MERRY CHRISTMAS----FELIZ NAVIDAD

This is a children's version of The Story of Baby Jesus:

"A long time ago, in the town of Nazareth, lived a young woman named Mary.  Mary did her chores, was kind to others, and loved God very much.  She was engaged to be married to Joseph, who was a carpenter.

One day, while Mary was at home cleaning her room, an angel suddenly appeared.  Before Mary could say anything the angel told Mary that she was favored by God, and that God was with her.

Mary was surprised.  She was trying not to be afraid, but she had never seen an angel before.  After all, Mary was just a regular lady like you or I.  Why was this angel visiting her?  What did the angel want?

The angel quickly tried to reassure Mary. "Do not be afraid!" the angel said.  "God has found favor with you.  You will have a baby boy, and are to give him the name Jesus."

Mary was confused; she was not yet married to Joseph, so how could she have a baby?  The angel thought that this might concern Mary so he said, "The Holy Spirit will perform a miracle, and because of this your baby will be called the Son of God."

To Mary's surprise, the angel had more exciting news: "Even your cousin Elizabeth is going to have a son in her old age.  Many thought that she couldn't have children, but she is already pregnant. Nothing is impossible with God."

Mary couldn't believe what she was hearing; she didn't know what to say.  She realized that she was trembling, and knelt down.  When she was finally able to speak she said, "I am the Lord's servant, and I hope everything you have said will come true."

Then the angel disappeared, and Mary was left alone.

Soon after, Joseph found out that Mary was going to have a baby.  Joseph was confused and upset by this, but an angel came to him in a dream and said, "Joseph do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife.  The child Mary is going to have is God's son, and you are to give him the name Jesus."

When Joseph woke up he remembered what the angel had said.  He knew that everything was okay, and he wasn't upset anymore.

In those days, the government decided that they should count everyone that lived in that area of the world.  So Joseph had to take Mary to his town of Bethlehem to register.

It took Mary and Joseph a long time to get to Bethlehem.  They didn't have cars back then, so it probably took them a lot longer to get there.  This was very tiring for Mary because she was soon going to have a baby.

When they reached the town, all the hotels were full and there was nowhere that they could stay.  Finally, someone felt bad for them and offered them a place to stay.

The Bible doesn't say for sure where they stayed but most people think that they stayed in a small barn where animals were kept.  In any case, doesn't it seem strange that Jesus, the King of the Jews wasn't born in a fancy palace or even a hospital?

Mary and Joseph were thankful that they at least had a place to lie down.  It was warm, and there was plenty of straw to lay on.

That night an exciting, wonderful thing happened: Mary and Joseph had a baby!  But this wasn't just any baby, he was Baby Jesus!  The creator of the whole world, the King of Kings, and the one who would save the world.

The little baby boy fell asleep in Mary's arms. She wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger on some clean straw.

Mary and Joseph soon fell asleep; they were so glad to have this special baby join their family.

 Merry Christmas and Feliz Navidad to everyone! 

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MERRY CHRISTMAS: The Beach Boys and "Little Saint Nick"

MERRY CHRISTMAS

The Beach Boys - Little Saint Nick

THE BEACH BOYS

LITTLE SAINT NICK

"Oooooooo Merry Christmas santa 

Christmas comes this time each year

Oooooooo oooooooo

Well, way up North where the air gets cold

There's a tale about Christmas that you've all been told

And a real famous cat all dressed up in red

And he spends the whole year workin' out on his sled.

It's the little Saint Nick little Saint Nick

It's the little Saint Nick little Saint Nick

Just a little bobsled, we call it ol' Saint Nick

But she'll walk a tobogan with a four speed stick

She's ol' candy apple red with a ski for a wheel

And when Santa hits the gas, man, just watch her peel.

It's the little Saint Nick little Saint Nick

It's the little Saint Nick little Saint Nick

run run reindeer run run reindeer ahhhhhhhh

run run reindeer run run reindeer

we don't miss no one

He's hauling through the snow at a frightenin' speed,

With a half a dozen deer with a-Rudy to lead,

He's gotta wear his goggles 'cause the snow really flies

And he's cruisin' every pad with a little surprise.

