Teddy Bridgewater Injury

I was heartbroken when I heard the news that Teddy Bridgewater was injured in practice yesterday.  Not only is he a good guy that you cannot help but pull for, but it also absolutely devastates the Minnesota Vikings post season hopes for the upcoming NFL season.  At this point I'm just hoping that Teddy misses just the upcoming and season and that this is not a career ending injury.

The Vikings are kind of stuck now, it's late August and there just aren't a whole lot of options out there for them to upgrade the QB spot.  For now, Shaun Hill takes over as the starter, but there's a very good reason that he's been a career backup, he just doesn't offer a whole lot as a starter.  Taylor Heinicke's off season injury is also a set back as they apparently have high hopes for him, it's possible that he could start at some point this season but fact is he has never taken a regular season snap in the NFL.  The only other QB in camp for the Vikings is Joel Stave and while he seems to have an NFL arm, his accuracy and decision making leave a lot to be desired, he's in no way ready to play anytime soon (if ever).

What does this mean?  The Vikings will need to add another QB to 1) compete for the starting spot, 2) provide depth.   Here are the best options out there in my humble opinion:

1. Mike Glennon - probably the best option out there, his strong arm would play well with Norv. 
2. Josh McCown - quality veteran QB who has played well the last couple seasons. 
3. Colin Kaepernick - he's on the block, could a change of scenery be all he needs? 
4. Chase Daniel - there's a reason the Eagles signed him to a nice free agent deal. 
5. A.J. McCarron - the Vikes got a good look at him when the Vikings scrimmaged the Bengals. 
6. Zach Mettenberger - his big arm may play well in a Norv Turner system. 
7. E.J. Manuel - another guy who may benefit from a change in scenery.   
8. Brian Hoyer - he's got experience working with Norv Turner.  
9. Brandon Weeden - another guy whose big arm may play well in a Vikings offense. 
10. Gino Smith - another guy who just may need a change of scenery.  

Whether the Vikings would be willing to give up much for any of these guys is the question.  I'd suggest they do, they have a talented team and could still make the playoffs with quality QB play (which I doubt they'd get from Shaun Hill).  It'll be interesting to see what direction they move.  All I do know is that I want nothing to do with the likes of Christian Ponder, Mark Sanchez, Johnny Manziel & Michael Vick. 

RIP Gene Wilder

One of my all time favorite actors, he was in so many great movies.  RIP.

Most Hated Man in America?

It's been awhile since I updated my list, so here goes:

1. Donald Trump - his selling of fear and prejudice is despicable.  
2. Heather Bresch - the epitome of everything wrong with America's healthcare system. 
3. Martin Shkreli- you could make the argument that he should top this list.  
4. Bill Cosby - this vile rapist had a lot of people fooled. 
5. James O'Keefe - a blight upon the field of investigative journalism. 
6. Stephen Bannon - the leading propagandist of the Alt-Right movement. 
7. David Duke - Donald Trump brought him back out of the woodwork.  
8. Roger Ailes - this guy was a workplace monster.  
9. Kris Kobach - this wingnut is intent on suppressing the vote ordinary Americans.
10. Grover Norquist - his no tax pledge has crippled the U.S. economy. 

Donald Trump, The Liar

2016 Presidential Endorsements

I thought that it would be interesting to keep a running tally of the 2016 Presidential endorsements from prominent newspapers, websites and magazines.  The lists are not very long at this point (especially for Donald Trump) but it's still early, they should be coming soon.

For Hillary Clinton: 

• The Advocate 
• Akron Beacon Journal
• AM New York
• Arizona Daily Star
• Arizona Republic 
• Asheville Citizen-Times
• The Atlantic
• Baltimore Sun
• Beaumont Enterprise
• Berkshire Eagle
• Birmingham News
• Boston Globe
• Buffalo News
• Charlotte Observer
• Chicago Sun-Times
• Cincinnati Enquirer 
• Columbus Dispatch
• Corpus Christie Caller-Times
• Daily Kos
• Dallas Morning News 
• Denver Post
• Desert Sun/Palm Springs
• Des Moines Register 
• Detroit Free Press
• El Paso Times
• Foreign Policy
• Grand Rapids Press
• The Guardian
• Honolulu Star Advertiser
• Houston Chronicle
• Kansas City Star
• La Opinion
• Las Vegas Sun
• Latina
• Los Angeles Times
• Miami Herald 
• Minneapolis Star Tribune
• The Nation
• Nature
• New Jersey Star-Ledger
• New Orleans Times-Picayne
• New York Daily News
• The New Yorker
• New York Times
• Newsday
• Philadelphia Inquirer
• Philadelphia Magazine
• Philly.com 
• Portland Press Herald
• Providence Journal
• Quad City Times
• Reno Gazette Journal
• Sacramento Bee
• Salt Lake Tribune
• San Diego Union Tribune
• San Francisco Chronicle
• San Francisco Examiner
• San Jose Mercury News
• The Seattle Times
• St Louis Post Dispatch 
• Tampa Bay Times
• Variety
• Vogue
• Washington Post
• Wired
• Wisconsin State Journal

