Left Coast Sports Babe

Brooks Koepka is the latest high profile golfer to join the Saudi backed tour, which means a suspension from the PGA Tour. Saudi LIV Golf has now signed eight of the top 50 players in the world.

Augusta National, home of the Masters, didn’t integrate until 1991. And didn’t allow women members until 2012. Who knew so many golfers would prove it’s possible to be too anti-human rights even for the PGA?

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Although, speaking of bad behavior, why does Dan Snyder still have an NFL team?

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Back in 2016 Velveeta Voldemort refused to say he’d accept election results if he lost. So suppose we shouldn’t be surprised when once he had power that he tried to use all of it to stay in office – laws and votes be d*mned.

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So with these anti-abortion “life begins at fertilization” bills that some states are passing in anticipation of Roe v Wade being overturned, when is the first rich white Republican woman and/or her doctor going to be arrested over a IVF pregnancy?

(It’s not just extra embryos that are often discarded, but “multifetal pregnancy reduction” is common if several embryos become fetuses..).

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We’ve now sadly come to expect some deep-red state Senators to think they need to be complicit in Velveeta Voldemort’s Big Lie for political reasons. But Wisconsin is a purple state that elected Tammy Baldwin. Surely, Wisconsin you can un-elect Ron Johnson in November. #VoteBlue

Right now Liz Cheney is one of the best examples of perhaps my favorite Amy Klobuchar quote: “Courage means standing next to someone you don’t always agree with for the betterment of the country.”

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GOP more upset about Colbert staffers hanging out in the halls of US Capitol with a dog puppet after interviews than about Uvalde police with guns hanging out in the halls of a school while children were being massacred.

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When travel agents travel, we are all used to clients having crises while we’re gone. This week no exception… except that this time it’s probably a client a day coming down with symptomatic COVID. No joke. Be careful out there.

17-2 loss to Arkansas, 6-2 loss to Auburn. College World Series in Omaha is amazing. But #2 seed Stanford has to be thinking… we went all that way for this?

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Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder has refused a 2nd request to testify before Congress for a House Oversight Committee investigating the Commanders’ alleged “toxic workplace culture.”

Is Snyder signaling he’s planning to run for office as a Republican?

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The same GOP that impeached Bill Clinton for lying about a consensual affair, has no problem with Velveeta Voldemort, Herschel Walker and Eric Greitens. “Family values.”

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So if Texas does decide to secede can anyone give me a reason why the rest of the US shouldn’t let them go?

(I would, however, happily give Gregg Popovich dual citizenship.)

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We now live in a US where physically abusing your wife-girlfriend, blackmailing a woman with nude pictures & talking about shooting your opponents is just fine with leadership of one major party. But calling out treason – that will get you attacked, primaried & denounced.

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Some in Texas GOP actually physically assaulted Rep. Dan Crenshaw, calling him “Eyepatch McCain,” because he won’t go along with Velveeta Voldemort’s election lie. They meant it as an insult. but our country would benefit if Crenshaw aspired to be more like John McCain.

I’ve been a “common ground” kind of gal since before I really knew politics. Even so, the idea even a few years ago that I could find common ground with … Liz Cheney?!!!

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Not just pilot shortages. Kept mask on for most of Delta intl flight recently. Just 1 flight attendant masked. He told me privately he knew many colleagues who gleefully threw away their masks while traveling & got COVID. If not enough flight crew, airlines do cancel flights.

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Not sure if it’s public information or not but now would be a good time for some enterprising journalist to dig into how many flight attendants are calling in sick with COVID.

Baseball has some heartbreaking “would have, could have, should have” losses… At least Stanford’s 17-2 loss to Arkansas in College World Series wasn’t one of those.

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For years, I was a big fan of Phil Mickelson. And we thought Tiger Woods fell from grace in a hurry….

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While they’re not on pace for a 107 win series, SF Giants keep finding ways to win. Is there a longevity record for using “smoke and mirrors?”

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Some Colbert Late Show staffers were arrested filming a skit in what Capitol police said was an unauthorized location. Wonder if the staffers were deemed suspicious because they weren’t carrying typical tourist gear like bear spray and zip ties.

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Velveeta Voldemort is upset with January 6 committee being aired, posting on “Truth Social,” – “I DEMAND EQUAL TIME” Well, his trial could have the biggliest ratings ever.

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So if falling off a bike disqualifies you from being able to be President, would Fox News like to start showing pictures of Velveeta Voldemort biking around Mar-A-Lago?

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Frustrated travelers (and travel agents) might be forgiven for giggling just a bit at this one: Pete Buttigieg, after a meeting with airline executives about their summer scheduling problems had to drive to New York from DC after HIS flight was canceled.

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GOP Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker says he “never denied” existence of the three children he hadn’t publicly disclosed before. So would Herschel like to answer two simple questions: 1. Has he been paying child support? 2. How many other children does he know he has?

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Look, we all have issues. But is there a single Republican willing to say Herschel Walker doesn’t need to be elected to the Senate, he needs to get serious mental help?

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Jesus would have supported Pride. Heck, he’d probably be marching with a rainbow flag #loveoneanother

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John Dean reminds us “nobody died at Watergate.” But also important, with Watergate, many REPUBLICANS figured “high crimes and misdemeanors” were reasons to vote to impeach a President.

