1582: Happy anniversary to William Shakespeare & Anne Hathaway

We don't know much about Shakespeare's early life but we can tell you  this:

On this day in 1582, William Shakespeare, 18, and Anne Hathaway, 26, pay a 40-pound bond for their marriage license in Stratford-upon-Avon. Six months later, Anne gives birth to their daughter, Susanna, and two years later, to twins.

So happy anniversary to the man who gave us "Romeo and Juliet".

 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.

 

---

1942: "Casablanca" premiered in New York

On this day in 1942, the movie "Casablanca" premiered in New York City.   

It went on to become one of the greatest films ever.   The Bogart-Bergman combination was phenomenal.   They just had great screen chemistry.  Wonder if they made any other movies?  

 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.

We remember Alexander Dubček (1921-1992)

We remember Alexander Dubček who was born in Uhrovec, nestled in the Strážovské Mountains of western Slovakia, on this day in 1921.  He died in 1992.

We learned about Mr. Dubcek back in 1968 and "The Prague Spring".  He was the face of that movement or a challenge to the old USSR and its control over Eastern Europe.

The USSR and The Warsaw Pact are now history.  It all collapsed at the end of 1991. In other words, most young people younger than 35 have no emotional involvement with what we grew up with.  They’ve probably never heard of the Berlin Wall or the 1956 Hungarian revolution or the atrocities of communism. Prague is now the capital of the Czech Republic and Slovakia is another country.  It all seems like a past so long ago.

Some of us are old enough to remember this week when 200,000 Warsaw Pact troops and 5,000 tanks invaded Czechoslovakia to crush the “Prague Spring.”

It was a dark day for freedom.  Like the Hungarians in 1956, the people of Czechoslovakia were given a taste of Soviet “tolerance.”  The “Prague Spring” was all about freedom and reforms but the Kremlin did not accept it and sent the tanks in.

A sad day for those of us who were watching from the West, especially when Fidel Castro defended the USSR. by saying among many things that the country was “…..heading toward a counter-revolutionary situation, toward capitalism and into the arms of imperialism.”

We remember today all the people who stood up to Soviet tanks in Prague. And we remember more victims of communism.

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.

A word about Huber Matos (1918-2014)

We remember Huber Matos who was born on this day in 1918.  He died in 2014.   

Back in 1990, I spoke with Matos by phone.  It was a very interesting conversation.  I concluded that he was first and foremost committed to a free Cuba.    

As you remember from all of those news images, Matos marched into Havana with Castro in January 1959. 

Later, he was arrested for criticizing the regime and spent over 20 years in a political prison. 

After his release, Matos spent the rest of his life working with other anti-Castro Cubans.

He will always be remembered as the man who spoke out against Castro in 1959.  Also, he was perhaps one of the last men to speak to Camilo Cienfuegos before his small plane disappeared.

 

P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column.

Sorry, lefties, but Pinochet looks better every day

We remember that Augusto Pinochet was born on this day in 1914. He died in 2006. Back in 1988, General Augusto Pinochet had run Chile for 15 years.  He overthrew President Salvador Allende in 1973 and took over a country in total chaos.  His free market policies turned Chile around and created an economy that was the envy of the developing world.  Unfortunately, he never had the legitimacy of an election.  So he did something strange.  He asked the people if he should continue, and they had a "plebiscite."  Pinochet lost and left power.  This is the story:

Gen. Augusto Pinochet's bid for eight more years in power ended in defeat today, as a united opposition beat him soundly in a presidential plebiscite of Pinochet's own design.

After a long night in which the opposition continued to announce returns showing a 60-percent vote against Pinochet and the government gave out practically no totals at all, a government spokesman announced early this morning that with three-fourths of the vote officially counted, Pinochet was losing with 53 percent of voters rejecting him. There would be no further vote totals until midday, he said.

Later, Interior Minister Sergio Fernandez, who had run Pinochet's campaign, announced that the regime would recognize the results of the vote, which he characterized as still provisional. Because of the democratic process that had transpired, "the great winner is the country," Fernandez said. Pinochet himself made no statement.

Chile said no, and Pinochet accepted the verdict.  Let me add that it was time for Pinochet to go as much as I admired his economic accomplishments.  As a Chilean told me back in 1988, Pinochet did a good job, but it was time to get our democracy back.

Down in Cuba, the situation is ripe for such a plebiscite.  Cubans have never voted in a free and multi-party election.  Yes, they vote in Cuba, but it's a sham, because the Communist Party is the only on the ballot.

