POTpourri

• Hillary Clinton really does deserve your support.  
• Donald Trump selects Mike Pence as his VP candidate.
• You can support BLM and the police at the same time. 
• Donald Trump seems to really want the white racist vote. 
• We have got to change the way we police in this country. 
• Dwyane Wade signs free agent contract with the Chicago Bulls.  
• How is it that Republicans see porn as a bigger problem than guns? 
• I wish someone had told me about Linda Loo earlier.  
• Props to South Carolina Senator Tim Scott for telling his story. 
• Serena Williams & Andy Murray win 2016 Wimbledon titles.  
• Theresa May replaces David Cameron as British PM. 
• I find it interesting that the NRA hasn't come to the defense of Philando Castile. 
• Are you familiar with Trey Gowdy's email problems? 
• America's gun laws have put it's people on a road to ruin. 
• Anyone who votes for Trump is a traitor to the American idea. 
• 2016 Emmy nominations announced.  
• Natalie Danish really needs to be on your radar.  
• Donald Trump sure does seem to have a great affinity for tyrants.
• How did Rudy Giuliani ever get elected Mayor of New York City?    
• Red states continue to fair poorly in the Quality of Life rankings. 
• Kansas really does not want people to vote.  

Bernie Sanders Endorses Hillary Clinton

It was only a matter of time.  Hopefully, the revolution lives on.

Best Power Forwards of All Time

With Tim Duncan's recent retirement it got me to thinking about his rank among the NBA's All Time Great Power Forwards.  I think you can safely put him on top of the list.   Here's my Top 10:

1. Tim Duncan
2. Karl Malone
3. Charles Barkley
4. Dirk Nowitzki 
5. Kevin Garnett
6. Kevin McHale
7. Elvin Hayes
8. Bob Pettit 
9. Dennis Rodman 
10. Jerry Lucas 

Others:  Chris Webber, Dolph Schayes, Pau Gasol, Rasheed Wallace, Tom Chambers, Shawn Kemp, Vern Mikkelsen.

Kris Dunn

I think he may have a bright future ahead of him.

AZ Tidbits

• Initiative to legalize marijuana headed to a vote. 
• Phoenix Suns sign free agent Jared Dudley.  
• $12 per hour minimum wage appears headed to the ballot box in Arizona. 
• Diamondbacks trade Brad Ziegler to the Red Sox for 2 prospects. 
• The Jeff Flake vs Donald Trump feud is getting interesting. 
• Record breaking hot summers are becoming the norm in Arizona. 
• John McCain needs to walk off into the sunset.  You too Matt Salmon. 
• Phoenix Suns lose Mirza Teletovic & Jon Leuer in free agency.  
• Phoenix ranked as the number 2 Rudest City in the U.S. 
• Only one Diamondback among Baseball America's Mid-Season Top 100 Prospects.  
• Arizona is really not a good place to be poor. 
• I like the way Ray Anderson is running the Arizona State Athletics Department. 
• Arizona Coyotes sign free agent Jamie McGinn.  
• University of Arizona falls short in the College World Series. 
• The Arizona Cardinals land 6 players in the NFL.com list of Top 100 Players. 
• Shane Doan announces that he'll be playing for Coyotes next season. 
• Ann Kirkpatrick has pulled ahead of John McCain in recent polling. 
• Paul Goldschmidt selected for the 2016 MLB All Star Game. 
• Phoenix Suns sign free agent Leandro Barbosa.  
• Please vaccinate your children people! 

They're All Back Together Again!

Guns N' Roses with Steven Adler.   Easily one of the best rock bands ever!

