We remember Mr. Ed, the talking horse (1948-79)

The great talking horse Mr. Ed died in 1979 at age 31. We grew up watching Mr. Ed, although more have probably seen it on reruns.   It was a great show and the theme music was super:

“A horse is a horse, of course, of course, And no one can talk to a horse, of course That is, of course, unless the horse is the famous Mr. Ed Go right to the source and ask the horse, He’ll give you the answer that you’ll endorse He’s always on a steady course, talk to Mr. Ed. People yackety yak on the street and waste the time of day But Mr. Ed will never speak unless he has something to say. A horse is a horse, of course, of course, And no one can talk to a horse, of course That is of course unless the horse is the famous Mr. Ed.”

The shows bring back a ton of memories and watching my mother laugh at the idea of a talking horse. We expected a lot of surprises in the US but a talking horse was not one of them.

The shows are now available in DVD.

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1966: Remember when Koufax and Drysdale held out for spring training?

Once upon a time or 1966, Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax held out and refused to show up for spring training.   They were both looking for a better contract.

They held out for 32 days and signed eventually for $ 130,000 (Koufax) and $ 105,000 (Drysdale).

They Dodgers won 97 games and the NL pennant but lost to the Orioles in the World Series later that year.  

Koufax was great:  27-9 with a 1.73 ERA & 27 complete games.   On the other hand, Drysdale was a bit off form:  13-16 with a 3.42 ERA.   

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1936: 7-year old Shirley Temple signed a big contract

On this day in 1936, Shirley Temple got a new contract from 20th Century Fox.   She was guaranteed $50,000 per film for the next 7 years.

Later in her life, she had a diplomatic career.    Shirley Temple Black was named ambassador to Czechoslovakia by President Bush.

She died in 2014.

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We remember Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011)

We remember Elizabeth Taylor who was born in London to American parents on this day in 1932.   She eventually moved to Los Angeles with her family in 1939.     

Taylor’s movie career stretched from the 1940's to the 1980's, from "Little women" to "Cat on a hat tin roof" to "Cleopatra" to many others.  

She died in 2011.

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We remember Johnny Cash (1932-2003)

Like many of you, I learned a lot about Johnny Cash from that film "I walk the line".    It probably introduced a lot of young people to his career and songbook.

Cash was born on this day in 1932 and died in 2003.   

Cash was was one of the great male vocalists of the 20th century.   His style and voice were very unique.  Furthermore, he hung around with Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis in the early days of Sun Records and rock and roll.

Check out a Johnny Cash today song today.   There are many to pick from.

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We remember Fats Domino (1928-2017)

We remember  Antoine Domino, the great Fats Domino who was born in New Orleans on this day in 1928.   He died in 2017 at age 89.   

He was one of the early rockers and best entertainers ever.   Some of his hits were:   "Blue Monday", “Blueberry Hill” , “Ain’t that a shame” and "Walking to New Orleans".     

You have to check out one of his many hits.

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

We remember Ron Santo (1940-2010)

We remember that Ron Santo was born on this day in 1940.   

He began his career with the Cubs in 1960 at age 20.   From that debut to his retirement in 1974, he put together some great numbers:   .277 career batting average, 342 HR, 2,254 hits & 1,331 RBI.

From 1963 to 1970, Santo averaged 29 HR and 106 RBI.   He also led the NL in walks 4 times and won 5 Gold Gloves for his defensive work at third base.

Sadly, he died in 2010 and did not live to see his induction into the Hall of Fame in 2012.

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

 

The Beatles and February 1965

Again....do we love the Beatles or are we getting old?  YES and YES!

We are looking back at 1965, the second year of The Beatles in the US, and much of the world as well.

1965 began with a great 45.  Here are the digital versions of "I feel fine" & "She's a woman".   They showed up in “Beatles '65", a very good LP from the vinyl days!

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1965: The Beatles started working on "Help" this week

The Beatles made two movies in a year.    They started filming "Help" in the Bahamas this week in 1965.   

The first one ("A hard day's night") was basically the group on tour. 