President Biden should call for such a plebiscite with international observers.  It should also say the U.S. will recognize the winner as the legitimate government and end the embargo immediately.

Will the Castro regime accept the challenge?  No, but let's keep the pressure on.

P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.

Still talking about Pinochet after all these years

We remember that Augusto Pinochet was born on this day in 1914. He died in 2006. 

Back in 1988, General Augusto Pinochet had run Chile for 15 years.  He overthrew President Salvador Allende in 1973 and took over a country in total chaos.  His free market policies turned Chile around and created an economy that was the envy of the developing world.  Unfortunately, he never had the legitimacy of an election.  So he did something strange.  He asked the people if he should continue, and they had a “plebiscite.”  Pinochet lost and left power.  

This is the story:

Gen. Augusto Pinochet’s bid for eight more years in power ended in defeat today, as a united opposition beat him soundly in a presidential plebiscite of Pinochet’s own design.

After a long night in which the opposition continued to announce returns showing a 60-percent vote against Pinochet and the government gave out practically no totals at all, a government spokesman announced early this morning that with three-fourths of the vote officially counted, Pinochet was losing with 53 percent of voters rejecting him. There would be no further vote totals until midday, he said.

Later, Interior Minister Sergio Fernandez, who had run Pinochet’s campaign, announced that the regime would recognize the results of the vote, which he characterized as still provisional. Because of the democratic process that had transpired, “the great winner is the country,” Fernandez said. Pinochet himself made no statement.

Chileans said no, and Pinochet accepted the verdict.  Let me add that it was time for Pinochet to go as much as I admired his economic accomplishments.  As a Chilean told me back in 1988, Pinochet did a good job, but it was time to get our democracy back.

Down in Cuba, the situation is ripe for such a plebiscite.  Cubans have never voted in a free and multi-party election.  Yes, they vote in Cuba, but it’s a sham, because the Communist Party is the only on the ballot.

President Biden should call for such a plebiscite with international observers.  It should also say the U.S. will recognize the winner as the legitimate government and end the embargo immediately.

Will the Castro regime accept the challenge?  No, but let’s keep the pressure on.

P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.

We remember Augusto Pinochet (1915-2006)

Augusto Pinochet was born on this day in 1914.   He died in 2006.

There are no shades of gray with this man.  People love or hate him.

Many of us remember Pinochet as the man who saved Chile from misguided socialism and created the most successful economy in Latin America.

Like any dictator, he was also responsible for attacks on his political enemies.

To be fair, Pinochet's opposition had a huge advantage over dissidents in Cuba like Armando Valladares or the torture chambers of North Korea.

Pinochet was bad but he allowed the foreign press to cover domestic events.

Let me ask you this:  How many times did the international press visit a Cuban or North Korean political prison?

Did the Kremlin allow Western reporters in The Gulag Archipelago?

Some of us are old enough to remember what Allende did to Chile or the country that Pinochet inherited.

By the summer of 1973, Chile was a disaster.  It was pure economic chaos.  To be sure, Allende had gone too far and most Chileans were scared. 

In other words, Allende was not the romantic figure that the anti-US left created.  He was an incompetent leader who started a leftist revolution in a country that did not vote for one.

On September 11, 1973, Pinochet overthrew Allende.

Pinochet quickly moved to fix the Chilean economy.    In fact, he presided over an economic miracle.   Pinochet inherited triple digit inflation and left an economy that is the envy of the continent.    .

Later, he brought in Milton Friedman's "The Chicago Boys".

They cut spending, privatized public enterprises, provided generous incentives for foreign investors, deregulated the banks, lowered trade barriers and promoted exports.

It worked. Chile has been the best economy in Latin America for many!   No one disputes that!

Pinochet also made mistakes. However, he accepted a referendum and walked away from power in '88.

How many dictators have held a referendum and respected the results?   

For many years, Chile has had elections and no one has reversed Pinochet's economic plan.

The left hated Pinochet. The left criticized Pinochet for human rights abuses and kept its mouth shut on Fidel Castro's excesses. As always, the international left showed its selective indignation on human rights abuses.

Like any strong leader, Pinochet leaves a mixed record. However, I would rate him as a positive for Chile.

He gets low marks for "human rights" and very high marks for economic policies.

My overall grade is very good!

Latin America has had a lot of bad leaders. Pinochet was not one of them!

