The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

It's funny; just two years ago, I was still hooked on Facebook and couldn't find a reason to join Twitter. Now, since I found a reason to join the social networking site for business reasons, I'm hooked on Twitter and am getting rather burned out with regard to Facebook. One of the reasons for this burn out is the click-like-if-you-agree posts. These posts appear to be ubiquitous, obvious, and suspicious. They're seemingly everywhere on the newsfeed, only an incredibly odd or sick individual wouldn't agree with them, and due to this, it leaves one (me in this case) to wonder if they're some kind of scam. Here are just a few (exaggerated) examples of such posts: - "I love my mom! Click like if you love yours too!" - "It sucks when soldiers die in war! Click like if you agree!" - "Cancer sucks! Click like if you think it sucks also!" Well, there's a reason why these posts are so ubiquitous and obvious - it is indeed a sc

Ever since Barack Obama was elected president, he's tried to walk a very fine line on the subject of race. He's had to. Being the first African-American president in this country's history, if he brings up the subject too frequently, he'll be called out by far-right conservatives of always playing the "race card," and if he tends to back away from such matters when the subject is at the forefront nationally, far-left liberals will call him out for not caring enough about minorities. However, no matter how fine a line the president has attempted to walk throughout his tenure, the touchy subject of race has seemed to come to a head in recent weeks and months. From Michael Brown to Eric Garner to Tamir Rice and seemingly countless others, for each and every unarmed black man that has been killed, the cries of protest have become louder - to the point where serious changes in police departments all across the country are being considered (some already implemented)

Here's the URL to my Facebook business page. I update it fairly regularly, but still haven't put forth a great deal of effort yet in researching matters and attempting to make the most out of it. In any case, it can be perused here: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCraigRozniecki?ref=hl Up next is my Twitter page. I'm still not 100% certain what I'm doing on there yet, but feel I'm gradually getting the hang of it and am up to 19,882 followers. I update it daily with many of my own tweets, but also by retweeting some others'. It can be found here: https://twitter.com/CraigRozniecki Lastly, here's my Tumblr page, which I've neglected quite a bit recently, but if you're at all curious, you can find it at the following link: http://www.tumblr.com/blog/rozzy81

For new readers (and regular ones, I suppose), here's some information pertaining to my books. All twelve of my books can be purchased in paperback form at the following site (and others): http://www.lulu.com/shop/search.ep?type=&keyWords=craig+rozniecki&x=7&y=5&sitesearch=lulu.com&q= The ten books I've written and released in the past 4 years (yes, I've been on a roll) can be purchased for much cheaper in Kindle form at the following link: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_22?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=craig%20rozniecki%20kindle&sprefix=craig+rozniecki+kindle%2Caps%2C228&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Acraig%20rozniecki%20kindle

Once in a while (probably more often than I'd like to admit), I come across a commercial that appears to suggest that 99% of the viewing audience has a mean IQ of 56. A Flonase allergy relief nasal spray commercial is just the latest such ad. In this ad, the key line is, "Six is greater than one," referring to how the product will block six allergy symptoms as opposed to just one. Sure, it's good from an advertising perspective to point out that the product blocks six allergy symptoms. However, isn't there a better way of doing that than stating the obvious in an almost jokingly condescending way? "Six is greater than one!" No sh*t there, Sherlock... In any case, based on this commercial, expect Flonase to include the following words of wisdom in their upcoming ads: - "44 degrees is warmer than -44 degrees!" - "Right is to the right of left!" - "'War and Peace' is longer than a haiku!" - "Race cars a

Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen is drawing some heat for a recent article of his, entitled, "Ferguson and Benghazi's Troubling Parallels." Cohen starts his piece with, "Ferguson has become the liberal Benghazi. It is more of a cause than a place, more of an ideological statement than an incident..." Another "interesting" quote from Cohen's article is when he said this: "...Let me offer another conclusion: If (Michael) Brown was not criminally shot because he was black, then possibly the cop was accused because he was white. Who was the stereotyped individual here?" Cohen also writes, "...It (Ferguson) does, though, conform to the very keen feelings of people who see white racism everywhere." Near the end of his piece, the author writes the following: "We live in a time where facts that do not fit an ideology or grievance are merely disregarded - or alternative ones concocted: Do you think campus rape is a

