2014 NFL SEASON WEEK 13

PRESIDENT OBAMA ON FIXING AMERICA'S BROKEN IMMIGRATION SYSTEM

2014 NFL SEASON WEEK 12

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.

2014 NFL SEASON WEEK 11

BERLIN WALL FALLS (9-10 November 1989)

2014 NFL SEASON WEEK 10

Still sorting through the election results from Tuesday Night.

Let's get to the football picks.

JOHN PHILLIP SOUSA'S 150TH BIRTHDAY

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.

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

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.

2010 Edition

2012 Edition

DAYLIGHT TIME ENDS 2014

0100A: Watts News Network clocks reversed one hour to conform with time zone TANGO.

Unless you are a Republican… then clocks are reversed 100 years to conform with you social policies.

I'M VOTING REPUBLICAN (AD)