Neighbors

Neighbors - starring Seth Rogen & Zac Efron.  Given it's relative lack of success at the box office, I was pleasantly surprised by this one, it's actually pretty good, it is a bit raunchy, it is a bit crude, yet they also keep things light and fun, I think they found just the right mix.  Granted, it won't win any awards, but it is good for a few laughs and a good time.  It's about a young couple (Seth Rogen & Rose Byrne) with a newborn baby who have a frat house move in next door.  The couple must then grapple with not only the noise of the constantly partying frat but also with their own impending adulthood.  It gets quite funny as the neighbors being to scheme against either other.  Seth Rogen is funny as usual, Rose Byrne does a nice job as his wife, Zac Efron & Dave Franco make for great foils & Ike Barinholtz's star continues to rise with another solid performance.  Keep an eye out for the cameos too, they add a funny touch.  Give it a watch, if you have any sense of humor I suspect that you'll like it.

I will give it 3 out of 5 stars (*****).

Galinka Mirgaeva

Russia appears to be awash with beautiful women. Case in point?  Galinka Mirgaeva.

TPSG Top 10 Movies of 1996

Continuing with my look at the best movies of years gone by.

Top 10 Movies of 1996:

1. Fargo - William H. Macy, Frances McDormand
2. Jerry Maguire - Tom Cruise, Cuba Godding Jr
3. Swingers - Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn
4. Tin Cup - Kevin Costner, Rene Russo
5. Sling Blade - Billy Bob Thornton, Lucas Black
6. Trainspotting - Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner
7. Mission: Impossible - Tom Cruise, Jon Voight
8. Primal Fear - Richard Gere, Edward Norton
9. Happy Gilmore - Adam Sandler, Christopher McDonald
10. Kingpin - Woody Harrelson, Randy Quaid

In my opinion, "Fargo" is the best of the Coen Brother movies, and that's saying something.  Who can ever forget the "Show me the money!" line from "Jerry Maguire"?  "Swingers" was the movie that introduced me to Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn, for that I am grateful.  "Tin Cup" is a highly underrated sports themed movie, it's a very good movie about golf of all things.  Billy Bob Thornton is tremendous in "Sling Blade".  "Trainspotting" is a trip, literally.  "Mission: Impossible" is another top notch action packed thriller by Tom Cruise.  Edward Norton's performance in "Primal Fear" is one for the ages. Back when Adam Sandler made funny movies, he made "Happy Gilmore", his fight with Bob Barker is a classic.  "Kingpin" is just plain and simply one funny movie, great cast, several memorable scenes.

Guns in America

Yes Virginia, guns do kill people.  What is wrong with sensible legislation?

Timberwolves Coaching Update

The Minnesota Timberwolves are still in the market for a new head coach.  I listed my top choices awhile back, but that list has dwindled considerably.  They did flirt with Memphis coach Dave Joerger, but that fizzled out.  I've heard some rumors that owner Glen Taylor is very high on Sam Mitchell, I doubt that is a name that would inspire much hope amongst the masses though.  At this point, I hope that Flip Saunders continues to resists the temptation to name himself as head coach, in my opinion that's just a recipe for disaster.  Perhaps it time they expanded their search a bit (maybe think a bit outside of the box).  That being said, here's an updated list of my Top 10 candidates to become the next head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves:

• Lionel Hollins - successful track record as an NBA head coach
• George Karl - future Hall of Fame candidate as a head coach?  
• David Blatt - very successful Euro head coach
• Ettore Messina - very successful Euro head coach
• Zeljko Obradovic - very successful Euro head coach
• Mark Jackson - he did a nice job with Golden State
• Sam Mitchell - one time NBA Coach of the Year
• Mike Longabardi - Thibodeau/Hornacek protege
• Byron Scott - long track record as an NBA head coach
• Nate McMillan - long track record as an NBA head coach

Happy Memorial Day!

