T-Shirt of the Week

June 28, 2017

This week we started adding t-shirts to our product line, rounding out the mix that includes calendars and magazine subscriptions.  While the t-shirts are just getting started, we came across the historic campaign of Barack Obama from eight years ago.  We found Hillary's 2008 campaign shirts as well, but somehow it doesn't hold the same significance.



Obama / Biden '08 Sweatshirt

The picture shows a sweatshirt, but the product is actually available in a tee, golf shirt, and many other styles.  While Barack Obama's victory was historic, it seems like such a simpler time than where we are today with the Trump trainwreck.  Why just today, racist Donald decided to take another shot at President Obama for his role in the Russia investigation.  Mr. Obama, for his part, has refused to get into a back and forth argument, because well, he's an adult and Trump is a petulant child.

What seems clear is that Trump is quite jealous of Obama and his successful, two-term presidency in which he won the popular vote twice and left office with a sixty percent approval rating.  Trump is all about the numbers and knows he is barely hanging on to a 40% approval number, one of the lowest ratings of all-time at this point in a presidency.  While he's holding around forty for the time being, it won't be long before the public grows tired of his BS and realizes he gets nothing done.

Donny knows he can't hold a candle to Obama, so he lashes out uncontrollably.  I'm sure his base will still support him.  After all, Fox News is still complaining about President Obama and he hasn't even been in office in nearly six months.  Rather than blame the morally bankrupt president they are forced to support, they're busy focusing on leakers and Barack for the root cause of all their problems.  Of course, the folks that watch Fox exclusively won't ever hear about all the good things Barack Obama did during his two terms.  That doesn't fit with the conservative narrative they've orchestrated since the days of Reagan.

Regardless, the Obama / Biden T-Shirts are historic as they became the President and Vice President of the United States shortly thereafter.  At the time these shirts were created, it was up in the air about wheteher Obama would beat Hillary for the nomination.  He did, and then beat McCain and four years later he beat Romney.

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Will Celtics Form a Superteam?

June 27, 2017

Basketball season is over, but with free agency coming on July 1st, players are looking to make moves to the best teams in the league to chase the ring.  With only a handful of teams with a realistic shot of challenging the Warriors, the ones a step or two behind are at an advantage in attracting top-tier free agents.

 
Step in the Boston Celtics.  Rumor has it they will aggressively pursue Gordon Hayward of the Utah Jazz and sign him to a max contract.  If they get him, they supposedly will trade for Paul George of the Indiana Pacers and then sign him to an extension.  Hayward played in college for Brad Stevens, the Celtics coach, and by all accounts he'd like to leave Utah to a location/team with more relevance.  No offense to Utah, but the Warriors didn't want them in the playoffs because they thought the city was boring with nothing to do.

The current rumor surrounding Paul George is that the Celtics would give up the newly acquired Lakers/Sacramento 1st round pick, a protected 2019 1st round pick from the Clippers, Jae Crowder, and another player to make the dollars work (Avery Bradley or Tyler Zeller).  Word is the Celtics need Hayward to sign first before making the trade in order to sequence the salary cap correctly.  Basically, they don't want to dump players if something falls through.  Crowder is exendable only because Paul George would be replacing his slot.  It's a loss to be sure, but George is a top-10 player in the league

If the above story is all true, Danny Ainge is finally pulling the trigger to create a superteam to challeng Lebron and GSW.  The Celtics would have four All-Star players with Isiah Thomas, Al Horford, Paul George, and Gordon Hayward.  They'd also have up-and-coming stars in Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Ante Zizic.  The would also keep the Brooklyn Nets pick for next season, which potentially is another top three selection.  These moves could cement the Celtics place atop the NBA for years to come as they'd essentially be running a current squad of all-stars and a futures team coming off the bench that could replace them all in a few years' time.

The question is whether this is enough to get past the Cavs and Golden State.  I do think it pushes them above Cleveland, but to beat the Warriors, they'll need to figure out what to do with Isiah Thomas on defense.  IT4 is one of the worst defenders in the NBA (while in his prime), as he gives up half a foot or more with his diminutive 5'9" frame.  You can't teach height and you can't hide Isiah against GSW, especially now that he's coming off hip problems.  You'll need stronger guard play behind Isiah (perhaps Marcus Smart) and keep IT4 off the defensive side of the floor when possible.

All in all, they would at least have a chance against the Warriors and probably give them a better challenge than the Cavs. Danny will still have a number of assets to make sure the team is deep and set up for the future.

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CBO Deals Crushing Blow



Non-partisan Congressional Budget Office
finds 22 million will lose health coverage.

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Did Lakers Give Up too Early?

June 25, 2017

D'Angelo Russell is barely 21 years old.  He was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers two years ago with the second overall pick of the 2015 NBA draft.  Russell, like many other elite college basketball players, took the one-and-done route, playing one season for Ohio State Buckeyes as a freshman and then declaring for the draft. 


The 6'5" guard will enter his third season in the NBA in the fall, but he's basically equivalent to just a senior in college.  Despite his youth and relatively modest experience thus far, the incredibly impatient Magic Johnson decided to give up quickly and traded him to the Brooklyn Nets last week.  Of course, this was all to clear room for the next great thing, Lonzo Ball, another freshman guard who spent one season playing college ball.

It's an extraordinary leap to transiton from college basketball to the NBA and for guys who play just one college season, it takes time to adjust.  Even the best players in the league don't come into their own until the mid-20's, after a number of years in the league under their belt.   D'Angelo Russell had been improving and put up solid numbers last year for the Lakers, especially toward the end of the year.  In February, he put up 11 assists against the Washington Wizards, and he dropped 40 points in a game versus the Cavs the following month.

