The Friday Link for 4/26/24

Hey all! I have an eclectic Link for you this week.  

I'm starting off with a regular contributor to the Friday Link, Ze Frank, and his True Facts series which talks about the animal kingdom.  He's very funny as he unloads a series of weird and interesting facts about a certain creature in the animal kingdom, but I'm incredibly impressed with the educational content of his latest video.

Bees can count?  Yes, they can, and they're incredibly smart when it comes to other tasks too.  It has a little bit of adult content, but enjoy (what I consider to be) a fascinating trip into nature! 

Next up is the VERY R-RATED video for the latest Deadpool movie 'Deadpool & Wolverine."  It looks fantastic. Just take my money! 

Next up is FALLOUT.  It was a multi-version video game series before it became a TV show, but I never played the game.  I did watch Season One of the series on Amazon Prime, and it was really good! Having never really explored the FALLOUT universe, I took some time to understand the story, from the video game to the TV show.  The video is about 40 minutes long, but it's worth it if you like the series and want to find out more. 

Finally tonight, IT'S ME! Here is a clip from my show the guys at BlueAmp were kind enough to post! I talk about how the true legacy of Republicans in rural America is the utter devastation of rural healthcare.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Please make sure to stay up to date on your COVID vaccinations.

The Friday Link for 4/19/24

Howdy all!

I love Doctor Who and it's been a while since I featured the classic TV show, now 60 years strong, in the Friday Link.

Let me start off with the positive.  What Culture, a YouTube Channel that gives us random rankings of various entertainment and cultural categories has its own Doctor Who channel, WhoCulture! They did their own ranking of the best Doctor Who episodes of the modern era (minus the recent specials that just aired) and I have to agree with most of this list.  It helps that the list is comprised by the channel's Doctor Who experts. Watch any of these episodes (especially Blink!) and you'll find a lot of joy.

But I will also post the WhoCulture 'best of' version of fan-rated episodes.  This one is a little weird, and very 11th Doctor Matt Smith-heavy.  I do like The Doctor's Wife and Vincent and the Doctor being included, but be careful with The Angels Take Manhattan.  Not that it's really bad, but it's not in my top 30 episodes of the modern era.

I will also post the WhoCulture list of the worst Doctor Who stories of the modern era.  The only one of these episodes I disagree with is Nightmare in Silver.  I liked that episode, and how they made the Cybermen super creepy (but the kids were obnoxious).

Finally tonight, the Beavis and Butthead skit from SNL.  I would have featured it first but I featured SNL last week.  One of their best skits of the last ten years.

Have a great weekend everyone.  Stay safe.  Get vaccinated!!!

The Friday Link for 4/12/24

This week we start with the successful return of Kristen Wiig to Saturday Night Live.

Last weekend I was in Chicago and had the chance to catch one of the latest shows at Second City, the comedy Mecca which has launched an insane amount of great comedic talent.  A long time ago, I did some comedy improv in the Twin Cities and I held my own in the local group.  I wasn't the best, but I did okay.  The people who were the best absolutely shined at comedy, creating a light that drew everyone's attention.  Every time they were on the stage, for even a second, they commanded the audience.

Now consider the comedy improv like baseball. I did a comedy improv which was more like an A Ball.  The best move up to bigger improv groups and then bigger improv groups. Second City is the major league of comedy improv.  Even at that level, some people absolutely stole the show.  Three in particular.  I kept asking how are they not on SNL at this point.

Kristen Wiig is one of those people who steals the show with her presence.  She is just so far ahead of everyone else, with a natural poise and cadence that draws you in.  Watching her in the current season of SNL it reminds me how insanely good the cast from her time at SNL was, back when she was a regular (from 2005 - 2012). 

Here are three skits from last week's show and notice how Wiig just elevates the comedy.

Finally tonight another great Tasting History with Max Miller as he goes back to the 1950s to make what used to be the norm, delicious airline food! 

Have a wonderful weekend everyone. 

Make sure you stay up to date on your vaccinations!

Dishonesty

Remember in 2016 when you would see Twitter accounts that seemed like they were Democrats, echoing some Democratic talking points, playing all friendly then suddenly start insisting "There's no difference between Hillary and Trump!"  I remember that.  I talked about it all the time on the radio show. I would confront the individuals and say "You can't be serious."

Not only would the individuals double down, but they sometimes would make the argument that they wanted Trump to win because "it wouldn't be that bad."

Spoiler alert, it was! It was horrible! And it was only after the 2016 election we realized these were fake Twitter users, manufactured trolls whose goal was to convince Democrats they were one of them, and then try to convince as many Democrats to either vote for Trump or sit the election out (usually with chants of "Bernie!"). 

They did their job and just enough Democrats decided to not vote for the candidate they agreed with 80% of the time, and instead help install a President they never agreed with. 

Well, it sure appears to me that they're doing it again.

Republicans are starting to have a massive math problem. GenZ is firmly against them and their strong base, the Silent Generation and the Baby Boomers, two generations with very loyal support for the GOP (cultivated by Reagan), are dying off. They're desperately needing to convince the younger voters they are not that bad or to sit the election out, even as the Right openly takes their rights away from them.  To do this, they are going back to the old tool, trolls disguised as leftists whose job is to trick them into either supporting Trump or sitting the election out.

I've already come across a few.  I'll be the first to say I can't say for sure, one way or the other, if they are actually plants or just deeply misinformed fools, but regardless you need to be careful and err on the side of caution.

Let me give you an example of this.  

Now, once again I am not saying this person is someone intentionally deceiving others.  She might just be a misguided individual, but by the time we get to her last argument, I think we'll all agree something is going on here.

This is a profile where I have taken out some information:

I am sure someone can track her down, but I do not want to help her with her links or cash app features.  She showed up a few times in my timeline, and even though she says she's on the very far left of the political spectrum, she seemed to make a few good points.  She also posts a lot of party and fashion photos. She was a fun account to follow.

And I do clearly see 'socialist' in her profile.  When I first looked at her posts, I would place her more in the Democratic Socialist category. Needless to say, you would not think someone on the far left of the political spectrum would in any way entertain a far-right fascist as a good political option.

