New Vikings Quarterback

Oh please oh please oh please...

Dream of Dad

Ever since my dad passed away, I’ve pretty much been unable to dream about him.  I’m not sure why, exactly.  My sibs, mom and I have talked about it, and it sounds like my experience is definitely the outlier in the family, as I’ve only dreamed about him a couple of times. 

Well, last night I had a dad dream.  We were up on Leech Lake fishing, and were in his boat.  He looked as he typically looked when we were up there – needed a shave and a shower, wearing crappy shorts, crappy shoes, an undershirt, and chomping on a stogie.  Prototypical dad. 

Fishing was quiet, and I was getting frustrated, not only due to the lack of fish, but I remember dad playing some tape of a band that I wasn’t appreciating.  As I was reeling in, I noticed a massive northern pike following my lure, and by jerking it around I was able to elicit a mighty bite. 

We landed the fish – he was clearly the largest fish I every caught.  I remember being consciously thankful that dad was there to help me land the fish, share in the moment (he wouldn’t have believed how big it was had he not been there), and allow for a moment for him to be proud of me.  I guess no matter how old I get, I still subtlety long for that feeling you get when a parent is proud of you. 

I awoke with a smile, thankful for the rare dream.  Unfortunately, I woke to a barking, hungry dog, fourteen (yes, fourteen) degrees, and over a foot of snow that based on the long term forecast won’t be melting until we’re a couple of weeks into April. 

What a turnaround, where the dream was pleasant, and reality a nightmare.  Almost always it’s the other way around.   

Why Do We Live Here?

We just got this - a lovely 10" of the stickiest and heaviest snow you've seen.  It is continuing to come down, blow and drift as I type this.  My wife just entered the office after seeing the news, and they're claiming 2-4" more. 

This is after and incredibly hard winter; one filled with over a half dozen blizzards, bitter cold, and more total snow than I've seen in my lifetime.

This after a recent warm spell that brought grass, robins, and buds on the oaks.  Promises of better times.

I used to think I'd never live in the south.  "I like the change of seasons," I'd tell myself.  "Winter's not that bad.  The snow is kind of nice.  You won't catch me living out my senior days in some Florida community."

Wrong.

Get the shuffleboard sticks ready, grandpop, because as soon as I can figure it out, I'm coming down there to join you. 

You win, winter.  I officially give up.

Top 10 Music Acts I Just Can't Stand

I need to start this post off with an apology.  I'm likely going to tick a couple people off with this update.  However, what I present here is just my opinion.  And you know what they say about opinions...

As big of a music fan that I am, there are definitely some bands/artists that just rub me the wrong way, and regardless of how I try, I simply cannot enjoy their music.  It's not necessarily genre-based - I have likes in every genre, even if they are few and far in between in genres like rap and pop.  It's really hard to pin down - it's almost at the artist level, and each of them have rubbed me the wrong way for some reason or the other. 

Hence, I thought it worthy of analysis to review the top 10 popular music acts that I just can't stomach.  I've ranked them in relative order of worldwide records sold, starting low to high. 

10) Barenaked Ladies - I don't like campy or cute, and it seems like everything that this groups has done that's gained success has way, way crossed that line.  If I Had $1,000,000 is near torture.  Their library may be filled with things of other substance, but I can't endure getting past their popular crap to deal with it. 

9) Jack Johnson - He's on of those artist where it seems that every song sounds exactly like the other - the minute a Jack Johnson song hits the radio, you KNOW it is a Jack Johnson song.  Bubble Toes remains one of the worst songs written.  Ever. 

8) Alanis Morissette - I have to admit that I was taken the first time I heard You Ought to Know.  It was raw, emotional, and edgy.  But Alanis soon became completely overexposed, and the depth that You Ought to Know promised was revealed to be a mirage.  She earned bonus loathe points with me by penning the song Ironic that has absolutely nothing to do with irony.  She made a mint off of it, and helped hundreds of thousands of teenagers (and ultimately adults) misuse the meaning of the word "irony" every since.   

7) The Guess Who - This group has numerous hits.  And I hate every one worse than the other.  Special hate points go out to Undone and These Eyes.  Torture. 

6) Janice Joplin - I probably am doing Janice a disservice as I really should dig into her deeper body of work.  I just can't get past the Pearl album, and I can't get past the mythology that has been created around her.  Had I live through the '60's, I'm quite sure that I would feel very differently about her and her music.  But for me, I just cannot find a way to dig her.  Not at all. 

5) Katy Perry - I think I said all I need to say about Ms. Perry right here.  