The second one ("Help") was a bit of a spy story.   The story saw The Beatles on the beaches of the Caribbean and skying in the Alps.   There was a lot of music in between!

The Beatles' movies were great and I still enjoy them a lot.

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

Remembering Luis Aguile (1936-2009)

We remember that Luis Aguile was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on this day in 1936. He died in 2009. His full name was Luis Maria Aguilera Picca.

Back in the 1960s, our family spent many cold winter nights in Wisconsin listening to “Cuando sali de Cuba“. It always put a tear in my parents’ eyes. As my father told me, Aguile was a pop music star circa 1960 and had no connection to Cuba. What inspired him to write this song? I don’t know but it became a favorite in “el exilio”

Thanks to the late Luis Aguile for that wonderful song!

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We remember President George Washington (1732-99)

We remember another of George Washington's birthdays.

He was so vital to the success of the new American nation.   Our friends at Power Line call him the indispensable man and they are right.  

Washington led an army of colonists and then held together the new constitution by serving as the first president.  He could have been "president for life" or reelected to a 3rd term.  However, he respected the constitution and set the example by walking away from power.

Washington was indeed the indispensable man to the new nation.  Where would we be today without the example of George Washington?

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

 

We remember Senator Kennedy (1932-2009)

We remember that Senator Edward M. Kennedy was born on this day in 1932 and died in August 2009.

Politically speaking, I was always on the other side of Ted Kennedy. Nevertheless, we recognize his long work in the US Senate.

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1968: We won the Tet offensive on the ground but lost it on the front pages

During February 1968, thousands of North Vietname and Viet Cong troops crossed into South Vietnam.  It came to be known as "The Tet Offensive".  

Overall, US soldiers successfully beat back troops in the Vietnam War.

By any measurement, the offensive was a crushing military defeat for the communist invaders.   

Unfortunately, the media reported a smashing communist victory and lied about what happened on the ground.

Shame on the news media.

Indeed, we were caught by surprise but US troops fought back and stopped the offensive.

Sadly, President Johnson was so weak that he could not go over the news media and talk to the American voters.  He allowed the news media to tell us that Tet was a defeat when it really wasn’t.

In my opinion, the best book about Vietnam was written by President Nixon after he left office.

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Happy George Washington Day

We remember today George Washington's birthday.  

He was born on this day in Virginia in 1732.  His father was a colonial plantation owner,

No one is indispensable but George Washington is the closest thing to it.   The US was so lucky to have a man like Washington at every important turn in the early days of the nation.

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1968: The Tet Offensive and the Vietnam War

Back in January 1968, the presidential candidates lined up for the primaries and upcoming election.  Everyone was talking about the Vietnam War and then we heard about something called The Tet Offensive.    

Within days, The Viet Cong attacked South Vietnamese forces and US military installations.     In fact, the effort was a huge Viet Cong defeat.  The US forces fought back and defeated the incoming forces.  

On the ground, US troops won but the media coverage was totally negative and useless.   On the political front, the biggest loser was President Johnson who chose not to run for reelection in 1968.

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

Happy # 82 to Smokey Robinson

Smokey Robinson was born in Detroit back in 1940.

He recorded several hits with The Miracles and later as a solo artist.

He wrote The Temptations' "My girl" and The Beatles recorded "You really got a hold on me"!

Robinson was a vital force in "The Motown Sound" that dominated the pop charts for such a long time.

What's my favorite Smokey tune? It's gotta be "More love".

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

1953: Ted Williams' emergency landing in Korea

It was a very scary day for pilot Ted Williams on this day in 1953:

Flying with the 33rd Marine Air Group, Ted Williams was one of the 200 flyers in a huge air mission aimed at Kyomipo, fifteen miles south of the North Korea capital of Pyongyang. Coming in low over his target, a troop encampment, Ted lost site of the plane in front of him. He dropped down to regain visual contact, but went too low. North Korean soldiers in the encampment blasted him with small arms fire. He completed his run over the target and tried to pull up. Every warning light in the cockpit was lit and the plane was vibrating. The stick started to shake and he knew he’d sprung a leak in the hydraulic system. The landing gear came down and the plane was hard to control. Ted got the gear up and started climbing. He knew he was in trouble and got on the radio, but the radio went dead. Another pilot pulled close and tried to signal Ted to bail out, but he didn’t know his plane was on fire. He increased altitude and turned the jet toward the nearest American base. Nearly all his instruments were out. The airspeed indicator read zero. The wing flaps were frozen and Ted was unable to lower the landing gear. Every message given by the plane told him to eject. He continued to climb, still not knowing the plane was on fire, but took the precaution of climbing to higher elevation anyway. A companion aircraft, piloted by Lieutenant Larry Hawkins, led Ted back to the field and radioed ahead that he was in trouble. Ted again considered bailing out but resisted the idea. He was afraid if he

ejected his kneecaps would crash against the cockpit. With the field in site, Ted turned to land when an explosion rocked the craft. A wheel door had blown off. Smoke was pouring from the brake ports. Down below, the residents of a small Korean village on the outskirts of the field scattered. His plane was a mass of fire and smoke. Unable to check his air speed and almost powerless to do anything about it, Ted approached the ground at 225 miles per hour, almost twice the recommended speed. He dropped the emergency wheel latch and only one wheel dropped into position. He hit the strip level, but with no way to slow the plane. Soon the plane settled on its belly, sparks, fire, and smoke trailing after it, as Ted held on, hoping it would stop. The F-9 screamed down the field out of control for more than a mile, shedding strips of metal and on the verge on exploding. Twice the plane nearly barreled into fire trucks waiting for the inevitable blowup. Finally, at the very edge of the field, the plane groaned to a stop. Ted popped the canopy. With the exception of the cockpit, the entire plane was aflame. He dove headfirst to the tarmac, where he was grabbed by two Marine flight crewmen and hustled away. Angry, both at himself and the close call, Ted took off his helmet and threw it on the ground. When he returned to look at the plane, it was a blackened hulk, completely destroyed. He avoided death by the narrowest margin.

Ted Williams lost several seasons to military service.   He was in World War II and then later in the Korean War.    He probably lost 1,000 hits, 150 HR and 500 RBI.    He ended his career with 2,654 hits, 521 HR & 1,839 

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

1953 and "I Love Lucy"

 

Feb 18, 1953:    Just read that CBS signed Lucy & Desi for a 2-year $ 8 million contract...what a show! The Cuban and the funny lady........

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Feb 17, 1904: "Madame Butterfly" made its debut in Milan

Feb 17, 1904: "Madame Butterfly" made its debut in Milan.........and now we get to enjoy it in Dallas.........

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

1786: Future President James Monroe married Elizabeth Kortright

On this day in 1786, future President James Monroe married Elizabeth Kortright.     

Monroe was 26, a famous revolutionary and practicing lawyer.   She was 17 and quite a beautiful young woman.

The new couple settled in Virginia and had two daughters plus a son.  

In 1794, President Washington named Monroe ambassador to France.   Soon later, the family moved to Paris and Elizabeth came to be known as "la belle americaine".

Monroe was the 5th President of the United States (1817–1825).    We remember him for The Monroe Doctrine and for being the last president of The Founding Fathers generation.

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1898: Remember the Maine

On this day in 1898, the USS Maine exploded in Havana harbor. Not much later, President McKinley called on the US Congress to declare war on Spain.

McKinley tried to keep a distance from the terrible situation in Cuba, i.e. a long and bloody war of independence. However, everything changed after that explosion. It certainly caught the interest of newspapers and their readers. 

And so started the 4-month Spanish American War that changed Cuba forever. It also made a national hero out of Theodore Roosevelt. After the quick victory over Spain, President McKinley selected Mr. Roosevelt as his running mate in 1900. A year into his second term, TR assumed the presidency when McKinley was assassinated.

And Cuba? The island became an independent country in 1902 and you know the rest of the story.

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

"Cinderella" made its debut in 1950

1950 was the year of "Cinderella".    It became a Disney classic.   