A technicality meant that Phil Mickelson, suspended from the PGA for playing on the Saudi Tour, was allowed to compete in the US Open.

Karma apparently decided it would be half the Open.

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One of the smaller bad things to come out of January 6 – it really raised the bar for the rest of us ever being able to complain about having the “worst boss ever,” (past present or future) when Mike Pence had a boss who tried to have him killed

Velveeta Voldemort is upset with January 6 committee being aired, posting on “Truth Social,” – “I DEMAND EQUAL TIME” Well, his trial could have the biggliest ratings ever.

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Had a high school teacher, former Marine, a couple years after Watergate, who told us repeatedly that Richard Nixon had done NOTHING wrong. That teacher would have been perfect today as a Republican member of Congress.

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Apparently some GOP Senators don’t want to include Amy Klobuchar’s boyfriend loophole in gun legislation compromise. So even Republicans who’ve accepted abusive husbands losing gun rights don’t mind if abusive boyfriends are armed? Wish this was satire.

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Every time a business owner says publicly he is leaving a blue state over taxes, conservative media has a field day – “jobs! jobs! jobs!” So why aren’t they all over the “Disney delays moving 2,000 jobs to Florida amid fight with DeSantis” story?

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Ut’s really pretty simple with Rep. Loudermilk. If the Congressman really was leading an innocent tour, he’d have said so. “Hey, I know Capitol was officially shut but my constituents and I thought COVID was overhyped and I wanted to give them a special holiday treat.”

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Newly discovered emails between Ginni Thomas and John Eastman appear so damning that Fox News will have to have major headlines about Hunter Biden.

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Apparently CNN’s new boss Chris Licht told network to stop using phrase “the big lie” about Velveeta Voldemort’s claims of a stolen election, saying it’s a Democratic party slogan. Meanwhile Fox News continues – “all big lie, all the time.”

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So what if a teacher decides to become armed and then outs themselves as a sometimes drag queen?

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There’s actually a very logical reason why some in GOP didn’t mind being seen on video giving tours of the Capitol before January. Because they thought the Former Guy’s coup would succeed.

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GOP – Democrats aren’t focusing on the economy and issues that really affect average Americans. Also GOP, let’s get Americans really riled up about a handful of transgender women and girls who play sports.

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As we approach SCOTUS Roe V. Wade decision: CDC estimates 2% of American children born in 2019 were conceived through IVF.

IVF not only expensive, but also results in throwaway embryos. Many GOP use it.

If abortion is outlawed in some states at conception…

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Lauren Boebert say she will sue over allegations she was a paid escort. I don’t judge that kind of work. But does Lauren realize that her lawsuit opens her up to full disclosure and counter investigations? Thoughts and prayers.

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We came very very close to dead members of Congress on January 6.

As count of women alledging sexual misconduct against DeShaun Watson stands at 24, new Browns QB says he has no regrets but does regret impact it’s triggered on so many people. “It’s tough to have to deal with.” “Tough to have to deal with?” So Watson think’s HE’s the victim?

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Signs of summer in baseball, weather heating up, getting closer to the All-Star break, and Stephen Strasburg, back on the injured list.

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GOP – Democrats are talking about climate change and guns instead of focusing on the economy and issues that really affect average Americans.

Also GOP, let’s get Americans really riled up about a handful of transgender women and girls who play sports.

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Only silver lining in Velveeta Voldemort having ripped off his cult members after 2020 for donations that went directly into his pockets… That’s money that DIDN’T go to Republican candidates. (And who know how much a difference it might have made, in say, Georgia?)

In Ohio now, a teacher can carry a gun with just 24 hours of training.

So I’m wondering what happens if a teacher gets armed and says, with gun in hand, the heck with it, I’m going to teach banned books, talk about the history of racism in this country, AND about LGBTQ rights.

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Meanwhile, while many of us hope just to keep assault weapons out of the hands of teenagers, the United Kingdom has calmly, even under a Conservative government, restricted kids buying knives. And this is at a regular department store.

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Florida Gov. DeathSantis threatening to call child protective services on parents who bring children to drag shows “”totally inappropriate…not something children should be exposed to…” But kids hearing on news other children were decapitated by AR-15 bullets in Texas is fine?

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A top Fox News website headline now is about Paul Pelosi’s mugshot for alleged DUI. So if it’s about spouses of powerful people in DC now, still waiting for Fox News to ANY coverage of Ginni Thomas’s alleged treason for trying to overthrow an election.

As the January 6 committee hearings continue, a question for anyone who still believes the Former Guy – how many people, including his own former staffers, have to be lying for him to be telling the truth?

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Serious travel agent PSA again. Americans no longer need to test negative for COVID to return from traveling overseas. Anyone who feels sick SHOULD still test. But flights are full and people want to get home. So we know everyone with symptoms won’t test. Be careful out there.

As kid learned to hate Notre Dame when my grandfather complained priests pushed Catholic athletes to go there.

But getting to College World Series by upsetting Tennessee? Who Fighting Irish coach Jarrett called “best No. 1 team in any college sport this year?”

OK, well played.

Still hate ND football.

