These are the musings of a diverse dude. We'll discuss sports, politics, family, music, hunting, fishing, and of course, all things that hold the interest of yellow dogs and those that patrol with them.
I spent the weekend with my buddy Dave (he's the one at the base of the tree, trying to look like a bush) trying to fill his turkey permit, so we headed up to Glenwood and took our chances on landing a big bird. While we heard birds on the property on Saturday, we failed to bring them close and never even got a look at one.
Sunday had out hopes high, as we worked out a plan to get closer to the birds. Unfortunately, it appears that the turkeys moved off the property completely during the previous day.
While our bird hunting was unsuccessful, we were quite adapt at picking up wood ticks. Dave set the Saturday record at about 15, whereas I was strong on Sunday. Even the yellow dog got into the act, despite her use of tick medication.
Here's a photo of just one of Minnesota's finest...
There is not much better than a dog on point, especially when that dog happens to be a yellow dog. Here's the yellow dog doing what she was born to do - pointing a bird at the base of that small tree. You can't see the bird (neither could the dog), but her awesome nose let us all know to get ready, because something was definitely there.
Pointing labs are not common. While there are breeders out there that try to breed for the trait, there are no guarantees that a lab will point. Likewise, even if that trait exists, some breeders see pointing in Labradors as something that eats away at their aggressiveness, and attempt to train it out of them.
Personally, I love a pointing lab. It affords the hunter the opportunity to get in the best position possible before the dog goes in for the flush. Likewise, there is something really fun about knowing that there is a bird just yards in front of the dog's nose.
I'm very lucky that both of my dogs were incredible pointers, and also incredible hunters. The fun I've had in the field via their work is immeasurable.
We close with the remnants of the last act of defiance of a flushed rooster. If you look at the yellow dog's coat in this photo, you'll see that, indeed, a flushing bird pooped on her before being shot and retrieved. While ultimately not an effective tactic, you have to admire the attitude of that bird.
This election has been an embarrassment for the state of Minnesota. At best, this election has been botched. At worst, fraud has been committed. Neither scenarios are good.
Al Franken is another in a long line of elected officials that make Minnesota a laughingstock of the rest of the country (Rod Grams, Mark Dayton, Jesse Ventura, Keith Ellison). He is a vitriolic, partisan hack. The only thing he brought to the table in this election (other than massive amounts on non-Minnesota campaign contributions) was a deep seeded and fanatical hatred of George W Bush. If there was ever a theme of the 2008 election, it was about abject hatred of Bush, and in Minnesota, nobody hated Bush more than Franken.
No, the 2008 election was not about who would do a better job. It was not about who's election was paid for via outside influences. It was not about qualifications. It was not about leadership. It was not about being penalized for being a tax cheat. It was about hate - pure, seething, undiluted hate - and that's all it was about.
In the height of the election, hate worked. Now, six months later, with the economy in free fall, some in Minnesota are waking up hung over from their hate stupor. It turns out it is not all about hate, and that who we elect to represent us can have massive consequences on day-to-day living. Our investments, our tax bills, and our jobs have all been massively impacted in the past year, and it is a direct result in the choices we've made in our leadership. Nobody is immune from this impact. All are suffering.
So Coleman continues to fight, much to this dismay of the Democrats. Howls of "sore loser" invoke ghosts of Bush/Gore and the Florida recount. And in the mean time, Minnesota remains in desperate need of having reasoned representation in Washington. Now, more than ever.
But all we're going to get is all we've been promised - leadership by hate. Franken has nothing more to offer beyond that.
How ironic that a comedian can turn our entire state into a political joke for the rest of the country.
But, hey, he's not our only embarrassment. For more Minnesota shame, check this out.
It is rare that I'll download a full album from a given artist off of iTunes. It just doesn't make sense to do so - the full body of work is rarely worth it, and I usually end up just picking off the tracks that appeal to my tastes.