This morning this post showed up in my timeline: 

Kate Willett (a person I've interviewed) is like a lot of people frustrated by Biden, helping Israel as they use the horrific terrorist attack from last October to justify a genocide of the Palestinians.  For the record, I think Israel should've stopped months ago, but I don't blame Biden nearly as much as I blame Israel.  This is clearly a land grab and they'll kill anyone (Palestinians, World Central Kitchen Volunteers, and even hostages trying to get back to Israel) to achieve their goal. It's wrong.  

I also hear the Republicans talking about what they would do in the Gaza Strip.  They have stated they'll line up every Palestinian and shoot them in the head. You may not like Biden, but if you care about Palestinians, the Republicans are still the FAR worse option.

While Kate has criticized Biden, she has also consistently stated that Trump is a very real danger to our way of life. I can appreciate that.  It's like I said in a previous post; Biden might be an Arby's Beef 'N Cheddar (not the best option) but he is still technically food.  Trump is a crap sandwich; feces on two slices of bread.  He's not even food.  

But Trump's supporters need to convince you to take a big bite; that it won't be that bad.

Let's focus on Bri's quote tweet. She starts by implying a vote for Biden is being complacent to Biden, something which is comical when you realize she is trying to call Kate out on that.  Kate has been a very vocal criticizer of Biden, so Bri saying that seems to be trying to frame the argument in a very specific way. 

Then comes the first big WTF comment.  Biden and Trump won't be 'materially different' from each other?  That's insanity.  Trump has already said he wants to be a dictator, wants to make himself immune from prosecution, wants to gut social security and social safety net programs, wants to use the government to attack his enemies, and plans on taking away multiple rights from American citizens.  No socialist or Democratic Socialist can possibly say "There is no difference between Trump and Biden" with a straight face. 

She then implies a Trump win would be a positive because everyone would be angry and protest.  Once again, she presents this as a positive.  I don't know how anyone can argue taking away people's rights and well-being is a positive, especially not a "socialist."  A lot of people argued for Trump in 2016, presenting a narrative of "one way to the other he would bring the system down."  It didn't go that way, but he did a lot of damage. We all lost and lost badly, with zero positives. 

My response to her was very straightforward pointing out we already did the 'there's no difference' dance in 2016, and it didn't go well. 

Bri responded: 

The first thing she says is good.  I'm glad she's not planning on voting for Trump, but not voting, or voting for a candidate with no chance, is only helping Trump. That's a fact. 

The second point she makes is a bit of a head-scratcher and I started to think Bri might be a fake account.  I had multiple radio shows talking about the "there's no difference" movement to help Trump in 2016. There were a lot of troll accounts pushing that narrative. 

Was she upset about me mentioning the "there's no difference' argument from 2016 because it was her schtick this election cycle and wanted the GenZ voters to feel like she was original?  Maybe she was just not aware of the 2016 attempt, but that aside, the last line set off a MASSIVE red flag. 

She is CLEARLY implying Joe Biden was responsible for the overturning of Roe v. Wade.  That's insanity.

Once again, I'm not sure of her motivations, but the only way I could see anyone being that dishonest, ignorant, and stupid would be if they were intentionally trying to take the blame off of Trump and place the blame on Biden.  For the record, Trump took away women's bodily autonomy.

I immediately blocked the account.

Be prepared! If someone you think is a good old leftie starts insisting that Joe Biden is to blame for all your problems, or that Trump is a better option, or that it doesn't matter who wins in 2024, immediately block them and warn off all your followers.  

It's better to be safe than sorry, especially when Democracy itself is on the line in 2024.

Friday Link for 4/5/24

Happy weekend everyone! I hope you've had a great week and are looking forward to a fantastic weekend.

This week we start with a person who has become a must-watch when I see a new video or post from her, Katherine Abughazaleh, or as everyone knows her, Kat Abu. 

If you have not seen my two previous posts with her, she's a brave soul who watches, views, reads, and immerses herself in conservative media, and gives you a breakdown of the insanity without you ever having to delve into the deep end of the pool.  She's fantastic, so find her on all social media.

This week she really dives in front of the bullet for us and breaks down what sounds like an atrocious book, "The Cancel Culture Dictionary," written by some idiot at Fox News (it really is irrelevant who the author is.  It's just the latest in keyword-focused, light-speed written, crap sandwich talking point scribblings attached to the latest Fox dolt to keep their viewers feeling like they're cultured). 

What makes Kat one of the best at this is how she approaches it.  This isn't just a lazy "It's stupid" diatribe.  She actually reviews the book like a NY Times reviewer, and by doing so she is much more astute to the failings of this knee-jerk literature.  This book is bad, but even Kat finds one or two things she doesn't hate about it. By pointing those rare moments out, she exposes the depths of the word sewage that makes up the rest of the offensive tome.  It's a brutal takedown because she does take it seriously.

Kat, thank you for your service.  I salute you again! 

Also this week I'm posting a GQ video featuring Michael Keaton breaking down some of his movie roles. Keaton is such an underrated actor, having shown insane range over his career. Not only is it great to hear him talk about his most recognizable roles (Batman, Beetlejuice, and Birdman) but it's great to hear him open up about some of his other roles.

I especially love him pointing out how ahead of its time Mr. Mom was, being a young actor getting a breakout role on the wonderful Night Shift, and touching on his role as Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing! They didn't have enough time but I would've loved to hear from him about Johnny Dangerously, Gung Ho, Pacific Heights, Cars, The Founder, American Assassin, and Dopesick.  Like I said, what a freaking amazing actor. 

All my best and remember to stay up to date on your vaccinations!  I don't want you sick, dead, with long COVID, or with a lifetime of medical debt.

The Friday Link for 3/29/24

Howdy everyone, and Happy Easter weekend to all who celebrate.

I'm going to start off with religious content.  This is not about converting anyone.  You do, or don't do, whatever it is you want to do or don't want to do.  I'm Christian.