Let us not forget the meaning of the day!

Hastert Rule vs Boehner Rule

The perils of a Republican ruled House of Representatives?

Hastert Rule - also known as the "majority of the majority" rule, is an informal governing principle used by Republican Speakers of the House of Representatives since the mid-1990s to maintain their speakerships and limit the power of the minority party to bring bills up for a vote on the floor of the House. Under the doctrine, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives will not allow a vote on a bill unless a majority of the majority party supports the bill.

Boehner Rule -  also known as the "majority of the majority" rule, is an informal governing principle used by Republican Speakers of the House of Representatives since the mid-1990s to maintain their speakerships and limit the power of the minority party to bring bills up for a vote on the floor of the House. Under the doctrine, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives will not allow a vote on a bill unless a majority of the majority party alone has enough votes to pass a bill.

Obviously, neither is an effective way to govern, especially when the other party controls the Senate.

I think that it's safe to say that neither is what the founding fathers had in mind.  

Koch Brothers Exposed

Is this the America that you really want?

AZ Tidbits

• Arizona Diamondbacks hire Tony LaRussa as Chief Baseball Officer. 
• Joe Arpaio decides not to run for Arizona Governor's office. 
• GOP Congressional candidate blames Democrats for mass shootings.  Really.  
• This is how you catch a home run ball!   Nice catch!
• Arizona really is an amazing place in so many ways.  
• Why is there is an epidemic of wrong way driving in Arizona?
• Bikini Beans Espresso could very well get me to start drinking coffee. 
• Did you know that these 10 movies were filmed in Arizona? 
• Are you familiar with Arizona's lost decade?   Thanks GOP!
• Goodyear and Gilbert among the fastest growing cities in the country. 
• The Phoenix Suns have no luck in the Draft Lottery, will pick 14th overall.  
• Jon Griffin appears to be a Diamonbacks prospect to keep an eye on. 
• Arizona ranks as one of the least charitable states.  
• Does Arizona have a Chihuahua problem?  
• Andrew Thomas officially declares for the Arizona Governor's office. 
• Are the Phoenix Suns going to make a run at Kevin Love?  
• Looking for a Memorial Day Pool Party in the Phoenix area you say?  
• Matt Salmon asks Tom Horne to withdraw from Attorney Generals race. 
• Bourbon Street is still one of my favorite places in all of Phoenix. 
• Arizona Cardinals offseason breakdown here!   More here!

Daniela Tamayo

I love those Colombian women!

POTpourri

• Is it odd to anyone else that the NRA is opposed to smart guns?  
• Are you ready for 'Beverly Hills Cop 4'?   
• Lais Ribeiro is looking super fine these days!
• Karl Rove is the epitome of everything that is wrong with politics.
• Steve Kerr hired as head coach of the Golden State Warriors.
• Aaron Hernandez indicted for 2 more murders.
• California Chrome wins the Preakness Stakes.  Triple Crown?  
• This MERS virus is scary as heck.  
• Do we really want the internet super highway becoming a toll road?  
• Congrats to Jason Terry for receiving degree from the University of Arizona.
• Arizona is a terrifying death trap for cyclists.  
• The Cleveland Cavaliers win the NBA Draft Lottery.  Again. 
• Minneapolis lands Super Bowl LII in 2018.  
• Climate change is now threatening major U.S. landmarks.  
• Is the Tea Party now officially yesterday's news?  They should have aligned with Occupy. 
• California bans "dark money", that's a step in the right direction. 
• The more college presidents are paid, the more college students are screwed. 
• Caleb Johnson wins 'American Idol'; Josh Kaufman wins 'The Voice'.  
• Here's an interesting ranking of Marijuana Edibles. 
• The Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas has added a Zip Line!  

Michael Jackson Hologram

Kind of creepy if you ask me.

Role of the Minority Party

Have you been paying attention to the Republican Party since the election of Barack Obama as President in 2008?   I hope so, it's been downright embarrassing, if not treasonous.

