NY Democratic Congressman Torres Tells U.S. Media Not to Eulogize Hamas Leader Sinwar

Israel has killed another terrorist. This time it is Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, one of the masterminds behind the October 7th attacks. Sinwar is considered by many Israelis to be "Gaza's bin Laden."

Sinwar met his demise less than three months after his predecessor Ismail Haniyeh and scarcely three weeks after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. 

Following their deaths there were some in the U.S. and the Western media who saw fit to lionize Haniyeh as a moderate. In the case of Nasrallah, The New York Times attempted to portray him as a champion of equality. 

In something of a pre-emptive strike, New York Democratic Congressman Ritchie Torres warned the American media not to cast Sinwar as a martyr. Torres wrote on X:

Dear American Media:

Please do not eulogize Yahya Sinwar as a "father figure" or a "moral compass" or a "charismatic orator" or an Abrahamic egalitarian fighting for "the equlaity of Muslims, Jews, and Christians." Sinwar's legacy of barbaric bloodlust has been deadly for Israelis and even deadlier for Palestinians. He died as he lived - a monster.

Sincerely,

Normal Americans

Bravo, Congressman Torres!!! If only there were more like you. 

I have no doubt the likes of AOC, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Summer Lee and other Squad members will mourn for Sinwar as a means to spite Israel's righteous fight against terrorism and those who would seek to eradicate it from the face of the Earth.

Nevertheless, the presence of folks such as Congressman Torres and Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman gives me a small measure of hope for the Democratic Party when it comes to Israel.

Why I'm Glad I'm Not a Voter in British Columbia

As much despair I have at the prospect of the return of a Trump presidency, there remains a viable alternative in Kamala Harris.

With that, I am grateful that I am not living in British Columbia (known to most as B.C.), Canada's westernmost province. B.C. voters will choose a new government this Saturday and their choices are just awful.

Before I get into the specifics, I should mention that I briefly lived B.C.'s provincial capital, Victoria, during my Dad's sabbatical in 1978-1979. In fact, we lived just down the street from the provincial legislature. I do remember a lot of gatherings and that there was a both a federal and a provincial election going on concurrently. Being all of six-years-old, my understanding of politics was in rudimentary form. 

Now to the present day. B.C. has been governed by the New Democratic Party (NDP) since 2017 first under John Horgan and now under David Eby. The B.C. NDP is seeking its third term in office. 

Their main opposition is the B.C. Conservative Party which up until a few short months ago was a moribund organization and had been since the 1950s. From the 1950s until the early 1990s, right-wing voters supported the Social Credit Party which was the main governing party in the province (including during my family's brief stint there). Following the collapse of the Socreds in the early 1990s, the B.C. Liberals (which were not associated with their federal counterparts) picked up the pieces and governed the provinces for most of the 2000's. 

Late last year, the B.C. Liberals changed their name to B.C. United in an effort to further distance themselves from Justin Trudeau's unpopular Liberal government. The result was a collapse in support of B.C. United in favor of the B.C. Conservatives now led by John Rustad, once a B.C. Liberal MLA who was kicked out of caucus for his extremist views by B.C. United Leader Kevin Falcon. Late in August, B.C. United all but disbanded with Falcon throwing his support behind the man he tossed out of caucus. Support for the B.C. Conservatives further surged.

There is only one problem. The B.C. Conservatives are out of their fucking minds. For a time, Rustad wanted to put public health officials on trial likening it to Nuremberg 2.0.

Then you have the B.C. NDP government led by Eby who fired a Jewish member of his cabinet for being pro-Israel following the October 7th attacks while anti-Semitism was allowed to flourish within the NDP under his watch. 

While B.C. Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau is seeking to attract Jewish voters alienated by the NDP, the Green Party of Canada has an appalling record where it concerns anti-Semitism. With that said, the Greens are unlikely to form the next government in B.C.

If I lived in British Columbia, I doubt I would cast a ballot for any party. I wouldn't want to support a right-wing party which trades in conspiracy theories instead of seeking to be a reasonable governing party. I also wouldn't want to support a left-wing party which tolerates anti-Semitism within its ranks.

It is not beyond the realm of possibility that I might find myself facing such a choice in the not-too-distant future and it is a choice I would just as soon not face.

If Trump Wins It Will Mean Americans Have Given Up on Democracy

Consider what defeated, former President Donald Trump told Maria Bartiromo on her FOX News program "Sunday Morning Futures" yesterday:

I think the bigger problem is the enemy from within, not even the people that have come in and destroying our country, by the way, totally destroying our country, the towns, the villages, they’re being inundated.