For Donald Trump:

• Fort Wayne News Sentinel
• Las Vegas Review Journal

For Gary Johnson: 

• Caledonian Record
• The Chicago Tribune
• The Detroit News
• New Hampshire Union Leader
• Richmond Times-Dispatch
• Winston-Salem Journal 

***Edit, just a couple of trend that I'm noticing:

1. There are still few major media endorsements for Donald Trump, that's telling.
2. Several right wing leaning publications are coping out and endorsing Gary Johnson in an attempt to distance themselves from Donald Trump while at the same time not endorsing Hillary Clinton.  I have to believe that deep down they also know that Gary Johnson has no business in the White House. 
3. Several publications are also coping out by not endorsing anyone or specifically endorsing against one candidate (namely Donald Trump) but not taking a stand and then endorsing any other candidate.  Weak.  
4. The Las Vegas Review Journal is the largest newspaper to endorse Donald Trump, but keep in mind, The Las Vegas Review Journal is owned by right wingnut Sheldon Adelson. 
5. Wikipedia has a great list here. 

Extreme Vetting

I love this vetting of Trump supporters.

AZ Tidbits

• Judge allows marijuana measure to remain on the Arizona ballot.
• Federal judge seeks criminal contempt charges against Joe Arpaio.  
• Website says Phoenix has the most aggressive drivers in the country. 
• What exactly is David Gowan hiding? 
• Jan Brewer continues to embarrass Arizona. 
• I'm not real comfortable with Maricopa County selling Chase Field. 
• Arizona ranked 6th Worst for Underprivileged Children. 
• Donald Trump is doing his best to turn Arizona purple! 
• The Hi-Liter Gentlemen's Club in Phoenix is one of my favorite places. 
• Could the Arizona Coyotes host the Winter Classic?  
• Michael Phelps is doing alright for himself in Arizona. 
• Campaign to raise the Arizona minimum wage progresses. 
• Could the Arizona Diamondbacks shake up their front office? 
• Arizona Rattlers headed back to the Arena Bowl. 
• Phase 2 of Sun Devil Stadium renovation has been completed. 
• 11 Arizonans bring home medals from Rio. 
• Hillary Clinton is investing heavily in Arizona. 
• It's past time that Arizona doubles it's efforts on wind and solar power. 
• Arizona State hockey officially applies to join the NCHC. 
• Harvard death penalty study rips Maricopa County prosecutors.  

John Oliver on Charter Schools

John Oliver does a great job of voicing my concerns with charter schools.

Charlie Sykes

If there's one good thing to come out of Donald Trumps rise it's that many in the right wing media are having their "come to Jesus" moments.   One of them is Charlie Sykes and I commend him for it.  America's at it's best when we have 2 sane parties that are able to set aside their differences and are willing to work together to solve our problems.   We haven't had that in quite some time and I believe that talk radio has played a significant part in that.  Read the below comments, they are completely on the money IMO.

Interviewed @SykesCharlie recently for story on conservative media I'm working on. Worth reading what he had to say pic.twitter.com/cqsVOabG7Q

— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) August 14, 2016

Gord Downie

Goodspeed Gord Downie!

POTpourri

• America just never wins anything anymore?  
• I don't see Steve Bannon bringing in new Trump voters. 
• Minnesota United FC set to join MLS in 2017. 
• Who exactly was Donald Trump apologizing to? 
• Colin Powell advised Hillary Clinton to use a private email server. 
• Racism is without a doubt fueling Donald Trump's Presidential run. 
• Ryan Lochte & Hope Solo seem to define the term "the ugly American" in Rio. 
• Justice Department says they will end the use of private prisons. 
• God destroyed Tony Perkins home in flood of biblical proportions. 
• It has not been a good week for New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.  
• RIP John McLaughlin & Jack Riley. 
• Isn't it long past time that Donald Trump release his tax returns? 
• How are those Planned Parenthood cuts working for you Texas? 
• Aetna represents everything wrong with American business. 
• I will miss "The Nighly Show" and "Gawker".  
• Remember when Donald Trump said he only hired the best people? 
• It's never a good idea to put ideology over science. 
• Remember when Republicans demonized Obama for using a teleprompter? 
• Where have you been all my life Alberte Velentine Christensen?
• Donald Trump has a interesting approach to winning over the black vote. 