I fully understand that there is a role for the minority party, they should have a strong voice in opposing policies that they disagree with, they should vote against policies that they oppose, or perhaps they could offer alternative policies that they feel could work better, perhaps obtaining concessions on the legislation along the way, they can also offer up policies themselves that would better society as a whole in some way, all of this is a critical part of a functioning democracy, what they should not be doing is blocking and obstructing every piece of legislation and every nomination from the majority party as a policy.

I'm certainly aware of the need for checks and balances but this is in no way what the founding fathers intended, the founding fathers intended for elections to have consequences, with elections not having consequences they become pointless.  If policies fail or become unpopular, the checks and balances should come in the form of electing new officials that will support your policies.

To block and obstruct everything as a policy, with the sole intention of harming the other party, even if it hurts the country, is the very definition of treachery and should not be tolerated.

Incredible By Victoria's Secret

Just because.

Top 10 TV Shows of 2013-2014 Season

With the 2013-14 TV season essentially over, here are my picks for the Top 10 TV shows of the 2013-14 TV season:

1. The Walking Dead (AMC)
2. The Americans (FX) 
3. Vikings (History)
4. Fargo (FX)
5. Modern Family (ABC) 
6. Parks and Recreation (NBC)
7. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX)
8. Grimm (NBC)
9. How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
10. The League (FXX)

With "Breaking Bad" signing off, "The Walking Dead" has moved into my number 1 slot, it's a terrific show, with a strong cast and plenty of twists to keep things interesting.  It is so much more than just a show about zombies, give it a watch if you haven't. 

"The Americans" on FX has just gotten better and better, why can't the major networks create shows like this?   I was happy to see that is has been renewed for a third season. 

"Vikings" on The History Channel had a very strong second season, it's a brutal show to watch at times but the payoff is well worth it.  Very fun. 

"Fargo" is one of the best new series that I've seen in quite some time, it has all of the hallmarks of the movie yet they are able to stretch it into a 10 episode season.  Quirky, violent, suspenseful, fast moving, it's everything you want in a TV series.

There's really not much difference between "Modern Family", "Parks and Recreation" and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine", you could put them in any order, they are without a doubt the three funniest shows on TV, you can't go wrong watching any of them.  

"Grimm" had another strong season, TV needs more quirky shows like this, it makes for perfect Friday night viewing.

I wasn't thrilled with the conclusion of "How I Met Your Mother" but they had another strong season, they will be missed, I hate seeing quality TV shows disappearing.

"The League" continued with their lude, rude run about fantasy football and the people who join fantasy football leagues.  It's hilarious. 

As for new shows, really, outside of "Fargo" and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine", it was a disappointment, nothing really stood out to me. "Rake" and "Almost Human" showed some promise but unfortunately both were cancelled. 

Last years list here.  

Rise of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide

Not man made?  Really?  We need to act now!  

TPSG Top 10 Movies of 1997

Continuing with my look at the best movies of years gone by.

Top 10 Movies of 1997:

1. Titanic - Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet
2. Donnie Brasco - Al Pacino, Johnny Depp
3. Good Will Hunting - Matt Damon, Ben Affleck
   
4. L.A. Confidential - Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe
5. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery - Mike Myers, Elizabeth Hurley
6. Boogie Nights - Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore
7. The Full Monty - Robert Carlyle, Tom Wilkinson
8. Wag The Dog - Dustin Hoffman, Robert DeNiro
9. Private Parts - Howard Stern, Mary McCormick
10. Cop Land - Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel
    

"Titanic" was a true epic of a movie, great in so many ways.  I love gangster movies, "Donnie Brasco" is one of the better ones!  "Goodwill Hunting" unleashed the Damon/Affleck combo on us, and yes that is a good thing.  I loved the look of Los Angeles circa the 1950's in "L.A. Confidential", great crime story too.  "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" was easily the funniest movie of 1997, so many great characters in this one.  "Boogie Nights" is without a doubt the best movie ever about the porn industry, for whatever that is worth.  "The Full Monty" is another in a long line of really well done British comedies, it was funny and had a nice message to it.  Even though "Wag The Dog" is a comedy, the story it tells is horrifyingly possible.  "Private Parts" is a must see for all Howard Stern fans.  I think "Cop Land" was one of Stallone's better pieces of work, it was nice seeing him in something where he's not all roided up.

