Like most people, I don't know if Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted Christine Blasey Ford three decades ago.
The only people who do know for certain are Kavanaugh, Blasey Ford and an unnamed accomplice. Of course, the accounts from all parties are guaranteed not to be the same.
Should these accounts be recounted in detail before the Senate Judiciary Committee, it will make the Anita Hill vs. Clarence Thomas hearings nearly 27 years ago look like a Sunday school picnic. For of all Hill's accusations against Thomas none involved the use of physical force.
It is possible that Blasey Ford's letter to Senator Dianne Feinstein could be true. In which case there is the danger of having a sociopath sitting on the Supreme Court. As if having one in the White House isn't bad enough.
It is also possible that Blasey Ford's letter isn't true at all. Politics in this country is played for keeps. Do I think Democrats would knowingly lie or suborn libel to prevent Kavanaugh from being seated on the Supreme Court? I certainly do.
It is very likely the truth lies somewhere in between. But in this day and age there is no room for grey areas. You are either part of Team Red or Team Blue. If you criticize Trump, the Right brands you a Hillary supporter and seeks to ruin you. If you criticize Hillary, Obama, Black Lives Matter or #MeToo, the Left brands you as racist, sexist and homophobic and seeks to ruin you.
Politics is the nastiest of all human endeavors.
Monday, September 17, 2018
Saturday, September 15, 2018
Indians Clinch 3rd Straight AL Central Title; Tenth Since 1995
The Cleveland Indians earned their third consecutive AL Central title with a decisive 15-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers. This is their 10th AL Central title. They won five straight AL Central titles between 1995 and 1999 and earn their other two titles in 2001 and in 2007 before this current streak.
The Indians really had no competition this season taking control of the division on April 21st and never looking back. They currently have a 15.5 game lead over the Minnesota Twins.
Frankly, the Tribe is lucky they are in the AL Central. The team is marginally better than the Seattle Mariners and the Tampa Bay Rays and have a record inferior to both likely AL Wild Card teams - the New York Yankees and the Oakland A's. If the Indians were in the AL West they would be 9.5 games back of the Houston Astros and if they were in the AL East they would be 18.5 games back of the Boston Red Sox.
Yet with all that said, the Tribe has two bonafide AL MVP candidates in Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez and two time AL Cy Young winner Corey Kluber along with a lights out bullpen and an experienced manager in Terry Francona. The Tribe will most likely face the Astros in the ALDS and while the Astros would be overwhelming favorites, it would be a mistake to dismiss a franchise seeking to win their first World Series title in 70 years.
The Indians really had no competition this season taking control of the division on April 21st and never looking back. They currently have a 15.5 game lead over the Minnesota Twins.
Frankly, the Tribe is lucky they are in the AL Central. The team is marginally better than the Seattle Mariners and the Tampa Bay Rays and have a record inferior to both likely AL Wild Card teams - the New York Yankees and the Oakland A's. If the Indians were in the AL West they would be 9.5 games back of the Houston Astros and if they were in the AL East they would be 18.5 games back of the Boston Red Sox.
Yet with all that said, the Tribe has two bonafide AL MVP candidates in Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez and two time AL Cy Young winner Corey Kluber along with a lights out bullpen and an experienced manager in Terry Francona. The Tribe will most likely face the Astros in the ALDS and while the Astros would be overwhelming favorites, it would be a mistake to dismiss a franchise seeking to win their first World Series title in 70 years.
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Killing bin Laden Before 9/11 Wouldn't Have Prevented 9/11
This morning marks the 17th anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001 which claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people in New York City, Washington, D.C. and in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Every so often when the events leading up to 9/11 are discussed we hear about the missed opportunities to have assassinated al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden particularly during the latter part of the Clinton Administration. In a recording revealed in August 2014, the day before the attacks former President Clinton told an audience in Australia there was an opportunity to kill bin Laden in Kandahar in December 1998, but opted not to because of the civilian casualties which would have been involved and that having done so would have made him no better than bin Laden. A debatable proposition, but it does reinforce the argument that killing bin Laden before 9/11 would have prevented 9/11.
