Police State

Last Friday, The U.S. Department of Justice released its report of its investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department.  This investigation was started in the aftermath of four police officers murdering George Floyd at 38th and Chicago in south Minneapolis. 

We all knew the report was going to be brutal.  It ended up being far worse. I highly encourage you to read the full report (https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1587661/download).

What I'm going to post here are a few dozen of the choicer excerpts. This is disgusting behavior, made by a police force that never thought they would be held accountable.  This was a police force that HATED the people of Minneapolis, HATED the news media, and punished the minorities of the city with ruthless cruelty.

Since it became clear what was coming down, the police who were the problem, mainly the former head of the police union Bob Kroll and his intentionally built force of hate, have fled, like rats jumping off a ship. They ran away because their days of abusing the city were over.  Their sick twisted jollies can no longer be fulfilled by violently assaulting the masses at will.  They ran before they could be held accountable, but I would love to drag every one of those cowards back to the city by their short hairs and put them on trial.

This was a disgrace; not only by the police department, but by their enablers too.  There was the whipped Hennepin County Attorney who refused to hold these out-of-control officers accountable.  There were the repeated ineffectual mayors who were (AT BEST) unable to reign in the worst gang in the city; at worst they were condoning the behavior.

And there was one other group that needs to be held accountable, the Republican Party of Minnesota, which is really responsible for this behavior going unchecked.  Through legislation, they made it virtually impossible for anyone to hold the police accountable for anything, and in return, the Minneapolis police would lend themselves to Republican political campaigns with endorsements, photo ops, and a now haunting narrative; "vote for the Republicans and they'll allow us to keep 'THOSE PEOPLE' under control."  The Minnesota Republicans are a major reason this debacle occurred.

Funny.  Those cowards are also the most quiet about the abuse they allowed to be unleashed on the citizens of the city.

Read through the highlights of the report.  Warning - there is a lot of adult language.  I guarantee even the most pro-cop individual will eventually have to pick their jaw up from the table when they realize the extent of the tyrannical police state that existed in Minneapolis.

I have hope the DOJ and the new Chief will clean this mess up.

And for the officers who did all of these things, may you all burn in hell.  

The Friday Link for 6/23/23

Let me start this week by reminding everyone of a story that has slipped from the headlines, the writer's strike. They have legit reasons to be concerned about the future.  I hope they get everything they are asking for.

Speaking of the writers, I haven't done an SNL recap this year so here you go.  Overall, I didn't think the season was great.  I usually watch the skits on Sunday and as I went through them this season, there seemed to be more misses than hits.

Here are what I think were the best sketches for this season. 

Hands down the best was the first one of the season, the Peyton brothers doing a live breakdown of the show.  What makes it spectacular is Miles Teller's spot-on Peyton Manning impression. 

Next was Lisa from Temecula. Ego Nwodim is hilarious, so much so that Pedro Pascal and Bowen Yang lose it the entire skit. Sometimes the stars laughing is the best part, and this is the best skit to have that since Debbie Downer and Close Encounter. 

Pedro Pascal was the best episode of the season, and another skit, Waking Up, was also great. 

The Arby's skit was pretty good, where the cast has some legit questions about he math involved in Arby's menu. 

I thought this one was pretty good, the King Brothers Toyota Ad.  Maybe it's because I have seen this God-awful city planning in person, especially in the South. 

Finally tonight, a rather adult one.  When Woody Harrelson hosted and they did a take-off on the service where you send a sample to a lab to determine if you are at risk for colon cancer.  I had a friend use this and it was a little awkward.  SNL ramped up the awkwardness quite a bit.

Adult content!

Have a great weekend.  Stay safe and stay vaccinated. 

The Friday Link for 6/16/23

Hi all!

As you might know, I have been enjoying the podcast Smartless.  It is the one with Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes, three friends, and all of them very good actors/comedians.  They interview someone on each episode and generally hilarity ensues. 

One slight problem.  They do have the occasional bad episode. Not many of them, but occasionally the show goes south.  It's usually when they start ignoring the guest and just go off on tangents.  Hey, I have my stinker shows too.

Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee is the same way.  Jerry Seinfeld interviews someone from the comedy realm and most of the time hilarity ensues. Occasionally it's just not good, but with both CICGC and Smartless, the good outweighs the bad, so go enjoy.  I highly recommend both.  CICGC is now finished, but Smartless is still pumping out new episodes.

Two of the better CICGC episodes for you.  These were edited in a weird way to omit a lot of the intro and incidental moments, but the jokes are still good.  Steve Martin is up first, and this features one of the funniest stories ever, about the worst comedy gig of all time. 

Also the Jim Gaffigan episode is worthwhile. Same weird editing thing. 

And finally tonight, with the new Flash movie coming out, Honest Trailers decided to go back and revisit The Flash TV series.  It wasn't a good series.

Have a great weekend! Stay healthy and stay safe! 

The Friday Link for 6/9/23

I watched the full season of Citadel on Amazon Prime.  But before I get to that, let me complain about how much streaming services have destroyed a lot of movie/TV genres.

Most streaming content is just garbage.  It is!  It's done on the cheap, and not usually too concerned about quality. It's contrived, cliched, poorly acted, written, and directed.  It reminds me how so many of the cable channels ruined themselves by getting away from their niche programming (History Channel - History. Bravo - Fine Arts. MTV - Music.) when they found out they could air reality TV in its place.  They all just quit.

It's not exactly the same for streaming services.  They are so desperate for the content they just churn out programs like Twinkies.  On the plus side, it does give a lot of people work, and some of it is good, but the vast majority is not worth it.

The spy genre is one which has been beaten into the ground. There is very little 'spy' to it anymore, just an over-the-top action scene followed by another over-the-top action scene.  That's why I was somewhat pleased by Citadel. Sure it is predictable at times, and some of the action scenes are over the top, but overall I thought it was good.

Citadel is well written, with some really unique concepts and twists.  The acting was enjoyable with Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Richard Madden having nice chemistry. Stanley Tucci was also entertaining.

The series just finished up its first season a week ago, with a heck of a stunner in the end.  Enjoy the opening 10 minutes of the first episode of the season. 

