The Friday Link for 2/26/21

For this week's Link, we start with what likely was the worst Minnesota winter on record, the "Long Winter" of 1880/1881.

When it comes to winter events in the 1800's, the first one you usually hear about is the Blizzard of 1888.  Don't get me wrong, the 1888 blizzard was brutal, but it mainly effected the mid Atlantic and Northeast coast.  It killed a lot of people, but that was because it hit where most of the people in the US were living.  For sheer size and scope, the Long Winter was much worst. 

The Winter started with an October blizzard, still the earliest on record in Minnesota, and it just never let up!  It impacted from Minnesota to Kansas, from Ohio to Denver. I'll let The History Guy take it from here: 

Makes what we went through this winter seem quaint! 

And if you really want to be grateful, be thankful you weren't in Halifax, Nova Scotia on December 6th, 1917.  Most of the city was wiped out by an astronomical explosion.  The images from the catastrophe are hard to comprehend.   This from Fascinating Horror!

A little bleak, but definitely interesting. 

Have a great weekend everyone.  Stay healthy, stay safe! 

A Bucket of Rush Limbaugh

As many people who visit the blog know, I host a radio show which features regular guests with specific specialities, who occasionally come on and share their wisdom.  One of them is my food expert and wonderful chef, Terry John Zila.

A few years back I asked him, "why are shows like 'Man Vs. Food' so popular?"  Man Vs. Food is a cable show where the host (originally Adam Richman) would go tackle major food challenges at restaurants; like the ten pound hamburger, or the El Diablo chicken wings, or the 5 pound steak with all the sides.  Some of these food items would have a time constraint for consumption to completed by, others would require you just finish everything on the plate.  The show was popular.  A lot of people liked seeing these challenges which appeared on various menus across the country, challenges they themselves would never try.

Without skipping a beat, Terry said "because shows like that allow people to live unhealthy, while not actually engaging in the unhealthy behavior."  He went on to add how many people might look at a ten pound hamburger and say that looks delicious, but they're smart enough to avoid ordering one themselves. Adam Richman could do it for them, subjecting himself to a massive meal.  By the time Richman got halfway through his challenges, it became more of a public service announcement: "here is the professional eater being brought to his knees by this. Don't be dumb enough to try this yourself!"  People lived vicariously through the show, without having to endure the digestive nightmare.

I'd seen this play out every Minnesota State Fair.  When I broadcast at KSTP, we were right down the street from the Sweet Martha's Cookie booth, probably the most popular Fair food booth. People would order the bucket of cookies, a heaping large pail of cookies; easily more cookies than person should eat in an entire year, given to them in one 'serving', a serving which could feed forty people.  I'll never forget the faces of the people as they began their walk from Sweet Martha's to our booth.  Their faces went from pure joy to 'what was I thinking' in a matter of 20 steps.  We'd always have abandoned buckets left on the broadcast stage (and bees), left behind by fools whose internal desires overrode their common sense.

Rush Limbaugh passed away from cancer on February 17th. He was undeniably a racist, sexist, homophobe, bigot, fear mongering jackass.  He was!  That was his brand!  Just some of the things he said:  "Barack the Magic Negro," (towards Latinos) "You're a foreigner...You shut your mouth and get out," he attacked Katrina victims, constantly attacked the black members of the NBA, NFL and the NAACP, "women shouldn't be allowed on juries where the accused is a stud," his insanely racist anti-Asian rant against Chinese President Hu Jintao, he attacked people dying of Parkinson's, called Sandra Fluke a "slut" and a "prostitute" for advocating for universal contraception coverage, referred to LGBTQ+ politicians as "the tranny community," constantly said white people should be proud of their record on slavery, he was the driving force behind the completely made up Seth Rich conspiracy and in turn tortured Rich's family, a career of targeting the homeless, he attacked the dead CONSTANTLY including Robin Williams, George Steinbrenner, Trayvon Martin, and Kurt Cobain (among MANY others), he attacked Joe Biden and Joe Biden's family when he went after Biden's dead wife and child, as well his Beau Biden who died of brain cancer, and he openly mocked and laughed at the victims of AIDS.

Image from Paul Hoppe at Gen.Medium

In case you are missing my point, speaking as a Catholic, Rush Limbaugh is BURNING IN HELL for eternity.  That's not even debatable.

What's stunning is how all the sudden the Evangelicals are now trying to portray Limbaugh as some sort of über-Christian divine being, an angel who had visited earth, taken from us too soon.  These people listened to Rush for years, many of them laughing at his daily unforgivable comments.  For his entire career, Rush's fans never condemned any of Rush's CLEARLY anti-Christian hate speech.  They all heard it, AND THEY LOVED HIM FOR IT...AS CHRISTIANS!

You see, Rush was like a far right extremist political version of Man Vs. Food.  Down deep inside Rush's Evangelical and 'Republican party over Jesus' Christian fans, they wanted to say the racist, misogynist, homophobic, bigoted, anti-Democratic, anti-Immigrant, anti-poor comments Rush was willing to say, but they knew if it came from their mouths, they'd be called out immediately for their anti-Christian behavior.  That's why they adored Rush.  They could embrace the anti-Christian rhetoric/comments without having to say them themselves, just chuckle along with the bigot!  They could eat their 10 pound hamburger, or in this case the 1000 pound crap sandwich, without ever having to chew for themselves. 

And now that he died, the Evangelicals and far right Christians are now looking at his true legacy; the hate and division he sowed, the legacy of anti-Jesus comments he spewed. That's why they are frantically trying to portray him as something Rush Limbaugh NEVER was, a good Christian. They are trying desperately to paint him as something misunderstood, noble and righteous.  He was NEVER that.

Rush fans are walking away from the Rush Limbaugh booth with a bucket of his hate.  They eagerly bought the bucket of venom and loathing, giddy with delight as Rush filled it with more and more anti-Christian dictum.  Now that they're walking away from Rush, they're realizing they've become gluttons, freely gobbling up super size servings of bombastic, evil sermons.  Out of desperation to change their foolish loyalty to 'something the other side just doesn't understand,' they now insist they never embraced what Rush said, but rather they only bought into Rush for the bucket the hate came in.  

