The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

As I've been doing following every GOP debate, I thought I'd update my candidate rankings. My most recent rankings (up til now) were posted a couple weeks ago at the following link - http://thekind-heartedsmartaleck.blogspot.com/2016/01/my-updated-gop-candidate-rankings-now.html Since then, I've learned former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore is still in the race. While I had heard that Mr. Gilmore entered the race a while back, since I had yet to see him in any debate (even at the JV table), I assumed he dropped out. Well, apparently I was mistaken, as he made his first such appearance last week on Fox (News). So, we're back to a dozen candidates. Hopefully that number shrinks quite substantially following the Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire Primary. Without further ado, here are my updated rankings: 12) Ted Cruz (down 1 spot): It seems that once anyone gets to know Ted Cruz, there's a 97.86% chance they won't like him. Hell, George W. Bush and Bob Dole, amon...

As has been the case with each and every Republican debate, I had a field day on Twitter. I watched both debates (yes, all three hours of them) and came up with the following Tweets, which I'll list from the most to least popular (all my tweets can be viewed here - https://twitter.com/CraigRozniecki): 1) Jeb!: "I've seen some polls where I'm way ahead of Hillary Clinton. I believe they were conducted by Steve Harvey." #GOPDebate 36 Likes, 18 Retweets 2) Rubio: "Anyone who lied to soldiers' families cannot be President of the United States, except for Bush & other Republicans!" #GOPDebate 24 Likes, 27 Retweets 3) Carson: "Please don't ask me any questions for the next 7 minutes. I'm going to take my 9:45 nap. Thank you." #GOPDebate 36 Likes, 10 Retweets 4) Rand: "Hillary shouldn't be held responsible for her husband's actions, but like, we should still call her out on it, you know?" #GOPDebate 28...

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 32,706 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

Going into the season, who would have honestly predicted this match-up? Denver, led by an aging and oft-injured quarterback (in recent seasons) - Peyton Manning - fell to Indianapolis early in the playoffs last year and appeared to be headed for similar fortunes this year. This was especially the case considering that Manning got banged up, was replaced by Brock Osweiler, and regardless of who was behind center, the offense failed to click throughout a large majority of the season. Manning took over the starting spot to lead his Broncos to a come-from-behind win over San Diego late in the regular season, which aided Denver to clinching home-field advantage throughout the (AFC) playoffs. On the year, Manning threw 9 touchdown passes, while tossing 17 interceptions. The ground game was inconsistent as well. So how did the team garner the 1-seed in the AFC and reach the Super Bowl? Their defense. Even when the offense was off its game and turning the ball over, the defense found ways to k...

It's been a rough year for my (extended) family and I on the health front. My former uncle passed away in December of 2014. My last grandparent (grandfather on my mom's side) passed away a month later. A long-time friend of mine fell victim to cancer this past summer. Then just last night, I discovered a Great Aunt of mine passed away as well. She was 94. No, none of these passings were all too surprising, but that doesn't make accepting the reality of them any easier. Irene was an incredibly sweet woman, who lived a good, long, and productive life, and will be dearly missed. I sincerely hope the family and I will be able to come together once again in this time of mourning, lean on and support one another, and be able to find a silver lining to these hardships. I also hope we can all try to appreciate the past, the special moments we shared with Irene, and take her many influences with us into the present day and future, for while Irene's physical body may have passed ...

When debating, especially with far-right Republicans, I tend to resort to numbers, (consistent) studies, fact-checkers, and yes, even logic. I don't form an opinion simply based on things I heard from my parents growing up, what friends of mine believe, or what partisan sources constantly spout at me. In my view, my opinion is nothing without solid evidence to support it, and it's through a great deal of reading and research (and experience) I've come to form the opinions I have today. But, while I appreciate when someone on the polar opposite side of the political spectrum approaches me with numbers, appearing to have done some research themselves, just because a person uses numbers to support an argument doesn't mean those numbers are valid. Take Maryland Congressman Andy Harris, for instance. The Republican congressman recently attempted to block the Washington, D.C. marijuana decriminalization law by making some rather preposterous claims, saying African-American ...

