New Job Butterflies

After an exceptionally long, weird, and stressful out of work period, I start my new iteration of my career this morning.  It is coincidental that it is occurring during the traditional back-to-school period, as that is pretty much exactly how it feels to me.  It's equal parts worry, excitement, anxiety, joy, and impatience.  I'm worried about crap like what I'm going to wear, who I'll be meeting and if people are going to like me.

Thorough it all, it has not been lost on me how incredibly lucky I've been, and how so many prayers have been answered in such an amazing way.

No matter how old we get, we still look forward to the start of something new with hopes that we do well, and hopes that people like us.

Want to End the 2nd Amendment? Have At It, Already

With the on-air murder of two individuals last week, again the cry has gone up to eliminate guns from our culture.  In fact, the reporter's father has committed himself and his life to doing so, and just based on the amount of nearly instantaneous airtime he's acquired on CNN, he appears serious.

But, beyond just the simple demagoguery and the grandiose goals that were born of horrific pain, does anyone really understand what that means?

Charles C. W. Cooke of the National Review writes, in the most clear terms ever, what it will take to remove the second amendment, and asks its opponents to finally stop talking about it and get on with its repeal.  There are, of course, a number of things to address.  Here's just one example:

And when you’ve done all that and your vision is inked onto parchment, you’ll need to enforce it. No, not in the namby-pamby, eh-we-don’t-really-want-to-fund-it way that Prohibition was enforced. I mean enforce it — with force. When Australia took its decision to Do Something, the Australian citizenry owned between 2 and 3 million guns. Despite the compliance of the people and the lack of an entrenched gun culture, the government got maybe three-quarters of a million of them — somewhere between a fifth and a third of the total. That wouldn’t be good enough here, of course. There are around 350 million privately owned guns in America, which means that if you picked up one in three, you’d only be returning the stock to where it was in 1994. 

Does that sound difficult? Sure! After all, this is a country of 330 million people spread out across 3.8 million square miles, and if we know one thing about the American people, it’s that they do not go quietly into the night. But the government has to have their guns. It has to. The Second Amendment has to go. 

You’re going to need a plan. A state-by-state, county-by-county, street-by-street, door-to door plan. A detailed roadmap to abolition that involves the military and the police and a whole host of informants — and, probably, a hell of a lot of blood, too. Sure, the ACLU won’t like it, especially when you start going around poorer neighborhoods. Sure, there are probably between 20 and 30 million Americans who would rather fight a civil war than let you into their houses. Sure, there is no historical precedent in America for the mass confiscation of a commonly owned item — let alone one that was until recently constitutionally protected. Sure, it’s slightly odd that you think that we can’t deport 11 million people but we can search 123 million homes. But that’s just the price we have to pay. Times have changed. It has to be done: For the children; for America; for the future. 

Read the whole thing here.

Saturday Song Share: Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

This is the 90's version of Floyd, minus Roger Waters.  They don't miss him:

St. Francis and Religion as Action

My brother-in-law has turned me onto a daily meditation penned by Richard Rohr, and in between than and Fr. Don Talaphous' Daily Reflection, it is a great way to start the day in a prayerful and mindful way.

Yesterday's post by Rohr was an interesting analysis of the writings of St. Francis.  I'll let Rohr break it down for you:

Those who have analyzed the writings of Francis have noted that he uses the word doing rather than understanding at a ratio of 175 times to 5. Heart is used 42 times to 1 use of mind. Love is used 23 times as opposed to 12 uses of truth. Mercy is used 26 times while intellect is used only 1 time. This is a very new perspective that is clearly different from (and an antidote to) the verbally argumentative Christianity of his time, and from the highly academic theology that would hold sway from then on. Francis took prayer on the road and into the activity of life itself, which is why the Franciscans popularized the portable, small psalter that we still call the breviary (brevis or short handbook).

The take-away is how St. Francis view faith as action, and not merely as a mental exercise.

There is a lot for us to take away from that perspective (hey, yet another action!)

Virginia Murders Just Chickens Coming Home to Roost

America was shocked yesterday with the senseless murder of a news reporter and her cameraman while they were broadcasting on live TV.  Not wanting to waste an opportunity, immediately the White House and liberal talking heads used the graphic murders to push an anti-gun agenda.

Somebody should have told the killer that it was his easy access to guns that caused this.

