Tuesday, June 30, 2020

School choice and Supreme Court plus backlash brewing and more

School choice and Supreme Court plus backlash brewing and more 06/30 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics:

The Supreme Court upholds Montana's school choice law.....good news for parents and children.......Biden press conference......Violence in Mexico up.....Backlash coming.....'Gone with the wind' published 1939...
and other stories.....click to listen:


Tuesday’s video: I see a big backlash coming





Some signs of a backlash brewing

South Philly residents surround Columbus statue as demonstrations ...
Over and over, I keep hearing from people totally fed up with the riots, anarchy, and selective destruction of history.   
Over the last couple of days, I saw a couple of examples of what we will call the mother of all backlashes this November.
In Virginia, we saw a march in support of the police:    
Hundreds of people marched in the streets of Manassas Saturday afternoon to show their support for law enforcement officers as police departments across the country come under unprecedented scrutiny in the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Participants in the event, sponsored by the organization We Back Blue, gathered at Nelson Park and then marched down Grant Avenue to the Old Manassas Courthouse holding signs that read “We Support Our Law Enforcement,” “No Police, No Peace,” and “Law & Order.”
In Oklahoma, some people learned that “The Sooner State” will enforce the law:  
A district attorney in Oklahoma hit several protesters with charges of assault, rioting, and terrorism in connection to recent violent protests that took place in Oklahoma City.
My guess is that there are other examples that we have not heard about.
As someone said, we’ve reached a flash point.  The American people will stand up for their country and the left is in for a major shock in November.
As I told a local police officer, the public supports you and the fine work that you do.
P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

A word about Lena Horne (1917-2010)


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Lena Horne, one of the best female vocalists ever, was born on this day in 1917..........she passed away at age 92 in 2010.

She had a great voice and very elegant look!

Her story was rather remarkable:
"Lena Horne, who was the first black performer to be signed to a long-term contract by a major Hollywood studio and who went on to achieve international fame as a singer, died on Sunday night at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York."(NYT)
 It's hard to pick a favorite song but her version of "Where or When" is great:

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


1962: Koufax and the first no-hitter


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On this day in 1962, Sandy Koufax of the LA Dodgers pitched the first of his 4 no-hitters.    He beat the Mets and struck out 13 in a 5-0 victory.

Between 1962 and 1966, when he retired at age 32, Koufax was just overpowering.  He led the LA Dodgers to World Series victories in 1963 and 1965.  He pitched 4 no-hitters, including perfect game in 1965, and won 3 Cy Young Awards.

It all started with this no-hitter in 1962!

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

Monday, June 29, 2020

Louisiana abortion law plus signs of a backlash out there & more stories

Louisiana abortion law plus signs of a backlash out there & more stories 06/29 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics:

The Supreme Court strikes down the Louisiana abortion law......People are marching in support of the police and defending their homes........Oklahoma reminds protesters that this is not Seattle.....90 days since former VP Biden had a press conference.........DiMaggio reaches 41 & 42 in a doubleheader 1941 and other stories.....
click to listen:


Monday’s video: Justice Roberts and the Louisiana abortion law





Karen Bass may be bad news for Joe Biden

Babalu Blog (@BabaluBloggers) | Twitter
Over the years, Fidel Castro always had two loyal friends in the U.S.  First, the editorial page of the New York Times.  Second, Karen Bass, congresswoman from California.
Representative Bass is in the news today because she may be the “black woman” running mate that he’s been looking for.   At the same time, she has a “Cuban problem,” as reported in Politico:    
Democrats worry the presence of Bass on the ticket would needlessly help Republicans in a state where the GOP has historically eked out come-from-behind wins. Florida Democrats also favor a home-state congressional candidate as Biden’s running mate, with Val Demings also under consideration. Demings, a Florida congresswoman who is African-American, is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus while Bass chairs the group.
Two of their congressional colleagues from Miami, Reps. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell and Donna Shalala, are facing reelection challenges from Cuban-American Republicans who have made socialism a top issue. Both support Demings as a running mate for Biden but say that Bass‘ comments in their own right are problematic, and both had also condemned Sanders remarks about Castro in the primary.
“I disagree with the Congresswoman’s comments on Cuba. I invite people to come to Miami where we can educate them on the tyrannical dictatorship that has decimated Cuba for 60 years,” Shalala said, adding “my focus is on helping her and Joe Biden win Florida, the White House, and save our country.”
Represenative Bass reacted by saying that her comments were identical to those of President Obama back when he was seeking better relations.   I have not read everything that former President Obama said about Fidel Castro but “mi comandante” does not sound familiar.  Even President Obama understood the stupidity of making such an endearing statement about a dictator.
Will it be Biden-Bass?  I don’t think so, because the vice presidential choice is critical for a man who will be 79 a few days after election day. Adding someone to the ticket who will hurt you in Florida is not smart politics.
P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

1948: President Truman and Israel



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President Truman was in the middle of some of the biggest moments of the 20th century. He dropped the two bombs that ended war in the Pacific and led the US into the Cold War with the Truman Doctrine. It was clearly one of the most consequential presidencies ever.
 
Pres. Truman's library  hosted an exhibition in 2008 or the 60th anniversary of Israel or another one of his many important decisions:
"On May 14, 1948 President Harry Truman announced that the United States would offer de facto recognition of the new State of Israel. His decision, coming only eleven minutes after the new government was formed in the former British mandate of Palestine, gave immediate legitimacy to a country that existed only on paper and in the hearts of the world-wide Jewish community." (Truman and Israel: Behind the Decision) 
Like most Truman decisions, it was not easy or popular everywhere. However, it was the right thing to do.
 
Pres. Truman was a great president because he made decisions and took the political heat for them.  I call it leadership, which is why he is my favorite Democrat and ranks rather high in most presidential lists!

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).   Speaking of Pres. Truman, let me recommend once again that wonderful biography by by David McCullough. It is one of best ones ever written about a US president:


Sunday, June 28, 2020

The week in review with Bill Katz, the editor of Urgent Agenda

The week in review with Bill Katz, the editor of Urgent Agenda 06/28 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics:

Guest: Bill Katz, the editor of Urgent Agenda.........Woodrow Wilson out but wasn't he popular with the progressive movement? The Trump administration protecting monuments and arresting people.....Biden leads Trump in every poll but will he ever do a press conference? COVID and young people but what about the protests?.....
other stories...click to listen:


My parents were so impressed with US highways

The Interstate Highway System | bittersportspills

During our early months in the U.S., my parents were so impressed with just about everything about the new country — most of all the new freedom and opportunity that the U.S. had given us.
My father would always remind us of all of the benefits of being here.
For example, he’d say someone with my big mouth would be sitting in a political prison in Cuba for insurrection.
Also, he’d say Castro would have sent my brother and me to Angola if we had stayed behind.  In fact, many young Cuban men did serve in those wars in Africa.  Many died or came back with AIDS, as we used to read in press reports in the late 1980s.
Something else my parents would often talk about was U.S. highways.  Cuba had a developed road and train infrastructure but nothing like those huge super-highways that connect U.S. cities.  I can remember my mother admiring the roads on Sunday afternoons when we’d go on a picnic.
How many times did I hear our Cuban friends compliment those clean and well paved U.S. roads?  A lot!  It was a topic that many Cubans would actually talk about in those small Cuban gatherings where our parents were in the living room and the young listening to The Rolling Stones.
Americans can indeed take these marvelous roads for granted.  For example, you can drive from Atlanta to L.A. on I-10, from Minneapolis to San Antonio on I-35, from Maine to Miami on I-95, and from San Diego to Seattle on I-5.
It is really a great transportation system and something that Americans should be very proud of!
It started when the U.S. Senate approved the U.S. Federal Highway Act this week in 1956.  The U.S. House approved it on a voice vote the next day.  I guess everyone was “on board” to start building those highways that connected the country from coast to coast and Mexico to Canada.
Looking back, this is how the federal government should work.  You propose an idea, discuss it openly and pay for it by raising taxes.  Overall, a good idea that benefited the country.


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

Saturday, June 27, 2020

Wlson cancelled plus social media bias and protecting statues

Wlson cancelled plus social media bias and protecting statues 06/27 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics:

The 'cancel culture' comes to President Woodrow Wilson but I thought that the left loved him.....President Trump goes after Democrat run cities and that's a good move.....Arrest and prosecute those destroying statues......Social media bias and the alternatives such as Parler......click to listen:



Defund the police?

Connecticut lawmakers prefer massive reform bill to 'defunding ...
Did you see the video of the white young woman screaming at a black police officer?   Yes, it was funny but a window into a coming clash between white liberals and the blacks who live in these neighborhoods burdened by crime.
This is from Caleb Parke:   
Ami Horowitz first went to the East Village in New York City, asking white liberals if they think it will help the black community. The responses showed apparent anger and hatred toward law enforcement.
Then Miss Horowitz went to the black neighborhood and heard a different message:    
However, when Horowitz traveled to Malcolm X Boulevard in Harlem, he heard a different tune from black residents.
Another woman said, “I have family members that are police. I respect the police. I would not want to see a lawless society.”
No kidding that no one wants a lawless society!   Especially blacks living in neighborhoods in Chicago, Los Angeles, etc.
Add this:  BET founder Robert Johnson said the movement to topple Confederate statues, edit Gone with the Wind, and fire professors is meaningless to the black community.   Let me translate what Mr. Johnson said:  Blacks do not have a confederate statues problem.   
Last, but not least, Mr. Johnson called them “borderline anarchists.”
So don’t be surprised if many blacks from coast to coast vote for a law and order candidate this fall.
P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

1956: The US interstate highway system was born

Friday, June 26, 2020

Defund the police plus Biden vs Trump & Gongress goes partisan on police reform

Defund the police plus Biden vs Trump & Gongress goes partisan on police reform 06/26 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics:

Defund the police? Who supports it? The Trump vs Biden campaign is all about Trump so far.......Police reform goes totally partisan so nothing will happen.....Gun sales way up!......Happy # 46 Derek Jeter.......
and other stories......click to listen:



Friday’s video: How much of an impact did the protests have on the spike?





Yes, sue the leftist incompetent mayor of Seattle

Protests over George Floyd death turned violent in Seattle (VIDEOS ...
Cheers for the people of Seattle.  They’ve finally had enough of the anarchy and madness tolerated in their city.

This is from news reports:    

Numerous Seattle businesses – including an auto repair shop, a tattoo parlor and a property management company – sued the city Wednesday, alleging city officials were complicit in allowing an “occupied protest” that has made them feel unsafe in their neighborhood, according to reports.

Absolutely correct.

Seattle’s local government, and Minneapolis is not far behind, let its citizens down.  It failed in the most important duty of government, to protect its citizens and to enforce the law.

In Minneapolis, Chicago, New York City, etc., incompetent mayors put their political ideology over the safety of its citizens.  We all saw this happen on TV and wondered why the police were not allowed to do their job.

Worse than that, these local leaders allowed unmasked protesters to potentially spread COVID-19 and push back any of the gains from the lock-down.

Negligence all around!

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

1956: Elvis rocks on "The Milton Berle Show"


Thursday, June 25, 2020

Seattle citizen lawsuit plus major deportation decision & more

Seattle citizen lawsuit plus major deportation decision & more 06/25 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics:

Seattle and the lawsuit against the city government.......Major Supreme Court decision on deportations........Students at UW-Madison want Lincoln statue down.......General Eisenhower 1942....General Custer and Little Big Horn 1876..Happy # 75 Carly Simon.....and other stories......
click to listen:


Thursday’s video: Seattle citizens plan to sue city hall for not protecting them.





No more watching classic baseball games this summer

MLB could allow fans at Astros, Rangers games in 2020 due to ...
It started out as interesting watching game 7 of the Pirates vs Orioles in the 1979 World Series.  Or watching Reggie Jackson hit three home runs in game 6 of the 1977 World Series.  Or crying once again when the Texas Rangers could not close the 2011 World Series with one strike to go in the 9th and 10th innings.
Let me confess:  I am tired of watching old games.
Baseball finally got its act together and announced that games are coming.  This is from MLB.com:   
Major League Baseball has officially announced a plan to return to play that features players reporting for training by July 1, leading up to a proposed 60-game regular-season schedule anticipated to begin on July 23 and 24.
“Major League Baseball is thrilled to announce that the 2020 season is on the horizon,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. 
“We have provided the Players Association with a schedule to play 60 games and are excited to provide our great fans with Baseball again soon.”
A 60-game season is different but everything about 2020 has been strange.
After all, it was just four months ago that Texas Rangers’ fans were looking forward to a beautiful new stadium with a roof for Sunday afternoon baseball in July and beyond.
Well, we won’t be going to that stadium anytime soon, but baseball is back.
The 60-game season will have an asterisk much like 1981 that was literally broken up into two seasons, first half and second half.  
Who benefits from a shorter or more compact schedule?  I don’t know.  Baseball is a long marathon where teams have many winning and losing streaks.   A 60-game season is 37% of a regular campaign so unusual things may happen.
Let’s play ball.  Of course, let’s hope that CNN does not go “breaking news” with a rope found in any clubhouse, especially Oakland.
P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Good news for General Flynn and the left scores big in primaries plus more

