122 Comments

The Clean

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Great band

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Have you been overcharged for chicken? https://overchargedforchicken.com/

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I know your chicken.

You gotta know your chicken.

- Cibo Matto

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Sometimes I get chicken at Chipotle. Does that count. If so, yes.

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BREAKING: Responding to controversy, Nicki Minaj releases photo of the swollen testicles

https://twitter.com/RexHuppke/status/1438324692977393669

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I don't even want to know.

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(it's safe)

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unlike that scene in the White Lotus

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Boy howdy...that was rough.

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Jesuits

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Pro

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Giants lose for the first time in my life

https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2021/9/15/22677017/giants-padres-recap-dodgers-brandon-belt

The story has a sad ending.

I just need to preface that for you. I don’t know how the rest of y’all are feeling these days, but personally, I need to know ahead of time if a story has a happy or a sad ending. It’s 2021; the last thing anyone needs is to be aimlessly scrolling through their oversized phone while enjoying their morning constitutional, and then BAM! sadness ensues, uninvited and unprepared for.

So this is my warning. This story has a sad ending. Wait until you’ve left the bathroom, grabbed your tissues, taken some deep breaths, and checked in with yourself. Then you can read it.

The San Francisco Giants lost. The Los Angeles Dodgers won.

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ICYMI: Jake Arrieta tried to pitch to Buster Posey's weakness - outside. His catcher set up way outside, but Arrieta missed badly and grooved a pitch that started down the middle then tailed inside. The pitch ended up being so far inside that it would have gone to the back stop or perhaps come close to Buster's hand if he didn't swing. But Buster loves inside pitches and he crushed a homer that would be impossible for mere mortals.

https://twitter.com/BetfredSports/status/1437960322011176965

Also, Arrieta lost eight games in a row for the Cubs before getting cut with nearly a 7.0 ERA. The Padres - in their infinite wisdom - picked him up. Arrieta has resumed right where he left off -- losing another 3 games in a row and his ERA has risen even further.

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Dodgers pump up the volume to sweep Diamondbacks

https://www.truebluela.com/2021/9/15/22676836/dodgers-offense-volume-max-muncy-justin-turner-diamondbacks-sweep

Offense was peppered throughout the night, finishing off a three-course sweep of the Diamondbacks, the final decision a 5-3 Dodgers win on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium.

The win moved the Dodgers to within a game and a half of the Giants in the National League West.

The Dodgers scored in different ways. Sometimes it was via power, like with Max Muncy’s home run in the fifth inning, his 34th of the season. Another run. came when Trea Turner beat out a ground ball to second base to extend the sixth, another gear of speed that very few players have.

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Bullpen implodes, but A's hold on to beat KC 12-10. If one squints, the second wildcard might be in reach, at least mathematically.

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<<soyou'retellingmethere'sachance.gif>>

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Game #145: A’s barely hold on for wild 12-10 win over Royals

https://www.athleticsnation.com/2021/9/15/22676955/oakland-as-game-145-kansas-city-royals-score-result

A dozen runs turned out to be enough, just barely.

The Oakland A’s held on for a wild 12-10 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday at Kauffman Stadium, in a game that saw the two teams combine for 35 hits and 46 total baserunners. The slumping A’s bullpen made it interesting at the end as usual, nearly blowing a seven-run lead, but they stranded the winning run on base in the 9th.

Oakland’s lineup is having a hot September, and one key difference tonight is they didn’t stop scoring after an early outburst. In many of their recent frustrating losses, the offense has taken a quick lead but then gone silent, while the pitching staff struggles to hold on and eventually blows it. They jumped out ahead again this evening with eight runs in the first five innings, but this time they continued adding insurance in the 7th and that allowed them to withstand the Royals’ multiple comeback attempts.

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ICYMI from a few days back: this pitch by the Royals to Starling Marte

https://twitter.com/BRWalkoff/status/1437980922884861953

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And here I thought the ball was too slick and that's why they had to use foreign substances before they were banned.