Finally tonight, a video! There is a great band out of Burnsville called Durry, and they are GOOD! Here is their latest song, 'Coming of Age.'

Have a great weekend.  Enjoy the sunshine! 

Minnesota, F*&# YEAH!!! The Stunning Success of the DFL Miracle!

You might have seen Minnesota showing up win your local news feeds lately for being the polar opposite of Republican led states like Florida, Texas, Montana and others.  While those Red States relished in passing bills based on hating people and restricting people's rights, Minnesota has had a different approach in 2023.

Last Fall, as we approached the 2022 Election, after years of divided government in the state where the Right refused to help most non millionaire and billionaire Minnesotans, Republicans were insisting they couldn't wait for the "Red Tsunami" that was coming, where they would take over the entire state (Governor's office, the MN House and MN Senate).  They proudly bragged about how they were going to "Jam their agenda down those Liberal's Throats!"

But a funny thing happened.  The Right in Minnesota had stacked the deck against themselves.  They had a disastrous gubernatorial candidate, and a FAR more disturbing Secretary of State Candidate.  They were intentionally ignoring the strong pro-abortion current in the electorate against them, courtesy of the Republican stacked court overturning of Roe v. Wade last June.  And they grossly underestimated the public appeal of their douche-y tone and false alpha male jerkish-ness. 

They lost...BADLY!

The Minnesota Democrats (or as they call them in Minnesota, the DFL) EASILY won the Governor's office, held the House, and (shock of all shocks) got a one seat majority in the Minnesota Senate!

I was a little skeptical of how much the DFL was going to get done here.  This is a team who historically would take a simple free throw and not only miss the shot, but miss the backboard completely and injure four people in the stands.  They have a record of shootings themselves in the foot.

But in 2023, a Minnesota Miracle happened.  Learning from their INSANELY overly cautious strategy of the past, they decided to find their common ground up front and ended up passing a once in a 100 years legislative agenda, one that will benefit Minnesotans for generations to come.

Below is an INCOMPLETE list of all the Minnesota DFL got passed this session.  Bask in the glory that is Minnesota! 

• Minnesotans can make 'autonomous decisions' about their reproductive health, concerning contraception, abortion and pregnancy
• Minnesota is a sanctuary state for women seeking abortions.  Subpoenas and extraditions in regards to abortion will not be enforced in Minnesota
• Other abortion restrictions (24 hour waiting period, hospital mandates, women's information gathering, informed-consent rule) were also ended
• Minnesota is a sanctuary state for transgender individuals seeking gender affirming care. Minnesota will not help enforce any out-of-state prosecutions
• The practice of conversion therapy for children and vulnerable adults is now forbidden
• Paid Family and Medical Leave is now the law in Minnesota
• The DFL delivered the largest tax cut in Minnesota history
• A major expansion of high speed broadband across the state brings us closer to border to border coverage
• All electricity in Minnesota must be carbon free by 2040
• Rebate checks for Minnesotans making $78K or less a year, and married couples making $150K or less, and rebates for up to three kids per household
• A child tax credit focused on lower income workers, up to $1750 per child under 18
• A massive expansion of social security tax exemption, geared towards couples making less than $100K a year and individuals making less than $78K a year. Over 75% of Minnesota seniors no longer will pay the tax
• Universal free school breakfast and lunch to all kids
• $7.8 Billion for funding roads, transit and airports over the next two years
• Minnesota has a 'red flag law,' which means authorities can seize firearms for someone deemed to be a high risk of injuring themselves or others
• Private party transfers of certain firearms now require universal background checks
• Free tuition to state universities, public colleges and tribal colleges for families making $80K or less
• Every school district in the state got a major budget increase, especially in essential services 
• Rental assistance was expanded for 5000 more low income households, with about a third guaranteed to go to outstate communities
• New paths for struggling farmers to get their product to hunger relief organizations across the state
• Undocumented workers can now get a driver's license
• $300 million to low income families to get access to early childhood education
• More mental health resources for every level of education in MN
• Major investments into the state colleges
• It's now illegal in Minnesota for people to knowingly spread false information with the intention of stopping someone from voting
• Money to address food insecurity on college campuses
• $300 million in new funding to help public safety officials treat mental health calls
• PFAS (forever chemicals) are banned in Minnesota in 2025
• Marijuana is now legal in Minnesota
• Minnesota will expanded MinnesotaCare (the state's medical care program) to more people, with he goal to offer it to all Minnesotans within a few years
• Some marijauan convictions in Minnesota will be expunged when legal marijuana becomes law
• A massive investment in green energy, primarily solar panels
• Rebates for buying an electric car
• Schools will now offer free menstrual products for students and schools will have the opioid treatment Naloxone available
• $80 million per year for local government and county aid
• $326 million for local roads and bridge repair
• The gas tax is now tied to inflation, preventing further budget shortfalls
• Home weatherization funding for low income individuals
• Voting rights restored for 55,000 Minnesotans with felony convictions, with new rules to reinstate those rights for all felons upon their release from incarceration
• Far more restrictions on police serving no-knock warrants
• Harsher penalties for car-jackers
• A massive increase in spending to upgrade the facilities at the State Parks in Minnesota, benefiting every part of the state
• A major investment in expanding mental health services for farmers 
• 16 year olds will be automatically registered to vote when they turn 18 in Minnesota
• $43 million to help battle violent crime in Minnesota
• More authority to the AG to scrutinize medical mergers in the state, to make sure the mergers benefit Minnesotans
• Removal of bizarre rule that prohibited the studying of expansion of mass transit in the south Twin Cities metro area
• Funding to get commuter rail from the Twin Cities to Duluth
• Increased funding for the Attorney Genral's office to allow him to help more counties in prosecutorial duties
• $5 million in renovations to the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center
• $200 million in down payment assistance for low and moderate income Minnesotans to buy homes
• $233 million for helping to address flood mitigation in the state
• Money to replace lead pipe water lines across the state
• Protections for farmers when grain buyers become financially insolvent
• Cracked down on price gauging during emergencies
• Helping with emergency funding for food shelves in the state
• Cracking down on catalytic converter thefts in Minnesota
• Money to encourage the growth of new farmers in Minnesota, especially immigrant and BIPOC farmers
• $300 million ot the state nursing homes to help address the shortages within the industry
• The state will aggressively combat the deer disease Chronic Wasting Disease, in an effort to limit the impact and consequences
• New money for management of our natural lands
• $25 million for snowmobile and ATV trails
• Money to deal with crimes and drug issues on the metro transit lines
• All full time workers can now accrue paid sick and safe leave time
• Money set aside to study the long term effects of COVID
• It is now illegal to discriminate against a person due to their hair 
• Replenished the AG Emergency account
• State fish hatcheries will be rebuilt and/or improved
• Improvements slated for 'from shore' fishing facilities statewide
• They expanded dental benefits for the needy
• The Governors commissioner appointments can no longer be held hostage as a long term negotiation tool
• Money to help homeless people pursue employment and educational opportunities
• New Police stations, fire departments and public safety centers across the state
• Student loan forgiveness for hospital nurses
• Employment protections for meat packing workers
• $35 million to improve boat ramps and facilities at lakes statewide
• Tax credits for electric bikes
• Civics and personal finance classes will be required to graduate high school
• Expansion of bike trails across the state
• New rules regulating pesticides, to stop the devastation of pollinator species
• Money to improve Spirit Mountain Ski Area
• The end of non-compete agreements in Minnesota
• Rental assistance for people struggling with mental illness
• MN schools must teach about the Holocaust and genocide
• $90 million for Minnesota Veteran care
• Employers can no longer force employees to attend an anti-union captive audience meetings
• Increased local cybersecurity grants for local communities
• A new Public Health facility in Bloomington
• Teachers unions can now bargain over educator to student ratios in classrooms
• More school resources for Native America students
• Worker protections for Amazon warehouse employees
• $350 million for new affordable housing statewide and $120 million to subsidize preservation of existing affordable housing
• In MN a contractor entering into a construction contract assumes liability for any unpaid wages
• A $40 million increase to Head Start
• All schools in Minnesota will have to have expanded ethnic studies by 2028
• $65 million for two years to try to limit family homelessness
• $380 million for 47 wastewater projects across the state of Minnesota
• Cash money for various projects including rebuilding US Hwy. 8
• Stopped religious colleges from requiring public high school students taking classes at their facilities (PSEO) from requiring the students sign a faith statement
• 5.5 million to deal with youth homelessness
• Active shooter drills are now banned in Minnesota schools, replaced with violence prevention training once a year
• They revived the historic building tax credit which gives money for people to fix up older buildings
• Adopted a new educational reading curriculum based on phonics
• People on bicycles can have rolling stops at interchanges, as long as they safely yield
• They increased the film production tax credit to encourage more movie and TV productions to film in Minnesota
• We've address the potential minnow shortage crisis
• Juneteenth is now a holiday in Minnesota
• A committee to explore the possibility to expand the Northstar line all the way to St. Cloud
• A new sheet of indoor ice in Hermantown