Svetlana Bilyalova

Oh my Svetlana Bilyalova! It doesn't get much better than that.

A proper way to do cleaning  Эффективная техника уборки дома

A video posted by @svetabily on Jul 26, 2016 at 3:19am PDT

Nude Trump Statue

Looks about right!

Riviera Implosion

So long Riviera!  It was a nice run!



I stayed at the Riviera several times, I found it to be a nice affordable spot in the middle of the strip.

In it's heyday, I hear it was quite the happening place to be.

Most Influential Hispanics in America

Who do you think are the Most Influential Hispanics in American politics today?

Here's my list:

• Xavier Becerra
• Joaquin Castro
• Julian Castro
• Ted Cruz
• Rueben Gallego
• Raul Grijalva 
• Michelle Lujan Grisham
• Susana Martinez
• Javier Palomarez 
• Tom Perez
• Jorge Ramos
• Bill Richardson
• Marco Rubio
• Linda Sanchez  
• Sonya Sotomayer 
• Antonio Villaraigosa

I'm sure there are more, these seem to be the most prominent though.  I listed them alphabetically.  For the record, if I ranked them by positive influence, I'd have Becerra, Perez, Sotomayer and the Castro brothers on top of the list, with Cruz, Rubio and Martinez at the bottom.  For the record, for this list, I also don't feel that influential necessarily means having a positive influence either (thus the inclusion of Cruz, Rubio and Martinez).  

Lying Donald

He tells it like it is?  Give me a break!

Suicide Squad

Suicide Squad - starring Will Smith & Margot Robbie.  After reading some of the horrible reviews for this movie I almost decided to skip it, I'm glad I didn't because it wasn't bad at all.  I'm sensing some comic book fans felt it strayed a bit from the original story but since the story was new to me I didn't have that problem.  Don't get me wrong here, it has no Oscars in it's future but I found it to be a nice summer getaway for a couple of hours.  It's basically about a group of misfit badass super villains who are forced to work together to fight the evil Enchantress, who is intent on destroying the world.  I enjoyed that they incorporated fellow DC comic characters like Batman, Superman and the Joker into the story.  Will Smith did a nice job as Deadshot.  I thought that Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn was a lot of fun (although some disagree).   Jared Leto was great as the Joker (although some seem to disagree), he made him as creepy as they come (I could see a Joker/Haley Quinn spinoff).  I can't honestly say anyone else on the cast really stood out, not that they were bad, just that they probably weren't given enough to make their characters stand out more.  Overall, if you're a DC Comic fanatic, you may have a hard time stomaching this one, but for everyone else I think it's worth a watch.

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

Ann Kirkpatrick

She's got my vote.  It's time for John McCain to fade off into the sunset.

AZ Tidbits

• Arizona to vote on marijuana legalization in November. 
• Something doesn't smell right with the Arizona Corporation Commission. 
• Arizona ranked 48th for school system. 
• The Arizona Cardinals sign Tyran Mathieu to contract extension. 
• Tempe ranked as Best College Town in America. 
• Hillary Clinton continues to poll ahead of Donald Trump in Arizona.
• Build your own fucking stadiums/arenas Arizona sports teams! 
• Jeff Flake really should be the face of the GOP moving forward. 
• 2016 Arizona Fall League schedule announced. 
• RIP Zach Hemmila. 
• Arizona's Top 10 Summer Olympians?  
• 2016 Arizona State Fair Concert lineup announced. 
• Remember John McCain's "straight talk express"? 
• I have been impressed by Diamondbacks rookie pitcher Braden Shipley. 
• Could more solar be headed to Arizona?  
• Arizona State researchers are building a better condom! 
• 2016-17 Phoenix Suns schedule released. 
• Arizona ranks in the middle of the pack on obesity.  
• Khizr Khan pushes John McCain to un-endorse Donald Trump. 
• Arizona Democrats want judge to block ballot collection law. 

Trump Exposes Trump

Does he even know his stance on the issues?

