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Vikings Discussion & Random Thoughts
Happy Memorial Day, everyone! Today is a day when we take time to remember and honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice while serving this great nation of ours. One thing I wish we’d do better is taking care of veterans who are struggling, too many are left behind, forgotten, and struggling mightily. The VA says that 17.6 veterans commit suicide every day, but most people, myself included, believe that number to be much higher.
Here’s a cool synopsis of the holiday from 1440:
Memorial Day is a federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the US military. Originally called Decoration Day, its origins trace to the aftermath of the Civil War, when communities across the country began holding local ceremonies to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers. The first national commemoration was held at Arlington National Cemetery on May 30, 1868.
Over time, the holiday has come to be both a solemn day of remembrance and the unofficial start of summer. Congress moved it from May 30 to the final Monday in May in 1971, creating what is now one of the biggest travel and cookout weekends of the yearin the United States.
Today, traditions include visiting cemeteries, attending parades, and the National Moment of Remembranceat 3 pm, when Americans are asked to pause and honor the fallen.
… Read what else we learned about Memorial Day here.
1440 is a cool service, I get an email every morning with news from around the world. It’s a good way to stay up to speed on the world’s events, but without the opinion and bias. If you’re interested in signing up, click this link.
T.J. Hockenson Youth Football Camp
We had an absolute blast at the T.J. Hockenson youth football camp in Fargo yesterday. Here are a couple Twits I sent out from the event.
Vikings & NFL News
The addition of Kyler Murraty adds a new twist to the Vikings-Lions rivalry, per Yahoo Sports.
Sports Illustrated ranks the Vikings’ 2026 opponents from easiest to hardest.
Fansided ranks the offseasons from all 32 NFL teams as teams head into OTAs.
In his MMA debut, Johnny Manziel pummeled an influencer and said he likely won’t fight again, per ESPN.
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Gluten free waffles made from scratch & sausage for breakfast. Kiddo & I are becoming quite the chefs.
Nice work. I was a bachelor for over ten years after my divorce, and I could cook pretty good. When I remarried 24 years ago, my wife made it clear the kitchen, and cooking, were her domain. I have cooked very little since then.
I was single until I was 37, and I like to eat. I learned how to cook at a young age, my mom taught me.
I was shocked how many grown men I knew in the army who didn’t know how to wash clothes. Blew me away. I didn’t realize how spoiled most kids are growing up.
Me too.
Me three.
You are lucky……
I am… my wife is a keeper.
The Teacher is a good cook but she stopped enjoying it when it became a chore. She had to cook for her family 5 days a week as a teen and as a mom of a family of 5 it continued to be a job. She was more likely to get fast food or microwave something when I met her.
She is enjoying it more now that we rotate cooking duties and she makes things for her breakfast/lunch now as she finds high protean recipes that she likes.
I can definitely see how cooking was a chore for her. My wife grew up cooking with her mom. She watches cooking shows ad nauseum, and loves to make food for me. She can make everything you can imagine from scratch.
Very cool that you guys trade off cooking.
Originally I would cook on my weekends when I was working and make enough leftovers for me for the week (guy food like enchiladas, lasagna, meatloaf, goulash, and the like).
Then when I retired I would cook on the days she worked and she was responsible for meals on her weekend. ‘Responsible’ might very well mean grabbing a pizza, Roundtable was her ‘go to pizza’.
The Vikings will begin OTA offseason workouts tomorrow May 26, and again on May 27. They’ll return on May 29 before picking up again on June 1 and June 2. They will have an offseason workout day on June 4 before doing mandatory minicamp June 9-11. The final offseason workouts will be June 15 through 18.
I graduated high school 29 years ago today.
53 years ago for me, but I think it was in June.
50 years for me.
We were the Bicentennial Class of 1976.
Nice
Well I’ll just say I’ve got you all beat.
Laughing
34 years ago for me
43 years. I don’t remember what day, but sometime in May.
Memorial Day is not Veterans Day.
Seeing way too much self serving “honoring my relative who served,” online.
While anybody should be honored who did serve, that’s not Memorial Day.
If you, or you know someone who, had a relative die while serving, please thank them for me.
Rec for Truth.
I wince when I hear ‘Happy Memorial Day’ as it is not intended to be a ‘Happy Day’.
I also understand that Memorial Day has also morphed into ‘the start of the summer season’. So two meanings, the original and the current one.
So I try to extend a little grace to those that focus on the current one and maybe remind them of the original if I can do it gently.
There aren’t many people who die while serving in this day and age.
At least compared to past wars.
So I understand the desire to honor service members.
I just don’t feel right doing that today.
