I'm thinking I'm might finally join the Twitterverse.

I'm know I'm one of the last vestiges not on it yet.  My wife has said it's only a matter of time before I do.  I have been resisting for a long time because I really don't need another social media outlet taking up my time, and I certainly don't need a stroke to my ego to give false hope to my insignificance.

On the other hand, I have this odd sense that it might be kind of fun.  I don't usually get starstruck around celebrities, but I can't help but think about the giddy sensation I might get from trying to goad "45" into another tantrum (like he needs me to do that) or J.K. Rowling actually responding to a question.  To think this is the way we gain our own little anonymous fifteen minutes of fame now if you are clever enough to write something worth garnering attention that it gets copied and published elsewhere on the interwebs is an oddly thrilling prospect.  My inner attention-starved ten-year old self will eat this up.

Aside from that silliness, it's simply another tool to advertise.  So far I have a feeling that most of you reading this actually DO know me, and while I love you all for sharing this experiment with me, I am hoping to reach a wider audience.  I don't think my plugging each installment via Google is doing much.  It might be time to tweet up my opinions.  And speaking of advertisers, I know most run special offers and giveaways and contests over there; I've missed out on a lot.

So I haven't decided yet, but I'm leaning towards giving it a try.  Any opinions and/or insight are welcome!

Somebody stop me from making a big financial mistake.

I am a Minnesota sports fan.  As such, I am used to major let-downs by my teams.

• The Twins refuse to spend enough money to really invest in something worth watching, and whenever they happen to find a small scrap of gold among the rubbish, they sell (read: trade) it off before they can build around it.  Ergo, nothing really great since 1991 (and I shamefully wasn't even really a fan then, so I missed the greatest World Series in history).
• The Timberwolves just can't get out of their own way enough to maybe develop the new young talent they have actually found.
• I didn't stay home for college, so I don't care very much about the Gophers, but from what little I hear/understand from streaming Twin Cities sports radio, they just don't know how to run a collegiate athletic association.
• The Vikings are the worst because they taunt you with potential greatness, then get flooded with injuries, and one thing after another, every season inevitably falls apart.  This past year was, in my mind, the second-most "Vikings season" ever, only a step behind 2010, the year it culminated with the Metrodome roof caving in from snow.

And then there's the Wild, our young, scrappy, and hungry (it has been too long since I made a Hamilton reference) professional hockey team that, at the moment, is actually looking very legit. It can't be denied, they are damn good!  If you don't follow the NHL, to give you an idea of how good this team is right now, they are #1 in the conference standings and #2 overall in the league!  They are showing no signs of stopping.  And they're garnering some well-deserved attention, having just appeared on national broadcasts three games in a row, of which they took five out of six possible points to add to their standings.  I am thrilled to see this team doing so well!!

Now to the requested intervention: I started looking into maybe making a future's bet on the Wild to win the Stanley Cup.  The problems are a. I know nothing about sports betting; 2. I can't really afford that kind of investment (not that I'd go crazy); and 3. Because they are a Minnesota team, they'll collapse, get booted from the playoffs (probably by Chicago as usual), and again dash the hopes of every dedicated member of the team of 19,000.

So somebody other than my wife please talk me out of wasting time and money in this fool's errand before I give myself another imaginary fandom ulcer.  Thanks in advance.  And GO WILD!!

I took my kids to see The Lego Batman Movie tonight.

And man, is it a good time!!

I hadn't really paid much attention to any trailers or hype about the movie prior to its release this weekend.  It was going to be a throw-away movie for me; something I knew I'd probably be taking my kids to see, which was certainly confirmed when my son realized it was coming out the week of his birthday.  I haven't seen the entire original Lego Movie; somehow this new movie franchise hasn't gripped me in the same way their video games have, and I LOVE playing those!  Needless to say, there wouldn't be a movie franchise if it weren't for the advent of the games.

That said, I really enjoyed everything about this movie!  From the very opening of the film, even as the opening production company logos are rolling, the jokes are flying.  I don't want to spoil anything here, because some of my favorite moments came from completely unexpected places; everything from shout-outs to every iteration of Batman that has ever been to the rest of the DC universe, even to subtle jabs at Marvel.  You almost forget it's even a Lego movie as there are only a couple of references to the "master builder" concept introduced in the Lego Movie.  Beyond that, it was just great Batman camp.  Of course, maybe that's just me as my Batman and DC experience for the last few years has mostly been just from playing the Lego video games, so the look just felt natural.

Anyway, top to bottom, the Lego Batman Movie is just a lot of fun, and if you are a fan of Batman at all and you have you have a good sense of humor, you need to see it immediately!

All I can say tonight is this:

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!!!

I am such a geek for the MCU and I will be waiting in line day one for this one next year!

I'm going to be lazy tonight.

First, though, I would be completely remiss if I didn't applaud the Ninth Circuit Appeals Court for voting unanimously, without presumed party bias, against the ridiculous Muslim travel ban.  And he can tweet "See you in court" all he wants.  It's called the checks and balances of our government wisely set up by our founders.  Go ahead, "45," embarrass yourself some more.  You'll find not everyone in Government is a sycophant or afraid.

