Spain and immigration. Iran blockade and negotiation a deal. Pope Benedict (1927-2022).
Thursday, April 16, 2026
Spain needs more babies
Spain needs more babies:
What do you do when it's "complicado" to have babies?
As you probably know, there aren't a lot of babies in Spain. They’re going to more funerals than baby showers.
Click to read: https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/04/spain_needs_more_babies.html
We remember Pope Benedict (1927-2022)
We remember that Pope Benedict was born on this day in 1927. He retired a few years ago and died in 2022.
We miss Pope Benedict. He would often speak some blunt truths to all of us in the West, and specially Europe.
Rest In Peace Pope Benedict.
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We remember Robert Stigwood (1934-2016)
In the late 1970's, just about everyone in the Free World had a 45 or LP from RSO Records or The Robert Stigwood Organization. I'm sure that there is a copy in one of your boxes or vinyl collections.
In the early days, Stigwood worked with Brian Epstein of The Beatles and groups like Cream.
In 1967, Stigwood signed the very young Gibb brothers (Bee Gees) and managed their international career. Ten years later, it was The Bee Gees and RSO Records who dominated the pop charts with "Saturday Night Fever", "Grease" and lots of others.
In the 1980's, he produced musicals and movies. Overall, an incredibly successful entrepreneur and producer.
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We remember Dusty Springfield (1939-99)
We remember Dusty Springfield who was born Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien on April 16, 1939, in London, England.
Dusty came to the US with what they called The British invasion. She had several big hits, like "I only want to be with you" and "Son of a preacher man".
She died March 2, 1999 of cancer.
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1959: At least Nixon suspected something was off about Fidel
Back in April 1959, Fidel Castro visited the U.S. a few months after taking power.
Castro's visit was rather controversial because he faced skepticism from many in the U.S. He was asked about the promised elections that were delayed and delayed.
Castro was also beginning to hear a lot of criticism from fellow Cubans who kept asking about the surplus of communists and shortage of reforms.
Finally, President Dwight D. Eisenhower did not meet with him, but V.P. Richard Nixon did.
After the meeting, V.P. Nixon said that his bearded visitor was "either incredibly naive about communism or under communist discipline — my guess is the former."
Castro also appeared on Meet the Press and denied that he was a communist. He even joked about it, saying some people thought Adam and Eve were communists.
Furthermore, Castro benefited from a lot of people in the U.S. who were caught up in the cult of personality and did not know the truth of pre-Castro Cuba. It's easy to fall for the narrative when you don't know about the large middle class in Cuba and the number of immigrants who had flooded Cuba in the first half of the 20th century. They came to Cuba because the island offered opportunities, or the exact opposite of "Cuba is all about casinos" that was peddled to justify what they called revolution.
As my late father used to say when he got questions about casinos, "we had a lot more home-grown prosperity than casinos!" He should know, because he worked for one of five Cuban-owned banks that operated all over the country.
Down on the island, Castro continued to deny that he was a communist and put people in jail for accusing him of that. In December 1961, eight months after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion, he declared his allegiance to Marxism-Leninism, and our worst fears were realized.
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Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Blue wave? Justice Alito retiring? Pope vs Trump. April 15th and history.
Blue wave? Justice Alito retiring? Pope vs Trump. April 15th and history.
The ‘can’t score’ Democrats
The ‘can’t score’ Democrats:
Democrats don’t appear able to hit a teed-up ball.
Maybe part of the problem is that they can’t speak two words without bashing Trump. On Iran, they can’t deny the risk of a nuclear Iran run by fanatics, but they just don’t like that Trump is cleaning up the mess. On illegal immigration, they agree that Biden left the border unprotected, but they can’t say anything more imaginative than call for “immigration reform.” On affordability, it’s all about making the rich, or the mean corporations, pay their fair share. On everything, it’s Trump’s fault, rather than propose a credible alternative that voters between San Francisco and Washington D.C. can understand.
So let’s see what happens, but don’t bet on any wave coming. It may be like Texas days when it looks like rain, but the drops don’t fall.
Click to read:
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/04/the_can_t_score_democrats.html
April 15, 1947 or the day that Jackie Robinson & Dodgers changed baseball
On this day in 1947, baseball changed when Jackie Robinson opened the season playing first base with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson turned into one of the key players in those Dodgers’ teams that won the NL pennant in 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955 and 1956. The Dodgers finally beat the Yankees in the 1955 World Series. Along t he way, he won the 1949 National League MVP.
Before he broke with Brooklyn, Robinson and his teammates spent spring training in Cuba in 1947. It gave many Cuban fans a chance to see the man who would open the door to so many players from the island. This is how Cesar Brioso recalls the moment:
The overflow crowd spilled into foul territory where ropes cordoned off fans from the field of play. Beyond the outfield wall, those who failed to gain entrance climbed the light towers for a glimpse of the contest.
The decisive game of the Cuban League season riveted the packed house at Havana’s El Gran Stadium on Feb. 25, 1947, but Cuban fans briefly diverted their attention to acknowledge the presence of a special guest.
After Jackie Robinson was introduced over the public-address system, “he took bows to the wild shouting of 38,000 jabbering fans,” Sam Lacy wrote in the Baltimore Afro-American 75 years ago, pointing out that several members of the Brooklyn Dodgers sitting in the same reserved section “were hardly noticed.”
The Cuban fans anticipated the historic moment. First, they were knowledge of major league baseball, Secondly, they knew that Jackie was ready to jump from AAA to the majors. They knew that history would be made in a few weeks.
Of course, Jackie was followed by black Cuban baseball players, from Orestes Minoso to the many others.
Happy Jackie Robinson Day.
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page. This is Ed Henry's book:
April 15, 2007: MLB started the tradition of wearing # 42 for Jackie Robinson
Back in 2007, MLB celebrated the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson starting for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
The Padres played the Dodgers on ESPN. It was a special night. Every Dodger was wearing # 42. They've been wearing # 42 every April 15th since to remember Robinson.
During the game, Jon Miller and Joe Morgan spoke with Mrs. Robinson. She looked great and as upbeat as ever.
Of course, we forget that Jackie died young. I was reminded of this by watching an old video from the '72 World Series (his last public appearance) and reading Taking a Bat to Prejudice By George Will:
"By 1956, Robinson's last season, he had lost his second-base position to Jim Gilliam, a black man. Robinson died of diabetes-related illnesses in 1972, at 53, the same age Babe Ruth was when he died. Ruth reshaped baseball; Robinson's life still reverberates through all of American life. As Martin Luther King Jr., who was 18 in 1947, was to say, Robinson was "a sit-inner before sit-ins, a freedom rider before freedom rides."
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