It's the little Saint Nick little Saint Nick

It's the little Saint Nick little Saint Nick

ahh Ooooooo Merry Christmas santa

Christmas comes this time each year

ahh Ooooooo Merry Christmas santa

christmas comes this time each year!"

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1799: President Washington died in Mt Vernon

George Washington, our first president, died on this day in 1799.    Washington was living in Mt Vernon, his retirement home after leaving the White House in 1797.   

Without question, He was the most important and consequential American of that period. 

He will always be remembered as the indispensable American or the one who made the country possible.   

This is why we refer to him as first in peace, first in war and first in the hearts of his countrymen.

 

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1976: The Brooks Robinson "17 year Gold Glove Era" ended

Some of us had a chance to watch Brooks Robinson play third base for the Orioles.   

I watched him at the end of his career, 1972-76.    Before that, I remember Brooks Robinson on TV, from "The Game of the Week" to the All Star Game to 4 World Series appearances.

On this day in 1976, the Brooks Robinson Gold Glove era came to end.   It ended Robinson's streak, 1959-75.    

Aurelio Rodriguez won the 1976 AL Gold Glove.    Rodriguez was an outstanding defensive third baseman with Detroit.    He deserved the award.     

Brooks Robinson was synonymous with third base!   He was also a clutch hitter (2,848 hits and 1,357 RBI), the AL MVP in 1964 and World Series MVP in 1970. 

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1818: Illinois joined the Union as the 21st state

On this day in 1818, Illinois joined the union as # 21 on the way to 50.     It is today the home of the Cubs and Bears.

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The great Churchill fell in love with Cuban cigars in 1895

We remember Winston Churchill was born on this day in 1874.  He passed away in 1965 at age 90.  

Churchill loved Cuban cigars.  We know now that he met his first Cuban cigar during a visit to the island circa 1895.  My late father once told me that the Cuban embassy in London would often deliver Mr. Churchill a complimentary box of cigars.  Furthermore, those long cigars came to be known as “Churchill”.

According to H.P. Klepak, author of “Churchill Comes of Age, Cuba 1895“, the young Churchill spent 18 days in Cuba. 

He was there on loan from the British army to observe colonial Spain’s defense against independence fighters, as Klepak said in an interview: 

History previously recorded that Churchill saw combat in Cuba and discovered the siesta, which would later help him keep long hours as British prime minister during World War Two.

But Klepak, a former Canadian military officer, argues previous works overlooked how influential the Cuban venture was, including the months of maneuvering Churchill needed to land his assignment.   

With his Cuba experience he became a war correspondent, political analyst, strategist and liaison with a foreign army, all for the first time. His writings start to show legendary humor. He discovers rum and Cuban cigars’ breadth and quality.

Inspired by observations from local historian Lourdes Mendez, Klepak believes he became the first to scrutinize and cross-check the Cuban, British and Spanish archives, discovering for example that Churchill was fired upon by no less than Antonio Maceo and Maximo Gomez, two of Cuba’s greatest independence leaders.

“Very quickly when I looked at it from a historical perspective it was pretty obvious that this was an amazing story which for some reason had never been told,” Klepak said.

Neat story.  This is also a book that you may want to pick up when you need a break from Speaker Pelosi.  It is another chapter in the amazing life of one of the most important figures of the 20th century.

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November 1976: A song about a real Great Lakes tragedy!

It wasn't The Titanic but I remember this terrible shipwreck many years ago:

"The Edmund Fitzgerald was lost with her entire crew of 29 men on Lake Superior November 10, 1975..." (GLSM)

The tragedy shocked the nation.  It also reminded us of the size of Lake Superior, one of the Great Lakes of North America.

A few days ago, there was a memorial to remember the crew.

Gordon Lightfoot wrote and recorded this great song a year later.

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"The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down

Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee

The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead

When the skies of November turn gloomy.

