April Snow Limerick

While I'd grown quite attached to their beer
From Wisconsin, due west I did steer
While glad to depart
It was a blow to the heart
Had the Frozen Tundra followed me here?

St. Joseph, the Builder

There is a lot we don't know about Jesus' father.  We learn most about him from the Infancy Narratives from Matthew and Luke, and, as reported here earlier, we know he was a man of incredible faith.

We also know that, as a trade, he was a carpenter and a builder.  But what exactly did he build?  As Jesus' father, we can attest that he helped to build Jesus the man.  Jesus likely learned a trade from Joseph, and, more importantly, likely learned lessons as to how a man sacrifices to take care of the ones he loves.

We don't know how or when Joseph died, but the legacy of the man he helped raise and mold has literally spread to all corners of the world.  

An incredible builder, that St. Joseph.  

Chipolte: Keeping it Real with Jillian Bell - Musician

Chipolte has a mess on its hands.  About a year ago, an E.coli contamination threatened to completely scuttle the company.  Even now, the brand is nowhere where is used to be, and still appears reeling and unsteady on its feet.

Seeming to want to get things back to normal, they've launched a "keeping it real" campaign featuring "real" conversations with stand-up comings.  Most of them are total misses.  Likewise, it is interesting to see that the campaign designed to salvage the suffering brand as one in which folks need to "keep it real."

Regardless, of the half dozen or so that I've seen, one does stand out:

WhileWhil

While it in no way made me feel like I should get up off the couch and get some potentially sketchy Mexican food, I was at least entertained. 

Minnesota Wild's Run is Over

It was an interesting year for the Minnesota Wild this year.  The regular season was a juggernaut with the team playing the best professional hockey ever for the franchise.  Consider the following:

• Minnesota was 49-25-28, second in the Western Conference with a franchise-best 106 points. They set their records for longest winning streak (12, Dec. 4-29) and longest point streak (13 games, 12-0-1), and were second in the NHL with a plus-58 goal differential.  

• With 13 players scoring at least 10 goals (tied for most in the NHL), Minnesota was second in the NHL with 263 goals.

The team found a way to win, and the puck found a way to cross the line.  It was really fun, but over the past month or so, the team stumbled.  Wins and goals were harder to come by, and that 1st place position they enjoyed got handed over to the hated Chicago Blackhawks.

No worries - the playoffs afforded a new season, and their #2 seeding gave them a good chance for a Cup run.  Unfortunately, nobody told Jake Allen, and the St. Louis goalie stood on his head and held the Wild to 8 goals across 5 games.  While the Wild outshot the Blues 182-133 and got good goaltending, there were not enough goals to move onto the next round and face the Nashville Predators (who had themselves vanquished the hated Blackhawks in a four-game sweep).

In some regards the season feels like a step forward, but the playoff performance adds up to usual Wild futility.  The goal of the NHL is to win the Stanley Cup, and in that effort the Wild failed miserably.

Oh well, at least we have the Twins to follow.  

Oh, wait... 

A Monk's Chronicle

If a reader of this space, then you're aware of my affinity and love for Fr. Don and his daily posts from St. John's.  Well, a couple of months ago, I was made aware of another writer from that community who is worthy of your support and readership.

Fr. Eric Hollas writes "A Monk's Chronicle," and writes it wonderfully.  He offers a thought provoking and often times beautiful view of faith, and is a pure joy to read.  My only regret is that he only writes weekly.

I strongly encourage you to check out his site by clicking here, and then signing up for his email distribution.  It's very much worth the read.

Saturday Song Share: Bob Schneider - Mudhouse

This is an awesome, funky song to begin with.  When mashed up with old school Soul Train solo line moves, well, check it out for yourselves:

Ain't got nobody, baby
I can call my shorty

Bill O'Reilly is Toast

Hard to believe, but the biggest voice in all of cable news has been brought silent.  To their credit (albeit very late), Fox conducted its own investigation, and what they turned up could not have been good, as their golden goose was scattered to the wind.  Bill must have known they had the goods as well, as he chose to not put up a fight and just rolled over.

For the life of me, I cannot understand this behavior.  Why treat women so lousy?  Why risk tens of millions a year?  Why not control yourself?  Why?

We'll never know for sure, I guess.  Chalk it up to yet another example of someone in the highest of positions that just couldn't be a decent human being.  

Why is that so damned hard, especially for the most powerful?

Delta's 4:00 AM Ad

I'm a big fan of Delta airlines.  I like their approach to service, I adore their frequent flyer program (although I'll lose my Gold status with them this year), and I massively respect that they're one of the only airlines out there that will deliberately fly around weather systems specifically for passenger comfort.  Most airlines take the shortest distance between two points, and it matters not what kind of hell lies on that line.

I've always preferred to travel early.  I like getting where I'm going, and I like having a day full of options ahead of me in the event that Mother Nature or the mechanical gremlins have something in store.  I just find it easier, and more often than not, find myself on the first flight out in the morning.

That's why I see a lot of myself in this ad:



While my business travel days may have passed me, it was nice to see Delta recognize who I was and what I needed to do to be their customer.

Well done.