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Someone needs to check on that man's release point.

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JFC, why don't have a god damn closer?

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DBD AV

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Started Manifest... interesting 1st few episodes. As usual with weekly broadcast tv shows, it would benefit from the holy trinity of premium cable...graphic violence, nudity and strong sexual content...

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DBD Kitchen

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Last night: Homemade Tacos in crispy fried tortillas, black bean and carne asada filling. Queso, Avocado, Pico de Gallo garnishings.

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Crumbling Democracies

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This is even dumber than California deciding to defund Drivers' Ed in 1980/1981.

I know that the Earth hasn't fallen off its axis, but I still want to see the return of Drivers' Ed to the classroom on a statewide basis.

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Do we need this? Especially if self driving cars are probably going to happen within the next 50 years.

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We need it not for everyone, just for anyone who is going to drive.

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Yes we need this. Until self-driving cars become ubiquitous we need Drivers' Ed.

Don't take action (or inaction) based on something that might never happen.

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True good point. I didn’t have HS drivers education so I have no idea how helpful or beneficial it was. I did do private drivers education.

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Even in Alabama, we had Drivers Ed, my first time driving an automatic. I have a strong feeling that GM loaned the new cars to the school as a sales tool.

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eh what about in between that time?

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True

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I wonder how surrounding states are going to handle younger people that get have MS licenses. Will they require behind the wheel tests when transferring over a MS license?

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It's too bad that Jen Psaki doesn't want to continue her role permanently because she is so good at savaging journalists with leading questions

https://twitter.com/nowthisnews/status/1438192781692973059

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Part of me feels like we're set up to be too adversarial, and I worry that crowing about Psaki Smackdowns feels a bit like when people say they're doing XYZ to "own the libs," but then more of me thinks that the things she says are a) logical and b) awesome.

I don't know if I'm articulating the first part well, and I'm wondering if anyone else here feels something similar?

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Adversarial is in the eyes of the beholder.

Having said that, I appreciate Ms. Psaki's willingness to be blunt and to draw the logical lines that should be drawn. If a reporter is going to try to set up a "Gotcha!" moment with an insipid question, then they deserve being blown to smithereens by simply stated logic.

I, for one, appreciate that Jen Psaki takes the opportunities to be forthright in her role as Press Secretary. I also appreciate that she doesn't suffer fools gladly.

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I think her "smackdowns" aren't really smackdowns, they're just professional statements of fact and she puts up with no bullshit. She's never rude, she's never adversarial, she exposes disingenuousness in a way that puts the questioner on the spot, but not inappropriately. She's incredible at what she does.

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Wait, no, I agree with all that. I guess I'm worried about the "crowing" part, as though it's a game in which we're trying to score points. Does that make sense?

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Not meaning to answer for Scootie, but I see where you're going with this. I think the "scoring points" thing is very artificial...and very high school. Adults concerned with serving the people through effective government and democratic principles should have no truck with "scoring points".

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It's hard to unilaterally disarm.

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How California's recall could reverberate in future elections

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/09/15/california-recall-future-elections-newsom-512041

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That article emphasizes why I dislike Politico as a journalistic endeavor. Politico is little more than a gossip rag. What little serious analysis is undercut by delving into personalities and speculative trash.

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I have some issues with their style as well, but they also have great, well researched articles as well.

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Today in COVID

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Got some good feedback on my mandate post. Points about other vaccines like chicken pox and polio should've been realized by me and school in general because people get turned away by that, so that's lack of foresight by me. Also needed to have foresight on environmental and cleanness standards. However, something about showing a card just to have some pasta, garlic bread, and a drink just rubs me the wrong way (relates to my inconvenience mouth off thinking and why I come off as more condescending towards Cal teams as a comparison). I'm glad people agreed with my too bad so sad take about people who willfully defy science and die of COVID, I've got no room for mindlessness like that. Also upon further review, I realized my main problem with Newsom is that he's an uninspiring nobody (in my opinion the biggest damnnation of a politician because if people hate you its likely 1/2 of the aisle likes you at the same time). I feel like I could run into Newsom clones all over Hillsborough and Atherton and from my experience, I don't want that in office. Regardless, love the feedback and how we could combine ideas here and how I can learn in the long run (as we know this isn't an immediate process).