With a load of iron ore - 26,000 tons more

Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty

That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed

When the gales of November came early

The ship was the pride of the American side

Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin

As the big freighters go it was bigger than most

With a crew and the Captain well seasoned.

Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms

When they left fully loaded for Cleveland

And later that night when the ships bell rang

Could it be the North Wind they'd been feeling.

The wind in the wires made a tattletale sound

And a wave broke over the railing

And every man knew, as the Captain did, too,

T'was the witch of November come stealing.

The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait

When the gales of November came slashing

When afternoon came it was freezing rain

In the face of a hurricane West Wind

When supper time came the old cook came on deck

Saying fellows it's too rough to feed ya

At 7PM a main hatchway caved in

He said fellas it's been good to know ya.

The Captain wired in he had water coming in

And the good ship and crew was in peril

And later that night when his lights went out of sight

Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Does anyone know where the love of God goes

When the waves turn the minutes to hours

The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay

If they'd put fifteen more miles behind her.

They might have split up or they might have capsized

They may have broke deep and took water

And all that remains is the faces and the names

Of the wives and the sons and the daughters.

Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings

In the ruins of her ice water mansion

Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams,

The islands and bays are for sportsmen.

And farther below Lake Ontario

Takes in what Lake Erie can send her

And the iron boats go as the mariners all know

With the gales of November remembered.

In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed

In the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral

The church bell chimed, 'til it rang 29 times

For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald.

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down

Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee

Superior, they say, never gives up her dead

When the gales of November come early.

© 1976 Moose Music, Inc."

Nixon 1968 and 7 of 10

A post from 2018:

We await for the voters to decide the 2018 midterm elections.   In the meantime, let’s remember the election of 1968, or the first GOP victory in a long line of presidential victories. 

I was a sophomore in high school and very interested in the election.  Our family had arrived in the U.S. in September 1964, and I don’t remember too much about that election.  I do recall that my father said that it was a landslide for President Lyndon B. Johnson.  I think that my father would have voted for Senator Barry Goldwater but we were not citizens at the time.

In 1968, our family was with Richard Nixon.  My father always spoke highly of  Nixon and explained that it’d be better for the U.S. to replace the Democrats.   My parents used to say that the Democrats were soft on national security.  It was an opinion largely shaped by the Bay of Pigs in 1961.

As you may recall, Richard Nixon lost the election of 1960 by 114,000 votes out of 76 million cast that day.   In 1962, he failed to become governor of California and gave his famous “last press conference”.   After that, Nixon “retired” from politics and spent the next five years helping GOP candidates and hoping for another shot.  In his memoirs, RN, he wrote that he felt better about his chances after seeing the good results of the 1966 midterms.    

In 1968, Nixon jumped in again and battled Governor Ronald Reagan of California and Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York. He easily won the nomination on the first ballot in Miami.    

It turned out to be a very strange campaign.  The Democrats self-destructed in Chicago.  The George Wallace factor divided the Democrats in the South.  Vietnam was the issue of the day, but “law and order” was in the conversation.  We remember that Reverend Martin Luther King and Senator Robert F. Kennedy were killed that year.

On election night, Nixon got 43.4% and VP Humphrey was right behind with 42.73% of the 74 million votes cast.  Governor Wallace got 13.5% and carried 5 Southern states. As I recall, it was not until the next morning that the election was called.

In the end, Nixon got the Electoral Votes and became the 37th president.  

The 1968 election started a very interesting trend.  The GOP won in 1972, 1980, 1984, 1988, 2000 and 2004.   It was 7 of the next 10, a remarkable streak.

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1976: "Disco Duck" on the radio

Back in 1976, the country was doing "Disco Duck:"

  1. Disco Duck, Part 1 -                                         

             Rick Dees & his Cast of Idiots (RSO

  2. If You Leave Me Now - Chicago (Columbia)                    

  3. A Fifth of Beethoven -                                       

             Walter Murphy & the Big Apple Band (Private Stock)  

  4. Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry (Epic)                  

  5. Lowdown - Boz Scaggs (Columbia)                             

  6. (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty -                     

                                  KC & the Sunshine Band (T.K.)  

