Where I Come From

It has long been felt that our family was mostly Irish, with some German thrown in.  Also, we had a rumor of perhaps some native American on my mom's side as well.

Since I had more questions than answers, I went out and took one of those DNA tests.  Here are my results:

Some notes on these findings:

• Europe West and Great Britain also cover Ireland, so my Irish is likely well above the 23% shown above.
• The Scandinavian and Spanish findings were big, big surprises.  Definitely were not on the family radar screen.
• The two trace regions were Eastern Europe and Turkey, but both were so small that they were likely genetic noise.
• The Native American rumor is just that.

Overall, it was a fun process, and now brings up a lot of questions as to who we all are and where exactly we came from.

Saturday Song Share: The Tragically Hip - Locked in the Trunk of a Car

Let me out...

Somali Men Terrorize Lake Calhoun Residents

This is just the start of things to come:



It is only a matter of time before something horrific happens in Minnesota, and that state's stance on Islam in general, and the Somali community in specifics, will be the reason.

Everything You Need to Know About the 2016 Election...

Your Honor, I rest my case.

ISIS Beheads Catholic Priest During Mass

In France yesterday two men with ISIS ties stormed a Catholic church during morning mass, beheaded the priest, and savagely attacked a nun.

Details of the atrocity can be found here

For a while now I've been harping that evil is on the march.  Could any other example make this more clear?  

Imagine the world outcry if a mosque were stormed and the imam decapitated.  Now compare that to this story.

You don't think big things are conspiring to provide evil with the momentum if most desperately needs?

Scary, scary times are ahead of us.

Munich Mourns, Obama Jokes

This could be the most inappropriate statement by at sitting president in my lifetime:



This last April, my wife and I walked those very streets in Munich.  

One president once told the German people, "Eich bin ein Berliner!"  Now our president tells the German people, in their moment of sorrow, about his daughter.

Absolutely unbelievable.

Saturday Song Share: Ike and Tina Turner - Nutbush City Limits

Ike doesn't do much, but Tina more than makes up for him.  What a talent:

Vacation to the Rescue

It has been a hard couple of months.  Work has been at a pace requiring me to work most weekends, and very long hours during the week.  It's hard to complain as I feel I'm doing the best work of my career right now, but I know my schedule has been very unhealthy and not sustainable.  

Likewise, the world just seems to continue to get worse by the day.  I won't bore you with the laundry list associated with that - we're all quite well aware that in many respects we're circling the toilet.

But just when things appear ready to snap, over the hill like the cavalry rides vacation.  One full week with my family.  It will be filled with laughs, sleep, fishing, good food, better wine, great conversations, and precious memories.

One last day to go.  

I'll keep you posted on our goings on.  Until then, I wish you all the comfort of a similar peaceful space.

What Was Cruz Doing?

Ted Cruz flat blew it last night.  His failure to endorse Trump came off as petulant, petty, and personal.  Ted looked personally small, and despite a great speech and even better credentials, he crippled any future chance he has to be President.

I know Trump took massive, unfair shots at Cruz.  The "lyin' Ted" thing, shots at his wife, and hell, even accusing his father of having something to do with the Kennedy assassination were tactics that the over-the-top Trump used to redefine Cruz and put him on his heels.  Cruz has to still feel those stings, and I get it.

But what I don't get is the massive misunderstanding of what is at stake in the 2016 election.  Hillary Clinton will name at least one and likely two Supreme Court justices.  ISIS will continue its murderous spree unabated.  Racial relations will continue to spiral downward.  Our national debt will likely eclipse $25 TRILLION.  Our economy will continue to suffer.  And we'll have someone in the White House that considers themselves above the law, hence the recent IRS scandal could be nothing but child's play.

Cruz knows this.  Yet, in the end, he thought it better to either 1) embarrass Trump and/or 2) set himself up for the 2020 presidency that he flat just didn't care.  His speech was all about Ted, and not about our country.

That's not what a leader does.  That's surely not what a patriot does.

Cruz used to be my guy.  Now he's damaged goods.  His political aspirations overtook what was good for the country.  In essence, he became what he so despised, and looked small and pathetic doing so. 

Bye Ted.  It is unfortunate that your speech will likely define the entirety of your political career.

It's Not Radical Islam, It's Sharia Islam

All the high profile terrorist events are tied to "radical Islam" on the right, and something else (usually guns) on the left.

I have news for us - the death, mayhem, violence, and subjugation isn't "radical Islam."  It is Sharia.

Now, you'll get apologists that try to sweep this away as being some simple little manifestation of the Muslim faith that the right is using as a boogeyman.  Rubbish.  It the tool that is being used to throw homosexuals off roofs, stones rape victims for their adultery, cuts hands off of thieves, mutilates little girls' genitals, and the like.