We have some very bad people. We have some sick people. Radical left lunatics. I think it should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard, or if really necessary, by the military, because they can’t let that happen.

Trump doesn't specifically define this "enemy from within", these "very bad people", "sick people" or whom he deems to be "radical left lunatics". Nor does he tell us what crimes the aforementioned groups have committed.

Whomever they might be and whatever they might have done, Trump thinks they ought to be "handled" by the National Guard or the military.  

Ladies and gentlemen, this is Fascism 101, and it could very well be what Trump does should he return to the White House and become a dictator on day one starting with suspending (or as Trump has put it "terminate") the Constitution. 

But what would it say about us if we see fit to return Trump to the White House once more notwithstanding his open call about utilizing military forces against our fellow citizens for holding views contrary to his own?

It would tell me that we as Americans have given up on democracy. 

Most Americans have lived their lives as free people. Meaning they have never lived in either an authoritarian or a totalitarian regime. Democracy is all they have ever known, and they would like to try something else.

There are a great many people who are unsatisfied with their lot in life be it in a material, spiritual, familial or perhaps simply believe their destiny is not their own. I suspect many of these people have asked themselves, "What has democracy ever done for me?"

These are also people who want easy answers and the man giving the easy answers is Donald Trump up to and including pledging to be a dictator and dealing with "the enemy within." Some Americans will get pleasure out of Trump dealing with these enemies, real or imagined. However, I bet some of these Americans aren't counting on Trump turning his ire against them. 

Of course, once one "chooses" dictatorship you cannot "choose" to go back because "choice" ceases to be. What we will have "chosen" is to learn the hard way. Dictatorships mean death. Lots of death. Mostly innocent people.

Mind you, more than 1 million Americans died of COVID and a great many of us not only haven't learned but believe Dr. Fauci and other public health officials committed "crimes against humanity".I shudder to think how many millions of people would needlessly be killed under a Trump dictatorship before we collectively ask ourselves, "What have we done? What can we do to stop it?" 

However, it would be a state of affairs we have brought upon ourselves by choosing Trump knowing full well what he intends to do. Perhaps we do get the government we deserve. 

Yet for the moment we still have a choice. 

We can still choose to elect Kamala Harris as our next President.

Should we choose Kamala Harris in 2024 we are under no obligation to choose her in 2028. 

Should we choose Donald Trump in 2024 the choice might not be ours to make in 2028. 

If you think democracy is a good thing then there is only one choice that we have in 2024. 

A vote for Kamala Harris is a vote for democracy.

A vote for Donald Trump is a vote for dictatorship.

Cleveland Advances to ALCS vs. Yankees; Mets & Dodgers to Meet in NLCS

(Screenshot from MLB.com)

And then there were four.

This afternoon, the Cleveland Guardians put an end to the Detroit Tigers' Cinderella story beating them in Game 5 of the ALDS 7-3 as Tigers ace Tarik Skubal was roughed up for five runs in the fifth inning including a grand slam by Guardians right fielder Lane Thomas. 

Cleveland advances to the ALCS against the New York Yankees who bested the Kansas City Royals in four games in their ALDS. The Yankees-Royals harkened back to their rivalry in the late 1970's and early 1980's when benches cleared in the deciding game after Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia slid hard into Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe. It wasn't quite Hal McRae taking out Willie Randolph in Game 2 of the 1977 ALCS, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Yankees and Royals meet in the post-season again in the not-too-distant future.

Game 1 of the ALCS commences Monday night at Yankee Stadium. 

Meanwhile, Game 1 of the NLCS between the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers commences tomorrow night at Dodger Stadium. The Mets dispensed with the Philadelphia Phillies in four games while the Dodgers defeated the Padres in five games. 

This leaves four possible World Series matchups.

New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

New York Yankees vs. New York Mets

Cleveland Guardians vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Cleveland Guardians vs. New York Mets

Let's take a brief look at each.

New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

The Yankees and Dodgers have faced off in the World Series 11 times - more than any other two teams. But if they do face off it will be the first time they have done so since 1981 when the Dodgers prevailed in six games. It was only the third time the Dodgers won the Fall Classic against the Bronx Bombers.

Obviously, this will be ratings gold for FOX. Aside from the history between the two franchises, this matchup will feature the two best players in the game today - Aaron Judge of the Yankees and the Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani. 

This World Series will be good for baseball.

New York Yankees vs. New York Mets

FOX will also be happy with this matchup as the world revolves around New York. 