  7. Still the One - Orleans (Asylum)                            

  8. She's Gone - Daryl Hall & John Oates (Atlantic)            

  9. I Only Want to Be With You - The Bay City Rollers (Arista) 

 10. The Best Disco In Town - The Ritchie Family (Marlin)  

"Disco duck" became one of the big novelty hits of all time.   It was perfect for the time, a nation in the middle of a stressful election looking for a little fun!

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We remember Paul Harvey (1918-2009)

We remember Paul Harvey who was born in Tulsa, OK, on this day in 1918.  He died in 2009.

For years, I listened to Paul Harvey every weekday at 7:30 here in Dallas.    Then there was "The rest of the story" in the afternoons or weekends.   It was some of the best radio ever recorded.   I loved it!

The amazing Mr. Harvey started many years ago.

At the peak of his career, he reached 24 million listeners on 1,200 radio stations plus many over his newspaper column.  Once in Mexico, I picked up his commentary on Armed Forces Radio on short wave radio.

Harvey was great and I miss our daily "radio dates" in the car.

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1951: President Truman and the first national televised speech

We are so accustomed to seeing a president on TV these days.   However, it was not until President Truman that we got a nationally televised speech:

On this day in 1951, President Harry S. Truman’s opening speech before a conference in San Francisco is broadcast across the nation, marking the first time a television program was broadcast from coast to coast. 
The speech focused on Truman’s acceptance of a treaty that officially ended America’s post-World War II occupation of Japan.

At the time, Truman was facing challenges in the Korea War as well as domestic issues.

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We remember Mark Fidrych (1954-2009)

Mark Steven Fidrych was born on this day in 1954.   He died in a farm accident in 2009.

In 1976,  Fidrych became the most popular player in baseball.    He had a great season and even started the All Star game:   19-9, 24 complete games and a 2.34 ERA.    

He went 10-6 for the next 4 seasons and battled one injury after another.    By 1981, he was out of the game!

In 1976, Mark made headlines with his pitching, antics on the mound, his genuine exuberance in playing the game, and his “just folks” persona that made a permanent impact on the American public and brought Fidrych his lasting fame, making him one of the most inspirational players in the history of the game.    

He was baseball’s “one hit wonder” but touched the thousands of fans who turned out to see him in Detroit and every other park in the AL.     

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1775: Happy birthday to the US Post Office

We say happy birthday to the US Post Office.    It was created on this day in 1775 when the Congress established it and named Benjamin Franklin the first Postmaster General.

Wonder what it cost to post a letter in 1775?

The Post Office changed the country in many ways, from commerce to personal correspondence to the distribution of political ideas.

Say hello to your postman today!

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We remember Ed Ames (1927-2023).....

For our generation, "Daniel Boone" was a must.   We loved the show and the characters, specially Ed Ames as "Mingo".   

We say Happy birthday to the wonderful Ed Ames....born in Massachusetts on this day in 1927.   Did you know that he could sing like this?   He died in 2023.

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1950: General Douglas MacArthur and Korea

On this day in 1950, we remember that General Douglas MacArthur, World War II hero, was appointed head of the United Nations Command in South Korea by President Harry S. Truman.  Eventually, General MacArthur was fired in April 1951.

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Ya

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A word about Ron Silver (1946-2009)

We remember that Ron Silver was born July 2, 1946.    He died March 15, 2009 after fighting cancer for a few years.

Like many of us, Ron Silver got a big wake up call on 9-11.

Silver understood that there were people in the world determined to blow up one of our cities and kill thousands of innocent people.  Let's not forget that they'd cut your head off if you disagree with them, too.

On top of that, he was a great actor.

A few years agp, my friend Rick Moran wrote about Silver.

In fact, Silver did not change. He was always a liberal on social issues.

Silver understood that the terrorists were opposed to everything that liberals believed in, from women's rights to any kind of tolerance.

