Some things never change . . .

Obama and his family attended this gentleman's church for Easter services. Wake up, America!

From the mouths of babes . . .

More Idiots

Sometimes it's best to just let them speak for themselves.

Idiot Update

Happy New Year!

These are the fireworks I'll miss in Amsterdam. I'll also miss the fireworks in Minneapolis. Not because I'm sleeping, but because I'll be somewhere enroute to Amsterdam when each of them happen. So for that reason, I just want to wish my vast readership an early Happy and Blessed New Year and Best Wishes for 2011!!!

Passengers Stranded in Airport Terminals for Days!

How could such a thing happen? Obviously, the weather has something to do with it. It's something that happens this time of year. But another cause that's not being mentioned is the US Government. It's called the Passenger Bill of Rights. Due to the PBOR and irregardless of the weather, airlines are required to limit the amount of time passengers are stuck on a airplane without either taking off or parking at the gate. (There is no time limit for being stuck in the terminal.) These times are monitored by the government and, if not complied with, the airlines are assessed huge fines. So what was the result? With the storm predictions looming and arrival/departure delays sure to happen, the airlines simply pre-cancelled thousands of flights in order to avoid having to pay possible fines (in addition to safety considerations, etc.) And be advised, the airlines warned Congress that a situation just like this would arise if they went through with the PBOR. Of course, Congress knows best.

Let me ask you this. If you had the choice of being stuck at Newark International Airport for days awaiting a flight or being stuck on a airplane for 4 hours awaiting take off, which would YOU take? It's just another example of the Law of Unintended Consequences when it comes to government meddling in private enterprise.

He didn't KNOW?!!!

James Clapper, the United States National Intelligence Director did not know about one of the largest counter-terrorism busts ever that occurred last week in Great Britain. The White House Intelligence advisor (oxymoron?), James Brennan, had to brief Clapper after being asked about the bust during an interview with Diane Sawyer. This guy is THE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE ADVISOR!!!! There are only two scenarios I can come up with to explain this: 1. The Obama administration is CLUELESS when it comes to counter-terrorism. 2. The United States is no longer communicating with Great Britain (or fellow administration staffers) on counter-intelligence. Personally, I believe both are true. Obama has a bunch of buffoons advising him on intelligence and the world knows it. That's why the United States National Intelligence Director has to be informed about one of the most significant terrorist busts since 9/11 by a reporter. We will all suffer the consequences of this administration and their 9/10 attitude about the War on Terror. Reprehensible!

A MNF game you might want to watch

I'm thinking this game between the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears at the University of Minnesota's outdoor TCF stadium may definitely be worth watching. Why? Because the Twin Cities will be under a winter storm warning. What's that mean? It means 4-7 inches of snow during the game. Should be fun to watch. My prediction? Chicago 56, Minnesota 3.

Tragedy in my old neighborhood

Around 12:30 a.m., Mark Gaasedelen said his neighbor, Duane Delegard, came over to his house, covered in soot and was frantic.
Gaasedelen said Delegard had crawled out of a second-story window to get out of the burning house. He was not able to get to his wife, Anita.

Firefighters searched through the morning and they were able to find her remains in the basement of the house where the fire started.

Assistant Chief Darrell Todd said the home was engulfed when firefighters arrived and it was too hot for firefighters to enter the house.

We used to live 2 houses away. Mark Gaasedelen was our next door neighbor. Duane and Anita were/are in their late 60s or early 70s. If I recall correctly, Anita was a smoker.

A symbol of the Vikings season this year.

During this snowstorm on Saturday, I was saying to Debbie and Clay I've never seen a snowstorm like this in my 31 years of living in Minnesota. The media was saying afterwards that it was the 5th worst storm in Minnesota history. What they don't highlight is the amount of snow that fell in such a short period of time - 18 inches in 20 hours! That's never happened before - thus the collapse of the dome. I have a feeling we've seen the last game played at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. The Vikings have been pushing hard for a new stadium and if they don't get one soon, I think in the near future they'll be called the Los Angeles Vikings. Should be interesting . . .

Uh, how's that LeBron thing working out?

I don't mean to be poking at any one team or anything, especially when the Timberwolves are my hometown team, but isn't there a whole lot of underachieving going on in south Florida? Just wondering . . .

If only Brad Childers had thought of this.

New interim Vikings head coach, Leslie Frazier, has discovered the secret to winning football games - let Brett do what he does best (ahem).

How to spoil a a holiday parade

This was the first float of Minneapolis' Holidazzle Parade. The celebrity was someone from some year of American Idol that I had never heard of before. We had the best seats possible, except for one thing. See if you can tell what an elementary school age girl did as every float went by that was totally obnoxious. Some people's kids . . .

Even Effie the Super Cat wouldn't do this.

But what's really amazing to me is the casualness the humans have around the alligators, especially when the kids get close to them.

First taste of why we serve.