And Minnesota renamed a highway after Prince (we should at least give him a county too!).

DAAAAAAAMMMMMMNNNN!  This is stunning, but to see them pull all of this off with a one seat majority it truly amazing.  How many times would a Democratic party act like three or four of these LESSER bills would be a triumphant session.  Heck, Democratic states with solid Democrat majorities rarely pass one tenth of an agenda this beautiful during a session! 

As you can imagine, a lot of Minnesota Republicans are now screaming "we're leaving!"  To them I say BYE!  Trust me, whatever red state you move to you are about to come across a lot of unexpected and expensive things which will sting, but let's let that be a surprise.  And the healthcare in red states! Bless your hearts and good luck!  Considering the beacon the Minnesota DFL just made Minnesota, I have ZERO doubt far more poeple will be coming to Minnesota than leaving.

And frankly, we will not miss you if you leave.

If you are that uptight and stresses out about all of this, a reminder that dope is legal in Minnesota starting August 1.  That might help.

The Friday Link for 6/2/23

This week, we begin with graduation! Congrats to all who graduated High school or College this year.  I will not send good wishes to Kindergarten grads.  Mastering finger painting is not on the same level. 

I have about 5 graduation parties to go to over the next two weeks, including one for my own daughter.  With graduation comes the words of encouragement from the commencement speaker.  But what if your commencement speaker was Patton Oswalt?  Get ready for some honesty and truth...and a lot of laughs. 

Next up is a surprise video from Bon Appétit.  A few years back I posted about their epic fall from grace as most of their great personality chefs left after a scandal, but out of the blue comes a gem of a video from them.

They recruited Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith from the Great British Baking Show and had them rank American snack foods.  I have to admit I agree with their results! 

Finally tonight a Fascinating Horror clip on the Indiana State Fairgrounds Explosion from 1963.  Yes, this is a bit grim of a topic, but there are two things that strike me about this tragedy.  First is how this is a great example of why we need regulations.  It's hard to comprehend how a simple storage issue could end up leading to so many deaths.

The other thing is how there are some parallels between this tragedy and the current tragedy unfolding in Davenport, Iowa, with a collapsing apartment building.  It's clear the owner of the building and the inspectors did not do their job in Iowa, and likewise, there seems to have been a failure in Indianapolis in 1963.

Have a great weekend everyone! 

Stay safe, and make sure to stay up to date on vaccinations!

The Friday Link for 5/26/23

Howdy and Happy Memorial Day weekend to everyone!  I hope you have a nice time. 

This week I want to start with Ant-Man! Well, kind of.  I did watch Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania which is now streaming on Disney+.  It's better than I thought it would be, but that's probably because it has been described as the worst Marvel film (It isn't.  That still is Thor 2).  In the basic plot, Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and his family get sucked down to the microscopic level (the Quantum Zone) and have to fight the new Avenger's level bad guy Kang the Conqueror in order to get back.  Yes, it is a lot of green screen, Evangeline Lilly (the Wasp) needs to discover a second facial expression, the Cassie character is more annoying than anything else, and the MODOK character CGI is pretty rough (to say the least).  But on the positive, Paul Rudd gets his character dang near perfect (again!), Michael Douglas' Hank Pym is also pretty good (mainly because he does something older, good actors are not supposed to be able to do, act well with green screens everywhere), Michelle Pfeiffer is still as stunning as ever, and then there is the villain, Kang the Conqueror, played by Jonathan Majors.

