Left Coast Sports Babe

Apparently women’s basketball star Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia now for about 3 weeks. Makes me wonder, did Putin order Griner held indefinitely, while he planned to invade Ukraine, as a possible hostage?

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Apparently MLBPA has agreed to ban shifts. So they’re conceding that major league hitters can’t learn how to hit to the opposite field. Or to bunt?

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When with about 20 games – about 25% – left in NBA season & for all but about 3-4 teams on the bubble – it just comes down to postseason seeding, you’ve created a sport where the regular season doesn’t matter. And MLB wants to move in that direction

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As some in GOP peddle the statement that Putin didn’t invade Ukraine on Velveeta Voldemort’s watch? Well of course not, in what Vlad thought would be Former Guy’s first term the Russian dictator was too busy consolidating his efforts to take over America.

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So now that the #PeoplesConvoy has experienced the joys of being stuck in DC beltway traffic, protesting COVID restrictions that have largely been lifted, what’s next? Another convoy to protest gas prices after the truckers all wasted so much of it idling in stopped traffic?

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So if the truckers’ #PeoplesConvoy insists they are protesting COVID restrictions would it be churlish to suggest they try driving to the only state remaining with seriously tight statewide restrictions? That would be Hawaii.

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Got my fingernails done yesterday and amazed how touching it was to see high school girls excitedly getting mani-pedis for a formal dance tonight. A small thing maybe, but we need all the joy we can get these days.

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SNL Cold Open last Saturday has Kate McKinnon as Laura Ingraham and Alex Moffat as Tucker Carlson… raising money for those who Fox News believes are the real victims of Putin invading Ukraine – Russian oligarchs. Would be funnier if less accurate.

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This may end up forgotten and hoping the Ukrainian President literally dodged a bullet. But Saturday morning, Zelenskyy gave updates to U.S. Senators and member of Congress on a Zoom chat.

The Ukrainian ambassador requested that nobody share anything on social media during the meeting, because Russians could use it to pinpoint Zelinkskyy’s location. Sens. Rubio and Daines posted screenshots from the Zoom anyway, putting Zelenskyy’s life at risk.

Bad enough some in former adminstration put book sales over country. But twitter impressions over a world leader’s life?

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Feb 12, 2021 Nikki Haley on Velveeta Voldemort “We shouldn’t have listened to him. We can’t let that ever happen again.”

April 13, 2021. Nikki Haley says she’ll support & not challenge Trump if he runs in 2024

Why the f**k does ANYONE care what Haley says now about Ukraine?

Not that it would make a difference with most of the serious problems in the world right now. But it sure would be nice to have MLB spring training games as a distraction now.

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Of course, the NBA plays 82 games, about half the teams make the playoffs. and much of the season is meaningless. So maybe that’s MLB owners’ goal?

MLBPA apparently preparing a written response to MLB’s owners last offer. Wonder if the response contains any words that might get you suspended from Twitter or Facebook?

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34 House Republicans voted with ALL House Democrats for bill to dramatically boost health care services & disability benefits for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits in Iraq & Afghanistan. 174 voted no. So about 16% of GOP house members actually give a d*mn about our troops.

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Noticing a lot of people saying they don’t care about Ketanji Brown Jackson’s LSAT scores. I don’t care either, she’s a brilliant judge and was an editor of Law Review. But pretty sure her test scores were higher than average for SCOTUS & certainly higher than F*ckwit Carlson.

So with Facebook and Twitter now banned in Russia wonder if Vladimir Putin will allow Russians to use Truth Social?

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Vladimir Putin has signed bill with new prison sentences of up to 15 years for spreading information going against Russian government’s position on war in Ukraine. How close did we come to Velveeta Voldemort trying to do something similar by executive order in a 2nd term?

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Vladimir Putin called Friday for the “normalization” of relations with other states, saying Moscow has “absolutely no ill intentions with regard to our neighbors.” Amazed Vlad didn’t say the invasion was “legitimate political discourse.”

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Reports that Russia is poised to deploy up to 1,000 more mercenaries to Ukraine in the coming days and weeks. With all the sanctions what is Putin going to pay them with

Would never accuse MLB owners & commissioner Rob Manfred of being glad Russia has invaded Ukraine. I’m sure that all decent people are appalled. But it has been good timing that Putin keeps Manfred for being one of the most universally hated people in America.

#PlayBall

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Meanwhile, if you didn’t already love former SF Giants pitcher and current announcer Mike Krukow, Thursday he compared Manfred to a Batman villain.

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Uh, so now Bill Barr, who covered up Velveeta Voldemort’s abuses of power and sat on important evidence of his criminal behavior, has a big interview on NBC News with Lester Hold as part of his rehabilitation book tour. Hard pass. #ChangeTheChannel

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The gerrymandered GOP Florida Senate passed a bill to ban abortion after 15 weeks.