In fact, I would argue that Pinochet ranks rather high compared to his contemporaries:   the aforementioned Fidel & Raul Castro, Mexico's disastrous Echeverria and the corrupt Lopez-Portillo, Venezuela's irresponsible Carlos Andres Perez and the Hugo Chavez disaster still ongoing, and some of the juntas that governed other South American countries.

In sum, Chile could have done a lot worse than Pinochet!

By the way, Secretary Kissinger wrote about Pinochet and Chile 1973 in this book.

 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.

Thanksgiving is about family

Our first Thanksgiving in the US was 1964.  It was a pleasant experience but my dad had to work at the hotel.  He had a night job and we needed the money.

Over the years, my mother "Cubanized" the meal with "yuca" and black beans.  Our turkey always had a Cuban flavor and everybody loved it.

Most of all, we are happy to get together and say thanks for living in the US.

 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.

1963: Memories of the day that President Kennedy was killed

President Kennedy was killed in Dallas on this day in 1963.

Yes, I remember that day.  We were in Cuba waiting for "el telegrama" or the telegram with the official authorization to leave the country.   

Between The Missile Crisis of 1962 and The Freedom Flights in 1965, Cubans had to get special permission to leave the country.  We could take a plane to Mexico City, Madrid or risk getting on a boat and hit the dangerous waters of The Florida Straits.

In the early afternoon, my brother and I were laying down on the living room floor.  The phone rang and my mom answered.  She said "Mataron a Kennedy" or "They Killed Kennedy".  My mom put the phone down and there was a long silence.    My father came home a bit latter.

Later that day, I watched Castro on TV talking about the assassination.  I did not really understand the ramifications of the day's events but my dad watched TV and seemed worried.

We sat around and listened to "The Voice of America" shortwave in Spanish.   My memory is scant but I do recall hearing my parents say that President Kennedy's body had landed in Washington with a new President Johnson on board.

Last, but not least, I listened to my father and a couple of neighbors say that Castro would be blamed and Cuba invaded.  Apparently, Castro thought the same thing, according to files released much later.

It just does not seem possible that it happened so many years ago.   My father is now gone and mother remembers the moment.

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.

P.S.  We recorded this in 2014:

We remember Garrick Utley (1939-2014)

We remember Garrick Utley.  He was one of those TV newsmen that many of us grew up watching:

"Clifton Garrick Utley was born Nov. 19, 1939, in Chicago. His parents, Clifton Utley and Frayn Utley, were pioneering broadcast journalists in Chicago, and he began accompanying them to studios at an early age.He graduated in 1961 from Carleton College in Northfield, Minn., then served in the Army before joining NBC as John Chancellor’s assistant in the Brussels bureau. (Chancellor later became anchor of the “Nightly News.”)By 1964, the 24-year-old Mr. Utley was reporting from war zones in Vietnam, earning $62.50 a week, he later recalled.After covering major international events, Mr. Utley served as a weekend anchor of “Nightly News” in the 1970s, reported on U.S. presidential elections and prepared a series of in-depth programs on civil rights, foreign affairs and other topics.He won two of broadcast journalism’s most prestigious honors: the Overseas Press Club of America’s Edward R. Murrow Award for coverage of the Cold War and the Peabody Award for his contributions to a 1985 NBC special report, “Vietnam: Ten Years Later.”

My memories are of Vietnam but he also reported from Prague 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.

1965: Zoilo & Tony-O lead the AL MVP race

On this day in 1965, Zoilo Versalles was named the AL MVP.  He was followed by teammate Tony Oliva.  Zoilo & Tony were two of the key players in the Minnesota Twins who lost to the LA Dodgers in 7 games.   

P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.  If you like our posts, drop a dime here.

 

1966: Sandy Koufax retired

 

Sandy Koufax retired on this day in 1966.   His arm was spent at age 30.  

 

I saw him pitch a couple of times on TV, or more specifically when he broke my heart in game 7 of the 1965 World Series against my favorite Twins.

 

For my money, he was the greatest lefty of our generation.   Just ask the hitters who couldn't hit his wicked pitches!

 

From 1961 to 1966, his last season with the LA Dodgers, he won 129 games and led the league in strikeouts 4 times.  He was also the ERA champ 5 seasons in a row.

 

What about the post season?   He pitched the Dodgers to victories in the 1963 and 1965 Series.  

 

It's a shame that arm troubles cut his career short!

Check out the book by Jane Leavy.

 

 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.

---

We remember Tom Seaver (1944-2020)

We remember Tom Seaver, one of the best pitchers ever.  He was born in 1944 and died in 2020.