What is it with the extreme right-wing and their seemingly strong case of Einsteinophobia (yes, my new term for fear of science). Just yesterday, I read an article where Texas Senator Ted Cruz compared himself to Galileo and compared climate-change alarmists to "flat-Earthers," even though logic would dictate that climate-change deniers are the flat-Earthers in this scenario. Then today, I read an article written by a Fox News guest columnist, entitled, "So Long, NFL: San Francisco 49ers' Chris Borland is no hero," where Dylan Gwinn starts his "piece" by saying this: "Don't look now, but concussions have become the new global warming: a debate where 'consensus' trumps evidence, and heroes and villains are determined by their stances on an issue where the science is bogus at worst and murky at best." Gwinn finishes the article with this paragraph: "What we know for sure is that, as with the climate-change debate, the med

From this point forward, what doctors should do to convince kids it's not good to take drugs is, instead of comparing fictionalized brains in a don't-do-drugs educational film, have them listen to Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson speak for a couple of minutes, and once he leaves, tell the class, "Okay, kids, if you don't want to ever sound like that, lay off the drugs!" I think that'd be about as persuasive of an argument as any! When speaking at the Vero Beach Prayer Breakfast last Friday, Robertson had some interesting choice words for his audience, as he said the following: "I'll make a bet with you. Two guys break into an atheist's home. He has a little atheist wife and two little atheist daughters. Two guys break into his home and tie him up in a chair and gag him. And then they take his two daughters in front of him and rape both of them and then shoot them and they take his wife and then decapitate her head off in front of them. And the

Texas senator, climate-denier, and 2016 Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz made his modest climate change views known when he spoke with the Texas Tribune  yesterday, saying this:  "[Contemporary] global warming alarmists are the equivalent of flat-Earthers. You know it used to be it is accepted scientific wisdom the Earth is flat, and this heretic named Galileo was branded a denier." The problem with these comments is that, like most of Ted Cruz's opinions, he gets things backwards. Climate-change deniers are the flat-Earthers in this scenario, not the Galileos.  You see, Ted, many believed the Earth to be flat until science and reasoning proved otherwise. Once it was proven through these measures that the Earth was round and not flat, those whom denied this fact were called deniers or "flat-Earthers." Similarly, while many people may once have doubted the significant impact humans have on this Earth's climate, science and reasoning have

It's a growing trend, unfortunately. With gay marriage being legalized in an increasing number of states, so too have "religious freedom" laws as a counter move by the far-right. These laws make it legal for companies to not offer service to those they feel are not in line with biblical teachings - namely, the LGBT community. They say forcing them to offer their services to homosexuals or gay couples is an affront to their religious freedom to believe what they want as Christians. But, as the saying goes, let's not beat around the bush, and just call these bills what they are. They're not "religious freedom" bills; they're "freedom to discriminate" bills.  These bills are bass ackwards in multiple ways. First off, there's a distinct difference between one's personal life and their professional life. These "Christians" can believe whatever they so choose. They can go to church on Sundays, can read the Bible every day bef

Three years after the death of Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman has come forward, releasing a 13-minute video regarding the incident and his life following it, lashing out at President Obama amongst other things. In the video, Zimmerman made the following statements: - "Only in a true life-or-death scenario can you have mental clearness to know that you cannot feel guilty for surviving. In all fairness you cannot as a human feel guilty for living, for surviving." - "By far, the president of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama." (when asked who has been the most unfair to him) - "To me that was clearly been a dereliction of duty." (regarding President Obama inviting the Martin family to the White House) - "Unfortunately for the president, I'm also my parent's child and my life matters as well. And for him to make incendiary comments as he did and direct the Department of Justice to pursue a baseless prosecution he by far overstretch

Here's the URL to my Facebook business page. I update it fairly regularly, but still haven't put forth a great deal of effort yet in researching matters and attempting to make the most out of it. In any case, it can be perused here: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCraigRozniecki?ref=hl Up next is my Twitter page. I'm still not 100% certain what I'm doing on there yet, but feel I'm gradually getting the hang of it and am up to 19,410 followers. I update it daily with many of my own tweets, but also by retweeting some others'. It can be found here: https://twitter.com/CraigRozniecki Lastly, here's my Tumblr page, which I've neglected quite a bit recently, but if you're at all curious, you can find it at the following link: http://www.tumblr.com/blog/rozzy81