I'm a person who's desperately trying to wrestle Christianity, a religion based on love, peace, welcoming, compassion, diversity, inclusion, and equity, away from those who constantly use it as a vehicle of commanded hatred. I'm always on the lookout for people who intelligently and honestly talk about religion.  John Fugelsang is one of my favorite people to listen to talk about this subject.  Wickedly intelligent and funny as heck.

This week I want to introduce you to Dan McClellan, a scholar of the Bible, and one of the smartest theological minds I've ever had the privilege of hearing. This guy knows his Bible, down to astounding detail, and provides the research which backs up his talk.  I discovered him on social media and I became an immediate fan.

We will start this Good Friday with two of his videos, beginning with him having an epic takedown of Michele Bachmann, Minnesota's own clown car of ignorance.  Bubbles tries to put forward the lie that the Constitution is a Biblical document and Dan McClellan takes her to task, bringing the receipts! Enjoy! 

Also, enjoy his video which takes down the notion that Easter itself is an ancient celebration that was forced into Christianity.  None of what this guy posted is true. It wasn't, and Dan explains where exactly Easter came from.

Speaking of challenging ignorant people, Jordan Klepper challenges the MAGA crowd trying to make their brand of extremism mainstream.  His point about Trump embracing the Jan. 6th Insurrectionists as patriots while also bellyaching about Colin Kaepernick kneeling for the national anthem puts a lot of Trump's insanity into perspective. As he says, we can't allow that to happen. 

And finally tonight, something to make you smile.  Honest Trailers dismantles Madam Web. 

Have a great weekend, make sure you stay up to date on your vaccinations, and if you do celebrate Easter (like I do) I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

The Friday Link for 3/22/24

Hi all!

I have to be short and sweet this week as I have a lot of fun family stuff planned!  

Let's start off with an MST3K! The newest season was a little hit or miss, but I thought the best one of the new season was the first one they did, Santo and the Treasure Of Dracula. This features Jonah and his crew (they had alternating hosts this year, including a few episodes with original boss Joel Hodgson) but this movie is freaking BONKERS! 

It's a wrestler who's a scientist with a time machine that goes back in time to Dracula in Mexico.  They had me with the line, "he's a Hershey's Kiss in a suit!"

There are some ads on this but not too bad.  Pluto TV, which is free, has the entire season. By the way, due to age restrictions on this one, you have to click the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbT3kGtJAMY

Also tonight another great video from John Oliver. I have two kids in college and it is downright terrifying the debt load we burden college graduates with.  People who complain about the idea of making college cheaper are usually:

1) Unaware that when they went to college a complete degree cost you 20K.  Now that's not enough for a single year at most major universities, and

2) They don't understand that it hurts the economy to have a generation of our biggest wage earners saddled with 30 years of debt, and

3) Most people against offsetting college costs have personal, usually petty, issues with doing it for others. 

Regardless, college costs are out of control, and for the record, Joe Biden is trying to do something about it.  Here's Last Week Tonight's breakdown of it. 

Have a great weekend everyone! 

Make sure to keep up to date on your vaccinations. 

The Friday Link for 3/15/24

Hi all!

Let's start this one out with 90 seconds of pure bliss.  Here is John Mulaney presenting at last week's Oscars. This is comedy brilliance.

I started out with a very funny bit because the rest of the Link this week is more serious.  Let's next go to John Oliver and Last Week Tonight. Two weeks ago he broke down what the hell is wrong with Boeing, and he made a very compelling case on why the Federal Government needs to start regulating the heck out of that company.

I could try to explain it, but Oliver does it so well. 

Last video tonight is a tragedy I never heard of before I saw this video.  Back in 1866, 16 people were killed when a small creek quickly burst over its banks amidst a massive rain storm.  If 16 people died today, society would remember it very clearly for a few years, but time has a way of making us forget. Let me give you an example.  When was the last time you thought about the 35W bridge collapse? That was only 17 years ago.  Thirteen died, 145 were injured and most of us hardly think of that tragedy at all anymore.  

We've had fires that wiped out entire towns, boating accidents (the Sea Wing Disaster killed 98 in 1890), industrial accidents, and our fair share of natural disasters (Armistice Day blizzard). When it comes to major disasters, our memories start to forget them 15 to 20 years later.

But one plea.  The grave this guy found near where the tragedy occurred has a Veteran's marker on it.  Someone who served is there and has been long forgotten.  We should not forget the Veterans.  Someone from the US Army needs to get out there and make sure we pay some proper respect.

State Treasures has the story and takes us to the site of the disaster from 1866.

That's it for this week.  Have a great weekend and make sure to stay up to date on your vaccinations! 

The Friday link for 3/8/24

Hi all! I hope you have a wonderful weekend.  Let's start it off by giving everyone recurring nightmares. 

When I was a kid, there was one character that scared me, and most people, to the core; The Child Catcher from 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.' That move was weirdly unsettling overall, but The Child Catcher had kids screaming themselves awake for years.  The movie was released in the late 1960s, but (like a lot of kids' movies back then) was played consistently in theaters on weekends up through the 1970s.  I must have been 5 or 6 when I saw The Child Catcher for the first time and I remember refusing to look at the screen for the rest of the movie in case he showed up again. 

To tell you how scary The Child Catcher was, I remember seeing 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' on a weekend flipping through TV channels in the 80s, and when I saw The Child Catcher again, I froze. Who was the psychopath who decided he needed a hook?!?  Even today the character gives me the freaking creeps!

I had placed him out of my mind until The Cyan Man on YouTube decided that we really needed to talk about how messed up The Child Catcher really was.  Relive the terror for yourself (and laugh a little too) as The Cyan Man has a pretty funny take. 

Also with the Oscars this weekend, let's all enjoy the Screen Junkies guys doing their annual Honest Trailer takedown of the Best Picture Nominees.

And finally this week, The Daily Show sent Michael Kosta to Eagle Pass, Texas to talk with the locals about the real invasion that is breaking them, the invasion of right-wing ideologues that have tormented their community.

Side note:  In this video, the Chair of the local Republican Party repeatedly uses a derogatory slur about immigrants.  This should be VERY newsworthy, but this just seems to be the Republican Party today.  Twenty years ago, this Chair would be run out of the Party.  My guess is she got a commendation for her open racism.