Something many folks may not know. Have you noticed how the Honor Guard pays close attention to folding the flag? The flag is folded exactly thirteen times in remembrance of the original 13 colonies. There is also a specific meaning to each fold. Here they are…
The first fold symbolizes life.
The second fold represents a belief in eternal life.
The third fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veterans who gave their lives in defense of the country in order to help attain peace throughout the world.
The fourth fold is in recognition of the nature of the country’s citizens to trust in God.
The fifth fold is a tribute to the United States… According to Stephen Decatur, S. Naval Commander during the American Revolution and War of 1812, “Our country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right, but it is still our country, right or wrong.”
The sixth fold symbolizes where people’s hearts lie in keeping with the words of our pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
The seventh fold pays tribute to all of our Armed Forces. After all, through our Armed Forces, the United States is protected against all enemies.
The eighth fold is a tribute to those who died, and as Psalm 23 states, “Entered into the valley of the shadow of death.”
The ninth fold honors womanhood.
The 10th fold is a tribute to fathers.
The 11th fold represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies, in Judaism, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
The 12th fold represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in the eyes of Christians, God the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost.
The 13th and last fold reminds us that when the flag is completely folded, in the uppermost corner signifies our national motto, “In God We Trust.”
Additionally, when the flag is completely folded and tucked in, the resulting shape appears like a tricorne hat and represents the soldiers who served under General George Washington, the sailors and marines who served under Naval Commander John Paul Jones and the many who have followed them in order to preserve the rights, privileges and freedoms we enjoy today.
So in the future when you see a flag folded, hopefully we will all now have a deeper understanding and appreciation of the importance and meaning of the folds.
God Bless You and God Bless America
I may have mentioned this last year, so forgive if it is redundant to some.
When I was in the Army, I worked in the Pentagon but was based at Ft Myers. Both are located very close together, but right between the two is Arlington National Cemetery.
Every day for over a year I walked thru Arlington National going and returning from work. Sometimes during the day, sometimes at night. But, I was always moved by the place while also feeling quite at ease and peaceful – like I was with my brothers in uniform.
An experience I wll forever treasure.
I have never been, don’t know if I could take it.
Heck I couldn’t even go to the Traveling Vietnam Memorial when it was near me.
I cannot stand to cry in public.
Been there many times. It is an incredible place.
My dad’s book from jump school in 1951 before he was sent to Korea to fight in the war. He also fought in WWII.
A family tradition of service, bless you and your dad.
Cool pic
The life expectancy of a paratrooper in ww2 is reported to be measured in minutes, and yet they soldiered on.
Muy Respect.
Still amazes me that when the first boats landed at Normandy, those brave souls knew they wouldn’t last long, but did it anyway.
The Omaha Beach scene from Saving Private Ryan really brings that home.
9m long videol
My dad wanted to be a paratrooper. He ended up in the Army Airforce as a pilot trainer.
Very cool GF. Our house burned to the ground in 1975. All my dad’s WWII stuff perished in that fire, along with baby pictures, etc. You’re so lucky to have those treasures.
I do not have words for this…
In the words of Army Lieutenant General Russel Honore after Hurricane Rita, ‘They are stuck on stupid’.
Maybe a review of history!
This is Memorial Day! The good Governor needs to get his holidays straight. A little reminder.
2500 Americans were killed on DDay and we suffered 81,000 casualties in the Battle of the Bulge.
‘The good Governor’
One, he is the Mayor of Murderaplis.
Two, there is very little ‘Good’ about him.
To be fair, I’m certain Walz is also clueless/tone deaf on this issue and will also fixate on the death of George Floyd.
Valid point.
Whoops – but I hope you got the point.
I very much did JR.
I hope somebody kills that motherfucker
A bit harsh but the sentiment is understandable.
Nope, too far
Agreed too far. Makes us be like them
Yeah, better to just beat him to a pulp with a bag of nickels…
‘Lock in a sock’ is quite effective in prison.
Yeah, probably. I still won’t shed a tear if he gets run over.
He could have at least mentioned that Memorial (Decoration) Day was created after the Civil War where people fought and died to be free so a crackhead like Floyd was free to OD in police custody or some such.
The purposeful transfer of focus to Floyd, in lieu of the many hundreds of thousands who have died for this country and the world, is despicable. This is a singular day we set aside each year to commemorate these souls, and to deprecate this solemn Holiday with this kind of political theater is reprehensible.
You’re right to be appalled. We should set up a 1.8 billion dollar slush fund for the Jan 6 traitors instead.
‘Jan 6
traitorspeople who were subjected to lawfare instead’FIFY
That operation by the FBI was planned 6 months beforehand, including the follow on prosecution plan. 274 FBI agents dressed as Trump supporters infiltrated a peaceful protest and stormed the Capitol building violently. The leftists are the most insidious political group I’ve ever seen.