In this role, Majors is great.  He first appeared in the Loki TV series on Disney+ and was fantastic there too.  The Marvel franchise looked to have found their villain horse to hook their wagon to for the next few years worth of Avengers movies, but then the floor dropped out.  Jonathan Majors was accused of domestic assault on his girlfriend earlier this year.  It sounds bad.  If they do find evidence against him and get a guilty conviction, I hope they give him a harsh sentence, but he still will get his day in court to try to prove his side of the story (if it does get to court.  Usually these things with celebrities rarely do get that far.)  In our instantaneous social media age, the court of public opinion has already turned on him hard.

Not downplaying the seriousness of the allegation of sexual assault (the main focus here) this incident creates a real problem for Marvel.  They had planned for Kang the Conqueror to be the main bad guy for numerous films over the next few years. Now there are real questions about where they go from here.

For the record, this week has featured numerous entertainment stories with Majors and the subject of the alleged abuse, his girlfriend Meagan Good, out acting like a committed couple.  Eventually, the legal side of this will get sorted out, but for more of a breakdown on the behind-the-scenes stuff at Marvel, New Rockstars Eric Voss does a dive into what the future might hold here.  

Warning, spoilers about Quantumania, so see if you want to see that before you watch this, off you go.  

For the record, I do think the first two Ant-Man movies are better than this one.

Speaking of Dynasties, is there any one more romanticized as the British monarchy.  This week a very good informational video from History Box on all the Kings and Queens of England.  You will have a pretty good understanding of the timeline after watching this.  

Have a wonderful weekend! Be safe and make sure you stay up to date on all vaccinations!

The Friday Link for 5/19/23

This week I have 5 (FIVE!!!) videos for you to enjoy! 

We'll start with the return of Randy Rainbow and his take on the new fascist MAGA jerk on the scene, DeSantis, with his parody song "Welcome to DeSantis!"

Next is a trio of videos from a YouTube Channel called The Trek Planner. After last year's trip to the western parks, and realizing how much uninhabited space there is in the West, I've come a little bit obsessed with the idea of going out and explore these areas.

The process these explorers take is to scour Google Maps, find an interesting geological feature that looks man-made in the middle of the desert, and then find it in person to try to determine what it is.  All three of these videos involve ancient Native American sites, just more proof the Native Americans were freaking amazing! 

I do love how these videos are about just visiting, NOT taking souvenirs. They leave the pottery pieces they find and let the next group of hikers enjoy them too. It really makes me want to go back out to the West and go explore on my own. 

And finally tonight, a video that sounds like the opening to a joke: 'Did you ever hear about the time when there were three Popes?'  That actually happened, where there were three competing Popes at the same time. Ted-Ed has this informative and quick video! 

Have a wonderful weekend! Stay safe and stay healthy! 

The Friday Link for 5/12/23

Happy Mother's Day! And in Minnesota, Happy Fishing Opener weekend. Celebrate responsibly.

This week we start off with a weird but great pair of videos from Curious Refuge.  It looks like they used AI to create trailers for big movies, but instead of the original style, they made them in the style of Wes Anderson movies.  These are great, and capture Wes Anderson's unique movie style perfectly.  

First up is 'The Galactic Menagerie' ('Star Wars') and the second is 'The Whimsical Fellowship' ('Lord of the Rings').  And, if you haven't, go watch a Wes Anderson movie.  They're pretty good. 

Also tonight some web appraisals from PBS' Antique Roadshow.  

And a fantastic appraisal from the British BBC version of Antiques Roadshow.

Have a great weekend everyone.  Happy Mother's Day to all the "moms!"  Stay safe and make sure to stay up to date on vaccines. 

The Friday Link for 5/5/23

I hope everyone has a nice Cinco de Mayo!

Speaking of which, the 5th of May is NOT the day of Mexican independence. It's actually the day the Mexicans spanked the French badly.  Most people in the US don't know about it, as the US was occupied with a Civil War at that point.  8 Bit Nate has the details on the history behind Mexico's celebration of Cinco De Mayo. 

Also, tomorrow is the coronation of King Chuck in England. Want to celebrate like a Brit?  Last week I posted about the history and recipe behind Coronation Chicken, and this week we go even more British traditional, Roast Beef with Plum Pudding, made the Victorian Way with English Heritage.  This actually looks REALLY tasty! 

Finally, tonight is a great White House Correspondent's Comedy headliner in Roy Wood Jr.  He hit it out of the park.  His point about CRT is spot on, and then he turns his attention to Clarence Thomas.  It's pretty good. From the OnlyFans of news, C-SPAN!

Have a great weekend everyone. Make sure you stay safe! 

The Friday Link for 4/28/23

This week we start off with James Corden's last show as the host of the Late Late Show.  I know he's gotten some grief lately for allegedly losing it at restaurants, but considering a lot of celebrities are somewhat demanding and easy to anger, I think this is more about some people relishing in trashing him.

I thought he did a pretty good job on The Late Late Show. He definitely made it his own, and Carpool Karaoke is one of the best all-time talk show bits.

For the final show, he got some surprise visitors.  I especially love Seth Meyers, his direct competition, showing up to play along.  And a surprise guest too! 

Speaking of things from England, it's Coronation Weekend! Regardless of what you think about King Chuck, there is a bit of fun that goes along with it (and a staggering bill the British people have to pay). 

An official Coronation Meal is always on tap, and the one they did for Queen Elizabeth was Coronation Chicken, a poached chicken served chilled.  I've had it before and it is delicious.

Tasting History with Max Miller will show you how to make it (no joke, be careful with the poaching) so you can celebrate along with that weird, weird family. 

And to wrap things up tonight is True Facts: Killer Parasitic Zombie Fungi. These are the fungi that are the inspiration for The Last of Us video game and wildly popular television show (watch it, it's worth it!). It is remarkable the number of things these spores have figured out to do...

Have a great weekend, and remember to stay up to date on your vaccinations! 

