The 2019 Documentary "Tread" On Netflix Brings Back A Distance 2004 National News Memory

   I was checking out the Netflix app on my iPhone the other day and the first thing that popped up was this new documentary called, "Tread."  It showed a picture of large monstrous looking bulldozer that actually looked like a tank.

  So, I thought that this documetnary seemed pretty interesting and I decided to check it out.  Tread is a true story that was made into a 2019 documentary where a disgruntled muffler shop repair shop owner and master welder by the name of  Marvin Heemeyer, fortifies a bulldozer and completely destroys a lot of businesses and homes in the small mountain town of Granby, Colo., in 2004.  Like I said in the title of this blog, I vaguely remember something about this briefly in the national news at the time.  At the end of the documentary, it said that this event made world-wide news for one day and then former president Ronald Reagan died the next day and the news story disappeared off the radar screen immediately.

    This guy, Marvin, who lived in Granby, it was said that most people in town liked him at first.  He was not a native to the area and he had only been in town for about 13 years when this crazy thing happened that he did.  Apparently, he had never been married or had any children.  Plus, they said he had worked hard his whole life and probably had saved every penny he had ever made. But apparently the citizens liked him because he did good work at his muffler shop and was an excellent welding and his prices were fair. But in 2001, he had a zoning dispute with the city and his grudge continued to grow.  He even hired a lawyer and who took it to court for him but lost. He shelled out a lot of money in city fines and had paid his lawyer a lot of money to do the court proceedings also.

    Eventually, Marvin auctioned off everything he owned and then rented some garage space where he began to covert this extra large bulldozer into this tank looking thing with cameras on the outside and television screens on the inside so he could see to drive it.  He also had some portal holes in the plates of reinforced steel that he welded together to form the cab over the bulldozer in order to shoot a rifle out the back.  Fornately, no one killed except Marvin himself.  He ended up shooting himself in the head inside the cab after the bulldozer got stuck in the basement of a building during his destructive rampage.  It took law officials several hours with a cutting blow torch to cut through the thick metal plates in order to get to his body.

     I thought this was an interestingly strange documentary.  The documentary also shows some actual video footage from the rampage and also you hear Marvin's voice a lot throughout the documentary when they play the cassette tape recordings of him that they had found after he was dead.  This just goes to show if you're not originally from a certain town and you are not from one of the big money families of the community or one of the movers or shakers/local politicians of the small town, you're best just to do your thing and get a long with people.  However, I do believe as a taxpayer, a local citizen and as an American, that you always have a right to voice your opinions and cast your vote.  But I think the majority of people in America won't turn a bulldozer into a tank and try to bulldoze a town down even if they are disgruntled.  At least I hope not.  I think there was definitely some major mental illness going on with Marvin at the time but the citizens of Granby didn't recognize it or they didn't want to do anything about it because they knew he was really angry and resentful.  Also, maybe in the back of their minds, they knew he eventually would probably loose it one way or another.

   But in my mind, on the other hand, rioting, looting and burning down buildings on the streets of America like we're seeing these days, this is not okay with me either.  Because this destructive type of behavior seems very crazy to me also like what Marvin did in 2004.  Either way, I think it's all insane.  Violence and destruction is not the answer for injustice.  Peaceful protest, yes.  But as far as the other is concern, no.

College Town At Christmas: The Highs and Lows of 2019

    I have to admit that I have been struggling a bit lately on what to write about for this year's annual Christmas blog.  So finally it dawned on me this morning that I should write about the highs and lows of 2019. In other words, the good, the bad and the ugly

    In some ways, 2019 has been a great year for me but a lot of hard work.  My tag team partner in crime (lol) who is my wife, Patty, is a full-time housewife and takes excellent care of our home. She does the cooking, cleaning, laundry and mainly takes care of our beloved and very protective almost four year-old Australian Shepherd male dog named, "Jude." She also likes to workout at the gym, go out to eat at local restaurants, go to movies, works crossword puzzles, play computer spelling games, Facebook and watches jeopardy.  And me?  Ah, I just work all the time. (lol).  I am in my prime working years and saving for my retirement. Like they say, "Make hay while the sun is shining, right?" And that's basically all I am doing currently in my life these days. But I do still like to write some (when I get a chance), go the the gym some, ride my bicycle some, do yard work and fool around on the computer (Youtube, Blogger and Facebook) and use my iPhone for social media apps besides for work purposes  So here my list for 2019, the highs and the lows. 

The Highs:

1.) We traveled to Pensacola Beach twice again this year and stayed at our favorite hotel, Margaritaville Pensacola Beach Hotel.  We have stayed there at least eight times in the last six or seven years and always enjoy our time and money spent there.  The love the Gulf of Mexico, the view, the beach and the seafood. The only problem is that we never get to stay long enough because of the type of work I do.