You see, via his suicide note manifesto, his reason for the murders was racial pay-back.  What caused this level of grievance to be delivered in such a graphic and horrific fashion?  Let us count the ways:

1. #blacklivesmatter
2. Treyvon Martin and the President's grotesque involvement
3. The call for reparations
4. Michael Brown
5. "Hands Up, Don't Shoot"
6. The Gentle Giant
7. The concept of White Privilege
8. Rev. Wright and "God Damn America"

I could go on, but you know the drill.

The media has been running with the meme that white power is killing black people for years now.  Now black people are acting upon that meme.  

It is ironic that the group that has so robustly fanned the flames of hatred is the one that is also one of the first victims of that fire.

What Happens When a Muslim Woman is Beaten in Public?

Here is an interesting study in how we Westerners treat the Muslim culture differently:


Why don't people help that poor woman?  In my analysis, it is just a simple continuation of the West's acceptance of Islam's subjugation of their women.  Forced covering, genital mutilation, honor killings, rape, slavery (sexual and otherwise) is business as usual in the Islamic world.  We all know it is happening, and we let it happen (all while complaining about a "war on women" where US women are forced - FORCED - to pay for their own contraceptives).

When we see it in person, we know what it means - Islam treats their women with abject brutality.  We're not surprised, and we're sensitive to accept "cultural differences," regardless of how brutal those "differences" are to the women of their society.

I firmly believe that one day history will look back at the West's failure to do anything for women in Muslim countries in the same what that we look back at slavery in this date and age.

With abject shame.  As it should be. 

Madden NFL '16 Trailer

For a long-established franchise like Madden NFL, this is pretty darned good:

Marines Save Countless Lives. Again.

In a story that has been woefully under-reported, two US Marines were on a passenger train travelling to France, when they noticed an individual acting strangely.  The individual went into the toilet on the train, and the unmistakable sound of an assault weapon being loaded (at least unmistakable to a Marine) was noted by the two servicemen.  Sure enough, the subject burst from the toilet armed with a Kalashnikov, an automatic pistol, and enough ammunition to meet out death to at least 100 innocent victims on the train.

Fortunately for all of those potential victims, there were those two Marines aboard the train.  The heroes immediately engaged the shooter, and using their bare hands, subdued him before too much mayhem and carnage could ensue.  Unfortunately for one Marine, he took a round to the neck, and is in guarded condition.

You can read a nice recap on the story here.

This brings to mind a very famous quote:

 "The safest place in Korea was right behind a platoon of Marines. 
Lord, how they could fight!"
-MGen. Frank E. Lowe, US Army; Korea, 26 January 1952.  

I think if you asked the folks on that train, they'd suggest that the safest place for them was right behind those two Marines.

Now, the real question: Why in the world is this not a front page story?  Think about that.

Saturday Song Share: Butterfly Boucher - Gun for a Tongue

Bad lip-synch of a very good song:

Joe Posnanski Writes on Yankees Domination of Twins

Joe Posnanski is one of the best writers going right now.  He's much more than just a sportswriter, and his essay on Katie the Prefect still brings me to tears every time I read it.  He's an incredibly talented writer, and is absolutely worth the read.

In yesterday's post, he takes on the Yankees total domination of the Twins over the past decade or more.  I'll let Joe take it from here:

How bad has it been for the Twins against the Yankees in recent years?

This bad: Since 2002, the Yankees are 80-29 against the Twins. I’ll repeat that in capital letters in case you missed it: They are EIGHTY and TWENTY NINE.

This is simply not a realistic record: 80-29. It’s the sort of record you will see for some ultra-successful 1A  high school football coach in Georgia. It’s the sort of vote total you see for a bill that will designate some day in the near future as “Chocolate Cake Day.” It does not seem possible that one Major League team would beat another Major League team 80 out of 109 times.

And it’s not like we’re talking about a doormat Major League team either. Yes, these have been rough times for the Twins lately, but they have won six division titles since 2002. The Twins have lost 92 or more games each of the last four seasons, and they STILL have a winning record since 2002. This has been a good, sometimes excellent, baseball team. And they’ve also been the New York Yankees’ plaything for 13 years.  

If you're a Yankees fan, a masochistic Twins fan, a baseball fan, or just a fan of good writing, check out Joe's entire post here.

By the way, that "Chocolate Cake Day" is classic Posnanski.

Bad Lip Reading - The Republican Debate

I don't know how these guys do it...

Why the Support of Trump?