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Ok, SF Giants fans, let’s be honest. After a really bad performance against the lowly Rockies, how many Giants fans were going into this weekend against the LA Dodgers thinking “Please don’t get swept?

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On Pride weekend, remembering this response just a few years ago from SF Giants legend Willie Mays, asked if a openly gay player would be accepted in the locker room. Three words. “Can he hit?”

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Is there a more anti-climactic sporting event than the Belmont Stakes when there’s no potential Triple Crown winner?

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Has it occurred to any of these QAnon crazies that if JFK Jr were alive he’d likely be in Biden’s cabinet?

Last week Tomi Lahren mocked the “woke” SF Giants. . Well on Pride Weekend the “woke” SF Giants, despite several injuries and one cobbled together bullpen game, just swept the LA Dodgers!

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Really tired of hearing on a regular basis who Velveeta Voldemort is attacking and who he is supporting this week. Hey media, why don’t you start covering who Hillary Clinton is supporting? She got more votes than he did.

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As COVID restrictions are rescinded while we still don’t know much about long Covid, your reminder that last time GOP had the House they focused much of their attention on trying to repeal Obamacare.

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Along with trying to make it harder for people to vote, GOP has sadly figured something out: Instead of solving problems and actually making life better for Americans it is easier to give people other people to blame.

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This President Biden quote isn’t getting enough traction: ‘Exxon made more money than God this year'” And since GOP claims to care about higher prices, why isn’t a single Republican calling out oil companies for price gouging?

Has there been an NBA playoff game in the last month that ended up closer than 10 points?

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As an San Antonio Spurs fan don’t have a dog in this NBA finals fight between Golden State &- Boston . But open note to Celtics – scoring 3 points in the last 5 minutes of the fourth quarter is not a way to win many games.

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So how did SF Giants look that bad for three games against the lowly Rockies, and then completely dominate the LA Dodgers tonight? Baseball is a funny game.

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Washington Commanders Defensive Coordinator Jack Del Rio has been fined for comparing January 6 to the protests after George Floyd’s murder. Bummer, I read the story and thought it said “fired” not fined.

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Fully aware that Liz Cheney has aspirations of leading GOP if party ever stages a Velveeta Voldemort exorcism. But what gets me, why is there NO other elected Republican with both similar ambitions and cojones?

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Why do I have a feeling Ivanka isn’t bringing the kids for a Father’s Day brunch at Mar-A-Lago this year?

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Fox News wants us to believe everything that happened on January 6 was spontaneous & no big deal. But man who called 911 on himself outside Brett Kavanaugh’s home, saying he was in need of psychiatric help & told judge “I’m not thinking clearly,” was part of big nefarious liberal plot.

2 printable words – Yeah. Right.

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Client just emailed to complain he tested before coming home tomorrow from Europe to US and if he’d just waited 2 days he wouldn’t need test. On brighter side, everyone flying back to US this weekend will know everyone else on plane tested negative!

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US going to lift COVID testing requirement to return from foreign countries. While this may put more Americans at risk of variants hard to imagine people returning from overseas are now any more dangerous than those returning from say…Florida.

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Same people who think Speaker Nancy Pelosi is somehow responsible for her husband Paul’s DUI arrest are strangely silent about SCOTUS judge Clarence Thomas’s wife Ginni lobbying 29 Arizona lawmakers to overturn the 2020 election.

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So did a single Republican complaining about Congress spending time on the January 6 committee hearing also complain about the time spent with 33 hearings on Benghazi?

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Hope no one tells Velveeta Voldemort 20 million people watched the opening of the January 6 hearings. That’s more than 7 times the number of people who watch Fox News and 3 times the number who ever watched “The Apprentice.”

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How impressive was U.S. Capitol Police Officer Caroline Edwards? Even Fox News and Republicans haven’t attacked her. (Yet.)

Angel Hernandez is alleging in a lawsuit that “MLB manipulated its internal umpiring metrics to disadvantage minorities.” No argument on MLB having diversity issues, but maybe a lawsuit would have a better chance if it weren’t filed by the worst umpire in the game.

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White Sox lost 11-9 to the Dodgers and Chicago manager Tony La Russa was criticized after issuing an intentional walk to Trea Turner on a 1-2 count, and then Max Muncy immediately hit a 3 run home run.

La Russa defended the analytics of it. With two strikes?! Of course this is the same Tony La Russa who once issued an intentional walk to Barry Bonds. In spring training.

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So how can Democrats get Fox News to start covering January 6 hearings. Maybe if someone mentions “Benghazi?”

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Would any Republican, especially those who are contradicting their own words from January 2021, dare to tell Liz Cheney she’s a liar to her face? Or would they like to say that her father on a hunting trip?

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Dear Media. Please show video clips of January 6 witnesses as often as you showed that clip of an actor slapping a comic. Thank you. democracy.

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Joe Biden at Summit of the Americas when they play “Hail to the Chief.” “I’ve only been President a year & a half but every time I walk into the room & everyone stands up I

One of those “Wish I’d said that.” Stephen Colbert’s line of the night: After clip of Ivanka Trump asked on Bill Barr’s denying election fraud & responding “I respect Attorney General Barr so I accepted what he was saying”. “Must have been a bittersweet moment for the former president. She finally screwed him.”

