What Kind of Friend is Abdul El-Sayed?

Consider what Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed told Linsey Davis of ABC News when she asked him if he considered Israel an American ally:

An ally that takes your money to push you into wars you shouldn't be fighting is not an ally. It's like, I mean, do you have kids?

When Davis answered in the affirmative, El-Sayed added:

And if your kid has a friend who keeps bumming off their money, and then talks about them behind their back, and then gets them into fights with other friends, what would you tell your kid to do with that friend? You'd probably tell them, maybe it's not actually a friend. I think it's time for us to realize that Israel is not actually our friend.

Good Lord!!!

When El-Sayed claims Israel gets the U.S. into "fights with other friends" is he referring to the Iranian regime as a friend? In which case, El-Sayed will finally have answered the question he refused to answer during his debate with Mike Rogers last week. 

However, if El-Sayed insists on using a kid's analogy then let me offer this point.

El-Sayed could be described as the sort of childhood friend who lies about other kids and makes false accusations against them because dislikes the religion they practice. 

In which case, Abdul El-Sayed is not a friend.

He is not a friend of the people of Michigan nor is he a friend of America.

75% of Alberta Voters Reject Referendum in Favor of Remaining in Canada

Last night, Albertans voted in a province wide referendum and were given to choice to remain in Canada or to support a future referendum to vote on separating from Canada.

With more than 90% of the votes counted, more than 75% of Albertans rejected the referendum option outright and wish to remain in Canada.

However, at the same time, Alberta voters wanted more provincial control over matters as demonstrated in separate referendum questions on immigration and tend to be conservatively inclined on such issues such as restricting access by recent immigrants to social programs. 

I don't think Albertans are particularly happy with Premier Danielle Smith who comes across like someone taking credit for putting out a fire that she started with this whole referendum business in the first place. Yet I suspect when Albertans vote in the next general election at this time next year, they will likely re-elect Smith and the United Conservative Party. Given the antipathy towards immigrants, I simply cannot see Alberta electing a Muslim Premier no matter how moderate NDP leader Nasheed Nenshi may be in his policy outlook.

Of course, stranger things have happened. If for some reason, the separatists in the UCP see fit to challenge her leadership and oust her like she did with Jason Kenney then Nenshi might get a second look if they choose someone really kooky. But barring such circumstances by this time a year from now this referendum will be in the rearview mirror.

On Being Speaker #309 at the Cambridge City Council Meeting Opposing The Latest BDS Resolution Against Israel

 

Late last week, I received notice from the American Jewish Committee concerning a pair of resolutions before Cambridge City Council in support of BDS against Israel.

Although this is not the first time such a resolution has been brought forward in Cambridge, it did mark the first time I got directly involved in opposing such a resolution. 

I spoke against the resolution at last night's Cambridge City Council meeting which I attended via Zoom. Five and a half hours would pass before I would get my turn to speak just after 11 p.m. Officially I was Speaker #309 of 352 people who signed up although only 260 people actually spoke.

All things considered, Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui did a reasonable job in allowing people everyone to speak to their allocated minute. There was an attempt by Cambridge city councilor and former mayor E. Denise Simmons to close debate at 10 p.m. as the meeting was scheduled to adjourn at that hour. 

Mayor Siddiqui wanted to continue debate but Simmons insisted on having the city solicitor weigh in. The city solicitor weighed in and gave the mayor the discretion to continue which was supported by a majority of the council.

Had the debate been adjourned right then and there then my landlady would not have been permitted to speak. Alas, she spoke in favor of the resolution.

Indeed, approximately two thirds of the speakers rose in favor of the resolution. The word genocide rolled off their lips with near orgasmic ecstasy. When they weren't uttering genocide, they uttered occupation and apartheid with speakers frequently citing South Africa thus demonstrating their historical illiteracy. 

None of the speakers who spoke in support of the resolution condemned Hamas for its actions on October 7th. They were also indifferent to the anti-Semitic bullying the children of those who spoke against the resolution have experienced. One speaker referred to charges of anti-Semitism as abstract. 

Of course, hatred is a learned behavior. It is taught. I suspect that many of those who spoke in support of the resolution have either taught their children to hate Jews or have been Jew hatred themselves. Shamefully, many of those who spoke in favor of the resolution are Jewish.

For all the talk of genocide, those who supported the resolution don't really give a shit about genocide. At least where it concerns the Sudanese, the Rohingya or Uighur Muslims. Their rationalization is that the U.S. government and corporations support Israel. That is the real agenda. Make up claims of genocide as a justification for their hatred of this country and their hatred of Jews and Israel. In other words, they don't care for the Uighurs because they can't blame Jews for it. 

In case you're curious, here are my prepared remarks from last night:

My name is Aaron Goldstein. I have been a resident of Cambridge for more than five years. 

I rise to speak in opposition to Policy Orders 2026-195 and 2026-196 mandating the City of Cambridge commit to a policy of boycotting of and divestment from the State of Israel. 

The order is predicated on the false premises that Israel has engaged in apartheid, occupation and genocide. And while claiming to oppose anti-Semitism, this order also ignores the terrorist violence committed by Hamas against Israel on October 7, 2023 and its longstanding objective to kill all Jews in Israel.

Therefore, the only purpose this order serves is to willfully promote hatred against the Jewish community here in Cambridge.

If implemented, it would not only be a stain on the city's reputation, but I fear could lead to October 7^th inspired attacks against Jews within city limits. 

As of this writing, the resolutions have been tabled by Cambridge City Council. They were tabled this morning. There is a distinct possibility the resolutions could be amended. If they wanted to vote in favor of the resolution they could have done so this morning. Or perhaps they will wait a few weeks, quietly make it a last-minute agenda item and then vote in favor of it before anyone is the wiser. 

The process was an exhausting one. That exhaustion would have been tenfold had I attended in person. Sleep did not come easy last night.

