The Bully

This morning, Alex Jeffery Pretti was murdered by ICE agents on Eat Street in south Minneapolis.  He was trying to help some women when an ICE agent pepper-sprayed him.  Then a bunch of agents bum rushed him and gang tackled him.  The firearm he was carrying, legally, with a permit, was removed from his waistband, and then, as Alex's hands were flat on Nicollet Avenue, an ICE agent shot him. Then, other ICE agents, panicking, unloaded their clips into the man. 

He died.

The brutal nature of this execution has made this city numb. As we are trying to process this new hell, DHS and ICE spouted laughable lies that were easily contradicted. Republicans and their media mouthpieces blamed the victim, bad language, Democrats, peaceful protesting, ANYTHING but the men who pulled their triggers and killed Alex Pretti. But as they frantically tried to lay blame at the feet of their political enemies with their curated talking points, the cell phone videos from every direction showed the world the truth. 

The Federal Government executed ANOTHER Minnesotan, just because they were Minnesotan.

After the doom scrolling weighed on me, I took a break and spent the afternoon trying to find something else to think about, but the weight of the occupation of Minnesota was hard to offset.  I served in Nuremberg, Germany, in the Army, and our rules of engagement with the German people were to be polite, courteous, and respectful.  ICE looks at Minnesotans as evil people who need to be controlled, herded, screamed at, pushed, beaten, and shot. I'd say ICE is treating us like we're a war zone, but the rules of engagement in war zones seem FAR more dignified and humane than anything we are seeing in Minnesota today.

Our usual Saturday evening plans involve me going to get some food and my wife and I watching something on television while we eat. This evening, I went to a restaurant in St. Louis Park, made my order, and waited, listening to the conversations going on around me.

"ICE raided the building my offices are in."

"They murdered him in cold blood."

"I guess Democrats with guns need to be murdered, but Republicans with guns are heroes."

"There was an ICE raid across the street from my kids' school."

"They kept cancelling their reservation because with ICE agents in their neighborhood, they were too scared to come out of their house."

And one teenager talking to his dad said, "It's like they want to kill us all."

These are surreal times.  I've never seen anything like this.  I was born in this city, and have lived here most of my life.  I've never been afraid of this city, until ICE got here.  Now I, like most Twin Cities residents, wonder if I'll be the next victim.  Considering the belligerence and lies the people who perpetrated this crime have displayed throughout the day, I see no signs of it stopping soon.

I'm convinced the murder of Alex Jeffery Pretti was intentional.  The day after Minneapolis stood up to the bully and said, YOU DO NOT CONTROL US(!), ICE was looking for retribution, for a way to exert militarized control over Minneapolis. They intentionally escalated the conflict, they attacked a peaceful protester, they ganged up on him like a prison ambush, they disarmed him, THEN they shot him, with other agents emptying their clips into Pretti's body, then one agent applauded, then another agented taunted the crowd by yelling "boo hoo," then ICE (who is an immigration force) had an armed-to-the-teeth riot control force ready to go almost instantly after the murder, then they marched even more troops into the city, while ICE themseves shut down the crime scene, forbidding any local law enforcement from even seeing the site, scouring the crime scene clean, before fleeing back to their lair.

This was intentional.  The bully wanted to threaten us into believing they were still in control. What they really did was show the world they're the undeniable villain.

Minneapolis and Minnesota will never bow to your Nazi-esque tyranny. Trump's forces of evil will NEVER win here.

Minnesotans are far better humans than they'll ever be.

The Friday Link for 1/23/26

Howdy all!

This week, we start with what I feel was one of the funniest bits Saturday Night Live ever came up with: Pete Twinkle and Greg Stink from ESPN Classic.  The concept is simple, take two over the top sports guys from the late 80s, early 90's, have them cover a women's sport they clearly know nothing about, and not only watch them haplessly do play by play on the sport, but have them read live commercials for the event sponsors, which in these cases happens to be women's hygene products.

Why this bit is brilliant is that whoever wrote it understood how real this was.  I started my radio career in 1989, and this was when women's sports were just getting traction for equality in coverage. These sports guys, who had spent their whole careers focusing only on "man sports," had a real hard time switching over to women's sports. Many of them were just like these two...okay, maybe not as over the top, but the combination of wanting to appear like an authority on the sport while at the same time not knowing anything about it, with an undercurrent of resenting even having to cover a women's sport, is spot on. Pete and Greg (a great Jason Sudeikis and Will Forte) capture the angst of that time pretty well.

And I will never forget the actual sports guy I worked with in 1992, doing play-by-play on a women's basketball game, and having to read sponsor ads for a cosmetics sponsor. It was painfully hilarious.  He had no idea what he was talking about, and finally actually said, "They're for you to look pretty." They had to have a talk with him. 

Here are three of them for you.

Also tonight, something is afoul with this animated bit from Make Some Noise.

Finally, a piece I've posted before, but it is so spot on today.

IF YOU ACT LIKE NAZIS, DON'T ACT SHOCKED WHEN PEOPLE CALL YOU A NAZI!

The White House, DHS, DOJ, and ICE should start looking at their own actions instead of trying to shame people, fairly labeling them! 

Make sure you click on 'closed captions' to get the English translation of this.

That's it for tonight.

Make sure to stay up to date on your vaccinations.

Never stop fighting fascism! 

The Friday Link for 1/16/26

Hi all.

It's been a brutal week in Minneapolis. Trump's ICE Gestapo is here, and they are intentionally making everything horrible.  They've executed a woman, shot another person, abused so many people, both citizens and undocumented, and they've constantly lied, no matter what the video evidence shows. 

There are going to be some right-wing protests going on this weekend, and I encourage people to counter-protest peacefully. Watch out for right-wing agitators, people who are trying to start trouble.  If you see someone trying to break the law, film them, grab them, rip off their masks, and make a citizen's arrest! At the very least, make sure you get them on video. 