Now to the lazy part, as I already copied this on Facebook earlier today.  I read a very well-written post speaking directly to my dilemma the other day about pulling back from the mayhem to get back to myself a bit.

"This morning I have been pondering a nearly forgotten lesson I learned in high school music. Sometimes in band or choir, music requires players or singers to hold a note longer than they actually can hold a note. In those cases, we were taught to mindfully stagger when we took a breath so the sound appeared uninterrupted. Everyone got to breathe, and the music stayed strong and vibrant. Yesterday, I read an article that suggested the administration's litany of bad executive orders (more expected on LGBTQ next week) is a way of giving us "protest fatigue" - we will literally lose our will to continue the fight in the face of the onslaught of negative action. Let's remember MUSIC. Take a breath. The rest of the chorus will sing. The rest of the band will play. Rejoin so others can breathe. Together, we can sustain a very long, beautiful song for a very, very long time. You don’t have to do it all, but you must add your voice to the song. With special love to all the musicians and music teachers in my life…..#Resist"

I feel a little less guilty now for those moments when I just don't have it.  The rest of you are still carrying on, as I will when you need a break.  Peace and love.

 

I need to make a retraction.

Fair warning: this may stun those of you who are quick to boycott every single product from companies who make any sort of statement with which you disagree, or those of you who think I am one of those people.

Last night, I made a comment about replacing my exercise clothes because I read a piece that said the CEO of Under Armour likes having Drumpf as our President because he knows business.  I couldn't disagree with him more.  A country is not a business.  He has been (still inexplicably) entrusted with the United States of America.  It cannot become part of Trump Enterprises, or whatever he calls his business empire.  The Under Armour CEO is dead wrong that Trump is an asset to anything except his own self-interest.

That said, the piece merely states this as one man's opinion.  It does not say he has given any money to Trump or any extreme-right causes, nor does it state his company imposes any particular beliefs on its employees; in fact, an edit to the article adds a statement from the company explaining its goals and claiming its diversity.  Furthermore, this was just one article about one interview he gave.

With that said, I will not be rushing out to buy all new workout gear based on this one interview.  I'm not burning or trashing what I own . . . that is until it all becomes so wretched with stank that I just can't take it anymore, and some of them are on their way.  I'm not likely to purchase anything from them again, but they already have my money.  I don't know that a call for an all-out boycott just because the man expresses an opinion is productive.

I have been talking about having fair, open discussion with those who have differing opinions.  It's a little hypocritical to hastily add this company to the proverbial boycott list just because its CEO believes Trump's business acumen is an asset to the country.  Let him think that; so what?  Now, if Under Armour suddenly starts to espouse homophobia (Chick-fil-A), racism (Cracker Barrel), or pro-life (Hobby Lobby) BS on its customers and staff, then absolutely all bets are off.  Right now, this feels pretty benign.  When they crawl into bed with the devil, then #grabyourwallet.

As Robert Reich always says, what do you think?

I don't understand how this is being allowed to continue.

And by that, I mean my allowing these dickwads in Trump-brand suits imported from Mexico and/or China to ruin my waking days.

Tuesday was my son's seventh birthday.  You have heard me gush about him before.  Even though I still had to drop him off at school and race away to work, avoiding a huge traffic jam, and he still had to sit through his sister's dance class in the evening, so there wasn't much happening for him (we did do cake and presents as a family; the party is this weekend), it still should have been a day to celebrate him.  In my loving and logical mind (yes, they can work together sometimes), it still was: I sneaked a note and a $20 into his lunch, gave him his birthday spanks for which he has been begging for a week (don't ask), and told him I loved him as I put him to bed.

But in the midst of my getting choked up looking at the picture I took of him this morning and beaming to myself about the great things he is going to do in his life, our national disaster still went on around us.  In an unprecedented Veep tie-breaker, a woman who knows absolutely nothing about education is now in charge of it all.  A Senator and his cronies basically bullied another Senator into a "sit down and shut up" because the latter Senator was voicing a dissenting opinion about a third Senator's qualifications for another job.  A white supremacist, civilian bullshit artist who may be the puppeteer behind the new shameful face of our country is being considered for another ranking place in the government.  And to top it all off, I just learned that the CEO of Under Armour supports HIM because he thinks it's great a businessman is now running the country - time to restock my exercise wardrobe.

To counter all of this today, a dear aunt sent me a message thanking me for how I continue to speak out.  Another Senator completed what the silenced Senator was trying to say.  The mayor of Boston went on The Daily Show to stand up against the travel ban.  Jake Tapper held Kellyanne Conjob's feet to the fire for a half hour to call out the crap spewed by her and her boss.

I'm developing a theory that I'll save for another time.  For now, I want to celebrate my boy and the fine young man he will become; and the brave Americans, both elected and civilian, who continue to fight for what is right and just.  I love you, Son.  Peace and love. #resist