POTpourri

• Marijuana industry supports Clinton over Trump. 
• Donald Trump's economic policy is far from the populism he once espoused. 
• Kansas pushes back against Sam Brownback. 
• If running for President, do not pick a fight with a Gold Star Family! 
• I cannot get enough of Galina Dubenko. 
• Republicans are turning en masse to Hillary Clinton. 
• I have to admit, the BLM movement is losing me. 
• Donald Trump seems desperate to create a new fake scandal. 
• RIP John Saunders. 
• Is Jill Stein really the candidate of choice for Bernie or Busters? 
• I sure don't trust Donald Trump with the nuclear weapon codes. 
• Just how pro-Wall Street is Hillary Clinton? 
• I cannot say that I'm all that eager to try the Burger King Whopperrito.  
• 50 GOP national security officials come out against Donald Trump.
• Is it wrong that I'm becoming infatuated with Kate Beckinsale?  
• Former Fox News head Roger Ailes really was a monster.  
• It's time to end states job creation shell game.  
• I'm not real impressed by Donald Trump's team of economic advisers. 
• Yes, a video did play a role in the Benghazi attack. 
• I'm tiring of all of the false equivalency in the Presidential race. 
• 2016 Summer Olympics Medal Tracker here. 

Steve Benson

Best political cartoonist in the business.

Warren Calls Out Trump Economic Plan

Elizabeth Warren rightfully put Donald Trump in his place.

.@realDonaldTrump's econ plan was written by rich corporate insider advisors to make the economy even greater for rich corporate insiders.

— Elizabeth Warren (@elizabethforma) August 8, 2016

“Cut regulations massively,” @realDonaldTrump? No rules & no accountability means people get ripped off & markets blow up. Remember 2008?

— Elizabeth Warren (@elizabethforma) August 8, 2016

A “moratorium” on agency regulations means stopping new rules on shady payday lenders & too-big-to-fail banks, @realDonaldTrump.

— Elizabeth Warren (@elizabethforma) August 8, 2016

Trump gets advice from Bear Stearns' fmr chief economist. So @realDonaldTrump: did BS need FEWER regs when they helped crash our economy?

— Elizabeth Warren (@elizabethforma) August 8, 2016

Cheating customers & gaming the system might be your business, @realDonaldTrump, but it’s not the way America is going to do business.

— Elizabeth Warren (@elizabethforma) August 8, 2016

And taxes? @realDonaldTrump wants billionaires & giant corps to pay EVEN LESS – so there’s less money for ed, infrastructure & research.

— Elizabeth Warren (@elizabethforma) August 8, 2016

Even @realDonaldTrump's childcare plan gives billionaires w/ a nanny a tax break while millions of low-income households get nothing.

— Elizabeth Warren (@elizabethforma) August 8, 2016

.@realDonaldTrump's economics plan is all about helping rich guys like Donald Trump get richer – & leaving everyone else behind.

— Elizabeth Warren (@elizabethforma) August 8, 2016

The American people aren’t dumb, @realDonaldTrump. We don’t trust you with our nuclear codes AND we don’t trust you with our economy.

— Elizabeth Warren (@elizabethforma) August 8, 2016

The Infiltrator

The Infiltrator - starring Bryan Cranston & Diane Kruger.  I saw this movie a couple of weeks ago.  I was intrigued about seeing Byran Cranston star in a "Breaking Bad" style drug kingpin movie (only with his being on the other side of the law).  While it had some "Breaking Bad" elements, I was a little disappointed.  Cranston was not the problem, he's a great actor and he did a nice job in this one.  My disappointment comes in the ending, they did a real nice job throughout the movie of racheting up the suspense and intrigue but then (***spoiler alert***) ended it in a rather mundane mass arrest of criminals at a wedding.  Talk about let down.  Being based upon a true story, I guess they did need to keep it somewhat historically accurate though.  Still it's not a bad movie, I still recommend a watch, just maybe wait for PPV/Netflix.  I think the supporting cast was top notch too, John Leguizamo was excellent (he just may be one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood), Diane Kruger and Benjamin Bratt also did nice jobs.

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

Bill Maher Priority Fail

Once again, Bill Maher is spot on.

