A word about April 25

The great Ella Fitzgerald was born on this day in 1917.   She is known to many as "The First Lady of Song", a well deserved title in my opinion.  She died in 1996.

On this day in 1980, President Carter addressed the nation to give us some very bad news.  As the president explained, the operation intended to rescue the US diplomats held in Iran since November 1979, was called off due to technical problems.  Regrettably,  8 US servicemen were killed when one of the departing helicopters collided with a AC-130 transport airplane on the ground.  It was a terrible morning to say the least.    Very bad morning.

Did you read "Robinson Crusoe" by Daniel Defoe published on this day in 1719?  We understand that it was based on the experiences of Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish sailor lost off the coast of South America in the early 1700's. 

Back in 1976,  Rick Monday of the Chicago Cubs took his position in center field at the legendary Wrigley Field.  He was playing catch with José Cardenal, his 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.  And Monday saved the US flag!     

We spoke with Leopoldo Lopez-Gil about Venezuela:  CLICK HERE TO LISTEN.

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.

April 1980: President Carter between Mariel and the failed Iran rescue mission

If you remember April 1980, then you recall two huge front page stories that rocked the Carter presidency.

First, it was Mariel and the arrival of 100,000 Cubans to the US. It was a boat-lift like no other and became very controversial, specially with then Governor Clinton of Arkansas who faced very hostile voters.

Second, it was Iran and the US diplomats held hostage when the US Embassy was attacked the previous November.

On this day in 1980, President Carter approved a mission to go into Iran and rescue the diplomats held hostage. Unfortunately, he had to address the nation hours later to tell us what went wrong.   

It was a terrible morning to say the least. The operation was called off due to technical problems but 8 US servicemen were killed when one of the departing helicopters collided with a AC-130 transport airplane on the ground.

It was horrible.

The hostages were eventually released a few minutes after President Reagan was sworn in on January 1981.

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.

1980: The Iran rescue mission failed

Back in November 1979, over 50 US diplomats became hostages in Iran. 

On this day in 1980, President Carter approved a mission to go into Iran and rescue the diplomats held hostage.

Unfortunately, he addressed the nation hours later to tell us what went wrong.   

It was a terrible morning to say the least.  

The operation was called off due to technical problems but 8 US servicemen were killed when one of the departing helicopters collided with a AC-130 transport airplane on the ground.

It was horrible.   The hostages were eventually released a few minutes after President Reagan was sworn in on January 1981.

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

A very difficult April 1980 for President Carter

If you remember late April 1980, then you recall two huge front page stories that rocked the Carter presidency.

First, it was Mariel and the arrival of 100,000 Cubans to the US. It was a boat-lift like no other and became very controversial, specially with then Governor Clinton of Arkansas who faced very hostile voters.

Second, it was Iran and the on-going story about US diplomats held hostage when the US Embassy was attacked the previous November.

On another front, President Carter approved a mission to go into Iran and rescue the hostages.

Unfortunately, he had to address the nation a few days later to tell us what went wrong.   It was a terrible morning and we heard that 8 US servicemen were killed when one of the departing helicopters collided with a AC-130 transport airplane on the ground.

It was horrible week of April and things only got worse that summer with one economic shock after another.

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.

Earth Day has become kind of a joke

 (My new American Thinker post)

Fifty-three years ago, The Beatles broke up, and they started Earth Day conveniently on Vladimir Lenin's birthday.  After all, what a better way to celebrate your hatred of capitalism than to schedule your big festival on commie #1's birthday?  Anyway, I am not sure how Lenin would feel about all of the predictions about the Earth that were posted since then.  Let's take a look:

Here are some of the hilarious, spectacularly wrong predictions made on the occasion of Earth Day 1970.

"We have about five more years at the outside to do something."

—Kenneth Watt, ecologist

"Civilization will end within 15 or 30 years unless immediate action is taken against problems facing mankind."

—George Wald, Harvard Biologist

"We are in an environmental crisis which threatens the survival of this nation, and of the world as a suitable place of human habitation."

—Barry Commoner, Washington University biologist

"Man must stop pollution and conserve his resources, not merely to enhance existence but to save the race from intolerable deterioration and possible extinction."

—New York Times editorial, the day after the first Earth Day

"Population will inevitably and completely outstrip whatever small increases in food supplies we make. The death rate will increase until at least 100-200 million people per year will be starving to death during the next ten years."

—Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University biologist

"By ... [1975,] some experts feel that food shortages will have escalated the present level of world hunger and starvation into famines of unbelievable proportions. Other experts, more optimistic, think the ultimate food-population collision will not occur until the decade of the 1980s."

—Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University biologist

"It is already too late to avoid mass starvation."

—Denis Hayes, chief organizer for Earth Day

Check out the long list, because there are more and more examples of how these predictions missed their targets.  Aren't you glad that you didn't pay these people to give you financial advice or introduce you to some girl?  You would have ended up broke and with some angry feminist complaining about everything.

Moral of the story: Be careful with the latest generation of alarmists telling you to drive an electric car and to stop having babies.

PS: Check out my blog for posts, podcasts, and videos.

We remember Mariel 1980 with Marcos Nelson Suarez

On April 20, 1980, the Castro regime announced that all Cubans wishing to leave were free to board boats at the port of Mariel. 

Shortly after, the first wave of 125,000 Cuban refugees reached Florida the next day. 

Mariel brought thousands to the US and most of them turned out to be very good additions to Florida.   Unfortunately, there were some criminal elements but they were a very small number. 

Years later, most of the “Marielitos” have contributed much to Miami and the US.  One of them is my friend Marcos Nelson Suarez who came to Dallas and started a very successful newspaper, "El Hispano". 

For me, Mariel was a turning point in rediscovering my Cuban roots.   It reconnected me with the Cuban cause, specially as I saw boats and people leaving the same island that I left as a kid in 1964.

This is our chat with Marcos Nelson Suarez.

 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.

1980: Mariel and how it impacted me

On April 20, 1980, the Castro regime announced that all Cubans wishing to leave were free to board boats at the port of Mariel.

Shortly after, the first wave of 125,000 Cuban refugees reached Florida the next day. 

Mariel brought thousands to the US and most of them turned out to be very good additions to Florida.   Unfortunately, there were some criminal elements but they were a very small number. 

Years later, most of the “Marielitos” have contributed much to Miami and the US.  One of them is my friend Marcos Nelson Suarez who came to Dallas and started a very successful newspaper, "El Hispano". 

For me, Mariel was a turning point in rediscovering my Cuban roots.   It reconnected me with the Cuban cause, specially as I saw boats and people leaving the same island that I left as a kid in 1964.

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).

"A Night to Remember", a good movie about The Titanic 1912

Titanic 1912: "A Night to Remember"...... https://t.co/UYdGzfixGm via @amazon

— Silvio Canto, Jr. (@SCantojr) April 14, 2018

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

April 14, 1865: Abraham Lincoln shot in the evening

On April 14, 1865, AP correspondent Lawrence A. Gobright filed a report that Pres Lincoln had been shot. 

Later, he reported that Pres Lincoln had died early in the morning of April 15th!

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.