The movie was re-released in 1957, 1965, 1973, 1981 and 1987.  It made new fans with the new generations.    

As a father of 3 sons, let me say that "Cinderella" was never tops in our household.    Nevertheless, it is a classic!

P.S. You can get your copy here!

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Happy Valentines Day

We hope that you and your special one have a very romantic day!  

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A World War II note about Joseph P Kennedy and FDR

Back in World War II, there were many critical of President Roosevelt.  

It was not just Republicans who felt that the fault laid with FDR. 

Read this Bad Choice for an Antiwar Voice By Charles Krauthammer:

"Harry, what the hell are you doing campaigning for that crippled son-of-a-bitch that killed my son Joe?' [Joseph P.] Kennedy said, referring to his oldest son, who had died in the war. Kennedy went on, saying Roosevelt had caused the war. Truman, by his later account, stood all he could, then told Kennedy to keep quiet or he would throw him out the window." -- "Truman" by David McCullough, Page 328

The angry man was Joseph P. Kennedy, whose son Joe had been killed in Germany.  He was speaking to Harry, or Harry Truman who succeeded FDR.

Here is the book.

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We remember General Omar Bradley (1893-1981)

We remembered the great World War II military leaders with Barry Jacobsen...One of those men was General Omar Bradley,..born in Clark, Missouri, on this day in 1893 and died in 1981.......click to listen....... https://t.co/aQrzBqblZF

— Silvio Canto, Jr. (@SCantojr) December 4, 2016

Remembering Ray Manzarek (1939-2013)

We remember Ray Manzarek who was born on this day in 1939 and died in 2013.

The Doors were so closely identified with Jim Morrison that it was tough to continue playing after his death in 1971.   Nevertheless, The Doors were very talented specially keyboards player Ray Manzarek.

They recorded their first LP  “The Doors” in one  week.   “Light My Fire", one of the tracks, hit # 1 that summer.   They followed that LP with several more best sellers.

From 1967 to 1971, the Doors had a prolific and stormy career. 

He was good, very good.  He was the man who "opened The Doors."  

 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.

The great Vince Lombardi

In 1964, our family arrived in Wisconsin from Cuba.   We did not know a thing about the NFL or what they call American football.    

It did not take long for my brother and I to fall in love with the Green Bay Packers, or the team coached by the late Vince Lombardi.    

I remember watching a weekly TV show and listening to Coach Lombardi discuss the last game and look ahead to the next team.   It caught my attention and I never missed a show.

Lombardi won 3 NFL titles and the first two Super Bowls.   He was an amazing man.   

In this book, David Maraniss wrote about Lombardi's character, a big part of his success as a coach and man.    It's a great book.

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I have watched every Super Bowl, ever

(My new American Thinker post)

Am I showing my age?  I remember every Super Bowl, from the Packers to whoever won the last one. 

Of course, it was not called the Super Bowl back then.  It was the NFL-AFL Championship game when Green Bay beat K.C. and then Oakland the next year.  I am not sure what they called it when the Jets beat the Colts in #3 or when K.C. beat Minnesota in #4.

Nevertheless, the game has been a part of my life, and I have some favorite Super Bowl memories.

Without question, the best game for me was #13, or Pittsburgh-Dallas in '79.  Around here, this is remembered as the day that Jackie Smith dropped a Staubach TD pass and kept the Cowboys from winning back-to-back titles.  Well, we don't know if that's true, but it sure felt that way back then.  I had a chance to see an ESPN Classic of this game, and it was great.  The Steelers and Cowboys were the two best teams of their era, and it showed on the field.

The Green Bay wins in I and II were fun because I was rooting for the Packers.  But they were not good games.  In fact, I remember that many purists were calling off the whole AFL vs. NFL because it was a gimmick or mismatch between a senior and junior league.  There were lots of empty seats, and school bands performed in the halftime show in those two.

The history of the Super Bowl really started with the Jets beating the Colts in January 1969.  I recall a sportscaster in Milwaukee predicting a 36-0 Colts victory.  He said that it was no contest.  Don't hold it against him, because most experts saw the Colts killing the Jets.