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Federalist’s CEO on Fox accuses Democrats of trying to destroy republic, attacking Trump w/ hoaxes & then “the whole COVID thing – which they used as pretext for massive rollup of power… ” “the COVID thing?” 1,000,000 dead

Had to change channel before I threw something at TV.

Boston Celtics won tonight against the Golden State Warriors, 116-100.

And for the first and only time in the NBA Finals, the next game is only 2 days (instead of 3 days) away. So there’s a chance maybe players might remember tonight’s game?

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So if 24 lawsuits by women allegeding sexual misconduct aren’t enough for the NFL to suspend Deshaun Watson would the league like to give us a number for how many it would take?

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Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio called the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol a “dust-up” in comparison to protests that followed George Floyd’s murder.

So in case you were thinking owner Dan Snyder was the only a**hole connected with the Washington Football team.

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You know who hasn’t moved on from January 6? Brian Sicknick.

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Final totals in Pennsylvania Senate primary:

Oz 419,999 votes McCormick 419,048 votes Difference: 951 votes

And in Florida in 2018 Ron Deathsantis won by about 32,000 votes out of over 8 million. While Rick Scott beat Bill Nelson by fewer than 11,000 votes.

If your vote didn’t matter GOP wouldn’t try so hard to stop you voting.

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Ulvade survivor Miah Cerrillo, 11, volunteered heartbreaking testimony before House today. GOP Rep Andy Biggs was outraged. But not by her awful details. He accused Dems of re-traumatizing Miah by “bringing that poor little girl to relive this.” Four words again “Pro Life My A**”

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Man arrested near Brett Kavanaugh’s home & charged w/attempted murder called 911 on HIMSELF.

And in court he told the judge “I think I have reasonable understanding (of what’s happening), but wouldn’t say I’m thinking clearly.”

Textbook example of why we need mental health checks to buy guns.

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Reminder. The drinking age in many states used to be 18. It was raised to 21 largely to cut down on the number of traffic accidents and fatalities. And the liquor industry is doing just fine. But guns now kill more Americans than car accidents.

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MAGA Twitter & conservative media going crazy over a false report that DUI charges against Paul Pelosi have been dropped. It takes time in California to decide charges.

What are the odds if/when Paul is charged by DA and/or pleads no contest that they will issue an apology?

NY now says newly signed Browns QB Deshaun Watson booked massage appointments with at least 66 different women over 17 months, from fall 2019 through spring 2021.

And 24 women on that list have filed lawsuits against Watson.

Leaving aside the scary math, you’d think someone rich who was that into massages would put a masseuse on payroll..

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So after world outrage, a minimum age IS being raised. In 2026, Olympic figure skaters will have to be at at least 17.

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GOP, when they aren’t trying to ban abortion completely, wants mandatory waiting periods for women seeking abortions. But per John Cornyn: “A mandatory, across-the-board waiting period for 18-21 year olds (to buy guns) is not being considered.”

Again, 4 words “Pro life my a**.”

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Some conservative media complaining that actor Matthew McConaughey, along with coaches like Steve Kerr & Gabe Kapler, are speaking out for gun control. They think celebrities & sports figures are unqualified to speak out & should stick to running for office as Republicans?

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Stephen Colbert talking about January 6 hearings being televised this week in prime-time: “So get ready for your new favorite show “America’s Got Treason.”

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RIP Jim Seals of Seals and Crofts – a big part of the soundtrack of my high school years, “Get Closer, “Summer Breeze,” “We May Never Pass This Way Again.”

He was 80.

How did he, and “Dash” Crofts get to be 80?!!!

I feel old.

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Former Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke had so many scandals, even Velveeta Voldemort ultimately decided he should resign. Now Zinke may have won congressional primary in Montana. GOP may have to buy some of those “Vote for the Crook” bummer stickers they’ve had in Louisiana.

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CNN headline “Voters aren’t engaged. This could be problem for Democrats.” Look, I’ve been “engaged” Democrat since childhood & unless you have favorite candidate or it’s Presidential year, hard for folks to get “engaged” during primaries. November matters. #VoteBlueNoMatterWho

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To out of California followers, conservative media will be all over San Francisco recalling DA Chesa Boudin. SF is not rejecting liberal values. He’ll probably be replaced by someone w/ similar politics. For number of reasons, many DEMOCRATS just really don’t like Chesa Boudin.

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Still don’t think we need to allow more immigrants into this country? Next time you stand in line at an airport, or for a rental car, or at a hotel, or in a restaurant & you’re furious about waiting.. .ask if they’re trying to hire. The answer will almost always be yes

Torture.

(For those who didn’t watch or know – 1-1 game in an elimination game 7 for the regionals. They gave up 2 runs in top of 9th to Texas State. But walked it off in the bottom of the 9th, 4-3.)

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Now a 24th woman has accused Deshaun Watson of inappropriate sexual conduct during massage sessions.

“When you’re a star they let you do it…”

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Now it’s Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf with COVID (for a 2nd time.) And Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg getting COVID for the first time.

It’s all Democrats lately. Forget admitting they have COVID, will any Republican politician even admit they are testing for COVID?

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You don’t have to agree with Liz Cheney on many things to know she is absolutely right about January 6.

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At times like this, I really miss Molly Ivins. But here’s one of her many great quotes:

“I know: ‘Guns Don’t Kill People.’ But I suspect that they have something to do with it. If you point your finger at someone and say, “Bang, bang, you’re dead,” not much actually happens.

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After Parkland massacre, then Florida Gov Rick Scott signed “red flag law” which also banned 18-20-yr-olds from buying semiautomatic rifles. Scott now against federal legislation & says “All this stuff ought to be done at state level.” Translation, as Senator I need more NRA $$?

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Senator John Cornyn complaining about doors & saying you shouldn’t be able to just walk into a school. Because “you can’t just walk into an airport very easily.” Uh, yes, actually you CAN just walk into an airport very easily. You just can’t walk past TSA into boarding area.

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Does anyone seriously think a school locked door is any match for an automatic weapon and a shooter with body armor?

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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson facing a no-confidence vote from his own party today in large part over having parties during the most stringent COVID lockdown time. By comparison to Velveeta Voldemort, Boris’s behavior seems so quaint.

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On the anniversary of D-Day, you get the sense today’s GOP would have tried to stop the US operation if they could have… just to keep FDR from being successful.

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott requested active shooter training for ALL school-based officers in Texas. So can someone explain to me how kids would be upset in school by learning about history or seeing pictures of other kids with two moms, but not bothered at all by reading this in the news?

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So what are the odds Muskrat never intended to buy Twitter and this whole thing was comparatively cheap publicity? (And that’s if he actually pays the $1 billion termination fee.)

Wouldn’t have been a bad ticket.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich yesterday at a San Antonio rally for gun control about Ted Cruz. “He’s a Harvard grad. He’s no dummy. But he thinks WE’RE dummies.”

Nailed it.

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Rays pitcher Jason Adam, on he and four teammates not wearing rainbow Pride logo “not that we look down on anybody” but “don’t want to encourage it if we believe in Jesus, who’s encouraged us to live a lifestyle that would abstain from that behavior”

Would Adam like to quote Jesus on gays? I’ll wait.

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Anyone who’s watched baseball tournaments starting in Little League knows that especially in losers’ brackets, you can run out of pitching and things often get ugly.

But Oklahoma State vs Missouri State was exceptional:

OSU down, 12-0 after 3. They won 29-15.

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So in Florida what’s gonna happen if an armed teacher decides to say “gay” in the classroom?

And for that matter, so what happens if women arm themselves and start demanding Plan B at gunpoint?

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When the morning headlines are “Three dead in mass shooting” and you have to ask “which one?” it’s time to change the gun laws. Past time.

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A Republican PAC supporting Herschel Walker gave out over $4,000 in free gas vouchers at a rally for Walker in Georgia.

Yes, this is the same Republican party in the same state that made it a crime to hand out bottles of water to voters waiting in line at the pools…

No shame.

NCAA Baseball Regionals start this weekend, heading towards the College World Series. Though they aren’t a big television draw. Maybe if the NCAA started putting out brackets along regular notices that people are not supposed to bet on games. June Madness?

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Dodgers, Mets and Yankees have the highest payrolls in MLB. They would all like to thank the 4th highest payroll Phillies for being an example that you can’t just buy your way to winning.

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Boston Celtics players wore T-shirts with “WE ARE BG” written across them at practice Saturday in support of WNBA superstar Brittney Griner, still detained in Russia.

After Steve Kerr’s rant against guns last week following Uvalde shooting, going to be hard for some MAGAs to decide which NBA team they hate least.

Thoughts and prayers.

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Hope major networks give as much airtime next week to January 6 Committee hearings as they gave to the Depp-Heard trial.

Maybe the reason many Republicans have no trust in government is they keep choosing incompetents with no experience as their candidates – Doctor Oz, Herschel Walker, Tommy Tuberville…

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When there are regular world headline stories about mass shootings, we don’t ask, “which country?” We ask “which state?” It’s the guns, stupid.

So if one GOP excuse for mass shootings is now children not having fathers around, can we make it a felony for unmarried men not to wear condoms during sex? Would cut down on abortions too.

Republicans want to make it harder to vote than to buy a gun.

Kellyanne Conway’s memoir “Here’s the Deal,” has sold just 25,003 copies since its May 24 debut. Well, it’s about 10 times what Chris Christie’s book sold.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, with a $310 million payroll – BEFORE the trade deadline, will pay $47 million in tax to MLB. For the uninitiated, $47 million is more than the entire payroll of either the Baltimore Orioles, Oakland A’s, Pittburgh Pirates or Cleveland Guardians.

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Braves beat Rockies 3-1 in 10,, with help of ghost runner in extra innings.

The bigger story – tonight was “Second game in Coors Field history to be scoreless after nine innings.”

Coors Field opened 27 years ago….

But no, Coors is not a Little League Field masquerading as a real MLB stadium.

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The 162 game baseball season can be a long grind, and it’s tough for players being away from home so much. But your awww moment today from SF Giants’ rookie Sean Hjelle, 25, on his first major league road trip: “This is the nicest hotel I’ve ever stayed at in my whole life.”

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Why are NBA finals games THREE days apart? Because the league couldn’t figure out an excuse to stretch it out to a game a week. (If they could they would.)