Stop lying to yourselves and to everyone else.  You loved Rush for the hate he belched every day.  Evangelicals and far right Christians, just be honest:

"We will miss Rush because he said all the non-Christian things we wanted to scream.  Instead, we never had to say it directly.  All we had to say was, 'I love Rush Limbaugh.'"

The Friday Link for 2/19/21

Howdy hi all.

To start off this week, we go back to Caitlin Doughty, from Ask A Mortician.  A few weeks back we featured her plea video, as she was searching for help in Los Angeles County, demanding leadership as the CoronaVirus death count had overwhelmed the morgues, funeral homes and every other business associated with dealing with individuals who have passed away. 

Her update is not exactly positive, but it is hopeful.

Next up is the return of John Oliver.  Reminder rough language ahead!

The main story from his first show back is asking the question of where the next pandemic will come from, because, as he points out, it really is only a matter of time before a more dangerous virus than COVID-19 jumps to humans and causes even more damage. 

On that terrifying note...Have a great weekend everyone.

Stay Healthy, Stay Safe!

The Mirage

I've been chuckling lately at the insistence that 75 million Americans are about to engage in an armed insurrection against the government and install Trump as 'Dictator of Life.'  Any conservative pushing this Stephen Miller fan fiction is a nut, but not just because they're at the point of embracing the destruction of western Democracy for Trump, but because they actually think all of his supporters are ready to take up arms and begin Civil War 2.

Before I get going, we have to be honest about the number of votes Trump got.  He only got 74,222,960, over 7 million less than Joe Biden.  You can't just round up 780,000.  If you're going to round that number, you'd round it DOWN to 74 million.

How many of that 74 million is ready to take up arms and start shooting at any Democrat they see?  One thing is for sure, it's not even close to 74 million. 

I know I'm about to paint with a wide brush, and a good chunk of this is pure speculation, but there's a real big difference between politically supporting a candidate for President and that same person actually murdering people they disagree with politically.  I do understand there are going to be exceptions for every one of these hypotheses, but I feel pretty confident we can whittle away large chunks of your 'Trump Army.'

First off, wealthy people aren't going to fight.  The super wealthy would never jeopardize their wealth for (what will be) a grossly outnumbered group of far right thugs.  A few might secretly bankroll a treasonous army, but for the most part wealthy people are not fools.  They like America just the way it is.

What would be the break point for what you consider wealthy?  I think any household making $200,000 a year or more would make a good break point.  Factoring in some numbers from Statista (on household income in America, realizing this would probably include both adults in most two person households) and the New York Times (on who exactly voted for whom in 2020), that's going to be somewhere around 10 million of your voting base who likely will sit out your insurrection.  74 million - 10 million = 64 million.

Then comes the middle class and lower income suburban voter.  Little over half the people who voted in 2020 came from the suburbs, with Biden holding a slight lead over Trump 50 to 48.  Still that would translate to 35 and a half million Trump voters. Many of these people live and work in the cities where their suburbs are located. Their kids go to school there and the parents are part of the PTO's/PTA's.  They volunteer, shop, eat and go to church there.  And now you're saying all of them, including the more moderate Republicans who voted for Trump out of a long strained party loyalty, are going to pick up a gun and start blasting their neighbors away? 

Sure some might, but those kooks will be the rare exception.  These people have good jobs, jobs they'll lose if they start killing co-workers.  Suburban dwellers might like to go to a cabin or go camping a few weeks every year, but they're not likely to abandon everything they've worked so hard to earn and head into rural American to join a deplorable hillbilly brigade.  If they're going to fight for Trump, they'll have to do that!  They won't be able to anonymously spring attacks on their neighbors and then just go back to mowing their  lawns.  They won't be able to put down a successful military strike on the local Democratic politician's office and then be done by 5 so they can be a junior's Legion Baseball game.

So how many of the 35,500,000 suburban Trump voters, minus the already deducted wealthy, will be on the front lines of the new war?  At most, AT MOST, 5 million, and that's being generous. 64 million - 30,500,000 = 33,500,000.

The next numbers would surprise you.  Trump got more voters from the inner cities than the rural parts of America.  Cities of 50K or more in population counted for 29% of the vote, of which 38% (17 million) went for Trump.  Small cities and rural America was 19% of the vote, which 57% (16.5 million) went for Trump.  Focusing on the cities, I have zero doubt a small handful of Trump supporters would try to lash out at the masses, but they would quickly be killed.  Any inner city Trump voter who wanted to partake in a war against the country would have to leave everything behind too.  If they got 1 million to leave their inner cities and go fight, I'd be surprised, but for arguments sake, I'll give them 2 million of the 17 million from cities.  33,500,000 - 15 million = 18,500,000

But here comes Trump's bread and butter!  A lot of the 16.5 million rural Trump voters would eagerly sign up to serve in the Trump Army.  Mind you most of them would be terrified of even going into the suburbs to fight, but they'd get their uniform and walk back and forth in some field claiming they were on the front lines.  Some rural Trump voters won't have the stomach for gunning down their neighbors in the streets, but I'll be generous. Only 2.5 million of the 16.5 million rural voters will say no.  18,500,000 - 2,500,000 = 16 million.

Now we are getting to a FAR more realistic number.  Granted we have not factored in the 80 year olds who voted for Trump, who clearly wouldn't be able to fight, but we also haven't factored in the children under 18 who will be encouraged to kill liberals by their parents, as well as the anti-voting extremists who would quickly come out with their guns.  Factoring in both, I'll give (generously, and I do mean GENEROUSLY, I'm downplaying the elderly vote for Trump and upselling the 17 and younger/militia types) the Trump Army an additional 2 million.

16 million + 2 million = 18,000,000

Eighteen million! That's the number of soldiers in the Trump fighting force ready to take to the streets.

18 million...in a country of 331 million. 5.4% of the country verses the other 94.6%.  GOOD LUCK!