I don't share this view. Killing bin Laden would have turned him into a martyr and would have increased al Qaeda's resolve to carry out the attack. The attack itself might not have occurred on September 11, 2001. It might have taken place before or after that date, but given the state of our preparedness at the time I believe that a large scale attack would have happened in this country whether bin Laden was dead or alive.
Let's put it this way. Did Islamic terrorism stop when bin Laden was finally assassinated in 2011? No, it adapted and mutated. Can you say ISIS?
The truth of the matter is that evil will always be among us. The individuals and organizations perpetuating that evil come and go, but the evil itself never does.
Every so often when the events leading up to 9/11 are discussed we hear about the missed opportunities to have assassinated al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden particularly during the latter part of the Clinton Administration. In a recording revealed in August 2014, the day before the attacks former President Clinton told an audience in Australia there was an opportunity to kill bin Laden in Kandahar in December 1998, but opted not to because of the civilian casualties which would have been involved and that having done so would have made him no better than bin Laden. A debatable proposition, but it does reinforce the argument that killing bin Laden before 9/11 would have prevented 9/11.
I don't share this view. Killing bin Laden would have turned him into a martyr and would have increased al Qaeda's resolve to carry out the attack. The attack itself might not have occurred on September 11, 2001. It might have taken place before or after that date, but given the state of our preparedness at the time I believe that a large scale attack would have happened in this country whether bin Laden was dead or alive.
Let's put it this way. Did Islamic terrorism stop when bin Laden was finally assassinated in 2011? No, it adapted and mutated. Can you say ISIS?
The truth of the matter is that evil will always be among us. The individuals and organizations perpetuating that evil come and go, but the evil itself never does.
Friday, September 7, 2018
Blue Jays to Part Ways With Gibbons -- Again
It appears that John Gibbons' second stint as manager of the Toronto Blue Jays will be over at the conclusion of this season. Gibbons has been at the helm since 2013 and previously managed the club between 2004 and the middle of the 2008 season. The writing was on the wall when Jays GM Ross Atkins announced that he would be revisiting Gibbons' status at season's end even though he was already under contract in 2019. It is worth noting that Gibbons signaled he wasn't keen on going through another rebuilding process. After appearing in back to back ALCS match ups in 2015 and 2016, the team has not been the same since the departure of Edwin Encarnacion. Jose Bautista and Josh Donaldson have followed him out the door and lord knows if Troy Tulowitzki will ever play again.
Had Gibbons remained he would have eclipsed Cito Gaston as the club's longest serving manager. But that doesn't mean much when Gaston can boast of back to back World Series titles.
Had Gibbons remained he would have eclipsed Cito Gaston as the club's longest serving manager. But that doesn't mean much when Gaston can boast of back to back World Series titles.
Thursday, September 6, 2018
Burt Reynolds Delivered in Deliverance
Actor Burt Reynolds has passed away of cardiopulmonary arrest at the age of 82 after many years of health issues.
Whether Reynolds appeared in Gunsmoke or on a guest spot in Burn Notice, he had a larger than life presence about him.
His box office peak came during the mid-1970's through the early 1980's with several Smokey & The Bandit films, The Longest Yard, Semi-Tough, The Cannonball Run and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. In the early 1990's, he starred in the CBS TV series Evening Shade with Marilu Henner. Reynolds would finally earn an Oscar nomination for his performance in Boogie Nights with Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.
But the film for which he should have received an Oscar nomination was Deliverance. Reynolds more than held his own with Jon Voight and newcomers Ronny Cox and Ned Beatty. Lewis Medlock was the most outwardly dark and cynical among the foursome, but this darkness and cynicism was accompanied by a world weary wisdom. Unfortunately for Reynolds and Deliverance, this was the year of The Godfather and there was simply no stopping it.
