Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Black Lives Matter to Disrupt Twin Cities Marathon

This Sunday, over 11,000 runners will take the the streets of the Twin Cities to participate in a marathon.  It is a race that required a massive amount of preparation.  Countless miles, dealing with injuries, untold hardships, and personal suffering will all be rewarded by a marathon finish.  For some looking to parlay their investment to a higher payoff, they're looking to run a quick enough time to qualify for the elite Boston Marathon.

There's only one problem - the Black Lives Matter movement is actively threatening to disrupt the race.  So all you racers that sacrificed and suffered so much for your marathon?  Screw you.  Black lives matter.

What does a marathon have to do with Black Lives?  Well, can you think of a more privileged pursuit than running?  Likewise, have you ever seen a running crowd?  Talk about a lack of diversity.  Hence these people need to pay up and recognize that Black Lives Matter. 

If this truly does happen, and if the cops remain intimidated to do anything (so as not to appear racist), I do know how the runners are going to react, and it won't be pretty.  There will literally be blood in the streets.

There are aspects of our society that are dying for a race war.  Surprisingly, it's not the KKK or some other white hate group.

It's a black hate group.

Good look, Minnesota.  Looks like you're going to need it.


Monday, September 28, 2015

Fanatical Islam Beating Royal Air Force. In Britian

This is almost unbelievable:

A hospital has apologised after an injured RAF sergeant was moved out of a hospital waiting room because staff thought his uniform would upset other patients.

Aircraft engineer Sgt Mark Prendeville, 38, was taken to accident and emergency at Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother hospital in Margate, Kent, after chemicals from a fire extinguisher got in to his eyes during a training exercise.

The sergeant, who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was taken to an empty corner of the waiting room before being moved behind a corner by hospital staff, the Sun reported.

His family was allegedly told by hospital workers that “they didn’t want to upset people” and “have lots of different cultures coming in”.

A number of veterans and military figures have spoken out against Prendeville’s treatment.

Former chief of the air staff Sir Michael Graydon described the incident as disappointing.

“I would have thought, regardless of whether he had his uniform on or not, it was more important to deal with the situation, which was the chap had something very unpleasant happen to him, and he should be dealt with immediately,” he said.

“Moving him to other rooms in the danger of offending people strikes me of getting the priorities absolutely wrong.”

Former RAF navigator Flt Lt John Nichol said he was appalled, and told the newspaper: “This is horrifying, you should be treated differently for wearing a uniform, you should be lauded because you’re wearing uniform, you should be celebrated for wearing uniform.”

A spokesman for East Kent University hospitals NHS foundation trust apologised to Prendeville for “any embarrassment”.

“A member of the armed forces in uniform attended our A&E and was asked by a member of staff if he wanted to sit inside the department rather than the waiting room,” he told the Sun.

“This employee was acting in good faith because previously, there had been an altercation between a member of the public and a different member of the armed forces in uniform.”


Prendeville was training at RAF Manston, Kent, when the accident happened on Wednesday.

Fanatical Islam is doing a great job in the UK.  The politically correct there will deserve what will become of them.

I wonder - if an obviously gay patient had come in - a patient equally offensive to sensitive Muslims - what would have been done?

Sunday, September 27, 2015

The Evolution of the Desk

The follow pictorial evolution of a work space basically follows the length of my working career.

Amazing:



 Original source is Best Reviews, which can be found here http://bestreviews.com#reviews 

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Saturday Song Share: Bob Dylan - Sweetheart Like You

From my favorite Dylan album of all time.

Got to have your own hell when you come in the door
Got to play your harp 'till your lips bleed



Man, we need more Dylan on the SSS...

Friday, September 25, 2015

ESPN SportCenter to Broadcast from SJU Tomorrow


Ahead of the biggest game of the year against rival #14 St. Thomas, the #8 Johnnies will be featured by ESPN broadcasting from The Natural Bowl.  For more details, click here.

What a coup for SJU!  Not that it's not well deserved - it is quite deserved, and is a shame it could not have been done while Gags was coaching.  But it will be a great tool to show the entire nation an incredible DIII football program, an incredible university, and, when the leaves are turning, perhaps the most beautiful stadium in all of college football.

This SJU grad couldn't be more proud.  

Especially if we stick it in the Tommie's ears...

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Muslim Clock-Making Student a Fraud. President a Useful Idiot

The internet and traditional media exploded in a sanctimonious rage last week as a "normal" 14 year old Texas student, who happened to be Muslim, brought his "invented" clock to school, and the clock was mistaken for a bomb by obviously racist teachers and cops.

