Cheech and Chong's Latest Movie

As a kid growing up, these guys' albums (yes, they were in vinyl) were high entertainment (no pun intended).  It is nice to see that they're still making movies.  Check out the trailer:



This is the epitome of a viral video effort - humerous, targeted, entertaining, and effective. 

Simply brilliant marketing.

Newest Hallmark Line? Cards for the Unemployed

I saw this news article and it really, really ticked me off.  

Hallmark is just trying to make a buck.  People who know folks that are unemployed want to have the ability to reach out to friends and family.  I get that.


So why am I so angry?  I'm angry because this, to me, legitimizes the way things are.  A thing like a layoff which used to be considered an aberration is now something so common that we actually exchange cards when it happens.  It sends a signal that this is just what life is like now - no sense in fighting it.


What's next, cards for going on food stamps, car repossession, and home foreclosure?  Really, what's next?

If or when I become unemployed, send me an email of encouragement, a lead on a job, or a text to know you care, but please, please don't send me a card. 

Vikings Second Half Woes Are All in Their Head

The stats are in, and after Week 3 of the NFL season, the Minnesota Vikings have been outscored by a whopping 67-6.  They led each game at halftime, but were absolutely crushed in the every second half in which they played.

The Detroit game this past week was remarkable to watch, as you could physically see the Vikings players lose confidence as the game went on.  Their body language said it all - "We're choking again!"

And that's exactly what they did.

Given their first half performances where they have outscored their opponents by a 54-7 margin, this team knows it can compete and it can put up enough of a game to win.  They now need to find a way to stop themselves from losing, and that needs to come from the coaching staff.  This isn't a talent thing.  This is partly a game-plan thing.  And this is now most definitely a psychological thing.  
Week 4 of the season provides the Purple with the Kansas City Chiefs - a team in their own state of free-fall.  While KC can be a tough place to play, the team the Chiefs will field cannot compare with the physical talent the Vikings have.  Unfortunately, that's not where this team wins and loses games.  

That rests solely between the horns on their helmets.  

2011 Minnesota Duck Opener Report

Simply put, it was a great opener.

This year we started out with a stop at Sal's Bar in St. Joe, where we were happy to see that Dale was still tending bar.  24 years later, not much has changed:

  
We woke plenty early and were excited to see all of the birds in the area.  It didn't appear that we had lost too many since when I was up for early goose season.

The appointed opening time arrived, and so did that initial first-light teal, and we were soon on the board.  The bag was further augmented by more teal, mallards, a goose, and a lone ringneck.  The following day played out the same way, with us also harvesting a wood duck.

Overall, it was a great opener.  The numbers of mallards in particular were fun to see.  It's been years since we had such a great opening weekend.

It will be interesting to see how this next weekend will unfold as legal shooting has been shut down in Minnesota this whole week.  I hope it helps keep birds in the area, and it will be interesting to find out on Saturday morning.

Thanks much to my buddy Joe for the blind companionship.  

Thanks as well to the Yellow Dog, as she worked her tail off retrieving all of those birds.  Not sure what we would have done without her.  

 

Great Video from Operation Smile

Grab the Kleenex...

Give My Love to Rose

My dad and two friends purchased a farm which would serve as our hunting camp back in 1986.  The Glenwood, Minnesota site featured a turn-of-the-century farmhouse that had to be among the most beautiful in the county when it was built, but was in horrific disrepair.  That mattered not to bunch of rough duck hunters, as the site also sat on a lake that happened to be fantastic for duck hunting.   

For 25 years it has been a place where we gathered for that grand fall tradition.   

Much has changed in that period, but one thing that was constant was Rose.  Rose was the waitress at the Minnewaska House, our Friday night restaurant.  When we first started going (I was still in college), my dad and his partners made sure that they tipped Rose well to keep the cocktail glasses full, and she hustled at a pace that was breakneck.  She pushed the bartender to keep up, and was demanding of the kitchen to make sure that we were served the finest cuts.  She was sweet, endearing, and took such good care of us that we'd ask to be seated in her section in subsequent visits.   

Every weekend, every year, with few exceptions, Rose was our hostess.  Not only did she take good care of us from a service perspective, but she also watched the skies for us.  When we arrived on Friday we would wonder if any new birds may have migrated into the area over the past week, and we could always count on a pretty accurate report from Rose.   