To try to take your mind off the horrible, let's look at one of the most underrated villains of all time, Clancy Brown's Kurgan from the movie Highlander. 

I remember watching his scenes and how he stole the show. Even still today, there is a perfect level of offset that makes his villain particularly evil.  I also love the design of the character, with his almost lethal cut mark across his neck, made pure classic punk with safety pins. 

Fun fact: Clancy Brown has become an iconic character as he voices Mr. Krabs from the SpongeBob SquarePants cartoon.

Enjoy this scene. 

Up next is a fun video, which some people might consider a little adult.

Rock climbing is a fun sport.  With the cold weather, I'm walking at the Mall of America on a more regular basis, and when you walk around the park, you can see the rock climbing walls with the kids having fun. 

Competitive rock climbing is an incredibly difficult sport requiring an insane amount of hand and grip strength, arm strength, and flexibility.  So the YouTube Channel Mike Boyd Climbs asked an interesting question:  Could a pole dancer, who also has to have incredible grip strength and flexibility, be a good rock climber?  The answer is not only yes, but she ends up being so good at it that she probably could compete. 

Finally, as the sports world turns gets ready to turn away from football and focus more on basketball, let's look back on the greatest era in pro basketball history, the 1980s, and watch 50 of the greatest plays from that decade.

One thing that you should prepare for is how much more physical the game was back then.  They are literally beating the living daylights out of each other the entire game.  I'm not sure a lot of the players from today could take the physical demands of the game back then.  Not saying they are not great players, but the game is so different today. 

That's it for this week! 

Please stay safe, Minnesota.

And make sure you get all your vaccinations.  I just got my latest COVID shot.  You should get yours too!

 

The Friday Link for 1/9/26

Hey everyone.

I just let out a massive sigh.  Welcome to Minneapolis for the first full week of 2026.

I will get to the week, but I desperately want to start with something lighter and more enjoyable. Let's go to the bonus round of the 25,000 Pyramid!

Of all the final rounds in game show history, I think it's my favorite. You have to be very sharp to give the clues, and the last one or two are very hard.  I am not sure I could do it, but here are four examples of how you get it done! 

How about the two fastest rounds ever? I swear, I think these are about equal.  First up is the greatest clue ever for 'Things that Sag.'  For some reason, you have to watch this one on YouTube directly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBsUewuXqMM

And how about Billy Crystal looking about 12 years old when it was still the $20,000 Pyramid. 

That's fun...

(sigh)

An ICE thug committed a public execution in the streets of Minneapolis this week.  He was not in danger.  She was not a terrorist. He wanted to shut up the F- B- (direct quote). He did so by shooting her three times in the face, a white, blonde US Citizen, mother of three, Christian, prize-winning poet. 

Obvious this tragedy is getting covered by everyone, but I really liked Ronny Chieng's recap on The Daily Show. "Some people see a peaceful protester being murdered. And other people are fascists." Perfect! 

(sigh)

Stay safe out there, everyone.  Donald Trump will kill any one of us to keep the Epstein Files off the front page, and his sexually repressed band of anger issue poster children, who put the ICE in INCEL, are more than happy to do it, to make up for their microscopic penises.

Oh, and get vaccinated!

Peace! 

Mastodon, Let's Just Be Friends

Dear Mastodon, 

Hi there!  I want to come clean. You're great and all, but a harsh reality: you're falling WAY behind the rest of the pack...kind of like what happened to the real Mastodons. 

When Elon Musk announced he was buying Twitter in 2022, I, like a lot of people, was hesitant at the time. Twitter was the main social media page for most of us, but Elon had yet to show us how horrible and self-centered he was.  He claimed at the time he would remain neutral politically and would not change Twitter to help Trump and Republicans.

By 2023, it was clear he was lying. He started to turn Twitter into the cesspool it currently is.  I, like many others, started looking for alternatives to Twitter.  I was hearing from multiple people to "try this site," and "try this site." What I ended up doing was starting four new social media pages based on suggestions from friends.

One of them I don't even remember (Hive???).  It was clear within weeks that the site was worthless, and I closed my account very quickly.

The other three were Mastodon, Threads, and BlueSky.

BlueSky didn't start off fast, but within the last year, I have jumped to over 25,000 followers. I really recommend BlueSky as it is a pleasant, fun, positive social experience, and it leans left politically.  There is no reason on the planet that any Democrat should be treating any other social media site with a higher priority than BlueSky. 

Threads was interesting, as initially it looked like it was going to be my biggest audience. I was at about 2500 followers there until November of 2024.  Then, Mark Zuckerberg went to Trump and kissed his ring. IMMEDIATELY I lost hundreds of followers, and my posts no longer seemed to be getting seen.  I've slowly lost followers, resting currently at around 1700, which seems to be the number Threads has set as their "well, if we purge their followers any more, they might shut down their accounts" level. I pick up 25 to 50 followers a day on BlueSky.  Picking up 20 new followers a week on Threads SHOULD be happening. It's not. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be there.

But Mastodon...you've never really connected. I have only picked up 258 followers there in 2 and a half years.  Those 258 are great, and they interact with me regularly, but I only have so much time in the day, and the lack of connection on Mastodon is leading me to have to change.

Well, that and the rise of Substack.  Substack has really taken off, and I am going to give that social media page a chance for a bit.

I'll no longer be posting the litany of posts I've been doing on Mastodon. I will occasionally post something there, but it will be limited.  Also, I probably won't interact too much with the followers there.

I'm not meaning to hurt anyone's feelings. I really appreciate all my followers, but I can no longer justify the time commitment I'm making to Mastodon.

Follow me at these places:

BlueSky - @mattmcneilshow

Facebook - Progressive Citizen X/The Matt McNeil Show

Threads - @matthewemcneil1

Substack - @mattmcneilshow

Feel free to curse me out.  All my best on Mastodon.  PEACE! 

