Dallas Doomsday “D” Stuns & Shuts Down Explosive Offense & Ends Saints 10-Game Winning Streak

New Orleans Saints (10-1)

 v.

Dallas Cowboys (6-5)

Dallas Cowboys 13, New Orleans Saints 10

About one month ago, the Dallas Cowboys looked almost dead in the water. They were 3-5, and looking like they were well out of the playoff picture. Head coach Jason Garrett was on the hot seat, with some suggesting that maybe it was time for him to go. Washington was red hot and had just squeaked out a win over Dallas, moving to 4-2. They would beat the Giants the next week to reach 5-2, and seemed to not only be running away with the division, but perhaps positioning themselves as contenders for home field advantage. Meanwhile, the Eagles looked like they were not as strong as they had been when they had won the Super Bowl last season, but they still looked like as serious contender for the playoffs, and the ‘Boys were only two games ahead of the lowly last place Giants.           

Now, all of that has changed. The Cowboys have managed to put together a solid winning streak of four straight, and have not only gotten back into the playoff picture, but have outright taken over first place in the NFC East. Washington does not look as good, and if they appeared on the verge of locking up the NFC East when Dallas was floundering, they now instead appear to be flirting with removing themselves from the NFC playoff picture themselves. The Eagles may be the defending champions, but they have played in a manner that suggests that maybe they were a little too self-satisfied with the Super Bowl championship last season.           

The ‘Boys have beaten some impressive teams during this current win streak, all of the teams being playoff contenders. But none of the other teams were anywhere near as impressive as the one that Dallas managed to defeat last night – the 10-1 New Orleans Saints. Behind veteran, future hall of fame quarterback Drew Brees, the Saints had put up some amazing, even historical level numbers, and appeared to be flirting with an elite status that might place them among the all-time great teams in history. They had won 10 games in a row, had been the only team to manage to beat the then undefeated Los Angeles Rams, and they had one of the best defenses against the run. Most importantly, their offense was averaging over 37 points per game.           

In the first half, however, the Dallas “D” managed to do something that nobody thought possible, shutting out the Saints offense for the entire half. By keeping constant pressure on Brees, they forced him to hurry some passes and simply to not produce on the elite level that he was used to. The Cowboy offense also did their job, as they held onto the ball for over 20 minutes during the first half, and took a 13-0 lead into the locker rooms by halftime. New Orleans was better in the second half, but they still fell short of doing enough to win this game.           

Brees completed 18 of 28 passes for 127 yards and one touchdown, although he also had one INT. Those are very pedestrian numbers for a quarterback of the stature of Drew Brees. Dallas also managed to effectively contain the New Orleans ground game, D as running back Alvin Kamara was held to a mere 36 yards on 11 carries. The Dallas defense managed to stuff Kamara on a crucial fourth and goal situation, completing a goal line stand late in the first half which certainly helped them to win the game. 

For Dallas, Dak Prescott completed 24 of 28 passes for 248 yards and one touchdown.  The Saints did limit the production of running back Ezekiel Elliott, who picked up 76 yards and 23 carries, which is moderate for him. 

This fourth straight win by the Cowboys sees them now alone atop the NFC East for the first time all season. They are 3-1 within the NFC East, and will get to host Philadelphia, and visit the Giants, in their remaining divisional games. Both games seem like winnable contests for them, especially the way that they are playing. They also own a 7-3 overall record against NFC teams, which could help them to catch Chicago or Minnesota in playoff positioning if it comes to that. Currently, Dallas has the fourth seed in the NFC playoffs. 

The loss knocks the Saints from the top spot in the NFC race for home field advantage, as they fall to 10-2 on the season. They now have to hope for the Rams – the only team in the league remaining who has not suffered multiple losses - to lose a game if they want to regain the inside route for the number one seed, which would give them home field advantage for as long as they last in the NFC playoffs. The Saints still are too far ahead in the NFC South for any other team there to seriously entertain any hopes of winning that division away from New Orleans.

My pick: Inaccurate

Red Bulls Again Fall Short in MLS Playoffs

One of the founding franchises of the MLS, the Red Bulls, formerly known as the New York/New Jersey MetroStars, fell short again in the playoffs this season. It was a disappointing result for fans expecting the franchise to finally follow up on some tremendous talent and regular season success. 

The Red Bulls had advanced to the conference final, with a chance to finally reach the MLS Cup and give themselves a chance at a title, something that the franchise had not managed to accomplish in their 23 years of existence. 

Their opponents, however, were a young and clearly inspired Atlanta United team that was determined to have a strong showing. And they did, taking the first game in Atlanta decisively, 3-0. That put the Red Bulls in a position of needing to win by at least four goals, which is a very tall order in any situation. And the Red Bulls fell far short of that, managing only one goal scored in the extra time session to earn the win, but falling short of what was required of them to advance to the MLS Cup, and allowing Atlanta to reach their first ever MLS Cup instead. 

Atlanta will now face the Portland Timbers, who managed to advanced out in the Western conference by edging out Sporting Kansas City. They managed that with an impressive performance by Diego Valeri, who scored twice in the second half, including once in the extra time session, to lift the Timbers and punch their ticket to the MLS Cup.

New York's Q104.3 Continues Thanksgiving Tradition With the Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time

Photo courtesy of DerekVelasquez's Flickr page -  Led Zeppelin: https://www.flickr.com/photos/derekvelasquez/3072776462/in/photolist-5FwMow-6SmBSz-9HJ3ko-krzfj7-7AJeMG-gUGaR-8NNx3A-pLveuP-5W3935-kivXt-8Y2AFC-FiLb4-BeZcm-9bEc7a-7qRiYB-5FwP6o-6iWoQU-apKtaE-5Fsys6-t8rrc-ko9qQ-4aC74F-yHpJ1t-3AHnNN-eqYbJH-9oSakn-nDDLat-bMJso4-4taxtA-4c17wU-4tazky-nDE1NX-nDEso4-nW4Jfh-nVRRg2-nU7G89-nDENXG-nU7cqu-nDFfsh-5FwEm3-bpA9dM-5247zM-z9Ga1E-CTPs52-561E7G-ox4M73-oFmZ3B-uPTrdC-dqjqsS-ycekSr

Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Photo courtesy of Ray MacLean's Flickr page -  stairway-to-heaven: https://www.flickr.com/photos/raymaclean/4548207141/in/photolist-bZMVU9-djdUjJ-Dkjdy2-bcucSe-a7Vv35-s673Qk-7VUKwv-71LZZm-bjRngF-3YaE5H-4BPXeh-gZhER-H3Tah-8JtSEi-vS74c9-6DA6VW-2rpAbj-89hkuj-hYHz6t-b8Ukj2-7HCw8D-68XpL8-bC3zbZ-8xj8eN-omd6SW-hF6PcQ-e2JYVD-3cWvJE-EnaYZQ-5z99Nn-753hQ7-pfeWgf-8pSM5o-heQY2c-2rkg1V-dJFAoP-yzqmy-6hi9Po-bc1DuK-5qW19P-ozVkmn-btSySs-5XTNyZ-7F3Jd9-4CgPr4-7aAYf4-4Lk2dK-6NBp1S-34bjbt-ccZfsw

Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

One of the major local rock stations of the greater New York metropolitan area, Q104.3, continued their annual Thanksgiving weekend tradition of playing the top 1,043 rock songs of all time, as voted by fans. It is actually beginning to be one of my favorite Thanksgiving weekend traditions, because you are usually assured some solid rock music to listen to.

New York's Q104.3 touts itself as the area's classic rock station, and they do their annual list of the greatest 1,043 songs of all time, according to the amount of votes received. So far, every single year, Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven wins the top spot for greatest song of all time. Not surprisingly, this tradition continued again this past year, as well.

There is always a bit of debate as to if another song can possibly remove Stairway to Heaven from the top spot and, if so, which one it might possibly be. The Beatles have a couple that might be able to do it, including Hey Jude, and I personally think another strong candidate would be A Day in the Life. One song from a solo Beatles that I always thought should be one of the very elite candidates to take the top spot some time would be John Lennon's Imagine. There are other potential prospects to take that number one away from Stairway to Heaven, including Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, Eric Clapton's Layla, The Eagles Hotel California, and Lynyrd Skynyrd's Free Bird. I think a case can be made for several other songs, including, off the top of my head, Jimi Hendrix's take on All Along the Watchtower, as well as the Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter.

This year in 2018, the top song was, once again, Stairway to Heaven, by Led Zeppelin. Queen perhaps benefited from the movie out about them in theaters right now, as Bohemian Rhapsody, the song from which the movie derives it's name, was ranked number two. The Beatles Hey Jude, often a candidate for greatest song, was number three. Derek and the Dominoes had Layla at number four, and Lynyrd Skynyrd finished up the top five with Free Bird. Hotel California, by the Eagles, was number six. Rounding out the top ten, The Who's Baba O'Riley was seven, followed by two straight songs by the Rolling Stones, Gimme Shelter in eighth and Sympathy for the Devil in ninth, and Kashmir by Led Zeppelin at ten.

Some that surprised me by how low they ranked would be John Lennon's Imagine, a song that I feel should have a real shot at number one, yet was ranked 19th this year. Pink Floyd only had one song in the top 20, and that was Comfortably Numb, at number 12. Let it Be by the Beatles was 13th.

This is a little late, but still relevant, as they just released the new list for this year. And these are timeless songs, and the debates never really have gone out of style, have they?

So, here, according to those who voted for it, are the top 20 songs in rock history, according to New York's Q104.3 for 2018:

1. Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin
2/ Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
3. Hey Jude - The Beatles
4. Layla - Derek and the Dominoes
5. Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd 
6. Hotel California - The Eagles
7. Baba O'Riley - The Who
8. Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones
9. Sympathy for the Devil - The Rolling Stones
10. Kashmir - Led Zeppelin
11. Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen
12. Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd
13. Let It Be  - The Beatles
14. Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who
15. Thunder Road - Bruce Springsteen
16. Another One Bites the Dust - Queen
17. Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
18. Sunshine of Your Love - Cream
19. Imagine - John Lennon
20. In My Life - The Beatles


The Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time Check out the Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2015 edition):

http://www.q1043.com/common/top_songs/2015.php?page=20&var=1448967400

http://www.q1043.com/common/top_songs/2015.php?page=21&var=1448967410

NFC North Preview for the 2018-19 Season

Like with my NFC West and especially AFC West predictions, these predictions come late enough in the season for me to admit just how mistaken my projections would have been. For example, I would have picked the Bears solidly in last place, but they are actually presently comfortably in first place as I write this. Either Minnesota or Green Bay, meanwhile, would have seemed the safest pick to be the top team here. But the Vikings have been inconsistent, and the Packers have not looked very good at all  And the Lions, like the Vikings, have been unpredictable on a massive scale, as well. So, I have published these predictions with those things in mind, even though originally, I intended to publish this well before the regular season even started. Forgive me the liberties that I have taken thus, given that the season is already six weekends in.

Here are my predictions for the NFC North!

Chicago Bears 

1. Chicago Bears (projected division winners) - The Bears are enjoying a tremendous season, one in which they are making huge leaps forward on both offense and defense. They have a very solid defense, and their offense is surprisingly good, too. They might not get the attention that the Rams, Chiefs, or Saints are getting in terms of explosiveness, but they can move the ball, as well as score some points. With a rising star at quarterback, and some serious talent on defense, the city of Chicago has every reason to be optimistic about the future for their NFL franchise. And with a very real shot at taking the division title this year, the future might be this year, at least in terms of making a big splash and hosting a playoff game, if not necessarily making the NFC Championship and/or Super Bowl, for the first time in over a decade. But the Bears are clearly going in the right direction, and they seem to be getting used to winning. Week after week, they just keep surprising people in the right ways, to the point that it is no longer that much of a surprise. And despite their traditional weakness of losing divisional games, recent wins against Detroit and Minnesota has this team rightly believing they can - and should - be NFC North champs once this regular seasons ends.