It's fine to trade a guy in order to improve your team, but Magic, in an unprofessional manner, took a couple shots at the young man on his way out the door, saying the Lakers needed a leader and someone others wanted to play with.  Ouch!  You can tell Magic hasn't been doing this job very long.  You make disparaging comments about former guys on your team and nobody is going to want to play for you.  Just look at the pathetic New York Knicks as evidence.

This dumping of D'Angelo Russell reminds me of the asinine trade Rick Pitino made while coaching (more like destroying) the Celtics.  Chauncey Billups, another young guard, was drafted with the third pick of the 1997 draft after two seasons in college.  The ever impatient Pitino, who could only focus on winning immediately, traded Billups toward the end of his first year with Boston.  Billups eventually became one of the best players in the NBA.  He was an All-Star for five consecutive seasons, won a championship with the Detroit Pistons, was named MVP of the Finals, and played for 17 seasons.

I can forsee D'Angelo Russell becoming the next Chauncey Billups in the coming years.  Magic won't be driven out of the league and relegated to college ball like Pitino, but he won't be in the front office long if he continues to makes poor moves.

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Calendar of the Week

June 24, 2017

It was a slow news week, but we did get through the NBA draft and a slew of trades, especially picks moving back and forth in the second round.  While the most interesting trade was the asinine giveaway of Jimmy Butler by the Chicago Bulls, their sad, sorry state was not finished.  They also sold their 38th pick in the draft  to Golden State Warriors for $3.5 million.  Why this is legal in today's NBA is beyond me, but regardless, the Bulls win the prize for the most inept organization in the NBA.



Chicago Bulls Wall Calendar

That is why we showcase their 2017 calendar, which may be the last time you'll see the spectacular Butler wearing the red and black.  Jimmy Butler actually wanted to stay in Chicago, but management had other ideas.  The Bulls leadership is in disarray, having dumped a top 20 star in the league for peanuts and then selling a draft pick that they so clearly need.  Gone are the days of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen leading them to six championships.  What's left is a shell of their former self.  You can lament their fall with these 2017 Chicago Bulls calendars, as they'll be hard-pressed to make the postseason without Butler and possibly without Dwayne Wade, who is unlikely to hang out while the team rebuilds.  Wade can actually opt-in to his one-year deal at more than $24 million, but he likely will decline.

What is disturbing is that the Bulls were able to sell a pick for nothing more than cash.  It goes to show how much Chicago needs the money and that Golden State is not above buying their way to the top.  This move is not getting much attention in the MSM as they're more fixated on assigning grades to each team.  Perhaps Chicago is purposely tanking for the 2018 season with a hope of acquiring one of the three stud palyers expected to be available next year.  Either way, the Bulls calendar will help you follow along as they blow up their season and angle for a higher draft slot.

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Magazine of the Week

June 23, 2017

Now that we've added magazines to the product line to accompany 2017 and 2018 calendars, we will dedicate a weekly post to highlight one of our favorites.  We are deep into the heart of baseball season, so what better way to represent it than to showcase the Junior Baseball Magazine, a publication dedicated to finding the next star, before they even hit the minors.



Junior Baseball Magazine - 3 issues

The focus here is on 7 - 17 year old players as they work their way through junior high and high school and begin to stand out from the crowd.  Although the thought of scouting such a young athlete is frowned upon in some sports, it's necessary in baseball as many kids skip college altogether and look to get drafted and sign a minor league contract with a professional team as soon as they turn 18.  For fans of the MLB and for those that follow minor league ball, a subscription to this Junior Baseball Magazine would be right up your alley.  Many of these guys will not make it to the big show, but if they do, you'll be able to say you followed them from the beginning.  If you're a baseball player on your Little League team, in a Babe Ruth league or beyond, this Junior Baseball Magazine will give you helpful ideas to refine your game.  It will also review new products, including bats, helmets, gloves, and more.  Statistics, trivia questions, and tips from major league ballplayers are included as well.  It will even discuss training during the season and what techniques to work on during the offseason.

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Timberwolves Steal Jimmy Butler

June 22, 2017

The big news of the night was not that Markelle Fultz was the first pick of the NBA draft or that Lonzo Ball went to the hometown Lakers, but it was the fleecing of the Chicago Bulls by the Minnesota Timberwolves.  Jimmy Butler, one of the best all-around players in the league and a 3-time All-Star, was traded to the T-Wolves for almost nothing.  The Bulls moved up from the 16th to 7th pick in the draft and received Kris Dunn (who?) and Zach LaVine (who?).

 

With the 7th pick, Chicago selected Lauri Markkanen, a seven footer from Finland.  Minneosotas challenge now is to sign Butler to an extention so that he stays for more than the two years left on his contract.  If he bails after two years, it's not a great deal for the Timberwolves as they appear to be more than one player away from a championship.

Markkanen has a lot of potential like many lottery players in this draft, but he is an unproven talent, unlike Butler, who is an absolute stud.  It's stunning that Chicago was unable to get more for a top-tier forward with two years left on his contract who actually wanted to stay in Chicago.  The Bulls would've been better served to build their franchise around Butler.  They were a playoff team that came close to knocking off the Celtics if not for a Rajon Rondo injury.  Had they acquired one more marquee player to play with Rondo and Butler, they could vaulted themselves to the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference with Boston and Cleveland.  Perhaps they could've made a play for Paul George and then tried to convince him to re-sign. 

Speaking of Paul George, it was reported that the Spurs and Celtics were close to acquiring the one-year rental.  If he goes to San Antonio, that could put them on par with Golden State, depending on what they give up.  If he moves to Boston, they might be able to get past Cleveland, but they'd probably still be one guy away.

As a point of interest, most of the best teams in the NBA didn't even have draft picks in the first round.  Golden State, Cleveland, Houston, and San Antonio all sat on the sidelines.  What does that say about their future?  The window is closing in a hurry, especially in Cleveland.  Meanwhile, the Celtics picked third after trading out of the first pick, and selected Jayson Tatum of Duke.  Assuming they don't trade him, he should be able to help in the rotation come playoff time.  That said, he won't put them over the hump, at least not next year.  Young guys don't win in the NBA, especially guys only one year removed from high school.  Boston could've traded for Jimmy Butler, but it looks like they either didn't value him as highly, didn't have enough cap space to grab him and then Gordon Hayward in free agency, or really valued their young core.