Should Cambridge City Council either vote down the resolution or significantly water down the resolution so as not to single out Israel, it won't be long before such a resolution is introduced again because the Jew haters smell blood in the water. In which case, it will become necessary to speak out against it once more no matter how exhausting the process might be. Because if I am not for myself then who is for me?

Rays Will Face Brewers in 1st World Series Since 1980 Where Neither Team Has Won a Championship

 

After being down 2-1, the Tampa Bay Rays won three straight games against the Cleveland Guardians to win their 3rd AL pennant in franchise history. Tampa Bay previously won the AL pennant in 2008 and 2020. It is their second AL pennant under manager Kevin Cash whose team fell short against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the COVID shortened season.

The Rays claimed the title with a 7-3 win in Game 6 at Tropicana Field. Tampa starting pitcher Freddy Peralta. In 12 innings pitched, Peralta gave up only one run on 9 hits with 9 strikeouts and 4 walks.

It is well worth noting that Peralta pitched eight seasons with the Brewers before being traded to the New York Mets this past off-season after finishing 5th in NL Cy Young voting. Following a disappointing 5-9 record with a 4.99 ERA in 22 starts with a disappointing Mets team, Peralta was shipped to the Rays where he improved to 5-2 with a 3.25 ERA in 10 starts.

Alas, Cleveland which has not won a World Series since 1948 will have to wait yet another year.

As for this year's World Series, it will mark the first Fall Classic since 1980 in which neither team has previously won a championship. In 1980, the Philadelphia Phillies won their first World Series title besting the Kansas City Royals in six games.

While FOX might dread this World Series matchup, it should be quite competitive with the ratings going up steadily should it reach a sixth and especially a seventh game.

The 2026 World Series will begin on Friday night in Milwaukee.

The Riots in France Will Likely Result in a Le Pen Presidency

(YouTube screenshot of rioter shooting flamethrower into a woman's face via The Telegraph)

For the past month, France has been under siege by protests which have devolved into riots. The protest which initially began in the middle of last month concerning conditions in a school in suburban Paris.

By early October, the unrest had spread nationwide with violence escalating including footage of a woman who tried to stop the violence being burned with the face with a flamethrower. This weekend, a town hall was torched, shops were looted and a synagogue was vandalized. Not helping matters is French Communist Party leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon egging and encouraging acts of hooliganism. 

The French presidential election is just over six months away. Should this violence persist then I am afraid Marine Le Pen will become France's next President. 

It is clear that the centrism of President Macron isn't working and the populace is turning towards extremism. While much can happen in six months, barring a viable alternative, there's a good chance we could see a runoff between Le Pen and Mélenchon. In which case, I believe most French voters will choose Le Pen's offer of law and order over the chaos and unrest embraced by Mélenchon.

As I have previously argued, I do not trust Le Pen no matter how much she tries to sanitize her father and her party's anti-Semitic foundation. Aside from the threat I still believe Le Pen and her party would pose to Jews, she is little more than another Russian stooge and a compatriot of President Trump.

It is all the more reason for the violence in France to cease at once. Stop now and perhaps whatever necessary reforms can be implemented thus clipping the wings of both Le Pen and Mélenchon. 

But if Le Pen takes up residence in the Elysee Palace, the hooligans and rioters attacking women with blowtorches, vandalizing shops and synagogues and torching town halls will have only themselves to blame. They will get the government they deserve.

Ottawa Redblacks Avoid Winless Season with Upset Victory Over Toronto Argonauts

(YouTube screenshot of Ottawa Redblacks QB Bryson Barnes shortly after throwing a go-ahead TD vs. Toronto Argonauts on October 16, 2026)

Stop the presses!!!

The Ottawa Redblacks won a game.

They were in danger of becoming the first team in the history of the CFL to go winless.

With two games left in the season, the Redblacks had a record of 0-16 with 22 losses in a row going back to last season. Their lone Grey Cup championship a decade ago seems so much further removed.

But tonight the Redblacks pulled off a last minute 40-39 victory over the playoff bound Toronto Argonauts on the strength of quarterback Bryson Barnes, who was making his first career start. Barnes completed 27 of 37 passes for 335 yards with two touchdown passes to wide receiver Ayden Eberhardt. 

As some of you may know, I lived in Ottawa for most of the 1990s where I attended Carleton University as an undergraduate and graduate student with some time spent working in the civil service before making my way to Boston in 2000. 

For several years, I lived in the Glebe and was within walking distance of Lansdowne Park (later known as Frank Clair Stadium and now known as TD Place) and attended a handful of Ottawa Rough Riders games. The Rough Riders were not very good when I lived in Ottawa and would disband in 1996. Brent Dowdall, who was a classmate of mine at Carleton, would write a book about the fall of the Rough Riders in 1999 called Turnover. 

In 2002, football would return to the National Capital Region with the establishment of the Ottawa Renegades. But they too were mired in failure and would be gone by 2008. The CFL took another chance on Ottawa in 2014 with the founding of the Redblacks.

Like their predecessors, there has been more failure than success with only three winning seasons. Even when they won the Grey Cup, they actually had a losing record of 8-9-1 but would finish first in a weak CFL East Division. So weak in fact that the Redblacks had to play East final against the Edmonton Eskimos in a crossover format before upsetting the Calgary Stampeders in the Grey Cup. 

Back to the present, the Redblacks have one more regular season game next week against the Hamilton Tiger Cats. The Ticats are 5-12 this season. Could the Redblack win two in a row? Stranger things have happened.

Obama Continues To Say Dumb Things About Jews & Israel

(Screenshot from LinkedIn of former President Obama being interviewed by Susan McKay at the O2 Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland on October 13, 2026)

Former President Obama has long held a deep-seated hostility towards Israel.

This hostility manifested itself during remarks Obama during an appearance on Tuesday in Belfast, Northern Ireland in which he declared:

The fact is that the Jewish people, for millennia, were oppressed, discriminated against, killed. Europe was responsible for much of it. They understandably sought a refuge.

That is undeniable. What is also undeniable is that they took land off people and they were expelled. And those people understandably said, ‘This is injustice and I want my land back.’