This will be the second time the Yankees and Mets have faced off in the World Series with the Bronx Bombers blasting the Mets in five games in 2000. However, it will be the 14th time MLB has seen a Subway Series. While the Yankees and Dodgers have faced off in the World Series 11 times, 7 of those times the Dodgers were based in Brooklyn. The Yankees also faced the Giants in the World Series 6 times when they called the Polo Grounds home. 

In the present day, both teams are powerhouses with the Yankees featuring Aaron Judge and Juan Soto while the Mets feature Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor.

Cleveland Guardians vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

I think FOX will still be happy with this matchup as Cleveland has not won a World Series since 1948. So, there's a story to tell.

It would mark the first time these two franchises have faced each other in a World Series since 1920 when the Cleveland Indians bested the Brooklyn Robins 5-2 in a best of nine series (a format which lasted between 1919 and 1921). The 104-year gap between World Series would topple the 102-year gap when the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers faced each other in the 2018 World Series. 

While most of the hype would be centered on Ohtani, the matchup could become a showcase for Jose Ramirez who is probably the best player in MLB to have never won an MVP. 

Cleveland Guardians vs. New York Mets

This would mark the first ever World Series matchup between these two teams. 

The Mets have gone 38 years without a winning World Series, but the Guardians drought is exactly twice as long at 76 years. So, FOX will take this World Series over another Texas Rangers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks matchup any day of the week.

I think much of the focus would be on Francisco Lindor as he began his career in Cleveland spending his first six seasons with the Tribe before being traded to the Mets prior to the 2021 season. 

One other interesting fact. It would mark the first time both World Series team were led by first year managers with Stephen Vogt and Carlos Mendoza for the Guardians and Mets, respectively. 

Conclusion

I shall be watching from a distance.

Some Questions for CBS News Re: Tony Dokoupil Questions to Ta-Nehisi Coates Regarding His Anti-Israel Book

(YouTube screenshot)

CBS News has come under scrutiny after revelations it had reprimanded CBS Morning News co-anchor Tony Dokoupil following an interview segment with author Ta-Nehisi Coates regarding his anti-Israel polemic The Message.

Days after the interview, Dokoupil was taken to task during a weekly staff call at CBS and admonished for not being up to the network's "editorial standards". However, CBS News legal correspondent Jan Crawford jumped to Dokoupil's defense. The audio of this call was leaked and publicly released on Bari Weiss' The Free Press. 

Dokoupil was not formally disciplined but apologized to staff including executives from the network's race and culture unit. 

It is worth noting that the network's top shareholder Shari Redstone publicly defended Dokoupil's interview and took CBS brass to task for their heavy handedness. 

I have some questions of my own.

1. How exactly did Dokoupil violate the network's standards?

2. Why was Dokoupil publicly criticized for his bias while other CBS employees openly question Israel's right to exist?

3. Why was Dokoupil compelled to apologize to people at the network who don't think Israel should exist?

4. Coates compares Israel to the Jim Crow South. Are CBS' journalists prohibited from questioning such a view in the same way they are not allowed to mention Jerusalem is in Israel?

5. Is Coates himself (or other authors who share his viewpoint) simply above criticism or questioning by CBS journalists?

Whatever the answers to those questions, it would appear that CBS has an institutional bias against Israel as strong as exists across the pond with the BBC. This does not bode well for CBS or mainstream American journalism at large.

If Hurricane Milton Can Tear the Roof Off Tropicana Field I Shudder Think The Damage It Will Cause

It remains to be seen if Hurricane Milton will cause more death and destruction than Hurricane Katrina did nearly 20 years ago. Even if it doesn't, it will be forever remembered for tearing off of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida - home of the Tampa Bay Rays. Well, probably former home. 

With the Rays not making the MLB post-season, Tropicana Field was to be used as a makeshift shelter for rescue personnel. Not no more.

If this is what Milton is capable with a fortified facility, I can only shudder to think what it can do to homes, neighborhood and, of course, people. 

Complicating matters is how Milton struck so soon in Florida and Georgia after the ravages of Hurricane Helene which has also affected the Carolinas, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia as well as Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.

Helene and Milton are one deadly couple. This deadliness is compounded by misinformation spread by defeated, former President Trump and his quislings.

Hurricane Milton might be able to tear off the roof of Tropicana Field, but Trump is trying to tear down the very foundation of American democracy. The former is far more easily repairable than the latter.

