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.