Tuesday, January 21, 2025

January 1964: We remember "Meet the Beatles"

MEET THE BEATLES was released on this day in 1964......or many years ago today.

It ranks #53 in the ROLLING STONE TOP 500 ALBUMS:
"For Americans in the full grip of Beatlemania, this was the first album they could buy. Meet took the Fab Four's second British record, With the Beatles, dropped five covers and added three tracks, including the singles "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "I Saw Her Standing There." (This may have made a hash of the Beatles' artistic intentions, but it made for a much better record.) John Lennon and Paul McCartney were on a songwriting roll that would be unmatched in rock history, and at this point they were still a real team. They wrote "I Want to Hold Your Hand" together on a piano in the basement of Jane Asher, McCartney's actress girlfriend – as Lennon put it, "eyeball to eyeball."
The album is a combination of the first two UK albums plus "I want to hold your hand", the big single released in the US.  

It was not their best album in retrospect but it was exactly the kind of debut that the group needed.  

In my opinion, the best albums were RUBBER SOUL & REVOLVER.  They were a couple of years in the future!

MEET THE BEATLES is a classic rock album.  
 
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Most painful Super Bowl loss: Pittsburgh beats Dallas in # 13!







This week, the NFL channel brought back Super Bowl 13, Dallas vs Pittsburgh.

Roger Staubach vs. Terry Bradshaw

Coach Landry vs Coach Knoll.

It was the last post-season game played in the 1970s.

It was also a game between the two best teams of the 1970's.

Coach Landry's Cowboys played in the 1971, 1972, 1975, 1978 and 1979 SB's. They won two of them.

Pittsburgh blossomed in the 1970's with great draft picks. They played in the 1975, 1976, 1979 and a year later in 1980. They won all 4 SB's.

Super Bowl 13 went down to the last minute. It was really worth watching the NFL channel rerun!

Pittsburgh was up 35-17 but Dallas scored twice and made it 35-31 with seconds left:
"Although the game seemed decided, the Cowboys refused to give up.

On their next drive, Dallas drove 89 yards in 8 plays to score on Staubach's 7-yard touchdown pass to Dupree.

Then after Dallas' Dennis Thurman recovered an onside kick at 2:19, Drew Pearson caught 2 passes for gains of 22 and 25 yards as the Cowboys drove 52 yards in 9 plays to score on Staubach's 4-yard touchdown pass to Butch Johnson.

With the ensuing extra point, the score was cut to 35–31 with just 0:22 left in the game.
But the Cowboys' second onside kick attempt was unsuccessful.

Bleier recovered the ball and the Steelers were able to run out the clock to win the game."
SB 13 will always be remembered for Jackie Smith dropping a "certain" Cowboys' TD in the end zone:

It was a great game. I still feel bad for Jackie Smith.









Monday, January 20, 2025

Europe and Trump plus the Trump inauguration with Rosine

Biden betrays Cuba

Biden betrays Cuba: The Biden presidency is going out with a bang, from cutting sentences without regard for victims to taking Cuba off the terrorism list. For many of us, President Biden has a lot, not a little, of ‘splaining to do.  
Click to read:

The Biden presidency is going out with a bang, from cutting sentences without regard for victims to taking Cuba off the terrorism list. For many of us, President Biden has a lot, not a little, of ‘splaining to do

What were they thinking? Let’s check the story:

In a last-minute move before he leaves office next week, President Joe Biden removed Cuba from the list of countries that sponsor terrorism, lifted sanctions on companies run by Cuba’s military and again suspended a provision in a law that allows Cuban Americans to seek compensation for confiscated property on the island.

The three measures announced Tuesday were described as “unilateral” actions taken by President Biden as a “gesture of good will” to facilitate a deal mediated by the Catholic Church that would lead to the release of Cuban political prisoners, including people who took part in the island-wide July 11, 2021, demonstrations, a senior administration official told reporters.

In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, the Cuban Foreign Ministry said Cuba’s leader told Pope Francis in a letter earlier this month of the decision to release 553 people convicted of “several crimes that are punishable by law.”

My father’s cousin spent 14 years in a Cuban political prison. So I’m all in support of releasing men (and women) in Cuba’s jails. It sounds to me that we went too far in these moves.

According to news reports, it was an act of good will. An act of good will for what? What else did we demand? It sounds like we gave and they took.

It’s reminiscent of President Obama opening a U.S. Embassy, doing the wave with Raul Castro in a baseball game in Havana and opening up Cuba to U.S. tourists. What did the U.S. get out of that Obama deal? I can’t see anything.