And that's not even factoring in the huge problem of the police and the military.  I know the Trump army has convinced themselves law enforcement and the armed forces will turn on America and join them, but they're going to be in for a very rude awakening when most officers and soldiers stay loyal to the USA.  It will be a hoot to watch a bunch of weekend warriors with limited training and skills get destroyed by the 10th Mountain Division!  Sure Trump's Army might try for some terrorist strikes, truck bombs and drive by shootings, but our special forces units will quickly take them out.  Do you know how many cameras there are watching everything?  There's no way the Trump army conducts a strike on a major city and then gets back 50 miles into rural America without getting lit up.  And I'm sure with the US' tracking systems any safe houses in the metro areas will quickly be leveled too.  The US government will shut down the roads to Trump strongholds, and wait them out like Vicksburg.  It will not be pretty.

Plus you have to look at the structure of the Trump army as an organization.  I can already tell you many of the Trump faithful will want to be a leader not a follower, and they'll insist on leading from behind, staying back in relative safety as they send others to go do the dirty work.  I would guess only half of the Trump army would be willing to be on the front lines.  

The idea of going to war is great when it's in you imagination, but it's a different story when reality sinks in. Bob was a middle manager at a Forbes 500 country who loved Trump for his racists comments and was furious Trump didn't win.  Bob killed four people in his neighborhood, loaded up his car and then headed out rural farm country.  When they told him he needed to be a front line solder, Bob was incredulous!  I've been mid level management.  I should be in charge!  

There will be too many chefs in the Trump army kitchen.

And how exactly are you going to coordinate this military fighting force. Eighteen million sounds like a lot but they will be stretched thin across most of the country.  There will be large contingents in Republican stronghold areas like Mississippi, Wyoming and western Texas, but they will be spread a lot thinner in places like Maine, California and Minnesota.  How exactly are you going to move a massive military force across the country without being noticed and napalmed?  Also, how exactly are you going to communicate?  Phone lines, both cellular and land line, will be monitored, as will short wave radios (how many people even have a short wave radio or access to one, especially one they can broadcast on). The internet?  Considering the insane stupidity of the January 6th terrorists, who posted their crimes for everyone to see, these fools would be talking directly to the US military and they wouldn't even know it. 

End result, there's no way they would be able to coordinate their maneuvers.  The only thing they could do is a series of fractured regional terrorist campaigns, but, once again, attempting to get to their targets and back to their home bases would be suicide missions.

I won't go into the supplying of this fighting force.  I can already tell you they would run out of provisions and ammunition in fairly short time, but there's one lingering question.  What happens when Trump either dies or leaves the country because of the never ending lawsuits?  I'm not wishing Trump dead, but rather just asking what the Trump Army's chain of command hierarchy is.  I don't think Pence is next in command, but no one else, not Roger Stone, Rudy Giuliani, or even a Trump kid would resonate like Trump himself.  He's an old man who eats a lot of fast food.  You'd better get this insurrection in gear because you are on the clock.

Seriously, try it.  I'll enjoy watching the military annihilate you.  I'll enjoy your towns and communities being occupied.  I'll enjoy you having whomever on your side survives paying restitution to the rest of us for your high crimes and misdemeanors.  And most of all, I'll drink up you far right stooges having your mirage disappear and reality smack you in the faces like like a 2 X 4.  It will be a delicious wine, flowing freely. 

Like I said, Good luck! 

The Friday Link for 2/12/21

Howdy all!  

This last week was stellar for comedy so we have 5 clips, FIVE for you tonight.  I will warn you up front:  I think all of these clips feature rough language and some adult themes.  You've been warned!!!

Let's start with a news story you probably have no idea even exists, but it is massive; the Indian Farmers strike. 

One of the worst parts of the last 4 years was how Trump sucked all the news air out of this country.  I remember when we used to hear about news from around the world, but then Trump and his childish need to be mentioned by the media every 5 minutes led to a stifling restriction of the news from outside our borders.  Heck, it stymied a lot of the news within our own borders too!

The Daily Show is starting to look around the world and, as only they can, they break down what is the biggest farmer strike in the history of the planet, all due to the disastrous anti-small farmer policies of their current leadership.  And Trevor Noah covers it with a smile! 

I'll stay with the Daily Show for another bit with Jordan Klepper covering the 2nd Impeachment Trial in Washington DC.  It is really bizarre how different DC is from the last video Klepper did, the one for the Trump rally which turned into the insurrection.  And Rep. Adam Schiff throws down and calls out the crazy people in the GOP today!  NICE!

Next up is one of the best SNL skits from the season, this featuring the fantastic Dan Levy, and the naughtiness of Zillow!

Next is a tribute to the end of the NFL season, the Bad Lip Reading version of the season.  If that dude doesn't have "X-Rated Kissing Machine" on a jersey immediately then he's a fool. 

Lastly this week is a sensational video from the always hilarious ZeFrank, True Facts: The Incredible Tardigrade.  His videos always feature a few interesting facts, but learning these things can be exposed to outer space and then spring back...WOW! Not only might that eventually help with space travel, but the idea of life coming to Earth no longer seems like such an impossibility! INCREDIBLE!

That should tide you over.  Happy Valentine's Day and have a great weekend! 

Stay Healthy, Stay Safe! 

The Friday Link for 2/5/21

This week I decided to try to walk everyday, as starting tomorrow the temperature drops down into the nether regions here in Minnesota.  Heck I walked today in 11 degrees and nearly froze, and it'll be 25 degrees colder on Sunday morning.  I'll be passing on the strolls for the next week.

Hopefully that means I will get some writing done. 

For this week's Link, since the Super Bowl is on Sunday, we'll start with a compendium of ads about the NFL.  Some of these ads are very good (the best being the 100th anniversary ad at the beginning) and some not so much, but it's a good watch.

Next up a fine take down from Randy Rainbow of one of the craziest people to ever hold a Federal elected position, Marjorie Taylor Greene. Warning! Language!

And finally this week, a hilarious bit from Patton Oswalt about the drunkest audience he ever did a show in front of.  Once again, a warning about language!

Have a great weekend.  Stay warm.

Stay healthy and safe too!

The Friday Link for 1/29/21

Sorry for the light week.  I had multiple board meetings this week so I kept busy.  Plus I went to the Zoo and an art museum.  Priorities!

For tonight's Friday link, let me start with Caitlin Doughty.  She has an enjoyable little You Tube channel called 'Ask A Mortician,' where she talks about corpses and death.  Actually her videos are quite enjoyable, entertaining and informative.