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Labor shortages are contributing to higher prices this summer in the travel and hospitality industry, because employers need to pay more to attract workers, and still face staff shortages. If only there were people who wanted to come to the US to work. Oh, wait, never mind.

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Special Olympics, starting June 5 in Florida, just dropped vaccine requirement when DeathSantis said he’d fine them $27.5 million. “This will be a relief to a lot of athletes.” Amidst COVID surge, where heat means athletes will spend lots of time indoors. What could go wrong?

Republicans will blame everything for mass shootings – video games, parents, mental health, doors… Everything except guns.

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If a teacher gets blamed for a mass shooting when she was falsely accused of leaving a door open, imagine what’s going to happen if a teacher has a gun that an angry student gets ahold of….

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Economists expected 328,000 jobs added in May. 390,000 jobs were added. And good luck finding any media outlet who reports this as good news.

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Labor shortages are contributing to higher prices this summer in the travel and hospitality industry, because employers need to pay more to attract workers, and still face staff shortages. If only there were people who wanted to come to the US to work. Oh, wait, never mind.

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This is our world now. Stephen Colbert last night: “Sad to say the number one story today is not only tragic story, it is tragically common…. But last night’s Late Show was a repeat. Colbert was talking about the Buffalo mass shooting.

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Finally, your periodic reminder that none of President Obama’s administration have been indicted.

Even the Atlanta Falcons can’t believe what happened to the Golden State Warriors in the 4th quarter.

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Per ESPN, Tom Brady said yesterday he “felt pressure to end his retirement because of free agency.” Give me a bleeping break. Translation, probably took Giselle a week to get tired of Tom hanging around the house.

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GOP – We need to tighten regulations for Americans to vote. Also GOP – We don’t need to tighten regulations for Americans to buy guns. Republicans think ballots are more dangerous than bullets.

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If anti-choice protesters can show up outside clinics with graphic pictures of aborted fetuses, why can’t pro-gun control protesters show up outside the U.S. Capitol with graphic pictures of the bodies of children killed by AR-15s?

So is there ANY place in the country that GOP doesn’t believe should have one door now? Wonder how all those Republican members of Congress would have reacted if there was only one door out of the US Capitol on January 6?

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McConnell said John Cornyn will be GOP Senator working with Chris Murphy on gun control legislation after Buffalo, Uvalde (and now Tulsa.) Cornyn just tweeted “Not gonna happen” about making gun laws more restrictive. GOP is the anti-life party.

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President Biden points while some say “An 18 year old can use weapons in the military, someone in the military is trained to use a gun responsibly.” Yep, well-trained 18 year olds can compete at NASCAR. But Hertz still won’t rent most 18 year olds a car.

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Lionel Shriver wrote “We Need to Talk About Kevin,” an absolutely haunting novel from the perspective of the mother of a young man who massacred students at their school. Wonder if that book would be considered too upsetting and banned now if GOP knew about it?

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I challenge ANY Republican to provide an example of where a civilian having an AR-15 saved lives. Would take a h*ll of a lot of characters tweets to share examples – just in 2022 – where AR-15s meant people including children lost their lives.

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One of travel agency clients traveling next weekend emailed me worried because her husband felt sick today though “so far negative.” This after having her adult son visit & go out repeatedly w/ friends last weekend to bars etc. We all want COVID to be over. COVID is NOT over.

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Top ESPN baseball story tonight – Mike Trout might quit as fantasy football commissioner over Tommy Pham’s slapping Joc Pederson. Will Smith/Chris Rock story hasn’t died yet. So to get attention on gun control, abortion rights & voting rights who does some Senator have to slap?

-o

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The Pittsburgh Pirates swept the LA Dodgers in a 3 game series this week. No punchline, I just like writing it.

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Trivial in grand scheme of things, but baseball games are routinely delayed while NY replay crews watch replay from many different angles – if someone’s foot was off a bag by an inch or for a half second, or something similar..

But when an umpire misses a pitch by six inches or more, it’s shrugged off as “part of the game?”

Why?

Time for robot umps in MLB

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Are any fans quicker to boo the home team than Philadelphia fans?

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So maybe we should start flying the US flag permanently at half staff?

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There’s a verdict in the Depp-Heard trial? I really don’t care, do U?

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Two of the biggest stories of 2022 involve celebrities. But if one of the January 6 insurrectionists had slapped a member of Congress or allegedly defecated on a sofabed in the US Capitol, think that might have kept media interest in the attempted coup?

Muskrat didn’t just say in an internal memo that he doesn’t want SpaceX employees to work remotely, he said anyone who didn’t want to “spend a MINIMUM of 40 hours in the office per week would be fired.” Yeah, he’s a Republican alright.

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So the (alleged) shooter in Tulsa died by suicide. These people bent on murder-suicide always do it in the wrong order.

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Fox News’s Laura Ingraham trying again to link marijuana use to “pot psychosis” & violence. But does she have statistics on how many pot users have murdered bags of Doritos?

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Reminder for all those who applied their purity tests to Hillary Clinton in 2016. Had she won, we’d have Merrick Garland and two of her nominees instead of Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Barrett on SCOTUS now.