Governor Deathsantis will sign the bill. A Democratic governor would have vetoed to. Ron DeSantis won election in 2018 by fewer than 32,500 votes out of over EIGHT MILLION.

Don’t anyone ever tell you your vote doesn’t matter.

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As Senate votes on resolution to end the COVID-19 national emergency declaration passed 48-47. Now, Senator Dianne Feinstein was absent after the death this week of her husband, but California Senator Alex Padilla was also not able to vote – because he just tested positive for COVID-19.

You cannot make this “stuff” up.

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Some in media still want to report what the Former Guy says about Ukraine. Uh, If we hear from any recent Presidential candidate it should be Hillary Clinton – she’s been right about everything.

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In a 4-3 decision, Wisconsin Supreme Court chose Gov. Tony Evers’ “least change” legislative maps proposal keeping Wisconsin GOP from truly horrific gerrymandering. Remember this in April, 2020? Jill Karofsky was elected this day. Elections matter. Our votes matter.

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Spring training games don’t matter that much in the the grand scheme of things. – unless your business depends on people attending those games. But they are a great distraction. And a lot more fun than headlines about the latest Lebron James or Aaron Rodgers drama.

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Not sure how many games will be canceled for MLB, though one of the things being debated is how many teams will end up in the playoffs. Right now looks like minimum could be 12. Owners want 14.

So as MLB loses fans to other professional sports leagues, somehow I don’t think fans are flocking to NBA over baseball because the regular season matters less?

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Ebay has auctions for charity. Are they going to have a new category just for seized Russian assets that benefit Ukraine?

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A nice story for a change today – CNN reports AirBnb is offering free temporary housing for Ukrainan refugees.

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I’m not going to use the name of the rude piece of garbage who interrupted President Biden talking about his late son Beau. IMHO, we need to stop giving her attention.

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has an immuno-compromised wife battling breast cancer and he still tries to score political points by bullying students wearing masks. There is no bottom.

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Velveeta Voldemort is ranting in a fundraising email about “MY State of the Union Address when Crazy Nancy Pelosi RIPPED UP my speech on LIVE TELEVISION?” So it would have been better if Madame Speaker acted Presidential, took the speech home and flushed it?

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Stephen Colbert tonight points out how the DC Trucker rally, which put the city on high alert, was expected to number over 3,000. But when SOTU started “only 12 rally-goers had actually assembled.” Waiting for Sean Spicer to tell us how it was the largest rally crowd ever.

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President Biden asked by a reporter today “As a Catholic, why do you support abortion, defying church teachings?” His response. “I don’t want to get in a debate with you on theology, but I’m not going to make a judgment for other people.” Nailed it.

Green Bay Packers GM Brian Gutekunst says he’s not getting a lot of teams calling to inquire about Aaron Rodgers’ availability via trade.

What, you mean most NFL teams aren’t interested in a high-priced almost 39 year old who lied to his team and the NFL last year over his vaccine status and then may have distracted the team by continually publicly doubling down on the controversy?

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MLB Opening Day being canceled is trivial in comparison to Ukraine right now. But if President Biden gets a few minutes, he could probably score a lot of bipartisan points by an executive order simply locking MLB owners in a room until they agreed to a deal with players unions.

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But if Joe really wants Democratic votes, maybe Biden could just remind baseball fans – under the previous administration, all the MLB owners got tax cuts!

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Senator Marco Rubio thinks it’s “theater” to take COVID test before SOTU because he’s says he’s not sick. But many cases of COVID are asymptomatic Average age in Senate is 62.9 years, in House, 57.6, with many of Octogenarians. “Theater,” sir, is risking their lives to avoid a 5 minute test.

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And Rubio skipped SOTU because “he didn’t have time.” for the test. But he had time to tweet during Biden’s speech. A rapid COVID test takes less time than composing a tweet.

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President Biden in his SOTU will say “When dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos.” Joe will be talking about Vladimir Putin, but he might as well be talking about Velveeta Voldemort leading a fatal coup attempt on January 6.

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“Light will win over darkness” President Biden quoting Ukranian President Zelensky!🕯️

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Since Russian aircraft can no longer enter US airspace that may put a serious crimp in attendance at events at Mar-A-Lago.

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Democratic House Member Cori Bush is still saying tonight “defund the police.” While I’m for police reform, I can say as a fellow Democrat, I believe she is wrong. Hey, GOP, see how easy that is? You don’t HAVE to be a lockstep mindless cult.

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Even GOP have to privately be glad about some social distancing at tonight’s #SOTU
Means none of them had to risk drawing the short straw to sit next to Ted Cruz.

In all seriousness can we imagine the SOTU speech Velveeta Voldemort would have given tonight?

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When did Andrea Mitchell decide she wanted to be Chuck Todd?

