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I agree. Pre-season positional rankings come from past performance. Watson has not played football since 2024, and he was not very good then. He has not been good since 2020. Sanders and Gabriel overall played poorly last season in limited action as rookies. Green is a 6th round draft pick. I would expect our QB room to be ranked dead last or very close to it pre-season. Pre-season rankings are a reflection of past performances it does not mean the QB's will be doomed to stay bottom of the rankings. They might. If Watson or Sanders do not improve these rankings will be spot on. Performance changes rankings I would suspect Sam Darnold would have been pretty low before the 2024 season in Minnesota. Probably down where Watson and Sanders are ranked now.

This is from 3 months ago but a really brilliant commentary. I don't like the headline about "Blasting Hegseth" - that's a clickbait headline. . . . this is just a great, intelligent insight into where we were/are at.

I would have been happy taking Macneil-Warren at the top of round 2 ... very happy he's on the team. Hope he is a stud. I honestly think our top 4 picks this year may have as much of an impact as the top four from last year ... it'd be a hell of a 2 year draft result.

All those "policies" are bad. Although the constitution is open to amendments - which depending on how you frame it could be defined as rewriting/retooling it.

As to your last comment - this is the rub. It's no more or less troubling that anyone who questions about a democratic office holder is labelled MAGA - asit is that anyone who is on the left of center with MILDLY socialist opinions centered around, say, healthcare or Trans rights or whatever ... is labelled a communist.

If you want a list of things that are troubling - it's a long list. For example - I probably find the above examples far less troubling than the fact that right wing racist organizations overwhelmingly vote and support for Trump. I find it troubling that Trump is closer to Putin than he is to traditional Western allies. I find it troubling that for the first time ever the USA has voted with Russia and North Korea against other western allies in the UN. I find it troubling that Trump's obvious mental decline is given a free pass while Biden's was not (and I said early on Biden should NEVER have run for a second term - way before things got really bad) . . . the list is long. And if you want some 'balance' - as has been touched on in this thread, I find it troubling that the Democratic party and (ancient) leadership have no platform and don't stand for anything.

This clip is perhaps 10-15 years old.

As a music pro of over 40 years, I've seen my share of 'child prodigies'.
Most of them present as precision-tailored "wind-up dolls," who astound audiences with their well-drilled parlor tricks, then flame out in their early twenties- when they can't give the public something new.

But then, there are a scant few who show the kind of aesthetic, intellectual and soulful instincts/skills that transcend what we are conditioned to expect from Wunderkind.

This kid is giving 'Mozart energy'... in a tight Jazz combo setting.
You can see him here- working his way through his own cover of the most demanding Jazz standard ever written: "Giant Steps"... by the incomparable John Coltrane.


#generationaltalent

.02,
clemdawg

I feel you in that regard. But at the same time I try to keep my expectations realistic. Some seem to see the glass as half full. Some seem to see it as half empty. I see it as simply a half of a glass.

It helps me greatly that I'm not as obsessed with this team as I used to be. Time seems to have had that effect on me. The only one that was allowing me to experience such disappointment and agony on an annual basis was myself.

IMO the Guardians were one of the teams that improved the most after the deadline.

They addressed needs and the team is better for it.

Jet lag?........

Trump DHS chief under fire from conservatives after immigration speech ignites backlash

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is facing a conservative backlash after reaffirming his opposition to amnesty in a social media post, with critics arguing the hardline message contradicted comments he made hours earlier during an immigration speech in Oklahoma.

Hours after speaking at the National Governors Association Summer Meeting in Oklahoma City, Mullin wrote on X: "NO amnesty for illegal aliens. Ever."

"We are a nation of laws," he wrote. "If you are illegally present in the United States of America—you will be detained and deported. Period."

The post did little to quell criticism from some conservatives, who argued it conflicted with remarks Mullin made earlier in the day.

"Why were you at the National Governors Association Summer Meeting today saying the exact opposite of what you are posting now?" one user wrote on X. "Did you suddenly radically change your mind about America's immigration policy in the past couple of hours? Or are you a liar?"

Former Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino also criticized Mullin's remarks, writing on X that "Voters asked for mass deportations. Clear demand. High priority. No ambiguity." He added, "The guy running DHS is making the case for 'immigration reform.' We've seen this script before."