At some point to break the cycle, a stronger partner has a responsibility by virtue of its strength.

If the attitude of Israel is, now that we are the strongest, the most technologically advanced in the region, then our security will depend on us simply doing whatever we need and taking whatever we want, and not making any concessions to anyone.

That may work short-term... but you have ceded moral ground if that is the position you take.

I would say the current Israeli government appears to have taken that. It is incumbent on them to recognize that 7m Palestinians are not going anywhere.

Took land?

This is an utterly dishonest statement. In point of fact, Jews legally purchased land in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Obama also ignores the fact an estimated 850,000 Jews were expelled from Arab countries in the two decades following the establishment of the State of Israel as well as an estimated 70,000 who fled Iran after the Khomeini Revolution in 1979.

Perhaps most egregious of all is the failure of Obama to acknowledge that the 1947 UN Partition Plan established both a Jewish and an Arab state. The Jews said yes and the Arabs (latter day Palestinians) said no. 

From there, Obama relies on erecting strawmen such as his allegation that the Israeli government should recognize the Palestinians aren't going anywhere.

Perhaps Obama has forgotten former Secretary of State Madeline Albright chasing Yasser Arafat before the Palestinians missed another opportunity to miss another opportunity with the 2000 Camp David Accords. 

No, Israel is quite mindful of the fact the Palestinians aren't going anywhere. The problem is the Palestinians are led by people whose raison d'être is to indoctrinate their populace with Jew hatred 24/7 while rewarding those who kill Jews. It is the Palestinians and their supporters who chant, "Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea." Israel accepts there are 7 million Palestinians while the Palestinians believe one Jew is one Jew too many.

Let us also keep in mind that Obama has seen fit to pal around with anti-Semitic figures like New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and will soon campaign for Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. From where I sit, President Obama is no position to lecture Israel about a moral high ground which he himself does not occupy.

Brewers Sweep Dodgers to Win 1st NL Pennant; Earn 1st Trip to World Series Since 1982

The Milwaukee Brewers have swept the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the 2026 NLCS and with it their first NL pennant.

Tonight, they bested Dodgers 6-4 at Chavez Ravine and with it LA's dream of becoming the first NL club to win three consecutive World Series titles. The Brewers were down 4-0 early in the game on the strength of a 3-run HR by an otherwise struggling Shohei Ohtani.

Milwaukee battled its way back on a Jake Bauers two-run double in the fourth and RBI single by David Hamilton in the fifth to cut the Dodgers' lead to 4-3.

I have been wanting to watch a bit of the post-season at a sports pub near Porter Square, but it's usually dominated by the Bruins, Celtics or college football. While most people were paying attention to the Chargers-Seahawks game, there were plenty of TVs tuned to the Brewers-Dodgers.

I got to the pub in time to watch the Brewers tie it in the bottom of the fifth with a bases loaded walk. In the bottom of the sixth, the Brewers went ahead on a Garrett Mitchell home run. I came back home after that half inning. The Brewers would add an insurance run in the 9th on a HR by Hamilton. 

This is a remarkable achievement by the Brewers considering how they were swept by the Dodgers in the NLCS last year. Milwaukee has reached the post-season 8 of the last 9 seasons winning the NL Central title in the last four seasons and five times in six years. But until now the Brewers couldn't punch their ticket to the World Series.

Although this is the Brewers first NL pennant, it is their second trip to the World Series. Of course, the Brewers were originally an AL team and won the AL pennant in 1982 but would lose to the St. Louis Cardinals in 7 games. 

I remember that 1982 Brewers team well. Managed by Harvey Kuenn, it included Hall of Famers Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Rollie Fingers and Ted Simmons. There was also Cecil Cooper, Jim Gantner, Ben Ogilive, Gorman Thomas, Charlie Moore, the DH platoon of Roy Howell and Don Money and AL Cy Young winner Pete Vukovich. 

Back to the present, Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers earned the NLCS MVP. Bauers went 4 for 14 with a HR and 6 RBI. Aside from tonight's bases loaded walk to tie the game, Bauers earned an 11-pitch against the previously invincible Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2 that would spark a Brewers rally. In Game 3, Bauers would force Blake Snell to throw 12 pitches before he took him deep for a go-ahead 2-run HR. He was in the middle of the action at the most crucial time in the game. If that doesn't a most valuable player, then nothing does. Perhaps most remarkably, Bauers nearly quit the game after bouncing around with the Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Guardians, Seattle Mariners and the New York Yankees before having a career year this season with 26 HR and 86 RBI.

The 2026 World Series will commence a week from Friday. As of this writing, the Cleveland Guardians have a 2-1 lead in the ALCS against the Tampa Bay Rays. Should the Guardians prevail, the World Series will see a contest between a Cleveland franchise which hasn't won a World Series since 1948 against a Brewers club which has never won a World Series since the franchise was originally known as the Seattle Pilots in 1969. Should the Rays prevail, it will be the first World Series since 1980 in which neither team has previously won a World Series.

Pillay's Plea to Prosecute Netanyahu Proves Her Prize is For Pillorying Israel Not For Promoting Peace

This year's Nobel Peace Prize winner Navi Pillay has called for the prosecution of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu along with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

This, of course, is the reason Pillay was bestowed with the Nobel Peace Prize. Pillay uses the prestige of this prize to pillory Israel. It has nothing to do with promoting peace.

The Uyghur Muslims, who have actually been victims of a genocide at the hands of China, certainly don't view Pillay as a voice of peace as reflected in this announcement from the World Uyghur Congress:

On 9 October 2026, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to Navanethem “Navi” Pillay in recognition of her efforts to promote peace and international law. The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) expresses serious concerns about this decision in light of actions taken by Pillay during her tenure as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014.

Under her leadership the NGO liaison office shared the names of Uyghur and other Chinese human rights defenders, as well as information about their participation in the UN Human Rights Council, with the Chinese government without their consent and despite the potential risks to the individuals concerned and their families.