But her latest video is different.  Caitlin is an actual mortician and this latest video is a plea for the officials of Los Angeles and California to do something about the massive death crisis they have on their hands as the Corona Virus has ravaged the state over the last two months. This is an emotional call for help, which addresses a lot of problems.  Trump was horrible at dealing with the pandemic, but there are plenty of other politicians from both sides of the aisle who need to step up.

And by the way, Caitlin has some damn good ideas which should be instituted well beyond California. 

Two more things. First, watch Caitlin's other videos. They are enjoyable...and a little creepy. And 2) Thank God Tim Walz is the man in Charge in Minnesota!  

The other clip tonight is from The Daily Show and it is a sensational montage of the Fox News' MASSIVE hypocrisy on media bias!

Have a great weekend everyone.

Stay Healthy and Stay Safe! 

The Friday Link for 1/22/21

Howdy all!  For today's Friday Link I want to revisit the music of the Inauguration.

I know Trump fans will immediately turn away, but I want to make a plea.  These songs are ours as a nation, not belonging to any political party or movement.  I've heard these songs plenty of times at concerts where opinions I don't agree with were the focus.  It doesn't mean I stormed out. 

These songs were preformed beautifully.  Please give them a chance.

Lady Gaga was absolutely perfect singing the Star Spangled Banner. Seriously, she's the best pop vocalist of her generation, hands down!  And when she turned to the flag at the line "was still there," after terrorists stormed the same Capitol only two weeks earlier, that was powerful.

Jennifer Lopez was amazing too. This Land is Your Land is as relevant and poignant today as it was when Woody Guthrie wrote it 80 years ago.

And the final main act at the Inauguration itself was Garth Brooks, who seemed to fan boy after he got done singing and had to shake hands with every major political leader on the stage that day. 

And of course I can't overlook Katy Perry's Fireworks at the end.  I liked how the Inauguration seemed far more relatable and viewer friendly than in years past, due to the limitations with the pandemic.  Because of the set up, this performance was wonderfully staged.  And the fireworks! WOW! 

We, as a country, clean up nice.  Have a great weekend everyone.

Stay safe, and stay healthy!

Outtakes 2020

I want to encourage everyone to get my calendar!  No joke!  I actually do have a calendar, which has been published in conjunction with AM 950 Radio.  You can get the calendar by making a one time donation to AM 950 for $50, or become a recurring monthly member for $25 per month.  Not only do you get the calendar, but you also help sponsor AM 950 radio, the only Progressive radio station in the Twin Cities.  Thanks!

Here's the link: https://www.am950radio.com/featured_events/am950-membership-special-holiday-offer/

To whet your appetite, here is the best photo featured in the calendar.  It's the cover shot and also the main picture for September, taken on the Tracy Avenue Bridge over 9 Mile Creek in Edina. 

I wanted to post the best pictures we didn't include in the calendar for 2020, for what ever reason. First up are four images I took on January 1, 2020, at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. We didn't use these images due to concerns about copyrights.  The funny thing is looking back at these four images, part of a total of 8 pictures I took at MIA that day, it's almost like the art pieces were trying to give me a warning about what 2020 was about to deliver.

Little did I know the art was actually a scream for help for the year.  Even though 2020 delivered an insane amount of God awfulness, it did get me into the parks with my kids, giving me the chance to get better at photography and editing.

Although I wasn't able to visit the fantastic art museums on Minneapolis/St. Paul this year, I did get some time around art.  There are a few sensational sculpture gardens around which were nice to visit, but my two favorite art photos for the year were 1) the graffiti on the side of the building right on the Mississippi River in North Minneapolis. 

WOW! 2) was the Christmas window at the Kate Spade store in the Mall of America. 

The aftermath of the George Floyd uprising also demanded I, like many others, become witness.  It should be remembered almost everyone who has been arrested for the uprising was with far right racist groups, most of whom were not from Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Another interesting shot was from over by the old portion of Fort Snelling, fight next to the airport. 

I caught that one just right.  Most of the rest of the best photos not in the calendar were nature photos.  I love taking pictures of flowers.  All of these images were taken at various locations around the metro. 

I took this next image on the Iron Range, and I love it.  It is not out of focus, but it looks like it is.  I think that's why I decided not to include it in the calendar. 

I had a lot of good lake shots, but after including numerous others in the calendar, this was the first one I cut. That's Sand Lake in northern Minnesota.

I had a lot of great trail shots I didn't use.

I loved this headshot of one of the scarecrows from the Arboretum's annual Autumn display. 

And speaking of head shots, this is the one I used in the calendar itself.

And this is the one I didn't use, because I actually took it in January before the shutdowns and nastiness.  I felt it would not be right for the calendar. 

Finally, here is the best photo I took last year.  This was my son's final game playing baseball.  I loved watching him play.  He was really a great player.  He'd always shoot me a side eye whenever he did something good on the field.  Baseball brought my son and I together, and hence it was sad to see it end.  For his final evening, the sunset put on a show.

I think the reason I didn't include this was because it was a personal image.  I'm very proud of it for a lot of reasons.  I hope you enjoy.

Thanks for looking, and I will try to take more great photos for 2021.

The Cost of War

Word War II started for the United States on December 7th, 1941, a date that will live in infamy.  The war effort encompassed the globe, with the bulk of US forces fighting in the Western European and Pacific Theaters.  In Europe, the hard fought northern Africa and Italian campaigns would be a precursor for Operation Overlord, the Normandy Invasion.  Through hard fought battle after hard fought battle, the US forces, along with the rest of the allies, brought Germany to its knees on May 8th, 1945.  The war was over for Europe.

The Pacific campaign was insanity.  Capturing islands the Japanese had secured and heavily fortified was a long and arduous task, but one the US and her allies managed to pull off.  Midway, Guadalcanal, Tarawa, the Philippines, Iwo Jima; every island was a challenge, every island was a battle. The decision was made to drop the two atomic bombs instead of attempting what would've been a drawn out land invasion of Japan.  Faced with the potential annihilation of their country, the Japanese surrendered on August 15th, 1945.

The US was at war with the Axis Powers for a total of 1347 days. The total US casualty count for WWII is listed as 405,399.

Today, January 17th, 2021, the number of US citizens who have died from Corona Virus has surpassed the total death count of WWII.  The number as I type (from Worldometer.com's tracking site) is 407,202.