Please make sure to stay up to date on your vaccines and be safe!

Have a great weekend everyone!

The Friday Link for 3/1/24

Hi all!

This week let's start with the SCOTUS' decision to weigh in on whether or not Trump has full immunity from all actions while he was president.  It's clear Trump tried to orchestrate an overthrowing of the government on January 6th, 2021 with the intentional purpose of disregarding a legitimate election and installing himself as President.  But now he claims that as long as he was President, you can't hold him accountable for any crime he committed while in the White House.  

The Supreme Court could have picked this case up in December when there was a call for them to weigh in on it.  They turned down the chance then, and now seem to have given Trump a massive advantage by waiting until March to change their minds.  This delays his trial until likely Fall, but that will only happen then if they don't make one of the worst rulings in the history of this country and side with Trump.

The founding Fathers CLEARLY did not want the position of President to be unaccountable to anyone, but let's face reality.  Alito and Thomas are already bought and paid for Immunity votes.  Gorsuch will likely join them.  The rest of the Supreme Court must decide if they want to be part of what would be one of the worst decisions in the history of this country. Let's hope they think about their legacy.

This is a great opportunity to revisit what could be the worst SCOTUS decision in the history of this country, Dred Scott. The case involved a slave who left a slave state, was in a free state (at one point being stationed at Fort Snelling in Minnesota), and then returned to a slave state.  The law back then was that if a slave was taken to a free state, that slave was then free in the eyes of the law.  The SCOTUS ruling contradicted the existing law, basically saying slaves would be slaves regardless of where they were in the US (Free state or Slave state), that Black Americans were never to be considered actual citizens of the country, and the ruling clearly implied freed Black people could become slaves again with zero recourse.  Next stop the Civil War. 

Sweet Lord was that an atrocious ruling.  Taney was a horrible human being.

Crash Course Black American History has the details of the ruling.

Speaking of the Civil War, let's now look at the conflict that freed the slaves and one of the most interesting military leaders this country ever produced, William Tecumseh Sherman. Up until Grant and Sherman took over, Union military leaders were trying too hard to not upset their former buddies in the Southern Military, thinking the South would eventually come around to their way of thinking.  Grant and Sherman understood that if they wanted to end this war, they needed to break the South over their knees, and they did.

Sherman wasn't perfect.  He was cruel to the freed slaves, viewing his job as more beating the South versus being a great liberator, but he sure did understand how to send a message in military terms. 

The folks at '55 Folks' have a great breakdown of Sherman and his war-ending actions in Georgia. 

Finally tonight, the Daily Show takes on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s insanely stupid campaign for President.

Have a great weekend everyone and remember to keep your vaccinations up to date!  I don't want you sick, dead, with long COVID, or bankrupted by medical bills.

The Friday Link for 2/23/24

Howdy all!  Hope you've had a great week.

This week we start with The Daily Show, but NOT with Jon Stewart (wait for it!). Michael Kosta is the resident white guy, right-leaning correspondent for the show, a role the former correspondent Jason Jones was AMAZING at.  I preface this video with that information because he does come off a little jerk-ish in this piece. 

With climate change undeniable (See: 2024 Minnesota Winter) there have been a few stories of climate refugees making their way to northern Minnesota and the beautiful city of Duluth.  I love Duluth but it is cold, something Kosta plays up here in a piece about the city as a refuge.

It's a little punching down, but I think Duluth looks good at the end of it. And they did make Kosta do a polar plunge!

Since I did mention Jon Stewart, here you go.  A lot of Lefties were upset after his first week back (something he addresses at the beginning of this clip) because he spent a lot of time bashing Biden's age.  I get what he was doing the first show back; reminding everyone he is an equal opportunity critique expert, but it did feel like Biden took the brunt of his commentary, and he did give credibility to the clearly fraudulent Hur Report.

Fear not Lefties, week two was a delight.  He goes after Tucker Carlson and picks him apart with the deft linguistic and comedic ballet he is known for. Not only does Michael Kosta make another appearance in this video, but Stewarts point about Woke Vs. Un-Woke is some of the most spot-on political commentary we've seen in 10 years.  HE'S BACK!!!

Finally tonight is Daniel Steiner, a guy who loves maps of cities and seeing how the cities developed. I recently made my first trip to New Orleans in November and had a wonderful time.  The history of the city is rich and deep, and this video does a very good job of explaining why the city is there, how it developed, and the significance of the road system. 

One last little bit he didn't touch on in the video but is a good add.  The Mississippi River from New Orleans down to the ocean was incredibly hard to navigate with boats driven by sails, sometimes taking two to three weeks to get upstream from the ocean. Going upriver from New Orleans was a lot easier.  Lake Pontchartrain was much easier to navigate from the ocean, and the bayous and canals allowed for the movement of goods from the Lake to New Orleans, and then upriver. The more you know! 

Have a great weekend.  Get vaccinated and stay safe!

The Friday Link for 2/16/24

We delve into familiar territory with this week's Friday Link as we get the best of the Super Bowl Ads. 

These are my picks for the best ones from last weekend's game, and FYI the Arnold Schwarzenegger State Farm ad and the Beyonce Verizon ad finished 4 and 5.

Number 3 for me was the Booking.com ad featuring Tina Fey.  Forget the 30-second ad from the game and focus on the 90-second MUCH better version:

Next up is the Uber Eats ad with Jennifer Anniston.  The guy forgetting how to sit was good, but it was the absolutely perfect final line from David Schwimmer which was the best line from any ad.

And the hands-down winner was the absolutely inspired Dunkin' Donuts ad featuring Ben Affleck. This ad was really good, but the extended 4-minute, 21-second extravaganza is sensational! Not only is Matt Damon 'fall out of your chair' funny, but I do love Jack Harlow's desperate pleading for Affleck not to go through with it.  Top-notch and the best of this year's ads.