Jason Bourne

Jason Bourne - starring Matt Damon & Tommy Lee Jones.  This movie marks the return of Matt Damon to the Bourne series.  There's not a whole lot new with this one, just more of the same non-stop action and suspense that have made the previous Bourne movies such a success.  I loved it, although I wouldn't rank it up there with the first couple, it's well worth a visit to the theater.   This movie starts with Bourne living in seclusion along the Greek/Albanian border, he is quickly pulled back into the dark world of international espionage by past CIA cohort Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles) who seeks out his help to expose some dirty secrets of the CIA.  The CIA of course wants none of this and sets about tracking him down and 'eliminating' their problem.  Lots of chases and fisticuffs ensue.  Again, no new ground was broken here, but who cares, Jason Bourne is back and he's kicking ass.  Julia Stile is fine in her short return as Parsons.  Tommy Lee Jones is solid as always, but does look very old as CIA Director and chief protagonist Robert Dewey.  Vincent Cassel also made for a great foil to Bourne.  Director Paul Greengrass does a great job of pulling it all together.  All in all, a nice summer getaway, I recommend.

I will give it 4 out of 5 stars (*****).

Seth Meyers on Trump's Week

Funny stuff, and sadly too close to the truth.

Meg Whitman Endorses Hillary Clinton

This is big news.  I suspect that there will be more Republicans doing the same in short order.

Meg Whitman

August 2 at 7:29pm · 

As a proud Republican, casting my vote for President has usually been a simple matter. This year is different. To vote Republican out of party loyalty alone would be to endorse a candidacy that I believe has exploited anger, grievance, xenophobia and racial division. Donald Trump’s demagoguery has undermined the fabric of our national character.

Trump’s reckless and uninformed positions on critical issues – from immigration to our economy to foreign policy – have made it abundantly clear that he lacks both the policy depth and sound judgment required as President. Trump’s unsteady hand would endanger our prosperity and national security. His authoritarian character could threaten much more.

Therefore, I have decided to support Hillary Rodham Clinton. It is clear to me that Secretary Clinton’s temperament, global experience and commitment to America’s bedrock national values make her the far better choice in 2016 for President of the United States. In a tumultuous world, America needs the kind of stable and aspirational leadership Secretary Clinton can provide. I urge all Republicans to reject Donald Trump this November.

POTpourri

• Federal Courts are smacking down voter suppression laws. 
• Republican 3 decade war on government got them Donald Trump. 
• Everyone should watch the Van Jones INFOwars interview. 
• Do not get out of your car at a Wildlife Park. 
• Why is Donald Trump picking fights with the family of war hero's? 
• Please wear your seatbelts!  
• Melania Trump's looks are certainly not the problem with her.
• It appears that Russian hackers also altered the stolen emails. 
• What exactly is Donald Trump hiding in his tax returns? 
• Let's not forget the Republican idea of governing these past 8 years. 
• Krasivchik_ksusha (aka Sunny Kers) instagram page is worth a follow. 
• The stupid party created Donald Trump.  
• Jimmy Walker won the 2016 PGA Championship. 
• Why on earth would any minority vote for Donald Trump?
• Minnesota Twins trade Edwin Nunez to the San Francisco Giants. 
• Donald Trump would be a foreign policy disaster.  
• I just cannot get enough of Svetlana Bilyalova. 
• I'll take a Hillary Clinton economy over a Donald Trump economy. 
• The Daily Show did a great job covering the RNC & DNC. 
• HBO announces the end of Game of Thrones. 

Carl's Jr Bacon 3-Way Burger

They've sold me!

AZ Tidbits

• Voter ID laws are very harmful to Arizona Native Americans. 
• Arizona Diamondbacks trade Tyler Clippard to Yankees. 
• The Arizona Republic endorses Dan Saban over Joe Arpaio. 
• The Thing is Arizona's worst tourist attraction. 
• Arizona Cardinals sign free agent LB Donald Butler. 
• Does Sheriff Joe Arpaio think that Donald Trump could save him from jail time?
• Can Latios swing Arizona blue?  Now is the time. 
• Brace yourself for even hotter Arizona summers. 
• Ryan Newsome set to transfer from Texas to Arizona State. 
• Could a year in Arizona sent Lauri Markkanen to the NBA Draft Lottery? 
• Should deadly force always the answer for police?
• The Arizona Republic endorses John McCain in Republican Primary. 
• Jerry Emmett should be a source of pride to all Arizonans. 
• It was a nice run Josh Collmenter. 
• Gino's East of Chicago & Lou Malnati's are coming to Phoenix. 
• Phoenix Suns finalize their 2016-17 coaching staff.  
• Sheriff Joe Arpaio continues to cost taxpayers millions. 
• Pokemon Go is way too popular in Phoenix. 
• Arizona Democrats embrace national party's embrace of marijuana legalization. 
• The City of Phoenix wants to plant more trees to keep people cool.