2.) We were able to see the Blue Angels practice this year at the Naval Air Station at Pensacola.  Wow, what an awesome and incredible display of American's finest military jet aircraft and some of the world's best display of highly skilled pilots flying those jet aircraft! Exciting and exhillarating!

3.) Bowling Green and Southcentral is very ripe with a large amount economic growth and we are a growing community.  Apartment complexes, stores, restaurants and factories are popping up everywhere in this town and our surrounding communities. There's plenty of work here for me and our company to do and for everyone else also.  I had another successful year in my job at work. It just takes for someone to put forth a conscious effort and work hard if you want to make a decent living for yourself and your family in this college town where Western Kentucky University is located. You have to keep pushing yourself and be dedicated and committed.

4.) We had some home improvements done to our house this year that I am very proud of.  My house is the same age as me (57 years-old) but they don't build them like this anymore. It's a solid brick home and it's in good shape in a fairly decent neighborhood in Bowling Green and we want to keep it that way.

The Lows:

1.) My brother-in-law passed away in Memphis in this fall.  He had been married to my sister for almost 50 years.  He was a very intelligent and good guy and I loved him very much as my brother-in-law and friend.  He will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him. My wife and I attended his funeral mass at Church of Nativity in Bartlett, Tenn.

2.) My beloved alma mater of the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Miss., or affectionately known as just "Ole Miss" has had major struggles these past few years.  There's many alumni, students, friends and parents such as myself who are upset that the extreme liberal leftists professors and administrators are destroying the college's traditions and heritage such as wanting to move the Confederate statue off campus. They also got rid of the Col Reb. as the mascot and quit playing the Dixie song at football games. They got rid of the Rebel flag years ago. Mainly, the took one of my former professor's name off the journalism building as he was accused of being a racists because he supposedly posted some pictures on Facebook about some things going on the downtown square late at night.  He had given the university five million dollars for the journalism school.  Needless to say, after they removed his name from the building, he took the money back and gave it another non-profit organization in Mississippi.  I don't blame him one bit for that.  We also have a Facebook group called "Make Ole Miss Great Again." (MOMGA) where all over 6,000 of us comment and discuss all of the issues and are trying to take action to try to fight the extreme liberal leftist activities on campus that are effecting destroying our university as we used to know it.

3.) The impeachment process of President Trump. It's a bunch of liberal Democrat bullshit and lies in my opinion.  And that's all that I going to say about that.

4.) And finally as we all just saw on the world news yesterday, a second lieutenant in the Saudi Arabian military who was involved in flight training at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Fla., shot and killed three people and wounded eight others.  This is very sad too me since Patty and I had just visited the base this past summer to see the Blue Angels practice.  Everyone was super nice and friendly and we also went inside and visited the Military Aircraft Museum and watched the IMAX movie about aircraft carriers. Security personnel only asked for was to see our driver license ID in order to get on base, other entry points and the museum. The Blue Angels practice was free along with entering the museum.  However, we did have to pay a small fee to see the IMAX movie.  Most likely after this deadly shooting, there will probably some additional security measures added.  At least I would hope.  All in all, it's a very sad and Patty and I send out prayers to the victims and the wounded and to their family and friends as well as all military personnel, base personnel and law and safety enforcement personnel. 

    For me, 2019, was not a bad year in all.  Like I said there were some highs and lows.  Everybody has highs and lows in their lives.  As we get older, we have to learn to take the good along with the bad.  We learn to work and provide for ourselves and our families.  And as human beings, we learn survival instincts in the modern world of machinery, cars, planes, chemicals, natural disasters, disastrous weather, drugs, crime and just pure evil in the world.  However, no matter how good things can get in life, people still resent other people because of race or skin color, financial envy, refugees, foreigners, atheists, gay people, religious, hypocrites, lazy people, drug addiction, alcoholism,
mental illness and homeless people. But there is hope and a bright inner light in the world.  And his name is Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins.  I am believer and I attend Catholic mass regularly.  However, I view myself as no better than any one else.  Because I believe as a Catholic, we all go to the same table for communion to partake in the body and blood of Jesus Christ whether rich or poor or black or white.  It's does not matter what your background is as long you believe and become a full fledge Catholic in communion with the church. (Note: converts like me require RCIA classes).  I may not like everyone at our church but at least I can look everyone in the eyes and know the real reason we are there together under the same roof.

    So this is my Christmas blog for 2019 "College Town At Christmas" in Bowling Green, Ky. I hope you enjoyed it.  If not, I'm sorry. But regardless, I pray for those who are suffering because of lack of shelter, food, medical care and for those who are addicted to drugs or alcohol.  And I pray for the darkness in the world.  For those people who hate our government and our president and want to destroy him.  And for those who hate Ole Miss for what it used to be and how they want to change it to a liberal cess pool, taking away everything for what it used to stand for, our traditions and heritage.  God Bless America and Merry Christmas! And Hotty Totty!

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