Friday Thoughts

Major League Baseball has 30 teams.  Here is a list of them in alphabetical order.  And to the right of each team, the name of the man who was the President of the U.S. when they last won the World Series:

Angels - George W. Bush, Jr.

Astros - They've never won a World Series

Athletics - George H. W. Bush

Blue Jays - Bill Clinton

Braves - Bill Clinton

Brewers - They've never won a World Series

Cardinals - Barrack Obama

Cubs - Theodore Roosevelt

Diamondbacks - George W. Bush, Jr.

Dodgers - Ronald Reagan

Giants - Barrack Obama

Indians - Harry Truman

Mariners - They've never won a World Series

Marlins - George W. Bush, Jr.

Mets - Ronald Reagan

Nationals - They've never won a World Series

Orioles - Ronald Reagan

Padres - They've never won a World Series

Phillies - George W. Bush, Jr.

Pirates - Jimmy Carter

Rangers - They've never won a World Series

Rays - They've never won a World Series

Red Sox - Barrack Obama

Reds - George H. W. Bush

Rockies - They've never won a World Series

Royals - Ronald Reagan

Tigers - Ronald Reagan

Twins - George H. W. Bush

White Sox - George W. Bush, Jr.

Yankees - Barrack Obama

A lot is made of the inability of the Chicago Cubs to win another World Series.  Don't forget that if it weren't for their win in 2005, the Chicago White Sox line above would have shown Woodrow Wilson as the President the last time they'd won a World Series.  

I'm still overjoyed that the Cubs continue to own the longest streak in professional sports between championships.

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Hillary Clinton survived 11 hours of grilling by the House of Representatives committee investigating Benghazi.  The majority of the media is claiming she came out the "winner" in this confrontation.

The truth is that she was going to win this confrontation the moment Kevin McCarthy said the following:

The biggest mistake whoever she winds up running against next November could make would be to try to make this a major issue.  There are plenty of ways to demonstrate that a candidate believes Hillary can't be trusted without focusing on this partisan witch hunt.

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An era is ending.

Jos A. Bank, a well-known retailer of men's clothing has announced that their long-time practice of holding "buy one, get three free" sales will end with the current offering.  

The company claims the reason they are changing this policy is that these sales became the primary narrative rather than their focus on high quality menswear.

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From the "if it quacks like a duck, when is it not a duck" file.  

The Obama Administration insists we do not have a combat mission in Iraq or anywhere else where U. S. troops are engaged in combat against ISIS.  That didn't stop Defense Secretary Ashton Carter from admitting that U. S. Army MSGT Joshua Wheeler, a 39 year old special forces operator died in combat on a rescue mission in Iraq.

Wheeler was shot while he and other SF operators were involved in supporting a mission where Kurdish rebels were successfully rescuing 70 prisoners being held by ISIS.  It should be noted that Wheeler and his fellow SF operators were not supposed to take part in combat but when they saw "friendlies" being fired upon, they ran to the scene and joined the battle.

We aren't there in a combat role.  But a report released around 6 p.m. EDT on 10/23/2015 claims that the Defense Department has ruled that Wheeler's death makes him eligible for the benefits provided when a military member dies in combat.

Is it combat?  Apparently yes and no.

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From the tough day at an easy job file:

Bad day video 

It would have been a really bad day if she'd fallen forward and face-planted.  Fortunately her false eyelashes would have prevented serious injury.

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President Obama exercised one of his rare presidential vetoes, refusing to sign and approve a $612 billion Defense Department budget.  It was only the 5th veto of his presidency, dating back to January 2009.  

The bulk of the media reported the story as a dispute over increased defense spending when the President wants to make some increases in domestic spending, and exercise a little restraint on weapons systems purchases the military isn't necessarily supporting.

Fox News reported the story as President Obama vetoing a pay increase for American military personnel.

Spin baby, spin.

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