September 2008: The McCain speech

A post from September 2008

Unlike Senator Obama or Governor Palin, Senator McCain did not need a big speech to introduce himself.

We know McCain. He has been around for 25 years. McCain has been in the middle of every domestic and national security issue since the Reagan administration.

Last night, McCain called for a change in Washington.

McCain wants Washington to work and get things done. Like most of us, he is tired of Democrats and Republicans yelling at each other.

On national security, I think that we can easily deduct that our enemies know who McCain is.

I think that Iran knows that McCain will negotiate but won't be afraid to take out the nuclear plants if necessary. My guess is that France and Germany understand that McCain will call on them to put up or shut up in NATO. How much longer can the Afghanistan War be fought by US, UK and Canadian guys?

Overall, the speech was a typical McCain speech.

Great orator? No!

Potentially a great president? Absolutely yes!

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2008: The lady hit a home run!

The 2008 election has been one surprise after another. Who would have believed a week ago that Gov. Sarah Pallin would be the new star in town?

Someone wrote some great lines and she delivered them beautifully:

"I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities.

I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening.
We tend to prefer candidates who don't talk about us one way in Scranton and another way in San Francisco."

She nailed Obama! Try this one:

"But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform - not even in the state senate.

This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting, and never use the word "victory" except when he's talking about his own campaign."

Great job! This lady is one heck of a candidate!

P.S. What was Obama's response? His staff said that Palin was talking like Bush! I get the feeling that the Obama people are still running against Bush. They should get ready to run against McCain-Palin!

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

July 2008: Today, we added Huckabee 2008 to our favorite places

A post from July 2008:

As of today, Mike Huckabee is still considered a 2nd tier candidate. In other words, he is not hailed as a front runner.

Nevertheless, Mr. Huckabee is rising. In fact, I would argue that he is one of the best communicators on the Republican stage.

I do not believe that Mr. Huckabee will be nominated president. However, he has to be among the top 2-3 names for VP.

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

June 2008: Ken Griffey, Jr. hit # 600!

Back in June 2008, Ken Griffey joined Bonds, Aaron, Ruth, Mays and Sosa in the 600 HR club.    (A-Rod got there later)

Griffey stayed away from controversy but not injuries.   Wonder how many more home runs he would have hit?  He hit 408 home runs in first 11 seasons with Seattle but only 222 over the next 10 years with Cincinnati, Chicago and then back to the Mariners for a season.

I remember how popular he was in the late 1990's when every kid wanted to wear #24 or Griffey's number.

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Was Marichal the greatest Latino pitcher?

Who are the greatest Latino pitchers?   You can choose from Marichal, Cuellar, Tiant, Valenzuela, Martinez, etc.  It is a very impressive list.

My top five are:

1) Juan Marichal----243 wins and a 2.89 ERA. He started 451 games and completed 244 of them, pitching 52 shutouts. Marichal has one more complete game than wins. That's amazing! Marichal's career was played in the shadows of Sandy Koufax and Warren Spahn.

2) Mike Cuellar----In 15 seasons, Cuellar went 185-130 with a 3.14 ERA, 1,632 strikeouts, 172 complete games and 36 shutouts over 453 games......won 139 games in a 7 year span with Baltimore (1969-75) plus game 5 of the 1970 World Series pitching another complete game. Cuellar won't make the Hall of Fame but he is the most successful lefty from Latin America.

3) Camilo Pascual---the most underrated pitcher of his era. He was a 5 time All-Star starting in 1959 to 1962 and in 1964.......won 174 games yet pitching for bad teams for much of his career......a 3.75 ERA and 36 shutouts in 18 Major League seasons....led the league in strikeouts from 1961 to 1963 and was among the leaders in shutouts in 1959, 1961 and 1962.....struck out 2,167 batters in 2,930 innings.

4) Luis Tiant---He led the league with a 1.60 ERA in 1968 and a 1.91 ERA in 1972.....won 229 games with a 3.30 ERA over 19 seasons......won 20 games four times and led the American League in shutouts three times.

5) Pedro Martinez----A three-time Cy Young Award winner---1997, while with the Expos, and in 1999 and 2000 with the Red Sox.  Hall of Fame 2013.

Honorable mention goes to Fernando Valenzuela and Dennis Martinez.

Imagine a fantasy baseball team with a rotation of Marichal, Cuellar, Pascual, Tiant and Martinez.   I think that I'll do OK!

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World War II: The long and difficult year of 1942

Guest:   Barry Jacobsen, military historian and blogger..........we go from the German invasion of the USSR to the very difficult year of 1942.........the US is now in the picture......

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April 1973: "Saw a new morning" by The Bee Gees

APRIL 1973.....yes that was many years ago.....and I was listening to this song.....maybe I'm giving away my age........it was THE BEE GEES and "Saw a new morning".

It was released as a single and included in "LIFE IN A TIN CAN" album, a very underrated album from 1973.