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At time of writing, MLB and players’ union have paused negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement after a 16-hour day of meetings that stretched into 2a Tuesday.

MLB has extended its deadline for reaching a deal to 5 p.m. on Tuesday in order to salvage a March 31 opening day.

Okay, now what about the businesses, especially in Arizona,, who have already lost more than two weeks of revenue from Spring Training?

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A 12 team MLB playoff is only a win compared to the idea of a 14 or more team playoff. Baseball has been last major sport where all the games in the regular season actually mattered.–

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Among many reasons I love Rachel Maddow, instead of giving ANY airtime to Velveeta Voldemort’s lies about Ukraine, she went to the woman who warned us. And who should have been elected President in 2016. #HillaryClinton

We thought Putin chose a useful idiot who turned out to be insane. But maybe the puppet master was always as insane as his puppet?

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Senator Susan Collins, who claims to be pro-choice, voted against opening debate on Women’s Health Protection Act. Wonder how “troubled” was she by her decision?

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Senate couldn’t get close to 60 votes today to even open debagte on Women’s Health Protection Act, a bill aimed at codifying the right to an abortion. Would take some of these anti-abortion GOP Senators, who CLAIM to care about children, more seriously if they also hadn’t voted against the child tax credit.

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While what is going on in the Ukraine is awful, the courage and resistance of the Ukrainian people is truly inspiring. And I can’t be the only person who feels comfort in having Rachel Maddow temporarily back on air covering things!

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Rachel Maddow “If this is David versus Goliath we are wired as humans to cheer for David and to believe in David.” “But David is going to need help.” Once again, Rachel nails it

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Stephen Colbert – the late night newscaster we didn’t know we needed now – “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a humanitarian crisis, but also a triumph of humanity. Because despite all Russia’s military prowess the ordinary people of Ukraine will not back down or bow down.”

Meanwhile, while many people are convinced COVID is over… deaths were UP again last week. And the US is on pace to reach 1 MILLION deaths in March. Imagine if Velveeta Voldemort had just pushed vaccines as hard as he is pushing the Big Lie.

Ukrainian athletes are urging IOC to sanction Russian and Belarusian Olympic, Paralympic Committees. Guessing the IOC MIGHT in time enough get enough backbone to make Russia change their team name again.

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So with MLB owners and players far apart, more spring training games have been canceled. At a time when many businesses, especially in Arizona that depend on Spring Training, are hurting. Leaving aside COVID vaccines, MLB owners need a vaccine for greed & stupidity.

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Amy Klobuchar points out on CNN with Jim Acosta that not only is Ketanji Brown Jackson the first black woman nominated to the Supreme Court she has more judicial experience than four of the justices currently serving.

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If you needed reminder sometimes there is no bottom, some conservative media & GOP members of Congress attacking President Biden for not being in DC this weekend. Uh, Joe was in Delaware, where they have phones & computers, attending his late son Beau’s mother-in-law’s funeral.

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Understand about a business deciding to stay out of politics. But a white nationalist conference? Would the Orlando Marriott World Center have been okay if a group titled themselves National Socialist German Workers’ Party supporters?

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Putin is finding it’s going to be harder to install a puppet government leader in Ukraine than it was in the United States.

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SNL Weekend Update starting out with more truth than humor: Russian President Putin launched the Ukraine attack with support from allies like Belarus and Tucker Carlson.

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So at this point the only new international golf courses and resorts Velveeta Voldemort will be able to build will be in Russia, Saudi Arabia and Belarus?

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Stephen Colbert Friday night on anti-mask mandate trucker convoy heading towards DC. As 49 states are dropping mask mandates, so “If you really believe in what you’re protesting, you better drive to Hawaii.” (Actually as travel agent I HAVE had folks ask about driving between the islands.)

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As we approach 8 months until midterm elections, imagine what world would be right now if Russia invaded Ukraine with Velveeta Voldemort in charge and Qevin McCarthy as House Speaker. Then remind yourself as my late great stepmother said “We’re not perfect but they’re nuts.”

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin, a Putin supporter: “He’s my president. But I’m not in politics. I’m an athlete. I hope everything is going to be done soon. It’s a hard situation right now for both sides.” Uh, “both sides?” One side is not invading & killing the other.

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Major League Baseball canceled three more days of spring training games today.

And Monday is the deadline per owners to start season on time. If games are canceled players will NOT be paid for those games.

Again, almost wonder if MLB owners are wishing crisis in Ukraine continues to distract from just how much of a**holes they are being.

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Formula 1 has canceled Russian Grand Prix. UEFA has moved Champions League final to Paris from St. Petersburg. So what’s the International Olympic Committee going to do, have Russia change their team name again?

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Reading some of the comments from GOP Senators about President Biden choosing Ketanji Brown Jackson for SCOTUS makes me think the GOP should just go ahead and sell red dog whistles on their fundraising site.