Did you hear Sarah Palin's seemingly drunken endorsement speech for Donald Trump the other day? Were you also left speechless, pondering to yourself, "What in the hell did she just say? I thought she was all about English being this country's national language..."? If that was the case, and like me, you immediately reached for some pain-killers five seconds into Palin's lecture on word salad, click on the following link to have a little fun with her speech via a Mad Lib: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sarah-palin-donald-trump_us_569fbb79e4b0a7026bf9cd33 Here's how my first attempt at a Sarah Palin Mad Lib worked out: "Thank you so much. It's so great to be here in outhouse (place). We're here just thawing out. Todd and I and a couple of our bifocals (plural noun) here from crackhouse (place), lending out support for the next president of Hooters (place), Donald J. Trump. Are you ready to make Drive-inn theater (place) great again? ...

Last night, I posted an article with the following headline on my Twitter page: "Track Palin, son of Sarah Palin, allegedly batters girlfriend, waves AR-15 around during drunken fight." How did one right-wing nut job respond to the headline? Oh, just by saying this: "Oh yeah?!? Well, Obama wasn't even born in this country!" No, I'm not sure what her point was either... There was absolutely no connection between the article and the debunked claim that President Obama wasn't born in the United States of America. That's what's called a red herring, perhaps the all-time reddest of herrings... Given this woman's nonsensical response to the before-mentioned headline, expect for her to respond as follows to future headlines: Headline: Fast and Furious 197 breaks box-office records Her response: "Obama and all other Muslims are taking over this country!" Headline: Expect snow across the country this Christmas Her response...

For the second consecutive year, there's been a lot of talk about the lack of minority nominees at the Oscars. On a recent episode of Fox & Friends , Clueless  actress and Fox News contributor, Stacey Dash, had this to say about the controversy and calls for boycott: "I think it's ludicrous, because we have to make up our minds. Either we want to have segregation or integration. If we don't want segregation, then we need to get rid of channels like BET and the BET Awards and the Image Awards, where you're only awarded if you're black. If it were the otherw ay around, we would be up in arms. It's a double standard." Donald Trump later appeared on the show and had this to say about the matter: "I saw somebody on your show today say, 'Well, what do we do with BET? The whites don't get any nominations, and I thought it was an amazing interview, actually I've never even thought of it from that standpoint. I mean, I've watched ...

For the first time in I don't know how long, I'm actually regularly tuning in to a number of television shows. They're all of the comedy variety (sitcoms and late night talk shows). Here they are, ranked from my least favorite to favorite (though I like them all): 10) The Nightly Show (Mondays through Thursdays at 11:30 pm on Comedy Central): This show is drastically different from its predecessor, The Colbert Report , but it's still humorous and thought-provoking. Larry Wilmore provides a far different perspective than we're used to when it comes to late night talk shows, and while I think his contributors could definitely use a makeover (outside of a couple), I still make sure to tune in to The Nightly Show 's segments on a daily basis. While the show has been renewed for another season, I do have to wonder about its long-term potential. Ratings have dipped from the previous show, the appeal has been condensed some, and while I personally enjoy it, I think s...

I've long said I see Congress to be like a marriage. While Republicans and Democrats may have a differing ideal vision of America and how we reach this ideal, we won't be able to come anywhere close to this ideal without working together. In other words, sacrifices and compromises need to be made to, at the very least, take baby steps forward, if not giant leaps. If one side or the other says no to each and every proposal, unwilling to make any kind of sacrifice or come to any form of compromise, progress will be next to impossible. It's similar to a marriage. The two spouses may have slightly differing ideas on what the perfect marriage or family life is and how to reach that point, but unless the two make some sacrifices along the way and form compromises in the process, the relationship will be all but doomed. Just imagine if a husband and wife behaved the way Congress has been in recent years... Setting: Mr. and Mrs. Congress' home as they eat dinner in the dining...

What has it been with the crazy comments I've been receiving on my blog entries recently? It's as if several far right-wing organizations passed memos around, saying, "So, like, do you know that crazy progressive Craig dude? I guess he's been in and out of the hospital lately, so now's the time to fill his blog with right-wing propaganda! Let's do this!" The most recent such comment was in response to my December 7th post, entitled, "Another false equivalence Facebook meme," which can be read in its entirety here - http://thekind-heartedsmartaleck.blogspot.com/2015/12/another-false-equivalence-facebook-meme.html. The blog revolved around this Facebook meme, which began circulating the Internet shortly after the San Bernardino mass shooting: "if the shooting by a window licking retard with a bowl haircut in south carolina is cause for banning the confederate battle flag, removing statues of confederate soldiers and erasing southern histor...