The first US case of CoronaVirus was reported on January 20th, 2020, at a hospital in Washington state, meaning we've surpassed the total losses from WWII in only 363 days.

I remember when COVID-19 first got to the US and a conservative woman I'm friends with decided to lie.  "This is no more serious than the seasonal flu!"  It was such a tepid lie.  She, along with most Trump supporters, knew Trump was never going to be up to the challenge of a major pandemic, so they started screaming how 'it was no big deal' in an effort to win over expectations.  They knew Corona Virus would be bad, so they lied hoping some miracle would prevent them from having to admit they were wrong.  Seasonal flu kills around 30,000 people annually in the US, but my friend and the rest of the Trump fans changed their tactic when the death numbers contradicted their initial bellowing.  When the death count crossed 50,000, the lie changed to 'Corona Virus is NOW a myth, not really dangerous, not really deadly.'

It isn't a myth, and their intentional ignorance will forever be tied to the failure of Trump's response.

Trump has been a disaster with Corona Virus, even suggesting ingesting bleach as a method for treating the disease.  The United States is HANDS DOWN the worst place on the planet for the virus, primarily due to intentional stupidity.

To be fair, our healthcare system was glaringly ill prepared. Abused by greed, we no longer had a health care system focused on healing the sick, but rather one based on maximizing profits.  It was grossly inadequate when this crisis began, and still today seems more held together by the brave medical professionals who have to work under money driven corporate overlords.  Bubble gum and prayers...

The only two massive death events in US history WORSE than COVID-19 are the Civil War (620,000 dead) and the 1918 Flu Outbreak (which ALSO was not just the seasonal flu. 675,000 dead).  Due to Trump ceasing to care at all about the crisis after he lost the election, and due to the Trump Administration lying about the amount of vaccine we had as a nation in reserve, there's a legit chance we could surpass one or both of those death counts.

Because of stupidity.

In most towns in America, both big and small, there are Veteran's memorials.  Most towns I know have both a WWI and a WWII memorial; hallowed ground to be solemnly revered.  As a Veteran myself, I always get a touch emotional when I see those memorials.  Now I'm forced to ask if we'll have to build new statues in every community, a new reminder of the great Corona Virus losses we've endured.

I'm sure most Trump supporters will begin to take Corona Virus seriously...on January 21st, just like reigning in deficits and limiting executive power.  They'll convince themselves of a brand new lie.  'Not a single person died of COVID-19 under Trump's watch, but as soon as Joe Biden took command, 407,202 people died immediately.  HOW DARE HE FAIL US!'  Trust me, they'll convince themselves Trump wasn't responsible.

One of the saddest parts of this crisis is how many of the last survivors of WWII have been taken by the virus.  The last veterans, both of combat and from the home front, are now in their 90's.  The Greatest Generation sure as heck didn't deserve to be treated like this in the end.  Nor did the Baby Boomers.  All age groups have lost people to COVID-19, and regardless of age, these are human beings we are losing!  Conservatives react to the elderly passing like a TV show getting cancelled. "They were old and past their prime anyway."  The elderly of this country don't deserve the be put on a Viking boat, set it ablaze and pushed it out into the lake just because dismissing their existence makes for better talking points for Trump.

Republicans like to remind everyone of the major sacrifices made by the men and women who died in WWII, but are not willing to make minor sacrifices to save more people from dying from CoronaVirus today!  It's a shame the same people who've claim to respect for the elderly have shown us how little they ever cared.

The cost of war is always great, especially when it's a war we could've won months ago.

The Friday Link for 1/15/21

What a freaking surreal time in America.

Trump's going to go down as the President who tried to overthrow the government to stay in power. A bunch of his followers took time off of work, traveled to Washington DC, (after being encouraged and cheered on by Trump) they stormed the Capitol, broke into the Capitol, killed one police officer, injured dozens more police officers, threaten to kill Vice President Pence, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and numerous other Senators and Representatives, vandalized one of Americas most historic buildings (and the seat of one of it's branches of power), attempted to overthrow Democracy itself, took video and photos of themselves doing it (!), BRAGGED ABOUT IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA (!!!), and then they all thought they would just go back home and back to work like they hadn't crossed the line to outright terrorist traitors.  Not only is this an example of the obscene white privilege which exists in America, but it shows you these people, not being the smartest folks, hadn't really thought this through.

Four videos tonight for some perspective on the last week and a half.  First off, the leader the Republicans don't deserve; Arnold Schwarzenegger taking these terrorist fools to task and labeling them correctly! 

Next up, one of the bravest pieces of journalism I've EVER seen.  Jordan Klepper was there, at the rally to do one of his Daily Show bits when things turned. 

Also from The Daily Show, they did an on point collage of the people who are really responsible for what happened on January 6th.  These are the people who poured gasoline on the fire.  These are the people who kept throwing the rocks at the beehive.  All of these people should be condemned as the anti-American enablers they truly are! 

Finally, thanks to Randy Rainbow.  I agree with you. You shouldn't go to the same musical well too often, but this is so freaking perfect. Thank you for making me laugh during an unGodly insane time.

This weekend, the terrorists are threatening violence.  Be careful.  Be safe. 

Down with Traitors! God Bless the United States of America! 

The Undeniable Gasp

Do you remember what it felt like when the second plane hit the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001?  For most of us there was a gasp, a moment where there was a realization this wasn't just some tragic accident, that something far darker was transpiring.  I'll never forget the continual feeling of dread throughout the morning, as we heard multiple planes had been hijacked, that the Pentagon had been hit, that another plane was down in Pennsylvania.

This week we had another gasp.  We need to come to grips with what exactly happened in Washington DC on Wednesday.  It'd be easy to dismiss it as riled up Trump supporters losing control and storming the Capitol, but as more and more evidence comes to light, it's becoming clear there was a sinister agenda in place.  The time and date were chosen specifically.  People were headed for specific areas of the Capitol, looking for specific people.  The type of people leading the coup, what gear they had with them, and what was being said points more than just an angry mob.

There were two different groups of MAGA terrorists storming the Capitol, the unruly mob and the individuals with an agenda.  The unruly mob was just that, unruly, unaware they were a weapon being used as cover to get more nefarious elements into position to attempt far more damage.  