Alejandra Guilmant

Oh my!  Talk about hot!

POTpourri

• It's disgraceful that Republicans are politicizing deaths of Americans for political gain.
• U.S. Men's 30 man World Cup team named!
• Ben Afflect barred from playing blackjack at the Hard Rock Casino for card counting. 
• Kevin Durant named 2014 NBA MVP.  
• Sports Illustrated rated Teddy Bridgewater as the best player available in the 2014 NFL Draft.
• Jennifer Lawrence named FHM's 2014 Sexiest Woman in the World.
• 90 percent of Americans want expanded background checks on guns. 
• Michael Carter-Williams named 2014 NBA Rookie of the Year. 
• More Laura Cremaschi bikini pictures here!!!
• How come I've never heard of oil pulling before? 
• Do you know what America would look like with no gerrymandering?  
• The cancellation axe has been swung at the networks. So long "Community". 
• Jamal Crawford wins 2014 NBA Sixth Man Award. 
• "The Minority Report" with Larry Wilmore set to replace "The Colbert Report".  
• The Republican Party are hardly the deficit hawks they claim to be. 
• Michael Sam becomes first openly gay athlete to be drafted in the NFL. 
• Pope Francis rightfully states that the Bible demands redistribution of wealth.
• Is Anne Coulter the worst woman in the world?  
• Have you heard the latest on the great voter fraud epidemic?  
• Marco Rubio once again proves he's not qualified to be President. 

John Oliver on Climate Change

Nice job John Oliver!

AZ Tidbits

• Court overturns Scottsdale public intoxication law. 
• Is Phoenix the Worst Place Ever?  Vice.com seems to think so.
• Of all places, why would Arizona want to discourage the use of solar panels?
• Phoenix ranked as number 9 Most Polluted City in the U.S.
• Arizona Cardinals 2014 NFL Draft picks here.  
• You've got to love the ASU Undie Run.   
• It's long past time for Arizona to reconsider "Project Rose".  
• Planned Arizona Solar Tower would be tallest structure in North America.
• Christine Jones officially throws her hat into the Arizona Governors race.
• Apparently a lot of people don't like living in Arizona.  They must not have lived elsewhere. 
• Wet Electric 2014 looks like it was an interesting event. 
• 3 Arizona locals selected in the 2014 NFL Draft. 
• What the hell is going on at the Phoenix VA Hospital?   Not acceptable!
• 10 Best Places to Meet Singles in Metro Phoenix? 
• Arizona Cardinals sign free agent LB Larry Foote. 
• In Arizona you can get arrested and convicted for "walking while trans".  
• Arizona's Top 10 Appearances on "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" 
• Check out the 98KUPD Ugirls!  They're hot!
• Arizona passes Revenge Porn law.  
• Why is "dark money" supporting Doug Ducey for Arizona Governor?

Deaths From Marijuana

Legalize it already!

Arizona Cardinals Draft - Day 3

On day 3 of the 2014 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals added a developmental QB, some additional DL depth and another WR.  Logan Thomas was selected in the 4th round, he has all the tools that Bruce Arians looks for in a QB, he's big, he's athletic, he's got a cannon of an arm, he has had some inconsistency and accuracy issues though.  Some seem to think he translates better as a TE.  He'll need some work if he's going to succeed at QB at the next level, he's got time though as Carson Palmer has still got a few years ahead of him, if they hit on him he could be pretty good.  Personally, I thought that Tom Savage or Zach Mecklenberg would have been better picks at this point but how do you question Bruce Arians and Tom Moore on QB's?  I'm not expecting that Ed Stinson or Walt Powell get much immediate playing time, but both seem to have some potential. 