The numbers tell you the story:  311 wins, a 2.86 ERA & 3,640 Ks.    His best year was probably 1969 when the Mets won the World Series:  25-7, a 2.21 ERA and the Cy Young.   

By the way, did I tell you that he threw 231 complete games, twenty-seven 3-hitters, ten 2-hitters, five 1-hitters and a no hitter?  Wonder why they used to call him "Tom Terrific"?

 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.

1966: Frank Robinson AL MVP

There are great players and then there is Frank Robinson.  

On this day in 1966, Frank Robinson was the unanimous choice for AL MVP.   He had just led the Orioles to a World Series sweep of the LA Dodgers.    

The Orioles won the AL pennant four times in six years with Robinson in their lineup.   

P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).  If you like our posts, click send drop a dime here.

 

We remember Aaron Copeland (1900-1990)

We remember Aaron Copeland, who was born in Brooklyn, New York, on this day in 1900.  

He is known for works like Appalachian Spring and Fanfare for the Common Man, among many others.

Copeland died in 1990.     

P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).  If you like our posts, click send drop a dime here.

1864: Atlanta and the Civil War

Back in September 1864, Atlanta was evacuated.  On this day, the Union Troops began the destruction of Atlanta.     

It was the beginning of the end of the Civil War or the brutal battles that eventually broke the back of the Confederacy.   It did not really end until April 1865.

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.

---

Some Bob Feller and all of those idiots protesting an election

(My new American Thinker post)

On Friday morning, I heard on the radio about protests in various parts of the country.  Most of them were peaceful, but there were apparently some problems in Portland. 

Shortly after, I drove by a group of people who were celebrating Veterans’ Day.  I stopped the car, parked, and dropped in to see what was going on.  It was a senior center in the area dedicating a small statue for our veterans.  It was full of men, and many of their spouses, who had served in Korea, Vietnam, and even World War II. 

After the nice ceremony, I went over to a gentleman in a wheelchair who was wearing a Cleveland Indians baseball cap.  I saluted him for his service and got into a little baseball talk about the 2016 Indians and Bob Feller, his baseball idol.

Bob Feller was one of the best pitchers in baseball history.  He won 266, completed 279, and retired with a 3.25 ERA.  He was on that 1948 team that won the Series. 

However, there is another episode in his life that must be remembered, too.  This is from his Baseball Hall of Fame page:

“Rapid” Robert really began to hit his stride after his 19th birthday, rattling off a string of three straight twenty win seasons. It was during this time that Senators’ manager Bucky Harris conveyed the following strategy to his players when facing Feller “Go on up there and hit what you see. If you can’t see it, come on back.” 

The day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, December 9, 1941, Feller put aside his 3-C draft deferment status and enlisted in the US Navy. 

With this selfless act he became Major League Baseball’s first player to enlist in World War II, and in the process, gave up nearly four seasons of baseball in the prime of his career. 

But Feller had no regrets “I’m proud of that decision to enlist. It was important to serve your country. I didn’t worry about losing my baseball career. We needed to win the war. I wanted to do my part.”

At the conclusion of the war, Feller returned to the game and picked up right where he left off averaging more than 19 wins a season over the next six years.

Are you listening, Colin Kaepernick?

Feller was obviously not the only Major-Leaguer who gave up his prime years to serve in the military.  There were others, like Ted Williams and many more.

It is refreshing to say hello to a veteran on Veterans’ Day and remember a man who was willing to put everything on the line to defend his country.

Salute to all the veterans, and thumbs down to the people in the streets who can’t digest the fact that they lost an election.

P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

We remember Glenn Miller on Veterans Day

It's Veterans Day and a time to remember the great Glenn Miller.   His career was brief but extremely consequential:

1935 – Glenn began recording under his own name for Columbia.  His instrumental ‘Solo Hop’ reached the Top 10.
1937 – Glenn organized his own touring band and signed to Brunswick records.
1938 – The group was unsuccessful, and was disbanded.
1939 – The Orchestra played at the Glen Island Casino, NY, a major swing venue, and was heard on radio.
17 Top 10 hits including ‘Sunrise Serenade’; ‘Moonlight Serenade’; ‘Wishing (Will Make It So)’. Chart-toppers:  ‘Stairway to the Stars’, ‘Moon Love’, ‘Over the Rainbow’, ‘Blue Orchids’, ‘The Man   With the Mandolin’
His ‘Moonlight Serenade’ radio series for Chesterfield aired on CBS three times a week.
1940 – ‘Tuxedo Junction’ sold 115,000 copies the first week.  ‘Pennsylvania 6-5000′ was released.
31 Top 10 hits:  ‘Careless’, ‘When You Wish Upon a Star’, ‘Imagination’, ‘Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear to Tread)’, and ‘Blueberry Hill’; ‘The Woodpecker Son’.  ‘In the Mood’ and ‘Tuxedo Junction’ were inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
1941 – Another 11 Top 10 hits:  The band made the movie, Sun Valley Serenade, introducing ‘Chattanooga Choo Choo’, soon a million seller.#1 hits: ‘Song of the Volga Boatmen’, ‘You and I’, ‘Elmer’s Tune’.
1942 – 11 Top 10 hits and 3rd year as the top recording artist with ‘American Patrol’, ‘A String of Pearls’, ‘Moonlight Cocktail’, ‘Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else but Me)’ and (I’ve Got a Gal) In Kalamazoo’ which came from Miller’s second film, ‘Orchestra Wives.  The end of Miller’s dominance of popular music when he received an officer’s commission in the Army/Air Force.  Glenn organized a service band, performed at military camps, and hosted a weekly radio series.
1943 – Two more Top 10 hits including #1 ‘That Old Black Magic’.
1944 – Took his band to Great Britain, performed for the troops and did radio broadcasts. 

On December 15th, Glenn Miller boarded a transport plane to Paris, never to be seen again.

His music lives on in the many recordings still available.

 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.

Veterans Day and soldiers

World War I ended on this day in 1918.   Over time, we've remembered the veterans on this day.

Thanks to all of those who served in past wars and defend our freedoms today.   Let's give special mention to that "citizen soldier" or the man willing to fight for our freedoms.

 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.

We remember Ninón Sevilla (1921-2015)

She was born Emilia Perez-Castellanos in Havana on November 10, 1921...and died in Mexico City in 2015.......Ninon was one of the first "rumberas" of the movies, specially Mexican movies in the 1940's and 1950's......

Ninón Sevilla 'Arrímate cariñito': http://t.co/od9Y9oN3B5 via @YouTube
— Silvio Canto, Jr. (@SCantojr) January 2, 2015

 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.

---

November 1956: Remembering the people of Hungary

On this day in 1956, the Soviets crushed the Hungarian revolt.  It was a long time ago but the bravery of the Hungarian people is worth remembering.

Like many of you who escaped communism, I am a strong believer in reminding the younger generation that freedom is not cheap. In fact, many have paid the ultimate price to fight for it.

Many Hungarians paid the price this month in 1956!

Before Prague 1968 or Poland 1980, there was Hungary, one of the great chapters of human valor of the 20th century.

From mid-October 1956 until the Soviet tanks crushed the revolution, the people of Hungary stood tall against overwhelming odds and indifference from the West.

One of my heroes was the late Cardinal Mindszenty, who was imprisoned for 8 years and then given asylum at the US embassy. He died in Vienna in 1975 and never saw the collapse of the Soviet bloc.

We Cubans have a special place in our hearts for anyone who stood up to communism.

We salute the brave people of Hungary and how they fought for freedom many years ago.

 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.

---

Truman surprises in 1948

On election day 1948, everybody thought that Mr. Dewey, the GOP nominee, would be the next president of the US.  

However, the country woke up the next morning hearing that Mr Truman had been returned to office.

No one knows for sure but I think that Mr. Dewey got a little bit too confident.  On the other hand, Mr. Truman worked hard for every vote.  And Truman won.

 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.

---

1948: Truman beat Dewey

This is a good time to remember another anniversary of Truman vs Dewey, the biggest upset in presidential election history.   Or should I say, the biggest upset until Trump in 2016.  

On election day 1948, most experts picked Governor Thomas Dewey of New York over President Harry Truman.  It turned out to be different.   Let’s see if this sounds familiar:  

He traveled to America’s cities and towns, fighting to win over undecided voters by portraying himself as an outsider contending with a “do-nothing” Congress. 

It was a shock, an upset!  I’ve heard stories that people went to bed thinking that it was over and woke up to the shocker.

The Chicago Tribune was so certain that they went to print with the headline: “Dewey beats Truman.”  It produced one of the greatest photos of the 20th century.

What is the lesson of 1948?  I see a few:

First, wait until all of the votes are counted.  It sounds silly but it’s true;

Second, there is something about a man who works hard and goes from rally to rally asking people for their votes.  I admire that.  

Will it happen?  Yes.  I do believe that the American voters will deliver the biggest surprise in this year of surprises.

 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.