The night is not over yet, so more trades could be had.  Plus, free agency starts on July 1st and the big names usually move pretty quick.  Hayward is expected to leave the Utah Jazz and could quickly change the balance of power in the NBA.  Kevin Durant changed the power structure with his move to the Warriors, and although this move is smaller, it could still make a difference.

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NBA Trades in Full Swing

June 21, 2017

With the NBA draft coming up Thursday night, many teams are looking to deal and position themselves better.  It's not just Trader Danny on the Celtics.  The Indiana Pacers are being forced to trade Paul George as he informed them he'll be joining the Lakers for the 2018 season and the Chicago Bulls are fielding calls to move Jimmy Butler to the highest bidder.  The Los Angeles Lakers have already moved DeAngelo Russell, the #2 overall pick just two years ago, to the hapless Brooklyn Nets, and Dwight Howard was traded from the Atlanta Hawks to the Charlotte Hornets.



The dysfunctional New York Knicks are also hoping to get in on the action, floating 7'3" Latvian big man Kristaps Porzingis as possible trade bait.  Phil Jackson is asking for the world for the 21-year old, so a deal is highly unlikely to get done anytime soon.  The Lakers appear to be the most active, having completed one trade and trying to do more.  They'd like to grab Paul George at a discount rate, just to make sure he doesn't go to the Cavs or Celtics and decide to stay.  He is the most likely player to move before the deadline, but for most teams he would just be a one-year rental.  There has also been some lusting for Anthony Davis, but the New Orleans Pelicans don't seem interested in trading.

Whatever the case, there appear to be only five teams in serious contention for a title next year:  Golden State, Cleveland, San Antonio, Boston, and Houston.  The remaining twenty-five teams are light years behind and could fall further back in this age of superteams.  We have yet to hit free agency, but in the NBA, the best free agents tend to move toward franchises with a shot at a championship.  The best available will likely be Blake Griffin and Gordon Hayward.  Expect both of them to join one of the five above, ala Kevin Durant last season.  The last two teams Durant narrowed his choices to last year was the Celtics and the Warriors.  He chose the sure thing, of course, and now the rest of the league is chasing.

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Democrats Lose Again

June 20, 2017

Perhaps the Democratic Party should have a plan before they try to win an election.  With a House seat up for grabs in Georgia's 6th district, the party rolled out a 30-year old kid with no experience who doesn't even live in the district in which he's running.  While Jon Ossoff was from the district, he couldn't find it in himself to even rent a place.  For a thirty year old, Ossoff has an impressive resume; Georgetown for undergrad, the London School of Economics for his Masters, and an aide to a Congressman in Washington.  However, he is basically a liberal elitist in the most liberal city in America, not a guy in the deep South looking out for the interests of northern Georgia.  There's nothing wrong his resume, I suppose, but it's not what the public has in mind when they vote for someone to represent them in Congress.



I guess the Democrats can find comfort that an inexperienced carpetbagger who spends most of his time inside the Beltway was able to capture 48% of the vote in a swing district, but this was a seat they easily could have won if they spend some time finding a real candidate.  You know, one with experience who is old enough to remember the 1980's.

The special elections taken place so far have shown us that although the Republicans are vulnerable, the Democrats are too lost to take advantage of them.  While experience is obviously important, the leaders of the party are ancient relics that refuse to give up power.  When your team is run by 77-year old Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and 78-year old Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, you know you're in trouble.  What's more, their best candidate as of today to dethrone Trump from the Presidency is former Vice President Joseph Biden, who would be 78-years old in January, 2021.

To be sure, the Democrats do have up and coming stars (see Harris, Kamala), but it remains to be seen if the party can pull themselves together and develop a coherent strategy to take over Congress by the mid-term elections.

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In Danny We Trust

June 19, 2017

Danny Ainge has made a lot of trades in the last 10+ years as head of the Boston Celtics and nearly all of them have been successful.  His most famous, of course, is fleecing the Brooklyn Nets out of four first round draft picks for an aging Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.  He is considered by many to be the best General Manager in basketball who has built the Boston Celtics up to a formidable contender.  Why then, do media blowhards doubt his latest trade moving out of the #1 overall pick and moving back to the third selection? 



Ainge was able to pick up yet another first round draft pick (likely to be a lottery selection) for merely sliding two spots.  In all likelihood, he'll still get the guy who is first on his draft board, which is probably Josh Jackson or Jayson Tatum.

The problem is the sports media group-think had already determined that Markelle Fultz was far and away the best player in the draft.  They gloss over the fact that the guy played only 25 games in college at the University of Washington, winning only nine of them.  They ignore that he was lousy on defense, either for lack of talent or lack of effort.  Either way, you can't play in the NBA if you don't have a high motor and make the effort on a nightly basis.  If Fultz doesn't have the motivation to go 100% for a whole 25 games, do we really expect him to go full-speed for 82 games, especially after receiving a multi-million dollar salary?  Players who don't make the effort all the time in college sure aren't going to do it in the pros where they're living large. 

Fultz also did not make the players around him any better as witnessed by the Huskie's nine victories.  Even horrible teams from major conferences with no NBA-talented players (let alone the supposed best college player) can win nine games in a season. 

Why is that the case?  Major conference teams always schedule cream-puff games to pad their win totals.  So who did Washington beat with the great Markelle Fultz leading the way?  The powerhouses of Cal State Fullerton, Northern Arizona, Long Beach State, Western Kentucky, Western Michigan, Cal Poly, Seattle, Oregon State, and Colorado! 