Carmelo Anthony

Props to Carmeo Anthony, I'm suddenly very happy he will be on the U.S. Olympic Basketball team.  I love this instagram post.  Yes, athletes are role models, I love when they step up.  Here are his comments in regards to recent happenings:

"First off let me start by saying "All Praise Due To The Most High".  Secondly, I'm all about rallying, protesting, fighting for OUR people.  Look I'll even lead the charge, By Any Means Necessary.  We have to be smart about what we are doing though.  We need to steer our anger in the right direction.  The system is broken.  Point blank period.  It's been this way forever.  Martin Luther King marched. Malcolm X rebelled.  Muhammed Ali literally fought for U.S.  Our anger should be towards the system.  If the system doesn't change we will continue to turn on the TVs and see the same thing.  We have to put the pressure on the people in charge in order to get this thing we call JUSTICE right.  A march doesn't work.  We tried that.  I've tried that.  A couple social media post/tweet doesn't work.  We all tried that.  That didn't work.  Shooting 11 cops and killing 5 WILL NOT work.  While I don't have a solution, we need to come together more than anything at this time.  We need each other.  These politicians have to step up and fight for change.  I'm calling for all my fellow ATHLETES to step up and take charge.  Go to your local officials, leaders, congressman, assemblymen/assemblywomen and demand change.  There's NO more sitting back and being afraid of tackling and addressing political issues anymore.  Those days are long gone.  We have to step up and take charge.  We can't worry about what endorsements we gonna lose or whose gonna look at us crazy.  I need your voices to be heard.  We can demand change.  We just all have to be willing to.  THE TIME IS NOW.  IM all in.  Take Charge.  Take Action.  DEMAND CHANGE.  Peace7.  #StayMe7o

Trump Cabinet

This is the best thing I've seen on The Daily Show in quite some time.

TPSG 100 Most Influential People

I think it's long past time that I update my list of 100 Most Influential People.  And yes, it is a bit Arizona/Minnesota centric.  Here goes:

1. Barack Obama - history will reflect positively on his Presidency. 
2. Pope Francis - only the best Pope ever. 
3. Bernie Sanders - he's starting a revolution.  
4. Elizabeth Warren - unabashed fighter for the middle class.  
5. Elon Musk - the real life Tony Stark  
6. Bill Gates - the Gates Foundation is doing tremendous work. 
7. Mark Dayton - perhaps the best Governor in America. 
8. Jerry Brown- he has proven that liberal policies work. 
9. Justin Trudeau - everything America needs in a leader. 
10. Tyrann Mathieu - a great role model for all.  
11. Charles Barkley - the best sports analyst on television.  
12. Kate Brown - her liberal agenda has been quite successful.  
13. Hillary Clinton - next President of the United States. 
14. Will Ferrell - the funniest man alive.  
15. Derrick Hall - a true leader of people.  
16. Shane Doan - easily my favorite hockey player.  
17. Bruce Arians - coolest coach in all of sports.  
18. Karl-Anthony Towns - the future of the NBA? 
19. Galina Dubenenko - perhaps the most beautiful woman in the world.
20. Bill Maher - his sharp commentary on politics is never boring. 
21. Samantha Bee - a welcome addition to late nights. 
22. Robert Reich - longtime fighter for the middle class. 
23. Mike Zimmer - everything you look for in a football coach. 
24. Michael Phelps - now a five time Olympian. 
25. John Oliver - consistently astute and funny commentary. 
26. Chris Hayes - his Emmy Award was much deserved.   
27. Thom Hartmann - top progressive voice on the radio airwaves. 
28. Tracy Claeys - you cannot not pull for this guy to succeed.  
29. Rami Malek - he is great in Mr. Robot   
30. Warren Buffet - a rich man with a conscience.  
31. Amy Klobuchar - the future of the Democratic party?   
32. Bill Clinton - his legacy is looking pretty good about now. 
33. John Kerry - one of America's great politicians. 
34. Rachel Maddow - a much needed progressive voice on television.  
35. Al Franken - one of Washington's most progressive voices. 
36. Jimmy Kimmel - best late night host on television.  
37. Steph Curry - does more with less than anybody in sports. 
38. Paul Goldschmidt - American's first baseman, need I say more? 
39. Helga Lovekaty - perhaps the most beautiful woman in the world.  
40. Joe Biden - he has been an excellent Vice President.  
41. Clint Dempsey - still America's best soccer player.  
42. Larry Fitzgerald - perhaps the best Arizona Cardinal ever. 
43. Michelle Obama - she's been a tremendous first lady. 
44. Gennady Golovkin - please give me Golovkin vs Alvarez
45. Seth Meyers - he is really becoming a late night force.  
46. Lawrence O'Donnell - a much needed liberal voice on television.  
47. Canelo Alvarez - please give me Alvarez vs Golovkin
48. Mark Ruffalo - a great actor and liberal fighter  
49. Cenk Uygur - a much needed and very outspoken progressive voice
50. Lewis Black - he never fails to make me laugh.  
51. Nina Agdal - perhaps the most beautiful woman in the world. 
52. Sherrod Brown - one of Washington's most progressive voices. 
53. Tom Perez - one of the most influential Hispanics in the U.S. 
54. Corey Booker - one of Washington's most progressive voices. 
55. Nate Silver - his statistical analysis is always spot on.  
56. John Fugelsang - a welcome addition to the progressive airwaves.  
57. Tom Thibodeau - tasked with taking the Minnesota Timberwolves to the next level.
58. Nick Hanauer - people need to pay closer attention to him.  
59. Gabrielle Giffords - her voice carries a lot of weight. 
60. Eric Decker - I love the way he plays the game. 
61. LeBron James - best basketball player in the world.  
62. Larry David - so happy we are going to get more "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
63. Sarah Silverman - sharp, witty, progressive, what's not to like? 
64. Thomas Piketty - his progressive economics could change the worlds. 
65. Dave Tippett - he gets the most out of his players.  
66. Keith Olbermann - how I wish he had a platform this election season. 
67. Paul Krugman - he's got a Pulitzer Prize for a reason.  
68. Carson Palmer - the Cardinals live and die with his health.  
69. Zack Greinke - the best Diamondback pitcher since Randy Johnson. 
70. Patrick Peterson - in my opinion the best cornerback in football. 
71. King Abdullah II - perhaps the most important leader in the Middle East. 
72. Joseph Stiglitz - a great fighter against inequality. 
73. Novak Djokovic - best tennis player in the world.  
74. Julian Castro - one of the most influential Hispanics in the U.S. 
75. Mike Trout - best baseball player on the planet.  
76. Lionel Messi - he's a magician with a soccer ball.  
77. Dwayne Johnson - his movies rarely disappoint me.   
78. Kat Cole - a tremendous female role model.  
79. Xavier Becerra - one of the most influential Hispanics in the U.S. 
80. Steve Keim - he has done a great job building the Cardinals into a winner. 
81. J.J. Watt - pound for pound the best football player in the world. 
82. Andrew Wiggins - just skimming his potential.  
83. Miguel Sano - the future of the Minnesota Twins. 
84. Jordan Spieth- the best golfer in the world.  
85. Stephanie Miller - one of the top liberal voices in radio
86. Rick Froning - only the fittest man on earth. 
87. Vince Gilligan - he just makes great television.  
88. Stephen Colbert - he's been a nice addition to late night television.
89. Bobby Hurley - the hope of ASU hoops. 
90. Trevor Noah - no John Stewart, but who is?   
91. Michael Moore - I only wish that he'd make more movies.  
92. Rick Speilman - he's built a nice team in Minnesota.  
93. Roman Gonzales - pound for pound the best boxer in the world. 
94. Jon Jones - pound for pound the best MMA fighter in the world.   
95. Chris Matthews - he doesn't mince his words.  
96. David Cay Johnston - his take on economic issues are always spot on. 
97. Larry Wilmore - still highly underrated, give him a watch. 
98. Aung San Suu Kyi - she never stops fighting for the people of her country.
99. Bruce Boudreau - tasked with turning around the Minnesota Wild. 
100. Byron Buxton - watch out when he hits his full potential.  

Summer of Swim

I love summer!

