Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Friday, December 26, 2014
2014 NFL SEASON WEEK 17
Divisional
games are scheduled in Week 17 as they have since 2010 in order to ensure that
the last week of the season has the games with the most impact on the playoffs.
This
is the first season since NBC was awarded the Sunday Night NFL package in 2006
where no game originally scheduled in the Sunday Night game was flexed out. The
only week where a Sunday game is flexed to Sunday Night was this week in the
last week of the season. And that game is…
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Friday, December 19, 2014
Thursday, December 18, 2014
COLBERT/KLAY
Klay
is a Marine and served in Iraq as a Public Affairs Officer from January 2007 to
February 2008. His book "Redeployment" is a collection of short stories
about experiences our troops have faced in a decade of war.
THE END OF A COLB-ERA
Tonight
The Colbert Report ends its 9 year
run on Comedy Central as host faux news pundit Stephen Colbert goes on and
becomes the next host of CBS's Late Night Show when host David Letterman
retires sometime in 2015.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
SIMPSONS ROASTING ON AN OPEN FIRE (17 December 1989)
"Yes, the Simpsons
have come a long way since an old drunk made humans out of his rabbit
characters to pay off his gambling debts. Who knows what adventures they'll
have between now and the time the show becomes unprofitable?"
-
Troy McClure (voiced by Phil Hartman), "The Simpsons" 138th Episode Spectacular
Thursday, December 11, 2014
2014 NFL SEASON WEEK 15
There
are three weeks left in the season and no one has clinched a playoff spot. That
could change with the games coming up this weekend. Here are the
latest playoff clinching scenarios that you can keep track of while you
watch the games over the weekend.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Sunday, November 16, 2014
SUPPORT THE TROOPS*
Tuesday
was Veterans' Day and it has come and gone with the usual fanfare of parades
and tributes.
If
this is your first time visiting my corner of the Internet, a brief piece about
my background. I served in the United States Navy from 2002-08. I was a nuclear
mechanical operator stationed aboard the nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) from 2004-08. I
did a deployment to the Persian Gulf in 2005. Upon my return to the states, I
was in the Virginia shipyards for the remainder of my brief Navy career. During
my time in Virginia, I played a role in assisting the ship during Reactor
Complex Overhaul (RCOH) where we took out the two nuclear reactors and replaced
them with two brand new ones along with performing other critical maintenance
that extended the life of the ship for another quarter of a century.
I
am passionate about Veterans issues ranging from ensuring that our benefits are
honored and finding ways to improve upon them to my small efforts to help
repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and that ALL military families are
recognized to ensuring that we continue a responsible drawdown from Afghanistan
and make sure that we use our military and other instruments of foreign policy
responsibly.
In
the past year, Veterans issues have been in the spotlight.
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Thursday, November 6, 2014
2014 NFL SEASON WEEK 10
Still
sorting through the election results from Tuesday Night.
Let's
get to the football picks.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
HOUSE AND SENATE ELECTION PREDICTIONS 2014
I
have been VERY busy of late blockwalking for Senator Mark Udall, US House
candidate Andrew Romanoff in Colorado's 6th congressional district, and a state
house candidate for The Lege General Assembly. I have also done phone banking
to get out the vote for the Colorado Democrats.
Who
will control Congress?
OTHER ELECTIONS TO WATCH, 2014 EDITION
I can
attest from my experience of living in Texas that down ballots do matter. Here
are some of the governors and down ballot races I am keeping an eye on during
Election Night 2014.
LONE STAR CANDIDATE
Mike
Minter is
running for Congress in the 13th
Congressional District in Texas.
He
is a Democrat.
The
district is rated R+32.
To
describe its vastness, most of my drive out of Texas was in that district.
Much
respect for him running this election.
Monday, November 3, 2014
JOHN F. KENNEDY ON VOTING
This
post was previously
used in the run up to the 2012
Elections. Kennedy's message on voting was recorded days after the Cuban
Missile Crisis. Election Day 1962 fell on the same day that it did in 2012.
I
have altered Kennedy's quote just SLIGHTLY to reflect when election day is this
year.
"In these tense and anxious weeks, I know that every American citizen wants to know what we can do for his country. Not everyone can serve in our armed forces or serve our government, but there is one thing you can do. There is one way you can indicate your devotion to freedom. There is one way in which we can show how strongly we believe in our democracy. Tuesday, (November 4, 2014), is Election Day. I hope every American will turn out and vote -- every American, every member of his family -- and show the world how strongly we believe in freedom, how strongly we believe in our country, how strongly we believe in democracy."
-
John F. Kennedy, 31 October 1962
Sunday, November 2, 2014
FAVORITE SIMPSONS POLITICAL QUOTES (2014 EDITION)
It
is the Sunday before the election and a biannual tradition here at Michael's
Rant where I display my favorite Simpsons political moments and quotes.
DAYLIGHT TIME ENDS 2014
Unless
you are a Republican… then clocks are reversed 100 years to conform with you
social policies.
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Thursday, October 30, 2014
2014 NFL SEASON WEEK 9
Before
I get into my picks, I will make a shocking announcement.
I
will probably not be watching a lot of football this Sunday.