Reynolds never appeared to take himself too seriously whether during his many appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson as a guest or a host or his involvement with the game show Win, Lose or Draw hosted by his friend Burt Convy. While it's lamentable that Reynolds didn't take on more substantive roles in his career as he did in Deliverance, he was nevertheless a movie star and people came to see him and came away happy. In this respect Burt Reynolds always delivered. R.I.P.
Monday, September 3, 2018
Geoffrey Owens Is Today's Gene Tierney
There has been a huge reaction on social media over the past several days after someone took a picture of former Cosby Show alum Geoffrey Owens bagging groceries at a Trader Joe's in New Jersey and Fox News bashing him for it.
I guess there is an expectation that everyone who appears on TV or in the movies is a millionaire or very well to do. This perception hasn't changed very much in the last 60 years. All of the attention Owens has received reminded me of when actress Gene Tierney was photographed working as a sales clerk in a department store in Kansas which was circulated in Life Magazine. After being one of Hollywood's premier leading ladies during the 1940's and early 1950's earning an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in Leave Her to Heaven, she suffered a bout of mental illness and working in a department store was part of her therapy. Tierney would eventually return to Hollywood in the 1960's working as a character actress before retiring altogether by the end of the decade save for a single role in the NBC mini-series Scruples with Lindsay Wagner.
The reality is that "working actors" don't work regularly and if they do it isn't for very much money. If there is money to be made it is in commercials. You've got to make a living somehow.
Of course, there are occupations people tend to look down upon - grocery store clerks, janitors, file clerks. These positions seldom lead to upward mobility and I've had more than my share of attorneys look at me as if I worked in an amusement park. It makes living with trying to make a living that much harder. Politicians and those who aspire to public office speaking of working people, but in reality they look at working people with contempt except when it comes time to get votes.
Being wealthy, having power or otherwise having good fortune doesn't make you better than everybody else let alone make you a good human being.
With that, I hope Geoffrey Owens is offered some lucrative acting work.
Saturday, September 1, 2018
MLB Notes for August: Cardinals Surge Into Top NL Wild Card Spot; Have Shot at Cubs in Central
When August began, the St. Louis Cardinals were in fourth place in the NL Central 7.5 games back of the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers and now looking up at the surging Pittsburgh Pirates.
But after going 22-6 in August, the Cardinals now own the top spot in the NL Wild Card race and are only 3.5 games back of the Cubs and could conceivably win the NL Central before it's all over. New manager Mike Shildt's easy going, low key approach helped Matt Carpenter have a power surge and Harrison Bader has made the most of his opportunities after Tommy Pham was dealt to Tampa Bay. Miles Mikolas is a legitimate Cy Young candidate, rookie Jack Flaherty is getting better with every start and who knew that Bud Norris could close games?
Still, the Cubs have the best record in the NL and have played their best baseball since acquiring Daniel Murphy from the Washington Nationals and will be tough to knock off. Meanwhile, the Brewers who are currently four games back of the Cubs and hold the second NL Wild Card spot are fortifying the team by adding longtime Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez, Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Curtis Granderson and White Sox reliever Xavier Cedeno to the roster. The Brewers narrowly missed the post-season in 2017 and do not want history to repeat itself.
Unfortunately, the Pirates are going in the opposite direction. Acquiring Chris Archer from the Rays has not paid dividends and following a 10-17 effort in August have parted ways with both David Freese and Adeiny Hechevarria sending them to the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, respectively. Despite this setback it doesn't appear that Clint Hurdle is going anywhere. After two straight winning months, the Cincinnati Reds played like a last place team in August going 9-19. But make no mistake. Things are a lot better with Jim Riggleman in the dugout with better things to come in 2019.
