Wisconsin Leads Nation in Binge Drinking

In a recent study performed by 24/7 Wall Street, the top metro areas for binge drinking were identified across the US.  To identify the U.S. cities with the highest and lowest excessive drinking rates, the group reviewed the percentage of adults who report binge or heavy drinking across a total of 381 metro areas.

Here are the top 10:

Appleton, WI
Oshkosh-Neenah, WI
Green Bay, WI
Madison, WI
Fargo, ND
La Crosse, WI
Fon Du Lac, WI
Ames, IA
Eau Claire, WI

Mankato, MN

The top three are within 60 miles of each other in the Fox Valley of NE Wisconsin.  That's a lot of schweel in one small area.

Considering I work in Appleton and live in Green Bay, there's a whole lot of drinking going on.

I wonder if they conducted this study after the Packers got knocked out of the playoffs?  That'd explain a lot...

Big Papi - Pinata Crusher

Perhaps the worst error any Minnesota team has ever made was letting David Ortiz go.  He had the sweetest of swings, and parlayed it to great fame in Boston.  The rest is legend.

So now that retirement is neigh, what does he do?  This might work:

New Family Members

My wife lost her long-time cat to a stroke last summer, and ever since she's been pining for a new feline friend.  She's waited, patently, for the schedule to free up, and for "kitten season" to arrive.  Since we're now done with our travels, she's been on the hunt for a new buddy.

Hence, when I got this text yesterday:

I thought it was to perhaps select one.  Little did I know that when she said she'd be checking out "kitties" that meant she might be buying "kitties" plural.

Stupid me.

Hence, here are the latest editions to Casa YDP:

No names have been given yet.

Pray for me.

Hillary Rally Can't Say "Under God"

In the Democratic party, one better not utter the name of the Father.

Religion is for rubes, ignoramuses, and the Republican party.  Unless, of course, if the religion is Islam.  Then, if you want to invoke Allah, that's awesome

Saturday Song Share: Lyle Lovett and Rickie Lee Jones - North Dakota

You can sleep forever
and I'll still hold you then

Prevailing Opinion on Why Folks Aren't Working?

Over fishing last week, the prevailing opinion of our fishing crew was one of worry.  The economy feels broken.  So many are not working, and the tax base is crashing.  In the meantime, government spending continues to increase at an unabated rate.  Social Security, an option that is now on the horizon for some of us, is a known Ponzi scheme.  It is already bankrupt, and as more Boomers pull on it, it will ultimate tip over.

In the middle of all of this is a youth base that finds it unnecessary to move out of mom and dad's house, much less become a productive member of society.  In fact, in a recent article on the StarTribune about Millennials still living with their parents, the following was written in the comments:

We suggest you scale back. Try living in urban areas and abandon your cars. Scale back on your rent so you can take months off at a time. Enjoy your life and the people you know. Do not dread Sundays. Do not be a drone for the corporations and establishment. The government is trending towards providing more help and you will be taken care of when you 'retire' so do not buy into you must work 40 hours a week so you can have a good retirement that may never come. Also if you save up too much, you will be ineligible for less!

This comment received lots of "likes," and absolutely no dissent.  

There is a lot here to tear apart, and I'll leave it up to the reader to do so.  My closing points are 1) this explains how an avowed Socialist is pretty damned close to being President and 2) we're screwed.  Royally, royally screwed.  With no work ethic leading to no work leading to more government handouts leading to less taxes collected, it is only a matter of time before this house of cards collapses.

It used the be that the comment made above would garner shame and scorn.  Now it is just simply a blueprint for life.  

Pat Condell on Why Voting for Trump Makes Sense

As one considers the impending presidential election, it is hard to argue with logic like this:

Outrage Over a Dead Gorilla

The story of the gorilla shot in the Cincinnati zoo because he was flinging a young 4 year old child around like a rag doll has been covered to death.  The most surprising thing to me has been the abject outrage directed to those that shot the gorilla.  Multiple armchair quarterbacks have gone beyond second-guessing the decision to shoot the beast.  No, they're calling for violence for those that sanctioned and committed the acts.

This is astonishing to me.  Are we so removed from the realities of life here in our First World that we fail to understand the differences between animal and human life?  Likewise, where is the same kind of outrage for human suffering - starvation, torture, oppression, mutilation, human trafficking, sexual abuse, etc.?  The kind that happens every day.  The kind that is happening right bleeping now.  

I guess it is easier to pen off some pompous "gorilla murder" outrage on Facebook over a latte rather than actually getting off of ones ass and doing something about making life better in a way that matters.

Talk about a sheltered world-view...