The Friday Link for 1/2/26

Happy New Year, everyone! 

This week (and year), we start with Astro Alexandra, a fantastic YouTuber/TikToker who is a must-follow if you like science and space. Her videos are wonderful, talking about major discoveries in the scientific world, stories that used to get covered in national news media, but today are often ignored.  As I said, I'm a big fan of her videos and shorts, but it was one she did earlier this year on the scientific findings from the asteroid Bennu that was the biggest scientific news of the year, and something that should have been one of the biggest stories of the year as well.  Follow the link to see for yourself (Shorts on YouTube are harder to share, so just follow the link). https://www.youtube.com/shorts/stbcn0QB6C0

Alexandra also seems to be one of the most congenial people ever.  Here is a video of her debunking the multiple conspiracy theories about how the moon landing is fake. I admit that I would probably let out a "You're a bunch of F-ing idiots" in response to these bozos, but Alexandra just keeps knocking them down with a smile and cold, hard facts. 

Next up, a fun video from Antiques Roadshow. This time, they feature 6 items which were found in thrift shops, but ended up being worth quite a bit more money. I had a friend who once found a painting worth a few thousand dollars at Goodwill. I think she spent 2 dollars on it. 

Finally tonight is a nice, easy video from Watch Mojo where they talk about 20 movies that were way ahead of their time, whether that was because of special effects, how they were filmed, or the subject matter they broached (Metropolis, Blade Runner, and Network still stun me for how ahead of their time those movies were).  

This is interesting because I have recently watched two movies which seem to be reactionary to the modern world we are currently in (One Battle After Another, Wake Up Dead Man, both of which are very good), but it is amazing when you get something that is calling their shot from decades in advance. 

Have anice weekend, everyone! 

Make sure you get vaccinated and stay safe! 

The Friday Link for 12/26/25

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. 

Three years ago, after I was in a car accident where a drunk driver broke my back, I was sitting in the hospital feeling horrible.  I was at a pretty big rock bottom.  I was mindlessly scrolling through television when I came across the first thing that made me smile in a week. The Cheers episode of Woody's wedding was on, and it's one of the funniest all-time television moments. I posted about that episode with some clips, as well as talked about the accident, on the 12/23/2022 episode of the Friday Link.

Cheers is still a riot today, and here is another all-time classic moment, when Cliff heads over to Jeopardy. I can still remember my parents howling in laughter as they read the categories for Cliff. 

Also this week, a video came up which touted the values of being the most Gen X man ever! Where some of the things in this video miss the mark (I am not one of those guys who thinks there are conspiracy theories everywhere, mainly because the idea of such things would be exhausting to pull off, and I just can't believe that many people would ever be that committed), some of the things are eerily SPOT ON!  The left home alone for a weekend at 9, drinking from the hose, the way I dress, and my "I couldn't care less" attitude, as I said before, spot on. 

This is from the folks at Null Parade. 

Next up is a video from the Muppets. I love them and haven't posted them recently, so here you go.  Here's their barbershop quartet destroying one of the greatest rock songs ever. And Jack Black, too! 

Finally, tonight, what I think is the best song of the year, and it's from Gully Boys.  There are a lot of reasons this song kicks ass. 

Have a fantastic New Year's Week and make sure you stay up to date on all your vaccinations.  

I want you around for 2026! 

The Friday Link for 12/19/25

Since this is the last Friday Link before the Holiday, let's get Christmas-y!!!

We start with what is going to be the last Colbert Christmas Special, and this one is particularly brutal on Trump.  I will put out a warning, there is a bit between RFK Jr. and Rudolph which is probably not the best for kids.

Nick Offerman calling Trump King Jag-bag and the dueling Bubba pictures are perfect. 

Next up, the Thank You Very Much song from the movie Scrooge, which is a VERY underrated holiday classic.  Here, the townsfolk of London celebrate the passing of Scrooge with a catchy little number.

The song is a real toe tapper! Some of you might want to remember this song...no reason. 

Finally tonight, the Mystery Science Theater 3000 classic - Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. This movie is so bad that even the MST3K guys really can't redeem it. 

That's it! Have a wonderful Christmas celebration, or, if you are not celebrating that particular holiday, just have a nice week!

PLEASE stay up to date on all of your vaccinations.  DO NOT TRUST TRUMP'S HHS! They will kill you for their cause.  Vaccinations work!!!

Be safe. 

The Friday Link for 12/12/25

Evening all. 

Epic Rap Battles of History is back with a good one: the Red Baron Versus the White Death. Note, some rougher language!

Since they are back, why not a chance to repost what I think is the best one they ever did, Harry Potter versus Luke Skywalker.  BEGIN!

Next up is a clip from the TV show Pluribus.  This is a hard show to explain, but basically, aliens take over humans outside of a select few.  The rest of the planet is about taking care of the few who weren't taken over.  It's a really good show, and my brief explanation doesn't do it justice. 

In what is one of the best cameos in TV history, John Cena shows up to tell Carol, "cannibalism is bad, but what are we going to do?"  

Finally, speaking of food (!!!), Alton Brown's rib roast recipe is absolutely spectacular.  I made it once and had the best prime rib of my life. I've followed his lead ever since! 

The funny thing is, I now have a vegetarian in the family, so I have to figure out what to make her, too. Of course, I am making the roast for myself!

Have a great weekend, everyone! 

PLEASE stay up to date on your vaccinations! 

The Friday Link for 12/5/25

Hello all!

I am going to start off this week with a blast from the past, or more accurately, a blast from my past.

I love Snoopy.  I had a Snoopy buddy when I was a little kid, and I loved it so much.  I have always loved the Peanuts Characters, and even bought every book in the anthology they released. 

I also had a lot of Peanuts books as a kid, including the Peanuts Cookbook. It was a simple little thing with very basic recipes (although making lollipops probably scarred some kids).  I hadn't thought about that book in nearly 50 years!