POTpourri

• House Benghazi committee finds no wrongdoing by Hillary Clinton. 
• The Supreme Court lays a smack down on Texas abortion law. 
• That Keith Thurman vs Shawn Porter fight has to be the 2016 Fight of the Year. 
• ESPN's "O.J.: Made in America" was some must see TV.  
• No charges to be filed against Hillary Clinton for her use of private email server. 
• Kevin Durant signs free agent contract with the Golden State Warriors. 
• Conservative columnist George Will leaves the Republican Party.  
• The 2016 U.S.A. Men's Olympic Basketball team announced. 
• Nobody in Kansas appears to like Governor Sam Brownback.  
• I'm tiring of the mainstream media's attempt at balance. 
• Coastal Carolina wins 2016 College World Series. 
• There's a good reason nobody wants to contribute to Donald Trump. 
• Remind me again who the corrupt Presidential candidate is.  
• RIP Pat Summitt, Elie Weisel & Buddy Ryan. 
• It seems as though there is a bit of Brexit regret in the U.K. 
• Are you familiar with Charlotte McKinney?  You probably should be. 
• Cracks are beginning to show in the caliphate.   
• Michael Phelps qualifies for his 5th Olympic games. 
• When did it become acceptable for Presidential candidates to lie at will? 
• Donald Trump is vetting Chris Christie & Newt Gingrich for V.P. 
• NBA increases salary cap.  2016 NBA Free Agent Tracker here.   
• Have you ever noticed that blue states tend to lead in median income? 
• I'm tiring of all the manufactured GOP scandals, try governing please. 

Happy 4th of July!

Elie Weisel Quotes

RIP Elie Weisel

"To forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time."

"I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation.  We must always take sides. We must always take sides.  Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim.  Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."

"Indifference to me, is the epitome of all evil."

"Mankind must remember that peace is not God's gift to his creatures, peace is our gift to each other."

"There may be times that we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest."

"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.  The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.  The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.  And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference."

"Friendship marks a life even more deeply than love.  Love risks degenerating into obsession, friendship is never anything but sharing."

"When a person doesn't have gratitude, something is missing in his or her humanity.  A person can almost be defined by his or her attitude toward gratitude."

"I decided to devote my life to telling the story because I felt that having survived I owed something to the dead and anyone who does not remember betrays them again."

"Human suffering anywhere concerns men and women everywhere."

"Those who kept silent yesterday will remain silent tomorrow."

"No human race is superior, no religious faith is inferior.  All collective judgments are wrong.  Only racists make them."

Laboratories of Democracy

I've been wondering this myself.

AZ Tidbits

• Can't Jan Brewer just fade away into the sunset? 
• The Arizona Coyotes appear to have an arena plan in sight. 
• Anne Kirkpatrick appears to be winning over Republican voters. 
• ESPN makes five trade suggestions for the Phoenix Suns. 
• Has the death penalty in Arizona been put to death? 
• Arizona is ground zero for the suppression of the Native American vote. 
• Has Hillary Clinton overtaken Donald Trump in Arizona? 
• Why is John McCain holding up hearings for Merrick Garland? 
• Arizona militia members have an odd way of expressing their patriotism. 
• Jake Lamb is quietly have a heckuva season for the Diamondbacks. 
• Arizona lawmaker charged with food stamp fraud. 
• Something smells in the attempted fight against Dark Money in Arizona. 
• NFL.com ranks Bruce Arians at the NFL's 5th Best Coach. 
• Tyrone Corbin set to join the Phoenix Suns coaching staff. 
• If you must hike in Arizona in the summer please do so in Northern Arizona.  
• You don't want to be old and poor in La Paz county in Arizona. 
• Arizona's Barrio Cafe named top Mexican restaurant in the U.S. 
• Have I mentioned that I'm not a fan of the Nestle bottling water in Arizona. 
• Why is John McCain playing games with funds to fight the Zika virus? 
• Free agent targets for the Phoenix Suns this summer?