Phillies manager Joe Girardi pitches to Joc Pederson in 11th with a 5-4 lead and 1st base open.

Meanwhile, after Pederson hit it 430 feet, SF Giants manager Gabe Kapler looked at Bryce Harper in the bottom of the inning, and said “put the tying run on base and winning run at the plate to avoid pitching to Harper? No-brainer.

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You think you had a bad day at work? Although the Giants won, SF Giants relief pitcher John Brebbia, threw just 13 pitches in one inning to four batters. One run, no outs, 3 hits and one walk. (the last on 6 pitches.)

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Nick Saban is now claiming he didn’t disparage Texas A&M and Jimbo Fisher when he said A&M had “bought every player.” “

“I didn’t say anybody did anything wrong.”

So Saban wants us to believe he was praising Fisher’s shopping abilities?

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Another woman is accusing Deshaun Watson of sexual assault. Number 23. So another “he said she she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said she said situation.”

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In all seriousness if Andrew Yang had even done the work of trying to accomplish something in elected office at a state or local level I’d take him more seriously.

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Travel agent moment that would be funny if it weren’t real life: Client emails today – know we have to get COVID test to get back in USA but my wife is worried. If we test positive it doesn’t mean we have to stay in Europe for a while does it? Uh, that is EXACTLY what it means.

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MAGAs – Velveeta Voldemort is going to win!

He loses – The election was rigged

MAGAs – Hillary’s lawyer is going to be found guilty! He’s acquitted.

The jury was rigged. See the pattern?

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As GOP candidates for Senate bicker in PA over which ballots to count, your reminder Amy Klobuchar & Elizabeth Warren have a no drama bill to reduce election problems by providing federal funding to help states & localities administer elections, train nonpartisan poll workers & eliminate barriers to voting.

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Police in Uvalde have now been caught in repeated lies, the most recent that they accused a teacher of leaving a door open when she was seen on surveillance video closing it. Lying to the police is a crime. Lying by the police should be.

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Gym Jordan is actually claiming “the big takeaway” in today’s verdict on Hillary Clinton’s lawyer is that Hillary is somehow guilty of something. No, the “big takeaway” is that Sussman was found innocent and that Jordan is a lying sack of something you use as fertilizer.

WTAF? Fox News headline “Despite acquittal, Durham trial of Sussmann added to evidence Clinton campaign plotted to tie Trump to Russia.” What’s next “Despite recounts proving Biden’s victory, Velveeta Voldemort efforts to stage coup added to evidence 2020 election was rigged?

Interestingly enough, baseball’s the major sport that probably has most Republicans. Sure not everyone on SF Giants agrees with Manager Gabe Kapler. But team respects him & no one has criticized him publicly. Gabe is a leader & he has courage. More than we can say for some so-called leaders.

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As SF Giants play in Philadelpha, Shaun Estes just said on TV Citizens Bank Park was one of only two parks where Evan Longoria hadn’t yet hit a home run. Make that one.

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Giants defeated Phillies 5-4 in 10 innings today. Before the game Philadelphia Manager Joe Girardi was asked, since Philadelphia had lost 10 of 14 games, if he was concerned about his job security. He said no.

Translation, Girardi had a good playing career and has had some postseason managerial success including winning a World Series as Yankees manager in 2009. He has enough money, and knowledge he’ll get other offers, not to care.

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Would some Republican seriously like to explain to me how it could be too upsetting for schoolchildren to read about gay people but not too upsetting to go through regular anti-shooter drills? I’ll wait.

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2nd Amendment supporter Adam Kinzinger says GOP needs to be offering solutions. “We have to be coming to table w/ ways to mitigate 18-year-olds buying these guns & walking into schools – my side’s not doing that.” Isn’t there 1 GOP rep not retiring brave enough to agree with him?

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I didn’t give a rat’s behind on what Joe Rogan said about COVID. I care even less what he says about gun control.

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Since some Republicans want to blame mass shootings on things like unlocked doors, does that mean they think supermarkets need their doors looked too? The Buffalo massacre was only 2 weeks ago

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Open questions to GOP/NRA who want teachers to be armed. Where should teachers keep those guns? (Locked away safely, would there be time to get gun if shooter burst in.) And if guns kept easily accessible, how do you keep kids from getting them? Asking for a sad, tired country

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Since Nancy Pelosi is on the East Coast this weekend it’s clear she had nothing to do with her husband Paul’s DUI arrest last night. But he’s very rich and 82 years old – why is he driving himself at this point anyway?

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Conservative media seems to think Nancy Pelosi’s husband being arrested in Napa for DUI, (while she’s on the other side of the country,) is a bigger story than a Napa man pleading guilty to try to blow up California Democratic party headquarters…

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Many GOP members of Congress who now seem to think it’s no big deal to have mandatory airport level security for kids to go to school were the same ones who lost it over simple mandatory masks for them to go to work.

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Oh (insert unprintable phrase here.) When Jim Acosta criticized Judge Phillip Journey today, the NRA board member responded “I’m not the one that pulled the trigger.” Yeah, Charles Manson didn’t kill anyone at Sharon Tate’s house either.

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Absolutely we should honor fallen troops. But isn’t “Happy” Memorial Day kind of an oxymoron?