Minnesota Vikings Draft - Day 3

As expected, the Vikings focused mainly on improving their porous defense on day 3 of the 2014 NFL Draft.  They did also pick up a stud offensive lineman with their 5th round draft choice.  I absolutely love the selection of Stanford OG David Yankey in the 5th round, that's tremendous value, I can envision him taking over for Charlie Johnson in short order.  After the Yankey selection it was all defense, 3 promising young CB's, a LB and a DT.  They've also added 15 UDFA's.   It'll be interesting to see how the roster shakes out comes fall.

Minnesota Vikings Draft - Day 2

The Vikings didn't have a 2nd round draft pick this year.  In round 3, they grabbed Oregon State DE Scott Crichton at pick #72.  Like Anthony Barr yesterday, Crichton can really get to the QB, he'll immediately crack that D-Line rotation.  You can see what Mike Zimmer is wanting to do here can't you?  Pressure, pressure, pressure!!  With their second 3rd round pick the Vikings picked Georgia Southern RB Jerick McKinnon.  He put up some impressive combine numbers and has been considered to be one of the drafts top RB sleepers by many.  Personally, I would have probably gone with Ka'Deem Carey or even Marion Grice over McKinnon, but I guess time will tell, I'll hope for the best.  It was an interesting day 2 for the Vikings. 

Arizona Cardinals Draft - Day 2

The Cardinals used their second round draft pick today on Notre Dame TE Troy Niklas.  Bruce Arians likes big TE's who can block and he got a good one in Niklas, who could very well be the best blocking TE in the draft.  Niklas is pretty good catching the ball too.  He should make for a nice compliment to Rob Housler.  In round 3, the Cardinals picked up tall, rangy DE Kareem Martin out of North Carolina.  Hopefully, he can crack the DL rotation.  With their second 3rd round pick the Cardinals took a chance on small college WR John Brown out of Pittsburg State, he's a blazer, he timed at 4.34 in the 40 at the combine and Arians and company really need a blazer for their deep strike offense, I love this pick!  3 picks, 3 needs filled, good day 2 for the Cards.

Vikings Draft Teddy Bridgewater

Vikings GM Rick Speilman grabbed an extra first round draft pick for the third year in row tonight when they dealt a second round and a fourth round pick to the Seahawks for the 32nd overall pick in the draft.  The Vikings then selected Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater.  Personally, I would have probably gone with Derek Carr over Bridgewater but I can live with this selection, he fills a huge need at QB for the Vikings.  Hopefully, the game tape is more of an indication of future success for Bridgewater than his pro-day.  Nice day 1 for the Vikings! 

Cardinals Draft Deone Bucannon

The Arizona Cardinals swapped first round picks with the New Orleans Saints (and picked up an additional 3rd round pick in the process) and then used the #27 overall pick in the first round of the NFL Draft on Washington State DB Deone Bucannon.  Some may consider it to be a bit of a reach but who knows?  He's looks like a great athlete, he's got nice size, he hits like a Mack truck and most importantly he fills a need.  I like the pick (especially given that they got an extra draft pick out of the deal)!  Nice job Steve Keim! 

Vikings Draft Anthony Barr

The Vikings traded down one spot in the draft with the Cleveland Browns and used their first round draft pick (#9 overall) on UCLA LB/DE Anthony Barr.  I'm not sure that's the direction I would have gone, but still, Barr's a heckuva athlete and has a knack for getting to the QB, there's always a premium on those types of guys.  It'll be interesting to see how the Vikings use him. 

Vikings Draft Thoughts

Just some quick Vikings thoughts going into tonights draft.

