A Conversation with Yourself at 12

Here's the hottest new viral video.  Pretty creative stuff - enjoy:

The Difference this Fall

There is a big difference this fall.  While the points of the difference are many, it ultimately boils down to the difference between American exceptionalism versus "we're no better than anybody else." 

So, do we "vote present," or do we lead?  Are we to finally get off of the canvas, or do we lie there because getting up is just so hard?  Are our greatest days a fond memory, or yet to come? 

You will be able to decide that this November.

Minnesota Wild Finally Addresses a Decade of Offensive Woes

For years, my biggest criticism of the Minnesota Wild ownership has been their abject failure to provide the team with offense.  Ownership seemed content to milk the season ticket holders while putting a sub-par team on the ice season after season.  However, after over a decade of being at or near the bottom in scoring, Minnesota hockey fans have had enough.  Season ticket sales have lagged.  The once-packed Xcel Center started showing a shocking number of open seats.  The team needed to improve and win back the fans, or spiral away to local indifference and irrelevance. 

Ownership wised up. 

With the recent signing of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter (both of them!  I still can't believe it) the Minnesota Wild pulled off the biggest hockey acquisition since the North Stars drafted Mike Modano. 

Since this franchise's inception, its biggest trouble has been offense.  Save for one player, Marion Gaborik, the Wild have never had a player that was a consistent offensive threat.  They never had a player that could be found among the league leaders list for scoring.  They had nobody they could count on to put the biscuit in the basket. 

Finally, all of that has been addressed.  And then some.  Both players are going to make those around them better, and I look for guys like Heatley, Bouchard (if he can stay healthy), and Setoguchi to make big strides forward. 

I haven't been this optimistic since the start of the 2008 season.  Go Wild!   

2012 Duck Forecast

The 2012 Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey was recently released, and the news doesn't get any better for duck hunters. Early spring water two years ago has resulted in the continental population of ducks being at their highest recorded levels since the survey started in 1956. 

Given the amount of breeding habitat lost in the past years, this is an amazing finding, and, as hunters and conservationists, Mother Nature helped us dodge a big bullet. However, the clock is ticking. Between dry conditions, expanded farming, and land coming out of conservation programs, pond counts are down 32% from the previous year. In short, things aren't going to get any better than right now anytime soon. 

Duck hunters need to take advantage of this lucky break and get into the swamps this fall. We'll likely not see such numbers again.   

4th of July Memories

There's not a 4th of July that goes by where I don't hearken back to my youth and the week that we used to spend on Leech Lake during that period every year.  It was a wonderful mix of swimming, fishing, pinball, cards, tennis, laughing, and being surrounded by so many people that loved me. 

The feeling in ingrained into my psyche, and in quest to pass it along to our family's next generation (and, perhaps, to rekindle it for me), my wife and I bought the very cabin where my family used to stay every 4th. 

While we'll not be there this holiday, we will be all together up there the end of the month, and will look to make new memories.  In the mean time, as I think about this holiday, I can't help but think back on so many vacations, good times, and loved ones that have come and gone. 

I'm convinced that if there is a heaven, the feeling I'll have there will be a similar feeling that all of those family vacations gave me.  

5 of the Best Albums of 2012 (Thus Far)

About a month ago, it felt like there was nothing good happening in new music.  The Indy/Alternative scene felt stale.  Anticipated albums from artists like Santigold, The Shins, and Tennis fell short.  It looked like it was going to be a very long summer. 

Thankfully, three recent releases show that the industry is doing OK, and we can have something fresh to enjoy on the iPod in the coming months:

Silversun Pickups:Neck of the Woods.  SSPU comes through again with a quality engagement of brooding alt-rock.  Fairly consistent with their previous efforts, this is a band that continues to bring the goods time and time again.  They are also incredible live.

Metric: Sythetica.  More consistent than previous Metric offerings, a majority of the album is very good.  You could not say that about previous Metric efforts.  While I get really sick of their politics (and their need to foist their opinions on their fans), I do enjoy their music. 

Rush: Clockwork Angels.  Yep, Rush.  For nearly 45 years (nearly as long as I've been alive) Rush has been cranking out their impeccable brand of cerebral rock.  While their style has ebbed and flowed through the years, their musicianship could never, ever be questioned.  That is clearly the case in their new album - arguably their best in at least a decade, maybe two.  How Rush is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame remains that institute's greatest shame.

2:54: Self Titled.  Ever since The XX came out years ago, I've been pining for a return to that brooding, dark alternative riff with a top layer of quiet female vocal.  2:54 nailed it.  From start to finish, this album rocks.  It's my favorite album of 2012 thus far. 

The Lumineers : Self Titled.  As I reported in my concert review of theLumineers, this is an incredibly talented band.  Their album is great across all tracks, and likely will be the soundtrack for summer 2012 for many.  As it should be.  Theirs is a superlative effort. 

Regardless of your musical tastes, check out any of the albums listed above.  You'll be impressed with what you hear.     

Cheaters and Me

About a year ago, my eyesight went.  And I mean bad.  I went from having spectacular eyesight to struggling to see most things printed in a normal font.  Throw in some low light or fatigue, and I'm really screwed. 

This has been incredibly hard for me.  While the good Lord didn't bless me with many positive physical attributes, the one thing I always had was the ability to see, and see incredibly well, without any correction. 

Those days are now gone. 

The change has been so swift and dramatic that I went into one of our stores' optical areas and got a check.  While the end result (I'm old and my vision sucks) was not what I wanted to hear, I had some of the best optical careavailable.  And I'm not just saying that - our stores are known for the quality of their health care, and the folks that attended to me were simply outstanding. 

So I walked out of there with an Rx for correction, five pair cheaters (which have been stashed strategically throughout the house and at work), and the satisfaction that given my age, I should have been in there looking for correction years earlier. 

As if a guy can be satisfied with the fact that I'm getting old, just not as fast as I should. 

Damn it.

Coke Security Camera Videos Capture Humanity

Coke's "Happiness Machine" campaign remains one of my favorite viral marketing efforts.  They've launched a new one, leveraging security cameras to capture us being us.  While I dislike the kid tagging the building (regardless of the message, that's still destruction of property), the rest of it is joyful humanity.

Enjoy: