Left Coast Sports Babe

Congratulations to the Las Vegas Golden Knights, heading to the NHL playoffs against the Florida (Miami) Panthers.

Now, both teams have the league’s usual high percentage of Canadian players.

But it does seem a bit odd to have a Stanley Cup final between two cities where the weather this week will barely dip under the 80s. (And Vegas will hit 100% during the day.)

USA Today Headline tonight “Celtics’ postseason collapse will lead to change in Boston.” Uh… thinking fans of about 25 or 26 other NBA teams would have been pretty pleased with the Celtics’ 2023 “collapse”

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Congratulations to the (woke) Miami Heat, headed to the NBA finals. So is Florida Governor DeSantis gonna try to cancel them too?

We're standing Loud and Proud with the LGBTQ community. #PrideNight 🏳️‍🌈🔥 pic.twitter.com/IfVvpPfe0I

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) March 22, 2023

Also Ron Desantis “If elected President “I will be able to destroy leftism in this country.”

So will someone ask Governor of Florida, (a state with high % of elderly residents) on camera if he would get rid of two of the left’s favorite achievements – Medicare & Social Security?

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Yeah, it’s the Daily Mail. But this headline about the debt ceiling deal: “What the House speaker gave up in the final package conservatives are calling ‘insanity’ and a ‘turd sandwich'” I love this Dark Brandon guy!

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Meawhile 1st line of Washington Post story.:

“Deal does little for clean energy transition & expedites natural gas pipeline. But it keeps intact spending in Biden’s climate bill – an early target for GOP.

And yet the Washington Post headline: “Why the debt deal infuriates climate activists.”

Mainstream media hates compromise.

In the NBA East, pre another Game 7

So it was Derrick White, a former player for San Antonio Spurs , who hit the game winning shot against the Miami Heat tonight in a potential close-out game six in the NBA playoffs

As a Spurs and especially Gregg Popovich fan, got to respect the “fearful symmetry.” Ten years after the fact.

(If the reference doesn’t make sense google “Ray Allen.”)

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By the time this Celtics Heat series is over will either team – and most fans even remember who they’re playing in the NBA finals?

Meanwhile, in baseball, not only did the Dodgers manage to lose to the Rays 10-11.

But the Mets managed to lose to the Rockies by the same 10-11 score

And yes, both winning teams had about half the payroll of the teams they beat.

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Susan Collins has apparently “‘expressed concern about the top-line spending number for defense — which reflects the president’s budget.”” Fortunately Senator Collins has a large collection of pearls to clutch.

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Florida mom who got Amanda Gorman’s poem “The Hill We Climb” & other books taken from school library said she only read parts of material she objected to. “I’m not an expert, I’m not a reader. I’m not a book person. I’m a mom involved in my children’s education.” Jesus wept.

Fox News headline. “Biden says budget deal reached, takes ‘catastrophic default’ off the table.” Uh, that’s a pretty factual and non-judgmental statement. Is their regular headline writer off for the holiday weekend?

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Got email from restaurant I’ve liked in DC so I won’t name them: Brunch ad featuring unlimited mimosas and mimosas: “Come together to honor those who have served with delectable delights & endless good times.”

Uh, it’s MEMORIAL DAY. Not for those who have served, but those who have died in service.

Unclear on the concept?

(Not saying Americans shouldn’t get together and have fun and connect…. but a maybe just a bit over the top with those mimosa and sangrias?)

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As MAGAs rant about Little Mermaid not looking like Ariel… maybe if they actually read a book they’d know Hans Christian Anderson’s original description; “Her skin was as soft & tender as a rose petal & her eyes were as blue as the deep sea.” Color of skin & hair not mentioned.

(And yes, as anyone who has been to Copenhagen knows, the actual Little Mermaid in the harbor is blue-green.)

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As Texas Republicans vote overwhelmingly to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton in my head I hear the wonderful laugh of Molly Ivins.

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So if we’re talking work requirements with the tentative budget deal, what about work requirements for trust fund babies who do nothing but benefit from tax cuts on investment income their parents and grandparents gave them?

SF Giants are undefeated when they score 15 runs.

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I hate polls.

2 recent polls have majority of CA Democrats saying DiFi should resign. Bet they’re not asking -“If Feinstein resigns GOP says they will not allow Dems to replace her on Judiciary Committee which will keep Biden’s judges from being confirmed. Should she resign?

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“Roasting green chile” is now the official scent of New Mexico per a bill signed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

This makes the state the first in US with an official aroma.

Cue the New Jersey jokes.

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Hey MAGAs. Going to boycott Bud Light this weekend?

Newsweek found that 5 of top 10 best-selling beers in USA have LGBTQ+ partnerships, with figure increasing to all 10 if parent companies are included.

Enjoy drinking water!

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And now some MAGAs and other conservatives are boycotting Target now over Pride clothing? Okay, add Walmart to the list. Maybe it’s time for them to learn to sew.

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https://www.walmart.com/browse/clothing/pride-clothing-accessories/5438_7113007

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Can someone tell me how the same people that say gun bans don’t work think that book bans do work?

From book event in LA w/ Leno interviewing Amy Klobuchar. Jay Leno is no radical, (some even think he’s Republican), and & has said late night has gotten too political but from an LA reviewer who mentioned Amy told stories from January 6 and senators all being locked together in a single location

“Interesting comment by Leno, was how anybody can still, at this time, not recognize that January 6 event was treason.”

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I’m so old I remember when a Texas attorney general impeached by his own Republican party would have been the biggest story of the week.

And it just gets crazier. Paxton allegedly cheated on his wife, and as state Senator herself he has a vote on his impeachment.

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Meanwhile, Senator Tommy Tuberville not only makes me really really miss Senator Doug Jones, he almost makes me miss Senator Jeff Sessions.

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On a serious note, something else worth noting as we see increasing number of horror stories of women with non-viable fetuses who will die soon after birth, – many of these are wanted pregnancies. Making a woman carry a baby to term that will die also will delay her chance of getting pregnant with a healthy baby. If it doesn’t cause serious complications.

As Oakland As indicate they are ready to leave Oakland, why is Las Vegas the only likely option?

Answer, because other team in MLB potential expansion hunt look at A’s owner John Fisher and have probably decided to hold out for an actual Major League team.

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In the first five innings, SF Giante challenged three calls today on the field Thursday Milwaukee

All three were overturned. Maybe time to remind umpires MLB benefits include vision insurance?

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NY Mets may have messed things up with Carlos Correa but SF Giants would like to thank the Mets again for letting go of Michael Conforto. Conforto’s 11th home run of the year went 424 feet (at least) to DEEP center field.

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Shawn Estes after Giants’ 5-0 shut out of the Brewers: “Keep the opposition from scoring runs and you’re going to win a lot of games.”

ICYMI, Estes signed a baseball contract out of high school but had been recruited by and admitted to Stanford.

Hey, when Shawn’s right, he’s right

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Lebron James was probably just frustrated after his Lakers were swept by the Denver Nuggets, and expect him to play a few more years. But how about retiring in 2025-27 and then running for Senate in Ohio against J.D. Vance?

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Now it’s Pride clothing that has some MAGA’s losing their minds.

Even though I live in San Francisco Bay Area I root for New Orleans Saints – and am not a 49ers fan. But if I’m in Target & see a display of SF 49ers merchandise, I just walk by it. See how easy that is?

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CNN – If you want politicians to do 2024 Town Halls,

Pres. Biden has great surrogate advisory board.

To name a few – Sens Amy Klobuchar, Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, Raphael Warnock… Governors Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer, Josh Shapiro…… Invite them for town halls. Guessing they’ll show up.

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Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes has been sentenced to 18 years for “seditious conspiracy.” Siri, tell me today’s biggest story you won’t hear on Fox News.

As A’s announced Las Vegas deal for a 30,000 person stadium, your reminder, currently only Cleveland has stadium with less than 35,000 capacity . Guessing MLB figure with Fisher as owner the team will seldom if ever need to sell postseason tickets.

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And uh, the NHL Las Vegas Golden Knights are a great team, the Las Vegas Aces just won the WNBA championship, the Raiders have random moments of hope…. what makes anyone think the city would support a team on pace to be worse than the 1962 Mets.?

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Florida Panthers, lowest ranked team of 8 to make it into the NHL playoffs, are now going to the Stanley Cup finals. Another team that was ranked 8th of 8 in the playoffs? The 2014 SF Giants.

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Although today, 2-16 with RISP, 15 (!) left on base, three “official” errors, at least two plays that should have been errors.

SF Giants seriously gift wrap 7-1 win for the Twins, but maybe they decided to get all their Little League play out of the way for a while. #SFGiants

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Today might have been the most fun former Twitter engineers have had since Muskrat bought the company.

As my friend Jon Nedry added “DeSantis had to be asking himself… “What kind of a Mickey Mouse operation are they running there?”

“I don’t have time for drama” says the Governor and Presidential candidate whose number one focus is his fight with a Mouse

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Maybe DeSantis secretly now wishes he hadn’t severed relations with Disney. They’re better at streaming than Twitter and have Audio-Animatronic engineers who do a great job with robots.

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GOP Sen. Rick Scott seriousy just issued a formal travel advisory warning the state of Florida is “openly hostile toward Socialists” Florida ranks #2 in country for elderly population percentage – 21.3% of residents over 65. Wonder how many are on social security?

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Remember when egg prices were a daily headline? Today, Grocery Outlet near me in California advertising “Lindsey’s Gold Cage Free Grade AA Large Eggs – 2 for $3”

Thank you Brandon!

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Has it occurred to these parents trying to ban children from reading things like “The Hill We Climb” that such steps will lead many many kids to search out copies of something they wouldn’t otherwise have read?

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Kevin McCarthy will have House leave town for Memorial Day weekend saying the debt ceiling standoff is “not my fault.” Right, if the parents only paid the ransom the baby would have been fine…

But seriously Matt Gaetz on the debt ceiling just said this about his GOP colleagues – with his outside voice: “They don’t feel like we should negotiate with our hostage.”

Fox News “Increased interest in Coors Light & Miller Lite could lead to supply shortages.” Uh, “Molson Coors received perfect 100 score on Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index making us one of “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality” So MAGA’s gonna drink water?

On 1st anniversary of children being massacred at school in Uvalde, Ted Cruz took to Twitter with the message “Target should leave our kids the hell alone.” If you think Pride clothing is more dangerous to children than an AR-15, you just might be a deeply disturbed individual.

The SF Giants are at .500, the SF Giants are at .500!

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Meanwhile the Oakland As are 10-40. Shocking those who watched some of the As’ games. How did they ever win 10?

Meanwhile the NBA (and their sponsors and ESPN) would like to thank the Boston Celtics for winning game 4 against the Miami Heat… Means the league doesn’t have an nine day break until the NBA finals start.

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Ron Desantis going to announce he is running for President on Twitter with Elon Musk.

Can anyone imagine if a Democrat had made an announcement of a Presidential campaign on a theoretically impartial platform with previous owner Jack Dorsey?

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Let’s be real. Governor Ron DeSantis would try to shutter public universities in the state, if he didn’t know Floridians would revolt over the lack of college football,

The Human Rights Campaign, US’s largest LGBTQ+ rights organization joined other civil rights organizations today in issuing a travel advisory for Florida. Soon Florida may have to announce they are a tourist destination for MAGAs only. Good news for tourism in 49 other states.

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Casey DeSantis tweeted “America is worth the fight.” Oh please, Mrs. DeSantis. Your husband is focused on a petty fight with a Mouse.

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So with Texas putting the 10 Commandments on wall of every public school classroom, when will they ban Donald Trump from state. Thinking…”I did try & f*k her, she was married..I moved on her like a b*tch.” is a pretty much direct violation of “coveting thy neighbor’s wife.”

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Hey Floridians, if you have a problem with drag shows, there’s a simple solution. Don’t go to one. You’re welcome.

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Not just billionaires who are sacrosanct to GOP. Per CNN, in budget deal Pres. Biden wants to give Medicare more authority to negotiate prescription drug prices. McCarthy says that’s a no-go. So GOP claims to want to help Americans with prices. But not if it hurts Big Pharma.

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OTOH, Lauren Boebert claims birth control prices being too high were why she ended up with a third kid. So maybe we see a possible bipartisan prescription drug effort?

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Seems likely guy with Nazi flag who rammed White House security barriers and said he wanted to hurt President Biden has mental issues. But so did the guy who called police on HIMSELF outside Brett Kavanaugh’s home.

Fox News headlined the latter for weeks. Crickets on the former.

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Has Amy Klobuchar warned Ron DeSantis that he can’t stay virtual forever and before Iowa primaries we’re all going to see how HIS hair does in a blizzard?

Congratulations to Western Conference Champion Denver Nuggets, dominant throughout the regular season and clearly the better team against the Lakers.

Now ESPN has 9 days before the NBA finals start to convince themselves (and their potential TV audience) that the Nuggets are much more interesting than they have been portrayed all season.

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Tom Brady has reaches agreement to buy ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders.

Wonder how many long time Raiders fans are thinking “Tuck him?

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Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers have recanted their disinviting the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence from Pride Night.

Thinking the Sisters will come out of this looking better than Dodgers.

But that statement “after much thoughtful feedback…we would like to offer our sincerest apologies”

Translation, LA figured they’d lose fewer fans supporting LGBTQ people and a group that does a LOT of charitable good words, than kowtowing to Florida Senator Marco Rubio.

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And in Florida, DeSantis has basically now gotten rid of ALL Diversity, Equity and Inclusive programs at public universities, given police the authority to stop anyone they suspect of being undocumented, supported “stand your ground, ” and basically banned most abortions.

How long until this has a serious effect on college applications? Can’t imagine any mom of a child of color wanting to send her child to the state. And it’s also got to be terrifying for women of any race.

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Let’s get down to the real issue: Republicans don’t want American children to read. They’re afraid kids will learn things.

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South Carolina is a definitely red state now.

And overall as a state it’s is ranked #42.

#46 in crime #42 in education #36 in healthcare. And two of South Carolina’s Republican leaders think their records mean they should be President?

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But Tim Scott “I am living proof that American is the land of opportunity and not a land of oppression.” Uh, has he looked at his own party’s mission statement lately? As Tim’s Senate colleague Warnock said… “Some people don’t want some people to vote.”

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One thing I’d like to ask Tim Scott and any of the other GOP Presidential contenders for 2024. How can you expect us to think you’ll stand up to “all our enemies foreign and domestic” if you can’t even stand up to Donald Trump?

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Ted Cruz said Martin Luther King Jr. would be ‘ashamed’ of the NAACP’s Florida travel warning. While I abhor violence admit I probably wouldn’t be too upset if Will Smith threw a punch at Ted while saying “take Martin Luther King Jr’s name out of your bleeping mouth.”

The way things are going, while I know the NBA wanted a Boston Celtics Los Angeles Lakers finals, looks like maybe with enough $$$ to make it worth their time, both teams will be available next weekend for a celebrity video game or golf tournament.

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The Oakland As, at 10-38, have a minus 168 run differential. Yes, that’s over 3 runs, almost 3 1/2 runs PER GAME.

By comparison, only four other teams, three in the AL Central are worse than -51. (The Royals are -71, – 54 for the White Sox and Marlins, -51 for the Tigers.)

If this were Premier League soccer the As would be the odds on favorite for relegation.

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Bo Schembechler’s son Shemy resigned 3 days after he was hired as assistant director of recruiting at Michigan after it came to light his Twitter account “liked” numerous racist and insensitive posts. So how long until he gets hired by Fox News?

Trans athletes are a complicated issues. But GOP is now trying to convince people that they care SO much about girls’ and women’s sports, your reminder that when Title IX first passed in 1972, Rep John Tower (R-Tex) had tried to propose an amendment that would have exempted athletics departments.

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But if GOP is bound and determined to die on the gender bathroom hill why not make all public bathrooms unisex with private stalls and not worry about it?

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So has Elon Muskrat commented on his pal Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s new taxes on electric cars yet?

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I’m quite fond of Garth Brook, who has just started a residency in Las Vegas.

And he has that line “when we’re free to love anyone we choose…we shall be free.”

So is MAGA going to cancel Garth next? (Might make for nicer audiences.)

In 1536, Henry VIII had a priest named William Tyndale executed.

His crime – translating the Bible into English. The King didn’t want ordinary people to be able to read it and think for themselves. Some Republicans these days aren’t that different from King Henry.

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Florida has a two consecutive term limit for Governors.

So when Deathsantis doesn’t make it to the White House what’s next?

Trying for Senate, big $$ in private industry, or browbeating legislature into trying to change law? (Actually, by then he may have worn out welcome even with Republicans.

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Why aren’t members of the media regularly asking GOP members of Congress spewing lies about the debt ceiling and the deficit why rescinding some tax cuts even for BILLIONAIRES aren’t on the table? Asking for a country tired of having the middle class subsidize rich people.

Tyler Rogers replacing his identical twin Taylor Rogers in the eighth inning of an SF Giants game, and then getting the save, is such a great moment on so many levels.

Especially for fans of junkballers.

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Meanwhile, the Mets are bringing up catcher Gary Sanchez. And Yankees fans are just giggling.

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Miami Heat came back again in Boston to put the Celtics in a 2-0 hole. But when you have 2 leads late in game where ESPN thinks you have over a 93% chance of winning each time, either ESPN needs to adjust their software, or the Celtics need to figure out how to play 4 quarters.

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Headline today in Orlando Sentinel about hotels with “stubborn staff shortages.” Well, DeSantis making Florida inhospitable to immigrants (or anyone who looks like an immigrant), LGBTQ community & women of childbearing age. Not that any of those groups work in hotels. #sarcasm

If President Biden invokes the 14th Amendment, Republicans are going to throw a temper tantrum and vow not to cooperate with anything. As opposed to what they are doing now?

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GOP is now going after remote work for Federal agencies, and trying to force workers back into the office instead of teleworking. Uh, if we needed proof that showing up isn’t exactly a guarantee of productively, House GOP are mostly showing up in DC and getting nothing done.

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Knew Ron and Casey DeSantis were married at Disney World, but a Politico article today adds “It rained on their reception at the Italian pavilion at Epcot.” Wonder if that adds to Ron’s hatred of Disney. How dare they have allowed it to rain on their wedding reception?

Starry’s first NHL overtime playoff games. She finds it amusing but would prefer the puck were lit up like a laser pointer.

Forget being from Canada. There isn’t a single team left in the NHL playoffs from north of the Mason-Dixon line.

(although almost half the players are Canadian.)

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Dodgers canceled Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, who feature drag nuns, from Pride Night in LA, after some complaints including from FL’s Marco Rubio. Sisters have been around since 1979. Uh, that’s almost 10 years before LA won their last (non-COVID short season) World Series!

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Why isn’t media talking about the fact that an octogenarian Senator was moved aside for a younger senator to be chair/ranking member on Senate Judiciary committee? Oh, right, they are talking about Feinstein. My bad, I meant Chuck Grassley who was pushed aside for Lindsey Graham.

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And has a single member of media asked if Mitch McConnell, 81, is getting regular physical and cognitive tests, after he had a serious fall last year that included a concussion? And what about Chuck Grassley, who will be 90 in September? I’ll wait.

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GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts quotes Chuck Grassley attacking Biden nominee Nancy Abudu as “One of the most activist judicial nominees we have ever seen.”

But GOP has no problem with activist SCOTUS judges overturning decades of settled law. Make it make sense.

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As US governmen, on a somewhat bipartisan bases but led by GOP wants to or ban Tik Tok, look, I do understand the worry that Chinese-owned TikTok might use data to create misinformation campaigns for US elections.

So how is that different from what Muskrat may be doing with Twitter?

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OK Sen. James Lankford gives long speech on “Federal Fumbles,” -where Federal Govt spends taxpayer money on things that sound silly. Fair enough.

Would Lankford also like to list some of the things American billionaires spend money on that they got with GOP/Trump tax cuts?

Subtle but important point: Yes, if Feinstein resigns Newsom can appoint replacement. But GOP do NOT have to let Dems appoint anyone to replace her on Judiciary Committee, where Dems have 1 vote advantage.. Which would mean some Biden nominees would never get to Senate floor.

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With GOP debt ceiling hostage crisis Chuck Schumer now says members “should remain aware & be able to return to Senate within a 24 hour period to fulfill our responsibilities to avoid default.”

If any Republican Senators end up having Memorial Day plans wrecked hope they thank Kevin McCarthy

Disney has now canceled a $2 billion campus they were planning to build in Florida, expected to bring more than 2,000 jobs in digital technology, finance and product development. Mostly in the six figure range. They cited “changing business conditions.”

We are in the FAFO stage of this Ron vs the Mouse saga.

SF Giants this year not only started out with a mediocre record, but also they often weren’t much fun to watch. This changed when Casey Schmitt showed up. For those who remember 1986 – You gotta like this kid.

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And yeah, now about a quarter through MLB season and SF Giants are at 20-23.

Not great, but only 1/2 game behind highest payoll in MLB NY Mets, 1/2 game better than 3rd highest payroll SD Padres, and Giants just swept the 4th highest Philadelphia Phillies.

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Remember when Erik Spoelstra coached the Miami Heat “Super Team & conventional wisdom said he didn’t have to do a thing for the ring? Between other “Super teams” crashing and burning plus the Heat so far in NBA playoffs this year, thinking conventional wisdom was way wrong.

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House Minority leader Hakeem Jeffries filed a discharge petition which could force a vote on increasing the debt limit. Kevin McCarthy responded “I think America is tired of political games.” And Kevin said it with a straight face.

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Lauren Boebert, who has told us repeatedly how much she believes in marriage, has made the life-altering decision to file for divorce, and now wants us to respect her difficult choice. Okay then…

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A party line vote today referred resolution to expel George Santos from Congress to the House Ethics Committee. Shocking. This GOP led-house HAS an Ethics Committee?

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Apparently a proposed trucker boycott in Florida over immigration hasn’t really happened.

Yet. But have to wonder, as someone in the travel industry, an industry with a LOT of LGBTQ people, what happens if LGBTQ people in travel and hospitality – restaurants and hotels – decided not to work in Florida?’-

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Trump fundraising email whine of the day “I’m disgusted that the Biden-appointed Special Counsel is harassing, threatening, and terrorizing my staff.”

That’s not only a lie, but also apparently Donald thinks harassing, threatening and terrorizing his staff is his job.

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GOP trying to use Comstock Act from 1873, from before women could vote, against mifepristone. Act prohibits mailing of anything “intended for prevention of conception or procuring of abortion.” or “obscene, lewd, or lascivious” materials. So wouldn’t that ban mailing Viagra?

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As summer travel season approaches, remember, since 2006 Americans can’t bring even a half bottle of sealed wine in carry-on because of alleged plot to put bombs in soft-drink bottles. And how many mass shootings has America had just in 2023 without any changes in gun laws?

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is famous both for his love of drafting internation players, and for his love of wine…. Wonder what French wine he opened tonight?

Victor Webanayama said he didn’t have preferred destination, but Spurs are popular team in France because national basketball legends Boris Diaw & Tony Parker thrived and won titles in San Antonio. And he called it “a special moment”

Spurs fans agree.

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Yes, the Lebron James-led Lakers have been really impressive lately. But your reminder, the chopped-liver Denver Nuggets were in 1st place most of the season and finished 10 games ahead of Los Angeles.

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CBS gives a 60 Minutes interview slot to Marjorie Taylor Greene. CNN gives a Town Hall to Donald Trump. NBC gives an interview to Elon Musk What’s next – a network giving a full hour special to George Santos?

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North Carolina State Rep. Tricia Cotham, who won in a deep blue district, then inexplicably switched parties, has HERSELF had an abortion.

And she was the deciding vote to overturn Governor Roy Cooper’s veto of 12 wk abortion ban.

GOP motto has truly become, “Do as I say, not as I do.

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Kevin McCarthy saying he doesn’t think Biden should travel now “Don’t think I’d spend 8 days out of the country. Think country wants an American President focused on solving American problems.” Like a toddler throwing a tantrum and saying Mommy should stay home from work.

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Tommy Tuberville has done the impossible – make reasonable people miss Jeff Sessions.

Tommy Tuberville, supported by Mike Lee, holds up all Pentagon appointments over DOD’s travel policy for military women seeking reproductive care. Imagine if Democratic senator held up ALL military appointments over unmarried men getting Viagra. Or even over gun control.’

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Or, if it’s about pregnancy…. what about vasectomies. Cue Monty Python’s “Every Sperm is Sacred.”

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Elon Muskrat is ducking a U.S. Virgin Islands subpoena & denying that he ever got advice from or would listen to Jeffrey Epstein. And although Musk and Ghislaine Maxwell were seen together at a 2014 Vanity Fair party, he’s denied knowing her. “Everyone but me is lying.”

Pattern sound familiar?

The largest city in the US with a Republican mayor.” “What is no longer Jacksonville?” Political Jeopardy for DeSantis, who endorsed the GOP nominee.

Newly elected Jacksonville mayor Donna Deegan: ” I believe 2 things can be true: Police have very dangerous job & we need more officers on streets & I will fund those, I also believe that Black mamas shouldn’t have to worry every time their kids step out of the house.”

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Watching media talk about GOP manufacture debt ceiling crisis. Next time someone takes hostages in a bank robbery will they say the police are equally to blame for risking those hostages’ lives by not negotiating?

The Oakland A’s drew an announced crowd of 2,064, their smallest for a home game fans were allowed to attend since 1979.

2,064….. ?! Even old Montreal Expos are thinking that’s pathetic.

And for comparison, at Sunken Diamond on the Stanford campus, the Cardinal drew 2061 for a random game last Saturday against the University of Arizona.

And the Giants, whose attendance is down probably in part due to a mediocre at best start and a lack of star power, drew 23,819.

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Meanwhile over in SF,

This Casey Schmitt kid is seriously fun! #SFGiants

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Roy Cooper had a outdoor joyous rally Saturday to protect women’s rights by vetoing North Carolina’s 12 week abortion bill. Ron DeSantis signs Florida’s six week bill under cover of darkness and announces it later. See the difference?

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We don’t know a motive yet and not speculating. But NOTHING on Fox News website about the baseball bat attack on staffers for Virginia Democratic representative Gerry Connelly. If staffers for a GOP US representative were as much as heckled at lunch it would be headline news.

A new super PAC backing Mike Pence as a 2024 presidential candidate launched Monday.” This might be the first time the words “Super” and “Mike Pence” have been used in the same sentence.

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So has Florida banned Mulan yet?

And what about Little Mermaid (inter-species relationship.)

And Zootopia? (Bucky and Pronk.)

For that matter… seven little men living alone in one cottage until a woman shows up & none of them are interested in her? Seems gay to me.

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Media acting like Kevin McCarthy is being normal on debt ceiling when he says “it doesn’t seem yet that Biden wants a deal. It’s as if Kevin said “if parents don’t want to negotiate with kidnappers holding their child hostage it doesn’t seem yet that they want their kid to live.”

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Sen. John Cornyn speaking on National Police Week & touting his bipartisan bills with Amy Klobuchar, Chris Coons & Gary Peters. All well & good, but if Cornyn wants to “Back the Blue” how about assault weapon legislation to limit cops facing civilians armed with weapons of war?

It has been 30 years since a Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup. And as the Las Vegas Golden Knights eliminate the Edmonton Oilers, that streak will continue.

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But before the game, ESPN was tonight talking about “a very important game six between the Golden Knights and the Oilers in the NHL playoffs.”

Ok, in a best of seven series in sports is there ever a non-important game six?.

Kenley Jansen got his 400th save this week. In his next two games, Friday and Saturday, he blew the saves. That’s baseball.

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Interesting times to be a Denver Nuggets fan. Sports pundits seemingly trying to decide if Lakers, Celtics or Heats are favorites to win the NBA championship. And all the Nuggets have done is won the Western Conference after spending 105 days in first place.

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SF Giants pitcher Anthony DeScalani may not win the Cy Young this year but “dropping a piano bench on your toe” is in the running for the most bizarre baseball injury of 2023.

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Have no idea what is going on in Ja Morant’s head…. and NBA stars probably have to deal with a lot of unwanted attention. But seriously, if he was actually concerned about his safety, the guy could hire a licensed security team.

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Remembering on Mother’s Day that my mom actually taught 2nd grade for a couple years. When she got pregnant with me she felt fine, but had to quit when she started to “show.” Used to laugh about how puritanical USA was back in the day…sadly we’re heading back in that direction.

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If Daniel Penny were black and Jordan Neely were white, does anyone think Ron DeSantis and others in the GOP would be calling Penny a hero and Good Samaritan?

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Trump canceled his rally last night due to tornado warnings. Translation – he didn’t want to muss up his hair?

So with Ron DeSantis’s new law saying health care providers have “right to opt out of health care services on the basis of conscience-based objections,” if, for starters, if a married man comes in with an STD he didn’t get from his wife, can a doctor refuse to treat him?

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USA has, and needs, hardworking immigrants from all over, especially in today’s labor market. But GOP attacks immigrants from the southern border because it’s convenient. Not say, Vietnam. Because even GOP knows there’d be bipartisan rage if women couldn’t get their nails done.

Going through Twitter- Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, Nancy Pelosi, Lisa Murkowski, even Mitch Mcconnell… all posted lovely warm messages on Mother’s Day. And the Former Guy ranted about the “radical left.” Very on brand.

Nothing is certain but death, taxes, and the Toronto Maple Leafs breaking their fans’ hearts in the playoffs.

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Many thought the Western Conference finals would be between the evenly matched Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors. Instead, the most even match is that the Suns lost their elimination game by 25, and the Warriors by 21.

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For anyone who saw the actual shot/heave – this might be one of the NBA basketball understatements of the year: From ESPN Gamecast in Warriors-Lakers game, end of 2nd quarter. “0.0 – Austin Reaves makes 54-foot three pointer.”

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Two regular season play-in teams will make the conference finals. So wonder how many top NBA teams, already being criticized for resting their stars too much during the regular season, will decide the solution to win in the playoffs will be to sit those stars even more?

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I would hereby like to nominate SF Giants Ross Stripling to pitch All-Star week. Specifically in the Home Run Derby. Stripling has now pitched 28 innings and given up 10 home runs.

NY Times has this headline lower down the front page… “Border Is Calm as Crowds Continue and Administration Fights Court Ruling.” Yes. “Border is Calm.” But media is, again, rooting for disaster.

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Linda Yaccarino, newly appointed CEO of Twitter, appears to be quite competent and certainly no pushover. Too soon to start a pool on how long she’ll last?

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Ron Deathsantis apparently has failed in his latest punishment effort for Disney – trying to put state inspectors in charge of ALL Disney rides. Yeah, the same state inspectors who were in charge of buildings like Champlain Towers South, the Surfside condo that collapsed.

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What Republicans especially don’t talk about with immigration. Caitlin Dickerson: “Employers are desperate: Hearing from sources in New York that within days every migrant that arrives is working 6-7 days a week, cleaning houses, offices, making or delivering food…”

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Again, it strikes me people who are willing to walk for months, to risk their & their children’s lives, for a better life and the chance to work hard at a job, might be pretty good employees. Especially with a US labor shortage. We need reasonable immigration reform.

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Gov DeSantis just signed a bill mandating inclusion of Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) history in Florida’s K-12 curriculum. While he has rejected African American history. So just cynically dividing communities of color? Or does Ron have big AAPI donors? Or both.

Somebody apparently didn’t tell Kevin Durant that karma has decided “join a super team get a free ring,” is a one-time deal.

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Apparently the Denver Nuggets are staying tonight in the same hotel in Phoenix as the San Francisco Giants. Hope none of the Giants hoped to go back to the hotel bar for a quiet night.

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Uh, the story on SF Giants prospect Casey Schmitt was that he was “good field no hit.” Casey has hit two balls well over 400 feet in three games….

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Peloton is recalling 2.2 million exercise bikes due to seat post breaking during use. The bikes were sold between 2018 and 2023. Considering how much Americans stick to exercise plans, wonder how many of the bikes sold going back 5 years are actually still being used anyway?

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Mitch McConnell says he disagrees with Tommy Tuberville blocking Pentagon appointments to make a point about the military allowing women to travel for reproductive health issues, but he can’t do anything about it.

Uh, Mitch has had serious health issues, but is the GOP Senate leader. And he can’t rein in a first term Senator on a matter of National Security.??? Where are the calls for McConnell, 81, to retire?

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Usually have watched CNN’s “Inside Politics” in the morning here in California. Thursday it was far more appealing to watch Senate on C-Span 2 vote on whether or not to repeal the Endangered Species Act protections for the northern long-eared bat.

So next up will CNN do a prime-time special of an hour showing actual train wrecks?

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Muskrat says today he has found a new CEO of Twitter and she starts in six weeks. I’m sure the fact that Velveeta Voldemort is dominating headlines today after his televised train wreck had nothing to do with the timing.

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Biden has announced a 2024 re-election advisory board – 50 Democrats including Senators Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Chris Murphy, Patty Murray and Tom Carper. All are strong supporters and will campaign for the President. And guessing mostly they’ll get less media coverage than if Joe Manchin complains about something Joe does.

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Headline from Orlando Sentinel: “DeSantis ramps up executions as bid for president nears With his signing of a death warrant for Duane Owen on Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis has now approved four executions in less than four months…” Time to really call him Ron DeathSantis.

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Ironic. Yesterday the Senate Commerce committee reported out the Railway Safety Act, a bipartisan bill by Sherrod Brown and J.D. Vance with bipartisan support. But this got zero coverage.

Especially compared to the televised train wreck on CNN. Do better media!

Lived in Toronto from 4-6th and then again 8th grade. Know how bad it’s become for Maple Leafs fans when Toronto hangs on to win a 3-0 elimination game, and half -or more, of the social media comments are about it only prolonging the torture.

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West Virginia suspended men’s basketball coach Bob Huggins after an especially awful homophobic slur, repeated more than once, in an interview about his former Cincinnati rival,Xavier. And they reduced his salary by $1 million.

If West Virginia is SERIOUS about making a real statement that what their basketball coach said was wrong they would take that $1 million salary reduction and donate it to LGBTQ causes.

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Tommy Tuberville, defending his holding up defense nominations over women’s reproductive rights, (NOT, not US taxpayers paying for abortions, but allowing women time off for legal medical procedures that could be banned where they are deployed) has had 30 days off this year.

He has a point. Fine, so Chuck Schumer can you cancel nights and weekends until Tommy stops this stunt. We’ll see how much his GOP colleagues like it.

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“Woke” beer is one of the new GOP perceived threats. And just read that Ron DeSantis says he prefers Guinness to Bud Light… Uh, Ron, Guinness was “woke” before “woke” was a thing. “Guinness drops sponsorship of anti-LGBT NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade -March 16, 2014”

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Rumors CNN offered Kaitlin Collins, for moderating their Town Hall, the 9p news anchor job.

For CNN???!!!

Quote from Sir Thomas More, who Richard Rich lied to condemn to be named AG of Wales? “Why Richard, it profit a man nothing to give his soul for whole world. but for Wales!”

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I get it sadly with places like deep red Alabama, where they voted out a good moderate man in Doug Jones in favor of Tommy Tuberville. But Wisconsin, you elected Tammy Baldwin, how the h*ll did you re-elect Ron Johnson?

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Whatever you think of Dianne Feinstein, if she retires, GOP still must APPROVE a replacement on Judiciary mid term. Process is same as for temporary replacement:

And even Mitt : “Romney told CNN even if Feinstein retired, he still doesn’t see GOP helping Dems replace her on Senate Judiciary Committee

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First Kevin McCarthy started kowtowing to Donald Trump.

Then Kevin McCarthy starting kowtowing to Marjorie Three Names.

Now Kevin McCarthy is kowtowing to George Santos? How low can you go?

As a disappointed SF Giants fan, nothing personal against Carlos Correa. (Scott Boras OTOH) But ouch. Correa was booed in Minneapolis, while going 0-5, stranding six runners, and dropping his batting average to .185.

Sometimes the best deals are the ones you don’t make.

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Meanwhile, Casey Schmitt made his major league debut at short today in San Francisco. Hit a pitch during his second AB 412 feet. Got a second hit later, and had a potential double just go foul.

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First Kevin McCarthy said he wouldn’t expell George Santos or have him resign because he hadn’t been indicted or charged with a crime. Now that Santos has been indicted McCarthy says he hasn’t been convicted.

And if George IS convicted, watch, Kevin will say he won’t expel him until the appeals process is done.

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So if you’re a star they let you do it, in New York is Trump no longer a star?

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Meanwhile, guess the ketchup-cleaner at Mar-A-Lago is getting overtime pay this week.

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Ron DeSantis just got a bill passed requiring Florida teachers who want to be in unions to mail in written checks every month. Yes, the same Ron DeSantis who just got a bill passed to make it harder for Floridians to vote by mail. Make it make sense.

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During Teacher Appreciation Week, remember, the same GOP who trusts teachers to be armed, doesn’t trust them to choose books for children.

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So tired of GOP claim “America has a spending problem” Not saying we can’t talk about spending and possible cuts…

But Democrats need to keep reminding us: “America has an undertaxed billionaire problem.”

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It’s actually pretty simple. If CNN gets millions of outraged people to tune in to watch Trump town hall they will consider it a win. If they have the worst ratings ever they will consider it a mistake. Watch something else. Anything else.