For new readers (and regular ones, I suppose), here's some information pertaining to my books. All twelve of my books can be purchased in paperback form at the following site (and others): http://www.lulu.com/shop/search.ep?type=&keyWords=craig+rozniecki&x=7&y=5&sitesearch=lulu.com&q= The ten books I've written and released in the past 4 years (yes, I've been on a roll) can be purchased for much cheaper in Kindle form at the following link: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_22?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=craig%20rozniecki%20kindle&sprefix=craig+rozniecki+kindle%2Caps%2C228&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Acraig%20rozniecki%20kindle

A handful of times every year, I have to roll my eyes at a poll, as I think to myself, "What was the point of that exactly?" That very thing happened just this morning as I read a headline regarding a Reuters poll, which said, "Fictional TV Presidents Are More Popular Than President Barack Obama, Poll Finds." Oh, it just gets better (worse) from there. According to this poll, here's how the presidents' (real or fictional) approval ratings stand at this very moment: David Palmer (from the show 24 ): 89% Jed Bartlet ( The West Wing ): 82% Laura Roslin ( Battlestar Galactica ): 78% Fitzgerald "Fitz" Grant ( Scandal ): 60% Frank Underwood ( House of Cards ): 57% Barack Obama (the actual president): 46% Yeah, based on this poll, expect to see the following headlines from future Reuters polls: - "Animated animals more popular than Congress" - "If he were on the ballot, Santa Claus would be our next president" -

I got a new car over the weekend. Before that point, I had owned just one car in all my years. In '97, I purchased a '95 Saturn, which lasted me through the start of 2013. However, it recently breathed its last breath, so it was time to say goodbye and welcome a new automobile in my life. I went to two places before purchasing my new car. At Toyota, while the seller himself came across as very approachable and kind, others whom spoke to me appeared to be rather irritable, arrogant, and not at all interested in working with me to buy a car. After filling out some applications, I was told I'd receive a phone call that night or the following morning regarding the cars I was interested in and if we'd be able to work out a deal, but never received the call. Perhaps it was just a bad day for them, but in any case, it definitely wasn't a good first impression I had of the place and unless I found a potentially great deal there, I'd be hard-pressed to ever return. I

During the first weekend of March Madness, I learned that... - ...Villanova likes playing in March about as much as Pope Francis likes playing with himself. - ..., if referees starred in their version of the film The Princess Bride , "goaltending" would be the term they'd frequently misuse. - ...Wichita State is as much a #7 seed as I'm a woman named Flo. - ...Enterprise still picks people up. - ..., playing 6 games in 10 days, Dayton appeared to lose some kind of bet. - ...Michigan State may be attempting to get the month of March nicknamed Izzo History Month. - ...Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan will likely audition for the next Grinch film. - ...Charles Barkley would make a "turrible" poet. - ...Kansas coach Bill Self will one day write a book, entitled, Always the Favorite, Rarely the Winner . - ..., almost overnight, people went from saying, "You know who I haven't heard about in a while? Christian Laettner,"

When discussing the voter ID law with her colleagues, Nevada Republican Assemblywoman Michelle Fiore said, "We're in 2015 and we have a black president, in case anyone didn't notice. So the color and the race issue, I think it's time that we put that to rest." She then went on to congratulate Democratic Assemblyman Harvey J. Munford for being "the first 'colored' man to graduate from his college." Yes, at the same gathering, Ms. Fiore claimed that racism is over and also referred to an African-American man as "colored." Given these comments, expect the Nevada Assemblywoman to utter the following quotes at some point in the future: - "Sexism? Sexism is over! Just look at that b**ch we have in the White House!" - "Homophobia is simply a myth pushed by all those fags, queers, and lesbos!" - "There's no such thing as xenophobia! That's just something all those terrorist Muslims want you to think!&q

Peter Darrington, former member of the band Cable and current member of the band The Hudson Super Six, just recently wrote a post concerning Muse's new song, "Psycho," and how he feels it sounds like one of his band's songs, "Heartbreakin'." Apparently, some friends of his notified him of the songs' similarities, especially in light of the fact Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams were recently ruled to have copied a Marvin Gaye song, which cost them $7.3 million. The major issue with Darrington's comments, however, is the fact that The Hudson Super Six released their song, "Heartbreakin'," in 2013. The main riff used in Muse's new song, "Psycho," has been one they've played live since 1999, 14 years prior to the release of "Heartbreakin'." So while I personally don't think the songs sound so much alike they'd warrant a lawsuit, if any band could take the other to court over the matter, it'