4) Dave Matthews Band - Unique sound.  Innovative, if not brilliant, musician.  Massive body of original work. And for whatever reason, I don't like any of it.  Occasionally he'll produce a song that resonates with me, and I'll put in into rotation.  Last one to hit me was The Space Between.  However, by less than 10 listens, I just can't take any more, and I'll delete it off of the hard drive.  I want to like him as I respect him as an artist.  But for my ear, I just can't handle him. 

3) Pearl Jam - I have mixed feelings on this band.  Nearly everything they've done has been a total miss with me.  But then I absolutely love State of Love and Trust.  But then some of what they've done has been complete crap, like Last Kiss (would Nirvana or Alice in Chains, both "peers" of this band, ever done anything like that?  No way).  And everything in the middle does nothing for me.  Throw in their political activism, and I've got very little time for this band.  This band would also easily make my Top 10 "Shut Up and Sing" list.

2)  Neil Diamond - Has experienced a career resurgence thanks to stadium music programmers everywhere.  I don't like one of his songs.  Not one.  Especially

Sweet Caroline

1) Simon and Garfunkel - If I can go a couple years without hearing them, I really enjoy a listen to The Sound of Silence or The Boxer.  But it's like an Orange Crush.  You remember it tasting a hell of a lot better than it really tastes.  And more than one in a half decade is too much.  As for the remainder of their catalog, it is like fingernails across the chalkboard. I am a Rock, Cecilia, and My Little Town turn my stomach. 

So there you have it music fans.  These are very successful acts (some Hall of Fame acts), I'm a huge music fan, but yet there's a disconnect. 

Maybe it's not them, it's me.     

Wisconsin Roller Derby - A Review

The expansion of my Wisconsin experience continues. 

My wife and I recently attended our first roller derby.  Really.

A woman on my team plays, and invited us to attend the show.  I was assured of beer and an unique experience, so how could I not be game? 

While the players play under assumed aliases and costume up slightly, this was not to be confused with the "sports entertainment" roller derby we remember from late night TV.  The plays were unscripted, the competition and athleticism clearly evident, and the hitting, injuries, and scoring real. 

While it took a couple of minutes to understand the rules and the scoring, once I got it, it really became a fun spectator sport.  One could clearly watch plays develop, strategy get employed, and then see all of it thrown out the window based on a great play on the other side.  It was pretty impressive to see, and definitely not what I expected. 

As for the crowd, it was a mix of players' friends and family, and blue collar families.  For $10, folks got two 40 minute bouts, and had access to $3 beer.  Not a bad way to spend a Saturday night. 

Hats off to the women of contemporary roller derby.  Your display of athleticism, guts, and competition was fun to watch.

Recap from Dr. Bill's 2011 Hunting Trip

Last weekend I spent time with some college (and other) buddies as part of an annual get-together at a fancy hunt club.  I've known these guys for 25 years, and I was really struck by a couple of things over the weekend: 

• Even thought I haven't seen some of these guys since the last hunting trip last year, we all fell back into our same ways of talking to each other and interacting.  In many respects it wasn't that different from when we were in college.  It was comfortable.  Just really comfortable. 
• We're not getting any younger, and we're definitely uglier than we used to be.  Some of us worse than others. 
• When we were younger, we'd often get together in order for there to be a distraction - the ultimate goal was to hit the bar, or party, or game, or whatever.  The distraction was the driver.  In recent years, the opposite is proving more and more true.  We engage in a distraction in order to get together. 
• After gearing up, I came out of the house and marveled at the vehicles in the driveway.  It is really remarkable the success that each of us have made of ourselves, both on a professional an personal level.  Back in the mid 80's, one could have really had their doubts about us.  Big time.  But our foundations (family and faith), our education, our work ethic, and some luck conspired to get us where we're at today.  We're blessed and lucky.
• Every year, something happens that makes the trip remarkable.  This year was no exception, with one of us "retiring" early and ending up in the wrong bed.  This created quite a surprise as his roommate attempted to enter the same bed in the darkened room later that evening.  It was definitely not the kind of surprise that either want to revisit.

Thanks again, Dr. Bill.  Can't wait to do it all again next year.

When You've Lost Grandpa Sports...

It's at the end of the clip, but Sid Hartman claims that in his career, he's never seen a worse field of Minnesota sports. 



Economy in freefall.  Staggering deficits.  Civil war in Libya.  Japan suffering from horrific natural and man-made disasters.  And Sid hating on Minnesota sports.

Repent, sinner.  The apocalypse is nigh.

Corning's View of the Future

Pretty interesting video.  Given the trajectory we're on, especially since the advent of the iPhone and iPad, I think we're probably not too far away from much of this being commonplace.