What does a bad day look like?
What does a bad day look like? This series takes a look at the mildly frustrating to the seriously unfortunate.
Tune in every Tuesday for a new edition, or scroll down to browse previous topics.
The day the music died
June 23, 2026
You might recognize “the day the music died” from Don McLean’s “American Pie” in reference to the tragic 1959 plane crash claiming the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson but for today’s news, we are remembering Clive Davis, a titan music industry executive who used his well-honed people perception skills and intuition to find something special in ordinary folks. The free enterprise entrepreneur took a chance on people who subsequently collectively provide the soundtrack of our country’s culture.
We can relate to finding and building unique talent—or helping hone skills to produce standouts—as we train executives and teams through TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis. Our TapRooT® Instructors work closely in public, virtual, or onsite courses to tailor essential root cause analysis to fit your needs.
Equipment thief caught by new tech
June 16, 2026
A man who stole a boom lift, drove it to the Knoxville Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, and vandalized the Hall of Fame property was apprehended by the Knoxville Police Department through new technology,
From WVLT:
“According to the department and court records, 42-year-old Justin Hensley stole the lift from a construction site on Main Street and either crashed it into the [Knoxville Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame] building or threw a rock at a window, breaking it. In total, court records said the damage would cost 8,000 dollars to fix, though nothing appeared to have been stolen.
“Court records also show the boom lift is valued at 360,000 dollars.
“KPD also said a new piece of technology helped officers catch Hensley. According to the department, officers snagged a photo of the suspect using KPD’s Real Time Information Center. The center uses a network of cameras available to officers for researching cases. In this case, Hensley was caught on camera and identified using the footage.
“Hensley was charged with felony theft and felony vandalism.”
A bad day for crime; a successful day for the good guys.
Content credit: WVLT, “Man charged after stealing boom lift, damaging Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, Knoxville police say,” Camruinn Morgan-Rumsey, published: Jun. 1, 2026 at 2:17 PM EDT; updated: Jun. 2, 2026 at 10:08 AM EDT.
Alligator bites
June 9, 2026
Fortunately, not a whole lot of folks can say that an alligator bit them. But, this one guy from Broward County, Florida, is bringing charges against an airboat company with the assertion that an alligator bit his face during an program offered as a free “alligator encounter.” The company is Airboat Rides and operates in Midway, Florida.
Learn more from WKMG here.
Debit card fraud
June 2, 2026
You’re already busy. Overbooked, some call it. You briefly glance at your bank account and see an identical charge description line after line after line. After perceiving that this is a big problem, you contact your bank and are referred to the fraud department.
This actually happened to me the first time I was planning to travel outside of the U.S. I caught it while leaving work and made a beeline to the nearest bank branch. The good news is that most banks have a reliable fraud department that takes care of your worry and your money.
Dissing safety
May 26, 2026
At your worksite, prepping with the appropriate PPE for all the tasks you’ll be performing is essential for staying safe. Yet, how many folks don’t plan and prepare safety measures for leisure time away from work and often wind up being a victim of an accident?
Memorial Day has become a signature kickoff to summer sports and—along with honoring those who paid the ultimate sacrifice—it also brings an increase in accidents of all kinds. For example, the NHTSA (National Highway Safety Traffic Safety Administration) highlights the dangers that June and July represent by messaging that fatal vehicle accidents occur 30 percent more frequently during this period.
Whether you’re going rafting, climbing, hiking, picnicking, swimming, or other pursuits, plan ahead and gather all necessary equipment for everyone to safely experience a memorable adventure.
For helpful information, visit the NHTSA website.
Brushing Scams
May 19, 2026
Millions of Americans are receiving packages or envelopes from an unknown sender. The kicker is that these packages and envelopes are often empty or containing items of little value when the recipients open them. A financial news report tells us that what is happening is a brushing scam, a scam that can compromise your personal information and go as far as affecting your credit rating.
Learn more here about what you should do if you are a recipient of a brushing scam.
Office gone wrongs
May 12, 2026
You are not alone in making errors when dealing with tasks that come with employment.