Good news for General Flynn and the left scores big in primaries plus more 06/24 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics:

Good news for General Flynn.....Democrat primary results show that the party is deeply divided......Obama warning Democrats not to assume that Trump will lose.......Protests are out control....11 million people watch Trump rally...Berlin Blockade 1948...and other stories.....click to listen:


Wednesday’s video: The Democrats go further left and left





Another weekend of black lives that don’t matter

October tops Chicago violence records | The Crusader Newspaper Group
As we watch mobs vandalize statues, a few kids will be buried in Chicago.  They didn’t die in an accident, but rather they were in the wrong place when the bullets started flying.  One of them was riding in the car with his parent.   
Chicago’s “Killing Fields” go on and on.
Where is the mayor?  She is angry at President Trump for everything and at a local city alderman for saying that some of the businesses will never come back.   They didn’t in Baltimore and won’t in Chicago.
This is from the Chicago Tribune:    
A 3-year-old boy was shot and killed in Chicago over the weekend. Two hours later, a 13-year-old girl was shot and killed just blocks away.
Between Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, seven people were killed, including the 3-year-old, the 13-year-old and two other teenagers.
Where is the outrage?   I see some, especially from family and friends.
Where is the political class?  Where are the two U.S. Senators and so on?  
When will the governor of Illinois get out of his politically correct bunker and put the National Guard on the streets to stop this every weekend?   Like the mayor, he is busy blaming Trump.  After all, isn’t everything Trump’s fault in these cities run by Democrats?
Sadly, we’ve reached a point where “black deaths matter” only when they can be blamed on Trump or Columbus.
Who knew that we’d be blaming Columbus 500-something years after he died?
P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

1947: Jackie Robinson stole home for the first time

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On this day in 1947, Jackie stole home for the first of 19 times.

Jackie Robinson broke the color line in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers.   He also earned a reputation for stealing bases and getting lots of clutch hits.  

He was voted Rookie of the Year in 1947:   .297 batting average, .383 OBP and 29 stolen bases.    

Overall, Jackie hit .311 and a .409 on base pct over 10 years with the Dodgers.   

He played in the 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955 and 1956 World Series.
P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.   




Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Crime wave plus Trump correct on monuments and 3 debates in the fall

Crime wave plus Trump correct on monuments and 3 debates in the fall 06/23 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics:

The crime wave in Chicago and other places......Trump correct over the destruction of historic monuments.....Biden vs Trump debates coming up.......Happy # 80 Justice Clarence Thomas.....Germany invades Russia June 1941......
and other stories.....click to listen:


Tuesday’s video: Trump is correct about the destruction of statues





Maybe they didn’t tear down enough statues in Chicago

October tops Chicago violence records | The Crusader Newspaper Group
It was another bloody weekend in Chicago and other cities.  As always, Chicago leads the way, as we see in this local report:  
Chicago recorded at least 11 killed and 67 wounded during an outbreak of violence, according to Fox 32. The deaths included a 3-year-old and a 13-year-old girl. The teenage girl was home Saturday night when she was struck in the neck from the shot fired from outside. She was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital.
CBS Chicago reported that eight of those shot were children and teens, four of them died.  The 3-year old was with his stepfather at about 6:30 p.m. on Saturday when he was struck in the back. Witnesses told the station that the gunfire came from a blue Honda.
“Tears are a natural reaction to these tragic stories of violence. But we need to do more than just cry,” Chicago Police Supt. David Brown said. “Let’s keep violent offenders in jail longer, and let’s revamp the home monitoring system. It’s not working.”
Not working at all!   
By the way, wonder if any of the “shooters” were wearing masks to prevent spreading the virus?  They were obviously not maintaining a proper distance.
We saw similar crime reports from other cities.  
What do these cities have in common?  They are bringing down statues, renaming schools, talking about defunding the police, and run by Democrats.
P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

We remember Rafael “Felo” Ramirez, 1923-2017


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The great Rafael "Felo" Ramirez was born on this day in 1923 in Bayamo, Cuba, and died in 2017.   

