Jurasic World

Jurassic World - starring Chris Pratt & Bryce Dallas Howard.  The events in Jurassic World take place 22 years after the events of "The Lost World".  The island has morphed into a theme park giving guests an up close look at the prehistoric dinosaurs.  In an effort to keep the park new and relevant, the parks geneticists decide to push the envelope and come up with a new dinosaur that will keep people coming to the park.  Unfortunately, they pushed too far and came up with a creature they find they can no longer contain, that's when the fun ensues.  It's a fun summer action film, I would't put it in the category of the first 2 movies in the series though.  Chris Pratt's acting seemed to consist of him scowling and looking angry, it's probably the first role I've seen him in that I didn't particularly like.  Bryce Dallas Howard seemed a bit stiff in her role too.  The dinosaurs were also surprisingly underwhelming, I thought they were much better in the first two films.  It's definitely worth a watch, don't get your expectations too high though.

I'll give it 3 out of 5 stars (*****)

RIP Clementa Pinckney

What a powerful eulogy from President Obama.

POTpourri

• Could legalized marijuana be headed to California? 
• What happened to critical thinking in this country? 
• Harriet Tubman gets my vote for the new $10 bill. 
• Projecting the Top 50 Players in the 2015 NBA Draft. 
• I'm looking forward to AMC's "Fear the Walking Dead". 
• It's time that the Timberwolves bring Nemanja Bjelica to the NBA! 
• Miley Cyrus & Stella Maxwell?   Interesting. 
• "Requiem For The Dead" looks to be incredibly powerful. 
• Neil Allen has done a heckuva job as the Twins pitching coach. 
• SCOTUS rules in favor of same sex marriage. 
• Isn't it time South Carolina takes down the Confederate flag? 
• Why don't we hold right wing media responsible for their content? 
• Jordan Spieth wins the 2015 U.S. Open Golf tournament.  
• RIP Darryl Hamilton & Dick Van Patten. 
• It's been an interesting June for President Obama. 
• Virginia wins the 2015 College World Series. 
• SCOTUS rightfully rules in favor of the Affordable Care Act. 
• It will be interesting to watch Utrecht's basic income experiment
• We may want to keep an eye out for homegrown terrorists. 
• I really like the looks of the updated Ford Mustang. 
• Shouldn't Donald Trump be made to show us his birth certificate? 
• Justice Scalia is not completely wrong.  

Connor McDavid

Connor McDavid was selected 1st overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2015 NHL Draft!



I'm interested to see this guy play, he's the most hyped prospect to come into the NHL in quite some time.  I only wish the Arizona Coyotes had won the first pick of the draft.  The Coyotes drafted Dylan Strome with the 3rd overall pick of the draft.  They also picked up Nicholas Merkley with the last pick of the first round.  Hopefully, they will be playing in Arizona.  The Minnesota Wild meanwhile added Joel Eriksson Ek with their first round pick.  Complete NHL Draft tracker here.

Karl-Anthony Towns

Karl-Anthony Towns was selected 1st overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2015 NBA Draft!



Towns really is a perfect fit the the Timberwolves, I couldn't be happier, he's got a terrific all around game.  I'm really loving the Timberwolves young nucleus.  The Wolves also traded their 2 second round picks to the Cavs to acquire Tyus Jones.  I love that move, Jones may not be the best athlete in the draft, but his basketball IQ is off the charts, he makes everyone else better and he's not afraid to take the big shot.  He will be a perfect fit as Ricky Rubio's back up.  A few more tweaks and the Wolves will be set.

The Suns drafted Kentucky OG Devin Booker with their first round pick.  He was apparently one of the best shooters available in the draft and with the way the game is changing that's a valuable commodity to have.  Still, it's not a move that moves the needle for me, he's a long way from contributing major minutes.  In the second round, the Suns picked Booker's college teammate Andrew Harrison, and almost immediately dealt him to the Grizzlies for Jon Leuer. The Suns really seem mired in mediocrity, that's a spot that can be hard to get out of.

You can see the complete draft results here.  First round grades here.