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·Putin probably waited until after Olympics to invade Ukraine in hopes of not angering China and President Xi Jinping. But is it possible he also didn’t want to risk his top “ROC” athletes finding a way to defect when out of the country?

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CEO of Papa Johns, John Schnatter, said Biden caused Russia to invade Ukraine to “distract” from problems in America at CPAC.

Almost wished I didn’t think Papa Johns was crap pizza so I could start boycotting them.

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Lindsey Graham complaining on Ketanji Brown Jackson – “Harvard Yale train to the Supreme Court.” Lindsey Graham didn’t complain when Velveeta Voldemort picked Harvard grad Gorsuch & Yale grad Kavanaugh. Lindsey Graham can go do what Ukranian soldiers told the Russian warship

ICYMI –

Ukrainian soldiers to Putin’s warship: “go f*** yourself”
🇺🇦 https://t.co/xkrXZTcGPw

— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) February 25, 2022

Much of the world is putting strong sanctions against Russia. Had Putin invaded during the Olympics wonder what the IOC would have done? Made them change their team name again?

Your reminder, not only is Senator Tommy Tuberville stupid both the last universities where he coached PAID him big bucks to go away.

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Dear America: The next time you feel like electing an amateur former celebrity to the Senate and wonder “how bad could it be?” here’s yet another example. Tommy Tuberville says Russia is still a ‘communist country’ and is invading Ukraine because ‘they need more farmland’

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Novak Djokovic will lose his #1 ranking after being upset by Jiri Vesely (who?) in Dubai quarter-final. Thinking now maybe Djokovic wishes Dubai had given him the excuse of a vaccine mandate?

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As Russia starts an unprovoked war against Ukraine, one that will involve deaths of many innocent people, Governor Ron DeSantis at CPAC is talking about “The Brandon Administration.” Not only are some GOP leaders awful, but also they have the maturity of spoiled 10 year old boys.

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While this won’t solve anything major in the long run I’d be happy to make a donation to an animal shelter of Jill Biden’s choice if Willow the First Cat would just cough up a hairball on Peter Doocy.

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Not that I was a real M*A*S*H fan. But how could “Hot Lips Houlihan” possibly have been 84? RIP Sally Kellerman.

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If President Biden is sanctioning those who derive much of their wealth from Russia, does that include the guy at Mar-A-Lago?

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As some Republicans and right-wing media types seem to be on the side of Russia, who’d a thunk Americans would support a megalomanical would-be dictator who cares about no one and nothing but his own power? Oops, never mind.

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So with Russian banks being sanctioned and money transfers frozen, what is this going to do to GOP fundraising?

Back in sports, MLB says they’ll cancel regular season games if players don’t agree to new collective bargaining agreement by Monday. And players will not be paid full-season salaries. If Russia weren’t invading Ukraine this might be one of the bigger outrages of week.

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Tom Brady will apparently appear in and produce a film, which will star Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Sally Field as women who travel to see Brady play in Super Bowl LI.

Not a fan of Brady. But silver lining as a Saints fan. that’s the Super Bowl where the Atlanta Falcons led the Patriots 28-3.

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Per The Hill ” Rep. Rashida Tlaib will deliver ‘Working Families Party”s response to Biden’s State of the Union address next week.”

WTF. Not comments but an actual REBUTTAL? From the “Working Famiies Party?”” What happened to being Democrats? Are “progressives” TRYING to make midterms worse?

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The so called People’s Convoy of truckers leaving California for Washington DC today is basically a well-funded anti-government protest. Organizers say the “government has forgotten its place.” So why don’t they drive cross-country on private roads then?

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If there’s a grain of truth in GOP statements that Putin would not have invaded Ukraine had TFG been re-elected it’s that Vladimir knew with Velveeta Voldemort in the White House he was already winning the battle against democracy.

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As Mitt Romney might be entitled to feel some redemption tonight for being laughed at in 2012 when he called Russia our “No. 1 geopolitical foe.” it would be a good time for Mitt to urge his own GOP to get over partisan petty politics & unite behind our President. #Ukraine

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Most Americans are horrified about the idea of a deadly attack on Ukraine. Why do I get the idea, however, that Velveeta Voldemort will watch bloodshed with the same glee he watched the fatal insurrection on January 6?.

So as an optimist I have to say I don’t think tonight was September 1, 1939. But as a realist I have to say, if tonight WAS September 1, 1939, many in today’s GOP would be cheering Hitler.

More Stephen Colbert “

Of course Norway won Winter Olympics, they invented winter. Americans would dominate if it was the ‘getting into a fistfight over steak at the Golden Corral Olympics.'” (Or sadly if biathlon applied to more sports, we’re good at shooting stuff. And people.)

A Republican party that will take the side of a deadly virus and a deadly insurrection will take the side of a deadly dictator.