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 32,522 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

Drinking alcohol is pretty common in my family, especially on my dad's side (around the holidays). When we all get together, it's just something we've always done. I have no idea how the tradition started, who started it, or anything of the sort. I just know when we all get together around the holidays, there are five constants: 1) Lots of food, 2) Alcohol, 3) Music, 4) Television, and 5) Laughter. I suppose after working X number of hours throughout the course of a week, month, year, it's nice to kick back, have a few drinks, and relax with the family around the holidays. However, given my recent health problems, I've decided to stop drinking, at least until my doctors and I get everything sorted. A similar thing occurred in 2009 and 2010 when I was ill. My doctors and I were uncertain of what was transpiring, so I decided to cut myself off from alcohol during that time (most of that time anyway). Once we finally started figuring out what was going on and my sympto...

As mentioned in recent posts, I've unfortunately had to battle some health issues in recent weeks, which landed me in a pair of hospitals on four separate occasions. For those who reside in the area, I thought I'd provide brief reviews of the two hospitals. Grady Memorial Hospital 561 W. Central Ave. Delaware, OH 43015 (740) 615-1000 https://www.ohiohealth.com/grady/ Experience Summary: This is the hospital closest to me, so from a convenience standpoint, this is my best option in case of a medical emergency. I was rushed there via an ambulance on December 26th and had to be driven there on January 10th and 12th. When I went here in 2011 for a gallbladder surgery, my experience was mostly positive. However, the three times I've needed help at this facility in the past few weeks has left a bad taste in my mouth. As I was rushed here on the 26th, I was enduring a serious panic attack - the first of my life. My pulse was between 150 and 155, my blood pressure was eleva...

During his speech at Liberty University, the Jerry Falwell-founded Christian college, GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump referred to 2 Corinthians (Second Corinthians) as "Two Corinthians." Yes, he's smooth. Given that flub, expect The Donald to utter the following lines in the future, if he hasn't already: - "My favorite day of the year is probably the 25 of December, you know, being Christmas and all." - "What time is it? Is it 4th:30 yet? I have an appointment." - "I'm a big big fan of the Constitution. My favorite part is probably the Two Amendment." - "Hey driver, why are you going so slow? The speed limit here is 65th. Hurry it up!" - "This is a great game, man. I love football. I mean, we're late in the 4 quarter, it's tied. What down is it? It was 1 and 10 before and they got 4th yards, so now it's 2 and 6, I believe." http://www.aol.com/article/2016/01/18/donald-trump-flubs-b...

Starting at 9 pm EST on TBS last night premiered the new series, Angie Tribeca , a satire on cop shows, starring Rashida Jones and created by Steve and Nancy Carell. It debuted in an unusual fashion, as all of season 1's ten episodes were displayed five times a piece in a 25-hour binge-a-thon (ending tonight at 10 pm EST). For anyone who appreciates Airplane! , The Naked Gun , Mel Brooks, and/or Police Squad , I'd highly recommend giving this show a gander. From the first scene of the debut show onward, I've been hooked, seriously hope season 2 will air before long, and that the show lasts several seasons. Like in Airplane!  and The Naked Gun , Angie Tribeca combines visual gags with deadpan humor to remarkable effect. The jokes come at the viewer so quickly and in such abundance, one will likely have to rewatch the episodes to catch them all. Between over-the-top material showcasing the absurdity of American cop shows to illustrating how little (literal) sense most clich...

Sunday Game: New England at Denver Prediction: New England - Watching the two AFC divisional games this past weekend, it appears as if New England's offense is healthier than its been in a while and Denver's lucky to be playing this next week. If it wasn't for Fitzgerald Toussaint's fumble, Denver could very well have been sitting at home for this game. So long as the Pats' offensive line can protect Tom Brady relatively well in this game, I have to like their chances in this one. Their offense is healthier than it's been in several weeks, Brady has been much more consistent throwing the football than Peyton Manning this season, not to mention he's had the upper-hand in the two future Hall-of-Famers' postseason matchups. Lastly, considering the fact New England blew a 4th quarter lead against the Broncos earlier this season, I have a difficult time seeing Bill Belichick lose again to the same team in a single season. I'll take the Pats on the roa...