In a separate post, Bovino wrote that Mullin had delivered "a masterclass in how to give terrible answers during a single interview" and argued, "Now you know why we're not getting mass deportations."

Conservative commentator Robby Starbuck also weighed in, calling Mullin's remarks "a total betrayal."

During the event, Mullin argued the U.S. needs immigration reform, distinguished between immigrants pursuing legal status and those who are not, and called for changes to some employment visa programs to address labor shortages.

"We haven't had actual immigration reform since 1959. There's a reason. It's political," Mullin said. "Do you really need immigration reform? Yes, you do."

Mullin also argued the country should modernize some employment visa programs.

"If we're looking to grow our economy, then we need to look at making more permanent solutions," he said, adding that "there's a way to utilize labor where we're not having the participation rate we need to... and we can plug those holes."

At the same time, Mullin repeatedly emphasized that immigration laws must be enforced.

"If you have a criminal background, we're not making exceptions for you," he said. "There are zero exceptions."

Mullin added that immigrants who entered the country illegally or overstayed their visas without pursuing legal status could not expect relief.

"There's nothing I can do for you," he said.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-dhs-chief-under-fire-152220319.html

Oh the humanity! He made a common sense, none extremist statement about immigration reform and the extremists became unhinged!

As of August 1, 2026, Senator Mitch McConnell has been absent from public view and the U.S. Senate for 49 consecutive days, missing 38 or more roll call votes. He was last seen casting a vote on Capitol Hill on June 11, 2026, and was officially hospitalized following a fall at his home on June 14, 2026.

Every morning I check the headlines hoping it will all go away.

That somehow some way karma will find a way.

That the scales of justice will balance. Please just disappear.

That is really interesting.

I have never gotten into photography.

I have spent a lot of time outdoors. The best times of my life have come from my time outside.

The Merlin app opens up a new road. Time has slowed me down and this gives me a chance to do something at a pace that fits.

well deserved for Grant too. He's been solid for us

I'll take this opportunity to post probably the sickest plays I ever had the privilege to watch live. Even watching the replay felt like my mind playing tricks on me. 🔥

This particular story has already been discussed in this forum. Only 400 out of those 6600 actually voted. No New jersey election was decided by 400 votes. Actually none where closer than several thousand votes.

So him posting that in response to "Can you specifically name one rigged election result" is just pure BS. But then again that's to be expected.

One thing I am sure of is that the executive branch, mainly the president holds far to much power. How much power a president has is not the same as the time of the founding fathers. It has evolved and increased greatly over time. And that's not isolated to which party or who is president. As of today we see executive orders being written on an unprecedented level pushing the boundaries of the constitution and being overturned in our courts.

I'm certainly not going to say that I agree with everything they stand for. Yet I do understand when one side goes off the rails you will get a pushback that goes off the rails as well in reaction to that.

And that's where we are now. Extremism is taking over on both sides and we are all worse off for it. Surely you must have seen something like this coming in response.

Big money QBs make plays that win games or close-out games...big money DEs should do that as well...but realistically less-often.

My memory of MG will be much more of him jumping offside on 3rd/4th and short...and getting 2+ sacks in games that were essentially blowouts...rather than frequent plays that impacted the outcome of the game.

The Ravens might have the most talent, but we'll see how Minter does in his first year.


It feels like the Bengals better figure things out on D and the OL before Burrow is wasted

My daughter just received a PhD.

Her dissertation was on large scale AI integration and scalable AI integration.

She built her own AI to handle her intellectual property at UGA.

I have begun messing around with it and it blows my mind. I feel like I am living the future.

I came from when people sold encyclopedias door to door.

IMO he was one of the truly great actors.

Even when he had small roles like in Sling Blade. He made a mark.

He had a way to capture the essence of the role.

Tender Mercies was an incredible movie. It was like watching real life. The ability to be natural is what great actors do.

Great, they get free power from free solar panels.

It sounds like an effort to lower the high demand period when people come home from work and turn on lights and air conditioners. If it works and lessens the strain on the system great, though I still say it isn't "free".

What do you call it when the trump administration takes taxpayer money and invests roughly $26.7 billion across 30 equity or quasi-equity deals with private companies and corporations?