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Imagine if Mexico decided that Texas, Arizona and California were historically Mexican, so they were declaring them independent territories rather than states, and sending in “peacekeeping troops.”

Some are saying GOP is dismissing Putin’s attack because it’s Ukraine, a country few Americans could find on a map. But let’s be real. Some Republicans would dismiss a Russian attack on England or France if Velveeta Voldemort supported it.

So on Monday, how many Americans watched as much of the Olympics as they watched in the last two weeks?

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Meanwhile today MLB negotiations went nowhere. Per ESPN “No one either side believed Monday would be the game-changer — as deadline to play Opening Day on time is at least a week away.” Who cares if spring training trips get canceled and businesses in AZ suffer.

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Medina Spirit, who died in December, has just been disqualified as the 2021 Kentucky Derby winner over a banned medication & trainer Bob Baffert was suspended 90 days. So Kentucky Horse Racing Commission wouldn’t give Bob the option of the “Baffert Racing Committee?

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At least Medina Spirit didn’t live to learn he’d been disqualified. Although heck, both he and Maximum Security know they won.

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So two of the last three horses, Medina Spirit and Maximum Security, who crossed the Kentucky Derby finish line first have now been disqualified. It’s enough to make you long for the purity of pro wrestling.

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Wonder how many times Velveeta Voldemort and Vladimir Putin have chatted in the last week?

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If President Biden does meet with Vladimir Putin, whatever happens, at least we know he won’t flush the records down the White House toilet.

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Tulsi Gabbard is planning to speak in Orlando at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) this week. Time to start the pool on what day Tulsi announces she’s becoming a Republican?

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Also is it too soon to start a pool on how long Truth Social will last?

Former Russian Ambassador Michael McFaul points out how Putin calls leaders of Ukraine separatist regions “People’s republics” – that’s what Stalin called his puppet regimes in Eastern Europe. Wonder how close we came in USA if TFG were re-elected to being a “puppet regime?”

“Shot rock,” “skip,” “guard…” Just when I can actually explain all these terms Olympic curling is over.

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US skaters have lost an appeal to get their team silver medals before the end of Beijing games. Same CAS that decided Kamila Vaileva is “protected person,” now “protecting” USA & Japan from getting ANY medal while case & appeals are heard, which could be months, or years. WTF?

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Lebron James says door is “not closed” on a potential return to Cleveland Cavaliers. Lebron is becoming to NBA teams what Elizabeth Taylor was to husbands.

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As much as I hate all this talk in February about the NFL draft and next season’s Super Bowl, MLB owners have abdicated one of baseball’s best times of year for attention – when (almost) all fans are optimistic – by delaying Spring training.

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Whatever happens with Ukraine, at least we have a US President who’s on the side of democracy and not Putin.

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Fox News attacking Justin Trudeau as “dictator” for using police to clear out protesters blocking city streets & making life h*ll for Ottawa residents. But they had no problem w/Velveeta Voldemort using police to clear out protesters in the way of his Bible photo op.

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As much as I hate all this talk in February about the NFL draft and next season’s Super Bowl, MLB owners have abdicated one of baseball’s best times of year for attention – when (almost) all fans are optimistic – by delaying Spring training.

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With everything going on in world right now major Fox News headline is AOC was seen on Austin to NY flight in FIRST CLASS. Uh, leaving aside security issues & need to work on planes, thinking most members of Congress fly enough to get upgraded, especially w/ good travel agent.

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Senators at Munich Security conference: Durbin, Graham, Whitehouse, Sasse, Sullivan, Klobuchar, Ernst, Shaheen, Warner, Gillebrand, Coons, Portman, Murphy, Van Hollen & Tuberville. Nice bipartisan unity show. But what’s Tuberville, who didn’t know 3 branches of govt, doing there?

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Listened to Amy Klobuchar at Munich Security Conference tlalking about her good friend Senator John McCain. Have to wonder, if McCain were alive would today’s GOP be different? Certainly HE wouldn’t have been afraid of the Former Guy.

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Appparently Former House Speaker Paul Ryan was convinced the Former Guy had Narcissistic Personality Disorder. In related news, Paul Ryan was convinced water was wet.

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Once again wake up Sunday morning on the West Coast to see Chuck Todd trending Once again, have a simple solution for dealing with Chuck Todd – don’t watch him.

If it’s about Olympic spirit – so much more fun to watch the Jamaican bobsledders than the ROC figure skaters.

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College Football Playoff committee did not reach an agreement on potential expansion, so the playoff remains at four teams through the 2025 season.

Translation: There have been SEC teams in all of the playoffs so far, so don’t mess with success.

