MIKE MENNARD'S FAMILY FRIDGE

HERE'S A FUNNY PIRATE JOKE...

A pirate walked into our house. He had a paper towel on his head. I asked him why he had a paper towel on his head.

He said, "Arrrh! Thar be a bounty on me head!"

I just love pirates!

I LOVE THE APPLEJACK FESTIVAL

I played five shows at the annual Applejack Festival in Nebraska. It's a great celebration of ripening apples. And it confirms that Nebraska City is one of the most marvelous towns in Nebraska--no, the country. 

Rose Ralston and her marvelous staff put on one of the best festivals I've been to. Make sure you come next year!

SEPTEMBER 19--WHICH IS THIS FRIDAY--IS INTERNATIONAL "TALK-LIKE-A-PIRATE DAY"

And what better way to prepare for it than to order my new pirate CD, PIRATE'S DO THE DARNEDEST THINGS.

Wow, if that isn't the least obvious plug, I don't know what is. 

Better yet, order some for your friends, so they can talk and sing like a pirate, too. Every pirate needs a crew.

And for more info on TALK-LIKE-A-PIRATE DAY, go here.

BWAAAA-HAAAA-HAAAA

The Nebraska State Fair is over. I did a whopping 15 shows, and I still want more. I had so much fun, I now understand why the washed up bands do the fair circuit. However, I haven't earned the right yet to be a washed-up band.

To everyone we met at the fair, thanks for coming. And "arrrh!"

To those who didn't, just go here, buy, and listen--it'll be as if you WERE there.

HEY, I HOPE TO SEE YOU AT THE NEBRASKA STATE FAIR

I love the Nebraska State Fair. It's small, but heartsy. And this year I'm honored to play my wacky kids show 14 times at the fair. So if you happen to stop by the fair, please come see me. Bring your pirate's "arrh" and sing along.

But don't eat my pizza!

Here's a list of my schedule. There must be at least one date you can make!!!!

THE OLYMPICS AND THE FAMILY

I don't know if you've been watching the olympics. My family and I have--it's the one time we can all watch sports and love it. I love any sport that doesn't require subjective judges, and Michelle my wife likes the touchy-feely stories in between the events. And our son--9-years-old--loves the track and field events. And we all love volleyball.

It doesn't happen often, but the olympics may be one of the best family events ever. Best of all, and here's the point of my post, the athletes themselves are such good people. They love their countries, they are usually classy, and they are everything that our Hollywood and TV stars aren't.

They are the best role models on television. Period. 

Even the American basketball players have proven that they aren't all jerks. Some are classy patriots! But for me, the classiest (and best) of all the athletes is not Michael Phelps, but Brian Clay. He is both a patriot AND one of the best family guys. Plus, he's is now the best athlete in the world for winning the Decathlon. 

THE 7,000-MILE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME

My family--that is, my wife and son--decided to see the country up close. In spite of skyrocketing gas prices, we loaded up the car and drove for 7,000 miles. We visited 12 national parks, Disneyland, and, of course, lots of family. 

It was the best road trip of my life. 

The smartest thing we did is we bought my son (9 years old) a relatively cheap digital camera. It's a Kodak, and it turned out to be the hit of the trip. Our idea was simple: Help our son actually pay attention to what was going on by designating him as the family photographer. Not only did he take spectacular photos, but the little Kodak turned out to be a great camera. 

Of the 12 national parks, my favorite was Glacier National Park. There is nothing like souring mountains to excite me. However, I also love the Canyonlands of Utah--Bryce Canyon is a new favorite. 

I love the National Parks because they are well-kept, user-friendly, safe, and gorgeous. Next to our Constitution, the greatest invention of our great country may be the National Parks. 

Not all National Parks are parks. We stopped at the Golden Spike National Monument--the place where east met west on the great railroad. Sadly, there are no golden spikes, but the trains that meet there at the exact spot are exact replicas. 