The wailing and outrage was deafening.  See how racist we are?  This kid is brilliant!  It got so bad that the kid was awarded a $15,000 scholarship and the President even got involved:
There are two things wrong with this.  First, of all the people that deserve a visit to meet the President, this kid does?  Is it any more obvious how much hatred our President has for our country?  Astounding.

The second thing wrong is that the kid lied.  He "built" jack squat:



So what was the motivation behind the kid doing this?  There are two answers, and neither are good: 1) he's a liar and a cheat or 2) he was looking to stir up a political situation akin to the Flying Imam situation.   Either way, and this "brilliant" kid which was rewarded and defended all the way to Obama turns out to be nothing but a punk.

Personally, I see this as an attack against "see something, say something."  We can't hassle a Muslim kid with a suspicious invention, in fact we should not hassle any Muslim kids, especially ones that may be walking through a crowd with an overly heavy backpack which has been loaded down by a pressure cooker, ball bearings, and nails.  This kid was looking to push the envelope, and thanks to "useful idiots" that includes the President of the United States (ARE YOU KIDDING ME?), it was mission accomplished.

This, like so much of our society, is just another example of not letting the truth get in the way of a politically correct, "we're so racist," "Islam is a religion of peace" narrative.  

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Star Trek and the Death of Liberalism

I know what you're thinking, but trust me, this is a much better read than what you're likely envisioning, and I encourage you to read the whole thing:

http://thefederalist.com/2015/09/15/how-star-trek-explains-the-decline-of-liberalism/

I read this last week.  When I clicked on it I thought it would be a frivolous piece.  I was amazed to see how much of a Star Trek wonk this guy was (holy crap) and how cogent his argument was.  

The fact that I knew every ST reference implicitly (although without the understanding of the contextual spin the writer put on it), makes me pretty nerdy, I guess.

It makes one wonder if JFK had not been murdered, and if LBJ had not had the chance to move the country down the one-way road of nanny state what would have happened to the Democrat party, and more broadly, our country.

It is almost impossible to grasp that the man that uttered the now politically incorrect slogan below was a Democrat:



Hat-tip: My brother

Monday, September 21, 2015

Report on Three Weeks on the New Gig

In a continuation of yesterday's post, I thought I'd offer up a review of how the new job is going.  Lots of friends and family have asked, and now that I'm three weeks into it and the dust is settling a little bit, there's enough data for a review.

In a phrase, I love my job!  For the first time in my career, I'm not pushing around the company Pawns and Knights.  I'm moving the Big Lady around the board, and when necessary, the King too.  My budget is robust, and has me into TV, radio, print, sponsorships, and and host of other touch points well beyond my traditional digital engagements.  

Beyond my role and responsibilities, how I've been welcomed and treated is amazing.  People are extremely happy that I'm there, and are treating me as such.  I'm adding value - to the point that I'm getting invited to meetings that don't touch my area, as my perspective and opinion is valued.  As I'm implementing things, people are deferential to my opinion and supportive of where I'm taking us.

I am finally where I want to be from a responsibility standpoint, and it is awesome.  

I'll close with an anecdote.  Yesterday we were at the bar watching the Vikings game, and one of our ads came on the TV.  It was one of the first ads that I was able to influence, and I made a number of changes to what was developed in attempt to make it more effective.  As it was playing, I thought through that whole process, and how we ended up.  I was proud of what we had ultimately put in front of our customers.

Especially all of those Vikings fans in the bar, cheering on the Purple behind enemy lines. 

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Incredible 365 Days

About a year ago this week, our world was rocked with a cancer diagnosis.  We fought through that with multiple surgeries, and ultimately arrived at a clean bill of health.  But then one job was lost, another found, that one left, and yet another found.  

Now, nearly a year later, we find ourselves kind of where we started - healthy, happy, and fulfilled.  Our hair is more grey, and we're more wise, but we're really back.

All of this was the function of a lot of prayers that ultimately got answered.  For that, and for the chance to be back here, we are supremely thankful.

We also know how fleeting all of it can be, and we hope to never take it for granted.

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Saturday Song Share: The Four Horsemen - Rockin' is Ma' Business

This is the best song by the best band you've never heard.  Produced by Rick Rubin (as all the great ones were), this totally rocks.

And if rockin' is ma' business, business is good...

Friday, September 18, 2015

Carly's Grand Slam

You've likely already seen this.

Watch it again:



Finally - FINALLY - someone acting like a damn leader.