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Stephen Colbert still unhappy about USA figure skaters not getting medals while IOC sorts out ROC. “Team USA will reportedly receive Olympic torches. That’s smart thing to do when you really’ve p*ssed someone off, give them a torch. Evidently they were out of Olympic pitchforks”

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National Archives says tonight that Velveeta Voldemort staff conducted official White House business using “non-official electronic accounts that were not handled properly.” All together now “But HIS emails?”

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Ted Cruz’s anti vaccine amendment didn’t pass because four GOP Senators left early for their week long Presidents’ Day “Senate Work Period.” So how many votes can Chuck Schumer tee up right before most of GOP Senators have flights scheduled for Easter break?

24 months for manslaughter??!! Kim Potter could get twice as long a sentence if she moves to Texas when she’s on supervised release from prison and tries to vote.

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If you take a computer home when you leave a job that has sensitive information, you can be arrested and charged in federal court. So what is DOJ waiting for?

-Hostess is moving beyond Twinkies to making caffeinated doughnuts. “Boost Jumbo Donettes” will contain slightly less caffeine than an 8 ounce cup of coffee. Elementary school classrooms after lunchtime are gonna be lit.

I’m going to miss curling.

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Starry’s going to miss curling too.

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From my very funny friend Marc Ragovin – “Kamila Valieva claims that her positive drug test was due to her inadvertently taking her grandfather’s heart medication. No wonder her long program consisted of skating in circles with her turn signal on.”

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A question.
Since Kamila Valieva fell several times & missed the podium, there will be a medal ceremony for figure skating.
But is it likely she is only one on her ROC team taking “heart medication?”

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And Olympic gymnasts have to be 16. But divers and swimmers, for example, can be 15 or even younger. How many “protected persons” will ROC send to Paris in 2024?

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Senate on recess until Feb 28., although good Senators actually do work during “State Work Period.” But Senate scheduled for another “work period” April 9-25.

Midterms are coming.

Dear Chuck Schumer. – if GOP wants to play stupid delay games , CANCEL Easter recess. Let their stupid “prize” be no vacation.

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If Hillary Clinton sent an email about the boxes of top-secret classified documents found at Mar-A-Lago then would the FBI get involved?

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Apparently new PAC in US is looking for supporters & donations for convoy of truckers planning to go to Washington next month. Not sure WHERE in DC, but just trying to imagine convoy for any reason honking horns all night & blocking streets outside homes of GOP leaders & pundits.

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Senate voted 65-27 today to fund the government until March 11. This means that more than HALF of Republican Senators wanted the government to shut down. They have one objective, to make President Biden look bad. No matter who it hurts.

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Ted Cruz on the Senate floor is taking on United Airlines because of their “arbitrary” vaccine mandate policy. Uh, Senator, your body, your choice. Take another airline. Many of us feel far safer on United because of their employee vaccine rules.

Ted Cruz ranting about vaccines: “It ought to be your choice in consultation w/ your doctor… You ought to have a real & candid conversation w/ your doctor, not some political bureacrat in Washington DC or in the State Capitol or City Hall.” So Cruz is pro-choice. Okay then.

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Media loves to talk about inflation. So cover this: Sherrod Brown – 12 GOP Senators boycotted committee so they can’t advance Federal Reserve nominees. “You vote yes or you vote no, you don’t vote ‘I’m not going to show up.” Republicans are AWOL in fight against inflation.”

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Tamara Lich is a conventionally attractive white woman claiming she has been unjustly arrested in Ottawa. If you know nothing else about her besides that she is an organizer of so-called “Freedom Convoy,” know that Tamara is a leader of “Wexit” movement to have Western provinces secede from Canada.

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All the slimyness of Olympic figure skating, makes curling now especially charming to watch.
But is it considered performance enhancing if you buy your opponents several pitchers of beer?

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At this point I’d give Mikaela Shiffrin an Olympic medal if she knocks microphone out of the hand of one of these idiot reporters who keep asking her about the troubles she’s had skiing in Bejing.

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Imagine you’ve spent your life as far back as you remember training on ice & now even if you give the performance of a lifetime, you won’t receive medal in Beijing, because ceremony will be canceled if someone who cheated is 1 of top three.

IOC = International Olympic COWARDS

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Maybe when Kamila Valieva skates her long program NBC can show Tara Lipinski’s and Johnny Weir’s greatest hits instead?

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Stephen Colbert last night talking about Ukraine – “Possible good news – Russia might be pulling out.”

But “dudes like that never pull out when they say they will.”

(I suppose it would be churlish to say too bad Fred Trump didn’t.)

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CNN & other media all over story of San Francisco parents voting out school board members over school closings.
Well, school closures were one thing. But board spent much of pandemic time focused not on kids, but on renaming schools w/ names they deemed politically incorrect.

The board removed Abraham Lincoln’s name from one school & Senator Dianne Feinstein’s from another. Feinstein’s crime? In the 1980s when Dianne was SF mayor., a job she got after Moscone and Milk were assassinated, someone vandalized a Confederate flag in a display at SF Civic Center & she didn’t stop parks dept from replacing it. No joke.

