Hillary in Trouble

The one thing that is consistent with the Clintons is scandal.  It follows them around like a little puppy, and every couple of months comes up and bites them.  It has been that way for most of their public life.  

Despite the multitude of infamous transgressions, with few exceptions, nothing has really stuck.  This time, though, the timing of the scandal, how it broke, and the fact that it is not being summarily swept under the run by a sycophantic media has Hillary in a tailspin.  Her poll numbers have been falling even before Carlos Danger's computer put the former Secretary of State at risk, and now given the latest, she's stumbling like, well, like Hillary Clinton walking up a flight of stairs.

This is a bad person.  She's a criminal, she has no moral compass, and she seeks only personal financial gain and power.  She epitomizes EVERYTHING the Left claims to hate about republicans.  

Think about that for a minute.

If there was an (R) behind her name, she'd be evil incarnate.  Yet, given that (D), transgressions are ignored, forgiven, or sometimes accepted by many.

But not all.  Some will walk from her.  How many, and if it will be enough to turn an election remains to be seen.  But ultimately, Hillary is in trouble.  

Ache for the Cubs

I have a special place in my heart for the Cubs.  It started in high school, where we'd be able to watch WGN on our newly installed cable at home, and were able to partake in all of those mid-day baseball games over summer vacations.  Then, as I moved on to college, I had a number of buddies from the Chicago area, and their palpable love of the Cubs was infectious (especially with the Twins absolutely horrible at the time).

Since then, I've likely been to a dozen games at Wrigley Field.  I've bent many an elbow at Murphy's and the Cubby Bear (Murphy's is better).  I've even attended a game at one of the vaunted houses across the street from Wrigley.

I've attended these games with folks I love - my parents, my friends, and my wife.  I even got a ball handed to me by Eddie Guardado from the Twins during one of the first games the Twins ever played there.  Wrigley, and the Cubs, will always be very special to me.

I've felt the Cubs' fans' pain with their lack of a title.  I certainly don't know the depth of it, but I've felt the sting.  And this year appeared to be the year when the stars aligned and the curse would finally be lifted.

Now with the Cubs' backs against the wall, it will take a miracle.  However, baseball is a game of miracles, so you know there's always a chance, albeit a very slim one.  

No, it doesn't look good for the Cubbies.  

At least there hasn't been any fan interference...

Saturday Song Share: Matthew Good - All Your Sons and Daughters

Not a very good video, but a good piece of music by Mr. Good.

Can We Admit Hillary's Health is Not OK?

Here is the latest video showing the presumptive next US president barely able to climb the stairs up to her plane.  Yep, she's in heels.  Yep, it's wet.  That still doesn't justify the slow, deliberate movements and the death grip on the hand rails (especially after she's completed the steps).

Don't tell me this woman is physically OK.  She's far from it:

My Bruce Springsteen Top 5

One of my favorite writers, Joe Posnanski, recently penned a blog on his top 5 Springsteen songs, and for someone that I respect so much, personally I felt it was kind of weak.  Here was his list:

• Born to Run - OK, but obvious
• The Promise - A little less than OK.  Top 5?  Really?
• Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) - Worthy.  Nearly made my top 5
• You're Missing  - From The Rising.  Frankly, I can't listen to the song without crying.  That's why I don't own it, and don't want to
• Badlands - OK as well

The beauty of Springsteen is not only the breadth of his catalog, but also the breadth of musical styles, song types, stories told, etc.  There is so much there for one to choose, that it makes it incredibly hard to come up with a top 20, much less a top 5.  That being said, here's my effort:

1) Prove it All Night - My wife will attest that every time this song comes on, I will sing along to it - regardless of my mood, if I'd been singing previously, or if we were in the middle of a conversation.  I also always whistle along to the sax solo.

2) Spirit in the Night - So smoky, so innovative, so different.  It is too bad Manford Mann covered it because the song is so stark and solid that it never should have been touched.  Great on so many levels

3) Atlantic City - The crown jewel from one of his best albums.  

4) Darlington County - I know this is kind of a cutesy song.  I don't care.  I absolutely love the story of the singer and Wayne trying to pick up girls in Darlington County.  And I absolutely love the end of the song:

Ain't seen my buddy in seven days
County man tells me the same thing
He don't work, he don't get paid...

...Driving out of Darlington County
I've seen the glory of the coming of the Lord
Driving out of Darlington County
See Wayne handcuffed to the bumper of a state trooper's Ford

5) The Price You Pay - The end of the song, between the lyrics and the harmonies, make this great one to finish the list.  

And, girl, before the end of the day
I'm going to tear it down and throw it away

Post up - where did I screw this list up?

Ben Stein in Political Commercial

Reprising his famous scene, Stein is taking role.  Where is Judge?

RIP Uncle Jim

This blog has lost one of its biggest fans.

My Uncle Jim was a rabid reader of this blog, and a frequent contributor.  It started with one of my earliest blog posts about the closing of Al's Bar in St. Louis Park back in 2009 (hard to believe I've been at this for 17 years).  Since then, he's often penned me a note about what a post meant to him, and how much he appreciated my writing.

He had a huge personality, and a huge heart, and the cliche totally applies that "they just don't make 'em like that anymore."

Rest in peace, Uncle Jim.  Thank you for making this blog, and my life, all the more rich.  

Now move along.  I have a feeling there is a guy with a cocktail and a cribbage board who has been waiting for you.

Give him a hug for me.

Saturday Song Share: Death Cab for Cutie - Underneath the Sycamore

Stillwater Choir - Concert in a Pool

Last spring the Concert Choir from Stillwater High School was on a road trip, and was spending time chilling out at their hotel's pool.  In fairly short order, somebody figured out that the acoustics of the pool room were incredible, so the choir did what choirs do.