1. Minnesota Vikings (projected second place) - The Vikings are enjoying a decent season. Not one quite on par with the elite team that they were last season, despite their finishing the season in a disappointment, with a blowout loss at Philly to the eventual Super Bowl champions. However, the Vikings have one of the best, and potentially one of the most dangerous, offenses in the league. Granted, they seem to have some lapses, like that inexplicable loss at home to the Bills earlier this season. However, their offense usually generates enough points to allow their middle of the pack defense to make it stand up. So far, the Vikings have not been overly consistent or excelled either at home nor on the road, yet they have remained good enough to not only remain a factor, but to be one of the inescapable teams that have to be considered not only a playoff contender, but potentially a title contender as well. After all, out of their three losses thus far, two are to true elite powerhouses in the NFC, the Rams and the Saints. That makes them a dangerous team, and with their combination of talent and experience, they have enough to get past a surprisingly strong challenge from the inexperienced Chicago Bears in order to win this division outright. But they have lost a lot of ground to the Bears already, and have not shown enough consistency to be a sure bet to catch Chicago and take the division title. That is also why I have this team finishing second.

3. Green Bay Packers (projected Third place) - Something strange is happening in Green Bay. The Packers always seem to look dangerous and appear almost always to have at least legitimate aspirations to reach the playoffs by the time Thanksgiving comes around. Yet the Packers are hovering just below .500, and have yet to win a road game this season. As Aaron Rodgers, the Packers excellent quarterback and future Hall of Famer, said earlier this season, the defense has held it's own. They are a solid unit, in the top half in terms of both yards and points allowed. What is surprising is their offense, led by Rodgers. They have not stood out like many, if not most, expected. Usually, they are one of the elite, dangerous offenses, but that explosive quality has been largely missing so far this season. And this team has not shown an ability to defeat any winning teams, save that miracle win against Chicago to open up the season. They were unable to defeat either Minnesota, Washington, the Rams, or the Patriots, and that, plus their struggles on the road, could prove costly in the second half of the season. They will be playing at Seattle, at Minnesota, at Chicago (who will likely want revenge for that prior game), and will be hosting a Falcons team that is clearly coming on and will need to win to stay in the playoff picture by that point. And this team has little room for any errors, as they are two games behind the Vikings and the Bears already. This just is not the same team that we have come to expect in what used to be known as Titletown, and that is why I see them only finishing in third place, and out of the playoff picture when the final weeks of the regular season roll around. 

4. Detroit Lions (projected last place) - The Lions compensated Matthew Stafford for being a good quarterback, although frankly, I am not entirely sure why. After all, so far, he has proven himself to be a good quarterback, but not a great or elite quarterback capable to taking his team to a title, or even far into the playoffs. Yet, they paid him like he was the second coming off Joe Montana, or as if he was on the grade of Tom Brady or Peyton Manning. Quite frankly, he is not. Detroit's offense has shown an ability to score some points at times this season, but Stafford has not put together numbers that would justify that kind of an investment, which leads me to believe that the mismanagement by the top brass in this Lions organization is still making the same mistakes that have prevented his team from being overly competitive in recent decades. Remember, this is a team that has the second longest active drought in terms of playoff wins. The last time that the Lions won a playoff game was following the 1991-92 season, when they went 12-4 and won the division title, then beat Dallas in the divisional round. But that was a different time, when the Soviet Union still existed, when few people knew the Clintons, and when Belichick was only in his first year ever as head coach of a professional team, and that was at Cleveland. In other words, it was a different time. Detroit's offense has been good, but not great, and the same can be said for their defense. And they keep losing the most important games that they would need to win in order to be considered serious contenders within this division. They lost their first two games, both to losing teams, and have allowed opportunities to slip by throughout the season, like that last minute loss at Dallas (another losing team), and the two consecutive losses against the Seahawks and the Vikings. All of this feels too predictable, and that is why I am making the not so bold prediction that history will remain consistent, and the Lions will, once again, disappoint their fans, this time by finishing last in this division.

RIP, Stephen Hillenburg

Sad news to report, as Stephen Hillenburg, who created the "SpongeBob SquarePants" television show and characters, died. He was 57 years old.

My son grew up on SpongeBob, and was a huge fan not too long ago. I saw SpongeBob was popular among many kids in schools, and has remained popular to this day, outlasting the usual fads that kids get into and out of quickly. SpongeBob had some lasting power, probably because it offered quite a bit more than many other kinds of programming, and could even be quite entertaining for adults, with some inside jokes and references that seemed meant for adults.

Hillenburg created something that was very meaningful for children for many years, as well as, by extension, their parents. As a parent myself, I know this to be true.

RIP, Stephen Hillenburg.

Stephen Hillenburg, Creator of 'SpongeBob SquarePants,' Dies at 57 by Evan Real, November 27, 2018:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/stephen-hillenburg-dead-spongebob-squarepants-creator-dies-at-57-1164132

Wild Conspiracy Theories Blot Out Light of Truth in Trump's America & in Brexit-Era UK

Absurd, hard to believe conspiracy theories are in, and relevant facts are out in Trump's America, and in Britain since Brexit. 

Two birds of a feather, right?

This is the age where the wilder the conspiracy theory, the more it seems to be believed. Most of us can understand the skepticism towards the official Warren Commission report regarding the JFK assassination, because it really does not feel like the entire truth, and left too many questions unanswered. But that does not legitimize some of the crazy conspiracy theories, such as the limo driver being the shooter, or the shooter having been in the gutter, or that Lee Harvey Oswald was a good guy who actually tried to stop the assassination. But those wild claims seem to be gaining favor among a growing number of people, and these people vote. Increasingly, we are seeing these conspiracy theories gaining favor and prominence, even politically. Climate change is a hoax specifically trying to weaken the American economy? Check. September 11th was an inside job? Check. The moon landing was fake? Check. In fact, Russia intends to send a mission to the moon specifically to determine whether the landings were real or not. That betrays the fact that, in fact, conspiracy theories are seemingly on the rise everywhere, although they are perhaps most shocking in two major world powers of the modern world, in the United States and Britain.

Really, there are some wild beliefs floating around beyond these, as well. Mass immigration is a dangerous plot by banking elites, which is usually code for Jews, which is an offshoot of the conspiracy-laden The Protocols of the Elders of Zion that was originally published in Russia in  the early 20th century, and which anti-Semites fed off of ever since. Surely, it has nothing to do with major nations - particularly the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany, and Russia - selling massive amounts of arms to third world nations, destabilizing them and then standing by as massive wars break out, right? 