The Atlanta Braves hold a two game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East. Certainly no one expected the Washington Nationals to be under .500 and 7.5 games off the pace. After a disastrous 5-21 mark in June, the New York Mets have played .500 ball since and can take some comfort that they will likely finish the season ahead of the Miami Marlins, who like the Reds, played like a last place team in August going 7-19.
The NL West is MLB's tightest race with the Arizona Diamondbacks holding a one game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers and a 1.5 game lead over the Colorado Rockies. Unlike 2017 when all three teams made the post-season only one team is likely to make it this year. If this is the case then the Dodgers could miss the playoffs for the first time since 2012. At 68-68, the San Francisco Giants could theoretically get back into the race but having just traded Andrew McCutchen to the New York Yankees this is an indication the team is looking towards 2019. As for the San Diego Padres, with 83 losses under their belt they will have 8 straight losing seasons.
Although the Boston Red Sox finished August losing 7 of their last 12 games, the Red Sox have 93 wins. They had 93 wins in all of 2017. The Red Sox might not eclipse the 1906 Chicago Cubs or the 2001 Seattle Mariners, but they will likely have their first 100 win season since 1946 and eclipse the franchise record 105 wins set all the way back in 1912.
To give you an idea of how good the Red Sox are, the New York Yankees' 85-50 record would have them in the first place in any other division in MLB. But in the AL East they are 7.5 games back of the Red Sox. Of course, for Red Sox Nation that isn't nearly enough.
The Tampa Bay Rays end August 21 games back of the Red Sox. But don't tell that to the Red Sox. The Rays are the only team to sweep the Red Sox in 2018. I'm not sure how Kevin Cash does it with a no name roster and having no rotation outside of Blake Snell with middle relievers starting games. But he's done it and he deserves to be named AL Manager of the Year.
The fate of Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons and Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter is far from certain. Although Gibbons has a year left on his contract, Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins says Gibbons will finish this season with the club putting 2019 very much in doubt. The Jays are having a bad season, but they are 21.5 games ahead of the Orioles who after going 8-20 in August are 52.5 games back of the Red Sox. The Orioles might not be the 1962 New York Mets, but they will certainly exceed the 107 loss season in 1988 and might even exceed the 111 losses suffered in 1939 by their predecessors the St. Louis Browns.
Last month, I chided the Cleveland Indians for being lucky to be in the AL Central. The Tribe responded with their best baseball of the season going 19-9 in August and have a cozy 14 game lead over the Minnesota Twins. Their magic number to clinch the division is 15. Of course, the rest of the division is utterly mediocre although the Chicago White Sox did have a 17-12 August. They began August only four games ahead of the last place Kansas City Royals Royals and eight back of the Detroit Tigers. They begin September tied for third place with the Tigers. It might not mean much now, but it could be a sign of good things to come in 2019.
The Houston Astros are still in first place in the AL West, but have only a 1.5 game lead over the Oakland A's. The teams were tied for first as late as August 21st. Unless the Seattle Mariners can regain their form of April through June at the expense of one of these teams then their playoff drought will extend to 17 seasons. But at least the Mariners have something for which to fight unlike either the Los Angeles Angels or the Texas Rangers.
September will undoubtedly be an exciting, but nerve wracking month for baseball teams and fans alike.
But after going 22-6 in August, the Cardinals now own the top spot in the NL Wild Card race and are only 3.5 games back of the Cubs and could conceivably win the NL Central before it's all over. New manager Mike Shildt's easy going, low key approach helped Matt Carpenter have a power surge and Harrison Bader has made the most of his opportunities after Tommy Pham was dealt to Tampa Bay. Miles Mikolas is a legitimate Cy Young candidate, rookie Jack Flaherty is getting better with every start and who knew that Bud Norris could close games?
Still, the Cubs have the best record in the NL and have played their best baseball since acquiring Daniel Murphy from the Washington Nationals and will be tough to knock off. Meanwhile, the Brewers who are currently four games back of the Cubs and hold the second NL Wild Card spot are fortifying the team by adding longtime Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez, Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Curtis Granderson and White Sox reliever Xavier Cedeno to the roster. The Brewers narrowly missed the post-season in 2017 and do not want history to repeat itself.