That win against Colorado in OT was decent, but it was Washington's last win of the season and it was in mid-January.  They went on to lose their last thirteen games!  Fultz sat in about half those remaining games due to his knee swelling up.  On top of all that evidence, Fultz is also a terrible free throw shooter.  He made only 65% of his attempts.

Markelle Fultz is a very good overall player, but he is not the best player in this draft and Danny Ainge knows it.  Ainge took advantage of the desperate 76ers, who bought into the media hype surrounding Fultz and the cache of having the #1 pick.  It'll be a long time before they win with their current roster.  Neither Ben Simmons nor Fultz has ever played an NBA game and Embiid can't stay on the court.  Danny Ainge robbed the Sixers of a first round pick that they will need in the future.  It may take a couple years, but eventually the media will realize the 2017 draft has a lot of depth and many more talented players than the guard from Washington.

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Another Attack in London

June 18, 2017

Sadly, this is starting to feel like a daily occurrence in the city of London.  A white van hit pedestrians leaving a mosque after evening services.  The male driving the van was quickly pinned down and arrested, but not before injuring at least six individuals.  Muslims are celebrating Ramadan and have been congregating in large numbers at mosques around the world.  There is not currently word on the condition of anybody struck by the van or if this was deliberate.  Witnesses believe the van accelerated into the crowd, which would be a strong indicator it was purposeful.



This terrorist incident appears to be a reverse of the ones we've been seeing in Europe in that Muslims are being targeted.  In past attacks, it has been almost exclusively Muslims, or people claiming to be as much, attacking innocent civilians.  If that's the case and it's the reverse, it further escalates tensions in a city that's a tinder box, waiting to erupt.

This incident happened at approximately midnight near Finsbury Park in North London, England, so many people in the U.K. will be waking up to learn of this attack and put them further on edge as they go about their day.

What does appear clear is that British authorities have no control over the safety of their country, no idea who's in the country that could be a threat, and no ability to remove terrorists that could cause grave harm to the public.  In nearly every incident, it's been uncovered after the fact that the terrorist was "known to authorities", yet they're allowed to roam free on a daily basis.  The government and intelligence services need to get a better handle on who they've let into the country and who poses a possible threat.  Rather than ignoring the warning signs and being soft on crime and terrorism, they need to clamp down and remove any non-citizen who is on their watch-list as a potential problem.  If they are citizens, they need intelligence on the ground and in the community to root these people out and stop attacks before they happen.  If they continue to be soft, this incident will be just one of many in a string of rampant attacks.

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Trader Danny Strikes Again

June 17, 2017

Never shy about making blockbuster trades, Danny Ainge is again making headlines.  The Boston Celtics are trading the #1 overall pick, presumed to be Washington freshman Markelle Fultz, to the Philadelphia 76ers.  The exact details of the trade have not been confirmed, but it is believed that Boston will slide down two spots to the third overall pick and acquire the L.A. Lakers first round pick in 2018 that Philly owns (with certain protections).  If that Lakers pick isn't conveyed to Boston, it is believed they'll receive the Sacramento's Kings 2019 first round pick that the Sixers also control.



For the Sixers, this trade makes complete sense as they desperately needed a transformational guard to accompany their young nucleus of Ben Simmons, last years #1 pick, and big man Joel Embiid.  All three players are under 24 years old and could form a powerful team for the next ten years.  They also have Jahlil Okafor and Dario Saric, who are 21 and 23, respectively.  Keep those five guys together and they'll be a superteam in a few years.

The Celtics needed another guard like they need a hole in the head.  They already have Isiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier, and DeMetrius Jackson.  All of these guys could start for an NBA franchise next year and adding Markelle Fultz to the mix would create a glut at the position.  They need rebounding and star-caliber wings.  Drafting the best available player is a great idea and all, but only for so long.  At some point, you need balance in the roster, especially if you want to compete with Cleveland and GSW.  The Celtics presumably like other guys in this draft that could firt their needs better.  Either Josh Jackson from Kansas or Jayson Tatum from Duke (or both) will be available.  Both are 6'8" forwards that would fill a more pressing need.

If you're the Celtics and you were going to take Josh Jackson anyway with the first pick, why not move back a couple spots and add to their massive war-chest of future first round draft picks.  The Lakers, despite having the 2nd pick, are not expected to be very good next year, so if the Celts are getting that pick, along with 2018 Brooklyn pick they already own, they'll likely be in this position again next year.  In the meantime, they can add to their impressive roster and perhaps entice free agents Blake Griffin and/or Gordon Hawyard to come on board.  On the other hand, they could be stockpiling picks in order to make a big trade for Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls.

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Amazon Aims to Dominate Food

June 16, 2017

Look out, because the $800 billion grocery business has a new player and it's a behemoth.  Amazon (AMZN), the largest online retailer in the world led by the incomparable Jeff Bezos, is buying Whole Foods Market (WFM) for $13.7 billion in an all-cash move.  The largest acquisition it has ever made, Amazon has designs on dominating the low-margin business.  Whole Foods is an organic and natural grocery chain with more than 450 stores around the country. 



When Whole Foods was created forty years ago, they were at the forefront of the organic food industry.  Their stores were primarily in affluent areas and the business was high-cost.  Unfortunately for them, the niche they helped create is now crowded and every grocery store now has an organic business, often at much lower costs.  As a result, Whole Foods was struggling to stay ahead.  The deal strikes fear into all the other grocery players, including Kroger (KR), Wal-Mart (WMT), SuperValu (SVU), and Costco (COST).  They now will be forced to compete with an extremely low-cost producing company that has a nearly unlimited amount of cash to expand, drive costs down, and squeeze out the competition. 