Over the years our ranks changed.  Dad got sick, and no longer came up.  But Rose always asked about him, every weekend, and told me to give him a hug when I saw him.  Ultimately, dad died, and when I told Rose about it she put her arm around me, offered her sincere condolences, and stressed that he was now finally in a much better place.  At this point, Rose was not a waitress.  She was a friend, and a full-fledged part of our hunting crew.   

When I went up for goose hunting opener a number of weeks ago, we went out to dinner and found that Rose wasn't working.  We were informed that she had finally decided to retire.  A couple of years ago, I asked Rose how long she had worked there, and she stated that she had started in the 1960's.  Incredible!   

So when we go up this weekend for yet another season opener, we'll not see her, and will need to start a new tradition.  However, on that day I've arranged a bouquet of flowers be delivered to an incredible woman in Starbuck, Minnesota that will be missed more than I can convey.   

Enjoy your retirement, Rose, and thank you for everything.

Seems only fitting that we close with this:

The Last North Star

It was the late '80's.  I had recently graduated, started my career, and was hopelessly broke.  And I was also a huge North Stars hockey fan.  Sure, I loved the Twins and Vikes, but nothing registered for me like the Stars, and even though I didn't have two nickels to rub together, I found my way into a season ticket package shared by a bunch of buddies.   

The games we saw!  Gretzky and the Oilers, Lemieux and the Penguins, Secord and Savard and the Blackhawks.  And the Stars' own players - Neil Broten, Craig Hartsburg, Dino Ciccarelli...  But of all the Stars players, the most complete and best player was Mike Modano.   

He joined the team for the '89-'90 season as a much-heralded US-born player acquired by Lou Nanne.  He was touted as having the ability to change the franchise.   

Unfortunately, we had heard that exact same story before with Brian Lawton.  Lawton went so far as to wear #98, one less than Gretzky, when he came into the league.  However, we could soon tell he was just an ordinary player, and that sweet Lou had overestimated.  Big time.  

But Modano was different.  A big-bodied kid, he could mix it up in the corner.  He was a gifted and an incredibly fast skater, especially for his size.  But his best asset was his shot - wristers were hard and impeccably placed, and his booming one-timer was feared.  Finally, for the bombastic Nanne, the performance matched the hype.   

Fast forward to 2011.  The North Stars are long gone - nearly 20 years now.  The Minnesota Wild is now Minnesota's NHL franchise, and have been that way for 11 years.  I've worked a career, with 9 different companies and added grey to what's left of my hair.  And Mike Modano, the Stars' greatest player, has finally decided to retire after a stellar career which featured 8 All-Star game appearances and a Stanely Cup win.   

He was amazingly good for an almost unbelievable amount of time.  And he leaves being the last player that could still trace his experience back to the North Stars. 

As a fan, I don't think there could have been anyone else that we'd want to have this distinction.  I'm not alone in that sentiment.  Here's how the Wild honored Modano in the last game he played in Minnesota:   

Thanks for everything, #9. Enjoy retirement. You earned it.

VinConnect is Born!

Yesterday my brother launched a brand new business.  It is a brilliant concept on a unique new way to sell wine directly from the European producers to discerning oenophiles here in the States. 

While I have some cousins that have built and run their own companies, nobody in my direct family – siblings and parents – has ever launched a company.  We’re damn good employees and can effectively run business units and in some instances entire businesses.  But these are not businesses that we built with our own hands. 

He’s the first entrepreneur.  Hot dog!

I’ve always had great affinity for the American entrepreneur.  They are mostly responsible for driving our overall economy, and their innovation and developments push established businesses and processes to do better.  We’d be lost as a nation without them.

While I admire them, I don’t think I could ever join them.  I’ve worked way too hard for my money to put it at risk, and make no mistake, with the failure rates of businesses, especially new businesses, it would definitely be at risk.  Personally, I enjoy the financial (and medical) security offered by traditional employment, and while I may have been better off doing my own thing, I cannot complain about how things have unfolded.  The road has been hard, the hours long, the sacrifices great, but the results rewarding. 

But that’s chicken feed compared to what my brother is doing. 

He’s conceived of this business, did his due diligence, invested his savings, and took a first step out on that wire.  And is doing so in the middle of the biggest economic tumult that any of us have seen in our lifetimes. 

If this economy recovers, it is going to be guys like my brother – guys with an undeniable dream and a steel set – that are going to save us.  It sure won’t be guys like me.