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Republican Debate Recap

Debates are opportunities for candidates to improve their position based on their performance and exposure.  Unfortunately, candidates that perform poorly can find that they move in the opposite direction.  So who got better, and who got worse last night?  Here's a breakdown:

Got Worse

  • Bush - Jeb just came off as the nerdy frat boy that is just trying too hard to fit in.  He seemed ill prepared, and certainly not presidential.  He is unelectable, and needs to exit this race soon.   He's not a viable candidate
  • Kasich - He's the winner last night for the ratio of face time to saying absolutely nothing.  Other than Ohio, this man brings nothing to the table.  He also needs to exit this race - he's going nowhere
  • Walker - Walker is quickly proving that he's this election's Tim Pawlenty - great back story as a successful governor of a purple state, but can't pull things together to seem presidential.  A third one that needs to exit the race
  • Paul - While he was good for a couple of historical anecdotes, he offered nothing of substance.  Yet another that needs to recognize it is over.
  • Trump - The Donald got exposed last night.  When pressed for specific ideas this guy had nothing but ego and bluster.  Despite this, he's being reported as the debate winner on Drudge's (unscientific) poll - by a long shot.  I find those votes dubious.  One could not have watched Trump's performance last night and felt confident in his vision, strategy, or capabilities.  He needs to study hard if he wants to be taken seriously.

Stayed the Same
  • Carson - The doctor neither helped nor hurt his cause last night.  He's made great strides of late based on his performance on the stump, but last evening we didn't see much of that.  That being said, he didn't lose ground
  • Cruz - Ted is who he is, and I believe that he's the sole pure conservative on that stage.  His performance, however, won't move the needle for him

Got Better
  • Christie - The NJ governor had a big night.  He focused on the American people, and came across as smart, tough, and dedicated.  He has a massive mountain to climb to get into the race, but last night's performance is a great start
  • Huckabee - This guy has absolutely zero chance of being elected president, but he performed very well last night.  Despite that, he can't salvage a sinking candidacy, and needs to exit the race
  • Rubio - With every exposure, this guy gets stronger.  I'm not sure if it enough to kick-start his campaign, but there is a lot to like with him

Blew It Away
  • Fiorina - She was the clear winner last night, and it was not even close.  She had specific answers that showed she'd done her homework.  She was passionate, tough, and sober.  She was the one on the stage that consistently looked presidential (as defined by pre-Clinton presidential presence).  She was also the one last night that clearly looked like she had one big set of testicles.  She was on fire, never missed, and rocked the debate.  And, as of now, she's earned my support.  Great performance 

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Michael Jr. Goes To Prison

Here at YDP, we're big fans of comedian Michael Jr.

In this installment, he visits some folks in prison:

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Hunting with Ben - 2015

This past weekend, I took my 13 year old nephew Ben up hunting for Youth Waterfowl Day.  Our goal (beyond a lot of male bonding and debauchery) was to get Ben his first ever harvested duck.  The following are some highlights:

A man weekend needs to start at a man-mall, so we made a trip to Fleet Farm to load up on various supplies and gear

Here's Ben with his man-face

A guy can't be serious all the time.

Ben's first duck, brought to hand by the Yellow Dog

The first of two, both of which would find the grill later that evening.

A nice sunrise for a nicer day

A breakfast of man-meat, with a side order of man-meat

Working hard at trolling.  Or something.

Despite jacking around, the kid was still able to land a really nice northern, which was quite an accomplishment, until...

The young man landed this 30"+ gator.  It was the second largest northern I've ever had in my boat in my life.

Any way you slice it, it was a pretty successful weekend for the young man.  Not sure which of us came out with the better memories.

Monday, September 14, 2015

Dog Hero Gets Senseless Pampering

My brother sent along the following story about the last surviving service dog from the 9/11 search and recovery:



While watching it, I couldn't help but think it's a dog.

Nobody loves dogs like we do here at YDP.  Nobody loves heroes like we do here as well.  Combined, and the two are off the charts.  But during the video I couldn't help but have a mental cash meter tallying up the cost of the dog's vacation.

Then I wondered about those still suffering from the trauma of 9/11.  Where's their day?

Bretangne would have been happy with a steak and some couch time.  She's a dog.  Yes, some of what was shared was for her handler, and I get that.  But there was still thousands of dollars spent on a dog, when some meat, a nap, and some tennis ball time with the boss would have worked just fine.

That's one of the things that make dogs so incredible - they don't require much other than to be with us.  

Regardless of what they've achieved, or what we think they're due.  