Here are a few examples:
- You’ve gotten a sensitive email and, after absorbing the news, you accidentally hit “reply all” and send it.
- You delete crucial data/unbacked up files.
- Trying to get emails caught up and the power goes out, especially bad on a Friday.
Spirit’s down
May 5, 2026
For the passengers and employees of Spirit Airlines, May 2, 2026, was a dark day as the airlines sputtered out of business due to financial problems. It’s never a good day when an airline company goes under.
When your realtor second-guesses your better judgement
April 28, 2026
Have you ever done your due diligence for buying a new home—reading, discussing all aspects with specialists in business/real estate, gathering relevant data and comps, and compiling a thorough list—only to be told by your realtor not to sweat the small stuff? As if the very concerns you hold as make-or-break are of little consequence. What do you do?
Don’t be afraid to exert your authority when feeling challenged about a major life choice. If you sense any of the following, say that you are not comfortable going forward and get yourself a thoroughly vetted real estate agent.
- Lack of professionalism
- Not well-versed in current real estate/activity in the area
- Not a great communicator
- Out of the loop on current marketing (including use of old/bad images. comps, etc.)
- Shows signs of being unethical
Going Postal
April 21, 2026
Before I even stepped foot into my new house, I filed a Change-of-Address Request with the United States Postal Service (USPS). This asks them to forward all my mail to my new residence.
Two weeks after moving in, my mailbox was still completely empty. Knowing that I should be receiving bills, I decided to head to the post office and make sure I didn’t have any outstanding tasks.
The worker there assured me that I should be receiving my mail soon. This can be a time-consuming process, especially when new construction is involved.
I waited another week, but still didn’t receive a single letter — not even to my former address.
I came back to the post office, and another employee gave me a green slip. She said to stick that into my mailbox, which will let the mailperson know that they should start delivering to my box.
I did exactly that, making sure to leave the slip partially sticking out so that it’s visible. It sadly sat there for another week in my untouched mailbox.
I took a third trip to the post office, pleading with the supervisor to escalate this matter. At this point, I was expecting mortgage bills, utility payments, and the title to my car.
She handed me a paper and said, “I technically shouldn’t print this out for you, but this document shows that your Change-of-Address Request went through. Go to the warehouse and show this to them.”
I drove straight there, stepped out of my car, and five seconds later, a staff member questioned me: “Are you new here?”
“I don’t work here. I’m here to ask—”
“You need to go to the post office for that.”
I explained to her that I was just there, then presented my document. She steps inside the warehouse, heads back outside, and hands me a gigantic stack of mail.
“Your mailbox is non-compliant. Your Homeowners Association (HOA) needs to build mailbox lockers.”
I gave one of the HOA council members a call, and she said, “Oh. We were informed that we needed to build lockers, but we saw that you have a mailbox and thought it was all taken care of.”
Sometimes, taking a few extra moments to ask questions instead of making assumptions can make a major difference.
This week’s edition was written by Jacob.
“Winter” storm warning in April
April 14, 2026
On April 10, 2026, the headlines* for the Sierra Nevadas read like this: “Winter Storm Warning: Up to 28 Inches of Snow and 80 MPH Gusts Threaten I-80, Highway 50 and Highway 395 Across the Sierra Nevada This Weekend.”
But since the area is well known as a winter sports adventure destination, the news was overall a welcome blast of optimism. You just had to make sure you planned your weekend accordingly as you can see in the tone of the prediction below.
“If you need to cross the Sierra this weekend, today is your last realistic window. The National Weather Service has a Winter Storm Warning active for Mono County and the Donner Pass area, with watches across the Northern Sierra, and what is heading for the mountains starting Friday evening is not a routine spring snow event. Two Pacific systems are stacking back-to-back. The second is stronger. Snow totals above 7,000 feet could reach 28 inches near Lake Tahoe and up to four feet on the highest peaks. Wind gusts along the Sierra crest are forecast at 70 to 80 mph. The NWS says travel ‘could be very difficult to impossible.'”
*News source: Autoblog, Adam Lynton, managing editor.