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I love the thought you're putting into this! You're going to have fun in college.

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What is a minor inconvenience to you, showing a vaccine card, could be a life changing event for the people that work in those industries if they contract Covid. Like I said yesterday, assuming best case scenario that an employee catches Covid and only has minor symptoms, that employee will probably have to stay home and n be able to work and make money while they recover. Now that employee is scrambling to make rent/mortgage and pay their bills.

I show my ID every time I want to go to a bar because even though I’m now 40, I still look so handsome and young so I still get carded.

Besides, showing your vaccination card will, hopefully be a short term policy, once enough people get vaccinated and Covid isn’t an issue we won’t have to do this.

Lastly, would it still upset you if it wasn’t a government mandate but something implemented by each individual business? Imagine how difficult and frustrating a patchwork of mandates implemented and enforced by each business. The government has stepped in and created uniformity with a countrywide mandate.

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"I show my ID every time I want to go to a bar because even though I’m now 40, I still look so handsome and young so I still get carded."

I got carded for beer at a DC United game in July and it was worth it for the comedy double take when the lady realized I'm 50. In her defense I was wearing a cap and it was a shady area so it was hard to tell how bald / worn I am...

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For every safety requirement the government has introduced at any time, it rubbed some people "the wrong way." Seat belts were like that. Not smoking in restaurants. Limits on how many deer you could hunt or fish you could catch. Then people get used to them, assuming the limits are reasonable.

The key is not to just make political decisions based on how you "feel" but to check if those feelings are actually valid when compared against the wider evidence.

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He comes across as way too slick, but he's actually (French Laundry aside) an extremely intelligent person, which counts for a lot in my book.

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His biggest miss step was marrying Kimberly Guilfoyle and then the whole affair and remarriage. It is all personal stuff that doesn’t impact his ability to do his job and position but it just doesn’t look good.

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Newsom is a smart guy and champions social justice causes with clarity of purpose and zero hesitancy. He was the catalyst that sparked the advent of gay marriage in our country. That is huge. On the other hand, he has made some very bad judgments on the relationship front. Exhibit A would be Guifoyle and Exhibit B would be dating his friend's wife who worked as a staffer for Newsome while he was mayor of SF. In addition to this, he comes off as a smarmy politician.

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He comes off as a Marina dbag basically. But unless someone on D side with clout challenges him next year, he seems very likely to repeat. This recall was ridiculous; there should be a fee shifting clause making the petitioners reimburse us for the cost of this nonsense.

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His biggest personality flaw, IMO, is that he appears to lack empathy and doesn't connect easily with people. However, he has a pretty damn righteous sense of social justice which is why I will always support him. I described him to someone the other day as "socially liberal and fiscally responsible" which is my kind of politician.

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Thanks for the thoughtful summary.

You don' t kick someone out unless you're sure the replacement will be better.

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Can also apply to various coaching discussions here and elsewhere.

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Other College

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ICYMI: the first play of the USC vs. Stanfurd game. USC kicker gets ejected for targeting

https://twitter.com/CFBONFOX/status/1436884998003560450

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Journalist asks Cristobal about his interest in the USC job.

Cristobal: "Go Ducks"

https://foxsportsradio.iheart.com/content/2021-09-15-mario-cristobal-on-the-win-over-ohio-state-and-usc-rumors/

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James Franklin replying about his interest in USC job: [long string of coach-speak translated into "maybe"]

https://247sports.com/college/penn-state/Article/Penn-State-football-James-Franklin-details-how-he-is-handling-USC-Trojans-coaching-job-rumors-Clay-Helton-171034367/

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That totally means he is considering it.

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He should. His JAX stint is en route to being a crushing failure, as he’s apparently already lost the locker room w/ his rah-rah, micro-managing ways.

