are offensive players that have the best vantage point and opportunity to impact team success.  

Players then begin to think in terms of collective success and collaborative teamwork by ensuring that the offense is put in the best possible position to score goals for the team.  

In life, business, military organizations, the academic world, and political teams, leaders deliberately exploit the individual talents and skills of their members to advance and ensure the success of the entire organization.  One team member may be a whiz with numbers, another team member may speak three languages, while the other team member is great at writing code that will improve the company’s software.  

As coaches, managers, and leaders, the constant challenge is to both recognize and effectively utilize individual talents in the most strategic way that benefits the team as a collective, not just single players.   

 

Written by Herb Meadows for Goombay Tally | www.goombaytally.com

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