The Vikings need to grab a QB somewhere along the way, I suspect that they will, probably somewhere in rounds 1-3.   As much as I'd like to watch Johnny Manziel in purple, I don't see him being a good fit in Norv Turner's offense.  The chance to take a big, strong armed QB like Blake Bortles has to be appealing to the Vikings and the given the lack of recent noise coming out about the Vikings and a QB at number 8, it actually makes me think there is a chance of it happening.  I think they like Teddy Bridgewater too but not at number 8,  I don't think he lasts until their 2nd round choice either so if they want him they'll have to trade into the middle/late first round to get him (the same could also be said of Derek Carr).  Luckily, this is a great year for QB's, if they pass on a QB in round 1 they can still grab a guy like AJ McCarron, Aaron Murray, Tom Savage, Zack Mettenberger or Logan Thomas in rounds 2-4. 

Speaking of QB's, there's also been some buzz that the Vikings could deal for a QB (Sam Bradford and Mike Glennon's names have been thrown around, and you have to believe that the Patriots will be shopping Ryan Mallet), so keep an eye on that too, especially if the price for any is just a middle round pick or two.  Maybe they can deal Christian Ponder too.

The case against going for a QB in round 1?  Did you watch the Vikings last year?  Their defense was absolutely horrid.  Granted, IMO much of their problems last year came from running Leslie Frazier's outdated cover-2 schemes most of the time, but they also desperately need to upgrade the talent level on the defensive side of the ball.  Mike Zimmer is a defensive guy too, so you have to think he'll want to shore up that side of the ball.

My guess on the Vikings Top 8 (which is a balance between talent and need, minus the QB's):   1) Jadeveon Clowney, 2) Khalil Mack, 3) Sammy Watkins, 4) Mike Evans, 5) Justin Gilbert, 6) Anthony Barr, 7) C.J. Mosley, and 8) Aaron Donald. 

Outside of QB, I look for the Vikings to address LB, CB, DB, OG and RB at some point in the draft.  Throwing some names out to fill those needs?  Ka'Deem Carey-RB-Arizona, Kyle Van Noy-LB-BYU, David Yankey-OL-Stanford, Chris Watt-OG-Notre Dame, Shayne Skov-LB-Stanford. 

2014 TPSG NFL Mock Draft 6.0

It's 2014 NFL Draft day!  Finally!  How about one final Mock Draft.

1. Houston Texans - Jadeveon Clowney - DE - South Carolina ***
2. St Louis Rams - Greg Robinson - OT - Auburn  ***
3. Jacksonville Jaguars - Khalil Mack - LB - Buffalo ***
4. Cleveland Browns - Sammy Watkins - WR - Clemson
5. Oakland Raiders - Johnny Manziel - QB - Texas A&M
6. Atlanta Falcons - Jake Matthews - OT - Texas A&M  ***
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Mike Evans - WR - Texas A&M  ***
8. Minnesota Vikings - Blake Bortles - QB - Central Florida
9. Buffalo Bills - Taylor Lewan - OT - Michigan
10. Detroit Lions - Justin Gilbert - CB - Oklahoma State
11. Tennessee Titans - Anthony Barr - LB - UCLA
12. New York Giants - Aaron Donald - DT - Pittsburgh
13. St Louis Rams - Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix - DB - Alabama
14. Chicago Bears - Calvin Pryor - DB - Louisville
15. Pittsburgh Steelers - Darqueze Dennard - CB - Michigan State
16. Dallas Cowboys - Timmy Jernigan - DT - Florida State
17. Baltimore Ravens - Eric Ebron - TE - North Carolina
18. New York Jets - Odell Beckham - WR - LSU
19. Miami Dolphins - Zach Martin - OT - Notre Dame
20. Arizona Cardinals - Kony Ealy - DE - Missouri
21. Green Bay Packers - C.J. Mosley - LB - Alabama
22. Philadelphia Eagles - Marqise Lee - WR - USC
23. Kansas City Chiefs - Bradin Cooks - WR - Oregon State
24. Cincinnati Bengals - Kyle Fuller - CB - Virginia Tech
25. San Diego Chargers - Louis Nix - DT - Notre Dame
26. Cleveland Browns - Derek Carr - QB - Fresno State
27. New Orleans Saints - Dee Ford - DE - Auburn
28. Carolina Panthers - Cody Latimore - WR - Indiana
29. New England Patriots - Ra'Shede Hageman - DT - Minnesota 
30. San Francisco 49ers - Jason Verrett - CB - TCU
31. Denver Broncos - Xavier Su'Filo - OG  - UCLA
32. Seattle Seahawks - Kelvin Benjamin - WR - Florida State