Luis Tiant's Pitching Was Poetry in Motion

This afternoon I learned that former MLB pitcher Luis Tiant, who enjoyed his greatest success with the Boston Red Sox during the 1970s, passed away at his home in Maine today at the age of 83.

His passing comes just over a week after that of Pete Rose whom he pitched against during the 1975 World Series between the Red Sox and the Cincinnati Reds. 

"El Tiante" dazzled Red Sox fans with his unorthodox pitching delivery in which he would look at second base before delivering the ball to home. 

Born in Cuba, Tiant's father Luis Clemente was a legendary pitcher in his own right playing in the Negro Leagues during the 1930s and 1940s when he wasn't pitching throughout Latin America. 

The younger Tiant followed in his father's footsteps pitching both in Cuba and in the Mexican League. In 1961, the Cleveland Indians purchased Tiant's contract from the Mexico City Tigers. 

Tiant would make his MLB debut in July 1964 at Yankee Stadium where he bested Whitey Ford tossing a complete game 4-hit shutout striking out 11 batters. A power pitcher in his years with the Tribe, Tiant's best season in Cleveland came in 1968 when he went 21-9 with a league leading 1.60 ERA along with 9 shutouts. However, this was also the year Denny McLain won 31 games for the Detroit Tigers. So, no Cy Young consideration, but Tiant did finish fifth in AL MVP balloting which was also won by McLain.

However, Tiant would experience a dramatic reversal of fortune in 1969 going 9-20 with a 3.71 ERA. Not only did Tiant lead the AL in losses, but he also led the league in walks (129) and homeruns surrendered (37). Prior to the 1970 season, Tiant was traded to the Minnesota Twins in multiplayer deal which included former Cy Young winner Dean Chance and future New York Yankees third baseman Graig Nettles.

Tiant had a decent season (7-3 with a 3.40 ERA in 18 appearances) with a Twins team which won the AL West. However, the Twins would release him. Tiant briefly hooked on with the Atlanta Braves, but they would release him before he ever pitched in a game with them. Days later he signed with the Red Sox. Tiant would have an inauspicious start with Boston going 1-7 with a 4.85 ERA working both as a starter and a reliever.

But Tiant's renaissance would begin in 1972 when he went 15-6 with a league leading 1.91 ERA. During his next four seasons, Tiant won 20 or more games thrice. The only year he didn't win 20 during that stretch was in 1975 when the Red Sox won the AL pennant. Tiant would have a sensational post-season tossing a complete game against the Oakland A's in the ALCS, a complete game shutout in Game 1 of the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds and another complete game victory in Game 4. He would also start the legendary Game 6 going 7 innings although he would give up 6 runs, but Bernie Carbo and Carlton Fisk would bail him out. For good measure, he would see his parents for the first time in 14 years when they were granted permission to travel to the U.S. to see him pitch in the World Series. Still, the Red Sox would fall short in their quest for a World Series title and Tiant would never get another opportunity to pitch in the post-season.

Tiant's tenure in Boston would end after the 1978 season when he signed as a free agent with the archrival New York Yankees where he would pitch for two seasons. He spent the strike-shortened 1981 season with the Pittsburgh Pirates and his final season in 1982 with the California Angels. In 19 seasons, Tiant pitched in 573 games (484 starts) with a record of 229-172 with an ERA of 3.30 striking out 2416 batters tossing 187 complete games and 49 career shutouts. 

Tiant's candidacy for the Hall of Fame has been the source of considerable discussion. He was on the BBWAA ballot between 1988 and 2002 but never garnered more than 30% of the vote. His candidacy has also been rejected by the Veterans Committee on six occasions between 2005 and 2018. Chances are Tiant will be up for consideration on the 2025 ballot via the Classic Baseball Era Committee. But why elect someone to the Hall of Fame when they are not around to enjoy the ceremony?

Luis Tiant's numbers are comparable to those of his contemporaries Catfish Hunter (224-166 3.26 ERA, 2012 strikeouts) and Jim Bunning (224-184 3.27 ERA 2855 strikeouts) who were inducted into Cooperstown. It is true that Hunter and Bunning had more All-Star Game selections with 8 and 9, respectively, while Tiant was only chosen thrice. Then there is the question of Hunter's Cy Young and 5 World Series rings. They also accomplished their feats in fewer seasons - Hunter (15), Bunning (17) and Tiant (19). 

Whether Luis Tiant ever gets a plaque in Cooperstown, there is no denying that his pitching was poetry in motion, exciting to watch and will be enjoyed with delight for decades to come. R.I.P.