That is just one prominent conspiracy theory that has gained considerable political traction. Climate change denying has always been in vogue politically in the United States, even though a vast majority of Americans agree with scientists, and feel that climate change is real, and urgent action needs to be taken to address it. We also have millions opposed to vaccines. And, of course, that popular belief that there is a worldwide cabal secretly controlling everything in the world (again, with quite clear anti-Semitic roots). 

Believing, of course, does not make it true, though. Just ask the British, a majority of whom wanted to stay in the European Union, but allowed a minority of determined voters who actually showed up to control their nation's fate on this crucial issue. Those who wanted a Brexit sold people a bill of goods, suggesting that the advantages to Britain leaving the EU would far outweigh the benefits of staying in, and that the divorce would be painless. The tragedy is that so many people bought into this obviously oversimplified belief - or perhaps it was merely a hope - that everything would work out as wonderfully as the most optimistic scenarios. Much like Trump voters actually believed that this one man was the only one who could "save" the United States, and that as soon as he was in office, everything would turn to gold, that this man had the Midas Touch, and that as he promised, the country would just keep winning, winning, winning.

However, that is not how things have worked out. The British are now learning the grim reality of life after Brexit as we speak, and the United States may soon learn the pain of having an arrogant, big mouth know-it-all spoiled brat in charge, starting trade wars all around the world with allies and enemies alike. In fact, farmers are already hurting, and Trump's tax breaks sure did not help those GM workers, did they?

Now, Trump is denying a recent climate change report issued from his own administration, even though he even admitted that he did not study it in full, but just read parts of it. I mean, come on, we know by his own admission that this man has a very short attention span, but not bothering to take a report by his own administration seriously enough to really read it? He really takes himself as the expert at literally everything, even when he comes across as clueless on a whole wide range of issues.

The report suggests that climate change will ultimately continue to inflict serious damage in the country, and will cost billions of American dollars. So, what does Twitler have to say about it?

"I don't believe it," he told reporters on Monday.   "I've seen it, I've read some of it, and it's fine."

The man who once claimed that climate change is a Chinese hoax apparently believes his own administration is part of the conspiracy, the big Chinese hoax. Listen: Elect a clown, expect a circus.

Fake President encouraging fake conspiracy theories, but a real classless and clueless piece of shit.

Trump said those ridiculous things about climate change, clearly undermining the scientific experts, the vast majority of whom warn us that this is real, and needs to be taken seriously. Of course, Trump also started the whole birther movement, suggesting that Obama was not really born in the United States. He also claimed that there were millions guilty of massive voter fraud in the 2016 election, to the point that he even tried to open a commission on it to investigate, although this was quickly dismissed, as he failed to provide even one shred of proof to back up these wild claims. He clearly has a skewed worldview that betrays an astonishing level of ignorance, which should be alarming given that he has been elected to the White House.

Unfortunately, a lot of Americans are buying into the hype. Apparently, a lot of British people also are buying into nonsensical thinking, as well. They assumed that the European Union was bleeding them dry, that there were no benefits for Britain, and that their nation would be stronger without it. That Britain would be negotiating their exit from a strong vantage point. None of that has miraculously come to pass, however. Many British people only seriously began to consider the serious ramifications of such a drastic action right after the Brexit vote, and only now, when it is clear that this would not be a quick or painless process, and that Britain might actually be worse off after Brexit, is it dawning on them that this might not have been the brightest idea. 

Obviously, a little late for that, is it not?

Sad times that we are living in.

This reminds me of a quote by Carl Sagan, who basically predicted that such times were coming in the future:

“I have a foreboding of an America in my children's or grandchildren's time -- when the United States is a service and information economy; when nearly all the manufacturing industries have slipped away to other countries; when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues; when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority; when, clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what's true, we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness...

"The dumbing down of American is most evident in the slow decay of substantive content in the enormously influential media, the 30 second sound bites (now down to 10 seconds or less), lowest common denominator programming, credulous presentations on pseudoscience and superstition, but especially a kind of celebration of ignorance”

 ― Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark

Carl Sagan was eerily accurate, and saw ALL of this coming. This is an incredible - albeit also admittedly incredibly depressing - quote. Perfectly encapsulates the times we are living in. Makes me feel ashamed to be an America.

Here are the two articles that got me going onto this blog entry. The first is about the rise of conspiracy theories among Brexit and Trump voters, and also delves a bit into the rise of conspiracy theories on a more global level. The second one is a recent news piece on how Donald Trump does not believe the climate report that was issued from his own administration:

Brexit and Trump voters more likely to believe in conspiracy theories, survey study shows by Fred Lewsey  Communications office Published 23 Nov 2018:

https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/brexit-and-trump-voters-more-likely-to-believe-in-conspiracy-theories-survey-study-shows?fbclid=IwAR0o8t6HBh3FBrKkELKuA3MgFGkOuoD7uq9hnnudvDRVieuWtWrqowB1qsM



Trump says he doesn't believe his administration's climate report published by Al-Jazeera, 26 Nov 2018:

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/11/trump-doesn-administration-climate-report-181126210505194.html?fbclid=IwAR23kZ-ytqrzv23DBQUGizGgFmOZ0D2ZNR02-OmV7jSIgoJ8ScKGqrQmgBc

NFL 2018-19 Week 13 Thursday Night Football Preview: Red Hot Saints Visit Big D

New Orleans Saints (10-1)

 v.

Dallas Cowboys (6-5)

New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys - Both teams are hot. Dallas looked like they were seriously struggling just a few short weeks ago, as they were 3-5 and falling dangerously behind in the NFC race. But some bad fortune on the part of other teams in the division, coupled with some very solid play by the Cowboys, suddenly saw them winning three straight and taking a share of the NFC lead with Washington. If anything, though, the Saints are even hotter, as they are 10-1 entering this game, tied for the best record in the league with the Rams, who they beat. They also have won ten straight, which is the second longest win streak in franchise history, and the longest active win streak in the league at the moment. Remember, the Cowboys were the team that ended the Saints longest win streak, when they handed the then 13-0 New Orleans Saints their first loss of the season. So, are the Saints finally due for a loss, which would be their first (and only) since opening weekend? There are some things favoring Dallas. First of all, they play at home,  and that is an advantage. Also, the Cowboys have a relatively elite defense, both in terms of yards and points allowed. But they are going to need that offense to step up, with a historically great offense coming to town. New Orleans is averaging over 37 points per game, and they are simply on a roll. Atlanta's defense kept the Saints as much as they could, and the Saints still scored 31 points. In fact, in 11 games so far, only two opponents (interestingly both from the AFC North, Cleveland and Baltimore) were able to contain New Orleans to less than 30 points. That likely means that Dallas can expect the Saints to score some points, and that could be a problem, because points are a bit hard to come by for the 'Boys. Dallas has only managed two games this season scoring 30 points or more, so they likely will have to rely on their defense containing that Saints O. One bit of encouragement for the 'Boys has to be that they just scored 31 points against Washington, a tough team defensively, and they did that in a must win situation. But they really need this win, too, and New Orleans is quite a bit better than Washington. Still, Dallas has been hot lately, but this is still likely a bit too tall of an order to expect from them. My pick: New Orleans