Michelle also made the trip exciting by putting together a book of ideas for making the car ride tolerable. The 7,000 miles actually turned out to be fun. We did everything from "License-plate Bingo" to "I Spy." But our favorite activity is we bought post cards at EVERY single stop and sent one to my folks and to our friend Rita. They may not appreciate the deluge of cards, but we sure loved writing them. 

Anyway, I've posted a few of my son's photos. Call me biased, but they're pretty good. 

WOW! 4000 MILES AND COUNTING...

Yes, we have thus far covered 4,000 miles. We've done several fun family shows, including a wonderful group in Great Falls, Montana, and the Marine Stadium in Long Beach California. But we've also traveled to 11 national parks. Here I'm among the great Native Americans and Meriweather Lewis at the Great Missouri Falls. You can see how well I fit in.

REAL AMERICAN STORIES--THAT INSPIRE!

 

I teach media at the college level. I spend a great deal of time studying how the larger media work, and where their biases lie. It's no secret that most media folk dislike America. We are fed cynicism, condescension, or (too often) outright contempt on a daily basis through films, TV shows, music, books, magazines, etc. Some argue that hate sells. I agree, but hate also hurts. 

Those who know me know that I am obscenely patriotic. I love my country with a passion--and am bugged that the most generous people in the history of the world are continually impuned by wealthy elites. 

Well, here is an antidote! The best web site I have seen in years to help fight the hate against America. 

Gather the family and enjoy this marvelous site. You can even add to it!!!

MAKE THE FOURTH A FUN FAMILY DAY!

The fourth is a celebration of the greatest nation in the history of the world (and I'm only a tiny bit biased!). But part of that celebration is the family--and a nation that makes strong families possible. 

Here's a great site for family fun ideas!

WOW! THERE'S A WEB SITE THAT DOCUMENTS DUMB LAWS!

I'm not sure the internet itself is large enough to hold them all!
Apparently, the only thing between us and a dumb law is a politician!

SPACE CAMP BARBIE?

Say it ain't so!

THE SALTDOGS WILL SOON BE THE "SALTY" DOGS

I loooooove baseball. Here in Lincoln, we have one of the greatest minor-league franchises ever--the Lincoln Saltdogs. I'm a huge fan.

That's why I'm so honored to play a show before a game today--that is, Sunday, June 29, at 5 p.m. Plus, we're rolling out for the first time our "pirate show." 

Sadly, Pirates Do the Darnedest Things won't be out until July 8, but that doesn't stop us from showing who we "arrrh!"

ARRRH! WE ARE ONLY A FEW DAYS AWAY FROM...

PIRATES!!!!!!

Yes, my newest family CD is set to release this July. It's called "Pirates Do the Darnedest Things," and it's a voyage with the wildest, scurviest, most swashbuckling crew of scallywags that ever sacked the Spanish Main. 

Simply go to my web site and say, "Arrrh! Hand over me copy of Mike Mennard's Pirates Do the Darnedest Things." As you do, make sure you scowl a lot and finish each sentence with "Me Hearty!"

By the way, it's great for pirate parties, great for listening in the car, and great for learning about the real pirates. With each song, you will be able to go online and learn the REAL story behind the legends. Sometimes the real story is more fun than the Hollywood version. 

I've never been so proud of a recording project. So help a starving pirate out! Aye, thank ye!

HEY, TODAY'S TAKE YOUR DOG TO WORK DAY!

 

Did you know that today is Take Your Dog To Work Day?

The Humane Society of the United States are proud supporters of Take Your Dog To Work Day. The organization's President and CEO Wayne Pacelle is an active blogger who says that having their dogs around at the office "reminds us of who we're working for".  Established in 1954 and blogging since 2007, the Humane Society advocates sensible ways to help animals all across the country, from shelters to Congress, and makes the world a more humane place for all of us.  

The Humane Society is even holding a caption contest for the photo posted above! Go here to enter.

If you don't have a dog, why not bring your ferret. Or just assume that your boss makes every day "Take Your Dog to Work Day."