I encourage everyone to go out and view what he’s pulled together at VinConnect.com.  While his wares may not be for everybody, his vision, guts, and optimism clearly are. 

K, you make me incredibly proud.  I wish dad could have seen this.     

A Vikings Haiku

The team might be 0-2, but they can still inspire the poet.  Here's a haiku that reflects upon our team's misfortunes:

Vikes optimism:

If they stopped games at half time
We'd be 2 and 0

Cousin Murphy's Duck Gumbo Recipe

Duck opener is this weekend, and that means it is time to go through the freezer and go to work on last year's birds.  And what better way to put to use a bunch of birds than by doing a gumbo?  Especially my cousin's recipe.

Here it is, straight from Louisiana:

Ingredients:
2-3 lbs. of cleaned duck breasts.  Check for shot (right, honey?)
1 pint chicken stock
1 full stalk of celery
2-3 green peppers
2 large onions
1-2 lbs. andouille sausage
1 cup of flour oil as needed.
Copious amounts of Tony Chachere's Cajun spice.

Chop all vegetables and sausage into small chunks and set aside.  Combine flour and oil over medium heat to form a roux.  Stir often as this can burn easily.  Add oil to flour to gain a consistency and look of a thin peanut butter.   Add vegetables to roux and soften them lightly.  Move all ingredients to a large stock pot, adding extra water if needed.  Bring to a boil, turn down to simmer, cover, and stir throughout the day.  Taste often to ensure you have enough Tony's in the mix.  After a couple of hours, break down breasts to shred meat. When gumbo has reduced by between 1/3 and 1/2, you should be ready.  At this time you can add fresh okra to thicken, but good luck finding that in Wisconsin.  This will serve 8-10 adults with leftovers, or 2 Cajuns.  The leftovers will be even better then next day.

For my gumbo, I used some duck, goose, and pheasant breast, along with some incredible andouille from Maplewood Meats.

Here is how it all came out: 

iPad 2 Review

A couple of weeks ago I finally broke down and got my iPad.   

There are three things that make me feel like a kid at Christmas when I get them - new vehicles, new firearms (you can see my review on my new Browning Maxus here), and new technology.  And in that regard, the iPad does not disappoint.   

When they were first announced I figured that they'd merely be larger iPhones.  I could not have been more wrong.  In increased utility provided by the bigger format is significant, and the apps designed specifically for the platform extremely powerful.   

I decided that with this purchase I'd go cheap - just the just the 16GB wi-fi version.  I figured that way I could cut my teeth, while waiting for the long-rumored iPad 3 to be released before making the really big investment.  While I'm still very much in the learning mode with the device, I'm using it enough to clearly know that I'm getting my money's worth from what I've paid.   

Great device. 

Another Reason Why I Love Ford

My first job out of college was with Ford.  While I didn't make very much money there, they provided me with opportunity for advancement, trained me incredibly well (training which I still fall back to even to this day), paid for a majority of my MBA, and otherwise provided me with a foundation which has served me all the days of my professional career.   

They were a company of which I was quite proud, and I have remained a lifelong Ford loyalist.  With the exception of buying my mom's crappy Grand Am as I graduated from college, the only vehicles I have ever purchased in my life have been Fords.  All ten of them - and I remember them all clearly and fondly - have been Ford or Mercury products (I'm still waiting to buy my first Lincoln).   

When the whole bail-out fiasco hit two years ago, Ford acted just like I expected them to act.  It was consistent with their culture an their brand.  And it further endeared me to that company.  Hence, when I saw this commercial, it resonated with me as it reflected exactly what I felt and feel: 

I will remain a huge fan of Ford, and will remain loyal to that brand.  Thanks, Ford, for continuing to give me reasons to do so.

Sgt. Dakota Meyer Awarded Medal of Honor

Yesterday, President Obama awarded Marine Sgt. Dakota Meyer the Medal of Honor.  He is the first living Marine to receive this honor in 38 years.  You can read his citation here.  Please read it.

As we go through our day today and worry about our trials and tribulations, perchance we might take a minute and remember Sgt. Meyer and gain some perspective.

On behalf of your countrymen, thank you, Sgt. Meyer.

BWCA Fire Pays a Visit to Green Bay

I awoke yesterday and started my dog chores for the day. Newly fed, I took the yellow dog out for her morning business. That's when we both noticed the intense smell of smoke. Instantly I was convinced that yet another house in our neighborhood had been burned down (another story, altogether), and I look around at my neighbors' places to see if I could see anything on fire. Finding nothing I put the dog back in her kennel and got ready for work. 