Somehow, Anti-Chef got a copy of it and decided to make every recipe in the thing. This is fun. I think I made the cheese and tomato sandwich and the cinnamon toast. 

I might as well head to another cooking video for the Link this week. Max Miller and Tasting History have a great story of the German gingerbread baker who helped fight the American Revolution with George Washington. I do like gingerbread, but it is only something I can eat around the holidays.  

I also enjoyed him showing us how to use the old school molds! 

Finally, this week, a video from Astro Alexandra, a space and science account which has great videos, mainly because Alexandra is so passionate about her subjects and has a great delivery style.

That said, focus on exactly what she is saying here.  They found WHAT on this asteroid?!?  What was that strange gummy substance? 

That's all for this week! 

Be safe.  Stay up to date on your vaccinations and F- those clowns at the CDC! 

The Friday Link for 11/28/25

Howdy all! I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving.

We start with a gem from The Daily Show. I think 5 years ago this would get ZERO laughs because no one would ever think we'd be dumb enough as a country to allow such an incompetent fool into such a position of power, but with Robert F Kennedy Jr. (aka Brainworm Magee) and his bizarro MADE UP health standards, this bit is a gem.  Welcome to RFK Hospital! 

Next up, next Friday the World Cup Draw will happen, and we will learn which teams will face off with each other in group play when the World Cup is played next year.

There have been some truly horrible teams that have managed to qualify for the World Cup.  Sometimes they end up not being bad, but generally that is only a temporary case.  Here are the ten lowest-ranking country teams to make the World Cup. 

Finally tonight we revisit the greatest television show ever (in my opinion), Breaking Bad.  There was so much subtlety and depth to this show.  I had this video pop up in my timeline, and I was instantly gripped again.  But the crazy part is that these video clips are relatively simple scenes.  These are scenes where Walter White and Jesse make meth.  You see the novice nature of what they are doing when they start, and see Walter morph into a drug kingpin. 

Of course, making meth is bad, so don't do it, kids.  That was the point of the series.  It might sound like a harmless thing to do when you need money, but IF you survive the initial feeling your way though the ins and outs of meth dealing, you'll find yourself on a path of death, if you are successful.

Take the cancer.  It's a faster and more dignified way to go out.

Have a great rest of the weekend.

Stay safe!  Get your flu and COVID vaccinations! 

The Friday Link for 11/21/25

Howdy hi all! 

This week, we will have musical flair! First up is comedian Josh Johnson, one of the featured hosts from The Daily Show. Johnson is not only hilarious on The Daily Show, but he also releases comedy bits that play out like a funny TED Talk.

In this one, Josh decides to help white America by explaining the Drake/Kendrick fight.  As an older white guy, I knew a little about this 'war,' but Johnson does a really good job of presenting this like it's a history class.  If you are older and have questions, Professor Johnson is ready to answer them. 

Next up, one of the reasons the TV show Wednesday is getting the buzz it so rightly deserves is that for the second season, they have done ANOTHER iconic dance segment.  In case you didn't see the first one from Season one, here is Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams in an all-time iconic TV moment. 

For Season 2, Emma Myers and Evie Templeton do the honors and give us The Dead Dance.  Lady Gaga helping out doesn't hurt!  

Finally tonight, there are two from The Hood Internet.  These remixes from 1989 and 1995 are really good. 

Have a great weekend, and remember to drive safely for Thanksgiving. 

Make sure you stay up to date on your vaccinations! I want you to be safe.

And remember, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is an absolute douche.

The Friday Link For 11/14/25

Happy Friday, all!

I think it's time for our first Thanksgiving video. For this, we go to the ANTI-CHEF and his attempt at making the Turducken! I would not attempt this in a million years. 'Turkey skin suit' is a hilarious term! 

Next up is a historic video where Bay State History looks at the last photo of every President.  It's interesting to see how some of them aged, but the McKinley one is really bizarre, right before he was assassinated! 

Then again, we actually have images of Kennedy getting killed. 

Finally tonight, I do love Chicago, and I have greatly enjoyed the historic and architectural tours of the city I have taken.  The growth of Chicago is very fascinating and worth a visit to Daniel Steiner's YouTube page, where he breaks down the maps of the city and how the city grew. 

That's it for this week.  

Make sure to get vaccinated, your flu shot, and your COVID shot.  I want you healthy and alive! 

The Friday Link for 11/7/25

Hi all.

I stumbled upon a podcast, and I'm smitten. History has always been a big interest of mine.  I have posted great historical videos on the Friday Link multiple times, but I might have come across the best and most complete breakdown of historical events I've ever heard/seen!

The Rest is History features Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook. They have an extensive historical collection of topics they cover, and every piece I've heard has been stunning.  Witty and funny, but also incredibly well researched, presented, and laid out so that not only do you have history unfold in front of you, but they also do something I love: present a contrarian view to see whether or not history has been fair in certain situations.

This is the YouTube video version of their show, but I have been podcasting them like crazy.  5 Stars!

The first episode I listened to was this one about former US President Grover Cleveland. Was he really a horrible person, or was that just 1880s politics? I know, obscure, but you will be on the edge of your seat for this one. 

The next episode is on from what could be one of the greatest historical presentations of all time, the eleven-part story of Custer's Last Stand.  This presents a wonderful historical lead up, not only talking about who Custer, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull were, the reasons for the eventual confrontation, and a SPOT ON audio description of what exactly happened at Little Big Horn, but as well the consequences afterwards, including the tragedy of the US's treatment of the Native Americans, ending with the unforgivable slaughter at Wounded Knee. 

This is the third episode, where they start talking about the Lakota and Crazy Horse.  If you really want a treat, start at the beginning and listen to the whole 11-part series all the way through.  I place this up on par with Ken Burns' Civil War.  It really is an exceptional piece of historical programming. 