The Big Lebowski Celebrates 20th Anniversary of Cult Film's Release

Last night, as I was preparing to leave for my night job, I watched a little bit of the movie, Elf" on television. Not too long into watching it, I found myself laughing, and it was one of those situations where I was wishing that I could stay and watch the entirety of the movie. 

There are movies that do that for you, that just make you laugh, even if you have seen them before. Sometimes, you might even laugh more the second time around. That seems to happen with me and one television show in particular, Impractical Jokers. Somehow, that makes me laugh more the second and third time around, perhaps because I know now what to expect, and that is what makes it even funnier.

One strange thing, though, is when you "get" a movie a whole lot better the second or third time that you see it.

Such was the case with The Big Lebowski, which I saw, possibly in the theaters, or perhaps shortly after it came out on video or DVD. That first time, I think there were some parts that I found mildly amusing, but my memory is not one of laughing out loud, perhaps even crying with laughter, like I did with, say, Borat, or Elf, or Step Brothers, or My, Myself, and Irene.

Yet, quite a few years later, after a friend had mentioned it with considerable admiration, I decided to watch it again. And this time, it felt like an entirely different movie. Suddenly, it was a movie that I was indeed laughing out loud to, and found myself enjoying quite a bit.  Not sure what happened in the intervening years, or perhaps, what was wrong with me, personally, the first time viewing the movie. Perhaps I was in a bad mood, or just somehow not all that into it. 

Safe to say that now, however, I have become a fan, which is why it seemed appropriate to post this particular blog entry, which I have been hanging onto for a while. It is on the 20th anniversary of the release of the movie. Hard to believe that this came out in 1998, and even harder to believe that 1998 was indeed actually 20 years ago!

Here is a link to an article where the three main actors - Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, and Steve Buscemi - get together and reflect on this cult comedy classic. Enjoy!

The Dude Turns 20! Jeff Bridges, John Goodman and Steve Buscemi Look Back on The Big Lebowski by Ale Russian  10/18/2018:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/the-dude-turns-20-jeff-bridges-john-goodman-and-steve-buscemi-look-back-on-the-big-lebowski/ar-BBOyPpT?ocid=sf

NFL 2018-19 Week 12 Monday Night Football Review: Texans Earn 8th Straight Win By Dominating Titans

Tennessee Titans (5-5) 

 v.

 Houston Texans (7-3) 

Houston Texans 34, Tennessee Titans 17

This is pretty much the result that most of us were expecting from this game, right?

Houston has been one of the absolute hottest teams in the league, as they entered this game with a seven-game winning streak following an 0-3 start on the season. By beating the Titans, they became the first team in NFL history to reach a record of 8-3 after starting off the season 0-3. It also establishes a new franchise record of eight straight wins. 

So, how did they win this particular game against their fast sinking division rivals? In a typical way for this Houston franchise, by dominating on defense, and doing enough - in this case more than enough - on offense.

Initially, the Titans looked great, however. They jumped out to an early 10-0 lead in the first quarter. But that was when the Texans came to life. Houston went on a 27-0 run. Their defense, one of the best in the league, clamped down on the Titans, only allowing one more touchdown as far as scoring went the rest of the game, late in the third quarter. But the Titans simply could not answer the dominance that the Texans displayed.

Deshaun Watson had a solid night, completing 19 of 24 passes for 210 yards, with two touchdowns. His favorite target on this evening was wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who had five catches for 74 yards. Running back Lamar Miller helped add balance to the offense by providing a very strong ground game, picking up 162 yards on 12 carries, including a 97-yard touchdown run. It was the longest touchdown run in the league since the last time that Miller did it, when he had a touchdown run of the same length while playing for the Miami Dolphins in a 2014 game. That makes him the only player in NFL history to have two career touchdown runs of over 95 yards. 

Tennessee quarterback Marcus Mariota also had a solid game, completing an impressive 22 of 23 passes for 303 yards and two touchdowns, with Corey Davis leading all receivers with four catches for 96 yards and one touchdown. Davis also picked up 39 yards on one carry, which led all Titans runners. 

The Texans honored founder and owner Robert "Bob" McNair, who died on Friday. The team he owned and founded wore football-shaped decals on the back of their helmets with white letters spelling out his initials of "RCM." The same 

Much of the information, including all of the specific facts and stats, were taken from the following ESPN source:

Watson leads Texans to franchise-record 8th straight win by AP, November 26, 2018:

http://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=401030762

CFL Playoffs Update: Calgary Defeats Ottawa to Win Second Grey Cup in 4 Years

Grey Cup/Coupe Grey

The Grey Cup is one of Canada's biggest single sporting events every year. It is the equivalent of the Super Bowl for the Canadian Football League. It usually features a lot of pomp, with big name entertainers and performers on display, and a huge audience tuning in, particularly in Canada, although some recent Grey Cups have been broadcast here in the United States, as well.

So, the 106th Grey Cup took place yesterday in Edmonton, Alberta. Canadian country singer Brett Kissel sang the Canadian national anthem prior to kickoff, and rising singer Alessia Cara performed for the halftime show.

The two home teams in last weekend's games both won, which means that the Calgary Stampeders took on the Ottawa Redblacks in the Grey Cup in Edmonton. Calgary had beaten the 22, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 22 - 14 to punch their ticket to the Grey Cup, while Ottawa Redblacks had knocked out the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 46 - 27.