On my way out the door I told my wife of what I smelled, and suggested that when she walked the dog later that she keep her eyes open for yet another burned house in the neighborhood. As I drove to work with my windows down, I noticed that no matter how far I got from home, the smoke smell would not fade. Even arriving at work, it was just as strong as when I'd left. 

I ran into my admin on my way to my office and asked her what was up with the smoke - had some rabid Bears fans finally put a torch to Lambeau Field or something? She replied that she knew - the morning radio was reporting that it was smoke from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota. 

Incredible! The upper winds had taken smoke from a fire more than 400 miles away and dumped it right on our front door here in Green Bay. 

It sounds (and smells) like the BWCA fire is horrific, as an estimated 100,000 acres have been impacted. It is a shame that this pristine area suffer such a trauma, and while fire is somewhat part of a natural process, the amount of damage being done there now is massive. 

While we enjoy our visitors from Minnesota here in Green Bay, this is one that we could have done without.

Twins the Worst Team in the American Leauge (or Close Enough)

On July 12 I wrote an article of 5 reasons the Twins wouldbe in the pennant chase.   

I couldn't have been more wrong.   

Since that time, here's what's transpired: 

• Delmon Young was traded for a bag of batting practice baseballs.   
• Ditto Jim Thome.   
•  Mauer has missed a ton of games, including multiple for having a cold.   
• Morneau, Cuddyer, and Span have all missed a vast amount of games.   
• The Nishioka project could not have turned into a bigger failure.  The dude is batting .226 with 12 boots.  He's not a major league player, and has been benched of late.   
• With Mauer unwilling/unable to play, the Twins have been forced to use Butera in an almost every-day basis.  He's responded by hitting .161.  No, that's not a typo.   

All of this has propelled the Twins to an 18-39 stretch since I wrote my article, which leaves them one game out from Baltimore for having the worst team in the American League.  

So what went wrong?  Simple: little talent + gutless efforts to stay in the lineup + abject quitting on the manager = a horrible record.  This team lacks any kind of leadership whatsoever.  Nobody is willing to stand up, put a finger in someone's chest (ala Hunter, Gladden, or Baylor) and demand accountability.  The closest thing they had to that was in Thome, and he was basically released.  

This is a gutless, pathetic, and weak "group of baseball players" (I dare not call them a "team").

Paul Krugman Writes of Shame

I'm not one to expose my readership to garbage.  However, Paul Krugman wrote an article (then proceeded to not allow comments like the coward he is) that has me completely infuriated.

Here it is, in its entirety:

Is it just me, or are the 9/11 commemorations oddly subdued?

Actually, I don’t think it’s me, and it’s not really that odd.

What happened after 9/11 — and I think even people on the right know this, whether they admit it or not — was deeply shameful. Te atrocity should have been a unifying event, but instead it became a wedge issue. Fake heroes like Bernie Kerik, Rudy Giuliani, and, yes, George W. Bush raced to cash in on the horror. And then the attack was used to justify an unrelated war the neocons wanted to fight, for all the wrong reasons.

A lot of other people behaved badly. How many of our professional pundits — people who should have understood very well what was happening — took the easy way out, turning a blind eye to the corruption and lending their support to the hijacking of the atrocity?

The memory of 9/11 has been irrevocably poisoned; it has become an occasion for shame. And in its heart, the nation knows it.

I’m not going to allow comments on this post, for obvious reasons.

Shame, Mr. Krugman?  The shame is that you cannot look past the hatred and loathing you have for your political opponents, regardless of the circumstances.  You are at best morally polluted and at worst suffering from mental illness.  I pray that you seek help.

Bush's Speech at the Flight 93 Memorial

Leadership and eloquence from a man that has been castigated and reviled for both.

Remembering 9/11

We had just completed our early leadership meeting, and I happened to pass by my Creative Manager's cube.  She was sitting there with a radio on her desk, with a weird look on her face.  Normally, she'd be hard at work on something and enjoying the KQ Morning show in the background.  But this was different.  She was not working, but instead staring at her radio.  It was tuned to a news station.   

"What's up, Steph?" I inquired.  She replied that a plane had just struck the World Trade Center, and details were sketchy.  I immediately thought it had to have been a light aircraft, hopelessly off course and likely lost in a cloud bank.  Tragic, but not life-altering.  I asked that she keep me posted and headed off to my office.   

