115 Comments

With apologies to my generation...I just got a spam call to my work number.

Guy: Charlie?

Me: I think you have the wrong number.

Guy: Oh, well if you don't mind me asking, I work for a local buyer who's looking for people who are interested in selling.

Me: And what are you asking?

Guy: Oh, do you have any property you're interested in selling?

Me: I have some pencils, and pens. I could sell those.

Guy: Well, do you know anyone who might be interested in selling a house?

Me: I'm a millennial, do you think I know anyone who can sell a house?

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hahahaha

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pqtm.

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DBD IT

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Apple Sucks. No 1 had to have his logic board replaced and had stuff backed up on icloud. Didn't realize that non-Apple purchased music didn't get backed up. The MBP came back with just regular Sierra and he restored documents from iCloud. Plugged in his iPhone which still had 15 years or music on it and hit something and iTunes "synced" and wiped out all his unpurchased music. Now he just has the free U2 stuff in iTunes. Pre-Big Sur he could sync from his phone to his MBP but with Big Sur he cannot. Stupid Apple. And he has contacts pre-2017 that are on his phone and doesn't show up in iCloud contacts. Not sure how to import those into iCloud.

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That sucks :(

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I never back up my music to iCloud. For a while Apple would replace what you had there with the versions they had on Apple Music, so you could unintentionally end up with clean edits and all sorts of bullshit. I have all my music backed up to an external HD.

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I had all my old stuff backed up at home and offsite as well. What I've found is not so much "clean instead of dirty," but occasional weird duplications - even before I enabled Apple Music. I figure I've got all the old stuff if I need it.

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He never had it on his laptop because it always was on his phone. Then he would copy from phone to iTunes which presumably would mean it was on his laptop. But with BigSur there wasn't an option to copy to his laptop itunes removed them from the phone.

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oof - it's too late now, but you can back up non-Apple music to iCloud... but that's no help now.

re: the contacts - are they associated with his apple ID or another account?

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unfortunately it's too late. He had lots of one off custom mixes and mixed tapes from the late 2000s that aren't around anymore.

After an hour on with Apple support, they figured it out. Something about changing automatic sync to 1 min then back to auto and they got pushed. Maybe if he manually added a new contact the entire list would've been pushed.

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Glad they got that resolved.

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Yeah he's happy he doesn't need to manually import his pre-2017 contacts. But he's bummed he lost his music.

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How's the Afghan Air Force doing now that the US has withdrawn? Not well, apparently.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/07/29/after-us-withdrawal-can-afghan-air-force-keep-planes-flying.html

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Tuning into the virtual retirement ceremony for my friend's mom. She's retiring after 40 years as a civilian working for the Air Force, and she just talked about using punch cards at the Pentagon back in the day :)

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I remember using punch cards at Cal!

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I also used punch cards while working at the I House mailroom and catering jobs. Good times and fun jobs.

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I used them for my construction job in high school, which led to many jokes between my friends who worked there. Whenever anyone would do something stupid or dangerous (on or off work) the immediate response was "clock out and go home"

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They let the truck roll down a hill for a commercial shot? That sounds dangerous.

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Theranos.

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Olympics

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I watched Ryan Murphy race the 200 back. His post-race comments were subtle if you don't know the backstory. He congratulated his Russian opponent in a backhanded way on NBC, but they didn't air the part where he's still pissed that the Russians are somehow allowed to compete and thinks thinks they are doping cheats.

https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/swimming-american-murphy-says-200m-backstroke-race-probably-not-clean-2021-07-30/

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I am trying to watch. I’m struggling getting “into it”. Not sure why. No crowds? Bad coverage? Time zone? Just doesn’t seem as fun.

Looking forward to College Football.

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I always try to watch badminton and wanted to watch some fencing this year, but just didn't manage to watch even a second. I might try to hunt down some on-demand video, but I just wasn't into it either.

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I can't get into it either. Very much a case of "it's not you, it's me."