The Failure of Reagan's 11th Commandment

One of the most frustrating things about being a Democrat is how Democrats fall in love with the 'high road' rhetoric.  They do so with aplomb, using it as a way to criticize Republicans, but even more sharply directed at fellow Democrats at times.  Screaming "I'm taking the high road" is stunningly naive in our current political environment.  This isn't a high school debate where one team says "Your argument is stupid," as the other team tries to win by proudly bragging about "taking the high road."  The modern political environment is much more akin to a zombie world where one side is trying to destroy you.  You screaming "high road" while the zombies are munching down on your team is only about giving yourself a gold star for pathetically failing.

Taking the high road is NOT an issue for Republicans.  While they lash out frenetically at Democrats, they rarely criticize themselves, even when it's a no-brainer mistake that should be condemned universally.  This reluctance to speak out against even the most damaged Republicans has made the Republican Party more vulnerable than ever.  The GOP is starting to crumble because behavior that should've NEVER been tolerated was allowed to become the Republican standard.

Republicans are hesitant to criticize themselves because of a self-induced mantra that they grip tightly, Ronald Reagan's 11th Commandment:  "Thou shall not speak ill of any fellow Republican."

I always found Reagan's 11th Commandment an incredibly self-serving standard (a Commandment you say, like delivered from God himself???).  Basically, he's saying to his party "Never hold any other Republican accountable" (in his case, spoiler alert!)!  The 'commandment' originally came from his California Governor campaign in the 1960s but it really took off in the post-Nixon era.  A lot of Republicans felt as if the problem with Nixon wasn't Nixon, but rather Republicans holding him accountable for his actions.  Reagan seized on this frustration and pushed his Commandment as a way to give the public the impression "we're unified" while sending a far darker tone to his own party; "don't you dare disagree with us!"

The problem for Republicans was even under Reagan, this "commandment" was a credit card for abuse.  Reagan started intense deficit spending, foolishly fired the air traffic controllers, pushed a racist drug policy, did nothing while AIDS ravaged the population, and who could forget Iran-Contra.  He should've garnered FAR more scrutiny from Republicans than he did.  He scared his own party into the position that it was better to ignore the scandals instead of being blacklisted for daring to hold someone in the party accountable. 

As the Republicans started to turn more and more to the extremist right, from Newt Gingrich, to Whitewater, to embracing the far-right fringe to win in 2004, to organizing racist feelings about President Obama into a fervor, the people pushing the party further to the right would point to Reagan's 11th Commandment to silence any dissent. By 2010, most of the moderate Republicans had left the party.  Considering they could no longer criticize Republicans no matter how extreme, the only options were to agree with them loudly, to agree with them quietly, or resign.

Trump pushed the party over the edge.  There are so many things Trump did which would've been universally condemned 20 years ago but were allowed to become Republican standards under Trump.  I'll just point to the lying.  Never before has there been a President, Senator, Representative, or Judge who lied as openly, constantly, and consistently as Trump did.  Many of his lies were laughable.  Remember when he grabbed a Sharpie pen and drew on a National Weather map to make himself right?  Trump lied (on average) 50 (!!!) times a day, many of them preposterous.

But did Republicans ever criticize him for the lies, even the ludicrous, ridiculous, and farcical ones?  NOPE! You either defended his lying or kept quiet on the sidelines.

By not holding Trump to a standard of truth, the Republicans created a world where lying is an acceptable asset within the Republican Party.  George Santos IS the Republican Party today, a man whose entire persona is a never-ending cascade of lies.  He's the most outrageous Republican liar, but there have been at least four other Republicans caught in the last few months lying about their resumes as well.  How about the near-constant lies over the last two years from Josh Hawley, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Andy Biggs, and many other Republicans.  But no one from the GOP says a thing, outside of a handful of ostracized or retired Republicans who dare call out the dishonesty.  Lying is now an admirable character trait for Republicans.

And it's getting worse!

January 6th, 2021. Trump and his supporters tried to overthrow the government of the United States. I guarantee you they'll try it again in 2024 because the Republican party's never really condemned that stunt.  By not decrying that disgrace with the loudest and most forceful of tones, Republicans set a standard that attempting a coup is just being "in it to win it!"

Sex scandals.  It feels like almost every day a Republican is caught in a sex scandal, many of them involving underage children.  One person keeping track found well over 1000 Republicans accused or convicted of heinous sex acts over the last few years (The List of GOP'ers in sex scandals).  Republicans, yoked by that 11th Commandment crap, only ever seem to condemn that behavior "in the silence of their own hearts" (their words not mine). Republicans seem to get far more angry at the people who bring the indiscretion to light, NOT the person who commits the crime.  The message is clear, as long as the inappropriate behavior stays within the Republican ranks, no one from inside will call you out.

Fiscal policy.  There was a time Republicans had standards when it came to government spending.  Not anymore!  I remember Republicans screaming "Why hasn't President Obama taken care of the budget deficit" up until January 2017.  Then, after Trump took office, suddenly it was "spend like there was no tomorrow!"  Any true fiscal conservative would've NEVER signed off on the Trump-era tax cuts, but very few Republicans called out the 'fiscal conservative' insanity.  The results were a massive crater in the deficit, something which could be fixed by rescinding the Trump tax cuts, but Republicans LOVE government spending.  That's a fact!

Now Reagan's 11th Commandment is being used as a weapon. Republicans through gerrymandering created an incredible amount of safe Republican seats, where a turnip could run with an 'R' next to its name and win handily. The voters in these safe districts gravitated towards more extremist candidates, dropping the moderate Republicans who could relate to Democrats, replacing them with self-serving near fascist harpies, demented and uneducated extremist fools who saw an opportunity by sprinting towards fanaticism, addicted to their own press releases, enamored with TV camera lights, and only in their positions for egregious self-promotion.

The radical Right exists because of the Republican party's fixation on never bad-mouthing a fellow party member, AND THE FANATICS KNOW IT!  Republicans blindly go along with the nympholepts regardless of what they say or do, never calling out their rotten behavior.  And the crazy part is the zealots DO NOT FOLLOW the 11th Commandment.  As they demand loyalty from the entire party, extremists are quick to scream RINO (Republican In Name Only) at anyone in their party that doesn't praise them as the smartest person who ever lived (once again, a standard Trump created in the GOP).  