AZ Tidbits

• SCOTUS sides with Arizona church in freedom of speech case. 
• A heat wave in Arizona in June?  At least it's a dry heat!  
• The Super Bowl was a boon to Arizona!  Get another! 
• Should the Arizona Cardinals trade for Mike Glennon? 
• Arizona continues to lag other states in economic growth. 
• The NHL is committed to keeping the Coyotes in Arizona. 
• Bullhead City ranked as the cheapest city in Arizona to live in.  
• Diamondbacks deal Bronson Arroyo & Touki Toussant to the Braves. 
• Arizona doctors spared from having to lie to their patients. 
• Look for draft day trades from the Arizona Coyotes. 
• The Grand Canyon named as one of the Most Endangered Historic Places. 
• State agency has no proof that marijuana has killed anyone in Arizona. 
• Arizona's monsoon season is upon us!  Buckle up! 
• Obamacare has become quite popular among Arizona Republicans. 
• Local utilities are responsible for dip in state solar installation growth. 
• Arizona has some nice talent playing college football. 
• Andrew Barroway steps down from role of majority owner of the Coyotes. 
• Glendale voters may want to take a closer look at their city council. 
• Why are teachers fleeing Arizona in droves?  
• What's going on within the Arizona Corporate Commission?  
• ASU QB Mike Bercovici does indeed have one of the strongest arms in the NCAA.
• Is Paul Goldschmidt the National League's first half MVP?  
• Arizona does have some despicable people. 

TPSG 2015 NBA Mock Draft 3.0

The 2015 NBA Draft is Thursday, it's time for a final mock draft, here goes:

1. Minnesota Timberwolves - Karl Anthony Towns - C - Kentucky *
2. Los Angeles Lakers - Jahlil Okafor - C - Duke
3. Philadelphia 76ers - DeAngelo Russell - PG - Ohio State
4. New York Knicks - Kristaps Porzingis - PF - Latvia *
5. Orlando Magic - Justise Winslow - SF - Duke 
6. Sacramento Kings - Mario Hezonja - SF - Croatia 
7. Denver Nuggets - Emmanuel Mudiay - PG - Congo *
8. Detroit Pistons - Trey Lyles - PF - Kentucky 
9. Charlotte Hornets - Devin Booker - OG - Kentucky 
10. Miami Heat - Stanley Johnson - SF - Arizona
11. Indiana Pacers - Willie Cauley Stein - C - Kentucky 
12. Utah Jazz - Myles Turner - C - Texas 
13. Phoenix Suns - Frank Kaminsky - C - Wisconsin
14. Oklahoma City Thunder - Cameron Payne - PG - Murray State *
15. Atlanta Hawks - Kelly Oubre - SF - Kansas *
16. Boston Celtics - Bobby Portis - PF - Arkansas 
17. Milwaukee Bucks - R.J. Hunter - OG - Georgia State
18. Houston Rockets - Tyus Jones - PG - Duke
19. Washington Wizards - Jerian Grant - PG - Notre Dame *
20. Toronto Raptors - Sam Dekker - SF - Wisconsin
21. Dallas Mavericks - Delon Wright - PG - Utah
22. Chicago Bulls - Rondae Hollis Jefferson - SF - Arizona 
23. Portland Trail Blazers - Kevon Looney - PF - UCLA 
24. Cleveland Cavaliers - Terry Rozier - PG - Louisville  
25. Memphis Grizzlies - Jarell Martin - PF - LSU *
26. San Antonio Spurs - Rashad Vaughn - OG - UNLV 
27. Los Angeles Lakers - Justin Anderson - OG - Virginia 
28. Boston Celtics - Norman Powell - OG UCLA
29. Brooklyn Nets - Montrezl Harrell - PF - Louisville
30. Golden State Warriors - Christian Wood - PF - UNLV

Karl Anthony-Towns is looking more and more like a lock to the Timberwolves at the top of the draft, and rightfully so, he's clearly the best all around player coming out of this draft.  I'm still holding out some hope too that the Wolves can somehow also trade into the middle of the first round and pick up Tyus Jones to backup Ricky Rubio.  