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Now Rudy Giuliani claims he has evidence proving Hillary spied on Velveeta Voldemort, and “I happen to have it in my bedroom.”
Well, guessing Rudy’s ex-wives & girlfriends probably will testify he usually grossly exaggerates what he has in his bedroom.

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Tom Cotton doesn’t get as much press as Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley. But he clearly aspires to be equally awful.

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Senator Amy Klobuchar has had enough of Tom Cotton too: “As I listened to Senator Cotton, there were a lot of things I disagreed w/ Trump Justice Department but NEVER did I think of holding up US Attorney of Arkansas or Arizona or Illinois because I disagreed with Donald Trump.”

So will GOP Senators defending those who refuse to wear masks on planes next demand passengers be able to ignore seat belt signs, or use cellphones in flight? Or bring a gun on board?
It’s actually quite simple: Don’t want to follow rules? Don’t fly.

These 8 GOP Senators have decided it’s more important to protect the rights of unruly passengers than to protect flight attendants and other passengers from verbal and physical abuse. Period.

So. teenagers can only sign MLB baseball contracts at 16. But based on this “Protected person” BS from the Olympics does that mean that kids can take PEDs all they want while they are 15 and under, then sign on their 16th birthday?

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With medal ceremony delayed indefinitely over Kamila Valieva doping controversy, Team USA figure skaters will get some medal, eventually. But not in Beijing.
Imagine working for years to reach Olympics, winning medal & finding out you’ll get it in mail or something, someday.

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And now NY Times reports Kamila tested positive for three “heart” drugs, only one of which were banned. Anyone want to hazard a guess as to how many others on Russian team might have taken the other two?

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My Canadian pal TC says he’s waiting for a PED curler to fire a rock into about row 6.

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President Biden says “we have not yet verified” Russia’s claim of withdrawing troops near Ukraine.
It would be very good news if the claim is true.
But isn’t it nice to have a President who doesn’t believe and/or parrot whatever Putin tells him?

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In California when voters register need to put their COUNTY, not city on the form. Many people get it wrong unless it’s pointed out or corrected.
But California promptly writes if there’s a problem. California wants people to vote.
Voting rights shouldn’t depend on your state.

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Same conservatives clutching their pearls over Canadian PM Justin Trudeau invoking emergency powers, had no problems with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s new law saying it’s okay for motorists to run over protesters.

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Very clear looking at increasing revelations about January 6 conspirators: They weren’t worried about being caught. They expected to win. And to be rewarded by their would-be dictator king.

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Does anyone doubt that if Velveeta Voldemort was still in the White House he’d be telling us why it would be a good thing for America for Putin to invade Ukraine?

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Has a single Republican complaining about inflation said a word about trying to rein in excessive corporate profits?

I’ll wait.

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Tucker Carlson tonight was apparently talking about “Canadian-style tyranny.”
So is anyone shocked that Tucker is more critical of Justin Trudeau than he is of Vladimir Putin?

Absolutely thrilled for Erin Thomas and her speekskating gold medal.

But can we have a moment for someone who deserves much more love than she gets in Olympic history, first Black woman to win a medal in the Winter Olympics?

She was mesmerizing to watch – Debi Thomas.

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As a white woman who grew up watching Super Bowls before anyone cared about the halftime show, I can cheerfully acknowledge even if it wasn’t my style of music, it seemd like a good show yesterday.

Why is that so hard for some people?

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If the first doping scandal made Russia compete with ROC uniforms, now what will this latest figure skating scandal do? Make them compete under the banner “‘Athletes formerly known as Russia”

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The gospel according to the Olympics – If a 15 year old girl is given performance enhancing drugs she is a “Protected person.”
But if a 15 year old girl is sexually abused by a team doctor, she’s on her own.

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ESPN report-MLB wants to eliminate “hundreds” of minor league playing jobs in latest labor offer to players
In 2021 MLB raised minimum MONTHLY salary for AAA players to $16,800, AA to $14,400, Class A to $12,000, complex league to $9,600 & Dominican Summer League to $3,000!
WTAF?

So how much money are we talking about for billionaire owners?

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Velveeta Voldemort’s longtime accounting firm, Mazars, has fired him, saying they no longer trust Trump Organization documents.

Standby for more Fox “Breaking News” about Hillary Clinton.

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We know Putin has talked to President Biden about Ukraine this week.

Wonder how many times Vlad has talked to The Former Guy.

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Hearing about 40% of mail-in ballots in Harris County, largest in Texas, being flagged as faulty under new rules. Showing GOP really is making it harder for “some people to vote.” Just imagine SCOTUS ruling on voting rights if Hillary Clinton had chosen the last three judges.