Finally, tonight, Howtown is back asking the question of whether scientists just unearthed an ancient pandemic in the Arctic that will wipe us all out.  Great!

Actually, the discovery is not as terrifying as it was presented! 

Have a great weekend, everyone, and make sure you get your flu and COVID vaccinations! 

The Friday Link for Halloween, 10/31/25!!!

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Let's scare everyone today!  Of the many accomplishments of writer/director Ryan Coogler, making an old Irish drinking song into the surprise hit of the year could be the most incredible.  Generation Z seems to LOVE this scene from the great movie Sinners.  I do too. 

Next is the scariest movie I've ever seen, Jaws.  It did not help that I was a kid in Rhode Island when this came out, and they filmed a lot of it off of Block Island, just south of the Rhode Island coast. This was like watching a documentary.  This movie played for 2 years at my local movie theater. 

The best horror isn't demonic villains and teenage slaughter fests. The best horror is the kind where it feels VERY real.  Sharks are a thing on the coasts, and the all-star cast of this movie, plus Spielberg's brilliant direction, made the scariest movie of all time (in my opinion).

Here is the scene where they realize what exactly they are dealing with, and particularly, watch the great Robert Shaw's eyes when he comes out and finally sees the shark.  His eyes actually get wider, with an undeniable shock for even this old fisherman. THAT'S acting! Then the theme kicks in.  I hid under my movie seat!

From make-believe scary to real scary, I have two more for you. 

Hurricane Melissa was a monster, and as the Caribbean nations it targeted recover, I am reminded of how scary hurricanes are. When Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey in 2012, it was MASSIVE.  Here is a video from Madison, Wisconsin, nowhere near New Jersey, and throughout the day, you see the edge of the hurricane come in from the east. Apparently, it ended up being visible from Minnesota (a weather person I know said you could see the edge from the Minnesota side of the St. Croix River). 

This is terrifying when you think about it. Ghosts and goblins don't scare me.  Nature terrifies me.  Nature ALWAYS wins! 

Finally tonight might be the scariest video yet! Jon Stewart, on his weekly podcast, talked with Professor Geoffrey Hinton from the University of Toronto about AI.  The first half of this video is a great explanation of what exactly AI is, and why it makes standard computing look like a calculator from 1975.

The second part is the scary part. Hinton talks about how, really, it is already too late to stop AI and how it is already, in some cases, exceeding human beings. The potential for good is undeniable, but the VERY REAL threat of danger is also undeniable, whether by evil people deciding to wipe a portion of the population out, or AI itself evolving past a point of any ability to control.

Happy Hallowween, everyone! 

Make sure you get vaccinated and stay safe.

The Friday Link for 10/24/25

Hi all! For all of those who have started reading these posts recently, I usually don't feature sports clips too often, but for the 2nd time in 3 weeks, the main one today has to do with baseball.

With the World Series here (Nothing against the Dodgers.  I actually like the Dodgers, but nothing would make me happier than watching Toronto win.  Trump would lose it!), let's revisit the greatest World Series ever played, 1991, Twins versus Braves.

I don't just say this because I am a recently suffering Twins fan, but because it actually was the best World Series of all time. I watched all of these games in the middle of the night in Germany.  I was stationed there in the military. My roommate Ben and I were the ONLY Twins fans there. So many of the military guys were rooting for Atlanta. 

Great pitching, great hitting, great fielding, and the greatest call of a sports play of all time ("We'll see you tomorrow night!"). This series had everything, but don't take my word for it.  The Jolly Olive has a breakdown of why exactly this is the best, and it might be a long time before we see another World Series that matches it. 

Also tonight, Mystery Science Theater 3000. I do feature them from time to time, and this video was linked to a story in the Minnesota Racket about the early days of the show. 

This video is 6 hours of PURE GOLD! Pod People, Manos: The Hands of Fate, Space Mutiny, and The Final Sacrifice could be the four best episodes of the show, period. This video is about the most quoted episodes, and they deliver.

Pick any place in this video and start watching. Enjoy! 

Have a great weekend! Make sure you get your flu shot and the latest COVID vaccine too.

I want you to be safe! 

The Friday Link for 10/17/25

Hi all! 

Alison Hammond might end up being the person to save us all.

If you're not familiar with Alison, for us here in the US, she is one of the hosts of the Great British Bake Off, a show I HIGHLY recommend.  Not only because it's a warm, happy hug in a world where everything is broken glass and razor blades, but because Alison is so damn funny as the host. A shout-out to the VERY entertaining Noel Fielding, who co-hosts with her (seriously, more shows with both of them would be so nice!), but Alison is so funny and unrestrained in her interactions. 

I mentioned how much we love Alison to a friend, and they said, "Did you ever see her interview with Harrison Ford and Ryan Gosling about Blade Runner 2049?"  No, we hadn't. Alison is also a co-host on This Morning, a morning entertainment/talk/news show on ITV in England, and she was interviewing the two stars about the movie.  Harrison Ford is usually so gruff, but Alison gets both him and Ryan absolutely rolling.  This is sensational.  It's warmth for dark, cold days. 

On a more serious note, we owe John Oliver a debt of gratitude. Not only does he expose the worst of the worst on his sensational Last Week Tonight, but occasionally he does real journalism and exposes a truth that's hiding in front of our faces.

This last week, John had a full segment on Bari Weiss becoming the new head of news at CBS.  Not only does he point out she is kind of weird, extremely full of herself, and grossly unqualified for the job she now inherits, what he really does is expose the way the far-Right is hiding their agents and agendas right in front of our very eyes. 

Weiss has often presented herself as a person who should be liberal but is not afraid to disagree with the left, but at the same time, she seems to be pushing a haphazard, kinda-MAGA agenda with her news coverage. The Free Press, her "news" outlet she ran before this new gig, was purchased for an amount that seems to grossly overvalue what The Free Press was actually worth, and she is not reporting to the head of CBS broadcasting, but rather to the owner, wealthy billionaire and Trump supporter himself, Larry Ellison.

