Greetings On A Rainy Day

As I sit here typing this, it is 7 a.m. on Monday morning. It is currently raining here in Dallas. There are rumors that it could rain all day and I’m hoping that’s the case. The rain gives me an excuse to stay in my office and spend the entire day watching movies.

The World Cup Shocker

I’m as stunned as anyone to say that I’m happy that the World Cup is being played here in the United States. Whether you call it football or you call it soccer, it’s not a sport that has ever really interested me and I have yet to actually watch any of the games that have been played over the past few weeks.

Instead, I’ve been really touched by the reactions of the Europeans who have come over here for the World Cup and who have been posting their reactions to discovering everyday America on social media. Freddy the German is the most famous of them but he’s hardly the only one. With our 250th birthday approaching, our World Cup guests have reminded us of just how wonderful this country is. I know that some media types have expressed shock at how those of us in the South and Middle America have welcomed our guests. All I can say that those people need to get out of New York once and a while. The World Cup has allowed Europeans to see the real America and it has also allowed Americans to meet real, everyday Europeans. We’ve all been reminded of our common humanity.

Unfortunately, there’s always a few people who always have to try to ruin a good thing. There was a handful of people — mostly American Leftists from up North and bitter Brits who couldn’t afford a plane ticket — who were really hoping that America hosting the World Cup would be a disaster and that we would have several months of Europeans talking about how much they hate America. The opposite has happened and, judging from what I’m seeing on social media, a lot of the haters just don’t know how to deal with it.

Well, no matter! I’m proud of America and I’m happy to welcome our guests throughout the entire World Cup. Hell, I might even watch a game!

How To Celebrate The 4th

During the 2024 election, it was occasionally mentioned that whoever won would be in charge of America’s 250th birthday. It wasn’t the most pressing issue of the campaign but it is something that I discussed with my friends. Neither option was particularly appealing. We knew Trump would celebrate with bombast but we also knew he would make it all about himself. Harris, meanwhile, would probably offer up some sort of self-consciously “woke” ceremony that was designed to make American feel guilty. She would also ultimately make it all about herself.

In the end, I think everyone has to celebrate in their own way. Choose what is best for you. My family and I will be celebrating with fireworks, music, and enjoyment. It’s weird to me that there’s so many American leaders who seem to feel that they have an obligation to hate this country. The good thing is that, every 4th of July, most Americans defy the bans on fireworks. They defy the curfews. They defy the people who say they shouldn’t be proud. They defy the trendy negativity. This is a country that knows how to celebrate and we’re all the better for it. Independence Day is our annual reminder that America still has its spirit.

SLAMFEST!

This weekend, I discovered something called Slamfest. It takes place every year at Slinger Speedway in Slinger, Wisconsin. Among the events is a race where drivers attempt to be the first to successfully load their car on a trailer that’s attached to a trunk that is speeding around the track. I only saw a few minutes of it but it was beautiful to behold. My Dad would have loved that.

It’s Summer!

Enjoy it!