Among those affected was Dolkun Isa, former president of the WUC, who faced significant obstacles in obtaining accreditation and accessing the UN Human Rights Council between 2012 and 2013. Isa described the disclosure of information to the Chinese government as “a profound betrayal of trust by an institution that should have protected us.”

Suffice it to say, I don't think Pillay will be using her platform to champion the rights of Uyghurs, let alone other Chinese dissidents. Why would she? Aside from the fact that she does not want to be on the receiving end of Beijing's ire, she has no reason to speak on behalf of the Uyghurs because it would take time away from her agenda of pillorying Israel. 

In Trump's World Zelensky is a Dictator & Putin Isn't

While in Alaska on Tuesday to campaign for incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, President Trump was asked about his disagreement with Sullivan concerning Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. Sullivan believes Putin is a dictator while Trump...well, I'll let him say it:

Well, look, I have to make deals with people so I don’t go around calling them names. I’m a deal maker. I’ve always been a very good deal maker. I became very rich because of deals. So I don’t go around mocking people. 

As one can imagine much of the commentary to this statement revolves around Trump's dubious claim that he does not mock people. Name calling and mocking people is Trump's stock and trade. In the past few days, Trump has mocked a woman assaulted at his rally in Youngstown, Ohio, referred to South Carolina Democratic Senate candidate Annie Andrews as Trannie Andrews and just this past Wednesday afternoon referred to Arizona Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs as "a dumb person."

But I want to focus for a moment around Trump's unwillingness to describe Putin as a dictator because he is perfectly happy to describe Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky as a dictator as he did in February 2025. This was not long before Trump and JD Vance publicly berated Zelensky at the White House in front of the whole world. 

It will come as no surprise that Putin has also referred to Ukraine as "a dictatorship." It is even less surprising to know this isn't the first time Trump has declined to refer Putin as a dictator. During a White House visit by French President Macron days before he and Vance ambushed Zelensky, Trump was asked if he considered Putin a dictator. He replied, "I don't use those words lightly."

Trump uses words lightly all the time. He certainly used the word dictator lightly when describing Zelensky. But where it concerns Putin, Trump treads carefully. He doesn't want to displease his boss.

Mattingly Earned The Chance To Be The Phillies Full-Time Manager

I'm glad the Philadelphia Phillies came to their senses and announced last night that Don Mattingly would remain as the team's manager for the next two seasons after serving on an interim basis in 2026.

All Mattingly did was take a team headed for disaster, right the ship and make their way to the post-season.

Yet an early exit against the Atlanta Braves was sufficient for the team to seek out former Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora who declined the position. 

As it stands, Mattingly is popular with his players, and I think hiring a new manager at this time would have done more harm than good.

Don Mattingly earned the chance to be the Phillies full-time manager and it's about time the club removed the interim tag. 

Trump Misses The Mark Regarding His Regret Over The Killing of Iran's Leaders

(YouTube screenshot of President Trump speaking in Youngstown, OH on 10/12/2026)

During a rally in Youngstown, Ohio last night, President Trump made some revealing comments concerning the War in Iran which are worthy of both discussion and derision.

Trump's commentary on Iran is being overshadowed by his egging on violence by his supporters against a female protester (not without justification) and his fawning over Senator Jon Husted's ass. That I could have gone my whole life without being the wiser.

Regarding Iran, Trump specifically commented on killing its leaders and having regrets about having done so:

We might have gone too far with the leaders because we don’t know who the hell we’re dealing with anymore.

For starters, it is clear to Trump that his decision to engage in a military action against Iran has harmed his standing and may very well lead to Republican losing both Houses in next month's mid-terms. Voters disapprove of Trump's handling of the Iran War by a 2:1 margin. 

Yet at the same time, Trump completely misses the mark.

Mind you, this is hardly a surprise. Where it concerns in Iran, he has gone from calling on the people of Iran to take back their government to claiming that regime change has been achieved and then saying he never cared about regime change in the first place. If one was going to commit to a military action against the Iranian regime, Trump is the worst possible President to have in the White House.

His statement in Youngstown is predicated on the premises that Iran's existing regime continues as an Islamic Republic. Yet let us not forget there has been popular discontent against the regime for years including in the months prior to the war. As I argued prior to military action:

From where I sit nearly 6,000 miles away from Tehran, I believe the best possible outcome would be if the regime were to collapse by the sheer force of popular revolt from within and for Iranians to determine their own destiny. I write this knowing full well such a thing is unlikely to happen without the aid of external actors. 

That external help could have come in the form of covert operations not only on a military level but also working closely with Iranian opposition on the ground to prepare a government in waiting. Had this opposition been successful in forcing the collapse of the Iranian regime then this opposition could have formed a provisional government.

This provisional government with technical assistance from the United States, Israel and other willing parties with the aim of establishing democracy through elections, the writing of a new constitution, granting autonomy to existing civic institutions within Iran as well as the establishment of an independent judiciary. That body would be given the task of holding leaders and members of the previous regime not killed in any military conflict to be held to account for their actions. 

Of course, such things require patience, planning and precision. Unfortunately, President Trump does not possess any of these qualities. 

Because of this lack of qualities and the Left's relative indifference to the fate of the Iranian people as compared to the Palestinians, Iran's regime continues to have a lifeline regardless of how many of its leaders have been killed in the course of this military campaign.

Abbas Postpones Palestinian Elections - Again

(YouTube screenshot of Mahmoud Abbas from France 24)

Yesterday, Mahmoud Abbas, who is amid his third decade of his four-year term as President of the Palestinian Authority, postponed elections which were scheduled for next month until September 11, 2027. 

Quel surprise!!!

True to form, Abbas blamed Israel for delaying the elections and keeping him in power for all of these years. What suffering he has endured. 

For its part, France "regrets" Abbas' decision. Where it concerns the Palestinians, France regrets. Where it concerns Israel, France condemns. Indeed, French President Macron has been indulging Abbas going so far as to erroneously claim that Hamas does not operate in the West Bank. 