***Actual first round picks here***
***Correct picks

Notes:

• Clowney is going number 1 overall, it's just a matter of where he lands now.  
• If the Rams are going to keep Bradford, they'd better protect him.  
• It'll be interesting to see where Manziel winds up.  He could go anywhere from pick #2 down to round 2.  He seems to fit the Raiders mold, I assume they've also watched some video of Matt Schaub from last year. 
• I'm no scout but the more I watch Bortles, the more I like him.  Grab him Vikings!  If Khalil Mack or Mike Evans drop to number 8, I could see either of them being the pick too.  Zimmer may also prefer going defense too, in which case I could see Justin Gilbert, Anthony Barr, Aaron Donald, Darqueze Dennard, C.J. Mosely or Ha'Sean Clinton-Nix going here too. I also wouldn't be shocked to see the Vikings trade down. 
• I wouldn't be opposed to Derek Carr to the Cardinals, I think they go defense though.  Steve Keim is not going to reach, I'm betting he watches how the draft plays out and then takes the best player available. 

Previous Mocks:  Mock Draft 1.0, Mock Draft 2.0, Mock Draft 3.0, Mock Draft 4.0. & Mock Draft 5.0. 

Benghazi Hypocrisy

Jon Stewart and "The Daily Show" nails it.

The Daily Show

More here.

Benghazi Blame Game

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Captain America: The Winter Soldier - starring Chris Evans, Scarlett Johannson, Samuel L Jackson & Robert Redford.  Chris Evans is back as Steve Rogers in this sequel to "Captain America: The First Avenger".   This time Captain America teams with the Black Widow (Johannson) to take down a shadow agency bent on global domination.  I really enjoyed this one, it was fast moving, action packed, full of twist and turns and the cast was great.  If you enjoy the Marvel movies, I have no doubt that you'll like this one. 

I will give it 4 out of 4 stars (*****).

White House Correspondents Dinner

President Obama kills it once again.

POTpourri

• It's okay to travel alone all you single people!
• The American middle class is no longer the world's richest. 
• I think it's safe to say that racism is still a problem in the U.S.
• Yay!  New Catalina Otalvaro pictures!  
• Book recommendation:  Thomas Piketty's "Capital in the Twenty-First Century".
• Oh my!  I must find out more about Caitlin Rice!  
• RIP Jack Ramsey, Earl Morrall & Bob Hoskins.
• Craig Ferguson announces that he is stepping down as host of the "Late Late Show". 
• Randi Rhodes ends her radio show.  I for one will miss her. 
• The NBA announces lifetime ban for Donald Sterling. 
• It seems time for a Republican reality check on Russia. 
• New study finds that at least 4% of death row inmates are innocent. 
• Federal judges reject Wisconsin & Florida voter suppression acts. 
• Trivago is a pretty good travel website, check it out next time you travel. 
• Star Wars:  Episode VII cast revealed.  
• California Chrome wins the 2014 Kentucky Derby.
• You have to love Chris Collabello's perseverance.  
• George Clooney is doing okay for himself. 
• We really need to do something about the growing influence of 'dark money'.
• You can find SI's Top 100 NFL Draft prospects here. 
• Why aren't the Tea Party groups supporting Tea Party candidates. 