Speaking of ads, next up is a fantastic political ad from Katrina Christensen, a Democrat who is running for Senate in deep-red North Dakota. This ad is sensational and points out perfectly how in these states where Republicans have been charge forever, your lives have not only not gotten better, they've gotten far worse. This should be copied in every red-seat race this year. 

By the way, here is the webpage to make a donation: https://www.katrinaforussenate.com

Finally tonight, ME!  My friend Cliff Schecter was kind enough to put one of my radio show rants up on his Blue Amp YouTube Channel.  It's me talking about the Super Bowl JESUS ads and my family's religious journey.  

Have a great weekend. 

Make sure you get vaccinated and stay safe! 

The Friday Link for 2/9/24

Happy weekend everyone.

Carl Weathers will be missed.  He was a great actor.  'Rocky' would not have been the hit it was without Weathers' Apollo Creed, we forget 'Force Ten from Navarone' (where he starred next to Harrison Ford and Robert Shaw), he had memorial performances in 'Predator,' 'Action Jackson,' 'Happy Gilmore,' and 'Toy Story 4,' and he had become a popular character in the Star Wars universe with his character Greef Karga on the hit TV show 'The Mandalorian.'

But it was his turn as Carl Weathers on Arrested Development which cemented him as Hollywood royalty to me. His comedic timing was top notch.  For him to stand out at times with the comedy legends of that show was a surprising side to his talent. 

Here are the scenes he had in Arrested Development.  Enjoy! 

Also tonight two great videos from Hot Ones. If you are not aware, Hot Ones is a show where the guest and host eat chicken wings with increasingly hotter and hotter hot-sauces on them.  It's a fairly entertaining show because the escalating heat of the sauces causes the actors to break from their celebrity mold and get very real while they do the interview. It's already created a few top-notch memes from Paul Rudd and Sydney Sweeney.

The worst sauce is actually two from the end, Da' Bomb, a diabolical concoction that serves no purpose other than hurting people.  It is brutal, causing sweats, crying, runny noses, occasional vomiting, and a lot of uncomfortable moments. 

Here are ten celebrity reactions to Da' Bomb.  Shaquille O'Neal's is an all-time classic moment.  Warning there is a lot of salty language with some of these guys. 

NOT in a million years!

Have a great weekend everyone.  Remember to get vaccinated for the flu and for COVID!  I don't want you sick, bankrupt, or dead.  Do yourself a favor and get vaccinated. 

The Friday Link for 2/2/24

Hi all! Tonight it's all political on the Friday Link, starting with what might be the smartest mind in political analysis today, Kat Abu!

Katherine Abughazaleh, or as she goes by on social media Kat Abu, is wonderful! Here is a link to the full bio piece Huffington Post did on her last year (https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kat-abu-the-tiktoker-mocking-fox-news-just-for-funsies_n_644c0f85e4b04997b577b4c2).  Basically this poor woman subjects herself to watching Fox News and breaks down the network's stupidity, so you don't have to watch it.  How she manages that without going crazy remains to be seen.

But what makes Kat exceptional is how she takes a complicated issue, breaks it down into almost Hemingway-esque minimalism, and conveys it to the average social media viewer in a completeness that puts a long New York Times article to shame. 

Case in point, she tackles the lie that "shoplifting is destroying the retail sector."  It's not, and not only does she expose that truth, but then expertly links it back to how this lie is just greedy executives trying to cover their company's disappointing earnings. AND SHE DID IT IN 2:18!!!  I'm 55 years old and have 30 years of radio under me and I only wish I could be so clean with a topic.

Follow her on TikTok, YouTube, Twitter and other assorted social media sites.  You will be smarter! 

Also tonight another delightful visit with The Daily Show's Desi Lyric, as she also subjects herself to WAY too much Fox News, this time to figure out what the real story is on Taylor Swift! 

And finally tonight, ME!  This is from the show where I explained how I finally was able to come to grips with the reality:  A shockingly large portion of this country (25-30%) are just horrible people, Donald Trump managed to do the unthinkable when he molded them into a viable voting block, and how we need to cut them loose and fight to save the country with the much larger sane majority!  Heavy lifting is required!

Join me down the rabbit hole!

That's all! Have a great weekend everyone.  

Stay safe and make sure you are vaccinated! 

The Friday link for 1/26/24

This week we start with a weird phenomenon in online video posting, the popularity of mowing/yard clean up videos.

We've all seen that house where the grass and yard are overgrown and it's the neighborhood eyesore. I actually have one a few blocks from my house, a place that was foreclosed on in 2009 and has sat empty ever since.  A few times it's been mowed, but for the most part it stays overgrown more often than not.

As bad as it gets, it's still nowhere as bad as some of the houses featured in the videos from SB Mowing. This is a guy who goes around (he started in Kansas but I am not sure if he exclusively mows there or goes around the country), finds the most overgrown yards he can, and then trims them back for free.  The transformations are incredible and it is a ton of work.  I think the popularity of these videos comes from the idea of bringing order from chaos. 

I have enjoyed these videos for a while, but I had not posted them on the Friday Link because I thought this was an old man thing.  That was until I found one of my 20-something friends posting one of the videos, telling me they loved watching them too. 

Here are two from SB Mowing to get us started. 

Two more quick ones for you tonight.  The latest season of Fargo is great, but they really do over enhance the accent.  Here is a video of the cast talking about having to learn the accent. 

And finally tonight a compilation of the best celebrity cousins from Finding Your Roots, the great PBS show that tracks people's DNA history. 

Have a great weekend everyone!  Please make sure to get vaccinated and be careful with all the different health crisis issues going around.

The Friday Link for 1/19/24

Let's start with the video this week that got everyone in the world of dance abuzz! This is the University of Minnesota Dance Team 2024 Jazz performance from the national championships.  The first video is the preliminary run through, the qualifying round.  This one features the music more clearly.

WOW! I'm not a dance person, but WOW! That was freaking amazing. Here's the part I do not understand. They finished 2nd behind a VERY good Ohio State performance.  This video of the U of MN team has gone crazy, an undeniable social media sensation, with pretty much most dancers and most dance instructors calling it "historic" "mind blowing" and "ground breaking." Apparently the second set of team spins with the jump and straight into another spin has never been done before, let alone synchronized. 