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I'm a track fan so was hoping they would show the men's 10k final that started at 7:30 EDT. Instead U.S. women's soccer and swimming/volleyball. The soccer game just ended and they are immediately showing a replay.

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Haven't watched anything yet. No interest this time around.

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woke up to watch US womens game .. entertaining so far

on vacation this week in ME/HN so a bit out of my regular routine.

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oh I guess it was 7 EDT. I saw something that showed 7 AM and I thought it was PDT.

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Women’s soccer wins in penalty kicks!

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they were a bit fortunate in that game. Best player on the field was wearing orange and for most of the game, the Dutch had the better of the play. Will be interesting what happens with this team after this tournament cause they are ollllllddddddddd

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"technically superior without winning" is like the curse of the Oranje. I hadn't realized that the USWNT was old across the board like that. A dummy like me could easily wonder if the coaching staff basically decided to ride that experience as long as they could and hope that the team doesn't fall apart when everyone retires.

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There are only a couple players under the age of 28 on this team with a significant majority over 30... most non GK players deteriorate significantly at that point. This will be a whole new team for the next WC

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Also a lot of players who got their spot by previous achievements and reputation rather than current form (Tobin . . .and unfortunately our girl Alex too)

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Reminds me of the SF Giants. From last year.

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2003

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year I got into Cal. And so did Rodgers.

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That was a great year for many reasons.

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Scar

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I have one on the underside of my chin. It was the result of a runaway vehicle accident where I defenestrated an automobile and landed in juniper bushes.

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That was the Marin Ave one right?

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Yup, that's the one.

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Mainly several from a dog bite when I was 11, a small one from a girl when I was 10. I think that's it.

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She broke your heart at 10?

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Heh, at recess she asked if I wanted to be her boyfriend, I said sure, we held hands for a couple of minutes, then she said: "I don't love you anymore" and scratched the back of my left hand and walked away.

Girls.

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Sounds about right.

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One of Disney’s greatest villains.

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Lion King?

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Yep

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...I didn't think that movie was as great as most people thought. It's fine.

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I like it but I just didn’t care for Matthew Broderick as the voice actor for Simba. In fairness, it is hard to compete with James Earl Jones.

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Achilles surgery. On my knee from riding down a street without hands and not paying attention and momentarily losing my balance.

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You mean this scar on my ankle?

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👌

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I've got a couple, the most recent being three puncture wounds from the dog bite earlier this year. Most of my childhood ones from BMX have disappeared. I've got a couple small surgery scars and one from a drunken fall in college.

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i have a few, but the most impressive is from when i broke my collarbone riding my bike.

it is about 6 inches across

i had metal plates in there for about a year, but they were taken out about a year ago.

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I got a scar on my leg when I was cutting down a tree with my chainsaw. The chain kicked-back and struck me just above the knee. The cut was fairly significant. Realistically, I shouldn't have been wearing shorts at the time.

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👀

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Were you also on a ladder??

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Hey-ooooooo

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callback!

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No...

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OldBear71 is so disappointed by you.

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Elsewhere in college

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NCAA announces that it is holding a constitutional convention in November, ensuring that Mark Emmert is standing alone in a giant barn with no horses in sight.

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/31922593/ncaa-sets-table-dramatic-overhaul-how-governs-college-athletics

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I'm probably not the first person to think of this, but USC uses late-age Roman symbology - not those from Troy (city-state in bronze-age Turkey that famously fought against Greek city-states around 1,200 BC).

Tommy Trojan clearly carries a gladius, which is a Roman iron-age infantry sword. He is also often depicted wearing a centurion helmet, which is again Roman, not Trojan. He is also depicted wearing Roman red tunics and Baltea - the dangly leather straps from his belt, which was an fashion originated by auxiliary troops in modern day Slovenia - but copied by the movie Ben Hur. When Traveler was first introduced to USC, the rider wore a uniform from the movie Ben Hur. So it strikes me as odd that Tommy Trojan is wearing stuff that is 1,000 miles off in distance and a blunderbuss is closer in time to Tommy Trojan's gear than Tommy Trojan's gladius is to the real Trojan arms.

https://twitter.com/IsaiahCarlson4/status/1421157745886056449

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It's our tribute to the mythology of the founding of Rome from the Aeneid.