This GOP-safe district craziness does not sell in more moderate or Democratic areas.  The safe Republicans don't care.  They know they'll win their seat as long as they run.  Meanwhile, these howler monkeys are ruining any chance for Republicans to win overall majorities in toss-up districts.  Moderate Republicans might try to soften their positions to appeal to Independents and moderate Democrats, but enter an extremist Republican to shriek racism, bigotry, anti-Democratic lunacy, and conspiracy theories which make even their biggest supporters go "What did you say?" Because the moderate Republicans dare not condemn the extremism, they go silent, hoping people don't think they agree with their fellow party members.

And there's the problem for the non-extremist members of the GOP, both politicians and voters!  Unless you immediately change your tone and start calling out the far-right loon balls, you have no chance.  This mess is on you!  If someone is saying something so extreme it's damaging the party as a whole (Think of  Dr. Scott Jenson of Kim Crockett from the 2022 MNGOP ticket) you HAVE TO start calling it out, or your party will eventually wither away.  It's not like the 1850s where something very specific (in this case the Whigs demanding all party members be pro-slavery, driving the non-pro-slavery Whigs to start the Republican Party) will save you from your guilt by association.  It's long past time to say enough is enough, and the only people that can stop this train wreck from happening are the Republicans themselves.

There is another clear reason non-extremist Republicans should want to take their party back.  Do you know why a lot of people on the left call Republicans racists, bigots, and Nazis?  It's because of your own silence when a Republican says something racist, bigoted, or Nazi-esque.  You say nothing, and your silence is interpreted as an endorsement.  You'd think you would want to very publicly distance yourselves from that stuff, but you don't.  It's like this one protest sign read:

As hard as that sign is to read, if you stayed silent when these extremist elements permeated their way into the soul of the GOP, you're partially to blame for this mess your party is in.  The sign is right because your silence in the face of extremism made it right.

That's on you.  What are you going to do about it?

The Friday Link for 4/21/23

Two clips tonight from the late-night shows, starting with a great one from Jordan Klepper and The Daily Show.

Who are your kids following on social media?  Is it Andrew Tate or one of these other horrible people screaming about being an 'Alpha Male?' Klepper goes down this path and exposes a shocking reality about young boys and who they are following on social media.  If you don't know whose TikTok, Discord, And Instagram videos your kids are watching, you probably need to find out before they are marching in a hate rally in 5 years. 

Also tonight is a gem of a video from John Oliver and Last Week Tonight you might have missed.  In this video, John Oliver talks about Chuck E. Cheese and ends up exploring the weird history and cultural impact of the less-than-tasty pizza place known for their animatronic band. 

By the way, the reason you might have missed this video is that Last Week Tonight did this entire second episode for everyone 35 and younger.  You see, the main story on the HBO show was about Home Owner Associations, and considering most people 35 and under will likely never be able to afford a house, he made a separate video which he posted under a different website 'Last Squeak Tonight' (https://www.lastsqueaktonight.com)  Enjoy! 

Have a great weekend everyone! Get vaccinated and stay safe! 

The Friday Link for 4/14/23

This week I'm punting.  I'm still trying to catch up from my vacation.  I still haven't finished editing photos or unpacking.  When I need to punt, I head to Movie Riffing!

I'll bring in the best of the best for you this week, starting with Trace Beaulieu and Frank Conniff, the original Dr. Clayton Forrester and TV's Frank from MST3K with their riffing venture The Mads Are Back! 

Let's look at the new toys for 1963!

Next up is RiffTrax, featuring Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and the awesome Bill Corbett! Tonight they embrace Peter Graves and the garbage that is Missile X: The Neutron Bomb Incident!

And finally tonight, classic MST3K featuring Joel (and Kevin and Trace and Frank), with my favorite of the original series Cave Dwellers.  Seriously this is one bad movie.  The jokes are top-notch.  Is there anything funnier than Trace at the end saying "I liked it!"

Have a good weekend everyone.  Stay healthy and stay safe.

Wear a mask in crowded places and ensure you stay up to date on vaccinations.

The Friday Link for 4/7/23

I'm on vacation this week; back on the air Tuesday.

Every been really hungry?  Ever been hungry enough to entertain eating your country's leader?  You will be shocked to find out that not only has this happened, it happened as recently as 1672...in HOLLAND!  Yikes! 

The entree's name was not Brie, Benedict, or Candy, but rather Johan, and it's one of the few cases of mass instantaneous cannibalism ever recorded.  And apparently they served up his brother too, as a starter course I guess.  Not sure if anyone yelled, "did everyone get their Phil?" 

One more joke...He didn't get re-elected but his marbling resonated with voters! 

History Matters brings us the gruesome story of how not to win re-election the hard way.

Also this week is ten years of the NFL from Bad Lip Reading. They celebrate a full decade of their lip-reading videos, with Tom Brady often being the focus of their attention. This just makes me laugh.  Especially the player's saying their names.  Watch it and enjoy! 

And to give you a little more this week, ZeFrank and True Facts of the Hippo! Along with their usual jovial points, I was surprised to learn the hippo is more related to the whale than anything else. 

Have a great weekend, stay safe, get vaccinated and I'll be back on the air on Tuesday! 

The Friday Link for 3/31/23

This week we look at old films and why some of them are well worth watching.

First, did you know there is a missing Best Picture winner?  In the first year of the Oscars, they handed out two Best Picture Academy Awards.  One was for Outstanding Picture and the other was for Most Unique and Artistic Picture.  The Outstanding Picture winner was 'Wings.'  The Second was technically also the Best Picture winner, 'Sunrise, A Song of Two Humans.'  

Both films are silent films and both actually hold up somewhat well today.  'Wings' was actually lost for many years before a copy was found in 1992.  The movies feature fairly imaginative technology and artistic advancements for their time.  The second Academy Awards had reverted to only one Best Picture Winner, and before too long, the Academy only recognized 'Wings' as the sole winner for 1929.  

For a breakdown of the two films and the war between 'popular versus artistic' films over history, Too Much Film School has a nice feature.

I think old horror films are FAR scarier than anything that's released today.  There is something about how those early directors used realism to convey horror and in turn making it very believable.  Realism made them terrifying, even if they weren't trying to be.  Think of Jaws.  I think it's one of the best horror films ever because it's realistic, not some reanimated long-dead serial killer who goes after high school kids. 