He’ll retire with “health” issues in Nov.

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The Monday After: With Clay Helton's fate sealed, USC must smarten up when evaluating next hire

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/the-monday-after-with-clay-heltons-fate-sealed-usc-must-smarten-up-when-evaluating-next-hire/

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Can I recommend Buddy Teevans?

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Cal

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Go Bears!!!

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Oregon may have Nike, but we have Quokka Brew

https://twitter.com/ChaseGarbers/status/1438233969154166787

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aren't all coffee plant-based?

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I asked this . . . and got the answer that the lattes are non-dairy.

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Oh got it.

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I had the same reaction as you

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That night game at Starbucks next week just took on new importance

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I would love to see Garbers use Quokka in an audible at the line.

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"Cal OLB Kuony Deng Doubtful for Saturday's Game Against Sac State

Long-term prognosis still uncertain for Bears' standout defender, who was injured last Saturday"

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We can afford to not have Deng this weekend. Hope he's back for Huskies game

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From the looks of him w/ walking boot & crutches on sideline in Ft Worth, expect 4-6 weeks

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New Zealand

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Rod Millen, general bad ass for Pike's Peak races back in the day - this video includes a section of him on a dirt straightaway hitting 130 mph. While I haven't been to Pikes Peak myself, that seems quite fast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L_4o5tZYY0

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People driving up Pike's peak that quickly is insane. Now that it's fully paved, it seems much more sane. Though the speeds now is much higher than it used to be.

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I knew a guy from New Zealand that was living in Seoul. I went up to stay with him for the weekend. He got wasted and barfed on the grill in a Korean bbq place. It was so so nasty. Then he was embarrassed and ran away into the night. So I had to stay up all night clubbing in Seoul until I was able to find his place the next morning.

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My least favorite accent on earth.

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Worse than Scottish? Or South African?

I do like the phrase “have a squizz” for “looking around”

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Definitely worse than Scots, and it's close with Sith Iffrikin but I do prefer SA (barely) to the Kiwi one. I'm not a huge fan of Sydney accents either, though I don't really mind the rest of Aussie ones.

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What about strong Singaporean?

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Top of the Lake was a good drama, don’t watch the second season, China Girl.

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Flight of the Conchords

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"Too many mutha uckas, uckin with my shih. How many mutha uckas? Too many to count, mutha ucka!"

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Great Sauvignon Blanc & Pinot Noir.

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Sea Smoke Southing

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Hobbits

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Karl Urban - who played Eomer, the leader of the Riders of Rohan from the Lord of the Rings series. He also played Dr. McCoy in the Star Trek movie series that featured Chris Pine (UC Berkeley, '02 BA English) as Captain Kirk.

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He was also great as Judge Dredd in the 2012 Dredd film. Very slept on movie that has gained a cult following on DVD. I am still holding out hope they will make a sequel.

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He was also great as Skurge the Executioner

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Haka

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Dick Quax, world class middle to long distance runner.

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And speaking of NZ middle to long distance runners, Rod Dixon.

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Rod Dixon might be more famous. I remember Dick Quax partly due to the unusual name, and that he came to Fresno's West Coast Relays.

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Pretty sure I remember him. Bald head, mustache?

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Mustache, but had a full head of hair that I remember. Probably lost hair later in life though.

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Scott Dixon, Indycar champion. 6 time champion stretching from '03 to '20. All around badass and likewise good human. Race drivers can really go a long time before the wheels fall off (not literally lol).

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don't forget showing off the size of their knives.

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pltm

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Is that a young Aziz Ansari? Sounds exactly like him.

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Yorki was awesome

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Jojo Rabbit is a damn masterpiece

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It really is a masterpiece.

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What We Do In The Shadows is one of the top 3 funniest movies ever.

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And the show might be even funnier!

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It is very funny

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Hunt for the Wilderpeople was fantastic and I recommend it to anyone who hasn’t watched it.

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Agreed

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