Unfortunately, the Pirates are going in the opposite direction. Acquiring Chris Archer from the Rays has not paid dividends and following a 10-17 effort in August have parted ways with both David Freese and Adeiny Hechevarria sending them to the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, respectively. Despite this setback it doesn't appear that Clint Hurdle is going anywhere. After two straight winning months, the Cincinnati Reds played like a last place team in August going 9-19. But make no mistake. Things are a lot better with Jim Riggleman in the dugout with better things to come in 2019.
The Atlanta Braves hold a two game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East. Certainly no one expected the Washington Nationals to be under .500 and 7.5 games off the pace. After a disastrous 5-21 mark in June, the New York Mets have played .500 ball since and can take some comfort that they will likely finish the season ahead of the Miami Marlins, who like the Reds, played like a last place team in August going 7-19.
The NL West is MLB's tightest race with the Arizona Diamondbacks holding a one game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers and a 1.5 game lead over the Colorado Rockies. Unlike 2017 when all three teams made the post-season only one team is likely to make it this year. If this is the case then the Dodgers could miss the playoffs for the first time since 2012. At 68-68, the San Francisco Giants could theoretically get back into the race but having just traded Andrew McCutchen to the New York Yankees this is an indication the team is looking towards 2019. As for the San Diego Padres, with 83 losses under their belt they will have 8 straight losing seasons.
Although the Boston Red Sox finished August losing 7 of their last 12 games, the Red Sox have 93 wins. They had 93 wins in all of 2017. The Red Sox might not eclipse the 1906 Chicago Cubs or the 2001 Seattle Mariners, but they will likely have their first 100 win season since 1946 and eclipse the franchise record 105 wins set all the way back in 1912.
To give you an idea of how good the Red Sox are, the New York Yankees' 85-50 record would have them in the first place in any other division in MLB. But in the AL East they are 7.5 games back of the Red Sox. Of course, for Red Sox Nation that isn't nearly enough.
The Tampa Bay Rays end August 21 games back of the Red Sox. But don't tell that to the Red Sox. The Rays are the only team to sweep the Red Sox in 2018. I'm not sure how Kevin Cash does it with a no name roster and having no rotation outside of Blake Snell with middle relievers starting games. But he's done it and he deserves to be named AL Manager of the Year.
The fate of Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons and Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter is far from certain. Although Gibbons has a year left on his contract, Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins says Gibbons will finish this season with the club putting 2019 very much in doubt. The Jays are having a bad season, but they are 21.5 games ahead of the Orioles who after going 8-20 in August are 52.5 games back of the Red Sox. The Orioles might not be the 1962 New York Mets, but they will certainly exceed the 107 loss season in 1988 and might even exceed the 111 losses suffered in 1939 by their predecessors the St. Louis Browns.
Last month, I chided the Cleveland Indians for being lucky to be in the AL Central. The Tribe responded with their best baseball of the season going 19-9 in August and have a cozy 14 game lead over the Minnesota Twins. Their magic number to clinch the division is 15. Of course, the rest of the division is utterly mediocre although the Chicago White Sox did have a 17-12 August. They began August only four games ahead of the last place Kansas City Royals Royals and eight back of the Detroit Tigers. They begin September tied for third place with the Tigers. It might not mean much now, but it could be a sign of good things to come in 2019.
The Houston Astros are still in first place in the AL West, but have only a 1.5 game lead over the Oakland A's. The teams were tied for first as late as August 21st. Unless the Seattle Mariners can regain their form of April through June at the expense of one of these teams then their playoff drought will extend to 17 seasons. But at least the Mariners have something for which to fight unlike either the Los Angeles Angels or the Texas Rangers.
September will undoubtedly be an exciting, but nerve wracking month for baseball teams and fans alike.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)