I'll be the first to admit there are times when even I'll mumble to myself, "Wait, that's causing an uproar on Twitter? Why? What's offensive about that?" However, for the most part, I see political correctness as a good thing. The definition of the term is: "the avoidance, often considered as taken to extremes, of forms of expression or action that are perceived to exclude, marginalize, or insult groups of people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against." So why do so many, on both sides of the political spectrum, particularly on the right, often complain about political correctness? One thing that likely frustrates many about political correctness is the fact it constantly changes. What was considered unoffensive 5 years ago may be seen as offensive today. The PC-world can often times feel like venturing to a family get-together over the holidays, featuring many relatives whom you haven't seen in a while. You're kind of...

As I've noted previously, it seems to be increasingly more difficult to engage in civilized discourse with those whom someone disagrees. This may partially be due to the seemingly never-ending stream of hyper-partisan media outlets. However, I also think it's due to a lack of common sense and courtesy. The responder is often a reflection of the speaker, so if the instigator of a conversation comes at it in an angry and aggressive manner, it's common, even natural instinct for the responder to reflect this tone and reply accordingly. Just a couple weeks ago, while in hindsight I know she meant nothing personal by it, a friend of mine got in my face, angrily raised her voice, and spoke in a condescending manner when attempting to broach a subject with me. I tried to keep my cool at first, but was unable to do so after a certain period of time. We worked things out without any problem, but upon thinking about matters more, it reminded me of similar such situations I'd eith...

I had a great deal of fun on my Twitter account Thursday night during the two GOP debates again. I posted 37 tweets in all. Here they are, ordered from the most to the least popular (the rest of my tweets can be viewed here: https://twitter.com/CraigRozniecki): 1) Cruz: "Mine measures 6 inches. How about you?" Trump: "7 inches!" Cruz: "I meant 10!" Trump: "At least mine was born here!" #GOPDebate 39 Likes, 25 Retweets 2) Christie: "Obama is a dictator, he & his 227 executive orders, unlike Reagan & his 381 executive orders!" #GOPDebate 24 Likes, 28 Retweets 3) Santorum: "We're too PC in this country! We're afraid of offending anyone!" PBO: "These 3 are idiots. Offensive enough for you?" #GOPDebate 24 Likes, 17 Retweets 4) Trump: "I have many many Muslim friends, but don't want any of them in this country." #GOPDebate 22 Likes, 17 Retweets 5) Fox Business: "Gov....

As I've been doing after each and every debate to this point in primary season, I thought I'd update my GOP candidate rankings. My last set of rankings were posted on December 16th at this link - http://thekind-heartedsmartaleck.blogspot.com/2015/12/my-updated-gop-candidate-rankings-down.html. Since then both George Pataki and Lindsey Graham have suspended their campaigns, so we're actually down to 11 candidates (yes, Rand Paul is still technically running). Without further ado, here are my current rankings: 11) Ted Cruz (up 2 spots): When former Republican President George W. Bush even says, "I don't like this guy," you have to know something is wrong... Also, while Tom Cruise may appear a tad loony by jumping on couches on national television, Ted Cruz appears extremely nutters by stomping all over facts at each and every given opportunity, not to mention failing to answer moderators' questions and pretending he was asked something he wasn't. ...

On February 10th of this year, I wrote a blog entitled, "'The difference between high school in 1970 and 2015' is common sense, research, and evolution...," which can be read here - http://thekind-heartedsmartaleck.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-difference-between-high-school-in.html?showComment=1452562538036#c178470387604326188. The blog had to deal with a viral post I read on a friend of mine's Facebook page, which tried to prove the the conservative talking point that things were much better back in the day, without political correctness, without the "coddling" of our children, without as many rules and guidelines, etc. Here's one example of what I'm talking about with regard to the post: "Scenario 1: Jack goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck's gun rack. 1970 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack... ...

Saturday Game: Kansas City at New England Prediction: Kansas City - I know odds would have it that the New England Patriots, led by Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, at Foxboro, following a bye week, is a near victory guarantee. However, I'm going against the odds on this one. When it comes to wins and losses, no team is hotter than the Kansas City Chiefs, who have reeled off 11 straight victories since starting the season 1-5, including a 30-0 thrashing on the road against Houston last week in the Wild Card round. New England may be healthier than they've been, but that's not saying a whole lot, and so long as the Pats' offensive line plays as they've been playing, Tom Brady won't be nearly as effective as he's been in past such situations. I'm going with the upset - the Chiefs on the road by 4. Result: New England 27 Kansas City 20 Record: 0-1 Game: Green Bay at Arizona Prediction: Arizona - Who was that Green Bay Packers team that steamrolled...