Both of these teams had managed to win Grey Cups in recent years. The Calgary Stampeders won it in 2015, and the Ottawa Redblacks managed to win it the year after Calgary, taking their first championship in the present incarnation of the franchise in 2016. Both teams had also been tops in their respective conferences this season, as well. 

So, it was a hotly anticipated showdown. Calgary had won it in 2015, but they had gone to the Grey Cup and lost both of the last two seasons, including an overtime loss to this same Ottawa team in 2016, and then a loss in the snow against Toronto in last season's Grey Cup. So, they were hungry to win this thing again, while Ottawa was looking for their second title in recent memory as well.

The highlight in the first half was a Grey Cup-record 97-yard punt return touchdown by Calgary's Terry Williams. at 14:59 of the second, giving Calgary a 21-11 advantage.

Calgary's quarterback, Bo Levi Mitchell, the CFL's most outstanding player during the regular season after throwing 35 touchdown passes, threw two first half touchdowns and threw for 253 yards overall. For his efforts, he was named the MVP for the 106th Grey Cup.

He shared this thoughts after the game:

"It feels surreal. I know we talked that [the two previous losses] didn't mean anything but we couldn't make the game bigger than it was. We had to understand that this was one game and you can only win one game and win only one Grey Cup.

"I think the guys who were on those two teams, even on the team last year, the emotions at the 30-second mark kind of hit. It wasn't about redemption against anybody else or the league ... it felt like as an organization we've been at the top too much not to finish the job. It feels amazing to get it done for the city of Calgary."

Stampeders end Grey Cup misery with win over Redblacks by Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press, November 26, 2018:·

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl/cfl-grey-cup-stampeders-redblacks-recap-nov-25-1.4920123



Stamps' Grey Cup victory in pictures: Calgary defeats Ottawa to capture CFL championship CBC News, Nov 25, 2018

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-stampeders-grey-cup-win-photos-1.4920358

NFL 2018-19 Week 12 Review

An interesting week in the NFL, as the weaker teams continue to root themselves out, while the stronger contenders show why they remain alive. The Broncos pulled off a major upset for a second straight week, while New England returns to their normal winning ways. The Eagles came back and outlasted the Giants, while the Packers lost to Minnesota, and are now in serious trouble. 

Let's take a closer look:

Tampa Bay27, San Francisco 9  - This game was relatively close, until Tampa Bay began to pull away in the third quarter with a Peyton Barber touchdown run that game them a sizable lead. The Bucs never looked back from there, and ultimately won this game decisively. Jameis Winston enjoyed a solid game for Tampa, completing 29 of 38 passes for 312 yards and two touchdowns. Nick Mullens struggled for San Fran, completing 18 of 32 passes for 221, with one touchdown and two INT's. The Bucs stay alive for the playoffs, albeit barely.  My pick: Accurate

Philadelphia 25, N.Y. Giants 22 - The Giants were doing very well early on, jumping out to a 12-0 lead. They even expanded that to a 19-3 lead with just over four minutes left in the first half. But then, the Eagles came alive, scoring a touchdown and adding the two-point conversion to pull within 19-11 by halftime. The rest of the game more or less belonged to Philly, and a Jake Elliot 43-yard field goal in the final minute iced the comeback win for the defending champions. Eli Manning completed 26 of 37 passes for 297 yards, with one touchdown and one INT. Saquon Barkley added 101 yards and one touchdown on the ground in 13 carries. Carson Wentz completed 20 of 28 for 236 and one touchdown, while Josh Adams gained 84 yards and a touchdown 22 carries to help lift the Eagles over the Giants.  My pick: Accurate

New England 27, N. Y. Jets 13 - New England returned back to form, thoroughly beating Gang Green at the Meadowlands. In so doing, they strengthen their playoff positioning, as right now, they move ahead of the Steelers for that second spot in the AFC, which would give them that obviously desirable playoff bye. Tom Brady completed 20 of 31 passes for 283 yards and two TD's. Julius Edelman nabbed four of those passes for 84 yards and one touchdown. Sony Michel added 133 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. For the Jets, Josh McCown completed 26 of 45 passes for 276 yards, with one touchdown and one interception.   My pick: Accurate

Buffalo 24, Jacksonville 21 - The Bills and Jaguars slugged it out, with neither team showing explosiveness on offense, but also showing tough, hard-nosed defenses. In the end, the Bills managed to win a second game for their home fans at Orchard Park. Josh Allen completed 8 of 19 passes for 160 yards and one touchdown. he also led his team in rushing, picking up 99 yards and one touchdown on J. Allen 13 carries. For Jax, QB Blake Bortles struggled again, completing 12 of 23 for 127 yards and one touchdown, with two INT's. Leonard Fournette added 95 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. My pick: Accurate

Seattle 30, Carolina 27 - The Panthers are on a bad slide right now. This was their third straight loss, and this losing streak has seen them fall from one of the elites in the NFC, and nipping on the heels of the Saints for first place in the NFC South, to being on the outside looking in as far as the NFC playoff picture is concerned. Meanwhile, the Seahawks keep clawing their way towards a playoff position. Seattle's Russell Wilson completed 22-31 for 339 yards, with two touchdowns. Chis Carson picked up 55 yards and one touchdown on 16 carries for Seattle. Carolina's Cam Newton completed 25 of 30 passes for 256 yards, with two TD's and one INT. Chistian McCaffrey had a monster game - albeit in a losing cause - for Carolina. He reeled in 11 receptions for 112 yards and another touchdown as a receiver, and had 125 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries on the ground. My pick: Accurate

Baltimore 34, Oakland 17 - The Ravens look like they might be getting a bit hot. They downed the lowly Raiders convincingly at home for a second straight win, and now have a winning 6-5 record, pulling ahead of the Bengals for second place in the AFC North, and looking like they have an excellent chance to make a serious playoff run. Baltimore's Lamar Jackson completed 14-of 25 passes for 178 yards, with one touchdown and two INT's, while Gus Edwards gave the Ravens a strong running game to rely upon, with 118 yards on 23 carries. In an effort that fell short for Oakland, Derek Carr completed 16 of 34 passes for 194 yards and one touchdown, as the Raiders get re-acquainted with losing again.  My pick: Accurate

