Thursday, June 30, 2016

Good Luck Traffic Sucks!


More Good Old Beer

11/23/2002
12/08/2002

Fix Cruise Control


The Cruise Control on my Ford Fusion has from time to time, stopped working or more accurately, stopped working correctly and consistently. It occurred to me that the inconsistency (rather than complete stoppage) could be due to dust/dirt in the controls that are located on the steering wheel. I used a vacuum cleaner and cleaned the area around the control buttons and the cruise control resumed working correctly. Years later, (recently) during a road trip, the cruise control began to act up again. I repeated the process with the same results. As I have noticed with electronics, etc., dirt and dust can cause malfunctions and cleaning is often all that needs to be done to return normal function.

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

CuTRis May Be Heir to Prince's Estate


CuTRis May Be Heir to Prince's Estate
UnAssociated Press
June 29, 2016


As want-to-be heirs to Prince's $300 Million estate line up, unnamed sources say that CuTRis bears a striking resemblance to the deceased musical legend. Could CuTRis be related to the late Prince? Both live(d) in Minnesota; and both play(ed) guitar—which could be a key to the truth. CuTRis, himself, has issued no statements regarding his possible connection to the former music icon. We will need to wait and see. Still, we could not dismiss the uncanny resemblance between the two musicians as of late.


Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Mille Lacs View

This was our view from our room the last night of our vacation...


Bemidji Trip

Trip to Bemidji

Sunday, June 19, 2016, Father’s Day We left St. Paul at 9:00 AM. Lunch at McDonald’s in Rice, MN. We went to Itasca State park to see the Headwaters of the Mississippi River. 5:30 PM checked into Ruttger’s Birchmont Lodge, Cabin #3. Dinner at Ruttger’s. Swam in the pool.

Monday, June 20, 2016 I fished from the dock. Great breakfast at Ruttger’s! Our son played on playground. We went downtown to see the Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox statues. Boring shopping… Me and my son went to the (closed) history museum and saw a mini train. We found Hurricane Grill & Wings and met my wife there for lunch. Back at Ruttger’s me and my son made sand castles and found rocks and sea shells. Then we all went swimming in the pool! Snack. 5:30 PM Wine tasting and cheese and crackers at main lodge. Then we had dinner in our cabin.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016 I fished from the dock. We rented a peddle/paddle boat for an hour and went out on Lake Bemidji. Lunch at Ruttger’s. Then we went to Paul Bunyan's Animal Land. Dinner at Brigid’s Irish Pub & Restaurant. Back to Ruttger’s for ice cream. We went swimming in the pool.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016 We left Ruttger’s at 11:00 AM. Shopped at McKenzie Place in Bemidji. We drove to Grand Rapids, MN and ate at Grand China Buffet in Central Square Mall (and shopped a little bit). Then we drove to Garrison, MN and stayed at Twin Pines Resort Motel & Restaurant, Room 25 (panoramic view) across from Lake Mille Lacs. Light dinner at McDonald’s.

Thursday, June 23, 2016 I fished from wobbly dock at Twin Pines. Breakfast in our room. We drove to Milaca Unclaimed Freight store and shopped. Then drove to Ogilvie to see my friend Joe. Then we drove home. 3:21 PM, 626.8 Miles.







Thursday, June 16, 2016

John McCain Directly Responsible for His Own Stupidity

While I once had some respect for Senator John McCain, I now believe that he is directly responsible for his own stupidity.

The Tooth Fairy


The story of the Tooth Fairy came back to me after all these years—when my son lost his first tooth yesterday evening. My wife and I and Tais (grandma) had been wiggling the tooth trying to get it out because another tooth was growing up beneath it. I remember how that hurt when I was a kid so I didn't want to be too rough—but I was the one who finally got it out when I "checked the tooth" while he was taking a bath. Once it finally came out, the tooth was surprisingly tiny. In fact, I was surprised that the Tooth Fairy would pay for it; but of course she did. She left a dollar coin for it!

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Best Friends

As my son was decorating his grandpa's Father's Day card he asked,

"Is grandma grandpa's best friend?"

I answered,

"Yeah buddy, she is."

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

"That Guy"

Why is it that the guy with the absolute least amount of personal ambition, can suddenly become indignant and challenge everyone else to stop talking about it and do something!

If You Think...

If you think that the U.S.A. has a lot of mass shootings you are right.
If you think that there are a lot of shootings in the U.S.A. you are also correct.
If you think that Islamic extremists are a problem in the U.S.A. you are right. If you think profiling should be allowed in the name of national security, you are probably right. If you think all Muslims are terrorists, you are wrong.
Half of my family came to America from Germany before WWII. They were not Nazis. They became American very quickly when they heard that people of Japanese, German and Italian heritage were being relocated to internment camps. They stopped speaking and acting like Germans. Some of them fought the Nazis in WWII.
Donald Trump's family also came from Germany. Somehow the two of us have not learned the same lessons about ancestry.
On the other side of the spectrum, those who are too liberal to understand that personal freedoms will need to become secondary while we are at war against terrorism, need to gain a dose of reality. We might not like it; but being shot down or blown up has its disadvantages too. And by-the-way, if the FBI wants to check a record of my phone calls, they are more than welcome. But be forewarned, it will be a lot of very boring stuff.
But I digress... Where were we?
If you think there are too many guns in the U.S., you are probably right.
If you think you need to own an assault rifle, you are probably wrong.
And finally, if you want a cop to respond when you are in trouble, stop "bashing" them! Take your petty political agenda and stuff it. This is bigger than you. It's bigger than any one of us. But it is not bigger than all of us.

Monday, June 13, 2016

Buck in Velvet

I saw this White-tailed deer when I was walking today.