I immediately dialed up the news sites on the internet, and they were extremely light on information.  Everyone had it covered with a  BREAKING NEWS banner, but all that was being reported was that a plane had crashed into one of the towers.  My curiosity piqued, I kept flipping from news site to news site until I was able to find one that was serving a live feed of the accident.   

Immediately, I knew that what had hit that tower was not a nice, little plane.  

I went to my boss' office, and already a small crowd had gathered to watch his TV.  I took a seat on the floor in the middle of the group, and watched the news feed.  We were talking among ourselves, speculating on what was happening, when the second plane hit the second tower.   

It remains the most shocking thing I've ever seen.   

By now the news cameras had gotten closer, and we could clearly see the fires raging and people jumping.   

And that's when I thought of my brother.  

My brother at this time was an investment banker headquartered out of San Francisco.  While I had no reason to place him in New York, let alone the World Trade Center, I also knew that he had been there in the past, and it was not outside of the realm of possibility that he was there that morning.  I immediately bolted from the room and went to my desk to try my brother on the phone.   

The phone rang four times, with my heart falling with each subsequent ring.  Then my newly awakened brother answered with a groggy "Hello?"  I quickly replied that "I have never been so happy to hear your voice in my entire life."  "What's up?" he quickly asked.  I replied that there was an attack going on and that the WTC had been hit.  I just wanted to make sure he wasn't there and was safe.  I told him to turn on his TV and headed back to my boss' office, which was now overflowing.   

I squeezed my way to my previous spot on the floor, as the discussion continued.  Shortly thereafter, we watched in horror as Building #2 collapsed.   

At this point, I was fearful for the loss of life, and went back to my office to see if I could determine the amount of folks working at the WTC by searching on the web.  My answer was over 50,000.  I said a prayer at my desk for the souls at that scene.

At this point I stayed at my desk, getting updates from the web or from folks stopping by.  The Pentagon.  The second tower.  Flight #93.   

Eventually, our CEO called us together in our cafeteria, and gave this speech:   

Most of you are not old enough to remember JFK, but this is your JFK moment.  You will never forget this day.  It will stay with you forever.  We cannot know who did this right now.  There's a lot of speculation, but I'd ask you not to do that.  We'll find out the truth in due course.  You may not feel like being at work right now, and I understand that.  However, I'd pose that is the exact reaction the people that did this wanted.  The best thing we can do is to continue on the best we can.  By all means, if you have family in Washington or New York or you feel you really need to leave, please go.  But for the rest of us I'd encourage us to stay here and do our work.  

It was an incredible speech given by an incredible man.  I've often thought back to that speech and wondered if I would have the ability to say something so insightful and reasoned in a similar situation.  I don't think I ever could.  What an outstanding leader.   

I did finish the day, left work, drove into my garage, got out my flag, and put it out on my front porch.  My neighbor later told me she watched me from her window, and that she cried.   

Our world had just changed, never to be the same again. 

Lying About My Age

Green Bay did itself proud with the NFL kick off celebration earlier this week.  The weather was spectacular, the crowd sizable but well-behaved, and the game entertaining. 

As part of the pre-game festivities, there was a concert given by Maroon 5, Kid Rock, and Lady Antebellum.  As parts of these concerts would be broadcast, there was a "casting call" for people to surround the stage.  Being the music fan I am, I went to the appropriate website to enter my information so that I might be picked as one of the screaming minions. 

Everything was going great, until I hit the field marked "AGE?" 

Damn. 

I'm sure the last thing the producers wanted was to see my old rear end shaking to Bawitdaba.  I stopped and considered my slim prospects. 

And then I lied about my age. 

Just like I did when standing in front of a bouncer in college, I looked the website straight in the eye and lied.  And it was a whopper, too.  I shaved off 20 years.  

While I didn't get selected (note to self, next time, make it even younger), it was interesting to have to lie about my age again.  And I thought my days of trying to pass myself off as a college upperclassman were over...

Boat Rental on Leech Lake

Check out the new addition to Big Rock Resort:

 

To rent, just contact Big Rock - the best walleye fishing resort on Leech Lake.

Minneapolis Bon Iver Concert Review and Set List

Last night I attended the Bon Iver concert at the Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis.  This was a great double bill with Kathleen Edwards, and I have a separate review of Kathleen Edwards' set which you can see as well.   