Cleveland 35, Cincinnati 20 - A I thought that the Browns had a decent chance of pulling off this road upset win, but did not think that they would actually do it. My assumption - an obvious mistake - was that the Bengals would fight for their playoff lives and show some life, because they still entered yesterday's game in decent position to make a run, at the very least. After all, the Browns had a 25-game losing streak on road games heading into this one. But Cincy got blown out at home, and showed little fight or resolve to win, which is why they will not be going to the playoffs. A solid win for Cleveland, as they continue to make huge improvements and show signs of life and energy. The Browns can at least look forward to a seemingly bright future. The Bengals? Not so much.  My pick: Inaccurate

L.A. Chargers 45, Arizona 10 - The Cardinals suck badly. They keep losing, and when they face a halfway determined team, they fold completely. They got absolutely blown out earlier this season, at home, to the Broncos. Now, they got blown out yet again, this time to the Chargers. Granted, the Chargers are a good team, and were hungry for a win after losing a disappointing home game last weekend to those same Broncos, ending a six-game winning streak. But at least Arizona could have put up a fight. Philip Rivers led his team with a phenomenal game, completing 28 of 29 passes for 259 yards and three touchdowns. Kennan Allen caught seven of those passes by Rivers for 72 yards and one touchdown. Running back Melvin Gordon added 61 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries. Just a phenomenal showing by the Chargers, and another forgettable blowout loss by the Cardinals.  My pick; Accurate

Denver 24, Pittsburgh 17 - Quite a game at Mile High! The Broncos seemed to be up early, only to see the Steelers take over, before the home team delivered a comeback win to snap Pittsburgh's six-game winning streak. In the process, the Steelers lost their second seed in the AFC playoff race for the moment, while Denver continues to surprise with their second straight win against an impressive opponent. They ended winning streaks for both the Chargers and the Steelers in consecutive weeks, and stay alive in the playoff race with this win. Case Keenum completed 15 of 28 passes for 197 yards and two TD's, with seven of those going to Emmanuel Sanders for 86 yards and one touchdown. Phillip Lindsay added 110 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries for Denver. Ben Roethlisberger completed 41 of 56 passes for, 462 yards, with one TD and two INT's. Julu Smith-Schuster had 13 receptions for 189 yards and one touchdown.  My pick: Inaccurate

Indianapolis 27, Miami 24 - The Dolphins were able to keep it close. Overall, they played well, even on the road. But in the end, this was another win for Indy, their fifth straight, as they now clearly move past Miami in the playoff race. The Fins lost this game, and lost their decent playoff position as a result, while falling almost hopelessly behind the New England Patriots in the process, because the Pats beat the Jets, and now own a three-game lead over Miami, with five games to play for each team. The Colts remain two behind Houston, but they strengthen their positioning for a playoff run. Andrew Luck completed 30 of 37 passes for 343 yards, with three touchdowns and two INT's. For Miami, Ryan Tannehill completed 17 of 25 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns.  My pick: Accurate

Sunday Night Football

Minnesota 24, Green Bay 17 - Well, Packers are likely done. This loss probably ended any realistic playoff hopes that they had, even if Aaron Rodgers was trying to remain upbeat in discussing how his team could still qualify for the postseason. It was a back and forth game, and to their credit, Green Bay managed to come close towards the end, but ultimately, Minnesota proved just a bit too much for them. Kirk Cousins completed 29 of 38 passes for 342 yards and three touchdowns, while in a losing cause for Green Bay, Rodgers completed 17 of 28 for 198 yards and a touchdown, while Aaron Jones added 72 yards and one TD on 17 carries. The Vikings have the inside track on the top wildcard spot in the NFC right now, and still remain relevant in the NFC North race, although they have little margin for error behind Chicago.  My prediction: Accurate

NFL 2018-19 Week 12 Preview & Predictions

Okay, so I did not get these out in plenty of time. It is now Sunday, shortly before the first slate of games are set to kick off, so I have to do this preview really quickly.

Here goes:

San Francisco at Tampa Bay - Tampa Bay is overdue for a win, but the 49ers look tough again. San Fran has a decent defense, and the Bucs have a great offense when they want to be. Home field advantage might figure large in this one. My pick: Tampa Bay

N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia - The Giants are on a roll, while the defending champs are slumping. But the Eagles are not out of it yet, and they do not want to be serious contenders for last place in the NFC East. Home field advantage should help carry the Eagles over the G-Men. My pick: Philadelphia

New England at N. Y. Jets - Home field advantage or not, the Pats are simply better. Gang Green has looked good at times this season, but New England is a more consistent winner, and they should be extremely well rested and well prepared for this one. My pick: New England

Jacksonville at Buffalo - These are some of the weakest teams in the league this year. Hard to believe that they met in the playoffs earlier this year. But the Bills have shown some spunk, and home field advantage, mixed with that cold weather in northwestern New York, should help pull the Bills through in this one. My pick: Buffalo

Seattle at Carolina - The Panthers have been slipping, while the Seahawks are always tough. This is a tough game to call. If it were in Seattle, I would definitely go with the Seahawks. But in Carolina, that makes it far more difficult. My pick is that the Panthers win, narrowly. My pick: Carolina

Oakland at Baltimore - This game means everything to the Ravens, who have very little margin for error for the duration of this season. Oakland has been out of it for some time now, but they would love to play spoiler here. But Baltimore's defense should be able to keep that Raider offense in check. My pick: Baltimore

Cleveland at Cincinnati - A divisional rivalry that could offer some surprises. The Browns still look like they want to win some games this season, and the Bengals look like they are vulnerable to losing. Still, it would not be overly wise to predict an upset in this one, so I have to go with the home team. My pick: Cincinnati

Arizona at L.A. Chargers - The Chargers will try to bounce back from a disappointing and unexpected home loss to Denver last weekend. With the Cardinals coming to town, that really should not be too hard. Arizona looks like one of the worst teams in the league, and the Chargers should not have too many difficulties in winning this game. My pick; L.A. Chargers

Pittsburgh at Denver - This would not be too difficult to pick if it were in Pittsburgh. But the Broncos are still fighting for their playoff lives right now, very close to being eliminated. They could pull off a major upset for a second week in a row here. However, it would not be overly wise to actually predict that to happen. My pick: Pittsburgh