The Biden move is also suspending Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, a provision that allows Americans to sue a company if it is benefiting from property confiscated by the Cuban government without compensation.


Without compensation? Stealing someone’s property without consequences?

What’s next for Cuban people? Nothing until President Trump and Secretary Marco Rubio bring back some sanity to our relationship with the outlaw state in the island.

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A word about January 20



On January 20th 1981, Ronald Reagan was sworn in as the 40th president of the United States. A few minutes later, the 52 hostages held at the U.S. embassy in Iran were released……ending the Iranian Hostage Crisis……it was the first day of a very impressive two term presidency…..

Happy # 91 Camilo Pascual.  He pitched most his career for the original Washington Senators who became the Minnesota Twins in 1961.As a Washington Senator, Pascual pitched for very bad teams.   It got better when the team moved to Minnesota and the Twins became a perennial contender with a young Harmon Killebrew, power hitter Bob Allison,  the very good lefty Jim Kaat and fellow Cubans Tony Oliva & Zoilo Versalles.His numbers were great with the Twins:   20-11 in 1962 and 20-9 in 1963.     He led the league in strikeouts 3 years in a row.  In other words, he was one of the best right handed pitchers in baseball.Overall, he won 176 games with a very good 3.63 career ERA.  

On this day in 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated for the 4th time.    

George H.W. Bush, or # 41, was inaugurated on this day in 1989. After his death in 2018, I wrote this post: The 3 times that I was very happy that George H.W. Bush was around….

George W. Bush, or # 43, was inaugurated on this day in 2001.In 2009, I wrote this post: A little thanks to Pres. Bush!

We remember Johnny Oates who was born in North Carolina on this day in 1946.      He broke with the Orioles in 1970 and then played with the Braves, Dodgers & Yankees before retiring in 1981.   On the field, Johnny hit .250 in 593 games.  As a manager, Oates spent 3 seasons with the Orioles and then led the Rangers to 3 AL West titles in 1996, 1998 & 1999.   Johnny Oates died in 2004.

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1981: What were you doing when Governor Reagan became Pres Reagan?

It was 1981, or the day that Ronald Reagan became the 40th president of the US.   He succeeded President Carter who served one term.

Do you remember what you were doing that sunny January day in 1981?

I was driving some colleagues between Saltillo and Monterrey in the north of Mexico.  It was an isolated road but ideal for picking up the ceremony and speech over WOAI-AM of San Antonio, Texas.   It came in clearly in our car radio!

Later, we got to the hotel in Saltillo and heard that the Iran hostages had been released.

Quite a morning, from the new president to the release of the hostages.

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A post from 2006 about President Reagan and that day in 1981






A post from 2006


25 years ago, I was on a business trip in Northern Mexico.  At noon, I picked up Pres. Reagan's inauguration ceremony on the radio.  It was a wonderful moment. Carter was out. Reagan was in. Weakness was gone. Leadership was in.

Later that day, the Iranians released the US hostages. It was one of those split screen moments. On one side, the new President at a ball. On the other side, US hostages boarding a plane.

Pres. Reagan is getting a lot of good press from historians. He looks better and better.


Reagan was a simple man. He was blessed with two wonderful attributes:

1) common sense, and
2) a strong belief in the American people and free markets.

A few years ago, I bought an audio tape of Reagan speeches. It is great. He inspires me as much today as he did that day 25 years ago.

We remember Johnny Oates (1946-2004)

He broke with the Orioles in 1970 and then played with the Braves, Dodgers & Yankees before retiring in 1981.   On the field, Johnny hit .250 in 593 games.
As a manager, Oates spent 3 seasons with the Orioles and then led the Rangers to 3 AL West titles in 1996, 1998 & 1999.   

Johnny Oates died in 2004.

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1981: President Reagan took over


On January 20th 1981, Ronald Reagan was sworn in as the 40th president of the United States. A few minutes later, the 52 hostages held at the U.S. embassy in Iran were released......ending the Iranian Hostage Crisis......it was the first day of a very impressive two term presidency.....

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1981: The Iran hostages released

Image result for hostages released 1981 images
On this day in 1981, Governor Reagan became President Reagan.   Shortly after, the Iranian hostages were released.    

Was there a connection?   We will never know but my guess is that the Iranian understood that a President Reagan would act differently than President Carter.

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Happy # 91 Camilo Pascual







The great Camilo Pascual was born in La Habana, or Havana Cuba, on this day in 1934. 