The Suns are at the whim of the 12 teams picking ahead of them.  I would guess one of the following:  Stanley Johnson, Myles Turner, Trey Lyles or Frank Kaminsky.  I could see them trying to trade up too, or perhaps down if they could add a solid veteran.

Previous Mocks:  1.0 & 2.0

EDIT:
* Correct picks
*** Complete draft results here ***

The Most American Thickburger

This Carl's Jr commercial looks much better than the actual burger.

Rants & Ramblings

• How can you be Pro-Life and Pro-Death Penalty at the same time?  You're either Pro-Life or you're not Pro-Life!!!  Make a choice already. 
• How do climate change deniers, who rail against scientists for taking donations to fund their climate change research, justify climate change deniers also taking in boatloads of donations from the fossil fuel industry to fund their research?  
• How do you not take the World Cup away from Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022? 
• If God were so opposed to vaccinations, why did he give us the knowledge to come up with vaccinations in the first place?  Wouldn't that be part of his plan also?  
• How can Republicans run as populists when their economic plans are no different from the economic plans that created the income inequality in the first place?  
• Why on earth would anyone want a third Bush Presidency?   The first 2 were complete disasters.  Are our memories really that short?   
• How can any sane person be opposed to sensible gun control laws?   Do we really want to live in a society where everyone has to carry a gun to feel safe?   
• What is the point of having party operatives on the Sunday morning political talk shows?  All they do is parrot the party talking points and try to distort that of their opponent.  How about some real discussion of the issues?  
• Of course Hillary Clinton's poll numbers went down when she was no longer running unopposed, that's common sense when you add more options for people to select from, let's not overthink it, it's not of sign of people souring on her.     
• Doesn't rigging congressional districts and suppressing the vote run diametrically opposite of what the founding fathers envisioned for this country?   

Bernie Sanders on Real Time

Once again, he speaks a lot of common sense.

POTpourri

• Wall Street is tiring of funding social conservatives. 
• Golden State Warriors win the 2015 NBA Championship. 
• The influx of top young talent to MLB this season is crazy. 
• Chicago Blackhawks win the 2015 Stanley Cup title. 
• I would hope Lindsey Graham's marital status makes no difference to people. 
• High carbon levels can make it harder for plants to grow. 
• Los Angeles raises minimum wage to $15/hour.  
• Why haven't I heard of Iris Kavka before?  
• Apparently, Loch Ness now has UFO's too! 
• Walmart already seeing the benefits of higher wages. 
• I wouldn't kick these girls out of bed for eating crackers.  
• RIP Rick Ducommun & John David Crow. 
• The GOP seems intent upon taking healthcare away from people. 
• What in the world has happened to Joe Mauer?  
• Names to watch for in the 2016 MLB Draft?   
• What a disaster Sam Brownback has been to Kansas.  
• Is Edward Snowden a whistle-blower or a traitor?  
• Everybody should read "Media Matters for America".  
• The genuflecting from the right on the slaughter of 9 people is sickening. 
• Pope Francis blasts climate change deniers.  
• Chocolate once again declared good for your heart!!!
• University of North Dakota nickname list narrowed down to 7 finalists. 

Random Hot Girl Dancing

I haven't posted a random hot girl dancing in a while.  Enjoy!

2016 Presidential Field Update

Jeb Bush and Donald Trump are now both officially in.  That increases the Republican field to 12 and counting with the Democratic field remaining at 4, for now anyways.

Here's how they rank in my opinion (as far as their chances):

Democrats:

1. Hillary Clinton
2. Bernie Sanders
3. Martin O'Malley
4. Lincoln Chafee

Republicans

1. Marco Rubio
2. Jeb Bush
3. Rand Paul
4. Mike Huckabee
5. Ben Carson
6. Rick Santorum
7. Rick Perry
8. Lindsey Graham
9. George Pataki
10. Carly Fiorina
11. Ted Cruz
12. Donald Trump

Jeb Bush has to be considered one of the GOP front runners.  For better or worse, he has name recognition, tons of cash and a seemingly moderate agenda.  He's as close to Mitt Romney and John McCain as there is in this race and that's a good thing, in the blue states anyways.  He does have to carry the burden of the family name though and the far right for the most part are not fans.