Silver concluded that you couldn't do business with people who think that we should live under some kind of 12th century justice.

We take a minute this weekend to remember Ron Silver! It's a shame that there aren't more people like Ron Silver in Hollywood!

  

Last, but not least, make sure you watch "Fahrenhype 9-11", a response to Michael Moore.

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Happy July 4th and a few other thoughts

Happy July 4th and a few other thoughts 07/03 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics: 

Happy July 4th and a few thoughts about this great day....

.....and other stories........click to listen:

July 4, 1776: Happy birthday to the USA

'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.....'

We remember today these words made famous in 1776. 

It is the most incredible message of individual freedom and self-government ever written.  Our thanks to these men for their courage and vision.  

Check out "John Adams", the wonderful HBO series that everyone should watch.

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World War II: Appeasement and the 1930's

World War II, episode 2: 

Appeasement and the outbreak of war........click to listen.....

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June 7, 1976: The article that inspired "Saturday Night Fever"

“Saturday Night Fever” was one of the most popular movies ever.   It started out as a holiday “low budget film” but the theaters were sold out quickly.

The soundtrack sold over 30 million copies and gave The Bee Gees total command of the pop charts.   The LP was # 1 for months.  3 songs from the soundtrack were # 1, including “Night Fever” that sat at the top for 8 weeks.

What inspired the movie?  It started on this day in 1976 with a magazine article.

My guess is that few music or disco fans know about Nik Cohn.  Nevertheless, his article inspired the story that made Travolta and The Bee Gees into household names.   

Here is a link to the article.   Wonder if Mr. Cohn had any idea of what would happen next?

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We remember President James Monroe (1758-1831)

We remember President James Monroe who was born on this day in 1758.  My guess is that most people have heard about The Monroe Doctrine.   Yet, I would argue that very few people know about President Monroe who served 2 successful terms, 1817-25.

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April 25, 1976: Rick Monday saved the US flag

We remember Rick Monday, a pretty good outfielder who played for the A’s, Cubs, and Dodgers.

His best years were with the Cubs (1972-76), when he hit 106 home runs and was a very tough out.    Later he moved to the LA Dodgers and hit a 9th-inning HR to beat Montreal in the 1981 NLCS.

However, his greatest baseball moment had nothing to do with hits or home runs.

It happened on April 25, 1976.

You may remember that it was the Bicentennial year, and Watergate and Vietnam were behind us.  The economy was a bit sluggish, but people were looking forward to July 4 and all of the patriotic parades and celebrations.

On an April afternoon at Wrigley Field, Monday took his position in center field and was playing catch with José Cardenal, his Cuban teammate.

Rick saw a couple of guys trying to burn the U.S. flag; he ran and grabbed it before they could light the match. The two idiots were arrested, and Monday gave the flag to one of the security guards.

This is what he told The Washington Post in 2006 about the incident:

“I was angry when I saw them start to do something to the flag, and I’m glad that I happened to be geographically close enough to do something about it,” said Monday, now in his 13th season as a Dodgers broadcaster.

“What those people were doing, and their concept of what they were trying to do was wrong. That feeling was very strongly reinforced by six years in the United States Marine Corps Reserves. I still think it’s wrong to do that.”

It was wrong and we salute Rick Monday after all of these years later..

By the way, Rick was with the 1981 LA Dodgers that won the World Series.    He wrote about his time in LA in a very entertaining book:

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We remember Queen Elizabeth (1926-2022)

We remember Queen Elizabeth who was born on this day in 1926.  She died on September 8, 2022.

She became Queen when her father died in 1952 and is the only British monarch that most us have ever known.

In the interest of full disclosure, I don't like monarchs.    It makes little sense although the pageantry is interesting to watch.

During her reign, the UK has declined in many ways although I am not blaming her for that.   Let's blame the UK's political class for that collapse.  

Also, she had to endure her family's problems in public and fight daily newspapers always hungry for more juicy information.   It was not easy!

God bless the Queen and thank you for her service.

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