What Oliver shows us is that, as much as Weiss and her wildly incompetent crew at The Free Press scream about political agendas seeping into news coverage of outlets they no longer work for (New York Times, NPR), they themselves eagerly and proudly insert THEIR political ideology into their news coverage (the story on starving Palestinian children alone tells you a lot about who these horrible people really are).

This is where we are at today.  The Right has its unapologetic far-right media outlets (Fox, OAN, NewsMax, Sinclair), but now they're also starting to create a new kind of right-wing news outlet, one that still presents the news with a very pro-Right narrative and agenda, but packaged as "courageous" journalists, bitter and wronged because they were supposedly hurt by those big, mean liberals, when in truth they are only screaming those things to hide their true agenda.

One final funny thing for the week.  I still think Community Calendar on The Late Show is one of my favorite bits they've done. Last night, they returned to Minooka, Illinois, with Nick Offerman for their latest Community Calendar! 

Make sure to stay up to date on your vaccinations, including the latest COVID ones. 

Have a great weekend! 

The Friday Link for 10/10/25

Hi all!

A few seasonal things to get to.  With baseball's playoffs heating up, and with the Twins nowhere near them, it's time to revisit the World Series Championship.  NOT the 1991 series, one of the best series ever played, but rather the forgotten championship, 1987. That was such a ragtag team, which really underwhelmed all season long, but when it came to the playoffs, they all clicked perfectly.

This video from 3-0 Greenlight claims the 87 Twins as the Worst Team to ever win the series. I highly disagree with that, but they were insanely unlikely champions.  He also brings up the litany of allegations about the team cheating at the Metrodome. They weren't cheating.  If anything, they were playing on artificial grass on top of concrete, which was so different than most of the other fields. A grounder up the middle moved a lot faster there. That might have been an unfair advantage, but since the MLB allowed the field, that was more of a league problem. 

Staying with sports, with the Vikings on their bye week, let's go back to 1998 and the Randy Moss coming out Party that was the Week 5 Monday Night game between the unbeaten Packers and the unbeaten Vikings.

Played in Green Bay, where the Packers hadn't lost a game since 1995, what happened was absolute domination. Randy Moss was so damn good, and when Cris Carter is your second option, there is nothing the other teams could do.

98/99 was the Vikings' year, but Denny Green's mismanagement of the NFC Championship game and one missed field goal cost the Vikings their one guaranteed Championship. They were undoubtedly the best team in football that year.

The NFL blocks me from sharing this, so click on the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h18XKpIKX50

Finally, tonight, maybe because I was searching for more on the Chicago mobsters I learned about on the Chicago Crime Tour I took, I had this video pop up in my timeline.  It runs down how exactly all of the major crime bosses in New York and Chicago..."retired." 

There was not a lot of long-term career advancement in the mob. (Apparently you will have to click through and watch this one on YouTube as well). 

Have a nice weekend, everyone.

Please make sure to get your COVID and flu shots.

And try to enjoy the changing leaves!

The Friday Link for 10/3/25

Howdy all!

This week, we begin with an Honest Trailer from Screen Junkies. I really liked the Fantastic Four movie, but like every movie, Screen Junkies must rip it to shreds.  To be fair, this is the best version of the Fantastic Four, period, but the bar was pretty low.

We also have not checked in with Joe Scott lately. His channel is always a top-notch source of great and interesting videos.

A long one today, so enjoy in moderation over time. Here is a collection of strange tales from history for you to enjoy! The ones on the Victorian Era are so weird.

Finally, tonight, ICE tried to arrest a bicyclist in Chicago, and they ended up looking like fools. Every time I watch this, I see something else that makes me chuckle (Cowboy hat guy???).  I initially said it looked like a modern version of the Keystone Cops, but then I decided an even better outcome would be if someone put the Yakety Sax song from Benny Hill underneath the action.  It's damn near perfect.  Enjoy the chase on a loop. These guys are their own worst enemy.

Have a great weekend, everyone.  Make sure to get your flu shot and your COVID shots! 

Be safe! 

The Friday Link for 9/26/25

Howdy everyone.

With me featuring Colbert and Stewart last week, standing up for Jimmy Kimmel, I think it's only fair that the first video is Kimmel's monologue from his first show back from MAGA exile.  It was pretty good.  I particularly teared up with Guillermo's heartfelt support.

One of the things this Kimmel situation exposed is how disturbing it is watching these major media companies abandon Freedom of Speech for specific political ideology and profits. Corporate media is destroying this country.  There was a reason why, years ago, there were strict rules on how much a single person could control as far as news and information.  Today, a handful of people, predominantly wealthy white men, determine what news and narrative the vast majority of us receive in any given day, whether print, radio, TV, or online. 

I highly doubt we'll stop this insanity.  The corporate media will flood us with news stories about how 2 dozen people making all the media content decisions for 330,000,000 of us is a great idea, buying off the politicians they need to make sure nothing ever gets fixed.

The next clip is from the outstanding movie, Network. The movie, released in 1976, seemed to (for the most part) predict where we are in our society, with corporations and money controlling the world. Here is a stunning Ned Beatty with the best scene he ever did (a scene which ended up getting him an Oscar nod), forecasting where the world is heading. A little off on some specifics (and one unfortunate reference), but stunningly close to the mark for a shot fired 50 years ago.

Finally, tonight is the great clip from The Daily Show where a man I've talked to many times over the years, John Fugelsang, talked to Jordan Klepper about his new BESTSELLING BOOK "Separation of Church and Hate"!

John inspired me to talk much more about my frustrations at seeing my religion, a religion I believe is based on love, compassion, welcoming, and understanding, turned into a vehicle of hate and discrimination. He showed me I don't have to be afraid to fight the people destroying Christianity. 

Have a great weekend!