Donald Trump is letting his ego get the best of him, nobody, and I mean nobody, wants a Donald Trump Presidency.  

War on Christianity?

Bill Maher makes a good point, who exactly is attacking Christianity?

AZ Tidbits

• Seriously?  No recorded history of rain on a June 5th in Phoenix?  
• It will be interesting to compare Arizona to Nevada moving forward.  
• Here's a complete list of Arizona Diamondback 2015 draft picks. 
• I love the Arizona Sports 98.7 FM phone app.  
• 100 things you may not know about Arizona? 
• What salary do you need to own a home in Phoenix?  
• PIR to become the Jeff Gordon Raceway for one day this fall. 
• Why does the city of Glendale want an empty hockey arena?  
• Five Arizona companies land in the Fortune 500.  
• Arizona is apparently still a good place to retire. 
• RIP Bahe Ketchum.  
• There are certainly plenty of selling points to the University of Arizona. 
• Pro Football Focus is not real bullish on the 2015 Arizona Cardinals.
• I hope the Arizona legislature is paying attention to Kansas.  
• Ronda Pearson is my new hero.  I wonder if she's single?   
• Could the Coyotes wind up back in downtown Phoenix?  
• University of Arizona QB Connor Brewer transfers to Virginia. 
• Tucson is not the place to find a job this summer. 
• University of Arizona names Jay Johnson new head baseball coach. 
• The Arizona Chamber of Commerce opposes Marijuana legalization. 
• Complete list of players with Arizona connections drafted by the MLB.  

Bernie Sanders on Late Night

What's not to like?  He is gaining some traction.



You'd think his message would resonate with the poor and downtrodden on both sides of the aisle wouldn't you?

TPSG 2015 NBA Mock Draft 2.0

The 2015 NBA Draft is now less than 2 weeks away, I think it's time to update my mock draft, so here goes:

1. Minnesota Timberwolves - Karl Anthony Towns - C - Kentucky
2. Los Angeles Lakers - Jahlil Okafor - C - Duke
3. Philadelphia 76ers - DeAngelo Russell - PG - Ohio State
4. New York Knicks - Emmanuel Mudiay - PG - Congo
5. Orlando Magic - Kristaps Porzingis - PF - Latvia
6. Sacramento Kings - Justise Winslow - SF - Duke 
7. Denver Nuggets - Mario Hezonja - SF - Croatia 
8. Detroit Pistons - Stanley Johnson - SF - Arizona 
9. Charlotte Hornets - Willie Cauley Stein - C - Kentucky 
10. Miami Heat - Myles Turner - C - Texas 
11. Indiana Pacers - Trey Lyles - PF - Kentucky 
12. Utah Jazz - Sam Dekker - SF - Wisconsin 
13. Phoenix Suns - Devin Booker - OG - Kentucky
14. Oklahoma City Thunder - Cameron Payne - PG - Murray State
15. Atlanta Hawks - Frank Kaminsky - C - Wisconsin 
16. Boston Celtics - Bobby Portis - PF - Arkansas 
17. Milwaukee Bucks - Kevon Looney - PF - UCLA
18. Houston Rockets - Jerian Grant - PG - Notre Dame
19. Washington Wizards - Kelly Oubre - SF - Kansas 
20. Toronto Raptors - Montrezl Harrell - PF - Louisville 
21. Dallas Mavericks - Delon Wright - PG - Utah
22. Chicago Bulls - Tyus Jones - PG - Duke
23. Portland Trail Blazers - Rondae Hollis Jefferson - SF - Arizona 
24. Cleveland Cavaliers - R.J. Hunter - OG - Georgia State
25. Memphis Grizzlies - Justin Anderson - OG - Virginia 
26. San Antonio Spurs - Terry Rozier - PG - Louisville 
27. Los Angeles Lakers - Rashad Vaughn - OG - UNLV 
28. Boston Celtics - Chris McCullough - PF - Syracuse
29. Brooklyn Nets - Christian Wood - PF - UNLV 
30. Golden State Warriors - Norman Powell - OG UCLA

I'm still not sure what the Timberwolves will do with the first pick of the draft.  Flip Saunders really likes Jahil Okafor, but common sense seems to dictate the Karl Anthony Towns will be the better player.  It'll be interesting to see which way the decide to go.