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Mitch McConnell called out celebrities who were seen ignoring mask rules at the Super Bowl.
Fair point.
Hypocrisy s*cks.
But even COVID exposure is dwarfed by comparision by hypocrisy of ignoring rules for multiple lifetime SCOTUS appointments.

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Dr. Deborah Birx is the latest Former Guy flunky with a book deal.

I really don’t care, do U?

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Hate guns. But love this 79 year old woman named Valentina in the Ukraine,”a retired accountant and great grandmother” on @Maddow tonight. Valentina is training to handle an AK-47.

“If Putin will come, I should be able to shoot.”

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Sadly, hard not to get the sense that the media is rooting for a Ukraine invasion. #ratings

While refs clearly missed an offensive pass interference call against the Bengals, there was another missed call early in game when Rams’ defender grabs Cincinnati’s receiver’s pants enough to see material stretch on Bengals passing attempt at 11 yard line,

Then after letting them play for 58 minutes, refs called THREE straight penalties in last two minutes as Los Angeles drove for their final Super Bowl winning TD. Including an incredibly ticky tack defensive holding.

We’re shocked, said all Saints fans.

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So how long until Fox News tells their viewers to blame Super Bowl halftime show on President Biden?

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Olympics have just decided because Kamila Valieva is only 15 years old, & thus a “Protected Person,” she can keep her team gold, & be allowed to compete despite positive test for banned supplement.
Stand by for record numbers of under-16 Russian athletes in future Olympic games.

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The Court of Arbitration for Sport decision verbatim on ROC skater Kamila Valieva – “The athlete should benefit from following exceptional circumstances, she is under 16 & protected person under the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) code.”

Exceptional BS.

Due to outrage about Kamila Valieva being able to keep her gold medal (for now at least)l AND compete as the favorite for the women’s figure skating gold medal despite positive test for banned supplement, I fully expect the IOC to say they will at least keep her out of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

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Tara Lipinski, talking about 15 year old Russian skater Kamila Valieva who “skated” on her positive drug test due to her age, tells how when she was 12 her mother was terrified to give her medicine when she had a cold and “I was afraid to eat a poppy seed bagel.

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Roger Goodell said this week that the NFL believes in “diversity as a value.”

Zero is a value, right?

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GOP Pennsylvania Senate candiate was running a “Let’s Go Brandon” ad during the Super Bowl.

But tell me again how both parties have contributed to a lack of civility in this country?

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Just imagine GOP and conservative media reaction if wealthy liberals in Canada were crowdfunding Black Lives Matter protests in summer of 2020.

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Very weird to hear some of the talk about “spoilers” for “Death on The Nile.”

Especially when you grew up reading all of Agatha Christie’s books.

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WTAF?

Lindsey Graham says President Biden should pick J. Michelle Childs for SCOTUS, saying any other candidate would be “problematic” in getting GOP votes.

I missed Senator Graham’s concern about Velveeta Voldemort nominating judges who could get Democratic votes.

After a two game win streak, the San Antonio Spurs are 22-35.

And as of tonight they are 1 game out of a postseason play-in game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

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Curling is seriously underappreciated as a Winter Olympics sport:
Not only is it a sport you can watch and imagine doing, but also it’s a sport as an adult you can imagine doing without seriously injuring yourself.

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An Olympics with competition planned on nothing artificial snow is now having problems with actual SNOW in Beijing delaying events.

Should not laugh, but my better angels are definitely still socially distance on this one.

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By the same experts who before the 2021 season picked Cincinnati Bengals 28th out of 32 NFL teams.

Okay then.

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So we know Fox News is getting nervous about Russia and Ukraine because their website headline is about allegation that Hillary Clinton’s campaign paid to try to link Velveeta Voldemort to Russia.

Would be almost funny if it weren’t a potential world war we’re talking about.

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Conservatives who applauded Ron DeSantis’s new law allowing Florida drivers to run over protesters w/ their cars, suddenly are clutching their pearls over Canadian government doing anything more than waving their fingers at protesters blocking US-Canada border.

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Wonder what some of these GOP politicians & pundits who claim to support the so-called “Freedom Convoy” protests in Canada would do if protesters honked horns all night outside their houses.

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Apparently New Zealand is playing ‘Baby Shark,’ and Barry Manilow’s greatest hits outside their parliament buildings in hopes of chasing away ‘Freedom Convoy’-inspired protesters

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Uh, put on “It’s A Small World” at top volume and problem solved in an hour.

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“After several weeks of rapid growth, death reports have leveled off at around 2,500 a day.”

2,500 Americans a day.

This is not exactly “living with COVID.”

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While right-wingers send $$ to truckers, a few facts:

About 80% of Canadians are fully vaccinated against COVID.
85% of Canadian truckers are vaccinated.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has declared state of emergency & calls blockades” “an illegal occupation.”
Ford is conservative.