Please make sure you keep up to date on all of your vaccinations. And use Tylenol responsibly. Trump and his band of dolts are lying to you about that. 

The Friday Link for 9/19/25

The Trump White House has declared war on the First Amendment.  No one is safe.

Hey, Trump supporters and MAGA, wasn't protecting Freedom of Speech YOUR ENTIRE MANTRA the last 15 years?  Didn't you scream about the evils of Cancel Culture CONSTANTLY (usually as you called for boycotts of everything from the NFL to ice cream)? 

For the record, your speech was NEVER being taken away.  You clowns think Freedom of Speech means Freedom from Criticism.  You so desperately want to be taken as nuanced and intelligent, and it hurts your feelings to be called out for your bigotry, racism, and stupidity. So you guys started labeling anyone criticizing you (as they use THEIR Freedom of Speech) as trying to stymie your Freedom of Speech.  Then you went on 500 radio stations, 10 news networks, and 15 podcasts and screamed how your voice was being silenced. 

Now here you are, giddily ripping away Freedom of Speech from those you don't like, excitedly cancelling anything you deem to not be Trump-ish enough.  You're all F-ing clowns. 

In response to Jimmy Kimmel having his Freedom of Speech taken away by Trump and the FCC, let me post the rebuttals from Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart. 

Also, tonight is an exceptional take-down of hack comedians by Marc Maron.  He joined Howie Mandel's podcast and was asked about the continuation of comedians attacking marginalized groups now that they had helped usher in this new era of stripping away the rights of the marginalized.  Note that Maron never says they can't say what they are saying, just that they are horrible people for continuing to kick people whom they happily victimized.

Will we even have a country by December? 

Please stay vaccinated, regardless of the "advice" of Brain Worm Magee. Vaccines keep you safe and healthy. 

Try to have a nice weekend.

The Friday Link for 9/12/25

Hi all! 

One of the best shows from the last 15 years was Brooklyn Nine-Nine.  The cast was so good and it's one of the few series where there were a few good laughs every episode.  A lot of that had to do with the insanely talented Andy Samberg, but everyone else on that cast was great, especially the late Andre Braugher, who was like a modern Leslie Neilsen (who I featured last week on the Link!). Like Neilsen, Braugher was better know as a serious dramatic actor, until someone gave him a chance to uncork some comedy.  One of the best casting decisions ever! 

There was a running gag on the series of the Halloween Heist.  Every year they would have someone trying to outsmart everyone else in the police department.  What happened ended up being great comedy, as you tried to figure out who out played who ("Like Frans Bruggen plays the flute!"). 

Here is a running tab of all the Hallowween Heists from Brooklyn Nine-Nice and whodunit! 

Another clip this week is another classic from ZeFrank, the master of real science nature videos wrapped up in some outstanding comedy!  Today, it's True Facts: Bats, The Science of the Hunt!

And finally tonight is a clip from Stephen Colbert, commemorating the 10th Anniversary of The Late Show.  It is great to see Julianne Moore ( I just rewatched The Big Lebowski!) but trust me, the pay off at the end is spectacular! 

Have a great weekend everyone.  Be safe.

Please make sure to stay vaccinated.  There are too many idiots in power trying to convince you that you shouldn't.  They are lying to you.  Get vaccinated!

The Problem with Fear

Some Democrats have been coming after me lately.  While most have been cordial, one or two have been belligerent beyond belligerent.   It's funny when people you don't work for think they are your boss and have the ability to tell you what to do.

What has led to the hubbub?  Fear.  Fear can be a crippling thing.  It chews people up on different levels and has a bad habit of creating solutions to problems which are haphazard at best, and (judging from the MAGA right) downright 'evil with a purpose' at worst. 

I'm not saying people don't have a legit reason to be afraid at times.  I AM afraid occasionally! Trust me, the litany of threats I've gotten while carrying the water for the Left has been at times terrifying, with direct threats to my wife and kids. 

But I don't stop what I do. I could! I could walk away at any point and get a career in the private sector, disappearing into anonymity. But I do love what I do, and I will not let the fear control me.  That's my personal choice.  You make your own.

(image from Psychology Today)

Let me explain what happened:

A few weeks ago, Hennepin County Commissioner Heather Edelson had a piece in the Star Tribune where she criticized protestors coming to another commissioner's residence and protesting there.  For the record, I think it's inappropriate to protest at a politician's house, but IF NO ONE IS BREAKING THE LAW, and they are respecting private property and only protesting on the public street/sidewalk, that is a Constitutional Right. If they had violated the law in regards to the commissioner's private property, I'd be for prosecuting them, but as of today, it doesn't sound like the protesters did.

If calling out the stupidity of protestors protesting at a politician's house was where this ended, I think Edelson and I would be in complete agreement, but she decided to take her argument in an unfortunate direction.  She brought up the fear she and other politicians have in the wake of the terrorist assassination of MN Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, as well as the shooting of MN Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. According to the article, she linked the terrorist strike to legal protesting, which are two VERY DIFFERENT THINGS.  Read the article for yourself:  https://www.startribune.com/commissioner-to-protesters-please-stay-away-from-our-homes/601450130?utm_source=gift

To my knowledge, she never said the Star Tribune took her comments out of context, nor did she come out and clarify that 'of course protestors protesting legally are not the same thing as Vance Boelter, the terrorist  in the Hortman/Hoffman case.' My pointing this out doesn't mean that Edelson's (or anyone else's) residual fear in the wake of Boelter isn't real or legitimate, but to invoke his heinous crime while discussing peaceful protesting, even at a politician's house, is overreach, an over-villification of the nth degree to try to make your argument more pertinent. 

Since then, the Mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, had a protest scheduled for in front of his residence, and after the protest was moved, the mayor's wife, Sarah Clarke, also compared peaceful protesting to Boelter with the line "Violence against public officials and their families is no longer hypothetical - it has happened here in Minnesota." (https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-protest-jacob-frey-home-moved/601461518?utm_source=gift).