The U.S. government invested $27 billion in corporate stakes. Good luck finding them

The Trump administration has invested roughly $26.7 billion across 30 equity or quasi-equity deals, headlined by a 9.9% stake in chipmaker Intel that's now worth $42 billion.

Others include $400 million into rare-earth miner MP Materials to loosen China's grip on magnet supply chains, the "golden share" in U.S. Steel retained as a condition of its sale to Japan's Nippon Steel, or the flurry of stakes in quantum computing firms.

But with all that dealmaking, those wary of government's corruptive tendencies—and of President Donald Trump's own trading—might want to see some transparency. The portfolio, however, is nowhere to be found.

There is no consolidated ledger of the government's holdings; the stakes sit scattered across at least four agencies: 17 deals through Commerce, seven through Defense, six through the Development Finance Corporation, two through Energy. Only one of those, the Development Finance Corporation, has clear statutory authority to own equity at all, under a framework Congress built in 2018 for development deals abroad.

The White House did not immediately respond to Fortune's request for comment. A Treasury spokesperson said agencies report equity interests "in different ways" depending on the legal authority behind each stake.

Some of the "stakes" are signed agreements, while others, including nine quantum computing deals Commerce announced in a single week, remain more ambiguous, closer to term sheets. The most complete public accounting of Washington's portfolio is kept by the Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank.

"The deals that have been announced to date are only the tip of the iceberg," Jonathan Hillman, the Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow who maintains that tracker, told Fortune, "and the real test will be whether Washington can build a system to effectively manage its growing portfolio of investments over the long run."

The best-documented stake in the portfolio is the biggest one. Intel's August 2025 securities filings name the shareholder: the United States Department of Commerce, counterparty to a "Warrant and Common Stock Agreement" covering 433.3 million shares at $20.47 apiece. It's a passive stake, with no board seat or information rights, and the government has agreed to vote with Intel's board on most matters.

Yet some aspects of the deal, in the filings, look strange. Roughly two-thirds of the shares were delivered to Commerce when the deal closed; the rest sit in escrow to be released as Intel hits milestones under a Pentagon chip program, meaning a slice of the government's marquee holding is not yet in the government's hands. The claw-back and profit-sharing provisions attached to Intel's earlier $2.2 billion CHIPS Act grant were also eliminated. Grants have strings that these stocks don't.

In addition, ethics filings revealed that accounts held in the president's own name began buying Intel in March, months after his administration's stake sent the stock soaring. No insider trading has been alleged, and the White House says his assets sit in a trust managed by his children; but Trump's personal holdings are unprecedented for the modern presidency.

For the government's stakes in private companies—such as Vulcan Elements, xLight, and others—no public securities filings with the SEC exist at all.

Even where the shares can be found, the money is tricky to follow. Federal budget rules, mostly designed for grants and loans, treat an equity purchase as an outlay—money out the door—with very little mechanism for recognizing what comes back, according to research by William Henagan, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. That means the Intel position's rise from $8.9 billion to $42 billion appears in no budget document.

The Development Finance Corporation, established by Congress in 2018 to make equity investments abroad, is one exception. But the framework has a narrow lens: it was designed for financing ports in developing countries. Yet now it is the closest thing Washington has to a legal template for owning chipmakers.

A DFC spokesperson told Fortune it records its equity postions as investment assets and manages the ownership on a case-by-case basis.

The federal government has held corporate equity at scale once before, and it did so under supervision. The Troubled Asset Relief Program, the $700 billion rescue fund Congress created in October 2008 at the height of the financial crisis, came with a statutory special inspector general who filed quarterly reports to Congress, plus a congressional oversight panel and standing GAO audits to boot.

But even that apparatus was judged insufficient: in 2009, the program's own inspector general told Congress that taxpayers weren't being told what recipients were doing with their money.

Today's sprawling portfolio has none of that. The administration, for its part, has never claimed otherwise; it has hinted the stakes are the start of something bigger.

"It's like a down payment on a sovereign wealth fund, which many countries have," Kevin Hassett, the director of the National Economic Council, told CNBC after the Intel deal was announced.

https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/policy/articles/u-government-invested-27-billion-120000768.html

This was obvious all along but it's still quite surprising they would openly admit it. Which begs to question....


............... if they are willing to openly admit to this, what in the hell are they trying to hide in the discovery process?