Aspiring veteran-to-be, Clay, got his first taste of what it means to serve in the military. Yesterday, his high school had a Veteran's Day ceremony complete with a color guard and speeches by notable military veterans from the area. At the end of the ceremony, students were asked to stand if they had a parent who was a veteran. Clay stood up with a half dozen other students. There was applause and then everyone was asked to stand to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. A student near Clay refused to stand. When Clay asked him why he wasn't standing, the kid said, "It's my right, dude." Rather than reason with him and explain how veterans serve in order for this pothead to have his rights, Clay responded with the Trace Adkins line, "And it's within my rights to kick your ass." Then walked away. (We're still working on the fine nuances of becoming an officer in the US military) I loved it.

I wonder where the kid got the idea of dis'ing the Pledge of Allegiance.

Now what?

If, starting in January, the US Congress is not doing the following, we should be asking, "Why the hell not?"

FREEZE AND CUT SPENDING: Congress must immediately freeze discretionary budget authority at 2010 levels; and cut at least $170 billion from the federal budget for fiscal year 2012. This is only a first step. In the past four years, Congress has approved more spending than even the bureaucrats can handle. Congress must immediately survey unobligated balances of all appropriations made in the past four years and should reclaim these unspent taxpayer funds and use them to reduce the deficit.

REPEAL OBAMACARE: Congress must immediately pass a bill that repeals Obamacare. Until Congress is able to get the President to sign a law repealing Obamacare, it must withhold funding, block key provisions and override regulations carrying out Obamacare. Only after Obamacare is rejected, can Congress undertake a careful, thoughtful legislative process to make practical adjustments that allow the free market to provide affordable, effective health care insurance choices.

STOP THE OBAMA TAX HIKES: Congress must immediately reject the Obama tax hikes, and make permanent the tax cuts of 2001 and 2003, thereby helping the economy grow and create more jobs.

PROTECT AMERICA: Congress must immediately pass a budget resolution that won’t put our troops at risk or leave Americans vulnerable. It can do this by providing for defense an average of $720 billion per year (to be adjusted for inflation) for each of the next five fiscal years, in addition to the funding needed for ongoing contingency operations. Congress must make the defense budget as efficient as possible and reinvest dollars achieved from reforms in the military to offset the cost of modernizing and developing next-generation equipment.

GET CONTROL OF GOVERNMENT: Congress must immediately reestablish legislative accountability by posting complete legislation, ending earmarks, reviewing all unauthorized programs and respecting constitutional limits on government. Congress must check executive branch overreach with aggressive oversight, roll back recent government interventions, stop unnecessary administrative regulations and sunset new ones, restrict bureaucrats’ rulemaking authority and override expansive executive orders.

Mayhem

I'm a Democratic U.S. Senator up for reelection in 2012. I've just watched my state legislature go from blue to red, a Republican governor elected in my state, the Congressmen from my state's Democrat delegation and the other liberal Senator from my state lose their jobs, control of the U.S. House of Representatives go from blue to red, and Democratic control of the U.S. Senate effectively neutered. The Republican Congress sends a bill repealing Obamacare forward to the Senate for a vote. If I want to keep my job, how do I vote?

THIS is what I'm talkin' about!!!

The President of the United States, the Commander in Chief of the most powerful military in the world where those who serve die every day, the Great Uniter, and to some the new messiah has now resorted to consorting with comedians to make his case for the upcoming election. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! There is no dignity, no shame, no embarrassment. It's all about power and the willingness to do ANYTHING to obtain and retain it. What's really bad about this demonstration of idiocy is he's appearing on "The Dunce's Show" to appeal to YOUNG people. Why? Because he thinks young people are dunces and the only way to reach them is by demonstrating his own idiocy. Young or old, be embarrassed by our leadership and get out and vote. End the lunacy!
. . . I'm going to SO enjoy the Congressional investigations to come.

What if . . .

someone changed their name to an Islamic name as a joke? What would happen to that person today? Decapitation? Assassination?
Stoning? What if this person changed their name to a Jewish name as a joke? Funny? Despicable? Politically incorrect? Well, that's exactly what Caryn Johnson, an up and coming comedienne, did - changed her name to Whoopi Goldberg because she thought it would be funny. Ms. Johnson then has the gall to storm off a set because O'Reilly said "Muslims" instead of "muslim extremists". By the way, she got the name "Whoopi" from her on set nickname "whoopee cushion". Apparently she had a problem with flatulence, not to mention heroin, back in the "good 'ole days". How quickly they forget . . .

I gave this guy a ride home Sunday night.

2009 Cy Young winner, Tim Lincecum

Yep, I did - in an Airbus 330. After their 2 game series ended Sunday night in Philadelphia with a 1-1 split, I flew the San Francisco Giants home on a special charter, arriving at 4:20am Monday morning. The Phillies followed us in a Delta 747-400. The Phillies' aircraft received priority handling from Air Traffic Control in the Philadelphia area. We received the good treatment in San Francisco. It was pretty cool - except for being an all nighter. When I met the Giants' manager, I asked him "How's it going?" He said, "More importantly, how're YOU doin'?" I said, "Great!". He said, "Then so am I."