Predictions are already being made that Amazon will dominate the food industry inside of two years.  How they do it beyond the standard model that everyone uses will be fascinating to watch.  Since Amazon is primarily an online store without a brick and mortar prescence, but it may attempt to transform the entire industry with a deliveries to your home.  This is done by some chains in certain locations, but it remains to be seen if it can be done on a wide-scale and be profitable.  Of course, while the other players need to make a profit, Amazon does not.  Their online business is such a juggernaut that they will not be relying on grocery store earnings to stay afloat.

That said, Amazon has very little experience in the food business and has never made such a large acquisition before.  They have struggled thus far to make significant inroads on their own in the grocery business.  Integrating a sizable company into your own is not easy and takes time.  Beyond the culture, you need to integrate computer systems, multiple departments, and the like.  They are looking to close the deal quickly, targeting the second half of the year.

The road is scattered over the past century of massive, publicly-traded companies that feel constant pressure by shareholders and 'activists' to keep growing.  They always end up buying firms outside their core competency and struggle to make it successful.  Only time will tell if Amazon is able to succeed in this industry, but I'd be at least a little bit skeptical that they can bump out established and well-run organizations like Costco and Wal-Mart.

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Calendar of the Week

June 15, 2017

The annual Congressional baseball game is taking place tonight at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.  This is, of course, where the Washingon Nationals play their home baseball games.  The Nats are actually up in New York today playing against the Mets.  We offer nearly all the teams calendars in one form or another.  In some instances, we even have checkers games for the team.  In the case of the Nationals, we have the 2017 desk pad calendar pictured here.


Washington Nationals 2017 Desk Pad

This is the 2017 version, as the 2018 calendars for baseball teams are typically one of the last categories to be released.  Baseball, unlike basketball, hockey, and football is played entirely within one calendar year, which makes the 2018 rosters a long way from being set.  The Washington Nationals Desk calendar gives you plenty of white space to keep track of your schedule, appointments, planning, and the 162 games of your favorite MLB team.  We have 2018 calendars for virtually every sports team, including colleges.  Some are ready to go, but most are available for pre-order.

While the Democrats won the baseball game at Nationals park, the country has the Republicans in their thoughts and prayers as Steve Scalise, Matt Mike, the Capitol police officers, and the aide that was injured continue to recover.  A recent update on the Congressman was that he underwent another surgery today, is improving, but remains in critical condition.  Matt Mika, the Tyson Foods lobbyist, has been upgraded from critical to serious condition.

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Democrats Blamed for Violence




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House Whip, Tyson Foods Lobbyist Critical

June 14, 2017 - 11:00pm

Matt Mika and Steve Scalise, the Congressman shot in the hip, remain in critical condition tonight after suffering gunshot wounds by a crazed lunatic this morning.  Scalise was shot once in the left hip and immediately underwent surgery.  However, according to doctors, the bullet caused extensive bleeding and damaged his internal organs.  He has received more than one blood transfusion, but is currently fighting for his life.  He was shot at the onset of the gun battle and was pinned down on the baseball field for at least ten minutes before anyone could help him.  The 51-year old from Louisiana will reportedly need additional surgeries to pull through.



Matt Mika, the man somewhat forgotten in the wake of a high-ranking Republican also being injured, appears to be in tougher shape after being shot multiple times, perhaps four to five times according to reports.  At least two bullets hit him in the chest.  Mika is a 38-year old man from Michigan and is the Director of Government Relations for Tyson Foods, a role commonly referred to in D.C. circles as a lobbyist.  He received his Master's degree from Western Michigan University and has spent much of his career in Michigan politics, having previously worked for Congressman Dave Camp in the 4th congressional district.  Less is known about Matt Mika's condition.  He is out of surgery, but also still listed as critical.

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Congressman Shot at Baseball Practice in D.C. Suburbs

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Rodman to the Rescue?

There is only one person on the planet that is friends with both Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un.  Former Chicago Bulls star player Dennis Rodman has been to North Korea on multiple times to help bring basketball to the isolated country.  Rodman has, coincidentally, also appeared twice on Celebrity Apprentice, the reality show hosted by America's new President.  Amid all the tension between the two countries, the North Korean leder apparently invited his buddy Dennis to the country once more.  Officially, it's just a private citizen traveling on vacation, but we all know better than that.



No sooner had Rodman landed in Pyongyang than one of the American prisoners, Otto Warmbier, was released back to the United States government.  Warmbier was a college student at the University of Virginia before being detained and imprisoned by North Korea during a visit with a tour group.  He is supposedly in a coma, but is currently en-route to Cincinnati, Ohio to be re-united with his parents.  Hopefully, the reports of him being in a coma are false and just propaganda (a.k.a. fake news) pushed by Kim Jong-un and his people.  We should know soon enough when he lands.

North Korea continues to hold three other Americans in captivity and it's unclear if Rodman will be able to secure the release of any of them.  However, considering the friendship he has developed with Kim Jong-un and North Korea's propensity to exchange prisoners for high-profile visits by Americans, we should not be surprised if we see more releases in the coming days.

We must be living in a bizarro world when Dennis Rodman is the most important diplomat and a reality television star is the 'leader' of the United States of America.  However, if the end result is a de-escalation of tensions between the two countries and the two dictators, then here's hoping Rodman is big-ly successful.

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Durant Slams Door on Lebron

The biggest difference between today's version of Kevin Durant and Lebron James is that KD shows up huge in the fourth quarter when the game is on the line and James often can't keep pace.  Durant was unstoppable in this game and captured his first NBA championship and the second in two years for the Golden State Warriors.  He was an unbelievable 14-19 from the field and 5 of 7 from three-point range for 39 points in total.  He added five assists and seven rebounds.  His numbers are not as all-around as Lebron, but his offensove production is staggering.  He was clearly the best player on the floor for these five games and was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the NBA Finals.