Miami at Indianapolis - The Dolphins started off the season hot, and then stagnated. They travel to Indianapolis, to take on one of the suddenly hottest teams in the league, a team that started off 1-5, but has come roaring back to look like a legitimate playoff contender. Hard to see how Miami finds a way to win here, although if they are going to make a playoff push, this probably needs to be the game where they do it. My pick: Indianapolis

Sunday Night Football

Green Bay at Minnesota - The Packers are good, but not great. And they have been especially vulnerable on the road. The Vikings should be better than they are, as well, but they have been better so far this season the the Pack. With so much riding in this huge divisional showdown for both teams, I like the home team to pull this one off. My prediction: Minnesota

Monday Night Football

Tennessee at Houston - The Titans are very unpredictable. One week they look hot, the next they look closer to being one of the worst teams in the league. But the Texans have shown consistency, and have been pulling away in this division. They have a chance to really take the division by the throat, potentially, and I believe they are going to capitalize. My prediction: Houston

Trump Establishes Staggering New Lows for Thanksgiving Weekend

If you are like me, you almost cannot believe that it is possible at this point that Donald Trump can even reach new lows.

Somehow, he still manages rather well, and effortlessly reaches unbelievable new lows betraying his incompetence, hypocrisy, and arrogance with astonishing frequency.

Let's be clear: as bad as this weekend was for him - and we will get into just how bad it was shortly - I am not even certain that this was Trump's worst weekend since he took over in the White House. That is how pathetic this man, and what passes for his "presidency," has been. Frankly, I am not sure anything can "top" is all-time low of refusing to criticize outright Nazis and other militant white supremacists in the summer of 2017.

But it sure seems like he is trying.

Here are some of the most sickening things that Trump did on this Thanksgiving weekend:

1. Playing Golf...Yes, Again - It was Thanksgiving weekend. People are celebrating, there is supposed to be a generous spirit of reflection on what we are thankful for on this holiday. Plus, there are some serious issues in this country. Thousands of troops were sent to the border, on Trump's order. Alsom the California wildfires are still raging. So how did Trump respond to all of this? He spent his weekend at his so-called "White House South" Florida resort estate, playing golf once again. Remember when he said “I’m not going to have time to golf” while running for the White House? Yeah, apparently he has plenty of time to play golf, and does not even try to hide this blatant hypocrisy, which leads to point  number 2:

2. Claiming That He is Too "Busy" to Visit Troops - This might be believable, if not for Point # 1. And the fact that every other president in recent memory took time away from their own bust schedule to visit the troops. Trump did address the troops this weekend, although he did so while still at his Mar-a-Lago resort.

3. Trump Said That the Troops He Sent to the Border Were Tough Enough to Miss Thanksgiving - Yes, he claimed that the troops that he sent to the border were indeed "tough" enough to miss Thanksgiving with their families. This, even though he himself was not tough enough to serve his country's military when asked to do so, even after receiving a formal military education. When asked, Trump said "don't worry" about the troops missing Thanksgiving, and insisted that the troops were "proud to be representing our country on the border." Here, in greater detail, is what he said:

“Don’t worry about the Thanksgiving. These are tough people. They know what they’re doing, and they’re great. And they’ve done a great job.”

“They are so proud to be representing our country on the border,” Trump said of the troops, adding that their presence is helping to deter “tough people that are coming in.”

4. He Said That Troops Stationed at the Border Would Be Prepared to Use Lethal Force - Because nothing says Thanksgiving like threatening to use "lethal force." Such a beautiful, heartwarming, and extremely timely sentiment. All of the good Evangelical Christians should surely be proud!

5. On Thanksgiving, Trump Said He Was Thankful For Himself - This is something that I already mentioned here before, but it still is so shocking to me. The gall of this man, the sheer arrogance! Who the Hell claims to be thankful for themselves when asked what they are most thankful for? He has incited so much division and hatred in this country,

Trump reaches new lows, and betrays his own arrogance and militant stupidity, with truly astonishing frequency!

It might be laughable, if the reality and the consequences were not so damn tragic.

Stay tuned, because this is only Saturday morning on an extended, holiday weekend. Trump likely has more unpleasant surprises in store, to embarrass himself, and the country that he is the face and voice of, even more!

Just in case you were wondering, here are the sources for all of these news stories from over the weekend:

Reason number 1 (this one is a relevant story, although it was originally published late last year. However, it has been updated for this most recent Trump visit to one of his own resorts and golf outings:

Tracking President Trump's Visits to Trump Properties The president regularly visits his personal properties and golf courses in Virginia, Florida, and New Jersey. Dec. 29, 2017 / 12:00 PM EST / Updated Nov. 19, 2018 / 8:31 AM EST By Liz Johnstone

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/how-much-time-trump-spending-trump-properties-n753366?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma&fbclid=IwAR1MosPGO8Ot-QRLwcbzpmSumroBc_Txes8NkpEhw8BisVoh5c6XTq2XXeY



Reason number 2 (this one was not something that he said this weekend, although I decided to use it to show how hypocritical his actions this weekend proved to be:

Trump: I’m too ‘busy’ to visit troops and it’s ‘not overly necessary’ By Eric Boehlert - October 17, 2018:

https://shareblue.com/trump-too-busy-troop-visit-war-zones/?fbclid=IwAR1uHW9mLwXveD_1O3RRzl2eTVV5xsq4SRcQHyB6HZpq46i_ClDk7pbmTuc


Reason number 3:

Trump says troops are ‘proud’ to serve on the southern border at Thanksgiving By: Leo Shane III, November 22, 2018:

https://www.navytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2018/11/21/trump-say-troops-are-proud-to-serve-on-the-southern-border-at-thanksgiving/


Reason number 4:

Trump says troops on US border can use 'lethal force,' threatens to close border By Kate Sullivan, CNN, Thu November 22, 2018:

https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/22/politics/trump-us-troops-lethal-force-closing-border/index.html


Reason number 5:


DONALD TRUMP SAYS HE'S MOST THANKFUL FOR HIMSELF ON THANKSGIVING BY ALEXANDRA HUTZLER ON 11/22/18

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-thanksgiving-statement-thankful-himself-1228390?fbclid=IwAR2IA7oJT4nNgOUfchk0GmrYjcTy1MLZ0bD0plMAy2YZHOv6xzta9TFgT7w