I'll wait to cast my final judgment until I hear the studio version of the song, but in the meantime, I'm finding Muse fans' reactions to their new song "Reapers" to be quite amusing. A couple nights ago, Muse debuted a song from their upcoming album "Drones" live in Belfast, before performing it for a second time last night in Glasgow. The song, "Reapers," was actually the band's closer for the two nights, and upon reading the reactions from fans on the band's homepage, as well as on YouTube, I've had to chuckle a few times. According to these fans, the song "Reapers" shows hints (influences) of the following bands/musicians: 1) AC/DC 2) Van Halen 3) Led Zeppelin 4) Queen 5) Def Leppard 6) Rage Against the Machine 7) Linkin Park 8) Jack White 9) Madonna 10) Prince 11) Lady Gaga 12) Deep Purple 13) Lynyrd Skynyrd 14) George Michael 15) Iron Maiden 16) Nirvana 17) Radiohead 18) Queens o

Like a lot of people, I love music. Most of my family was born and raised near Detroit, Michigan, so I heard a lot of Motown and soul music growing up. My father was always into classic rock, my mother loved the oldies, and my younger brother was typically into what was new and popular, not to mention some friends of mine whom were into rap and country. So I was exposed to a very diverse array of music throughout my childhood, young adult, and adult years, and have been able to garner a liking to at least one artist or a handful of songs in each and every genre. I've never been too big into rap or country, but still like a few songs from Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Warren G, Johnny Cash, and a few other artists from those two genres. I've also never gotten into boy bands and the like, but would be lying if I said I didn't find a couple such songs to be regrettably catchy. My two favorite genres, though, have to be rock and soul. From classic to southern to hard to alternative to e

Republican Missouri Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder was recently interviewed on the Steve Malberg Show  by host Steve Malberg, courtesy of the conspiracy-obsessed network NewsmaxTV, with regard to the Department of Justice (DOJ) report on the Ferguson police force. Here are just a couple of Mr. Kinder's more "interesting" comments from the interview: - "[The DOJ is staffed with] hard-left radical leftist lawyers..." Yes, as opposed to hard-left radical rightist lawyers or hard-right radical leftist lawyers... Given his statement, I have to believe the Missouri Lieutenant Governor will soon write a how-to book, called, "How To Master the Art of Being Redundant and the Mastery of Redundancy." - "There is more racism in the Justice Department than anywhere I see in the St. Louis area. We've come an enormous way in 50 years, that's not to say that we don't have still more to do. It is the left, it is the Eric Holder and the Obama

Here's the URL to my Facebook business page. I update it fairly regularly, but still haven't put forth a great deal of effort yet in researching matters and attempting to make the most out of it. In any case, it can be perused here: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCraigRozniecki?ref=hl Up next is my Twitter page. I'm still not 100% certain what I'm doing on there yet, but feel I'm gradually getting the hang of it and am up to 18,503 followers. I update it daily with many of my own tweets, but also by retweeting some others'. It can be found here: https://twitter.com/CraigRozniecki Lastly, here's my Tumblr page, which I've neglected quite a bit recently, but if you're at all curious, you can find it at the following link: http://www.tumblr.com/blog/rozzy81

For new readers (and regular ones, I suppose), here's some information pertaining to my books. All twelve of my books can be purchased in paperback form at the following site (and others): http://www.lulu.com/shop/search.ep?type=&keyWords=craig+rozniecki&x=7&y=5&sitesearch=lulu.com&q= The ten books I've written and released in the past 4 years (yes, I've been on a roll) can be purchased for much cheaper in Kindle form at the following link: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_22?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=craig%20rozniecki%20kindle&sprefix=craig+rozniecki+kindle%2Caps%2C228&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Acraig%20rozniecki%20kindle