Two more videos tonight feature films I encourage you to watch.  1928's 'The Man Who Laughs' is actually far more known as the inspiration for the Batman villain The Joker.  Also, it technically wasn't a horror film but it is as crepey AF.  Another terrifying movie is 'M' from 1931, which is considered to be the first popular movie about a serial killer.  The first one is a silent film, and the second had sound and came from the great early German cinema.  Both of these clips are from Dark Corners Reviews. 

Enjoy these old films if you can find them. By the way, I would also HIGHLY recommend finding 1920's 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, mentioned in 'The Man Who Laughs' feature.  That movie still seems to be a primary inspiration for many actors, directors, and producers today.

Have a great, safe weekend and make sure to stay up to date on vaccines.  

The Friday Link for 3/24/23

This week we start with the return of Ted Lasso, a show I have become addicted to.  But a lot of us have. 

Season three kicked off and here's a clip with Jason Sudeikis displaying his banter with the press corp of the fictional soccer team he coaches.  I feel the way these scenes have been written over the seasons has been a great example of why this show is loved.  Ted disarms the reporters who are there to make him look bad, turning them into a loyal group of followers. You can't help but cheer him on.

Also tonight from Ted Lasso is the actor Brett Goldstein, who plays the near-perfect Roy Kent. His character on the show is an extremely rough and aggressive soccer player, but it has resonated as he has gone on his own journey through the series.

No Roy tonight at Brett joined Elmo and Grover on Sesame Street for games.  This is smile-inducing. 

Finally tonight, away from Ted Lasso, is a restoration video of a long-lost machine, the egg scale.  This is actually a really cool invention and when it is restored it's so cool I want to get chickens and try it out myself. It really becomes a centerpiece conversation starter. 

Have a great weekend everyone and make sure to get vaccinated! 

We're all safer when we are all safer! 

The Friday link for 3/17/23

Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone! 

This week has to be short and sweet as I have places to be tonight so we start off with what ended up being a pretty good opening monologue and a pretty good overall broadcast of the Oscar Awards last Sunday.  I think pretty much everyone who should've won, won.  Jimmy Kimmel, realizing he had to right the ship after last year's debacle with Will Smith, did so perfectly by setting the right tone.  He didn't ignore what happened but successfully moved past it by recognizing the scandal.  Just watch for yourself and see Andrew Garfield steal the show with one fantastic look.

Also tonight another awards show, this time with ZeFrank and the True Facts crew.  

And finally a pretty good skit from SNL.  If you want a realistic portrayal of something, look no further than the spot on Waffle House skit. 

Like I said short and sweet!

Have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day celebration and please do not drink and drive.  There are way too many options for a safe commute. 

Make sure you're vaccinated and have a great weekend! 

Calling the Hater's Bluff

Yesterday I did something I did not think would be controversial.  I posted this picture:

For people not from Minneapolis/St. Paul, that is the stunning mural of Bob Dylan painted by the fantastic Brazilian street artist Eduardo Korba.  It's located on the east side of Hennepin Avenue at S. 5th St. in downtown.  I took that photo while waiting for a traffic light as I drove home from the Guthrie Theater after a performance Saturday afternoon.  I labeled the picture "my city is cool" on social media.

Most of the response to this image was positive, but this morning I've had a few Far Right nut bags belch out the same ignorant talking points from last Fall's election season which did not resonate with voters. They bellowed about how everyone in Minneapolis is robbed and carjacked, how you can't roam the streets without being murdered, that the crime rate is so bad the city is far less safe than an occupied Russian town in Ukraine, and (laughably) how the downtown is 'So Much Worse' than it's ever been. WOW!

Let's put aside the pathetic nature of these insults.  The Right banked on bad-mouthing the Twin Cities as their path to victory in the 2022 elections, and it spectacularly backfired.  The Democrats now control all of the branches of Minnesota government and all the Right can do is rage hate the Left.  This rehashing of these failed talking points today is like an aged washed-up former high school quarterback who keeps talking about how "if the refs wouldn't have screwed us over we would've won the game!"  You lost.  Your hate mantras of the metro did not help, nor were they true.  That bad game plan is on you.  You trying to make "fetch" happen sounds more and more pathetic with each passing day.

By the way Idiots, don't ask why Republicans can't win in a city when all you do is constantly insult that city.

Now I could spend this blog post counterpointing the crime issue in Minneapolis/St. Paul, how violent crime is actually down in Minneapolis (https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/minneapolis-violent-crime-numbers-drop-significantly-in-2022/), how statistically Minneapolis is far safer than its size as the 16th largest metro area in the US, coming in at #36 (https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/blog/top100dangerous), and if you actually count all the cases of caused mortality, not only is Minneapolis/St. Paul the 14th safest city in the US, but it shows you how rural counties across America are FAR less safe than MSP (https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-06-07/is-new-york-city-more-dangerous-than-rural-america).  I could, but let's be honest, the Rightos won't read these stats because God forbid anything actually correct the narrative they want to believe.

I know many of the people bashing the Twin Cities are sad pathetic douches, who live either in outstate Minnesota or elsewhere, who have never even been to Minneapolis, pathetic losers who are desperate to prevent from having to see what a freaking tragedy their own lives are, so they attack others in hope their inadequate miserable cold existences actually get some false warmth by being twisted and demented.  I don't care about those losers.  Just forget those people.  It's easy! 

This blog post is going to ask a simple question of the Right Wing haters who live in the Minneapolis-St. Paul's metro area but yet constantly attack it: Why the hell are you living here?

Seriously! This a legit question.  Why, if you live in the metro area and can't stop bashing the city, do you live here?  Costs alone make living here difficult so you'd better like it.  If you stay and really hate it here, you're an idiot.  Let's expose the truth about these pathetic losers.

We all have one trip on this spinning rock.  It makes NO SENSE to be miserable while you are here.  Your entire life should be a search for what makes you happy.  Find the person you want to love, work the job that makes you smile, and live someplace which makes you happy.  Yes, I'm going to take a few shots here, but the truth is if you truly hate it here, I'm only trying to help.

