These are the mad political rantings of one Matthew McNeil, Liberal/Democratic radio host in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN. The postings are mine, the thoughts are mine. Mostly about politics, but I will occasionally get into raising kids, cooking, gardening, the arts and my favorite sports. Bon Appetite!
There is one more weekend of the Minnesota State Fair. Earlier this week the sensational YouTube/TikTok/Twitter account Chef Reactions came to the Minnesota State Fair to see what it was all about.
This is different than most of Chef Reaction's videos. I've featured his MST3K-esque running commentary over online cooking videos and they're freaking hilarious. Due to his popularity, he started making other types of videos, like going somewhere and tasting local cuisine.
He asked his fans which State Fair should he go to, and the overwhelming response was the Minnesota State Fair, so he came and he ate. He ate a ton, and pretty much he gave most things he ate an 8, 9, or a 10 (out of 10). Nice job Minnesota State Fair!
He does swear, but look past that and see a guy who came to Minnesota for the first time and ended up having a good time. Enjoy!
If he comes back, I'd recommend the Union Kitchen and a Pronto Pup. I promise I'll post his Minneapolis-St. Paul restaurant review when it comes out.
Also this weekend the channel Sprockets In Time takes a look at the disaster movies from the 1970s. I remember growing up with these movies and how popular they were. I also remember not only the TV ads for these movies but the full-page newspaper ads. They left an impression as a kid.
This recap starts with the Posideon Adventure and ends with the end of the Disaster genre with When Time Ran Out. Then again 2012 was like the granddaddy of the disaster films.
Finally this week was a political rant I did which was featured on CliffsEdge, my friend Cliff Schecter's YouTube page. It's how the movie Armageddon influenced who MAGA is today. It has over 70,000 views. I am stunned and humbled.
Please watch and share if you like it.
Have a great and safe weekend.
Please make sure you get all your vaccinations. I am getting mine in a few weeks at the VA!
I love the tone of this convention, taking the threat to our democracy seriously! When Michelle Obama spoke the other night, she no longer was "when they go low, we go high." She seemed to be drawing from a different cultural standard this time.
I'll turn it over to the Representative from New Mexico..."Say my name!"
And here was the fun Minnesota delegation in action!
Also this week, on James Whale Bake Sale, Bill Hader has a long discussion about the movie "No Country for Old Men.' It's a good breakdown of the movie with Hader's usual wit.
This is in two parts.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Make sure to stay up to date on your vaccinations.
This week I want to start with Minnesota! I have lived in other states, and while I have mostly enjoyed everywhere I've lived, nothing (in my opinion) matches my experiences in the state I was born.
Minnesota has so many things to do, many of them free; many others are affordable. I've lived in places where there are about 20 total things to do within a 30-minute drive, and most of them are not worth a second trip. I've also lived in places where there are a lot of things to do, but everything is overpriced. Minnesota falls in the middle.
Minnesota, and especially Minneapolis/St. Paul, are real marvels. Outdoor things, indoor things, a mountain of free things, a lot of things that you have to pay for but it won't break the bank. A great example is the Mall of America. It's free to get into. You can just walk the place and burn 3 hours easily. If you want to spend a few dollars and ride the rides in the amusement park, try mini golf, or the 40 or so other things available, knock yourself out. And if you want to spend big money, the mall can accommodate you too.
I also LOVE how many parks are in the cities and in the state. The State Parks will cost you to get into, but all the city and country ones are free. Three Rivers Park system runs a bunch on the west side of town and they're all exceptional. Bring bug spray.
Why am I cheering for Minnesota? I stumbled across a video channel FrenchTastic Explorations, featuring Marie, from France. She is a travel vlogger with an extensive library. She travels places and doesn't just focus on one or two things. I can't stand travel videos that treat their destinations as a cliche. She travels like a real traveler would, like if you were coming up to visit an old high school friend. I have no idea who coordinates her days, but they do a very good job. It's good fun.
She has made her way to Minnesota and so far she's having a blast. She is also very complimentary of our state.
Here is her first video from Minnesota. Click on her page to find them all, plus travel videos from across the world.
Get ready to laugh for the next video. One of Colbert's best bits is Community Calendar, where he and a celebrity review the happenings from the celebrity's hometown. Colbert brings in the hilarious Sean Hayes to give us the Chicago Community Calendar just in time for the DNC!
The final video tonight is a fun one revisiting Middle-Class foods that no longer are regulars on the family table. I remember more than a few of these recipes, and I actually want to try to make a few of them too.
Have a great weekend. Please be careful with COVID. It is really dangerous right now.
This week we get really science-y! We start with Planet X. Planet X is a long sought-after huge planet that supposedly orbits past Pluto. The planet is hypothetical, but people became fascinated with the concept of it after the finding of Uranus and Neptune. When they discovered Neptune, they noticed there were orbital readings from it which seemed to imply another planet was further out. When they found Pluto, they thought that was the answer to Neptune, but it was later they realized Pluto didn't meet the mathematical properties needed to understand Neptune's orbital issues.
So where is Planet X? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice take to Star Talk to talk about Planet X, and without trying to be a spoiler, I am not holding my breath any longer.
Let's stay in space for the next video. Is Betelgeuse about to become a once-in-milenia celestial event, shining brightly as it goes supernova? Here is the latest on the chances of that happening soon (which really means within the next 10,000 years).
Finally, tonight, what created that big freaking hole under the ice in Greenland, and is it the culprit that wiped out the Clovis people, the early people of North America? The science involved in finding the answer is fascinating, at least for me.
COVID is still infecting people and killing people. PLEASE wear a mask in crowded areas and on airplanes. Make sure you stay up to date on your vaccinations.
I'm just back from California where I had a wonderful visit to San Francisco, Yosemite, and other National Parks. This was the third time in a row I happened to be on the road when the summer Olympics were on. We watched the opening ceremony from our Airbnb in Yosemite.
So far the best moment (in my opinion) has not come from the inspirational gymnastics team, or the entertaining pool, but from all places the rugby pitch. The USA has not had the best success in rugby, but they had an all-time sports moment in Paris. The women's team had played themselves to the medal round and faced Australia for the bronze medal. Most people were not expecting the USA to win.
The US did us proud and held the Aussies to a tie for most of the game, but the end got wild. Start watching at 4 minutes to see the crazy end of the match and one of the most unbelievable stunning comebacks in all of sports history.
FYI, you have to watch this on YouTube but follow the link and enjoy!
The USA gets bronze! Speaking of the Olympics, Beyonce's introduction of Team USA was so good. Having been out in Republican areas and Democratic areas with the Olympics going on, you realize how much this event DOES bring this country together.
Also this Friday, Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds are riding high with the biggest 'R' rated movie opening ever with their Deadpool & Wolverine. During their media circuit to promote the movie, someone decided it would be a good idea to get them together on Hot Ones. This is funny.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Stay safe. Wear a mask in large crowds and keep your vaccinations up to date!