The single "Saw a new morning" was a clue to "sounds to come".  I hear "Nights on Broadway", specially the way that Barry & Robin share the lead vocals.  I also hear "Edge of the universe" also from "MAIN COURSE" released in 1975.

Great song!

P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).  

April 17 and Mickey Mantle

We remember Mickey Mantle on April 17th: 

In 1951, he went 1-4 in his major league game; and

In 1953, he hit a 565-foot home run, the longest ever in the old Griffith Stadium in Washington DC.

Of course, he had a lot of other big days in his career:   .298 career average, 536 HR, 1,509 RBI, 2,415 hits in 2,401 games played.    

Mantle was the AL MVP in 1956, 1957 & 1962 and hit 18 HR in 12 World Series.

 

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

The Beatles: 3 of my favorites songs!

How do you pick your favorite Beatles' songs?  Let me try these three, although I have to confess that it was not easy.

These songs are not in any particular order.

My first choice is "Day Tripper". I love the guitar rift and the way that John and Paul sing this song.

My second selection is "Paperback Writer". This song was a single released between the "Rubber Soul" and "Revolver" LP's. 

It sounds like a better fit for "Revolver" because of the heavy electric guitar.   "Rubber Soul" was more melodic.

My third selection is "Hello Goodbye", a very catchy tune released between "Sgt. Pepper's" and "Magical Mystery Tour". 

In a future post, I will recall some of my favorite ballads.

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

We remember Hugh Masekela (1939-2018)

We remember Hugh Masekela who was born in South Africa on this day in 1939.

Years ago, I bought a 45 by Hugh Masakela called "Grazing in the grass".   It was a great arrangement.  

We learned in January 2018 that Hugh Maeakela passed away. 

Great sound and super talent.

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2008: We lost Cachao

Israel “Cachao” López died on this day in 2008. 

This is a little bit about Cachao: 

“Born in Havana in 1918, he came from a family of musicians and studied classical music. He began his public career at 8 years old, playing bongos in a children’s group.

A year later, he had stood on a crate to play bass for the Cuban pianist and singer, Bola de Nieve, accompanying silent films.

At 13, he became the bassist of the Havana Philharmonic, and he performed with the orchestra from 1930 to 1960.

But he also played Havana clubs with his brother Orestes, working with a noted Cuban dance orchestra, Arcaño y Sus Maravillas, and with their own groups.”

In recent years, Cachao recorded several albums and collected many awards. He was a master arranger of Cuban music.  

Rest in peace Cachao! 

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"Descarga:........Cachao....1918-2008........ https://t.co/6YqRBD9Ctv via @amazon

— Silvio Canto, Jr. (@SCantojr) March 22, 2019

Dick Clark's American Bandstand (1957-89)

On this day in 1989, Dick Clark announced his retirement from "American Bandstand".   It started in 1957 and went on for 33 seasons on ABC-TV.

Like some of you, I spent a few Saturdays in my life watching Dick Clark introduce one of the week's top songs and watching young couples dance.

He died in 2012 and "American Bandstand" is available for new generations to see what life was like back then.

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

1973: Roberto Clemente and Hall of Fame

On this day in baseball history, Roberto Clemente was elected to The Hall of Fame.   

It was a big move by MLB.  They waived the "5 year rule" following Clemente's death a few months before.  A few weeks later, # 21 was retired by Pittsburgh.

Clemente got # 3,000 on his last at-bat of the 1972 season.  He was one of the best hitters in baseball history:   .317 average, 3,000 hits in 2,433 games, 240 HR, 1,305 RBI, 4 NL batting titles, 1966 NL MVP and 12 straight NL Gold Glove Awards.

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

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Something "green" for St Patrick's Day!

We say hello to all of our Irish friends, here and over in Ireland.    Today, we all remember the life of St Patrick, who lived a long time between 387-461 AD.

It was originally a Catholic holiday but it has grown into a lot more than that.

I think that St Patrick's Day is that one day of the year when it's OK to wear "green".

I've got a green shade tie.  It looks good with a white shirt and dark pants.  Add a blue jacket and that's my St Patrick's Day attire.

I'm not bragging but at least I've got some "green"!

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

The Milwaukee Browns?

 . 

On March 3, 1953, Milwaukee almost became the home of the baseball Browns of the American League.

It did not happen because The Boston Braves, owners of the Milwaukee minor league franchise, blocked the move. 

Lou Perini, owner, invoked his territorial privilege.  Not much later, the Braves moved from Boston to Milwaukee.

The Browns became the Orioles in 1954.

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

Washington, the greatest American!

Dr. Peter A. Lillback, author and educator, wrote a book about George Washington, the greatest man in US history.

Mr. Lillback is concerned that our kids are not learning enough about Washington. He fears that political correctness is hurting Washington's place in history.

In my view, George Washington was the indispensable figure in the early days of US history. He led the rebels, served as the first president and left power gracefully after two terms. He did it all with the upmost integrity.

What more can we learn about this man?   A lot more:

We remember Wally Pipp (1893-1965)

Wally Pipp was born in Chicago on this day in 1893.   He broke with Detroit in 1913 and traded to Yankees in 1915.   