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Jennifer Lawrence nodding gif goes here.

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Heh, I have this book Greece and Rome at War:

https://www.amazon.com/Greece-Rome-War-Peter-Connolly/dp/0133649768/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2ZE80M7L90E45&keywords=greece+and+rome+at+war&qid=1627671470&sprefix=rome+and+greece+at+war%2Caps%2C216&sr=8-2

Which details all the weapons and armor of the period, and this description is accurate:

In this sumptuous guide to twelve centuries of military development, Peter Connolly combines a detailed account of the arms and armies of Greece and Rome with his superb full-color artwork. Making use of fresh archeological evidence and new material on the manufacture and use of the weapons of the period, the author presents an attractive and impressive volume that is both scholarly and beautifully presented with illustrations that are, quite rightly, recognized as being the best and most accurate representation of how the soldiers from these formidable military empires appeared.Greece and Rome at War lucidly demonstrates the face of battle in the ancient world.

I loan it to a friend who is also into Roman history, and he described as "too inside baseball" for him.

So no, you're not the first person to notice this.

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Being somewhat conversant in the classics, I noticed the incongruity as well. But you know, it's tinseltown, so they can do whatever they want.

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Pac-12 commish leads voices suggesting College Football Playoff expansion be paused amid SEC additions

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/pac-12-commish-leads-voices-suggesting-college-football-playoff-expansion-be-paused-amid-sec-additions/

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Akin to a "Bank holiday" to stave off rash runs of liquidation.

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Today in Covid

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OUR CRUMBING DEMOCRACY

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House Committee releases hand-written note from acting AG in December as supporting evidence that Trump was pressured DOJ to manufacture the stance that the election was corrupt. DOJ pushed back saying it wasn't corrupt, to which Trump replied “You guys may not be following the internet the way I do.”

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/07/30/trump-doj-corrupt-election-501775

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The only thing that would have made that quote more cringe worthy is if he replaced internet with cyber space.

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Trump’s false election fraud claims fuel Michigan GOP meltdown

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/07/30/michigan-gop-trump-election-fraud-501701

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I wonder if focusing on election fraud well into the next election cycle distracts the state GOP parties from prepping for the actual election.

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PRO

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[Jeff Passan] Giants acquire Kris Bryant from Cubs. No word on how much it costs the Giants to rent him for half a year.

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/kris-byrant-trade-giants-acquire-cubs-star-at-2021-mlb-trade-deadline/

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Rumor was Bart but that also was denied.

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Bart was part of the Kimbrel/Bryant package. Looks like it's an OF Canario (Giants #9 prospect, RHP Caleb Kilian (#30)...not too much for Bryant, who is so brittle that he makes Glass Joe from Mike Tyson's Punch Out seem like Cal Ripken...

But they had to do something, I s'pose...

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The cost isn't too high. I think there's also a non-zero chance the Giants try to re-sign Bryant beyond this season, depending on what happens.

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A's get catcher Yan Gomes, utilityman Josh Harrison at the trade deadline...

https://twitter.com/ShaynaRubin/status/1421189042570350592

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Nats are not much more than Soto and a triple-A roster now.

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Dubs use both draft picks, 7 on possible future talent Kuminga and 14 on 3-and-D bench contribution ready Moody. It'll be interesting to see if they pursue a big trade (e.g. Beal) or hold on and start developing for the future.

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USA 1-0 Qatar, very tense game. After a very lackluster first half, US men's team storms back in the 2nd half to win. Less said about El Tri, the better.

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Should we even call them El Tri anymore? I notice they aren't wearing their classic tricolor uniforms these days.

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Everybody else does - and they'll cycle back to sell new unis soon enough.