Bon Iver, for this incarnation, was Justin Vernon joined by eight other players.  The band was big, diverse, and talented.  Multiple players played multiple instruments, including obscure things like clarinet and French horn.  The era of the large band is definitely in, with Arcade Fire and the Decemberists doing it, and Bon Iver installed it as well.

Only, it never sounded better.  Not even close.

This was easily a top ten concert for me.  The sound and musicianship of the players combined with Vernon's haunting vocals and lyrics were mesmerizing.  This is an artist and band at the height of their craft, and it made for an incredible night.  Many of the older songs were reworked to take advantage of the players, and the newer songs tweaked slightly as well. 

How refreshing to listen to a band of such talent! 

Here is the set list, to the best of my recollection:

• Perth - Great rocker that set the tone 
• Minnesota, WI  
• Holocene  
• Towers - beautiful version 
• Creature Fear  - Reworked and really strong 
• Beach Baby 
• Hinnom, TX 
• Wash.  
• Blood Bank - Reworked as a rocker - incredible version
• Re: Stacks  
• Michicant 
• Calgary - Fairly true to the studio version and really strong 
• Beth/Rest  
• For Emma  
• Flume - Perhaps my favorite song of the evening 
• Skinny Love - Had the crowd standing and singing along 
• The Wolves (Act I and II) - Loud and vocal close

If you are a music fan, shell out whatever you have to in order to see this band on the current tour.  You will not be disappointed.  

What an incredible show...

Minneapolis Kathleen Edwards Concert Review and Set List

Last night I attended the Kathleen Edwards opening set for Bon Iver at the Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis.  This was a great double bill, and  I have a separate review of Bon Iver's set which you can see as well.   

It was a different configuration than the last time that Kathleen played in Minnesota (which you can read about here).  Husband and guitarist Colin Cripps is gone, and she was accompanied by two other axe players.  Her sound was strong, her voice beautiful, and her set enjoyable.  Here's the set list, to the best of my recollection:

• Asking for Flowers - beautiful version and perfect way to start the set
• Six O'clock News - Skinny version with just her and the two players made this very nice
• Moving to America - Not familiar with this -  a new one, perhaps?
• Wapusk - New, strong effort
• Run - Just a beautiful, haunting song
• Disintegrate? - Another new one?
• Change the Sheets - She totally poured her soul in this - the highlight of the set
• Back to Me
• Another new one that I could not catch the title.  Kathleen took keyboards for this one

If the new tracks make her long-awaited new album, us fans are in for a real treat.  Personally, I can't wait.  Great stuff.

A Wake Up Honk

Last week was a brutal one for me, as there were a number of crisis situations at work, and I was trying to get myself in a position to take a couple of days off this week.  That meant long hours at work – 12 to 14 hour days, plus work from home.  It was tense, stressful, and exhausting.   

Early one morning as I was headed into work, I was stopped at a stop sign that lead onto a very busy highway.  This intersection is a dangerous one, and has been the scene of multiple accidents and some fatalities in Green Bay.  The intersection was busy with traffic flowing inbound into the town, and a car four vehicles in front of me was waiting to turn right.  Unfortunately, they missed multiple opportunities to move into the traffic, and we sat there.   

Looking back to the west, there was nothing but a line of vehicles, so if a presented opportunity wasn’t taken, it would be a while for another to come around.   

After about the fourth missed opportunity without movement, I couldn’t take it anymore and laid on my horn.  I was simply too spun up with the stress of the impending day that I acted like a tool.   

The horn snapped me out of my rage.  

 Did I really do that?  Did I really honk?  What if that were my mom in the car – would I want her barreling into a small window just so I could get to work?  Worse yet, what if that was my dad in the car, back when he was sick; confused by the traffic?  

 Is this really what my life has become?  Good question...

Minnesota Goose Opener 2011

The Yellow Dog Patrol headed out for the Minnesota goose opener this weekend. Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell the geese. Fuzzy and Ben were along, although Fuzzy didn't feel too good: 

Me? I was just happy to be in the blind again.  As was the yellow dog:

Maybe next year...

Al Gore Equates Global Warming with Racism on a Moral Level

I have never been the victim of racism, thank God.  But if I were, I'd find Al's flippant comments infuriating.

Really, Al?  Lynchings and death and oppression and pain?  Same as global warming climate change?  Really?

This man is a shameless, self-serving pig.