I think the Suns want to improve their shooting and Devin Booker reportedly shot really well from them at his workout, combine that with his scouting combine performance and I think the Suns would love to have him.  There's also a lot of steam around Myles Turner, he may not be around by their pick though.  IMO, you also still can't rule out Bobby Portis or Frank Kaminsky either.

Previous Mock:  1.0

Universal Voter Registration

Shouldn't it be a goal to have more people voting?  Let's do it!



While we're at it, perhaps we can tackle the gerrymandering problem too.

POTpourri

• Republican attitudes seem to finally be shifting on marijuana. 
• This epidemic of horrible policing has got to stop.  
• When did Grover Norquist get elected as Governor of Louisiana?  
• It's been quite a week for the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team. 
• Are subsidies for big oil really where we should be spending our money?
• Shouldn't elections be about maximizing voter turnout? 
• Dr. Natalie Azar was a good hire by NBC.  Easy on the eyes! 
• I kind of like the Three Strikes for Cops idea. 
• RIP Dusty Rhodes & Christopher Lee. 
• How many more fake Clinton scandals are we going to be subjected to? 
• Why do Republicans want to take healthcare away from millions. 
• Are "informed" voters actually the most informed? 
• I really like when Candice Swanepoel wears lingerie. 
• It's time we talk about abolishing gun ownership.  
• Wisconsin has seen the largest middle class decline of any state. 
• It may be time for a carried interest tax.  
• How much do you know about those climate change deniers? 
• Victor Espinoza is apparently quite the ladies man. 
• Who watches for abuse of the SCOTUS?  
• Season 3 of "Orange is the New Black" is now playing on Netflix.  

Twins Select Tyler Jay

The Minnesota Twins selected Illinois lefthanded pitcher Tyler Jay with their first round draft pick of the 2015 MLB Draft on Monday.  I'm not sure that he would have been my pick, but he does have a ton of potential.  The 6th pick of the draft just seems a bit high for a relief pitcher.  Hopefully, he proves me wrong, I will be pulling for him.



Here's a complete list of Twins 2015 draft picks.

TPSG Top 10 Movies of 1970

Continuing with my look at the best movies of years gone by.

Top 10 Movies of 1970:

1. M*A*S*H - Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould
2. Patton - George C Scott, Karl Malden
3. Kelly's Heroes - Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas
4. Rio Lobo - John Wayne, Jorge Rivero
5. Two Mules for Sister Sara - Clint Eastwood, Shirley MacLaine
6. Love Story - Ali MacGraw, Ryan O'Neal
7. Scrooge - Albert Finney, Alec Guinness
8. Five Easy Pieces - Jack Nicholson, Karen Black
9. Tora! Tora! Tora! - Martin Balsam, Jason Robards
10. The Out of Towners - Jack Lemmon, Sandy Dennis

1970 is the last year I will go back to, I just haven't seen enough movies prior to that time to give a fair ranking of them so I will be stopping here.  "M*A*S*H" is a very funny movie that covers a very serious subject, IMO it's easily the best movie of 1970.  "Patton" is a fantastic look at one of America's most revered war time military leaders.  "Kelly's Heroes" is yet another great war time movie, although it's really more of a caper film than a war movie.  "Rio Lobo" is a classic John Wayne western and that's a very good thing.  "Two Mules for Sister Sara" is yet another highly entertaining western from Clint Eastwood.  "Love Story" is perhaps the greatest movie love story ever made.  "Scrooge" is definitely one of the all time great Christmas movies ever made.  Jack Nicholson was great in "Five Easy Pieces".  "Tora! Tora! Tora!" is a fantastic look at the attack on Pearl Harbor.  "The Out of Towners" is a ton of fun.