Ted Cruz is at it again - taking a stand for the American people against the big bad government! On Sunday, the Texas senator posted this tweet on his Twitter page: "Federal govt has no business sticking its nose in education. We need to repeal every word of Common Core! #nhpolitics #MakeDCListen" What's the problem with that message? Oh, just the fact that Common Core, or the Common Core State Standards Initiative, isn't actually federal law. So, best of luck repealing any word of the nonexistent Common Core federal law, let alone every word, since it doesn't exist as such, Mr. Cruz. Given the Texas senator's seeming desire to overturn federal laws that don't exist, expect him to post the following tweets in the future: - "We need to repeal every word of the Baby's Barred From Driving Tractors law!" - "Every word of the Pit Bulls Dog Fighting Without AK-47s law needs to be repealed!" - "You know what law needs to b

Kentucky Senator and person voted most likely to be part Chia Pet - Rand Paul - was one of 47 Republican senators to sign the recent and controversial Iran letter, a move which many experts have called unprecedented, adding that it could seriously damage Iran-U.S. negotiations over Iran's nuclear program. However, the giant Chia Pet doesn't see things that way. When speaking with SXSW in Austin, Texas on Sunday, he said the following on the matter: "There's no one in Washington more against war and more for a negotiated deal than I am. But I want the negotiated deal to be a good deal. So my reason for signing onto the letter, I think it reiterates what is the actual law, that Congress will have to undo sanctions. But I also signed onto the letter because I want the president to negotiate from a position of strength which means that he needs to be telling them in Iran that 'I've got Congress to deal with.'" Yes, it's Rand Paul's belief that

Arkansas Senator and man front and center of the not-fully-accurate-yet-still-condescending-U.S. Constitution-lecture-to-Iran letter - Tom Cotton - engaged in the following back-and-forth with Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer on CBS regarding the matter over the weekend: Schieffer: "What do you want to happen here? What is your alternative here? Let's say that the deal falls through, then what?" Cotton: "Well, as Prime Minister Netanyahu said, the alternative to a bad deal is a better deal. The Iranians frequently bluff to walk away from the table. If they bluff this week, call their bluff. The Congress stands ready to impose much more sever sanctions. Moreover we have to stand up to Iran's attempts to drive for regional dominance. They already control Tehran, increasingly they control Damascus and Beirut and Baghdad and now Sana'a as well. They do all that without a nuclear weapon. Imagine what they would do with a nuclear weapon." Iran already

While hypocrisy does bother me a great deal, I'd be lying if I said I was never a hypocrite. Chances are each and every one of us has been hypocritical at one point in our lives or another. So, when I say I can't stand hypocrites, to not sound hypocritical in saying that, I'm just referring to those whom are hypocritical so frequently, people are often times shocked when they're actually consistent. In saying that, I find myself being slightly hypocritical when it comes to the tournament selection for March Madness. After the field of 68 was announced last night, I overheard ESPN basketball analysts Dick Vitale and Jay Bilas debating one another about which teams belonged in the tournament. Dick Vitale stood up for the little guy (Murray State in this case) and basically said, "It's all about winning games! Murray State won 25 in a row at one point! They went three months without a loss! I mean, are you kidding me?!? It's about winning games, bab

I know people mean well when they can't think of anything else to say other than an old cliche they've heard since the time they were a fetus and their mother was listening to a radio show called, Dr. Coach: The Wisdom From An Ex-Football Coach That Became A Shrink . However, as I've mentioned in posts prior, when people tell me, "Everything happens for a reason" or "God has a plan," I then become at a loss for words. I kind of slowly nod my head, as I bite my tongue, and think to myself, "Really? Want to inform me about the reason for the Holocaust, child abuse, poverty? How was it all part of 'God's' plan?" I know people mean well when they say such things, but the phrases still irritate me, because when I hear such comments, to me it comes across as though the person wasn't actually listening to my specific story, that they don't truly know me, and that they didn't genuinely think about what they said before they said

On The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore last night, I was struck by a quote from renowned conservative stand-up comedian Nick DiPaulo in the discussion portion of the show and felt the need to comment on it. The central focus of last night's show was political correctness, the word police, and whether or not certain words should be off limits in most (or all) situations if not outright banned. Overall, the group of guests (as well as the host) seemed to believe that while people should become more culturally aware and sensitive given our ever diversifying country and we should refrain from saying certain words, it'd be a potentially dangerous slippery slope to actually start banning these very words. DiPaulo then went on a mini-rant, saying that political correctness always stems from the left, dealing with racism, sexism, and homophobia. He followed that up with this gem: "Political correctness just stifles white heterosexual Christian males." Now, let's get