However, in the past month I've downloaded four full albums from four different artists. Here's a quick review of each:
U2, No Line on the Horizon - A fantastic work by my generation's version of the Stones. Their sound has matured, and the only real dog on this entire album is the track that was released as their single, Get On Your Boots (a pretty crappy song)
Tragically Hip, We Are the Same - I absolutely love this band, and have seen them at three incredible live shows throughout their career (best one was in the front row, by myself, at the Minnesota Zoo). Wildly popular in Canada, how they never made it in the States is beyond me.
Silversun Pickups, Swoon - The Pickups are a good band, but their previous work was spotty. I'd been waiting for this new release for a couple of weeks since my Sirius satellite radio stations had been playing a single ahead of the main release that sounded very good. When the album finally hit iTunes, I started selecting which songs I would download and could not find one to exclude. Keep an eye on this band - they're going to be big.
While not everybody's cup of tea, these are four very worthwhile albums.
Keep on rockin' in the free world, my brothers and sisters.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
I have no idea if this is real or not. It is being touted as being "leaked" by the Humane Society of the United States. It may be a really good voice impersonator. It could be real. While the sentiments espoused by the speaker against dog fighting are something upon which all can agree, the Humane Society of the United States is not your local animal shelter. They have absolutely nothing to do with your local animal shelter. This is a radical animal rights organization that has brilliantly wrapped itself in a very universally appealing brand. I have personally fought these people in my job and I have personally fought these people at our state capitol. They are a well-funded and well-organized anti-hunting organization.
These hypocrites fail to recognize that it is sportsmen, through their license fees, conservation groups, and the aggregate effect of land stewards everywhere have literally saved millions of acres of habitat, which has resulted in the saving of countless numbers of individual numbers of animals, let alone entire species. They also fail to recognize that the world has changed, and without the responsible harvest of some species, their unchecked population growth would doom them to disease and horrific deaths. Don't believe me? Ever driven in the woods during the whitetail rut? How about that flock of Canada geese (a species nearly endangered in the 1960's and 70's and a conservation success story) that brought a jet to land in the Hudson? With no true predators anymore, those two species already wreak havoc to themselves and to us despite being hunted. But that doesn't fit within the HSUS' world view, where the only animals they know are either their pets or a Disney character. And it sure doesn't make for a reasoned sound bite.
Which takes us back to Limbaugh. I've personally listened to Rush on and off since the first Gulf War. He's bombastic, a blowhard, biting, and brilliant, all at different times. His was a lone voice for more than a decade, and he still posts numbers that are the envy of broadcasting. But if this sound bite truly is him, he's taken a side with an organization that is firmly against some things that I hold dear. As stated earlier, I've personally fought these people at their upper echelons. Theirs is an inherently wrong organization. If this is indeed Limbaugh, then I'm forced to join my liberal brethren in becoming yet another unhinged Rush hater.
I assume that there's still room on that bus...
EDIT
This is confirmed as real. HSUS has the release on their site. I'd link to it, but there is no way I'm giving them the satisfaction. Google it if you need the confirmation.
Here is our latest addition to the household. The Thursday before the big Easter celebration at our house, our 9 year old fridge gave up the ghost. Our buddy John from the neighborhood appliance repair shop came over on Friday for an emergency repair. He tried his best but last rites were ultimately performed. Not a good Good Friday.
Vera asked John what we should buy that would last more than 10 years, to which he replied "Preferably something built in 1940." He was only half-kidding.
So our Easter with 11 people was salvaged by a big cooler on the deck and endless walking up and down the stairs to the beer fridge in the basement. I've often said "Thank God for the beer fridge," but that phrase has taken on a whole new meaning.
So for a mere $2,800 our spring vacation consists of a trip to Sears to pick up this lovely machine. We'll get delivery in two weeks. In the mean time, the yellow dog loves the fact that the beer fridge now suddenly smells REALLY good, and is always at my side "helping" me when I need to get in there.