Sigh...

Peaceful protesters are not the same thing as Vance Boelter.  They aren't, and the overreach in both of these cases to try to add a false provenance to their fear-driven anti-protestor mantras is not only an insane exaggeration, but you're also actually diminishing the true horror of what happened to the Hortmans and Hoffmans to try to punch up a political issue WAY BENEATH the terrorist strike on Minnesota.

The assassination of the Hortmans and attempted murder of the Hoffmans is one of the worst things that has ever happened in this state, on par with the murder of George Floyd, the 35W bridge collapse, the Hinkley fires, the 1878 grain mill explosion in downtown Minneapolis, the abuse of the Native peoples, and the loss of lives of Minnesotans in the Civil War.  If I were to say, "I think we should revisit Minneapolis parking regulations because of what happened to George Floyd," I'd be so out of line it would be inexcusable. I get you're afraid, but peaceful protesting IS NOT a terrorist strike. 

The vilification of one group of people by invoking a far different, far more serious crime/individual IS SOMETHING REPUBLICANS DO ALL THE TIME!!!  When I made that point, Edelson and a few other Democrats took umbrage with me, insisting I was WAY out of line.  No, I wasn't.  That's exactly what Republicans do. Look at Trump's immigration roundup of all minorities ("They're all criminals!") or the passage of the Laken Riley Act ("Because one person did this, EVERY non-citizen will do this!").  

We just had the tragedy of the Annuciation school/church shooting and immediately Republicans are using that tragedy to target all transgender people.  If you don't want me to compare your analogies to the MAGA Right, then don't make analogies like the MAGA right!

Let's entertain the argument of these Democrats and talk about stopping all protestors from protesting at the residences of politicians.

Let's start by defining which politicians.  I will presume that we are talking about all statewide officials (Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, and State Auditor), the two MN US Senators, the 8 MN US House Reps.,  and every member of the Minnesota House and Senate.  I presume this because the two people who are suggesting this are a County Commissioner and a City Mayor, so they must be talking about all political offices higher than theirs. And the nature of the position of the people making the suggestion means all county commissioners' residences, mayors' residences, and city council members' residences are off limits, too.  That's A LOT of public roads and sidewalks now off limits. My guess is that this protection would be retroactive to all former politicians who served in any of the aforementioned positions.  I would hope that we are also not going to loop in family members of the politician after that politician has passed away. 

And then comes the question of how much of a no-go zone are we talking about. Judging by the arguments, it clearly is not just in front of a politician's house, but the full street the politician's house is on. Does that go for one block, two blocks in each direction (just to be safe)?  What about a politician who lives in an apartment building?  Does the entire surrounding block of the building become a no-go protest zone?  Is it a full two-block radius around the entire building?  And what about politicians who have a rental place in the city where they reside while the Legislature is in session? Are we going to have no-go zones there AND at their houses back into their districts even though they are not there at the time?

And what exactly constitutes a protest?  Is it 50 people?  Is it 10 or 12?  Is it one person with a picket sign?  Is it a car that is parked on the street with a lot of bumper stickers that are against the politician who lives on the block?

The state will have to release a map EVERY WEEK of no-go protest zones in the state, which could be upwards fo 20% of pubic roads and sidewalks. Congratulations, Democrats have just annihilated the First Amendment of the Constitution, while the Republicans who HATE public protesting laugh and laugh and laugh.

And I don't want to skip past the irony of a politician watching a beloved neighbor getting rounded up by ICE agents, wondering, "Where are the people protesting to stop this?"  They're four blocks away, as you demanded. When you want protestors to show up for your cause, it will be a hoot watching you realize you've just torpedoed your own agenda because a member of the Park Board lives three houses down and hence the protest is illegal.

And even that far-right Supreme Court would laugh your attempted law out of court, wasting taxpayer dollars to defend the indefensible.

Once again, I think protesting at a politician's home is misguided, but I also understand that fear should not be used to validate violating other people's rights, no matter how many tragedies someone invokes in their argument. 

One of the more depressing elements of this whole confrontation was having two Democratic politicians, when I brought up the point that I've been threatened too, dismiss that as irrelevant.  The only fear they felt was valid was THEIR fear.  And you wonder why the Democratic Party has a hard time relating to the masses (FFS).

Fear is nasty.  It makes you irrational and untrusting.  I know.  I've gotten a lot of threats over the years defending the Left, but I don't use those threats to vilify any person who disagrees with me on a political issue.  If I do that, the people making the threats win.

If you are afraid (and after Boetler, many people do have a very valid reason to be afraid), my best suggestion is to talk with someone about it.  Get a counselor, or talk to a trusted friend.  Talking it out helps you put everything in better perspective and helps you get past the shock, anger, and fear.

I will make this offer.  If ANY politician wants to sit down and talk about their fear, I'd be happy to meet with you, buy you a coffee, and discuss it.  I will listen to your concerns and feelings, relate my experiences, and let you know you are not alone.  This is a serious offer, and it is open to anyone, Democrat or Republican, who is feeling fear control them.  If I can help, I'm more than willing to try.

I'm not going to quit doing what I do.  Most politicians like doing what they do.  I understand that desire to serve and try to make our community better.  Just don't fall into the trap of fear; proposing anti-American policies, invoking far more serious tragedies to try to add weight to your misguided reactionary agenda.  If you do that, fear wins. 

Best of Minnesota State Fair Fine Art, 2025

Every year, I post what I think are the best pieces of art from the Fine Art Exhibition at the Minnesota State Fair.  This is totally arbitrary and in no way represents what the judges thought. This is just what caught my fancy.

Please feel free to disagree.  Isn't that the point of art: to create discussion, disagreement, and open up personal feelings?

Here are the pieces I did not rank in the top 5.

(love me a moose painting!)

Here's my list.  #5

#4

#3

#2

#1