Diamondbacks Select Dansby Swanson

The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Vanderbilt SS Dansby Swanson with the first overall selection of the 2015 MLB Draft on Monday.  Good pick!

Pope Francis

I love this guy!

"Human rights are not only violated by terrorism, repression or assassination, but also by unfair economic structures that creates huge inequalities."

"If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?  We shouldn't marginalize people for this.  They must be integrated into society."

"We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods.  The teaching of the church is clear, and I am the son of the church, but it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time."

"Money has to serve, not to rule."

"Evolution is not inconsistent with the notion of creation."

"On climate change, there is a clear, and definitive and ineluctable ethical imperative to act."

POTpourri

• Please stop saying that we are a center right country.  
• American Pharoah wins the first Triple Crown since 1978. 
• Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert indicted.  Finally?
• Trevor Noah set to take over "The Daily Show" on September 28. 
• Nebraska does the right thing and bans the death penalty. 
• Why do rich people want to raise the retirement age of poor people? 
• Educate yourself on that Republican "just get a job" narrative.  
• Would giving everyone money fix the economy?  
• Terry Richardson photographing Ashley Sky is a wonderful thing. 
• Talk of sending troops back to Iraq is insane.  
• I really like Hillary Clinton's stand on voter registration.  
• Serena Williams & Stan Wawrinka win 2015 French Open tennis titles.  
• Do we really want corporations writing our laws?  
• Herpes to treat skin cancer?  Who'd have thunk it?  
• The people of Texas are funny and full of contradictions.  
• RIP Beau Biden & Bud Kraehling. 
• Is Bernie Sanders starting to gain some traction?  
• What happened to the Republican Party?  
• I'd really like to ride on a yacht with Kendall Jenner & Gigi Hadid someday!
• You are not fooling anyone Jeb Bush.  
• Income Inequality really does kill.  Let's fix it!  
• Fox News embarrasses themselves once again.  
• Coca Cola is a very versatile drink, and that list doesn't even include rum & coke.  
• As if we needed more reasons to hate Ted Cruz. 
• Pope Francis is a scientist and he believes in climate change.  
• Please educate yourself on Scott Walker, he has no business in the White House. 

Skateboard Big Air

These Skateboard Big Air runs at the X Games are crazy.



Congrats to Bob Bernquist for his Gold Medal.

AZ Tidbits

• Are the Diamondbacks leaning towards Dansby Swanson in the MLB draft? 
• Sometimes it's just embarrassing to live in Arizona.  
• GCU extends the contracts of Dan Majerle & Andy Stankiewicz.  
• Paul Goldschmidt owns the Milwaukee Brewers. 
• Perhaps it's time to rethink farming in Arizona.  
• Do we really want foreign mining companies drilling on Apache Holy Land? 
• Arizonans are apparently very gullible to internet scams.  
• Chris Gatling needs to be serving time in Arizona.  
• Arizona split on marijuana laws.  
• Some Arizona doctors don't like having to lie to their patients.  
• Phoenix ranked as 8th Most Cursed Sports City. 
• Is there a culture of corruption at the Maricopa County Sheriff's department? 
• You can find the Top 30 Arizona Diamondbacks prospects here. 
• Could Suns coach Jeff Hornacek be headed to Iowa State?  
• Apparently Phoenix is not considered to be very business friendly.  
• Diamondbacks catcher Tuffy Gosewisch to miss the remainder of the season. 
• Arizona's top high school football prospects for 2017.  
• Why was live anthrax shipped to an Arizona lab?  
• SCOTUS declines request to revive Arizona's immigration law. 
• Diamondbacks trade Mark Trumbo to the Seattle Mariners. 
• Arizona ranks near bottom on state spending on schools. 
• Could Marvin Bagley III go down as best Arizona prep hoopster ever?