I spent the morning at the Wellstead seeing Dad this morning. It was a beautiful drive up - all of the lakes are now free of ice, the birds are in full courting mode, and the roads were filled with bikers, runners and walkers.
I arrived ahead of lunch, so I hung out with Dad while he ate. He hasn't lost his appetite in the least, and took care of lunch in short order. As he was eyeballing his neighbor's rhubarb crisp, I thought it best to get outside and have a little walk.
We headed to the courtyard to enjoy some sun and have a catch. I cannot believe how good Dad's coordination is with regard to throwing and catching. Not only is he good considering his condition, but I'd put him up against peers in his age group and in perfect health. Every throw to me was right at my chest, just like he taught me.
Unfortunately, the outdoor furniture still has not been set out, so we weren't out there too long, but we had a nice catch and some laughs. The laugh of the day was regarding the milk Dad's holding. I was standing next to him, and he took a sip and then looked down into the glass with a disappointed look on his face. I said "Boy, there's nothing good in there is there?" and he replied with a very appropriate and heartfelt "Uh-uh!" As a guy that's been on the wagon for Lent, I know whereof he speaks.
Vera sent me up there with a small chocolate bunny, so I got him situated in his nice new chair, turned on the Golf Channel's Masters coverage, and watched him kind of struggle with the bunny. The treat was somewhat of an odd one, as it had jellybeans and a chocolate basket attached, so it didn't look to Dad like something to eat. After breaking off an ear and getting him to eat that, all hesitation was gone.
The hostage situation is quickly devolving into the Obama administration's version of the Iran hostage crisis. While the magnitudes of the two events are apples versus oranges, the approach bears similarities, and if the President is not careful, this has the opportunity to blow up to an event that does substantive damage to his international reputation.
Errors have been made throughout this engagement. I can't understand the following:
How is the Bainbridge (the US Destroyer on scene) still approximately a mile away? Why are we keeping our distance? We have a modern warship, and they have AK-47s.
Why are there not more assets at the scene? It has been three days, and we only have two ships in place.
Why are we accepting that other pirates in other hijacked ships are actively searching for the hostage lifeboat to offer reinforcements? These ships can and should be instantly disabled.
How can the kidnapped captain make a break for it, and we don't have SEALs in the water to support him? How can we also not have eyes on the ship, recognize the hostage was out of harm's way (even if for a couple of seconds) and completely light it up with .50 fire?
Obama is off to a very poor start diplomatically. He was ostensibly snubbed in his European quest for additional assets for Afghanistan. Measured and passive rhetoric with Iran has resulted in their flaunting of additional uranium centrifuge assets. North Korea literally launches a shot across Japan's bow with their missile test, despite our demands that they don't, and subsequent failures in our discussions with the UN have given them a free pass on this activity. Finally, the Russians successfully test launched their Topol ICBM today, obviously taking a page from Kim Jong Il's book.
The momentum here is scary. Our enemies are emboldened, and their actions more and more provocative. It will be interesting to see if (and if so, where) the administration eventually decides to draw a successful line in the sand, or they truly make like Carter and suffer setback after setback.
Let's hope it is the former, and also hope that it occurs quickly before something really tragic occurs.
EASTER SUNDAY EDIT
Obama gives approval for an operation, and SEALs kill three, arrest one, and the captive is alive and well. I hand the Obama administration credit for its moxy, and extend my everlasting appreciation for the SEAL team in the work that they performed. They truly are the best of America, and have delivered a true Easter blessing for all of us. Well done - not sure it could have turned out better.
The next Somali pirate that thinks of taking a US flagged ship better remember that our leadership and our muscle mean business.
I spent the weekend with my buddy Dave (he's the one at the base of the tree, trying to look like a bush) trying to fill his turkey permit, so we headed up to Glenwood and took our chances on landing a big bird. While we heard birds on the property on Saturday, we failed to bring them close and never even got a look at one. 