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Michael Jr. and Amazing Grace

Our friend Michael Jr. talks to a music director and gets him singing.  Here is what happens:



As you saw, there were two distinctly different versions of the same song.  The first song was sung with the head.  The second was sung with the heart.

The lesson: We all need to sing with our hearts.

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Incredible Movie Mashup

I have no idea how long it took this guy to do this, but this mashup of all these movies into one coherent story is just incredible.

Enjoy:

Monday, September 7, 2015

Idiot Dentist Draws More Attention

The dentist in the middle of the "Cecil the Lion" controversy felt it necessary to engage the press before heading back to work.  I'm not sure who is advising him on his media strategy, but they (and subsequently he) are idiots.

The story was essentially over.  The world was outraged for a while, but had moved on.  Sure, there were some fringe elements that held onto their rage, but everyone else was talking about the MTV awards and gender neutral bathrooms.  The "lion lives matter" signs were put away.  It was over.

But then it wasn't over.

The hunter felt it necessary to open a vein to the press ahead of his return to his practice.  The press summarily obliged, and the once dead story was relegated back to the front page and to lead stories on national news.  

And instead of sympathy and understanding, the press interaction restarted the rage machine.

Given the amount of death threats hurled at the doctor (and his family), I felt real sympathy for him and his plight.  Given how poorly he has handled this latest engagement, that sympathy is being being strained.

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Saturday Song Share - The Pretenders: Middle of the Road

The best song in this band's portfolio, by far.  Still sounds as fresh as it did in 1984 (wow!)

I'm not the cat I used to be 
I got a kid I'm 33, baby

If Chrissie was accurate on her age in this, that lyric would now need to be something like

I'm not the cat I used to be 
I got grandkids I'm 63, baby

*sigh*




The song still rocks...

Friday, September 4, 2015

Kid Hacks Parents Texting

A kid out on Reddit posted the following - he had hacked his parents' iPhones by adding texting shortcuts to them.  The way shortcuts work is that when a person enters a specific string of characters, a different set of characters replaces them.

In this instance, the kid created a shortcut for when his parents typed the letters "no":


At first I thought it pretty mundane, but when Dad also got hacked, and with WHERE THE BITCHES AT no less, it became priceless.

Do you know where your phone is at?

Thursday, September 3, 2015

The Twins Best Player Ever?

The Minnesota Twins have had some great Hall of Fame players throughout their history, and I've been fortunate enough to see all of them play in my lifetime.  I've seen Carew flirt with .400, Kirby go 6 for 6, and Harmon hit mammoth home runs.  Through it all, I've never seen a rookie come into an organization and put up performance like this man:



Miguel Sano hits for power (14 home runs in 176 at bats), hits in the clutch (see above), and has the eye and the discipline at the plate of a seasoned veteran (.403 OBP).

I know it is too early to crown him the best ever, but this young man is only 22, only with the bigs since early July, and will only get better with experience.

He's remarkable, and I'm lucky to be able to watch him.  Just as I was lucky to watch all of the Twins' Hall of Fame players. 

Hopefully, that's where he ultimately lands.  My goodness, what a talent.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Opportunity Abounds

Sometimes life can conspire against us.  Health issues, concern about jobs and loved ones, anxiety about the future, and a million other issues can pile up on us and choke us out.  

When that happens - sometimes even to the point of exhaustion and desperation - reprieve arrives.  It may come in the form of a new opportunity, a call from a friend, or even in the dawn of a new morning with a couple of good hours of sleep under the belt.  There's a "reset," and it allows us to see a pathway to deal with our circumstances.

That's opportunity, and it is everywhere.  We may be mired in the pain of our current situation to adequately see it, but it is there.  It is up to us to look for it, trust that it is not fleeting, and walk toward it.

Blessings - be they the people in our lives, our experiences, our jobs, our faith - they're everywhere.  We just need to be patient, be wise, and be faithful.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Black Lives Matter in Minnesota Seeks Dead Cops

The morning after the assassination of a white cop by a black man with a racial grievance, a group from Minnesota's own Black Lives Matter attempted to disrupt the Minnesota State Fair.

Oh yeah, they also called for the murder of cops:



For those out of the loop, "pigs in a blanket" is an urban euphemism for dead cops (pigs) in body bags (blanket).

Things are starting to get really freaking scary.

Given the Left's embrace of things like Islam (notably Iran and ISIS, among other examples), Planned Parenthood, and random murder of innocent cops, to the extent they continue to wield power, we can expect more death.

Lots more.
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