Most likely they'll first say "My job makes me stay!"  No, it doesn't!  It really doesn't, unless you are something really specific, like the Twins mascot.  You can leave at any point and find work elsewhere.  Marketing, accounting, legal, plumbing, grocery store worker, and corporate executive; these jobs exist everywhere.  With your experience, you'll likely get hired quickly in another location.  And if you are like a lot of people who work remotely, you can work from anywhere!  If you really hate it here, your work is not a legit reason to stay.

This goes for business owners too, whether running a large company, small business, restaurant, or stand-alone shop. You can move your company at any time and relocate elsewhere, probably with major tax incentives and, if you go to a Republican state, they'll likely let you pay your workers peanuts.  Go! 

Next, you might say family is the reason you stay here.  This is a mixed bag.  If it's for kids and their school or sports, once again that is a weak answer.  There are schools in other states.  There are sports teams in other states.  Your kids will be fine if you move.  Do you think your kids are having a good time when every time they come home their parents are bitching about the community they live in?  You are probably doing more damage than good staying here.

If you are staying here because of the health reasons of a loved one (elderly or not), that gets a little more complicated.  For clarification,  I'm not talking about people who say they have to stay for a parent when they really don't.  Your parents will be fine without you, stop using them to hide YOUR fear of moving.

If you do have a parent who legit needs family here for medical reasons (it is Minnesota) I would suggest moving away from the city and living out in the country.  That way you can at least avoid the areas you really hate.  Even with health care needs, you never have to come to Minneapolis if you don't want to.

How about a weird reason? I know a lot of people who say they can't leave because the metro area has so many fun things to do, fun things they never once have done.  They convince themselves the quality of activities in Minneapolis St. Paul (a self-contradictory reason) is too much to leave.  Let's not talk about theoretical things you might do.  If you never go to them, you're only using the metro's incredible calendar as a false crutch.  If all you do is go to chain restaurants in the tertiary suburbs, fearing to go anywhere inside the 494/694 loop, you'd be just as happy in another place.  If you're bashing the city, don't be a hypocrite by using its truly stunning activities as your excuse to not leave.  

House? You can sell it.  Favorite sports team plays here?  You are supposedly too terrified to go to a game and can always follow them nationwide with a sports package on your TV.  Do you have a good friend who lives here?  You can still have them and make new ones in your new town too!  The vast majority of reasons you'll produce to try to validate your staying are just garbage.  You're a fool if you think you can't leave tomorrow.

GO! You'll be happier and we won't miss you!  Or are you too lazy?  Could be you're just a lazy ass.

But let's be honest.  It's more likely you are lying, and you know it.  It's how you try to make your sad life tolerable.  You KNOW Minneapolis St. Paul is not nearly as dangerous as you insist. You know the city is amazing, with plenty to do, great restaurants, and beautiful parks. You know the quality of life here is much better than in other places.  You know the schools in the metro area are better than most other states, and even if you don't like yours, you can open enroll, home school, or go to private schools if you don't like your local one.  You know the pay here is good. You know the medical care here is good.  You know the people here are good.  You know ALL OF THIS and you still choose to be an evil jackass who hates just for hate's sake.  You're a bad person and you probably should leave anyway.  Go see if you can redeem yourself. 

If you insist I'm wrong, that you really hate it here, then call my bluff.  LEAVE, and go be happy elsewhere!  I will applaud your decision and wish you the best.  Like I said, you got one trip on this spinning rock so don't waste it.  Go be happy!

If not, and I called you out correctly, just shut up!  Your bellowing didn't work in 2022, and it sure as hell will not work on the people who love Minneapolis/St. Paul!

I will stand by my original statement:  My city is cool! 

The Friday Link for 3/10/23

Today is a good day!  I was told I could finally stop wearing the back brace which has been glued to me for the last three months.  Healing is wonderful! 

This week a bevy of food options for you, starting with the Anti-Chef.  

Anti-Chef is great.  Jamie might be a professional cook (I'm not sure of his complete background) but he sure has an unorthodox style to his cooking technique.  It's not polished or clean.  He rummages around his kitchen looking for the utensils he needs, he cooks in a very relatable small apartment kitchen, and (best of all) he makes mistakes.  He's not afraid to admit when he does and that's what I like about him.  He's most of us cooking, imperfect, but yet successful.  With his determination, he plugs through and recreates great Julia Child recipes, many of which look delicious.

This one in particular looks AMAZING! Cinnamon toast flan with a strawberry topping.  I will make this one myself in the next few weeks.

Also this week another edition of Tasting History with Max Miller. This time he tackles a dish many of us from the Iron Rage savor, the pasty. Pasty bakes were an annual tradition in my house and I just recently had a discussion with Minnesota musician Paul Metsa about who had the best pasties on the Range (It's Paul's in Eveleth). 

This pasty looks very different from the ones we have, but then again it is a recipe from the age of Robin Hood. 

 

Finally tonight, another video about food, but not a cooking video.  Robert Reich puts out the warning about a massive merger about to happen in the grocery sector, and how it will eventually lead to much higher prices for all of us. 

I especially like him pointing out something I've said for about a year:  It's not Inflation.  It's plain old fashion Greed!

I'll let you know how the Cinnamon Toast flan turns out.

Have a great weekend and remember to keep up to date on your vaccinations!

The Friday Link for 3/3/23

Hi all!  

This week I have an absolute gem from Jon Stewart.  He absolutely dismantles OK State Senator Nathan Dahm for his blind allegiance to guns.  Stewart expertly works him into a corner.  As Dahm tries to insist the individual is the problem, not the gun, so putting more guns out into society is the best option, Stewart (BRILLIANTLY!) points out that's like trying to cure obesity by giving everyone ice cream. 

I don't do it justice.  Watch Stewart do what he does best, point out the Right's ridiculous hypocrisy. 

Also tonight a clip with Al Franken.

I was listening to the David Spade episode of SmartLess and he brought up the worst Saturday Night Live host of all time, Steven Seagal. The episode is the stuff of legends, but not in any good way.  As a matter of fact, it's way beyond "so bad it's good" territory.  Seagal was basically Trump before Trump, a deranged person who somehow managed to become a celebrity.  

I'll let Franken take it from here.  This is from an interview he did with comedian Tom Segura on a show (podcast?) Your Mom's House. 

Have a great weekend.  Enjoy the melting.

Make sure you get vaccinated and stay safe!