Once again, the Ohio State routine was also quite good, but considering how many intelligent dance people are calling what the Golden Gophers did "unprecedented," how the heck did they finish 2nd?

Here is the post from the finals and this time listen to the crowd. 

Impressive regardless.

Finally tonight a fun little Oscar nominated animated short from 2010 called French Roast.  It's pretty self explanatory.  Enjoy! 

Be safe! Get all your vaccinations and if you are in a busy place, like an airport, please wear a mask.  

Have a great weekend! 

The Friday Link for 1/12/24

 Howdy all! I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend.

The Doctor Who convention is in Minneapolis this weekend and it allows me to revisit my favorite TV show of all time! Quick recap, David Tennant returned as the 14th version of the Doctor and in the finale of his three special run (titled 'The Giggle') he ran into an OLD foe of his from the 1st Doctor's run, The Toymaker, an insanely powerful entity. 

In a bit of brilliant casting, Neil Patrick Harris was cast as the new version of The Toymaker and it went spectacularly.  Watch these specials and the first episode with the 15th Doctor Ncuti Gatwa on Disney Plus.

Here are three clips from 'The Giggle' to wet your whistle, including the incredible Spice Girl scene. 

Also this weekend, how the heck is John Mulaney not hosting every awards show.  He turned up to host the Governor's Awards and he was SO GOOD!

Finally tonight is an incredible clip from the British version of Antiques Roadshow.  This dresser features a stunning secret.  The wood itself is 150 to 200 years older than the dresser itself and it is incredible. 

Have a great weekend!

Get vaccinated and mask up if you are traveling or in a large crowd! 

The Friday Link for 1/5/24

Happy New Year to everyone! Let's hope it's a good one.

This week I am going to post the complete series 'The Men Who Killed Kennedy,' all 7 hours and 16 minutes of it!  This originally was a much smaller documentary, about 2 hours, produced by ITV in England.  The documentary was a deep dive into the allegations that Lee Harvey Oswald didn't act alone in killing John F. Kennedy.  

Let me start with what the documentary got wrong. The documentary's original allegations were three men were guilty of the assassination and named all three men specifically.  Then one of the men threatened to sue. Upon further review, the men all had pretty good alibis that they were not in Dallas in November of 1963.  Nigel Turner who put this documentary together admitted he didn't interview at least one of the men, failing to do even a basic fact check on some elements of the documentary. 

Also, the documentary kept getting added to. The original documentary came out in 1988, and then in 1991, it was re-edited and more footage was added.  In 1995, another episode was added, and then in 2003, they added three whole new episodes, bringing the total to 7. The later episodes were criticized for their implication LBJ himself was somehow involved in the assassination.  Today, the complete episode list is cataloged at 9.  I have no idea. 

Here's what sent a chill through me in this documentary.  Two known facts about the assassination point to Oswald not being the lone shooter.  First is the President's head moving back into the shot from the book depository behind him.  That is absolute garbage.  The physics of force don't work that way.  If he was shot from behind, his head would have flown forward. The second is the magic bullet.  Bullets don't do what the Warren Commission claimed the magic bullet did.  When you present these two facts, skeptics will say "If Oswald didn't work alone, then where is the evidence of someone else shooting?" 

A lot of people reported gunshots from the grassy knoll, but a lot of the film taken towards the grassy knoll was confiscated by the government and never seen again. There was one picture that clearly shows the grassy knoll and in the 2nd episode, they have a photo expert analyze the image.  What they discover would stop anyone in their tracks. Watch the 2nd episode 'The Forces of Darkness' from 51 minutes in.

The documentary might have laid the blame at the wrong feet, but someone else CLEARLY was involved in the assassination of John F. Kennedy.  That's a conspiracy.

Please get vaccinated immediately, especially for COVID and the flu.  

Have a great weekend!

The Friday Link for 12/29/23

Hi all!

I hope everyone has a fun and safe New Year's.  Plan ahead and PLEASE do not drink and drive.  It has been a long year for me, recovering from being hit by a drunk driver. The pain, stress, and awfulness of the last 12 months should not be thrust upon anyone. 

Plain and simple this week.  The Honest Trailers folks have put together their trailers for some of the worst movies ever made. Some of these are brutal, but Honest Trailers always does a good job. Enjoy! 

Remember to get vaccinated and stay safe!

Happy 2024 everyone!

The Friday Link for 12/22/23

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.  I hope everyone has a great next few weeks!

First off this week I have to right a wrong.  Earlier this year I posted the "Lost Episode" of Last Week Tonight, the extra episode they decided to do for viewers under 35 who they insisted would never be able to own a home, hence their actual story that week on Homeowners associations was worthless to them. For the 35 and younger viewers, John Oliver did a deep dive into Chuck E. Cheese, which was a freaking riot.

I posted a link to a You Tube clip but I was informed this week that the original link was pulled down not more than 24 hours after I posted it.  It seems Last Week Tonight, with solid justification, wanted to make sure this special episode was only to be viewed on their special webpage they made for the Chuck E. Cheese episode, Last Squeak Tonight. 

You have to click on the link, so enjoy!  https://www.lastsqueaktonight.com

Also tonight, since we are on classics, here are 12 minutes of Jon Stewart absolutely obliterating Fox News. We forget how good he was at peering through their veil and exposing the ugliness of who they really were.

And what would the Christmas post be without Colbert's Holiday animated classic, 'The Indict-Mare Before Christmas!' Enjoy! 

No matter how you celebrate, if you even celebrate at all, I hope nothing but the best for you and everyone in your family this season.  

And please remember to get vaccinated for the flu and for COVID.

The Friday Link for 12/15/23

I hope everyone had a nice week and has a wonderful weekend.

Since Saturday Night Live aired the classic Schweddy Balls sketch, they've tried replicating it with other sketches. Most of them fail, but this latest one with Adam Driver proves he's one of the better hosts.  It's not as good, but a lot of laughs on ShopTV Christmas.  By the way, the throw-away joke about the patriotic nativity scene is a riot. 