Not that Abbas needs much encouragement. After all, this isn't the first time Abbas has delayed an election. He previously did so back in April 2021 while also blaming Israel.

Assuming Abbas, who turns 91 next month, is still alive I have no doubt he will postpone Palestinians elections come next fall and blame Israel for it while France will be full of regret.

Guardians Overcome 0-2 Deficit vs. Chisox to Face Rays in ALCS; Brewers vs. Dodgers NLCS Rematch Begins Tomorrow Night

The Cleveland Guardians bested the Chicago White Sox 2-0 to win Game 5 of the ALDS. 

Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams struck out 12 batters over 5.2 innings pitched. Cleveland pitchers struck out a combined 21 batters - a new MLB record for a 9-inning game. In 1962, Washington Senators pitcher Tom Cheney struck out 21 Baltimore Orioles batters over 16-innings.

Jose Ramirez supplied Cleveland's only two runs with a 2-run HR in the fourth inning.

The Guardians overcame a 0-2 deficit to end the Chisox's dream season two years removed from losing a modern-day MLB record 121 games. Nobody expected the South Siders to be playing October baseball. 

Cleveland will head to St. Petersburg to take on the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALCS starting Monday night.

In the meantime, the NLCS rematch between the Milwaukee Brewers and the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers begins tomorrow night at American Family Field in Milwaukee.

The Dodgers are seeking to become the first NL team to win three consecutive World Series titles. The Rays and Brewers have never won a World Series while the Guardians have not a won a World Series since 1948. 

While MLB's owners insist on a salary cap in order not to lockout the players at the end of this year, the Brewers have the 19th lowest payroll in MLB while the Rays & Tribe are 28th & 29th out of 30 teams, respectively.

Let us consider the possible World Series matchups.

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Milwaukee Brewers

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Cleveland Guardians vs. Milwaukee Brewers

Cleveland Guardians vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

If the Rays face the Brewers, it will mark the first time since 1980 featuring both teams which had not won a World Series. That year, the Philadelphia Phillies bested the Kansas City Royals in six games.

Prior to 1980, the last time that had happened was 60 years earlier in 1920 when the Cleveland Indians beat the Brooklyn Robins for their first World Series title. The Robins, of course, are the Dodgers.

So, it would be the first World Series between these two teams in 106 years. But if the Rays vs. Dodgers, that would be the first time in 6 years.

With the Guardians & Brewers, it is between a team that hasn't won a World Series in 78 years and a team which has never won a World Series. 

Like many people, for me it's anybody but the Dodgers and there's a 3 in 4 chance of that happening. With that said, it is hard to bet against the Dodgers. While I would not care for another Dodgers' World Series title, it would be a triumph of historical significance for the NL. Not only would the Dodgers become the first NL team to win 3 straight World Series, it would be their fourth World Series title this decade.

Let the games continue tomorrow night.

El-Sayed, Israel, Iran & Ridiculous Hypotheticals

On Thursday evening, Abdul El-Sayed faced off against Mike Rogers in the Michigan U.S. Senate debate.

During the debate, WOOD TV8 political reporter Rick Albin posed this question to El-Sayed, "Who is the bigger threat to the United States? Israel or Iran?" El-Sayed called it "a ridiculous hypothetical." He then added:

Here’s what’s happening right now: our ostensible ally in Israel has lobbied us to go to war with Iran. We have watched as Iran has responded by bombing all kinds of countries in the Middle East and then choking off the world’s energy supply.

When Albin pressed El-Sayed, the most he would say was, "Both of them have proven dangerous in their own way."

Wrong answer!!!

The answer is Iran is a bigger threat to the United States than Israel. 

This is not a ridiculous hypothetical. Nearly half a century of history proves it.

As to El-Sayed's assertion of moral equivalence between Israel and Iran, at no time has he ever publicly criticized the Iranian regime.

El-Sayed has not criticized the Iranian regime for killing 30,000 of its own people late last year and early this year.

El-Sayed has not criticized the Iranian regime for sentencing singer Parastoo Ahmadi to be flogged for performing without a hijab. 

El-Sayed has not criticized the Iranian regime for holding Iranian American journalist Reza Valizadeah in captivity, let alone call for his release. 

Nor has El-Sayed criticized the Iranian regime for funding Hamas.

This is because El-Sayed reserves his criticisms for Israel. As such, he will never say Iran is a bigger threat to the United States than to Israel.

Nidal Malik Hasan Should Be Executed But Not in Front of The Whole World

Make no mistake. Nidal Malik Hasan should be executed.

After all a military jury sentenced Hasan to death in August 2013 for the killing of 12 fellow soldiers and a civilian while wounding more than 30 people at Fort Hood in November 2009.

Not only was it an act of terrorism, but it was also a crime against the United States. In other words, it was an act of treason as Hasan was inspired by American born al-Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki and was in communication with him in the months leading up to the attack.

However, I do not believe that Hasan should be executed for the whole world to see as the Pentagon plans to livestream the execution scheduled for December 3rd at the behest of Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense (or Secretary of War as he prefers).

Attendance at Hasan's executions should be confined to military prison officials, members of his family, members of his victims' families and a few media representatives. That's it. No one else needs to see his execution. This is not a spectator sport.

If this proceeds it will be the first public execution in the United States in nearly 90 years. Very few countries conduct public executions namely Iran, Afghanistan and Yemen. Oh yes, Hamas conducts public executions in Gaza. 

What good can come of livestreaming Hasan's execution? If this comes to pass it won't be the last public execution that we see in this country. If public executions are conducted by the U.S. military, then civilian execution at the federal and state level will surely follow. Could you imagine Christa Pike's botched execution being livestreamed?

I also believe the spectacle of public executions runs the risk of bringing back public lynchings. The next time MAGA doesn't get its way in an election, perhaps they will execute a police officer. Or perhaps on the next anniversary of the October 7th attacks, masked Hamas supporters will kidnap a Jew off the street and then stage an execution with anti-Semitic pogroms to follow.