(cue
the Apocalypse)
As
you are aware, there are elections in Colorado that are very close. The Senate
race could determine control of the US Senate. There is a US House race that I
am helping to flip to Team Blue. Most importantly, we have a gubernatorial, state
legislative races, and a couple of ballot initiatives that are key to what kind
of state do we want Colorado to be.
Enjoy
the games. I will enjoy the block walking and phone banking while I follow the
scores on my phone.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
ROCKY MOUNTAIN WAY
"Colorado
is a land of contrasts. You have the very liberal capital city of Denver where
Governor Hickenlooper was the mayor of the city and nearby University of
Colorado at Boulder. The city has seen a boom in the medical marijuana
industry. Travel south on I-25 and you end up in Colorado Springs home of the
conservative organization Focus on the Family."
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
MEET JONI ERNST
This
is Joni Ernst.
She
is the Republican candidate for the US Senate in Iowa.
She
won the nomination by easily clearing the 35% threshold to avoid the process
being decided at the state convention.
Her
positions are for the lack of a better word unique.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
THE LAST FRONTIER
In
2010 the senate election in Alaska was focused on the intraparty fighting among
Republicans. In that election, Joe Miller who had backing from Sarah Palin won
the US Republican Senate primary defeating incumbent Senator Lisa Murkowski and
appeared to be a shoe-in to win that election.
What
he didn't count on was that Alaska allows for a write-in candidacy.
Senator
Murkowski launched a successful write-in bid and defeating Miller in a three-way
election and kept her senate seat. I am no fan of Republicans, but I do enjoy
seeing an interparty fight and I would rather have her in the senate than Joe
Miller.
For
the third time in four election cycles, Alaska is part of the national political
discussion.
Monday, October 13, 2014
U.S. NAVY BIRTHDAY
"Resolved, That a swift sailing
vessel, to carry ten carriage guns, and a proportionable number of swivels,
with eighty men, be fitted, with all possible despatch, for a cruise of three
months, and that the commander be instructed to cruize eastward, for
intercepting such transports as may be laden with warlike stores and other
supplies for our enemies, and for such other purposes as the Congress shall
direct.
That a Committee of three be appointed
to prepare an estimate of the expence, and lay the same before the Congress,
and to contract with proper persons to fit out the vessel.
Resolved, that another vessel be fitted
out for the same purposes, and that the said committee report their opinion of
a proper vessel, and also an estimate of the expence."
Sunday, October 12, 2014
BROWN/JONES
One
of the most iconic voices and actors of our time, James Earl Jones, sat down
with PBS
News Hour's Jeffery Brown to discuss his long career and his recent
appearance on Broadway.
Interview provided below.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
SOUTHERN DEMOCRATS REVIVAL
Along
with Kentucky,
Democratic Senate candidates are trying to keep seats and possibly expand the
map.
This
is a tough cycle because Democrats have seven senators from states that went
for Republican presidential candidates in 2008 and 2012. Two are declining to
run for re-election (South Dakota and West Virginia) and one dropped out
because of a
plagiarism scandal that resulted in Montana Democrats scrambling for a replacement
candidate.
The
remaining four red state Democratic senators, one is in Alaska and the
remaining three are in the south.
For
starters the incumbents.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Monday, September 29, 2014
END THIS EXPERIMENT
On
Sunday the NFL played the first of three regular season games at London's
Wembley Stadium. The first game featured the Miami Dolphins defeating the
Oakland Raiders 38-14. Next month the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons head
overseas for a kickoff that will be in the afternoon in London but a very early
morning kickoff in the states. The last game happens the Sunday after Election
Day when the Jacksonville Jaguars who have agreed to surrender a home game for
the next two seasons to play in London against the Dallas Cowboys.
This
experiment of playing a regular season NFL game overseas has to stop.
Saturday, September 27, 2014
WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH KANSAS?
Kansas
has unexpectedly become the center of American politics in 2014.
Most
of this election is focusing on the Senate battlegrounds of Colorado, North
Carolina, and New Hampshire because two years ago those states were
presidential battleground. Kansas was not one of those states.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Sunday, September 21, 2014
MISSED OPPORTUNITY
In
my previous post about Kentucky
I presented this scenario of a Republican controlled Senate without Senator
McConnell.
Here
is another scenario: Republicans end up with a 51-49 advantage.
One
seat would have made all the difference between a 50-50 Democratic Senate and a
combative Republican Senate adding to the dysfunction in Washington.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
CLUSTERFUCK
This
is one of those times.
Friday, September 19, 2014
Thursday, September 18, 2014
GROUNDSKEEPER WILLIE'S TAKE ON SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE
Hmmm…
his views are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to his newsletter.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Monday, September 15, 2014
SENATE BATTLE IN THE BLUEGRASS STATE
Wrap
your head around this.
The
Republican Party could win a majority in the Senate and Senator McConnell (KY,
R) might not be majority leader.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Monday, September 8, 2014
Thursday, September 4, 2014
2014 NFL SEASON WEEK 1
Changes
from last season: Kickoff is MOUNTAIN TIME and games airing in Denver area are
noted with (DEN).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)