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Senate just unanimously passed HR 346 – NOTAM improvement act after Jan ’23 NOTAM system failure brought US domestic flights to temporary halt. Lead sponsor Amy Klobuchar with Shelly Moore Capito, Jerry Moran, Maria Cantwell. Never gets coverage when Senate does something GOOD.

But loved this quote from Senator Klobuchar apparently walking through a crowd of reporters at the end of the day today “you guys have enough news to cover?”

If Lakers win the series against Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles should send flowers at least to the San Antonio Spurs for letting Lonnie Walker IV go.

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And if the Warriors come back no one will remember the game because East Coast media is all focused on the NY Knicks being now on the brink of elimination.

Got confused and thought SF Giants had Monday night off. Looks like their offense, against the lowly Washington Nationals, thought the same thing. (5-1 loss, 0-8 with runners in scoring position, and only run a home run in the 9th)

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Oakland A’s Glen Kuiper suspended for carelessly mispronouncing Negro League, for which he apologized. (I’m not disagreeing with the suspension.)

But West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said, and repeated in an interview, a deliberate anti-gay slur against Xaiver – his former in town rival when Huggins coached at Cincinnati Bob has an 863-389 career record and a .689 winning percentage. Let’s see what happens to him.

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President Biden and Pete Buttigieg pushing a rule to require airlines to compensate fliers for cancellation and delays. Seems like this would be universally popular. So waiting to see how GOP comes out on the side of travel misery.

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I like Biden’s new rules for mandatory compensation for delays except for weather.

Although, as a travel agent I can anticipate one issue: If a delay is caused by multiple factors, and many of them air, the airline will CLAIM weather was main factor. They already do that.

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A Russian oligarch is publicly criticizing Putin’s war in Ukraine. So how long until he falls out of a window?

NBC News interviewed resident of Florida’s The Villages who said she & husband decided not to renew Disney World annual passes after CEO’s comments against DeSantis’s “don’t say Gay” law.

Cool, the fewer hateful people, the more Disney will be “Happiest Place on Earth” for rest of us.

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Mitch McConnell says he “would’ve love to had” Kyrsten Sinema caucus with Republicans but Sinema says she won’t join GOP. Makes sense, Kyrsten isn’t stupid. How many GOP women Senators do you hear much about? (maybe Susan Collins?) But Sinema has far more power and gets more attention where she is.

So are all these pro-gun Republicans who think they’re going to keep their kids safe by homeschooling them going also now to tell their kids they can’t go to the mall?

And are GOP women going to stop going to fancy outlet malls?

Asking for a tired country.

In the “it’s a start” department, a new bill in Texas advanced by a GOP House committee would raise minimum age to purchase certain semi-automatic rifles.

Works for me.

Could I suggest the minimum age be 99 years old?

To put things in perspective, Mage won yesterday’s Kentucky Derby in 2:01.57. One of the faster Derbies… Secretariat in 1973 was over two seconds faster. He’d have won by about 10 lengths.

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“My Old Kentucky Home” has the line “it’s summer, the people are gay” in it. So Ron Deathsantis now going to try to cancel the Kentucky Derby too?

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ESPN’s Karl Ravich actually asked Mookie Betts if the Los Angeles Dodgers – San Diego Padres rivalry was as big as the Red Sox – Yankees.

And SF Giants fans just threw up.

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Though I lived in Toronto for four years and became a big Leafs fan as a kid, I don’t follow hockey that much anymore. Just as well, because nothing is certain but death, taxes, and the Maple Leafs falling apart in the playoffs.

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Prince Harry apparently flew to his Father’s Coronation the day before on a regularly scheduled American Airlines flight. Maybe Harry wanted to leave it to fate as to whether he made it for the ceremony on time or not?

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Ticketmaster in UK now offering West End shows in London for no ticketing fees!

Why? UK Standard newspaper: “unlike US, where Ticketmaster has “significant presence” UK has wider range of ticket providers- GigsandTours, SeeTickets etc…”

This isn’t hard. Monopolies hurt consumers.

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Next week on American Idol is “Disney Week.”

Many Republicans as well as Democrats love American Idol.

Waiting to see if Ron Deathsantis is going to try to cancel “Idol.”

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WTF?

From Trump fundraising email: As your next president, I will mandate federal employees to take a civil service test to demonstrate a TRUE understanding of our Constitution – and bureaucrats who do not pass will be FIRED.

They will be quizzed on due process rights, equal protection, free speech, religious liberties, 4th Amendment protection against unreasonable search & seizure & your many other constitutional liberties.” As if he himself and GOP members of Congress could pass that test.

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GOP hates math. But while conspiracy theories are flying around, amplified by some of the congressional crazies, this simple fact:

A 2021 investigation by Voice of America found that only 23% of mass shooters from 1966 to February 2020 took psychiatric medication.

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So this weekend there was a mass shooter at Texas outlet mall.

Does Cancun Cruz want armed guards now in malls as well as schools?

Let’s make it simpler. Where does Ted think we DON’T need armed guards? (Anything but sensible gun law reform.)

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If anyone doesn’t believe a Latino man can be a racist, or even a White Supremacist, suggest you watch John Sayles’ movie “Lone Star.” If for nothing else than the fact people are complicated. And there are all kinds of hierarchies and layers of racicm.

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I’m so old I remember when biggest worry going to an outlet mall was parking. Not being shot.

Mental health problems happen for people in countries all over the world. Regular mass shootings only happen and kill people in the USA. It’s the guns, stupid.