The one consequence I don't think Hegseth, the Pentagon and the Trump Administration intend is that the return of public execution will spur public opposition to the death penalty. Although support for the death penalty has been slipping over the past 25 years, a majority of Americans still favor capital punishment. The spectacle of public executions in a supposedly civilized society will swiftly evaporate that majority.

By all means, carry out the Nidal Malik Hasan's execution. Justice will be served.

Broadcasting or livestreaming his execution (or anyone else's) does not serve justice. It only serves bloodlust, revenge, sadism and perhaps the greed to make money off it.

Navi Pillay Winning The Nobel Peace Prize is About Legitimizing Hamas' Mission to Annihilate Israel

The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize was bestowed upon Navi Pillay "for her efforts to promote peace and international law."

In reality, Pillay was bestowed with this honor for her role in accusing Israel of genocide in her capacity as Chairman of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory. She served in this position from May 2021 through November 2025. During her time in this role, she defended fellow Commissioner Millon Kathori when openly complained about Israel being a member of the UN while asserting the "Jewish lobby" was controlling social media. Pillay also pointedly refused to characterize Hamas' actions as "terrorists" or engaging in acts of "terrorism".

Indeed, Pillay has long been hostile to Israel going back to her time as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights between 2008 and 2014. During her time in that role, Pillay oversaw the debunked Goldstone Report, appointed the notoriously anti-Semitic Richard Falk as the Special Rapporteur for the Palestinians, her promotion of the Jew hating Durban II and Durban III conferences and gave then Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a platform to spew Holocaust denying conspiracy theories. 

Bestowing Pillay with the Nobel Peace Prize helps to legitimize false claims of genocide while blessing to Hamas and other terrorist groups seeking to annihilate the world's only Jewish state. It has nothing to do with promoting peace and international law.

Thoughts on the ICE Shooting in The Bronx

(Screenshot from CBS News feed on YouTube)

This afternoon, ICE agents shot and wounded a man in his vehicle in an enforcement operation in The Bronx. A 5-year-old child was inside the vehicle during the shooting though he was not injured in the incident.

What is remarkable is this portion of the statement from DHS which reads, "During the incident, an ICE officer discharged his weapon and the criminal illegal alien was injured."

Nothing in the statement indicates that the suspect used his vehicle as a weapon or threatened the ICE officers let alone that the agent who fired the shots was in any danger.

It simply states the ICE officer "discharged his weapon" and wounded the "criminal illegal alien" as if that alone were sufficient justification.

The statement also claims, "ICE officers immediately rendered aid", but this is contradicted by witness testimony indicating it was NYPD who assisted the victim after arriving on the scene.

As usual, ICE conducted itself with reckless disregard for human life with the intent and effect to intimidate the community at large. Instead, ICE's actions only angered the community and rightly so.

Could The Yankees Replace Boone with Mattingly?

 

Last night, the New York Yankees were eliminated from post-season play after being swept in the ALDS by AL East champion Tampa Bay Rays. 

The Yankees did appear to have tied the game with a HR by Anthony Volpe but a fan in fact reached over the outfield railing to catch the ball. Alas, this is not 1996 and Jeffrey Maier wasn't there to save the Yankees. Volpe did get an RBI double, but it is as close as the Yankees would get.

Since taking over the managerial reins in 2018, Aaron Boone has led the Yankees to 8 post-season appearances in 9 years. His 790 managerial wins is 7th best in franchise history. But there have been no World Series titles to show for it. The Bronx Bombers last won it all in 2009 under Boone's predecessor, Joe Girardi.

Of Boone's 8 playoff appearances as Yankees skipper, the team has exited the post-season via the ALDS 4 times including the past two seasons after winning the AL pennant in 2024. 

Boone is under contract to manage the Yankees next season, but his seat is hot. A month ago, Zachary D. Rymer wrote in The Bleacher Report, "Nothing less than a title will make Boone's seat cool again."

While there is blood in the water, there are those who expect nothing to happen because Hal Steinbrenner is nothing like George Steinbrenner. In the first two decades, the elder Steinbrenner owned the Yankees he made 20 managerial changes including hiring and firing Billy Martin five times. However, since 1992, the Yankees have had only four managers - Buck Showalter, Joe Torre, Joe Girardi and Boone.

There is only one scenario under which I see the Yankees parting ways with Boone (and for that matter longtime Yankees GM Brian Cashman) and that is if they were to hire Don Mattingly as their next skipper.

After all, Mattingly played his entire 14-year MLB career in Yankee pinstripes. He is an experienced big-league manager stewarding the Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins while being thrust into becoming the interim manager of the Philadelphia Phillies this season following a 9-19 start. Mattingly promptly turning the team back into a winner and clinching a playoff berth on the last day of the regular season before being shown the door in the NL Wild Card Round by the Atlanta Braves.

The Phillies, however, don't seem eager to bring back Mattingly despite his success and his popularity with the players. With that said, no one seems eager to manage the Phillies. Just ask Alex Cora. Although current Yankees bench coach (and former Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Angels manager) Brad Ausmus is reportedly being considered.

If this is the case, then the door is open for the Yankees to bring back Mattingly to the Bronx. Imagine if the Yankees traded Boone and Cashman to the Phillies for Mattingly and his son, Preston, who is the team's GM?

Or perhaps, Steinbrenner will continue to bide his time and leave Boone to manage this season and then replace him with Mattingly if they don't win in 2027. The only problem with that plan is that some other team might decide to make Mattingly their next manager.

It Would Have Been Best if Mamdani Had Said Nothing on October 7th

(Barry Williams/New York Daily News)

Here is what New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani had to say on the third anniversary of the October 7th attacks:

This day is profoundly painful for so many New Yorkers. It marks three years since the horrific war crimes of October 7. On that day, Hamas killed more than 1,100 Israelis and abducted 251 others. We grieve alongside our many friends and neighbors who still carry that unthinkable loss.