Like most people, I was stunned to see the Jets beat Baltimore.  Actually, I was hoping for an upset because most teens back then were impressed that Joe Namath was so popular with the girls.  Namath was cool.  "Broadway Joe" was a rock star playing QB in the NFL.

The Jets were perfect that day.  The Colts looked like a team that didn't take their opponent seriously.  Later that year, the baseball N.Y. Mets beat the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series.  Nineteen sixty-nine was a year for upstart N.Y. teams to beat favored veteran Baltimore teams!  Neil Armstrong walked on the moon in '69, so maybe it was a year for unexpected things.

The Dolphins vs. Redskins or #7 was curious because Miami finished a perfect season.  A funny thing happened in that game, as we see in this report from George Solomon:

Miami had a commanding 14-0 lead with 2:10 left when Garo Yepremian attempted a cake-frosting field goal from the Redskin 42. But Bill Brundige blocked the kick. The slight Yepremian picked it up and tried to pass. Brundige tipped it and Mike Bass plucked the ball out of the air and dashed 49 yards for the Redskins' only touchdown.

When Curt Knight added the extra point to slice Miami's lead to 14-7, there was still 2:07 left to play. A miracle was still possible, particularly after the Redskins forced a Miami punt and got the ball back with 1:14 left on their own 30.

But Bill Kilmer, enduring one of his most frustrating days as a Redskin, could generate nothing on his final four plays of the game.

Twice he threw incompletions; a swing pass to Larry Brown lost four yards; then on the last play of the season, Vern Den Herder and Bill Stanfill overwhelmed Kilmer, crushing him to the turf for a nine-yard loss.

It was perhaps fitting that the game should end with two Miami linemen sitting on top of the Washington quarterback. The Dolphins had similarly flattened the Redskins much of the game.

In other words, the Dolphins were two minutes away, and the field goal would have meant winning the game 17-0.  Amazing finish to their 17-0 season.  But the Gods of football had a different plan and made it interesting for the Redskins fans at the end.

Most of the games in the 1980s were pretty bad, or so I think.  The next decent game was in 1991, when the Giants beat the Bills in the last minute.  We were fighting in Iraq, and I recall the air of patriotism.  The Denver–Green Bay or #32 was interesting because the Broncos ended a long NFC streak.  The NFC won the Super Bowl from 1985 to 1998, something that is still hard to believe.  Of course, the NFC sent San Francisco, Chicago, Washington, and Dallas to the Super Bowl.

In recent years, the game turned into The Tom Brady or the Manning Brothers Show.

The Super Bowl has not always lived up to its promotion, but it's not really about the game anymore.  It's about the food and tolerating the halftime show or commercials.  Let's hope today's game is good football and that the "virtue" ads stay away.

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

1945: The Yalta Conference between Stalin, Churchill and FDR

We remember the Yalta Conference of 1945 between PM Churchill of the UK, President FD Roosevelt of the US and Premier Stalin of the USSR.    

Unfortunately, PM Churchill turned out to be right about "The Iron Curtain" and Eastern Europe.    In less than a year, the Red Army marched into Romania, Poland and other countries.   It took almost 50 years to drive them out!

We discussed Yalta 1945 on Thursday's radio show.

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We remember Luis Donaldo Colosio (1948-1994)

We remember Luis Donaldo Colosio who was born on this day in Mexico in 1948.    

In 1994, Sr. Colosio, the PRI candidate for president. was assassinated in North Mexico.     As the PRI candidate, he was the favorite to win the election.     He was replaced by Ernesto Zedillo who turned out to be a very centrist president.

As expected, there are still many questions about the assassination and whether or not the gunman acted alone.

It's hard to believe that it happened so many years ago.

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"The woman in green"...Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson

A classic 1945 film.   Holmes is brought in to investigate the murder of young women in London.....each with a finger severed off............Scotland Yard suspects a madman, but Holmes believes the killings to be part of a diabolical plot........and he thought that Moriarity was hung in Montevideo.........great stuff!

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