This stuff is going on in Sharia countries every day.

Every damn day.

Islam is not a religion of peace.  It is a religion that relishes violence, strife, and subjugation, and woe be to those that step out of line.

The people killing westerners are not some fringe element.  Their the manifestation of the main element that has now come to our shores.

Wieden+Kennedy Goes All In for Black Lives Matter

Last week, renown ad agency Wieden+Kennedy had the following replace their website:

Surprised?  I don't think anyone is.  

Think they'll do anything for the cops?  Yeah, I don't either.

Heartache for Louisiana

Minnesota is my home.  Wisconsin is where I live.  Louisiana is what I love.  That is why my heart aches so for what is happening down there.  

The far left wants a racial fight so bad that they'll do just about anything to see it come to fruition.  Anything from lying about a shooting (e.g. "hands up, don't shoot") to flat out murdering cops in military ambushes.

Charles Manson committed the Tate murders to hopefully usher in a race war.  He was unsuccessful.

Here we sit, now nearly 50 years later, and we're closer to Manson's coveted race war now that we ever have been.

Somewhere in a dark cell of the Corcoran State Prison sits one very evil, but very happy man.

New Favorite Golfer - Beef Johnston

I flat love the British open.  I love the early start for those of us over here in the states, the lousy weather, the links courses, the wind blowing off the Atlantic, the whole damn deal.  

Now I've got more to love.  A lot more to love.  Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Beef Johnston:

He's all gut, beard, and bad teeth, and I love him to death.  

There is nothing better than bad-body athletes.  So, Mr. Beef, welcome to the likes of those I've loved like Charles Barkley, Cecil Fielder, Jerome Bettis, Harold Snepts, and all the others that looked more like they sat more on barstools than they did practicing their craft.

Where's the beef, indeed.

Saturday Song Share: Cake - The Distance

Nothing better than a big old piece of Cake...

Evil Marches On

With the horror of Nice yesterday, it sure appears that things are spiraling out of control.  Now, today, we're faced with a "Day of Rage" that could be anything between stupid rumor to all-out fighting in the streets.  I guess we'll find out.

What does it all mean?  Ultimately, I believe it means our world is getting more and more evil by the day, and evil is winning.  It is winning via pure body-count, and it is winning via the politicians, celebrities, media, and influencers that provide air-cover for it.  

Events that push hatred and death now rule our days, and a dearth of leadership enables the violence to propel forward.  Even worse, many of our so-called "leaders" are actively pouring gas on the fire.

It is astonishing, and I fear we ain't seen nothing yet...

White Allies - Minnesota a Bigger Mess

I was driving home after a long day of work yesterday, and was talking to a Minnesota buddy on the phone.  "Black Lives Matter shut down any freeways there today?" I joked.  He replied, "No, but a bunch of white people shut down 35W!"  I laughed at what had to be an obvious frivolous reply, and our conversation veered off to another direction.

Turns out he was right: a bunch of white people shut down 35W during rush hour.

I lived in Minnesota my whole life, except for these past seven years.  In that time, I get glimpses of the state through a prism of how the other 49 states view it.  Given these past couple of weeks, it is hard not to view it as anything other than a raging liberal enclave; one without a shred of common sense.  

As somebody that still calls the state "home," it's damned embarrassing.

Think it will end anytime soon?  Think again.  Here's a statement from the group (released before they went to jail):  "...comfort and business as usual must be disrupted until substantive changes occur in our city and throughout the country.” 

Whitey, you've been too damned comfortable, and now you're going to pay.  Says liberal, self-loathing, socialist/anarchist Whitey.

Welcome to Minnesota.

NSSF Calls Out "Weapons of War"

A really good look at what some are calling "weapons of war."

The Present - An Animated Short Story

I think you'll like this:

Black Lives Matter - Minnesota a Mess

Chaos.  Unmitigated, undiluted chaos.

Black Lives Matter Minneapolis shut down I-94 yesterday, in a massive "protest."  Ultimately, 21 police were injured, including one officer that suffered a broken neck.

In the meantime, the media, Governor Dayton, and President Obama continue the rhetoric, and the temperature rises.  It is only a matter a time before the powder keg finally erupts.  

Why in the world would anyone want to be a cop?  Unfortunately, I think that is exactly what some in our society want.

Minnesota nice... 

Painful Recognition

I was doing some brainstorming on an upcoming grand opening event that we're having later this summer.  As part of the event, I'm considering having a local NASCAR driver appear, but given that I'm not a fan, I didn't know if he'd register with our audience or not.