Felo brought his conversationalist style to calling a game that he loved as much as anyone.


My parents grew up listening to Felo and baseball games on the radio in Cuba. 


I connected with Felo in the 1980’s during my time in Mexico City.  Starting in April, and all the way to the World Series, there was Felo Ramirez on the radio broadcasting major league baseball games to Latin America.  


Felo was behind the microphone for Don Larsen’s perfect game in 1956, Roberto Clemente’s 3,000th hit in 1972, and Hank Aaron’s 715th HR in 1974.  
As my late father used to say, Felo and baseball on the radio were made for each other.    
In recent years, Felo was the voice of The Miami Marlins.
P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

Monday, June 22, 2020

The week in review with Bill Katz the editor of Urgent Agenda

The week in review with Bill Katz the editor of Urgent Agenda 06/22 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics:

Guest: Bill Katz, the editor of Urgent Agenda....We will review the latest removing statues from Teddy Roosevelt to a Catholic priest.....No more Aunt Jemima.....Trump back to doing rallies and Biden still at home...another awful weekend in Chicago...
other stories....click to listen:


Monday’s video: Will Biden ever have a press conference?





Did white liberals check with blacks about removing Aunt Jemima?

Aunt Jemima to change name and image due to origins based on a ...
As you probably heard, Quaker Oats decided that white liberals just couldn’t take all of that white privilege and systematic racism anymore on their pancakes.   
Wonder if Quaker Oats actually asked any African Americans about their decision?
Well, it turns out that Aunt Jemima’s family is not pleased with the move.  This is from news reports:    
Living in Forney, Vera Harris is the family historian for the Richard family of Hawkins, and could hardly believe a big part of their family legacy, the “Aunt Jemima” brand, was about to be erased from supermarket shelves.
“A lot of people want it removed. We want the world to know that our cousin Lillian was one of the Aunt Jemima’s and she made an honest living. We would ask that you reconsider just wiping all that away. There wasn’t a lot of jobs, especially for black women back in that time. She was discovered by Quaker Oats to be their brand person,” Harris said.
Lillian Richard became a goodwill ambassador for Quaker Oats, and for decades, portrayed Aunt Jemima all over Texas.
“She made an honest living out of it for a number of years. She toured around Texas,” Harris said.
In the Fouke community just outside Hawkins is a historic marker dedicated to Lillian Richard, who is recognized as one of several women who portrayed Aunt Jemima.
Making an honest living?  Wonder how many of those “white liberals” destroying statues of Catholic saints and abolitionists have a clue of what that means.
By the way, the story points out the family does not want military bases renamed because many of their relatives are veterans.
Am I the only one who thinks that there is a silent black majority out there sick and tired of white liberals canceling everything and assuming that they know what blacks think?
P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

Michael Landon on "The Rifleman".


Raymond LeFevere and "Soul Coaxing"



Raymond LeFevere died a few years ago.  He was a French arranger, the kind of musician who could take any song and turn it into a pop hit.

This is "Soul Coaxing" or
"Ame Caline" in French.

Don't you love this arrangement as much as I do?

Click and listen:



Sunday, June 21, 2020

Happy Fathers Day 2020


We take a minute today and say "Happy Fathers Day" to that very special man in our lives.

In my case, my brother, sister & I were blessed with a father who taught us the right way and always set the example.

Like other Cuban fathers, my dad decided to leave Cuba because he wanted his children to grow up in a free country.  He did not want us to live in a secular, anti-God and communist dictatorship.

Thank you father and rest in peace.

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


Happy Father's Day: Fathers, sons and baseball.

Who's Your Daddy? Sports Events are Ready to Cater to Him on ...
In my book “Cubanos in Wisconsin“, I related stories of watching baseball games with our late father.  

It seems like we spent every Sunday going to church, running home to grab our hats, on a bus to the stadium, cheering for the players, eating too much food and then going home exhausted from such a wonderful day.    

Like many others, we left Cuba and came to the US.    Our love for baseball got stronger every year.   We attended baseball games with my father in Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and Texas.  

Baseball gave us an opportunity to bond with our dad.   He taught us to calculate batting averages and to appreciate a good pitching effort.    

Every Father’s Day, I think of my father and all of those games we watched over time.      

P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.    Check my baseball stories and memories of my father: 



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