Let's look at the evidence, starting with what some of these Terrorists brought to DC:

• Working Pipe bombs, some of which were placed at the RNC and DNC headquarters.
• Molotov cocktails 
• Guns
• Plastic handcuffs for holding hostages 
• Maps of the layout of the Capitol, the Capitol building, and the tunnels underneath.
• Military tactical gear including bullet proof vests

There are also unconfirmed reports of at least one other vehicle found near the rally site with additional guns and bombs inside.  CLEARLY there was more than just an unpredictable riot going on.  The clear intent, just from what they brought with them, was to take hostages, cutting off escape routes, or tracking Congressional staff down in the escape tunnels underneath the Capitol.

What specifically was targeted in the Capitol is another sign something far more dangerous was going on.  The terrorists were specifically looking for the House and Senate floors.  The traitor Ashli Babbitt was shot and killed as she tried to climb through a window into the lobby outside of the US House, as frantic security and staff were trying to evacuate everyone out of the House Chamber.  They also attacked the Senate, seeming to specifically target the Senators and the Electoral College votes themselves, which had been smartly spirited away.  They were looking for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's office specifically.  Where that might not be too surprising for an unruly right wing mob (considering how vilified she has been for decades) the intent to get into her office, the third most powerful person in the US Government, points to a larger plan.

And we need to discuss who was in the crowd.  The unruly mob was a hodgepodge of fantasy dwelling far right terrorists, but mixed in were quite a few military veterans, police and fire officials from across the country.  During the coverage, there seemed to be two distinct groups of coup attempters; the fools who weren't even trying to hide their faces, and others completely decked out in tactical gear, hiding their faces and identities.  These secret terrorists seem to be the ones who were moving with a specific agenda.

On top of that A DOZEN GOP ELETED OFFICIALS were taking part in the rally/coup attempt, at various levels of participation, from only being at the rally, to actually storming the Capitol itself (!!!).  You also had numerous politicians who had encouraged participation in the DC rally/soon to be incursion.  In many states there were local rallies held with angry Trumpers, many of which featured official members of the individual state's Republican parties, many of them calling for violence and threats (this happened in St. Paul too, with numerous MNGOP politicians taking part).  If this was a foreign country, and we had learned 12 members of a specific political party were involved in a coup attempt, along with hundreds more taking part in other rallies at the same time across the country, we'd insist the political party was a major part of the overthrow attempt.  National Republican officials having not immediately expelled every one of the 12 traitors is another sign of possible party tolerance for these actions.

And listen to what was said!  MAGA Terrorists were screaming "Hang Mike Pence," the Vice President!  This points further to a much darker agenda to the rally. 

When you factor all the evidence from what we saw in the videos originating from the terrorist mob, this was a coup attempt.

(And the second plane hits...)

Let's step back and look for more evidence (both pro and con) to clarify if this was indeed an attempted overthrow of the US Government. 

Trump at a debate this Fall told extremist supporters to "stand back and stand by," implying he might have had something in the works.  Since the election, the Right, both from the GOP itself and from the far right groups which intermingle and intertwine with the Republican Party, have been pushing the lie that massive voter fraud cost Trump the election.  It didn't, and most of them know it.  They only wanted to placate their base so they pushed 'the election was stolen' to validate their base's desired narrative.  They kept pouring gasoline on the fire, they kept throwing rocks at the beehive, whipping the Trump supporters into a frenzy.  They started to build false hope within their followers; 'even though the states and courts had failed them, the Congress, led by Trump's buddy Mike Pence, would cast aside the legal ballots and install Trump in the White House for another term.'

The White House's legal scholars scoured over the laws and realized Mike Pence could do nothing of the sort.  Congressional GOP'ers could file a formal complaint over an individual state on January 6th, but their objection would get voted down soundly in both the US House and Senate. At no point could Pence himself cast aside a state's selected electors and overrule the will of the American voters.

The people behind this overthrow attempt focused on January 6th.  Not only would the House and Senate be in session, but Vice President Pence would have to be at the US Capitol too, along with the official Electoral College votes.  A decision was made to hold a rally in Washington DC...on a Wednesday...in the morning (?)...in January...  The selection of the time and place for this Trump rally is pretty much an admission something was up.  You have multiple members of the Republican Party urging people to go to DC on a Wednesday morning, even offering people transportation too and from the rally.

Mike Pence was not willing to do what Trump wanted.  During the morning of January 6th, Trump turned on Pence, lashing out at him on Twitter and at the rally itself.  During the rally, as the crowd was getting more riled up, the clear message was to point towards the Capitol and scream "ALL THOSE PEOPLE ARE STOPPING TRUMP FROM WINNING!"  Trump called for a march on the Capitol, pointed the angry mob in the right direction, and let them go! 

This unruly mob was perfect for sneaking a more organized group into the Capitol, one armed with tactical gear, handcuffs, weapons and maps, with a specific agenda to capture Mike Pence, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the Electoral Votes and maybe certain members of Congress.  If you successfully capture these people, you then put a gun to their head and say "either you appoint Trump as the next President or we'll execute you!"  Start with Pence, if he doesn't do it, then you go to the 3rd in command Pelosi.  Even if you failed to capture any high level hostages, you could capture and destroy the state's Electoral College Votes.  At the very least, you could stop the mandatory counting of the Electoral College votes until after the legally mandated day of January 6th, hoping the courts would negate the election for failing to comply with established law. 

In planning for this, security forces would be an issue, especially if they looked like they did when people protested this last summer.  There seems to have been an intentional decrease in security for a rally of this size, with (intentional or unintentional) confusion by the leadership of the Capitol police.  Trump refused to call out the National Guard.  It was only when Pence called them up himself did order at the Capitol get restored.  

Then comes the reality.  This was Trump's last stand.  The voters voted him out, the state Republicans failed to overturn their individual state results, the courts were not about to throw out the votes without evidence, the party over country Republicans in the House and Senate were outnumbered and unlikely to win on the procedural votes, and finally Trump's number 2, Pence, had betrayed him with his unwillingness to make up rules and laws to overthrow the will of the people.  