Feeling embarrassed after admitting to the world he had never sent an email, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham has reportedly asked former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to teach him lessons on how to do so. When I spoke with the South Carolina senator, he confirmed the matter, saying, "Oh, dear golly, gosh, me. I can't wait to place my fingers on that big, long black thing with lots of buttons while I look at that TV screen looking deal to see if I pressed all the right buttons. I remember a day back in college when this nice young man pressed all my right buttons, but that was a long, long time ago. Gosh, does anyone have a fan? It's suddenly getting mighty hot in here! Whew... Anyway, where was I?" Also, when asked if he had ever used a computer before, Senator Graham said this:  "Oh, sure. Well, I call it my solitary filing station. It's where I play that card game 'solitary' and file my nails in between games. I

As anyone who knows me could confidently state, I'm a major proponent of research, studies, and just science in general. Yes, I'm one of those crazy ones that likes to learn through observing, testing, and reading, as opposed to through ancient books, psychics, and conspiracy theories. In saying all of this, however, there are times when I'll read about a study that will have me shaking my head, rolling my eyes in a manner which would make Linda Blair impressed, and wondering aloud, "Why in the hell was this really necessary?" Such a study was just released by some Bristol University researchers and published in the most recent edition of the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism . What did this "study" showcase? Oh, just the following, as reported by David Freeman of The Huffington Post : - "For the study, researchers at Bristol University took three headshots each of heterosexual students ranging in age from 18 to 30 years: one showing the student so

Here's the URL to my Facebook business page. I update it fairly regularly, but still haven't put forth a great deal of effort yet in researching matters and attempting to make the most out of it. In any case, it can be perused here: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCraigRozniecki?ref=hl Up next is my Twitter page. I'm still not 100% certain what I'm doing on there yet, but feel I'm gradually getting the hang of it and am up to 18,089 followers. I update it daily with many of my own tweets, but also by retweeting some others'. It can be found here: https://twitter.com/CraigRozniecki Lastly, here's my Tumblr page, which I've neglected quite a bit recently, but if you're at all curious, you can find it at the following link: http://www.tumblr.com/blog/rozzy81

For new readers (and regular ones, I suppose), here's some information pertaining to my books. All twelve of my books can be purchased in paperback form at the following site (and others): http://www.lulu.com/shop/search.ep?type=&keyWords=craig+rozniecki&x=7&y=5&sitesearch=lulu.com&q= The ten books I've written and released in the past 4 years (yes, I've been on a roll) can be purchased for much cheaper in Kindle form at the following link: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_22?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=craig%20rozniecki%20kindle&sprefix=craig+rozniecki+kindle%2Caps%2C228&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Acraig%20rozniecki%20kindle

I really don't want to jinx the early spring-like weather we're having across the country, but based on the fact the next week and a half here in central Ohio is supposed to be in the 50s and 60s, I'd like to believe that spring is here and the groundhog was wrong yet again. As a child, I didn't really think a great deal about holiday traditions. However, the older I get, while I love spending time with family, friends, and loved ones over the major holidays, the more I think about some of these traditions, the more I have to roll my eyes, and mumble to myself, "Wow, we've really celebrated that for all these years?" On Christmas, we celebrate Jesus' birthday by placing a bunch of wrapped gifts under a tree and exchanging them while listening to music about a big jolly old man named Santa Claus and his reindeer, even though Jesus wasn't actually born on December 25th. On Easter, we celebrate Jesus' supposed rise from the dead by filling bas

Many analysts have, until today, praised Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly's off-season moves and strategy. First, the Eagles traded tailback LeSean McCoy to Buffalo for linebacker Kiko Alonso. A number of ESPN analysts seemed fine with this move, saying McCoy may have been on the decline in his productivity, and Alonso, when healthy, could help the Eagles' rather mediocre defense. Philadelphia then signed former Seattle cornerback Byron Maxwell, resigned quarterback Mark Sanchez, and lost out on resigning wideout Jeremy Maclin, just a year after they parted ways with DeSean Jackson. Philly also decided to sign 32-year-old former San Francisco running back Frank Gore to help replace the younger McCoy. Rumors have it that quarterback Nick Foles could potentially be traded (to the Jets?) and that the Eagles are doing everything they can to try and nab Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota in the draft. While I can understand Chip Kelly's desire to work with the former O