Pipp put up some great power numbers in the pre-home run era:     .281 batting average, 1,941 hits, 311 doubles, 149 triples, 90 HR & 1,004 RBI in 1,872 games.

And then Lou Gehrig came into the picture.   

On June 2, 1925, Pipp took a day off and was replaced by young Gehrig.  

We know the rest of the story:  Gehrig played every game until 1939!

During World War II, Pipp worked at a plant that manufactured B-24 bombers in Michigan.   Later, he worked for the Rockford Screw Products Corporation, selling screws and bolts to the major automotive companies in the Detroit/Grand Rapids area.

He died in 1965.

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

Remember the Maine one more time

It was one of the first lessons of Cuban history that we learned in school.

The Maine blew up in Havana’s harbor on February 15, 1898.

This is from the front page of The NY Times the next day:      

At 9:45 o’clock this evening a terrible explosion took place on board the United States battleship Maine in Havana Harbor.
Many persons were killed or wounded. All the boats of the Spanish cruiser Alfonso XII. are assisting.
As yet the cause of the explosion is not apparent. The wounded sailors of the Maine are unable to explain it. It is believed that the battleship is totally destroyed.
The explosion shook the whole city. The windows were broken in nearly all the houses.
The correspondent of the Associated Press says he has conversed with several of the wounded sailors and understands from them that the explosion took place while they were asleep, so that they can give no particulars as to the cause.

The Maine explosion led to the US-Spanish War and the eventual independence of Cuba in 1902.

In 1976, a US Navy investigation concluded that the Maine explosion was likely caused by a fire that ignited its ammunition stocks, not by a Spanish mine or act of sabotage.

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A little romance: History's most intriguing couples

A little romance: History's most intriguing couples....click to listen.........https://t.co/yKSQmKv0ll

— Silvio Canto, Jr. (@SCantojr) March 18, 2017

2015: Valentine's Day Show with Leslie and friends

2015: Valentine's Day Show with Leslie and friends.........https://t.co/PpzjmFIaYf

— Silvio Canto, Jr. (@SCantojr) February 14, 2017

 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.

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Valentine's Day 2020 with Leslie Eastman

Valentine's Day 2020 with Leslie Eastman 02/13 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics:

Guest: Leslie Eastman, contributor to Legal Insurrection....... We will be discussing Valentine's Day 2020 and other stories......click to listen:

NE 27, NY 20: Brady will win his 4th Super Bowl title today!

It will be a very good game and New England will win. 

I am not picking the Patriots because the Giants ended Dallas' season.  In other words, this is not vengeance but an "objective assessment" that NE is a better team than NY.

I am picking NE because Tom Brady is one of the best QBs ever and he will win his 4th title today.  Brady will join Bradshaw (Steelers) and Montana (49ers) as the only QBs who have won 4 Super Bowls.

Eli Manning is also a great QB and the Giants are playing great.  

Nevertheless, I am betting on Brady winning # 4 and writing another chapter in the Boston-NY rivalry.

Speaking of the Super Bowl, I am old enough to remember the first one, or Green Bay beating up Kansas City.  I think that a lot of NFL fans thought that the game was a "joke" because the Packers manhandled the Chiefs and then the Raiders the next year.  However, everything changed when the Jets beat the Colts and the AFL was on the map.  

The leagues finally merged in 1970 and we've called it the Super Bowl since.  Wonder how many fans realize that it was not that big of a game when it started in 1967?

My favorite Super Bowl was # 13, or when Pittsburgh beat Dallas.  I did not like the score but it was a great game.

My biggest shock was Super Bowl III or the Jets beating the Colts.  I watched that game with my dad and brother and we could not believe what we were watching:

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1975: The Carpenters and "Please Mr. Postman" was # 1 this week

"Please Mr. Postman" has actually been around for some time.    It was a # 1 song for The Marvelettes, then by The Beatles and finally this version by The Carpenters.

It is now available in a digital format.      It was originally released in the "Horizon" album, also available in a digital format.

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

Please Mr. Postman (Single Version) --Carpenters https://t.co/ppwBinGsPu via @YouTube

— Silvio Canto, Jr. (@SCantojr) January 30, 2017

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1970: Diana Ross & Supremes performed their last concert on this day

The Supremes were Diana Ross, Mary Smith and Flo Ballard.   The trio hit the top of the Billboard 12 times in the 1960's, or second to The Beatles.   

The ladies performed their last concert on this day in 1970.

"Someday we'll be together" was their last hit and song in the farewell concert.

P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).  

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Remember when we were hoping for McCain-Romney?

Many years ago, John McCain was a POW in Hanoi.  In 2000, he was defeated by GW Bush in South Carolina.    In mid-2007, 9 he was dead in the water for the Republican nomination.      Eventually, he won the nomination.

Mitt Romney was a very successful businessman and son of George Romney, who ran for president in 1968.   Romney was also governor of Massachusetts.

At one point in the summer of 2008 , I was hoping for a McCain-Romney ticket.

 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.