A number of talking heads on the right - Hannity, Coulter, Rush, and others - have lined up in the Donald Trump camp.  Given Trump's history and background, this has been astonishing to me.  Trump has baggage galore, is far from conservative, is inconsistent and a bully.  Despite this, folks are cozying up to him.

Why?  Because they're golf partners?  Because they don't want to face the wrath of Trump's bullying (ala Megyn Kelly)?  What is really happening here?

Here's Coulter bending over backward to defend the guy:



This has led Glen Beck to craft the following, and I think he absolutely nails it for me:

(Trump) is part of the problem when he by his own admission, buys politicians; he said he identifies his “policies more as a democrat”; he makes President Obama look truly humble; he was very pro abortion until very recently; he still says “don’t defund planned parenthood”; he is pro “assault weapon ban”; he is in favor of a wealth tax that would just “take money out of people’s bank accounts”; he is for boots on the ground in Iraq and ‘taking the oil’ from the Iraqi people; he is a progressive ‘republican'; he says single payer health care works; he said he would give people more than just Obama care; the First Lady would be the first to have posed nude in lesbian porno shots; he said that he keeps all the bibles he is given in a “special place” out side the city – and he only goes to church on Christmas and Easter; he is generally not a likable guy; he has around 16% favorability with Hispanics and he has gone bankrupt 4 times.

This is an honest question. I really want to understand:

Why are big name “conservatives” supporting him? I get it if you are tired of politicians, a republican progressive, or you are only about winning (although those who say they would NEVER vote for him is over 50% of REPUBLICANS). Perhaps you are angry and you just want to make someone pay or just want something done and you don’t care how it gets done, but what PRINCIPLES does he have that they are attracted to?


I am not talking about the average Joe, I am talking about Sean Hannity or Ann Colter. How about Savage or Rush?

Principles.  Who you truly are, what you truly represent, and what you truly stand for.  Simple stuff, really.  Does anybody care that nobody has them anymore?

Restoring the Faith

Just about the time that you've given up on your fellow American, and that you've resigned yourself to the fact that we're doomed as a society, a guy comes along and does something that provides a flicker of hope:


WPSD Local 6: Your news, weather, and sports authority

John Wooden once said, "A true test of a man's character is what he does when no one is watching."

Thanks, buddy, for proving there are still a few of us left that care about things like this.

How Serious Is Hillary?

Most people with a modicum of intelligence and knowledge of the law agree that Mrs. Clinton is in some pretty serious hot water about the handling of her server and her conduct related to emails sent on that server.

So, what's her take on the situation?



Is she really that ignorant about the seriousness of the charges being hurled against her?  Beyond that, could she come across as any more wooden, and bereft of any shred of comedic timing?

There's no other way to say it - this woman is flat-out creepy.

Saturday Song Share: The Rosebuds - In My Teeth

I have no idea why this band isn't massively more popular.  Enjoy this live performance:

The Real Story Behind Hillary's Emails

This is pretty spot on...

Hillary's Guilty. Nobody Cares

It is becoming more and more evident of what we already knew: Hillary used her "private" email server to conduct our nation's business, and leveraged that platform to communicate top secret information.  But for any of us following the situation, this is common knowledge.  The lies and obfuscation used to explain her situation were not only just that, but also served as talking points for the media, chat rooms, and late-night TV hosts.

She's guilty as sin, she knows it, everybody with a modicum of intelligence knows it, and nobody cares.  This story cannot get traction because the media is proactively burying it, and paid minions in chatrooms across the nation are talking it down.

This isn't a surprise.  Consider the press' treatment of Obama, Ted Kennedy, Bill Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank, and dozens of others.  Most of those people should be held in contempt, if not held in prison.  However, because there is a (D) behind their name, they're given a pass.  

Hillary Clinton broke the law.  She should go to jail.  Instead, she'll be buoyed and supported by a complicit media.  

All the way to the White House.  

What is Up with All the Trump Love?

For the life of me, I cannot understand the love being shown Donald Trump early in this election cycle.  I understand he's brash and speaks his mind, but does that forgive the following:

• Hardly a conservative, he's argued for things like single-payer medical coverage, and even had Hillary Clinton sitting in the front row of his wedding
• The man is as subtle as a Brillo pad.  He's beyond egotistical, and acts the role of a bully, and a clown.