As a young kid, my favorite Cuban baseball player was Camilo Pascual.  He pitched most his career for the original Washington Senators who became the Minnesota Twins in 1961.

As a Senator, Pascual pitched for very bad teams.   It got better when the team moved to Minnesota and the Twins became a perennial contender with a young Harmon Killebrew, power hitter Bob Allison,  the very good lefty Jim Kaat and fellow Cubans Tony Oliva & Zoilo Versalles.

His numbers were great with the Twins:   20-11 in 1962 and 20-9 in 1963.     He led the league in strikeouts 3 years in a row.  In other words, he was one of the best right handed pitchers in baseball.

Overall, he won 176 games with a very good 3.63 career ERA.    He would have easily won 230 games with a better team!

We say happy birthday to one of my heroes.    I don't know what Camilo is doing these days.   I read a few years ago that he was scouting for the Twins in Latin America.

Happy birthday to the great Camilo.   I hope that you really enjoy your birthday!

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Sunday, January 19, 2025

Biden's last night and a few other thoughts

CANTO TALK podcasts from last week


 
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Click to listen:






‘El coco’ Trump

‘El coco’ Trump: As a kid in a Spanish-speaking household, I remember all of those folk stories about “el coco.” He is like the Spanish version of the Boogeyman, or the monster you are afraid of when you are a kid. Down in Mexico, “el coco”..
….click to read:



 As a kid in a Spanish-speaking household, I remember all of those folk stories about “el coco.” He is like the Spanish version of the Boogeyman, or the monster you are afraid of when you are a kid.

Down in Mexico, “el coco” is President Trump.  The left is going crazy and preparing for an invasion of Mexico.  The right doesn’t know what to make of him, but its members do share some of his concerns about the cartels.

Senator Rubio’s confirmation hearings for secretary of state are the latest in the “el coco” episodes, especially all of the talk about cartels controlling territory south of the border.  This is from Pulse News Mexico:

On Thursday, Jan. 16, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (CSP) responded to U.S. Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio’s statements that Mexico and the United States should work together on combating organized crime, saying in her daily morning press conference that “Mexico is ready to collaborate.”

During his U.S. Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday, Jan.15, Rubio publicly said he would prefer to work hand-in-hand with Mexico against drug cartels rather than use military force to combat the organized crime groups.

“These sophisticated transnational terrorist organizations have operational and functional control over huge swaths of areas that border the United States of America,” Rubio said at the time. “It is important for us not just to go after these groups but to identify them and call them for what they are, which is terroristic in their nature.”

“I think there’s a lot we can and we’ll continue to do in close partnership with our allies in Mexico,” continued the nominee. “I think there’s more they can do as well to confront this challenge, and my preference would be, from the Department of State’s perspective, my preference would be that we can work with the Mexicans on this issue cooperatively because it is impacting their nation as much as ours.”

However, Rubio did not rule out the possibility of the incoming administration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump designating Mexican drug trafficking organizations as terrorist groups while noting the potential complications that would come with said action.

Well, it’s the “not ruling out” part that got them excited.

It’s a complicated issue because most Mexicans actually agree that there are too many cartels, or too much “crimen organizado,” as they call them.  They live down there and see the violence with their own eyes.  They don’t need to read in the U.S. press that their country is violent.  It’s what everyone is talking about in social circles.

Just this week, President Sheinbaum sent more troops to Tabasco.  In Culiacán, in the super-violent state of Sinaloa, there was a massive explosion of a casino.  According to some local media, it was a “hub for a sophisticated money laundering network used to funnel illicit proceeds from the sale of fentanyl and other narcotics.”  There is no official explanation, but most locals think it was one cartel attacking another.

So Mexicans know that the violence is out of control and privately tell you that Trump is right in calling out their government.  At the same time, no one wants to come out and publicly give Trump the credit.

So Trump is “el coco,” whom everyone fears.  Well, they fear “el coco” but know that there is a bigger monster making their lives miserable.

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We remember Janis Joplin (1943-1970)





We remember Janis Joplin who was born in Port Arthur, Texas, on this day in 1943.      
She started singing with the band "Big Brother and the Holding Company" in 1966.    In 1968, they released a very popular  album "Cheap Thrills". 

Janis eventually went solo but but died in  1970 at age 27.   After her death, the album "Pearl" became a huge bestseller.    It included her biggest hit, "Me and Bobby McGee".    Later, a "greatest hits" was released.

A very tragic story.

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