Weekly Rundown: Cruz, Debates, and the EPL is Back!

So much is happening that I could write three blog posts!  But I think in the interest of brevity (at least for me, maybe not for you) I will combine all three into a weekly rundown that will probably never be repeated.
So, the weekly rundown.

Cruz!

The Ted Cruz Magical Mystery Tour parked the bus in Washington for the past couple of weeks as Cruz found himself fighting against the twin evils of Iran and Planned Parenthood...which is not such a great joke because there are plenty of people around who actually do think that Iran and Planned Parenthood are Evil.  Still, he found time to make bacon with a machine gun.  This from a man who wants to be leader of the free world. Our attitudes towards guns makes us the laughing stock of the entire world.  But, it has given Cruz nearly 800,000 views in four days.  He has his viral video.

Later, Rachel Maddow rather joyously pointed out that Ted Cruz wasn't actually using a "machine gun" to cook bacon, but rather a semi-automatic AR-15, as if he didn't understand that himself.  Who cares. The elitest left really does little to make the progressive agenda more palatable with crap like that.

So...he's in Washington, but then the Senate braked for its August recess.  How a body that is supposed to be emblematic of all that America is can subject itself to the odious European practice of the August vacation is beyond me.

However credit to Cruz:  instead of departing for the nearest nude beach with a basket full of stinky cheese sandwiches and mineral water he actually flew to Cleveland (CLEVELAND!) for the first debate of the Republican primary season.  In my opinion he did not distinguish himself on a stage shared with 9 other front runners, but on the other hand he didn't do anything to torpedo his campaign, and his tough talk on ISIS may garner him some additional support.

Now Cruz finds himself on his first Bus Tour of the Campaign, winding his way comfortably through the southeastern states that are most likely to garner his support.  Maybe if he can win them over, others will
follow.

Magical Mystery Tour Stats:

Days on Campaign: 139

Days on the Road: 73

Miles traveled:

Lbs of Chicken Consumed:44890

Debate!

I confess, I watched the debate only because Trump was in it, solely for the entertainment value.  Clearly he stole the show, but I really don't believe he is going to win the nomination.  If he does, I don't see how he could win.  But I'm sure people said the same things about Jesse Ventura in Minnessota and we all know how that went.  Sometimes crazy things happen.

As to the others:  I guess I have to agree with the talking heads.  Kasich impressed me with his compassionate conservatism...the prospect of him and Rubio joining forces on a ticket intrigues me.

But aside from those guys I don't think I could throw my support behind any of the other Republican contenders; they are all simply too far to the right.  I'm wary of anyone who suggests we could defeat ISIS in 90 days (one does not simply walk into Mordor) and I was also alarmed by how much many of the Candidates waxed about religion influencing their decision making.  I could go on and on about that, maybe one day I will.  But for now let me simply say that while I have no problem with one's religion forming the ethical basis for their decision making I do have a problem suggesting that Jesus would be rather proud of  our New American Empire built on a military industrial complex with vast consumption of goods at its capitalistic heart. I'd like to know how the Candidates figure on that, as Jesus took a rather flippant view of the great Empire of his day and its treatment of the poor and the oppressed.

Anyway, as long as Trump is in the debates I must admit I will probably keep watching.  Otherwise I'll catch the eventual nominee in the presidential debates later on next year.  Next year!  Ugh....

Premier League!

It's back!  Oh Glorious Day its back!  As I write we are currenlty 15 minutes into the first game of the new Premier League season, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur currently locked in a 0-0 draw.  Few things make me happy consistently as settling in to watch a match, and the fact that the Men in Blazers show has also returned makes the new season only sweeter.

But there is one dark cloud on the horizon.  Mr X, our resident Cleveland Browns fan, has just "decided" to become a football fan and has "decided" without much consideration to follow Arsenal. To prove that his blood bleeds red and white (which I guess it actually does, come to think of it, red and white blood cells and what have you....)  he printed out a couple of articles on the history of the club, which I don't think he actually read, and showed them to us at work to burnish his credentials.

This alarms me greatly.  If he actually watches the games and gets informed, becomes an actual supporter of Arsenal, well, then more power to him.  Welcome to a wonderful new world.

But I doubt he will do that.  He will not watch the games, get updates on his phone, and just use it as an opportunity to further insinuate his never-ending stream of bullshirtery into my life.

I have the sense that if a real Arsenal supporter was to walk into the office and talk for football with Mr. X for a few minutes, Mr. X would probably receive a punch in the face for daring to call himself a fan.

Well, we'll see.  For now, to the football!