THIS was Trump's last chance to stay in power.  The scariest part is how far they got, but they wouldn't have succeeded regardless.  If they would've taken hostages, the military would have lit them up, with most of those MAGA terrorists being taken out in body bags. 

We need to know who was behind this, not just the rally, but the clear attempt to infiltrate Congress and overthrow the election.  We need to find out if this plan originated in the Oval Office itself.  It's not only possible, but it's likely Trump attempted an overthrow of the US government to stay in power.

The undeniable gasp.

Arrest the traitors! Save the Nation! God Bless the United States of America! 

The Friday Link for 1/8/21

 Hi all!

This has been a bit of a touch and go week.  The good news is I have started a new radio show, moving my current radio gig from 3 PM, to 4-6 PM.  I'm now doing two hours and it was feeling pretty good by the end of the week.  I had to re-learn my pacing.

The other bit of good news is I'm now a published photographer.  I KNOW!  I have a calendar out and you can get one by becoming a member of my radio station.  Go to www.am950radio.com and click on the membership tab to find out how you can get the calendar.  You can have a little bit of me all year long!

On the downside, there was a credible attempt to overthrow the government by Donald Trump and his Terrorist followers. 

...(SIGH)...

Tonight, I want to post the compilation video The Daily Show made of their corespondent Jordan Klepper going to all the Trump rallies.  I rewatched this on Thursday and I have to admit my perspective of these clowns has changed dramatically.  Don't get me wrong; it's still enjoyable to see these idiots get shown up by the comedic mastery of Klepper, but now I have to ask how many of these people actually just stormed the US Capitol building and tried to overthrow the government.  

It's a little bit like watching a true crime documentary about a mass killing.  You know the people are going to do something horrible, but they seem relatively normal before they stormed the House and Senate, at least as normal as these brainwashed loon balls can look. 

Arrest the Traitors to the country.  Down with the #MAGATerrorists!

Long live the United States of America!   

The Friday Link for 1/1/21

Happy New Year Everyone! 

Another short and sweet post as I'm getting ready for my Doctor Who New Year's watching, something which has become a regular tradition over the last few years. To be honest, it's a bit of brilliant counter programming to football by the BBC.

Speaking of Doctor Who, some Doctor love for tonight's Friday Link.  First up the best episode (in my opinion) since the relaunch is the episode Blink, from the 10th Doctor's run.  Not only does it feature one of the best doctors in David Tennant, not only does it feature future Oscar contending actress Carey Mulligan, and not only does in introduce one of the best villains ever in the Weeping Angles, but this clip is one of the best bits they EVER did on the show.  A conversation, via DVD eater eggs, between two people 40 years apart. 

Also tonight, let's get you the Honest Trailers for both the classic and new versions of the series: 

Finally, I like Jodie Whittaker's version of the Doctor.  I'm looking forward to the New Year's special.  Here's the teaser trailer for you.  Captain Jack and the Daleks are back too! 

Have a great weekend everyone, and HAPPY 2021!!!

The Friday Link for 12/25/20

Short and sweet as it is Christmas.

My favorite version of A Christmas Carol is the 1970 musical version Scrooge with Albert Finney. 

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas everyone! 

The Friday Link for 12/18/20

 I HAVE FINISHED!!!

All of the holiday shows are recorded! Here is a sneak peak...

Plus a two separate full hour shows with special guests, and a live show on New Year's Eve.  Thanks to producers Brett and Patrick who worked their cabooses off to help get this all recorded. Very appreciated!

Then, the first week of January, we've got a big change coming!  No peaking at the Christmas gifts yet. 

For this week's Friday Link, we start with math!  Once again, the Trump campaign throws out numbers and hopes no one actually checks the math they're claiming to be true. 

Enter Matt Parker from Stand Up Maths, who we featured a few weeks back.  He noticed in the Texas lawsuit which went to the Supreme Court they were throwing around the number 'quadrillion.'  Since Matt is not a guy who takes number usage lightly, he started to look at the math behind the Trump campaign's argument the odds that Biden won in Georgia are a one in a quadrillion chance.  Spoiler alert, it wasn't.  As a matter of fact, the dishonesty behind the claims is shocking when you think about this being sent to the Supreme Court for an official case.

I'll let Matt explain it from here. 

The second video this year is becoming a holiday tradition.  The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has a new Christmas special.  The Bumble being MAGA makes a lot of sense. 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!  Stay healthy and stay safe!

The Friday Link for 12/11/20

 So a few weeks back I thought I would be able to write more...

(sigh)

Two problems with that theory.  First, Trump has done everything to carry this election into the next one.  Just a few minutes ago his last legal avenue was shut down for Trump, as the Supreme Court annihilated the laughable Texas two step attempt to overthrow our government.  It's not Trump being a petulant cry baby which is the most annoying.  It's his supporters cheering on overthrowing the Constitution and Democracy, all for a man who (in case you haven't been paying attention to the Corona Virus numbers) DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THEM!

The other issue is a good thing.  I have begun recording out my shows for the holidays.  About 6 years ago we started to record shows in advance of my Christmas vacation to prevent from having to air two weeks of best of shows, or asking people to come off their vacations to cover my radio show.  The pre-recorded shows have gone over great.  So far I have four shows completed and this next week should get me another 3.  It takes a lot of time to record out two weeks of shows, so thanks to my producers and the guests who make it happen.

Maybe I'll write more over the holidays...

First up this week, Epic Rap Battles of History places Harry Potter Verses Luke Skywalker, with Legos!  It's actually pretty good.

Next up a little holiday fun. The Carpenters were such a universally liked duo. Their songs still hold up today and their Christmas music was great. Here is their TV Christmas special from 1978.  

By the way, this is a very caucasian Christmas special, but it's a lot more relatable compared to the Dean Martin Special from 1968.  That one was like a jar of marshmallow fluff being held by Beymax in the middle of a blizzard in Idaho.  I decided to go with the Carpenters.

Finally tonight, more relevant history.  As we hear people today complain about their lack of "freedom" because people are daring to try to save their lives, it's also good to remember sometimes it goes the other way.  People being so afraid of disease, it erupts into a battle.  The History Guy reminds us of the forgotten story of The 1858 Staten Island Quarantine War.

I hope everyone has a fun, and safe weekend!