The suffering did not begin nor end that day. It instead continued through the Israeli government’s devastating, ongoing genocide in Gaza, in which it has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians—including more than 21,000 children. Even since the so-called ceasefire, more than 1,400 Palestinians have been killed. That suffering has intensified with every Israeli bomb dropped on ambulances waiting outside hospitals, every drone strike targeting a residential building or journalist, and every shipment of food aid turned away at a border crossing. Many New Yorkers are reckoning with this unbearable grief, and we mourn alongside them—all while knowing that our tax dollars fund these war crimes.

Three years later, we must refuse to accept a world in which occupation and apartheid continue, where war crimes are met with impunity, and our federal government continues its complicity with every arms shipment.

To honor the dead, we must fight for a world in which every person can live with freedom, safety, and dignity.

Under the circumstances, it is well worth remember his initial reaction to the attack on October 8, 2023 when he was obscure member of the New York State Legislature:

Three years ago, Mamdani made no mention of Hamas nor the hostages and cast the blame solely on Benjamin Netanyahu while calling for an end to the occupation and to apartheid.

His statement today does acknowledge Hamas' killed Israelis and held hostages, but it is mentioned only in passing. It is incidental to what to the message he wanted to convey. Mamdani's agenda now as it was three years ago is to defame Israel and by extension the Jewish people. 

And by virtue of the office he holds, Mamdani will again succeed in willfully promoting hatred against Jews. It won't be long before Jews are publicly attacked in the streets of NYC. Lest we forget, this is exactly what happened after he singled out Netanyahu as the only world leader not welcome in NYC during the UN General Assembly.

Let us be clear. Mamdani is lying when he claims there is occupation, apartheid and genocide. 

There is no occupation. Gaza has been Judenrein since September 2005 when Mamdani was a boy of 13.

There is no apartheid. If Israel were an apartheid state, then you would not have a Palestinian as a leading member of the Knesset or a Muslim on its Supreme Court let alone serve in the IDF.

There is no genocide. As with many others, Mamdani makes no distinction between Hamas fighters and civilians. While one can lament the civilian death toll, it would be nice if Mamdani told Hamas not to operate in civilian areas effectively using its populace as human shields. 

If Mamdani is truly appalled by genocide, it is peculiar that he has not used his office to defend Uyghur Muslims and Rohingya Muslims who are experiencing genocides at the hands of China and Myanmar, respectively. Of course, Mamdani is uninterested in speaking out on their behalf because he cannot blame Israel or Jews for their misery. Let me put it another way. Would Mamdani ever say Chinese Premier Xi or the Myanmar military junta is unwelcome in NYC?

Frankly, it would have been better had Mamdani not said anything at all today. But for Mamdani discretion is not the better part of valor. For he is man without valor or virtue. Mamdani simply cannot unequivocally condemn Hamas for its actions against Jewish civilians on October 7th. He was a Hamas apologist three years ago and he remains one today.

Sam McDowell is Suddenly Gone

Former MLB pitcher "Sudden" Sam McDowell, who spent the bulk of his career with the Cleveland Indians during the 1960s and early 1970s, passed away yesterday at the age of 84.

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, McDowell was a standout athlete in baseball, football, basketball and track & field. To give you an idea of how good McDowell was as a pitcher in high school, nearly all MLB teams in existence at the time wanted to sign him. In 1960, McDowell would sign with the Cleveland Indians who gave him a signing bonus of $75,000 (roughly $850,000 in 2026). 

On September 15, 1961, just six days shy of his 19th birthday, McDowell made his big-league debut throwing 6.1 of shutout baseball against the Minnesota Twins but would end up with a no decision.

However, it was not until 1964 when McDowell became a full-fledged starting pitcher in an Indians' rotation which also featured Luis Tiant and Tommy John, the latter of whom passed away in August. 

The peak of McDowell's career was between 1965 and 1971. Over this seven-year stretch, McDowell was named to six AL All-Star Teams and led the AL in strikeouts five times twice topping 300 strikeouts on the strength of his overpowering fastball. The flip side of this was that he walked over 100 batters in each of these seven seasons leading the Junior Circuit in bases on balls five times. 

Had there been an AL Cy Young Award in 1965, McDowell would have surely won it. That season he went 17-11 with a league leading 2.18 ERA posting a career high 325 strikeouts against 132 walks. At the time, there was only one Cy Young for both leagues and Sandy Koufax was the hands down winner. While McDowell fanned 325 batters, Koufax set a then MLB record with 382 strikeouts. Nolan Ryan would eclipse it by a single strikeout while with the California Angels eight years later, but Koufax stills holds the NL record. McDowell was pitching in very tough company.

The closest McDowell came to winning a Cy Young was in 1970 when he finished third in AL Cy Young balloting behind Baltimore Orioles pitcher Dave McNally and the winner, Minnesota Twins pitcher Jim Perry. It was McDowell's only 20-win season. 

Following the 1971 season, the Tribe traded McDowell to the San Francisco Giants for Gaylord Perry, Jim's younger brother, along with infielder Frank Duffy. The younger Perry would win the AL Cy Young with the Indians in 1972 while McDowell struggled going 10-8 with a 4.33 ERA fanning only 122 batters. 

By the middle of the following season, the Giants sold McDowell's contract to the New York Yankees. McDowell would finish his big-league career with his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates in 1975. In 15 MLB seasons, McDowell went 141-133 with a 3.17 ERA in 425 appearances including 346 starts. In 2492.1 innings pitched, McDowell struck out 2453 batters against 1312 walks. 

McDowell's 2453 strikeouts remain 46th best in MLB history while ranking 16th in strikeouts among left-handed pitchers. Of his 2453 Ks, 2159 came in a Cleveland uniform. Only Bob Feller struck out more batters as a member of the Tribe with 2581.

At the time, McDowell retired he was 8th on MLB's all-time strikeout list. Yet McDowell did not receive a single vote in his only year on the BBWAA ballot in 1981.