Lebron played a great game and series, but he has now lost five times in the finals against three championships.  Of course, Cleveland asked too much of James in this series.  You really shouldn't have your 6"8' power forward bringing the ball up and down the court all the time.  He wears himself out in the second half.  The coaching staff really needs to do a better job of spacing out his minutes and his work-load.  He doesn't necessarily need a lot more help around him as he already has two all-stars beside him, but perhaps the Cavaliers can work on creating more depth on their roster for next season.

These two teams will most likely be back here again next season, barring injury.  The Celtics could give the Cavs a fight if they grab Markelle Fultz and Gordon Hayward, then bring Ante Zizic over from Europe, but they're likely still a step behind.  The Spurs, with a healthy Kawhi Leonard and maybe Chris Paul, could push GSW but it's doubtful that will be enough to deny the fourth installments of this rivalry, which is now shaping up as KD vs. Lebron.

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Sidney Crosby Cements Legacy...Retirement Next?

June 11, 2017

For the second year in a row, the Pittsburgh Penguins have won Lord Stanley's Cup, beating the Nashville Predators in six games.  A dramatic goal with ninety-five seconds left in the game turned out to be the winner and the Penguins added an empty-netter a minute later to claim a 2-0 victory.  It is the first back-to-back championship in the National Hockey League since the Detroit Red Wings pulled it off in 1997 and 1998.  The championship will also further cement Sydney Crosby's status as the best hockey player in the league as he achieves his third title before reaching the age of thirty.



Crosby has been nicknamed 'The Next One" as he is always compared to Wayne Gretzky, commonly known as "The Great One" and the best to ever step on the ice.  By the numbers, he compares very favorably to Gretzky, albeit for a shorter amount of time.  Gretzky played for twenty years and led his teams to four Stanley Cup titles, so Crosby is well on his way to matching or exceeding that total.  He is surrounded by a very talented team and at just 29 years of age, he could conceivably play another ten years at a high level.

The biggest concern that could greatly shorten the length of Crosby's career is his history of concussions.  He's had at least four concussions in the past seven years, and those are the ones we know about.  Crosby has missed a staggering 114 games in his career due to these head injuries.  His last concussion was in early May, just six weeks ago.

Now that Crosby has brought another championship to Pittsburgh and solidified his legacy, he should seriously consider retirement before his health deteriorates.  He has won three Stanley Cups, two gold medals in the Olympics, and a World Cup for his home country of Canada.  He's also scored over 1,000 points in his career, won the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player, and is ranked among the top 100 greatest hockey players of all-time...before ever winning this game tonight.  He has nothing left to prove. 

Like football, hockey is a violent game and it stands to reason he'll get another concussion if he keeps playing.  As evidence mounts on the long-term effects of head injuries, he'll be better off if he calls it quits now so he doesn't become another CTE statistic tomorrow.

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Theresa May Hanging on by a Thread

June 10, 2017

This part is lost on many, but the conservative Tories, led by Prime Minister Theresa May, actually won the election in the United Kingdom.  Her party won 318 seats, while the liberal Labour Party captured 262 seats.  The Scottish National Party (SNP), who want independence for Scotland, won thirty-five seats.  Now, I'm not a math major, but I'm pretty sure that's quite a big lead for the conservatives.  However, the narrative that's being spun is that it was a devastating loss for the Tories and for May and a massive victory for Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour Party leader.

You see, it's all an expectations game in mainstream media-land.  A political party in the U.K. needs 326 seats to hold a majority and the conservatives were expected to maintain their ever so slight majority.  Instead, they lost thirteen seats, while Labour picked up thirty-two and the SNP lost nineteen.  It means the Tories are eight seats short of an outright majority, but they still hold a strong plurality versus any other party.  All they really have to do is make a deal with the Democratic Unionist Party (DNP) in Northern Ireland, which holds ten seats.  Of course, the DUP will rake the conservatives over the coals to push them up to a full majority, but it'll be a small price to pay to remain in power.

Theresa May clearly made a mistake in calling for this election as she lost seats and the pure majority, but the Tories are still in control.  She may have to step down as Prime Minister and hand over the reigns, but it would be to someone in her own party.  However, I do find it bizarre that anyone would call an election that has the possibility of removing them from power.  Not a wise move.

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Golden State Fails to Close

June 9, 2017

The Warriors superteam, who had yet to lose in the playoffs this year, finally went down in defeat in a potential close out game.  They trailed from beginning to end against Cleveland and gave up a record 49 points in the first quarter alone.  They looked very average tonight after being heralded as an unstoppable team that could never be challenged.

Writers who fall all over themselves to declare Lebron the best player who has ever walked the Earth had now shifted to declare the Golden State Warriors the best team ever.  This helped them square the argument that even though James was the greatest thing ever, he couldn't possibly compete with such a team.  Of course, they leave out the part where Cleveland has three All-Stars, including Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving.  While Lebron James was his dominant self with a triple-double of 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, Love added 23 points with five rebounds and Kyrie threw down a staggering forty points with seven boards.



The reality is that both the Cavs and Warriors are super teams.  Golden State is still leading 3 games to 1, but they are not as far apart as we're led to believe.  Kevin Durant had another phenomenal game, but Stephon Curry disappeared, just like last year.  Curry, a former MVP, shot a miserable 4 of13 from the field and was only 2 of 9 from three-point land.  What's disturbing in that shooting is Curry's primary strength.  He needs to play a lot better and find his touch if he wants to win another championship.

The Warriors will probably still prevail, but perhaps their omnipotent status comes down a notch.  Unless, of course, Cleveland pulls a Red Sox comeback, the only (non-hockey) team to win after being down three games to none.

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Blame the...Diamondbacks?!?

June 8, 2017

In case you missed the all-important testimony from James Comey today, the biggest takeaway was not anything he said, but what John McCain said during his brief time to speak.  The 80-year old Senator from Arizona posed some bizarre and confusing questions to Comey that made no sense whatsoever.  So peculiar were the questions that people on social media and reporters starting wondering about Sen. McCain's mental health and whether he was ok.