Warning a lot of innuendo! "Without becoming a meme.."  Hilarious!

And since I brought it up, possibly the greatest payoff line in any sketch they ever did on Saturday Night Live. 

And why not an informative nature video from ZeFrank, True Facts: The Rise of the Kitten Snake! 

Have a great weekend everyone! 

Stay safe and keep your family safe.  Get vaccinated for the flu and for COVID! 

Dear Twitter, It's Not Me, It's You!

I'm officially calling it.  Although I won't kill my Twitter page, I'm mostly done posting there. 

(What Twitter thinks it is)

(What Twitter actually is)

Yes, it's Elon Musk. I'm not sure if he bought this site because his petty small ego couldn't handle criticism, if he was actually part of a plan to try to manipulate public sentiment to welcome fascism to America, or a little of both, but his latest decisions make me staying on Twitter feel more like watching that friend or family member spiraling out of control. While you hope they pull out of their tailspin, you finally come to the realization they are beyond saving.

There was a nice stretch of Twitter post-Trump, a reminder of what it was like before Trump and the trolls took over in 2016. I was able to have discussions again, my timeline and DM's were relatively civil and I didn't feel icky after spending 10-15 minutes scrolling posts. That all immediately changed after Elon took over. 

I have 5 other social pages: Facebook, BlueSky, Threads, Mastodon, and Instagram. Of the six total sites, the vast overwhelming amount of threats, insults, and stupidity/bigotry/racism trying to disguise itself as viable political opinions I'm exposed to on any given day are on Twitter. 

Since Thanksgiving, I've blocked a total of 487 people on social media, 460 on Twitter.  If I remove the Facebook scams where they are trying to convince me my page is about to be shut down, it's 460 out of 462.  

The stunning level of racism and bigotry spewed on Twitter today is unbelievable. It's like you're at a convention in a hotel and the hotel is also hosting a KKK/Nazi convention at the same time.  It's not just the exposure to racism and bigotry you see coming and going in the hotel halls, but it's also that when you're supposedly in the safety of your own conference room, there's not only the occasional emboldened racist or bigot co-worker who comes by, but it's also a feeling of dread which permeates your existence in the hotel itself.  You know it's only a matter of time before you have someone screaming horrible things at you. That's Twitter, and I'm really tired of it.

There is one metric that causes many people to hesitate to quit Twitter, followers.  I was at nearly 4000 on Thursday (more on that in a second) and walking away from a following you've cultivated over time is not easy.  That's what initially kept me on the site. 

When Elon endorsed an anti-Semitic post, and then doubled down on his intolerance, that's when I knew the convention was pretty much over for me.  I made the decision that if my newer, lesser three social media pages (Threads, BlueSky, and Mastodon) got to 1000 followers, I'd stop posting regularly on Twitter.  

Then came the bizarre interview where he started to swear at the leaders of other major corporations for daring to not advertise with him due to his endorsement of anti-Semitism. That was not a mentally well man. I realized I might need to speed up my decision.

But now we have two things that show me Elon's buying of Twitter might indeed be more about trying to sweeten the appeal of fascism in America. The first was his decision to reinstate Alex Jones, a man who is human feces.  This is the guy who insisted the Newtown massacre never happened and encouraged his followers to harass and torment the families of the young victims, something he is already been found guilty of, and now is desperately trying to prevent from paying for.  No decent human being would ever think this guy has anything to add to the betterment of humanity.

Then there is this..."event" Elon hosted on Twitter, the one where Vivek Ramaswamy went to the bathroom live.  Out of decency, I won't post the audio, but rather a screenshot:

Look at the lineup of this clown brigade.  It's Alpha Bros' self-gratification event.  What respectful individual would even bring together this insecure pathetic man version of the Legion of Doom?

Now I know I will get Far Rightos screaming "You're against free speech." Absolutely not. Alex Jones is more than welcome to go to the town square and scream his thoughts into the air.  Twitter is NOT a town square.  It is a privately held corporation that already restricts a lot of comments from opinions Elon doesn't like (but far Rightos have NO PROBLEM with that censorship). That aside, Freedom of Speech doesn't mean anyone HAS TO listen to it. That's the Right's fantasy; forcing people to have to listen to and respect their brainless grunting.  I've often said the modern Republican thinks 'debate' is them kicking in your front door, going to the bathroom on the floor in your living room, pointing at it with a smile on their face, and screaming "YOU HAVE TO LIKE IT!"  No, no I don't.  You can't force people to stand in the town square and agree with insanity, nor does anyone have to stay on a social media site and listen to/sponsor this craziness.

These clowns think 'Freedom of Speech' means 'Freedom from Criticism' (unless it's something they don't like!). Rightos, stop screaming your Freedom of Speech is being infringed from the biggest megaphone you can find, and stop expecting others to live by a code you yourselves are nowhere even close to following. 

Since Alex Jones was reinstated by Elon on Twitter, my follower count has dropped significantly.  I presume this is the people fleeing the site.  I have currently 570 followers on the other three sites so that is good enough. I highly encourage anyone to follow me on those sites or on Facebook:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TMGImNotIdiot/

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/mattmcneilshow.bsky.social

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@matthewmcneil1

Mastodon: https://mstdn.party/@MattMcNeilShow

Instagram (but I don't use it that much): https://www.instagram.com/matthewmcneil1/

I will keep Twitter open, but I just won't be posting there with any regularity, mainly retweets of other people's posts or the occasional post where I know a person mentioned is mainly on Twitter.  I would hope someday that I might revisit this page when someone else finally buys it at a steeply discounted rate from Elon, but I think Elon would rather turn the site off than admit how bad he is at running it. 

And Elon, Stop trying to make 'X' happen. It's not going to happen.

The Friday Link for 12/8/23

Howdy all! 

I have featured Joe Scott and his YouTube channel 'Answers With Joe' a few times in the Friday link.  One time was the fascinating question 'Who the heck is using all the glitter?' Another time I focused on his piece about the actual oldest human-recorded voice, from the year 1860.