Why was this so?

Was it because he walked too many batters? Was it because he pitched on mediocre teams? Or was it because of his alcoholism? It is worth remembering that the Sam Malone character played by Ted Danson on Cheers was inspired by McDowell.

While McDowell may have not necessarily warranted a plaque in Cooperstown, he did warrant a few votes.

Fortunately, McDowell managed to overcome his alcoholism and would help others including future MLB ballplayers overcome their own alcohol and drug addictions. I am sure he would take that over a Hall of Fame plaque and not be able to stop drinking. R.I.P.

While Christa Pike Has Survived Her Execution, Colleen Slemmer is Still Dead

(Screenshot of Colleen Slemmer via Facebook)

I have been trying to get my mind around the botched execution of Christa Pike, the woman responsible for murdering Colleen Slemmer in 1995.

Pike's attorneys warned the state of Tennessee that execution by lethal injection due to her veins. And, lo and behold, they were right.

Given that Pike committed murder prior to the end of 1998, she was eligible to be electrocuted under Tennessee law. In view of these facts, why this method of execution was not chosen reflects on the state's incompetence. 

It is worth noting that Pike's legal team moved to have her executed by hanging. I have little doubt they did this knowing full well that hanging is not a legally approved method of execution in Tennessee. But in light of the fact that Pike is still alive Republicans in the state are now considering legislating other such methods.

On a personal note, there are some people that just don't take needles well and I am one of them. Drawing blood was a near impossible task when I had my kidney stone ordeal at the end of 2023. They called me a hard stick.

With that said, the similarities between Christa Pike and I end right there. Notwithstanding the incompetence which surrounded her attempted execution, none of it changes that fact that Christa Pike is a murderer who paraded part of her victim's skull and carved a pentagram into her chest. 

That Pike feels a "kinship" with Lindsay Clancy, a woman who murdered her three children, should serve as a reminder that she is not a good person. As such, I cannot muster much sympathy for her.

I prefer to reserve my sympathy for May Martinez, the mother of Colleen Slemmer. What this woman has endured over the past three decades I cannot begin to imagine. She has spent decades waiting to bury her daughter because the state would not release the portion of her skull which Pike kept as a trophy for evidence until after Pike's execution.

When I learned that Pike had regained consciousness, I wondered what May Martinez thought of it all. Well, she did not keep us in suspense. Martinez said, “It doesn’t matter what I think. They’re going to do what they’re going to do.”

Martinez also said she was not surprised that Pike survived the execution and does not believe they will try to execute her again. Perhaps Martinez has come to a point where all of this has become a cruel joke and that she has become the butt of it as Christa Pike has become a cause célèbre. 

And while Christa Pike has become a cause célèbre, Colleen Slemmer is still dead because Christa Pike took her life away from her.

Parti Quebecois Elected to Minority Government; Coalition de Avenir Quebec Loses All Seats

(Snapshot from CBC coverage of YouTube ofQuebec Premier-elect Paul St-Pierre Plamondon's victory speech)

I have been watching Quebec election results, and the Parti Quebecois has been elected to a minority government. Paul St-Pierre Plamondon (a.k.a. PSPP) will become Quebec's new Premier. As of this writing, here the seat and popular vote distributions:

Parti Quebecois                    59    28.1%

Liberals                                40    24.1%

Progressive Conservatives   19    21.3%

Quebec Solidaire                   9     11.9%

The PQ finished 5 seats short of a majority and won less than 30% of the popular vote. While Plamondon might be Quebec's next Premier, he will be on a short leash.

What is most notable is that the governing Coalition de Avenir Quebec (CAQ) lost all of their seats. Originally elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022 with a greater margin with 90 seats under Francois Legeault, he left office earlier this year and was succeeded by Christine Frechette.

The CAQ collapse is reminiscent of the Tories under Kim Campbell in the 1993 Canadian election although voters' anger was directed at Brian Mulroney. However, the Tories did win 2 seats in that election.

Prior to tonight, there have been three instances in Canadian history in which provincial governments have lost all of their seats. Two of those instances took place in 1935 at the height of The Great Depression. In July 1935, voters in Prince Edward Island ousted the Conservative government with the Liberals winning all 30 seats. A month later, Alberta voters ousted every member of the United Farmers of Alberta government with the insurgent Social Credit Party beginning their 36-year dynasty under "Bible" Bill Aberhart. It would be more than 50 years until it happened again when New Brunswick voters tossed the Progressive Conservative government of Richard Hatfield in favor of Frank McKenna's Liberals who won all 58 seats in the 1987 provincial election.

It should be noted the CAQ actually earned more of the popular vote than the far-left Quebec Solidaire with 13.2% of the vote. But that is cold comfort to the CAQ who will not have seats in the Quebec National Assembly. Frechette did not announce her resignation during her concession speech. But it is only a matter of time before she tenders it.

The PQ only won 3 seats in the 2022 Quebec election. Plamondon moved the PQ to the right with his anti-immigration platform. While this boosted the PQ, they were denied an outright majority with their referendum talk even with the pledge not to hold one as long as Donald Trump remains in the White House. Quebec voters might have elected a separatist government, but they do not want to vote to leave Canada.

Quebec Liberals under Charles Milliard more than doubled their seat total from 18 to 40 while the Conservatives under Eric Duhaime won 19 seats marking the first time the Tories have won seats in the Quebec National Assembly since 1935 before Maurice Duplessis rebranded them as the Union Nationale.

Quebec Solidaire lost three seats resulting the loss of party status although you wouldn't know it if you heard Ruba Ghazal's speech this evening. Yet there is speculation that because the PQ has a minority government, it might give Quebec Solidaire party status as it is only other sovereigntist party in the National Assembly. Of course, Plamondon would have to jettison his anti-immigration platform to gain any measure of support. 

While Quebec might have a PQ government, a minority government will likely guarantee another election come 2028. In which case, Plamondon will still want to hold a referendum even with Donald Trump in the White House.