Here's what it sounded like:

Racist Cop in Edina?

The internet's latest moment of mass outrage occurred recently when a police officer in Edina, Minnesota arrested a man "for walking in the street."

 Here is the video.  Trigger warning for those that feel that listening to a cop doesn't need to apply to them:



So what did the video show?  A couple of things:

• An incredibly unruly suspect that came mere inches from striking an officer
• A flaming liberal videographer that was stoking the fire
• A remarkably professional police officer maintaining his cool when the suspect was pushing him to escalate

Turns out, I personally know the cop.  I went to high school with him.  Through a mutual friend, I shot him a text, and said the following:

"Just watched the video and wanted to compliment you on a job well done.  Maintaining your professionalism and cool in those circumstances is amazing.  Hell of a job.  You made us proud.  Hope you're well.  Stay safe out there, and thank you."

If I were in that circumstance, there is no way I wouldn't have gone upside the suspect's head.  That has nothing to do with race, folks, and has everything to do with the suspect being a total idiot.

Cops have a tough enough job.  It is made worse by those that see every interaction with the police as being overt racist incidents.

Racist cop in Edina?  Like hell.

Dogs on the Inside

This project makes so much sense.

Once expanded, hopefully prison stops becoming a place of punishment, and turns into a place of reclamation, restoration, and restitution.

Hat-tip to my brother:

Saturday Song Share: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Swingin'

Like Benny Goodman...

Election Gender Gap

From our friends over at FiveThirtyEight comes a really incredible analysis of the differences between the genders as it pertains to politics:

Turns out John Edwards was right - there really are two Americas.

Debate Unwatchable

We love our politics here at YDP.   Unfortunately, this election cycle has been a challenge.  The two candidates that have been selected for president are the most repugnant that we've every been provided.  Neither is qualified or capable, and both have massive personal flaws.  

As the debate kicked off, my wife and I settled in to watch.  We lasted less than five minutes.  What we witnessed was unwatchable.  We watched one candidate avoid the question asked and move into scripted talking points.  We watched another barely able to put together a cogent thought.  

It was brutal.  And it was the first five minutes.

We flipped to the NFL game, just like, I suspect, most of America.

When the Green Bay Packers are a better choice than a presidential debate, we're screwed.

Saturday Song Share: Peter Gabriel - Digging in the Dirt

Mutual Rescue - What Dogs Do for Us

This is amazing.  Enjoy.

Vikings Currently Best Team in NFC

With their prime-time destruction of the New York Giants behind them, the Minnesota Vikings made one thing very clear to the rest of the league - that they're currently the cream of the NFC.

In three straight weeks, this team rendered moot Aaron Rogers, Cam Newton, and Eli Manning and the four Super Bowl rings they share.  The Vikes also put up enough points to ensure victory each time.

Are they perfect?  No.  Blair Walsh is not a confident kicker, and as such is not a good kickers.  He can't be counted on to win games, and there likely will be a future situation in which he costs them a win.  However, they're pretty darned close to perfect.  They're getting contributions from pretty much everyone, aren't turning the ball over, aren't taking many penalties at all, and have continued to drive forward despite the loss of their starting QB and former MVP RB.

Mike Zimmer is showing himself as one special coach - a man that gets the most out of his staff, and of his team.  This team totally reflects that.

Enjoy the ride, Purple Faithful.  It sure looks like these are special times.

Birthday Blues

I've really struggled with my birthdays, and this year is no different.  The armchair psychologist in me thinks that the date manifests a review of the passing of time, and an audit of what has transpired.  That audit always comes up lacking.  I feel like I'm not where I should be be in my life.  My achievements seem scant, my happiness lacking, my satisfaction of who I am as husband, son, uncle, brother, boss, etc. non-existent.

It is really kind of crummy.  

It always gets better.  As I hear from loved ones, the day comes around a little.  Likewise, I hold out hope for something like this.  

Still, it's not the happy day that one would think it should be.

Tax Situation to Doom Trump

Yesterday, the New York Times broke a story that Trump declared nearly $1B in losses on his 1995 tax return, enabling him to carry the losses over and avoid paying taxes for 18 years.  Progressives are howling, and this ultimately will doom Trump.  And shame on Trump.  He had to know this would come to light and it would disqualify his candidacy.  Hence, he's just handed the election to Hillary.

Brilliant.

In the meantime, sanctimonious liberals are absolutely beside themselves with glee.  Rightfully so - they basically just won the election.  Interesting, though, that one person's legal activity can render him unfit for the presidency, whereas another's completely criminal activity are summarily ignored and considered irrelevant.  

A note to you liberals - your candidate is dirty as hell, and you'll need to own that and all that it means now, and in the future. 

Church as a Field Hospital

Some great insight from Pope Francis, via our friend Father Don:

The Bishop of Rome (Francis) received very favorable reaction to an interview given in August, 2013. One line resonates with many: "I see the church as a field hospital after battle." A recognition that we all have been wounded or at least have wounds from "the slings and arrows" of life. We need healing, a work for both Word and Sacrament, for the touch of the Lord who loves us. Ordinarily that love comes to us through another human being’s compassion and sympathetic understanding. An often used prayer entitled "Hail, Holy Queen" has a line about "poor, banished children of Eve". With little children this has often come across as "poor, bandaged children of Eve", an unwitting intuition of this truth! That certainly fits with "field hospital."


We are all engaged in either healing or wounding by how we interact with our fellow human beings, with those we live with or work with, with those we simply encounter randomly. It seems that developing a sensitivity to whether we are healing or wounding others takes time and experience, experience of successes and failures in our relations with others. Increased sensitivity and understanding of what it means to love our neighbor will require time and certainly requires prayer.

Happy Sunday