The Magic Continues
After the first five batters for the Guardians scored in game one of the American League Division Series, the Guardians have scored only two runs over the last 26 innings.
Today the Tigers beat the Guardians 3-0 for the second game in a row. In today’s game, the Tigers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning, adding single runs in the third and sixth innings. The Tigers used six pitchers as manager A.J Hinch continued his pitching by chaos to keep the opponent off balance and to minimize the times a Guardian batter faces a pitcher more than once during the game. Keider Montero was the starting pitcher for the Tigers, and he needed only six pitches to finish off the Guardians in the first inning. Montero’s day was done as Brant Hurter came in to pitch the next 3 1/3 innings. He was followed by Beau Brieske, who was followed by Sean Gunther, who was followed by Will Vest and his electric fastball. A great play by third baseman Matt Vierling saved two runs in the seventh inning (See my Video of the Day). Vest had a one-two-three eighth inning and Tyler Holton did the same in the ninth inning.
The Tigers used 18 players in the game, while the Guardians used 20 players as both managers used all hands-on deck to get the pitching or hitting matchups they wanted. It felt like a chess game where both managers were probing for advantages and weaknesses from the very start of the game.
Game 4 is tomorrow in Detroit, with game 5, if needed, in Cleveland on Saturday.
Hurricane Milton
Let’s throw some love and prayers for all those in the path of Milton. He is hitting the Florida coast as I write this blog. He is a nasty SOB who is wreaking havoc on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The area is still recovering from Ian of two years ago and Helene of two weeks ago. The thoughts of the piled-on damage by Milton turns my stomach.
So much for free speech and the right to protest
From The Guardian today. Top Republicans are threatening to pull billions of dollars of federal funding from some of the most prestigious universities in the US, stripping them of official accreditation to punish them for allowing pro-Palestinian protests on their campuses.
The Guardian has reviewed a video recording of a meeting in Washington last week between House majority leader Steve Scalise and the powerful pro-Israel lobby group the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac). In it, Scalise outlined how he planned to unleash a massive attack against universities that fail to squash criticism of Israel.
Scalise reserved his most potent threats for universities that in his view have failed to quash anti-Israel protests. He told Aipac that a second Trump administration would wield federal purse strings to punish the schools.
“We’re looking at federal money, the federal grants that go through the science committee, student loans. You have a lot of jurisdiction as president, with all of these different agencies that are involving billions of dollars, some cases a billion alone going to one school,” Scalise said.
The congressman from Louisiana is the second highest-ranking Republican in the House. He has travelled to Israel several times on trips paid for by the American Israel Education Fund, a group created by Aipac.
Scalise singled out Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University, which have been rattled by the controversy over student protests around the Gaza war.
In the Aipac meeting, Scalise scolded the former university chiefs for existing in a bubble in which Palestinians were painted as the real oppressed group. “You start siding with a terrorist organization, and you think that’s mainstream, because all your friends are in this little bubble, and I don’t know who you’re talking to – you’re sure not talking to normal people any more,” he said.
The congressman went on to denigrate Jewish students who engage in pro-Palestinian protest, saying they “just feel guilty that they’re alive. I don’t know how you’re brought up to where you feel, ‘I’m a Jewish student, and I’m on the side with terrorists who want to kill me.’”
Scalise said Republicans were determined to confront anti-Israel protests, which he called “disgusting” and “unacceptable in America”. “We’re bringing legislation to the floor to continue to confront it, to stand up against it, to show we support Israel,” he said.
The Guardian invited Scalise, Fallon and Aipac to comment on the meeting and their discussion about punishing universities for pro-Palestinian campus protests, but they did not immediately respond.
Netanyahu’s response to the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas has created this issue. My views on this issue are most likely very similar to most Americans.
Israel has a right to defend itself from aggressors, such as Hamas and Hezbollah. The Israel people deserve the support of the American government to help defend themselves. Hamas and Hezbollah should be held accountable for their attacks on Israel.
However, Netanyahu, is no longer defending Israel. He is now the aggressor in his attacks on Gaza and Lebanon. Over 42,000 Palestinians have died, many of which are women and children. Netanyahu justifies this action by blaming Hamas and Hezbollah for using women and children as human shields. Netanyahu will not stop the aggression until Hamas and Hezbollah are wiped off the face of the earth. Netanyahu does not want peace in the area. He wants annihilation of Hamas and Hezbollah. Netanyahu has proven time and time again; he has no regard for the life of the Palestinians or the Lebanon people. Netanyahu is a war monger.
It is wrong for Scalise to try to punish universities who do not quell anti-Israel/pro-Palestinians protests on campus. There is a major difference between supporting the people of Israel or the Palestinian people versus being supportive of Netanyahu, his warmongering and his disregard for the life of citizens of Gaza and Lebanon. Our universities should support free speech and the right to protest if it is done peacefully.
How much interest is too much?
An analysis from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan group that seeks lower deficits, released a report on Monday that found Harris’s economic proposals could see the federal debt climb by as much as $8.1t through 2035, or have no impact at all. Trump’s plans on the other hand could add as much as $15.15t to the nation’s debt over the same period.
In 2023, the U.S. paid $658 billion in interest on its debt. It is only surpassed by the cost of social security, the cost of Medicare, and spending on defense as part of the U.S. federal government spending.
At what point do we stop the irresponsible management of the federal budget? The choices are simple. Create more revenue, reduce expenditures, or some combination of the two. Fifty states have to do it.
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Quote of the Day: “Electric. You knew it was coming. You knew that they were going to show up and be loud, and they didn’t disappoint. It’s so much fun for us to play in front of that many people screaming, and I’m sure it’s difficult to play as a visiting team. So it definitely gives us an advantage.” Tiger first baseman, Spencer Torkelson
Orchid of the Day: The Detroit Tiger fans. Today’s game was the largest in Comerica’s history. The place was electric.
Onion of the Day: Hurricane Milton. He is a nasty SOB.
Question of the Day: Will the magic continue Thursday or Saturday?
Video of the Day:
Good morning Biggsie, I enjoyed today’s blog. Of course, what’s not to enjoy about the Tigers! Just need to win 1 more.
Milton is nasty! When I went to bed last nite it looked as if it was going to do serious damage right where we stay during the winter. But I guess I can gut out a winter in MI but like you I do feel BAD for the locals
And I couldn’t agree more about Netanyahu. He’s way over the top now!
Yes, our nat’l debt is out of control, and we’ve been looking for a solution since JFK was POTUS. Cuts & tax increases just don’t seem to have large support across our body politic.
GO Tigers. Boz