I've flat out had it with presidents that have inflated egos of themselves.  I want somebody that will work tirelessly on making things better, as opposed to going on golfing vacations, and showing up on late-night talk shows to slow-jam the news.  Is there any question as to which kind of president Trump would be?

Trump fans, what in the world am I missing here?

Lily Camera - The Ultimate Hunting Documentation Drone?

The technology around what is happening with drones is moving at an incredible pace, and one of the most impress that is out there is the new Lily drone.  Check it out:



I can think of a million applications for this, but two specifically for hunting stand out:

• Using Lily in circle mode while duck hunting to evaluate the quality (or lack thereof) of a blind from the ducks' perspectives
• Using Lily in follow mode to document a field of pheasant hunters

This is really cool - hope I'm able to get my hands on one sometime down the road.

Hat-tip to cousin Murphy

Saturday Song Share: Dwight Yoakam - Guitars, Cadillacs

Time to make our way to the country with some newer, old-school stuff from Mr. Yoakam:

The Power of the Image of the Cross

When walking to Starbucks this morning for my usual coffee, I was awestruck by the majesty of the mountains that surround me in my current locale.  A simple image - rocks, sky, and trees, but combined they were astonishing.  I pondered: is there any image that is more powerful than that of a mighty mountain range?

An answer hit me almost immediately: yes.  It's the cross.

Think of what the cross symbolizes - immense suffering, but suffering that was done under the auspices of boundless love.  Horrible, prolonged death, but at the same time life, and everlasting life at that.  Dark loss and defeat, but also ultimate and eternal victory.

One can't look at a cross and not consider the One who hung upon it, and everything that act means to us.

A small, simple symbol, but with a depth of meaning that is nearly impossible for us to truly comprehend. 

Another Reason Why I Do Indeed Love Peyton Manning

I admit it.  I have a massive man-crush on Peyton Manning.  It's bad.  It's so bad, that when I might have the Broncos game on TV, Mrs. YDP will exclaim, "Oh, look, your boyfriend is on TV again!"

So then Manning goes and does this, and makes me love him even more:



In an industry full of self-centered idiots, one guy always seems to stay well above the mire.

Stay classy, Peyton, and I'll stay loving you.

Hillary Doubles Down on Planned Parenthood

It doesn't matter what proof is presented as to the ghoulish practices of Planned Parenthood: they have Hillary's undying support - 



With another trove of damning videos yet to drop, this fight is far from over.  If I think what happens actually happens, Hillary won't be able to hide from her words at the 1:40 mark.

That is how much the Democrats have invested in abortion.  

Abortion uber allies.

Hollywood Comes to the Aid of the Iran Nuke Deal

This is not something from the Onion, and I'm not making this up.

A host of Lefty favorites has published the following tripe in support of the Iran nuclear weapons deal:


This is how low we've sunk, politically.  I'm ashamed of this country.

In the meantime, we thankfully have leaders like Senator Tom Cotton, who flat refuse to let the roaches run rampant in the dark:

Navy Officer that Shot at Jihadist to be Punished?

During the mass-murder Jihad attack in Chattanooga a couple of weeks ago, a Navy officer happened to be armed with a personal sidearm, and returned the fire of the attacker.

The problem?  The officer was working in a "gun free" zone, and it was illegal for him to be carrying that sidearm.

Now the officer is under investigation, and may be punished and/or prosecuted.  

Here at YDP we'll continue to follow this story, as it is not being widely reported, and its injustice (as well as its stupidity) is staggering. 

The Left's Response to the Planned Parenthood Videos

With each new damning video showing the moral depravity of Planned Parenthood, two very interesting things are happening in the Left media and in chatrooms:

1. The Left leaning media are flat ignoring the topic.  It is not being covered one iota, and there appears to be a concerted effort to sweep the entire subject under the rug
2. The talk-off in chatrooms is that the videos are lies, and are the creation of Fox News.  They're highly edited, and flat fiction.  

The latter is the one that is most concerning to me.  American literacy on what is happening in our world are arguably the worst it's been since the dawn of mass media.  Folks cocoon themselves in a world where their "news" comes to them in easily digestible sound bites, and comes to them via a source which reflects messages that the recipient wants to hear.

Thus, a campaign designed to discredit a substantive, factual, fair, and astonishing story can be summarily discounted by just calling it names.  

This is a purely political tactic, and is straight out of Saul Alinski's playbook:  "Ridicule is man's most potent weapon."

It is scary to me to see the abject manipulation of truth.  This is just profoundly evil.