In thinking about who would know, I immediately went to my buddy Don.  Don represented Ward Burton, and know as much about the race game as about anyone I knew.  I instinctively grabbed my phone, and as I was headed for the contacts, I remembered.

I remembered Don was dead.  He died a very quick death due to inoperable cancer last summer.

He was so young (my age), so full of energy, and went so quickly, it still hadn't fully sunk in that he's gone.  

As I sat there, painfully recalling his loss and thinking about his family, I mourned a little all over again. 

Hard stuff.

Saturday Song Share: JD McPherson - Let the Good Times Roll

I just love this guy's brand of rockabilly:

Game of Thrones Best Character - Lady Mormont

I'm quite addicted to Game of Thrones, at least the TV version.  It is written, produced, and delivered impeccably, and the ranging story lines are original in their conceptualization and as entertaining as all hell.

The beauty of the story are the characters, and the fact that any one beloved character is as likely to be killed off as another.  I've had a couple of favorite characters, and each has found their way 6 feet under.  Fortunately for me, Season 6 introduced a new character, and she's a flat-out buttkicker.

She only has had two scenes, but she stole them both.  Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Lady Mormont of Bear Island:

(I can't embed, so you'll need to link)

Lady Mormont helps Jon Snow

Lady Mormont calls out the Kings

I swear, the show is worth it just for her...

The Best Commercial Ever? Johnny Walker - Dear Brother

Marketing and advertising is what I do for a living.  As such, I critique not only from a consumer's standpoint, but from a professional one as well.

There's a lot of crap out there, ladies and gentlemen.  However, what this team produced is what advertising should be.  It's easily in my top five commercials of all time, if not my number one.  

In a world full of mechanisms to block/bypass ads, it is work like this that will save advertising.  

I can't wait to see my brother and hug the living tar out of him.

Hillary Skates

FBI Director Jim Comey lambasted Hillary Clinton and her staff yesterday for their abject negligence in her treatment of her private email server.  He also exposed myriad lies, such as she only wanted one device, she never had top secret email on the server, she turned over all the government related emails, and her server had never been hacked (among others).

His diatribe was long, but at the end, since her negligence wasn't intentional, she gets off clean.  Never mind that it was more important to Hillary that she be able to cover her tracks via her own illegal server, and that American citizens would be placed in jeopardy.  In the end the only thing that is important is that the Clintons are taken care of.

There is absolutely another set of rules for the Democrats.  Laws don't matter.  Public safety doesn't matter.  The only thing that matters is that they hold power.  Period.

And in their wake are millions of supporters, willing to turn a blind eye again and again, because the specter of losing power is far more scary than supporting a lying criminal.

This lady makes Nixon look like a choirboy, yet nobody cares.

God have mercy on our country.

David Feherty and His Father with Alzheimer's

For those of us touched by dementia, we clearly have stories very similar to this.  

Feherty is a hell of a man.  It would have taken a hell of a man to raise him.  Here's to Mr. Feherty.  Both of them.

What Happened to Patriotism?

Somewhere our country has gone off track, and the act of being proud about one's country is now viewed down upon.  In fact, in a recent article in the New York Daily News, the call was put out to have MLB "permanently retire ‘God Bless America,’ a song that offends everyone."

Indeed, from an early age, children who used to be taught that ours was the greatest nation in the history of the world are now taught that we are guilty of slavery, genocide, jingoism, sexism, racism, and white privilege.   To sum up, America now sucks, and we must atone for our wicked past.

When I grew up, we were one and half generations removed from WWII.  We had literally saved the world from oppression, torture, and death.  Likewise, upon our victory, we didn't vanquish our opponents, we rebuilt them with our own sweat and treasure.  That's happened pretty much never in human history.

Also during my childhood, we were deeply engaged in a cold war with the Soviet Union, and in many fronts, it felt like it was a war we were losing.  Freedom was on the run, Iranians took our citizens hostage, and America's glory days appeared gone.  Finally, we as a country had enough, and elected Reagan, and our good days returned for a short while.

They ended again once liberal ideology embedded itself into school curriculum.  Now, we're back to sucking.  Show respect for the flag or the country?  Then you're a damned rube.

What happened to us, and why do so many of our citizens hate our country and our history?  Perhaps we'll never know.  But in light of our birth as a country (the original Brexit), forgive me if I don't feel just a little proud.

Fellow rubes, enjoy, and happy Independence Day

  

Man Dancing with the World

This has been out there a while, and if you've already bumped into it, I apologize.

It is pretty darned cool:


How much better would all of our lives be if we could just take five minutes, shut up and dance with each other?

Saturday Song Share: Wall of Voodoo - Mexican Radio

I understand
Just a little
No comprende
It's a riddle