Days until…
Training Camp – 49
Preseason – 77
Steak ‘n Shake is offering a free Double Steakburger on National Hamburger Day, May 28, 2026, for customers who wear or display any American flag item in-store, limited to one per person.
Search say ‘Zero locations near you’.
#sad
Yeah, nearest one to me is about 20 minutes away. Still might do it though.
Did you check the expiration year?
He does have ‘priors’.
I think he is good this time. ‘On May 28, 2026′
Laughing… I deserve that one PA.
I’m gonna grill some dead meat
Happy Memorial Day!
Semper Fi!
GF makes a great comment above – I wish we could take better care of our struggling veterans.
I watch all those TtoT and Wounded Warriors pieces and wonder why our Government can’t being doing more of this. Seems to be plenty of money to spend on a host of lesser activities.
Hundreds of Billions of tax payer dollars being funneled into NGO’s and support for illegal aliens. Trillions over the last 10 years. That money could have helped a lot of American citizens in need.
This. The exposure of the conditions at Walter Reed a few years ago should’ve sparked outrage – it did, but not enough in my opinion and the story quickly went away. Bullshit. Embarrassing. Shameful.
The percentage of the current homeless population that are veterans is also appalling. Train them, tell them they’re everything, use them (not without scarring them permanently) and then they get tossed aside. Under bridges. Squatting in buildings. Standing in line at soup kitchens and Food-nets. Fucking shameful.
George Carlin touched on this once, here’s a bastardized version:
80 years ago when a fella came home from battle with the 1,000 yard stare they called it Shell shock – and they got him help. Because it was shell shock – the horror of the condition is in the name. But this quickly terrified civilians.
So a few wars later this same condition gets called: Battle Fatigue. 2 words. But softer. Fatigue – it implies these boys were just merely tired, exhausted from humping all day with a pack full of gear on their back. It wasn’t the case – it was shell shock, but the term Battle Fatigue was more palatable to the masses.
Then a few decades pass until Desert Storm and we get a new term: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – and better yet we can cut it down to just the letters. PTSD. Same fucking condition as battle fatigue/shell shock, but again – packaged in a term that doesn’t scare civilians. Sounds manageable. Treatable.
But now….. any blue-haired gender confused 19 year old that gets told ‘No’ claims it as a verbal assault and declares themselves to have PTSD. PTSD gets used as a catch all for anything that might ill a person. It’s a throwaway diagnosis that doesn’t get taken seriously.
So now when soldiers come home with PTSD they’re thrown into the same category as the aforementioned blue-hairs. It’s a throwaway diagnosis – ‘Johnny has PTSD, give him his pills and put him in front of a puzzle’ They often don’t get the help they need, get disillusioned quickly and end up on the streets.
Can’t help but wonder if just calling it fucking shell shock the whole time might’ve helped these fellas out.
All of this pisses me off to no end. And I didn’t serve. Both of my grandfathers did. My uncle was forever changed by Viet Nam and eventually took his own life. I’ve got nieces and nephews that serve. And even if I didn’t, I’m American and as such, I’ve got skin in the game.
Semper Fi
RLTW
NSDQ
“But if you want to go on fighting
go take some young chap, flaccid & a half-wit
to give him a bit of courage and some brains”
– Ezra Pound, Canto LXXII
My Uncle Poyo (Grandmothers Brother) was ‘never quite right’ but a good guy. Lived alone, rode a bike all over town, never really had a job.
When he passed and they had the funeral I learned he won a Bronze Star and Purple Heart at the Battle of the Bulge. He and The Family never talked about it like it was some kind of secret, he obviously had Shell Shock.
Your uncle was a hero.
and in my opinion there’s no secret to hide about what he endured.
thats not a judgement on the family – different times, different people.
but yeah. Uncle Poyo was a GD hero.
His generation and my mom’s knew all about him. I think they kept it quiet because he was odd. He kept it quiet because that is what veterans do. My Dad was in Korea, one of the Frozen Chosen, but he never would talk about it.
My generation and my kids never knew until his funeral, he was treated respectfully but we just knew him as The Odd Uncle.
All honors to your uncle, SoCal. He was clearly a hero.
I just wish I had known about it while he was alive.
Even after I joined the military we were never told, sad.
Quite the commentary there Mjolnir. Great job! I salute you.
All Give Some, Some Give All.
Thank you SoCal… so appropriate.
Amen Brother. Never forget!
First!
FTP!
Happy Memorial Day!
🇺🇸
Skol!
Whoo hooo. Congrats and happy Memorial Day
Morning Mjolnir, Happy Memorial Day.
111 days till we play the Packers in the first game of the season.
1 – 0
FTP Auto Rec.