This week, I give Joe his due, because his videos are really addictive. Three for you tonight starting with a look at the countdown of the worst years in human history.  I featured some videos about 536, which even Joe agrees (with evidence) was the all-time worst, but some of the other years mentioned were pretty horrific too.  And Joe's arguments on including them are spot on.

Next up is the most popular video on Joe's page.  Was there actually a time traveler?  There is a story of a guy in Ukraine who seems to have traveled through time, but as Joe points out later, while it's a great story, it's pretty darn light on the facts. 

And finally, tonight is a fantastic look at the Victorian Era and how it was just amazing; both horrible and incredible at the same time. 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Get vaccinated for both the flu and for COVID. I don't want you to get sick.

The Friday Link for 12/1/23

Guess what everyone?  I'm actually going to post the Friday Link on a Friday this week!  YEA!

Sorry, I was MIA last week.  It was Thanksgiving and time with the kids overrode everything else.

This week we start with a video that seems to size up the feelings a lot of people had at the news of the passing of Henry Kissinger.  Don't get me wrong, I think the former Secretary of State is going to have some serious explaining to do in the afterlife, but some people were ecstatic.  He had a pretty horrific track record, something that showed with the jubilation and celebration embraced by many by the news.

I don't take joy in people dying.  There are always those who did love him and will miss them. You can cheer someone's death as loudly as you want, but the only people who will hear it will be the ones who are mourning. 

The last time I saw this many people happy at someone's death would be...this little musical number. 

I know I featured it before, but it is a good song and one of the best 'A Christmas Carol' versions you can find. 

Two more videos this week.  First up is the likely chance there might be two more undiscovered planets in your solar system.  Gravitational data points to a likelihood of at least one more ice giant (like Uranus and Neptune). SciShow has the latest on the search.  #PlutoNeverForget! 

Finally tonight, ZeFrank is back with another top-notch video, this time pointing out the superpower features some of the animals of the planet have evolved! Enjoy!

With COVID and flu numbers rapidly increasing, get your vaccinations today! I want you all safe! 

Have a great weekend! 

The Friday Link for 11/24/23...on a Monday

Okay, I know it's late, guilty as charged, but I had all the kids home for Thanksgiving, and I have priorities.  Plus I made a kick caboose soup!

The late Link starts off with 30 minutes of deleted scenes from The Godfather.  It's good they did delete some of these scenes, as that movie is already long, but there is also a lot of context that gets added with these short clips.

One other note.  There is a deleted scene from The Godfather Part II which is a continuation of Michael's desire to catch Fabrizio, the man who blew up his car in Italy. 

 

Fabrizio got what he deserved!

And finally tonight John Oliver.  There are a lot of passionate feelings when it comes to Israel and Palestine, but my post isn't about sharing my opinion. What is important is to form a complete picture for those of us not directly impacted by the events from the last two months, giving us needed knowledge and background. 

John Oliver laid out an exceptional modern history breakdown, as well as a look at the prospective sides of the conflict.  This is not posted to try to convince anyone one way or the other.  This is about making sure everyone has the background to make their own informed opinions. 

I'll be back on Friday of this week! 

Make sure to keep up to date on your vaccinations!

The Friday Link for 11/17/23

Good Friday all!

As we set sail for Thanksgiving next Thursday, let me first get to the 60th Anniversary that comes up on Wednesday.  That's the day Doctor Who first debuted.  This is not to take away from the more important anniversary from that same exact day, the Assassination of JFK, but it is remarkable that one TV show has been on the air for that long (fine, with a few breaks). 

On Saturday we are going to get the revisiting of David Tennant as the Doctor, but not the same version of the 10th Doctor he played until 13 years ago.  Nope, David Tennant is officially the 14th Doctor, after regenerating from the 13th Doctor (an underrated Jodie Whittaker) into the same form he had before, only this time he is different from his original run, hence a NEW Doctor. 

The good news is you do not have to wait for Saturday to see the 14th Doctor's (short) run begin (he is only doing a series of specials before handing over the reins to the 15th Doctor Ncuti Gatwa). Children in Need is a charitable event they have every year in England, and in the past Doctor Who has created special videos for the event.  This five-minute clip is pure gold as the 14th Doctor crashes into a classic moment from Doctor Who, the 4th Doctor's Genesis Of The Daleks story.  Although we don't see the 4th Doctor Tom Baker, fans of the show will love it.  And Tennant was made to play the character. 

Also this week, we look at Thanksgiving and revisit the Anti-Chef who attempts to make an entire Julia Child Thanksgiving meal in a day.  And he succeeds, although with a lot of challenges.

And finally tonight another Thanksgiving cooking video, this time from Max Miller at Tasting History. Maybe it's because I just came back from New Orleans where I visited the WWII Museum, but I really enjoyed his video where he makes some of the side dishes that were served on the USS Iowa in 1943 as part of their fairly large feast. 

By the way, I love oyster stuffing but it is not something you see much in central US Minnesota. 

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and I hope everyone travels safely if they are headed someplace for Thanksgiving.

Make sure you have your flu and COVID vaccines before you get together with the family or a large group. 

The Friday Link for 11/10/23

Hi all.  To all those who served, at home and abroad, and their families who served on the homefront, all my best on Veteran's Day tomorrow.

With it Veteran's Day tomorrow, you know exactly where I'm going.  The 1st Minnesota's brave stand that saved the Union toward the end of the day on the 2nd day at Gettysburg in 1863. 

The American Battlefield Trust has a great perspective video that gets you the lay of the land at Gettysburg, and where the 1st Minnesota actually charged. 

Also here is a very cool video with a diagram of what happened in their great stand. How about Company I taking on the entirety of the 9th Alabama.  Gen. Hancock told them to go take the Confederate's colors, and by God, they did, although at a staggering cost.

I know I posted one of the videos before, but it's worth remembering.  No Minnesotan should EVER fly the Confederate flag.

And finally tonight something completely different.  Martin Short absolutely roasts Conan O'Brien over and over and over again.  Martin Short is so freaking funny, and quick! 

Have a wonderful weekend everyone. Remember the Veterans on Veteran's Day! 

Get vaccinated, both for the flu and for COVID.