McCain was recently re-elected to another six-year term and if he completes it, he will be 86-years old by the end.  His opponent at the time argued that McCain would never make it through.  It would seem somewhat normal if he started slipping and showing his age.  However, upon hearing that he had been incoherent, he claimed he was tired after staying up late to watch the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball game.  Hopefully that's all there is to it and nothing more serious.  We've all sounded incoherent at times, but it gets a little more scrutiny when you're eighty.

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Approval Rating Going Down

June 7, 2017

If you're part of the impeach crowd and can't wait for President Pence, look no further than the current President's approval rating.  The lower it goes, the more Republicans that will miraculously find their voice and speak out against him.  According to RealClearPolitics, his current average is just under 40%, but that also includes the hard-right leaning Rasmussen which marks him at 45%.  Rasmussen is now the only polling agency ranking him above forty.

Don't Leave Me Alone with Him

June 6, 2017

You know you're an awful president when the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation does not want to be left alone with you.  James Comey begged Attorney General Jeff Sessions (who himself may get fired) not to leave him alone with the Clown apparently for fear of what might be said.  True to his fears, the Clown pushed independence aside and asked Comey to make the Russia investigation go away.  Now Comey is set to testify before Congress tomorrow in what is being billed as the Super Bowl of Washington, D.C. for political geeks and junkies.



On the eve of Comey's testimony, it's also been revealed that Attorney General Jeff Sessions offered to resign after getting into heated arguments with the President.  Sessions is being blamed for recusing himself from the Russia investigation, which led to the Deputy AG, Rod Rosenstein, taking over and appointing Robert Mueller as special counsel to look into the allegations.  If Jefferson Sessions had not recused himself, he would not have appointed anyone to investigate his actions.

Tomorrow is just the first step in removing the President from office.  Republicans are very good at getting in line behind their, 'leader', but many would be thrilled to cast a vote to impeach him.  Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Marco Rubio (R-FL) have all been sharply criticized by the tweeter-in-chief in the past two years.  They would not lose any sleep getting rid of this guy should it ever come to that.  Of course, they need a lot more Republicans and all the Democrats to get on board, but that day is coming sooner rather than later.  At the end of the day, the Clown does not need this job and had a much more enjoyable life as a billionaire reality television actor living the high life in New York City.  It's only a matter of time before he figures out he wants his old life back.

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Calendar of the Week

June 5, 2017

With the brand new Dr. Seuss museum opening this week and considering NBC covered it earlier in their nightly news segment, we thought it appropriate to showcase his new 2018 family organizer calendar.  This sixteen month calendar gives you a head start on the year with a September start date.  It also comes with one hundred and twenty stickers so the whole family can enjoy it.  Some of Dr. Seuss' most memorable images and characters appear, as the Cat in the Hat adorns the cover twirling a ball.



Dr Seuss Family Organizer 2018 Wall Calendar

The museum is located in the heart of Springfield, Massachusetts, hometown of author and creator Theodor Seuss Geisel.  While he never became a doctor in real life, he used the pen-name to author dozens of children's books that have now sold over six hundred million copies.  Four of his books have been turned into movies after hea passed away and all have been very successful.  Every one has grossed over $100 million.  Two of his stories, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Lorax, have grossed nearly $350 million, a staggering amount.  It goes to show that Dr. Seuss has appeal for many generations of Americans and his characters live on forever.

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Golden State Dominates Again

June 4, 2017

Perhaps it's just the homecourt advantage, but the Cleveland Cavaliers look outmatched in every way.  Lebron James had another solid game on the offensive end, but cannot guard Kevin Durant to save his life and looked absolutely exhauted by the time the fourth quarter rolled around.  The final score was 132-113, but it wasn't even that close.  The last few minutes was actually garbage time, with the stars sitting on the bench and catching their breath.



The Cavs were down 0-2 last year and came back to win the series in seven games, but as we know, that was without Durant.  Clevelend has to make an adjustment and that means taking Lebron off Durant.  It's painfully obvious that Lebron cannot cover him.  The media has also annointed Lebron the best defensive player in the NBA, but that couldn't be further from the truth tonight on the world's biggest stage.  Once again, Durant was the best player.  In addition to his 33 points and 13 rebounds, he also added five blocks on defense.

The series shifts back to Cleveland for games three and four, so maybe the Cavs can muster up a fight.  What's also frightening is that if Cleveland is this far away from being competitive agaist Golden State, what does that mean for the rest of the league?  The Eastern Conference, in particular, cannot catch up to the Cavaliers, which makes you wonder how far behind they all are from standing up to the Warriors in the foreseeable future.

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College Football Ready to Go!

June 3, 2017

Unlike most sports calendars this time of year, the college football season for 2017-2018 is nearly upon us and all the school calendars are updated and ready.  A deep array of colleges (typically the ones with Division I teams) are available in both desk and wall calendars.  Some like the Kansas Jayhawks are even sold in a desk pad format, a great tool for students to keep track of their busy schedules.  We have dozens of schools from the Big Twelve to the Pac-10 to the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference). 

While the Clemson Tigers did not have much to choose from last year, now that they're the reigning national champions, you can get their merchandise in a wall calendar format, desk pad, vintage calendar, or a monthly pocket planner.  I guess winning a title brings some priviledges.  Of course, they don't have Heisman Trophy winner DeShaun Watson running the team anymore as he moved to the NFL, they do have a whole new crop of athletes to stay on top.



Clemson Tigers Wall Calendar

In the past, some smaller schools like Boston College had calendars to select from, but they have been outside the top 25 in both football and basketball for some time.  If a college doesn't stay near the top of the pack in these sports, a calendar might not be produced that year.  The school calendars mostly focus on the football teams, but where they have stronger programs in basketball, you might see the other sports represented.  Also, programs with a long and nostalgic history like the Harvard Crimson, Michigan Wolverines, or Baylor Bears may have a vintage calendar for sale.