Polina Dementova

I can't get enough of this girl.  Could someone please tell her to make a new video?

2014 TPSG NFL Mock Draft 5.0

We are getting closer, the 2014 NFL Draft is a week from today!  I can't wait!  It seems like a good time to update my NFL Mock Draft.

1. Houston Texans - Jadeveon Clowney - DE - South Carolina
2. St Louis Rams - Greg Robinson - OT - Auburn
3. Jacksonville Jaguars - Khalil Mack - LB - Buffalo
4. Cleveland Browns - Sammy Watkins - WR - Clemson
5. Oakland Raiders - Johnny Manziel - QB - Texas A&M
6. Atlanta Falcons - Jake Matthews - OT - Texas A&M
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Mike Evans - WR - Texas A&M
8. Minnesota Vikings - Blake Bortles - QB - Central Florida
9. Buffalo Bills - Taylor Lewan - OT - Michigan
10. Detroit Lions - Justin Gilbert - CB - Oklahoma State
11. Tennessee Titans - Anthony Barr - LB - UCLA
12. New York Giants - Aaron Donald - DT - Pittsburgh
13. St Louis Rams - Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix - DB - Alabama
14. Chicago Bears - Timmy Jernigan - DT - Florida State
15. Pittsburgh Steelers - Darqueze Dennard - CB - Michigan State
16. Dallas Cowboys - Calvin Pryor - DB - Louisville
17. Baltimore Ravens - Eric Ebron - TE - North Carolina
18. New York Jets - Odell Beckham - WR - LSU
19. Miami Dolphins - Zach Martin - OT - Notre Dame
20. Arizona Cardinals - Kony Ealy - DE - Missouri
21. Green Bay Packers - C.J. Mosley - LB - Alabama
22. Philadelphia Eagles - Marqise Lee - WR - USC
23. Kansas City Chiefs - Bradin Cooks - WR - Oregon State
24. Cincinnati Bengals - Kyle Fuller - CB - Virginia Tech
25. San Diego Chargers - Louis Nix - DT - Notre Dame
26. Cleveland Browns - Derek Carr - QB - Fresno State
27. New Orleans Saints - Demarcus Lawrence - DE- Boise State
28. Carolina Panthers - Cody Latimore - WR - Indiana
29. New England Patriots - Ra'Shede Hageman - DT - Minnesota 
30. San Francisco 49ers - Jason Verrett - CB - TCU
31. Denver Broncos - Xavier Su'Filo - OG  - UCLA
32. Seattle Seahawks - Kelvin Benjamin - WR - Florida State

Notes:

• Jadeveon Clowney now seems to sound like the consensus number 1 overall pick, it now seems to be more of a question of whether it's the Texans making that selection or if the Texans trade down and someone else makes that selection. 
• Greg Robinson seems like a no-brainer for the Rams at number 2. 
• The Raiders are a wildcard, they could do anything.  
• I'm not convinced that the Vikings will go with a QB in round 1, but given the way my mock unfolded, I don't know what over direction they'd go at that point (Justin Gilbert?  Anthony Barr?  Aaron Donald?  Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix?).  
• The Cardinals could go a lot of different directions, DL, DB, LB, QB, I'm of the belief that they go DL though (I could see them target Zach Mettenberger, Tom Savage , AJ McCarron or Logan Thomas later in the draft if they are intent on grabbing a QB).
• I'm not sure what to make of Teddy Bridgewater, he could go anywhere from pick 5 to pick 40.  I fear that his pro-day workout really hurt him, at this point I'm guessing he lands somewhere early in round 2.  Who knows though, perhaps it's all just a case of paralysis by analysis.

Previous Mocks:  Mock Draft 1.0, Mock Draft 2.0, Mock Draft 3.0 & Mock Draft 4.0.