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I was reading up on this and it seems like they've experimented with different jerseys in non-World Cup years before. So probably for the next WC they'll be back to the green-white-red look.

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at some point they are getting booted from a tournament for that homophobic crap

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Max Scherzer trade: Dodgers finalize blockbuster deal for Nationals ace and Trea Turner

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/max-scherzer-trade-dodgers-finalize-blockbuster-deal-for-nationals-ace-and-trea-turner/

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Game #104: Montas gem, Marte debut, lead A’s to 4-0 win

https://www.athleticsnation.com/2021/7/29/22601388/oakland-as-game-104-los-angeles-angels-score-result

That’s two in a row! One more and it’s a winning streak.

The Oakland A’s blanked the Los Angeles Angels 4-0 on Thursday, opening a four-game series in Anaheim on the right foot. Oakland has been slumping lately, but for the second straight game they made the plays they needed and also got a couple of the fortunate hops that haven’t been bouncing in their favor lately.

The headline entering the evening was the A’s debut of outfielder Starling Marte, who was acquired in a trade yesterday, and indeed Marte did contribute to the victory. But the bottom line is the Angels didn’t score, and that’s mostly because Frankie Montas didn’t let them. Oakland’s rotation has been the primary strength of the team, and they led the way again tonight.

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Speaking of SBN and Vox Media I noticed that CGB is dead in the water these days. Meanwhile Vox is trying to go public via a SPAC.

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I hadn't really seen Marte play. Apparently Laureano volunteered to move to right field, clearing the way for Marte in center. Seems like a nice addition, where that leaves Stephen Piscotty, the former right-handed bat in right field is an open question.

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I saw that Starling Castro got suspended 30 days for domestic violence and at first I thought it was Starling Marte.

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Giants punch the Dodgers back in the face which, it turns out, is more fun

https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2021/7/29/22600639/san-francisco-giants-dodgers-recap-johnny-cueto-brandon-crawford

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers shut out the San Francisco Giants 8-0. It was a brutal flexing of the Dodgers’ annoying muscles, and it would have fit right in with what you expected this season to be.

If I told you, back on April 1 as Opening day was getting underway, that the Dodgers would beat the Giants 8-0 on July 28, you would not have been surprised. You might not even care. What’s the difference between being down 14 games in the NL West and being down 15, you might ask.

But no. The Dodgers beat the Giants in a game that greatly disappointed you and deflated you, to pull within two games of San Francisco in the standings.

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One good shutout deserves another.

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Dodgers offense goes quiet as they drop series to Giants

https://www.truebluela.com/2021/7/29/22600822/los-angeles-dodgers-mlb-news-recap-san-francisco-giants

A day after scoring eight runs, the Dodgers’ bats were ice cold as the dropped the series to the Giants with a 5-0 loss. LA now moves to three games back in the division.

“It’s alive and well,” manager Dave Roberts said on the division race. “They’ve earned this. They’ve played better, clearly. All we can do is turn the page. We’ve got a ways to go. It’s in our own fate. We got to play better baseball, bottom line.”

Things just weren’t clicking early on for David Price, as he walked three hitters in the first inning to load the bases. For Price, this was his first outing all season with three walks... and he did it today in the first inning. Over his previous 36 2⁄3 innings of work, Price had only issued nine walks.

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But it looks like they're getting Scherzer and Trea Turner!

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The Nats are now without three of their four all-stars and their top two relievers. I'm thinking I may be offered lots of free tickets in the near future.

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Indians/Guardians HC Terry Francona (62) stepping away for rest of season due to health issues

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CAL

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Go Bears!!!

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We got 9/4 covered so guess who is going to opening day at Memorial!?!?

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Some boat owner?

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Got my Nevada ticket. Section T, row 51

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SGB, Any update on the tailgate tickets and how to get money to you?

Thanks.

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Tickets go on sale probably 8/16, when I get back from vacation. Let's talk about it then.

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Ok. Thx.

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