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Warriors Easily Take Game 1

June 2, 2017

Despite the non-stop hype and constant adoration of Lebron James, the best basketball player on the court last night by far was Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors.  He scored 38 points as the Warriors defeated the Cavaliers by twenty-two.  GSW was seemingly in control throughout the game.  Cleveland will need to bring much better play for the next contest if this series is going to be remotely competitive.  Cleveland is no longer playing against cream-puffs in the East or a team (Boston Celtics) without their best player.  They beat Golden State last year in seven games, but that was without Kevin Durant on the team.  If Durant had decided on the Celtics over the Warriors, we might never have seen the Cavaliers in the NBA finals again.



Unfortunately, the NBA has turned into a league of super-teams.  This marks the third year in a row the Cleveland Cavaliers are playing the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals and it doesn't appear to end anytime soon.  The Warriors went undefeated in the playoffs, while Cleveland had lost but one time. 

While Lebron will be on the old side in a few years, Durant is only 28 years old and Steph Curry is 29.  The Warriors also have Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, and Draymond Green, making them a nearly unstoppable force.  Only two teams on the horizon look capable of dethroning these powerhouses.  The San Antonio Spurs were somewhat close and may be able to land Chris Paul in the off-season to bolster their chances.  The Boston Celtics are the other potential threat as they own the #1 pick in the upcoming draft and have the cap space to sign a max player like Gordon Hayward come July.  A 19-year old rookie may not be able to help the Celtics much next year, but he should in the years that follow.  In the meantime, it's a Warrior Cavs world and we're all just living on the sidelines.

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The Beginning of the End?

June 1, 2017

James Brien Comey Jr., the man partly responsible for screwing up the American presidential election, has agreed to testify before Congress one week from today about Russia's involvement in said election and the Clown's attempt to obstruct justice and make it all go away.  Although Comey has been a lifelong Republican until turning independent in 2016, the Clown's administration is already attempting to cast him as a partisan hack hell-bent on destroying the GOP administration.  Of course, that is American politics and both sides fight an unending battle of smearing each other beyond recognition.



The White House can actually block Comey from testifying about his one-on-one discussions as the President can claim executive priviledge, which gives any U.S. president the constitutional right to keep his conversations out of the public eye.  It remains to be seen whether the White House will play that card, as it would look politically terrible.  However, the administration does not seem to care much about appearances.

Comey has already been in discussions with special counsel Robert Mueller, who was the former FBI Director previous to him.  Comey has discussed his detailed notes (which are admissable in court) to Mueller and kept a detailed secret file on their conversations.  In a nutshell, it means Comey likely has the President dead to rights and it's only a matter of time before he tries to bury him.

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U.S. to Withdraw from Paris Climate Accord

May 31, 2017

According to multiple reports, the American government is getting ready to pull out of the global climate agreement that nearly every country in the world signed onto in Paris.  The only nations not signing off on the 2015 deal were Nicaragua and Syria, not exactly the side you want to be on.  However, the conspiracy theory Clown running the show in the U.S. thinks global warming is a farce concocted by pinko, commie liberals.  The opinion was shared by more than twenty conservative Senators who advocated a withdrawal.  These politicians believe American industry would be adversely affected by all the regulations needed to increase emissions standards.  They also argue that the oil and gas and coal industries would see a massive increase in spending to achieve compliance.

While Americans "debate" climate change, the rest of the world has already figured out (a long time ago) that global warming is real and steps must be taken to prevent temperatures from rising any further.  In the end, a temporary departure by the United States from the Paris deal will not cause much damage if the next American president signs back into the deal.  The leadership role is just a temp job and as President Obama discovered, much of what you accomplish in office can be quickly undone.

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Nothing Good Ever Happens at 3am

May 29, 2017

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.  Tiger Woods, once the unquestioned greatest golfer in the world, was arrested this morning on suspicion of driving under the influence of either drugs or alcohol.  Police pulled him over at three in the morning after noticing him driving erratically.  He requested the police body cam, so maybe there's more to the story.



Tiger is 41 years old and has gone nearly ten years without winning a major tourament.  Since that time, he was exposed by his wife as a serial adulterer, been divorced, and had multiple back surgeries that have left him a shell of his former self.  It's hard to feel sorry for a guy worth hundreds of millions of dollars who was married to a gorgeous model and was the most famous athlete on the planet for more than a decade, but this mugshot tells a sad tale.  Perhaps Tiger simply had a bad reaction to medication from his back pain and this was all an innocent misunderstanding.  If not, here's hoping he turns the page and gets some help to straighten out his life and resist whatever demons simmer beneath the surface.  He can still recover and stage a miraculous comeback.  Hopefully we can look back in a few years when he wins the 2020 Master and applaud how far he's come.

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2018 Calendars Available for Pre-Order

May 27, 2017

The year isn't even half over, but hundreds of calendars for next year are ready for pre-order and will ship in just a few weeks.  From dog calendars to scenic calendars, there is no shortage of supply for whatever subjects you enjoy.  Some categories do take longer to releasae than others.  Who really wants a 2018 calendar of your favorites sports team with players that may have been traded, released, or retired.  With the 2017 seasons of hockey and basketball still in the postseason and 2018 baseball not firing up until next March, it's wise to wait until the rosters are mostly set. 

That's clearly not a problem for animals, art, scenic, humor, models, and beaches.  Many of your favorites will ship by the end of June and many of them even come with a sixteen month version that begins in September.  2018 may be seven months away, but now is the time to start planning for the future.  If we do have instances where the publisher is no longer producing a calendar for next year, we will let you know.  While this occurs more in television calendars than anywhere else (as TV programs inevitably get canceled), it can happen in other spots for products not selling strongly.  Whatever the case, we will give you the information and point out the newest and hottest additions that are available.

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