The Friday Link for 12/4/20

 Howdy all.  To get you started, here are the highlights of the MN United win over Kansas City last night. That second goal is such a thing of beauty!  And how about that cat like save by our goalie! 

It's weird seeing fans in the stands.  I would not be going to a game.  

Next up two really good ads from Match, the online dating service. I only post ads which are really good, and these are darn near perfect. 

Finally tonight, a lost historical figure, Captain Robert Stobo. Not only did he play a role in the pre-Revolutionary War history of the United States, he also was an important figure in the formation of Canada. His story is quite amazing and worth learning about, although the end is quite sad. 

Three completely unrelated topics for you tonight.  Have a great weekend everyone! 

The Friday Link for 11/27/20

This week, let's start with the turkey's striking back!

Earlier this week there was an uproar about a turkey in Bloomington being shot by police.  It seems the turkey had taken up residence at a busy intersection, and while some people considered the animal like a pet, others were being harassed by the creature.  Sad to see it go, but to those who insist the animal was harmless, don't fool yourselves!

We've talked often on the radio show about the turkeys in nordeast Minneapolis and how they're dangerous. Those things are freaking vicious. Turkey's are wild animals and they have plenty of weapons to cause damage.  Here is a compilation of turkey's going after people.

By the way some adult language, and I do not condone the people laughing as their friends, kids, family are running for their lives!

Also tonight, as we get ready for President Biden, let's also revisit the great President...ial impressions of the last 45 years from Saturday Night Live.

By the way, We need someone a lot better than Jim Carrey to be the regular Biden impression.  I love Carrey, but he's playing it too by the cuff.  Sacrifice the exacts about his behavior and you can deliver a great impression.  Just look at how well Colbert does with just a pair of sunglasses.

Finally tonight, otters! Super cute, and they apparently will chase a turkey!

Have a wonderful and safe weekend everyone! 

Thankful

This Thanksgiving is shaping up to be familiar, but also strange.  

For me and my family, it's business as usual.  I'm making up the usual Thanksgiving feast I always make. I was thinking of cutting back on the amount of food this year, but instead we're offering Thanksgiving to multiple neighbors and friends.  The offer of a complete Thanksgiving meal, for some of them, was greeted with relief; an undeniable joy there's an option for them this year.

Corona Virus is horrible.  I wish we all could have a normal holiday, but the recognition of the danger is making many people change long standing traditions.  They're choosing to be safe.  I applaud the sacrifice, but not because I'm against Thanksgiving.  On the contrary, ignoring the unstable allegations from far right loon balls, I love the Thanksgiving holiday, something I cook for days prior to the event.  The happiness and warmth I get from seeing guests enjoy a really nice meal is so rewarding. 

Not having a traditional Thanksgiving is a real emotional blow for many.  The public reactions I'm noticing on social media seem to fall into four different camps.

The Ambivalent:  These are people who are going through their normal routines even though this is not a normal year.  On one side there are the hosts, who seem to be cooking like normal, even though they're not going to be hosting anyone (guilty as charged!).  On the other side are the people who are usually guests for these events, someone who might make one side dish, might buy a can of cranberry sauce (YIKES!), or might grab a bag of rolls as their meal contribution, but since they're not going anywhere, they're treating the day like a normal day.  There's a sad acceptance to this situation, but since neither side (hosts/guests) wants to give up their usual tradition, they're going through the motions, keeping their motors running in neutral, and hoping November 2021 will be back to normal. 

The Culinary Challengers:  There are some people who have never made a Thanksgiving dinner, or a real nice meal before, but they've decided to give it the old college try.  The woman who cuts my hair beamed as she showed me a bacon wrapped turkey breast she is making.  She also was shocked at how easy it was to make cranberry sauce from scratch.  I have more than a few friends who are dusting off the pots and pans and trying to make something this holiday season. The great thing about Thanksgiving is that you don't have to make a turkey.  You can be thankful with any meal, so cook what you are comfortable with.

The Belligerent:  Some people are pushing the idea there's no need to change our behavior during a pandemic; that the pandemic is a lie, not nearly as dangerous as the death rate shows.  They've decided they won't let the liberals win, so they're planning on having a normal large Thanksgiving get-together.  I know they'll have smug toasts about how they're not living in fear, bragging about how they're not caving to the liberals demands to kill the Thanksgiving tradition.  

Everyone, including Democrats, Liberals and Progressives, wishes Thanksgiving could happen like normal.  The Belligerent's stubbornness to win an argument in their own mind will end up getting a lot of people killed.  I don't want anyone to get sick.  I don't want anyone to die.  The best way for you to make sure that doesn't happen is to be Corona Virus responsible, but I can't stop you from being stupid.  Just do us all a favor and don't act shocked when family members start getting sick in December.  I'll feel sorry for you but your pleas for compassion need to factor in your own ignorant decisions from Thanksgiving before you demand empathy from others.

The Sad:  This group worries me most.  There are a lot of cries for help on social media right now.  People are posting how hard it is they can't get home to family, people frustrated this pandemic is still raging 9 months after it started.  The depression is very real, very understandable, and contagious.  

The other day my wife and I were discussing our daughters.  The stress of the pandemic was clearly getting to them, but I had to remind my wife this is the new normal.  What's to like?  As hard as that sentiment is, we shouldn't be walking around demanding people 'turn that frown upside down!'  We have to teach people to live in a pandemic world, a world full of sacrifice and sadness.  It's like the Great Depression.  There was a lot of sad back then, people losing everything, people begging for the basics, people dying in the streets.  As hard as those dark days were, there was always the promise things would get better, and they did.

For the record, I'm incredibly sad right now but I know things will eventually get better. I won't dismiss your depression.  On the contrary, I'll validate it.  It means you're normal.  Even though things like Thanksgiving will be tough, we'll get through this.  We will.

I'm thankful for my family, my health, my life, my job, and my community. I'm thankful for cold mornings and hot nights.  I'm grateful for the nature around us and the incredible modern world at our fingertips.  I'm grateful for all the friends I have, some very dear, some far away, and some I need to catch up with dearly.  I'm grateful for everyone who reads this blog and I'm grateful for everyone who has ever listened to one of my radio shows.

I hope you have a safe, healthy and blessed Thanksgiving, no matter how it manifests itself.