Orlando Nightclub Shooting

In the aftermath of the Orlando Nightclub Shooting, I would like to "thank" everyone who has worked so hard to make our country into a great place to get shot while minding your own business. A big thanks to all of those who love their guns more than anything. Without all of you, we could never have achieved the daily carnage that we enjoy today. I would also like to honor the National Rifle Association for continuing to fight for the right of everyone to own an assault rifle. Because everyone needs a weapon that is manufactured exclusively for the purpose of killing lots of people quickly and efficiently. I would like to thank the politically conservative for ensuring that guns remain in as many hands as possible. I would also like to thank the liberals, for protecting the rights of people who would do harm—because we certainly wouldn't want to show any bias or discrimination against anyone for any reason at any time. You too have allowed for this tragedy. Also we should recognize the media for sensationalizing these events. Your speculation is paramount to the distrust and continuous bickering. And let us not forget radical Islam for preaching violence and destruction in a world where violence is revered by many who are intolerant and hateful. Thanks to the street thugs who live and die by the gun. Without all of you, more people would escape being shot to death. Yes, it would seem that perhaps everyone has had a hand in creating this monster that is swallowing us up with lead and blood.

"Secret War" Memorial





https://www.mprnews.org/story/2016/06/11/lao-hmong-veterans-memorial


Friday, June 10, 2016

I have a GREEN light...

When my light is green, how come other cars keep driving in the road in front of me? Because if they have a green light too, there is some kind of a problem! Of course, it is possible that they don't have a green light at the same time as I do. So is it that they don't understand the rules of driving or is it that they just don't think that they should have to follow them?

Wednesday, June 08, 2016

History is Made: Women Still Come in Last

As Hillary Clinton becomes the first woman (endorsed by major political party) to run for President in the USA, we should remember that throughout history, women have always gained these rights last. Ratified on February 3, 1870, the 15th Amendment made it possible for African-American men to vote. It wasn't until May 19, 1919 that the 19th Amendment paved the way for women to exercise the right to vote. So in the historical tradition of our country, the first African-American President came prior to a woman running for the office. If she wins, however, not only will both historical records be attributed to the DFL, but it will not have taken 49 years for women to catch up (as it did between the 15th and 19th Amendments). A win by Hillary Clinton would also end 240 years of male (only) U.S. Presidents.

Tuesday, June 07, 2016

Great News Day Fantasy

No one got shot.
Someone told the Truth.
The races all got a long.
Somebody thanked the police.
We got a real person Presidential candidate.
Every child was loved, fed and found.
ISIS was destroyed.
Religions preached tolerance.
People believed in Education.
Kindness prevailed.
People were kind to animals.
No road rage.
Everyone worked hard.
New ideas were recognized.
"I love you," became a commonly heard phrase.
People became responsible.
Wilderness was saved.
Litter was cleaned up.

Monday, June 06, 2016

Grilled Dinner


Muhammad Ali

With the passing of Muhammad Ali on Friday, I saw the end of more than a boxing legend. Back in those days I could enjoy the art of the boxing match—which was forever ruined after the fight between Ray Mancini and Duk-koo Kim; in which Kim died. I had cheered Muhammad Ali and later, we all watched his physical decline. I cannot condone fighting as an art or as entertainment any longer. Yet Muhammad Ali will always be one of the greatest boxers of all time in my opinion. It was tragic to see his decline; and likely too many blows to the head had ultimately taken their toll.

Miss USA: Too Predictable

I admit I only watched a fraction of the Miss USA 2016 pageant, but it was completely predictable none-the-less. I had been channel flipping when the final 10 were announced so I stopped long enough to see who they were. Later, my wife wanted to see the winner and so I predicted the outcome while everyone acted really surprised. While to me the whole thing seemed to be a fabrication based on political correctness, I can't really fault those responsible too much. I don't expect that this end result will include any public condemnations by any Kanye's or Jada's. Still, it seems pointless in the current political climate and insanity of liberalism to think that any kind of award will be issued solely on the basis of merit at this point in history. It is a shame; because I think that with the passing of both Prince and Muhammad Ali, everyone has acknowledged that real talent transcends racial bias. I expect it will take longer for the masses to catch up to the reality of things.

Thursday, June 02, 2016

National Gun Violence Awareness Day · June 2

WEAR ORANGE!

http://wearorange.org/ 

http://iamempowered.com/article/2016/05/31/national-gun-violence-awareness-day

Still No Evidence!

Yesterday, Federal investigators announced that they would not seek charges against the two Minneapolis police officers involved in shooting Jamar Clark. This was also what was found by the Hennepin County Attorney's investigation. Despite what groups such as Black Lives Matter would like—which is the indictment of two police officers who have endured repeated investigations—and repeatedly found to have not acted inappropriately. The allegations that Jamar Clark was handcuffed are unfounded. In fact, the eyewitness accounts are all inconsistent—which is what can be expected by those who bear false witness in order to gain their own political agenda. The medical examiner's report also showed no indication of marks on the deceased's wrists indicating he had been handcuffed. Yet none of this matters to some people who are pushing a racial agenda instead of pushing for individuals to be responsible and reasonable. The true fact is, that if Jamar Clark had been gunned down by another African-American, no one (except his own family) would even remember his name by now. Very recently a grandmother (also African-American) was killed by a "stray bullet" while driving her mini van in North Minneapolis. There was no protest over this because it was not done by police. It was done by the same mentality of people who are killing others wantonly in the streets of the Twin Cities and the problem has only become worse as certain groups would like everyone to believe it is the fault of the police. Wake up people. The truth is obvious. If you keep investigating and the same conclusion keeps coming up, maybe the problem is not the police. Maybe it is a lack of truth and responsibility. Maybe it is time to change yourself instead of blaming others.

Still Not Guilty!