After the SF Giants blew an 8-2 lead, went behind 11-8 to the Mets, tied the game in the 9th, then won it 13-12 in the 10th, many thought they’d seen the craziest baseball game of the year

UCLA-Oregon state in game 1 of what turned out to be a double header in Pac 12 tournament – “Hold our less overpriced than MLB beer.”

9 run comeback for Bruins in 9th, won it 25-22 in 10th

(For those who just saw the score. No, this was not a spring football game.)

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And then, such a trivial thing… but took a bit of silly pleasure in the fact tonight that I, unlike Pac 12 announcers in tonight’s 2nd UCLA-Oregon State game, actually knew the infield fly rule.

(It was a missed pop-up with 2nd and 3rd and one out….. the infield fly only applies when there are both fewer than two outs AND a force out at third.)

Then a slightly more normal walkoff by OSU to follow.

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You know it wasn’t SF Giants day when they lost a game 3-2 to Cincinnati Reds, going 3 for 15 with runners in scoring position. And two of those hits, including the one that ended the game, didn’t score the runner from second…

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And back to sadly real life..

Imagine if the Capitol Police had waited outside the Capitol on January 6 because they were afraid of the mob.

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Apparently two American tourists were seen swimming naked this week in a canal in Venice near their Airbnb. Locals drain sewage into the canal. Thinking Karma and her pal Infectious Diseases may take care of punishment on this one.

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In 2012, then UN Ambassador Susan Rice given talking points on Benghazi that turned out to be incorrect. GOP response -pounce on her words & still attack her for it. Greg Abbott called press conference w/ completely false narrative on Uvalde shootings, GOP response — crickets.

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Seriously? Velveeta Voldemort just called Liz Cheney a “lapdog for Pelosi”!” Guessing the man who once boasted he’d run into a school unarmed to face a shooter wouldn’t dare say that on a hunting trip in front of Liz’s dad.

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Some use cars in “whataboutism” with guns, since driving can be dangerous to yourself and others. Okay then, this from Hertz: “Renters must be at least 20 years old to rent a vehicle at most locations in the U.S. and Canada.”

As many who bring wine gifts visiting friends & family know, one failed 2006 British terrorist plot meant federal rule change not even to allow sealed bottles through checkpoints in carry-on luggage. One FAILED plot! How many actual mass murders does it take to change gun laws?

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Fox News is upset Ted Cruz was confronted in Houston restaurant over Uvalde mass shooting. “It marks latest instance by left-wing activists confronting or haranguing lawmakers on both sides of aisle who do not agree with them.” Has Fox News EVER used term “right-wing activist?”

SF Giants manager Gabe Kapler in an essay today about why he will not come out at this time for the National Anthem – “I learned from my dad, that when you’re dissatisfied with your country, you let it be known through protest. The home of the brave should encourage this.”

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He added “Every time I place my hand over my heart, I’m participating in the self-congratulatory glorification of the ONLY country where these mass shootings take place.”

If you didn’t already love SF Giants manager Gabe Kapler after his Uvalde comments, he was asked postgame over lineup card mistake & if it was on the bench coach, who makes out the lineup cards.: “No, we do this together, our entire staff is incredibly detailed, a lot going on today, we just f*cked it up.”

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As a Spurs fan I wish San Antonio were still in this year’s NBA playoffs. And after this week I especially wish it because after Uvalde mass shooting more than one reporter would have put a microphone in front of Gregg Popovich.

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Yes, there are far more important things going on right now – but a phrase I am tired of hearing is “scouting report on” an umpire’s strike zone.. In MLB, there is one strike zone, and no one pays their way in to see an umpire interpret it.

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Ted Cruz today at the NRA convention spoke out again against gun control, and blamed mass shootings on violent video games.

Uh, one of the countries that plays the most violent video games is Japan.

Homicide rate per 100,000 people in Japan – 0.2

Homicide rate per 100,000 people in the US – 5.3.

Cancun Cruz can do to himself what the Ukranians told the Russian warship.

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WTAF? Texas Governor Greg Abbott says “we are going through short-term challenges right now.” “Short-term?” Is he talking about people’s memories?

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Harry S. Truman – “The buck stops here.” Greg Abbott – “I was misled.”

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Texas Governor Greg Abbott got something right, in his “I was misled” speech.

Greg said “Let me make one thing clear. The status quo is unacceptable.” Yep, the status quo is unacceptable.

Time to change Texas Governors. Time to vote for Beto O’Rourke.

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The 18 year old Uvalde killer bought 375 rounds of 5.56-caliber ammunition on May 18. Well, it’s not like he did anything that would have raised red flags in Texas, like trying to buy two boxes of Sudafed.

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Stephen Colbert plays tape of Herschel Walker that should make Georgia voters not only vote to re-elect Rev. Warnock, but also demand NFL start getting serious about CTE. – “Need a department that can look at young men that’s looking at women that’s looking at their social media.”

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Some of bodies in Uvalde had to be identified by DNA. Understand why publishing pictures of what killer’s AR-15 did to those children is problematic. But see no reason why Senators shouldn’t have to see pictures of those kids’ bodies before voting on gun control legislation.

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One of the children who survived Uvalde says he used to want to be a police officer, but now he wants to be a surgeon so he can help people…